Chapter Text
Nothing in his life had ever gone the way he hoped.
Meng Yao was 15 years old when he was thrown down a flight of stairs at Carp Tower. His mother’s token was grounded to dust by the man she revered, the same man that he too sought the approval of. All of that, gone, before he landed on the first step.
Jin Guangshan had already walked away from the scene by the time Meng Yao’s bruised body finally made it to the bottom steps. He wasn’t unfamiliar with pain, but his entire body ached as he got up, and he knew that the pain would get worse before it got better.
His mother was hoping that he would come back to Yunping with his father’s approval, to finally buy out her contract and get her the medical attention she desperately needed, but all she got was a letter from her son explaining how he wasn’t able to meet with his father yet. A letter filled with lies and false hope. Her situation was delicate, and he didn’t want to cause any undue stress that could exacerbate her illness.
He needed money, and he needed it fast. Becoming a disciple was his best hope, but he didn’t have any ties to a sect other than the Jins, and he doubted any of the closest clans would allow him to join as anything but a servant. Not just because he lacked blood ties, but also talent. His cultivation was meager, and he was getting too old.
But hope was not completely lost. He still had a chance, and he prayed for its success.
After days of travel, he finally stood in front of one of the greatest sects, Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. It was the only place that allowed sons and daughters of servants, and even street children, to join as long as they had a smidge of talent. Many of their Peaks would guarantee a bright future, but there was one Meng Yao wanted to get on more than anything: Qing Jing Peak.
The Peak Lord, Shen Qingqiu, was more infamous than famous, but Meng Yao didn’t care. Qing Jing Peak specialized in the four arts, something he was already talented in thanks to his mother. He would be able to quickly rise to the top due to his skills, and his father would have no choice but to accept him. In the meantime, he would be able to make some money night-hunting that he could send to his mother for treatment.
He made it on time for the disciple selection, so he made his way up the mountain, step by step. The many stairs would have been daunting if not for Meng Yao’s built-up endurance and high tolerance to pain. He made his way to Cang Qiong covered in bruises, so this was barely a hardship.
Other candidates struggled with the many steps, some even giving up. It gave Meng Yao hope. If haughty young masters thought this was too hard, then it increased his chances of getting noticed.
He tried not to feel insecure by the fact that many of the candidates were much younger than he was.
As he made it to the top, he took a moment to take everything in. Here he was, about to be tested in front of distinguished and accomplished immortal cultivators. He breathed in… and breathed out. He released all of his stress and was filled with determination. He could do this; he would be recognized by the Qing Jing Peak Lord. Finally, he took the first step onto the summit of the mountain.
A tired-looking disciple in yellow approached him and asked for his information like his name and background. After that, they directed him to a spot on the mountain and told him to dig a hole. No other instructions, no tools, just him and a hole. The test they gave to potential disciples seemed stupid to someone as lowly as him, but the powerful immortals must have a reason why they did the test this way.
He got to digging. He scooped dirt with his hands at a temperate pace. Not too fast, not too slow. He wanted to make a good impression and show that he was smart enough to not immediately use up all of his stamina.
It was only when his hole got to a decent size that he allowed himself to look up.
Many, if not all of the Peak Lords were in attendance. Some were talking amongst themselves, while others were keeping their eyes on specific children.
He felt one of their eyes piercing right through him.
All on his lonesome and being given a wide berth stood no other than Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu, and he had noticed him. The look he gave Meng Yao was neutral but contemplative.
Meng Yao went back to digging with renewed vigor.
He had done it! He had gotten the attention of the Lord of Qing Jing Peak! He could do this!
He kept digging and digging, and his hole got larger and larger. But as time went by, no one approached him. Soon Peak Lord after Peak Lord began to leave, happy with the disciples they had chosen. Even Shen Qingqiu eventually left. Meng Yao kept digging regardless, out of desperation more than anything else. Maybe he would come back? Maybe this was a test? Maybe he wanted to see if Meng Yao would give up? Maybemaybemaybemaybe-
“Excuse me.”
He allowed himself to stop his frantic digging and looked up. Standing in front of him was the same disciple who took his information. Their hair was in a messy topknot, and they had deep bags under their dull brown eyes. They were taller than him, probably a year or two older.
Why were they talking to him? Did he fail? Were they going to kick him off the mountain?
They fidgeted where they stood. “Um, Shizun said you can come to his Peak. Um, congrats? Sorry, this one usually doesn’t do these kinds of jobs, so, um, please follow me?”
Meng Yao did it, he got accepted. But which Peak had accepted him? Was it Qing Jing?
He got out of the hole and followed the anxious disciple to his new home.
All of the mountains were connected by rainbow bridges. It was beautiful. Disciples were traveling from peak to peak, their uniforms separating them, yet there was still a sense of camaraderie and familiarity. It was exactly as Cang Qiong portrayed itself to be: one big family.
And Meng Yao was a part of it.
Once they made it onto the Peak, Meng Yao was overwhelmed by a flurry of yellow; many disciples running to and from places, carrying scrolls or materials with them. It was like being in a busy city. No one had time to stop or chat, and anyone slacking off was told to get back to work.
He imagined that Qing Jing would be tranquil, not hectic.
Maybe he got accepted by a different Peak Lord. This could be Wan Jian Peak or even Qian Cao. Although he would be disappointed, both were still good choices.
His new shixiong noticed him looking around. “Oh yeah! A tour, this one should do that. Um, well those are the storerooms, which uh, store things. Some will be off-limits to shidi for the time being. They hold dangerous or flammable items, and Shizun does not mess around with them, so only trusted disciples are allowed to manage them. Though this one is sure shidi will get there one day!
“Let’s see, oh, there is the mess hall. Meals are usually taken when the bell is rung, but if a disciple’s schedule overlaps with it, then they are free to ask for food anytime when they’re free. Shidi shouldn’t worry about that yet, he won’t be that busy so soon.
“And here,” they stopped in front of one of the buildings, “is the dormitory. Shidi will sleep here.” They entered the dorms, and Meng Yao followed them inside.
Within the building there were many rooms, one of which contained clean laundry. The disciple picked up a set of robes and handed them to Meng Yao. “This is your new uniform, make sure you treat it well. Shidi will be given laundry duty as all new disciples do. Someone will show you how to clean and fold the robes.
“Feel free to choose one of the empty rooms at the back of the dorms. They are small, but they’re big enough for shidi to sleep and change clothes.”
Meng Yao accepted the new clothes and bowed. “Thank you for the clothes…”
The disciple perked up. “Oh! This one is Xin Qiyuan! Sorry for the late introduction!”
Meng Yao wondered if they were always this nervous. “Thank you, Qiyuan-shixiong. Can you tell your new shidi which Peak accepted him?” He was dying to know.
Xin Qiyuan looked aghast. “Shidi doesn’t know?! Ah! This useless shixiong had forgotten to tell you! Please forgive me!” They looked like they were about to cry. “Shidi is now a disciple of An Ding Peak.”
And with one sentence, all of Meng Yao’s hopes crumbled. An Ding Peak, the one Peak he did not want to be on.
It was rumored to be the Peak of failures. No one chose to be on An Ding. If your cultivation and skills were below average, then you were sent to the servant Peak. The one where all the disciples do are the chores for other more important Peaks.
Meng Yao’s dreams of becoming a great cultivator vanished. If his father was here, he would be laughing at Meng Yao’s folly, probably before throwing him down another flight of stairs for daring to be in his presence.
He should’ve seen this inevitability. He was too old to be a strong cultivator, and he didn’t come from a prominent family. He was mediocre, and that was all he would ever be.
Xin Qiyuan noticed his dejected look. “Ah! Don’t be sad Meng-shidi. Sure, the other Peaks look down on us, but we have each other!” Instead of making him feel better, it only confirmed what he knew. There really was no hope.
He forced himself to smile anyway. “Shidi is sorry for worrying shixiong. This one only had a specific Peak he wanted to get on and was disappointed that he didn’t make it. This shidi is sure he will do just as well here.”
That seemed to appease Xin Qiyuan, so they left him to be after instructing him to get dressed and informing him that the dinner bell would ring soon. Tomorrow, he was expected to start his training.
As soon as Xin Qiyuan left, Meng Yao chose a room and took a minute to sit on his new bed.
Should he just leave? Did he even have a future here?
But if he left, where would he go?
His father wanted nothing to do with him, and his mother would be disappointed in him. He had nothing.
But his mother was still alive, and she needed him.
He couldn’t give up, not yet. Just because he was a disciple of An Ding Peak, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t rise up. Maybe then his skills would be recognized by another Peak Lord, maybe even Shen Qingqiu.
He put on his new robes. Yellow, not quite gold. He felt like a poor imitation of a Jin.
He ignored that thought and headed to the mess hall as he heard the dinner bell rung.
This was just the start; he was far from giving up just yet.
oOoOo
Life as an An Ding disciple wasn’t easy. From the moment he woke to the moment his head hit the pillow, there was work to be done. Sword training, core building, lessons, laundry, his days were packed full. If he had free time, then he trained or did some extra work for money. He wasn’t ready to go on night hunts yet, but he could be put to work in the kitchens.
Meals were kept short so that more work could be done. The only exception was when Xin Qiyuan was around, then they shared their meals together.
Meng Yao got along well with the other new disciples, but he was older and more mature, so he felt a distance from them.
Xin Qiyuan was the only person he would say he truly got along with. They knew a lot about the Peak and answered any questions he had without judgment.
They were also on track to be head disciple. He saw how some of the other older disciples looked at them, with envy. Those shixiongs would dump their work onto Xin Qiyuan, telling them that they should be prepared for when Shizun made it official.
Xin Qiyuan, bless their heart, never said a word about it. They got the work done efficiently, which only built more ire amount the shixiong.
If Xin Qiyuan really wanted to be head disciple, then they shouldn’t let themself be bullied like that. They really needed to learn to stand up for themself.
Meng Yao helped them out when they were given more work than they could reasonably do. It allowed himself to get closer to the future head disciple, and it showed them that he was capable. It was the best way to rise to the top.
Plus, he liked Xin Qiyuan.
He hoped that they wouldn’t hate him after he usurped their position. It would only be temporary, just until he got accepted into another Peak!
Maybe they would accept that excuse.
While many disciples were friendly or neutral towards him, some despised him. Disciples from prominent families who could sniff out those who didn’t come from money, people like Meng Yao.
Most An Ding disciples kept their heads down, but not Meng Yao. That eventually made him a target for those higher-born disciples.
They would sabotage his chores or ‘accidentally’ hurt him during training. Petty bullying, but Meng Yao knew it would only get worse. The hall monitors said nothing about the obvious harassment, probably because if they did, they risked offending some very well-off families. Meng Yao was just a sacrificial lamb.
He certainly felt like prey when said bullies caught him training on an isolated part of the Peak.
Their leader, Ruan Fuze, had his underlings hold Meng Yao back as he slowly approached him like some shitty villain from one of the spring books he had read. His robes were immaculate, unlike all other disciples. Meng Yao heard that he made his lackeys do all his chores.
Keeping up his performance as a shitty porn villain, Ruan Fuze tsked three times. Meng Yao wanted to roll his eyes.
“A-Yao, A-Yao, we can’t have disciples like you sullying the good name of An Ding Peak. This shixiong was informed that our little shidi has been sending money to a brothel of all places! Not only do you bring shame to our Peak, but it’s sad that you think any amount of money could make a woman want to sleep with you!” His goons laughed as Meng Yao’s face lit up in humiliation and anger. Ruan Fuze had someone trace his mail just to harass him.
One of his minions spoke up. “Shixiong, this one heard that shidi’s mother is an ‘entertainer’ according to his records! Was that what A-Yao was doing? Sending money to your whore mommy?” They laughed louder.
When he was originally asked about his background, Meng Yao knew he couldn’t tell the truth, but he also couldn’t exactly lie in case they looked into it. He kept his mother’s job as vague as he could.
He never thought someone would go through his records and trace his mail. To go so far just to bully him was going too far.
He struggled in the other disciples’ grasp. He didn’t think the bullying was going to get this bad as fast as it did, and he knew things were only going to get worse.
Ruan Fuze punched him in the stomach. “What does A-Yao think he’s doing? Your shixiongs are still speaking.”
Meng Yao was beginning to get desperate. He knew the bullies weren’t just going to let him get away with just a few little scrapes. He needed to fight off the two holding him and get away. But there were too many surrounding him, and he still wasn’t properly trained. He was stuck, unable to do anything on his own.
He let go of what remained of his pride and called for help. “Help! Someone, please! Help me!”
One of the disciples holding him back painfully slapped a hand onto his mouth, muffling his screams.
Ruan Fuze smirked. “Who is going to help you, shidi? The whores are too far to hear you scream.” He brought his fist back, preparing to punch him. Meng Yao closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
“HEY! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL DOING?!” A voice screamed at them.
Ruan Fuze’s smirk dropped and suddenly all his shixiongs pushed away from him, but they didn’t run away.
A short man approached them. His hair was put up in what looked like a messy bun rather than the usual topknot. The bags under his eyes were deeper than anyone else’s on the Peak.
“Shizun! These disciples are sorry for disturbing you!” Ruan Fuze and his underlings gave a deep bow.
So, this was his Shizun, Shang Qinghua. Meng Yao never got a glimpse of him before today. He was super busy and often left the Peak on errands. Meng Yao didn’t remember seeing him at the disciple picking, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he overlooked him. He didn’t look like anything exceptional.
The man had his hands on his hips and was tapping a foot like he was an annoyed auntie. “Disturbing me? Of course, you’re disturbing me! Why are you fighting!? This master does not tolerate foolishness that disturbs the workflow of this Peak! If you have so much time picking on each other, then this master is happy to give you all more chores!”
Ruan Fuze got a word in before Meng Yao could tell his side of the story. “Shizun, these disciples were worried about their new shidi. Apparently, he was raised in a brothel! We fear he may do inappropriate things to us in our sleep. We cannot share a dorm with him!” The other disciples nodded along.
Shizun only looked bored at the explanation. “Is this so? Well then, this master will see that something gets done about that. You-,” he pointed at Meng Yao, -“follow me to the Leisure House.
Ruan Fuze and his cronies snickered silently as he followed Shizun. Dread filled his stomach. Was it already over? Were his days as a cultivator numbered?
Shizun guided him into the Leisure House and Meng Yao was taken aback by how messy and disorganized it was. You would think the person in charge of logistics would have a neater office.
Shizun sat at his desk and gestured for Meng Yao to sit across from him. On top of the desk was a steaming teapot, which had some important-looking documents beneath it. When he was told that cultivators lived dangerously, he didn’t think they meant it like this.
Shizun looked at the pot and then back at Meng Yao, and he quickly realized what he should be doing and poured Shizun a cup of tea. He tried not to tremble as Shizun brought the cup to his lips, still waiting to be informed of his fate.
“So,” Shizun started, “you were raised by a sex worker, correct?”
Meng Yao nodded. “Yes, Shizun.”
Shizun thought for a moment. “This master has seen your work, and Meng Yao’s calligraphy shows that he was previously educated on the matter. Tell me, who taught you how to read and write?”
Meng Yao gritted his teeth. “My mother, Shizun.”
Prostitutes weren’t usually educated, and his mother wasn’t treated any better for it. Most of the other prostitutes and even some clients thought she should ‘know her place’.
Shizun would either not believe him, or he would think the same.
He chose a third option. “Fascinating. And just to be clear, she is the sex worker? This isn’t some two-mother situation?”
Meng Yao had no idea where this was going. What did this have to do with his sleeping arrangements and his place on the sect? “Yes Shizun, this one only has only the one mother.”
Shizun tapped his desk. “Well then, this master thinks we should go on a trip!”
Meng Yao was not following. “Sorry Shizun, but this disciple does not know what you mean.”
Shizun abruptly stood up from his desk. “Arrange for a carriage, tomorrow we are going to the brothel where your mother works.”
Meng Yao also stood up, disregarding all propriety, “But why?!”
“Why?” Shizun childishly tilted his head. “To buy her contract, of course. That is why Meng Yao has been sending her money, correct?” No, it was to ensure her continued existence due to her frail body and deteriorating condition! “She can work here! This master already has a job in mind for her!”
Meng Yao’s jaw dropped. Shizun wanted to buy out a whore just so he had someone he could easily fuck at the sect?! How shameless was this man?!
He clenched his hands, but he didn’t speak up and call out his Shizun. They really needed the money, and he doubted his father was going to free her any time soon. But still, it was one prison to another. Would his mother even accept this?
He would need to talk to her before Shizun did. It would mean telling her the truth of what happened at Carp Tower, but Meng Yao would rather her be alive even if it meant she would be disappointed with him.
He would follow Shizun’s plans, just for now. “Where will this disciple sleep for the night? His shixiong made it quite clear that this one is no longer welcomed in the dorms.”
“Oh yeah, this master nearly forgot. Meng Yao can sleep in the head disciple’s dorm. It’s still empty, so feel free to make use of it.”
Meng Yao was stunned. “But I’m not the head disciple.”
“Right,” Shizun mumbled as if that thought never occurred to him. Shizun approached Meng Yao and tapped his shoulders in a ceremonial-like way. “Congratulations, you are now the head disciple!”
“I’m- What?!” Shizun had to be insane. The man made no sense! How did he become Peak Lord in the first place?!
“This master will go over your responsibilities when we get back. For now, just know that you will be in charge of the other disciples' responsibilities. Remember not to abuse that power, especially on those who bully you.” His master winked as if telling him to go ahead and abuse his new authority. “Now shoo, shoo! This master has plenty of work to do, and so do you!” He was promptly kicked out of the Leisure House.
Of all the ways he expected that discussion to go, he would never have guessed he would come out with a new title and more authority.
But instead of being proud of his achievement, he felt sick to the stomach. Did he just sell his mother for a better position in the sect?