After a brief back and forth about whether the deal was still valid, Grandmaster Mao eventually handed over the core-building pill, and Li Jun left with a spring in his step.
He walked down the winding stone staircase until he reached the main floor of the pill tower. The lines of people waiting for medicine still stretched out of the doors. Li Jun paid them no attention and strolled towards the exit.
He lost himself in thought as he heard the black kitten on his shoulder purr lightly into his ear. He had forgotten it was even there. In the presence of Grandmaster Mao, it hadn't made even the slightest noise.
He turned his head to look at the kitten when he suddenly felt someone bump into his shoulder.
"Watch where you're going!" A man yelled.
Li Jun turned to look at the man. He was a short and chubby man with day old stubble and short brown hair. As his eyes met Li Jun's he smiled arrogantly.
"What? Do you have a problem with me!?" The man yelled as Li Jun looked down at him.
Li Jun sighed; the man was at the first stage of body refining; he could tell at a single glance that he was up to no good. He let it go and continued walking towards the exit when he felt a slight sense of danger creep up behind him.
"You can't leave without my permission, you little shit!"
Not in the mood to deal with anyone else, he walked even quicker and stepped out into the street. Just as he thought he was finally away from the little fat man, he heard his voice shout from the doorway.
"You're banned from coming here again! You hear me!? You're banned! I will remember your face!"
Li Jun chuckled to himself as he walked away. The only reason the man had acted arrogant was because he was inside the pill tower. His words made it clear that he worked there like the two that had plotted against Li Jun in the past.
If the chubby man had acted arrogantly in the street, he wouldn't have been able to use the name of the pill tower to back him up. He was quite clearly a coward who held his head up high while he hid behind the name of a strong force. Li Jun couldn't wait for the next time he decided to go to pill hall. If the chubby man caused any trouble, he wouldn't hold back from summoning his boss to fire him.
As Li Jun smiled sadistically, he felt a hand reach out and grab his shoulder.
"Li Jun?" A ragged voice asked.
Li Jun turned to see a familiar face. It was Mr Bai, the farmer who had hired him to help with the harvests.
"It really is you." Mr Bai said with a smile. But as his lips tightened, he winced in pain.
Li Jun looked down and saw the cane he was using to support himself and the bruises along his neck and arms.
"Mr Bai," Li Jun said, speaking with concern. "What happened to you? Are you ok?"
Mr Bai sighed. "I thought it was foxes that were killing my chickens but it was actually a mutated beast. I heard it breaking in to their pen last night and when I went out it knocked me to the ground and trampled on me."
"A mutated beast? What did it look like?" Li Jun raised his eye brows. He thought that since he had killed the beast king that the other beasts would stay in the forest and not venture out for food.
"It looked as if it had the body of a horse but with a tiger's head and completely black fur. Honestly, I thought it would eat me too, but when I reached for my hatchet, it ran away." Mr Bai explained.
'The body of a horse and head of a tiger? I haven't heard of a mutated beast that looks like that before.' Li Jun thought to himself as Mr Bai made an uncomfortable-looking expression.
"I could use some help around the farm if you feel up to it. I need to sell some crops quickly so I can build a safer pen for my animals." Mr Bai spoke solemnly. He didn't want to ask for help but upon seeing that Li Jun's wound had healed he couldn't help it.
"I'm sorry Mr Bai, but I can't help with the harvest." said Li Jun, he didn't want to go back to working on a farm. He owed Mr Bai a lot for the kindness he had shown when Li Jun begged him for a job. However now that he was a martial artist he refused to go back to his old self. He would hold his head high and walk his own path from now on.
Mr Bai frowned. He was hopeful that Li Jun would help him, but he understood. No one in their right mind would choose to help him while there is a mutated beast somewhere on his land. He sighed and lowered his head slightly.
"Although I can't help with your harvest, you won't have to worry about that beast anymore. I will take care of it for you." Said Li Jun with a kind smile.
"What?" Mr Bai exclaimed as he looked up.
"I said I will take care of the beast. It won't come back to bother you."
"What are you talking about? Don't go saying things like that!" Mr Bai said with concern. "Stay away from that beast. It was terrifying. It's not something a kid like you can handle, you hear me?"
Li Jun smiled again. Mr Bai was a sociable man. He taught Li Jun a lot about harvesting and planting crops. He even taught him how to butcher chickens, which came in handy when he had hunted the red-horned rabbit.
"Don't worry about it." Said Li Jun as he hovered his hand over his universe bag and produced a small white bottle seemingly out of thin air. "Take this for your injuries."
Li Jun handed the bottle to Mr Bai. It contained a single pill that would help to heal his injuries. Mr Bai's face grew pale as he looked at the pill bottle with his mouth wide open. He didn't know what to say.
At that moment, it became clear just how much Li Jun had grown up from the sniffling kid who had begged him for a job almost two years ago. He had no words; he couldn't compose his thoughts, let alone a sentence, so he accepted the pill with a bow as Li Jun walked into the distance.