v4c32: The Scribe’s Return p1

Each time I come to the Azure Hills, the journey seems a little lighter, Senior Disciple Lu Ri mused as he stared down at the province from the top of the Stone Gate, the main entrance into it.

He took a deep breath of the air, and the Qi Desert felt less ravenous. The sky, brighter. The land before him was filled with opportunity rather than a fruitless, dead-end search. He was actively looking forward to being within the province again—an amusing revelation, a far cry from his initial… wariness of the region. Years within the Cloudy Sword Sect, and a trip to the Azure Hills was what caused him to grow. Truly, it was as the Honoured Founders declared: ‘Studying the Dao and experiencing the world went hand in hand. Without one or the other, a man was incomplete. Even studying the life of an insect could potentially aid in one’s journey.’

Lu Ri leapt off his perch and accelerated towards Pale Moon Lake City, intent on making it there within a day.

His journey had been almost relaxing. None dared to impede his path, and he had been able to cross from the Cloudy Sword Sect all the way to the Azure Hills in mere days… though he had stopped off in Rainbow River Valley to thank the ladies of the pleasure house for their contribution to his mail bags. The evening there had been most enjoyable. Fine food and fine conversation—what more could a man desire?

Though it had been a little irritating that the other men glared at him for receiving all of the ladies’ attention that night.

Lu Ri was still on guard, however. Today, he did not just have his personal effects. This time, he carried with him something exponentially more valuable, something that called for extraordinary diligence.

His storage ring contained a masterpiece of Elder Yukong, personally crafted for the conditions within the Azure Hills. The Eight Gates North Turtle Formation was a true masterpiece, something lesser cultivators would remove their own arms for even a glimpse at its inner workings.

Elder Yukong had taught Lu Ri how to use it personally. That had been a week of utter enlightenment for Lu Ri, and he had left with a renewed appreciation for her sublime arts.

The subtle Eight Gates North Turtle Formation was perfectly suited to the desires of both Jin and the Lord Magistrate. It was a series of interlocking and steadily increasing defenses; it began by passively guiding those who wished to do harm away and escalated from there first to an early warning system, then to a true defensive barrier that would be able to resist an attack from one in the Sky Realm.

Additionally, once the formation stabilized and settled, the artificial spirit within it fully awakened, it could enact its final protocols—In two year’s time, it would be able to either Teleport Lu Ri or anyone else keyed to it directly to the village… or it could teleport every person within the village to a different, safe location.

Though it did still have a maximum limit of a hundred souls. Even Elder Yukong could not make it more than that.

It was still utterly wondrous… as well as ludicrously expensive. It contained materials Lu Ri hadn’t even heard of, but when Elder Yukong went all out, she truly went all out. Those materials would be fully consumed when Lu Ri placed the formation around the village and activated it, but right now he was carrying a Sectmaster’s ransom.

“It was an engaging project. I must do this more often,” Elder Yukong had said at the end of its creation, a small smile on her normally impassive face. “You’re a quick learner, too, young man. You are a credit to the Cloudy Sword Sect.”

Lu Ri’s face still had a little smile on it, even days later.

==========================

“You managed to convince the Lord Magistrate of Pale Moon Lake City?” asked Lu Ri as he finished reading the report that had been given to him by his executives. They were all standing at attention under his gaze. He was in their headquarters, and had been received immediately.

“Yes, Master Scribe! The Lord Magistrate was successfully convinced of the merit of this initiative!”

Absolutely fantastic, was all Lu Ri could think. Truly, his organization had truly gone above and beyond what he had been expecting of them.

A smile broke out over his face.

“Excellent work.” he commended, and his subordinates straightened up with pride.

“What are your orders now, Master Scribe?” one of their number asked.

“Continue as you are. I am still in the process of refining the system.” Lu Ri said. “What we do in these Hills may echo over the Empire entirely.”

He could see the spark of excitement in their eyes. They knew just how much worth this would have.

“Now, show me what else you have so far.”

The executives glanced at each other, before one of them, Zhen bowed.

“This way please, Master Scribe.” she said, and led him into another room.

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Lu Ri’s eyes widened as he beheld it. Dedicated entirely to function over form, it was utterly bare save for the sections of an incredibly detailed map that was still incomplete. By the time it was done, incorporating every town and village in the south, it might well be too large for the room they were in. It still amazed him at how much information they collected and processed in mere months. The Founders’ wisdom had borne fruit in them far beyond what he could have hoped.

He had just finished addressing all of the executives of the Plum Blossom’s Shadow, and

“We are proceeding apace, Master Scribe. With funding from the Pale Moon Lake City’s palace and the Azure Jade Trading Company, our efforts to catalog every road and name every street is going well. We anticipate no setbacks.” Zhen, one of his subordinates, who also worked in the palace of Pale Moon Lake City, spoke to Lu Ri with firm confidence. “We have also highlighted the men who have accomplished their duties the fastest.”

“Impressive work. Commend everyone involved,” Lu Ri said as he stared at the truly monumental task the Plum Blossom’s Shadow was undertaking. Though, of course, it was not the size of the undertaking, but rather how they were handling it. The logistics involved for mortals were genuinely impressive—as were the notes on what exactly they were doing, and reports from agents in the field who offered suggestions on how to improve their methodology.

Lu Ri had started by molding the group into a powerful information gathering apparatus, and it had then further evolved into an organization of scholars and scribes. He spotted the name of a man who hadn’t been able to read when Li Rui had first reorganized his group, now in command of several surveyors and cataloging their efforts, while flipping through multiple stacks of forms and notes with near-contemptuous ease.

Lu Ri allowed himself to feel pride and vindication at what he had created.

“Those who complete their assignments completely and accurately early are awarded what remains from the original purse that was allocated to their efforts, as well as a bonus,” Zhen told him.

“A fine idea. I shall add my own incentive to the pot. Forward those who have done an especially good job to me,” Lu Ri replied, and Zhen bowed slightly at his words.

“As you say, Master Scribe. As for the next matter… it is pertaining to information security around your Junior Brother,” Zhen continued after she finished recording Lu Ri’s words. But at the last stroke of the words she hesitated slightly. Then, a grim look came over her face and she bowed fully at the waist. “We apologise, Master Scribe. But we believe we have failed in this matter.”