PtM Book 17 - Chapter 3: Rollout

1/3 this week.

--

It was an hour past sunset in Soaring City, and already, the populace was hard at work. Not just the working men and women, but children also. The city had barely survived the recent fiend outbreak, and all free hands were needed to clear the rubble and rebuild.

Almost a quarter of the city’s buildings lay in ruins. Half the city’s streets were completely unusable; specialized crews had been assigned to clearing them out and filling in the largest sinkholes and fissures. Rest stations had been erected every few blocks to serve food to the many volunteer workers who, more than anything, desired a return to normality.

Cha Ming and Sect Master Raging Tide walked down a mostly tidy street, passing carts filled with supplies and a greater number of carts filled with useless rubble. “So much destruction,” Sect Master Raging Tide said. “So much waste. I can’t imagine how much work it will take to fix all this, or how the mortal government will manage to house the millions of refugees camped outside the city.”

“They have nowhere else to go,” Cha Ming said. “Their towns were destroyed. Their farms were blighted. Unless the sects manage to free up wood-type cultivators to assist them, they have no way to make a living. Better to try their luck here, where there’s a stable government a chance at employment.”

“This city is designed to house ten million people,” Sect Master Raging Tide said. “At most, it will be able to accommodate a few million more in the short term.”

As cultivators, their senses picked up on many things that most mortals wouldn’t. For example, a sudden explosion in organized crime. Food and resources had been distributed to everyone, but without enough guards to police the city, theft, extortion, and outright violence were commonplace. Several criminal organizations had noticed the power vacuum and set up shop, bringing much-needed stability to the city.

“Sect Master, what would it take to convince you to send your cultivators out here to fix up this mess?” Cha Ming asked Raging Tide. “The people are suffering. Can you do nothing?”

“The people are always suffering,” Raging Tide said, shaking his head. “We already defend the city from a fiendish tide, and even replenished the land around it. Is it not enough?”

“Transcendent realms were never meant to house only mortals, Sect Master,” Cha Ming said. “It is impossible for any group to survive without the support of transcendent cultivators. Why separate these two groups when they were clearly meant to support each other?”

“It is simply our way,” Sect Master Raging Tide said. “As much as we might dislike it sometimes, it has served us well, and will continue to serve us going forward.” That said, Raging Tide casually swept up a pile of unusable material piled up on the side of the road. He used his raging waves cultivation to pulverize some of the larger pieces and render them easier to move. “Don’t misunderstand. I can’t stand the sight of large pieces of debris. They offend me on a personal level.”

“I completely understand the sentiment,” Cha Ming said. He used his domain to sweep up the same pile of debris. He used his concepts of breaking and dismantling to break them down even further, then his concepts of assembly and mending to convert them into piles of useable building materials.

“I see what you’re saying, Clear Sky,” Raging Tide said. “And I sometimes wonder how things would be if cultivators helped manage cities. The construction of every building would be superior, and it might even be possible to provide running water to every household. Alas, this is how things are. To change things would take hundreds if not thousands of years. Moreover, such a thing is impossible, given the crippling shortage of cultivators.”

The duo continued cleaning up as they walked. Sect Master Raging Tide mostly swept up debris and dust, while Cha Ming not only converted this debris and dust into construction materials, but even mended cracked building and roads and fixed minor structural damage.

Their destination was just up ahead, but they took a side road on a whim. The road was torn apart and broken, preventing carts of debris and supplies from freely flowing. Raging Tide swept the street clean and even ripped up bricks and clay and gravel, then re-pressed them into a solid foundation. Cha Ming followed up behind him, adding structural elements to the clay and laying down a better road than the one originally there.

“Are you still not going to tell me why I’m here, after all this time?” Raging Tide asked. “We’ve known each other for half a decade. Is there really such a need for secrecy?”

“There’s something to be said for surprises,” Cha Ming said. “Also, you aren’t the only one I invited. It wouldn’t be fair to the general if you knew before he did.”

“Your general is late,” Raging Tide said.

“He’s not my general, he’s Soaring City’s general,” Cha Ming corrected. “Also, he’s not late. He just loathes wasting time. Ah, there he is!”

A carriage pulled up in front of their destination, Soaring City’s Clear Sky Center. A small group of high -level officials poured out, accompanied by a man wearing a dark blue breastplate and a matching cape.  General Bai was a mortal in his late fifties, as evidenced by the streaks of white that crept their way into a head of otherwise black hair. He had a calm, reassuring air about him, despite the bags under his eyes.

“I advise you not to stay too long, general,” one of the accompanying officers said. “The Clear Sky Center has been very helpful in reconstructing the city, but you have many men to organize and very few competent subordinates.”

“I agree,” a second officer said. “Qi refiners are useful, and some even have talent for reconstruction and defence, but we have a lot of refugees outside looking to work. We need to leverage what we have as quickly as possible. Winter is coming, and if we don’t erect enough housing, half of them will freeze to death!”

“The owner of the Clear Sky Conglomerate promised me material aid, and promised that our meeting would be short,” said General Bai. “Rest assured, I have accounted for everything.”

“I promise that we won’t waste a minute of your time, General Bai,” Cha Ming said. He appeared so suddenly that the officers drew swords. “Your courage is admirable, but your swords are useless here. Greetings to you all, I am Daoist Clear Sky, owner of the Clear Sky Conglomerate. This is Sect Master Raging Tide from the Raging Tide Sect. Please follow me inside.”

“This humble general greets you, Daoist Clear Sky,” the general replied. Despite his subservient words, he kept his back straight, and did not cower like the other officers. Cha Ming gave him an approving nod before leading the way inside.

A ball-shaped man rushed out to greet them as they entered. “Esteemed owner,” the man said. “Sect Master Raging Tide. General Bai.  Please accept this humble one’s greetings. My name is Zhou Modai, and I oversee the Clear Sky Conglomerate’s activities across the entire Azure Tempest Region.”

“Well met, Manager Zhou,” General Bai greeted. Sect Master Raging Tide replied with an affirmative nod, while Cha Ming exchanged mental greetings.

Officially, the Clear Sky Conglomerate had operations in 36 cities across the Azure Tempest Region. The actual number was 40, because the conglomerate had not pulled out from the territories encroached on by the Blood God Region. Neither the Blood God Sect or the Azure Tempest Sect had insisted on this point.

Originally, Cha Ming had intended the conglomerate to kick off a small wave that would eventually be copied by the many sects and clans in various cities. He had not expected the conglomerate to grow to such an extent that it was indispensable to every kingdom in the region.

This had little to do with Cha Ming and everything to do with the industrious Manager Zhou. He had an eye for detail, and thanks to his efforts, every Clear Sky Center since the first had been a smashing success. The conglomerate had a near-monopoly in mortal-grade appliance manufacturing and alchemical supplements. The profits it generated from these activities exceeded even Tier 3 sects.

“Has everything been prepared, Manager Zhou?” Cha Ming asked.

“I’ve done everything as you’ve instructed, owner,” Manager Zhou said. “The boxes you instructed pulled out of storage are waiting for us in the main courtyard, and I also brought out the volunteers you mentioned.”

“And the contracts?” Cha Ming asked.

“Drafted exactly as specified,” Manager Zhou said. “Though I wonder if certain clauses are appropriate given their cultivation realm.”

“I naturally have my reasons, Manager Zhou,” Cha Ming said. “Now please read Instruction Jade 72 as we walk.”

The sweaty ball of a man immediately pulled out a mortal-grade storage treasure and fished through it until he found that specific instruction jade. All told, there were a few hundred of them to address the many possible contingencies the conglomerate might require while Cha Ming was busy.

Each jade was sealed, so Manager Zhou had naturally never read it before now. He nearly fumbled it from shock, and looked up at Cha Ming several times during the process.

“Now I’m very curious as to why you dragged my out here during such a busy time,” Sect Master Raging Tide said.

“I as well,” General Bai added. “It appears that the material aid you promised me will be even more generous than I expected.”

“I promise that neither of you will be disappointed,” Cha Ming said.

They soon arrived in the main courtyard. Manager Zhou had often asked why the main courtyard was kept empty instead being put to better use. Little did he know that this was because the Clear Sky Center was incomplete in its current state. Only by rolling out the next phase would the layout of each center be made clear.

Thirty employees were lined up in the courtyard. There was an equal mixture of men and women, and all of them were core formation cultivators whose cores had reached the limit of the core formation realm. They also shared one other thing in common: without exception, each of them had tried carving their cores and failed.

“Each of you have been given an instruction folder,” Manager Zhou said as they arrived. “Please open them now. You have five minutes to read through the contents and consider.”

The employees read through the contents as instructed. Though many of them furrowed their brows at the contents, most just gave Manager Zhou looks of disbelief.

“Each of you are long-time employees that show much promise for future development,” said Manager Zhou. “You were selected based on your occupations, your cultivation, and the fact that you failed to carve your cores. As you are now, it is impossible for you to live up to your true potential, but should you accept the terms of this new contract, you will obtain a second chance.

“Your group is the first to have been offered these terms, and should you choose to accept, your new compensation will be as listed in the contract. The contract duration will be amended as stated in the main body, and your benefit package will be as stated in Appendix A.”

“Manager?” one of the employees said. She was a younger herbologist and had cultivated her core quite quickly, only to fail in carving her core by the barest margin. “I hesitate to say this in front of outsiders, especially in front of esteemed cultivators, but…”

“Yes, the compensation is correct,” Cha Ming said. “Fear not for your safety. Everything will be taken care of by the Clear Sky Conglomerate. I, Daoist Clear Sky, owner of the Clear Sky Conglomerate, guarantee it.”

The woman bit her lip and hesitated only briefly before biting her thumb and pressing it to the contract document. The other employees all exchanged looks, reviewed the documents a second time, and ultimately chose to sign.

“Spirit-proof paper I see,” Sect Master Raging Tide said. “To add to the air of mystery?”

“You can review the documents later if you like,” Cha Ming said. “I just didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Manager Zhou, please provide them with their signing bonus.”

The sweaty manager hobbled over to one of the many chests in the courtyard. He opened the chest to find 30 smaller boxes. He distributed these boxes to the employees, then stood off to the side. “As specified in the contract you just signed, the box you have been given contains a special talisman. Please retrieve this talisman.”

They all opened the boxes they’d been given; a few of them fumbled their boxes, and the contents spilled onto the ground. Each of them contained jade slips, bottles of medicinal pills, and a few clear crystals.

“Are those…” one of the officers accompanying the general said.

“Yes, they are,” the general answered. He was now laser focused on the proceedings. “Those are transcendent crystals. Of least-grade quality, if I am not mistaken. Those pills and jades and talismans are also transcendent-grade items.”

The general was only a core formation cultivator, and as such could only speculate. The difference between mortal-grade energies and transcendent energies made it difficult for him to identify even the weakest of artifacts.

“I’m not sure what you’re planning, Clear Sky, but these resources are useless to them,” said Sect Master Raging Tide. “They are not transcendent cultivators, and leaving such resources in their hands might be detrimental to their safety, especially given the chaotic state of Soaring City.”

“I understand your concerns, Sect Master, so please bear with me for just a few more minutes,” Cha Ming said. “Manager Zhou?”

“Everyone, please apply the talisman!” Manger Zhou shouted. The startled cultivators did as they were told and placed said talismans atop their dantians. Each talisman was black and white, and affixed with a nine-colored seal. “When using the talisman, you will be given a choice. No one can force you, to accept this choice, but for those who do, your life will change.

“I now instruct you all to activate these talismans. Take control of your destinies. Change your fates!”

The talismans glowed with a soft light, followed by an infusion of inky energy. As each of the cultivators accepted the transformation offered, the inky characters on each talisman crawled through their skins and entered their dantians to paint their cores.

A tense minute passed, after which a thick aura of transcendence appeared on one of the young men and women. Seconds later, a second cultivator broke through, then a third. It took less than a minute for each of the thirty young men and women to break through.

The defining trade of a transcendent Daoist was a domain. Thirty domains appearing simultaneously was a recipe for disaster, so Cha Ming used his own domain to separate and isolate each of them as they gained control of their newfound strength..

“What in the seven heavens is going on?” General Bai whispered. As a general, he’d seen his fair share of breakthroughs and rune carving ceremonies. They were tense events, and not even one in ten ever succeeded in breaking through. But now, he’d just seen thirty cultivators break through. Thirty cultivators who’d apparently already failed at carving their cores!

Sect Master Raging Tide was dumbstruck. He was very familiar with the awakening process and knew that even the most talented individuals with cultivation talents on both sides of the family wouldn’t have such an easy time breaking through.  “Clear Sky, am I just seeing things, or do those domains… seem different than normal?”

Cha Ming chose not to answer his question for now. He waited for the energy surge that accompanied each breakthrough to subside and stabilize. Each of the Clear Sky Conglomerate employees now had fervent expressions. “We pay our respects, owner!” they yelled in unison.

“General Bai. Sect Master Raging Tide. I am pleased to announce the release of a new line of products that will be rolled out in every city with a Clear Sky Center over the next few weeks. The main products are naturally the talismans that were used just now. I call them Core Painting Talismans. The ones used just now are initial-grade talismans.

“Anyone with a complete core who uses an initial grade core Painting Talisman will immediately enter something called the Rune Painting Realm. Think of these people as normal transcendent qi cultivators… but a bit weaker. Their lifespans aren’t nearly as long as those of normal rune carving cultivators, but their cultivation speeds are much faster.”

Sect Master Raging Tide was the first to recover from his stunned silence. “Clear Sky?” he asked.

“Yes?” Cha Ming answered.

“You just generated thirty fellow Daoists in less than a minute,” Sect Master Raging Tide said. “Which, given recent casualties, is a wonderful thin. But I note that they are still your employees, which is a problem.” The Clear Sky Conglomerate was strictly a mortal business. They were not allowed to employ cultivators.

“The term of their new contracts is ten years,” Cha Ming said. “After that, they may go where they wish.”

Raging Tide cleared his throat. “I hesitate to ask, but I am obligated to, as I have a feeling I will be filing a report in the near future. How many of these Painted Daoists do you intend to employ?”

“Only ten thousand,” Cha Ming said.

“Ten thousand?!” the sect master exclaimed.

“Ten thousand in each city with a Clear Sky Center,” Cha Ming corrected. “Across forty cities… that’s four hundred thousand painted Daoists, mostly in crafting professions but some with traditional fighting arts as guards and whatnot. You know. For security.”

Sect Master Raging Tide turned pale. “This… this….”

“The Blood God Sect decided to burn the potential of their people, and I refuse to do so,” Cha Ming continued. “My approach will different. I will not produce powerhouses, but a large number of weaker cultivators. General Bai?”

“Y-yes?” General Bai had a reputation for being calm and composed at all times. But what he’d seen today had broken down a persona that he’d spent forty years cultivating.

“You do great work, General Bai,” Cha Ming said. “I was especially impressed by your defence of the city. Your people threw themselves at waves of fiends, knowing that their actions would do little more than slow them down. Such bravery should be rewarded. Manager Zhou?”

“Esteemed Owner!” Manger Zhou exclaimed, this time with a fanatic gleam in his eyes.

“Relax, I have a contract for you as well,” Cha Ming said. “Along with a very good incentive package. But first, bring chest Number 5 over here for the general to see.”

The manager pulled over a large chest. It wasn’t very heavy, but the sheer potency of the items within made it very exhausting for the mortal manager to carry.

“Apologies, General Bai, but mortal storage treasures are not able to store transcendent treasures,” Cha Ming said. “And since there are currently no transcendent cultivators in the army… this was the best solution I could think of.”

He kicked open the chest to reveal small bundles of the same black and white talismans with nine-colored seals. “Your actions on the battlefield undoubtedly saved millions of lives. These ten thousand initial grade core painting talismans are a reward for the valiant defenders of Soaring City. They are to be used by members of the military that have rendered outstanding services in the defence of their home and country, in the hopes that they will continue to defend their homeland and contribute to its military.”

“This…” General Bai said. “This is too much.”

Cha Ming could tell that the general was pleased by the gift, but worried about whether he’d be able to keep it. Moreover, there was no precedent for such a gift. In the army, there was a strict rule – transcendent cultivators were prohibited from joining!

“I would offer more, General Bai, but our budget is limited,” Cha Ming continued. “Many resources will be needed to train these individuals, and you will need to find a way to provide this to your soldiers. The Clear Sky Conglomerate can help with this, but I feel it would be best for the kingdom to approach the sects and establish a formal relationship. I have enclosed a few copies of basic cultivation arts. They are a bit lacking compared what’s available in the sects, but they are free, so please don’t hold that against me.

“There is also one more thing you should be aware of. Those who use core painting talismans are Painted Daoists. They will not be able to advance like traditional Daoist cultivators. To reach the next level, they will first need to cultivator their painted cores to the limit. An early grave core painting talisman will be needed to complete a breakthrough, but this process isn’t guaranteed to be successful.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to accept, Daoist Clear Sky,” General Bai said. “But you must know that there are rules. Cultivators are prohibited from joining the army. Cultivators are prohibited from joining the government. Cultivators are prohibited from meddling unduly in mortal businesses. I would very much like to elevate ten thousand brave men and women… but if I cannot keep them, I would rather not accept this gift.”

“I understand your concerns,” Cha Ming said with a smile. He turned to Sect Master Raging Tide. “Sect Master Raging Tide, if any of the sects in this region cause any trouble for the general, kindly inform them that I, Daoist Clear Sky, will personally pay a visit and make them wish they were dealing with the Blood God Sect instead. Also, if you would be so kind, please inform Sect Master Xuan Dao the Clear Sky Conglomerate will be making a one-time gift to all the Tier 2 sects in the Azure Tempest Region.”

“A… A one-time gift?” Sect Master Raging Tide asked. This was all too much for him to process.

“It wasn’t just the mortal armies that bled to defend their homelands, but the sects as well,” Cha Ming said. “Since the sects are in dire need of new blood, I will provide it to them. What, 40 Clear Sky Centers, Manager Zhou?”

“Thirty-six now,” Manager said immediately.

“Right,” Cha Ming said. “I intend to hire 10,000 painted Daoists in each of these 36 cities. In each of these cities, I will gift 10,000 core painting talismans to their associated militaries, and 20,000 core painting talismans to the Tier 2 sects who defend these cities from evil cultivators and fiendish incursions. It is my hope that not all of these new Painted Daoists cultivate in Tier 2 sects, but also Tier 3 and Tier 4 sects as well.

“I also like Sect Master Xuan Dao to know that I intend to sell core painting talismans through each Clear Sky Center. We will sell 5,000 core painting talismans per month to the public. The cost will be 500 low-grade transcendent crystals, and loans will be given out, payable on a 20 term. Higher grade talismans will also be rolled as required. Early grade core painting talismans will be available in three months, and middle rune painting talismans will be available in one year.

“For every talisman we sell to the public, we will allocate a similar amount for purchase by the military, and twice as many to each sect. Given the disparity in resources between the sects and mortal governments, I see no reason why a respectful balance can’t be maintained.”

In truth, Cha Ming was a bit worried. He’d originally intended to lay a better foundation of core formation cultivators before rolling out core painting talismans. Alas, the Blood God Sect had made a move, forcing his hand. He’d originally been planning on producing ten times as many core painting cultivators! Ten thousand in each city was not an unstoppable number.

Every warden from the Heartforge Realm had their own advantages. Huxian had superior teleportation and unity. Oster’s team had strategy and a skilled priestess. Cao Wenluan used bout to foster fervent loyalty.

Cha Ming’s advantage lay in Painted Daoists but using this advantage on the Chasewind Plane required a lot of groundwork. Not just in terms of changing their perspective on mortals and cultivators, but also in developing lesser versions of his original core painting talisman to make them more affordable in the early stages.

These new talismans did not provide unlimited growth potential. But the advantage was that they were cheap to produce, and anyone with the formula could produce them. Also, his talismans were patented, and he’d been told this patent was valid on the Chasewind Plane. He wasn’t sure what ‘karmic’ enforcement entailed, but given the price he paid, he assumed the consequences of infringing on his patent would be quite terrible.

Unlike Jezeriah and Harid Dej’s cultivation system, he did not need to change the Dao Origins of the Chasewind Plane to produce Painted Daoists. This was only required if he wanted to make the system self-sufficient or use it to gather faith.

“Clear Sky?” Raging Tide said after some time.

“Yes, Sect Master Raging Tide?” Cha Ming asked.

“I just spoke with Sect Master Xuan Dao, and she would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience,” Raging Tide said.

“Unfortunately, I’m terribly busy at the moment,” Cha Ming said. “Alleviating the Blood God Sect’s pressure on our Azure Tempest Region is a matter of utmost priority. Please inform her that she can lodge any complaints or concerns she has with Sect Master Azure Tempest while I’m gone.”

He then turned to Manager Zhou. “Please have the other Clear Sky Centers open Box 1, which contains instructions on rolling out the new Painted Daoist system. Have each of them contact the military and the Tier 2 sects in their regions to coordinate. Each box also contains a letter from your truly, to be shown to anyone who dares interfere in our business. I anticipate a little pushback but expect that pushback to fade within the next few months.”

With that, Cha Ming leapt up into the skies, unfurled his Azure Tempest Wings, and flew off towards the west. Away from his protectorate and into the territory of his enemy, Dao God Blood Seal.