Unintended Cultivator

V12 Chapter 62 – Rabble

Sen expected his arrival back in Emperor’s Bay to be a relatively peaceful one. He’d left plenty of people in place and fairly strict orders. So, he was baffled when he saw an unusually dense concentration of people near the Soaring Skies Sect compound. Curious about what was happening, he hid his presence, bypassed the gates entirely, and flew to the former sect compound. What Sen found was an angry mob of over a hundred commoners shouting threats at a stone-faced, qi-gathering cultivator wearing the blue robes of Sen’s own sect. That lone cultivator had placed himself between the crowd and a handful of soldiers from the army.

The soldiers had taken up defensive positions in front of the gate. They didn’t look eager to fight, but all of them wore the grim expressions of men and women prepared to do what they had to do. On the other side of the gate, Sen could see a group of very scared mortal children and the adults he assumed were their caretakers. He listened while the cultivator spoke.

“I do not know why you have come to this place, but there is nothing here for you.”

“We know those worthless brats are getting the best food,” shouted someone in the back of the crowd.

Sen pinpointed that man in his spiritual sense. Part of him wanted to intervene immediately because the children were in danger, but there were things to learn here if he was patient. If nothing else, he wanted to see how this cultivator represented himself and the sect.

“They are not. They are getting the same food as everyone else. Those were Lord Lu’s orders. You should return to your homes.”

“And what if we don’t!” shouted the same man from the back of the crowd. “We deserve the same food as that street trash. If they won’t give it to us, we should take it!”

Sen watched the cultivator with interest. This was the moment when people’s courage failed. The moment they realized that there wasn’t going to be a peaceful resolution. That was especially true for a qi-gathering cultivator. Yes, they were stronger and faster than mortals, but his chances weren’t good against odds like these. The cultivator took a deep breath, perhaps to steady himself, and then he addressed the crowd.

“If you attempt to force your way into this sanctuary for children,” said the cultivator in a deadly calm voice, “I will kill every last man and woman in your rabble.”

The mob went silent, even as Sen raised an eyebrow. The cultivator meant it. More importantly, he clearly believed he could do it. There wasn’t a hint of bravado to it. Just cold certainty. As if to emphasize that point, the cultivator drew a jian in each hand.

“You were all so eager to steal from those you thought were helpless and undefended a moment ago,” said the cultivator. “Where has that bravery gone? Come. We will court death together.”

Sen looked to the man in the crowd who had been shouting. He appeared conflicted. It seemed that a cultivator willing to ruthlessly drag them all down into the thousand hells hadn’t been part of whoever’s plan this was. And it was obviously a plan. It might not be obvious to the people in the mob, or that lone cultivator, or the soldiers behind him, but it was obvious to Sen. Of course, this fragile standoff was only possible because that cultivator was so resolute. The problem now was how best to resolve it.

He didn’t think letting that cultivator kill a bunch of shopkeepers and laborers was a good solution for the long term. It would work right now, but it could also breed the kind of resentment that would prove hard to wash away. The people in this crowd no doubt had families. Families that might hold grudges and become a problem down the road. If the fools in this crowd were cut down, it might even fuel the absurd rumors that the children were receiving better food.

If Sen stepped in, he could end the conflict immediately. The problem with that was that he wouldn’t always be here. The cultivators and soldiers who would be left here needed to establish authority of their own. By taking action, he would undermine whatever authority they might have built. Even so, stepping in was still preferable to an avoidable massacre. Nobody benefited from one of those but Sen’s enemies and the spirit beasts. He did take the precaution of wrapping a fist of hardened air around the one that had been urging the crowd on. Sen didn’t want him to escape.

“Enough,” said Sen.

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The word rang through the air like a pronouncement from the heavens as he stopped hiding. Simultaneously, he allowed more of his spiritual sense loose. A collective gasp went up from the crowd, and more than a few people dropped to a knee beneath the pressure. He descended and lightly touched down on the street to stand beside the cultivator. A flash of relief crossed the cultivator’s face before he resumed his stone-faced expression and bowed.

“Patriarch,” said the man.

“Disciple. I witnessed your resolve. You did well.”

“Thank you, Patriarch.”

“Join the soldiers. I will deal with this—” Sen paused. “What did you call them?”

“A rabble, Patriarch.”

“An excellent description. I will deal with this rabble.”

The disciple fell back to stand with the soldiers. They were doing nothing to hide their relief and happiness over the averted violence. Sen heard them whispering their appreciation and gratitude to the cultivator, who suddenly looked much younger and uncertain how to respond. It seems that they are doing something right at the sect, thought Sen. I’ll need to contact Sua Xing Xing and congratulate everyone there for not breeding excessive arrogance in the disciples. It was a welcome piece of good news in a time when ill tidings were everywhere.

Purposefully letting a deep sigh escape his lips, Sen turned his gaze on the mob. A few more had dropped to a knee beneath the pressure. The effort of staying on their feet had caused sweat to start dripping down the faces of the rest. He focused his spiritual sense on the ones still standing and increased the pressure. Within moments, they were all on their knees.

“I should butcher you all,” said Sen in an indifferent voice. “I don’t mean execute you for breaking the law, which you have. Nor do I mean execute you for the countless other ways you intended to break the law.”

Faces started going pasty beneath the sweat at the words butcher and execute. Pretending not to notice, Sen continued.

“You see, if I execute you for breaking the law, that would give you too much dignity. It would suggest that you still deserve dignity. You do not. You abandoned all dignity when you came here to take from children. When you did that, you became no better than wild animals gone mad. Wild animals aren’t executed. They’re simply cut down and forgotten. That is all you deserve. To be cut down, forgotten, and have your names culled from your family history. For what family wants a wild animal in their ranks? What family could harbor that shame and hold their heads up? What family could endure the presence of someone who would steal from children?”

Now that everyone’s blood had started to cool, Sen could see the realization on their faces. Some were still angry, but most of them looked horrified at their actions, his words, or both.

“Lord Lu—” started a woman near the front of the mob.

“Silence. Wild animals do not speak.”

The woman closed her mouth and looked down.

“A kind man, a merciful man, would cut you down here and now. That, at least, would spare your families the burden of carrying your shame. I am not a merciful man. I condemn you all to live. Live with your failure. Live with your shame. Live with the knowledge that you did this all for nothing.”

Sen pointed at the three people in the crowd who looked the most ashamed. It was two women and a man.

He said, “You. You. You. One of the soldiers will take you inside. They will show you the food that the children are eating. You will tell everyone what you see. Go.”

He released them from the weight of his spiritual sense. They rose to their feet and stumbled over to the gate. Sen looked back at the soldiers and nodded. One of them peeled away and took the three witnesses inside. The rest of the mob spent the next fifteen minutes trying to avoid meeting Sen’s eyes, but none of them could escape the pressure bearing down on them. He thought it served as an excellent reminder that he was not happy with them. The soldier and the witnesses finally emerged from the compound. Sen turned to look at them.

“Well, you’ve seen the kitchens. Describe the piles of meat. Tell us all about the exotic vegetables. Regale us with tales of endless desserts and fountains of wine. Isn’t that what you expected to find?”

The three stared straight down at the ground.

“Speak,” commanded Sen.

“Rice!” the man almost shouted. “There was rice. Vegetables. The same ones that the cultivators provide in the markets. There was a little meat. Perhaps enough for a few meals.”

“And what else?” asked Sen.

“Nothing else, Lord Lu,” said the man in a weak voice. “There was nothing else.”

Sen turned a look of utter contempt on the kneeling mob. It was intense enough that most of them flinched.

Shaking his head, Sen said, “Rice. Vegetables. Enough meat for a few meals. That is what you came here to steal. Food you could have gotten at any market in the city. That is what you traded all of your dignity and stained your families’ honor to take. From children.”

Sen finally withdrew his spiritual sense enough to let the mob stand. Not enough to let them stand easily, but enough that they could drag themselves to their feet.

“Leave my sight,” he ordered.

The mob stumbled away while Sen kept his gaze fixed on the man who had been inciting this violence. Still locked in the fist of air Sen had wrapped around him, the man could do nothing but look increasingly terrified. When everyone else was gone, Sen dragged the man over to him. Hoisting the man into the air until they were eye to eye, Sen spoke in a low growl.

“You’re going to tell me who put you up to this. And you’re going to do it now.”