The Magistrate: Chapter 13 (Patreon)

Short bonus chapter

Chapter 13

Lord Finch

Days flew by as Tobias made plans for the New Year. His position offered him so many opportunities that he could barely keep up. Long days and short nights became his constant companion, leaving him so tired he almost forgot to leave his residence and join the Nang Clan for their New Year Festival celebration.

Tobias sat at the centre of the head table, under a thick cloud ram fleece, sipping plum wine as midnight approached. Uncle Nang and his brothers sat to his left and right, watching their grandchildren's performances. Each one had more than twenty children who had had just as many children. Great-grandchildren were currently having children, so there were almost two thousand celebrating together. The high ki saturation of the sect drastically improved health, extending lives and increasing fertility.

The sect had given the Nang Clans one of the training fields for their celebration, and braziers filled the night, providing light and warmth among the snow. As midnight approached, Tobias absent-mindedly placed his cup on the table, forgetting the golden rule. Guard your cup.

Uncle Nang immediately filled it.

Tobias sighed as he picked it back up. "You're going to get me drunk, Uncle Nang."

The old man chuckled. "Nonsense, Magistrate Finch. You have an open stomach meridian. You're barely tipsy. Drink up."

Tobias chuckled and downed the drink. "You happy now?"

Uncle Nang refilled his cup. "What do you think?"

Tobias laughed again and down the second. "How do you know I haven't cleansed my stomach meridian pathway?"

"When you've watched as many cultivators progress as I have, you can see the signs."

His answer raised Tobias's curiosity. "What signs?"

"Opening your stomach meridian allows you to eat much more than a mortal would, but cleansing your stomach meridian reduces how far your stomach can expand from a meal."

Tobias patted his bulging stomach. "You have betrayed me."

Uncle Nang and his brothers laughed. 

Tobias laughed with them. "Can you all read a cultivator's cultivation at a glance?"

He looked up and down the table, and everyone nodded their heads. Tobias was so surprised that he made the mistake of putting his cup down.

Uncle Nang immediately refilled it.

The midnight fireworks began as he picked it up to guard it from the mischievous man. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the display. Children shouted with excitement as adults smiled. The sect had spared no expense, filling the sky with flowery explosions.

Uncle Nang rose to his feet and bowed deeply. "Uncle Nang greets his Lord."

One by one, his brothers rose to their feet and repeated the greeting.

Tobias then rose to his feet, took a step back, and gave a small bow in return. "Magistrate Finch greets his servants."

The fireworks exploded in the background as their wives rushed forward bearing gifts.

Uncle Nang pointed to the jar of wine his wife held. "My son is the best brewer in our family, and my brothers will agree. My gift is one hundred jars of the plum wine we served you tonight."

Tobias raised his cup and drank. "A wonderful gift."

Uncle Nang's eldest brother beckoned his wife forward. "My daughter-in-law made the spicy pickled cabbage you enjoyed so much. My gift is one hundred jars of what we served you tonight."

The pickled cabbage was similar to Korean kimchi. Eating had brought back happy memories for his first life, and it went exceptionally well with the roast pork belly.

Tobias nodded to the oldest, Uncle Nang. "My belly thanks you."

He laughed in response.

One by one, they offered their gifts, each consisting of one hundred jars of food. There were seasoned roasted walnuts, dried mango, raisins, and sugared oranges. Tobias thanked them individually and made a different comment for each gift before returning to his seat.

Tobias smiled at the fireworks.

As the fireworks ended, the children came alive and began racing to their parents for their gifts. From there, they went to their aunties and uncles before moving on to their grandparents and sometimes their great-grandparents. Tobias made his way to his handcart, loaded with sacks filled with gift pouches, and dragged them back to the table.

Aunty Nang had prepared the pouches at his request. It was traditional for elders to give money to children after midnight, so Tobias was giving each a pair of small copper coins and candied peaches. It was more than he'd ever received, but the Nang family served cultivators and were used to living well. Tobias didn't mind. He needed every one of them to make his ventures work.

Uncle Nang and his brothers chuckled as he waddled back to the head table before pointing out their own handcarts loaded with gifts. They had been blessed with an abundant family, but that meant the New Year Festival was expensive.

As Tobias sat down, the children started to come forward, and he realised the rest of his night was going to be playing Santa. A smile spread across his face as he realised how grateful he was that he could now afford to do that.