Unexpected

The meat was fragrant. After a year, his cooking had improved considerably.

The aroma filled the air, and the saltiness was just right. The Work-Study Students never got tired of it.

For Xiao Wu, a transformed soul beast who had only just arrived in a human city and had never eaten human food before,

all she could think was, What the hell were those things I used to eat?

She ate until her face was flushed and gleaming with oil.

Tang San was the same.

He had lived with Tang Hao for six years and often gone hungry.

If Village Chief Jack had not regularly helped them out, he might have starved to death.

At first, he had alternated between full meals and hunger while drinking milk. Once he had grown a little older, there had been no money to buy food.

After three or four years of salted vegetables and plain rice porridge, he had nearly forgotten what meat tasted like.

Now that he was eating this, he actually felt a little moved.

He stuffed his mouthfuls down greedily.

In his heart, he gained a little more approval for Fang Ling, whom he had only just met.

Fang Ling ate the last piece of meat from the container.

Seeing everyone set down their bowls, he said, "Give me the bowls. I need to clean the container anyway, so I'll wash all the bowls while I'm at it."

"Thank you." Tang San handed his bowl to Fang Ling and thanked him again.

He had only wanted to study properly. Although the gatekeeper had been a bastard, he had met a teacher worthy of his respect.

There was even someone kind enough in the dormitory to give him braised meat for free. It was not bad at all.

Had his luck finally turned around?

Speaking of protection, would Work-Study Students be ostracized at the academy?

Tang San pondered this in secret.

Xiao Wu was somewhat absentminded.

Fang Ling called softly, "Sister Xiao Wu?"

Xiao Wu came back to her senses and hurriedly handed him her bowl.

As the dormitory boss, she quickly added, "Thanks. Just do what you need to do. I won't interfere."

"Alright, that's for the best."

Fang Ling nodded, stacked the bowls into the lunch container, and left with them.

He did not go bathe immediately. He merely washed the bowls and put them away first.

Then he headed to a small grove in a corner of the academy.

This was a remote corner of Notting Academy. The soil was soft and prone to pooling water, and the air was filled with a strange stench. It was easy to step into mud there, so few people came.

Those regular students liked to travel in groups and cared about appearances. They liked this place even less.

Fang Ling did not mind it, though. He was not afraid of getting dirty, and there were no soul beasts or dangerous wild animals here.

If he stepped in mud, he only had to wash it off.

He liked practicing the Scythe Technique he had created by himself here alone.

The trees were the targets he had chosen.

Every time, he aimed at the same spot and swung with all his strength.

When the blade struck the trunk, it made a dull thud.

Even if he could not develop the specialty he had imagined, it would still improve his compatibility with the sickle and make it easier to wield.

Although he did not know how to fight and had not been a particularly good student in his Previous Life, he understood the simple principle that a journey of a thousand miles began with a single step, and a great river began with tiny streams.

As long as he practiced slowly and never stopped, he would eventually gain something.

About half an hour passed before he put away his Martial Soul and stopped moving.

Thinking of Tang San and Xiao Wu's agile movements today, he began trying to move through the forest as well.

Combat was not about standing still and attacking, nor was it simply two people trading blows.

Knowing how to use a sickle alone was not enough.

Others would run. They would not stand there and let you kill them.

That required body technique and sufficiently quick reactions—enough to evade attacks, find the right position, and launch a counterattack.

Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was excellent, a powerful tool for close-range combat, but Fang Ling could not possibly obtain it.

He could only try practicing on his own.

If his body was agile enough and coordinated enough, he should be able to achieve the same effect as Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

Training in this muddy ground came with tremendous resistance, making the effect just right.

The result was that branches between the trees lashed him until he was covered in bloody welts.

His prosthetic leg caught on the ground once. He failed to dodge in time and slammed face-first into a tree, raising a huge bump on his forehead.

His nose was bleeding too.

Not only did he have a prominent lump on his head, but bright red blood flowed from his nose like a winding little snake, while his body was covered in tiny marks from being whipped by thin branches.

On top of that, Fang Ling had fallen several times, leaving him covered in mud and reeking horribly.

He looked as though he had been abused by other students.

Pinching his nose, he limped back to Dormitory Seven beneath the disgusted gazes of others.

It was time for a bath. He had returned to get a change of clothes.

He could wash his clothes while he was at it.

This time, he had made a mistake. He had been too excited by the thought of body technique and neglected the necessary protection. He would prepare properly when he went back.

Next time, he would come again!

He would tie some worn cotton clothes to the trees.

He would also improve his prosthetic leg.

Wood alone was not enough.

The tip was fairly sturdy, and it was fine for normal walking. However, its contact area was smaller, so the pressure was ultimately greater than that of an intact right foot. It sank into mud far too easily.

He needed to attach a plank underneath it, or perhaps replace it with iron?

That would make it more durable, though it would also be heavier.

As Fang Ling considered this, he took a bucket and his clothes and headed toward the public bathhouse.

A month later.

Tang San had already obtained his Soul Ring, and Xiao Wu had become a Soul Master as well.

He had also gone to watch the battle between the Work-Study Students and the upperclassmen.

Everyone's fighting had been impressive, and he had learned a great deal.

In the end, just as expected, Tang San arrived late and revealed his Soul Ring, stunning everyone.

Xiao Wu had become the academy's big sister.

The Work-Study Students finally received real relief.

For Fang Ling, other than no longer needing to sweep the floors and thus having more time to spare, it did not make much difference.

One afternoon, it was time to slaughter pigs again.

Since he had classes in the morning, Fang Ling could only go in the afternoon.

As he hurried toward the slaughterhouse, he pondered.

His self-created Scythe Technique was still the same.

He had not made much progress after a whole year, so naturally one month was not enough.

As for his body technique, he had already developed it into something decent.

At the very least, he no longer crashed into trees so casually like before.

He had cut away some of the branches deep in the grove, so those little twigs would no longer strike his body.

Worn cotton clothes were tied to the trees.

He had added protection to his body too, wrapping cotton around his joints.

He also wore thicker clothes.

That way, falling would not hurt.

So he became even more unrestrained.

Before long, Fang Ling arrived at the slaughterhouse alone by following the road.

He took off his School Uniform, changed his clothes, and walked toward his workstation.

As he approached, he greeted them one by one.

"Grandpa Liu, Uncle Wang, Uncle Li, Uncle Huang, good afternoon. I'm here."

The latter three were all burly men with resolute faces, skilled pig slaughterers.

Hearing him, they smiled at Fang Ling even as they prepared their tools. "Little Fang Ling, good afternoon."

Grandpa Liu, meanwhile, happily waved him over. "Hoho, our little Soul Master genius is here."

"Innate Level One isn't that talented." Fang Ling merely chuckled and let the old man pat his head.

"An Innate Level One reaching Level Four so quickly—give it another two years, and you'll be a Lord Soul Master."

They restrained the pigs amid their shrieks and continued chatting.

Their words were full of joy. They were sincerely happy that the slaughterhouse could produce a Soul Master.

They were ordinary people without Soul Power, unable to cultivate or even come into contact with Lord Soul Masters.

Soul Masters were all lofty figures.

But watching a young Soul Master close to them grow rapidly right before their eyes

was something worth celebrating. They would have to hold a feast later!

Fang Ling smiled as he listened to them talk big.

They talked about Fallen Spirit Masters appearing somewhere nearby and Spirit Hall sending people to surround and eliminate them.

Or about some noble somewhere in the empire taking several concubines.

There was also Star Luo Empire and Heaven Dou Empire fighting somewhere again, with Heaven Dou suffering defeat after defeat and Spirit Hall stepping in to mediate.

Fang Ling occasionally chimed in as well.

Just then—

Bang!

A dull sound rang out.

The rope in one man's hands suddenly snapped while he was still tying it.

The pig struggled desperately and instantly broke free with one hoof.

After escaping death by a hair and regaining room to move, it began struggling with all its might despite having gone hungry all day.

The others immediately tensed their muscles and tried to restrain it faster.

But how could their strength compare to that of a pig driven mad by the scent of its own kind's blood?

"Not good! This beast got loose!"