Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1069: List of suspects (2)

"Supervisor Duan Ting, if it's not too much trouble, could I ask for the identity of that noble? However, if you feel uncomfortable sharing, you don't have to. I'll understand. In your line of work, I know guarding your clients' personal information is expected," said Yang Qing, his tone both respectful and soft.

Duan Ting smiled faintly. "No, it's not too much trouble... The noble's name is Wan Cheng of the noble House Wan," he answered calmly.

If it had been anyone else asking, Duan Ting would have outrightly refused. However, considering the request had come from Yang Qing, a judge from the Order, he saw little reason to deny him. After all, Yang Qing could easily uncover such information through the Order's vast resources if he wished.

Keeping the name to himself would serve no purpose other than to potentially offend Yang Qing—a risk Duan Ting simply couldn't afford to take. Not when they desperately needed his help to uncover the fates of Bai Chen and Jiang Hao.

And beyond that, there was the simple fact that Yang Qing was helping them of his own accord. His assistance—even if, for now, it was just through talking—was heaven-sent. To Duan Ting, it was like a starving man receiving a steaming bowl of wonton soup: unexpected, nourishing, and desperately needed.

After their boss, Bai Chen disappeared, both Duan Ting and Liu Ying had debated whether to seek assistance from the Order. Ultimately, they couldn't bring themselves to do it. For one, the sheer stature and reputation of the Order across the continent terrified them. Approaching the Order felt akin to knocking on the doors of the Holy Lands themselves. Secondly, a simple missing persons case wasn't the kind of matter the Order typically handled—not unless it involved blood cult members, one of the infamous organizations, or some grand scheme already on the Order's radar.

To seek help from the Order felt less like requesting justice and more like asking for a personal favor, and neither of them had the face or the courage to do that. For Duan Ting, just having Yang Qing hear them out was already something worth celebrating.

With each exchange they had, he could feel the burden he'd been carrying for weeks begin to lighten, as if the weight of helplessness was slowly lifting off his shoulders.

Yang Qing thanked the escort supervisor and filed the name away for later use when he returned to the Order. If Wan Cheng was a key figure within the Azure Sapphire Kingdom and its noble circles—which Yang Qing was willing to bet he was—then the Shadow Hawks Division was bound to have information on him filed somewhere. He planned to cross-reference their reports with what Duan Ting had shared to build a clearer picture of the man.

"What about the Red Gale Fists? Could they have done something?" Yang Qing asked, putting forward another suspect in the disappearance.

"While they're petty enough to try, they lack the courage or the talent to pull it off. Not on the boss," Liu Ying replied, a sardonic smile etched on her face.

Yang Qing noted her familiar tone—the contempt with which she held the Red Gale Fists was unmistakable, but unlike before, her words were carefully measured. There was a wariness in her this time, as if afraid that Ming Wa might use her comments against her.

Yang Qing caught the subtle shift in her expression and followed her gaze to Ming Wa, who appeared far more invested in the meat strips than in the conversation. Liu Ying let out a silent sigh of relief, choosing to elaborate further on the details rather than capitalizing on it to vent her frustration with the mercenary agency.