Astonishing Talent

Li Sirou trembled all over as she listened, both furious and afraid.

But when she thought of the consequences of being sent back to Red Leaf Market, she could only force herself to stay awake and grit her teeth as she repeated the eight rules.

Her eyes reddened again. Clutching the hem of her clothes, she forced the tears back.

Fang Huai had said so much. How could she possibly remember every word?

What was more, she hadn't slept for days, and her brain had long since turned to mush.

She recited all eight rules, got every single one wrong, and finally burst into tears in her panic.

Fang Huai shook his head. Right in front of her, he took out paper and brush and wrote down the rules one by one.

Li Sirou's eyes widened like copper bells, blazing with fury. If she could, she really wanted to tear Fang Huai limb from limb.

When Fang Huai finished writing, he slapped the paper onto her head and swaggered out of the residence.

He had exchanged for [Thousand Silk Jade Hand Proficiency (White)] and needed to go to Lin Yan at once to see whether this newly acquired skill would meet the Skinning Room's entry requirements.

When Lin Yan saw him return, brimming with confidence after only a day, he couldn't help shaking his head.

Impatient. Far too impatient!

He didn't know what had gotten into Junior Sister Wu Liu's head that she'd used red paper to recommend such an impulsive fellow.

"It's the same Cloud Stone Python," Lin Yan said without the slightest expectation. "If you can finish processing it before dusk, you'll pass."

Fang Huai nodded and drew a deep breath.

Although he had exchanged for two major aids, [Thousand Silk Jade Hand Proficiency (White)] and [Skinning Mastery (White)], he still felt a little uneasy.

But to his surprise, the moment his gaze swept over the Cloud Stone Python's demonic body, he immediately found the best point of entry.

His wrist sank slightly as he infused the Skinning Knife with spiritual power, then carefully pierced the weakest point where the hide joined the flesh.

The next second, a wondrous understanding, blending technique with experience, surged into his sea of consciousness.

The hide, sinews, and muscle fibers inside the Cloud Stone Python unfolded clearly in his perception as if they were living things, voluntarily revealing every weakness.

If he hadn't worried that finishing too quickly would be so astonishing it might arouse suspicion, he was confident he could have completed the job in four hours.

He deliberately controlled his pace, dragging the work out until the effects of both labels ended. Only then did Fang Huai stop after his final cut and hand Lin Yan a perfect beast hide.

"Senior Brother, does my skill meet the requirements?" Fang Huai asked with a smile.

Lin Yan was secretly astonished. After only a day apart, Fang Huai's technique had improved by several whole grades.

If he hadn't known that Fang Huai had been in the sect for less than six years, he would have thought the man had spent decades at Skinning Peak.

"You qualify. Southeast No. 9 is yours from now on," Lin Yan said.

"No. 9? That spot's way too far up front!"

"Looks like this kid didn't just get in through Wu Liu's back door. He got in through Senior Brother Lin's, too."

"Look at that pretty-boy face. I'd be happy to let him through my back door, too."

"..."

The disciples broke into lively discussion.

Seating in the Skinning Room was carefully arranged. A place near the front not only indicated greater ability but also granted the right to choose beasts first.

"Got too much free time? Anyone who says another word will be fined five hundred Contribution Points!"

Lin Yan sighed. Back in the day, he had been a somewhat renowned skinning expert and had considered himself fairly talented.

But standing next to Fang Huai, his talent seemed to pale.

The Cloud Stone Python's scales were hard and its hide clung tightly to its flesh. Even experienced cultivators struggled to remove the hide without damaging it. Among mid-stage Qi Refining beasts, it was one of the most troublesome to handle.

Fang Huai had processed it perfectly in only two attempts, enough to prove his skill in skinning.

Fang Huai was also quite satisfied. Although it had cost him twenty points, he had gained a great deal:

[Body Forging Technique, fourth level: 3/100]

[Skinning Technique, Minor Mastery: 6/100]

[Thousand Silk Jade Hand, Beginner: 28/100]

He only needed to borrow the label for three more days and raise Thousand Silk Jade Hand to Proficiency to fully adapt to the pace of the Class C Skinning Room.

In fact, compared with low-stage Qi Refining beasts, skinning mid-stage Qi Refining beasts wasn't a good way to earn Contribution Points.

Both the time required and the spiritual power consumed were much greater.

The reason disciples fought tooth and nail to get into a higher-level Skinning Room came down to the difference in cultivation resources.

The more advanced the beast, the more qi and blood remained in its corpse after death, and the greater the benefits to body tempering while processing its hide.

Everyone admitted to the Class C Skinning Room was a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. They either had some strength or some backing.

In their hearts, cultivation came first and Contribution Points came second.

And Fang Huai had come here for the same reason: to help with his cultivation.

After picking a few Poisonous Grasses on the way, Fang Huai strolled back to his residence.

The moment he entered, he saw Li Sirou fast asleep beside the stove, her face covered in black soot.

He raised an eyebrow, lifted his foot, and kicked her in the butt.

"Rule number one: you're not allowed to go to sleep before me. Your punishment is no dinner tonight!"

"Fine, I don't want any."

Li Sirou muttered under her breath. She'd already filled up on wild greens.

As for the food she'd made for Fang Huai, it was either charred or undercooked. She truly didn't dare take a bite herself.

Watching Fang Huai eat with relish again, Li Sirou couldn't help feeling puzzled.

The food was so awful it was practically a crime. How could he enjoy it so much?

"Bad man..." Li Sirou said timidly.

"Hmm?"

"Could you let me go? I promise I'll never come to Corpse Sha Sect territory again."

"You've already called me a bad man. How could I possibly let you go?"

"Good man..."

"I can let you go if you pay back twenty thousand Contribution Points."

Fang Huai hadn't bought Li Sirou on impulse. He had his reasons.

Even after learning Thousand Silk Jade Hand, he had no intention of selling her off again.

First, she could still learn other spells.

Second, if the Mystic Sword Sect really invaded Corpse Sha Sect, Li Sirou's special identity would be a lifesaving trump card in his hands.

After dinner, Fang Huai soaked his feet in scalding water and ordered Li Sirou to knead his shoulders.

"Feels good. Put your back into it!"

At Fang Huai's urging, Li Sirou put all her strength into it.

But for Fang Huai, who practiced the Body Forging Technique, her strength was nothing more than a tickle.

After washing up, Fang Huai checked whether Li Sirou could recite the eight rules. As expected, she still hadn't memorized them.

As for the rules and precepts of Corpse Sha Sect, she recited those even more haphazardly.

Fang Huai lay down and paid no mind to Li Sirou, who had fallen asleep standing up. He had made those rules only to keep her in line.

If she really couldn't follow them, all he had to do was make sure she received an appropriate punishment.

Life returned to the way it had been before he went to the Nanze Zheng Family.

The only differences were that Li Sirou had taken Jin Xiaoxiao's place at his side, and that every morning he opened his eyes worrying about the 3,100 Contribution Points he had to repay each month.

One thousand was the Skinning Room's monthly fee, one hundred was the rent, and the remaining two thousand went toward repaying the installment debt he owed the stallholder at Red Leaf Market.

This went on for half a year, until one day Lin Yan walked into the Skinning Room with a black-robed male cultivator.

"Fellow senior and junior brothers!"

Lin Yan's voice was heavy. "I'll be heading to the Southwest Battlefield. From now on, Senior Brother Luo will take over as steward of this Skinning Room."

Fang Huai's brow furrowed sharply. The fighting had grown more severe again...

Even a steward in a logistics department like Lin Yan was being conscripted to the battlefield.

But when Fang Huai looked up at Senior Brother Luo, the more he looked, the more familiar the man seemed.

That appearance... Luo Heng?!