Daily life of a cultivation judge Chapter 1451: Windfall (2)

Yang Qing’s simmering blood, heated by recollections of his ordeals, rapidly cooled at the sound of Li Gang’s voice as the bid for the silver ice tear guava commenced. The starting price, just as before, was set at ten thousand lesser jade crystals. This amount, despite Yang Qing’s current contentment—akin to an ascetic monk—sparked tempting thoughts and brought a smile to his lips.

Just as Yang Qing was about to ‘exorcise’ these wayward notions, his actions halted. His old, exceedingly dear friend, Tang Xiadan, performed a familiar act of dear friendship (unlike that traitorous former classmate from the Formation Hall) by placing a bid. It matched the previous bid exactly: thirty-five thousand lesser dragon jade crystals.

As if intent on fully embodying his new title as Yang Qing’s very, very dear friend, he repeated the same bid when the final silver ice tear guava was presented. However, he didn't cease there; he escalated further, increasing his offer for the two gentle yang pineapples, bidding fifty thousand lesser dragon crystals for each...

Following that bid, the sheer shock of the situation compelled Yang Qing to entirely retire the title of ‘very, very dear friend.’ He promoted Tang Xiadan to ‘ancestor,’ lighting sandalwood incense sticks and bowing deeply in the direction of his gallery seating.

How could he not proclaim him ancestor? After all, the very dear fr—... no, it was ancestor now. How could he not kowtow when the exceedingly dear Ancestor Tang Xiadan had just gifted him a grand total of two hundred and five thousand lesser dragon jade crystals?

Yang Qing mused, while still paying homage to Ancestor Tang Xiadan. In reality, his mind had already performed the conversion the instant the bid for the last gentle yang pineapple was finalized. He pondered only because he wished to vocalize the exact sum.

Yang Qing whispered softly, his voice imbued with exhilaration, pride, and a touch of disbelief. “Two hundred and five million,” he reiterated, slowly rising. He gazed around in a daze, as if the entire room were suffused with that astounding amount.

He was half-inclined to pocket the sum, depart swiftly for the Order, submit his verbal resignation to the Judicial Review Committee, and then immediately relay the news to Old Lei, boasting of his newfound wealth, perhaps even performing a little celebratory dance. Subsequently, he would join the Medical Valley as a part-time farmer, as the Order disallowed freeloading; he would need to contribute something to justify his stay or access to their resources. With a flexible schedule and a role that didn’t demand much—his mere presence already making him a superior farmer to most—he would gain ample time for dining, drinking, intensive study, and indulging in his numerous safe pastimes.

He truly should depart. Right at this very moment.

Yet, amidst those exceedingly risky thoughts, a sliver of sober judgment cautioned him against it. It warned that no matter how wealthy he perceived himself to be, he resided in an expensive location with formidable landlords and roommates who would rapidly deplete his winnings. What he imagined would sustain him for nearly ten thousand years would likely be consumed within days or weeks, should he be that fortunate.

What could he realistically accomplish with two hundred and five thousand lesser dragon jade crystals? If he were a rogue cultivator, he could subsist on it for an extended period and perhaps even establish his own clan if the inclination struck him. But as a traumatized worker ant of the Order, one who intended to remain within the nest despite harboring grievances against it, the consideration and value of that sum underwent a shift.

He was acutely aware of the cost required to upgrade his dwelling from a low-tier blue grade to a top-tier blue grade. Why would a freshly graduated student possess such knowledge? One might question. Well, he was a dreamer who cherished fine things, delectable sustenance, and items that ensured his security, enhanced his living standards, or generally guaranteed his continued existence. Therefore, it was only natural that he would immediately investigate the requirements for upgrading his abode’s protective array; after all, he possessed ample motivation and justification, or justifications, to both fear for and value his safety.

The exact cost was two hundred and twenty thousand lesser dragon jade crystals. If that sum were unavailable, forty-two thousand merit points would suffice.

As someone earning forty thousand high-grade spirit stones in his capacity as an outer palace court judge, how long would it take him to accumulate such an amount? It’s safe to say that he would be regarded as an ancestor by some mortals by the time he managed to amass that sum.

Therefore, his sole recourse for the swiftest advancement was through merit points. However, the Order proved as parsimonious with these points as with any other resource, their stinginess matched only by their cunning. Merit points were difficult to hoard, as the Order would nonchalantly hint at the myriad possibilities for their expenditure, subtly tempting even the most steadfast abbot with a 'personalized selection list.'

Yang Qing had long resigned himself to a life of servitude and exploitation by his employer before he could amass the necessary merit points.

But now... a bashful smile bloomed on Yang Qing’s face, his eyes twinkling with newfound hope.

With two hundred and five thousand points, he was already three-quarters of the way to the required two hundred and twenty thousand. Even if the remaining five elemental petaled lantern flower fetched a lower price than other items, his aspirations of constructing a premier blue-grade formation array were now tantalizingly close. Without even factoring in the lantern flower's value, he could easily bridge the gap by dipping into his personal reserves. Past encounters had taught him that the formidable members of the Formation Hall offered no concessions.

"My magnificent top-tier array," Yang Qing whispered sentimentally, dabbing his eyes. A part of him even felt indebted to Senior Instructor Lu Yuan and his peculiar habit of raiding the residences of his former pupils. Had Lu Yuan not engaged in this practice and confessed it to Yang Qing, likely to inflict maximum psychological distress, Yang Qing would never have been spurred to such fear as to hastily auction his belongings and secure funds for his home's protection and his own peace of mind. He had initially hoped to gather enough for a mid-tier enhancement, but Ancestor Tang Xiadan, seemingly aware of his descendant's peril in the manner of all ancestors, had provided crucial aid precisely when it was most needed.

His descendant could finally embrace tranquility. And he would be spared the betrayal of a friend. Ancestor Tang Xiadan, with a single bid of two hundred and five thousand lesser dragon jade crystals, had not only averted disaster for two souls but likely preserved a marriage as well.

Yang Qing harbored a profound dread of Senior Instructor Lu Yuan, but Fei Chen... after years as the Instructor’s favored muse, his apprehension had transmuted into something far more profound. He had once prostrated himself before a student who bore a slight vocal resemblance to Senior Instructor Lu Yuan. Even after realizing it was not him, he regarded that student with suspicion for the remainder of his academic tenure. The more irrational part of his mind conjectured that the student was Senior Instructor Lu Yuan in disguise. He actively avoided this student throughout his four years at the Institute, and Yang Qing suspected he would continue to do so even now. Fortunately, their paths were unlikely to cross, as the student in question was employed in the Alchemy Hall.

Fei Chen’s composure faltered significantly in Senior Instructor Lu Yuan’s presence, so much so that their peers had coined the collective dread of Senior Instructor Lu Yuan the 'Fei Chen Inner Demon Condition.'

Senior Instructor Lu Yuan represented Fei Chen’s ultimate challenge.

Due to the pervasive 'Fei Chen Inner Demon Condition,' Yang Qing had seriously contemplated sacrificing Fei Chen to ensure his own safety. However, that compromising decision was now unnecessary.