Chapter 1: Hillbilly Meng Hao
The State of Zhao was a very small nation. Like other small nations in the Nanshan Continent, its people admired the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands, and they admired Chang’an. Not only did the king carry this admiration, all scholars in the State of Zhao did. They could see it, almost as if they stood atop the Tower of Tang in the capital city, oh so far away.
This April was neither extremely cold, nor scorching hot. Light winds caressed the land, passing the Qiang Di flutes of the Northern Desert, blowing over the lands of the Great Tang. Under the twilight sky, it lifted the fog-like dust, then swirling, twisting, reached Mount Daqing in the State of Zhao. Then it fell onto a young man who sat there on the mountaintop.
He was a lean young man, holding a bottle gourd and wearing a once blue scholar’s robe that was full of dirt and food scraps. He appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen. He was not tall, and his skin was somewhat dark. He seemed lost.
“Failed again… I’m dumber than a box of rocks” He sighed. His name was Meng Hao, an rock bottom student from Yunjie County, which lay at the foot of the mountain. Years ago, his parents went missing, and did not leave much behind in the way of assets. Education was expensive, so he was almost completely broke.
“I’ve taken the Imperial exams three years in a row. In all that time, I read books written by them smart guys until I wanted to puke. Maybe i’m just not the sharpest knife in the drawer.” Filled with self-deprecation, he looked down at the gourd bottle, his eyes bleak.
“Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.… How useless to be a student.” He chuckled. Sitting there on the silent mountaintop, gazing at the bottle gourd in his hand, he looked increasingly lost. He began to feel fear. What would he do in the future? Where would he go?
Perhaps a farmer would take an interest in him, or a big booty b*tch. Or would he continue to take the exams, year after year?
There were no answers to the questions. He was but a teenager, and this feeling of being lost had devoured him like a giant invisible mouth. He felt colder than a well diggers ass.
“Even the teachers in town ain’t got no money. That’s worse than Uncle Wang’s carpenter shop. If I’d realized that earlier, I could have learned some carpentry skills from him. Two can live as cheap as one if one don't eat, but I don’t like being hungry all the time.” He grew silent for a while.
“I don’t have no food or money left at home. I owe Steward Zhou three pieces of silver. It’s like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place!” He raised his head and looked up at the sky, blue and grand. It was so large you could not see its ends. He chuckled, feeling like he said something very smart.
After a while, Meng Hao shook his head and took out a slip of paper from his robe. He read it carefully, placed it in the gourd bottle, then stood up and threw the gourd down the mountain.
At the bottom of the mountain was a wide river which never froze during the winter, and was said to flow all the way to the Great Tang.
Meng Hao stood on top of the mountain, watching the gourd bottle drift further and further along down the river. He stared unblinking. For a moment, he seemed to have glimpsed his mother, and the happiness of his childhood. The gourd carried his dreams, his wishes, and his hopes for the future. Perhaps one day someone would pick it up, open it, and read the note.
“Ya caint clean up the creek without removing the hogs wollaring in it.”
This was his personality: simple and determined. If he wasn’t this way, he would not have been able to survive after his parents left.
He raised his head toward the sky, the stubborn look in his eyes growing deeper. He was about to head down the mountain.
At that exact moment, he heard a weak voice coming from a nearby cliff. The sound seemed to be borne along by the wind. As it passed Meng Hao’s ears, it was almost too faint to notice.
”Help… help…”
Meng Hao stopped for a moment, shocked, then listened carefully. As he concentrated, the sound of the voice calling for help grew stronger.
“Help…”
He walked a few steps forward until he had nearly reached the edge of the peak. When he peered over the edge, he saw a person, his body sticking out of a crevice halfway down the cliff. Pale face full of fear and desperation, he cried for help.
“You… you’re Meng Hao, right? Help, Scholar Meng! Help me!” It was a teenager. As soon as he saw Meng Hao, he expressed surprise and happiness, having suddenly found hope in a desperate situation.
“Wang Youcai?” Meng Hao’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the young man. He was the son of Uncle Wang, who owned the carpentry shop in town. “Whatcha doin there all by yerself?”
Meng Hao looked at the crevice. The cliff itself was quite steep, and it seemed impossible to climb down. The slightest carelessness would send the climber falling into the river.
Considering how fast the river flowed, if you fell in, the chances of dying were about ninety percent.
“It’s not just me, there are other people from nearby towns,” Wang Youcai gushed. “We’re all stuck here. Brother Meng, let’s not chat, please, just help us get out.” Perhaps he had been hanging out of the crack for too long. His hands grasped at the air, and if not for his compatriots, who grabbed him by the shirt, he would have slipped and fell down the cliff. His face turned pale with fear.
Meng Hao realized the danger. But he had climbed the mountain alone today, and had no rope. How could he save anyone? At that moment, he turned and realized that the mountainside was covered with rattan vines.
As dumb as he was, it took him two hours to find a rattan vine that was long enough. Breathing heavily, he dragged the rattan to the cliff. Calling out Wang’s name, he bent over and lowered the rattan down the cliff.
“Ye still ain’t told me how you got down there,” Meng Hao said as he lowered the vine.
“By flying!” It was not Wang Youcai who spoke the words, but another young man who stuck his body out of the crevice next to him. This boy looked feisty and intelligent, and spoke with a loud voice.
“Bullshit! You can fly?” mocked Meng Hao, pulling the rattan vine back up a bit. “If you can fly down here, then why don’t you fly back up?”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense,” said Wang Youcai, clearly worried that Meng Hao wouldn’t lower the rattan vine back down. “We were captured by a flying woman. She said she’s going to take us to some Sect to be servants.”
“More bullshit?” said Meng Hao dismissively. “Only fairys from legends can do that. Don’t piss on my shoes and tell me its rainin?” In books he had read, there were stories of people who became rich after meeting fairys, but it was all just lies.
Just as the rattan reached the crevice, Wang caught it. But then, Meng Hao suddenly felt a cold wind behind his back. From the temperature around him, it seemed winter had returned. He shivered. He slowly turned to look back, then screamed and stepped forward into emptiness, beginning to fall off the cliff.
He had seen a woman in a long silver robe and pale face, standing there staring at him. It was impossible to tell her age. She was extremely beautiful, but radiated a coldness that made one feel as if she had just crawled out of a grave.
“Sometimes when you find certain things with certain qualities, it’s just fate.”
When the voice hit his ears, it felt like bones rubbing together. This woman seemed to possess some sort of strange power, and when Meng Hao looked into her eyes, his whole body felt ice cold, as if she could see through him. As if he could hide nothing from her.
Her words still floating through the air, she shook her wide sleeve, and suddenly, a gust of greenish wind picked up Meng Hao. He flew down the cliff with her. His mind went blank.
When they reached the crevice, the woman waved her hand and threw him inside. As for her, she stopped moving, as did the greenish wind. Wang and his three friends scurried backward in fright.
The woman stood there, not saying a word. She raised her head and glanced at the rattan vine.
Meng Hao was so nervous he had started shaking. He stood up, glancing around quickly. The crevice was not spacious, and was in fact quite narrow. Even with only a few people inside, there was not much room.
His eyes fell on Wang and the two other young men. One was the clever fellow; the other one was clean and pudgy. The two of them shivered, looking as if they might cry from fear at any moment.
“I was short one person,” said the pale-faced woman. Now she looked at Meng Hao instead of the rattan. “I’ll put you in with them.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” said Meng Hao, concealing his fear. He was a simple person and had a strong personality. Despite being afraid, he controlled himself and did not panic.
The woman said nothing, althought she glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. She raised her right hand and waved, and the green wind appeared again. It lifted up all the young men, and they flew out of the cave together with the woman, shooting up into the sky. They disappeared. Left behind was only Mount Daqing. It stood there, straight and tall, merging in the darkness of twilight.
The blood drained from Meng Hao’s face. He saw himself within the green wind, crossing the sky. As he flew above the ground, wind blew into his mouth, making it impossible to breathe. A word appeared in his head.
“Fairys?” He held his breath for the amount of time it would normally take to breathe ten times, until he couldn’t hold on any more. Then he passed out.
When he opened his eyes, he found that they had landed on a platform paved with green stone, halfway up a mountain. More rolling mountains surrounded them. Clouds and fog drifted about; this was definitely not the mortal world. The beautiful peaks of the surrounding mountains looked very strange.
Wang and the other young men woke up, scared and shivering. They stared at the back of the woman.
Standing in front of her were two Cultivators wearing long green robes. They appeared to be in their twenties. They had sunken eyes with fear-inspiring green pupils.
“Excellent work, Elder Sister Xu,” said one of the men, his voice flattering. “You found three talented young babies and an idiot.”
“Take them to the Servants’ Quarter,” said the woman, her face cold, not even looking at Meng Hao. Suddenly, her entire body transformed. She became a rainbow and then disappeared into the mountains.
By this time, Meng Hao had recovered his composure. He stared, numb, at the place where the woman had disappeared. An expression appeared on his face which had not appeared there for sixteen years. His blood boiled.
“Servants?” he thought. “If the work is for fairys, the pay must be good. Simply champagne taste on a beer budget” Now that he knew the people didn’t want to kill them, he took a step forward.
“Sister Xu has reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation,” lamented the second of the Cultivators. “The Sect Priest bestowed a Wind Pennant upon her, which means even though she isn’t at the Foundation Establishment stage, she can still fly.” He looked arrogantly down at Meng Hao and the others.
“You and you,” he said pointing at Wang and the clever young man. “Follow me to the Southern Servants’ Quarters.”
“What is this place?” Wang asked, his voice and body both shaking as the Immortal pointed at him.
“The Reliance Sect.”
Chapter 2: The Reliance Sect
The Reliance Sect, located within the borders of the State of Zhao, on the southern edge of the Nanshan continent, was once first among the Four Great Sects. Even though it was still famous in the Southern Domain, it had experienced a decline in recent years and did not maintain the glorious position it once had. Nowadays, compared to the other Sects within the State of Zhao, it could only be considered inferior.
Actually, it hadn’t always been called the Reliance Sect. But a thousand years ago, a Cultivator appeared who caused a great sensation in the Southern Domain. He’d called himself Patriarch Reliance, and had forced the Sect to change its name as such. He’d trod roughshod over all the other Sects in the State of Zhao, plundering their treasures, remaining unrivaled for some time.
But things were different now. Patriarch Reliance had been missing for nearly 400 years. If it were not for the fact that no one knew if he was alive or dead, the Sect would already have been swallowed up by some other Sect. It was past its glory days. Considering the lack of resources in the State of Zhao, and pressure from the other three Sects, if they wanted to get new recruits, they were forced to kidnap people to act as servants. There was no way they could open their doors to recruit openly.
Meng Hao followed the green-robed man along the small paths that wound among the mountain peaks. The surroundings were garden-like, with strange rocks and odd-looking trees everywhere. Amidst the beautiful scenery, extravagantly decorated buildings with jade roof tiles rose up out of the clouds and mist. Meng Hao sighed continuously. Sadly, the fat teenager next to him wailed the entire time, somewhat ruining the mood.
“I’m finished, really finished…. I want to go home,” muttered the fat teenager, tears rolling down his face. “There’s mantou waiting at home, and fish. Dammit, dammit. I want to inherit the family land, become a rich old man, and have a few concubines. I don’t want to be a servant here.”
He muttered under his breath for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, until the green-robed man turned. “If you spout one more bit of nonsense,” he said coldly, “I’ll cut your tongue out.”
The fat teenager suddenly trembled violently, his eyes shining with fear, but he shut his mouth.
When he saw this, Meng Hao began to reconsider how wonderful the situation might or might not be. But he had a persistent personality, so he took a deep breath and maintained his silence.
After a while, when they reached a point about half way up the mountain, Meng Hao saw a row of flat buildings emerging from the roiling fog.
Seven or eight young people wearing hemp robes sat outside the buildings. They looked exhausted. As Meng Hao and the others approached, the young people noticed them, but did not call out any greetings.
Some distance away, a young man wearing a light blue robe sat on a crag. His face was long, almost like a horse, and his robe was obviously more expensive and fancy than those worn by the other youths. Though his face was cold, when the green-robed man approached leading Meng Hao, the young man stood and greeted him with cupped fists.
“Greetings, Elder Brother.”
“These are two newly arrived servants,” said the green-robed man impatiently. “Please arrange for their accommodations.” With that, he turned and left, not even glancing at Meng Hao and the other young man.
After he left, the horse-faced young man sat down again, crossing his legs and coldly glancing over Meng Hao and the fat teenager.
“This is the Northern Servants’ Quarter,” he said in a cold, emotionless voice. “The Reliance Sect does not support slackers. Now that you’re here, you will work for thirty years, upon which you can leave. If you try to escape, well, there are many wild beasts in these lonely mountains, and you will certainly die. Go retrieve your work uniform. From now on, you are isolated from the mortal world, and will work peacefully as a servant.”
The fat teenager trembled even harder, his face filling with despair. Meng Hao remained calm. In fact, deep within his eyes was an indescribable sparkle. The horse-faced man noticed. He had held this position for many years and had seen many young people captured to be servants, but had never seen anyone as calm as Meng Hao.
“If you have a good temperament,” he said lightly, “you may not need to labor for the full thirty years. You can practice cultivation in your time off. If you manage to reach the first level of Qi Condensation, then you will be promoted to the Outer Sect.” He flicked his wide sleeve, whereupon two hemp robes appeared in front of Meng Hao and the fat teenager. On the front of each robe was a wooden badge the size of a thumb, engraved with the character “Servant.”
In addition to the robe, there was also a small booklet, upon the cover of which was written three characters: “Qi Condensation Manual.”
As soon as Meng Hao laid eyes on the characters, he began to breathe hard. He stared at the booklet and recalled how when discussing the cold-faced woman, the green-robed man had mentioned the seventh level of Qi Condensation.
“So we be Outer Sect disciples when we reach the first level, but that smoking fairy has already reached the seventh level… what is Qi Condensation anyways? Sounds as useless as tits on a boar hog.”
If that was the pay he would receive from his work, well, it was just beatin a dead horse. Meng Hao’s excitement dropped. He grabbed the robe and used it to wrap up the badge and booklet.
“The East Seventh house is where you will live. Starting tomorrow, your job is to cut wood. Ten logs each, every day. You are not permitted to eat until your chopping is finished.” He closed his eyes.
Breathing deeply, Meng Hao imitated the young man and saluted with clasped fists, then walked toward the house, followed by the fat teenager. The building appeared to be a siheyuan courtyard dwelling that had been expanded multiple times. Following the signs, they located the seventh one, then opened the door and entered.
The room wasn’t large. It contained a table and two small beds, and though simple, was quite neat and tidy. The fat teenager sat down on one of the beds, then, unable to hold it in anymore, began to cry.
He was about 12 or 13 years old, and he cried loudly. It surely echoed outside.
“My father is a Lord, and I’m supposed to be a Lord too. I’m not supposed to be a servant.” He seemed extremely distraught, and his fat little body trembled.
“Stop crying,” said Meng Hao, trying to comfort him. “Think about it. Trouble with a milk cow is she won't stay milked. We just oughta work, then it be fine.” He quickly closed the door.
“I don’t want to work for other people,” he replied. “My marriage has already been arranged and engagement gifts sent. My poor, beautiful lady hasn’t even married me, yet is already a widow.” The more he cried, the more heartbroken he grew.
A strange expression appeared on Meng Hao’s face. This fat teenager was still young, he thought to himself. I can’t believe he’s been promised a wife, yet has never even felt the touch of a woman’s booty. He sighed emotionally, thinking about how amazing it would be to be rich. This fat teenager’s family is so rich that he never has to worry about food or clothing. And yet I have nothing. Even after selling my ancestral home last year, I still owe ole bastard Zhou a lot of money.
Thinking of the money he owed made him laugh loudly. Now that he was here, Zhou could come to chase after him for the money if he was strong enough. If not, he would be dead by the time Meng Hao left.
The more he thought about this place, the better he felt about it. He didn’t need to worry about money, or lodging or food. When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty. Considering that this was a dwelling-place of fairies, it could truly be said that he had unexpectedly been rescued from a desperate situation.
The fat teenager’s crying had begun to annoy him. Ignoring him, he pulled the manual out from the hemp robe and started reading. After reading the first line of the first page, he felt shocked.
“A person should have something to rely on. If you are a mortal who desires riches and titles, if you are a Cultivator who wants to live a life free from worry, join my Reliance Sect. You can rely on me.” That was introduction to the manual, and it was signed by Patriarch Reliance.
Even though it was only a handful of words, they were filled with an indescribable power. It was both an invitation and a description of the Reliance Sect. Meng Hao felt numb, and then, he suddenly felt like he understood.
“The Reliance Sect. what kinda name is that supposed ta be?? People must find something to rely on; when they find the Reliance Sect, then they will be rich, powerful and free from worry. But teachers, bankers, and hoot owls sleep with one eye open, don’t they?”
It made less and less sense. He realized that if he’d had an official to rely on, he would have failed the examinations three times in a row anyways. He sighed, his pity growing for Patriarch Reliance, whom he had never actually met. That fairy truly didn’t know of the world.
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“Either way, I have to find someone to rely on while I’m here. I aint got no money after all.” His eyes grew brighter as flung the manual away. Soon, he lost track of time, and didn’t even notice the fat teenager crying next to him.
The fat teenager finally cried himself to sleep around midnight, whereupon his snores began to reverberate around the room like thunder. Meng Hao reluctantly picked it up again. Even though he felt very tired, his the snoring made it impossible to rest.
“This book isn’t worth shit!” he said to himself. For someone who had always dreamed of becoming a rich official, receiving a shitty book as payment for 30 years of work felt like stink on poop.
In his gloom, he noticed that the fat teenager’s snoring had ceased. He looked over, and saw that the young man had sat up in bed and was waving his arms around and muttering.
“I’m gonna beat you to death! How dare you steal my mantou! I’m gonna bite you to death! How dare you steal away my wife!” As he talked, he got off the bed, his eyes still closed, waving his fists angrily. Then, amazingly, he grabbed the table and bit the corner hard with his mouth, leaving a deep mark. Then he went back to sleep and began to snore.
Meng Hao watched him for a bit, just to confirm that he had been sleepwalking just now. Then he looked back to the bite mark, realizing that he should never provoke the fat teenager when he was asleep. He inched away from him, then looked down at the manual again, feeling horribly.
“Surviving here is like pushing a watermelon through a garden hose. Working for them, I have a chance to become a fairy myself. It’s hella gay, thought. So if I become a fairy, I must at least become a rich one.” Meng Hao gripped the manual, his eyes shining brightly. He had finally found another path besides studying for the exams.
At that moment, the door was kicked open with a bang, and a loud “harumph” sounded out.
Chapter 3: Promotion to the Outer Sect
“You went to sleep early. Now it’s time to wake up for Grandpa Tiger!” The door shook as it opened, and a tall, strong man entered wearing servants’ robes. He glared fiercely at Meng Hao and the fat teenager.
“Starting today,” he said angrily, “you two little bastards will chop ten trees per day for me, each. Otherwise, Grandpa Tiger will flay you alive.”
“Don't make me no nevermind, Grandpa Tiger,” said Meng Hao, scrambling off the bed and standing there with his arms crossed. “You dasn't do it …” Before he could finish speaking, the large man fixed his eyes on him.
“Quiet farts! You think I’m speaking too loud?”
Looking at his fierce bearing and large stature, Meng Hao hesitated, then said, “Sorry, my tongue twisted around my eye teeth and I couldn't see what I was saying.”
“Then chop an extra ten trees for me,” he said with a cold harrumph.
Though Meng Hao said nothing, his brain spun. He had just arrived in the fairy’s Sect, and was already being bullied. He didn’t want to give in, but the man was so big and strong, and he himself was clearly too weak, unable to fight back. Then he glanced at the table, and noticed the bite marks. Thinking back to how strong the fat teenager had been in the clutches of his dream walking, he had a flash of inspiration. He suddenly yelled at the sleeping fat teenager.
“Big booty guy! He be stealing your mantou and your girl!”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the fat teenager sat up, eyes closed, shouting, his face twisted with furious savagery.
“Who’s stealing my mantou? Who’s stealing my wife?” he cried, leaping out of the bed. “I’ll beat you to death! I’ll bite you to death!” He began striking randomly around the room. The big man stared in shock, then took a step forward and made to slap the boy.
“You dare to shout in front of Grandpa Tiger!” His slap landed on the boy’s face, but then the big man cried out. The fat teenager, eyes closed, had bitten down onto the man’s arm. No matter how the man shook his arm, the boy refused to let go.
“Stop biting me, dammit. Stop biting.” This man was a servant, not a Cultivator. He had been a servant for a long time, and his body was strong, but the pain had caused him to break out in a cold sweat. He punched and kicked, but couldn’t make the fat teenager loosen his jaw even the slightest bit. The harder he hit, the deeper the boy bit. The man’s flesh was mangled, and it seemed as if a chunk were about to be ripped off.
His screams drifted outside, such that others began to notice. A cold voice shouted out.
“What’s the ruckus?”
It was the voice of the horse-faced young man. As soon as the big man heard it, he began to tremble in fear. Despite the horrible pain which twisted his face, he ceased his screaming.
“It’s not a good idea to upset the Elder Brother in charge of servants,” said the big man hurriedly. “There’s no benefit to continuing this. Quick, stop biting me! I don’t need the ten logs.”
Meng Hao never imagined the fat teenager’s dream state would be so intense, and also wanted to stop the situation. He walked forward and lightly slapped the fat teenager, then whispered into his ear.
“Yer mantou be back, and so be your girl.”
The young man suddenly relaxed and released his jaw. Continuing to punch the air, he returned to his bed, his face covered in blood, then fell back to sleep.
Giving another nervous glance toward the fat teenager, the big man left without saying another word.
Meng Hao stood there for a while gaping, admiring the fat teenager, then returned to bed with the greatest of care and went back to sleep.
The following morning at dawn.
As the morning sun filled the sky, the sound of bells filled the air. It seemed to carry with it a strange power; as people heard it, they woke and began their work. The fat teenager woke up. He looked down dumbly at the marks on his body. He touched his face.
“What happened last night? How come my whole body hurts? Did someone beat me up?”
Meng Hao dressed silently for a while before speaking.
“It’ll cure what ails ya.”
“How come my face feels swollen?”
“Maybe it’s mosquitos.”
“Then how come my mouth has blood on it?”
“You fell out of bed last night. And not just once, I swear.” Meng Hao opened the door and stepped out, then stopped and looked back. “Look, big booty boy,” he said in a serious tone, “you ought to be grinding them teeth more often. Sharpen em up.”
“Oh? My dad used to say the same thing,” he said in surprise, gingerly putting on his robes.
Meng Hao and the fat teenager walked out into the sunlight and began their life as servants in the Reliance Sect, chopping down trees.
Each of them was responsible for ten trees. Around the Northern Servants’ Quarter, the wild slopes were covered with trees. Although the trees were not big, they were very dense and spread like an ocean as far as the eye could see.
Carrying his servant’s axe, Meng Hao rubbed at his shoulder. His arm felt both numb and painful. The axe was heavy. Off to the side, the fat teenager panted as they climbed.
Eventually, they found a suitable area, and the sound of chopping axes gradually rang out as they began to work.
“My dad is super rich,” said the fat teenager with a long face. He raised his axe. “I’m gonna be super rich too. I don’t want to be a servant… These Immortals are strange, and they have magic. What do they need fire for? And why do they need us to chop down trees for them?”
Unlike the garrulous fat teenager, Meng Hao was too tired to speak. Sweat showered off of him like rain. Because of his poverty in Yunjie County, he hadn’t been able to eat much meat and as such his body was weak. He didn’t have much energy. After the space of time it takes half an incense stick to burn, he leaned up against a tree, breathing heavily.
He looked at the fat teenager, who, though he was so tired he trembled, he continued to curse under his breath and chop at the tree. He was younger than Meng Hao, but a lot stronger.
Meng Hao shook his head bitterly and continued to rest. He pulled out the old book (Qi Condensation Manual) and examined it again. Following the description in the manual, he attempted to sense the so called “spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth”.
Time passed, and soon it was dusk. In his day of work, Meng Hao had managed to cut down two trees. The fat teenager had managed to cut down eight. By pooling them together, it was enough for one of them to eat. They consulted for a bit, and then the fat teenager went to get some food which the two of them shared in their room. Then they fell to sleep, exhausted.
Eventually, the fat teenager’s snores filled the room, and Meng Hao struggled to sit up, his eyes filled resignation. Ignoring his hunger and exhaustion, he picked up the Qi Condensation Manual and started reading it again. It was his only distraction at hand.
“When I had to study for my tests, I be staying up reading all night. I’m used to being hungry. As for my life now, it may suck, but at least I can try something different. I can’t believe that after failing math, I’ll fail this cultivation thing, too. From now on, I’ll be tighter than a banjo string ” Stubborn persistence shone in his eyes. He lowered his head and began to read.
He continued on until late in the night, until he finally fell asleep, although when exactly that was, he didn’t know. As he slept, his dreams were filled with thoughts of sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as well as cows, goats and big booty b*tches. The bells woke him up in the morning. He opened his bloodshot eyes, yawned, and got out of bed. Then, along with the energetic fat teenager, went back to chopping wood.
A day, two day, three days… time continued on until two months had passed. Meng Hao’s wood-felling ability slowly grew until he could chop down four trees in a day. But, most of his time was spent trying to grasp the meaning of spiritual energy. His eyes grew more and more bloodshot. Then one evening around dusk, as he sat panting in mediation, his body suddenly vibrated, and he felt a prickling numbness in his limbs. Then, it seemed as if tiny wisp of invisible Qi condensed within his flesh and blood, then seeped out of his body.
After that, he felt a strand of spiritual energy appear inside him. It disappeared almost instantly, but Meng Hao opened his eyes, irritated. His exhaustion disappeared, and his bloodshot eyes grew whiter. His body trembling, he clutched at the Qi Condensation Manual. He hadn’t eaten or slept much in the past months. Other than chopping down trees, he spent almost all his time on spiritual energy, and now, at long last, he had some results. He felt neat as a pin and drunk as a monkey! It made him a bit suspicious.
Time passed in a flash, two months, and now it was the eighth month of the year, summer. Broiling sunlight fell from the sky.
It was noontime in the deep mountains near the Reliance Sect. Meng Hao used one hand to clean his teeth with a toothpick, and the other to hold the crappy book (Qi Condensation Manual), which he studied half-heartedly. He sat in front of a bonfire, under which two chickens slowly turned black.
He closed his eyes for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, sensing the foreign energy within his body. This was the Qi which had appeared two months ago, and Meng Hao slowly changed his mind regarding it. Maybe it wasn’t just fly’s on shit. The strand was clearly much thicker now. Using the mnemonics and circulation technique described in the manual, he sat in a position, that remotely resembled meditation, allowing the Qi strand to move about his body.
After a short time, Meng Hao opened his eyes and caught sight of the fat teenager approaching quickly, carrying his axe.
“Well, how is it?” panted the fat teenager as he ran up. Though fat, his body was strong.
“I’ve got a hitch in my get along,” said Meng Hao with a grunt. “But I’m quite confident that within a month, I’ll be able knock you into next week.” Belief filled his demeanor.
“What I meant was, how is the chicken?” He licked his lips as he looked at the bonfire.
“Oh, pretty much done,” said Meng Hao, also licking his lips and pulling back the branch he’d been using to stoke the fire. The fat teenager used his axe to dig through the soil and pull the chicken out. It was half burned now.
They split the chicken in half and began to wolf it down.
“Ever since you were able to get some spiritual energy,” said the fat teenager, his lips covered in grease, “you’ve been able to catch wild chickens. Compared to now, the first two months here were like a nightmare…” This was his new practice, to flatter Meng Hao.
“A lot of people get food out in the wild, you just don’t know about it, that’s all.” As Meng Hao spoke, he took a bite out of a chicken leg, making his speech a bit garbled.
“Ai, if you really reach the first level of Qi Condensation next week and become an Outer Sect disciple,” said the fat teenager, his face bitter, “then what will I do? I don’t understand any of those mnemonics.” He looked at Meng Hao expectantly.
“Look big booty boy, don't sell your mule to buy a plow. The only way you can get home is if you become an Outer Sect disciple,” said Meng Hao, dropping the chicken leg and looking him in the eye. “And better watch out for them marsh rabbits. They might take your leg off, if they had a mind to.
The fat teenager sat quietly for a while before giving a determined nod.
Six days flew by. It was night. The fat teenager was already asleep, and Meng Hao sat cross-legged in his room, meditating. He thought about how other than wood-chopping, he had spent all his time these past three months. He thought back to two months ago, when the strand of Qi had first stirred within him. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes and causing the strand of spiritual energy to circulate throughout his body. Then, a loud sound reverberated in his head. Up to now, he had been unable to disperse the Qi throughout his entire body. But just now, he had succeeded, diffusing the Qi to every corner of his body. He felt as if his body were floating.
At the same moment in which Meng Hao achieved the first level of Qi Condensation, the horse-faced young man sitting on the big stone outside slowly opened his eyes. He looked in the direction of Meng Hao’s house, then closed his eyes again.
At dawn, under the envious eyes of everyone in the Northern Servants’ quarter, Meng Hao walked out of the room that had been his home for the past four months. He stood in front of the horse-faced youth.
The fat teenager didn’t come with him. He remained in the doorway watching Meng Hao, determination filling his eyes.
“You reached the first level of Qi Condensation in four months. You’re not quite smart, but not all that stupid, either.” The horse-faced young man looked at him, his expression no longer cold. Calmly, he said, “Now that you are going to the Outer Sect, I must explain to you the rules there. Every month, Spirit Stones and medicinal pills will be distributed there, but it is not prohibited to take things by force from others, or to gang up. There is a Public Area there that some people call the Killing Zone. You … you will need to look out for yourself.” As he finished speaking, he lifted his right hand, whereupon a jade slip shot out and hovered in front of Meng Hao. He grabbed it.
“Imbue spiritual energy into that jade slip and it will lead you to the Treasure Pavilion in the Outer Sect. That is where you will register your promotion.” The horse-faced young man closed his eyes.
Meng Hao said nothing. Showing the horse-faced man his middle finger, he turned and glanced at the fat teenager. They looked at each other for a moment, and Meng Hao felt emotion welling up in his heart. He chose not to dwell on it. He pinched the jade slip, which then began to glow with a green light, and gradually floated forward.
Meng Hao followed it, slowly leaving the Servants’ Quarter.
He trod a narrow road which led away from the main gate, walking further and further away, toward the foot of the mountain. Eventually he reached an area he had never stepped foot into during the past four months.
The Reliance Sect was comprised of four main mountains, with east, west, north and south peaks, respectively. Surrounding them were vast mountain chains which seemed to never end. At the halfway point up each mountain was a Servants’ Quarter. Meng Hao had been assigned to the Northern Servant’s quarter on the Northern Mountain. The way further up was protected by defensive spells. Beyond them lived the Inner Sect disciples and elders.
Each of the four mountains was like this. As for the flat area in-between them all, it was filled with countless houses inhabited by the Reliance Sect’s Outer Sect.
In this respect, the Reliance Sect was slightly different that other Sects. The Outer Sect was located at the foot of the mountain, whereas the servants lived halfway up. This was a sect rule created for unknown reasons by Patriarch Reliance.
From a distance, the entire area seemed to be filled with roiling fog. However, upon stepping foot into the fog, it disappeared. In front of him stretched a scene of carved balustrades and marble steps, of lofty buildings and roads paved with green stone. Outer Sect disciples bustled about wearing green robes. A few of them noticed Meng Hao as he walked past.
Some of them shot him contemptuous glances which lacked even the slightest bit of good intent. He felt as if he were being stared at by wild beasts, which caused him to recall what Elder Brother Horse-face had said about the Outer Sect.
Not long after that, he reached a black building in the southern section of the Outer Sect. It was three stories tall, and despite being black, appeared to have been carved from jade, and almost seemed to be transparent.
As Meng Hao approached, the building’s main door opened noiselessly and out walked a wizened, middle-aged man. He wore a long robe of deep green, and a shrewd expression covered his face. He lifted his right hand in a grabbing motion, and the jade slip flew into his hand. He looked at it then began to speak languidly:
“Meng Hao has been promoted to the Outer Sect. He shall be bestowed with a house, a green robe, a spirit tablet, and a bag of holding. The spirit tablet can be used to enter the Treasure Pavilion to retrieve a magic item.” He waved his right hand, and a gray bag appeared in Meng Hao’s hands.
He looked at the gray bag for a moment, then thought back to one of the Outer Sect disciples he’d passed on the road. That man had a bag just like this hanging at his waist.
The shrewd-looking man looked at Meng Hao, and could instantly tell that he was not familiar at all with the ways of the Outer Sect. Otherwise, how could he be unfamiliar with a bag of holding? Feeling a bit bad for him, he coolly said, “By imbuing the bag with spiritual energy, you can pack many things into it.”
Having heard this, Meng Hao imbued the bag with a sizable amount of spiritual energy. It grew blurry, and then he caught a glimpse of a space inside about half the size of a person. There, he could see a green robe, a jade slip, and some other objects.
At this point, his interest was quite piqued. This bag of holding must be worth at least a hundred gold. It clearly was the product of fairy hands.
He concentrated, and the jade slip suddenly appeared in his hand. He was shocked. He focused his attention even more and found that inside the bag was a map of the Outer Sect Quarter. In a remote corner was his house.
“Go look at it later,” said the shrewd-looking man coldly. “The Treasure Pavilion is open and you haven’t entered it yet.”
Meng Hao lifted his head and stuffed the bag of holding into his robe. Looking at the opened door of the Treasure Pavilion, he sucked in a deep breath and stepped in, filled with anticipation.
As soon as he entered, his expression changed, and he sucked in a breath. He started shaking like a dog poopin peach seeds.
„Gotcha. Becoming a fairy it is!” Then he strode further faster than stripe assed ape.
“In the future, I’ll be fatter than a tick on a coon hound” he thought to himself excitedly. “And maybe I’ll see that lass from back then again. Man, she looked like she could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch…”
The End