Shen Qi found a small stream, removed the beast hide wrapped around her wound, scooped some water, and poured it onto the hide. The bloodstains on it slowly spread and dissolved.
She washed away the blood on her hands as well, wiping as much as possible onto the beast hide.
After the earlier incident, she knew her blood could attract magic beasts. Perhaps magic beasts were drawn to human blood, which explained why.
Perfect—since she couldn’t find any magic beasts, she would use her blood as bait. A few were bound to show up.
Shen Qi placed the bloodstained beast hide on the ground, then leaped onto a tree branch above, carefully observing every movement below.
Before long, just as she had expected, a magic beast was lured in. This one seemed even weaker than the previous one. She dispatched it with a single move and found it had a first-tier beast core.
Using the same method, she attracted many magic beasts. The strongest she encountered was only a third-tier magic beast. She extracted the beast cores, exchanging all the first-tier ones for Points, keeping half of the second-tier ones while using the other half for upgrades, and using all the third-tier ones for upgrades.
The upgrades progressed quite quickly. She could faintly feel an impulse to break through to the fourth tier.
“Host, all attributes have been upgraded. You have acquired a new skill: You can choose to conceal your own scent.”
“After activating this skill, will Beastfolk be unable to smell whether I am Female or male?”
“Yes, Host.”
Shen Qi immediately concealed her scent. She didn’t feel any noticeable difference, but other Beastfolk should no longer be able to detect her scent.
Shen Qi tidied her wind-tousled hair, watched as the sun began to set in the west, and quickly headed back toward the Tiger Tribe.
She had been out for so long…
As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw Bai Yuwei’s anxious expression. Spotting her, he nervously stepped forward and grabbed her hand.
“Qiqi, where did you go again!”
Shen Qi pulled her hand back, covering the injured area. “I just went out to see if there were any medicinal herbs.”
“Don’t hide it. I already saw it. What happened to this injury?”
The moment he approached her, he noticed the wound on her arm.
“It’s just a small wound. I accidentally got cut by a vine.” She was telling the truth.
Bai Yuwei observed that it didn’t look like a wound from a beast attack, but he still frowned at her. “You promised me you wouldn’t go out.”
Shen Qi looked into his amber eyes. “Staying here alone all the time makes me feel very bored.”
“I can ask Ai Chu to keep you company.”
“She has a mate and cubs. She has her own life. I can’t keep bothering her all the time.”
“Besides, you’re always out. I know you’re hunting, and the food I eat is all brought back by you. But I can also hunt prey, kill them, and help share the burden with you.”
Bai Yuwei pondered her words deeply.
Especially the last sentence, which seemed to add a touch of sweetness to his heart. Qiqi said she could help share the burden with him…
The word “share” felt like something from a family…
Bai Yuwei pressed his thin lips together. “But you still can’t go out alone. Then… how about this? You come hunting with me.”
This was the best solution. Shen Qi nodded in agreement.
She walked into the house, sat on the stone bed, and opened the System Store interface to scroll through.
Many new items had been added, and a few caught her eye: exquisite beast hides, bullets, and some daily necessities…
She had checked earlier—her bullets were down to just two left.
Bullets weren’t expensive either. Without hesitation, she exchanged for a large number of them.The Points exchanged earlier from beast cores, plus those earned from previous tasks, were used to exchange for some items, and now there are still over two hundred left.
After dinner, Shen Qi and Bai Yuwei rested early.
The next day—
A warm breeze rustled the leaves by the roadside and quietly drifted into the cave.
Shen Qi stretched lazily, washed up briefly, and refreshed herself. She looked at Bai Yuwei, who was also ready to depart, and smiled.
Bai Yuwei returned a sunny smile. “Let’s go, Qiqi!”
“Alright.”
Bai Yuwei transformed into his tiger form and gestured for her to sit on his back. Shen Qi leaped steadily onto his back, settled down, and held on firmly.
Shen Qi looked down at his soft golden fur. “Where should we go to find wild beasts?”
“There’s a place with many wild beasts. I usually go there to hunt. I’ll take you.”
“Do you know of any places with many magical beasts?”
“Qiqi, do you want to capture magical beasts? Are you also after beast cores?”
“Yes, I’m capable of killing magical beasts now.”
Bai Yuwei suddenly recalled the Third-tier Beast Core she had produced last time. “Was that Third-tier Beast Core from a magical beast you defeated?”
“Yes, my current ability is probably just enough to barely defeat a third-tier magical beast.”
Compared to his fifth rank, the third tier was hardly worth mentioning.
This statement genuinely surprised Bai Yuwei. As a human, she actually possessed abilities comparable to the third tier!
“I rarely encounter magical beasts in this area today, though I usually run into a few.”
“Alright, then our main task today will be hunting.”
“I’ll follow your lead, Qiqi!”
Bai Yuwei stopped in a quiet, shaded spot under the trees. The environment here was quite pleasant, with many different kinds of flowers and plants blooming on the ground, all vibrant and beautiful.
“This place is lovely, and there are plenty of prey.”
Indeed, she spotted a pure white sheep grazing on leaves straight ahead, while fish swam through the nearby stream.
Shen Qi took out her dagger and struck the fish with precise, swift force.
Fish meat was delicious too, though it had many bones.
After a moment’s thought, she decided to catch fish later, as bringing them back fresh would be better.
Shen Qi set her sights on the sheep, which was still engrossed in eating weeds, completely unaware of the impending danger.
The next moment, sharp claws pierced the sheep’s body. Bai Yuwei withdrew his tiger claws, watching as the barely alive sheep struggled weakly.
Shen Qi had an idea. “How about setting a trap?”
“A trap?”
“We dig a hole in the ground, place some sharp objects inside, and add some fragrant food as bait. When wild beasts smell the scent and fall in, even if they don’t die immediately, they won’t last long.”
Bai Yuwei nodded in confusion, having never heard of trap-making methods. He simply followed Shen Qi’s instructions.
Finally, they completed a medium-small trap, with sharp tools lining the walls and bottom. Some were exchanged from the System Store, while others were made from thorny vines.
Shen Qi roasted both the fish and the sheep, keeping half and sprinkling it with a thick layer of seasoning. The aroma that hit her nose almost made her choke.
After finishing, she tossed that half into the trap, saving the remaining half for herself and him to eat.
This method was perfect for being lazy—once set up, they could rest far away.
Nevertheless, they still searched the nearby area for other prey.
Fortunately, they encountered a fourth-tier magical beast and a fifth-tier magical beast.
Judging by their aggressive movements, they seemed to be fighting each other. Two magical beasts brawling was quite amusing, and perhaps they could even take advantage of the situation.Without a doubt, the fifth-tier magical beast would win.
Shen Qi and Bai Yuwei exchanged a glance. Bai Yuwei bared her tiger claws and swiftly charged toward the fifth-tier magical beast.