Surviving in the Demonic Sect, one begins cultivation by retrieving corpses.

"How strange, Cen the Dark-faced is leaving work so early today?"

The stableman sidled up to Gu Zhao, clicking his tongue in amazement, "It's an hour early!"

The group of corpse retrievers were overjoyed, rubbing their aching muscles and bones, their skin pale from being soaked in the river.

Gu Zhao looked in the direction Cen Pan had left, and from the path he saw, it was clearly heading towards Zhenhe Division.

It seems he must be rushing to report on the matter of the water monkey today.

I wonder if it's Gong Yuzhou from a few days ago, or someone else?

One of the body retrievers said, "Now that the water monkey is dead, we can go into the water more peacefully from now on."

"Who says otherwise? These past few days, I've been constantly on edge, feeling anxious and worried."

Gu Zhao heard this, but he didn't think so.

The water monkey incident is probably just the beginning.

The black coffin, the water monkey, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator had their treasures stolen...

A heavy cloud of doubt hangs over the Yinshui River.

On the way back.

Ma Fang and Gu Zhao walked side by side.

Unlike in the past, many of the people who retrieved the bodies along the way greeted Gu Zhao.

"Zhao-ge'er, how about we go to Shuiyuanju for a treat?"

"Brother Zhao, you'll have to teach me your underwater skills tomorrow. How come you always manage to find those black zombies?"

"..."

Gu Zhao simply smiled and nodded, agreeing to each request.

The stableman was amazed and wondered to himself: When did Gu Zhao become more popular than himself and so well-liked?

It must be because Gu Zhao's performance over the past ten days has been so outstanding that it has earned him widespread admiration.

The stableman chuckled and said, "Brother Zhao narrowly escaped death today, how about we go out for a celebratory meal?"

Gu Zhao glanced at him and said, "Brother Ma, don't even think about taking my reward money today."

The stable chuckled, "Let's go experience number eighty-eight's technique again."

Gu Zhao waved his hand, "Forget it, forget it, let's save up the immortal residence fee for next month first."

The stableman hesitated, opening his mouth several times, but remained silent.

Money is hard to earn, so there's no reason to ask for a loan.

The stable master said he was going to the Xiaguang Tower in the lower courtyard to find his sister Yao, as he had finally gotten an early day off.

The stableman laughed, "Sister Yao, you've been missing me for so many days, you must be lovesick."

Gu Zhao then returned to his residence in the tenement alone.

It was still early, not yet evening.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he ran into an acquaintance who had returned from outside—the wealthy young woman Pei Xiaoxiao.

The woman, dressed in a green robe and skirt, with a jade flute hanging from her waist, was leisurely eating pastries as she walked lightly into the courtyard.

"Senior Brother Gu."

Gu Zhao greeted her with a smile, "Junior Sister Pei, you finished your lessons so early today?"

He asked this because Pei Xiaoxiao never had to work and spent all her time cultivating.

Pei Xiaoxiao casually tucked the pastries in her hand into her sleeve, wondering to herself why she always happened to be eating when she ran into Senior Brother Gu.

"The Taoist class ended early today. The senior sister from the outer sect who was in charge of the class had to go out in the afternoon, so I came back with my junior sister from the same hometown... Oh, and we also took a stroll around Crane Peak on the way."

Crane Peak?!

Gu Zhao understood that this place was completely different from the Shuiyuan Residence he had visited a few days ago; it was an extremely high-end place within the outer sect.

If we're comparing, it's like comparing the night market downstairs to the CBD.

The young heiress is subtly showing off.

Gu Zhao sighed, impressed that she had managed to pull it off.

He then asked, "Junior Sister Pei, is it possible for multiple people to attend outer sect lectures together?"

Pei Xiaoxiao nodded: "Of course, there are also senior brothers and sisters who only teach one person at a time, but the fees for that are much higher."

Gu Zhao immediately understood that this was a "private tutoring session," which could be one-to-many or one-to-one.

Pei Xiaoxiao couldn't help but ask curiously, "Senior Brother Gu, would you also like to attend the Daoist lecture?"

Gu Zhao casually asked, "How much does a lesson cost?"

"A one-hour lesson costs four hundred coins."

Gu Zhao clicked his tongue inwardly in amazement.

Four hundred coins were equivalent to what he earned by risking his life to retrieve a corpse from the Yinshui River for three days.

It's obvious that this class is not worth attending.

Pei Xiaoxiao added, "Although the price is a bit high, if it's for a handyman to enter the outer sect's assessment, the senior brothers and sisters who teach will reveal the assessment location in advance and will also give them some extra help."

External assessment?

This was the first time Gu Zhao had ever heard that a servant had to undergo an examination to be promoted to the outer sect.

Seeing his expression, Pei Xiaoxiao smiled and explained, "Senior Brother Gu, do you perhaps think that as long as you break through from the Fetal Movement Realm to the Qi Refining Realm, you can become an outer disciple?"

"Of course not."

Even if a menial disciple cultivates to the Qi Refining Realm, they still need to pass the Mingyi Sect's formal examination before they can enter the outer sect.

"Otherwise, look at all those stewards in the lower courtyard; their cultivation levels aren't low, but they're still not outer disciples, are they?"

Gu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of Cen Pan—he didn't seem to have been an outer disciple before.

It seems that having a good roommate is absolutely essential.

He had been chatting with the stables for so long, and he had no idea.

Gu Zhao then got to the point.

I had previously chatted with the stable master and mentioned that Pei Xiaoxiao had a wide network of connections and should know the disciples of the society among the servants, so she could obtain high-level cultivation techniques.

This is the most urgent task.

"Junior Sister Pei, are you aware that some of the menial disciples form societies?"

Pei Xiaoxiao nodded naturally: "Of course, I am in a society."

"The society's name is Pengshan Society."

"The senior sister who founded the society back then has long since entered the inner sect, and the society she left behind has been passed down to this day."

She said with a hint of pride, "Recently, four or five more of our Pengshan Society's handyman disciples have successfully advanced to the outer sect."

Gu Zhao was secretly delighted; just as he had expected.

This Pengshan Society has a deep foundation; it has even produced inner disciples.

Pei Xiaoxiao then asked curiously, "Senior Brother Gu, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Gu Zhao didn't hide anything and frankly said that he was still lacking a high-level cultivation technique.

Pei Xiaoxiao frowned slightly: "For a menial disciple to reach the Qi Refining Realm, they must have a high-grade cultivation technique to support them; this is a common practice."

"Our Pengshan Society does indeed possess the majority of the advanced cultivation techniques for the thirty-six lower courtyards."

"only……"

Seeing this, Gu Zhao said, "Junior Sister Pei, please speak freely."

Pei Xiaoxiao then slowly said, "Once you join the Pengshan Society, you are like brothers and sisters, helping each other and promoting your spiritual practice."

"However, the spots for this year's Pengshan Gathering among the miscellaneous disciples have already been decided internally, and they are all recommended by several senior brothers and sisters from the outer sect."

"Only those who have joined the society are qualified to read the society's internal cultivation techniques, which have always been kept secret."

Gu Zhao hadn't expected to be stuck.

Even within the Demonic Sect, there are connections.

Pei Xiaoxiao then looked Gu Zhao up and down and said, "Moreover, the threshold for the Pengshan Society is much higher than that of ordinary societies."

"One must have been an apprentice for no more than three years, have reached the seventh level of the fetal movement stage in cultivation, and have also mastered a cultivation technique."

"In addition, one must cultivate a level of divine ability and demonstrate the potential to break through to the Qi Refining Realm in order to be qualified to join the association."

"The Pengshan Society has always been committed to quality over quantity."

Less than three years into the profession, yet experiencing seven levels of fetal movement?

This requirement is far too high. Among menial laborers, even those who have been told it for three or five years can rarely reach such a level of cultivation.

Gu Zhao looked at Pei Xiaoxiao. She had only been a disciple for a year or two, so it was impossible for her to have reached such a level.

"Then, junior sister, you..."

Pei Xiaoxiao smiled faintly: "The senior sister who advanced to the outer sect in the last two sessions is my elder sister."

Gu Zhao remained silent.

Well, so you're one of those people with connections too.