The Magistrate: Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The Shattered Kingdoms

Nascent soul realm cultivators moved like carrier fleets. Each one had a few dozen core realm cultivators travelling with them at all times to provide support when they encountered the enemy. That meant having a nascent soul realm cultivator escort Tobias to the border fortress where Field Marshal Kang had chosen to sit out the war was impossible. Instead, Tobias and Magistrate Chi had been escorted by a pair of core realm cultivators from the Wei family.

Tobias watched the cultivators fly across the rocky plains to the fortress up ahead to announce they weren't attacking as he kicked his foot against the ground to maintain his speed. The motion propelled the oversized sword holding him and Magistrate Chi forward, hurling them across the barren landscape towards the great wall of the town-sized fortress. The chi was much thinner in the Shatter Kingdoms than Tobias was used to, making it more challenging to keep the sword hovering above the ground.

Tobias had already taken Magistrate Chi's bags and added them to his storage ring to reduce the weight his sword had to carry, but the effort of keeping them moving was beginning to tire him. He could feel his strength slipping away as the amount of chi in his body's meridian network faded.

Magistrate Chi remained silently behind him, using his chi to keep himself firmly rooted in place. The rise and fall motions as the sword followed the lay of the land had nearly bounced him off on several occasions, and he wasn't taking any chances.

Tobias kicked off the ground one last time and planted both feet on the flat of the blade, using the last of their momentum to coast to the gate.

Their escorts landed far ahead of them in the officer's area beyond the wall, disappearing among the buildings.

As they reached the gatehouse, Tobias placed his foot down, scraping it through the rock and sand to bring them to a stop. He stopped channelling chi to the sword, lowering it to the ground, and then stepped to the side. Magistrate Chi followed suit, and Tobias made the sword vanish in his storage ring.

The guards at the gate were all soldiers in the mortal realm, but they had more open and cleansed meridians than Tobias expected. Their commanding officer was in the initiate realm and was also stronger than a soldier of his rank would usually be.

Tobias could sense the influence of his teachings at work as he scanned them with minor spells. It appeared that the instructors he'd trained at the beginning of the war had taken his knowledge and put it to work.

Tobias felt a momentary sense of pride as the officer quickly stepped forward and bowed. "How may this one be of service, magistrates?"

"Inform Field Marshal Kang that Magistrate Finch and Magistrate Chi require his approval to travel outside The Three Kingdoms' borders."

The officer stood up straighter the moment Tobias introduced himself, and so did his soldiers. It wasn't fear, but surprise and shock. They recognised him.

"Honour guard, form up! Magistrate Finch has graced The Fifth Imperial Army with his presence! You will show your respect!" The officer shouted as loud as he could, amplifying his voice with chi.

His words travelled through the fortress, repeated over and over again by a hundred sets of lips. Hundreds of thousands of men leapt from barracks and ran from their duties, forming ranks twenty men deep on either side of the main road all the way from the gate to the fortress keep at the centre of the military town.

Tobias drew his folding fan and signalled for Magistrate Chi to attend him, as the Fifth Imperial Army prepared to receive him. Magistrate Chi moved into position behind his right shoulder, signalling that he was a member of Tobias's household, while the guards and the officer at the gate stood at attention.

A general landed his sword in front of the officer who had ordered the army to assemble. His sword vanished into his storage ring as he stood at attention, waiting for the army to assemble.

The moment they were ready, he raised his voice. "The Fifth Imperial Army welcomes Magistrate Finch!"

As he bowed, his men followed, creating a wave that travelled through the fortress town all the way to the keep.

Tobias tucked his hands behind his back and began to walk towards the keep. The moment he stepped through the gate, the chi saturation rose. It still wasn't high, but it wasn't uncomfortable like the rest of the Shatter Kingdoms.

Tobias had known that Field Marshal Kang appreciated what he'd taught his officers, but he hadn't expected such a reception when he arrived. He knew the protocols for such a reception, and that was for him and his companion to walk through the entire fortress at a leisurely pace to meet the field marshal in person.

No one said a word as they made their way down the road, but many of the soldiers offered an additional bob of the head or a slight flick of their cupped hands to signal that their actions were not out of obligation but out of actual gratitude. It didn't take Tobias long to understand why. The average cultivation of Field Marshal Kang's soldiers was noticeably higher than it usually would have been in the imperial army. Many of the foot soldiers had six or even seven open body meridians. They also possessed more muscle and fitness than soldiers typically would have.

Tobias saw signs of his exercises and body-cultivation method everywhere he looked, understanding that Field Marshal Kang's instructors had taken his teachings and given them to even the lowest of his men. Those who twitched their wrist or bobbed their head were all soldiers who had recently opened a new body meridian and were in the process of cleansing it.

They would all be as lethal as Majordomo Wo when Tobias first met him, which would improve their chances of survival.

Tobias felt their sincerity as more and more soldiers bobbed their heads or flicked their wrists in respect.

Field Marshal Kang was waiting for him when he arrived at the keep's gate. His features were identical to Elder's Kangs, except his hair was jet black, untouched by age. Dragon scale armour crafted from white immortal jade covered him from head to toe, while a celestial gold hilted jian rested on his belt. The nascent soul realm cultivator looked like a god of war among men.

Field Marshal Kang stepped forward, cupped his hands before him, and bowed slightly more than his station required. "Field Marshal Kang pays his respects to the great benefactor of the Fifth Imperial Army!" His voice roared across the camp.

"The Fifth Imperial Army pays their respects!" The army roared back.

Tobias cupped his hands before him and bowed, amplifying his voice with chi. "Magistrate Finch greets Field Marshal Kang, the righteous leader of the Fifth Imperial Army!"

Tobias had never enhanced his voice as much as he could, and he knew far more techniques for voice enhancement than most. His words vibrated off the stone walls, causing defensive arrays to flare to prevent damage. His greeting crashed over the entire fortress, allowing everyone to hear him.

Field Marshal Kang rose first and dismissed his soldiers with a wave of his hand. The order was silently relayed through the army as Tobias stood up.

"Field Marshal Kang, may I introduce my travelling companion, Magistrate Chi, brother to the first disciple of Peace Master So?"

Field Marshal Kang inclined his head respectfully. "Field Marshal Kang greets Magistrate Chi."

"Magistrate Chi greets the esteemed Field Marshal Kang," he replied, bowing deeply.

Field Marshal Kang turned to Tobias and surrounded them in a silencing bubble that would not allow them to be overheard. "Your escort informed me that you wish to travel beyond our borders."

"It's necessary for my first disciple's cultivation," Tobias replied. "It is also necessary for me to progress my understanding of cultivation into the core realm."

"May I ask why you have come here?"

"The law requires me to have the permission of a field marshal to cross the border in times of war."

Field Marshal Kang stared at Tobias.

"Your cousin may have also mentioned that your magistrates had abandoned their posts. I have brought Magistrate Chi here to assess whether his sons and grandsons can fill these positions for you."

Field Marshal Kang glared. "You wish to bind my army to your family."

Tobias shook his head. "The khans are coming. I'm afraid the 3rd Emperor will not provide your army with the support you need, or allow the Great Clans and sects to provide you with the support you need. The 3rd Emperor will use your men and my allies to whittle away at the khans before repelling them. This strategy will destroy The Three Kingdoms' strength but allow him to come out on top. I can't stop this, but I can provide you with everything I have to limit the fallout and improve our chances of success."

Field Marshal Kang continued to glare. "What support can you offer?"

"Not as much as I would like, but more than you expect. I've started a cultivation academy. My disciples will be ready to teach your soldiers my exercises by the end of Summer. New techniques should also be available. In addition, my family will have produced its first spirit herb crop by Autumn, so additional specific meridian opening and cleansing pills will be available for your soldiers."

Tobias held out his hand, and a chest appeared on the ground between them. "Inside, you will find twenty copies of my manuals. You may copy them as you need, but the originals and the copies must be destroyed the moment the khans begin their invasion."

Field Marshal Kang's eyes widened. "You would trust me with this."

"Everyone I have spoken to says you are a man of honour, both in public and in private. That you will hold the border to the last man. One who has vouched for you is someone I would trust with my life, so his word is all the reassurance I need."

Field Marshal Kang cupped his hands and bowed. "Field Marshal Kang thanks Magistrate Finch on behalf of the Fifth Imperial Army."

Tobias cupped his hands and returned the bow. "If you would have one of your assistants direct Magistrate Chi to your administration building, I will discuss this matter further with you."

***

Tobias and Magistrate Chi left the fortress in the early evening with their travel papers secured. While their robes and marks were enough to prove they were magistrates of The Three Kingdoms, the travel papers ensured their trip was sanctioned by the proper authorities if they encountered the khans' people.

The cultivation world was filled with inconsistencies in Tobias's opinion. Territory was something to kill over, so finding a foreign cultivator in your territory was often enough justification to kill them. However, if said cultivator had powerful enough backing and was not causing trouble, you would treat them like a guest or ignore their existence entirely. Tobias wanted to have every possible reason for them to ignore him.

It was close to midnight when Tobias spotted Xu Feng sitting on a rock in the distance. He'd only stayed in Cloud City for three nights, spending as much time as he could with his daughter and helping Tobias plan his journey. His skills at gathering information as a wandering minstrel were far too needed for him to stay longer.

Xu Feng smiled behind a mask as Tobias slowed to a stop in front of him. "Your movement technique lacks dignity, Magistrate Finch, but this humble one cannot deny that it is a fast way to travel. May I congratulate you on your cultivation progress?"

Tobias stepped off his sword and turned to his companion. "Magistrate Chi, this is our guide. He will escort us through the Shatter Kingdoms and the khans' territory after we deal with the assassins who are following us."

Magistrate Chi was mid-bow when he flinched and looked behind him. "Assassins."

"They've been following us since we left the fortress. They should catch up with us well before dawn." Tobias summoned a spirit stone from his storage ring and passed it to his companion. "Use this to recover your chi."

Tobias turned to Xu Feng. "Have you prepared a welcome for our guests?"

Xu Feng chuckled. "They will be pleasantly surprised with the entertainment I've provided."

Magistrate Chi swallowed. "Perhaps we should flee."

Tobias shook his head. "Field Marshal Kang knows there are foundation realm officers among his men who serve the 3rd Emperor and are intentionally weakening his army, but he does not know which ones they are. He has given me permission to eliminate the ones who pursue us."

"What if they are just following orders?"

"Field Marshal Kang is confident his soldiers will not follow orders to assassinate someone he has received as a guest. He also circulated news of the additional assistance I provided among his men before we left. Only those loyal to the 3rd Emperor should come."

"But others may come too."

"Nothing is certain in life," Xu Feng replied. "However, none below the foundation realm could possibly keep up with Magistrate Finch's mobility technique, and officers with such high cultivation would expect these orders directly from a general, not from another officer. We are confident that only those who serve the 3rd Emperor will appear."

Magistrate Chi paused. "I would have liked to have been informed this was going to happen."

Tobias stared him down because it was not appropriate for him to speak to his patriarch that way. "This was not my secret to share, Magistrate Chi. This is an active operation for the war effort. I am under no obligation to inform you of what is going on. Now I understand you have grounds to be upset, but I would suggest you use that frustration to replenish your chi so you can safely head South." Tobias turned and pointed. "That outcrop on the horizon is where you will wait for us."

Magistrate Chi relaxed and bowed. "I wrongfully assumed you intended for me to fight beside you."

"I promised to protect you on this journey, and that is still my intent. I will collect you when we are ready to continue. Our guide has checked the area for threats. You will not encounter any beasts while you hide."

Magistrate Chi took a seat on the ground, cupping the spirit stone between his palms, and began to draw the chi from it into his energy meridian network. His energy meridian network could not hold vast amounts of chi, so the spirit stone could be used several times before it was empty.

Tobias retrieved his own spirit stone and imitated the other man's actions. Since entering the foundation realm, Tobias had expanded and strengthened his energy meridians to their maximum. This had significantly increased the amount of chi he could draw in and circulate through his energy meridian network. Gathering a single drop of chi in his lower dantian had concentrated the chi flowing through the network, more than doubling his capacity, so his spirit stone was almost empty by the time he was done.

When Tobias opened his eyes, Magistrate Chi was already gone.

Xu Feng had transformed his outfit into that of a magistrate, taking Magistrate Chi's place, and was watching the horizon. "How did your meeting with Field Marshal Kang go?"

"His army welcomed me as an honoured benefactor."

"That is better than I hoped for, but not unexpected. His average foot soldier has two more open body meridians than those in the other imperial armies. They are an exceptional force."

"They're the only ones who have had the time to practice my cultivation exercises. It makes sense that they would be ahead. I promised him my family's first batch of specific meridian-opening and cleansing pills. It won't make a significant difference, but it should prove my intentions after everything we've already given them. Do you know why the Great Clans and sects haven't redirected these pills to them?"

"The Shatter Kingdoms are chi-starved. The sects and Great Clan claim that this offsets the usefulness of practising your exercises, despite the fortress being one giant chi gathering array."

"What is the real story?"

"They don't have pills to spare. The 2nd Emperor tightly controlled the distribution of general meridian opening and cleansing pills because they were much easier to produce. The majority of The Three Kingdoms production was under the Han Clan's control. As they have pulled back to the capital, they have taken their gardens with them or burned what could not be taken. Their shortsighted actions could lead to The Three Kingdoms' doom."

Tobias shook his head. "It will cause problems, but it will not lead to our doom. The spirit herbs for those pills grow quickly. You can double production every three years. Even if only 1% survive, we will be back to full production within a few decades."

Xu Feng frowned.

"My calculations tell me that The Three Kingdoms should be filled with mortal realm cultivators. The only reason it is not is because the 2nd Emperor prevented it from happening."

"You need chi rich locations to grow spirit herbs. Those are in short supply."

"They can be artificially created for mortal realm spirit herbs. There are places where this is not so, but there are more than enough locations where it is true. The spirit falls in Mist City alone could create a large enough spirit garden to support half the population."

Xu Feng leaned back and folded his arms. "How would you control the peasantry? Rogue cultivators would be impossible to manage."

"With prosperity. When a kingdom makes you rich, you don't wish to destroy it, but see it prosper. When a kingdom places you under its heel, you have no choice but to fight back. The 2nd Emperor went about restoring The Three Kingdoms the wrong way."

"You've given this some thought."

Tobias nodded.

"What was his mistake.

"He focused on the most powerful when he should have focused on the weakest. A mortal realm cultivator will live for 120 years. When they pass on, their cultivation will return to the world, nourishing it. While this is a mere drop compared to what will return to the world when a core or nascent soul realm cultivator passes away, but there are millions of mortals and only a few higher realm cultivators. In the end, mortals, not natural cultivators, will repair the world more quickly. That is without taking spirit herbs into consideration. With so many mortal cultivators, they will grow more quickly. When they are destroyed, they also return their cultivation to the world. With more spirit herbs, there will be more spirit beasts, further repairing The Three Kingdoms' chi saturation."

"Enough mortal cultivators can threaten even a foundation realm cultivator."

"But not a core realm cultivator."

"Enough initiate realm cultivators can threaten a core realm cultivator."

"But not a nascent soul realm cultivator."

"You speak of an ideal world that does not exist. Even the 1st Emperor was not so kind to his people."

"That was his mistake. It does not mean it needs to be repeated."

"You have strange notions, Magistrate Finch. But your mind is unequalled in The Three Kingdoms, so I will not dismiss these thoughts out of hand."

Tobias had lived life at the bottom of their society, so he knew how hard it was to survive. He also knew what type of people lived there. They were not bad people. Ignorant. But not bad. Given a chance at a better life, they would take it. Given a chance at a healthier life, they would take it. Given a chance at a safer life, they would take it. Giving only a few of them cultivation resources would cause problems. Giving all of them cultivation resources would create a new normal.

The delusions of power Tobias saw in the cultivation world were primarily due to the difference in power. With a more even playing field, many of those delusions would disappear.

In his old life, most people didn't know that the murder rate during the medieval period was significantly higher than in the modern era. Guns made it easier to kill people you didn't like, but wealth meant you had to give up more when you did. The plain and simple truth was that most people weren't willing to turn to crimes when they had a roof over their head, three square meals a day, and a justice system that was something close to fair. Tobias didn't see any reason why that would be different in The Three Kingdoms.

Tobias looked across the desert. There was barely any light, but he saw every detail.

It had been years since he'd left Cloud City. Years since he'd left the Imperial Palace. In all that time, he had not had the freedom he did now. He had not been alone.

Without the clutter of the city and his household, his spiritual sense spread, showing him everything that lay within a hundred yards of their location. He sensed every insect, every struggling tuff of desert grass.

There were many occasions over the past few years where Tobias no longer felt human, and this was one of them. He did not need his eyes or ears to tell him that a desert spider was hiding under a rock fifty yards behind him. He sensed its frantic energy as it smelled a potential mate, and the fear of venturing into the night would bring. Its wants and desires were laid bare to him. He could take control of its mind and direct it to where it wished to go, like a benevolent god.

It was within his power to do so.

When he reached the core realm, this spiritual sense would become an aura that extended his power to include beasts. In the nascent soul realm, it would extend to mortal and initiate realm spirit beasts.

Before reaching the foundation realm, Tobias hadn't believed that cultivators could become gods. It seemed like an exaggeration, but his power over insects could only be described as godlike.

Out here, alone among the vast emptiness, Tobais felt more connected and detached from the world than at any point in his existence. In this moment, it was easy to see why many higher realm cultivators found it so easy to step back from worldly affairs. The spider hiding under the rock was as familiar to him as an old faithful hound. He did not have any love for the spider, but there was an attachment. It filled the space where family and friends often sat, making him feel connected to the world around him. 

It also told him he was on the path to an existence he could not have contemplated in his previous life. An existence that could not be understood by the mortal mind.

"You feel it, don't you?" Xu Feng whispered. "The awareness of the world around you. The connection that mortals cannot see."

Tobias nodded. "It's never been this strong."

"Your mind cannot comprehend everything within your spiritual sense in a city. Out here among the silence, there is little of complexity to unravel so your mind can manage the noise. Does it make you want to stay?"

Tobias considered the question and then shook his head. "The emptiness offers me a deep sense of peace."

"But you have stronger connections back among the mortals."

Tobias nodded.

"Despite that sense of peace, you will find this a poor place to think."

Tobias turned to the other man, very interested in his statement. "I would have thought the opposite?"

"When you slide into a hot bath, do you think of your problems or relax? This emptiness is the same. You will sit here and enjoy the experience. You might heal from trauma or heartache here, but you will not grow. You will not develop. You will not think deep thoughts. If you did, all those hermits would have reached the nascent soul realm long ago."

Tobias chuckled. "I bow to your wisdom."

"Xu Ling hates it here. She's a child of the world, but I had to bring her here to be sure."

"Why?"

"The path of the wandering minstrel is the path of one who lives in the mortal world, and I still held out hope that she would walk my path even after we came to visit you in Cloud Sect. As her father, I needed to make sure she was suited to it. She was, but she doesn't wish to walk that path. Do you believe you will be ready to teach her what she needs by the end of Spring?"

Tobias paused. "If I do not understand by then, it is unlikely that I will understand for several decades."

"You think so little of your abilities?"

"There are underlying rules to cultivation. From my observations and calculations, I have found that these rules are easily comprehended once you know how to look for them. However, dao introduces a variable that throws off my calculations, and without understanding it, I cannot create equations to account for it."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Reality has rules. People have traditions. It's those traditions which obscure reality's rules. I have faith in my ability to ignore these traditions and uncover the rules hidden beneath them. But I still need enough clarity to find the first step of the path I must take. Without it, I will be wandering blind, and I do not have faith in my ability to navigate blindly."