The construction of the Twin Leaf Peak Sect's base camp had reached a lively rhythm by the time the sun had tilted toward the western horizon.

The forest behind them rang with the crisp sound of trees falling, splitting, and being hauled away, while the rocky ground around the open plain was filled with the shouts of disciples carrying, hammering, and sawing with supernatural ease.

Among the many disciples working, Fatty Kui had become the unexpected centerpiece of attention. His enormous, rotund frame made him stand out anywhere, but here in the camp, with logs slung across his back and rocks balanced in his stubby arms, he became something like a mythical beast of labor.

The sword cultivators, used to elegant strokes and refined movements, looked on with a mixture of awe and disbelief as he carried timber that would normally require six people. These were new disciples who had not seen Fatty Kui at work yet, so couldn't help but be surprised.

"Is that… is that fatty lifting four tree trunks on his back?" one disciple whispered, her jaw hanging open.

"That's not just a tree trunk, that's practically half the forest," another corrected, watching as Kui waddled forward, sweat glistening on his chubby cheeks yet his steps steady.

"Look at the way he balances that entire pile of stone slabs. That's ridiculous strength. No wonder Elder Gun Kai finally chose him."

From the side, a female disciple giggled. "He looks like a dumpling spirit that accidentally cultivated strength instead of flavor."

"Shh, don't say that too loudly. What if he hears you? He might just sit on you and you'll be flatter than paper talisman," her friend retorted, but even she couldn't help laughing.

Yet not all comments were mocking. Some disciples, especially those from other sects who had never seen him before, had more positive opinions.

"Obese or not, that body is tempered like iron. Even I would struggle to hold those boulders for so long."

"Do you think he's single?" a girl from the Jade Mirror Temple mused absentmindedly, before her friends gasped and gawked at her.

Several other girls and boys looked at her too, feeling stunned at her 'tastes'.

And so Fatty Kui, to his utter bewilderment, found himself the subject of whispers, laughs, and admiring stares alike. The more he worked, the more eyes were drawn to him.

Wu Shuan, who had been diligently chopping wood beside him, grew more and more irritated.

At one point, Wu Shuan grumbled, "I cut it down, he just carries it, so why does everyone look at him like he's some immortal hero?"

Han Yu, watching from the alchemy pavilion where he was waiting for raw materials to be refined into extracts, almost burst out laughing when he overheard that complaint.

"Poor Wu Shuan. In the end, carrying rocks is more eye-catching than splitting them."

The elders, meanwhile, had been observing everything with their sharp eyes. Normally, they paid little attention to the antics of junior disciples, but Fatty Kui's popularity and his sheer enthusiasm at working did not go unnoticed.

"Mm," one elder said, stroking his beard. "That boy is taking the work very seriously. Look how he's managed to speed up the transport of timber. At this rate, our camp will be fully functional much sooner than expected."

"Indeed. And I must say, for a disciple with that… body type, he is surprisingly diligent. Not at all slacking off."

"Do not forget, he is the disciple of Senior Elder Gun Kai," another reminded them. "Body cultivators are rare in our sect, and Senior Elder Gun Kai has long been without a disciple. For him to finally accept one shows the boy has qualities worth nurturing."

The mention of Elder Gun Kai immediately softened the tone of the discussion.

Elder Gun Kai was known as a straightforward, no-nonsense man whose contributions to the sect had been immense. He had fought countless battles, reinforced the sect's defenses personally with his brute strength, and had even once carried a hill's worth of spiritual ore to the sect for refining.

His approval of Fatty Kui lent the boy a measure of prestige in the eyes of his peers.

"We should encourage him," one elder proposed. "The boy has a clean record, unlike his friend Han Yu, whose… antics had made him infamous."

At this, a few elders chuckled under their breath, remembering some of Han Yu's "creative" exploits that had caused endless headaches.

"Yes," another agreed. "Unlike Han Yu, Fatty Kui only raids kitchens from time to time. Harmless enough, compared to tricking disciples into eating explosive herbs or causing 'accidental' alchemy smoke clouds."

They debated for a short while about what kind of reward might be suitable.

Eventually, one elder laughed and said, "Why wait until the expedition ends? For this kind of disciple, the most effective reward is obvious. Double his food allowance for now."

The others quickly agreed. "Yes, that will motivate him more than merit points or spirit stones ever could."

Thus the decision was made, and word quickly spread back to Fatty Kui.

When he heard it, his eyes widened like two full moons. "Double… double food? Really?" he stammered, disbelief dripping from every word.

When the elder confirmed it, Fatty Kui let out a squeal so loud it startled a flock of bird beasts overhead. In pure joy, he leaped several meters into the air, spinning his stubby arms like a windmill. For a boy of his size, the sight was both hilarious and strangely impressive.

However, when he landed, the ground shook with a loud thud.

Unfortunately, he had landed right beside the neatly stacked lumber, and the resulting tremor caused the entire pile to collapse like dominoes. Logs rolled in every direction, disciples scrambled to avoid getting hit, and one unlucky boy ended up trapped underneath with only his feet sticking out.

Fatty Kui's face turned crimson with embarrassment.

"Ah! I… I'll fix it, I'll do it myself!" he shouted, rushing to pick up the logs again.

His rotund body waddled frantically as he worked, while the other disciples alternated between groaning in frustration and laughing at the absurdity of it all.