Once he was gone, the horse-faced youth sat down cross-legged again, casting an indifferent glance at Meng Hao and the fat youth.
"This is the northern menial labor zone. The Kaoshan Sect doesn't keep freeloaders. The two of you are here to perform menial tasks for half a jia. Once your term is up, you can leave the mountain. If you try to escape, the wild mountains are full of beasts; you'll face certain death. If you accept the chore-labor robes, from now on you sever ties with the mortal world and can peacefully perform your duties."
The horse-faced youth looked at Meng Hao and the fat youth, speaking indifferently.
The fat youth trembled slightly, despair flashing in his eyes. Meng Hao, however, seemed calmer, his gaze revealing an unusual glint, which made the horse-faced youth glance at him again. He had been here for many years, encountering countless youths brought in for menial labor, but few could remain as composed as Meng Hao.
"Your temperament isn't bad! You two don't necessarily have to perform menial tasks for the full half jia. On normal days, you can also cultivate. If you reach Qi Condensation Stage One, you will no longer be a menial laborer, but can be promoted to an outer sect disciple."
The horse-faced youth said casually, then flicked his sleeve. Instantly, two sets of coarse hemp robes appeared before Meng Hao and the fat youth. On each was placed a small wooden plaque, engraved with the character "Za".
Additionally, there was a book, on which three characters were written.
Qi Condensation Scroll.
As soon as he saw these three characters, Meng Hao's breathing quickened. He stared intently at the book, immediately recalling the Qi Condensation Stage Seven that the green-robed man had flattered the cold-faced woman about earlier.
"Qi Condensation Stage One can become an outer sect disciple, so the girl who brought me here is Qi Condensation Stage Seven... What exactly is Qi Condensation? Could it be the legendary method of immortal cultivation? This must be the payment for menial labor. Although this kind of payment isn't silver, if I could take it outside, it would surely sell for hundreds of gold!"
Meng Hao's heart pounded. He picked up the robes and wrapped the wooden plaque and the book inside them.
"Room number seven to the west is your accommodation. Starting tomorrow, your job will be to chop firewood, ten logs per person, every day. If you don't finish, you don't eat."
After the horse-faced youth finished speaking, he closed his eyes.
Meng Hao took a deep breath. Imitating the other's previous gesture, he cupped his fist and bowed, then quickly pulled the fat youth towards the houses. This place seemed like a siheyuan expanded many times over. Following the room numbers, he found room number seven. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room wasn't large; besides two small beds, there was also a table. Although simple, it was very clean. After sitting on one of the beds, the fat youth could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
He was only about twelve or thirteen years old. At this moment, he was crying loudly; even from outside, his wails could be heard echoing.
"My father is a wealthy landowner, I should also be a wealthy landowner! I don't want to do menial labor..."
The fat youth cried heartbrokenly, his chubby body trembling along with his sobs.
"Don't cry anymore! Actually, if you think about it, this place isn't bad. We are working for immortals. If word gets out, many people might even envy us."
Meng Hao quickly closed the room door and comforted him.
"I don't want to work, my family has money! Moreover... my marriage has already been arranged, and the betrothal gifts have been sent. Pity my beautiful young wife-to-be who hasn't even entered my home yet; must she become a widow...?"
Meng Hao's expression was a little strange. He thought to himself that this fatty was still so young yet already engaged, while he himself was already this old and had never even touched a girl's hand. He couldn't help but sigh; having money was truly nice. This fatty had a family fortune of millions and no worries about food or clothing, whereas he was dirt poor with nothing to his name. He had even sold his ancestral home last year, and currently still owed Steward Chu a sum of money.
But thinking of this debt, Meng Hao cheered up. He thought to himself, *I'm here now. If that Steward Chu has the guts, he can come here to collect it. If not, by the time I leave this place, half a jiazi will have passed, and he will probably... be long gone.*
The more Meng Hao thought about it, the more he felt this place wasn't bad. He didn't have to spend any money, yet he was well-fed and warmly clothed. He hadn't even done any work yet, but already had a hundred taels of gold as a travel allowance. Moreover, this was a place where immortals resided. All of this made Meng Hao feel that coming here was truly a leap to the heavens.
Hearing the fatty's incessant whimpering, Meng Hao felt annoyed. He decisively pulled out the small book from his coarse hemp robe, sat cross-legged on the bed, and opened it to read. As soon as he flipped to the first page and saw the very first sentence, Meng Hao's jaw dropped.
"To be a person, one must have a backer. A mortal with a backer will have a lifetime of wealth and prosperity; a cultivator with a backer will have a lifetime free of worries. Enter my Reliance Sect, and this old man will be your backer."
These were the opening words of the small book, signed by Patriarch Reliance.
These dozen or so words, though few, exuded a boundless aura of grandeur. They also carried a brazen sense of rallying followers, which left Meng Hao dumbfounded, yet he felt these words made perfect sense.
"Reliance Sect... Could this be the true meaning of the Reliance Sect? To be a person, one must find a solid backer. Once found, one's entire life will be filled with wealth, prosperity, and no worries."
The more Meng Hao thought about it, the more he felt these words were profoundly accurate. He thought to himself, *if I had a high-ranking official as a backer back then, how could I have failed the provincial examinations three times in a row?* He couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for Patriarch Reliance, whom he had never met, feeling as though a grand door to life was slowly opening before him through these words.
"In other words, in this Reliance Sect, I must use all sorts of methods to find a backer. Only then can I live here free of worries."
Meng Hao's eyes shone brightly. He continued to flip through the small book in his hand, completely forgetting the fatty who was still weeping miserably beside him.
It wasn't until late at night, when the fatty, exhausted from crying, finally rolled over and fell asleep, his snores echoing like thunder throughout the room, that Meng Hao reluctantly closed the book. Although his face showed fatigue, his eyes were full of spirit.
"This book isn't just worth a hundred taels of gold; it's worth a thousand!"
Meng Hao muttered to himself. For someone whose lifelong dream was to pass the imperial exams, become an official, and strike it rich, valuing something at a thousand taels of gold meant it was practically as precious as his own life.
Amidst his excitement, the fatty's snoring abruptly cut off. Startled, Meng Hao turned to look. He saw the fatty, eyes still tightly shut in sleep, sitting bolt upright in bed, his hands flailing wildly as he mumbled incoherently.
"I'll beat you to death! How dare you steal my steamed bun! I'll bite you to death! How dare you snatch my wife!"
With that, the fatty got out of bed, his eyes still closed. He swung his arms about majestically as he stumbled around the room, accidentally bumping into the table. But what made Meng Hao's eyes widen in shock was that the fatty actually opened his mouth and bit down hard on the corner of the wooden table, leaving deep, visible teeth marks behind. Only then did he climb back into bed and drift off again, his snores resuming.
Meng Hao stared at the fatty for a long time, confirming that the fellow was indeed a sleepwalker. Looking back at the bitten corner of the table, he realized that this fatty was not someone to be trifled with, especially when asleep. He carefully edged a bit further away, then lowered his gaze to the manual in his hands, his face flushed with excitement.
"The Nine Stages of Qi Condensation, the path to immortality! Working for an immortal sect and being given the chance to become an immortal myself—this truly is the ultimate reward. I refuse to believe that once I become an immortal, I won't strike it rich!"
Meng Hao gripped the manual tightly, a fierce determination gleaming in his eyes, as if he had finally found a path forward other than merely studying for the imperial exams.
At that exact moment, the door to the room was kicked open with a loud crash, followed by a cold, echoing snort.