Endless Ascension

Chapter 4: The butcher is very sacred

As night fell, the bustle of the inn dwindled significantly.

Qin Ze sat alone on the threshold of the backyard, gazing into the starry sky and lost in thought.

The events of the day would surely repeat themselves. To avoid being beaten, he must grow stronger; otherwise, he'd never hold his head high.

The rigorous training on the Tianyuan Continent was not for him. The only way to advance was by slaying beastly demons.

Demons, too, had their hierarchies. The Flame-Wreathed Rooster he killed earlier was a mere zero-tier, easily defeated, but demons above the first tier were far beyond his reach.

Demons, like humans, cultivated their powers. Those below the fifth tier relied on brute force and tearing abilities, terrifying to behold. Above the fifth tier, with their crystallized cores, they became even more formidable, shattering mountains and crushing boulders with ease.

Currently, Qin Ze was only a second-tier martial artist. Even dealing with first-tier demons was perilous, for demons were inherently stronger than human cultivators. A single first-tier demon could effortlessly rend through three second-tier martial artists.

The Kunlun Mountains, a paradise for demons, was the ideal place for advancement. Yet Qin Ze knew he couldn't venture there yet. Not only were demons rampant within, even the low-tier ones on the outskirts could easily crush him. Going deeper would be a death sentence he wouldn't even comprehend.

He swiftly dismissed the idea of entering the Kunlun Mountains.

But how could he advance without slaying demons? He had tried killing ordinary chickens, ducks, and fish, gaining experience, but their numbers were limited. Killing a few each day yielded only a few dozen experience points, hardly enough to break through to the third tier in a lifetime.

"Every little bit helps," Qin Ze thought. "If I could slaughter thousands or tens of thousands in a day, that would be something."

Thousands or tens of thousands of chickens, ducks, and fish? Only a slaughterhouse could possess such numbers.

"Slaughterhouse?" Qin Ze's eyes widened in sudden realization. "I've got it!"

"Young master, what brings you such joy?" Mong Lei rushed over, noticing Qin Ze's excited expression.

"Fatty, is there a slaughterhouse in Qinghe City?"

Qin Ze needed to confirm the existence of a slaughterhouse in Qinghe City. Without it, his excitement would be in vain.

"Yes, there's one on the eastern side of the city. But, why do you ask, young master?"

"Of course, it's useful. Why would I ask if it wasn't?" Qin Ze rejoiced silently. With a slaughterhouse, he believed no one would refuse his offer to help for free.

After dinner, he cleaned up both upstairs and downstairs, bringing his day's work to a close.

His bones felt nearly disassembled from the grueling work. Fortunately, his relentless training in the past kept him from collapsing within two days.

Today, Zhang Dafu had assigned him every conceivable task, almost pushing him to his limits. By evening, though grudgingly, he had to admit Qin Ze's resilience, surviving despite being freshly recovered from a severe illness. It seemed he would have to increase Qin Ze's workload tomorrow.

After all, he was a free laborer, so why not make the most of it? Exhausting him to death wouldn't be their concern.

Qin Ze, banished to the Furong Inn by his family, received no salary beyond meals. Working tirelessly here barely kept him from starving; development was impossible.

He couldn't help but wonder who could be so ruthless, not sparing him even in his current wretched state. Had he seen his wife bathing? Or discovered his impotence? Why such treatment?

Reduced to a lowly servant, even the inn's minor staff didn't spare him. Could someone truly fear him?

Fear a waste?

Impossible.

Qin Ze dismissed the thought. Who would fear a waste?

Qin Xiangtian, the second most powerful figure in the Qin clan after the patriarch, had reached the realm of Spirit Condensation, a top-tier expert in Qinghe City. Would he fear Qin Ze?

Qin Ze didn't bother dwelling on it. His priority now was the slaughterhouse.

"Fatty, take me to the slaughterhouse."

Though Meng Lei had mentioned it was on the eastern side, Qinhe City was vast, and he didn't know the exact location. Furthermore, he had no recollection of a slaughterhouse, so it was easier to have Meng Lei guide him.

Without hesitation, Meng Lei agreed.

In his mind, whatever the young master wanted to do was important. He wouldn't ask questions; he would just execute.

It must be said that Qinghe City was immense, and if Qin Ze were to search for the slaughterhouse on his own, he might not find it until dawn. Looking around at the green bricks and tiles illuminated by the nightlight, with the roads paved with blue stones, Qin Ze felt as if he had stepped into an ancient Chinese dynasty straight out of a TV series.

After half an hour's journey, they finally arrived at the slaughterhouse in the eastern part of the city.

The slaughterhouse was brightly lit, with the cacophony of livestock screams filling the air, creating a lively scene.

Qin Ze's heart raced with excitement as he gazed upon the blood grooves on the heads of the soon-to-be-slaughtered poultry. These were nothing but opportunities for him—experience, Qi energy, survival points, and a path to strength. How could he not be thrilled?

The slaughterhouse was understaffed with only three workers, who eagerly accepted Qin Ze's offer to help slaughter the poultry for tomorrow's supply to various restaurants, free of charge.

Being a butcher was not a coveted profession. The countless lives taken daily and the blood that stained one's hands made many people wary, so few were willing to take up the job.

But in Qin Ze's eyes, being a butcher was a sacred profession.

With each swift stroke of his knife, a duck fell onto the chopping block, triggering a system notification in Qin Ze's mind: "Killed Duck, gained 10 experience, 3 Qi energy, 0 survival points..."

"Killed Rooster, gained 10 experience, 3 Qi energy, 0 survival points..."

"Killed Rabbit, gained 10 experience, 3 Qi energy, 0 survival points..."

...

Throughout the night, Qin Ze's knife never stopped, and the system notifications in his mind continued to pop up unceasingly.

The three butchers standing beside him were stunned, watching Qin Ze's frail body move with such ferocity, as if the poultry had some deep-seated grudge against him, each dispatched with a single, unblinking strike.

Who plays a game and hesitates to kill monsters? Who blinks when slaying for experience and Qi energy?

Upgrades depended on these very things.

Qin Ze wished he had a hundred hands, able to slaughter tens of thousands of creatures in an instant, the flood of experience points pouring in with each kill. That would be truly satisfying.

It was only when the roosters began to crow, signaling the dawn, and all the poultry in the slaughterhouse had been dispatched, that Qin Ze finally stopped.

Covered in blood, it was impossible to discern his features, as if he had risen from a pool of gore, a truly terrifying sight.

Wielding a kitchen knife, Qin Ze resembled a bloodthirsty demon, inspiring fear in those who beheld him.

After slaughtering the last chicken, Qin Ze glanced at Meng Lei, who slept soundly beside him, snoring loudly. He chuckled, "This fatso really knows how to sleep."

Having killed through the night, Qin Ze couldn't recall exactly how many creatures he had dispatched, nor could he calculate the precise amount of experience gained.

Just as the dawn approached, a system notification echoed in his mind: "Congratulations, player Qin Ze has leveled up. Current level: 3..."

The sound of leveling up was like music to his ears, filling Qin Ze with secret excitement.

To breakthrough from the second to the third level of martial artistry in a single night? It was probably unprecedented!

Even Xiao Rufeng, the most talented individual in Qinghe City, had taken three months to achieve the same feat. Qin Ze's accomplishment was nothing short of astonishing, hehe...

In high spirits, Qin Ze knew it wouldn't be long before he could strut his stuff and return to the Qin family, trampling underfoot those who had once mocked him.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," but Qin Ze was no gentleman. He couldn't wait ten years. For him, revenge was something to be sought immediately, not postponed.

His patience was solely for the purpose of seeking vengeance. The memories of being bullied kept replaying in Qin Ze's mind., making him seethe with discomfort. If he were strong enough now, he believed he would march straight to the Qin family and confront them.

Taking a look at his bloodstained clothes, reeking of the stench of livestock, Qin Ze knew he couldn't go out like this without frightening people.

Taking advantage of the early morning hours, Qin Ze decided to head to the riverbank for a cleanse.