Standing outside the towering, heavily guarded gates, Chen Tian took a deep breath. The air outside the Chen Estate felt slightly harsher, yet far more liberating than the oppressive atmosphere within those walls. His clear eyes scanned the vista of StoneRoot City, the place where he had spent a year as a stranded soul.
StoneRoot City was no small settlement, but its dominance was rigidly divided by four major powers: the Zhou, Chen, Yao, and Su families. Like a massive chessboard, each family controlled a cardinal direction. The Chen family held the East, the Zhou the West, the Yao the North, and the Su the South. Each district served as the nerve center of their respective business and influence.
Based on his observations over the past year, Chen Tian concluded that the "sky" over this city wasn't particularly high. The heads of these families were typically at the peak of the Qi Refining realm. There were rumors of ancient ancestors who had touched the Foundation Establishment realm, but to Chen Tian, that was irrelevant for now. As long as he didn't stir up a major storm, such "monsters" wouldn't spare a glance at an ant like him.
He began walking along the stone pavement, blending into the crowd of city dwellers. His steps were light, and a thin, cheerful smile consistently graced his face, making him look like an ordinary youth enjoying his day. After walking for several minutes, he stopped in front of a modest eatery on the outskirts of the Eastern district—a territory technically still under Chen influence but far from the reach of the clan's elites.
The moment he stepped inside, the aroma of hot broth and spices greeted him. The shop owner, a plump, middle-aged man with a slightly tattered apron, immediately looked up. His eyes widened momentarily upon seeing Chen Tian's gray robes. Although the fabric was coarse, the small emblem on the sleeve identified him as part of the Chen Clan. In the eyes of commoners, even a servant of a cultivator clan held a status far higher than that of an ordinary mortal.
"A young master from the Chen family?" The owner approached with stiff respect. "What brings you to this small shop on the outskirts? Is there a particular dish you desire?"
Chen Tian chuckled, waving his hand nonchalantly. "Uncle, don't call me young master. I'm just Chen Tian. And I'm not here to eat."
The owner frowned, looking confused. "Then, how can I help you?"
"I heard you need extra hands. I'd like to apply to be the butcher in your kitchen," Chen Tian said bluntly.
A moment of silence fell over the shop. The owner stared at Chen Tian as if the youth had just suggested eating a rock. A member of a cultivator family, even from the lowest branch, would typically seek work in administration, security, or trade. Becoming a butcher—a job dealing with blood, stench, and filth—was considered incredibly lowly.
"A butcher?" the man clarified. "You aren't joking? The work is heavy, dirty, and the pay probably won't match your pocket money from the clan."
"I don't care about the pay, Uncle. I just need a job to pass the time," Chen Tian replied with a convincing, cheerful tone. "And don't worry, I know how to handle a knife."
Seeing the sincerity in Chen Tian's eyes, the owner finally sighed. As luck would have it, their main butcher had just returned to his hometown a few days ago, and the ingredients in the kitchen were starting to pile up. Without further ado, he led Chen Tian to the kitchen area in the back.
There, a Spirit Chicken—a low-level beast containing a faint trace of spiritual energy—was thrashing inside a wooden coop. Despite being a low-level creature, a Spirit Chicken had feathers as hard as copper and speed that could trouble an ordinary mortal.
"Show me what you can do. If you can slaughter this chicken cleanly, the job is yours," the owner said, handing over a heavy butcher's knife.
Chen Tian accepted the knife. The moment his fingers touched the wooden handle, his cheerful gaze turned sharp and cold in an instant. As a reincarnator from Earth who had studied anatomy, combined with his newly attained First-Stage Body Tempering strength, a chicken was no challenge.
Slicing sound!
His movement was so swift that the owner could barely see it. The knife glided with terrifying precision, severing the jugular of the Spirit Chicken without damaging the bone structure. The chicken didn't even have time to squawk before its life faded. The blood flowed neatly into the prepared container.
The owner stood frozen. That speed, that composure... it wasn't the movement of an amateur. It was the skill of a master who knew exactly where the weak point of every inch of flesh lay.
As Chen Tian set the knife back down, a flicker of light appeared behind his eyelids.
Points: 0.4
Chen Tian's smile widened. From 0.1 to 0.4. Slaughtering a single Spirit Chicken gave him 0.3 points! This was far faster than just eating the meat. In his eyes, this kitchen was no longer a dirty place, but a hidden gold mine for his evolution.
"How was it, Uncle?" Chen Tian asked, returning to his relaxed persona.
The owner swallowed hard, then nodded quickly. "Incredible... you truly have a talent for this. Very well, you're hired. You can start right now."
Chen Tian nodded with satisfaction. Rolling up his sleeves, he began to eye the rows of other animals waiting to be processed. Beneath the quiet sky of StoneRoot City, Chen Tian had just taken his first step toward the peak, one slaughter at a time.