Chapter 127: Qi Part 3: Yes Ma'am!

At the top of the Fire Peak Mountain. Elder Xie was chugging a pitcher of fruit juice while watching her last disciple practicing his sweeping techniques on the mountain stairs. With no alcohol to drink, she was feeling increasingly bored and so, she decided to laze around chugging fruit juice and snacking on whatever treats her new inner disciple prepared for her, while watching his ongoings.

Since, every disciple except for him was either kicked off the mountain or killed, Chi Ken has had significantly less work to do as of late. That said, it is still a colossal undertaking for one man to do every day. He has to clean all the mountains facilities, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, for the elder, do the dishes and manage the sect finances. There is also a new task he has been doing for the last couple of days.

*Bang*

"LET ME THROUGH! YOU INGRATE!"

And that is being a human punching bag for his former senior inner disciple Feng. Every day he would try to sneak up the mountain to enter the elder's residence, and everyday Chi Ken would find him and block him from entering. Whether he climbed the stairs, the walls, through buildings and hidden passages, he would eventually find him and block his path with his body.

Chi Ken was currently in the qi refinement stage, while Feng was a golden core when he was kicked out. That would normally mean he could easily just push Chi Ken out of the way.

*Bang*Bang*

But no matter how many times he punched and kicked him.

*Bang*Bang*

No matter how many times he clawed and bit.

*Bang*BOOM*

Or even when he used his qi techniques.

"DAMN IT! HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL STANDING?!"

He couldn't make the guy move an inch. It should be impossible for him to be standing after a full barrage of attacks from a cultivator of a higher realm, especially when he refused to dodge or deflect the attacks, taking them head on. Yet here he was, standing silently blocking Feng's path, without a word of complaint or a grunt of pain leaving his mouth.

"Enough of this!"

*Boom*

Feng had just used his qi to create an explosion that kicked up a dust cloud. Then, he moved using blaze step footwork to try and run past him, using the dust cloud as a smokescreen. However.

*Thud*

"Ouch! HOW?!"

Despite his efforts, Chi Ken had still managed to predict his path and moved to block it with his body, causing Feng to slam right into him before falling backwards. Despite taking countless attacks head on, every day! He never once raised his hand against the man. And the fire elder was watching this from atop the mountain stairs.

"Hehe! The kid's got grit for day's I'll give him that much!" She muttered to herself as she threw a grape into her mouth.

"Junior! Please listen to me! I just want to take my belongings with me before I go! Please I implore you to move aside!"

"I AM SORRY SIR. FENG, BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES BY THE ORDER OF MISS XIE XIU! IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN, I COULD BRING YOU THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN QUESTION!"

"THEN BRING ME MY SWORD AND COIN PURSE!"

"I APOLOGIZE, BUT ACCORDING TO SECT RECORDS, BOTH YOUR SWORD AND MONEY WAS BORROWED BY THE SECT AND IS NOT TECHNICALLY YOUR BELONGINGS!"

"SHUT UP! YOU BASTARD!"

*Boom*

This would repeat every day until Feng tired out and left in frustration. He has been camping at the foot of the mountain ever since he got kicked out by the sect elder, a few weeks ago. He has been stealing the food and water from the bottom kitchen to survive while sleeping in one of the run-down huts for outer disciples. Ever since he started camping there, Chi Ken has neglected to restock or clean those facilities, in hopes that it would deter him once he ran out of food. However, that plan was still about a month away, seeing as there was still a fair amount of it left even after the strike of the late disciples.

"Had a rough day?" the fire elder asked as battered and burned Chi Ken walked up the mountain steps.

"NO MA'AM! I WILL GET STARTED ON LUNCH SHORTLY! SORRY FOR THE DELAY!" He shouted as he was about to run off to the kitchen when she stopped him.

"Little chicken. I wanted to ask you. Why are you here exactly?"

"I AM SORRY MA'AM! I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR WORDS!"

"I'm asking why you joined the qi sect?"

"OH! IT'S BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SECT'S ON THE CONTINENT!"

"Oh! So, it's fame and power you want? Then why haven't you left yet? By now you surely realize you won't find any of that at my branch. You'd be better off leaving for another branch of the sect! Take your stuff and leave by tomorrow!"

"NO, MA'AM! I REFUSE!"

"What?" The fire elder said, as she started feeling her mood sour from his refusal.

Ever since the burning of her disciples a few weeks ago he has been nothing but a yes-man, which is part of the reason why she has been tolerating his obnoxious shouting every day. She was about to pull out her wooden sword as he continued.

"IN MY EYES, THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE IN THIS SECT I WOULD RATHER BE! SO, IF YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST!" He said while fiery passion burned in his eyes.

"Ugh! Fine! Do whatever, just stop spitting in my face!"

As Chi Ken held his little speech he had walked right up to her to stare her directly in the eyes. Unfortunately, that meant he was also spraying her face with saliva every time he flapped his gums.

"SORRY MA'AM!" He yelled in her face, giving her one final spray of spit before running off to the kitchen.

"Ack! Ptooey! I got some in my mouth! Gross!" She said as she used her sleeve to wipe her face.

"At least I'm not so bored anymore! Hehe!" She muttered as she walked towards the mansion

"Hm? Is he?"

...

In the qi sect's fire peak mountain. A certain red-haired sect elder was observing her last remaining disciple as he did all his chores.

"Hey, kid! Get over here!"

"RIGHT AWAY, MA'AM!" Chi Ken shouted as he dropped the broom he was holding and came running down the hall to the sober middle-aged woman.

"INNER DISCI- *muffled shouting*"

"Quiet down!" She said as she covered his mouth with her hand.

"You really need to learn not to shout indoors!"

*muffled shouting*

"*Sigh* Whatever. I just wanted to know what stage you are in?"

*Muffled shouting*

"I'm going to let go of your mouth now and if you start shouting in my face, then I'm booting you out of the sect! You understand?"

Chi Ken nodded his head in response.

"Good! Now speak!" She spoke before removing her hand.

"I! I mean! I am in the qi refinement stage, ma'am!" He stuttered out, as he struggled to contain his voice.

"Qi refinement? Not, golden core?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Then how come you haven't run out of energy yet?"

"I prepare a day's worth of dry rations in the morning that I can eat while working to save some time, ma'am!"

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm asking why you haven't run out of qi by now without a core?"

A cultivation core is considered to be the heart of a cultivator. It helps control and maintain a cultivator's qi-flow, while also being a sort of factory that generates more qi over time. A cultivator in the qi-refinement stage, while not incapable of utilizing their qi, have a finite amount they can use. Though they can't generate more qi on their own like those in the golden core, there are ways to replenish their qi over a long period of time, but that is only if they don't completely run out. Should this ever happen, though there are exceptions, most would be unable to recover and their cultivation journey would end there.

"Oh! So, the great lady noticed I have been using qi techniques while doing my chores! As expected of-!"

"Cut the flattery and get to the damn point!"

"… Okay!" Chi Ken said as he looked visibly dejected.

"I am constantly cultivating ma'am!"

"What do you mean by that? Hey, why are you taking off your shirt? What is that?"

Chi Ken started stripping off his upper garments, revealing a belt holding a low-grade magic stone wrapped around his abdomen.

"I have been constantly absorbing the energy of my surroundings to replenish my qi, but cleaning the whole mountain was still a bit too much. So, I have been using my allotted cultivation resources as the only disciple in order to keep up!"

"Wait, hold on a second! You're saying you have been constantly absorbing the energy of magic stones to replenish your qi?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"When? I've watched your daily routine, and not once have I seen you stop to meditate!"

If a cultivator needs to replenish their qi quickly, they usually need to sit down and meditate as they focus on absorbing the external elemental energies in the environment. The reason why they have to sit down is because the process of producing qi is very delicate and can harm the body should anything disturb it. If for example a person while replenishing their qi, a drop of it temporarily formed around the joint of a finger, and let's say that person, while having that small drop of qi, they suddenly twitched that finger. In such a scenario, that tiny little muscle spasm could trigger an explosion that could sever that finger. That is why it is important for a cultivator to relax their body when recovering their energy, as well as why they form pre-set pathways within their bodies for which their qi to flow without harming themselves.

"I have been meditating while doing my chores, ma'am!"

"What? Could you say that again? I think all you're shouting has damaged my ears!"

"I HAVE BEEN MEDITATING WHILE DOING MY CHORES, MA'AM!"

*Bang*

"Are you insane? And I told you to stop shouting!" She said as she bonked him on the head so hard he cracked the wooden flooring he was standing on.

"OUCH, MA'AM! I mean! Ouch, ma'am!" He corrected himself.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with fire! What in the heavens made you think risking your life on some dumb chores was a good idea?"

"I was taught to work as efficiently as possible regardless of risk, ma'am!"

"I don't think they meant for you to risk your life over nothing! I mean what would your parents think if they found out their son died cleaning the toilets?"

"They wouldn't care, ma'am!"

"Seriously? First that kill your enemy's thing and now this! What kind of spartan upbringing did you have kid?"

"…"

"*sigh* I forbid you from using your qi to do your chores!"

"But-!"

"That is an order from your elder! Now get to work and bring me some more fruit juice!" She spoke before leaving.

...

The Day after Chi Ken was scolded by the elder

"CHICKEN! GET THE HELL OVER HERE! NOW! CHICKEN!!" The elder screamed from her room.

"YES, MA'AM!" He arrived.

"Where is my sword?"

"IT IS THERE. MA'AM!" Chi ken shouted as he pointed at the wooden practice sword hung up on the wall.

*Bang*

"STOP SHOUTING! AND THAT'S NOT THE SWORD I'M TALKING ABOUT!" She screamed as she punched him so hard he flew through the wall.

"Then I do not know what sword you are talking about, ma'am!"

"I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SWORD I HID UNDER MY BED! NOW COUGH IT UP!" She screamed as she lifted him up by the collar.

"I am sorry, ma'am! But I haven't been in your room since yesterday!"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP AND HAND IT OVER! YOU'RE THE ONLY OTHER PERSON HERE! IF YOU DIDN'T TAKE IT THEN WHO-!"

*Thud*

"THAT BASTARD!" She screamed after dropping her disciple on the ground and sprinted towards the only other man on the mountain.

*Smash*

"FENG YOU BASTARD! GIVE ME BACK MY SWORD! Hm?" The elder screamed as she smashed down the door to the hut her ex-disciple had been staying in. Only to be greeted by an empty room

*Huff**puff*

"Little chicken! Where is that ingrate Feng?" She asked her only remaining disciple as he was rushing towards her.

"Ah! Well, he left the mountain after he broke into the mansion this morning!"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but he overpowered me!"

"BULLSHIT! I'VE SEEN YOU STOP HIM EVERY DAY FOR WEEKS NOW!"

"Ah! Well, I am ashamed to admit it, but I lacked the power to stop him without my qi!"

"THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING-!" She froze midsentence as she remembered her orders from the day before.

"Little chicken! No, rather, little dumbass! Did you let that ingrate beat you up and steal my most prized possession because I told you not to use your qi?" She said with an ominous smile as she grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Yes, ma'am!" He said while saluting

"I have been doing my best to follow your commaaaaaaAAAAAHHHH!" He started screaming as she started crushing his shoulders.