Chapter 3: Hometown Hierarchy

One year ago…

Cough, cough, cough…

"Husband, are you alright?" Jon's mother looked worried. "You have been coughing for weeks and it is getting worse each day."

"I am fine," Jon's father replied. "It is just a cough. I will get better soon."

"I think you should take a break from work to rest," Jon's mother advised.

Jon's father shook his head, "My company needs me. I will be fine."

The next day, however, he could not get out of bed.

"What is wrong husband?" Jon's mother was frightened. "You were still up and about yesterday."

His entire face was pale and he could not speak. Jon's mother immediately requested for a doctor to visit their home.

When the doctor arrived and examined Jon's father, he frowned.

"I am sorry but I am not able to treat Master Ye," the doctor shook his head. "Please find another doctor."

"But you are the best doctor in the town," Jon's mother cried. "If you cannot treat him, who can?"

When Jon heard the news related to his father, he was determined to find a cure.

From that day on, he studied several materials related to medicine and visited the forest near his home to look for herbs.

However, he fell further behind in his studies because of it.

"For my father, anything is worth it," Jon cheerfully told himself.

---

Present…

Jon sighed because the nightmare of his father suddenly falling ill had resurfaced in his mind just now.

He gently blew at the bowl of brew he had concocted.

"Have some medicine father," Jon sat by his father's bed and scooped some medicine from the bowl he held in his hand. "Be careful, it is hot."

Cough, cough, cough…

Jon's father took a sip, "Thanks, son. I am so sorry that you have to take care of me instead."

"Please do not say that father," Jon kindly replied as he scoped another spoonful of medicine to feed his father.

His father patted Jon's shoulder and smiled.

"Have you eaten dinner?" Jon's father abruptly asked with a look of concern.

Their family was struggling to make ends meet and putting food on the table had been increasingly difficult.

"I have. Do not worry about me father, I will take care of myself," Jon smiled encouragingly.

His father nodded as he finished the last spoonful of medicine and rested on his bed.

---

Jon's father had been an incredible cultivator who had reached a cultivation level that was unmatched in this hometown.

Being two levels ahead of their hometown's next strongest cultivator, he had been on a path towards greatness.

Although Jon's hometown was the least of the least, his father's capabilities had been on par with that of a cultivator in an average city.

That had been a huge feat as there were little resources in Jon's hometown.

Few people in the town could reach a cultivation level beyond the midway mark of the path to immortality—the highest cultivation level.

Before Jon's father had been struck by a mysterious illness, his family had enjoyed gifts and privileges that many others could not even dream of.

"Master Ye, your family is invited to our exclusive gala."

"Master Ye, please accept these jewels as a token of our appreciation."

However, once his father had fallen ill, the entire hometown no had longer favored his family.

Jon had lost many friends in school and his father had been terminated at work.

To pay for their necessities and medical bills, the family had to sell their assets and move to a much smaller house at a secluded location in their town.

Jon's mother took on various odd jobs to make ends meet.

"Deliver my iron-pressed clothes to me by tomorrow. I want them to be spotless."

"Clean my house and weed my lawn. I want to see my dinner on the table by the time I reach home."

"Waitress, I would like to take my order for my meal."

"Where is the dairy section in this supermarket?"

Since then, Jon's mother arrived home late at night with muscle aches and chapped hands.

However, she could not rest as she still needed to complete household chores and prepare meals.

She was born in an era where females could not receive an education so she could not find a high-paying job.

Although the current society values women more highly, most of the females in Jon's school were from wealthy and powerful families.

---

That night, Jon looked at the items in his backpack. He scrutinized the rainbow-colored spots on the rock and realized they were a moss that possessed a rare quality—teleportation.

Although that quality was present in small amounts, it could be extracted and used to make pills that were worth more than average.

He worked all night to create a suitable environment for the moss on the rock to grow.

He needed to make sure the quantity of the moss was enough for him to easily experiment and concoct the best pill possible.

Without him knowing, he fell asleep.

---

Ring, ring, ring…

The alarm clock in Jon's room rang and he woke up feeling light-headed. He habitually turned the alarm off and prepared for school.

As his mother handed him the last piece of plain bread, he cheerfully said, "I will go to school now! Take care, I will be back as soon as I can."

He waved to his mother and wore his backpack before rushing out of the house.

It was still dark and the streetlights were lit.

Jon used to have a chauffeur to drive him to school.

Now that his family could no longer afford that, he had to get up earlier so that he could reach school on time.

---

Currently, he is at the lowest level of cultivation. While his capabilities were roughly on par with the people of his age, he was clearly not a prodigy or a person with a noble background.

His hometown is strongly hierarchical. A person's cultivation level and skills determined the opportunities granted.

Naturally, the higher a person's capabilities and power, the more privileges they would enjoy.

One could achieve immortality at the highest cultivation level. Needless to say, fame, power, honor—perhaps anything a person could wish for—would be granted.

However, he did not dare to dream of such achievements. At times, he wondered if he could match up to his peers given his family's current predicament.

"I will need to work much harder if I want to have a chance at earning a scholarship and giving them a better life," Jon sighed as he felt immense pressure upon him.

---

More students streamed into school as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Jon tried to find his only remaining friend in school.

"Hey, Mel!" Jon waved and ran towards her.

"Hey Jon, nice hair. Did you get into a fight with a beast again?" said Melissa.

"How did you know?" Jon looked wide-eyed at her. "Is it that obvious?"

Jon self-consciously touched his ombre hair.

"That is just like you," she said as she rolled her big blue eyes. "You probably got into another accident."

"I thought you would be more concerned about me," Jon grumbled.

"You are alive and kicking in front of me now, are you not?" Melissa smirked as she poked Jon in the stomach.

She then turned and walked towards her faculty, "See you outside my classroom during lunch break. It is my treat."

Jon gazed at Melissa's quickly receding shadow, "Sure, do not blame me if I order extras!"

He then took a deep breath and braced himself for another difficult day.