Fang Huai is Truly a Person of Great Loyalty and Righteousness

Upon returning to the sect, Fang Huai rushed straight to the Outer Sect Hall.

The Zheng family had been wiped out, and the mission had failed, but protocol still required him to report back.

After speaking with the attendant disciple, Fang Huai learned that Liu Xiange had already submitted the mission report to the sect—

The Zheng family had been destroyed by a Qi Refining Layer 8 demon beast attack, and Lin Qian and Wu Sanli had died defending them.

The fabricated story was riddled with holes, and the peaks Lin and Wu belonged to naturally refused to let the matter rest.

For reasons unknown, a Foundation Establishment elder from Curse Insect Peak personally mediated, returning the Corpse Sha Bird and storage pouches, and adding some Spirit Stones as compensation, finally settling the dispute between the two peaks.

Even more surprising, that same Foundation Establishment elder personally went to the Outer Sect Hall to plead their case, exempting Liu Xiange and Fang Huai from punishment for the failed mission.

"The Curse Insect Peak really does go to great lengths to protect its own disciples," the attendant disciple remarked with a sigh.

Fang Huai nodded in agreement but didn't expose the truth behind it.

Thinking back now, the brutal deaths of the Zheng clan were most likely the joint work of the three peaks and the Outer Sect Hall.

The Zheng family had already been on shaky ground, barely able to scrape together their annual tribute.

Under these circumstances, using a demon beast attack as an excuse to devour the Zheng family clean was exactly the kind of profit-maximizing move the Corpse Sha Sect would make.

Not to mention the unexpected gains of the Water Spirit Pearl and the demon beast's eyes.

"Senior brother, could you check for me—how much tribute was our mission supposed to collect from the Zheng family?"

"Oh, no need to look. For small families like the Zheng, the tribute is fixed.

One thousand Spirit Stones per year, and five Qi Refining disciples every three years. Pay more Spirit Stones to send fewer disciples, or send more disciples to pay fewer Spirit Stones."

One thousand Spirit Stones, five Qi Refining disciples?

Lin Qian had said two thousand Spirit Stones and ten Qi Refining disciples!

No wonder the Zheng family had burned their bridges and risked killing them—they'd been backed into a corner.

After taking leave of the attendant disciple, Fang Huai returned to Skinning Room No. D-27.

Wu Liu was raising her whip to discipline a disciple who had erred. Hearing someone push the door open, she snapped irritably:

"The sun's already high in the sky, and you're just now showing up to work. With such laziness, what kind of cultivation are you even pursuing!"

Fang Huai smiled. "Senior Sister Wu, it's my fault. I apologize!"

"Junior Brother Fang!" Wu Liu stared at him in disbelief.

She rubbed her eyes several times before exclaiming in surprise, "I heard you encountered a Qi Refining Layer 8 demon beast attack and lost two people. I thought you were among them, but here you are, alive and back."

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. She strode over to Fang Huai, reached into his robes, and rubbed his abdomen twice:

"You broke through to Qi Refining Layer 4?"

"Pure luck," Fang Huai said with a faint smile.

Their voices weren't loud, but in the Skinning Room, they struck like thunder.

Everyone who had been in the Skinning Room for a while knew that Fang Huai was a cultivator without spiritual roots.

In the past, when processing demon beasts, he had to hold a Spirit Stone in one hand and the Skinning Knife in the other.

For someone of such poor aptitude to break through to Qi Refining Layer 4 was truly unbelievable.

"Senior Sister Wu, I've come to ask if you could help arrange a transfer for me to a Class C Skinning Room." Fang Huai clasped his hands.

Wu Liu's face instantly turned cold.

A mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator was indeed qualified for a better Skinning Room, but Fang Huai was still her cash cow—especially since he'd promised to give her an extra thousand contribution points every year.

Now that he wanted to leave, she couldn't stop him, but her displeasure naturally showed on her face.

"Junior Brother's cultivation has improved, and he wants a better position. Senior Sister naturally won't stand in your way."

Wu Liu took out a piece of white letter paper and made as if to write.

Fang Huai caught the strange look in her eyes and quickly handed over his identity token: "Please, Senior Sister, deduct two thousand contribution points."

"Junior Brother, what is this?" Wu Liu was puzzled.

Seeing her confusion, Fang Huai explained, "One thousand is what I promised you for this year. Though it's not yet year's end, what's owed must still be given.

The other thousand—though it's not much—is a small token of my gratitude for your years of care, Senior Sister."

Wu Liu was moved.

Even for Fang Huai, who was skilled at skinning, earning two thousand contribution points would take considerable time and effort.

Besides, skinning was a young man's trade. Long-term contact with demon beasts meant inevitable exposure to poison, resentment, and curses.

As one aged, the backlash could be severe, leading to a miserable end.

"Junior Brother Fang, I'll only take one thousand." She took out a piece of yellow letter paper instead, preparing to write.

"Senior Sister Wu, though you're a steward of Skinning Peak, you've treated me like a real sister. It's only right for a younger brother to give his sister a little something.

If you refuse to accept it, then I won't recognize you as my sister anymore."

His gaze met Wu Liu's, filled with sincerity, even a glimmer of tears shining in his eyes.

Wu Liu was moved, her arm trembling slightly.

In all her decades of struggling through the Corpse Sha Sect, no one had ever cherished her kindness the way Fang Huai did.

She put away the yellow letter paper, took out a red sheet instead, and dipped her brush to write:

"Former Skinning Room No. D-27 disciple Fang Huai, diligent in cultivation, devoted to his duties, skilled in the art of skinning. Hereby recommended as a disciple of Skinning Room No. C-03. I hope he will be treated well."

"Senior Sister!" The tears in Fang Huai's eyes grew thicker. What he wanted was exactly the qualification for one of the top ten skinning rooms.

Having drifted through Skinning Peak for years, he already knew: the lower the skinning room number, the higher the quality of demon beasts one could access.

"Go on. Don't come back. You belong to a wider world."

Wu Liu personally saw him off, watching Fang Huai's retreating figure, her eyes even growing a little moist.

"Fang Huai is truly a man of deep loyalty. What a pity—even if he had only four spiritual roots, I would have poured everything into nurturing him..."

Fang Huai, of course, couldn't hear Wu Liu's words. At this moment, he was stopped outside the door of Skinning Room No. A-03.

"From Junior Sister Wu's side?"

The steward looked Fang Huai up and down, finding nothing remarkable about him. "You didn't pull strings with Junior Sister Wu, did you?"

[Lin Yan] [Qi Refining Ninth Layer] [Sha Qi Infusion (White)][Skinning Grandmastery (White)]

Fang Huai stared at the [Skinning Grandmastery] on Lin Yan and murmured, "A man of action, huh?"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I said I earned my place through solid work."

Lin Yan led Fang Huai inside and explained, "The D-series skinning rooms only handle Qi Refining mid-stage demon beasts. Processing beasts at Qi Refining fourth, fifth, and sixth layers earns you fifty, sixty, and seventy contribution points respectively.

Of course, you also have to pay a monthly tribute here—one thousand contribution points per month."

He paused, then continued, "Since Junior Sister Wu recommended you, I naturally won't embarrass her.

But here, we have high standards for skinning technique. If you think your skill is passable, I'll give you a demon beast to try.

If you think it's not up to par, then go to a skinning room beyond number fifteen."

"Of course!"

Fang Huai was fully confident. If his technique wasn't enough, he could borrow the other's label.

Before him lay a demon beast called the [Cloud Stone Python]. Its skin and flesh were tough and resilient, making it hard to cut.

Even after Fang Huai swapped to Lin Yan's [Skinning Grandmastery], handling it was exceptionally difficult.

From the moment he took over the beast until the sky darkened, he had only completed one-fifth of the progress.

"Stop." Lin Yan shook his head. "Good foundation, but your technique is too poor. You're not suited for this place."

"Please, Senior Brother Lin, do not hesitate to teach me—how can I improve my technique!"

Fang Huai was baffled. He had clearly swapped for Lin Yan's [Skinning Grandmastery], so why couldn't he handle a mere Qi Refining fourth-layer beast?

Lin Yan was silent for a moment, then sighed. "For Junior Sister Wu's sake, I'll point you to a clear path."