In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

"Master Qin is benevolent and righteous!"

"Thank you so much for the medicine, Master Qin!"

They may not understand any grand principles, but they know that whoever gives them a bowl of hot soup when they are in their most difficult time is a good person and a benefactor!

Qin Shaolang didn't help them up; he just watched them calmly.

He knew that from this moment on, the hunters' circle in Lantian Town belonged to the Qin family.

Just then, a disheveled woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd; it was Er Mazi's wife.

She saw the dead tiger and froze. Then, as if she had gone mad, she rushed to Qin Shaolang, her eyes filled with resentment and fear.

"It's you! It's all your fault! You're the one who ruined my husband!"

Chu Wu frowned, immediately stepped forward, and blocked Qin Shaolang's path, shouting sternly, "Insolence! Your man brought this on himself, catching a cold and getting drunk. What does this have to do with our Brother Qin!"

Er Mazi's wife was so frightened by Chu Wu's imposing manner that she took two steps back, but still screamed unwillingly, "If you hadn't stolen his credit, how could he have..."

Before she could finish speaking, a hunter who had just received a favor from Qin Shaolang the day before couldn't stand it anymore.

"Sister-in-law Wang! You must speak with a clear conscience! How did Er Mazi treat us brothers? How did Master Qin treat us? If it weren't for Master Qin this time, our wounds would have festered! Your husband is sick, and Master Qin still remembered to send medicine. You may not acknowledge this kindness, but we do!"

"Yes! We admit it!"

The surrounding hunters chimed in agreement.

When people's hearts are with you, the difference between superior and inferior is immediately apparent.

Er Mazi's wife looked at the accusing eyes around her, her face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Qin Shaolang didn't glance at her once throughout, only saying calmly to Chu Wu, "Carry the tiger back and prepare to skin and dismember it. All the brothers who participated today will have a whole tiger feast tonight!"

"Okay!"

The soldiers let out a deafening cheer, and carrying the tiger, they marched proudly towards the earthen kiln amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the entire village.

At this moment, Qin Shaolang's figure appeared incredibly tall in the eyes of all the villagers.

The words "All Tigers' Feast" seemed to possess a magical power, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of all the soldiers.

Cheers rose and fell in the open space inside and outside the earthen kiln, lasting for a long time.

They carried the enormous tiger carcass with lighter steps, as if the five or six hundred pounds of weight had transformed into medals of honor, heavy yet incredibly glorious.

Er Mazi's wife was so ashamed by the criticism from everyone that she could only slink away amidst countless scornful glances.

Qin Shaolang paid absolutely no attention to this.

She's just a stupid woman; she's not worth his time.

His gaze remained fixed on the white-browed tiger that was already dead.

This is no ordinary wild beast.

In modern times, this is a Class I protected animal in China. Let alone eating it, even touching it would land you in jail.

But here, it is a top-tier prey, a treasure trove of resources.

Tiger skin, tiger bones, tiger meat, tiger penis... each one is incredibly valuable.

Tiger bone, in particular, was revered as a sacred medicine for strengthening the body and bones in this era. A complete set of tiger bones was worth even more than the six hundred taels of reward!

"Stop standing there, everyone, get your tools out!" Qin Shaolang's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out all the noise.

Everyone immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned to him.

"Chu Wu, go and boil several large pots of water, make sure it's scalding hot. Also, prepare a large amount of coarse salt."

"Li Hu, take out your sharpest skinning knives and sharpen them."

"The rest of you, carry this beast to the center of the open space and lay it on clean straw."

Orders were issued in an orderly manner, and everyone immediately sprang into action.

Chu Wu and Li Hu now completely trust Qin Shaolang and carry out his orders without the slightest hesitation.

Soon, large pots were set up, and the firewood crackled and popped as it burned.

The tiger carcass was carefully placed on a thick straw mat.

Several guards, armed with sharp knives, were eager to step forward and carve up the tiger meat.

"Wait," Qin Shaolang said, stopping them.

He walked to the tiger carcass, squatted down, and examined it carefully.

One of the eager soldiers couldn't help but ask, "Brother Qin, what are we waiting for? Let's quickly divide the meat and start stewing! I can already smell the aroma!"

Qin Shaolang didn't look up, but said calmly, "The way you're cutting it, this tiger skin is ruined. A complete tiger skin, without the slightest damage, would be worth at least fifty taels of silver in the county town. With this one cut, fifty taels are gone."

hiss--!

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

Fifty taels!

These people, even if they work hard all year, may not be able to save five taels of silver.

A single hide is only worth fifty taels?

This is faster than robbing someone!

The guard who had almost drawn his knife was so frightened that his hand trembled and he nearly dropped the knife.

Chu Wu also came over, his face full of curiosity: "Brother Qin, you even know about the work of a butcher? Skinning is a delicate job. You can't say you can skin a whole animal without ten or eight years of experience."

"I know a little bit." Qin Shaolang stood up and clapped his hands.

He knows far more than just a little.

In wilderness survival training, handling various animal carcasses is fundamental. The skill of separating an animal's skin, meat, bones, and internal organs perfectly in the fastest and most energy-efficient way is called anatomy.

"Watch carefully, I'll only teach you once."

Qin Shaolang took the skinning knife handed to him by Li Hu and had someone bring over a bucket of boiling water.

Instead of immediately using his knife, he directed the others to pour boiling water over the tiger's entire body.

"Why is that?" Li Hu asked, puzzled.

"Thermal expansion and contraction, hot water can make it easier to separate the fur from the subcutaneous fat, making the incision much smoother later," Qin Shaolang explained casually.

The butchers of this era only know brute force; they have no idea about these simple physics concepts.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Qin Shaolang began to use his knife.

His movements were so fast they were dazzling.

The knife seemed to come alive in his hands, sometimes making light cuts, sometimes flicking, sometimes slicing sideways.

His knife strikes were extremely cunning, all along the muscle lines and joint gaps of the tiger's body.

Starting from the tiger's head, he drew several precise lines along the midline of the spine and then along the inner sides of the limbs before handing the knife to Li Hu.

"Follow the lines I've drawn, slowly insert a blunt instrument to separate the skin from the flesh. Remember, use skillful force, not brute force."

Although Li Hu was an experienced hunter, he was still amazed by Qin Shaolang's superb knife skills. He nodded quickly and began to carefully practice.

Qin Shaolang then turned to the tiger's belly.

"When opening a belly, the worst thing you can do is rupture the gallbladder and intestines, otherwise the meat will become inedible once it gets tainted with a foul odor."