inspire-indiana Chapter 61 Another Beast Treasure Appears
Chapter 61 Another Beast Treasure Appears
Not a single bit of snake meat should be wasted.
Cai Xuan first cut off the best section of the Green-Scaled Snake King meat from the middle and put it into the basket he had brought. If there wasn't enough, he immediately started a fire, cut off all the snake meat, skewered it with branches, and roasted it over the fire. After all, they had walked such a long way; it was time to rest.
The dry firewood crackled and popped, and the flames licked at the snake meat.
The snow-white chunks of meat were slowly roasted until cooked through, with drops of meat oil dripping down from them, making a sizzling sound.
Xi'er and her sisters squatted by the fire, watching the snow-white chunks of meat slowly cook, their mouths watering at the aroma wafting from them.
She just looked rather disheveled.
Because of the corrosive venom of the Green Scale Serpent King, her clothes had become tattered strips, hanging haphazardly on her body, barely covering her vital parts.
She didn't seem to care, squatting there nonchalantly, turning over the meat and adding firewood as she went, completely oblivious to her tattered clothes.
Cai Xuan shook his head repeatedly as he watched. He cut a piece of green-scaled snake skin from the ground, gently scraped off the grease with a knife, rubbed it with mountain grass and soil to remove the fishy smell, washed it clean with water, cut the snake skin into a suitable shape, poked a few holes in it with a short knife, strung it with thin vines, and made a simple "clothes".
Although the style was crude, it was still wearable.
"Xi'er, come and get dressed."
Xi'er obediently ran over, stretched out her arms, and let Cai Xuan put the snakeskin clothes on her. Snakes are considered yin creatures, and the clothes weren't completely dry, so the snakeskin felt cool against her skin, but fortunately, Xi'er didn't mind.
"Brother is amazing." Xi'er touched the scales on the snakeskin coat and praised him without reservation.
"That's right," Cai Xuan said smugly.
When cutting the snake meat, Cai Xuan pulled out a very tough snake tendon from the Green Scaled Snake King, but it had a strong fishy smell.
Cai Xuan casually processed it using the same method he used to make the snakeskin coat for Xi'er, then put it away, intending to take it back to use as a bowstring. This was far superior to the makeshift materials he had used before. The bowstring Xi'er had previously used, made from python tendon, was quite good; even with her great strength, she hadn't broken it.
The rattan bows he and Yun'er are using are getting worse and worse, and they need to replace them quickly, otherwise it will be their turn to break the bowstrings next time.
"Xi'er, what are you doing?"
After processing the snake tendons, Cai Xuan noticed the Green Scaled Snake King's skin looked good, so he picked out some and cut it off, removing the fishy smell using the same method as before. He glanced over casually and saw Xi'er squatting beside the pile of discarded Green Scaled Snake King entrails, cutting them open with a knife and rummaging through them. It was unclear what she was looking for, but her little hands were covered in dark red blood and sticky fluid.
"There's something good inside."
Xi'er responded without looking up and continued touching.
Yun'er, Shu'er, and Xin'er helped grill the meat while curiously turning their heads to watch. The snake meat on the fire had already turned golden brown, and drops of golden meat oil kept dripping from it, making a "sizzling" sound. A fragrant aroma wafted out, making people swallow their saliva.
But the little ones' attention wasn't on that; they were all drawn to Xi'er.
"Found it!"
Suddenly, Xi'er's eyes lit up, and she pulled out a round, jelly-like thing from deep inside her internal organs.
The object was about the size of a child's fist, crystal clear, and the color of jade. Faintly visible within it were tiny specks of light moving about, as if something slumbered inside. It was indeed a beast treasure—exactly the same as the one taken from the Wolf King's body last time, only the color and aura were slightly different.
"See, I told you there was something good!"
Xi'er proudly held up the beast treasure in her hand and showed it off to Cai Xuan.
"I didn't expect the Azure Scale Serpent King to also have a beast treasure." Cai Xuan took the beast treasure. It was cool and smooth to the touch, and he could faintly feel an energy seeping out from the inside and entering his body from his palm.
The "Records of Mysterious Wilderness Medicines" states that beast treasures cannot be stored for long. They must be taken or refined within seven days of being taken out, otherwise their medicinal power will dissipate and they will turn into ordinary things.
The beast treasure I got from the Wild Wolf King last time turned into stone because I didn't use it in time. I can't waste this one.
"Once I've gathered all the medicine, I'll make you a soup." Cai Xuan carefully wrapped the beast treasure in clean leaves and put it into his basket.
"Mmm!" The four sisters nodded in unison, their eyes full of anticipation.
"The meat is ready!" Xin'er shouted.
The snake meat on the fire was roasted to a golden brown and crispy, with drops of oil seeping from its surface, shimmering enticingly in the firelight.
Cai Xuan temporarily put down his work and took a skewer of snake meat from the fire. The skewer trembled slightly on the branch, and the oil on its surface was still bubbling and sizzling. He cut off a piece, tasted it, and found the meat firm and chewy, tender and juicy, with the unique aroma of charcoal fire—much more delicious than the snake meat he usually stewed.
After tasting it, he cut the large piece of snake meat into small pieces, placed them on the leaves of a large tree, and let Xi'er and the others eat them.
The little ones cut a few thin branches and skewered the golden snake meat on them to eat.
They all ate with gusto, looking incredibly happy. Xi'er ate the most heartily, taking big bites until oil dripped from her lips, her little face puffed up like a squirrel; Yun'er ate more quietly, taking small bites, but her speed was no slower than the others; Shu'er chewed slowly, savoring each bite; Xin'er specifically chose the crispy parts, biting them with a "crunch crunch" sound.
Several people sat around the fire, eating heartily, too busy to even speak.
After finishing the roasted meat, Cai Xuan continued processing the skin of the Green Scaled Snake King. Once he was done, he turned his attention to the fruits growing on the tree trunks in the tall orchard, which were shaped like large starfruits.
He walked over and picked one. The fruit looked big, but it wasn't actually very heavy.
Cut it open with a knife, and you'll see delicate, milky-white flesh inside, releasing a rich, fruity aroma.
Cai Xuan smelled it; it smelled somewhat like a custard apple, but with an added, indescribable floral fragrance. He cut off a small piece, put it in his mouth, and tasted it. It tasted like a combination of milk, chocolate, pineapple, and lychee—overwhelmingly sweet.
"Brother, is it delicious?" Xi'er asked curiously. Yun'er, Shu'er, and Xin'er also looked up.
"It's alright." Cai Xuan cut a piece for each of them.
After the little ones tasted it, their eyes lit up. Xi'er ate several pieces, her mouth full, and mumbled, "Delicious! Brother, let's pick more to take home!"
"The things aren't going anywhere here. We can pick them when we come back. Picking them now would make them heavy and inconvenient to walk around in." Cai Xuan said.
Xi'er thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she stopped insisting.
After finishing their meal, the group continued on their journey.
Xi'er, still wielding her axe, led the way with domineering force, followed closely by Yun'er and the others, while Cai Xuan brought up the rear. The five of them walked along the orchard, and after an unknown amount of time, the trees suddenly thinned out, and their view abruptly opened up to reveal a vast expanse of water before them.