In this world, there is one rule that reigns supreme. The strong live and the weak die. That rule is even stronger here in the unruled lands, where the enforcers of the emperor don't have any authority. The normal folk has to pay tribute to the sects to keep them safe, and with that, endure the abuse of said sect.
Talking about sects, they are entities, groups of people that group together to cultivate their spirit, they share secrets and gain a sense of belonging, together they push forward to grow in prestige and power, becoming forces to be feared and respected, that make people want to join them and enter as disciples, forming a strict hierarchy, a chain of command... that's the case for the legal sects under the emperor rule anyway. For demon cultivation sects, such as [Shadow Crow] we linger in the darkness and do anything to gain strength, no matter the cost, and would receive a demon king with both arms open if that would mean more strength for our group, making us targets for annihilation, unwanted and feared people.
"Work harder!" Said the voice of [Shadow Crow] Lai Kan, one of the overseers alongside the roar of his whip, hitting the back of one of the slaves.
Slaves? You may ask. That's right, all my fellow disciples of the lower rank are slaves, a grim reminder of that as I keep scrubbing the floor. No sane person would join a demon cultivation sect out of their own will, that's why to grow they kidnap kids to become cultivators, but not before some good years of hard work, poor amount of food, and suffering. Many times I saw my companions getting abused, even I tasted the whip sometimes, but not as much as they, since I didn't remember my parents, I didn't miss them, but the other kids grow up with that spike in their hearts.
"[Shadow Crow] Mei" Said the voice of the taskmaster, a grown-up man with glasses and wearing black clothes with ornaments.
I stud up and saluted the task-master, in these eight years my body changed, and no longer resembled that of a kid, my womanly charms grew alongside my mind. I was no longer the blank slate.
"This humble disciple salutes the taskmaster" I said with respect.
"You have enough contribution points now" He said reading a document "You may go to the Lumbering Shadow Pavillion to begin your cultivation, present this document to the librarian".
The Lumbering Shadow Pavillion was a building of the sect, in which many cultivation methods were stored, only recognized members of the sect can enter, to earn that recognition you must earn contribution points, which I got by sweat and blood, many years of doing chores, practicing martial arts and fighting for the enjoyment of my superiors, even receiving beatings from time to time and other abuses.
"Yes taskmaster" I said with respect and drop the work here and commenced my way to the Pavillion.
In the sect there are many types of disciples, the slaves that had to do chores are the outer disciples, which have to study, practice martial arts, and also work to death maintaining everything in order and doing everything the others don't want to do. Then there are the common disciples, which are the ones that finish their servitude and can commence the practice of cultivation but has no master, they have to prove themselves worthy to become the apprentice of a master of the sect, if they are stuck forever in this range they will be just cannon fodder for the sect. Latter we find the inner disciples, which have the guide of a master, the core disciples which have the guide of an elder of the sect, and then there are the masters and the elders.
Talking about cultivation, there are several stages, which measure the inner power of the person, how much have they learned and progressed, each stage is divided into phases eight phases which proves how much deep you are into the said stage. We could say that I'm in the 1st phase of the Formation of the Spiritual Body phase, which you enter after practicing diligently your martial arts, but to progress, I need a cultivation method, and I have to choose wisely, or I will get stuck and fail.
As I stood in front of the Lumbering Shadow Pavillion I felt a painful headache and forced me to stop in my tracks, almost forcing me to my knees.
"The will of the heavens has deemed you worthy" I heard a voice on my head "Receive the will of the heavens"
And just like that, the headache disappeared, and I regained my strength.
"What was that?" I asked myself, not willing to delay the process anymore I got inside.