The Magistrate: Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Chapter 22

The Woman With The Knife

Tobias woke to the sound of Disciple Xi exploding through his bedroom wall and the sight of one of the innkeeper's servants kneeling over him with a dagger above her head, preparing to plunge it through his heart. Disciple Xi's sword burst from her throat, severing her spine and causing a light spray of blood to coat Tobais's face. He caught her body before she fell, yanked his sword free, and tossed the body aside, so he could scan the room for threats.

Tobias lay there for several seconds, mind plagued by sleep, trying to process what was happening and work out if he was awake or dreaming. The copper taste of her blood on his dry tongue finally convinced him he wasn't asleep. He wiped the blood from his face with his blanket and then turned to Disciple Xi as reality caught up with him.

The man was looming over him, scanning the room for threats.

Tobias swallowed. "It would appear you saved my life."

Disciple Xi didn't look down. "The feeling that your life hangs in the balance hasn't gone."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't be grateful. Thank you for saving my life."

Disciple Wo rushed into the room wearing his small clothes and carrying his bow. "What happened?"

"A mortal assassin just tried to kill Magistrate Finch. Get dressed and collect the body. We need to move him to a safe location and then find out who's trying to kill him."

Disciple Wo raced from the room.

Tobias threw himself out of bed and began to pack, his mind going into overdrive. It had been over a month since the martial disciples had returned from their assignment, and this was the first indication that he was going to receive payback.

Tobias glanced at the assassin's body, looking at her face as a pool of blood spread across the floor. She was a new hire. She'd only been here for ten days, from what he could remember.

"Was she mortal?" Tobias asked.

"Yes. If she were suppressing her cultivation, she wouldn't have died so effortlessly."

Tobias knew tricking cultivators was not easy. She had to have intentionally blended in to get so close. Tobias immediately dismissed the notion that she wasn't a professional, which meant this was a planned assassination.

Tobias had already considered the option and had made mental plans for this outcome.

No blood pounded in Tobias's ears, and his hands were bone dry. However, his mind was moving a mile a minute, and he felt like he could see more details in the room around him than he usually would. He recognised that he was in some sort of hyper-aware state and decided to use it before it faded.

"Where are we going?" Tobias asked as he tossed things into his travel chest.

"Mist Sect. They'll provide us with an escort so we can return to Cloud City."

Tobias dismissed the suggestion. "No."

"It's no longer safe for you to stay here."

"It's probably not safe to go to the sect either. If I were planning an assassination with a mortal, I would include a backup plan for if my first attempt failed. I might even use them to draw my target out into the open."

Disciple Xi frowned. "That's not unreasonable. If you're correct, we'll be attacked on the way to the sect. We'll also likely be attacked if we leave the city. We could head to the ministry."

Tobias considered that option and then shook his head. "The ministry can't provide enough security, and it's too far." They needed a safe alternative. "We'll go to the House of Sound. It has the highest concentration of cultivators outside the sect, and it's close."

Tobias stopped packing and began stripping out of his sleepwear to throw on his magistrate robes.

Disciple Xi scowled. "This isn't the time to worry about appearances."

"You say that, but I might be meeting my future father-in-law," Tobias joked. "Turning up at his door, because assassins might be trying to kill me, is a bad first impression. Turning up poorly dressed is even worse."

Disciple Xi shook his head as he continued to survey the room and listen for threats. "What's the actual reason?"

"A magistrate only has their legal authority while correctly attired. He would have grounds to refuse our request."

"You don't trust he'll help."

"I've never met the man, only seen him from across the room, so I don't want to take any chances."

Tobias was almost dressed by the time Disciple Wo returned. He asked him to finish packing his things for him. Disciple Wo took a moment to get Disciple Xi's permission and then did as he was asked.

 Four minutes after the attack, they were out of the inn and hurrying through the early morning streets, followed by the owner of the inn and his eldest son, who were carrying the woman's body and two servants who were carrying Tobias's luggage. Tobias didn't want her to disappear, and he didn't want anyone poisoning his clothes. They needed to find out who she was and where she came from without taking unnecessary risks.

The innkeeper and his son panted as they jogged behind the three men, not used to doing heavy lifting like the two servants. The owner didn't complain or slow down. He was willing to do anything to remain in Tobias's good graces. Tobias could have them executed for almost being assassinated under their roof.

Disciple Wo kept his bow ready for the entire three-minute journey to the House of Sound, relying on Disciple Xi's heightened senses for an early warning.

No one attacked them.

In the predawn light, Tobias knocked on the door at the back of the House of Sound. Xu Ling had told him that she lived with her father in the lower apartment out back, so he shouldn't visit unless he was formally going to approach her father about courting.

A few moments passed as the knock faded, and then a servant opened the door and bowed. "Can I help you, Magistrate?"

"I am Senior Magistrate Finch, state liaison to Cloud Sect, temporary state liaison to Mist Sect, and I come before you, requesting your master's protection."

A second later, a man who looked a lot like Xu Ling appeared at the door. He was incredibly handsome with a face that would make most women swoon. He carried a sheathed short sword in his hand but remained calm. "I am Xu Feng, master of the House of Sound, Senior Magistrate Finch. My family is always willing to shelter a lawful magistrate in need of protection?"

Tobias caught the man's unspoken request for clarity and motioned to the body the owner of the inn was carrying. "There has been an attempt on my life at the inn where I was staying. I'm not certain that it is safe for me to make my way to Mist Sect, the ministry building, or leave the city. There may be other assassins waiting for me."

Xu Feng nodded. "You wish to use my home as a secure location so you can send for assistance."

"I do."

He smiled. "A wise decision. Come in. You can leave the body and your luggage at the entrance. I'm sure my daughter is wondering why I dashed away from breakfast."

Tobias entered and then motioned for the innkeeper and his son to place the body inside. "There will be an investigation into the attempt on my life. Let me assure you that you and your family will not be sent to the questioners. I do not believe you or your family were a part of the attempt on my life in any capacity. However, polite questions will be asked of you and your staff. I expect you to give them your full co-operation."

The innkeeper burst into tears as he placed the body on the ground and then fell to his knees, kissing the hem of Tobias's robe. "Thank you, Magistrate Finch. Your mercy will not be forgotten."

Xu Feng frowned. "Is that wise?"

Tobias nodded. "They aren't suspects. The assassin started working ten days ago. To the best of my knowledge, she has done an exceptional job since she started. She gave no indication of what she planned, and the innkeeper and his family were as ignorant of her intentions as I and my assistants were."

Xu Feng nodded. "You seem to have thought this through."

"This is not my first investigation, and I've been preparing for this."

Tobias sent the innkeeper and his son and their servants on their way before following Xu Feng down the wide, ornate hallway to a set of open double doors.          

They entered a relaxed entrance, passed through a reception room designed for hosting guests, and then arrived at the apartment. It was nothing like Tobias had expected. It was almost modern in design.

There was a central living area surrounded by many rooms. Xu Ling was sitting in the middle of the room at a table with messy hair and sleepy eyes. She wore an old, rumpled dress, and part of her breakfast had been caught on the corner of her mouth.

Her face first lit up with excitement when she spotted Tobias, assuming he had come to officially begin courting her. Then horror replaced that excitement as she realised the state of her appearance.

Xu Feng smirked as he walked toward the table, obviously enjoying winding his daughter up as much as she did him. "Please join us for breakfast, Magistrate Finch. Your assistants are welcome as well."

Tobias chose to stop at the table and bow to Xu Ling. "Magistrate Finch greets the daughter of Xu Feng, whose beauty and ability to store food on her face is known the world over."

Xu Feng snorted as Tobias wiped the corner of his mouth.

Xu Ling picked up her napkin and wiped away the food, turning a brighter shade of red. "You should have told me you were coming."

Tobias took a seat next to her as servants came forward with more bowls and food. "I would have warned you, but I didn't know someone was going to try to assassinate me this morning."

Xu Ling sat there, shocked. Her usual playfulness was completely gone, along with her excitement.

Xu Feng glanced across the table. "How would you like to deal with this situation, Magistrate?"

Tobias held up his senior magistrate mark. "Have one of your servants take this to the Elder Lin, the Gatekeeper of Mist Sect and tell her that I'm suffering from the consequences of my actions and staying with you. She will send someone to fetch me."

"You don't want them to tell her what happened?"

"That will only scare your servant. They will be looking over their shoulder and drawing attention to themselves, and we don't want that. It will only put them in danger."

"That's simple enough."

Tobias reached across the table and offered Xu Feng his magistrate mark. Xu Feng rose and left the room to pass the message along to one of his servants.

If they didn't draw attention, it was unlikely they would put themselves in danger, so Tobias didn't feel bad about sending them. They would be one of many faces moving through the streets.

Xu Ling finally snapped out of her shock. "Someone tried to kill you."

Tobias raised his tea to Disciple Xi in a salute. "They would have succeeded, too, if Disciple Xi hadn't saved me. Thank you again, Disciple Xi."

Disciple Xi smiled, finally relaxing now that there were more cultivators to guard the man he was trying to protect. "You're welcome, Magistrate Finch."

Xu Ling grabbed Tobias's shoulder and began examining his body frantically, touching him inappropriately. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Disciple Xi stopped her before she managed to stab me."

Xu Ling's grip tightened around his arm. "What was a woman doing in your room first thing in the morning?"

Tobias knew that tone and had no time for it. "Trying to kill me obviously."

Xu Ling didn't let go. "Really."

"Yes. She got a job at the inn I was staying at ten days ago. The innkeeper asked her last night to wake the guests at dawn, so Disciple Xi didn't suspect anything until he heard her draw her knife."

Disciple Xi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't tell you that."

"I'm assuming that's what happened. Am I correct?"

"Yes, on all accounts. How did you know?"

"One must assume when they have cultivators as bodyguards that any assassination would have to be planned around their abilities. She didn't attack me the first morning, so that means she knew of your abilities and was waiting for an opportunity to present itself. That only happened this morning, so it likely means that last night she was told that she would have to wake the guests before dawn."

Xu Ling finally let go. "How are you so calm?"

"I'm likely in shock."

Xu Ling poured him another cup of tea. "Drink."

Tobias did as he was told.

Xu Ling turned to his assistants. "How could you let this happen?"

Tobias came to their defence. "They didn't let anything happen. They did their job."

"An assassin should have never gotten into your room."

"Perhaps if I had private accommodation, that would be true, but I've been staying at a public inn."

"Not anymore."

Xu Feng walked back into the room. "Are you inviting the man you're obviously not courting to stay with us?"

Xu Ling glared at her father. "Yes. We have spare rooms."

Xu Feng sighed. "I suppose since you're not courting and have no interest in courting him that isn't unreasonable or improper."

Xu Ling stood up and began marching away.

"Where are you going?"

"To learn how to cultivate," she shouted angrily.

"Why the sudden interest?"

"Someone has to keep him alive."

Xu Ling slid open a door and then slammed it closed behind her.

Xu Feng turned to Tobias, looking happier than Tobias had ever seen him. "You seem to be a positive influence on my daughter. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. That invitation extends to your assistants as well, unless you're planning to leave the city once this matter is settled."

Tobias sipped his tea. "I think I'll stay a little bit longer."

"For the company?"

"More to figure out how to make sure this doesn't happen again, but the company isn't bad either."

***

Despite the assassination attempt, Mist Sect wasn't willing to let him stay with them. Lower Magistrate Yun lacked sufficient security to protect him from angry cultivators, so Tobias was essentially trapped in Xu Feng's apartment until the matter was resolved. It wasn't the worst outcome. Xu Feng was a good host and could supply plenty of entertainment. 

Late that evening, the two of them lay relaxing in the living room alone, listening to yet another musician play. Xu Feng knew how to mix business and pleasure. Tobias couldn't hear the musician's mistakes, but after each piece, Xu Feng made gentle corrections.

Xu Feng turned to him as the final musician walked off. "I assume you know my daughter intends to marry you."

"I do. She has been abundantly clear on the matter."

"Then why not ask me to make the betrothal official?"

"May I ask why you're so eager. We only met this morning?"

He chuckled. "When it comes to people, I trust my daughter's judgment better than I trust my own. She has told me that you're a good man, worthy of marrying her, and someone she can live happily with, so I believe her. Now, why don't you want to marry her?"

Tobias considered the question and gave the most honest answer he could, without sharing his true feelings. "She hasn't discovered who she is yet."

"Many people never do."

"I believe she can. And I believe marrying her or even being betrothed to her now would interfere with that."

Xu Ling was in the process of finding out who she was and what she wanted to stand for. She needed to grow as an individual before she was ready for a proper relationship. Tobias was also interested in seeing who she would become. She had more talent than anyone he had met, and if she found a direction for that talent, she would become a force to be reckoned with.

"I can see why she likes you. You're an old soul in a young man's body."

Tobias laughed softly.

Xu Feng chuckled with him and changed the subject to the real reason he wanted to talk. "News of your equations and their importance will soon spread throughout The Three Kingdoms. Your name will carry significant prestige, and your words on the topics of divinity and talent will carry significant weight. My daughter has shared some of your capabilities with me. How many examples of a cultivation method and techniques do your equations require to assess potential?"

Tobias covered his mouth to yawn. "One hundred examples for each stage of divinity are the minimum. More is preferable."

Xu Feng paused. "How many more?"

"As many as you have."

"That would require me sharing the extent of my influence."

"Only if you wanted more accurate information."

"True. It might surprise you to learn that before the Great Plague, the Wandering Minstrel cultivation method was widely spread throughout The Three Kingdoms. It was traditionally passed on from master to apprentice. However, the withdrawal of chi from the world and the repercussions of the Great Plague meant our cultivation method has begun to die out. I opened the House of Sound to save our traditions and teach a new generation. This is not the true path of the wandering minstrel, but it is the one that saved our traditions. As such, I have centuries of records I can offer you."

"I notice you said save your traditions, not saved them."

"Yes, we lack core realm members. However, my business has been far more effective than I ever expected, and I wield significantly more power than most are aware of. Are you willing to assist the House of Sound?"

Tobias paused and then nodded.

"What do you want?"

Tobias didn't even have to think about it. "In the future, at my request, I would like you to build a House of Sound like this one in Cloud City."

Xu Feng paused. "I must decline your request."

"Why?"

"This establishment and the one in the Capitol require core realm arrays. They are prestige symbols and are not profitable to maintain. Building another would require an unreasonable amount of my wealth and resources."

"I'll let you join the auction."

Xu Feng leaned back and took a deep breath. "I don't need your pills that badly."

Tobias considered his options but decided not to share his plan. "I'll make you this promise. When I make the request, I promise you will not hesitate to accept it. If you do, you can choose not to build it."

Xu Feng frowned. "You're planning something."

"I am."

"Something you do not wish to share but could be quite profitable."

"Yes."

"You're offering me an early advantage so I can make preparation to capitalise on the opportunity when you present it."

"I believe so. The question is, do you trust your daughter's judgement?"

Xu Feng smiled. "I see why she likes you."

***

Three days later, Xu Ling walked into the living area and flopped on the pile of cushions opposite Tobias and sighed loudly. Tobias smirked but refused to take the bait, knowing it would annoy her. Xu Ling sighed louder as Tobias continued studying the records her father had provided him. Xu Ling sighed obnoxiously loud on her third attempt to get his attention, making it clear she knew what he was doing.

Tobias chuckled. "Just say what you want to say. There is no need to wait for me to speak to you."

"Most of my etiquette tutors would disagree."

"Etiquette is required for those you must keep at a distance or to maintain face in public. It is not for family or friends in private."

Xu Ling gave a dramatic sigh in response.

Tobias laughed. "I take it your father's cultivation methods aren't suitable."

Studying records for the Wandering Minstrel cultivation method had shown Tobais they wouldn't be. There were three paths that disciples could take, but they weren't particularly complex paths, so there was no challenge in it for her, and Tobais had already figured out Xu Ling enjoyed a challenge.

"What makes you say that?"

"If it were anything else, you would bring your problems to your father or Mistress Ying."

Xu Ling pouted. "It's not that they're not suitable."

"It's that they're not suitable for a prodigy."

"They do exactly what they're supposed to do and nothing more. They would be perfect if I wanted to be the greatest dancer and musician in The Three Kingdoms, but I don't."

 "Then tell your father."

"My father has dedicated his life to saving his traditions. I have to honour him by carrying on his legacy."

Tobias decided not to share his opinions on the matter.

Xu Ling turned to him. "What do you think I should do?"

"That depends on why the cultivation methods aren't suitable."

"Music and dance are heavily related to water and metal, so I'll have to cultivate water and metal chi."

"And you don't want to do that?"

"It's not my dao."

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "You know where your dao lies?"

Xu Ling frowned. "It's inappropriate to ask people about their dao."

"I was told by a monk that this is only because most people can't articulate their dao path in a way that doesn't embarrass them."

Xu Ling rolled onto her side to look at him directly. "When did you study under a monk?"

"It was only for a few days and wasn't formal study, but he seemed very knowledgeable at the time, and what I've learned since then points to him being an expert on both cultivation and dao."

"What was his name?"

"Ching Tao."

"Never heard of him."

"He's the first disciple of Master So."

Xu Ling's mouth dropped open. "Do you mean Peace Master So?"

Tobias nodded.

"How did you get the first disciple of that sage to share his knowledge? You can't bribe him. My father tried."

Tobias knew what a sage was. They were a cultivator capable of understanding cultivation beyond their realm. They were highly respected individuals and considered the foremost experts on cultivation. Tobias had no idea that Cultivator Ching was the first disciple of one, but he now understood why he was so proud of being his master's first disciple.

"His younger brother is a magistrate," Tobais replied. "Magistrate Ching offered to answer any of my questions about being a magistrate if they could share my carriage while I was travelling to Cloud City. When he fell asleep, his brother offered to answer questions about cultivation since my assignment was with Cloud Sect."

Xu Ling leaned closer. "Tell me everything."

"There isn't much to tell. I didn't ask about anything specific, just what cultivation is and how it works. Mostly, we discussed dao."

"And he said?"

"Cultivation is the process of escaping the cycle of reincarnation and then ascending to godhood. Escaping the cycle of reincarnation is achieved by reaching the nascent soul realm, breaking off your soul's current incarnation from your previous incarnations and severing your karmic debt. Only after this is achieved can you ascend beyond all limits and achieve godhood, which is done through integrating a dao."

"You mean your dao."

Tobias shook his head. "No. I mean a dao."

"Explain the difference."

"A dao is any aspect of reality that exists outside of us. It is a universal law laid down by the heavens, so when we integrate it into our cultivation, we become part of these laws that the heavens laid down. These laws are immortal and powerful, and because of this, when they are integrated with us, we can cultivate beyond our mortal limits and reach immortality."

Xu Ling's mouth dropped open, and she held her hand up mid-explanation to stop him. "My father needs to hear this."

Xu Feng’s office door slid open.

"I heard," Xu Feng said before walking in, followed by Mistress Ying. "If you have no objection, we would like to listen."

Disciple Xi opened his bedroom door. "We would also like to listen."

Disciple Wo opened his door a second later, showing why Disciple Xi had said we.

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "If I object, you're just going to return to hiding in your rooms listening at the door, aren't you?"

Disciple Xi nodded as he walked over. "The third-hand teachings of Peace Master So are something no cultivator can walk away from."

Tobias motioned for the others to sit. "Did anyone miss anything?"

They shook their head.

Xu Ling blushed. "Even the start of the conversation?"

They all nodded.

She turned to her father to apologise, but he was staring at Tobias.

She sighed and turned back. "If that's what a dao is, what is your dao?"

"You're dao is your true self. It is the perfect version of you, the embodiment of all you could be, integrated with your higher purpose. It is your path and only your path. You walk that path, forsaking all others. It requires you to be true to yourself, your convictions, and to recognise your strengths and reduce your weaknesses. When your dao grows strong enough, the universe recognises your place within it and accepts you as a part that is as fundamental as fire, water, or anything else."

Disciple Xi folded his arms. "You're suggesting that if you follow your dao, the universe eventually bends to you."

Tobias nodded. "Taking a dao and walking its path means you bend to the universe, but the universe lends you strength in return. Choosing your dao and walking your own path means you do not bend for the universe or your own weakness, walking unaided until the universe recognises your dao as a part of itself. The first path lends you strength, but the second gives you freedom."

Disciple Wo turned to Disciple Xi. "That makes a strange amount of sense. If becoming a nascent soul separates your current reincarnation from your previous ones and your karmic debt, walking your own path would become possible."

Disciple Xi nodded. "You wouldn't be strengthening your cultivation to draw more heavily on a dao, but directly strengthening your own dao with your cultivation. I imagine you wouldn't have trouble integrating your dao, but wouldn't gain anything from doing so either."

Xu Feng scratched his chin. "Strengthening your dao with your cultivation would be different from incorporating a dao into your cultivation. It wouldn't require you to bend your cultivation to fit your dao, but know yourself well enough to choose cultivation methods to enhance who you are. It's essentially the opposite of what the sects teach."

Tobias nodded. "The sects teach you to challenge the heavens because they have you choose a dao and try to wrestle a piece of that dao from the heavens. If you walk that path, there is no other option. Teaching anything else would harm your chances of ascending."

Xu Ling smiled. "Now, I'm even more curious to learn what First Disciple Ching taught you."

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about body cultivation."

"Can you clarify your question for me? Are you referring to the early stages of body cultivation when you open and cleanse your body meridians, the middle stages when you expand and strengthen those meridians, or the later stages when you transform your body through tonics, pills, and baths, so it aligns with your dao?"

Xu Ling paused, clearly unsure how to answer the question. It seemed like what he had said had gone over her head.

Xu Feng frowned at his daughter, not liking her lack of general knowledge about cultivation, and asked a question to give her time to think. "First Disciple Ching considered the early and middle stages you described to be body cultivation?"

Tobias paused, trying to remember the conversations he'd shared with the man. "He never specifically said they were, but he never corrected me when I said that they were, and he corrected me every other time that I made a mistake, so I have to assume that he considered them to be a part of body cultivation like I do."

Xu Feng continued to frown. "Why do you consider them a part of body cultivation?"

"Because the body meridian network is completely independent of the energy meridian network but follows the same progression system."

"Opening and cleansing your greater body meridians is necessary for cultivation."

"Having a healthy back is necessary for being a porter, but it doesn't mean that having a healthy back is part of being a porter."

Xu Ling sighed. "I think I need you to explain the purpose of all the stages."

Tobias nodded. "The early stages of body cultivation are all about opening and cleansing your greater body meridians. This is done to prepare your body to harness the amount of chi that will move through it when you begin opening your energy meridians to cultivate. The middle stages are expanding and strengthening your body meridians. This is done to prepare your body to harness spiritual energy."

Xu Ling frowned. "I thought it was to prepare you to begin body transformation."

Tobias shook his head. "That's what most think, but it's not true. Body transformation begins in the foundation realm and is part of the later stages of body cultivation. This is the realm where you begin cultivating spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is a necessary component of body transformation, so having larger and stronger body meridians allows that spiritual energy to more easily pass through your body meridian network, facilitating this transformation."

Disciple Xi frowned now. "What makes you say that?"

"Data. Those who successfully expand and strengthen their body meridians to their maximum require significantly less resources to achieve their body transformation and integrate their dao than those who don't."

Disciple Xi groaned, because he'd been ignoring expanding and strengthening his body meridians in favour of his energy meridians.

"It is necessary, though?" Xu Feng asked.

"No. Many achieve a full-body transformation without ever fully expanding and strengthening their body meridians. You don't always have to do something correctly to be successful, but it does make it easier. A martial disciple can just as easily reach the core realm without fully expanding and strengthening their energy meridians. However, those who do have a much higher success rate."

Xu Feng relaxed. "You are speaking about the ideal path, rather than the practical one."

Tobias nodded. "Yes. Time, resources, divinity, and talent all play a role in whether you can lay a proper foundation."

"You said body cultivation and cultivation follow the same progression system," Xu Ling said.

Tobias nodded. "The early stages of body cultivation prepare the body to harness large amounts of chi. The early stages of cultivation provide the body with large amounts of chi. The middle stages of body cultivation prepare the body to harness spiritual energy. The middle stages of cultivation allow the energy network to produce large amounts of spiritual energy."

"And the late stages?" Xu Ling asked.

"The late stages are for integrating your dao."

"How so?"

"Body transformation is when you transform your body into something that can harness a dao without coming to harm. This dao becomes a part of you, which is important, because it influences the spiritual energy you cultivate."

Disciple Xi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Spiritual energy is chi, but it is chi that you have produced through cultivation. It is untouched by others. It has no outside influences. However, it does have internal influences, such as your dao and cultivation method. Those who attempt to gather spiritual energy into droplets after completing their body transformation find it easier to form droplets and their core. I assume that this is because the dao within their spiritual droplets is more aligned."

Disciple Xi groaned again. "You've just explained why my cultivation has stalled for over a decade."

Tobias frowned. "I thought you knew this."

"Why would you think that?"

"I learned this all in the first month I became a cultivator."

"Because you met the first disciple of Peace Master So."

Tobias could see how upset the man was, so he decided not to elaborate on the fact that he had mostly just pointed out a few flaws in his logic and corrected a few minor mistakes. However, when it came to dao, everything Tobias knew had come from the man.

"Did he explain it this simply to you?" Disciple Xi asked.

Tobias shook his head. "Many of his explanations were hard to understand, so once I understood the concepts, I simplified them. Studying the disciples' records has also helped my understanding, as it has shown me what helps and hinders.

Disciple Xi took a deep breath and bowed. "Thank you for explaining it so simply. Your explanation has allowed me to see the problem in a new light."  

Xu Feng nodded. "That is the most concise answer I've ever heard on the topic. And yet it doesn't tell you anything useful."

Disciple Xi shook his head. "I apologise for this, but you're not just wrong, you are very wrong. His advice tells you which cultivation methods to ignore. If your body cultivation and cultivation methods do not align with a dao or your dao, they can never fully integrate, making it impossible to reach the core realm. It also likely makes it harder to break through the realms beyond."

"Breakthroughs are a matter of divinity, talent, and age."

Tobias paused. "I have to agree with Disciple Xi on this, Xu Feng. Sects and noble houses are founded upon cultivation methods and techniques that are more successful than others. That success comes from some sort of synergy. I have found through my own investigation that the more disciples deviate from the main path, the less successful they tend to be. There is a small percentage that is more successful, but this is never replicated. If their success comes from synergy with their dao, then the concept of synergy between cultivation methods, techniques, and dao is of the utmost importance."

Xu Feng paused and then sighed. "I hope you are wrong."

"Why?"

"Because if you're not, I'm the reason why I can't break through."

Xu Ling's face fell. "Your body cultivation and cultivation methods don't synergise very well."

"No, they don't."

Tobias didn't see the problem. "Then alter them so they do."

Disciple Xi shook his head. "You can't just alter cultivation methods and techniques, especially ones that have been practised for so long. It damages your foundation."

"Can you make small changes?"

"Yes."

"Then make a small change each year until you've achieved the changes you need. The wandering minstrel teaches music, dance, and singing cultivation methods, so there must be common ground between the methods he practices."

Xu Ling smiled. "There are." She turned to her father. "I'm going to work on your synergy problem while I figure out how to adapt your traditions to suit me, and don't you dare try to stop me."

Xu Feng smiled. "You're going to use our cultivation methods."

"An altered version."

"Then I'll do whatever you want."

Tobias looked around him. "Are there any other questions?"

All of them nodded back.