Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 967: Only time will tell
After finishing their cups, Yang Qing swiftly poured another, while when it came to Luo Suyun he outrightly gave her the entire kettle to do with it as she pleased.
About a minute passed by without either of them saying anything, except for the nods of satisfaction shown by the middle-aged man and Gao Wei. It was unknown whether the latter was doing it because he enjoyed the wine or he had done it so he could get into Yang Qing’s good graces.
Yang Qing poured a few more rounds until he felt the despondent young man in pale blue robes had relaxed somewhat.
"Since we will be working, I think it’s fair we get acquainted with one another. Vice warden Shao An may have already informed you all of me, nonetheless, I will still do the introduction.
My name is Yang Qing, a judge of the Order, and I will be in charge of you from this moment forth. All of you were nominated by the vice warden for the rehabilitation program and he more than likely gave you a thorough explanation of it and our roles in it.
So, I won’t get too deeply into it other than touch on the markers of it. This is a chance for all of you," Yang Qing said as he maintained eye contact with all of them including Luo Suyun.
"As I mentioned earlier this is the courtyard of beginnings and endings and it was named so because of what it will bear witness to.
As candidates in the rehabilitation program, it means you have a chance at life. The Order in its finite mercy and goodwill has seen it fit to grant you a chance. For some of you, things happened and you got knocked into a different life that you never expected to stumble on and it eventually led you here.." said Yang Qing, his statement eliciting the emotions of three of the four members present.
It went without saying that the three members were Luo Suyun, the middle-aged man, and the gloomy young man.
Their stories might have been different but their reaction to Yang Qing’s words was the same. It was one of bitter resignation, regret, and the wish that things had turned out differently.
Their expressions carried the faces of those who felt they had lost a lot as indeed they had. Each one of them had suffered a tremendous loss which thoroughly changed their lives and threw them at the doors of the Order.
Luo Suyun had her master executed which became the impetus for awakening. But because of the circumstances, she ended up on a path of vengeance that eventually drew the attention of the Order.
When it came to the middle-aged man, even if Yang Qing didn’t already have his description, going off his profile, it wouldn’t have been difficult for Yang Qing to guess his identity even without his image. His restrained presence seemed to blend with his surroundings, and how alert he was, and how every movement of his seemed calculated. His habits were that of a merchant of death, assassins.
The middle-aged man was none other than Han Lei, a member of the Han clan, a rank 3 clan skilled in talisman refinement that got slaughtered to the last man in a single night, all except Han Lei who had been out of the sect. Han Lei on finding out about the destruction of his clan, hid himself as he secretly investigated the perpetrators which eventually led him to the doors of the Ghost Viper Court, an infamous organization of assassins.
In his desperation to find out who commissioned the destruction of his clan and why, Han Lei infiltrated the Court of assassins, and became one of them. Out of desperation, and being clearly motivated, there was nothing he would not do as such he sealed aspects of his memory before officially becoming a member of the Ghost Viper and with grit and resilience, he eventually became one of them and quickly rose through the ranks till he became one of their key figures.
He became one of their elders when he broke through to the palace realm and with it, his memory was unsealed and he had sufficient rank to find out who ordered the elimination of his clan. The reason was hard to swallow, to say the least. His clan had been slaughtered because of a sky-grade artifact that some daughter of a powerful merchant had taken a shine to.
With the mystery unraveled and his target ascertained, Han Lei, schemed and eventually led to the destruction of the Ghost Viper Court and that merchant by using all the means at his disposal which included borrowing the hand of the Order.
Despite his circumstances, and even leading to the destruction of the Ghost Viper Court, for him to rise in ranks, there was a reason an organization of assassins didn’t suspect him one bit. He had truly owned his persona as an assassin and as such he had the blood of countless on his hands in his pursuit of vengeance. He had to answer for that.
Had his clan not been destroyed, his path and that of the Ghost Viper Court would not have crossed and he would not have had to become an assassin and do all the things he had to do so he could avenge his clan.
As for the young man next to him. The young man was none other than Zhu Qing, a once prodigious talent of the Blue River Star Pavilion, a top-tier rank three organization famous in formation arrays, and had close to a dozen top-tier blue grade formation masters. That was 150 years ago. Presently, one of the dozen top-tier blue-grade formation masters gained enlightenment and broke through and became a gold-tier formation master, and along with it their cultivation took that leap too into the domain realm.
That formation master was Zhu Qing’s master and with Zhu Qing having been incarcerated during that period, he had no idea.
Zhu Qing was slated to become the next head of the pavilion. In just 150 years he was already a well-established blue-grade formation master with expertise in geomancy. With the talent he showed he had been tapped as one of the members being considered for the seat of the pavilion master.
To ensure that fact, Zhu Qing made an audacious plan. A newly promoted rank three kingdom commissioned the Blue River Star Pavilion to lay down a low-tier blue-grade protective formation around their capital. Zhu Qing saw it as the perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities. Instead of doing as the kingdom ordered, he took it upon himself to lay down an array formation he had created which he estimated was at the top tier of blue grade. Only it wasn’t.
As he followed the blueprint he had come up with, he quickly realized his blueprint had the potential of a gold-grade array, and instead of stopping and seeking assistance from his seniors at the pavilion, he decided to go at it himself despite only being a second stage palace realm expert.
Things went wrong, and the array became unstable causing a massive explosion that took the lives of countless within that kingdom’s capital.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
A single moment of hubris was all it took for him to lose it all and fall from grace into the abyss.
For the three cultivators, be it Luo Suyun, Han Lei, or Zhu Qing, a moment’s misfortune was what drove them to the fate they were currently saddled with. Had things played differently for them they likely would not be here.
Gao Wei was the only one who one could say truly had a choice. He wasn’t desperate to gain recognition like Zhu Qing, that a moment’s carelessness led to the death of many, he didn’t lose his entire family like Han Lei who was forced to become an assassin as a result, and neither did he lose his sole purpose for existence like Luo Suyun did.
Gao Wei’s life was perfect. He had a powerful family behind him, gained the recognition of a high-ranking figure belonging to one of the most powerful organizations in the continent, and he had the freedom to do what he wanted, and the support to do so. When it came to the blood art he cultivated, he may have not known where or when he found it, but he was never under the control of the art.
Regardless of its mystery, in the end, Gao Wei had a choice on whether he wanted to use the art or not. He chose to use it, despite not being forced to. It was why even after he was apprehended, he was not the least bit remorseful about those he killed with the art, as he made the claim it was for the greater good. Every cultivator he killed was one less cultivator that could potentially endanger the lives of countless mortals.
The rehabilitation program may not mean much for Gao Wei, but for the other three, especially Han Lei and Zhu Qing, it was a chance at another life.
"You have been given a chance here, make sure you grab it, but if you fail to do so.." Yang Qing said as his tone and look turned grim.
"Being chosen for this program is a blessing and curse at the same time. The blessing is evident. For some of you, if you do the program well, you get to earn merit points that can be used to shave the years of your sentences and if you gain enough then maybe some day you will truly and genuinely earn your freedom.."
Han Lei’s eyes lit up slightly at the remark, while Zhu Qing had a complicated look. He seemed more terrified than anything. As for Luo Suyun, she didn’t look concerned at all about the matter. Gao Wei didn’t have much reaction either, as his sentence was for life. No matter what he did, he would never gain his freedom. The arrangement he presently had was the closest to freedom he would ever get.
"That is the blessing, as for the curse, if you do not do well... If you so much as step a toe out of line, then that would mean you’re irredeemable, and as such no amount of rehabilitation will help you, leaving us with only one path forward, and that is your execution.
If this doesn’t work out there will be no going back to prison for either one of you. Your fate with Requiem has been severed, and now you only have two paths before you, life or death, unlike before when circumstances made that choice for you,... you now all have a choice on what happens next.
What lies ahead for Luo Suyun, Han Lei, Zhu Qing, and Gao Wei? I sincerely hope you choose well," Yang Qing gently said as his features softened.
"What if I don’t want to leave after I gain my freedom? What if I want to remain here, with the Order... and the Sakura tree," asked Luo Suyun as her gaze moved from her tea cup to the Sakura tree behind her.
Yang Qing smiled lightly as he said,
"If that’s what you wish to do with your freedom, then I will try to fulfill it to the best of my abilities. I do have a way with trees after all."
"You do," Luo Suyun said as she smiled lightly.
Following Luo Suyun’s cue, Han Lei spoke up. His words were brief yet carried powerful determination.
"I will not waste away the opportunity that you have bestowed on me," he said as he cupped his fists.
"I will act prudently," softly added Zhu Qing, in a lethargic almost defeated voice.
"I will also do my best," said Gao Wei as he cupped his fists.
With that, the ice was broken between judge and inmates. What would become of the four, only time would tell as it always does with most things.
