The Magistrate: Chapter 18 (Patreon)

Chapter 18

The Owner's Daughter

Tobias spent the next ten days working his way through the assignment hall archives, studying everything he could to make sure he kept his assignment. Elder Tan didn't bring up their conversation or who she had spoken to. Tobias knew things tended to move slowly in sects, so she might not have mentioned the equations to anyone yet. Tobias let the matter rest as it wasn't a major concern to him.

Mist Sect didn't have hunting grounds like Cloud Sect, so their list of resources Tobias had to learn to authenticate was much shorter than at Cloud Sect. What they did have a lot of were spirit water and spirit stones. Learning their grades and quality took time. Both were easily authenticated if you could sense chi, but Tobias couldn't, so his method for measuring quality was much more convoluted and time-consuming.

As the sun began to set, Tobias exited the sect and walked over to Disciple Xi and Wo. Disciple Xi's bad feeling hadn't gone away, so outside the sect, he always remained by Tobias's side. His assistants fell in beside him as he walked through the gate, and then the three of them began their evening stroll back to the inn.

Tobias tucked his arms behind his back and let his body relax. "What are talismans?"

Disciple Wo looked over. "They're stored techniques written with specially prepared ink on specially prepared spirit beast hide."

"So, they're like artifacts and array?"

Disciple Xi shook his head and reached into his robe, holding out a yellow piece of hide that was paper-thin and covered in intricate diagrams written in red ink. "This is a protective talisman. It can block incoming arrows and initiate realm techniques. However, every morning I must charge it with chi so that it can maintain this property. Each time I charge it, or it is triggered, it will degrade slightly, until it one day bursts into flames."

"Why doesn't Cloud Sect make them?"

"We used to, but we no longer have the materials to produce foundation realm inks. The spirit herbs that produced them were consumed in the Great Plague, and the sect never found replacements that could survive in the mountains. The art became less popular after that, and the last elder who taught the art died during a tribulation a century ago."

Disciple Xi put the talisman away as three of them began to cross the bridge, watching the sunset in the distance. The beauty of the view and the peacefulness of the journey were why they no longer took the rickshaw. It was a good way to end their day.

Disciple Wo suddenly jumped with excitement.

Tobias glanced in his direction. "What?"

"I just remembered the local House of Sound is hosting an audition night. I've been told we will be able to get in without an invitation."

The House of Sound was renowned throughout the Three Kingdoms for having the finest musicians and the most influential guests. Having an open invitation to go whenever you liked was highly sought after. Tobias didn't have that. Tobias didn't know anyone who had that. But a chance to hear their music intrigued him.

"Sounds like fun."

***

The House of Sound served good wine and average tea. Auditioners were allowed fifteen minutes to showcase their talent before another took their place, which varied from artist to artist. Tobias and his companions sat on the lowest floor at a table to the side with a clear view of the stage. They had spent several hours listening and watching the musicians perform, but as the evening grew late, Disciple Xi began to wince.

Tobias finally noticed and turned to his assistant. "Is there a problem?"

Disciple Xi sighed. "This musician is a mortal."

Tobias didn't get it. "Why's that an issue?"

"My cultivation prevents me from enjoying mortal music. I hear every minor mistake she makes like it's a breaking string."

Tobias turned to Disciple Wo. "Do you have the same issue?"

Disciple Wo finished his tea before nodding. "To a lesser degree. I'm still enjoying her performance, but less so than the previous performers."

Tobias glanced at the stage. "None of these performers have reached the initiate realm. How can the difference be great enough for you to notice?"

Disciple Xi sipped his tea. "The difference comes from the skill these musicians possessed before they became cultivators. Mastery of a mortal talent before embarking on the path of cultivation enables you to surpass mortal limits, refining your talent in tandem with your cultivation. The actions you take in the first few years as a cultivator are very formative to who you will become."

"I didn't know that."

Disciple Xi chuckled. "Forgive me, but that is an amusing statement to hear from a magistrate."

"Why?"

"Magistrates become cultivators so they can grow the mortal talents of their profession. Your statement suggests you had no idea why you were a cultivator."

Tobias nodded that this was true. "I assumed it was tied to status."

"It is, but it is also to improve your effectiveness as a magistrate. You're open stomach meridians change you in ways that make you better at your job."

Tobias paused, connecting their conversation to an odd habit he had seen Disciple Xi display. "Is this why you're so picky with your food? Can you taste imperfections the same way you hear them?"

Disciple Xi nodded. "The further you walk the path of cultivation, the further you walk away from mortal vices. Food, wine, and women lose their appeal when you cannot help but see every imperfection."

Tobias scoffed. "It can't be that bad. I've seen how much you eat."

Disciple Xi chuckled. "The fumes from my work dull my sense of smell and taste. They do nothing for my hearing."

"Do you want us to leave?"

He shook his head. "You can stay. I will go first."

"You don't have to."

"This is a rare opportunity and should be savoured. The restaurant across the road is open. I will wait there and look forward to entering the core realm."

"Why? Won't that make your problem worse?"

"No. Core realm cultivators have complete control over their bodies. They can dull or heighten their senses and any of their natural urges. It will allow me to once again enjoy many mortal pleasures that I no longer can."

Disciple Xi rose to his feet and made his way to the door. An hour later, Disciple Wo left when he began having the same issues. Tobias stayed. He had no problem with the musicians' music and enjoyed what he heard. It also reminded him of his old life and the simple comforts he still missed.

Living in Manhattan meant you were never far from musicals, plays, orchestras, musicians, or comedians. Tobias had spent many Friday nights attending shows with his wife and children, so they could all rave about the experience together over the weekend. Sitting here listening to music reminded him of those simpler times.

He had grieved for his family as a newborn. He had cried himself to sleep because he would never see them again. Each time his mother had held him gently, singing softly and doing anything she could to make him better.

After sixteen years, Tobias had made peace with their absences and in moments like this, when he thought of them, he remembered them fondly, without the bitter longing that had once been his existence.

Shortly after Disciple Wo left, a lone young woman stopped at Tobias's table and sat without an invitation. She was a few years older than Tobias, nineteen maybe twenty, but she was more beautiful than any mortal woman Tobias had ever seen. She was even more beautiful than the women in Mist Sect.

Her delicate ears enhanced the beauty of her nose, which in turn enhanced the vibrancy of her green eyes. Her hair reminded Tobias of midnight wave, each strand thinner than any he had seen, but there were so many that they rippled as she moved. Her robe was elegant yet sturdy, but her posture showed training. She was from the highest caste, Tobias guessed, but the low end of it, based on her dress.

Throughout the evening, musicians had been introducing themselves to different patrons on the higher floors. They were seeking wealthy backers who would help them expand their cultivation and enhance their performance. The young woman beside Tobias hadn't performed, but her fingers showed the right sort of calluses for a musician, which meant she likely wasn't some sort of escort.

Tobias chose not to acknowledge her presence. He had no interest in giving money away by sponsoring a musician, no matter how gorgeous she might be.

As the silence stretched while they waited for another performance, she began to smile. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Tobias turned to his uninvited guest. "Should I?"

"Yes. My father owns this establishment."

Tobias immediately bowed at the waist. "I apologise for my lack of manners. Based on your hands, I mistook you for a musician looking for a patron."

She smiled, breaking many rules of etiquette among strangers. "I am a musician, so your assumption was partially correct."

"I'm sorry if I have given any offence."

"No offence was taken. How are you enjoying your evening?"

Tobias returned her smile, breaking more rules of etiquette. "I have learned why the House of Sound is held in such high regard. My evening has been most enjoyable."

 "I'm glad we've been able to entertain you and your guests. I'm only sorry that they did not get to hear a true performance."

Tobias thought he heard an offer, so he accepted it. "If you are inviting us to return, I would not turn down such an offer."

"Then I will see you tomorrow night. I'm Xu Ling."

"Tobias Finch, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

They fell silent, watching the rest of the performance, before speaking again when the musician walked offstage and was replaced by another. Xu Ling commented on each musician, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses that Tobias overlooked. She understood music on a much deeper level than anyone he had met and enjoyed sharing what she knew. She remained with him the rest of the night, claiming she was happy to be chatting with someone her own age.

***

Xu Ling gave Tobias an easy smile as he walked through the door the following evening. "Welcome to the House of Sound, Magistrate Finch."

Tobias returned the smile. After he realised she wasn't after his patronage, he thoroughly enjoyed her company. By the end of the night, he had dropped many of the social walls society usually required, treating her like an old friend. It made him feel like himself, not the man he pretended to be.

Tobias turned to his companions. "Xu Ling, let me introduce you to my assistants. This is Inner Disciple Xi and Outer Disciple Wo from Cloud Sect. They are grateful for the invitation."

The two men smiled as they bowed together. 

Xu Ling returned their bows. "It is our honour to entertain you this evening. Follow me. I've prepared a table on the third floor." She turned and shot Tobias a dirty look. "Had I known the sort of friends you have last night or the connections you have with the Great Clans, I would not have left you stranded on the ground floor."

"I quite like sitting closer to the stage," Tobias replied. "And I've never been a fan of stairs."

"The sound arrays are stronger on the higher floors, so the musical experience is better, even if the view isn't. But you can sit where you like. My father will have to glare at me as he watches you sit on the ground floor."

Tobias chuckled. "I'm sure you exaggerate."

"Only a little. Word of your Winter auction has spread throughout the state. My father could charge three times his normal rate for the tables next to yours."

"So, he'll be glaring at you because he can't charge my neighbours on the third floor more."

"Yes. Thoughts of how large a dowery he will have to give to marry off such a wilful daughter keep him up at night, so he is distraught whenever he can't earn more."

Tobias laughed. "I suppose I can help him by sitting on the third floor, then."

Xu Ling rolled her eyes and led them to the same table they had sat at the previous night. "You need to be less accommodating. Sitting here will force him to extend an open invitation for you to return. Those invitations only allow you to be seated on the second and third floors, which will allow him to charge more for sitting near you."

"You have your father wrapped around your little finger, don't you?"

She grinned. "I would never claim such a thing. My father is a very astute man." She motioned for them to sit. "Please enjoy your evening."

Xu Ling left as they sat, and a waiter came over to take their order.

As the waiter walked off, Disciple Wo turned to Tobias. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"It's called flirting," Disciple Xi replied.

"I know what flirting is," Disciple Wo said.

"Then why ask the question?"

"Because I clearly wanted to know why he's flirting with the owner's daughter, stop pretending to be dense."

Disciple Xi smirked. "I think he finds her interesting."

"Obviously, but how did he build such rapport with her so quickly?"

"He obviously flirted very well. Perhaps it is one of his many talents."

"The fact that his yang energy is still intact would suggest otherwise."

Cultivators could sense if other cultivators had had sex and who they had slept with, Tobias had learned. It was one of the many reasons their society was so rigid.

Tobias chuckled. "Your lack of faith in me is noted. However, Xu Ling and I just enjoy each other's company. There was no flirting."

"I'm just confused by how you pulled it off," Disciple Wo said, ignoring Tobias's claim.

Disciple Xi shook his head. "He doesn't know what you're talking about. He can't sense her cultivation. All he sees is a woman beautiful enough to one day be a fairy."

Disciple Wo froze. "He doesn't know."

"He has no clue."

"No wonder he's not intimidated."

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "What am I missing?"

"Xu Ling is a prodigy. Her divinity is so immense that we can actually sense it. It's like sitting in the shadow of a core realm beast."

Tobias raised his eyebrow further before turning to look at Xu Ling. Besides her exceptional beauty and easy-going manner, nothing about her seemed different to any other mortal he had met. Tobias couldn't see anything to suggest that her divinity exceeded The Three Kingdoms' ability to test. "How rare are prodigies?"

"I've seen four during my time," Disciple Xi replied. "They all became elders within two years. One of them went on an expedition and got themselves killed. The others died due to chi deviation while forming additional layers for their core."

Xu Ling caught Tobias looking at her and smiled before walking over. "Is there a problem?"

Tobias chuckled. "My companions just informed me that you're a prodigy and are beside themselves with curiosity as to why you would give someone like myself even a moment of attention."

Disciple Wo's mouth dropped open at how direct Tobias had been.

Xu Ling laughed. "I'm a charitable soul."

"And you like to upset your father," Tobias added.

She gave him a fake, shocked look. "How would talking to a mere magistrate upset my father?"

"Talking wouldn't bother him, but spending the entire evening with him, inviting him back the following night, and then crossing the room to speak to him just because he looks your way will send his heart racing."

Xu Ling blushed. "I'm sure my father will appreciate your sympathy."

"Is it sympathy when these actions are actively encouraged?"

"No. That's a desperate cry for attention."

Tobias threw his head back and laughed. Xu Ling quickly joined him, laughing with a big smile on her face. Her laughter snapped Disciple Wo out of his shock, and he chuckled while shaking his head.

Disciple Xi sat there with an amused look on his face, in the way that only a cultivator who saw the world differently from mortals could.

Tobias eventually regained control of himself. "If you would like to upset your father more, feel free to join us."

Xu Ling motioned for Tobias to move over and sat next to him, where she could see the stage. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do this properly."

Tobias nodded. "Scandalous."

Xu Ling tried to give a solemn nod but wound up giggling.

Disciple Wo shook his head. "You know this right here could be why we both had impressions that you were destined to die on this trip."

Tobias froze. "You think?"

Xu Ling lost her humour and turned to look at him. "You're fated to die?"

"So, my assistants keep telling me."

She turned to Disciple Xi with an entirely businesslike expression. All her former playfulness was gone. "You sensed his passing?"

Disciple Xi nodded. "The threat remains. Could it be your father?"

Xu Ling shook her head. "My father brought me to Mist City so I could find a husband free from the influence of the Great Clans. After what he learned today, he supports my pursuit of Magistrate Finch. The threat you sense isn't him, but it could be them."

Tobias wasn't interested in marrying Xu Ling. She was far too young. However, he was interested in spending time with anyone who could hold an intelligent conversation where he did not have to abide by the social norms of this world. It reminded him of what it was like to be with his grandpa.

Disciple Xi nodded. "You would be worth more to them than the pills Magistrate Finch sells. They would be willing to kill him to remove him as a candidate."

Tobias watched Xu Ling with interest. Her switch from playful to professional intrigued him. Her wordplay and insights hinted at her intelligence, but this was showing it more clearly.

Xu Ling turned to Tobias, clearly conflicted. "I should go."

"Tired of me already?"

She started to rise and froze before folding back into her seat. "Fine. Perhaps my next suitor will be more careful."

Tobias chuckled. "You'll be able to tell him the last man who didn't listen to your advice died, so you have that to look forward to."

Xu Ling giggled. "You know I'm really going to miss you."

The entire table erupted in laughter.

***

The following evening, Tobias was sitting at a table on the third floor when a woman in a violet robe, wearing too much makeup, climbed the steps to the upper floor and began speaking with the other guests. Tobias watched, silently evaluating her cultivation, just as Uncle Nang had taught him. She had her greater body and energy meridians open. However, Tobias saw no sign of sect affiliation or ease of movement that would indicate martial training. Yet, she moved with a grace that he'd never seen before.

She went around the entire floor before stopping at his table and bowing. "Welcome to the House of Sound, Magistrate Finch. I am the head musician here in Mist City, Mistress Ying. How are you enjoying your evening?"

Tobias returned the bow without rising from his seat. "I find myself both at peace and entertained."

Xu Ling sat beside him, glaring at the performer. Tobias wasn't sure if she hated the woman or if the woman was doing something she didn't want. Mistress Ying clearly wanted to talk business, which made Tobias think that Xu Ling's attitude was more directed towards the woman's actions.

 Tobias indicated the empty spot across from him. "Would you care to join us, Mistress Ying?"

Xu Ling sighed.

Mistress Yang smiled as she quickly yet elegantly folded into the empty spot as if she feared he would withdraw the request. "Thank you for the invitation."

"I noticed you know who I am."

"Your reputation precedes you, Magistrate Finch."

"I have a reputation?"

"Yes. You are known as a man who can acquire what others cannot. News of your recent auction to the Great Clans has spread through the state. Many like myself would be interested in receiving such an invitation if they only knew how to acquire one."

Tobias considered her statement. It wasn't unreasonable for her to have heard about him through certain channels if she were interested in cultivation resources. Selling so many cultivation pills for silver had turned many heads. It was meant to. However, he doubted that she would approach him due to her own interests. This was likely being prompted by Xu Ling's father.

"If I gave out the criteria invitation to everyone, it would defeat the purpose of holding a private auction."

"I take it you do not know who I am. Perhaps we should speak once you are more aware of your surroundings."

"It won't change anything, Mistress Ying. The only requirements for receiving an invitation to the auction are the wealth to purchase my most expensive items and the power to protect the goods you buy."

She frowned as she reached for the wine. Tobias leaned forward and took the bottle to pour her a cup, playing the part of the host.

She tossed back the wine and sighed. "I heard you had individual silver-grade pills at your auction."

"And gold."

"I wanted to speak with you about them because I was hoping you were interested in selling those pills to the highest bidder. Your criteria for entry into your auction tell me that you're not. They're a bonus for attending the auction."

Tobias nodded.

"You don't know who I am, but you've estimated my master's means and determined I do not fit your criteria. You weren't being rude. You were trying to politely inform me he couldn't afford to attend your auctions after my rude request. And then I forced the matter." She rose to her feet. "I am sorry for disturbing your evening, Magistrate Finch."

Tobias watched her hurry to the staircase. "I take it your father was curious about the auction."

Xu Ling continued to glare at the retreating musician. "I told him I refused to bring it up."

"Are you planning to marry me and then charge him double for attending?"

Xu Ling had been very clear about her intentions. Tobias tried to avoid the subject as much as possible, and when he couldn't, he attempted to make it a joke. He wasn't entirely sure what she was into him. She was beyond beautiful, and he was as ugly as dirt. Their conversations were fun, and they certainly enjoyed each other's company, but they were more like good friends than two people seeking a romantic partner.

Xu Ling giggled. "That's not a terrible idea, but I didn't want to bring it up, because if he could attend, he would want to talk to you, and if you talked, we would have to be formally recognised as courting. I like not having a chaperone."

Tobias looked over the balcony to where Disciple Xi and Wo sat on the floor below. "We are certainly having a lot more fun than we could with someone looking over your shoulder and glaring at me for everything I say."

Xu Ling nodded. "You were talking about your family before we were interrupted."

"No, I was trying to avoid the subject due to their low station."

"For someone avoiding the subject, you don't sound ashamed of your low birth."

"I'm not. It does make things difficult, though. My family and I do not have much in common. It will take several years to educate them into something I can introduce without jeopardising my credibility."

"Only fools will judge you by your family instead of your personal accomplishments."

Tobias smiled. "Sadly, fools are all too common."

Xu Ling grinned. "That is a problem. Your question."

"Why don't you cultivate? I'm told you could be in the core realm by now."

"I don't want to be the matriarch of my family."

"Ah. That makes sense."

The state automatically awarded core realm cultivators who weren't members of a sect a noble title and made them form a clan. If Xu Ling's family didn't have any core realm cultivators, her family to the third generation would immediately come under her authority.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm going to cultivate. But after I get married."

"So, you'll force my family to be subservient instead of yours."

Xu Ling paused. "It's not a perfect solution."

"Have you considered the fact that you'll outlive me by centuries?"

Xu Ling smirked. "I'll remember you fondly."

"Well, that's all right then. Your question."

Her smirk turned into a soft, almost worried smile. "If I asked you to do everything you could to live as long as I will, would you?"

Tobias considered the question and then answered honestly. "The burden of a long life is not something that one should accept lightly. I have a friend who has lived many centuries. He has watched generations of his family be born, grow old, and then pass, only for the cycle to repeat itself. He has experienced more loss than anyone I know. He carries the burden well, but I'm not sure I could do the same. I'm honestly unsure how I feel about outliving my parents and siblings by centuries. The chance to see more is appealing, but the cost is a price I'm not sure I'm willing to pay."

Xu Ling's face fell. "I didn't think about it that way." Her shoulders slumped. "Do you think I'll remember their faces or will the memory fade?"

Tobias shrugged. "I'm told you remember their faces. That, as a cultivator of such power, it is impossible to forget."

"How do cultivators do it?"

"You've never asked your father?"

The man was a foundation realm cultivator like Disciple Xi. Tobias knew he had been around since before the Great Plague.

"He does not talk about it because it reminds him of my mother."

Xu Ling had told him she had died giving birth to her.

Tobias sighed. "From what I've seen, many begin distancing themselves from the ones they love before they lose them. They try to live a life detached from the mortal world, so they don't suffer the heartache of their passing. The noble clans do the opposite. They try to pull their families up with them."

"I'll take the second option."

"Noble clans tend to not go as far with their cultivation as sect cultivators."

Xu Ling shrugged. "If I have to choose between being a lonely immortal or spending an extra century with my father, I know which one I will choose."

Tobias smiled. "If we're bringing our families, I would try my best to live as long as you do."

Xu Ling returned his smile with a larger one.