As Liu Xin walked through the dense forest, tall trees towered above him, with their thick roots sprawled across the ground. The foliage was so thick that it blocked most of the sunlight, casting the forest floor in shadow. The air was filled with the sounds of buzzing insects, and small animals darted through the underbrush. Despite walking for an hour, Liu Xin had yet to spot any valuable prey.
He knew that a successful hunt required patience and observation, but the forest was making it hard for him to spot any animals. Liu Xin carefully scanned the area, looking for any signs of movement or rustling leaves, but the forest remained still and quiet. As he continued, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched by unseen eyes, adding to the tense atmosphere of the forest.
But luck did not leave his side for long. Suddenly, a large beast leaped at him, and Liu Xin's senses tingled as he dodged the attack. Sweat accumulated on his forehead and dripped down as his heart raced. A small wound was on his neck, from which blood gushed out.
"If...I was a little late...at dodging, my head would have dropped on the ground," he panted and looked fiercely at the big beast. It had the body of a tiger, but was twice its size. It had a huge head with dark blue eyes and two teeth that emerged from its mouth, each nearly one foot long.
Roaring, the beast trampled its feet and leaped at Liu Xin. Its sharp claws tried to cut him into pieces. Using his escape technique along with the Cloud Steps Technique, he moved back five meters in a second. The tiger landed on the ground, cutting through the wind. Not seeing any blood from its prey, the tiger roared and glared at Liu Xin. Liu Xin used the Shadow Shroud Technique and disappeared from there.
The tiger was confused by the sudden disappearance, but then its nose caught a scent. Before it could react, Liu Xin emerged from behind the tiger's shadow and punched it. Before the tiger could control its body and attack Liu Xin, he circulated the Dragonfire Breath and Shadow Flame Ignition techniques. He breathed dense fire, and black flames emerged from his hand. The tiger's skin was burnt to charcoal by the two flames, and blood gushed out from its injuries as it painfully roared.
Liu Xin felt pity, so he grabbed the injured tiger's neck and snapped it, giving it a quick death. "Hah!" Liu Xin sighed. He prayed to the dead body of the tiger and apologized to it. As a normal human, he had never even killed a single mouse, let alone a big beast like a tiger. Leaving fear aside, he had never wished to hurt any organism. He was an animal lover, but as this world is a "kill or be killed" one, he had no choice but to follow it if he wanted to live longer. If he wanted to live, the tiger had to die.
He needed money now, and this tiger had so many useful materials to sell. Its skin, bones, teeth, and meat could all be sold at a hefty price.
"Well..." A dry smile formed on Liu Xin's face. "Its skin and fur are ruined. Maybe I can get a good price for its teeth, bones, and even the meat." With that in mind, he carried the tiger's body and walked toward the city.
He was in no condition to fight, as his battle with the tiger had exhausted him. His Qi had been depleted by 80%, leaving him with only a small amount for emergencies.
"I really underestimated the technique. The Shadow Shroud Technique consumes too much Qi. At least I can hide from wild beasts with ease and sneak attack them," he thought as he reached the city.
Many people were surprised to see him with the corpse of a big beast.
"Wow, he really killed a Saber Fang Tiger. Is he a cultivator?" one person whispered.
"Maybe. Only cultivators can kill these beasts. But why would a cultivator kill a Saber Fang Tiger? They're not worth much," another person replied.
"Look at his clothes. He must be really poor," a third person added.
People whispered as they glanced at him, but they didn't dare to raise their voices and openly say it to his face.
Liu Xin, on the other hand, searched for a meat shop and found one. He walked inside.
The butcher, a fat man with a butcher knife in his hand, was cutting meat as usual. He generally sold chicken, goat, pig, and duck meats.
Seeing a person coming towards him while carrying a corpse surprised him, but it didn't take him long to understand the reason for his arrival.
"Welcome, sir. Are you here to sell that Saber Fang Tiger corpse?" the butcher asked.
"Yes, so this beast's name is Saber Fang Tiger," Liu Xin replied.
"Yes, sir. You must be a cultivator to kill this beast. It is known for its strength and defense. It's quick and dangerous, so no mortal dares to look for this tiger. And since it's not worth much, cultivators generally don't look for this beast," the butcher explained.
"This doesn't worth much?" Liu Xin was surprised. "Why? This beast must have more value."
"Well, its meat is edible, but it's tough and really hard to cook. So, not many people desire to eat this meat. Secondly, its skin is tough and isn't suitable for making anything. Its bones are frail, so they can't be made into a weapon either. In a sense, this beast is useless. But if you want, I can buy it for some money," the butcher explained with a confident smile.
Hearing the butcher's words and seeing his confident smile, Liu Xin was suspicious. As he didn't know the tiger's real value, he pondered for a moment.
'Now I need money, so I can't bargain. As I don't know the real worth of this tiger, I can't ask for more money like that. I also don't know if this butcher is lying. So, let's sell this corpse for now and find information. If it's true, let it be. If he is lying, then I will deal with him later,' Liu Xin thought to himself. Making his decision, he smiled and said, "Sure, give me what you can."