The Magistrate: Chapter 37 (Patreon)

Chapter 37

An Unwanted Betrothal

Translating manuals from cultivator script required the translator to understand the technique or method they were translating, along with possessing the self-restraint not to use poetic licence. To Tobias's surprise, Patriarch Lee hadn't exaggerated his enthusiasm. His clan was incredibly interested in Tobias's opinions on cultivator script, so interested that the moment the New Year Festival was over, they sent half their librarians along with many of the most experienced cultivators to stay with Patriarch Lee to assist with translations.

Twice a day, the Lee Clan delivered their most recent translations to the sect for Tobias to study. Tobias would either approve the translation to be passed on to someone less talented to expand or mark where he felt the translation needed improvements in clarity. Each new addition of a manual created by a less talented cultivator took significantly longer than the last, so by the time Cloud Sect welcomed its new disciples in, none of the manuals were complete.

A pile of new translations sat beside Tobias as he ate dinner and watched the sunset shadows move across his garden. Despite how easy his job in the state assignment hall had become, his other pursuits were now heavily impinging on his free time, and he had to set aside moments to enjoy life.

It had gotten so bad that he'd had to stop his physical training. His body, while muscular compared to other cultivators, wasn't anywhere near bodybuilder territory anymore. This wasn't an issue as the next pill Tobias was set to receive would open the first of his greater energy meridians.

Tobias understood that he might be limiting his future progress by opening energy meridians before he was twenty-five, but he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to have a chance at surviving a surprise attack from a core realm cultivator, he needed to be in the foundation realm and capable of sensing and manipulating chi.

As Tobias popped a fatty piece of cloud ram into his mouth, a bell rang in the distance, signalling someone was waiting at his gate.

Tobias glanced at the manuals sitting next to him, wondering who might be paying him a visit. The disciples he was training never disturbed him at his residence, and none of the elders had ever paid him a visit. Disciple Xi was the only one who visited his home, and he had been in seclusion since delivering the list of how many pills he should expect at the next auction.

A few moments later, Aunty Nang came hurrying down the veranda, which caused Tobias to frown. Aunty Nang only ever hurried when there was an emergency.

She stopped before Tobias, bowed respectfully, and scowled at him. "Why didn't you tell me your sister was coming to visit? We aren't prepared for guests."

Tobias blinked, shocked by the statement. "My sister is here?"

Aunty Nang stopped scowling. "You weren't aware she was coming to visit?"

"I don't even know which sister you're talking about."

"She introduced herself as Finch Lihua, your sister."

Tobias frowned. "Lingling is thirteen."

"That matches the young woman at the gate."

Tobias set aside his chopsticks. "Was she alone?"

"No. She's travelling with a one-armed cultivator from Mist Sect."

Tobias relaxed. "Let them in and send them here. Prepare something for them to eat, and I promise to keep them busy while you prepare their rooms."

Aunty Nang rushed off.

Tobias put the lids on the rest of his meal, saving it for his little sister. Lingling might not be hungry, but it had been years since he'd seen anyone in his family, and he didn't want to make her wait in case she was. Explanations for why she had run away could wait until after she had eaten.

There was no way that this visit had been approved. Tobias would have received word from Steward Wo if it were, but he was under strict orders to keep his family where they were.

Tobias rose to his feet and smiled as Lingling came charging around down the veranda. That smile vanished as he noticed how gaunt she was. He'd seen her come out of minor famines in better condition. The dress under her fur coat was stained with dirt and plant matter, and the lower edges had been torn in places.

Everything suggested she'd had a harsh journey.

Lingling leapt into his open arms, not even pausing over his change in appearance, hugging his neck with everything she had, as if the world was coming to an end. Tobias hugged her gently, being careful not to harm her with his enhanced strength.

Lingling and Roro had been the closest to his age growing up, and he was closer to them than his other siblings. His older sister Jing and his youngest brother, his parents named Jian, were also close, but not as close to him as Lingling.   

"You have to save me," she cried, bursting into tears.

Tobias rubbed her back to calm her, while fearing the worst. "What happened?"

"Papa wants me to marry into some cultivator family I don't even know. I don't want to move away and marry a strange old man." She began sobbing.

Tobias almost sighed with relief.

Lingling's escort walked around the corner, and Tobias motioned for her to approach. Disciple Shen's right arm ended at her shoulder. She was one of the cultivators who had been crippled when dealing with the rogue cultivators that were hunting Mist Sect's disciples. She was tall for a woman with smooth black hair and green eyes, and she presented herself with grace and elegance. Despite her youthful appearance, she was in her mid-forties, from what Tobias could remember and was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, despite the loss of her arm.

She approached the door and bowed. "Disciple Shen greets Magistrate Finch. This one apologises for appearing at your door unannounced."

Tobias took in every detail of her appearance, sniffing the air to find details he couldn't see. Outwardly, she appeared to be in immaculately good health. However, her scent was covered in blood.

Tobias wasn't surprised.

Patriarch Lee made sure that he was well aware that the 2nd Prince was still targeting his family. Foundation realm assassins were waiting for any of them to leave the safety of the area. Each of the Great Clans had placed an elder nearby, so none of the assassins had dared approach yet. Six core realm cultivators were not something you could remove unnoticed.

Tobias looked over his sister's shoulder and offered a brief smile to his sister's saviour. "You are always welcome at my door, Disciple Shen. Forewarning is not required for anyone who has protected my family."

Disciple Shen blushed and dropped her gaze. "This one appreciates your generosity."

Tobias didn't want to ask about their journey while Lingling was present. Her preoccupation with her marriage suggested that she didn't know how violent it was. And he didn't want to trouble her with fear.

"Lingling tells me she is to marry into a cultivator family. Do you know anything about this?"

"The Lee Clan sent a betrothal offer when they discovered that she was a gifted cultivator. Lingling overheard your father speaking with Steward Wo about the matter and assumed that it was finalised."

"Papa said he was going to accept," Lingling moaned, tearfully.

Tobias frowned. "Lingling is a gifted cultivator?"

Disciple Shen nodded.

"How?"

"Your family has been consuming pills since the middle of Winter. It's caused what little chi the area has to grow turbulent and contaminated, which Elder Tan believes caused her stomach meridian to open. She had Steward Wo report it to the local magistrate's office, after she tested her divinity using your family's testing array, which is how the Lee Clan found out."

"I don't want to marry an old man," Lingling whined.

Tobias ignored his little sister's complaints. "Did she run away?"

Disciple Shen nodded.

"Why didn't you bring her back?"

"I have no authority to do so."

Tobias smirked, catching a hint of defiance. "You mean you didn't want to force my little sister into a marriage she didn't want, and you were able to use that excuse to get her safely to my residence."

Disciple Shen blushed.

"Good job."

She turned a brighter shade of red.

"Are you going to make me go home?" Lingling asked.

"I can't send you home, even if I want to."

"You can't?"

Tobias shook his head. The fact that they had arrived alive was a miracle in his mind.

"Are you going to stop Papa from making me marry some strange old man?"

"I can't do that."

"She could join Mist Sect," Disciple Shen offered. "They'll be willing to interfere for someone with her divinity."

Tobias leaned back so he could meet Lingling's gaze. "Do you know what being gifted means to cultivators?"

"Not really."

"It means that even if you're terrible at cultivation, you're destined to reach the foundation realm. You'll be at least as strong as Disciple Shen."

Lingling stopped crying, trying to process what she'd just learned.

"Do you want to join a sect?"

She shook her head. "No."

"They can stop your marriage?"

"I'll be trading one place I don't want to be for another."

Tobias smiled. "When did you get so smart?"

"I was always this smart. Can you really not stop Papa? Mama says you're the most powerful person in our family."

"I can try to change Papa's mind, but I can't stop him from arranging your marriage. However, I can ask the Lee Clan to rescind their betrothal offer. They likely made it to show their support for our family, not intending for us to accept. However, Papa wasn't expecting it and is probably terrified of insulting them, which is why he's trying to agree."

Lingling finally pushed Tobias away, dropping to the ground. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Lingling leaned around Tobias.

Tobias heard her stomach rumble.

"Were you eating dinner?"

"Help yourself."

Lingling wiped her face and rushed toward the meal, as Tobias realised that the spirit beast meat might cause problems. "Do you have a change of clothes?"

Lingling shook her head as she lifted the first lid.

Tobias stepped around her and picked up the bowl. "You can't eat this."

"Why not?"

"It's spirit beast meat. Now that you're a cultivator, it will cause you problems that you need to be prepared to deal with."

Lingling scowled. "You just don't want to share."

Disciple Shen giggled. "Your brother is looking out for you. You really don't want to eat that unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences."

Lingling sighed. "Is there anything else I can't eat?"

Tobias shook his head as he picked up the manuscripts and moved them to an empty shelf. "Anything that isn't meat is safe." He turned around and motioned for Disciple Shen to enter and join them before sitting.

She gracefully lowered herself into a sitting position. "Thank you for the invitation."

Tobias gave her a pointed look. "If you know my sister well enough to call her Lingling, you know my family is not big on formalities. Feel free to relax while you are here."

Disciple Shen smiled. "Thank you."

"May I ask how you're so familiar with my family? From what I remember, you were one of the disciples who didn't feel a need to associate with them."

Lingling giggled. "Cousin Chow is trying to convince her to marry him."

Tobias had to think for a second, because he had several cousin Chows. All but one of them were married. "Isn't he ten?"

Lingling giggled again. "He's very vocal about wanting to marry her."

Disciple Shen gave a small smile. "His mother asked me to give him challenges to prove he's worthy. His grades have drastically improved, and his chores are now done without him needing to be asked."

Tobias chuckled. "Disciple Shen, you didn't answer my question."

Disciple Shen sighed. "Time has a way of changing your perspective. As more and more of those working beside your family recovered from the trauma of becoming cripples and returned to the sect, I had to conclude it was their interactions with your family that allowed them to do so."

"Have you found it helpful?"

She dropped her gaze further. "They've given me a glimpse into another way of living. One where a family supports each other, rather than vying for position."

"I thought you were from one of the Great Clans."

"I am, but I come from a minor branch family. Our access to resources is restricted because of our lack of importance, which has turned many of my relations against each other. Mist Sect was my way of escaping the turmoil and earning a place in this world."

Tobias didn't let his surprise at her openness show. "Are you ready to return to the sect?"

She shook her head. "I'm not ready to face the shame."

"In my mind, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You avenged your fellow disciples and survived the experience."

"I'm a cripple."

"Only if you continue down the warrior path. Alchemists, gatherers, and healers only need one arm to perform their duties. You wouldn't be a cripple if you changed your profession."

"You're not the first to tell me that."

"Why do you refuse to listen then?"

"It feels like failure."

"Failure or weakness? An alchemist, gatherer, and healer cannot stand against a warrior of the same cultivation."

Disciple Shen dropped her gaze even further, staring at her lap. "Weakness."

"Mist Sect is not your family, Disciple Shen. It will not take advantage of your weakness. In fact, it has already gone to great lengths to protect you from your foolishness in your weakened state. Elder Tan is not in the Three Step Hills to protect my family, but to keep you safe." Tobias realised what he said and added, "Don't tell her I said that."

Disciple Shen lifted her gaze. "What?"

"Elder Tan is your guardian, not my family's. She's making sure you and your sister disciples don't get yourselves killed before you work out that Mist Sect still values you as much now as it did before you were crippled."

Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as a flood of emotion overwhelmed her.

Tobias rose to his feet, leaving the room to give her privacy. This was not his world, and he could not comfort her, but he could give her the privacy she needed not to shame herself with such an emotional display. Lingling put down her food to comfort the older woman as Tobias went outside to look at his garden.

Mist Sect's supportive nature was something that Tobias respected, and why he believed more strongly after having visited them that keeping the two sects separated was a mistake. Cloud Sect had far too much testosterone, which caused its disciples all sorts of unnecessary trouble. Mist Sect likely had its own problems, but Tobias hadn't spent enough time there to know what they were.

Both suffered from a lack of transparency behind their actions, which led to situations like the one taking place in the room behind him. Disciple Shen was well past the stage where she would have thought Elder Tan's words were mere platitudes, and yet the woman still hadn't told her that the sect valued her no less for her injuries.

Tobias wouldn't have brought it up if he were visiting his family, but Disciple Shen had made sure Lingling reached him safely and helped her run away from a marriage she didn't want, so Tobias was willing to help her in any way he could. Whether or not this helped her move on and return to Mist Sect didn't matter to him. She was welcome in his home.

And going anywhere other than Mist Sect wasn't on the table, because the 2nd Prince's assassins would now be waiting for her the moment she left Cloud City.