Han Sen dragged his tired body and picked up the body of the Coin Toad. He put it in the bag he had prepared beforehand. Then, he walked in front of the water vine and dropped a waterdrop onto its roots. He watched it absorb the waterdrop and observed it for a while. Then, he rode Golden Growler back to the cabin.
Back in the yard, Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming had not yet returned. Han Sen skinned the toad, cleaned it up, and made a pot of soup.
He was going to wait for Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming to return so they could eat together. After all, they had saved his life and taken care of him for so long.
It was just a primitive creature, and there would be plenty of opportunities to hunt it down in the future. There was no need to be stingy.
Han Sen did not have any special cooking skills. Aside from barbecuing, boiling, and stewing, the more primitive his cooking skills were, the more authentic they were. After half a day of simmering, the pot was filled with the aroma of meat.
When the sun was about to set, Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming returned. They seemed to be in a good mood.
"You're back! I hunted a creature and made a pot of soup. Come and have a taste." Han Sen quickly brought out the soup.
"You hunted a creature?
Where did you get it? "Qu Lanxi looked at Han Sen's soup with surprise.
"I hunted it near Jade-Scale River." Han Sen was about to continue, but Chu Ming interrupted him.
"What is this? It looks like a toad."
Chu Ming looked at the Golden Toad in the soup and curled his lips.
He put down the bag on his back and took out a piece of lean meat that weighed two to three pounds.
He said proudly, "What are you eating toads for? Do you see that? It's the meat of a blood antelope, an authentic primitive creature.
We're lucky today to get this at a cheap price.
Throw away your toad and cook the meat."
Chu Ming and the others had been there for many years, but none of them had dared to hunt primitive creatures. They didn't think Han Sen, who had just arrived, would be able to do so. They thought the Coin Toad was just an ordinary creature, so they weren't interested in the soup.
"My soup..." Han Sen pointed at his soup, wanting to explain that it was an ordinary creature, too. And it was a whole one, too. It contained far more ordinary geno points than the pieces of meat they had eaten.
But before he could finish his sentence, Chu Ming shoved the pot of soup into his hands and said, "Alright, hurry up and go. I won't forget about your bowl. You can save this for tomorrow. It's rare for us to improve our food, so hurry up and stew it."
Qu Lanxi said, "It is fate that brought us all together. You have been here for a long time, and we have yet to have a proper meal together. There is a bottle of wine I brought with me, but I have never had the chance to drink it. Today, I will cook the meat and open the wine. Consider it a welcome dinner for you."
"Okay, I will cook it."
Han Sen was touched, and he did not say anything else. He returned to the kitchen and poured the Toad Soup into a basin. Then, he began cooking the meat.
When the meat was ready, Qu Lanxi opened her bottle of wine. The three of them sat around the pot and drank. Two or three pounds of meat was not much to begin with, and with the stew, it was even less. Everyone was given a limited amount of meat, and they were all drinking soup. It was impossible for them to gain any primitive geno points.
"Brother San Mu, is this meat good?
Primitive meat is different. It smells good, "Chu Ming said, as he drank.
"It smells good."
Han Sen nodded. Being able to eat and drink with two of his own people in a place like this was something to be happy about.
"By the way, San Mu, your wounds are almost healed. Do you want to go and find a job at the beast farm?
Otherwise, when it comes time to pay the tribute, you will be in trouble.
If our Inky Sword Tree was not destroyed, we could help you. But now, we can't. "Chu Ming's thoughts were jumpy.
Qu Lanxi said, "Yes, San Mu. If you can heal, you can find a job at the beast farm.
I don't think the Dragon-Blood Tree will bear fruit for at least ten years. We can't count on it. "
"I will go to the beast farm tomorrow. I hope there is a suitable job there." Han Sen nodded.
After encountering the Coin Toad, Han Sen did not dare underestimate the primitive creatures of the Third God's Sanctuary. Thorn Forest was too dangerous, and he did not want to go there before he knew more about it.
He also wanted to know more about Qing Ming Shelter and Thorn Sanctuary. He wanted to see if he could return to the Alliance and tell his mother that he was safe.
Han Sen asked Qu Lanxi for more information about the Colosseum and Qing Ming Shelter. He planned to visit the shelter the next day and take a look.
There was not much meat, but they were all full. There was not much wine, but they all enjoyed themselves.
The next morning, Han Sen was woken up by loud noises. He went outside and saw Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming, as well as a man in armor. He was seated atop a saber-toothed tiger.
The man's eyes were green, and Han Sen could tell he was not a human. He was a spirit.
Aside from the man, there were a dozen creatures outside. They all stared at Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming.
The spirit looked at the Dragon-Blood Tree and coldly said, "Continue to take care of it. If it bears fruit, you will be rewarded. If it dies, you will not be forgiven."
"Yes, Mister Qing Ming."
Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming looked glum, but they had no choice but to lower their heads and agree to what the spirit had to say.
"So he is Qing Ming Knight." Han Sen watched the spirit leave, but he wasn't angry.
It was just a knight-class spirit, and it wouldn't be difficult to surpass him in power. Han Sen knew when the Dragon-Blood Tree would ripen, so he wasn't going to let the spirit take it away.
"How unlucky. Qing Ming Knight found out about the Dragon Blood Tree. Now, all our efforts have been for nothing. If something happens to the Dragon Blood Tree, we'll be in trouble," Chu Ming said with a sad face.
Qu Lanxi sighed. She knew it would be difficult to hide the tree from Qing Ming Knight, but she didn't expect it to be discovered so quickly.
"It will take another ten years for the Dragon-Blood Tree to bear fruit. Don't worry about it. I will heat up the toad soup. Come, have some." Han Sen walked out of the kitchen with a pot of soup.
"How can I be in the mood to eat now? I'm so angry that I'm full. I'm not eating. I'm going to the orchard first." Chu Ming waved his hand and left the courtyard.
"Sister Qu Lanxi, have some." Han Sen offered her a bowl of meat.
"You haven't been here for long. You haven't earned any geno points yet.
My geno points are maxed out. You can have this. It will help you when you go to work. "Qu Lanxi pushed the bowl back to Han Sen.