Chapter 65

The coroner started performing autopsies from his teenage years, and his experience was so extensive that even in the entire Mingchuan Prefecture, he was one of the few who could match him. He first put on a pair of white cloth gloves, walked to the desk, and without any hesitation, grabbed the severed head.

Soon, the coroner respectfully said, "Sir, the head is genuine. After my examination, it matches the characteristics of Wang Yonggui that we have on record. We can basically confirm that it is Wang Yonggui's head."

Wu Qi waved his hand and ordered, "You may go now."

The coroner bowed and withdrew.

Jiang Shan laughed and said, "Now that we have confirmed it is Wang Yonggui's head, things will be easier. Magistrate Wu, and everyone present, remember this: Wang Yonggui's head was brought by the Third Young Master. In other words, the Third Young Master acted bravely and killed Wang Yonggui, who had shed much blood and harmed the people for years, thus eliminating a public menace. Have you all remembered this?"

The few constables present were taken aback. Wasn't this claiming someone else's credit? The Third Young Master clearly came from a noble family, so why would he snatch the credit from a commoner like Li Wenjun?

Though they were dissatisfied, none of the constables dared to voice their anger. They all had their own skeletons in the closet, and some had even done similar things. However, the credit they had claimed was far less significant than what the Third Young Master had taken this time. More importantly, they couldn't afford to offend the Third Young Master. Self-preservation was the only way to survive in the bureaucracy.

Right and wrong often arise from overstepping. Li Wenjun wasn't their son; why should they speak up for him?

Jiang Shan smiled coldly, ignoring the constables' reactions. He wasn't afraid that anyone among them would dare to defy his orders. They should understand the severe consequences of leaking information better than those outside the system.

"Alright, all of you can go now. For the next few days, stay on duty at the county office. Without my permission, no one is allowed to step out of the county office gates. Those who violate the order will not blame me for being ruthless and will have their legs broken," Wu Qi said sternly.

After the constables left, Wu Qi said, "Sir Jiang, claiming someone else's credit can be a serious matter. We need to plan carefully to smoothly transfer the credit from Li Wenjun to the Third Young Master. We must avoid any complications."

Jiang Shan snorted and said menacingly, "A mere commoner with no background, if he listens to my advice and gives the credit to the Third Young Master, it will be fine. If he doesn't listen and dares to show his teeth, I will exterminate his entire family."

Wu Qi said, "Li Wenjun is a commoner, that's true, but since he could kill Wang Yonggui, he must have some skills. Please be cautious, Sir Jiang. In my opinion, it's better to use a gentle approach."

Jiang Shan waved his hand and said indifferently, "What gentleness? Let me set things up. When the time comes, I will make Li Wenjun's life unbearable, and he will have no choice but to give up the credit. Also, Magistrate Wu, prepare a hidden cell in the prison for Li Wenjun."

"Sir Jiang, isn't this a bit extreme?" Wu Qi seemed somewhat reluctant.

"We are taking Li Wenjun's credit. If we don't arrest him after taking it, and let him go, what would that be? It would be like letting a tiger back into the wild, causing endless trouble. If he spreads rumors and tarnishes the Third Young Master's reputation, what then? Those who know will think he is making false accusations, but those who don't will believe the Third Young Master stole the credit. To ensure stability, the best course of action is to keep Li Wenjun under arrest for life. Not killing him is already an act of mercy by the Third Young Master."

Jiang Shan spoke with righteous indignation, already attributing the credit to the Third Young Master before it was even taken from Li Wenjun.

In fact, Jiang Shan wasn't against directly killing Li Wenjun, as it would leave no loose ends. However, since the Third Young Master was about to go to the capital for the imperial exams, Jiang Shan was worried about the bad omen of killing, so he decided to spare Li Wenjun's life.

Jiang Shan wasn't being kind; he had already planned to have Li Wenjun killed as soon as the imperial exam results were announced.

Wu Qi sighed, as if mourning a rat, and said, "Very well, once Li Wenjun is in the prison, let him live out the rest of his life in comfort."

Li Wenjun had no idea that just by bringing Wang Yonggui's head to the county office, someone was plotting to kill him. If he knew, he might not have brought the head to the county office.

To be honest, Li Wenjun's decision was partly because the government had the resources to quickly confirm and publicize his achievement, making his reputation rise rapidly. On the other hand, he might still have some subconscious trust in the government, which is why he thought of the government first.

After leaving the county office, Li Wenjun bought some cooked beef, roast chicken, and other foods from a熟食店 (熟食店 means "cooked food store" in Chinese, but it's better to translate it as "delicatessen" in this context), and then went to the Sun family's house with Sun Baicao and Sun Jianing.

Sun Baicao's wife was also very happy to see Li Wenjun and warmly greeted him.

After a hearty dinner, Li Wenjun chatted with the Sun family for a while and then returned home. His house was very clean, almost free of dust, thanks to Aunt Sun, who had been cleaning for him regularly since he left.

The details revealed true feelings!

Li Wenjun nodded in satisfaction. He took off his shoes and got into bed. He didn't plan to sleep tonight; he intended to practice all night. Now that he didn't have enough herbs to boil medicinal soup, he could only use the most basic method of circulating energy through the body.

In a place like Sankai County, where there was almost no spiritual energy, he had to make the most of his time to achieve anything.

Three days passed quickly. Li Wenjun didn't leave his house and spent most of his time practicing the Chángchūn Gong. Over these three days, his cultivation improved only slightly, barely more than nothing.

However, as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No matter who it is, any achievement comes from consistent effort, especially in cultivation, where there can be no shortcuts.

Li Wenjun had no choice but to accept this. He had the idea of leaving Sankai County to find a place suitable for cultivation, but since he hadn't received any news about his parents and could still gather herbs on Wufeng Mountain, he decided to wait. If he still hadn't heard from his parents after some time, he would need to seriously consider leaving Sankai County.

Sun Baicao and his son were busy every day and had little time to spend with Li Wenjun. Li Wenjun didn't disturb them and clearly stated that he wouldn't interfere with the affairs of the herbal shop, leaving it to Sun Baicao to manage. He only asked Sun Baicao to help him acquire herbs and gather information about herbs that were over a hundred years old.

One night, deep into the night, Li Wenjun was practicing when he was startled by intense barking.

Li Wenjun frowned but still stopped his practice and went to the courtyard, asking, "Who is it?"

"It's Master Li? I have been instructed by the county magistrate to invite you to the county office. The magistrate told me to inform you that the rewards from the provincial capital have arrived," someone answered from outside the gate.

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