Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 954: Assigning task
Just as Ma Yuan was wondering what that cold rope was, Yang Qing’s warning came which frightened him to no end as he quickly turned his eyes away from that tree. He lowered his head and when that didn’t feel reassuring, he elected to close them, but then the botanist and farmer in him couldn’t resist the temptation of all he had seen, so he opened one of his eyes slightly and took a peek in the opposite side to the tree that looked like it was made of the night sky only to be met by another unimaginable tree whose identity he didn’t know, only that it was mesmerizing and odd at the same time.
In base form, it looked to be a sycamore tree but instead of leaves, it had these translucent flowers that looked like the membranes of a jellyfish that were producing golden pollens that surrounded the tree like fireflies. A look at the tree and a sense of deep veneration welled up from within Ma Yuan’s soul as he absentmindedly muttered,
"Divine pollen tree."
He wasn’t sure if it was because he was in a fugue state from the shock of all he was seeing, but Ma Yuan could swear he could hear the cries of different things coming from the floating pollen. One minute he heard the sound of a flowing river, the next it was thunder, and then it was the cry of a sparrow, the roar of a dragon, the gentle rustling of leaves, and lastly a sound he couldn’t make sense of even what it was or what it belonged to, only he felt a deep level of inferiority and veneration for it. Like it was something he wasn’t worthy of listening to.
Afraid that it might be dangerous just like the previous tree Ma Yuan quickly turned his gaze away from it in time to see Yang Qing smiling amusedly.
"That one isn’t dangerous and the name was right.. The divine pollen tree of manifestations," Yang Qing said as he sighed with amazement at the tree Ma Yuan was looking at. Every single person who saw that tree for the first time would experience the same emotions Ma Yuan did, and the name Ma Yuan mentioned absentmindedly as he saw it, wasn’t random either but was something evoked by the dao itself introducing the tree.
The divine pollen tree of manifestations was a dao natural treasure which though was a tree, was more apt to be thought of as a heavenly grotto in tree form.
Of those pollens it produced, one of them had a chance to evolve into the object whose sound it depicted. Some of the spiritual plants here were birthed from one of those pollens, including a few other things like the glittering soil that surrounded most of where they were standing.
If there was anything he craved for most in this whole place, it was that tree. Be it for the wonderous abilities it had, or the weird resonance he felt every time he interacted with it since he laid eyes on it, he has always wanted it, sadly it was something he could never have. No two similar dao natural treasures could exist at the same time.
The only way he could get a divine pollen tree of his was if the owner of the divine pollen tree before him handed it to him, and knowing him and how precious the tree was to his endeavors, Yang Qing could forget about it, and even if he was willing, Yang Qing would not dare accept it.
No matter how shameless or thick-skinned he was, he knew how precious such a thing was, and asking for it was no different than asking someone to part with their child, or their soul, or anything that they held dear to them, and Yang Qing wouldn’t do that. If he did ask for it, he would be too guilt-ridden to actually enjoy it.
For him, their current mode of interaction with it was more than enough. Yang Qing couldn’t help but smile as he believed the divine pollen tree felt the same too, as its pollen burst with an especially brighter radiance as its translucent gelatinous flowers swayed slightly.
Ma Yuan couldn’t help but return to his dazed look when he saw the change. To him, it was like the heavens had opened up.
"Every time you come here, I always feel like today is the day that it will decide to abscond with you,"
An aged voice filled with strength, stability, grandness, and quiet undaunted resilience sounded, pulling Yang Qing and Ma Yuan’s attention from the divine pollen tree.
Yang Qing with a carefree smile turned to face the owner of that voice. It was an elderly man who looked to be in his late sixties, with white hair and beard, donning white and black robes. He radiated an aura of contained strength like a dormant volcano that hid and contained calamitous power.
Ma Yuan’s eyes raised suspiciously, his confusion evidenced on his face. The elderly man before him had the cultivation base of a late-stage core formation expert but at the same time, everything within Ma Yuan was telling him he didn’t feel like one. It was something that came from his soul that told him the elderly person before him was different. Just standing there, despite the wonderous spiritual plants, trees, and all manner of things around him, when that elderly man appeared he was like a vortex that swallowed everything around him.
Just as he was wondering who that elderly man was, Yang Qing’s response came.
"Chief Song, that would not happen. Ah Cui isn’t that sort of character," Yang Qing replied with a ginger smile as he used his thumb to point at the divine pollen tree which released more pollen that synchronized to produce an ethereal voice.
"Little Yang is right, Ol’ Song."
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The elderly man’s countenance remained the same, a tranquil but focused look which fell on Ma Yuan and he could have sworn he felt like he was being gazed down upon by a deity. If before it was only suspicion, what he felt now more than confirmed it, the old man before him wasn’t normal.
"Don’t go scaring your new helper now," Yang Qing said as he chuckled a bit while pouring some of his qi into Ma Yuan, to help calm him.
"Ma Yuan, this is Chief Song Chuanli, one of the finest gold-grade craftsmen you will ever see, and I have no doubt is a soon to be purple grade craftsman,"
"I am not giving you any of my works or doing a free commission for you,"
"What kind of person do you take me for," Yang Qing said in an aggrieved tone.
"A shameless one, a greedy one, I could go on but we are short on time," Song Chuanli dispassionately said.
"And to think I sacrificed my time to come here, and on time at that," Yang Qing muttered under his breath.
"Mmph, stop pretending like you’re doing something selfless, and I know my peaches and other fruits will be down a few numbers due to the workings of a particular green-haired brat," Song Chuanli said as his gaze narrowed suspiciously on Yang Qing who evaded his eyes as he smiled sheepishly.
Despite the light-hearted conversation between the two, Ma Yuan felt like he was standing before a precipice.
"Your name is Ma Yuan?" Song Chuanli asked, making Ma Yuan flinch in the process, drawing a laugh from Yang Qing.
"Yyyes senior, this lowly one’s name is Ma Yuan," Ma Yuan hurriedly said, afraid he would pass out before he finished introducing himself. He wanted to bow, but he felt an immovable force keep him straight.
"I’m not one for such excessiveness. I can see why the kid brought you here. You do have the scent of dedication and appreciation from your plants on you," Song Chuanli said as he stroked his beard while an unfathomable glow flashed in his eyes.
Ma Yuan felt like all his secrets were completely exposed beneath his gaze.
"How long will he be around?"
"Two months," Yang Qing answered as he swaggered toward the diamond echo peach tree.
"Okay, Ma Yuan, head over there," Song Chuanli said as he pointed toward the whispering night oak tree.
"See those beetles below it?" Song Chuanli added as he pointed toward four rhino beetles that were about the size of a young goat. Said beetles were blue and green, and had a few runes on their shells and horn.
Though Ma Yuan couldn’t recognize what type they were, he could tell they were much stronger than him by leaps and bounds.
"They are called purifying beetles. They check on the plants around here and remove anything excess in them, kind of like how alchemists check themselves for toxin accumulation from crafting pills and potions all day, those beetles handle that role for all the spiritual plants and herbs growing around here.
They know what the plants need for optimal growth and they go around maintaining that level, making additions here, and subtractions there, to prevent deficiency or toxicity to the minute of standards.
Your job will be to follow them and observe what they do for the next two months. If you have any questions feel free to ask them, they are already in the palace realm so communication is easy. But since what they do is intuitive, I feel you’ll find clarity to any doubts you may have by observing them closely rather than asking. They may not know how to articulate it well since what they do is something they were born knowing.
Well then I will leave you to it and if you feel hungry grab anything you want," Song Chuanli said as he walked over to where Yang Qing leaving the dumbfounded Ma Yuan alone who kept looking around him in confusion.
"Is that it?"
