Chapter 96
The Prodigal Son Returns
One of the oddest commonalities between successful immortal ascensions was the wide range of professional skills these immortals had collected over their very long lives. Tobias hadn't worked out whether these skills were essential, but he was stocking his clan's hidden realm with as many experts as he could find just to be cautious. Xu Feng was spying on the stronger cultivators Tobias wished to approach, while Peace Master So scanned the minds of anyone that he could read like an open book. Tobias lived on the road. Wandering from one expert to another, making an offer that most couldn't refuse, but whenever they did, his problems grew.
Tobias projected his aura as he ascended a forgotten path. The trail had been worn into the mountain over centuries, but the once-constant foot traffic had faded with time, leaving weeds to sprout across the barren landscape. The dilapidated compound above him had once been home to The Three Kingdoms' greatest array master, Sung Lu. Sung Lu was a prodigy born to mortal parents, and her children had never inherited her gifts.
At the height of her power, the mountainous region had been home to countless spirit stone mines and other resources, fuelling Sung Lu's work and cultivation, but the Great Plague had seen an end to this when the nascent soul realm cultivator fell in battle. Now the mountains were nothing but a hollow shell, stripped to its foundation like the Three Step Hills had once been, and generations of purchasing cultivation pills and terrible investments had seen the wealth she created trickle away.
Now, only thirty devoted members of her clan remained, hoping for the day that one of their children was born with enough divinity and talent to inherit her legacy. A legacy that Peace Master So had been keeping safe and was now finally ready to return to them.
The Sung family was not Tobias's first choice for teaching his clan about arrays. Neither were they his second or third. The family had fallen too far and could not claim their own inheritance, but so many names had been crossed off his list over the past two years that he was left with little choice but to rebuild them, so they could pass on the knowledge they inherited.
As Tobias reached the entrance to the compound, two mortal cultivators stood in the entrance and bowed respectfully. Behind the elderly couple, bowed their four children and their spouses; behind them, bowed their twenty grandchildren. They did not know who he was, but a core realm cultivator had come to visit, and they were unwilling to offer offence.
Tobias stopped before the gate and silently cupped his hands and inclined his head, returning their respect and recognising their legacy. They had fallen far, but they were once a pillar of The Three Kingdoms.
As his hands fell to his sides, Peace Master So appeared beside him, causing a scene. Everyone immediately dropped to their knees and kowtowed three times, recognising Peace Master So from the faded portrait inside their residence. It was a whimsical painting where the boy sat in their ancestor's lap, smiling from ear to ear with genuine happiness. Sung Lu was hugging him from behind like a favourite little brother, resting her chin on his head with clear love and affection.
Peace Master So wore the exact same smile now as he reached up and placed his hand on Tobias's shoulder, like he was a favourite uncle. "Your ancestor was one of my greatest mentors. She taught me everything I know about arrays, but only a fraction of what she knew. I was her most useless pupil, but that never stopped her from helping me or caused her to raise her voice. She was my friend, my mentor, and you are her loyal descendants. Your clan has declined, falling into obscurity, but I have kept my promise to her, and no harm has ever come to those who lived here."
The family kowtowed three more times.
"I now have the means to fulfil the promise I made to her, passing along the inheritance she left in my care. Today, you will all leave your ancestral home. When you return, you will return as the inheritors of your ancestor's mantle. For I have looked into your hearts and found you all worthy of her legacy."
Tobias glanced down at the sage and raised an eyebrow. This was far more verbose than his other speeches, and many of them were almost comical in nature. Peace Master So rolled his eyes and nodded to the kowtowing family before him, as if the reason was obvious.
Tobias understood.
They had remained faithful long after others had not, so Peace Master So wanted to make them feel special because of this faith. He wanted them to feel like they had done something grand rather than living in the past and refusing to build a new future.
He was doing this for his old mentor, caring for her descendants as she would have.
"Now, while you are worthy of this legacy, where you go when you leave here will be up to you. The one who stands beside me is Sage Knowledge, the former 1st Minister of The Three Kingdoms, and the patriarch of the Finch Clan."
Tobias sensed the family's shock. It was as clear to him as if they had shouted.
"Sage Knowledge's understanding of cultivation far surpassed my own. He is good and kind, and if you follow him, you will be following him to immortality. This will come with a price. You must share your ancestors' teachings with his clan. It is an offer your ancestor would have gladly accepted. She was a prodigy and true genius when it came to arrays, but the path she chose for herself was flawed. She barely survived her nascent soul realm tribulation and told me that she had no hope of becoming a sage. If you follow Sage Knowledge, you will do what she could not. You will enter the sage realm and continue on to immortality. However, if you choose to follow me instead, some of you will reach the heights of your ancestor, but many of you will perish along the way, never returning here in glory. The decision is yours. We will return at dawn in three days for your answers."
"We hear and obey, Exalted One," they replied.
Tobias turned as Peace Master So vanished and began making his way down the mountain path.
Nearly a month later, Tobias stopped at the Halfway Embassy with the Sung family and several others he had picked up along the way.
He had another offer to make and a long-overdue reward to give them.
Elder Cloud and Elder Mist were the direct descendants of the original founders of their sects. They had given more to their sects than any others, but when it came time to repay their loyalty, they were left behind.
They were considered too old to step into the nascent soul realm, too corrupted by their centuries spent beside the healing springs. Their cultivation had become twisted by the powerful healing dao, with no hope of returning to their sect's path. However, they were still the greatest healers The Three Kingdoms had, and Tobias was convinced they were ready to leave their sects behind.
Tobias pulled the water from his skin as he exited the hot springs, then calmly entered the next room, dressed and made his way down the hallway to the central area where everyone ate. Nothing had changed over the decades. The interior remained exactly the same as on his first visit. To those who lived for centuries, this familiarity was a comfort. To Tobias, it was a reminder of how stuck in their ways the cultivation world had become.
Elder Cloud and Elder Mist sat beside their hot spring, meditating without acknowledging his presence. They knew he was there but were actively ignoring him.
The old monsters had all gone into seclusion, but there were plenty of core realm cultivators who could keep them aware of what he was up to. It was now an open secret that Tobias's clan had a disproportionately larger number of sage realm spirit herbs than the other clans and sects, and that he was gathering talent, but no one was willing or able to confront his clan because of Peace Master So and Yin Hao.
The old monsters were more wary of Yin Hao's luck than Peace Master So's power. Those who moved against Yin Hao tended to have unfortunate and unpredictable ends, so confronting him while they suffered from the plague was far too risky.
Because of the rumours, Tobias had expected this sort of reception from them. Most in his position still would have taken offence, but Tobias merely tossed a unique cultivation manual before each of them and summoned a chair from across the room to sit and wait.
After a day of silence, curiosity got the better of them, and they began examining the manuals through their auras, seeing the new path he'd created for them. It was a path with a decent chance of taking them closer to the peak of the core realm. If they accepted his offer, Tobias expected it would be a path which eventually led to the nascent soul realm.
The pair were once pseudo-prodigies, the pride of their respective families, with divinity so high it brushed the threshold of a true prodigy. However, time and intentionally poor teaching from the jealous elders of their sects had caused their advantages to fade. They now only possessed the divinity of a gifted cultivator, so, even with the manuals Tobias had given them, all they could hope to achieve was another layer or two for their cores.
Tobias had not offered them immortality, but a chance to leave their prison before age claimed them.
Hours passed before they opened their eyes.
Elder Cloud sighed as he turned to Tobias. "What do you want from us, Patriarch Finch?"
"You are the two greatest healers in The Three Kingdoms. It would be a waste for your knowledge to die with you."
Elder Mist scowled. "There is a chance we can still return to our sects without your assistance."
"My calculations indicate the plague will continue to infect you for another three centuries. You have only a century or two left at most. The manual before you has what you need to successful form additional layers for your cores and extend your lives."
Elder Cloud picked up the manual and tossed it back. "You cannot buy our loyalty."
Tobias picked up the manual and tossed it back. "This is not for your loyalty. This is for the great service you have done for the people of The Three Kingdoms. Only those who gave their lives in its protection have done more than you have, and this is only to repay that debt."
Elder Cloud picked up the manual and immediately bowed at the waist, his hostility dissipating. "This one thanks the former 1st Minister."
Elder Mist repeated his actions and words.
Tobias stood up to leave.
Elder Cloud paused. "We thought you were here to buy our loyalty from the sect."
"Your sect's cultivation secrets are as clear to me as the manual that lies before you. Their path is a dead end for all who follow it. The requirements are far too restrictive, which is why your ancestors couldn't walk the same path."
The two elders shared a look.
Elder Mist turned to him first. "You have set your sights on immortality."
"I have not seen that far yet, but I am laying the foundation for when I can."
"What sort of foundation?"
"Peace Master So once told me to study all aspects of cultivation. He said everything was connected, and the more I learn, the more I believe he is right. I am gathering knowledge and skills, threads of the tapestry that will lead to immortality. Your healing arts are one of those threads."
"What would we receive in return?"
"Knowledge for knowledge. I am confident that you will reach the nascent soul realm if you follow me. Anything more will require your loyalty in the next life and your silence in this one. You do not need to decide today. Each decade, I will send one of my servants with the same offer."
Elder Cloud and Elder Mist shared another looked as they clutched the manuals but didn't say a word.
Tobias offered them a deep bow. "Former 1st Minister Finch thanks Elder Cloud and Elder Mist for their service to The Three Kingdoms."
Tobias turned around and walked out.
***
Three years after Tobias had begun building his clan's foundation, he watched from his pavilion on the hill overlooking his clan's new home as Field Marshal Kang and eighty-seven of his generals arrived at the edge of their hidden realm and entered. The Field Marshal had refused to join them until he was absolutely certain that all the other nascent soul realm cultivators had become infected first. He had no intention of leaving The Three Kingdoms open to threats.
Field Marshal Kang and his generals floated on their swords as they cupped their fists and bowed, before landing on the hilltop. The generals stood at attention while the field marshal approached Tobias on foot.
Field Marshal Kang stopped beside Tobias and let his aura spread through the realm. He raised an eyebrow when he sensed his brother, Elder Kang, but continued his examination.
Tobias had been more guarded with their conversation than with others, because of his oath to the senate. He had to wait until he had an official leave of absence before he could share the truth.
Field Marshal Kang shook his head in disbelief. "When you said you could take all those I wished to bring with me, you were not exaggerating."
Tobias smiled and sipped his tea. "Do you wish to increase the number of officers you wish to bring now that you understand my offer?"
Field Marshal Kang laughed. "I'll be back in two months."
***
Tobias had scoured The Three Kingdoms for every kind of talent he could find, and Peace Master So had searched the city-states beyond. Artists, musicians, poets, brickmakers, blacksmiths, and every other profession you could imagine had been accounted for and were now secure in his clan's hidden realm. Tobias wasn't sure what secrets the future would offer, so he planned for every eventuality.
His preparations took much longer than he expected, because some of his projects bore unexpected fruit. Relocating the spirit herbs, which were incapable of ascending to higher realms, to the spiritual roots had been much more effective than he had imagined. Tobias had decided to reach out to the other noble clans to procure long-depleted spirit stone mines and other cultivation resources. The negotiations had taken years and required him to be there in person, but the reward was a chance to test whether his spiritual root-and-tree theory could be applied to more than just spirit gardens.
Peace Master So relocated peak spirit herbs that the Finch clan no longer needed to these cultivation resources, and Tobias's foundation realm servants contracted the plague for his core realm servants so they could trigger tribulations. If everything went to plan, many of the cultivation resources which had once been common throughout The Three Kingdoms would return to their former glory.
So, six years after the plague ended, Tobias visited Aunty Nang for the final time, laughing with her and sharing stories from their youth. Then he returned to the Three Step Hills to enter seclusion.
Cultivators rose and cupped their hands as Tobias walked through the garden towards the lake that rested at its heart. Spirit willows, which once shaded the small spirit herbs, were now formed into paths that let his people travel safely, giving them a modicum of freedom within the realm. The spirit trees all clung to their hint of Peace Master So's dao, nourishing an environment free from strife.
When Tobias reached the edge of the lake, he looked out across the scenic space, breathing in the clean air, saturated with chi. The spirit herbs grew like wildflowers, tended by his clan and their servants in an ever-expanding network of progress. Miles away on the edge of their realm, foundation realm cultivators triggered tribulations to blacken the sky and continue their work.
The work gave everyone purpose. It gave them a reason to be here beyond simply increasing their divinity. And it filled his clan with a sense of pride, knowing that they were building a better world for those like themselves, a world they didn't intend to rejoin when this was over.
The Finch Clan would become too powerful, too capable. Even the cultivation world would collapse under so many experts, so they were building a retreat, a place separate and full of abundance, where the worries of the world could not touch them. It would take centuries, but centuries was what they had.
Tobias began walking around the lake's edge, inclining his head as his relatives bowed at his passing. The structure of their clan had changed dramatically since they had entered seclusion. Tobias had taken on the status of an insurmountable mountain, the patriarch of their clan, but not a member of it.
The gap between them was only growing wider, and even his immediate family were now viewed as a second branch family, rather than core members of their clan. They might have the closest connection to him, but they were not like him, not capable of changing the fates of so many.
His immediate family had accepted this distinction, happy to take on the role of a second-branch family, rather than live under the weight of his prestige and accomplishments.
Tobias was just grateful that no one treated him differently. He was still their relative, expected to stop by for tea and family gossip, or to help with minor problems. They did not put him on a pedestal, but neither did they want to live in the shadow of his accomplishments, preferring to make their own way in life.
As Tobias reached the end of his journey, Grandpa Finch, his parents, and his siblings were all waiting to greet him. They stood under the branches of the largest spirit willow, surrounded by sage realm spirit herbs. It was the most beautiful stretch of garden in their hidden realm, with the strongest peaceful influence.
Tobias drew a ball of sticky rice from his storage ring, and the barrier before him disappeared. He stepped inside and hugged his grandpa, having missed the man's comforting touch.
Tobias flinched as he felt the miasma leaking from the old man enter his core and begin to consume the nascent soul within. The feeling of being judged by the heavens came next, and he instinctively flexed his cultivation and dao to combat the intrusion, but a moment later, the miasma became inert, and the feeling went away. A second after that, the spirit herb next to him began to draw the miasma from his body.
Grandpa Finch let go of him and smiled. "What happens now?"
Tobias smiled back. "Now we wait."