I was getting tired of this life. I sometimes began to think about dying. The only thing keeping me in this world is Ai. Her cheerful laughter and concern for her, still keeps me in this fucking world. I've started to be bullied by practically everyone already. I don't know what the fucking master told me, but they won't even let me study the scrolls. Thanks to Ai for giving me another way to meditate, she got it from the archives. It's an old way, they say it's longer than modern meditation paths. But the Scarlet Snake way is completely fine with me. I want the full version of meditation. Ever since I got this method of cultivation, I've started to slowly feel the filling of my chi in my body. I could start learning the path of alchemy, but there too, you need a lot of qi to make pills. In alchemy, you have to fill the cauldron with your qi and heat it, and you have to know the ingredients.
- Ah, loser, still dreaming of becoming a junior apprentice? Will you stop it already? It's clear you were born to be a servant. You're so obedient, and you do your job well. So live that life, maybe you can help your parents with the pills. I've only been here a year, but the master said today that I'm almost a junior apprentice. Hey, are you listening to me? Well, sit and meditate, maybe God will help you.
I didn't say anything back. I just meditated. Why pay attention to them? They all wrote me off. I would still retaliate against them, I would retaliate well for everything. For shit, for beatings, for bullying, but I would retaliate quietly and slowly. Revenge, as they say, is a dish that is served cold. Even my servants don't respect me because of that fucking master, and what respect, they don't consider me their equal. I wish Aya were here to comfort me. But she went to the mountains to meditate, they say there is more natural energy chi. And I do not want to hinder her development. I understand that I am already slowing her down, she still gives one or two pills. It's time to go to sleep...
POV Jiao Na
Damn boy. Still haven't given up. Hell, he could be an elder by now, or start his own school. Oh, such prospects, my student doesn't even realize what he's missing out on by not learning martial arts from him. His elbows, his kicks, his movements, they are completely different from ours. They're more dangerous, predatory, if you take his martial arts and my ideas about them, you could create a whole different martial arts school and the sect would obviously rise quickly in the hierarchy, but he still resists, not wanting to show everything, especially in the last year. He just runs away and just lies there, not fighting back.
- Apprentice, my patience is running out. When are you going to get him to give me all his knowledge!? I want his martial arts!
- Master, why do we need his martial arts? We're strong enough as it is, he's not even a junior apprentice.
- He has beaten several younger students, and they are several times stronger than him. So that's enough, make sure you do it. He will die or give me his knowledge!
- As you say, master.
- Go.
And this apprentice doesn't understand me. I'm preventing him from reaching a junior apprentice, and he practically became one anyway. I should tell the older disciples not to give him any pills at all. I could have gotten out of this sect a long time ago with all the knowledge and artifacts, but I can't, I'm still weak. There are still elders in the sect, and I can't handle them, but I'll wait, I know how to wait.
Ho's POV
I have to go and wash their pants again... I don't feel like it, and I'm tired of working. A day of 3 hours of meditation is not enough. I feel like it's only a matter of time before I move on to junior apprenticeship. I'll get rid of the crap after all.
I've been working like this for a month now, but there was still a little bit left. So I was patient, I didn't get a pill this month, which meant the master had had enough of this game. I have nothing more to lose, I need to move quickly to a junior apprentice, or else I will stay here. I was on my way to my room when the students appeared on the road, and this is obviously not good. The younger students were fine, but they could kill me.
- Hello gentlemen students, I apologize for disturbing you, but can your servant go to his house?
- Ha, look, a senior apprentice Lo. Is this the one you want?
I was looked at with contempt and hatred
- Yeah, go ahead, I'm sick of standing here.
- As you say, Senior Apprentice Lo.
They approached, and I don't really remember much further. I didn't even see them move. They hit me for a long time, I only remember the first blow to the head, and then I was just meat. I don't know how long it lasted, but soon they lifted me up by the scruff of the neck.
- Listen here shit, my master really wants your martial arts knowledge. I've been putting up with you and giving you a chance for years now. But the master has run out of patience. I won't kill you, I guess, but it'll go on like this every day until you give us what we need.
I couldn't answer anything. My whole body must have been bruised. Soon they were gone, and I was lying on the ground for almost several hours. I was crying, I was hurt, I had never been so humiliated. This world is cruel, very cruel. I don't even have anyone to tell about my worries. I was tired, very tired.
But I don't want to give up. Either I'm going to go to junior high today or I'm going to die. I sat down somehow. I didn't even have the strength to get up, so I crawled to my house. I was in a lot of pain, but I endured and crawled. When I reached my room, I went in there and closed it behind me and sat there in a meditation pose, but I forgot to take my pills, so I had to crawl to my bed and get a pill from my stash there. I put it in my mouth and sat in meditation pose.
Yes, these pills are very different, the qi energy is bubbling up in me. I can feel the wounds healing on me. It stings, but it's bearable. I sat and tried to hold the chi energy to move into the younger disciples. I sat meditating and meditating and after 3 hours I started to feel like I was in too much energy and wanted to "explode". I endured and endured and suddenly BOOM, there's nothing in me. And I'm high on it, like something was holding me back, but now it's let go. That energy that was in me is like gone. I don't know about the others, but something is clearly wrong with me. The energy I had in me was enough to become a senior apprentice, but I only moved into junior apprenticeship.
I opened my eyes and fell happily to the ground. At last-at last-it was all over, I no longer had to do laundry or clean up anything, I no longer had to work like a goddamn slave for a pill. At last...
I don't remember how I fell asleep, but I woke up with a happy smile and a younger student waking me up and yelling something.
- GET THE FUCK UP, DO I HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER MYSELF? YOU'LL BE KICKED OUT RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON'T GET UP!
- I'm up, I'm up, why are you yelling like that?
- ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I'M A JUNIOR APPRENTICE, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS ME, SERVANT?!
- I'm a junior apprentice too, and if you yell again, I might break your jaw. I have the right, mind you.
- What?
- I'm telling you, I'm not a servant anymore. So fuck you.
- What?
- Fuck you, I said.
He didn't say anything, but mumbled something quietly and ran away. Ha-ha-ha for the sake of that idiot's face I could have put up with three years of abuse. And what will be the face of that fucking master ha ha ha ha...