The Magistrate: Chapter 70 (Patreon)

Chapter 70

Banished

Tobias had been banished from Cloud City. Exposing every core realm cultivator to the ire of their juniors had left the leader of Cloud Sect furious. The head of the Shen Clan didn’t react any better, banishing Tobais from the state. So did the heads of the Wei and Lee Clans. Every other sect also banned him from entering their cities, which meant Tobias was essentially banished from The Three Kingdoms.

The only good news was that none of them rescinded their proclamation that he was untouchable. It meant that his banishment was a political manoeuvre to curb the angry of the clan and sect elders who’d suddenly discovered that they were no longer untouchable.

Tobias flexed his aura as he approached the gate of the Shattered Fortress, gradually slowing his momentum so that the guards stationed there didn’t panic. The Shatter Kingdoms, while part of The Three Kingdoms, belonged to the Imperial Family. As such, it was the only place within its borders Tobias could technically visit.

Tobias stopped his sword before the gatehouse, cancelled his mobility technique, and made the sword vanish into his storage ring. He adjusted his hold on his spirit willow, making sure it was safe, and then strolled forward.

Most core realm cultivators would have flown directly into the fortress, but Tobias hadn’t learned how to fly yet. Flying techniques were complicated, and Tobias didn’t have the years of free time needed to master one. He’d been too busy studying and adapting the 3rd Prince’s cloning technique. Being in two places at once would help more than being able to travel quickly. It would also give him some free time to relax.

Tobias hid his surprise as the core realm general manning the gatehouse approached him. Such positions were usually held by lower officers. Even a foundation realm officer would have been excessive.

The general cupped his hands and bowed. “General Xiaobo greets Sage Knowledge. The Fifth Imperial Army is honoured to have you here. Field Marshal Kang is expecting you.”

Tobias took a moment to process the general’s statement. Either someone had warned Field Marshal Kang that he was coming, or he had guessed how everyone would react when his disciples started teaching his soldiers.

“How long has he been waiting?” Tobias asked.

“He began making preparations yesterday morning after your disciples displayed the techniques and spells that they wished to teach us.”

Tobias relaxed. “Then Field Marshal Kang predicted the Great Clans and sects’ response better than I did.”

“He is without peer in this regard. May I show you to your accommodation, Sage Knowledge?”

Tobias flicked his fan, indicating this was acceptable, and they made their way through the outer fortress. Everywhere Tobias went, soldiers stopped to cup their hands and bow before returning to their duties.

After a while, Tobias made a comment. “The cultivation of your soldiers has improved significantly since I was last here. The mortal soldiers have an average of ten open and cleansed body meridians. You also have significantly more officers than before.”

“Your exercises are easily practiced in this trying environment, Sage Knowledge. Because of this, Field Marshal Kang ordered cultivation to be replaced with practicing those exercises for the first two years after your last visit. As a result, our soldiers have learned where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and many now practice more appropriate cultivation methods. Soldiers with a divinity of three have mostly reached the end of their natural path and have turned to practicing your body cultivation method. Most of the new officers you see are those with a divinity of four or exceptional talent. It is both a blessing and a curse to have so many strong cultivators.”

Tobias found his final statement strange. “Why would having stronger soldiers cause problems?”

General Xiaobo cupped his hands behind his back. “Because of our limited understanding of cultivation, the imperial armies have always selected officers from those with the most skill, providing them with the cultivation resources they need to progress. Your methods have allowed many of our soldiers to progress their cultivation themselves, forcing us to make officers of those who should not be officers.”

Tobias would have to speak to Field Marshal Kang about that. Holding onto traditions that no longer helped anyone was pointless.

“As I approached the fortress, I noticed the surrounding chi saturation was significantly higher than when I was last here, along with the purity. I assume it has something to do with how many soldiers have opened and cleansed meridians since you arrived.”

The Fifth Imperial Army had nearly a quarter of a million soldiers stationed at the fortress, so Tobias didn’t find the change that shocking, considering how many meridians had been opened.

“This is true, Sage Knowledge. Before the civil war, the Shattered Fortress was not a place that the imperial army cultivated because of the immense difficulty of doing so. Its chi-gathering array was traditionally used to prevent our cultivation from degrading. Field Marshal Kang brought as many cultivation arrays as he could find before we came here, knowing this. The pills and spirit garden your family provided have also been of great assistance.”

“My family provided spirit gardens?”

General Xiaobo turned pale. “This one did not know you were unaware of this fact.”

“I’ve spent much of the time since I last visited cultivating in Peace Master So’s hidden realm. There is much that I am unaware of.”

General Xiaobo heard what was left unsaid and explained. “The spirit herbs we brought with us were not enough to filter the fortress’s chi with so many additional meridians having opened. Field Marshal Kang requested assistance from your family. Your grandfather generously sent us several spirit gardens that can produce general meridian cleansing pills. I am told you have many like it in Cloud City.”

Tobias could hear the general’s concern and chose to put his mind at rest. “It was a wise decision. While the chi saturation is better than before, higher realm spirit herbs would struggle here.” Tobias could sense the discomfort of the spirit willow he was carrying.

“We have found their presence very beneficial. One of your professors noted that they had grown significantly more than the spirit herbs in Cloud City.”

This caught Tobias’s attention. “Have someone find the professor who said that. I wish to speak to them after I have rested and spoken to Field Marshal Kang.”

***

Field Marshal Kang was in an awkward position. Tobias was both a sage and the primary benefactor of his army when it came to cultivation resources and knowledge, but he had also been banished by his allies. In private, Field Marshal Kang apologised profusely that Tobias could not receive the same reception as he had the first time he arrived. He was considered even more deserving of such treatment now than in the past, and it pained him not to be able to show him the respect he deserved. He made up for this by displaying his respect in private, so it was nearly six hours before they got down to discussing the matter at hand.

Tobias placed down his empty cup. “How long do you think it will take for the core realm cultivators to calm down, Field Marshal Kang?”

Field Marshal Kang sighed as he refilled Tobias’s cup with spirit wine. “Your techniques and spells are unlike anything the cultivation world has seen. A handful of foundation realm cultivators can now kill a core realm cultivator without fear of losing anyone. A few dozen talented initiate cultivators might even be able to do the same if the core realm cultivator is unprepared. You have reminded them of their mortality, and those on the path to immortality hate to be reminded of their mortality.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Before becoming a sage, Tobias would never have pushed so hard, but he had the status to do so. He also had the backing of the world's only sage realm cultivator, so Tobias didn’t expect any pushback.

Field Marshal Kang didn’t seem to mind. “Your techniques and spells might decide whether The Three Kingdoms survives this war. If they do, you will most likely be invited back with open arms. If they don’t, you might be here for a few centuries.”

“So, this is their way of forcing me to participate in the war despite saying they wouldn’t do so.”

“You spread your teachings in such a way that they couldn't take advantage. You both empowered them and stripped them of their security. You’re fortunate that your insights into cultivation are so valuable to the sect leaders and clan heads, otherwise you never would have reached this fortress.”

Tobias was once again glad that he hadn’t begun researching the nascent soul realm. Even a few insights that pointed those old monsters in the right direction might have been enough for them to reconsider keeping him alive.

Tobias changed the subject. “If I’m going to stay here for the duration of the war, I expect you to use my skills.”

Field Marshal Kang waved his hands in protest. “That is not necessary, Sage Knowledge.”

“My professors cannot teach your core realm generals my techniques or spells as well as I can. And they cannot train the cultivators among your ranks as well as I can either. With your permission, I will see to this going forward.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Sitting silently in my room doesn’t interest me.”

“I would prefer if it did.”

Tobias frowned. Field Marshal Kang wasn’t being polite. “May I ask why?”

“Your family is the only family to have supported us with cultivation resources since we came here. In that time, my men have seen their cultivation grow well beyond their expectations despite the limited means your family has. The lower ranks are already fully willing to offer their support if you wish to make a claim to the throne. If you teach my generals, I expect they will be willing to do the same.”

“And you don’t want to try to claim the throne.”

“I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“You lack the strength to hold it. The internal conflict caused by your rise will tear The Three Kingdoms apart.”

Tobias stared at the nascent soul realm cultivator, trying to gauge how far he’d thought ahead. Most cultivators were intelligent fools, more interested in advancing their cultivation than in the consequences of their actions. Field Marshal Kang did not seem to be a fool.

Tobias flashed him a disarming smile. “Then you’re lucky I have no interest in the throne.”

“Trying to turn The Three Kingdoms into a republic is only marginally less destructive.”

Tobias paused, surprised that his intentions were so obvious. No one else had ever come close to seeing his true intentions. And Field Marshal Kang had just spelt it out.

“What makes you think I wish to create a republic?”

Field Marshal Kang filled his cup and downed it quickly, as if gathering the courage to continue. The spirit wine was far too weak to affect him, so his actions could only be looked at as self-soothing.

Field Marshal Kang took a deep breath. “Despite your deep understand of cultivation, you have no love for the cultivation world. This is clear through your writings. You scoff at nearly every tradition we have, pointing out its flaws and foolishness. You dismantle our foundation with your logic and rebuild a new one that cannot be denied. This can be tolerated because the insights you provided led to the expansion of the cultivation world as you killed these traditions. In the past, it looked like a path to more power. Now, you’ve shattered that path and stripped us of much of the power we had. Core realm cultivators are no safer than those in the foundation realm thanks to you.”

Tobias briefly met the nascent soul realm cultivator’s gaze and decided to put his cards on the table. “Would you like me to deny that?”

“I would like you to tell me what vision of the future is so inspiring that it would make you go to war?”

Tobias considered the request before nodding. “I will answer your question, but I wish to clarify something first. I was not running to a future. I’m fleeing a past.”

Field Marshal Kang slowly nodded back.

“What do you know about me?

“As much as the clan heads or sect leaders.”

Tobias paused. That was a lot of information. More information than a field marshal of the imperial army should be able to gather. Field Marshal Kang was basically saying he had his own spy network. Tobias realised he might not be leaving this room alive.

Tobias emptied his cup to buy himself time to think. Then he decided to proceed with even more honesty than he’d originally intended.

Tobias stared at his empty cup as he began to speak. “My grandfather made some foolish decisions in his youth. This youthful foolishness condemned him and his sons to live as serfs. Lord Bi was not an unkind master to my family, though others in my family would disagree with me on this, but that did not make our lives easy.”

“I can imagine.”

“I doubt that. Most don’t understand that growing rice is a horrifying experience. It’s not just the backbreaking labour, it’s the materials you work with. Human excrement is the best fertiliser, and the fields must be flooded. Do you have any idea how much sickness comes from human excrement getting into a wound?”

“I do.”

Tobias looked up and raised an eyebrow.

“Gut wounds are a particularly painful death for soldiers.”

“Then you understand what I have seen my family go through. How I've had to watch those I love die from festering wounds.”

Field Marshal Kang nodded.

“Then there were the famines. The starvation that left you so ravenous that you would eat your dead. Would you like me to describe to you how my grandmother tasted? My mother thought I was too young to understand where the meat had come from, but I was simply too close to death to care.”

Field Marshal Kang swallowed but didn’t answer.

“Perhaps we should discuss the fear that I felt whenever soldiers from the imperial army arrived in our village. The Shen Clan would only give you a light beating for accidentally raising your gaze. Many of the imperial officers would execute you. The life of a peasant is worth less than their drinking money, and our deaths are an easy way to reduce their bitterness at being forced from the imperial capitol.”

“We are not all like that.”

“Of this I am aware, but as a small boy, all I knew was fear and hunger. I did not concern myself with the enemies abroad, because I was already surrounded by so many who would do me harm.”

“So, you will burn our world to the ground.”

Tobias met Field Marshal Kang’s gaze and smiled. “What makes you think I haven’t already done so? The Three Kingdoms will never recover from the techniques and spells my disciples are teaching. The Great Clans’ guards are now questioning why they should serve their masters, when they have the numbers to overthrow them, and the sects are terrified of what an army like yours could do to them.”

Field Marshal Kang reached for the jar of wine and began drinking in earnest. He only placed it down when it was empty. “The Great Clans and sects would have done anything for your clan.”

“If that were true, they would not have banished me.”

“You could have had anything you wanted?”

“What I want is to live in a kingdom where children do not have to grow up the way I grew up. I want to live in a kingdom where every man and woman has as many open meridians as your soldiers. What I want to do is live where families do not need someone as outstanding as myself to be able to make something of themselves.”

“It’s impossible.”

“It used to be impossible, but between myself and the 1st Emperor, we have given The Three Kingdoms everything it needs to create a new reality. With my teachings, a stomach meridian opening pill, and a few general meridian opening and cleansing pills, your soldiers have opened and cleansed an average of ten body meridians. A farmer with the same cultivation could walk through a rice paddy with a cut leg without fearing it might lead to death. They would also perform the work of four men. A blacksmith and carpenter could do the same. The Three Kingdom’s has far more land than its people can work, but because the human body is weak and the weather unpredictable, hundreds of thousands regularly starve to death.”

“The world you imagine would be a place of violence and chaos.”

“Do your soldiers turn to violence when they leave your service? No. They go back to their lives. They find wives. They learn professions. They become incredibly productive members of society. Why would the other mortals be any different?”

“Because you gave them power!”

Field Marshal Kang clenched his fists, and a small amount of anger leaked through his aura before he could control it. Tobias sensed several junior officers pass out.

Tobias ignored the outburst. “Power that can just as easily be used against them as by them, so nothing has changed.”

“Cultivation resources are already scarce.”

Tobias stared at Field Marshal Kang for a second. The man wasn’t angry because his power was being taken away. He was angry because he didn’t understand how Tobias would achieve what he claimed. He was ignorant.

Tobias relaxed his posture. “Cultivation resources are scarce because the 2nd Emperor wish them to be.”

Field Marshal Kang frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The recipes for the specific meridian opening and cleansing pills the 1st Emperor developed were refined for ten thousand years so that they could be produced with spirit herbs that were not temperamental and grew quickly. The same is true for the general meridian opening and cleansing pills. These spirit herbs grow quickly, reproduce often, and rarely experience chi deviation. The number of spirit herbs for general meridian opening and cleansing pills can double every three years, even while producing pills, so the fact that they don’t grow wild all over The Three Kingdoms is intentional. Since the war began, my family has established dozens of spirit gardens, like the one we gave you, from the leftovers of Cloud Sect’s gardens. Imagine what we will achieve within another century.”

Field Marshal Kang’s frown deepened. “You haven’t convinced me, but I am willing to listen. How would you overcome the chi saturation requirement to produce spirit herbs on a larger scale?”

Tobias spread his arms wide. “Your fortress is the perfect example. Its chi-gathering array has increased chi saturation in the area. The presence of so many mortals opening and cleansing meridians and raising their realm has further increased this saturation. Because of this, you require more spirit gardens to purify that chi, which will lead to more pills for your soldiers and officers to make more progress, further enhancing the chi saturation of the area. Eventually, the chi saturation will become high enough that you will not need the chi gathering array.”

Field Marshal Kang immediately understood. “Which can then be moved on to another area, leaving the previous to continue growing without it.”

Tobias nodded. “Cultivators protect what they have. They don't know how to nurture it. Even among the Great Clans, they prevent rival branches from rising as far as they should, so they do not have to deal with the competition.”

“Your methods can only go so far.”

“I thought so too, but then I saw Peace Master So’s valley. He has quietly nurtured a cultivation garden that fills an entire valley for one purpose. To make a natural cultivation chamber capable of helping him achieve immortality. The purity of the chi and its saturation have shown me that my imagination and dreams were too limited. That I was thinking too small. Ever since the Great Plague, cultivators have been holding back the restoration of the natural world. If you do not believe me, why else would the imperial army be ordered to collect every spirit herb they come across in the wild?”

“It’s to prevent spirit beasts from appearing where they are not wanted.”

“Spirit beasts only appear in places that can support them, and removing the spirit herbs means the land cannot recover to do so. I’ve looked at Cloud Sect’s records. Since the end of the Great Plague, chi saturation has only increased around the imperial capitol, military training grounds, noble clans’ estates, and sects. This is by design, not an accident.”

Field Marshal Kang took a deep breath. “You will lay out all the evidence you have for everything you believe and everything you wish to do. You will only leave this room if you have my loyalty to bring this reality into existence, so do not hold anything back.”