Daily life of a cultivation judge
Chapter 1195 - 1195: Whistle of the heavenly dao

Yang Qing smiled in good spirits as he made his way to the Beast Tamer Hall. He had profited just as much as Li Gang during their earlier discussion, perhaps even more, considering what he received in return versus what he traded.

Offering to bear witness at Li Gang's auctions wasn't a demanding task. All he had to do was sit there, look pretty, and be... well, present. He didn't need to present anything, nor interact with the crowd in any capacity. His only requirement was to sit in his VIP chamber, likely filled with lavish decorations and an abundance of delicacies, the latter being far more important to Yang Qing than the former.

It didn't matter to him if the room was a thatched hut. As long as it had great food, and in great quantity, he would be content. He had made sure to point out this fact to the ambitious branch chief to avoid any mishaps.

So aside from simply showing up, Yang Qing didn't have to do much. All the nitty-gritty details would be handled by Li Gang and the Order's administrative side. The former would plan how the auction would proceed, while the latter would appraise all the items Li Gang intended to sell during Yang Qing's time as a witness.

Even though he wouldn't be doing anything directly, his presence alone carried the name and reputation of the Order. As such, it was a given that the Order would do everything necessary to ensure that reputation remained untarnished, one of those measures being the authentication of the goods Li Gang would be auctioning, verifying their legitimacy.

Yang Qing didn't need to lift a finger, his mere attendance was enough. He didn't even have to bribe the Order to conduct the appraisals. The reason for that was simple: the arrangement he had with Li Gang was something the Order actively encouraged from its members, especially the judges.

Using judges as officiators, witnesses, and authenticators in these auctions helped prop up the image of the Order to the outside world, and also helped build and or strengthen connections between the Order and the organizations behind said auctions, which in turn eased their load in fulfilling their main mandate, which was basically babysitting the continent as they played mediator.

Some of the greatest attributes in making a good mediator were having the strength that could actually force many to consider your words seriously, and the other was having good standing, or excellent relationships, that would make many value what you had to say even without a show of strength. Yang Qing's arrangement with Li Gang was one of the ways they did that.

The bubbling sense of accomplishment and joy inside Yang Qing soon overflowed, and before he knew it, he was whistling a tune as he practically floated with every step. His behavior drew curious gazes from both Order staff and outsiders alike, all wondering who that madman was—whistling so off-key and looking so smug while doing it.

For lack of a better term, Yang Qing was severely tone-deaf, a fact he vehemently refused to accept, no matter how many times he was told otherwise. To the outside world, the tune he was whistling sounded as horrific as the dying screeches of a bird experiencing the worst terrors of its life before breathing its last. But to Yang Qing, he felt like the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao itself, creating wondrous transformations with his tune.

So, when he noticed countless cultivators staring at him wide-eyed and perplexed, the Heavenly Dao within him whispered ever so gently that he should up the tempo, and perhaps throw in a few more tunes to bless the masses.

Who was Yang Qing to deny them such grace? He was but a humble servant, faithfully executing the will of the Heavenly Dao. Thus, he raised the pitch of his whistle and mixed in a few more flourishes, all while wearing the most pious, charitable smile, like that of a monk chanting hymns to ease the sorrows of the world.

How could he not give back when so many things were finally going his way for the first time in a long while? He had just gotten the answers he sought, and on top of that, he'd landed a cushy side job that came with a ton of benefits—and he didn't even have to do anything.

Just like how Fan Mei pocketed commission fees in place of monetary payment whenever she conducted appraisals, it would be the same for Yang Qing. He too would receive a handsome payout for the four auctions he'd committed to.

Of course, given that he had been the one asking a favor from Li Gang, Yang Qing, despite his shamelessness, had originally wanted to do it for free. But Li Gang insisted on paying him, claiming he would feel too uneasy otherwise. Yang Qing didn't refuse him, though he did lower the figure Li Gang initially offered.

Li Gang had proposed a 12% commission on the total proceeds of the entire auction, but after a bitter struggle, Yang Qing managed to talk him down to 6%, even going so far as to threaten to rescind his offer to act as a witness if Li Gang didn't accept that figure.

Even at that reduced rate, Yang Qing still felt like he'd robbed him a little. Truth be told, he would have been satisfied with just 1%, but judging by the look Li Gang gave him, Yang Qing had a feeling the young branch manager would have flatly refused and used his own threats against him.

Given how much an auction could rake in, even 6% of a single item's sale would be an astronomical sum, let alone 6% of everything.

Yang Qing's pockets would soon be flush with spirit stones, and he wouldn't have to walk into his abode like a shriveled cactus, fearing what a certain money-grabbing, vile bird might say.

Aside from that, he also managed to secure a connection for Ma Yuan through Li Gang. When starting over, it paid to know a merchant. Their wide web of contacts and resources made reintegration and adaptation significantly easier.

When Ma Yuan and Ma Ling left to begin their new chapter, they would definitely need the services and expertise of someone like Li Gang to adjust to their new lives.