Only I am Venerable-Chapter 39: Iron Armor Crocodile

Qin Li was stunned for a moment, but he snapped back to his senses in an instant. With a furious shout, he leaped into the air and viciously kicked the black monster. The impact felt like striking an iron plate—it was incredibly solid and heavy!

"HISS!"

The monster let out a pained, furious shriek. Qin Li’s kick sent it flying toward the opposite bank. The small river was only seven or eight meters wide. Before he even landed from his kick, Primordial Power surged through him, allowing him to halt again in mid-air like an eagle snatching a rabbit. He drew the Fine Steel Sword from his back and thrust toward the spot where the monster was about to land!

It all happened so fast that Bu Yunyan was only just now snapping out of her shock. Her mouth was slightly agape, her beautiful, seductive eyes wide with disbelief as she murmured, ’What kind of technique is that? Yellow Level, Rank One?’

Qin Li infused his sword with Primordial Power. The longsword began to vibrate faintly as a pale purple aura, half a foot long, erupted from its tip. The aura was incredibly sharp, instantly slicing open the back of the monster, whose scales were as tough as an iron plate. The creature let out a massive roar and spat a white Ice Arrow at Qin Li.

Qin Li dodged to the side, and the Ice Arrow grazed his shoulder. A bone-chilling cold passed over him, making him shiver involuntarily. The monster was in the tall grass, its form still obscured, but Qin Li’s previous strike had clearly wounded it severely. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lunged toward the pitch-black, scaly beast in the grass and struck again, driving his sword straight into the existing wound and piercing it clean through!

The monster’s body went rigid. Then, with a loud SNAP, the Fine Steel Sword Qin Li had just purchased was clamped down on and broken! The creature, however, was as dead as it could be.

Just then, a noise from the distance signaled that Hu and the others, who hadn’t gone far, had heard the commotion and were rushing back. They saw Bu Yunyan still standing there in a daze, while Qin Li stood on the opposite bank of the river.

Hu asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Bu Yunyan hurriedly explained, "Qin Li was fishing, and a monster came out of the water. It was terrifying, but... I think he killed it."

At that moment, Qin Li bent down, grabbed the creature by its tail, and lifted it. The monster was only a little over a meter long, but it weighed well over a hundred pounds. Qin Li looked at the creature, which resembled a crocodile, and said to Hu, "I was fishing, and I can’t believe I hooked this thing. Hu, do you recognize it? Hu?" Qin Li suddenly realized that it wasn’t just Hu; the perpetually cold-faced beauty Leng Yao, the playful He Laosan, and the taciturn Li Jian were all staring at him with looks of utter disbelief.

After getting a clear look at the monster in Qin Li’s hand, Bu Yunyan couldn’t help but let out a small shriek before quickly covering her mouth. Then she too began to stare at Qin Li as if he were some kind of monster himself.

"What’s... wrong with you all? Is there a flower on my face?" Qin Li chuckled nonchalantly. Hoisting the creature, he tapped his toes on the ground. The seven-or-eight-meter-wide river was no obstacle for him. He landed on the other side in an instant, barely kicking up any dust, which only made the gazes of the others even stranger.

THUD!

Seeing them all looking like they had seen a ghost, Qin Li was both exasperated and amused. He tossed the monster directly in front of Bu Yunyan.

"Ah!"

Bu Yunyan shrieked and nimbly leaped back several meters, then glared at Qin Li. "You brat, are you looking to die?"

Qin Li chuckled. "Who told you all to stare at me like you’d seen a ghost!"

Hu finally couldn’t help but shake his head and smile wryly. "Younger Brother Qin, you can’t blame us. Who would have thought you were hiding so much strength? For someone with your level of skill to be called Yellow Level, Rank One... dammit..."

Hu couldn’t resist cursing, then pointed at the dark, menacingly scaled monster on the ground. "Do you know what this is?"

Qin Li shook his head. ’Isn’t that obvious?’ he thought. ’If I knew, why would I be asking you?’

"This thing is called an Iron Armor Crocodile! A genuine Spirit Beast!" He Laosan clicked his tongue in amazement, then gave Qin Li a thumbs-up. "Brother, you’re really something. We’ve camped by this river dozens of times and have never seen one of these. Even though it’s a Low Level Spirit Beast, they’re incredibly cunning. Do you have any idea how much this hide is worth?"

"How much?" At the mention of money, Qin Li’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t help it; money was what he needed most right now.

Leng Yao shot Qin Li a disdainful look, seemingly thinking he was too obsessed with money. The hide of an Iron Armor Crocodile was extremely valuable. Once made into Soft Armor, ordinary swords and sabers couldn’t cut through it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it impervious to blades!

"This guy looks like it’s over a hundred years old, right? Your Sword Technique is truly fierce to be able to pierce it. I estimate it’s worth at least ten thousand taels of silver!" He Laosan circled the Iron Armor Crocodile twice, sighing incessantly. "Your luck is insane, kid!"

Hu then spoke up, "I’m afraid it’s even more than that. Did you all see? Younger Brother Qin’s sword struck the Iron Armor Beast right on its back. It won’t affect its use for making armor at all. At the Hunter Guild’s auction house, it would fetch at least thirty thousand taels of silver!"

Everyone couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. Thirty thousand taels of silver! That was no small sum. For fifty taels, you could buy a grand courtyard home with three separate sections in South City! Two thousand taels could allow a family of five to live a comfortable and prosperous life!

Even great clans like the Qin Family or Shangguan Family, with assets in the millions, wouldn’t treat such a figure lightly!

The way everyone looked at Qin Li now held a hint of envy. Their team was considered top-tier in the Hunter Guild, but their annual income was only about one hundred thousand taels of silver. Divided among them, each person only got a little over ten thousand, because Hu, as the leader, had to take the largest share!

This was the rule of adventuring teams: the more capable you are, the more you get. No one would object.

Qin Li saw the looks in their eyes and smiled to himself. He looked at Hu and said seriously, "Hu, you decide how we handle this thing!"

Hu was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood Qin Li’s meaning and waved his hand. "That won’t do. Hunters have their rules. You hunted this Iron Armor Crocodile by chance and completely on your own. According to the rules, giving everyone a token of good fortune, a few hundred taels of silver each, is the absolute limit. It can’t be counted as a team gain!"

The others also came to their senses and refused one after another. They all knew of Qin Li’s situation, and while thirty thousand taels of silver was not a small sum, it wasn’t enough to make these magnanimous Hunters turn greedy.

A warmth spread through Qin Li’s heart. He had seen plenty of people get greedy at the sight of wealth; people like them who stuck to the rules were becoming rarer. He smiled and said, "I said it this morning, since I’ve joined you, I’m naturally part of the team. Hu, let’s not waste words. Originally, I would have been content just to earn a hundred taels or so on this trip. This has already far exceeded my expectations. If you consider me a part of this team, then don’t refuse anymore. Otherwise, I’ll turn around and leave right now!"

Qin Li’s words were resolute, and they made Hu and the others think even more highly of him. Exceptional skill, a forthright personality, a righteous character—and the rarest part was, he was just a kid who wasn’t even an adult yet!

"Alright!" Hu clapped Qin Li heavily on the shoulder, saying with some emotion, "You’re a brother I’m determined to have!"

Bu Yunyan looked at Qin Li, her seductive eyes like silk, and said sweetly, "Little Brother Qin, you’re a rich man now. How about you consider taking this humble little lady as your concubine or something?"

Qin Li put on a lecherous expression and chuckled. "Sure, why don’t you come over here and give your master a smile first?"

"Pah, go to hell!"