The Magistrate: Chapter 7 (Patreon)

I should have checked the length of these chapters before I started editing and checking the grammar. I didn't realise they averaged more than 4k a pop. Sorry, this is taking all day to post the first 10.

Chapter 7

The Easy Life of a Magistrate

Tobias was out of breath as he reached the top of the Cloud Step. Sweat rolled off his forehead as he held his side, gasping for air. He deeply regretted not bringing more food and water to eat along the way. It would have given him more excuses to rest.

"I thought this was supposed to get easier," Tobais wheezed.

Disciple Wo looked over and smiled. "Eating spirit beast meat and clearing a meridian doesn't help that much unless you train your body."

"It doesn't?"

"No. Why would you think otherwise?"

"You haven't exercised once since we left?"

"I have six open greater body meridians. I still have to push myself for improvements, but I no longer lose the fitness I gain."

Everything Tobias knew about exercise and fitness told him the human body didn't work that way. However, Disciple Wo treated the information so casually that it had to be known by all cultivators. "Really?"

Disciple Wo nodded. "An entire season can pass without me truly pushing myself, but the moment I do, I'm always as capable as before."

Tobias finished catching his breath and straightened his robe before walking to the gate and bowing to Elder Show. "Magistrate Finch greets Elder Show."

Elder Show returned the bow. "You said you would be back fifteen days ago."

"I had a family issue."

"You may enter."

Disciple Wo then bowed. "Outer Disciple Wo greets Elder Show."

Elder Show glared. "Your killing intent has grown. Explain yourself?"

"This one's senior was attacked by bandits while he travelled. This one taught them the error of such a life."

Elder Show glanced at Tobias. "Will you vouch for his claim?"

Tobias nodded. "Outer Disciple Wo killed five of the bandits who murdered my brother and tried to kill us while we travelled the same road. They were killed in combat. The remaining two were executed by my hand after the investigation was completed."

Elder Show bowed. "You have my condolences for your loss."

Tobias returned the bow. "This one thanks the Cloud Sect for avenging his brother."

Elder Show turned to Disciple Wo. "Report to Elder Song. He will teach you to control your killing intent."

Disciple Wo bowed. "This one hears and obeys."

"You may enter."

They both bowed one more time and then walked through the gate. Nothing had changed in the sect while they were gone, but nothing ever would. Cloud Sect went to great lengths to make sure the world within their walls never changed. Aunty Nang had explained that it made it easier for their disciples to forget the world outside and focus on their cultivation.

Tobias wasn't sure if he agreed with this philosophy. There was no sense of urgency with the older disciples, nothing that reminded them that life was short. Many of them plodded through their days when they should have been racing ahead.

The pair quickly made their way through the outer sect to the inner, before arriving at the assignment hall. Tobias needed to check the new assignment requests, and Disciple Wo needed to report in to complete his bodyguard assignment.

They parted ways at the entrance, and Tobias entered his office alone. His mail was waiting for him in the box. He picked it up and took a seat at his desk to sort through it. There were dozens of new assignments. With the change of seasons, different spirit herbs became available, allowing for the creation of new pills and tonics.

Tobias ignored the letter from Lower Magistrate Han until he'd checked everything else. The magistrate's letter accused him of failing to perform his duties. It arrived two weeks after he had left, which demonstrated how lax the man was in fulfilling his duties. Tobias had sent a letter informing him of his absence two days before leaving. That was enough time for him to respond before he left the city.

The letter instructed Tobias to report to Lower Magistrate Han within three days of receiving it. Tobias put the letter aside without concern. He'd already reported his brother's death in writing, and that allowed him sixty days of grief. He'd also fulfilled the state's assignments before leaving, so he'd been within his rights to go. Lower Magistrate Han could curse and accuse, but he couldn't remove him from his position or reprimand him.

Tobias examined the new assignments and listed the best candidates to fulfil them. Disciple Wo would inquire about the resources needed to fulfil these assignments, and then Tobias would plan his attack. While he was making his list, Disciple Wo entered his office.

"Do you need me to do anything?"

Tobias walked over to his shelf and picked up the letters he'd written before leaving, along with the list of people to whom they needed to be delivered. "These people need to know I'm back. I'll have the resources you'll need to source ready for you when you return."

"I'm going to need to take some time off."

Tobias frowned. "Why?"

"Elder Po informed me that my contribution to the sect is too low for an inner disciple position. It's also low for an outer disciple who has received as much assistance as I have?"

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "What assistance?"

"You're assistance."

Tobias paused. "They're holding that against you?"

Disciple Wo shook his head. "If they wanted to hold it against me, Elder Po wouldn't have warned me just now. This was a gentle reminder that I'm supposed to serve the sect."

Tobias sighed.

There was a great deal about the sect that he didn't understand. He thought he was being smart, but in fact, he was causing trouble for his only ally. He owed Disciple Wo. He never would have been able to achieve a perfect record without him.

Tobias pointed to the empty chair on the other side of his desk. "Disciple Wo, could you please explain how a disciple contributes to your sect and how that contribution is balanced against what they receive?"

Disciple Wo nodded and sat. "Outer, inner, and core disciples contribute similarly but are judged differently. To contribute to the sect, we fulfil assignments and receive sect points. These points can be exchanged for resources, pills, personal training, or any other item we need. As an outer disciple, I need to save sect points so that by the end of the year, I have more saved than when I started. It shows I'm not a drain on the sect."

"Are they fixed amounts?"

"Saving five hundred additional sect points is the minimum needed to offset the training the sect offers each year. A thousand is what you need to be in good standing. Two thousand is necessary for a chance at progressing to an inner sect member. Based on what Elder Po told me, I've lost one thousand sect points for using your cultivation chamber."

"I'm sorry about that?"

"Don't be. That's considered cheap for opening a meridian and cleansing your others. The pills and spirit stones I would have needed to acquire for the same results would have cost twice that. All this means is I'll need to budget more appropriately in the future."

Tobias relaxed. "If saving sect points is how outer disciples contribute, how do inner disciples contribute?"

"Inner disciples are encouraged to earn sect points. Instead of saving them, they need to earn more than they did in the previous year. This indicates that they are applying what they've learned and are continuing to grow. Because of this, they tend to grow faster than outer disciples."

"And core disciples."

"Core disciples are judged purely on their cultivation growth. By this stage, they know how to earn sect points and how to save for their larger purchases. This means the sect can leave them to their own devices, and they will continue improving. But becoming a core disciple is as much about sect politics as it is about personal achievements. I'm unlikely to become a core disciple because I chose to serve you over the elders. This isn't a problem because I can become an elder without becoming a core disciple."

Tobias frowned. "How?"

"Anyone who forms a core is promoted to elder. It's recognition that you have stepped off the beaten path of cultivation and onto your own."

"May I ask why you accepted my help instead of an elder's? Your divinity and natural talent are extremely rare."

"You think too much of me. Those who light eight crystals are considered geniuses and destined for greatness. I'm only considered gifted after lighting seven."

"You think too little of yourself."

"Perhaps, but the elders aren't as worried about keeping their gifted disciples alive as they are their geniuses."

Tobias frowned. "Are you sure?"

"They don't intentionally get us killed, but they prefer to take us on their dangerous expeditions over their geniuses. Accidents happen on these expeditions, so half of their gifted disciples don't survive to become core disciples, and a third of those who become core disciples never live long enough to form their core."

"You did your research."

Disciple Wo nodded. "I had to. I'm the son of a merchant who was taught wise investment. My father's number one rule was never to lose money. I've adapted his rules to life in the sect. My number one rule is don't die for rewards, and my number two rule is never be on the losing side of an exchange. You're the safe option. You give me access to something I'll never gain access to on my own, and you're never going to take me on an expedition that will get me killed. I might miss out on the other benefits being sponsored by an elder can bring, but the price of those benefits breaks rule number one, so I'm not interested."

Tobias leaned back in thought. "If that's the case, the wisest time to take advantage of my cultivation chamber would be at the beginning of the year. That would allow you to gather sect points over the year with higher cultivation."

Disciple Wo smiled. "I was thinking the same thing."

***

Lower Magistrate Han made Tobias wait outside his office for most of the day before calling him in to discuss the matter. Tobias had postponed his meeting for the full three days so that the disciples with active assignments could report in. He'd also cleared any quick assignments that had come in, so his current workload was considerably lighter than when he'd first arrived at the sect.

Lower Magistrate Han angrily shoved Tobias's ledger across his desk and into his hands. "Completing your work doesn't free you to abandon your assignment. And it certainly doesn't allow you to leave the city without informing me first. Should this happen again, I'll be writing a formal reprimand. As it stands, the time you were gone will be unpaid."

Tobias bowed, intentionally not pointing out that he had informed him before he left. "This one apologises for his mistakes and thanks Lower Magistrate Han for his leniency."

Tobias suspected Lower Magistrate Han of being behind his predecessor's deaths. The man wanted him to fail his assignment and sought reasons to dismiss him. His prolonged absence was perfectly reasonable and allowed. He also didn't need to inform him because he wasn't directly under him, only under his jurisdiction.

Tobias had informed him anyway, because he suspected something like this would happen, but was worried that he had brought it up. It felt like a trap if he pointed it out, so he played dumb.

Lower Magistrate Han had no justifiable reason to take his salary, and Tobias suspected he was only doing so to get Tobias to file a formal complaint. If the complaint came out in Tobias's favour, which it would, he would receive his salary and a change of assignment.

Tobias was willing to forgo his salary to keep his position. The job was challenging, but the choice cuts of spirit beast meat that Disciple Wo cooked for him more than quadrupled his magistrate salary and were doing a lot to improve his health.

"See that this doesn't happen again," Lower Magistrate Han said. "You are dismissed."

Tobias bowed and left the office. Before leaving the compound, he stopped at the building where his divinity could be tested and checked his progress. The barely perceptible glow was slightly stronger than in the past due to his slightly cleansed stomach meridian.

While he still had no cultivation divinity, if he managed to open more meridians with pills, that would change. With all twelve greater meridians opened, his cultivation divinity would reach two. With the eight greater energy meridians open, he would reach three. After accumulating spiritual energy in his lower, middle, and upper dantians, he would reach four. With a core, he would reach five.

All of that was beyond Tobias's means. The only reason he stopped in was to check his divinity and to see if the spirit beast meat was making a significant difference that he needed to be concerned about.

He was happy to see that it wasn't.

Tobias left the ministry building and decided to explore Cloud City. He hadn't spent any time there and didn't know what was on offer. Unlike other places Tobias had visited, there were no beggars or the impoverished. But neither was there a range of options.

Tobias soon discovered that the city had only three large blacksmith workshops, not dozens. Each one produced goods that weren't for ordinary people. The same was true for every other industry he saw. They mostly seemed to supply the sect because few had storefronts.

Each business had its own attached compound, which housed everyone, making small homes rare. Away from the main streets, Tobias began to notice that many of the compounds were abandoned, giving the impression that the sect was in decline.

He didn't get that impression while in the sect, but it was hard not to notice all the abandoned buildings when he was in the city. Perhaps there was something he was missing. Tobias quickly grew bored of exploring the city and headed for the staircase.

***

Winter came early in the mountains, and Tobias's work fell into an easy rhythm. He no longer employed his frantic pace of completing assignments as quickly as possible, but still worked quickly enough to stay ahead of his workload. By the time the first snow of Winter fell, Tobias had begun fulfilling state assignments as they arrived. From the outside, this made him appear to be doing even less, which made Elder Po look better.

Despite not having assignments, Tobias chose not to close the state assignment office. Instead, he spent his days consulting with disciples and studying the archives. He'd been learning on the job, discovering how to authenticate products as they came in, but he preferred to know in advance.

Browsing the archives taught him a great deal about how Cloud Sect operated and the resources it produced and required. The sect had stagnated due to low chi, Aunty Nang had explained. It was a byproduct of the Great Plague three centuries earlier. This lower chi made it harder for disciples to break through and meant the Cloud Mountains produced fewer resources for their disciples to gather. It led to more risk-taking and significantly more deaths, which was part of the reason most of the city was empty.

Tobias exited the assignment hall archives from his latest study session and walked to his office door to see if anyone was waiting. There was a sign outside stating that he wasn't offering assignments at the moment, so only those who were there to turn in assignments should wait.

An outer disciple, Tobias, didn't recognise who was waiting outside his door. Tobias pointed to the sign. "I'm not offering assignments right now."

The disciple bowed. "Outer Disciple Jhan greets Magistrate Finch and requests to be heard."

The disciple would owe him a favour for taking his time, so Tobias decided to let him in. Since the disciple was forcing himself on him and his time, Tobias didn't offer him a seat. After months of effort, he was beginning to establish the sort of boundaries that others expected him to.

"What do you want?"

The disciple bowed. "This one has been told he needs more sect points to remain an outer disciple. This one is a professional gatherer with many ripe spirit herbs, but no alchemist to trade them to because this one had fallen out of favour."

Tobias held out his hand. "Give me your mark."

Disciple Jhan handed over his mark.

Tobias went to a shelf and retrieved his information artifact. The device allowed him to read the information stored inside a disciple's mark, which told him their history along with what they were qualified to do. He inserted the mark in the impression, and the disciple's qualifications and accomplishments appeared across the copper surface. It was similar to a Kindle from his past life.

Tobias read the information.

Disciple Jhan was twenty-eight years old, with a divinity of five and a talent of three, and had two open greater energies. He was qualified to produce all the spirit herbs needed to make three pills: the stomach meridian opening pill, the general meridian opening pill, and the general cleansing pill. These pills were always in high demand, so every gatherer tried to become qualified to produce their ingredients first.

Tobias had long since acquired what he needed for the season. "I can't help you."

Disciple Jhan's face fell. "You must."

"The state has everything it needs this season."

"I'm sure you could-"

"I can't help you."

Disciple Jhan scowled. "You didn't even hear what I had to say."

"You were going to say I could put out an assignment for next season. I have already done so."

"Then the next season."

"You need better pill bottles to store pills that long, and those aren't within my budget."

Disciple Jhan's anger vanished, and shock took its place. "You've killed me."

"Excuse me?"

The disciple was close to tears. "You were my last option. The only way I can earn enough sect points now is to go deep into the mountains and find rare spirit herbs I can trade to the sect."

Tobias didn't feel at all responsible for the man's situation. "Are you an idiot?" The words were out of Tobias's mouth before he could stop himself.

"You dare!"

Tobias realised his blunder immediately but chose not to take back his words. Instead, he leapt to his feet. "Disciple Jhan, sit down before you say something you will regret!"

The disciple swallowed and meekly took a seat, remembering his place.

"Disciple Jhan, why are you still an outer sect member?"

"This one does not have the divinity or talent to be an inner sect member."

"I can see that in your records. What I am asking is, why are you trying to stay an outer sect member? Two open greater energy meridians is the best someone of your divinity and talent can hope to achieve."

"This one knows that. This one is trying to save to afford the energy meridian opening pills he needs to progress his cultivation."

"You can do that while living in Cloud City."

"This one could not live with the shame."

"What shame? You've lived in the sect and fulfilled your potential. Moving on is the natural progression."

"This one cannot afford it."

His statement surprised Tobias. "What?"

"This one is of low birth."

"My father was a serf, so that excuse means nothing to me. And what does your birth have to do with your inability to afford to live in the city?"

"This one cannot ask his parents to house him. This one has tried."

Tobias was so offended by the man's statement that he picked up his ledger, walked around his desk and brought it down on the disciple's head as hard as he could. "You will kowtow to your parents thrice more at the New Year's Festival for doing something so outrageous! How dare you ask your parents for money when you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I should drag you before the nearest elder for punishment for doing something so shameful."

Disciple Jhan leapt out of his seat and fell to his knees. "Please, don't bring me before the elders. I promise not to do it again."

Tobias stalked back around the desk and glared at the disciple. "How many sect points have you saved this year?"

"This one has saved 857, but this one would have 1200 if he could sell his spirit herbs."

"You have 357 sect points you could have traded in for silver, and you dare ask your parents for money."

"I need those to remain in the sect."

"No, you don't. Outer disciples who live in the city only have to save 500 sect points each year. You have 357 sect points you can convert to silver to pay your way. Now get out of my office with your excuses."

***

Three days later, Tobias checked if anyone was waiting at his door and found a group of three outer disciples he didn't recognise waiting to speak with him. They stood side by side instead of in a line, indicating they were together.

Tobias pointed to the sign. "I'm not giving out assignments today."

The three disciples bowed. "Outer Disciple Quin greets Magistrate Finch and requests an audience."

Tobias glanced at their dirty fingernails and sighed. They were gatherers. They were probably in trouble like the guy from the other day. "Follow me."

They closed the door behind them as Tobias sat at his desk. Again, he didn't invite them to sit. They weren't here for anything official, so they needed to be reminded of their place. Calling on a senior like this was not proper. Coming as a group could even be viewed as intimidation.

Disciple Quin stepped forward and placed a small bottle on the table. It was filled with a stomach meridian cleansing tonic. "Thank you for seeing us."

Calling on a senior with a gift was proper, and coming as a group made perfect sense when you were being so generous.

Tobias smiled and indicated for them to sit. Tobias waited until they were comfortable, but made no move to take the tonic, unsure if it was a bribe he would need to decline. "How can I help you?"

Disciple Quin glanced at the bottle. "Last night, Disciple Jhan informed Elder Togi that he would be leaving the outer sect at the end of this year and ending his time working in his garden. When I confronted him on the matter, he said that you had given him some much-needed advice and that I should seek you out."

"He told me the same, Magistrate Finch," said the disciple to his right. "But he also shared that you were like both of us."

Tobias turned to the other disciple. "You are?"

"Forgive me. Disciple Zixin greets Magistrate Finch."

Tobias glanced at the other disciple.

"Disciple Shen greets Magistrate Finch."

Tobias nodded. "Disciple Zixin, clarify what you mean by like us?"

Disciple Zixin grew bright red. "Disciple Jhan suggested you were of low birth, like us."

Tobias paused. "How low was your standing?"

"Our parents were peasants."

"Have you taken steps to fix this?"

"We have all bought our family's homes in town and apprenticeships for our siblings, but doing more than this is not allowed while you're an outer sect member."

Tobias smiled. "Good." He reached out and took the tonic off his desk. "I take it you want to know what I told Disciple Jhan?"

Disciple Quin nodded.

"Why?"

"We are all suffering from a lack of sect points, but we are curious about what you said to him. He was peaceful, which is not something I've seen from one who must leave the sect in failure."

Tobias pulled out his tablet and held out his hand. "Your marks." Tobias carefully went through their information before turning to Disciple Shen. "You may leave. What I have to say does not apply to you, but if your friends take my advice, they will purchase enough spirit herbs from you that you do not need to be concerned about your sect points."

Disciple Shen frowned but rose to his feet and bowed before leaving.

Disciple Zixin waited until the door had closed. "May I know why Disciple Shen could not stay?"

"He hasn't reached the end of his natural path."

"Natural path?"

"Every disciple can only go so far with their divinity and natural talent for cultivation. Disciple Shen has not reached the point where he can only continue to make progress through taking specific meridian opening and cleansing pills."

Disciple Zixin took a deep breath. "You're claiming you know how far a cultivator's divinity and talent can take us."

Tobias frowned. "Is that so strange?"

"Yes. Can you prove it?"

Tobias picked up Disciple Zixin's mark and added it to the reading tablet. The disciple had a divinity of five, like most disciples. Tobias read through the notes on his progress and his elder's assessment of his talent at cultivation.

"You have no issues opening the twelve greater meridians, or the first of your greater energy meridians, but from there, your progress slowed. The issue wasn't with cleansing your energy meridians, but with opening the next one. By the time you opened your third greater energy meridian, you could no longer understand how it was opened. It came as a surprise. The following two meridians also came as a surprise, but you've had no more surprises in the past decade, and you are trying to open your next energy meridian completely blind."

Disciple Zixin was as white as a sheet. He knew what was in his note, and none of what Tobias had said was spelt out for him to recite it back. "Is there anything I can do to keep progressing?"

"I honestly don't know. I can only tell when someone will stop making progress, not how to help them continue, but I imagine it's not possible without specific energy meridian opening pills."

"If you don't know, then how can you say that?"

"Have you tried other methods for opening your next meridian?"

"Of course."

"Have you sought the advice of those with more skill?"

"I did."

"Then, like everyone else at the end of their natural path, you have tried everything and none of it has worked. The fact that everyone who reaches the end of their natural path does the same suggests that going beyond with your own skill is impossible."

Disciple Quin decided to rejoin the conversation. "Please, do the same for me."

Tobias looked at his mark and then told him what he saw based on the data. His situation was slightly different. He had trouble cleansing his meridians, but the results were still the same.

Disciple Quin nodded. "That's exactly what happened to me. I take it you told Disciple Jhan that he had reached the end of his natural path."

"I told him there is no shame in leaving Cloud Sect when one has reached the natural end of their cultivation path. You should take great pride in reaching the end, fulfilling your potential, and stepping aside for the next generation."

"There is still much we can learn?"

"I'm sure there is, but the basic classes do not cover what you need to learn anymore. You both must pay for individual lessons with sect points, correct?"

They both nodded.

"Then staying in the sect as outer disciples isn't necessary. It's also a burden on the sect as they cannot teach another while you remain."

Disciple Quin frowned. "How are we to survive without the sect's support?"

"You support yourselves. Disciple Jhan knows enough about raising spirit herbs to live as well as a magistrate in the city while saving sect points to purchase the pills he needs. You both know significantly more and could live like nobles."

Disciple Quin shook his head. "We're lowly gatherers. You overestimate our importance."

"Between you both, you're qualified to grow the ingredients for eight different specific meridian opening and cleansing pills. The stomach meridian opening pill is worth more than I make in a year, and that's the least valuable pill you can supply the ingredients for. How many of those pills can you help make each year?"

"Two or three between us."

"Would you be able to supply the spirit herbs for other pills on top of that?"

"Yes."

"Then you might be lowly, but you're also rich."

Disciple Quin frowned. "Cultivators are not supposed to covet money."

"I know. You're supposed to pursue cultivation, but to do so outside the sect, you need to make money to live."

"We don't know how to do that. Our needs are taken care of at the sect."

"Then hire servants to take care of your needs."

"We don't know how to do that."

"You're capable of learning."

"We wouldn't know where to start. Before we came here, we were peasants. The sect taught us to read and write, as well as how to cultivate and grow spirit herbs. We know no other lives except those."

Tobias felt his mouth drop open.

They were powerful cultivators, much stronger than his assistant, but they were as ignorant as his family. They had no idea how to take care of themselves outside of being a cog in a machine. Weirdly, they reminded Tobias of programmers.

"It is my understanding that gatherers care for their own gardens and supply alchemists with herbs from these gardens. You acquire these gardens through trading or searching the Cloud Mountains for wild spirit herbs. Is this correct?"

They both nodded.

"What do you need to maintain these gardens?"

"A chi-rich environment like the Cloud Mountains is enough for mortal and initiate grade herbs, but foundation herbs require a weak ki-gathering array."

"Do you have any foundation herbs?"

They both shook their heads.

"Then all you need is somewhere to live that can supply you with the same support Cloud Sect offers."

"Would you be willing to supply us with such a place?"

Tobias hadn't been offering but considered their request. He didn't know anyone in Cloud City. He could ask around for them, but didn't feel comfortable doing so. He'd end up owing favours. He didn't want to do that for strangers. The other option was hosting them in the city, like they were hosted in the sect. That would involve work, but it would also offer him a steady income stream.

Tobias decided on the spot to look into the matter. This could be an even bigger opportunity than Elder Po's test.

"Are there more gatherers in your position?" Tobias asked. "Setting a place up for the two of you would be more difficult than setting one up for ten."

"There are five hundred gatherers in Cloud Sect currently. I believe close to one hundred are in a similar situation to ours. We'd be more than willing to send them to you for advice if it would help our situation."

Tobias paused. "Does every son or daughter of a peasant end up becoming gatherers?"

Disciple Quin nodded. "The other professions require knowing how to read and write when you begin studying, so most end up as gatherers. The rest take the martial path."

"Come back in three days. I'll investigate how difficult it will be to host you and give you my answer then."

Disciple Quin bowed. "Thank you, Magistrate Finch.

"I'm not making any promises."