The Magistrate: Chapter 40 (Patreon)

Chapter 40

The Meat Stick Lady

The following morning, Tobias set out from his residence with Lingling by his side, more relaxed than he’d felt in years. Now that the sect had finally made its intentions clear, he could begin planning his future. It showed him where there were possibilities for growth and where there weren’t. It directed his mind to what was truly possible, rather than what might be.

This had left him in a surprisingly good mood.

Being able to show his sister around, without worrying about her embarrassing him, also helped. Once Lingling had recovered from the hardships of her travel, her boisterous nature had faded into the background behind a veil of trained self-control. Aunty Nang felt she was poised enough to be seen in public with Tobias, but only within the sect, so he was taking her to meet the disciples he was training.

They each carried a large basket filled with hot skewers of initiate realm cloud ram meat to feed the hard-working disciples. Through trial and error, Tobias had discovered that it provided the most benefits to the cultivators, having a similar effect to steroids.

The disciples at the end of their natural path had steadily been showing improvements in their cultivation, proving that Tobias was correct about muscle mass having an effect on body meridian development. The news excited the sect enough to provide additional funding for the training program, so the meat they were carrying had been supplied for free.

Over a dozen elders were interested in the program. All of them had failed to completely expand and strengthen their body meridians before they began the next stage of body cultivation. They were hoping that this would be the solution to a problem that now prevented them from going further.

Lingling adjusted her new favourite dress and turned to Tobias as they walked through the inner disciple district. “Do I have to study?”

Tobias had been hoping they could continue this argument later that evening, but it appeared she wanted to try her luck in public. “Yes.”

“But I already know how to read, write, and add numbers.”

“That’s very impressive, but you also need to study the history of The Three Kingdoms, learn accounting, and go through etiquette training.”

Tobias didn’t downplay his sister’s academic achievements. She’d been studying diligently at their family school and was adequately educated for her age, which was impressive considering how late she began.

“But I’ve already been taught etiquette.”

“You’ve gone through enough etiquette training not to embarrass yourself when others visit, but you don’t know how to behave in cultivator society.”

“I hate studying,” she complained. “I want to learn how to cook.”

Tobias turned his face away to hide his smile.

Lingling seemed to be exceptionally talented at cooking. His personal chef had marvelled at her ability to replicate what she did after watching her only once. She’d jokingly said that perhaps she’d been the emperor’s chef in a previous life. After watching them work together, Tobias had to agree.

Lingling had a gift. A gift that he wanted to develop, because it made her happy. Freedom of choice had been a rare thing when he lived with his family, and he wanted that for her.

“You need to continue your education,” Tobias said.

Lingling pouted.

“However, if you were to study hard each morning, it would be possible for you to learn cooking in the afternoons.”

Lingling grinned. “You mean it?”

Tobias nodded. “You have to study hard in the morning, though. If I find out you haven’t been doing your best, you’ll not be allowed to cook for three days.”

He wanted her to be happy, but not at the cost of her future.

“I promise to do my best.”

“Good.”

“Do I still have to marry the strange old cultivator?”

Tobias winced.

Patriarch Lee had written back to him, informing him that he couldn’t interfere with the other branch families, not over matters of marriage. However, he did understand Tobias’s predicament, so he’d offered to send his own betrothal offer. Since his branch family outranked the other branch family, they would have to rescind their offer.

Patriarch Lee’s offer was an open betrothal offer that indicated that he wished to marry one of his many generations removed grandsons to her. Cultivators rarely married before twenty-five, so she’d have nearly a decade to decide which of his kin she was interested in. They would also have to be interested in her in return, as Patriarch Lee didn’t feel that their families needed to be forced together to build closer ties.

“My friend in the Lee Clan said he can’t make the other branch family take back their betrothal offer.”

“But you promised.”

“I know, but I was wrong. He can’t make them rescind their offer. However, his branch family outranks the one that currently wishes you to marry into their family, and he’s said he’s willing to send a betrothal offer to Papa requesting you marry one of his grandsons. Once he makes his offer, the other branch family will have to rescind their offer.”

“That just means I’ll have to marry someone else.”

“It does. However, you will get to choose which of his grandsons you marry. His grandson will also get to choose if he wants to marry you.”

Lingling paused to think for a moment. “How many choices do I have?”

“He has around eighty grandsons your age who aren’t formally betrothed.”

“I won’t have to marry an old man.”

“No.”

“And I get to pick.”

“He has to like you, too.”

“How long do I have to choose?”

“Cultivators don’t typically marry until after they are twenty-five, but they are typically betrothed by the time they are twenty, so you have eight years.”

“That’s too old to get married.”

Tobias chuckled.

Most of his siblings and cousins were married by the time they were fifteen. He’d barely managed to dodge his father’s attempt to have him wed by appearing immature and sickly. To the cultural norms Lingling had grown up with, twenty-five was incredibly old.

“Cultivators live a lot longer than mortals. Getting married at twenty-five is considered very young by their standards. You likely won’t be allowed to marry until you are thirty.”

Lingling smiled. “So, I get to choose who I marry, they’re my age, and I don’t have to get married for years and years.”

“It’s the best I can do, I’m afraid.”

“What if I don’t like any of them?”

“I guess I’ll have to find someone more important to make another betrothal offer.”

Lingling continued to smile.

“Do you want me to tell him to make the offer?”

“Can I think about it?”

“You can. But not for too long. He needs to make the offer before Papa accepts.”

The appropriate response time for a betrothal offer from one of the Great Clans was no sooner than a year and no later than five years, unless those being betrothed were newborn. Agreeing immediately was viewed as disrespectful. It suggested that you viewed the marriage as a business arrangement. Taking too long was inconsiderate.

There would also be the matter of introducing her to the Lee Clan, but that is a discussion for another day. Steward Wo knew all this, which was why Tobias felt comfortable taking time. He’d make sure his father didn’t do anything pre-emptively.

Lingling frowned. “Why aren’t you married?”

Tobias couldn’t explain that until recently, he’d had no interest in marrying. He’d been in his late eighties when he passed away, and the thought of marrying someone under twenty had repulsed him to such a degree that he’d done everything he could to make sure it wouldn’t happen. He was only just beginning to feel comfortable with the idea of marrying someone his own age.

“I’m too busy to get married.”

“Do you want me to find you a wife?”

Tobias reached over and ruffled her hair. “You need to find a husband before you’re allowed to help me find a wife.”

Lingling scowled at him. “Don’t mess up my hair. It took Aunty Nang a long time to get it right.”

Tobias carefully fixed the few stray hairs. “Sorry.”

Lingling wasn’t paying attention to his apology. She was staring at one of the disciples Tobias was training, who had just walked out the gate of his residence.

“He looks like he could pick up an ox,” she whispered.

The cultivator heard her and turned with a scowl on his face, taking her compliment poorly. The moment he noticed she was with Tobias, the scowl vanished behind an emotionless veil. He bowed.

Tobias returned the bow from a distance. “My sister, Finch Lihua, is unfamiliar with the cultivator world, Cultivator Pon. She intended no disrespect. You’re physique is considered praiseworthy among mortals.”

Cultivator Pon waited until they caught up with him. “This one appreciates the clarification, Magistrate Finch. No offence has been taken.”

Lingling opened the top of her basket and offered Cultivator Pon a skewer. A decent-sized steak’s worth of meat had been jammed onto the stick, making it a small meal. “This is for you.”

Cultivator Pon frowned as he took the offered skewer, sensing the value of what he was being given. “Thank you.”

Tobias nodded to encourage him to eat as they continued on their way. “Initiate realm cloud ram seems to be the most effective training aid for muscle growth. From now on, you’ll all eat a skewer before you begin each training session.”

Cultivator Pon continued to frown. “This seems excessive, Magistrate Finch.”

“It would have been in the past. However, my data shows me that those of you in the foundation realm haven’t seen a noticeable increase in muscle mass from increasing the amount of meat in your diet. Those in the initiate realm have seen a substantial improvement, which makes me think that mortal realm meat, even mortal realm cloud ram, is incapable of nourishing your bodies.”

“You believe better quality meat will allow us to see similar improvements.”

“I do. Also, initiate cloud ram meat seems to have the same stimulative effect for muscle growth as foundation realm cloud ram meat without the added cost.”

Cultivator Pon scowled. “Some of us have been eating foundation realm cloud ram meat, Magistrate?”

Tobias nodded. “My data indicates it’s provided them with no additional benefits. However, it might provide benefits for those in the core realm. Eating spirit beast meat within one realm of your cultivation appears to be important and will require further investigation.”

“May I ask a question, Magistrate?”

“You want to know how much bigger you will have to grow before I allow you to return to body cultivation.”

“Yes, Magistrate.”

“The foundation realm cultivators at the end of their natural path have had more difficulty making progress than those in the initiate realm. The largest among them have seen the most gains, though those gains remain small.”

“For someone in their situation, any progress is a great achievement.”

Tobias nodded. “I believe those in the foundation realm need to push themselves further to see the same benefits as those in the initiate realm. Late Summer will be the soonest you will be able to continue cultivating. However, I expect that the progress you make when you do will be substantial.”

Lingling frowned. “Excuse me. I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Cultivator Pon smiled. “Magistrate Finch has discovered that expanding and strengthening body meridians is done more easily by those who possess more muscle. My sect brothers and I are helping him ascertain how effective this discovery is.”

Lingling turned to Tobias. “Brother, will I be required to gain as much muscle as Cultivator Pon to open and cleanse my body meridians?”

Tobias almost said no out of hand, but then he considered the question. Young disciples always lost muscle mass as they opened their body meridians, and each new meridian was more challenging to open than the last. He’d never considered that this might be affected by the muscle loss.

Tobias began to frown, trying to recall if any extremely muscular disciples had made noticeable progress, despite limited divinity and talent. He couldn’t remember something that specific.

“That is an excellent question, Lingling. I’m not sure. I’ll need to consult the sect’s records, along with some of the sect’s elders, before I can give you an answer.”

The implications of such a possibility weren’t lost on Cultivator Pon. He was left so speechless that he didn’t say a word for the rest of their journey.