Previously on Daily life of a cultivation judge...
Yang Qing celebrated his recent winnings, reminiscing about past feasts and planning a celebratory meal. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of familiar faces: Han Bai, Meng Song, and Fan Jie. They were accompanied by an unfamiliar man, whose ordinary appearance belied a subtle, shared curiosity.
"My friend desired to meet you," Fan Jie stated, respectfully indicating the individual beside him. "I wish to offer my apologies for the impoliteness of bringing him here without prior arrangement. Please do not hold Han Bai and Meng Song accountable. The decision was entirely mine. They objected to it, and against their counsel and my own better judgment, I chose to proceed against their wishes to accommodate Daoist Tang Xiadan, who was eager to personally express his thanks for the gentle yang pineapples and the silver ice tear guavas he acquired from you at the auction."
"Their exceptional quality deeply moved him to express his gratitude in person, and given the nature of the request, I felt obliged to fulfill it. Gratitude," he elaborated slowly, "realizes its greatest impact when conveyed overtly rather than merely implied." He paused. "Nevertheless, irrespective of my thoughts or motivations, my actions were indeed inappropriate, and thus I seek to apologize while shamelessly requesting your understanding," Fan Jie added, forming fists in a gesture of apology.
Yang Qing remained uncertain about the sincerity of the apology, yet he accepted it. "There is no necessity for apologies, Owner Fan Jie. If anything, I am the one who is indebted for the Vast Blue's benevolence and the remarkable accommodation you have shown me," Yang Qing expressed genuinely, rising from his seat to offer a fist-and-palm salute to Fan Jie.
Setting aside Fan Jie's underlying motives and actions, Yang Qing felt truly thankful for the manner in which the Vast Blue had treated him, particularly concerning the heart-quenching mulberry dew. Disclosing a customer's personal details was not a common practice among many merchants, and if they did, a substantial fee would typically be demanded. Neither Li Gang, nor Han Bai, nor Meng Song had requested anything from him, and they were well within their rights to insist on a significant price or reject his request entirely. For this, Yang Qing felt a sense of obligation towards them. Well, not towards Fan Jie, but certainly towards the others. In fact, considering Fan Jie's usual demeanor, Yang Qing wasn't entirely convinced that the shrewd owner had even been informed of his true purpose for being there. He suspected not.
Yang Qing then turned his attention to the middle-aged figure and offered a fist-and-palm salute. "As Owner Fan Jie has likely informed you," he began, bestowing a swift, meaningful smile upon Fan Jie before redirecting his focus, "my name is Yang Qing, and it is I who should be extending my gratitude to you for your exceedingly generous offer, Daoist Tang Xiadan."
"No, no, it is I who ought to be thanking you. Fan Jie was not exaggerating – I have never encountered gentle yang pineapples of such superior quality. Frankly, the sum I bid for them feels insufficient, which is precisely why I urged Fan Jie, Meng Song, and Han Bai to escort me here. I should be the one apologizing for this intrusion," Tang Xiadan stated, mirroring Yang Qing's fist-and-palm salute before proceeding with his introduction. "My name is Tang Xiadan, a wandering explorer and an ardent seeker of marvels," he added.
"I, too, am a student of that path," Yang Qing responded, a smile gracing his features as he gestured welcomingly towards the table. "There remains wine to be shared."
All present nodded and resumed their seats. Han Bai and Meng Song took the futons to Yang Qing's left, offering apologetic glances, while Fan Jie occupied the one to his right. Tang Xiadan settled on the futon directly across from him.
Meng Song moved to begin serving, but Yang Qing politely intervened, offering to pour the wine himself. A gourd crafted from white ivory materialized in his hands. "I did promise to treat you all, did I not?" he said, looking towards Han Bai, who responded with a rare, faint smile at the reminder. "I am looking forward to it," Han Bai replied.
Yang Qing proceeded to pour his prized wine, beginning with Han Bai, then Meng Song, followed by Tang Xiadan, whose gaze remained intently fixed on the gourd, and finally Fan Jie, before concluding by pouring a measure for himself.
Raising his cup, Yang Qing offered a smile to the assembled company. "To the spirit of gratitude, to the forging of new friendships, and to the boundless wonders the world holds."
he added silently, casting a subtle glance towards the periphery of his vision as he lifted the cup to his lips.
Yang Qing reflected pensively, observing as Tang Xiadan's gaze remained locked onto the gourd, astonishment continuing to dawn in his beetle-like eyes.
The Empyrean World Jade Wood used to craft the gourd possessed a subtle aura, rendering it indistinguishable from common jade wood to the untrained eye. Upon viewing it, one would never suspect it was a saint-grade material, ranking just one level below the legendary Ten Thousand Dao Jade Leaf tree among jade trees.
The object emitted the aura of common jade wood, requiring the keen senses of a domain realm expert to perceive its true nature. Even Yang Qing himself was unaware of the material's identity until a gold eagle guard and a special inquisitor, both at the middle stage of the domain realm, aided him in piercing the veil of deception. This revelation unveiled that the gourd he had carelessly assumed was made of ordinary substance was, in fact, exquisitely crafted from the legendary Empyrean World Jade Tree, a saint-grade marvel.
Judging by Tang Xiadan's visibly astonished and captivated demeanor, it was evident he had discerned the gourd's profound value. His companions to his left and right, however, displayed no such recognition.
Yang Qing remained uncertain if Tang Xiadan had apprehended the gourd's complete essence and true nature. Nevertheless, his reaction strongly indicated that even without full comprehension, he had grasped that the artifact was far from ordinary. Curiously, as far as Yang Qing could ascertain, Tang Xiadan was not a domain expert.
While Yang Qing could not ascertain his precise cultivation realm, he deduced that Tang Xiadan was at least a palace realm expert. His inability to pinpoint the specific stage of Tang Xiadan's cultivation was attributed to it being higher than his own, likely residing in the late stages of the palace realm. Yang Qing felt confident that had Tang Xiadan been in the middle stages, he would have been able to discern it, much like he could with Meng Song.
The situation with Han Bai was identical. Similar to Tang Xiadan, Yang Qing could not accurately gauge his cultivation realm, only confirming his presence within the palace realm. Fan Jie, however, presented a completely different scenario. Despite his every effort, Yang Qing detected no cultivation fluctuations emanating from him, as if the man possessed no cultivation base at all. This was undoubtedly the work of a concealing treasure, which, while decent, was likely not exceptionally potent. After all, considering the thoroughness of the Flying Shadow Hawks' intelligence report on the Vast Blue, any treasure Fan Jie employed to mask his cultivation had offered him little advantage against their perceptive capabilities. They had not only seen through his cultivation realm but had even estimated the remaining years of his life.
Yang Qing entertained the notion of casually disclosing that number to unsettle Fan Jie but ultimately refrained, his attention now captivated by their new guest.
A sudden jolt coursed through Yang Qing’s soul as he felt his physique react, an impulse triggered by something emanating from Tang Xiadan. Typically, such occurrences signified the presence of something related to yin and yang energies. Given the intensity of the pull, Tang Xiadan likely carried a remarkably potent item possessing yin or yang attributes.
Yang Qing mused internally, even if he couldn't discern the cultivation realm of individuals with significantly higher bases than his own, anything related to yin and yang, even at the saint grade, could not escape his senses. After all, what did the term 'Peerless' in Peerless Jade Physique truly signify? It denoted unparalleled status, and for a physique like the Peerless Yin and Yang Jade Nature, it meant standing supreme and unrivaled within the domain of yin and yang.
Yang Qing found himself compelled to revise his initial assumptions regarding Tang Xiadan's motivations for bidding on his items. While he still believed Tang Xiadan harbored an ulterior motive, the unfolding circumstances suggested this agenda had less to do with Yang Qing's role as a judge and more to do with the delicate yang pineapples and the silver ice tear guavas. These two items had been immersed in his yin and yang essence for an extended period, and in terms of purity, they were no less exceptional than whatever artifact Tang Xiadan possessed.
Yang Qing contemplated this as his physique immediately identified the distinctive Qi signature of whatever Tang Xiadan carried that had elicited such a response.
Perhaps through sheer coincidence, or some heightened intuitive sense, Tang Xiadan abruptly shifted his focus from the gourd towards Yang Qing. His expression became one of even greater astonishment than before, a flicker of confusion and wariness beneath the surface as his gaze intensely fixed upon him.
