Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 931: Way of the cultivation world
"Yes, another case," answered Yang Qing only this time his demeanor had turned from leisurely to sharp.
"The case against your son wasn’t just from supreme elder Jiang Huang. Don’t forget how he got here in the first place.."
"What do you mean by that?" Cai Hong coldly asked as she used a bit of her essence to help Lin Duyi’s legs from failing him. Lin Duyi had already grown pale with fright.
"I will be direct, you son, branch manager Yao De, and former emperor Duan Hu tried to rob me three months ago above the skies of Purple City.
The three of them tried to steal a colleague from me, a cloud-swallowing kite to be specific, and the person leading the charge in the said venture was none other than your son.
And before you say, they may have mistaken the kite for some random spirit beast on the loose, please don’t. We are all intelligent people here, and such an excuse would not work and besides, when I passed through the border of the Red Maple Empire, I did not conceal myself.
The Border General present, registered both me and my partner as he handed me a token. There is no way a general would not report to his superiors that some powerful spirit beast was roaming in the Empire, with a cultivator he couldn’t see through riding it.
Even when I arrived at Purple City, I followed all the entry protocols, all except saying I was from the Order, but everything else, I divulged to avoid misunderstanding and avoidable incidents, and yet an incident happened.." Yang Qing said as he narrowed his eyes.
"If it was you and you found three cultivators trying to rob a spirit beast you considered kin, a spirit beast you had raised since it was just an egg, and nurtured it to the point it got arrogant enough to steal from you, what would you do to said people, if you found them attacking her, and binding her all so they could claim her for themselves, despite knowing she is bonded to someone.
The Order exists to arbitrate on conflicts, but there are other matters that we defer to the accepted practices in the cultivation world, and if we are involved, it is purely in a mediation capacity, but even then, it’s the guided principles of the cultivation world that inform our actions in such matters.
Some of those matters are blood debts or cases involving robbery. Robbing another cultivator isn’t something we punish, after all in the fight for spoils or ownership of said spoils there is no morality to it. There is no right and wrong, to the victor goes the spoils.
However, if we are asked to mediate, the best we can do in such an instance is either help both parties find some sort of middle ground on the issue and if that proves impossible then our only role is to play officiator to the death duel that will ensue if that shows to be the only recourse from both parties.
Why do we do that? " said Yang Qing as he paused briefly.
"It is because these are the rules of the world we live in, rules that we all abide by. Those at the top and those at the bottom. Your son tried to rob me. By all rights for what he did, it was well within my rights to kill him but I did not.." Yang Qing slowly said.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
"Are you threatening my son?" Cai Hong asked with a level of coldness that prompted Lin Guiren to grab hold of her hand lest she do something reckless.
Yang Qing remained unperturbed, even at the open hostility directed at him by the domain expert.
"No, Madame Cai Hong. You’re slightly mistaken there. This isn’t a threat but a dictation of facts.
I said earlier for matters like this one, both parties can either mediate or fight.
Your son and his two friends tried to rob me, and just because I let them go, doesn’t mean the matter ended there.
The ramifications of what they did still exist because I say they exist," Yang Qing said with a firmness in his tone.
Whether he knew it or not, a formless transcendent archaic power radiated from his body as he spoke. His pupils rotated with a flash of green, blue, and yellow before it turned into white and black.
"I am not one to choose violence if I have other choices. So in the spirit of that, I will give you choices to choose from.
One option, is for you to completely heal Jiang Huang from his current state. Feed him a moon starcap mushroom that is at least 100,000 years old, or some other suitable natural treasure give him a gold-grade art for healing his soul and ensure he masters it enough to heal himself completely or procure the services of some gold-grade alchemist to heal.
You can choose whatever other means you have as long as he is healed, and being some sort of an expert with matter of the soul, I know three years is the most you need to completely heal him. So that is the time I will offer you.
As for the other option, if you refuse option one, then we will have to settle our differences the original way.
You said I was threatening your son, Madame Cai Hong.." Yang Qing gently said as his look turned deep and tranquil.
"This is not a threat. Choose the second option and I will fight your son right now, and unlike last time, I will not hold back.
And just so I am clear, it will be a fight to the death and in the spirit of maintaining radical candor, I will tell you now, your son will not survive it. Though nothing is ever truly set in stone, anything can happen in a fight to the death, but I happen to value my life very much, so I will use every ounce of power I have to eliminate that possibility.
So what do you choose? Option one or option two.." asked Yang Qing, his voice though soft, seemed to have sunk the entire courtroom into the abyss which made it hard to breathe for small fries like Jiang Huang, Gong Jie, and Duan Hu.
Jiang Hu couldn’t help but clench his fist as a fire was lit in his eyes.
"This is how cultivators ought to be.." he thought enviously.
"Is this how you want to play this?" Cai Hong asked, killing intent flashing through her eyes.
"This is how the cultivation world has always operated," Yang Qing calmly answered.
"So which option do you choose?"
Cai Hong looked like she was just about to charge toward Yang Qing and rip his head from his shoulder, however, a golden jade hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder just as she was about to.
"Hong’er enough.."
The voice was like an ocean in the night, dampening the fire in Cai Hong, helping her regain her clarity.
"Sorry.." Cai Hong softly said as she turned to the source of that voice and that hand, Lin Guiren.
Her eyes and entire demeanor flashed with something that Yang Qing would have never expected to see in her. Remorse, consideration, and tenderness.
"We choose the first option.." Lin Guiren answered after he nodded slightly to his wife.
"In one year, I will personally ensure Supreme Elder Jiang Huang is healed completely. You can send someone to evaluate a year from now.." he added.
Yang Qing couldn’t help but admire the conduct of the golden-haired founder of the Golden Bamboo Pavilion. His conduct throughout had been impeccable. He never lost his composure, not once, unlike his wife, and his son.
Yang Qing could see why the Golden Bamboo Pavilion grew to where it was, or why Hou Dehui of all the three founders of the pavilion, the one he spoke highly of was Lin Guiren.
If he could help it, Yang Qing would rather not antagonize such a figure because someone like him, if it all went well, would likely reach the soul formation realm. Making enemies of a soul formation expert was unwise even if he had the Order as his backer, but some things had to be done.
In the end, he was answerable to the Order and himself, and he would never deceive his own heart by acting contrary to it. Supreme Elder Jiang Huang had received a raw deal, and what Lin Duyi did was taboo.
If there was anything Yang Qing could do to ensure the elder got a fair shake or even the score, then Yang Qing would do just that.
Had Cai Hong insisted on being stubborn, he would have declared the battle then and there and slaughtered Lin Duyi in an instant in front of his parents and Jiang Huang.
Cai Hong would likely have hated him to the core had he done that, maybe she did so now, Yang Qing felt it was more than likely, but regardless of her feelings or the aftermath of it, his conscience and heart on the matter were clear either way. Supreme Elder Jiang Huang will get his life back and who knows maybe because of all he had endured, Yang Qing felt it was highly likely that the Azure Sword Rain Sect would welcome its second palace realm expert.
This suited his mantra perfectly of adding as many variables in the continent as possible. The supreme elder may not be much in the larger scheme of things in the continent, even if he broke through to the palace realm, but alive, he had so much potential.
He may reach the domain realm in the future, and if he did, that would be a domain realm indebted to the Order, but even if he didn’t, his rank and influence at the sect ensured that there was less likelihood of the Azure Rain Sword Sect acting against the Order and who knows what other infinite possibilities might be there once Jiang Huang was fully healed.
..
"Then I will avail myself at the time and come confirm. I hope you don’t turn me away when the time comes.." Hou Dehui said, wearing the same carefree smile he had throughout as he offered himself up as the person to evaluate at the end of the year.
Yang Qing could have sworn he saw Cai Hong’s pupils tremble with fear at the remark, while Lin Guiren had a subtle look of discomfort which he quickly masked.
"The Golden Bamboo Pavilion will welcome you with open doors when the time comes, fellow daoist Hou Dehui.." Lin Guiren said as he cupped his fist.
"I thank you in advance.." answered Hou Dehui returning the courtesy.
"Is this it, just like that?" asked Jiang Huang in disbelief and a highly emotional state.
"It is," Yang Qing answered with a comforting smile and tone.
"As the officiator in this case I now declare the case of Supreme Elder Jiang Huang against Lin Duyi and Branch Manager Yao De closed.
In addition, I would like to declare my case against Lin Duyi suspended pending the result in one year, to which should it go as Pavilion Master Lin Guiren has said, then the matter can be considered closed not only from my end but also from my partner’s," said Yang Qing as he brought his gavel down declaring a close to the case surrounding the Red Maple Empire and the Golden Bamboo Pavilion.
"Now all that’s left is how I’m going to convince that vindictive bird to let this matter go," thought Yang Qing as Ellie’s figure flashed in his mind.
She was as vindictive as he was, even more so, and he was sure she had never forgotten what the three had done to her that day, and when she broke through to the palace realm, he was sure her first stop would be them. Well not exactly, her first stop would be his pond where she would likely rob him blind first, but after she was well fed, her next stop would be to pay Duan Hu, and Yao De a visit, before finding a way to get her hands on Lin Duyi.
Duan Hu would likely be safe, owing to his founder’s presence but Yao De’s fate was the worst. If Ellie didn’t get her hands on him, the Golden Bamboo Pavilion would likely deal with him, and he also owed a debt to the catacombs caterpillar who likely hated his guts from the loss it suffered recently because of him. His future was a bleak one and he knew it too because of how pale and worried he looked.
