The Magistrate: Chapter 68 (Patreon)

Chapter 68

Lessons From the Core Realm

Peace Master So had the power to stop the civil war, but not to end it. All he could do was force people to accept peace while he was present. The moment he left, their true feelings would come out. There were ways this could have been applied to gain a tactical advantage that would have ended the civil war, but he refused to participate. His path was the path of peace, and he wasn’t capable of changing that.

However, he agreed with Tobias that it was necessary to get his new works into as many hands as possible as quickly as possible, so he went to the capital to visit the 3rd Emperor for ten days. Four days after Tobias returned, the leaders of the sects and Great Clans arrived at his gate to negotiate for access to his new collection.

Tobias was entirely at ease as he sat before the nine nascent soul realm cultivators and their core realm entourages. Lingling found it difficult, but Xu Ling was there to support her, shielding her from their rampant killing intent. The war had been bloody, and there had been no time for them to regain control before coming, which was why Tobias had evacuated his compound of mortals.

As the introductions ended, Tobias waved his hand and made a stack of manuals appear in front of each of them. A list of spirit herbs, arrays, artifacts, and materials sat on top of each stack, along with the numbers he was asking for.

“My price is non-negotiable, but reasonable enough that none of you will turn it down,” Tobias stated. “The spirit herbs on the top lists will be delivered to my compound before the war beings again. The spirit herbs on the second list can be delivered after the war is over. The materials on the third list can also be delivered after the war. The Three Step Hills and the surrounding districts will become my clan’s estate after the war. Twice the value of the land will be paid for those dispossessed.”

Tobias’s guests used their auras to examine the lists and quickly began to frown. The requests were not for neutral spirit herbs, but for ones with wood chi alignment.

“I have developed a cultivation method for my clan to practice going forward,” Tobias said. “Our needs have changed.”

Tobias’s friend, 2nd Patriarch Lee, looked over his clan head’s shoulder and turned to Tobias, raising an eyebrow, before mouthing. “Wood chi.”

Tobias nodded.

Wood chi cultivators were considered the weakest cultivators. His guests would soon discover that your chi type, while helpful, did not indicate whether or not you were dangerous. Tobias had developed many techniques that would leave all those below the nascent soul realm sick to their stomach with fear once they realised what he was going to teach everyone. The cultivation world would never be the same. Cultivators' grasp on power through personal strength was over.

Patriarch Wei finished examining the list. “Peace Master So has vouched for the value of what lies in these books, Sage Knowledge. I find it hard to believe that this is all you are asking for.

The price of his new works was dozens of times that of his previous sale. However, that did not mean the price was high. Tobias could have sold a single manuscript for the amount he was asking, and they would have considered themselves the winners in the negotiation.

Tobias flicked his fan open to draw attention and show his displeasure at being questioned. “My comprehension of core realm cultivation is not as extensive as it is in the lower realms. The manuscripts that sit before you do not have their equal among Peace Master So’s collection, but that does not mean they are the best I can produce. As such, you will not be receiving the revised additions. Those will have to be negotiated at a later date. The circumstances we find ourselves in mean that we all must do our part.”

Patriarch Wei tapped his right knee with his fan, indicating he understood, but in a way that spoke of his displeasure at being reprimanded before his peers.

Tobias gestured to the books with his fan. “Considering time is limited, you may read them and judge if you wish to decline to purchase.”

These cultivators could memorise every word they read and be able recite it back a century later, so allowing them to read it was giving away their product. However, cultivators had their pride. The other houses and sects would recognise Tobias’s methods at a glance and know that they had stolen the information and shared it with their clans. It would be the end of their reputation. And reputation was everything in the cultivation world.

It took less than an hour for them to read everything he’d discovered after years of research. The moment any of them was done, they accepted his price. They hurried out of his reception hall with their entourage, returning to their clan’s compound to begin making copies.

The entire event lasted less than two hours.

***

When Tobias’s grandpa came to find him to see if he’d created his cultivation method, Tobias had to apologise and ask for a few more days. Peace Master So’s notes were so extensive, and his alterations to the pills and environmental changes so elaborate that he needed time to process the information and convert it into something that his grandpa could comprehend.

A week after returning, Tobias went to visit his grandpa’s glass house. The building had grown while he was gone, and there were dozens of full-grown tea plants.

Tobias placed the stack of manuals beside the old man as he mixed soil for repotting his saplings. His grandpa’s little spirit willow sat at the end of his bench gathering chi. Every member of his family had one, and all of them were doing everything they could to care for them.

“It’s called the Spirit Willow Cultivation Method. It contains all my knowledge and insights and has been examined and altered by Peace Master So himself. The inspiration for the method came to me when the parent of the spirit willow that sits beside you ascended to the core realm. Going forward, this will be our family’s cultivation method.”

Grandpa Finch smiled. “Is it everything I wanted?”

“Everything and more. You will even be able to reach the core realm with enough resources, though you will never progress beyond it. And you need not worry about future generations, I have variations that will suit any divinity or talent. It is the most complete core realm cultivation method in The Three Kingdoms.”

Grandpa Finch glanced at the stack of manuals. “You couldn’t have finished sooner? I’m not a young man, you know.”

Tobias chuckled at the absurdity of his statement. His grandpa wasn't even middle-aged based on his cultivation. He nodded to the plants. “You’ve been busy enough.”

“It’s my life’s work. You were kind to repeat the Exalted One’s praise before the family. It removed some of their bitterness over what I cost them.”

“I can do no less as your patriarch. Those words will be carved on your tombstone for all know your accomplishments.”

“I wish I understood what he meant by generations.”

Tobias waved his hand, and a stool flew across the room, landing under him as he sat. “The original plant you found in the forest was the result of twenty-three generations of wild breeding. When I first offered your tea to Peace Master So, he noted that you had improved it from twenty-three generations removed from the original to seventeen generations. He praised you for making the transition from 17 generations to only 7 without further improvements to your cultivation. It was your skill and dedication that he praised.”

Grandpa Finch smiled. “I knew I was on to something.”

Tobias patted his shoulder. “There is a lot you will have to study and practice before you can begin cultivating the family method. I’ll be testing you before you can begin.”

Grandpa Finch waved away his comment. “How many layers of your core did you form while you were gone?”

Tobias sighed. “One. I didn’t have a divine core compression pill, so once I was ready to ascend, I spent my time studying.”

Grandpa Finch reached out and patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Perhaps next time they’ll be more interested.”

Tobias stared at him, wondering what he was talking about, before it clicked. “They bought my manuals.”

His grandpa’s eyebrows shot up.

“They did!”

“Why would you think otherwise?”

“They were here and gone without enough time to share a meal. The servants said that the last time they stayed three days.”

“Last time they didn’t have to worry about the civil war.”

“I need to inform the family. Everyone has been worried that you’re upset about what happened. You shut yourself away in your palace and only spoke with your majordomo and first disciple.”

“I’ve been catching up on everything I missed and preparing your cultivation manual.”

“Which is obvious now that I know your sale went well, but before it looked like a man upset with life.”

Tobias chuckled.

“What did they think of your new insights?”

“The heads of the Great Clans and leaders of the sects have all made official proclamations to their clans and sects along with those in their territories. It says that my understanding of cultivation is unequalled in the history of The Three Kingdoms and that I am a national treasure. To raise your hand against me, without their approval, even in self-defence, will now get you and your family executed to the third generation. They sent me a copy. I have them displayed in my palace.”

“It seems a little extreme.”

“I’ve shown I can replicate my understanding in a higher realm. If I can do this twice more, then their path to immortality will become much smoother. They now equate harming me with harming their cultivation, and to harm a nascent soul realm cultivator’s cultivation is to invite death.”

“What does that mean for the rest of us?”

“It means that you have nothing to worry about except the consequences of your own actions.”

***

It had taken Xu Ling weeks to test all his disciples’ knowledge, confirming that they were, in fact, skilled enough to earn their pills and position as professors. Luckily, Tobias’s methods emphasised measuring everything for collecting data, so his disciples had the most comprehensive dataset of anyone, anywhere. It meant he could move on to the next stage without collecting additional data.

The offensive and defensive techniques and spells he’d created came with different variations depending on where an individual’s talents lay, and he wanted to know which disciples to teach what. There was also the matter of who was good at teaching and who wasn’t. There was no point in teaching a killing technique or spell to a disciple if they could not pass it on.

Over the month of organising everything, Tobias had taught Xu Ling and Majordomo Wo the techniques and spells he’d created. Like his cultivation knowledge, these techniques and spells needed to be spread as widely and quickly as possible. If one family or sect gained them, they would find themselves able to overwhelm the others and establish a new dynasty.

Tobias didn’t want that.

He was sick of living in a cultivator world. He was sick of the abuses of power. He wanted to create a great equaliser. He wanted to give them the equivalent of guns.

Tobias walked through his dojo, watching eighty of his professors practicing the exercises for his chi grenade technique. It was the simplest of his offensive spells, but the foundation of all his others.

It was rare for a cultivator to be able to create them as quickly as he could, but time only mattered in personal fights. Tobias had developed a slower-forming version which acted like a homing missile and didn’t explode unless it hit its target. Once a target was marked, the chi missile would follow them for up to two miles. And this was if the cultivator who cast the spell was in the initiate realm. For those in the foundation realm, it would travel up to twenty miles. In the core realm, it could be as much as two hundred if his calculations were correct.

Their armies were going to have artillery and ground-to-air missile support. It would drastically change the nature of combat and end the stalemate. Large numbers of lower realm cultivators would now be able to overwhelm higher realm cultivators with ease. Since each realm had significantly fewer cultivators in it, that would even the playing field.

His techniques and spells currently wouldn’t harm nascent soul realm cultivators; they would only suppress them. The gap was simply too big for science or natural laws to bridge, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t change in the future, which was a problem.

If anything would get Tobias executed, teaching these techniques and spells would, which was why he wanted to spread them throughout The Three Kingdoms simultaneously. That way, sect leaders and clan heads would have to fight a war among themselves until only one survived or accepted living with a new reality.

Tobias was confident they would choose peace. They had taken every measure they could, so they didn't fight an all-out war that would destroy The Three Kingdoms' strength. That mentality would not change.

However, they might be willing to slaughter the 3rd Emperor's armies and clan now. Thankfully, the additional power these techniques and spells offered would still leave The Three Kingdoms as the continental power even after they were dead.

Tobias had accepted it was them or us a long time ago, which was why he was comfortable proceeding.

As Tobias stopped to correct one of his disciples' actions, Majordomo Wo slid open the door to the dojo and bowed. “Elder Xi has arrived.”

Tobias motioned to his disciples. “Take over the lesson for me. They’re practising the third exercise of the first technique.”

Majordomo Wo bowed again as Tobias made his way to his bedroom to change. The Nang family were no longer welcome in his palace. They were unabashed spies for the Cloud Sect, and Tobias did not want his secrets getting out. Instead, his residence was staffed by disciples who took turns caring for it.

The disciples bowed as he passed.

Caring for his residence was highly sought after because Tobias was willing to entertain private discussions if he wasn’t busy. These conversations offered answers to questions his disciples had not been able to answer or advice on how they should progress in the future. The number of disciples far exceeded what he could teach privately, so this was the only opportunity to gain a one-on-one audience.

Tobias adjusted his robes with his chi and then entered his private garden. Elder Xi was snacking at his table, gazing off towards his dojo with interest when Tobias took a seat.

“You’re teaching them your technique,” Elder Xi said.

“Only so they can teach it to others.”

Elder Xi relaxed. “The world will be a much more violent place in the years to come.”

“I expect it will be more peaceful.”

“Time will tell.”

“Thank you for coming.”

They spent the next few hours making small talk and discussing the changes that had occurred in their absence. Elder Xi complimented Tobias on his clan’s gathering skills and what they had achieved with the sect’s excess. He was genuinely impressed with all the gardens they’d established.

Finally, the conversation turned to business.

“How would you feel about teaching some of my disciples alchemy?” Tobias asked. “Nothing the sect prohibits, but more than the basics, the other alchemists have been willing to teach them.”

Elder Xi grinned excitedly. “How many are you willing to give me?”

Tobias leaned back, shocked by his enthusiasm. “Ah, I have seventy-three who have expressed a strong interest in learning under you.”

“That’s fantastic. When would you like them to start?”

“Whenever you are ready.”

“Give me three days. I’ll need that long to make enough copies of my notes and acquire the necessary manuscripts.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “You’ll have to provide the spirit herbs for their pills, and I want you to share any discoveries they make with myself and Cloud Sect.”

“Those are acceptable terms. Do you want anything as personal compensation?”

Elder Xi stared at him. “I have spent three and a half years cultivating in a sage’s hidden realm. The chi was denser than my cultivation chamber after all this time, and the purity was almost toxic enough to kill spirit herbs.”

Tobias had assumed as much but felt he should ask.

“You are also not asking me to do something that does not support my dao. Your new works have shown me how important teaching others is to my next ascension.”

Tobias waved his hand, and a stack of manuals appeared on the table. “These are written in my own hand.”

Tobias opened the cover with his chi. Written inside was the inscription:

For my friend Elder Xi

Sage Knowledge

Elder Xi smiled.