Chapter 131
A Beautiful Life
Tobias's mother wasn't happy about his return. It might have had something to do with the fact that he returned with a concubine rather than a wife, or with the fact that she was a former courtesan. Tobias's mother, more than anyone else in his family, had changed over the centuries. Her husband and father-in-law were both terrible at protecting the clan's reputation, so she had taken it upon herself to keep their reputation as spotless as possible.
She immediately went into damage control, referring to Hun Jia as his mistress. The Three Kingdoms had outlawed concubines centuries ago, and Tobias had made it clear Hun Jia was not his wife, so the least scandalous title his mother could give her was mistress. Cousin Ping was pulled from his seclusion, and Elder Kang was summoned to produce a palace for her. A mistress was not a wife, and while she didn't mind them living together, for propriety's sake, Hun Jia needed her own residence.
Nothing Tobias said could change his mother's mind or her actions, and his inability to sway her greatly amused Hun Jia and his disciples.
His mother devoted most of her time outside of damage control to getting to know Hun Jia. She did so while serving her a delicious tea his grandfather had developed, which increased fertility. Yes, she was scandalised, but this was not the first scandal their clan had weathered, and it was the only one that might offer her a grandchild from her only child, who hadn't given her one.
While his clan and servants all saw Hun Jia and the Blossoms as mortals, none of them looked down on them for this, treating them with the same respect as anyone else. Tobias's easy-going relationship with his sect sisters and brothers meant there were very few social walls between them, and that was how his clan acted within their realm. Seeing this sort of relationship put many at ease, and they assumed that his relationship with Hun Jia, while scandalous, was genuine.
Hun Jia found the whole situation very amusing. She knew exactly what the tea was for, and while it wouldn't help her get pregnant, it did amuse her to ask his mother where she could find more. She drank it constantly to please his mother and to tease him, knowing that he would have to have future conversations with his mother that he didn't want to when she didn't become pregnant.
While his sect sisters and brothers enjoyed their conversations with his family, they adored spending time with his sister Lingling. They could all see that she was surrounded by aspects of the dao of beauty related to cooking, and were fascinated by everything she did, spending countless hours helping her cook for everyone. Lingling was just as shocked to find such capable mortals to help her. Every technique she showed them was performed flawlessly, and their plating was even better than hers. Within a few days of returning, she began begging him to let her take them as her disciples.
Tobias said no, but that she was free to teach them whatever she wanted, and she went away happy, before coming back that afternoon to beg him again. This happened twice a day, but his answer never changed.
A month after Tobias had returned and everyone had settled in, Tobias gathered his advisors in his reception hall. His advisors were his mother, his grandpa, Servant Ho, Majordomo Wo, and Lingling. His mother was his strongest link to his clan and their concerns. His grandfather was his greatest link to their efforts in cultivation and gathering. Servant Ho was the head of his servants, and Majordomo Wo was his connection to his servant clans. Lingling was loved by everyone, and she tended to hear about things the rest of them did not, able to pry secrets out with her cooking.
Tobias flicked open his fan as he entered the reception hall, saturating himself in the dao of beauty. Every step and movement spoke of the beauty of the human form in every way. His advisors watched spellbound as he crossed the room and folded into his seat as the patriarch of their clan. Tobias flicked his fan closed and broke the spell.
Lingling came to her senses first. "What was that!"
To cause such an outburst from someone in the nascent soul realm proved that Tobias had achieved what he intended.
"That was the dao of beauty," Tobias replied. "It is the reason I became a courtesan while I was out wandering the world, taking care of Lung Mei. And I would like our clan to begin gathering insights for it to achieve dao enlightenment."
Majordomo Wo frowned. "I thought that was only possible for those who walked the conscious dao path?"
"So did I, but I have since learned there are other ways to reach enlightenment."
Grandpa Finch folded his arms, still upset that he had to return from his research. "What use is this dao to tea?"
"The dao of beauty is a universal dao. It changes your actions and how you see the world. For you, it will help you grow a tea with a more beautiful flavour. It will also add depth to the colour and appearance of the leaves. The same is true for cooking."
His grandpa and Lingling were immediately sold, and he hadn't even told them his intent.
"If this were all it could do, I wouldn't be interested in our clan devoting so much time to attaining enlightenment. However, understanding the dao of beauty has greatly expanded my understanding of cultivation and dao in a way that nothing else has. Going forward, anyone who can reach immortality will begin to study it. The rewards it offers are truly mystifying."
His mother scowled, not hearing what he'd said. "It is one thing to return with a mistress, but you cannot ask your clan and servants to become courtesans. It's outrageous."
Tobias inclined his head. "Becoming a courtesan was my mistake. I thought it was necessary to comprehend the dao of beauty and achieve dao enlightenment. It is not." Tobias looked behind him. "You may enter."
All of his sect sisters and brothers, except Hun Fen, glided into the room, radiating the dao of beauty. To his advisors, they only saw the barest hint of the dao insights he had displayed, but this worked in their favour.
Tobias and Hun Fen could not guide others to comprehend the dao of hidden beauty as well as the other Blossoms. Their nature as cultivators was not hidden from the world, so this made it harder for those they worked with to find their way to the dao of hidden beauty and achieve their first enlightenment. However, after they had achieved enlightenment, Tobias was more skilled than anyone except Hun Jia at helping them gain a second petal.
The Blossoms took a seat behind him.
"The Blossoms of the Silver Blossom Pavilion have a tradition with one foot in the cultivation world. They taught me to understand the dao of beauty through dance, fan artistry, song, tea ceremonies, etiquette, and other respectable acts. Those who join us in immortality will not learn as I have, but through the new methods I have developed. As my advisors, you will bring yourself out of seclusion and attend their lessons starting today. Anyone has the right to veto a type of lesson or a particular lesson that the Blossoms teach and prevent them from being taught to others, but all of you must go through their training."
Majordomo Wo frowned. "Is the matter of exiting seclusion up for debate?"
"No. Your sacrifice is necessary."
Tobias felt each of them reach across his clan's realm and wake their body from seclusion. Over the next few minutes, each of them absorbed the clone he had been speaking to and took their place.
Tobias smiled as he waved his hand and made a tea set appear before each of them. "Your first lesson will be a tea ceremony."
***
Three months later, Grandpa Finch attained dao enlightenment while performing a tea ceremony for Hun Jia. All of his advisors had been giving their lessons their all, but only his grandpa had been asking for extra lessons. He was in love with Hun Jia's tea ceremonies, wrapped up so tightly by the dao of hidden beauty that he was lost to everything else. As a nascent soul realm cultivator and with the resources their clan had at their disposal, his progress was faster than Tobias had thought possible.
Hun Fen lowered her sword as she sensed the same change Tobias had, stepping back, and ending his sparring lesson. She had been trying to help him rebuild his foundation, but what should have been an easy fix was constantly plagued by setbacks.
"Your grandpa will need your guidance."
Tobias nodded and stored his sword before appearing outside the classroom. He slid the door open with his aura, stepped inside and took a seat beside his Hun Jia.
She leaned against his side, smiling ear to ear. It was familiar action. One that brought him peace.
Tobias had promised his sect sisters and brothers that he could create a place where they would be seen, but none of them had expected that world would begin to appear so quickly. Tobias could see their joy across the realm as they taught their lessons to his other advisors. Those who weren't busy were working with Lingling's clone, studying the beauty of cooking, but were smiling just as much.
Their world had been so small when he met them. Every interaction they had outside their sect was veiled by their dao, making it impossible to form a connection. Knowing someone could not see the real you made it impossible to build relationships properly, because what prevented them from seeing you for who you were, also prevented you from seeing the real them.
Over the decades Tobias had come to understand their pain and wish to help ease their burden had only grown stronger.
After fifteen short minutes, his grandpa opened his eyes and smiled at Hun Jia, seeing her for who she truly was. "My Lady, you are as beautiful as your tea ceremonies."
Hun Jia laughed, covering her mouth with her fan.
Grandpa Finch turned to Tobias, searching for answers.
Tobias smiled. "We are the Hidden Blossom Sect. The other Blossoms are my sect sisters and brothers. They cultivate the dao of hidden beauty. A dao that does not allow the world to perceive who they truly are. I have brought them here so that our clan can give them a place where they are seen in this world. In return, they are going to open our eyes to what we cannot see."
His grandpa swallowed. "I'm different to the man I was before."
Tobias nodded. "The dao of hidden beauty allows us to live a beautiful life after we undergo dao enlightenment. It helps us put to rest that which was ugly in our past. Comprehending the dao of hidden beauty through dao enlightenment is one of the few things that can change a nascent soul realm cultivator in a significant way."
His grandpa looked off in the distance. "The others are under its influence. I can see that they are not who they were, but no one else can see this about them."
Tobias nodded. "That will continue until they reach dao enlightenment. Then it will pass like it did with you."
His grandpa smiled. "This is a beautiful gift you have given me. I feel more at peace than I have in centuries."
Tobias pulled a basic manual from his storage ring and sent it to his grandpa. "If that was all it did, I wouldn't be so excited about helping my sect sisters and brothers."
His grandfather checked the cover. "You changed your manuals."
"I changed them slightly. Hun Jia changed them a lot. Try to read the first page."
He opened the manual and began reading. He got as far as the fourth page and had to close it. He took a moment to collect himself and then looked up. "There is so much I didn't understand about cultivation."
Tobias nodded. "Our understanding of dao, while enough to reach immortality, is only a cup of water taken from an ocean of possibility."
Grandpa Finch ran his hand through his hair and then turned to Hun Jia. "Will this work on my guides for growing tea?"
"Only if your tea comes from spirit herbs," Hun Jia replied.
He grinned. "I can make my tea plants spirit herbs."
Discovering how to convert mortal plants into spirit herbs without transforming them in the process was how The Republic had managed to expand across the continent several decades early. These foods were like spirit beast meat in that they could cleanse meridians when eaten and had become a staple of the cultivation world. Constantly picking fruits and vegetables had a small but compounding effect on the chi saturation of an area, allowing more regions to establish spirit gardens sooner and enabling more cultivators to progress.
Tobias raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd done so already?"
Grandpa Finch shook his head. "Those are experimental new varieties. Not my old ones."
Tobias frowned.
"When I discovered the process makes it harder to manipulate flavour, I stopped using my own. Also, the price you can charge for a tea that cleanses meridians doesn't cover the cost of the labour that goes into caring for it. A piece of spirit fruit is significantly more effective than a few leaves in the same realm."
Grandpa Finch suddenly rose to his feet and stepped outside, seeing the beauty that lay around him.
"It's a beautiful day. Why don't we continue this discussion while we take a stroll around the garden?"
Tobias stood up. "Speaking of gardens. We need someone who can see ours to go and get it from Ming City. I'm hoping their dao influence can influence our garden."
***
While his advisors had their eyes opened to the dao of hidden beauty, Tobias meditated on the dao insights he had gathered over the centuries to deepen his enlightenment and gain new ones. When he reached bottlenecks, he worked on reestablishing his foundation for his understanding of sword dao with Hun Fen or searched for dao insights with the other Blossoms. He found following his sisters' clone around as helpful as they did, but she was far less tolerant of his presence than she was of theirs, kicking him out of her kitchen whenever he annoyed her.
Six months after returning home on a lovely autumn day, Tobias found his disciples relaxing on the veranda around their private garden and removed Hun Fen's cultivation manuals from his storage ring. She held up her hand as he walked past her, and he handed them over. There was no ceremony. No fanfare.
"You can now reach the peak of the core realm," Tobias said, before taking a seat in the sun.
Months of thought and effort had gone into those manuals, and that was after decades of studying in Ming City. It was the most complex cultivation method he'd ever created, and it would be decades before he could take it into the nascent soul realm.
Hun Fen had shared his dao with him, and her dao was unlike any he had ever seen. Where most focused on one main aspect of dao, she focused on many. Her main daos were the dao of hidden beauty and beauty, sword dao, martial dao, the dao of the courtesan, the dao of blossoms, the dao of justice, the dao of judgement, and the dao of the warrior. Tobias had to weave all these daos together and more without causing her to lose herself in the process.
Each dao had to be balanced to offset others, creating the most complex mental arithmetic Tobias had ever encountered, but it was done. With the method, she would be able to form a golden core like his, so it would be centuries before she was ready to enter the nascent soul realm. That was centuries where he could try to understand the next step and see if he'd made a mistake with her foundation.
Tobias put his hands behind his head and leaned back, closing his eyes to enjoy the sun.
Ming Dia Lu moved over, lay down, and rested her head on his lap, pulling out a book on arrays to study.
"One day you will have to get used to studying without resting on me, Princes," Tobias said without opening his eyes.
"I have spent my entire adult life studying like this, Master. I'm so used to doing it, I can't study any other way, and it's your fault. If you don't want to do it, you can make me a pillow clone."
Lung Mei and Hun Fen laughed at the idea.
"Yes, Princess."
"Really?"
"No. I'm not spending years of spiritual energy to make you a living pillow. Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to form a nascent soul clone?"
"Then make me a chi initiate one."
Tobias considered the request. "Okay."
"I want one too," Hun Fen said immediately.
"Me too," Lung Mei added.
Tobias opened his eyes and turned to them "Why?"
"Pillow Master," they both replied, before erupting in giggles.
"No and No."
Ming Dia Lu opened her mouth, and Tobias summoned the bowl of melon from his storage ring and fed her. He was as used to it as she was. It was an odd relationship, but a beautiful one, and they were both comfortable, so there was little reason to stop, especially when he could do so with an initiate realm clone.
Tobias set the bowl aside and stood up.
Ming Dia Lu rose with his movements before lying back down. "I just started reading."
"I'm going to make you a clone so you can study. I'll be back shortly."
Tobias went through his palace to where he kept the mirror Peace Master So had made him and pulled an initiate realm clone into existence. The technique was so far below his capabilities, and the requirements for such a weak clone so low now that it only took him a few minutes. The two of them walked back to his garden and went their separate ways.
Pillow clone took up his duties admirably, but within less than a minute, Ming Dai Lu began to wriggle. Both Tobias and his clone turned to observe her actions. She had been using him as a pillow for decades, so he knew her habits. She was not a wriggler. The moment she started reading, she went completely still and oblivious to the world around her. She only moved to turn a page, open her mouth, or chew.
After five minutes of wriggling, she rolled over and glared at Tobias, not his clone. "What do you do to your clone?"
Tobias looked back. "Nothing."
"He's a terrible pillow."
"He's identical to me."
"Well, I can't study with him."
"Can you explain why?"
"He's different."
Tobias could hear her distress under her announce. Something was wrong. "Different like you sense his lower cultivation or different something else?"
She paused to think. "You're a better pillow than you were when you were a clone, so it might be his realm."
Ming Dia Lu floated over to him, lay down, rested her head on his lap, and went back to reading. After reading two pages, she floated over to his clone as did the same. It took her longer to read the pages, and she went over several sections twice.
His clone noticed what he had and groaned. "We've taught her the beauty of studying without realising it, but she hasn't reached enlightenment."
Tobias nodded. "We're acting as her focus."
His clone chuckled. "This is both my shortest clone experience and yet one of the more helpful ones."
Tobias walked over and took his hand, merging back into one. There was barely anything to merge, but he noticed the difference between their experience. His clone had an almost human-like view of the world. It felt empty and without wonder. He hadn't complained because he was doing it for his disciple, but it was unpleasant.
The difference between his current existence and his old one was simply too vast. Tobias immediately made a new rule for himself that he wouldn't be creating clone below the foundation realm. It was too traumatic. He then made the decision to test if that rule was enough. He hadn't made a foundation realm clone since entering the nascent soul realm, so that experience might be just as unpleasant.
Tobias made his empty clothes on the ground vanish into his storage ring, then took the place of his clone so his disciple could study. Hun Fen was reading her cultivation manuals, and Lung Mei was reading his family's library. His clan had the largest collection of cultivation manuals and research papers in the world, and it was constantly expanding. She could read for decades and still not make her way halfway through it.
Tobias went to their library through his aura and began opening up manuals and pulling out research papers. Other than handing over Hun Fen's cultivation manuals, he had nothing else to do for the rest of the day. Lingling had kicked him out of the kitchen, and the Blossoms were all teaching lessons or studying his sister, so there was nothing else for him to do but relax and read with his disciples.
Life was good.