Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 84 A Terrifying Reputation (Part 8)

Chen Li returned home without stopping.

In the living room, Zhou Hong was facing a huge snake demon skin, gesturing and drawing something.

"What are you planning to do?" Chen Li asked, hanging his sword on the wall.

“This leather is quite tough; it’s difficult for ordinary magical artifacts to damage it. I was thinking of making you an inner armor,” Zhou Hong said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Chen Li was greatly intrigued.

This is, after all, the skin of a second-tier snake demon.

Although his spiritual energy could injure someone with a flick of his finger, it was only barely enough.

The power of a Grandmaster-level spiritual energy flick is comparable to a first-tier, fifth-level spell, which is definitely not weak. It is even stronger than a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator wielding a mid-grade magic weapon at full strength.

This level of strength already places them in the upper-middle class of the shantytown, making them elite members within the gangs.

"I'm sorry to have worried you!" Chen Li felt a warmth rise in his heart and stepped forward to take her hand.

"I don't dare to ask for too much. I'll be content as long as you're safe and sound," Zhou Hong said softly, leaning against Chen Li.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Chen Li reassured him, then changed the subject: "However, this skin is still too tough; we need to find someone to take care of it first."

Compared to ordinary monster skin, this snake skin is already very thin, but it is still about three millimeters thick. It feels as hard as rubber, so it is definitely not comfortable to wear and it also affects the flexibility of the body.

And right next door, there happened to be a master leather maker.

The two had a private conversation.

Chen Li then rolled up the snakeskin and went out the door.

……

"Uncle, what's the matter?" Zhang Shuniang opened the door and asked with her expressive eyes.

"Shuniang, where is your father?" Chen Li asked.

"My dad is working on leather in the talisman-making room and can't leave right now, so he asked me to open the door. Uncle, please come in!"

"Why haven't you come to my house these past few days?" Chen Li said to Zhang Shuniang as he walked in.

Zhang Shuniang closed the courtyard gate and followed Chen Li with quick, small steps. She said honestly, "My father won't let me go out. He says there are monsters outside, so I can't go out for the next few days. I'm learning to draw talismans now."

My dad said that you've made all the money in the family.

If I don't learn to draw talismans, I won't even have enough to eat.

Chen Li was speechless: "Your dad is lying to you. Don't pay attention to him. He's just that stingy. Earning money from him is worse than taking his life."

"Hehe, I think so too," Zhang Shuniang chuckled.

"Has your dad been badmouthing me behind my back?" Chen Li couldn't help but tease.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuniang's eyes widened, and her face turned bright red: "No...no, my father has never scolded you...Uncle, I'll go make you some tea."

After saying that, he quickly slipped away.

Chen Li couldn't help but chuckle, and stepped into Zhang Yan's talisman-making room.

He had been here many times and knew the place well.

Zhang Yan was carefully scraping and cleaning the scraps of meat off the animal hide with a small knife. When he saw Chen Li enter, he raised his eyelids slightly, then continued working, saying, "Fellow Daoist Chen, I'm busy right now, so I won't entertain you. Please make yourself at home."

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, stop your busy work for now. I just received a fine piece of leather. Can you take a look and give me your opinion?" Chen Li said with a smile, trying to provoke him. "I guarantee it's a piece of leather you've never seen before."

"Ha, what arrogance! I've been dealing with leather for thirty years, what kind of leather haven't I handled? I'd like to see what kind of leather this is." Zhang Yan scoffed, putting down the leather and standing up.

"Spread out the skin, let me see."

Chen Li walked to an empty table and spread out the snakeskin in his hand.

“This pattern, it looks like the skin of a snake demon…” Zhang Yan was initially somewhat disdainful, but before long, his expression turned serious. He began to examine it, scrutinizing it inch by inch. As time went on, his brows furrowed more and more, and his expression gradually became solemn.

"Where did you get this skin from?" Zhang Yan asked with a serious expression.

"I bought it from the market!" Chen Li said. "It cost me thirty low-grade spirit stones. I don't know if I made a profit or a loss."

"This doesn't make sense... This aura, this resilience, this subtle, dim spiritual light—it's clearly second-tier snake demon skin. And it's fresh second-tier snake demon skin; look, there are still traces of blood on the hide. It was obviously just peeled off recently!" Zhang Yan muttered to himself, his face filled with disbelief.
"Could it be that the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from the Yu family have made their move...? Perhaps I'm mistaken, let me take another look..."

"Alright, why worry about all that? You'll have plenty of time to look at it later. I want to use this hide to make an inner armor set, but I think it's too stiff and too thick, so I wanted to ask you to process it first. Can you finish it tonight?" Chen Li interrupted with a smile.

"At night? How could that be? Processing a single piece of leather involves numerous steps and is extremely time-consuming, taking at least ten days to half a month. Moreover, I've never handled this kind of leather before, so it's hard to say whether I can even handle it." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan disregarded his doubts and quickly shook his head.

By the time it takes ten days to half a month, the monster meat will have gone rotten.

What's there to sell?

"There's no need to make it as complicated as making the talisman skin. A simple process will suffice. If there's any material left over after the inner armor is made, it's all yours," Chen Li said.

Zhang Yan's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Is that really true?"

How much leather can be used for an inner armor piece? With such a large piece of leather, there's almost more than half left over.

"What use would I have for this remaining leather? But let me make this clear: if it's not processed to my satisfaction and I can't make the inner armor, then this remaining leather will be gone."

“Alright, Fellow Daoist Chen, you’re a man of few words. It’s a deal. Now, watch my skills,” Zhang Yan said, patting his chest.

……

In the afternoon, in the courtyard.

"roll!"

A soft drink.

The technique of scolding is released.

Feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded, Chen Li quickly stopped to catch his breath.

He glanced at the game board.

"There's only six o'clock left. I should be able to advance to the next level today."

The 'scolding technique' was already on the verge of becoming more advanced, and with the intentional practice over the past two days, the progress has been rapid.

"A master-level rebuke technique, comparable to a first-tier, sixth-level spell. Judging from the previous battles, even protective talismans couldn't completely defend against it. What's even more terrifying is that this spell is an area-of-effect attack..." Chen Li pondered.
"With the protection of the Golden Light Talisman and the second-tier snakeskin inner armor, what do I have to fear from the others besides that Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Yu family? They're just a bunch of chickens and dogs."

Once his dizziness subsided, Chen Li picked up his sword and continued practicing.

……

evening.

Chen Li received three golden talismans from Zhao Lin.

"If I had another day, I could have received even more!" Zhao Lin reluctantly returned the six mid-grade spirit stones.

Are the Golden Light Talismans free?

Each one costs three mid-grade spirit stones.

Chen Li glanced at him with a pained expression, then put the spirit stones into his money bag and said, "Don't worry, there will be other opportunities in the future. By the way, I'm going to the market tomorrow to sell second-tier monster meat. There might be some trouble, so you guys be careful. It's best not to go to the market these next few days."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt that there was no further movement.

Looking up, he saw Zhao Lin's mouth trembling, his face wide with astonishment: "Second...second-tier demon beast meat? Big...Big Brother, you killed a second-tier demon beast!?"

He nodded calmly, and said insincerely, "It happened last night. Okay, don't make a fuss. I just wanted to give you a heads-up!"

……

On the way back, Chen Li reflected on what he had said.

I think it's perfectly fine.

He showed neither pride nor concern, speaking as if it were a trivial matter, as insignificant as eating or drinking, perfectly aligning with his low-key approach to life.

He walked quickly home.

He did not urge Zhang Yan.

After all, a whole day is too rushed, and rushing the process will only affect the processing of the leather.

Fortunately, I had just finished dinner.

Zhang Yan then brought the leather materials to their door.

He looked exhausted, his hands trembling as he carried the leather. He had the appearance of an honest man, and as soon as he saw Chen Li, he poured out his grievances: "Time was too tight, and the leather was of too high grade. Many of the medicines didn't work very well, so I could only manage to process it to this extent. I didn't even have time to eat lunch because of your piece of leather. I've been busy since morning, and I'm almost risking my life."

Chen Li automatically ignored the other person's complaints and reached out to take the leather: "Let me take a look first!"

He kneaded it vigorously, and the entire piece of fabric became much softer and thinner by nearly a third. In addition, the original fishy smell was completely eliminated.

"How is it?" Zhang Yan craned his neck and couldn't help but ask.

"This material seems much smaller to me," Chen Li said slowly.

"It will naturally shrink when soaked in the medicine solution, which is a normal phenomenon."

Chen Li nodded noncommittally, then asked, "It won't affect resilience and defense, will it?"

"It won't affect anything, absolutely not."

Meeting Zhang Yan's expectant gaze, Chen Li finally spoke: "It's passable. Time is tight this time, so I won't force it. Don't worry, I keep my word, and I'll give you the leftovers."

Also, I have another piece of the same material. This time, I'm not in such a rush, so I need to handle it carefully.

"You have one more!" Zhang Yan exclaimed.

"I only bought two, didn't I tell you? I probably forgot. This material is still for making the inner armor. Same as usual, the leftovers are for you." Chen Li said with a 'surprised' look:

"Wait, I'll go get the leather."

Chen Li went into the inner room, jumped into the hole in the ground, and quickly brought out a roll of fresh leather: "This roll is bigger; I plan to use it to make two sets of inner armor."

Zhang Yan took the leather in a daze, smelling the strong fishy smell and the faint oppressive atmosphere. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't know where to start. He felt that something was wrong.

Where did these fresh second-tier monster hides come from?

Who killed this second-tier monster?

……

The next day, it was dark.

Chen Li put on the inner armor that Zhou Hong had rushed to make overnight, put on his robe, and then reached out to touch the pocket in his left sleeve. He checked it and found three golden talismans inside. A strong sense of security immediately welled up inside him.

He slung the large cloth bag containing the meat over his shoulder, picked up his sword, and said to Zhou Hong, "I'm leaving now."

"Be careful!" Zhou Hong said worriedly, "How about I go with you?"

"No, if you go, I'll have to worry about you, and it will be more dangerous for you. Just stay home and I'll be right back!" Chen Li said with a smile, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

With that, he stepped out of the house.

Zhou Hong quickened her pace and leaned against the courtyard gate, gazing into the distance.

Chen Li glanced back, signaling her to go back, then turned and hurried towards the market.

The sky was still dark, and there were very few pedestrians on the road. It was extremely deserted until we approached the market. The flow of people gradually increased, and most of them were down-and-out cultivators who used to set up stalls to reserve places.

Some of these people were dressed in rags, while others were relatively clean and tidy, but many of their robes were patched.

With the departure of caravans, many supplies became scarce.

Most independent practitioners can't afford robes and wear secular clothes instead.

Some cultivators only have one or two sets of robes year-round, don't even know how to draw cleaning talismans, and are too lazy to wash them. Their living conditions are terrible, and after a year of wear and tear, their robes are already tattered and worn out, making them no better off than beggars.

The world is full of surprises.

There's no such thing as the worst; there's always something worse.

Even if the original owner hadn't had the skill of drawing talismans...

They have a decent income.

Their daily lives are probably not much better than these people's.

……

The arrival of the butcher caused a stir in the market, and the crowd quickly dispersed.

"Here we go again to sell meat."

"After you!"

He was greeted by voices everywhere, and Chen Li nodded in response. He no longer needed to pretend to be fierce.

He chose a spot near the door and put the large cloth bag down.

Many people had already noticed his arrival and gathered around him.

He has always sold monster meat cheaply, and has built up a considerable reputation over time.

Chen Li glanced at it, then spread out a cloth, took out a wooden board from it, and set it up next to him.

There are several big words written on it:

'Second-tier demon beast meat: 10 jin for 5 low-grade spirit stones!'

With a loud "boom," the crowd erupted in uproar.

"Hiss, fellow Daoist, this is indeed second-tier demon beast meat. This cannot be faked."

"Yes, fellow Daoist, where did you get the meat of a second-tier demon beast!"

……

The crowd was abuzz with discussion and commotion.

"I, Chen, have always been honest and fair in my business dealings in this market. When have I ever cheated any of you fellow Daoists?" Chen Li glared fiercely, stood up, opened the cloth bag, and poured out the entire snow-white snake demon meat. Instantly, a faint, oppressive aura filled the air.

"Please examine it carefully and see if this is the meat of a second-tier demon beast!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

The crowd froze, and many even took a step back.

Shocked!

Surprised!

Can't believe it.

But after a short while of silence, an even louder noise broke out.

"Fellow Daoist, did you really kill the first second-tier demonic beast?"

"Could you make it cheaper?"

"Green Riverfront is saved!"

"Is it okay if I only buy two jin?"

……

Chen Li felt as if countless flies and ducks were buzzing in his ears, and he couldn't help but shout.

"Shut up, one by one. If you're not buying, don't ask questions. Five spirit stones for ten catties, not sold in small quantities."

As a body cultivator, Chen Li was physically strong and had an incredibly loud voice. Everyone felt their minds buzzing, and the noisy crowd fell silent. Remembering the butcher's fearsome reputation, no one dared to speak for a moment.

"Alright, whoever wants to buy, hurry up!" Chen Li said.

"I want ten pounds!"

Give me twenty jin.

Perhaps the price is too high for most people to afford.

Most of the people in line dispersed.

Only a handful of people chose to pay for it, but the number of onlookers kept increasing.

Chen Li wasn't in a hurry; he sold them slowly.

It's still early.

It was still dark, and the market was sparsely populated. In another two or three hours, it would be the busiest time of day.

(End of this chapter)