Contribution Points Received, Ambushed!

Forcibly suppressing the slightest, utterly insignificant twinge of guilt over "welching," Dongfang Yueming hummed a tune and locked his dorm room door, feeling refreshed. He was ready to take care of breakfast and today's patrol.

A superior Flesh Refining Method was within reach, and tonight's gathering was just a formality. Everything was headed in the right direction!

When he arrived at the cafeteria, the atmosphere was as lively as ever.

Liu Yu, who had first stirred his qi and blood and completed his first Skin Tempering circulation just a few days ago, was now surrounded by a crowd of freshmen like a moon attended by stars. His face shone with barely contained pride and excitement.

"Brother Liu! You're awesome! I heard you completed several more circulations in a row last night. You can't be far from Skin Tempering Entry, right?"

"Of course! Just look who we're talking about! With Brother Liu's talent, he's definitely one of the best freshmen in our batch!"

"Brother Liu, don't forget to give your brothers a hand when you make it big!"

The constant flattery and compliments made Liu Yu feel as though he were about to float away, comfortable from head to toe.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Dongfang Yueming carrying a tray to a corner and quietly sitting down.

Seeing how calm and unruffled Dongfang Yueming still looked, Liu Yu felt that sense of superiority well up again.

Hmph, still eating? Looking at him, he probably hasn't even found his sense of qi yet, has he? Liu Yu grew even more smug. In a few days, I'll officially reach Skin Tempering Entry and become a true martial artist! But this pretty boy probably won't even be able to find the threshold!

A match in the arena a month from now? What a joke! When the time comes, Senior Gao Hu won't even need to lift a finger. I, Liu Yu, could crush him with ease! He even began imagining himself defeating Dongfang Yueming and winning the crowd's cheers.

Dongfang Yueming was oblivious to it all, still focused on the food before him. As far as he was concerned, the real business was filling his stomach quickly, completing his patrol, and getting those last two contribution points.

He soon finished his meal, got up, and left the cafeteria.

As they watched Dongfang Yueming walk away, many of the freshmen who had just been flattering Liu Yu showed a trace of complicated emotions in their eyes, mostly pity.

"Alas, what good is being handsome? He offended Gao Hu. I bet every day of this month feels like a year to him."

"Exactly. I heard Gao Hu already broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm a few days ago! How can he possibly fight him now?"

"A month from now, Senior Gao Hu will probably humiliate him badly, won't he? Poor guy..."

In everyone's eyes, Dongfang Yueming's fate seemed sealed; it was only a matter of time. They had even begun imagining the miserable sight of Dongfang Yueming being battered and trampled by Gao Hu in the arena a month from now.

Dongfang Yueming arrived at the patrol station and greeted everyone with practiced familiarity.

Captain Wang Zhen nodded to him, while Li Yue smiled as brightly as a flower, undisguised admiration in her eyes.

Only Zhang Meng, upon seeing Dongfang Yueming, had an uncontrollable flicker of malice pass deep in his eyes, though he quickly covered it with a false smile.

"All right, let's move out!" Captain Wang Zhen assigned the tasks as usual.

Dongfang Yueming and Li Yue paired up again and headed to their assigned area to begin patrolling.

Watching the two leave side by side, especially given how noticeably closer Li Yue was to Dongfang Yueming, Zhang Meng felt the hatred in his heart breed wildly like a venomous snake!

"Brother Zhang, let's go! Stop dawdling!" Zhao Tieniu patted him on the shoulder, signaling that it was time to leave.

"You go on ahead. I need to sort out my equipment!" Zhang Meng plastered a smile on his face and made an excuse.

Once Zhao Tieniu had disappeared through the doorway, the smile vanished from Zhang Meng's face in an instant, replaced by a chilling expression. He swiftly pulled out his personal terminal, typed a message with flying fingers, and sent it to an encrypted number:

"Scorpion, when are you planning to make your move on that kid? Don't drag it out too long!"

A moment later, the terminal vibrated. The reply contained just one word, but it was full of bloody intent:

"Today!"

Seeing the reply, Zhang Meng's lips curled into a cruel, smug sneer.

"Dongfang Yueming... today is the day you die!"

Time flowed slowly by during the peaceful patrol.

Perhaps the two Azure-Scaled Leopards from before had frightened the ordinary beasts nearby, for the entire day passed without incident. They didn't encounter so much as a Carrion Rat.

Before long, the patrol ended.

After saying goodbye to their captain, Dongfang Yueming and Li Yue prepared to head back separately.

As Dongfang Yueming walked back toward his dorm, his personal terminal sounded another notification.

[Contribution points +6. Current balance: 124 points]

"I've finally got enough!" Looking at the number, Dongfang Yueming felt a rush of satisfaction. One hundred and twenty-four contribution points were more than enough to exchange for the Basic Flesh Refining Method! If he got a better one from Qian Jingming tonight, it would be perfect!

Wonderful!

In high spirits, Dongfang Yueming rounded a street corner with a spring in his step, ready to enter the alley he had to pass through on his way back to the dorm.

In the shadows of the alley,

a gaunt figure leaned lazily against the wall.

It was the desperado known as Scorpion!

He was playing with a dagger that flashed coldly in his hand. Its sharp blade had a faint, eerie blue sheen-it was clearly coated in deadly poison!

His eyes were as cold as a venomous snake's, and a cruel, arrogant smile hung on his lips, as though he could already see his prey struggling in pain beneath his blade, wailing and begging for mercy.

He was waiting.

Waiting for his "prey," Dongfang Yueming, to walk right into his trap!

Scorpion leaned against the wall, bored out of his mind. Feeling the power of Lesser Flesh Refining within him, and the Venomous Snake Dagger Technique that was on the verge of reaching the greater stage, he was filled with cruel confidence.

A freshman who just enrolled-even if he was lucky enough to reach Greater Skin Tempering, so what? Against my poisoned dagger and dagger technique that's nearly at the greater stage, he's just the sort I can finish in one move, isn't he? he thought disdainfully. A thousand Federation coins and a few healing pills. This job is easy money!

Just then, the sound of unhurried footsteps came from the mouth of the alley.

Scorpion's gaze instantly sharpened like an eagle's, like a venomous snake locking onto its prey!

He's here!

Dongfang Yueming rounded the corner and immediately saw the gaunt man blocking the middle of the alley, radiating an air of danger, and the dagger in his hand gleaming with an eerie blue light!

Killing intent! Undisguised killing intent!

Dongfang Yueming's pupils contracted sharply. His feet didn't stop, but his right hand had already settled soundlessly on the hilt of the saber at his waist! Every muscle in his body instantly readied for battle!

Scorpion noticed Dongfang Yueming's wary little movement, and his lips stretched into a savage, arrogant grin. "Kid, quick reaction, huh? Too bad it's useless!"

Dongfang Yueming frowned deeply, his thoughts racing.

I don't think I've offended anyone lately... except Gao Hu and Zhang Meng...

Gao Hu? Doesn't seem like him. He thinks highly of himself, and he's arranged a match in the arena. He should be above using such underhanded tricks. He ought to be waiting to crush me openly in the arena.

Then it's... Zhang Meng?! Dongfang Yueming's gaze turned cold. That guy is narrow-minded and repays the smallest slight. He's a real possibility!

"Kid, don't struggle." Scorpion waved the poisoned dagger in his hand, his tone full of mockery. "Be good and accept your death, and I might make it quick!"

"Before you make your move, can you tell me who sent you?" Dongfang Yueming looked calmly at Scorpion, as though asking an inconsequential question. He wanted to confirm his suspicion.

"Heh, you want to know?" Scorpion scoffed and shook his head. "When you get to hell, go ask the King of Hell yourself! I don't have that much to say!"

"Oh?" A cold flash of understanding crossed Dongfang Yueming's eyes. "Since you can't say..."

His tone abruptly turned cold:

"Then you're of no use anymore."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Scorpion was momentarily stunned, unable to understand what Dongfang Ming meant.

But the next second!

He no longer needed to understand!