Essentials of Skinning

"Rise!"

Guo Chunxiao chanted a spell, offered up a spirit talisman, and infused spiritual energy into the demon beast's hide. At the same time, a Soul Banner appeared in his hand.

He waved the Soul Banner, and a giant bird's soul with vacant eyes was injected into the hide.

The lifeless hide suddenly trembled, its beak opened, and it rapidly expanded.

After a few breaths, the hide seemed to become a real flesh-and-blood demon beast.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Guo Chunxiao smiled and said, "This is made from the hide of a Qi Refining Layer 9 demon beast, the Five-Thunder Roc. Fellow junior brothers, please step onto this with me and return to Skinning Peak to report!"

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his voice, drawing the attention of the new disciples.

Guo Chunxiao secretly felt pleased. Being able to use such a treasure to receive outer sect disciples was enough to show Skinning Peak's regard for newcomers. Word would spread, and perhaps next year even more disciples would come seeking them out.

But the new disciples of this peak weren't giving him face. They all stared wide-eyed at each other, each waiting for the first one to step up and take the risk.

A bunch of useless mud that couldn't be propped up!

Guo Chunxiao cursed inwardly and was about to lose his temper when he saw Fang Huai leap up, landing steadily on the Five-Thunder Roc's back.

"Not bad!" Guo Chunxiao praised, and at the same time, he gained some goodwill toward this junior brother without spiritual roots.

Though the other's aptitude was lacking, his courage was decent. This kind of person suited Skinning Peak best.

Every day, Skinning Peak had to deal with all sorts of strange demon beasts and Sha. If everyone cowered and dared not approach, the work would never get done.

Fang Huai and the other newcomers were assigned to Skinning Room Ding-1-7.

This skinning room had originally been a Grade B skinning room, bustling with people and full of skilled skinners.

But when they were stripping a feigning-death Qi Refining Perfection demon beast, the beast advanced to Foundation Establishment Realm mid-process and slaughtered all the disciples there.

From then on, it was deemed an unlucky place and downgraded to a Grade D skinning room.

"Our Skinning Peak has always valued fairness and justice. As long as you're willing to work, you can earn contribution points!"

The disciple in charge here was named Wu Liu, at Qi Refining Layer 7. She was a survivor of the massacre and now the overseer.

At this moment, she looked down her nose and introduced the tasks to the new outer sect disciples:

"Qi Refining demon beasts range from Layer 1 to Perfection. Handling the corpses of beasts at different cultivation levels earns different contribution points.

Our Grade D skinning room can handle early Qi Refining demon beasts. Layer 1 gives ten contribution points, Layer 2 gives twenty, Layer 3 gives thirty...

As for mid Qi Refining and above, hmph, wait until you get to Grade C!"

Fang Huai listened patiently. Though Wu Liu's attitude was poor, she was still his direct superior, and what she shared was practical knowledge.

Finally, the lecture ended. The newcomers received storage pouches and each found a place to sit.

Unlike the storage pouches held by menial laborers, those issued by Skinning Peak were true spiritual items. They had five square meters of space, were small and light, and with a light tap, they could retrieve stored items according to one's intent.

Inside the storage pouch were the Outer Sect Manual, the Essentials of Skinning, skinning tools, a change of clothes, and an empty Soul Banner.

Nothing else.

Before officially starting to skin, Fang Huai first flipped through the Outer Sect Manual, and his brow furrowed.

Though Skinning Peak provided lodging for disciples, it charged one hundred contribution points per month as rent.

Beyond that, regardless of how many beasts were skinned, an additional one hundred contribution points had to be paid monthly as a tribute.

In other words, if he didn't want to sleep outside at night, he needed to complete at least two hundred contribution points' worth of work each month.

After reading the Essentials of Skinning, his face darkened to the extreme—

If the demon beast's corpse was damaged during skinning, he had to compensate with contribution points.

For example, damaging the hide of a Qi Refining Layer 1 demon beast required paying thirty contribution points.

Additionally, the skinning tools needed to be driven by spiritual energy. But Fang Huai couldn't draw qi into his body, so once his internal spiritual energy was depleted, he could only replenish it with spirit herbs or spirit stones. This added immense pressure on him.

Wu Liu did offer to exchange spirit stones, but the rate was staggering: one hundred contribution points for a single low-grade spirit stone.

Still, Fang Huai gritted his teeth and exchanged for one.

Seeing him spend a hundred points right off the bat, Wu Liu's eyes lit up. She thought he might be from some scattered cultivator family.

But when her gaze swept over Fang Huai's tattered clothes, she curled her lips and lost all interest.

Fang Huai didn't care about Wu Liu's expression changes. He was here to earn contribution points, not to read people's faces.

But when he returned to his original spot, spirit stone in hand, he found it had been taken by an older disciple.

"Get lost, this is my spot!" The older disciple glanced at him, his tone full of provocation.

This person clearly had his own place but had come to take Fang Huai's, blatantly bullying the newcomer.

Knowing the other was picking a fight, Fang Huai didn't get angry. He silently left and found a corner spot.

[Zhang Yuan] [Qi Refining Layer 2]

[Sha Qi Entering Body (Gray)] [Skinning Proficiency (White)]

[Skinning Proficiency (White): Years of hard work have brought a certain improvement in technique.]

On Skinning Peak, if a newcomer had no backing and nothing to offer the seniors, they would often be tripped up.

But messing with others was one thing—messing with him, Fang Huai, meant Zhang Yuan had kicked an iron plate.

Struggling to haul a first-layer Qi Refining Sharp-Toothed Porcupine onto the Skinning Table, Fang Huai shifted his thoughts and swapped away Zhang Yuan's [Skinning Proficiency].

At that moment, Zhang Yuan was focused on handling a second-layer Qi Refining beast. But the next second, his gaze suddenly went blank. The skinning technique he had practiced for years blurred into confusion in an instant.

Panic seized his heart. His hand trembled involuntarily. The knife slipped. The hide was ruined.

"Zhang Yuan damaged the beast's hide. Penalty: sixty contribution points!" Wu Liu, sharp-eyed, called out immediately.

"Damn it, days of work down the drain!" Zhang Yuan cursed, slapping himself in the mouth, furious at his own critical mistake.

Unlike Zhang Yuan, Fang Huai's heart was as still as water. His left hand secured the porcupine, while his right hand carefully sliced open the hide.

The Essentials of Skinning detailed the skinning techniques for many common beasts, including the Sharp-Toothed Porcupine.

Though this beast was large in size, its hide was relatively soft, making it the top choice for newcomers to practice on.

With the boost of [Skinning Proficiency], Fang Huai handled it with ease. At the same time, a line of information appeared in his sea of consciousness:

[Skinning Technique Beginner: 1/100]

Three hours later, Fang Huai wiped away his sweat and looked with satisfaction at the fully processed Sharp-Toothed Porcupine on the Skinning Table.

The progress of his Skinning Technique had already reached 17.

The predecessors plant trees, the successors enjoy the shade.

My good senior brother, thanks to all your years of effort, I've gotten a quick start.

Fang Huai glanced at Zhang Yuan. But by now, Zhang Yuan's state was rather miserable.

After ruining another beast corpse, he broke down into shouting and screaming, only to be grabbed by Wu Liu and tossed out.

As dusk fell, Wu Liu knocked on the wall and announced loudly, "Anyone who needs lodging, come register with me. Those who don't, pack up and leave immediately!"

At the word "lodging," Fang Huai's heart tightened.

Wandering the streets?

He never wanted to be homeless again in this life!

Remembering his time in the Human Puppet Hall, he still felt a lingering chill.

If he slept outside, there was no guarantee some senior brother or sister wouldn't see him alone and sell him off for profit.

If that happened, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

With that thought, Fang Huai stepped before Wu Liu and respectfully handed over his identity token: "Senior Sister Wu, please arrange a place for me."

[Fang Huai]

[Status: Outer Disciple]

[Lodging: Bing 14-0817]

[Contribution Points: 17]

Another hundred contribution points were deducted. This time, it wasn't just Wu Liu—the gazes of the other disciples also fixed on him.