“What’s the penalty of a cancelled assignment? And before you lie to my face, I’m formally asking you as a cultivator, and I will be asking my master as well.”
The man blanched, his look of disdain transforming one to shock of outrage. “You would dare to bind me, you Ruidian neophyte?”
Alex shrugged, wondering if he had committed yet another grievous social breach etiquette, hardly caring if he had. “Quit stalling, and answer the damned question.”
“For a day assignment… exactly as many credit hours as you would have earned! You’ll be two credits in the hole, fool, and you’ve earned nothing so far!”
Alex nodded calmly. “And how about for harvesting assignments, or assignments with no set timelines, or when you give notice days in advance?”
“Nothing,” the clerk admitted at last, glaring daggers at Alex.
Alex nodded. “Then please cancel the proposed porter dates my kung fu brother had scheduled on my behalf.”
Tightly clenched fist squeezing his quill so hard Alex feared it would break, the clerk did just that. If looks could kill…
Alex sighed, a surreptitious glance making it clear that they were alone. He frowned, having taken advantage of the conversation, peering at the young man intently the whole time, confirming as best he could what his Qi Perception and Soul Sight had noted right off. “You’re not very powerful, are you?”
“What? How dare you!” hissed the clerk, slamming his fists against the oaken counter, looking like he wanted to throttle Alex.
If Alex had had any doubts about how the man really felt about him, he sure as hell knew now.
As things stood, he was absolutely doomed. There was no way in hell he was getting fair assignments with the clerk so hostile towards him, and any credits he did get he was almost certain would be stolen, sabotaged, or discreetly removed from the book. Or, like today, a setup to accuse him of theft or damage.
The outraged clerk looked ready to yell for the academy guards.
Then Alex flashed a glimmering something before the man’s wide-eyed gaze.
“Is that…?”
Alex smiled and nodded. “Perhaps a second chance between us is what this is,” he said. “For all that a few elite, gifted cultivators are focused only on spirit pearls, cultivation elixirs, and growth, those of us who know that there is far more to life than meditating in a lotus position all day are better able to appreciate the creature comforts that silver and gold buy.”
As he spoke, he flashed one fat silver coin after another, the clerk’s eyes widening with each one, before flashing, last of all, a gold coin that would easily afford the clerk a masterwork weapon or a horse born and bred for battle. Or any number of sumptuous meals, and any number of nights savoring pleasure girls at the Purple Pavilion. Alex could all but see the rapid-fire images of all the wonders the clerk could buy himself with that single gold eagle.
“So please forgive my earlier impertinent question. I wished only to return these coins to their rightful owner, no doubt a hard-working but under-appreciated cultivator just like me, who might have dropped them earlier. A close friend of mine who doesn’t hold my odd heritage against me, and has always helped me get the choicest work assignments, having sympathy for the plight of a hard-working underdog.”
Alex flashed those hungry eyes gazing so raptly at his coins his most winning smile. “Why, these must be yours, friend cultivator. Now I’m absolutely certain of it. And, of course, should I see any silver coins slipping free of your pockets in the weeks and months to come, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
The young man swallowed. “I think… I think perhaps I misjudged you, Ruidian. Alex, is it?”
Alex nodded solemnly as the suddenly thoughtful-looking clerk frowned at his ledger. “And the guard had the gall to insult you and spit at your feet, you said? The very man tasked with securing the supplies until they could be safely ported inside? Oh, this won’t do. This won’t do at all.”
The clerk tsked and shook his head. “It’s a grave offense for any guard, even those who once served in the Royal Legions, to insult any cultivator, even students. I shall have to have a talk with this individual, and remind him of the basic tenets of his position. The fool should be grateful you’re not bringing this to the attention of the captain!”
He gave a satisfied nod. “In fact, I will award you two secured credits for making a good faith effort to show up in the first place. And that squares us for today. Now we need merely find you assignments ideally suited to your skills and temperament to assure you earn your necessary credits as painlessly as possible, and if you arrange your tiles right, plenty of credits left over to borrow cultivation manuals at the library, or make use of the college’s many other services!”
Alex blinked. “Actually, today I...”
“No, no, I won’t hear of it! You did me a good turn, and proved the worth of your own character, recovering my property, dispelling the ugly rumors about you that are going around. So the least I can do is extend you the assistance of the best clerk in the entire academy!” insisted the now hard-eyed young man, and Alex suddenly understood the cultivator’s pride and self-respect were in play. He was making amends as best he could, forced to accept that Alex was more than just a hateful stereotype. Once he had accepted Alex’s coin, he needed to be worth the funds invested in him, or he’d be forced to see the same disgusting toad of a man in the mirror that Alex had seen, just minutes ago.
Alex solemnly bowed his head, taking his eyes off the shiny coins on the counter which promptly disappeared. “This one would be grateful for any assistance you might extend him.”
And the young clerk named Qing Chang did just that, carefully avoiding any dangerous assignments involving sparring partners or hunting perilous spirit beasts, sticking with the choicest odd jobs put forth by instructors or others needing specific tasks done and quickly, or under certain parameters, and willing to pay top credits for the student’s time. Alex was amazed by the profound change that had come over the man. He was now a completely different person.
Alex could so easily imagine his father giving a sympathetic nod, noting how amazingly far a little bit of genuine appreciation went in the lives of the overworked and all too often neglected cogs of society. How quickly a little generosity and a bit of kindness could net you genuine friends who saw you not as some corrupt phoney, but rather as the godsend that might actually help them cover rent, put food on the table, pay down usurious credit card debt, or even help their kids afford college, asking only for a bit of thoughtful help in return.
The now genuinely-helpful clerk, however, was eventually forced to shake his head and sigh. “I was certain I would find what I was looking for, but it appears that most of the, shall we say, choice assignments requiring no special background have already been spoken for, for the duration of the season. It’s a shame you’re just starting out, Alex. Had you more specialized skills, there might be all sorts of opportunities I could assist you with. As it stands, for someone of your… build, porting might be best. But please don’t be unduly alarmed. There are numerous masters in need of students with a strong back, who will treat you more than fairly, once they get a chance to know you.”
Alex blinked. “Wait, what kind of specialized skills is the school looking for?”
“Oh, all sorts. I don’t suppose you have any familiarity with animal handling, do you? I hear that’s a popular choice with Ruidians. No? A shame. Well, there’s the usual… compounding, spiritual plant cultivation, talisman forging, or soul-smithing. All of which, as you’ve no doubt deduced, are the province of specialist cultivators who have years of experience and have achieved Bronze, often of significant rank, even if they never actually break through to Silver. Needless to say, the compensation and opportunities such compensation provides can be quite significant.”
“How about a background in compounding as an apothecary?” Alex asked hopefully, dreading the thought of another situation like today, even if he had ma
naged to win over the clerk.
Qing Chang’s expression froze. He gazed thoughtfully at Alex for several long moments.
“Let me make sure I understand, Alex,” the young clerk said with careful precision. “You were trained as an apothecary? Does this include training in the harvesting of alchemical herbs and reagents?”
Alex nodded solemnly. “Blame it on my Ruidian nose, if you like, but I have a knack for sniffing out just how potent any herb or alchemical brew is, compared to its neighbors. It’s also proven very useful in helping me to assure that I generate only the most potent batches of elixirs, poultices, and liniments. My former master thought it a fine skill.”
The clerk’s incredulous gaze filled Alex with sudden apprehension.
“I make no claims of being an actual alchemist, mind you, not at all! I’m not speaking of cultivation pills, where alchemists actually infuse choice selections of spiritual herbs with their own additional Qi energy,” Alex quickly assured the wide-eyed clerk, now regretting even saying as much as he had.
“But when it comes to basic medicinal formulae, using only the natural spiritual energies inherent to many species of plants and fungi, for the formulation of tinctures to ease sore muscles and joints, or alleviate the discomfort of headaches or belly aches, or to treat various illnesses, my former master declared me a gifted protege, and was confident enough in my skills that he allowed me to compound said formulae completely unsupervised.” Alex flushed, bowing his head. “I apologize if that sounds like an empty boast.”
Qing Chang, far from offended, actually looked fascinated. “Fear not, Alex. I do not think your boasts are empty at all. For anyone save the most desperate of apothecaries to have hired you, a Ruidian, you must be gifted with profound talent, of that there can be no doubt.”
He tilted his head, favoring Alex with his thoughtful gaze. “If you will forgive this one for asking, how did you end up with a slave collar around your neck? And please, be candid. It will affect what assignments I might have available to you, and I do not recommend anything less than the truth.”
“I understand,” Alex said. “To make a long, winding story short, I was harvesting spiritual herbs with my master deep in the wilds where the choicest alchemical ingredients can be found, hundreds of miles away from Yidushi, when we stumbled upon a den of infernal cultivators hiding in the depths of the forest. My master, a good and just man, thought we should do something. Well, we tried.”
He swallowed, bowing his head. “The end result of that intervention was my waking up with a slave collar around my neck, my former master nowhere to be found. And though I did my best to control my own fate, in the end I found myself fighting for my life in a desperate bid to earn my freedom, as no doubt you, and the rest of the school, already know.”
Qing Chang’s gaze was sympathetic and strangely genuine.
“I believe you,” he said softly.
Alex swallowed and smiled, surprised to note that the young clerk’s opinion actually mattered to him. “Thank you for that measure of trust. I will do my best to be worthy of it.”
Qing Chang suddenly looked acutely uncomfortable. “Alex, please don’t take offense, but before I can offer you certain positions, there is a question I must ask, and I fear I do so as one cultivator to another.”
“A cultivator’s oath formally asked for.” Alex nodded. “I understand, and I accept.”
Qing Chang gave a rueful shake of his head. “You really should take those more seriously than you seem to, Alex, or your enemies will use them to tie you into powerless knots and destroy you.”
Alex blinked, suddenly chilled. He recalled all too well how the conniving Hao Zei had tried so hard to entice Alex into signing a piece of paper that he had just known would have been the end of him. Or the twisted byzantine contract that would have effectively consigned his beautiful Hao Chan into a life of degradation and despair if he had not intervened, and that had just been from accepting a rolled scroll handed to her, acting in good faith, when her supposed father had played the treacherous serpent.
Knowing how potent contracts were, how devious even powerful Silvers could be, he couldn’t help but feel a certain measure of chagrin. He should have known better than to speak so freely. Not without considering all the ways his words could be used against him, if he ever tied it to any kind of oath.
He was struck with the image of clever lawyers tying confused witnesses into verbal traps. Only in this world, falling into a sophist’s trap could destroy your cultivation base forever, if you were tricked into an impossible situation or concession, or your enemy simply had access to information you did not, forcing you to break your word as a cultivator.
Alex chuckled ruefully. “I played the fool yet again, it seems. I should just be grateful you’re not using my ignorance to destroy me, like half my peers here would. Thank you for that word of warning. I will definitely take it to heart.”
Qing Chang actually flashed a relieved smile. “I am genuinely glad to hear that, Alex. Now I feel like I have truly earned your… friendship.”
He said the last almost awkwardly, but Alex quickly nodded. “I agree wholeheartedly! I’d far rather invest my apothecary earnings in a friend than surrender my hopes and dreams to the connivances of enemy cultivators.”
Qing Chang nodded, his suddenly intent gaze upon Alex’s own. “I fear there are rumors circulating that cast you in a… less than favorable light. So please forgive the question, but I must ask. Are you guilty of murder or… violating a woman?”
Alex swallowed sudden bile, his worst fears confirmed. His enemies were clearly determined to destroy him by any means they could get away with, and even if they were forbidden from striking at him directly, assassinating his character and reputation was another matter entirely.
“I have never violated any woman under any circumstances,” Alex formally declared. “I have never struck a female, save with their consent, while we both sought to master our kung fu. As to murder, I have fought for my life against slavers and cultists and, of course, opponents in the ring. And some men have died to my fists or fangtian ji. I won’t deny it. But if you were to ask me if I have deliberately, with malice, butchered innocent citizens going about their lawful business in this or any other city, then the answer is no, absolutely not.”
With the clerk’s considering nod, Alex breathed a sigh of relief, a strange weight on his shoulders now gone, only felt for its absence.
“I believe you,” the man said, now gazing back at his schedule book with renewed enthusiasm. “And it just so happens that there might be a number of choice assignments I can give to someone not affiliated with the, ahem, current alchemical affiliations of our fine academy.”
Alex blinked at this.
Qing Chang’s probing eyes were suddenly scanning every inch of the surprisingly quiet job center before turning back to Alex, voice dropping to a soft whisper. “As you are no doubt already aware, all formal alchemical operations occur under the auspices of our, ahem, much-revered alchemical head.”
Alex nodded solemnly.
“Good. You understand. And how could you not? He is the reason, after all, why you are… but never mind that. The point is that there are any number of master cultivators who, for all that they appreciate the myriad benefits of centralizing our alchemical… presence under one figure, also feel that a diversity of resources is in everyone’s best interest, and have brought it to the Headmaster more than once that competition sharpens not only the body and mind, but aids all other cultivation pursuits as well, so perfection of technique and efficiency, not the calcification of tradition, become the watchwords that will herald a fresh new renaissance for our school.”
Alex smiled. “The other Silvers don’t like a jackanapes stick-in-the-mud lording it over them.”
Qing Chang paled.
Alex winced. “Did I take it too far? Probably. Sorry about that.”
“What was that you said? Just random mutterings? Good. The point, Alex
, is that the Headmaster has made it clear to all parties that each and every cultivator who has advanced to Silver is permitted to pursue whatever arts and passions best suit him or her, without worrying about undue interference or direct challenge from other parties. But the actual sale of said goods to outsiders must go through formal channels.”
Alex nodded. “The other Silvers can bypass you-know-who and trade herbs and potions amongst themselves, as long as they don’t sell pills to students or the city below.”
Qing Chang was deliberately picking his ear, focusing on his ledger, completely ignoring Alex’s words.
Alex took the hint and closed his sometimes too snarky mouth as the clerk scribbled locations using a geographical language Alex realized he understood completely. He felt a sudden flash of gratitude for Master Liu’s early lessons in mapsign that had helped him to learn the ins and outs of a good portion of the city below, a skill that would also serve him well here in Dragon Academy, it seemed.
“I don’t know if you can read this but...”
“Mapsign. It’s alright, I learned it under my former master when I was his runner.”
Qing Chang looked both surprised and pleased. “Excellent! Then you won’t need me to show you the locations of your upcoming assignments.” He grimaced apologetically. “For all that I’m moved to see your true character, your reputation still precedes you through most of the school, I’m afraid, and it would perhaps be best if we weren’t, well...”
“Ever seen conversing with each other? My enemies will become your enemies if they don’t think you still hate me?”
Qing Chang chuckled nervously. “You Ruidians are refreshingly direct! Fortunately for both of us, the former Headmaster declared the book you see before you sacrosanct. No cultivator may request to see the logbooks of another, lest intrigue and betrayal get so out of hand that the smooth functioning of the school itself is imperiled. Reigning in chaos to serve order is how he put it, if memory serves. In any event, so long as you and I exercise discretion, there’s no reason for anyone to look our way. But I do recommend discretion with any future credits you earn.”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Forsworn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 3 Page 9