Investment

"Blood and Qi Solidification, Moves Harmonized—he's entered the threshold?"

He narrowed his eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

He had already roughly assessed the talents of these skinners before.

Among them, the only one who could be considered decent was that fellow named Wu Gang.

A few others were passable, but they fell short compared to Wu Gang.

The rest were merely average; with luck, they might have a chance to enter the threshold within a month.

As for this kid, he had no impression of him at all. Yet, precisely this unremarkable boy had now broken through.

Lost in thought, he had already begun walking over.

Among the crowd of skinners, Wu Gang was methodically holding his fist stance. Seeing Tian Hu approach, he immediately held his breath and focused, training even harder. He had been progressing quickly lately and could feel he was on the verge of the threshold—he estimated that in another three to five days, he would successfully enter it.

In his expectant gaze, Tian Hu walked straight past him, heading directly to the back of the line.

"What's your name?"

Tian Hu's eyes landed on Lin Sheng. Before the latter could speak, he placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Reporting to Captain Tian, my name is Lin Sheng."

Facing Tian Hu, Lin Sheng answered neither servile nor arrogant.

"When did you enter the threshold?"

"Last night, by luck."

Lin Sheng replied earnestly.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Not bad. Your bone structure is mediocre, but entering the threshold in about ten days shows decent comprehension. Pack up tomorrow and come find me at the Beast Hunter Hall."

Tian Hu nodded slightly, a hint of a smile on his face.

He truly hadn't expected there to be a promising seedling in this slaughterhouse.

As for why he hadn't noticed before, he supposed it was because he hadn't examined carefully—he had nearly overlooked this one.

To master the Raging Bull Fist in ten days, and under such harsh conditions—this boy's comprehension could be considered above average.

Though his bone structure was only mid-to-low, he was only sixteen, not yet fully set. If he could eat well, stay warm, and have some medicinal support, he might still rise to the mid-to-upper tier.

That was talent worth cultivating in the Beast Hunter Hall.

With Lin Sheng as a gain, Tian Hu carefully rechecked the bone structures and cultivation progress of the others, lest he miss anything else. But the result disappointed him—aside from Lin Sheng, there were no unexpected surprises.

Rarely offering encouragement, he said a few words to the group, then didn't linger. He turned and left the slaughterhouse.

Once Tian Hu was gone, the skinners immediately stopped their work, and almost all eyes fell on Lin Sheng.

"Entered the threshold? Lin Sheng, you entered the threshold!?"

Some skinners who were somewhat familiar with him immediately crowded around, asking with a mix of curiosity and envy.

Even colleagues who had never been close before stepped forward, acting as if they were old friends. Anyone watching would think they were the best of buddies.

Not far away, Wu Gang watched this atmosphere that should have been his, clenching his fists.

"How is this possible?"

He had always believed he had the best talent and bone structure in the entire slaughterhouse, and that he would be the first to master the Raging Bull Fist.

He never expected someone to come out of nowhere and beat him to it by a few days.

He had little impression of Lin Sheng. In his eyes, the other was just a nobody who had joined the slaughterhouse not long ago.

Yet this nobody had surpassed him.

Burning with resentment, he trained even harder on the spot.

He even decided to ask Wang Dehai for leave in the coming days, dedicating himself fully to cultivation until he entered the threshold.

Smiling and nodding through the sudden flurry of attention, Lin Sheng trained a bit more before finding an excuse to slip away.

But he didn't leave the slaughterhouse immediately. Instead, he first sought out Wang Dehai.

Tomorrow, he would officially report to the Beast Hunter Hall, so naturally, he had to inform the head of the slaughterhouse.

Just as he arrived outside the slaughterhouse, in front of Wang Dehai's courtyard, he saw Wang Dehai sitting in the yard.

"Lin Sheng, come sit."

Seeing Lin Sheng arrive, Wang Dehai stood up, gave him a thorough once-over, then waved him over.

"Yes, Manager Wang."

Lin Sheng nodded and walked over.

"Sit. I already know about your situation."

He gestured for Lin Sheng to sit down, reached out his pudgy hand, and gave his shoulder two heavy pats, as if feeling something out. Soon, a smile spread across his face.

"If I remember correctly, you've been in the Slaughterhouse for two months now. We brothers haven't had a proper drink together yet. Today's meal is on me—consider it a Farewell Feast for your joining the Beast Hunter Hall."

"Thank you, Manager Wang."

"Why call me Manager Wang at a time like this? From now on, just call me Brother Wang."

Lin Sheng was slightly surprised by Wang Dehai's warmth, but he quickly adapted. After all, having lived two lives, he wasn't the smoothest operator, but he understood a thing or two about human affairs.

He just hadn't expected this world to be so blatantly transparent.

He had only just received the notice to report to the Beast Hunter Hall, and here Wang Dehai had already laid out a spread.

Glancing at the dishes—rare treats on ordinary days—Lin Sheng couldn't help but sigh.

Truly, strength was everything.

They clinked cups and chatted. Though Lin Sheng didn't drink, he didn't hold back on the food, wolfing it down without restraint.

These dishes probably cost no less than a hundred coppers—a single meal worth a whole month of his hard labor.

As they talked, the table brought them closer quickly, and soon they were arm-in-arm.

"Brother Lin, do you know why I specially set up this feast for you?" Wang Dehai asked with a chuckle after downing a cup of wine. But before Lin Sheng could answer, he answered himself.

"You think it's because you're joining the Beast Hunter Hall, don't you?"

Lin Sheng paused, then nodded.

"Wrong, wrong. Recruiting qualified workers from various halls into the Beast Hunter Hall happens every few years. The Slaughterhouse is full of poor folk, but plenty join the Beast Hunter Hall each time. Not just anyone gets a farewell feast from me." Wang Dehai shook his head slightly, speaking calmly.

"Brother Lin, you've only just touched the Martial Way. You don't know much about it yet. Since we have time today, let me tell you a thing or two."

"Oh? Then many thanks, Brother Wang."

Hearing this, Lin Sheng's heart stirred, and a hint of joy showed on his face.

He knew little about the Martial Way in this world. If he hadn't come across the Raging Bull Fist, he'd still be a complete novice.

He had indeed been wanting to learn about the Martial Way, but had no channel to do so. He'd planned to gather information after entering the Beast Hunter Hall. Now that Wang Dehai was offering to speak, it saved him the trouble.