The Magistrate: Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Chapter 4

The Assignment

Before dawn each morning, Aunty Nang woke Tobias. He had breakfast under lamplight and arrived at the state assignment hall before sunrise. He spent his day studying the scrolls he'd been given before wandering to his residence after dark. With each repetition of his new life, his ignorance faded, and he began to understand his new environment.

His assignment was not simple, and the scroll explaining his duties did not provide him with any additional insight beyond outlining what he had to do. It was, in essence, a scroll that told him how to navigate the Dewey Decimal System.

The state requested various items from the sect, and Tobias's job was to distribute the assignments and authenticate the goods that were handed in, so the assignment reward could be paid. There were tonics, pills, spirit herbs, spirit beast meat, spirit stones, cores, ores, and materials of every kind. Tobias could recognise none of them, but the appropriate knowledge to authenticate them was in the assignment hall's archives. He just had to know how to find it.

Late in the afternoon of the tenth day, Elder Po walked into Tobias's office.

Tobias rose and bowed. "Magistrate Finch greets Elder Po."

Elder Po returned the bow with a much shallower one. "Elder Po greets Magistrate Finch. How are your studies coming along?"

"This one is confident he will pass the elder's test."

Elder Po smiled. "We'll see."

It had taken two days for Tobias to realise that he'd been sent on a wild goose chase. The handsome reward he had been offered was not meant to be won. It was meant to incentivise him into action and jumpstart his studies. The information in the three scrolls was simply too extensive for someone his age to learn in that amount of time. He was essentially cramming a year-long course into ten days.

What Elder Po did not know was that this was not the first time Tobias had done that. Becoming a magistrate required constant cramming. The only access he had to the books or scrolls he needed occurred when he wrote something on the board for the following day or when Instructor Yo left his classroom to attend to something. These brief moments were filled with speed reading and forced memorisation as he committed it all to memory to think about later.

Elder Po walked to the desk and placed the test face down. "Please put your scrolls on the shelf."

Tobias picked up the scrolls and put them on the shelf before collecting his inkstone. Elder Po waited while he prepared the ink, placing an hourglass on the table.

When everything was ready, Elder Po flipped the test and the hourglass. "You may begin."

Tobias stamped the top of the paper with his signet ring as he read the first question. It was an etiquette question.

You go to speak with an elder and encounter the elder with a party of outer disciples. How do you react?

The question provided no context for the encounter. Tobias bit his tongue to keep his emotions in check and answered the question five times with context.

If the elder were speaking to the outer disciples, I would bow to the elder and announce myself to them.

If the elder were teaching the outer disciples, I would return later.

If the elder were leading them somewhere and they were part of his entourage, I would bow to the elder and the outer disciples before announcing myself to the elder.

If the elder were not leading them somewhere and they were simply going in the same direction, I would bow to the elder and announce myself to them.

If the elder were disciplining the outer disciples, I would return later.

Having answered the first question, Tobias examined the second and found it just as vague. He answered in the same way as the first. He wrote quickly and concisely, moving through the test as efficiently as possible. When he reached the end, he glanced at the timer. It was still half full. He went through the test again, looking for opportunities to expand his answers.

When he was finally satisfied, there was a little time left. He chose not to use it, but he did move the inkstone to the side of his desk so no accidents could take place, invalidating his exam.

Tobias then lifted his head and bowed to Elder Po. "This one is finished."

Elder Po looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. He didn't say a word as he went through the motions of checking the test. He'd watched Tobias write every answer, so there was no need to check.

He eventually put the test down after painstakingly reviewing everything to see if he could find fault. "You pass." A bottle of pills appeared in his hand, and he placed it on the table beside the test. "Your reward."

Tobias stood and bowed. "Magistrate Finch thanks Elder Po. This one's state assignment hall will be open in a few days, thanks to the elder's largesse. Elder Po can truly inspire a man to perform miracles."

Some of the sourness left Elder Po's face. "Enjoy the fruits of your success," he said, rising to his feet. "But perhaps wait a few days to take the pills. Our disciples will be keeping you busy. It's been months since they had access to state assignments."

"This one can only imagine, Elder Po."

Tobias walked Elder Po to his door and held it open for him, bowing as he left. Tobias then closed the door and walked through the back room, entering the assignment hall archives. He needed to confirm the authenticity of the bottle of pills. He didn't think Elder Po had cheated him, but this was part of his job. The paperwork the elder had filled out to offer the reward had to be stamped and filed with the ministry, and Tobias had to authenticate the pills to do so.

Tobias walked through the archives, following the signs to the section on pills. The section was then divided into types, which were further broken down into even more specific details. Single pills, small bottles containing three pills, and bottles containing ten pills were three different subsections. Each had a sign next to the sub-section.

Tobias read the sign for the bottles of pills.

Bottles of pills require three steps of authentication.

-The bottle preserving the pills must be authenticated.

-The pills must be authenticated.

-The original authenticators of the pills and bottle must be authenticated.

See the scroll behind this sign for more detailed information.

Tobias lifted the sign and pulled out the scroll underneath. It was as thick as the ones he'd spent the last ten days studying, and he wasn't allowed to take it out of the archives. It was a nuisance to have to study here, but it was better than life as a peasant.

Tobias could put up with a lot because of that fact.

Tobias put the scroll back on the shelf and went to get his chair. He wasn't leaving until the pills were authenticated, Elder Po's offer was stamped, and the bottle of pills was ready to be sold to the highest bidder.

***

It took most of the night for Tobias to figure out how to authenticate the pill bottle, contents, and the previous authenticator. It was so close to dawn by then that he decided against leaving. When he wandered into his office, he found Aunty Nang asleep at his desk, wrapped in a blanket, with a cold meal waiting for him.

He gently shook her shoulder. "Aunty, you should be in bed."

Aunty Nang woke with a start and blinked away sleep as she got her bearings. "What was that?"

"You should be in bed."

She scowled at him. "You didn't come home for dinner."

Tobias placed the pill bottle on the table. "I had to authenticate these."

Her eyebrows rose as she saw his prize. "You passed."

"Of course."

She laughed. "Your stomach meridian pathways will be the envy of every outer disciple."

"I intend to sell these."

Her laughter stopped. "Why would you do a foolish thing like that?"

"Chasing cultivation is what got my predecessors executed. The sect is still on edge, and I have no intention of giving them a reason to be concerned. Besides, the money from selling these will be enough to repay my family's debt."

She paused. "Your reasons are not so foolish. May I give you some advice?"

"Always."

"If it's money you are after, those pills will sell for a lot more in the city than they will in the sect."

Tobias frowned. "Why?"

"Silver holds little value to cultivators. Stable cultivation resources, such as your pills, are typically traded for other cultivation resources. The Three Kingdoms' five great clans each have a branch in Cloud City to purchase our excess spirit beast meat, and they will happily buy those pills from you at a premium."

Tobias paused. "Would they be insulted if I made the offer by letter?"

"For something as minor as this, they would be insulted if you arrived at their door. A letter will suffice."

"Good."

Tobias collected paper and began preparing the ink. Under Aunty Nang's direction, he composed a letter to the kingdom's five great clans, something he never thought he would do. It was short and to the point. They were welcome to make an offer on the pills. Whoever made the highest bid would buy them.

Tobias leaned back as he finished his work, letting the ink dry. "My family's debt is on record with the Ministry of Finance. Would you be able to clear it if I approved the transaction?"

Aunty Nang nodded. "If it's on record, I can do so through the sect. I can also have someone deliver them money, though one-fifth will go to those who deliver it."

"Will the money arrive?"

Aunty Nang gave Tobias a not-so-subtle look of disapproval. "Our sect does not take kindly to those who steal from it, and anyone who works with us knows this. Your money will arrive intact."

"Good."

"Do you mean to relocate your family here once their debt is cleared?"

Tobias shook his head. "I have fourteen siblings, and only two are younger than me. Some of the older ones are suited to trades, and others would do well as clerks with a little education. None of them would thrive here, but depending on how much I earn, I'll see what I can do for them."

Aunty Nang began lifting the lids from the meal she'd brought. "You should eat."

Tobias's stomach rumbled its agreement. He picked up the chopsticks and dug in. There was no spirit beast meat with the meal. The lavish spending could only be justified as a means to win the prize. Aunty Nang had been right about the meat. Tobias could breathe much more easily now than he could when he arrived, and he was slightly healthier and more energetic.

The effects of the meat were miraculous, which led Tobias to suspect that it contained several pharmaceutical compounds. The temporary chi could not explain the lasting effects.

When the meal was finished, Aunty Nang took the bowls and the letters and left, promising to send someone with a change of clothes before dawn.   

Tobias walked over to the shelves and collected the previous magistrate's state assignment ledger. He then collected an identical blank book and began preparing his own ledger.

Tobias had learned that some state assignments were time sensitive. Tobias marked any that had passed their completion dates as incomplete and went to find the state request forms to declare them unfulfilled. He then composed a letter explaining the failure and stamped each failed assignment before attaching it to the letter.

The state kept meticulous records, and most of Tobias's job as a magistrate was paperwork. Compared to the back-breaking labour of rice farming, it was a luxurious experience. Once the failed assignments had all been recorded, Tobias began creating his personal assignment ledger, transferring over the assignments that still needed to be handed out, along with those that had been accepted by members of the sect but never finished.

Once that was done, he moved on to the pile of unopened letters in the corner of the room. Each one was opened and read before being added to one of three piles. Once Tobias was finished, he added the items to the failed time-sensitive pile and updated his records. The rest was entered into the ledger based on whether it was time-sensitive.

The state allocated a budget for every assignment to Tobias, using a system called contribution points. The disciple who took his assignments traded these contribution points to the sect for sect points. The sect then traded the contribution points back to the state or other sects to purchase cultivation resources it needed.

It was an inelegant system.

However, any unspent budget was allocated to an account that he could draw upon if he needed to spend more contribution points to fulfil an assignment. With the execution of his predecessor, Tobias sadly had no excess budget to work with.

And it all meant nothing until Tobias could determine the value of the items requested by the state. Without knowing how much he needed to offer for the assignments, he couldn't do his job correctly.

Tobias wrote down the list of items required to fulfil the assignments. Then he went into the archives to find out how much the previous magistrates offered for these items in the past.

He had no intention of failing his new assignment and planned to work as much as he could to catch up on everything he didn't know. With the prize he'd already won and the luxuries that sect provided, his opinion on his current assignment had changed. Yes, it was going to be difficult, but it wouldn't be without its luxuries or rewards. That was more than enough reason to do everything in his power to keep his new position.

***

That night, Tobias had his servants wake him several hours early, so he could fill in some of the gaps in his knowledge. A night without sleep and then only a few hours to recover was terrible for his health, but his ignorance was impairing his ability to perform his duties.

Tobias sat in the large room that overlooked his garden, wrapped up in furs beside burning braziers. Tobias couldn't explain why, but he hated having the doors closed, even when the cold night air of the mountain made his teeth chatter. The room went from a peaceful, relaxing environment to one of discomfort.

Tobias turned to Aunty Nang as she entered. "I'm sorry for waking you so early. Please join me."

Tobias motioned to the cushion and furs.

Aunty Nang walked over and sat, wrapping herself up, as Tobias poured her a large mug of tea. "It is not my place to complain, Magistrate."

Tobias heard the complaint. "This conversation is necessary for me to perform my duties tomorrow. If I had another option, I would have taken it."

Her face softened. "How can I help you?"

"I am ignorant of the cultivation world. I have come across many terms in the sect archives that I do not understand and have no reference for. If I do not understand what I am reading, I cannot understand how to perform my duties."

"This is a delicate subject."

"I have no care for secrets. I only need to understand what the words mean and the concepts behind them."

"I will proceed cautiously then."

Tobias nodded. "What is a spirit herb?"

Her eyes widened.

Tobias smiled. "Yes, I am that ignorant."

Aunty Nang relaxed. "A spirit herb is any plant that is capable of cultivation. Not all of them are useful, but many of them are. Those who care for spirit herbs and help them grow are called gatherers. Like cultivators, these spirit herbs have realms and unique methods of ascension."

Tobias was happy with her response because it answered several of his questions. "What are spirit beasts?"

"They are beasts that can cultivate. Those who raise and care for them are known as tamers. Those who hunt them in the wilds are hunters. They can be strong allies or be used for their materials to grow a cultivator's strength, cleanse meridians, or be turned into pills.

"What are pills and tonics?"

"Tonic are lesser creations made by alchemists who have not reached the initiate realm. They are mixtures of spirit herbs, spirit beast components, or both. They influence a cultivator's growth. Pills have greater effects than tonics and are much more difficult to create, but do not degrade as quickly."

"Do pills and tonics have realms?"

"Pills have realms. Tonics can, but rarely do, as it is considered a waste to make tonics from higher realm spirit herbs or spirit beasts."

"What are array masters and arrays?"

"An array master is one who creates an array. If you indulge me, I will show you an example of an array."

Tobias nodded.

Aunty Nang rose to her feet and collected a lamp, leading Tobias to the back of the property where a small hexagonal brick building sat. She placed a medallion against the door, and Tobias heard a click before she reached for the handle and opened it, showing a well-lit interior.

"Do not step inside the cultivation chamber, Magistrate. The array will consider the action as you entering seclusion and you exiting as leaving, expelling all the chi it has gathered."

 Tobias stepped forward but stayed outside the door, looking inside. He could see elaborate banners hanging from each of the walls and a strange disk secured to the ceiling.

Aunty Nang pointed at the disk. "That is a chi gathering array. Its purpose is to gather chi in this building and hold it there, making it easier for cultivators to cultivate, which is why this is known as a cultivation chamber. There is another barrier array under the floor of the building, which prevents unauthorised entry into the building. The banners on the wall are called array flags and are part of the array. They create the size of the array's influence. A larger building could hold more chi, but it would also take longer for the array to increase the chi saturation."

"Are those flags always necessary?"

"No. Many arrays are built with a specific intention, so they cannot be moved around. The one under the floor is an example of this. This chi gathering array can be adjusted to fit the size of the room, which is why it has flags."

"Are there limits to what arrays can do?"

"I am unsure. I know they can be created to perform techniques, but I do not understand the process. Cloud Sect does not train array masters. We purchase our arrays from the Blue Mountain Sect, Great Clans, or the Imperial Family."

"I thought it strange that the sect archives had a section on their authentication, but my state archives had no mention of them. I must assume that what is in the state archives is the sum of what Cloud Sect produces."

"This is likely the case, Magistrate."

"What are formation experts and formations?"

Aunty Nang closed the door and placed the medallion against it. "Please follow me, Magistrate."

They went back towards the main building but did not enter. Instead, they stood on the veranda.

Aunty Nang pointed at the garden. "This is a formation. The garden has been laid out in a way that gathers chi and creates a sense of peace and relaxation to those who look upon it and sit near it. Everything is placed perfectly to create a balance between the heavens and the mortal world. This can only be achieved because of the high chi saturation in the Cloud Mountains."

"I thought formations had something to do with pill bottles."

"They do. Formation diagrams can also be placed on objects to cause them to have a connection between the heavens and the mortal world. The shape of the object and the material dictate the diagrams and effects. Formations are significantly weaker than arrays or artifacts and much harder to understand, but they don't require significant material costs. Cloud Sect no longer has any formation expert elders, and our understanding is greatly diminished. However, all disciples are taught how to create basic formations."

"Is the formation why I do not like to sit in the viewing room with the doors closed?"

She nodded. "The viewing room is also a formation that is designed to amply the effects of the garden. This creates an uncomfortable feeling when the doors are closed, because it amplifies your emotions instead. The feeling is subtle, but many still find it disturbing."

"I take it that only formations on objects can be appraised."

"A garden like this one can be appraised, but it cannot be transported. You will only see formations on objects while you perform your duties."

Tobias nodded. "Let's head inside."

They returned to the viewing room and sat beside the small fires to warm up, wrapping themselves in furs.

"What are artifacts?"

"Artifacts are similar to arrays, but they can be moved about. They are generally weaker and more specialised. Cloud Sect does not produce many artifacts, and those it does produce are almost exclusively for the sect. Our cloud swords and cloud robes are an example. They are attuned to the sect's techniques and help disciples grow stronger. The information artifact in your state assignment office is another example."

Tobias frowned. "I have an artifact in my office?"

"It looks like a copper plate and is sitting on the shelf behind your desk. When you place a disciple's mark in the indent, you will see their evaluations, accomplishments, and qualifications. It will also direct you to the sect archives where you can find out more about them."

Tobias sat in shock for several moments because it sounded like digital storage. "That will save me a lot of time."

Aunty Nang nodded.

"What are spirit stones?"

"Spirit stones are a physically stable form of raw chi. They can be neutral or elemental and have several uses. They can be used to replenish a cultivator's chi, power arrays, or increase the chi saturation in cultivation chambers. Cloud Sect has several small mines scattered across the Cloud Mountains, but we rarely trade these spirit stones to the state, as they are perfectly suited to the cultivation of our disciples and elders. Do you have any more questions?"

Tobias stifled a yawn. "Yes, I expect we will be here until I leave.

***

As the state liaison, Tobias was allowed to set his schedule. For the next ten days, his office was only open to those with outstanding assignments. However, Tobias made a list of easy time-sensitive assignments and their rewards and pinned it beside his door. So, at the end of the ten days, several dozen additional assignments had been completed.

Tobias carried his recent acquisition, a tray with ten bottles of general meridian cleansing pills, through the assignment hall library to the vault at the back. He placed the tray with the paperwork on the table and pushed it through the gap in the bars to Core Disciple Gui.

Disciple Gui gave him a radiant smile. "Good morning, Magistrate Finch."

"Good morning, Disciple Gui," Tobias replied, trying not to stare.

Moving around after dark meant Tobias hadn't encountered many powerful cultivators or the effects of cultivation had on their looks. Beautiful didn't begin to describe some of the core disciples. The man was so handsome that he was like living art. Every action he took seemed perfectly choreographed. 

Disciple Gui glanced at the tray. "These are fresh."

Tobias raised an eyebrow, keen to learn another way of identifying pill quality. "How can you tell?"

"There is residual chi clinging to the bottles. That sort of thing is only noticeable a few days after you seal them."

The information didn't help Tobias.

He couldn't sense chi.

Disciple Gui read the form and double-checked everything Tobias had done. It wasn't his job to do so, but Tobias was new, and Elder Po wanted things to move quickly and smoothly. So far, Tobias had only made two mistakes.

"These are authentic," Disciple Gui said. "Would you like me to put them in the state's vault?"

Tobias nodded and passed him the vault key.

Disciple Gui stamped his form and handed it back before carrying the pills through the door behind him into the vault. It looked as solemn as any ritual Tobias had ever seen. Disciple Gui unlocked the vault door and entered, placing the pills on the shelf.

The state vault was an artifact that would preserve the pills. Each season in the vault would cause the same deterioration as a day of the pills sitting in a bottle on his desk, which was important because pills did not have a long shelf life, even in a formation-enhanced bottle. The longest they would last outside was three seasons, which was a blink of the eye for cultivators.

Tobias didn't have the only key to the state vault. There were three in total. Elder Po had one, and the sect leader had the other. The keys weren't the security. The sect was. The keys were just a symbol, which was why Tobias wasn't allowed in the vault. The resources he'd gathered for the state over the past ten days were worth more than what he could earn in his lifetime. That sort of wealth was too much temptation for a mere magistrate, but only relatively interesting for a core disciple.

Tobias thought this strange at first until he learned that the majority of the resources the state was after were considered early-stage cultivation resources. The pills and tonics he acquired were for opening and cleansing meridians, either the twelve greater meridians or the eight greater energy meridians. These items, although valuable, were utterly useless to a core disciple who had passed this point.

Disciple Gui closed the vault door and returned the key to Tobias. "I'll see you next time."

Tobias chuckled. "We'll see."

They saw each other almost every thirty minutes, and they both always said the same thing. It had taken Tobias nearly a week to realise that was the other man's idea of a joke. So, he'd started joking back.

He returned his paperwork to his office and filed it before going to the door to see who was waiting to see him next. There was always a line. Those with seniority were always at the front. This time, Tobias spotted someone he recognised.

Disciple Wo stood near the back of the line, waiting to speak with him. Helping the young man skip the line would be a slap in the face to all his seniors, so Tobias thought of something else. "Disciple Wo, why are you waiting in line? I told you I had a job for you. Get in here."

Disciple Wo stepped out of the line and bowed deeply, catching onto the ruse. "This one apologises for his mistake, Magistrate Finch."

Tobias turned to the next in line. "This will only take a moment."

The inner disciple gave a slight bow of acknowledgement. Tobias turned and walked to his desk. He collected a piece of paper, wrote a quick note to Aunty Nang, and then sealed it with his signet ring.

While it was drying, he turned to Disciple Wo. "Do you have any duties today?"

Disciple Wo shook his head. "No, Magistrate Finch."

"Good. Deliver this letter to my residence and do as Aunty Nang tells you."

"Magistrate Finch, I was-"

Tobias's glare stopped the young man from finishing his sentence. He didn't say another word as Tobias folded the letter and handed it to him. He bowed and raced off.

The moment he was gone, Tobias smirked. Disciple Wo would have a very good afternoon, and any favour he owed him would be repaid tenfold.

Tobias got back to work.

As the sun set, he closed up his office and went home early. His usual routine was to stay and study the archives for a few hours, but tonight, he had a guest.

Aunty Nang met him at the gate and did not look happy. "This is not how the sect operates."

"I can't tell if the cultivation chamber is working myself, so it is completely reasonable for me to ask someone else to do it for me."

"That chi gathering array has been gathering chi for over a year. That building is so saturated with chi that the core disciples would fight each other for the chance you offered that boy."

"I didn't owe any of them a favour."

"This isn't a favour. This is buying his allegiance and getting involved in sect politics."

"He's worth it."

Aunty Nang frowned. "How so?"

"He's from a small, successful merchant family, unaffiliated with any noble family. He's also turned down multiple elders' offers to sponsor him. He's completely independent."

"You read his file."

"I'm allowed to."

"Only to perform your job."

"I need an assistant, and they're allowed to be a disciple."

Aunty Nang stopped frowning. "Why him?"

"I owed him a favour, so I owed it to him to check if he was qualified first. He is. I was going to wait a little longer before I approached him, but he showed up at my door this afternoon."

"Now, he's using your cultivation chamber."

"No. He's checking to see if it works for me, something I will need someone to do every season."

Aunty Nang rolled her eyes. "Can I kick him out now?"

"No. Leave him in there, but I want to have breakfast with him and plenty of time to talk."

"You're spoiling him."

"I prefer to think of it as incentivising him."

***

Disciple Wo wore an exhausted grin and a fresh set of robes as he stopped on the veranda outside the room where Tobias was eating a simple breakfast of rice porridge. The young man bowed deeply. "Disciple Wo greets Magistrate Finch," he said enthusiastically, nearly yelling the words.

Tobias returned to bow with a nod. "Does my cultivation chamber work correctly?"

"This one can confirm that it does, Magistrate."

"Good. Checking myself each season would be easier, but my cultivation divinity is so lacking that I can't even sense chi."

Disciple Wo's smile vanished, replaced by a look of pity. "You have my deepest sympathy. This one apologises for bringing up such a painful matter."

Tobias chuckled. "Think nothing of it, but take a seat and eat something. You must be starving."

Disciple Wo quickly sat.

Tobias instructed the servants to come forward, and they placed a table in front of Disciple Wo, complete with bowls, plates, spoons, and chopsticks. Once everything was ready, he instructed them to leave. As they closed the door, Tobias motioned for Disciple Wo to eat.

Based on what Tobias had read, the early stages of cultivation involved opening meridians and purging the contamination from their pathways. This process was metabolically intense and potentially involved some form of intense genetic adaptation along with potential living evolution. Cultivators would lose muscle mass but gain strength, so much so that once all twelve greater meridians were open, they would be twice as strong as a muscular man with supernatural reflexes. These enhancements could be temporarily increased with chi, but did not disappear if the chi was removed.

At Disciple Wo's stage, cultivating was hungry work.

Disciple Wo attacked his meal, shovelling purple rice down his throat as fast as he could swallow it. Any restraint he might have typically shown wasn't enough to overcome his hunger. Tobias didn't comment, as he ate at a more sedate pace, occasionally adding meat to the young man's bowl to encourage him to keep eating.

He was done with his meal long before Disciple Wo, but chose to drink tea in silence instead of making him stop. The memories of the days spent shovelling food into his mouth and sleeping were still fresh.

Eventually, Disciple Wo's frantic pace slowed, and he began to eat more sedately.

Tobias refilled his teacup and took a sip, wishing he had thought ahead to bring his grandpa's tea. "What did you want to speak to me about yesterday?"

Disciple Wo swallowed his mouthful. "I was hoping you would return the favour I did you and share what sort of pills the state needs. I planned to sell the information to the gatherers and alchemists."

Tobias frowned. "That sort of information is valuable?"

"There is a glut of spirit herbs in the sect due to the state assignment office being closed for so long and decades of overproduction. No one knows what's needed, so everything remains far below its usual price. Several alchemists made a significant profit on the first day you opened the assignment hall because they saw the list you posted on the wall before others and bought the herbs they needed before the prices rose."

Tobias filed that information away for later. "Would you still like me to share this information with you?"

Disciple Wo vigorously shook his head as he swallowed his recent mouthful. "This one is so deeply in your debt that he could not bear to accept more from you. The chi in your cultivation chamber was so thick that this one finished fully cleansing his open meridians long before he was asked to leave and successfully opened the lower intestine meridian."

Tobias didn't know enough about cultivation to understand how impressive that was, but he assumed it was. "Congratulations, Disciple Wo."

Disciple Wo blushed. "Thank you, Magistrate Finch."

Tobias figured it was as good a time as any to make his offer. "I require an assistant to help with my duties. Would you be interested?"

Disciple Wo didn't immediately respond. He sat there considering the offer, sneaking glances toward the cultivation chamber and shovelling more food into his mouth. Tobias drank tea while he waited.

"What would being your assistant involve?"

"That depends on how much time you can spare?"

"I've only been a member of the sect for three years, so I have classes in the early morning and training in the late afternoon four days out of five. Before, between, and after my obligations, I'm free. What exactly do you need me to do?"

"I need eyes and ears in the sect, but not every day. Potentially, not every second day, either. Though I would like you to check in with me each morning before dawn."

Disciple Wo pressed his lips together. "I will not spy on the sect for you."

Tobias realised how poorly he'd phrased his request. "I've given you the wrong impression. I don't need you to spy for me. I need you to collect information that I can't collect myself."

"That's the definition of spying."

Tobias chuckled, scratching the back of his head with embarrassment. "I'm doing a rather poor job of explaining your duties. Let me explain more clearly. The particular information I'm interested in is the same as the information you've already supplied to me."

"What information?"

"The fact that the sect has a glut of spirit herbs."

"That doesn't help you. You can't buy them."

"I know that. But those who take my state assignments can."

"How does that help you?"

"The state gives me a budget for each assignment. It is up to me to set the reward for these assignments. If I come in under budget, the remainder goes into a fund that I can use for other assignments where the state hasn't offered me a large enough budget."

A light bulb went on in Disciple Wo's head. "Knowing the state of the sect's resources allows you to set more accurate rewards."

"Exactly. If the sect has a glut of spirit herbs, I can offer slightly lower rewards. I could also have you approach the gatherers with the knowledge that their spirit herbs are about to be worth their usual price, building some goodwill."

"You could also get them to give the alchemists who do your state assignments a small discount for this information. You would still be doing them a favour and one that is far more reasonable."

"See, not spying."

Disciple Wo nodded. "This one apologises for the accusation."

"It was my poor wording that caused the mistake. You have nothing to apologise for."

"Your offer is too favourable for me to accept."

Tobias frowned. "How so?"

"If I understand your unspoken offer, I will anger many disciples if I accept such an easy and lucrative job. Such a reward is reserved for inner or core disciples."

Tobias frowned. "You want more work to even the scales?"

Disciple Wo nodded.

"What skills do you have?"

"I'm talented with a bow and a skilled hunter. Most of my contribution to the sect comes from hunting cloud rams in the mountains during rest days and festivals. I'd be willing to keep you supplied with spirit beast meat and work for you on my rest days. Anything less would cause me trouble."

Tobias realised this would also cause him more trouble. "Supplying me with large quantities of spirit beast meat could be viewed as bribery by the state, with such a loose relationship between us."

"How so?"

"The meat you're offering is worth many times my salary."

"I've no other way to even the scales?"

That was a problem. "Do you know how to cook spirit beast meat?"

Disciple Wo frowned. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Sharing a meal, no matter how lavish, isn't bribery under our laws."

Disciple Wo smirked. "I'd be willing to learn."

"Then the job is yours if you want it."

"Thank you, Magistrate."

"You're welcome. Now go home and get some sleep. I'll have the paperwork ready for you at sunset."