Daily life of a cultivation judge
Chapter 1207 - 1207: The five main peaks

"Whatever you are planning, I would abandon that thought," Hou Dehui casually said between sips. With his gaze seemingly elsewhere, the statement appeared as though it was addressed to no one in particular, but Yang Qing instantly knew it was meant for him, given his earlier mumblings.

Coughing to hide his embarrassment, Yang Qing handled the awkwardness the only way he knew how—by eating. He immediately began engorging himself on the platter of fruits.

His eyes lit up the moment he took a nibble of the aurora tears goji berries, their surface glistening with droplets that reflected the colors of aurora light. The berries were excellent at helping cultivators relax their minds, bodies, and spirits. They also possessed restorative properties, such as replenishing spent qi and even blood essence, though said effects only worked for cultivators at the core formation realm or below.

However, it wasn't their properties that Yang Qing appreciated most, but rather their taste. Despite their benefits, aurora tears goji berries were not particularly rare. In any classy restaurant, they were usually offered as a complimentary starter to refresh a customer's mood before the main course.

So it went without saying, given their availability, Yang Qing had had his fair share of the berries, and he rather enjoyed them. Though not particularly filling, he appreciated them nonetheless. Their taste struck the perfect balance between sweet and savory, so much so that even devout followers of both camps had nothing bad to say about them.

For all the goji berries he had eaten over the years, which was definitely a few acres worth..(They were cheap and readily available. What was Yang Qing to do? Not eat himself silly when he could comfortably afford it?)

Of all the aurora tears goji berries he'd had, the one he was eating now definitely ranked number one.

If this one is this good, what about the rest? Yang Qing wondered, his eyes instantly lighting up with anticipation as he eyed the other fruits. To both his surprise and delight, they didn't disappoint. Whether it was the viridian thorn melon, the black sands mango, or the azure ripple apple, they all matched the aurora goji berry in quality, down to the last detail.

That same standard was present in every fruit, leaving Yang Qing to wonder if Hou Dehui's friend was a herbologist or some kind of alchemist, hence the quality.

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Hou Dehui preemptively answered, "No, she is not an alchemist or a herbologist, but she does like her fruits."

"Really?" Yang Qing replied, eyes lighting up as the cogs in his mind began rapidly turning while he took stock of the fruits in his own storage ring.

Those fruits came from the trees growing in his abode. While he'd never tended to them carefully and had let them grow wild, the trees had absorbed his essence over the years, making the quality and taste of their fruit unmatched. Their quality netted him quite a tidy sum of spirit stones when he sold them to a few restaurants in the Order.

He may not have had an ancestral dragon vein to nurture them, but the unique nature of his essence, born from his Yin-Yang Nature Jade Bone physique, coupled with the effects of his purple-grade art, gave his essence a special charm with extraordinary effects on plants in particular. That alone more than made up for his lack of a proper spiritual vein.

Though, to be fair, the "lacking spiritual vein" in question was a lesser dragon vein, which was something any rank three organization would trade their entire wealth for, and maybe even toss in a few of their ancestors and descendants too, just to acquire it. But when Yang Qing compared it to this place, the disparity left him disheartened. It might as well have been some low-grade spirit vein on its last legs.

Still, he wasn't one to let pessimism and envy get the better of him. His heart was bigger than that, and he had long since learned to be content with what he had. So, Yang Qing's mind quickly shifted to the positives, like how he could use his fruits to build a connection with a high-ranking elder of a rank two sect.

However, given how Yang Qing was wired, his need for such a connection—and how he planned to use it—was very different from that of most cultivators. He still hadn't let go of that dawn cloud peach tree. And now, knowing that the owner of said tree had a weakness for fruits—and fruits were his specialty—well, he wasn't a merchant, but even he could sniff out an opportunity here to get what he wanted. And who knows, maybe even profit from it.

But to do any of that, he needed to know more about his future client. Fortunately, he had someone who could help him dig out all that information.

Pulling out an innocent smile, though it was anything but, especially with the way his eyes narrowed into slits as he grinned, Yang Qing warmly asked,

"Senior Dehui, could you tell me more about your friend and maybe the sect too while you're at it, so I don't misstep when she arrives..."

Yang Qing decided to mask his true motives. Tossing in a dummy question about the sect made for excellent cover. He could hardly care less about the sect at the moment...well, that was a lie, he did care, and he was genuinely curious about it, especially given recent discoveries, but through no fault of his own, he was a one-track-minded person. He couldn't juggle two interests at once, and right now, anything concerning the dawn cloud peach tree took precedence.

So easy to read... no wonder he always gets caught, mused Hou Dehui with a sigh, immediately seeing through Yang Qing's little ploy.

But, being the kind elder he was, he indulged him. He began offering his insights into the sect, which quickly made Yang Qing reevaluate his secret plans upon learning more about Hou Dehui's friend. Greedy as he was, he promptly dropped any idea of exploiting his merchant scheme the moment he discovered she was a sword cultivator—and not just any sword cultivator, but one who was so good at it that she was considered to be among the sect's most capable fighters.

The peak they were on, which was called the Silver Talon Peak, was one of the five main peaks of the Silver Crane Sect, which was yet another show as to how much of a big figure she was within the sect.

The five main peaks were considered the pillars of the sect. It was where the true strength of the sect was concentrated.

These five peaks were: Silver Talon Peak (where they currently were), Silver Head Peak (which housed the sect master, the supreme elders, and the seeded legacy disciples), the Right and Left Silver Wings (two separate peaks responsible for the sect's internal and external administration, respectively), and finally, Silver Breath Peak (dedicated to the innovation and impartation of the sect's legacies. Legacies here meaning core cultivation arts and techniques of the sect).

As for Silver Talon Peak, it was the stick of the sect, or rather, the sword. This was the peak that dealt with the sect's enemies, whether through extermination or intimidation. It was comprised solely of sword cultivators, and among the five peaks, it had the fewest members—well, it and Silver Breath Peak.

Knowing that its peak master was the chief enforcer, Yang Qing immediately abandoned all thoughts of trying to negotiate with her. He didn't fancy his chances of dealing with her, especially since he already had one enforcing tyrant back home he couldn't handle.

Now it all made sense why Shen Mu immediately backed down when Hou Dehui invoked his master's name, and the subtle warnings Hou Dehui had dropped earlier.

Just as the unease was beginning to settle in, with Yang Qing now wondering if she had the same unnerving stare as Old Silver Lei, and how uncomfortable he'd be if she did, a voice suddenly cut through their discussion.

"Dehui, finally you decided to visit after what... 1024 years, is it? But who's counting."

The voice was soft, melodic, like a soothing harp played gently beside a warm campfire