Chapter 11: You Are Now Laborers

"Spirit farming is probably the best job you laborers could have hoped for. All you have to do is watch over the spirit rice and work hard during the harvest days each month." Disciple Fanpin said, relishing the control he had over the six laborers. "I still remember when I was a laborer, working as an apprentice to a smith. I had to wake up at the hour of the tiger, before the sun rose. I'd go to sleep at the hour of the dog, long after the sun fell. You don't know how good you have it."Once again, it was Pengzi who spoke up, ruining the plans of everyone else trying to avoid the disciple's attention. "I agree. We'll work hard on the farm.""That's good. Hard work and persistence are the most important virtues of a laborer," Fanpin said. Reaching behind his back, he put his arm into his robes and extracted a small scroll. "This is the Sky Thunder Scripture. It's the official cultivation scripture for the sect. I expect everyone to open their apertures within a month and begin helping on the farm."Pengzi stepped forward to accept the scroll. "Thank you, Senior Fan. If I may, could I know if there are any other laborers at Bright Sun Farm?"The disciple's lips curled downward as he dropped the scroll to the ground before Pengzi reached him."First, it's Disciple Fan, not senior. None of you are disciples yet, only laborers. And second, no. It's only you six. The laborers who came before you have all reached the Water Lung Stage and graduated to outer disciples. That alone should tell you how lucky you were to have been assigned here. Third, the rice matures every month. I'll take care of this month's harvest, but if you're not a cultivator and helping out during the next harvest cycle I'll kick you out of the sect myself. Understood?"The laborers, Pengzi and Xun included, lowered their heads in acceptance."One last thing." Fanpin began to walk away before remembering something. He turned back with a serious look on his face. "None of you are allowed to go beyond the farms and into the forest at the top of the mountain. If you disturb my rest, I'll make sure that you regret it."And with that, their new boss took one last look at his laborers, paused his eyes on Lanhua again, and walked up the small stone path to the top of the mountain.Without Fanpin's presence, the laborers relaxed.Pengzi spun around and addressed the other laborers. "The zhen here is so thick. I feel better just breathing it in.""And it's so pretty," Lanhua commented.And there's so much farmland that we're going to be in the fields from sunrise to sundown, Xun complained to himself. There were enough terraces along the mountain that even a small village's worth of labor would have had a hard time tending to everything."So what cultivation realm do you guys think Senior Zeran is at?" Pengzi asked.The two male laborers edged closer."I think Senior Ze's at least at the Water Lung Stage," the taller of the two said."That's wrong, Wangpan. I heard a rumor that she's actually at the Fire Eyes Stage and about to attempt the Dragon Leap," the shorter of the two said."You're dreaming, Liubo," Wangpan said. "She's so young. If she reaches the Consecration Realm, then she'll be one of the sect's elders.""Is that such a bad thing?" Pengzi asked back.The laborers fell silent."What about Disciple Fanpin?" Lanhua asked. From her tone, it was easy to see that she wasn't a fan of the more aggressive disciple."I'd say he's at the Water Lung level. At most." Wangpan said, a bit of malevolence edging into his voice. "I wonder when I can reach that stage and become an outer disciple.""I'm sure it'll be soon," Pengzi said, carelessly. He then pointed at the largest hut in the village, which sat conveniently near the fire pit at the center of the empty village. "Sister Lan, what do you think about this house? It seems like the best maintained of them all. I think you should take it."Thrust into the spotlight again, Lanhua looked around at the other disciples for any objections. The second female laborer caught her eye and nodded in an almost imperceptible way. Perhaps having needed that extra confirmation, she accepted the offer of superior lodgings. "That sounds good, Brother Peng. I'll accept the house, if no one has any objections. Thank you.""And this house will be mine. There are more than enough huts here that we don't need to fight over them." Pengzi beamed, gesturing to the hut directly next to Lanhua's house."Wait, why should…"Before the other male laborers could object, Pengzi waved the scripture scroll still in his hand, "We should all pick our huts. Then tonight, when we're all settled in, we can study the Sky Thunder Scripture together."It was obvious that Pengzi wanted some time alone with the scripture, and also get on Lanhua's good side as well. Xun couldn't care less. It was highly unlikely that a sect would give their laborers anything better than a Shale tier scripture, and he had more important things to figure out. Before the others broke out into argument, he nodded his head and claimed one of the more isolated huts.