Unintended Cultivator

V12 Chapter 51 – The Public Good

“I’d say that it’s good to see all of you again, but it isn’t.”

The mortal politicians sagged beneath the weight of Sen’s glower. He saw more than one of them glance at the ragged boy who stood next to him. Their confusion was evident.

“Lord Lu—” the new city magistrate started to say, and was immediately cut off.

“Explain to me why orphaned children are starving in the streets of one of my cities,” Sen snapped.

“Lord Lu, you cannot expect us to simply feed every wretch on the street,” whimpered the new magistrate. “We need to reserve food for—”

“For who? The rich? The nobles? The politicians?”

The assembled people, who were, by and large, rich, nobles, and politicians, flinched at the disdain in his voice. As well they should. He was, once again, tempted to kill them all. He continued when none of them dared speak again.

“And why shouldn’t I expect you to feed children who have no other means of providing for themselves?” asked Sen. “And before any of you utter another word, you should know that I was one of those wretches on the street before my master took me in.”

The blood drained from the faces of the assembled mortals.

“I am tempted to have you all cast into the streets and denied shelter or food for a week. Except, unlike this child beside me, I doubt any of you have the strength of will or fortitude to endure it. This will not continue to happen. Those with nowhere to go will be housed. They will be clothed. They will

be fed. The children among them will be educated.”“Lord Lu,” said the new magistrate, “the city is overcrowded already. Where are we to put them?”

“Where? Well, how convenient that the Soaring Skies Sect compound is now empty. You will house them there.”

From the looks of consternation on the faces of several of the politicians, they had clearly imagined other uses for that compound. Uses that would no doubt have benefited them and their houses.

“I see from some of your faces that you are confused. The Soaring Skies Sect compound belongs to me. It was never yours to claim. For that matter, the land you stand on belongs to me. All of it. You only hold it in trust for the kingdom and only for as long as your houses meet my expectations. So far, you are failing miserably to meet those expectations. Continue on that path, and you will find yourselves the wretches on the streets with neither land nor title. If you think I wouldn’t dare, I suggest you ask the House of Xie.

“And before you ask the next stupid question, this will be funded from the coffers of your houses. Not the city’s coffers. Yours. It’s only appropriate since you deemed it permissible to ignore the suffering of those under your care. This is not discretionary. You will not be the ones to decide how much you give. Nor will you be the ones to administrate this. I will appoint some of my people to oversee this matter.”

A few of the politicians looked to be on the verge of passing out, while others appeared to be moments away from apoplectic rage. Most wore stunned expressions, though, as if baffled by how this seemingly trivial matter had escalated to the point that the very continuation of their noble houses was under threat. Their reactions were part of why Sen still struggled to fully relinquish his childhood hatred for all nobles. The baseless entitlement that caused the rage he saw on some faces, as well as the basic inability to show even pity for the worst off, made these people even worse than the spirit beasts. Spirit beasts killed because it was their nature. These people just didn’t care.

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It was evident from the way they all abruptly drew back that he hadn’t hidden his contempt for them. He imagined that if they felt such contempt for someone, most of them would likely have that person killed.

“Of course, if you feel that I’m being unjust,” said Sen, “any of you are free to challenge me to a duel of honor. How about you?”

Sen directed that to one particularly red-faced man who was visibly trembling in fury.

“What honor is there in a mortal challenging a cultivator?” demanded the man. “You will simply cut me down.”

“You say that as though you ever possessed honor. What honor can a man who would let children starve have in the first place? Being cut down like an animal is a better and faster death than you deserve.”

“They’re just filthy peasants!” shouted the man. “They don’t deserve—”

“And that’s one noble house stripped of lands and titles,” said Sen. “You’ve just forfeited all of your assets to the kingdom. You and all able-bodied men in your house will be conscripted into the army. Your women can assist by cooking and doing laundry for the army. I’m quite certain they’ll be incompetent at it, but they will work for their meals, or they will starve. I will spare your children. They can live at the Soaring Skies Sect compound with the other children who have nowhere else to go. I would advise you to tell them that if they try to assert authority they no longer possess, they will be cast out of the city with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Would anyone else care to condemn their entire house?”

No one spoke. These were politicians after all. They had heard both what he’d said and what he’d meant. Being conscripted meant being spearmen in a war where mortal soldiers were likely to be the first to die. On top of that, he was separating them from their children. In other words, he was taking hostages. With no assets, those children had no hope of mounting a rebellion even if they dared to defy a cultivator monarch. And, if those children did anything to displease him or whoever he put in charge, they would be left at the mercy of the spirit beasts. He knew that he wouldn’t actually do that last part, but they had no way of knowing it. None of the other nobles and politicians were willing to jeopardize their already precarious positions. The noble who hadn’t known well enough to keep his poisoned words inside his own head had turned a sickly gray color.

“Sun Linglu,” said Sen.

The fox-woman stepped out of her concealing illusion, drawing gasps from the mortals.

“Yes, Lord Lu?” she asked in a far too sweet tone.

“Please convey to the army that they are to gather up the members of that fool’s house,” said Sen, gesturing at the man, “and assign them as appropriate. Whatever gold and silver they have can fund the care of those filthy peasants he despises so much. It’s for the public good. Arrange for an auction for their other valuables. Use whatever means and people you deem appropriate to discover the full extent of their holdings.”

“I will see that it is done.”

“Thank you.”

After Misty Peak vanished back into her illusion, Sen glanced at the orphaned boy he’d brought with him for this meeting. The child was staring at him with eyes opened so wide he worried they might actually fall out of the boy’s head. Of course, bringing the boy along had been for a purpose.

“After we get you fed, there’s something I need you to do,” said Sen.

“What?” squeaked the boy.

“I need you to spread the word to the other orphans that they should come to the Soaring Skies Sect compound. Can you do that for me?”

The boy nodded, although he seemed hesitant.

“Don’t worry,” said Sen. “I won’t send you alone.”

I didn’t think of this back in the capital, thought Sen. I’ll have to contact Jing and Grandmother Lu. They can probably sort it out there.