Daily life of a cultivation judge Chapter 1498: Then that is good

Long accustomed to being in damningly embarrassing situations that would leave a weaker man burying his head in the sand for eternity, Yang Qing deftly executed his time-tested skills in handling such environments by pretending he saw nothing. Recognized nothing. All that existed within his senses was him making his request and hopefully getting a yes. As for the rest, he and

Ears reddened in shame, Yang Qing cleared his throat before furtively making his request. "I was hoping to get your approval to see one of the Saint Grade seniors I received during my promotion," said Yang Qing, employing the softest, most pleading tone and expression he could muster.

"Who?" Long Enlai asked.

"Senior Veiled Destiny," Yang Qing answered, his eyes showing the desperate need for the Saint Grade’s help... and now the Judicial Committee’s.

"Why?" Jia Bohai asked, having shed his earlier playfulness.

Yang Qing sighed before going on to explain Bai Chen’s case in great detail, leaving out nothing, including his doubts and suspicions. Given the favor he was asking for, the more they knew about the case, the better.

After he was done, looking tentatively and pleadingly at the four members, he asked, "Is it possible to get the senior’s help and your assistance? Ideally, I would not want to trouble you with this matter, or Senior Veiled Destiny, but given the nature of the case, I feel that resolving it swiftly is the best course of action at the moment."

"It is," Long Enlai said patiently, stroking his beard as he examined Yang Qing, bearing the kindly gaze of a caring senior who could see through the unmentioned context behind the plea.

It was the same with the other three. They could all tell there was more behind the urgency in Yang Qing’s request.

Even Yang Qing could tell that they had seen through him, prompting him to smile dryly as he awaited their response.

"Permission granted," Long Enlai said softly.

"And mine," Xu Biya said warmly.

"Mine too," Jia Bohai responded, smiling at Yang Qing.

"Seeing as you have come all the way here, we cannot let you return empty-handed," Jiang Cheng finished.

One hand stroking his beard, Long Enlai extended his free hand, and in a gentle pulling motion, a leaf from one of the bamboo poles immediately appeared on his palm. A second later, four luminous gold scripts appeared on the leaf, each bearing distinct characteristics. One script was carefree like a drifting cloud. Another was stable like an immovable boulder. Another was light and unassuming like a breeze. And the last was vast like an ocean.

Long Enlai gently pushed the leaf, which floated over to Yang Qing’s hand. Yang Qing received it solemnly with both hands, as though he were receiving an edict, and bowed his head to them as he said, "Thank you. Truly," he said, heavy with emotion, the greatest of which were relief and gratitude.

"Even with that, it still is not enough," Long Enlai said when Yang Qing looked up, whose expression briefly turned confused at the remark.

"It is not?" he asked. "Do I also need to go to the Spirit Council?"

Before coming, he had entertained the thought that the Judicial Review Committee’s approval might not be enough, but a greater part of him had been hoping it would be, given that it was not the first time he had used their approval to gain access to a saint-grade treasure or facilities of similar worth.

But despite his hopes, given the uniqueness of Veiled Destiny, he had felt there might be a chance the committee’s approval would not be enough. And it was not just Veiled Destiny. He felt the same about Blue Universe and Green Cocoon. While he might not own any, Yang Qing had interacted with plenty of saint-grade treasures and artifacts to know that the three saint-grade treasures he had used on the day of his promotion ceremony were abnormal, even when compared against other saint-grade treasures.

Just their sheer abilities already proved as much.

"You do not need the Spirit Council’s approval," Long Enlai said slowly, drawing an even more baffled look from Yang Qing. "At least, not for that Senior. Had it been another saint-grade treasure, our guarantee or the Spirit Council’s would have been enough. But for that Senior, you will need approval."

Yang Qing grew even more confused as he looked at the leaf with glowing scripts in his hand, then back at Long Enlai, bearing a look that seemed to say:

It was not as though he had planned to use their approval and wave it in Senior Veiled Destiny’s face like a command token to secure her cooperation. The leaf in his hands was nothing more than a permission slip to get through the door. Once he was through that door, its purpose would end. What happened after that door was entirely up to Veiled Destiny—whether she agreed to help him or not.

He would make the same pleading request of her as he had made to the Committee.

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Long Enlai smiled and said, "The approval is for that approval," as he gestured to the leaf in Yang Qing’s hands. "The senior has to validate our approval. That allows you to see her. It is her that gives it any worth. Without it, that leaf is nothing more than a bamboo leaf with our writing on it.

It is only when the senior agrees to it that it has any meaning to your efforts.

What she is agreeing to is not your request itself, but your request to see her. If she says no, then not even an agreement from all of us, the Spirit Council, and the three Vice Presidents will get you in," Long Enlai explained.

"If she says no, then maybe only the President’s approval will get you in."

"The Chancellor too, I suspect," Xu Biya chimed in.

"Her too," Long Enlai said, nodding agreeably. "But even then, they cannot force that Senior to help if she does not want to," Long Enlai added gravely.

Yang Qing thought as he observed the solemnity in their expressions. Seeing them, he started to second-guess whether he should go through with it, given how his superiors were wearing grave and graver expressions every time Veiled Destiny was mentioned.

Yang Qing thought, steeling himself.

Seemingly seeing through his resolve, Long Enlai, wearing his customary grandfatherly smile, gestured to the leaf and said, "Hand it to Internal Logistics, and they will handle the rest. The response will be brought here. You are more than welcome to wait with us. Hopefully it will not take long."

Offering an apologetic smile, Yang Qing said, "I would love to wait, but I have already made prior arrangements with an instructor from the Jade Leaf Academy who has come to visit, and I promised to meet him later to show him around. He is probably already waiting for me.

If it is not too much trouble, could the reply be delivered to my abode?"

"It is no problem at all," Long Enlai said kindly.

After a few more exchanges, Yang Qing thanked them once more, grabbed a few more cookies to eat later (at Xu Biya’s insistence), and made his way out.

Just as he was about to reach the teleportation rune, Jiang Cheng called out to him, bringing him to a stop.

"Yang Qing."

Yang Qing turned toward him, smiling inwardly at the scene that greeted him. Jiang Cheng and Jia Bohai had wasted no time in returning to their Go match.

"How are you?" Jiang Cheng asked softly, his tranquil gaze resting on Yang Qing.

Yang Qing blinked, surprised by the question.

"Better than I was a few months ago. Much, much better," Yang Qing finally said, his smile carrying countless emotions that reflected his true state: grateful, worried, hopeful, growing, learning, apprehensive, lighter, and grateful.

Jia Bohai, whose eyes had been fixed on the table, seemingly contemplating his next move, without lifting his head, cast an appraising sideways glance at Yang Qing before he finally said, "Then that is good."

The others, sharing the sentiment, each offered Yang Qing a warm smile and a nod.

Yang Qing cupped his fists to them, smiling gratefully before stepping into the teleportation rune, his figure disappearing into a faint blue light.