As the sun started to rise, Demeris woke up, feeling excited. He wanted to tell Hestos about perceiving his qi. So, he got out of bed and went outside into the morning light, eager to share his discovery. He eventually found Hestos sitting under a big tree, apparently using the tree’s shade as an outdoor office of sorts. There’s a desk Hestos uses, as well as a couple of cabinets and haphazardly strewn pieces of paper all around. The place felt chaotic but productive. Under this tree, Demeris, fueled by his excitement, was ready to share the amazing news of connecting with his qi.
“Master Hestos!” Demeris couldn’t contain his excitement. “I can see my qi, I can see my qi!”
Surprised, Hestos looked up from studying the papers on his desk and said, “Calm down, uhm, who are you again?”
Demeris moved closer towards Hestos’ desk and said “My name is Demeris, sir. You gave me a manuscript a month ago, a manual for the skill to visualize qi. I am proud to say that I can do it now, sir. I can see my qi!”
Hestos started rummaging his desk until he found what he was looking for, holding in his hand a piece of paper. “Ah, I see.. Yes, here is your record slip. Yes, it says here I assigned you to study Qi Visualization. So, you say you can do it now? Excellent!”
“Then the next step is to use your qi..,” Hestos adds.
“Use it?” Demeris interrupted, leaning so close from the other side of the desk his head almost collided with Hestos. “Does that mean I have a chance to be a cultivator like those higher up the mountain?” Demeris couldn’t help dreaming right there and then, thinking of the marvelous things he could do as a cultivator. His brief daydreaming was immediately shut down, though, when Hestos spoke again.
“Brat, what are you saying? Servants remain servants. Do you know why? I will tell you so that you will not waste your time filling your head with nonsense,” he said.
Hestos gathered his thoughts before speaking. “You were sent here to become a servant because your spiritual Qi is below a certain threshold. In fact, all of us here in the servant’s quarters have insufficient Qi. You see, to reach the Initiate tier, that’s the lowest cultivation tier, a person must have sufficient Qi to learn and master Qi Consolidation. Qi Consolidation is the process of increasing a person's Qi amount”.
“So without Qi consolidation, a person’s Qi can’t increase?” Demeris asked with obvious disappointment in his voice. “But you said our Qi makes our bodies stronger, enabling us to work faster. Doesn't it mean that the moment we can use our Qi to help ourselves, we are technically cultivators too?”
Hestos stood up, looked at Demetris once more, and said, “Harnessing Qi is easy as long as you can successfully visualize your own enveloping you. That’s why you were taught the Qi Visualization technique first. But Qi Consolidation requires more than what you have, and there is no way you can increase your Qi without Qi Consolidation.”
He slowly walked around the desk towards the opposite side, closer to where Demeris is. “It is not just Qi Consolidation. All known techniques, from the lowest tiers to the highest, requires a certain amount of Qi.”
Do you see now? Hestos asked. “Servants stay as servants because it is impossible to increase our Qi. Get your head around that fact, and get used to it.”
Demeris, now very disappointed, nodded, “Yes, sir.”
“Good! Now let me teach you how to harness your Qi so that you can start working effectively. It is quite straightforward now that you could perceive your own Qi. Here, let me demonstrate”.
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Hestos extended his hand towards a robust, low-hanging branch. With a powerful tug, he effortlessly plucked it from the tree, causing the branch to snap cleanly away from its connection point on the trunk. He then took the branch in both hands and broke it in two, as easily as snapping a twig.
“I now have three times the strength I had before I started using Qi,” Hestos said. “Just treat your Qi as a part of you. As it conforms to your body, utilize your Qi when using your arms.”
Hestos then plucked another branch, slightly less sturdy than the one he had broken earlier. “Here, take this branch and practice harnessing your Qi. Come back to me again when you can break it. Don’t be disappointed if you can't break it right away. Most people take at most 2 to 3 days before they can successfully use their Qi to increase their strength.”
As Demeris took the branch, an air of ease enveloped him. With an almost instinctive motion, he attempted to harness his Qi. To the astonishment of both himself and Hestos, the branch yielded effortlessly, breaking in two.
The atmosphere shifted, leaving Hestos baffled and slightly annoyed by the unexpected success. While Demeris seemed to effortlessly wield his Qi, Hestos felt like he was being played for a fool.
“You are not supposed to be able to harness your Qi as easily as that. Tell me, boy, are you lying to me? Have you ever used your Qi before?” he said with obvious annoyance.
No, sir,” Demeris replied hastily. “This is my first time using my Qi. In fact, it was only yesterday night that I succeeded in visualizing it. I didn’t even know it could be used like this.”
Hestos, with a hint of irritation in his voice, retorted, "Luck, is it? You just gained sight of your Qi, and with your first try, you break a branch? I almost can’t believe it. Nevertheless, now that you can utilize your Qi, consider yourself an official servant of the sect. You'll receive a monthly stipend of 3 gold pieces, two complimentary meals each day, and a month of free time annually to visit your family."
"Any questions?" Hestos added.
Demeris scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Why work as a servant here when I can do great things with this Qi power back in my village?"
Hestos chuckled, "You're from a small village, aren't you? Well, let me fill you in. In the mortal realm where you're from, rogue cultivators call the shots. They rule the towns and cities and don't like folks using Qi without permission."
He gestured to Demeris, "You might have some fancy powers now, but using them freely back home could get you into trouble with these rogue cultivators. They're the bosses, and they don't share power easily."
Hestos went on to explain, "Picture it like this: in the regular world, a town has control over ten villages, and a city governs ten towns. It's a complicated system, and you don't want to mess with it unless you're prepared for the consequences."
After some thought, Demeris finally nodded, signaling that he understood.
"Now go," Hestos said, "You will be working in Garden No. 5. Help water the plants, harvest the crops, assist with everything. As for your place to stay, bunk in the north side building with the others from Garden No. 5," Hestos added, pointing towards the living quarters.
Eager to try harnessing his Qi again, Demeris headed to Garden No. 5 running, willing the Qi around his feet to help speed him along. With a burst, he moved faster. But being a newbie, he struggled to adjust his body to his speed and crashed into someone.
Demeris, slightly flustered, quickly apologized, "Oh, sorry about that! It’s my first time using my Qi. I didn't mean to bump into you."
This person, named Malachi, took a step closer with a menacing scowl on his face and scoffed, "You think a simple sorry is enough? Look at you, a clumsy fool. I think my arm is bruised. You'll pay for this!"
Demeris, taken aback, stammered, "I really didn't mean to hurt you. I'm new here. Can we settle this without any trouble?"
Malachi, a known bully in the servant’s quarters, relishing the opportunity to assert dominance, sneered, "Settle? Sure, we can settle. You'll give me your pay for the month, and maybe then I'll consider letting you off the hook. A little compensation for my trouble."
Demeris, realizing the unjust demand, hesitated before responding, "I’m not giving you my wages. You’re barely hurt, if at all.”
“Then I’m just gonna have to hurt you, don’t I,” Malachi said, swinging a Qi-infused punch towards Demeris' face.