Daily life of a cultivation judge Chapter 1524: Multi-eyed flower (1)

~5 minute read · 1,184 words
Previously on Daily life of a cultivation judge...
A Grand Elder from the Dragon Water Palm Sect attempted to absorb the Sunset Bank Manor, but was swiftly defeated by the Vice Chair, who was then only spared to avoid war. The Emerald Spring Kingdom's stability depends on the preservation of its namesake Spring and its mystical rivers, which are vital for cultivation and alchemy. Any large-scale conflict threatens the Spring's destruction, a fact that has maintained peace between the kingdom's major powers, including the Royal Family, Seven Noble Houses, Hidden Spring Sect, and Stillwater Breathing Sect, all of whom disliked the Dragon Water Palm Sect's aggression. The mysterious Chair of Sunset Bank Manor, who is seeking to break through to the Domain Realm, leads the increasingly powerful Manor, whose strength was demonstrated by the Vice Chair's prowess. Yang Qing considers the Manor's rise to power to be more impressive than established powers, and questions if his subordinate Dong Ping can extract information from them, especially given the Chair's potential strength and the disparity in their cultivation levels. Yang Qing believes a more subtle approach is needed and wishes he could handle it himself, but he is occupied with relocating Ma Yuan and his daughter, and his inquisitors are unavailable.

"Oh, before I forget," Yang Qing said as he was getting up. With a gaze of deep reluctance, he took out a jade slip from his right sleeve and handed it to Fan Mei.

Responding to Fan Mei’s look of ’what is this?’ Yang Qing answered, "Anything you find, big or small, just pour it into the slip."

"It can transform into a piece of parchment, if you prefer," Yang Qing added, eyeing the mountains of parchment on Fan Mei’s desk and the surrounding shelves. "Just write on it, and your information will be transmitted to a senior who is helping me with the case."

"Which Senior?" Fan Mei asked, though her curiosity was clearly more on the slip than the identity of that ’Senior.’ Her eyes showed unveiled excitement when she grabbed the slip for a closer look, and as Yang Qing had pointed out, she had it transform into parchment.

"The material is better than anything I have ever used," she murmured in admiration as she caressed the now transformed parchment like it was the most precious treasure she had ever laid her eyes and hands on.

Driven by a rapidly brewing mix of excitement and curiosity, Fan Mei murmured something along the lines of, ’I wonder if it can do more.’ Immediately acting on that thought, the parchment transformed into a stylus pen, then a quill, an ink pot, a roll of thirty parchments, and a scroll that she immediately unfurled. It rolled all the way to her office door before disappearing as it transformed into an incense stick that was already lit and wafting smoke that was relaxing, refreshing, with the most heavenly scent she had ever smelled.

Yang Qing, who had been about to answer her question, paused as his gaze fell on that rustic golden incense stick that Fan Mei was now cradling in her arms, eyes closed in deep satisfaction as she took deep breaths of its smoke.

"I underestimated it," Yang Qing thought to himself, his eyes shining with desire and excitement at the infinite possibilities the slip of Veiled Destiny offered him. It went without saying that a certain comfortable wicker chair came to mind.

Like a beast whose senses immediately went on high alert upon sensing danger, Fan Mei’s body went taut as she fiercely clutched at the incense stick, burying it deeper into her robes, eyes wide open in alarm. "You’re not about to ask for it back, are you?" Fan Mei coolly asked, eyeing Yang Qing cautiously.

"You owe me," she immediately added as she hid the incense stick further from view (it was practically in the inner lining of her shoulder by this point)

Yang Qing smiled wryly at the suspicious, aggrieved, and slightly combative look Fan Mei was giving him. It was quite a surprise to him to find she could show these types of emotions, given how collected and composed she always seemed whenever he came to see her. Even looking exhausted (which seemed like all the time he met her), Fan Mei still had the bearing of undaunted professionalism, unlike the unhinged rogue before him, who looked inches from striking him with her stylus, or the rolls of parchment or scrolls that were within throwing distance from her, if Yang Qing dared ask for the Veiled Destiny’s slip back.

"I am not going to ask for it back," Yang Qing soothingly said, laughing, in the hopes that his laughter might add more to his defense.

Fan Mei didn’t seem to buy it completely, given her slightly narrowed eyes and the tight clutch she had on the side of her robe, which hid the incense stick from view.

"I won’t ask for it back. Really, I won’t," Yang Qing emphasized once more. He looked behind him and then back at Fan Mei, smiling, as he pleadingly said, "Could you not look like that? If someone barged in here, they’re liable to misunderstand.

I already have strange rumors about me flying around; I am not looking to add more."

Mustering the most sincere and begging look he could, Yang Qing said, "I won’t ask for it back, Sister Fan Mei."

Seemingly buying it, Fan Mei relaxed her posture from highly guarded to slightly guarded as she pulled the incense stick from her inner robe and immediately transformed it into a piece of parchment.

"Who was the Senior?" she immediately followed, her fascination flooding back as her gaze alternated between the parchment and Yang Qing.

"Senior Veiled Destiny," Yang Qing replied.

"That Senior?!" Fan Mei said in surprise. Her attention on the parchment broke and settled solely on Yang Qing. "You’re that close?!"

Feeling that her statement might have come out a little bit harsh and rude, Fan Mei immediately added, "I don’t mean you can’t know her that well. Given your charm, I’ve heard you’re quite familiar with a lot of influential figures... It’s just that... this Senior, I’ve heard, is difficult to meet, even by highly placed figures here. I’m pretty sure my superior would struggle."

"You’re full of surprises, Judge Yang Qing," she finished, wearing an expression of admiration as she gazed at Yang Qing.

Inwardly, she still found Yang Qing’s association with that Senior shocking.

Considering the nature of her cultivation art, which required her to interact with treasures, relics, or items tainted by great destiny or history, it made sense that she would target items of ascendant grade and above. Almost invariably, items of such a rank were likely to have great destiny or history carved into them.

As such, she regularly used her connections and merit points on items of this rank.

Thankfully, given that she didn’t need to permanently own these items, needing only to have them to examine and understand them, much like reading a book, to glimpse their essence by studying their history leading up to their present, getting access to them was still affordable, especially since she didn’t even need to take them from their vicinity.

Even so, it still strained her merit points; this was why she offered appraisal services to other cultivators on the side. This way, when she lacked sufficient merit points for ascendant-grade material, she could still access treasures, relics, and other items of that nature through her appraisal work.

Saint Grade... that was the epitome of her desire. And a Saint Grade treasure of Senior Veiled Destiny’s caliber? To her, that was akin to having access to an Immortal’s treasure house. Yes, a Saint Grade treasure would be highly valued by everyone, more so one of Veiled Destiny’s stature, but treasures of such grade and value held greater importance to her, given the functional nature of her cultivation art. The gains she could make by studying a treasure of such caliber... provided her comprehension was high enough, she had no doubt that engaging with such a treasure offered a chance of vaulting to the domain realm in a single bound.