There are still four days until the Martial Meeting begins. I had expected that someone like Lan Xiaohui — a battle genius and deviant — would spend those days throwing herself against the Second Layer of my Inner World Sphere, and in the process allow me to access my internal system through dual cultivation so I can observe what happens when I upgrade some of my basic functions.

However, my owner takes a different approach — a more professional one. The receptionist of the restaurant where she wants to work shoots Lan Xiaohui a distrusting glare, but the owner of the place — a woman named Hu Yan — quickly leads Lan Xiaohui to the kitchen in the back.

Hu Yan — whom everyone in the restaurant calls “Ma’am” — is a woman on the shorter side with black hair that she wears in a bun affixed by two hairpins. She has a regal look about her and the bearing of high-class and a luxury lifestyle. Hu Yan is by no means an ordinary woman, but the way in which she treats Lan Xiaohui and her underlings is one of understanding and common roots.

Hu Yan is the most dangerous kind of person in my estimation — someone who can swim with sharks and dolphins, to borrow a saying from someone else’s memories.

She is an intriguing person.

Naturally, no one would offer a job like this without demanding that the employee perform a demonstration. Within moments, a well-dressed man arrives at the restaurant bearing a package that is quickly delivered to the kitchen.

The package contains the remnants of a creature — a peacock with gold feathers — and Hu Yan refers to it as a second rank spiritual beast. The term spiritual is new to me, but it doesn’t surprise me that it exists. Perhaps not all beasts are demonic, though what precisely denominates the difference is unknown to me. They’re just blood points to me, regardless of their moniker.

But second rank means Qi Refining, which in turn means that they must not have high confidence in Lan Xiaohui — or they’re being thorough. Either way, smart business practice is always a good practice, so I manually improve Hu Yan’s rapport rating with me.

Lan Xiaohui also improves her rapport rating with Hu Yan when she effortlessly, and within ten minutes, processes the corpse of the peacock, turning it from an unappealing avian corpse to spare parts, feathers, and organs all arranged neatly, precisely, and in an orderly fashion.

Lan Xiaohui is not the only entity processing corpses here — there are three others, two of which are in the Qi Refining realm, and the last one, their boss, who is in the Foundation Establishment realm.

Having passed the first test, the well-dressed man returns fifteen minutes later and delivers another package. I conclude that he must be performing a delivery function for some kind of market or auction house.

This time, the package contains a White Elk, a third rank spirit beast, and as Lan Xiaohui prepares to work, the other three refiners watch her with renewed interest.

Lan Xiaohui has processed many demonic beasts of this rank before — certainly much tougher than this Elk, like the Jadeskin Serpent and the Ironhide Boar — so even with a butchering knife and very little sword Qi, she is able to skin and quarter the beast in a matter of minutes, much to the surprise and admiration of the other refiners.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

This is not to say that Lan Xiaohui is physically strong — even a White Elk has skin that is difficult to cut — but that her understanding of the Dao of Sword lets her identify the weak spots in even the inanimate. The angle of the cutting motion for the most pristine cut is something that is central to the Dao that Lan Xiaohui pursues and her swordsmanship shows even in a task like this, regardless of the tool she uses.

After forty minutes, the White Elk is disassembled much like the peacock from before and presented to Hu Yan.

“What do you think?” Hu Yan asks the man in charge of the refiners.

“I would say it is almost perfect, Ma’am,” the man says looking over Lan Xiaohui’s handiwork. “It was done quickly and efficiently. The young Miss is certainly familiar with the work.”

Hu Yan nods. “Very well,” she says and then looks to Lan Xiaohui. “Can you do fourth rank?”

The old man lifts an eyebrow at Hu Yan but doesn’t say anything.

Lan Xiaohui nods. “It will take longer, but I am certain that I can.”

Hu Yan smirks and even emits a challenging hum. “Good! Let’s find out.”

Twenty minutes later, another package arrives.

This time, even the delivery person seems rather interested in whoever is in the kitchen when he delivers the parcel, which requires four men to carry it inside.

“Ma’am, you have not served Red-Horned Wyvern in years,” the delivery man says with a smile. “Have you found a gifted rogue? Perhaps you can lend them to our business?”

“Hmph, we will find out,” Hu Yan replies. “Until then, keep your greedy hands to yourself.”

The man chuckles and beckons to the four men who place the box on the cutting table and then reveal its contents.

The name Red-Horned Wyvern must either be assigned by someone who was colorblind or the delivery is wrong, because the horn of the Wyvern is almost entirely black, with an ash-colored base — a matter of fact that no one seems to bring up.

However, the creature certainly deserves the Fourth ranking because even dead it exudes an incredible air of power. This is a demonic beast, which means that its body cultivation is even more advanced than its spiritual cultivation.

The Wyvern’s claws look like they could mangle high-quality steel as if it was merely paper. Even my vessel would find it particularly troublesome to resist those claws. For me, it is such a profound reaction to seeing the Wyvern that my own body cultivation rockets to the top of my priority list.

If anything, I feel inferior to the Wyvern — and it is dead.

However, Lan Xiaohui — battle genius and deviant — does not concern herself with measuring her own achievement against something that is dead. In her world, there exist only two kinds of creatures: those she can cut, and those she cannot cut yet.

Once the delivery people leave, Hu Yan turns to Lan Xiaohui.

“Are you sure you can process this one?” Hu Yan asks, almost glaring at Lan Xiaohui. “It is all right to challenge your limits, but this is not the time for it. If you ruin this corpse, you will pay for it.”

“I am certain, Ma’am,” Lan Xiaohui says with conviction in her tone.

“Old Man Zhong,” Hu Yan turns to the boss of the refiners. “What do you say?”

The man ponders the question and then nods. “I think she can manage it in twenty hours.”

Hu Yan frowns.

“Twenty hours?” Lan Xiaohui interjects. “I will do it in ten.”

Hu Yan shoots a dark, appraising look at Lan Xiaohui, measuring her with her gaze. “Ten?” the woman repeats and Lan Xiaohui nods.

“This isn’t an ordinary beast, Zhu Xuelian,” Hu Yan says. “This Wyvern — when its horn glows red, hundreds of cultivators die. Even those in the Core Formation would find it difficult to even scratch its body; this juvenile Wyvern is very precious. I will ask you one last time, there is no shame in admitting something is beyond you. Can you do it?”

Without hesitation, my owner replies. “It is dead; its horn will never turn red again unless I paint it red after I chop it off.” Her voice is full of confidence. “I can do this.”

Hu Yan smiles at Lan Xiaohui’s reply and nods. “Good!” she exclaims. “Show me what you can do.”