Jake walked slowly through the fields carrying a pick, shovel and a pack. Just his luck to get stuck with the shit job again. Every degrading, dirty and embarrassing job was given to him.
Two years ago, at 12, he was the number one disciple, waiting to get tested. First in martial arts, first in fitness and given personal tutoring by the top teachers in the sect; everybody was his friend. It was a surprise for everybody that he could not cultivate, he had a hole in his dantian. When he tried the basic cultivation techniques qi would not collect. Well that was what everyone called it. They gave him every beginning technique and none worked, he could not amass qi and therefore he could not get stronger.
That meant he went from first to last, he was now the trash of the sect. Everyone in his group had successfully cultivated except him. Because of this his friends disappeared except for two. Broken bones, concussions, cuts, bruises and many scars had appeared on and in his body over the last year as everyone wanted to prove they were better then him. He still had to take part in the weekly sparring to train his body but as everyone else got stronger he was regularly beaten.
He sighed deeply as he trudged wearily through the fields towards his latest job. A weird stone had appeared in the middle of the main ginseng herb garden. They had tried everything to remove it, even the teachers could not move it physically or with their qi. The sect had put up a mission and a reward which had risen over the last few days and no one could remove it.
The newest joke was he had to stay into the fields until he removed the stone. He was dragged and forced to go to the mission hall and request it as a life or death mission. He was given a badge and a contract that only he had. If he did not return it by the next morning, it was over for him. The elder in the hall was the uncle of the head disciple in his year and made it his mission to degrade Jake when possible. Everyone had a great laugh over this, something that even the teachers could not do was put on him. It looks like this was it then, either remove the stone or he would be beaten to death this time.
His whole family had been elders, but he was the last of his line. They were all dead, he was orphaned at six and was taken care of by the sect. He was allowed to keep the family villa until he became trash and that was quickly stolen. Everything even his family’s wealth and contributions were taken away from him by hook and by crook. It looks like the scene was set to finally get rid of him. He had no backing anymore and only the possibility of him being a genius had let him stay this long. His parent and grandfathers friends had turned their back on him, he was no longer valuable.
He finally arrived at the rock, and it was enormous. It was coal black and jagged with lots of sharp edges. There was an oppressive aura coming from it as well, as if it was a ferocious beast. It was deep into the ground as well.
He dropped the pick, shovel and backpack on the ground and sat down to look at the rock. He had never been a quitter and was not about to start now. He stood up and picked up the shovel. Lets save some plants first he thought.
He moved around the rock and gently picked up the ginsengs that he could and moved them to empty areas. He thought they would grow, they were hardy plants and there was a spirit array surrounding the fields giving them essence to help them grow faster.
It took over an hour but he finally moved all the plants he could save. He then started digging around the base of the rock trying to get a better understanding of it. He dug for over an hour and could see the bottom of the rock, now to dig around it totally.
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Sweat was rolling off him but he persevered. Shovel load by load he worked around the rock until he had to take a break. He jumped out of the hole and picked up his pack. He took the waterskin out and took a large swallow and then a second.
He felt a pain in his head and fell to the ground, rolling into the hole. He blinked to try and understand what was happening and put a hand to the back of his head. He brought it back and looked at the blood on his fingers. What just happened?
He heard laughter and looked out of the hole at a crowd of disciples, lead by the head disciple, Wang Hu.
“Looks like a rat in a hole brothers.” Said head disciple Wang Hu. “What do we do with rats?”
“Brother Wang, we usually kill them and bury them.” Said Wang Li with a laugh.
“It was nice of the rat to dig the hole for us.” Laughed Wang Hu. “If he does not move this rock we will bury him next to it. It looks like you hit your head there Jake, you need to be careful, dangerous things happen in these fields. Hmm he seems to want to work, throw some dirt back in this hole guys.”
With that the ten disciples started to pile the dirt back in the hole half burying Jake and filling in the hole all around him.
“Oops sorry Jake we accidentally pushed some dirt in.” Said Wang Hu. “Remember either remove this rock or else.” He made a slicing sign across his neck and then they all turned and walked away laughing.
Jake hung his head seething inside. He lay his hand on the rock and pushed himself out of the hole. “Shit” he said, and looked down at his hand. He had sliced his hand open on the rock spilling blood everywhere on the ground and the rock. What he did not notice was the blood being adsorbed by the rock as he left the hole.
He walked over to his pack and sat next to it with the rock behind him. He took out some salve and some bandages and dressed the wound on his hand. Without qi he could not heal like the rest and it took much longer, as he was a mortal.
“What a bunch of bastards.” He thought. “It is bad enough taking everything my family owned and making me live in a hovel, but still to harass me.” Wang Hu was second to him in everything but had skyrocketed since he could cultivate. He had made it his mission to constantly harass Jake. He had already made it to the 4th Houtian layer in a year and was considered a genius in the sect.
Behind him the rock disappeared and became a wisp of smoke that drifted towards him leaving the large hole in the ground. It then seeped into his ear. Jake flicked at his ear as he felt something thinking it was a fly. It moved through his body until he reached his dantian. It then spread out covering everything including the hole. Because of this and the wisp qi started to naturally accumulate there for the first time. A black rock that was a miniature of the one that was in the field appeared floating in the middle somehow allowing the qi to accumulate faster.
Jake felt a burning in his stomach and thinking it was hunger he removed the bread and cheese from his pack. He broke off a piece of each and munched slowly on them. He also took out his water and drank as well. After eating a little he put the rest back into the pack and wiped his hands on his shirt.
“I better get back at it.” He thought, and the stood up. When he turned around he gasped loudly. “Where the hell is the rock?” He thought. He walked over and looked into the large hole and then all around. He could not figure out what happened, but then he began to grin and laugh.
“I got those bastards this time.” He thought. “It looks like I did remove the rock.”
He then picked up the shovel and started to refill the hole. He went to the side of the field and then used a wheelbarrow to move more dirt to fully fill the hole.
“Hmm,” he thought. “It seems much easier then before. I seem to be stronger.”
He then moved as many of the ginseng as he could back and watered them.
“Well job done.” He thought. He then picked up the shovel, pick and pack and turned to walk back to the sect buildings. “I wonder where the rock went.” He thought.