Mutated Beasts.

Li Jun strode with purpose as he approached the city gates. He would have to do some investigation. Master Shen didn't want him to return for another two days, so he figured he would take the time to do something productive and earn some money.

Before he left, he made sure to take a knife from the kitchen and an empty leather pouch to tuck the blade into. If he found any beast, he would need something to kill it with. He wasn't confident that a palm strike would be helpful since he wasn't strong enough to kill with a single strike. 

As he reached the gate and looked around, he quickly recognized Han Jie and called out his name. 

Han Jie turned upon hearing his name, and he saw Li Jun walking towards him. His heart raced for a moment as he recalled the powerful aura that had leaked from his body last night. 

He didn't believe that Li Jun was a student of Shen Guo, but the fact he was here meant that it was true. He couldn't help but think about the time he had seen General Li Wei fight using all sorts of martial arts. It seemed that the apple didn't fall far from the tree, and Li Jun would become a great soldier like his father.

"Master Li Jun." Han Jie greeted him with his hands clasped and a respectful bow. 

Li Jun looked at him, confused by the sudden change in attitude and the fact he had given him an honorary title. He then recalled something. To people who weren't martial artists, even someone at the first stage of the body refining stage was a master and deserved respect. However, that didn't sit right with him.

"Please drop the honorifics. It makes me feel uncomfortable." Li Jun said awkwardly as Han Jie stepped away from his post.

"If that's what you wish, then sure." Han Jie smiled. "How can I help you today? I assume the trouble from last night has been resolved." 

Li Jun had almost forgotten about his encounter with Li Chen and his friends. His mind was so overwhelmed when he thought about Master Shen and The city lord bickering like children.

"I'll be fine. Besides, they aren't much of a threat to me even if they try to gang up on me again." Li Jun laughed. 

"Is that so? If I was you, I would be careful. If I recall correctly, your older cousin is fighting on the front lines. I heard a rumor that he was coming back soon." Han Jie said in a hushed voice. 

Li Jun remembered hearing from his mother that Li Chen's older brother had become a martial artist. That was years ago, though. Li Jun wondered how far he had advanced, but he wasn't too concerned about it.

"You guard these gates often, right?" Li Jun asked, putting the warning to the back of his mind. He had more important things to do.

"Yes, why? What is it?" Han Jie asked.

"I was just wondering if you knew of anyone hunting mutant beasts nearby? I was going to try to find some, but I don't know where to start." Li Jun admitted. 

"Mutant beasts…" Han Jie paused as a thought came to mind. "You could try the dark forest; I've heard that hunters have found a few dead wolves with bite marks all over them. Captain Lu was planning to send a team in there to look for whatever it is but hasn't had the time to yet."

"Perfect, it's close by too." Li Jun smiled. 

"Wait, you aren't thinking of hunting it on your own, are you?" Han Jie saw the knife tied to Li Jun's waist. 

"I'm sure I'll be fine. What's the worst that can happen its only a mutant beast." Li Jun said, not wanting to waste anymore time he set off towards the forest, ignoring Han Jie's concern.

He soon found himself surrounded by trees. The dark forest got its name from the densely packed trees that blocked nearly all the sunlight from getting through.

Li Jun's senses were sharper and his eyesight felt better than it ever had been before. As he looked around the dark forest he could see his surroundings perfectly, though he couldn't see very far due to the trees blocking his view. 

Li Jun walked through the forest, keeping a look out for anything out of the ordinary. He didn't feel as though there was anything nearby. The birds didn't chirp at all which he found strange, it was as if the forest had been abandoned by all life. 

That didn't stop him, though; Li Jun kept walking, going deeper into the forest as he tried to think of what kind of beast could kill a wolf. It would have to be something large, maybe a bear or perhaps another wolf that had turned into a mutant beast?

Li Jun walked around for hours and still hadn't stumbled across anything out of the ordinary. 

'This is strange. Don't hunters usually come here to hunt deer and wild boars?' He thought to himself. But whatever beast was living here seemed to have scared the wild animals away. 

'No wonder the guard captain wants to send people to hunt the beast. If hunters can't get enough food, then market prices will rise, and regular people won't be able to afford to eat boar or deer anymore.' As the thoughts kept him company in the dark silence of the forest, he heard a twig snap behind him. 

Li Jun used phantom steps to move a few steps to the right as he grabbed the knife from his waist and turned around. He expected to see a ferocious beast standing before him, so it came as a surprise to see a small white rabbit looking up at him. 

The rabbit looked strange. Its white fur was soft and fluffy, but on its head, there was a red horn that made it look as if one of its parents was a rhinoceros. 

"This is a mutant beast." Li Jun looked at the strange-looking rabbit and muttered to himself. He was sure of it. A faint aura of spiritual energy surrounded the rabbit, but the horn on its head was one of many signs that it was mutated by spiritual energy. 

'Is this what's been causing all the trouble?' Li Jun thought to himself as the rabbit seemed to be frozen in fear as it looked up at him. 'Well, this won't be much trouble then.'

Li Jun dashed forward and picked the rabbit up into his arms, and then, without thinking, he snapped its neck. The rabbit let out a squeal as its body went limp. Li Jun smiled.

Suddenly the spiritual energy that surrounded the rabbit began to condense; it spiraled for a moment around Li Jun's hands before being sucked into the rabbit's body. 

Li Jun almost gasped. This meant that the spiritual energy had entered its beast core.

'Does this mean that I will gain a special ability if I eat the beast core?' He thought to himself. Li Jun raised his knife and sliced it down the middle of the rabbit's stomach. He gutted it and removed its organs. Next to its heart, he found a small black stone that shimmered slightly with spiritual energy. 

'It's so small.' He thought as he looked at the beast core that was slightly smaller than a finger nail. 'I wonder if I should just sell it?'

But the temptation to see what kind of abilities he could gain from the beast core was a little too much for him to resist. Li Jun wiped off the blood as best he could and put the black stone in his mouth and then swallowed it.