In the Skin Making Room, Song Yan and Qi Yao sat quietly facing each other, each taking a new beast skin to start cleaning.
The sky would turn dark soon, but they could prepare a bit ahead for tomorrow.
Song Yan arrived here two days ago. Being in this environment, just by listening to the conversations of other servants with raised ears, he could learn some basic information: Shadow Puppet Peak demands from every servant a "daily production of one regular shadow puppet." Thirty regular shadow puppets yield 1 Contribution Point, which is universally used throughout the Puppet Sect. Hence, if you're fast enough, you can take on some other errands, connect more with official disciples of the sect, and become familiar with them. This way, if you're somewhat talented or something good happens in the future, the chance of it falling on you will be slightly bigger.
However, according to his observations, most of the servants here indeed can only achieve "a daily production of one regular shadow puppet."
This is somewhat strange because it's only his second day here, and he has already made two shadow puppets.
Why can't those skilled servants do the same?
Watching Song Yan's swift actions, Qi Yao suddenly spoke softly, "Don't work too fast, you'll injure your hand."
Song Yan paused.
Qi Yao slowly scraped the remaining fur off the skin in front of her, speaking in a conversational tone, "Yesterday, I wasn't sitting with you, and something happened around me. There was a servant whose arm was in unbearable pain, but he kept enduring it. However, during carving, he eventually made a mistake and didn't hold onto the knife handle tightly, which resulted in the carving knife cutting his hand with blood flowing rapidly, making it impossible for him to complete the shadow puppet work. He completely broke down…"
"And then?"
"Then, I didn't see him today."
Song Yan was silent for a moment, then he slightly probed and realized it must be an unspoken rule: when working here, you can't get injured, and if you stop working due to an injury, the Demon Sect won't wait for you to recover; they'll dispose of you directly.
Every seasoned servant tries their best to ensure their arms are uninjured and unexhausted before completing their daily shadow puppet work.
Thinking of this, Song Yan put down the scraper and stretched his fingers.
Sure enough, there was a faint soreness in the tiger's mouth area and the sheath tendon.
Even though it was ordinary beast skin, the material was quite hard and resilient. To carve something on it, even just to create a shape, required him to clench his cheeks and muster all his strength.
Eventually, it was unrealistic not to have sore fingers.
Song Yan looked at the girl across from him, smiling, "Thanks a lot."
As he said this, a red glow was already casting down beside them, and Song Yan looked up, seeing the sunset hanging among the mountains outside the window.
"It's getting dark."
"Yes."
After a brief conversation, Song Yan quickly stood up and followed Qi Yao towards the Suspended Room. They encountered Wang Susu on the way, who was accompanied by another young man. The two of them acted like strangers, not even glancing at each other.
That night, he and Qi Yao took turns keeping watch, remaining quite peaceful.
Unlike the previous night when he was preventing Wang Susu from approaching, tonight it was Qi Yao preventing him from getting close.
This spirited young lady even drew boundaries on the bed, placing their bedding separately on either side, and even during the watch, the other couldn't cross the line.
So, three days passed in a flash.
In these three days, everything remained peaceful.
To prevent injury to his hands, Song Yan reduced his shadow puppet production speed to one per day, achieving three in three days, and gained 31 years of longevity, increasing his total from 48 to 79.
However, curiously, Qi Yao gritted her teeth and made five shadow puppets in three days.
He was very curious and asked, "Why?"
Qi Yao simply replied, "I want to gather 1 Contribution Point quickly to exchange for something," and provided no further explanation.
Between her and Song Yan, there seemed to be nothing more than a relationship of roommates, companions.
Even if they were a lonely man and woman, staying in the same room, interacting day and night, even if sharing the same bed, no spark of romance ignited between them.
It wasn't surprising, Song Yan quickly figured out the reason.
He was quite plain-looking, whereas the girl, though not stunning, was rather pretty. Her being with him wasn't due to fancying him, but for safety and the fact that he still had his sanity.
The possibility of love at first sight happening to him was out of the question.
Thus, he suddenly became curious as to why Wang Susu was so proactive toward him.
That night, he changed shifts and sat on the fifth step of the stairs to keep watch.
As they brushed shoulders, there was no initial wariness.
Clearly, after a few days of interaction, they had built a basic trust with each other, and the conversation became somewhat casual.
Song Yan called out, "Qi Yao."
Qi Yao was lying in the bedding, yawning, and responded casually, "Yes."
Song Yan pondered and said, "That day, when I was with Wang Susu in the room, Wang Susu almost lunged at me to forcibly make me perform rites, and afterward, I grabbed a small knife, allowing us to confront each other until daylight.
You tell me, why would she go to such extremes?"
He wasn't expecting an answer, simply speaking out his confusion to the one person who could converse with him in the Demon Sect.
Qi Yao was silent for a moment and suddenly said, "Do you know nothing about Profound Root?"
"Of course not."
"I... have heard a bit and can tell you, perhaps once you hear it you'll understand."
Qi Yao hesitated slightly, then began narrating gently, "Profound Root is the fundamental basis for humans to access Profound Qi, without this, don't even think about cultivation.
Yet, Profound Root itself is divided into grades.
The lowest is called 'Human Profound Root,' also known as Miscellaneous Profound Root. These cultivators primarily practice Dual Cultivation, absorbing Yang Primordial or Yin Primordial from their partners to cultivate. They can also take elixirs for cultivation, but elixirs are expensive and hard to come by, making Dual Cultivation more efficient and cost-effective.
These individuals will maintain a partner, nourishing them with heavenly treasures to keep their spirit vibrant and their Yang and Yin Primordial robust.
However, even so, the outcome of Dual Cultivation varies due to differing cultivation techniques.
The Righteous Dao Dual Cultivation method progresses slowly, but when cultivators absorb their partner's primordial energy, they feedback some, extending their partner's lifespan for good health.
Yet the Evil Daoist Technique progresses extremely fast, as cultivators treat their partners like drugs, madly absorbing without consideration, despite supplements, their partners cannot live long and often die young... Without supplements, they die even quicker."
After saying this, she stopped and said, "Perhaps Wang Susu is indeed a Miscellaneous Profound Root; she's practicing Dual Cultivation Technique. If she succeeds in her cultivation, she might escape her servant status and become an official disciple of the Puppet Sect."
Song Yan said, "Then I'll look at the boy who entered the room with her tomorrow."
Qi Yao said, "No need to look."
"Why?"
"I've observed for you, his spirit is weak, yet he clings to Wang Susu, clearly Wang Susu has exchanged Contribution Points for many items, among them perhaps Fanatic Fans or similar."
"Fanatic Fans?"
"Yes, an Evil Sect powder that mixes one's hair burned to ash into the powder, making the target, upon inhaling it, grow affection for the person who used the powder, wanting to perform those acts with her."
Song Yan:...
He felt a chill of fear, now almost certain that Wang Susu might indeed have been doing this.
Thankfully, he grabbed the knife quickly that day; a moment slower, had he inhaled the Fanatic Fans by accident, he feared he might be on the path to becoming a diminishing dreg.
"These Evil Demons, in cultivation, use every possible extreme, bringing disaster to the world, truly venomous." Qi Yao clenched her fist, her expression full of hatred.
Hearing this, Song Yan froze for a moment.
Qi Yao asked, "Don't you hate them?"
Song Yan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I hate them."
Qi Yao beamed with a smile, "I knew you were a good person. You must understand my thoughts. Good night."
"Hey, Sister Qi, you haven't mentioned other types of Profound Root yet."
"I'm sleepy, let's talk tomorrow.
Besides... Profound Root or not, it has nothing to do with you.
You were abducted as a servant; surviving is the most important thing. Don't think about things unrelated to you.
If you can escape the Demon Sect and return to the mortal realm one day, then find a lovely bride, work at sunrise, rest at sunset, and live peacefully."
Saying so, Qi Yao turned over, speaking no further.
The night, deepened...
But, Song Yan wouldn't let her sleep.
The woman before him obviously knew about Profound Root, and this was a great chance for him to learn about the world, how could he miss it just for being a gentleman?
If she didn't want to speak, should it just end like this?
So, he shouted boldly, "Sister Qi, tell me, I want to hear. Sister Qi? Sister Qi, don't sleep!"
Qi Yao:...
Song Yan laughed, "I know, you're a good person too. We, are good people."