Daily life of a cultivation judge Chapter 1500: Wails of the scarlet mist (1)

Students from the Order working temporarily in the restaurant, and permanent staff members, already familiar with the custom, having seen it more than once, offered Yang Qing welcoming nods, along with the rest of the staff from the Order, while cultivators from other sects and organizations on that floor offered their own smiles and nods, going with the flow, as they traded awkward glances with one another bearing a look that seemed to ask:

After the greeting, Yang Qing had a few exchanges with the regulars he was familiar with, whilst offering courtesy nods of gratitude and acknowledgement to those he wasn’t, before finally making his way to the counter to place his order. The bulk of it was takeaway, leaving tea and a few dumplings and spring rolls as what he’d be having within the restaurant while he waited for Chen Yu to arrive.

His favorite seating spot, thankfully, had not been occupied. It almost never was, really, given its position could be considered more part of the kitchen than part of the dining area, given how close it was to the kitchen.

Others might not like it, given you could hear the sizzling of oils, the clatter of woks and ladles, and the bubbling of stews and soups. But best of all, it was the first place, besides the kitchen itself, to be hit with the full frontal assault of aromas drifting out from within, whether it be the scent of raw ingredients being prepared, dishes halfway done, almost done, or completely done.

To others, it was too much or distracting, but to Yang Qing, it was heavenly.

His body relaxed as his pores opened up, his nose cleared, and his ears trained, as he very eagerly took his seat.

It didn’t take long before his jasmine tea and a tray filled with piping hot spring rolls, dumplings, a bowl of chilli oyster sauce, and a few other choice sauces were placed on his table.

After thanking his server, who seemed to be a new face, Yang Qing read him as a first-year student at the Institute, and judging from the spirited beam, the wariness, the relief, and the gaze of admiration within the server’s eyes, he was confident in that assessment. The server had enough life in his eyes, showing his spirit hadn’t yet been properly beaten and tormented out of him. The wariness, though, showed that he’d received enough beating and torment to know that more was waiting for him in the near future, and it would not be pretty. He was like a prisoner who had already been sentenced to execution, only instead of it being carried out immediately, it had been set for a few months from now, leaving him living each day with the knowledge that his end was coming.

"Good times," Yang Qing murmured pleasantly, admiring the sight, before shifting his attention to the very cool and refreshing jasmine tea, which he wasted no time pairing with one of the spring rolls.

As he ate and drank to the cacophony of sounds and scents from the kitchen, mixing in with the lively chatter of the restaurant, Yang Qing spared enough attention to look around him, which, atop leaving him with a relaxed smile, eventually ended with an involuntary sigh when his gaze fell on the table Dai Chen, Kang Huilang, Xia Boqin, Zhang Qingge, and Yu Huifeng shared.

Oddly enough, that table, just like his, was unoccupied. Whether by design or coincidence, it had not a single occupant, which contributed greatly to Yang Qing’s sigh, to that pointed reminder that he’d been a lone sailor for quite a bit now. He shared his table with Feng Xin, who wasn’t around. Yi Jie more often than not was either in the kitchen discussing the deeper mysteries of wine with the restaurant’s winemakers, or at their table, or up on the second floor with the restaurant’s manager, who was also a fellow wine lover.

And when the two weren’t around, and he didn’t want to eat alone, he could join Dai Chen and the rest at their table. And when they weren’t around, Jiang Fu, one of the best tea makers he’d ever seen, would occasionally join him in between breaks or when he was done brewing. And when it wasn’t him, Mao Mao would be there, though she wasn’t a frequenter of the establishment. She’d be there once or twice a week at most, and even then it would be in the company of her friends. She’d only join Yang Qing when she saw him eating by himself, and it seemed like he needed the company.

But now, looking around, yes there were familiar faces around, and yes, he was glad to see them, but... take He Jun. He had his friends to eat with, and Yang Qing, at the moment, didn’t, because everybody he routinely ate with was not around.

Yang Qing found himself smiling wistfully when he caught himself feeling that he wouldn’t even mind Ellie’s company at the moment, even though he knew that thieving child would most definitely try to steal from his plate the moment he showed a momentary lapse in concentration.

he sighed, as the melancholy settled in before it was quickly washed away by someone calling him from behind.

"Judge Yang Qing, you’re already here?" Chen Yu excitedly called, upon sighting Yang Qing after being led in by one of the staff members of the restaurant.

His eyes lit up as though he were seeing something novel, darting left to right, to the front, then upward, before finally settling on Yang Qing, then quickly moving to the kitchen, to the stairs leading to the upper floors, before falling back to Yang Qing’s table.

"I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long," Chen Yu said as he took the seat across from Yang Qing. "Thanks very much for your assistance, Miss Jingyi," he kindly added, turning to the female attendant who’d brought him in, whom Yang Qing judged to be yet another first-year student from the Institute.

The female attendant, named Jingyi, smiled politely, said it was her duty, and handed Chen Yu a scroll and a jade slip.

Before she could explain what they were, Yang Qing stepped in. "It’s the menu. Both have the same contents. The scroll is just for a little novelty, for those who want something solid to read and touch. The drawings are amazing," said Yang Qing, gesturing to the scroll, before apologizing to Jingyi for interjecting, who waved it off with an understanding smile.