Every morsel of cultivation advice from the Lower Realms Alliance was like a gemstone of great value. Precisely because of this, tons of false information was floating about, or at least information that didn’t originate with them. Aputsiaq was aware of this, but he had a pretty good way to discern truth from falsity. It wasn’t that he had a great insight or some deep understanding of cultivation. It was simple, and related to his job in some ways.

Contrary to popular expectations, the cultivation advice from the Lower Realms Alliance… didn’t cost anything. Well, that wasn’t quite true. It didn’t cost any money however. Instead, it was predicated on upholding their current agreements. Which meant everything that had been learned so far, just a short time into their meeting? It was all child’s play. Trivial stuff.

To them, at least. To the financial officer of the city of Taron, there was one piece of information that stuck with him, a major change for him personally. It was that one could cultivate whatever they were passionate about.

For the most part, he had cultivated for the sake of health, longevity, and intellect. It was simply practical to do so. At some point, safety became involved, especially as he was assigned to his recent position. People might want to kill him. But cultivating for its own sake was something else.

As an Essence Collection cultivator, he had of course understood something about what an Essence was, but he’d mistakenly believed it was relegated to the field of cultivation. Something like elements or focus on cultivation methods. Or perhaps concepts, once again related to martial strength. He wasn’t the only one who had made such a mistake. It was a common conception.

But now, he had changed his understanding… and it was freeing. Perhaps to others the concept of city finances flowing smoothly and efficiently was a tertiary concern at best- obviously not true of those who were embezzling from the system- but to him, it was important. He had grown up in this city, and benefited from the city’s public services. Basic cultivation training was part of it, and once or twice he’d had family members in and out of various healthcare facilities. People so easily forgot there were a few of those, once. But despite funding going up, several had shut down.

Now that he understood why, his energy flowed more freely through him. The system wasn’t fixed, not by a long shot. Perhaps it was something he would struggle with for the rest of his life. But simply knowing about a specific flaw was freeing, and it made him feel like something more. He could hardly imagine what it felt like to have a greater version of that same feeling, but such insights could lead to Life Transformation, or even beyond.

Ascension was well known- as were the dangers. The upper realms were mysterious, strange. Dangerous. A few generations prior, cultivators from Lotren would have been ecstatic to ascend. But upon learning more about the state of the upper realms, that feeling had faded until only a very few were interested. Often those of villainous mindsets who wanted more power, and didn’t care where they got it from.

Aputsiaq had to admit that he was still confused on the topic. Apparently, there was a sensible faction newly established in the upper realms that was not associated with invading lower realms systems, but instead was working in tandem with them- with the Lower Realms Alliance, in particular. He still had no intention to ascend, but there was an alternative that was even more tempting. One where he focused on continuing cultivation in the lower realms.

Though of course, Assimilation was a long way off for him, who hadn’t even reached Life Transformation. It was less than a twinkle in his eye. But having seen it in the visitors- just their presence, not even active demonstrations of power- he knew that was where he wanted his path to lead.

-----

Aputsiaq found himself in the court of an old hag. Judge Nicosia- her given name was never to be used in the courtroom. They had previously butted heads more than a few times. Aputsiaq was a little bit more enthusiastic about things than she was, and she was strict with the law. But, despite all of that, he wasn’t upset to have ended up before her. They might not always see eye to eye, but she was incorruptible. She didn’t give a damn about money or cultivation resources, and more than a few idiots had gotten themselves ruined by trying to bribe her.

“Is that the end of your arguments, appellant Halloran?” the old hag asked.

“Yes, your honor,” Halloran smiled like a snake. “I am sure you will agree that such unfair implementations of prosecutory loopholes and unreasonable fines will only stifle the city.”

Aputsiaq had already finished his closing arguments. At this point, he was quite confident in his victory. He only wondered at what cost. The law was clearly on his side, but the old hag could neuter his punishments.

“Very well,” Judge Nicosia said. “I have considered the arguments raised on appeal, and am ready to make my judgment. First, as already settled, Chief Financial Overseer Aputsiaq does indeed have the authority to investigate the matter at hand and to assign punishments as appropriate to the conduct involved.” Halloran grimaced. “I must admit that your arguments about the benefits you have provided to the city were quite intriguing.” It was Aputsiaq’s turn to look worried. There might be a stiff reduction in penalties coming, enough that he would have only made powerful enemies- while they still profited off of corruption. “One would have thought that you would have argued that you did not commit any crimes, though perhaps you understood it was a worthless endeavor to begin with.”

The hag sure knew how to shake people back and forth. Aputsiaq honestly had no idea where this was going.

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“Ultimately, it seems that you have embezzled nearly a tenth of the total funds going to a single public project, and that is not counting the impact of your co-conspirators who will be here separately.” That was a good word for her to use. People didn’t like conspirators. “But I have to agree with you about one thing. The amount of fines in question. Looking at your assets, the fines will easily amount to more than half of everything you have.” Dammit. “That’s far too little.”

It took everything Aputsiaq had to not scream in triumph. Of course, it would have been embarrassing, and he was waiting for something that went against him. His heart could hardly handle this.

The old hag’s eyes bore down on Aputsiaq. “You forgot to factor interest in from the beginning of the embezzlement. Before multiplying for the penalizing aspects, of course. Now then, as for the final factor. Aputsiaq, you argued that Raimonds Hallorand is a flight risk, and should be kept in custody while the matters are settled.” He nodded. She probably didn’t even need a response. “I don’t believe that will be necessary.”

The grin Hallorand shot him should have been enough to overturn that decision. But somehow, the old hag didn’t catch it, or didn’t care. “May I ask you to elaborate on how you came to that decision?”

“I will not,” Judge Nicosia said. “In conclusion, Raimonds Hallorand, you are to pay the entirety of your assets- including the assets of the businesses you own through which you laundered your stolen money- back to the same fund from which you embezzled, prioritized over every other debt. You will be free to move about as you conclude such business.”

Well there went the majority of Aputsiaq’s win. At least they could seize the physical property the man owned, and the pieces that made up his shady businesses. That would recover some portion of what the man truly owed. But there was no way he wouldn’t flee the city- no, the planet- with storage bag after storage bag stuffed full of valuable cultivation materials, as well as hiding his connections to other forms of wealth in banks and the like.

-----

Raimonds was ecstatic. He thought there was no way that woman would let him roam around free. Now he wouldn’t have to count on his allies to handle things for him. He could deal with everything himself, and get away with most of his money. He’d have to spend some portion of it establishing a new identity, preferably on the far side of the Shining Cooperative, but he could do it. He had enough wealth to manage. He’d even have plenty left over to hire a good assassin to take out that young upstart Aputsiaq.

Over the course of the next day, he scurried around to dozens of locations, grabbing everything that was most valuable from his vaults and associates who were holding onto things for him. Then he made his way to the startport, where there was a private ship expecting someone of his description.

He made it all the way there, and he knew he was going to get away unscathed. He took one step up the ramp. Then another. And then… his body collapsed like a puppet with it strings cut.

That was odd. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, but his hands couldn’t move to feel it. Something was wrong. He called upon his natural energy to lift his body, moving the limbs independent of his body and muscles listening to him. He got all the way to his feet before he felt a hole in his dantian, out of which his natural energy was drained like a swarm of death leeches drained a body of blood.

He fell over again. The ship suddenly jerked up, sending him rolling off of the ramp. And then it was out of his sight. He could move his eyes around, but he couldn’t turn his head.

At the entrance of that particular landing pad, the agent tasked to follow him hesitated. His collapse was not part of the plan. Convenient, certainly. But fully unexpected and mysterious. Both of which terrified the woman. She was just going to call starport security and have them deal with the mess. She’d keep an eye on the target, of course, but it was probably better this way. She had a whole list of names and locations to turn in so they could raid them as soon as possible. She couldn’t get mixed up in… mysterious non-deaths.

-----

“What did you do?” Anishka asked.

“Nothing,” the Sergeant signed unconvincingly. “Nothing illegal,” she clarified. “Or unethical.”

“That didn’t actually answer my question,” Anishka reminded her.

“I bit someone. Twice.”

“Just… explain, please?”

“It was the guy who had the biggest bad number,” the Sergeant said. “He was trying to run away even though that one lady said he probably wouldn’t run. But he did run. And then I made sure he couldn’t run.”

“Okay, I kind of understand,” Anishka said. “And that fits with what I heard. But… did anyone see you?”

“How could they? I’m so tiny.”

“You don’t think people will find a severed spinal cord and a punctured dantian suspicious?” Anishka asked.

“They don’t know about void ants.”

“But they might if you keep… doing things!”

“I have full confidence that the risks I took were worthwhile.”

“Alright. Fine,” Anishka said. “It’s your people. Though don't forget that the rest of the Lower Realms Alliance will also have to deal with the consequences of an unplanned revelation of your existence.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not like others will be acting similarly. I’m an exception. Thus, these are simply mysterious circumstances.”

“I really don’t expect anyone to believe that,” Anishka said. “They’re not stupid.”

“Ah, but you forget. It’s a lot more convenient for them if it’s unexplainable. Problems resolved, no loose ends… humans like that kind of thing.”

“I hate that you might be right,” Anishka said. “But I still disagree that it was a good idea.”

“Wait until you see them dumping piles of money onto the patients in that clinic. Or whatever you humans do to treat people with money.”