The third evening. Lin Feng and the group stopped as usual on a wide patch of grassland, setting up camp to rest.
Yang Ge's men busied themselves lighting stoves and preparing food, while Lin Feng and the others casually scouted the surroundings, returning with some wild game. Soon, the rich aroma of food filled the air. Lin Feng, Long Chengkong, the three Zhang brothers, and Yang Ge sat together again, eating and chatting in a pleasant atmosphere.
Lin Feng had felt remarkably relaxed these past two days. This was his first real "long journey," and he treated it like a sightseeing trip, finding the scenery along the way particularly pleasing to the eye.
"Brother, is your pet still not eating anything? What kind of creature is it? I've never seen anything like it… is it really a spirit beast?" During the meal, Zhang Fangzhou glanced at Xiao Qiu, who was perched on Lin Feng's right shoulder playing with its tail, and couldn't help but ask.
Lin Feng smiled. "Hmm, don't worry about it. It knows to go find its own food when it's hungry." Xiao Qiu had become quite a point of interest over the past two days. Even Long Chengkong, who came from a "big city," couldn't identify what kind of spirit beast it was, or even confirm if it was a spirit beast and not just an ordinary animal. Lin Feng was surprised to discover Xiao Qiu had a strong sense of self-preservation. As if knowing that eating spirit stones would cause trouble if discovered, it would always quietly ask Lin Feng for stones and then sneak away to eat them alone. Consequently, the others hadn't uncovered this secret yet, merely puzzled by its refusal to eat any food they offered.
"Chirrr!!" Just as everyone was finishing their meal, Xiao Qiu, who had been lazily draped over Lin Feng's shoulder, suddenly jolted upright as if shocked. Its fur bristled like needles, and it crouched low, eyes filled with intense wariness as it stared fixedly towards a small grove of trees to the right.
"Hmm?" Lin Feng was the first to notice Xiao Qiu's unusual behavior. His gaze sharpened as he immediately turned to look in that direction. A moment later, he exclaimed softly, "People!"
The others started, scrambling to their feet instantly. Long Chengkong flicked his wrist, summoning his golden spear from his spatial ring. The three Zhang brothers also grabbed their weapons, faces tense as they stared towards the grove. The heightened senses of beasts were indeed superior to humans. From Xiao Qiu's reaction, everyone understood danger was approaching and prepared themselves immediately.
"Rustle… rustle…" As the group stood ready, faint footsteps indeed sounded from within the grove. Then, two figures stepped directly out into the open. Lin Feng didn't even need to ask to know their intentions were hostile. The undisguised malice in their eyes was clear.
Without the strangers actively releasing their aura, Lin Feng couldn't precisely gauge their cultivation levels. However, he was certain both were in the Foundation Establishment stage. From the bald, burly man on the left, he felt a pressure similar to what he'd experienced fighting He Wenyang – this man was likely at the late Foundation Establishment stage. The other man, shorter and dressed in yellow, probably had mid Foundation Establishment strength. The two clearly came for them. After emerging, the bald man scanned the group with brazen contempt, then revealed a vicious, cold smirk. "Heh… One at Foundation Establishment, Second Layer… one at First Layer… one at Qi Refining, Eighth Layer… two at Sixth Layer… and a dozen or so mortals… Heh heh… good. Fine luck…"
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. His group hadn't released their auras! How could this man detail their cultivation levels so precisely? Even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator shouldn't manage that… unless he's a Golden Core? Unlikely… So, he must possess some technique for detecting cultivation levels…
Before Lin Feng could fully process this shock, the bald man barked out a cold, domineering command: "I won't waste breath! Hand over your magic treasures and spirit stones if you know what's good for you! You two Foundation Establishment brats! Got spatial rings? Better not think of hiding 'em, or I won't be polite!" He then turned his menacing gaze to Yang Ge. "And you mortals! Looks like you're the boss, eh? Fork over your silver and valuables! I'm short on cash lately!! Do as you're told, and I might spare your miserable lives—don't force me to paint this ground red!!"
Robbery. Blatant, brutal robbery. The bald man's words, actions, and even his appearance screamed ruthless bandit leader. His demands were brutally simple, laced with palpable bloodlust. Ordinary bandits were frightening enough. A late Foundation Establishment bandit, issuing such vicious threats, was terrifying. Several of Yang Ge's mortal attendants visibly trembled, unable to withstand the oppressive aura radiating from a cultivator of that level.
Hearing the bald man's words, however, Lin Feng felt a surge of astonishment. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators, resorting to highway robbery? It seemed incomprehensible to him—was this actually common in the cultivation world? Lin Feng's understanding was limited. He didn't know that not only was it common for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but even Golden Core cultivators sometimes turned to banditry. The temptation of seizing vast resources quickly and violently proved too much for some.
While Lin Feng felt only surprise and not a shred of fear, the others were far from calm. Long Chengkong's brow furrowed deeply, his expression grave. The Zhang brothers looked pale and frightened, their eyes instinctively darting between Lin Feng and Long Chengkong, silently pleading for leadership. Yang Ge maintained a facade of composure, but it was clearly forced; his eyes, too, held a desperate hope that Lin Feng or Long Chengkong could resolve this crisis.
Long Chengkong stared hard at the bald man, his face suddenly paling as recognition dawned. He blurted out involuntarily, "You… you're… Li Sha!! You're Li Sha! You…" His outburst was driven by shock, but he instantly realized his mistake and snapped his mouth shut, regret flashing in his eyes.
"Hmm?" The bald man across from them froze at Long Chengkong's exclamation. Then, a flash of pure killing intent ignited in his eyes, twisting his smirk into something truly ferocious. "Heh heh… Didn't expect to find someone who recognizes me out here? Well then… you've just sealed your fate… All of you will die here!!" His earlier offer of sparing their lives if they complied—questionable as it was—was instantly revoked. Being recognized meant only one thing to him now: silence the witnesses permanently.
Lin Feng turned to Long Chengkong, whose face had turned slightly white. "Brother Long, you know this man?" Long Chengkong, his eyes locked nervously on the bald man opposite, barely registered Lin Feng's unnervingly calm tone. He spoke rapidly, his voice tight: "He's Li Sha! A man notorious throughout Biquan City! His crimes are numerous, but a month ago… he raped and murdered the eldest daughter of the Li family in Biquan! The Li family put a bounty of fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones on his head! He vanished after that… I never imagined he'd be hiding out here…"
"Fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones?!" Long Chengkong's words caused a collective gasp. While the others were horrified by the sheer depravity of Li Sha's crime, Lin Feng's shock was directed squarely at the staggering bounty amount. He thought the He family's ten-thousand-stone bounty on him was high! This Li Sha commanded fifty thousand! Big city families truly operated on a different scale.
"Side income… This is side income delivered right to my doorstep…" Unbeknownst to anyone, a spark of glee flickered within Lin Feng. His breakthrough to Foundation Establishment had consumed over twenty thousand spirit stones, leaving his reserves depleted. Fifty thousand stones landing right in front of him was an absolute windfall. Earning that much through his artifact "recycling" business would have been incredibly arduous and time-consuming. This was… convenient.