Chapter 3

The Mountain Support Sect is located within the territory of the State of Zhao, at the southern edge of the Southern Continent. It was once the leading sect among the four major sects of Zhao, and was well-known throughout the entire Southern Continent. However, it has now declined, and its status is not what it used to be, lacking the former glory. In the State of Zhao today, it can only be considered a minor sect.

In fact, the Mountain Support Sect was not originally called this. A thousand years ago, a cultivator who caused a sensation throughout the Southern Continent emerged from the sect. He called himself the Mountain Support Ancestor and forcibly changed the name of the sect to the Mountain Support Sect. He acted tyrannically, almost plundering all the treasures of the sects in the State of Zhao, enjoying unparalleled glory for a time.

However, a thousand years have passed, and things have changed. The Mountain Support Ancestor has been missing for over four hundred years. If his fate were known, there would be concerns about potential repercussions, and he might have been swallowed up by other sects long ago. Now, the Mountain Support Sect is in decline, and with limited resources in the State of Zhao, it is often marginalized by the other three major sects. Even when it wants to recruit laborers, it has to send disciples out to capture them, let alone openly recruiting disciples.

Following the green-robed man, Meng Hao walked along the mountain path of the Mountain Support Sect. The surroundings were like a peach garden, with strange rocks and trees everywhere. Amidst the green mountains and clear waters, luxurious pavilions shrouded in mist seemed to have tiles made of jade, making Meng Hao marvel continuously. However, the little fat boy beside him had been crying all the way, which somewhat ruined the atmosphere of the place.

"Over, over, this time it's really over..."

"I want to go home, where there are big steamed buns and fish meat..."

"Damn, damn, I should have inherited the family land and become a lord with a few concubines. I shouldn't be here as a laborer..." The little fat boy shivered and muttered, tears welling up in his eyes.

He grumbled all the way until about half a cup of tea had passed, and the green-robed man in front of them spoke coldly.

"Say one more word, and I'll cut out your tongue."

The little fat boy's body trembled violently, his eyes filled with intense fear. He quickly covered his mouth, and his body shook even more.

This scene made Meng Hao realize that things might not be as good as he had thought. However, he was resilient and took a deep breath, saying nothing.

Not long after, at the halfway point of the mountain, Meng Hao saw several rows of houses revealed amidst the rolling mist. About seven or eight young men, all wearing the same coarse linen robes, sat outside the houses, looking tired. They noticed Meng Hao and the others but mostly ignored them.

Not far away, a young man in a light blue robe sat on a rock. He had a long face, like a horse, and his clothes were clearly more luxurious than those of the young men. His expression was cold, but when he saw the green-robed man leading Meng Hao, he stood up and respectfully bowed to the green-robed man.

"Salutations, Senior Brother."

"These two are new laborers who have just arrived. Arrange their accommodations for them." The green-robed man looked impatient, turned around, and left without even glancing at Meng Hao and the little fat boy.

After he left, the long-faced young man sat down again, coldly scanning Meng Hao and the little fat boy.

"This is the Northern Laborer Area. The Mountain Support Sect does not support useless people. You two have come here to serve as laborers for thirty years. You can leave only when your term is up. If you try to escape, the wild mountains are full of beasts, and you will surely die. Collect your laborer robes. From now on, you will be cut off from the secular world and must serve as laborers." The long-faced young man looked at Meng Hao and the little fat boy, speaking coldly.

The little fat boy's body trembled even more, his eyes filled with despair. Meng Hao, however, remained calm, his eyes hiding a mysterious light. The long-faced young man noticed this and paid more attention to Meng Hao. He had been there for many years and had seen many young men who were captured to serve as laborers, but few were as calm as Meng Hao.

"Your character is not bad. Laborers do not necessarily have to serve for thirty years. You can also cultivate. If you reach the first level of Qi Condensation, you will no longer be a laborer and can advance to become an outer sect disciple." The long-faced young man spoke indifferently, flicking his sleeve. Immediately, a coarse linen robe appeared in front of Meng Hao and the little fat boy, along with a small wooden token inscribed with the character "Laborer."

In addition, there was a small book with three small characters written on it.

Qi Condensation Scroll.

These three characters caught Meng Hao's attention, making his breathing quicken. He stared intently at the small book, and the image of the green-robed man flattering the cold-faced woman, mentioning the seventh level of Qi Condensation, flashed through his mind.

"Reaching the first level of Qi Condensation can make you an outer sect disciple. The woman who brought me here is at the seventh level of Qi Condensation... What is Qi Condensation? Could this be the legendary cultivation method?

This should be the pay for being a laborer. Although it's not silver, if I could take it out, it would surely sell for a hundred gold!" Meng Hao's heart raced, and he grabbed the robe, wrapping the wooden token and the small book inside.

"Room 7 on the west side is your accommodation. Starting tomorrow, your job will be to chop wood. Each of you must chop ten logs per day. If you fail to do so, you won't get any food." The long-faced young man closed his eyes after speaking.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, mimicking the other's gesture, and bowed. He then pulled the little fat boy and hurried to the accommodation. The place resembled a much larger quadrangle courtyard. Following the door numbers on the houses, they found Room 7, pushed the door open, and entered.

The room was small, with two small beds and a table. Although simple, it was very clean. After sitting on one of the beds, the little fat boy could no longer hold back and started wailing.

He was only twelve or thirteen years old, and his cries were extremely loud, echoing even outside.

"My father is a wealthy man, and I should be a wealthy man too. I won't be a laborer..." The little fat boy cried bitterly, his body trembling, causing his fat to shake.

"Stop crying. Actually, think about it, this place isn't bad. We are working for immortals, and many people would envy us if they knew." Meng Hao quickly closed the door and tried to comfort him.

"I don't want to work. My family is rich, and... I'm already engaged. The dowry has been paid. My beautiful fiancée will be left a widow..." The little fat boy cried even more bitterly.

Meng Hao's expression was somewhat strange. He thought that the little fat boy, despite his young age, was already engaged, while he, at his age, had never even touched a woman. He couldn't help but feel that being rich was better. The little fat boy's family was wealthy, with no worries about food and clothing, while he was poor, having sold his ancestral home last year and now owing a large debt to Mr. Zhou.

Thinking about the debt, Meng Hao felt relieved. He thought that if Mr. Zhou had the ability, he could come and find him. If not, by the time he left after thirty years, Mr. Zhou would probably be dead.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this place was not bad. He could solve his basic needs without spending money and even get a job worth a hundred gold without doing any work. Especially since this was a place where immortals lived, Meng Hao felt that coming here was a stroke of luck for him.

Annoyed by the little fat boy's crying, Meng Hao picked up the small book from inside the coarse linen robe and sat cross-legged on the bed to read it. Opening the first page, he read the first sentence and was somewhat stunned.

"Man should have a support. For ordinary people, a life of wealth; for cultivators, a life without worries. Join the Mountain Support Sect, and I will be your support." This was the opening statement in the book, signed by the Mountain Support Ancestor.

These few dozen words exuded a sense of indescribable dominance and a nakedly expressed need for support, which made Meng Hao pause. Suddenly, he felt that this statement made a lot of sense.

"The Mountain Support Sect, could this be the true meaning of the sect? To find a support in life, and once you find it, you will have a life of wealth and no worries." The more Meng Hao thought about it, the more he felt that this statement was very correct. Thinking about how he could have avoided failing the exams three times if he had a high official as his support, he felt a growing respect for the Mountain Support Ancestor, whom he had never met. He felt that a door in his life had been slowly opened by this statement.

"In other words, I need to use various methods to find a support for myself in the Mountain Support Sect, so that I can live without worries here." Meng Hao's eyes grew brighter as he continued to read the small book, forgetting the time and the little fat boy's wailing.

By nightfall, the little fat boy, exhausted from crying, had fallen asleep, snoring loudly. Meng Hao reluctantly closed the book, though he looked somewhat tired, his eyes were full of spirit.

"This book is not worth a hundred gold, it's worth a thousand gold!" Meng Hao muttered to himself. For him, who dreamed of becoming a wealthy official, if something could be valued at a thousand gold, it meant that it was almost as important as his life.

Just as he was excited, the little fat boy's snoring suddenly stopped. Meng Hao looked over and saw the little fat boy, still with his eyes closed, sit up from the bed, flailing his arms and muttering.

"Beat you, you stole my bun, I'll bite you, you dare to steal my fiancée." As he spoke, the little fat boy got out of bed and started moving around the room, accidentally bumping into the table. To Meng Hao's surprise, the little fat boy bit the corner of the table, leaving a deep tooth mark, before returning to the bed and falling asleep again, snoring loudly.

Meng Hao watched the little fat boy for a long time, confirming that he had a habit of sleepwalking. He glanced at the corner of the table, feeling that the little fat boy should not be provoked while sleeping. He carefully moved away, lowered his head, and continued to read the book, his excitement growing.

"Ninth level of Qi Condensation, the path of immortals, working for immortals, and being given the opportunity to become an immortal. This is the greatest pay. I don't believe that if I become an immortal, I won't be able to become a wealthy man!" Meng Hao tightly held the book, his eyes shining with intense light. He saw another path for himself beyond studying.

At that moment, the door of the room was suddenly kicked open, and a cold snort echoed into the room.

---

Seeing the comments, I know that Ziyu's child has reached the full moon. I congratulate Yuzu and wish the child to be healthy and a dragon among people!

Additionally, I noticed that some readers have noticed the gourd in the first chapter... Yes, it is an ancient message in a bottle... What is written on the paper inside, hehe, you can guess. If you guess correctly, you get a minor role!

Finally, I still need your support. The number of favorites is low, and the