After simply extinguishing the flames, Cao Yunxi and his wife squatted on the ground, joyful expressions on their faces as they began to carve the beast meat.

The deceased [Black Ape Beast] was even larger than the elephants Qin Lu had seen in his previous life. No wonder Cao Yunxi had said that this demon beast weighed nearly ten thousand jin.

Cao Yunxi took out a small dagger and began dissecting the carcass.

Qin Lu stood to the side, observing and learning, occasionally asking about carving techniques. The Cao couple naturally answered every question he had.

By the end, Qin Lu finally understood why a five-ton demon beast yielded only a little over two hundred jin of edible meat.

The limbs and internal organs of the [Black Ape Beast] were casually discarded.

Only the strip of meat connected to the spine and ribs was harvested—specifically, the muscle on the inner side of the waist.

According to Cao Yunxi, this tenderloin was the only edible part of the entire demon beast. The rest of the meat was too tough, like leather or rubber, making it impossible to chew or digest.

Looking at the smiles on Cao Yunxi and his wife’s faces, Qin Lu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“No wonder they haven’t managed to save many Spirit Stones after all these years…”

Under normal circumstances, hunting a demon beast could fetch around fifty Spirit Stones, but in reality, the net profit wasn’t that high.

After all, the consumption of resources during hunts was significant.

For instance, during this hunt, Cao Yunxi had used quite a few talismans and small magical tools, with costs already amounting to twenty Spirit Stones.

This meant their life-and-death struggle only earned them thirty Spirit Stones—a profit less than what Qin Lu could make by setting up a stall and selling talismans in safety.

After a busy half-hour, the couple finally carved out over two hundred jin of tenderloin from the [Black Ape Beast].

They also cut out some refining materials from the carcass and stored everything in Qin Lu’s [Storage Bag].

Finally, fearing that the strong smell of blood would attract more ferocious beasts, the three hurriedly left the area.

They ran until they were dozens of li away from the battle site before stopping to catch their breath on a small hillside.

“So? We’ve dealt with the [Black Ape Beast]. Should we head back now?” Qin Lu asked.

Cao Yunxi smiled. “What do you think?”

“Well, I think we could explore a bit more. This demon beast didn’t seem too formidable. If we hunt a few more, we could earn more money.”

“Exactly, you make a good point. In the past, Xiaofeng and I would have carried the meat back immediately. But now that we have a [Storage Bag], we can fill it up before returning,” Cao Yunxi said excitedly.

“Let’s search for another day or two. My [Storage Bag] has eight cubic meters of space. The remaining room can hold at least several thousand jin of beast meat.”

At this thought, Qin Lu felt a stir of excitement. Demon beast meat wasn’t cheap these days. If they returned with a full load to sell, it would be a massive fortune!

The Cao couple also realized this, their faces lighting up.

“Let’s set off now!” Qi Xiaofeng said.

“Agreed!” The other two responded immediately.

After a brief discussion, the three turned and headed deeper into the forest to continue their hunt.

Two days later.

In the forest, Qin Lu and his two companions were fleeing in panic and disarray.

Unlike their energetic state when they first entered, they now looked ragged and worn out. Their clothes were tattered, and Cao Yunxi bore a deep wound on his body.

Even Qin Lu was covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled.

Their current state was due to an encounter with a pack of [Wind Chasing Wolves] not long ago. These wolves were all at the late-First Stage and had charged at them in a group.

Their momentum was extremely fierce!

Fortunately, the three reacted quickly. Qin Lu used several [Ignition Technique] spells to break their formation, barely managing to secure an escape route. Otherwise, they might have suffered severe injuries or even death.

Despite their sorry state, their harvest over these two days had been quite good.

They had traveled day and night without rest, hunting a total of seven late-First Stage demon beasts and collecting nearly two thousand jin of beast meat.

Qin Lu, in particular, had grown increasingly Proficient in combat. When facing ordinary late-First Stage demon beasts, he no longer needed assistance from the couple’s talismans. With just his sword, he could easily take them down alone.

This earned him even greater admiration from Cao Yunxi and his wife.

“Let’s hide here! Take a rest!”

Qin Lu suddenly spotted a small cave and swiftly changed direction to enter it.

After two days of fighting together, the couple had unconsciously begun to follow Qin Lu’s lead. Seeing him do this, they immediately followed suit.

It was an abandoned cave with no living creatures inside. After simply concealing the entrance, the three sat down to rest.

“Brother Qin, maybe we should head back first? We haven’t slept for two days; I’m starting to feel worn out,” Cao Yunxi said, leaning against the rock wall and panting heavily.

“That’s right,” Qi Xiaofeng nodded in agreement. “Now that my husband is injured, too, we should return.”

“Alright! No problem!” Qin Lu agreed immediately. He was also covered in dust and quite exhausted himself.

Continuous fighting had kept his nerves on high alert. Fortunately, he had stored a Nourishing Qi Pill in his [Storage Bag]; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his energy levels until now.

“We need to sell this meat before the Spirit Rice shipments arrive. Otherwise, the price of demon beast meat will definitely drop,” Cao Yunxi reminded them.

Qin Lu nodded slightly. “That makes sense. But how should we price this meat? Some of it isn’t from [Black Ape Beasts].”

“Hmm, I think this [Crimson Gold Bear] could sell for one Spirit Stone per jin, and as for this [Green Ghost Boar]…”

The three began discussing specific pricing for each type of demon beast meat.

After resting for half an hour, they left the cave. After determining their direction, they headed toward the forest outskirts.

They didn’t use flying magical tools to leave.

Because within East Head Ridge, there were many flying demon beasts. If they flew conspicuously above the forest canopy, they could easily attract attention from aerial predators.

With their cultivation levels, if they encountered Second-Stage demon beasts mid-air, it would mean certain death.

Even if they faced First-Stage flying demon beasts, fighting in mid-air would limit their movements, preventing them from utilizing their full strength.

Therefore, it was generally advised not to use flying magical tools after entering East Head Ridge.

Compared to their cautious approach when entering, the three now felt quite cheerful as they made their way out.

After all, this trip could be considered a satisfying success.

Just as they were chatting and laughing on their return journey, sudden shouts erupted ahead, accompanied by continuous explosions from talismans.

Hearing this, their smiles instantly vanished. They exchanged glances, remaining silent for a moment.

After a while, Cao Yunxi suggested, “Should we go check it out? Maybe we can pick up some leftovers?”

Ahead, a battle was undoubtedly taking place. With their combined strength, they might just manage to snatch some benefits.

“Well… maybe it’s best not to,” Qin Lu politely declined.

He really didn’t want to get involved in such commotions. One secret to longevity in this cultivation world was minding one’s own business.

Seeing his reluctance, Cao Yunxi nodded. “Alright, then…”

Just as they were about to turn away, Qin Lu suddenly halted his steps, his expression tightening.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Xiaofeng asked curiously.

“We should go take a look. I heard a voice just now—someone I might know…” Qin Lu said with a grave expression.

“Then let’s go help!” Cao Yunxi immediately responded.

“Let’s go!”

Qin Lu turned and ran toward where the sounds originated.

If he hadn’t misheard earlier… that voice belonged to Lu Anchen!