Little Spring and I pretended to listen to the surrounding discussion.
::For you to understand even a fraction of what I did, I’ll have to explain quite a few concepts. It might be difficult for you.::
He stepped forward excitedly, so he was almost beside . ::I’ll be fine! Trust ! I’m already used to how you over-explain and give unnecessary examples.::
This brat! ::You want to explain or not?!::
He winced. ::Please go ahead, Sister Lin!::
That’s better! ::When creating a karmically-binding contract, a clerk adds an enchantnt to either a special spiritual paper or a sky-rank jade slip. This enchantnt harms the karma of those who don’t fulfill their side of the contract.
::Of course, if it’s well written, then each side will have a way to back out amicably without taking a karmic hit, since that punishnt is saved for when a side doesn’t fulfill its obligations.
::To clarify, this ans that if Dominant Restraint Master and Peerless Cacophony don’t give the money to Chi Qi Tan that they owe, these two sect masters — and possibly their sect — will be karmically fucked.::
That would ss up everyone’s luck. Their disciples would find it difficult to transcend their tribulations, their resources might run dry, and their plants could inexplicably catch a blight.
::Wait! Can you back up? What enchantnt?::
What? Did he not see? ::The enchantnt on the paper, obviously.::
::But, what is it? How does it work? How do you even add it?::
I glanced at the three parties that were deep into a very boring discussion that was going in circles and had nothing to do with . It looked like I had plenty of ti.
::You have heard ntion earthly and heavenly laws, right?::
::Of course!::
::Well, the Immortal Zhenren Ji developed the first contracts while studying heavenly laws related to karma. Along the way, he created a lesser version that Nascent Souls could handle. After he ascended, his Ji family beca karma experts and made a lot of enemies. One of them stole the contract research that they weren’t even using at the ti and sold it to all the sects and clans.
::During that era, everyone was tired of the Ji clan’s arrogance. They were desperate for anything that might lessen their influence, even if that ant working together. It took them years, but their combined effort paid off in the form of a contract language and a series of enchantnt functions.
::Over the centuries, the clerks that they handed it to broke it down, added to it, and refined it by giving it more complexity and depth. Now, even the simplest variations that a Qi Condensation cultivator could create would still be effective against high-realm experts… with so caveats.::
I’d seen so of the first research stored in the sect’s library. Frankly, what they did was as complicated as taking binary and turning it into a dozen different programming languages.
The kid frowned. ::That doesn’t seem right. Shouldn’t those powerful experts be able to easily break a contract made by a low realm clerk?::
I grinned. ::That’s the fun part! It can still affect them because it is karmically based! Muahahaha!::
He blinked.
::Okay, think about this: how easily can an Immortal Ascension Stage cultivator affect the fabric of the world?::
::Very easily.::
::How much potential do they have for destruction?::
His hand clenched. ::An incredible amount.::
::Exactly! The higher your cultivation, the higher your potential influence, then the more karma affects your future.::
I had a theory that this was partially why Immortals almost never descended to the lower realm. When they did, it was as a reincarnation, a weak clone, or after using an extre sealing technique that completely bound their immortal energy and mories.
::That said, a weaker clerk shouldn’t try to ss with a high-stage practitioner. If their jade slip or paper, ink, and brushes are terrible, the stronger cultivator could destroy the contract themselves with just a minor hit to their karma.::
He nodded. ::So, the ingredients affect the strength of the enchantnt.::
::Exactly. Of course, even with the best supplies, the more powerful cultivator could still squash a scheming clerk like a bug for taking advantage of them.:: I crossed my arms. ::Only an equal or more powerful organization can fuck over an expert with only a few consequences.::
Which was what happened here. Chi Qi Tan was just too big and spread out for these dium-tier sects to fight head-on.
::Okay... I guess I understand a little more about contracts and how they work... but I still can’t figure out what you did back then.::
I frowned. He couldn’t extrapolate from what I said? Usually, this brat learned so fast I could barely keep up. Maybe he just didn’t have much fate with the Dao of Paperwork.
::The enchantnts that are placed on docunts always include so kind of loophole that allows the clerk to edit them given the right circumstances.::
::That sounds very suspicious.::
::Well, it’s mostly for the benefit of the docunt creator. They need it to fix any mistakes before they get killed.::
He frowned. ::Is being a clerk really that dangerous?::
I was tempted to flick his glabella. ::Think about it. While not mortal, they’re still human. What would happen if they made a minor error with numbers, or switched the debtor and the lender, but no one realized it until after it was signed?::
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
He briefly rested his hand on my shoulder. His face turned white.
::Exactly! They’d quickly beco a sar of blood on the floor.:: I grinned. ::These enchantnt loopholes, when accessed, allow for fair changes. But they’re rarely used since any clerk excellent enough to draft a contract for an Immortal Bone Creation cultivator would never make such mundane mistakes.::
::I’m sorry, Sister Lin. I didn’t realize you put yourself in so much danger every day when we were back in the Indomitable Will Sect.::
Ah, shit. I had worried the kid. ::Hey, who am I?::
::Fairy Lin!::
::That’s right! I’m a genius who would never make a dumbass mistake like that.::
From the corner of my eye, I saw him fight a smile.
::Of course! I’m sure even you would leave a loophole for your own safety.::
I nodded. ::It’s better to have them and not need them since even the most brilliant person can make a minor error. Besides, this universe isn’t exactly static. A docunt that can’t change could turn into hell for all parties when circumstances shift.::
For a mont, we both focused on the surrounding discussion since a lot of elders were blaming each other.
::Sister Lin, when did you access that loophole? I didn’t notice anything.::
::Did you see touch it with two fingers?::
::Yes!::
::That was when I did it!::
::... You’re making it sound too easy.::
I grinned and straightened my spine. ::Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but you’re not ready to comprehend my Dao of Paperwork’s advanced contract enchantnt chanics. Just know that it looked effortless only thanks to my vast experience.::
::…::
Since he wasn’t acting suitably impressed, I continued, ::I realized so things when I accessed it. The first was that I couldn’t edit the docunt to make it unfair to Chi Qi Tan. The thing would have exploded if I had tried.::
Resentful Shadow Snake slamd his palm onto the table and demanded that the sect receive more compensation. Startled, Little Spring took a step closer to .
The kid suddenly grabbed the back of my sleeve. ::Wait! You can do that?! Just make sothing that doesn’t allow you to get taken advantage of?::
::If the clerk knows what they’re doing, absolutely! Actually, using enchantnt functions similar to this in a mass-produced template was one way I helped our sect increase efficiency and decrease errors. Afterall, when a clerk writes the contract’s terms, and the jade explodes, they know they’ve ssed up.::
::…::
::Anyway, that was just the first step. After that, I infused a part of it with my spiritual energy, then I slapped it to hide the fact that I was adding so additional functions.::
::I knew there was more to it! What did you do?::
::Well, I couldn’t change too much, or it might have blown my arm off.::
::I feel like I should have known how dangerous being a clerk is by now, but for so reason, I thought it was mostly safe and easy. Sothing even a nine-year-old could do.::
I ignored him and continued. ::I added two functions. The first would switch the main copy over to this mine once the requirents were t. And the other would overwrite the remaining copies in case of the main’s destruction.::
::That’s how you pulled that magic trick off?!::
::Yes! But it’s not magic. It’s paperwork.::
::That’s incredible.::
Damn straight it was.
::I bet you knew soone as greedy and prideful as Wealth’s Herald wouldn’t let that face-losing contract exist. He’d have to destroy it himself, leading to his own downfall.::
Not exactly. I had planned to shred the paper myself, but the kid didn’t need to know that.
I cleared my throat. ::Well, the reason this plan succeeded was thanks to the sect leaders who worked with to fulfill the requirents.::
His brow furrowed in confusion.
::When I sent them a ntal copy, I gave instructions to get Wealth’s Herald to say out loud that he accepted the more balanced changes before signing it… I also had them get a drop of his blood on the contract.::
::Was that because he owned it, like with spiritual tools?::
::No. It was because theoriginal clerk added a kind of spiritual biotric lock for Chi Qi Tan’s benefit. Without his blood, I couldn’t have made mine the main copy. Without that, my efforts would have gone to waste.::
::That sounds like sothing Wealth’s Herald should have known about.::
::Ha! You think that arrogant peacock of a rchant would listen to a clerk’s detailed explanation?::
He shook his head. ::No. And I’m shocked you figured that out! You’re amazing, Sister Lin!::
I grinned proudly. While I wasn’t the best socially, I knew how to spot an asshole who looked down on the weak!
::But what did you say to convince those Immortal Bone Creation experts to follow your directions? You’re… you.::
I turned and scowled at the brat.
He blinked innocently.
I crossed my arms and glared at the opposition’s elders in front of . ::I didn’t tell them I’m an orthodox spy, if that’s what you’re wondering.::
::Of course not!::
That didn’t sound convincing. Whatever. ::I just explained what they needed to do to get out of their unfair contract, and they did it. Who wouldn’t if it ant saving their loved ones and not having to pay an enormous fee? It wasn’t that hard.::
::Oh! I think I understand! What you asked them to do was so easy for them that even if it didn’t work, the only people who would lose face is the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect.::
::…::
Shit. I hadn’t considered that.
***
The negotiations droned on and on. Each group demanded the best deal for its own side.
Alchemist Iron Fang glared at Vengeful Siren. “Our sect is next to the northern ocean. Tens of thousands of li from here! How do you expect to send reinforcents in a tily manner if you don’t use your city’s teleportation array?”
Vengeful Siren flung his sleeve back in irritation. “And if it’s a trap, we’ll lose our disciples and the teleportation expenses. That’s why you ca here with your ships instead of using a formation.”
Iron Fang ground his teeth, unable to deny that. “If we can’t trust each other even this much, then how are we supposed to co together to fight the demonic sect?”
”I concur!” Icy Lotus Flower said and smiled at him. It figured she would. The two were rumored to be lovers.
While it seed like these two had no interest in forming this treaty, they made a valid point. It looked like this was a good ti to interject with my badass wisdom. And it just might get these guys thinking in the direction I wanted.
“If trust is a problem for you all, then I have an idea that will help with that.”
Dealing with the contract must have earned so respect. Everyone shut up and glanced my way.
“Think of building trust as giving soone an empty jade dicine bottle.” I pulled one out and placed it in front of Noxious.
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Many of the elders gave skeptical or hostile glances.
“Every ti that person does sothing, like rembering your likes and dislikes, not killing you when they could, bringing you thoughtful gifts, or helping you or your friends in small ways, you add a precious pill.” With each hypothetical situation, I dropped a Lin’s Healing Dan into it.
My in-na disciple stared at the bottle. The corners of his lips twitched.
“Over ti, it slowly fills up. And when it’s completely full, you know you can trust that person, or in this case, sect to so degree.”
A few of the elders across from looked like they’d discovered a new concept. Their eyes were bright.
“But if we stay in our own little corners of the continent, how can we earn each other's trust pills?” I stoppered the bottle, stood up, and glanced at every person there. “We can’t.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Peerless Cacophony asked. “That we co together for regular etings?”
I grinned. “That might work for the leadership, but what about the average disciple? The ones who will interact the most on the battlefield? They need exposure. So what I suggest is that we do what governnts do, and send a team of at least two diplomats to each sect as a cultural exchange.”
Dominant Restraint Master stroked his beard. ”You’re suggesting hostages?”
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