Daily life of a cultivation judge
Chapter 1208 - 1208: A peculiar choice

Just a second later, Yang Qing caught sight of the owner of that voice.

She was a female cultivator who looked to be in her early forties. Her deep brown hair curled slightly at the edges. It was long, some of it cascading down her back to her waist, while a portion poured forward, draping over her eyes like curved curtains on windows.

Even partially covered, her almond-shaped eyes and most of her face were still visible. From those eyes to her button nose, cherry rose lips, warm peach-toned skin, and slender neck, her beauty was, without a doubt, extraordinary.

She wore white robes adorned with peach tree branches, each branch blooming with red-orange flowers. She was tall, about Hou Dehui's height, and slender.

Her voice, demeanor, and appearance carried the grace of a flower that, despite weathering countless harsh winters, still retained its delicate beauty and charm.

Given the way she spoke to Hou Dehui, as if they were old friends and equals, Yang Qing instantly assumed the woman walking toward them was likely the owner of this peak, Elder Luo Xuanji. The slightly unnerved and docile Shen Mu standing behind her was another clear giveaway.

With how she looked and sounded, Yang Qing found it hard to reconcile her image with that of a sword cultivator or the sect's enforcer. But then again, in their world, he had long learned not to judge a book by its cover. Some of the gentlest-looking people turned out to be the fiercest when triggered.

Zhang Qingge was a prime example of that.

Lei Weiyuan was one of the few people Yang Qing knew whose expression and demeanor actually matched his true self. But then again, even he had a side that was the complete opposite of the aura he projected.

He was like an intimidating sword anchored in some solitary mountain, surrounded by a frost storm laced with dangerous sword qi meant to deter any who dared come close.

But as it turned out, that dangerous-looking solitary sword actually had friends and a lot of them at that.

Shelfing away his wandering thoughts, Yang Qing brought his focus back to the newcomer, whose attention was now on him, Haishi, and Bolin.

She's a sword cultivator, alright, Yang Qing thought bitterly, feeling a faint prickling on his soul when he met her eyes. Her aura was completely restrained, but his sensitive soul had done him in this time.

"Oh," the woman said softly, a faint note of amusement in her tone. "The Order truly has no shortage of talents," she added.

"Are you his disciple?" she asked, before turning to Hou Dehui. "Dehui, did you come here just to show off?"

"You're the only one who'd think or do that," Hou Dehui replied casually, flashing her a disdainful glance.

"That's rich coming from you, given what you've pulled," Elder Luo Xuanji retorted with a snort.

"Still, I'm glad you came, even if it was just to pull one over on me," she added, her gaze and expression softening considerably.

Her sudden change in expression immediately drew a gasp of surprise from Shen Mu, who quickly tried to cover it up, with trepidation written all over his face as he fearfully glanced at his master's back.

Yang Qing was surprised too, but years of living in dangerous environments, surrounded by monsters who'd exploit him down to his marrow, had taught him how to conceal his emotions well.

So there is something between those two, Yang Qing mused, before hurriedly emptying his mind, lest he end up in the same situation as Shen Mu, and let his thoughts slip.

Hou Dehui gave a light cough, clearly affected by Luo Xuanji's words and expression. He went on to introduce Yang Qing and the rest, his actions saving Shen Mu as the latter heaved a small sigh of relief.

"This is Yang Qing, one of our promising judges, and a newly minted palace court judge. And who knows.. he might be my boss someday," Hou Dehui said with a grin.

"Surely you jest, Senior," Yang Qing replied, playing the ever-humble junior. But inwardly, it was a different story.Damn straight I will! If I hope to get my vengeance on Old Lei, I HAVE TO!

"Barely twenty years old, and already at the third stage of the palace realm... it won't be long before this era becomes theirs," Luo Xuanji said with a soft sigh as her gaze shifted between Yang Qing and her disciple.

"That it is," Hou Dehui replied, echoing her sentiments, before moving on to introduce Haishi and Bolin.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Luo Xuanji, Elder of the Silver Crane Sect. Welcome," she said, wearing a warm smile.

"How did you find the fruits?" she immediately followed, her question directed at Yang Qing.

Yang Qing didn't even need to adopt his shameless bootlicking persona for this—given the quality of those fruits, he gave his honest assessment. They were among the best-tasting fruits he had ever had, which elicited a well-concealed smile of pride from Luo Xuanji.

"He did want to have a taste of your Dawn Cloud peaches, but I heard we came fifteen years too early. I could have sworn that the last time I was here, a few had already started forming. Judging by the growth time, they should have ripened right about now..." Hou Dehui commented nonchalantly, wearing a slight smirk as he cast Elder Luo Xuanji an inquisitive look.

Elder Luo Xuanji responded with a soft snort as she took the seat next to him, waving her disciple away, much to his relief. It seemed he was afraid of being asked to sit with them, so being dismissed felt more like a pardon than a slight.

Once she was seated, her gaze immediately fell on Yang Qing, who gulped slightly, though not from being the center of attention, but from Hou Dehui selling him out like that.

"So you want a sample of the Dawn Cloud peach?" Elder Luo Xuanji asked softly, wearing a gentle smile that did next to nothing to ease Yang Qing. In fact, it terrified him even more. He felt something ominous hidden behind both the smile and the question.

Yang Qing was about to deny it, but his heart and his mouth had other ideas.

"Yes, I would. With how Senior Hou Dehui described them, and considering the quality of the fruits you've already so generously provided, I can't deny that I'm very curious," Yang Qing admitted, surprising not just himself but also Hou Dehui and even Luo Xuanji with his honesty.

Did Feng Xin possess me? he wondered in alarm. Oh well, since the cat's out of the bag, I might as well run with it.

"Honest. I can appreciate that," Luo Xuanji remarked. "I could give it to you, but..."

"But?" Yang Qing followed.

Her scheming smile and gaze drifted over to Hou Dehui. "You see, your senior here pulled a little trick to exploit me by giving my disciple a precious gift, knowing I'd be forced to respond in kind," she said, narrowing her eyes at Hou Dehui, who wore an unconcerned look tinged with playful smugness.

"If I give you the fruit, then you'll have to forego the gift I was going to give you. Is that something you're willing to do?" she asked, turning her attention back to Yang Qing.

Yang Qing didn't even hesitate.

"Yes," he said emphatically.

His instantaneous reply caught Luo Xuanji by surprise.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Yang Qing replied.

Seeing the clarity in his eyes, she could tell he was serious, which prompted her to shift her gaze to Hou Dehui, who wore an amused smile that both confused and irritated her.

"You do know the gift I was going to give you would match or even exceed the quality of what he gave my disciple," Luo Xuanji said, gesturing at Hou Dehui with a tilt of her chin. "The dawn cloud peach may have an unmatched flavor, but in terms of cultivation benefits, it's nowhere close to that gift."

"Can that gift be eaten?" Yang Qing asked.

"In a sense, yes."

"And the flavor...does it match that of the dawn cloud peach?" he followed up.

"It does not..." Luo Xuanji answered, giving him a quizzical look.

Yang Qing smiled and cupped his fist. "Then Elder Luo Xuanji, I'd love the Dawn Cloud peach."

"You're sure?" she asked again, still looking doubtful.

"I am," Yang Qing said without hesitation.

That wasn't even something he needed to think twice about. To him, interest came above all else. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to be short on resources if he rejected that gift. If he ever needed cultivation materials, he could just redeem them using his merit points from the Order. Stingy as they were, the Order had everything a cultivator could need and then some.

"Despite our long lives as cultivators, tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us. So I might as well live earnestly in the moment, and be honest and true to my wants. And at the moment, it is the dawn cloud peach," Yang Qing explained.

Elder Luo Xuanji stared at him for a few seconds before finally sighing and smiling. "Well said," she answered as a brocade box appeared in her palms.

"It has two. You can have them both," she gently said, handing over the box. "Just don't share the extra one with him," she added immediately, narrowing her eyes sternly at both Yang Qing and Hou Dehui.

"I won't," Yang Qing replied with a wry smile. He might have seemed like he was just trying to appease her, but he was serious. If that peach was as good as they said, there was no way he'd share. Not even the skin.

"Senior Hou Dehui told me you love fruits. You can have these. They may not be grand, but I can guarantee their flavor," Yang Qing said, producing about a dozen of his best fruits from his storage ring and laying them out on the table.

Luo Xuanji's eyes lit up as she reached for a bunch of grapes with a frosted jade shine. She took one to nibble, her eyes instantly brightening as she hummed and nodded in approval.

"You weren't lying," she said, reaching for another grape. "At least not like him..." she offhandedly remarked, casting Hou Dehui a quick glance of disdain.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked, waving her sleeves as she quickly stored away the fruits Yang Qing had gifted her.

"It's about one of your former disciples—the Xia clan's founder—and his clan," Hou Dehui explained.

"Oh, him," Luo Xuanji said with a sigh. "I've seen my fair share of talented cultivators, but that kid definitely stood out. If the accident hadn't happened and he were still around, who knows... A few hundred years from now, he might have become our next sect master. Or the next peak master of Silver Breath Peak—which, given his interests, he might have chosen instead.

What a pity," she added as another sigh escaped her lips.

"If you want answers about him or his clan, then the best place to find them is Silver Breath Peak. He was a member there, and his master is the peak master, though he's currently in seclusion. Still, you can likely get what you need from some of his descendants who are still members of the peak.

I'll have Shen Mu bring you there," said Luo Xuanji as she called for her chief disciple.

"Thank you very much for your assistance," Yang Qing said as he rose and cupped his fists in gratitude.

"It's nothing," Luo Xuanji replied casually as she waved it off.