Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

Han Laosan squatted down next to the iron-shelled turtle's corpse and took out a short knife from his waist.

The blade wasn't long, but it was polished to a gleaming shine, radiating a cold light.

He started from the edge of the tortoise shell, cutting along the seams with the tip of the knife, skillfully peeling away the fascia.

"The tortoise shell is the most valuable part; it has to be removed completely."

Han Laosan spoke as he worked, his tone tinged with smugness.

"Weapon refiners like this stuff; it's a defensive material that can be used to make armor."

Fang He watched from the side, silently taking notes.

The short knife flew through Han Laosan's hands, and in no time, the entire piece of carapace was completely peeled off.

Next up is turtle meat.

Han Laosan cut it into chunks and wrapped it in oil paper.

"Turtle meat is edible, and some restaurants will buy it. Alchemists also need it for medicinal purposes."

Finally, there's turtle blood.

He caught it in a porcelain bottle and sealed it.

"Turtle blood is the cheapest, but some special elixirs require it."

Fang He noticed that Han Laosan's technique was clean and efficient, and every movement was deliberate and skillful.

This is clearly not the first time they've done something like this.

"knock off."

Han Laosan stood up and patted the blood off his hands.

……

Zhou Qiang stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the materials on the ground.

"Lin Qingshan was instrumental in the kill, and Han Laosan was instrumental in the harassment."

He paused, then looked at Fang He.

"Fang He made an outstanding contribution by discovering Zheng Xiaosi's weakness and saving him."

"According to the rules, those who make greater contributions receive more. Fang He will receive 30%."

Neither Han Laosan nor Lin Qingshan had any objections.

This is standard practice for the patrol team; everyone knows it.

Zhou Qiang divided the materials into three parts.

Fang He's portion was the thickest, containing the complete carapace, most of the turtle meat, and a small bottle of turtle blood.

"Thank you, Captain."

Fang He put the materials into his storage bag.

Zhou Qiang nodded and turned to look at Zheng Xiaosi.

Zheng Xiaosi was still lying on the rocks, pale-faced, with his left arm twisted.

"Help him up."

Zhou Qiang said to Lin Qingshan.

Lin Qingshan stepped forward and helped Zheng Xiaosi up.

Zhou Qiang's gaze turned stern.

"Zheng Xiaosi, do you know what you did wrong?"

Zheng Xiaosi lowered his head, his lips trembling, unable to speak.

"He was greedy for credit and acted rashly, disobeying orders."

Zhou Qiang's voice was not loud, but every word was as firm as iron: "On the battlefield, this kind of behavior will not only kill you, but also your teammates."

"If Fang He hadn't reacted quickly, you would have been bitten in two by the Iron-Shelled Turtle by now."

Zheng Xiaosi's body trembled slightly.

"The patrol team doesn't need people who don't follow orders."

Zhou Qiang continued, "Go back and reflect on your actions."

"If you do it again, don't bother coming back."

Zheng Xiaosi said in a low voice, "This subordinate knows his mistake."

"I'll take him back for treatment first."

Lin Qingshan helped Zheng Xiaosi to her feet.

Zhou Qiang nodded, then looked at Han Laosan and Fang He.

"Go to the market and process the materials."

"Yes."

Zhou Qiang added, "Fang He, the Zhou family's cultivation technique pavilion has some basic spells; you can go and take a look."

"Your wood element aptitude is quite good. Learning an offensive spell will be helpful for future missions."

Fang He bowed: "Thank you for your guidance, Captain."

Zhou Qiang nodded slightly, then turned and left.

……

Han Laosan looked at Fang He and grinned.

"Let's go, I'll take you to exchange the items for spirit stones."

Fang He followed in Han Laosan's footsteps.

The two walked along the coastline toward the market, the sea breeze blowing in their faces, carrying a salty smell.

Han Laosan was in a good mood, humming a little tune.

"How did it feel to kill a sea monster for the first time?"

Fang He thought for a moment: "It's more nerve-wracking than I imagined."

"normal."

Han Laosan laughed and said, "You'll get used to it."

"There's a skill to fighting, and there's a skill to dealing with the spoils of war."

He patted Fang He on the shoulder.

"Follow me, I'll teach you a few tricks."

Fang He nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Han."

Han Laosan waved his hand: "Don't be so polite, it's all fate."

"We independent cultivators survive by helping each other."

Fang He nodded silently.

He recalled his days in Lingtian District, where Old Man Lin taught him planting techniques and Zhao Haisheng helped repair his house.

The mutual assistance among the unaffiliated cultivators at the bottom level is a rare source of warmth.

……

Fangshi.

There were more people than usual.

Fang He noticed that many of the faces were unfamiliar, seemingly from out-of-town rogue cultivators.

"Recently, the sea monsters have been causing a lot of trouble, so the independent cultivators from other islands are all flocking here."

Han Laosan explained, "Qing'ao Island is relatively safer with the Zhou family in charge."

Fang He's heart stirred.

Captain Chen had said something similar before.

The unusual behavior of the marine mammals does not seem to be unique to Qing'ao Island.

Han Laosan navigated the market with practiced ease, with Fang He following closely behind.

"Materials can't be sold just anywhere; you have to find the right place."

As Han Laosan walked, he shared his experience: "Some shops are ruthless in their price-cutting, while others are more fair."

"You're unfamiliar with the area, so you're likely to get ripped off."

"The owner of the place I took you to is quite honest."

Fang He kept these words in mind.

[Appreciation for Beginners] Slightly rotating.

He made a rough judgment about the items on the surrounding stalls.

This store's prices are too high, and some of the items in that store are counterfeit.

Han Laosan's experience largely matches the information in the feedback from his entry.

……

The two stopped in front of a building materials shop.

The shop is small, with a sign that reads "Zhou's Grocery Store" hanging at the entrance.

"This is a shop run by the Zhou family; the prices are fair."

Han Laosan lowered his voice, "Of course, it also depends on the boss's mood."

Fang He nodded.

The two entered the shop.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man, slightly overweight, who was sitting behind the counter looking through the account books.

Seeing someone come in, he raised his eyelids and glanced at them.

"Han Laosan, shipping goods again?"

"Luckily, I ran into a metal-shelled turtle."

Han Laosan stepped forward with a smile, "Please take a look."

He took out the materials one by one and placed them on the counter.

The shopkeeper's gaze swept over the materials, and his expression shifted slightly.

"The carapace is intact and the condition is good."

He began to estimate the price and gave a figure.

Fang He silently calculated in his mind.

The price was slightly lower than expected.

Han Laosan clearly also felt it was too low.

"Shopkeeper, this carapace belongs to a low-grade first-tier sea beast, and it's in excellent condition. Your price..."

"There's an abundance of marine mammal materials lately, so the market isn't doing well."

The shopkeeper interrupted, "If you think it's too low, you can go and look elsewhere."

Han Laosan smiled broadly: "No other place is as fair as yours."

"This is the price, can we discuss it further?"

The shopkeeper glanced at Han Laosan, then at Fang He.

"Alright, for the sake of our regular customers, we'll increase it by 20%."

He quoted a new price.

It was about the same as Fang He's estimate.

Han Laosan turned to Fang He and whispered, "Know when to stop, don't be greedy."

Transaction.

Fang He sold the materials for about twenty spirit stones.

Han Laosan's materials were also successfully sold.

The two walked out of the shop, and Han Laosan was in a great mood.

"How was it? Did you learn anything?"

"I've learned something," Fang He echoed.

"You have to find the right places to sell the materials, and you have to know how to negotiate the price, but you can't be too greedy."

Han Laosan patted him on the shoulder.

Fang He touched his storage bag and found that there were now twenty spirit stones inside.

This was the first time he had actually earned spirit stones since arriving on Qing'ao Island.

The process was thrilling, but the rewards were plentiful.

……

The two walked out along the street of the market.

Han Laosan suddenly lowered his voice.

"Fang He, there's something I need to remind you of."

Fang He looked at him.

"You've made a fortune in spirit stones, but don't let too many people know how many you have."

Han Laosan's gaze swept around, his tone serious.

"It's a rule not to flaunt your wealth."

"We independent cultivators have no background or backing; flaunting our wealth can easily bring trouble."

Fang He felt a chill run down her spine.

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Han."

Han Laosan patted his shoulder and was about to turn and leave.

Suddenly, he stopped walking.

He looked at the distant coastline, his gaze darkening slightly.

"Fang He, your perception talent is quite good."

Fang He was taken aback.

Han Laosan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

A moment later, he left with a meaningful look.

"The waters around Qing'ao Island are deeper than you imagine."

"There are some things you shouldn't say even if you see them."

After saying that, Old Man Han strode away...