Daily life of a cultivation judge

Both Yang Qing and Song Guozhi cupped their fists in greeting the moment they stepped through the doors of that section.

"Greetings, Assistant Director Jun Pei," they both said with respect in their tone.

The woman before them may look like any other kind-looking elder you may meet on the street who will buy you buns for greeting her with a smile, but she was a bonafide soul formation expert and one with significant weight within the Order at that.

Before being the Assistant Director of internal logistics, she had held different other posts. She was co-chair of the spirit council for some time, before that she was chief supervisor of the special inquisitors, and the time before that she was a chief trainer of the guards at the requiem who had the strictest training and standards when it came to their members. None of the posts she held were light, highlighting her strength and quality.

"Would you two like something to drink?" Assistant Director Jun Pei politely asked with a gentle smile as she pointed to the pot of tea on the table next to her.

Just from the quality of the steam it produced, Yang Qing knew it was quality stuff. If he came alone he would have gladly accepted, but he was here with Song Guozhi, he had doubts about whether the person would choose to indulge but based on his strict meticulous personality he didn't think it was possible, and it turned out he was right as Song Guozhi politely declined soon after.

"Assistant Director Jun Pei we would like your assistance in getting Judge Yang Qing's ceremonial robe along with the accompanying artifacts for tomorrow's palace court promotion ceremony.

Please find here the seal of approval," Song Guozhi said as he solemnly handed over a sealed scroll.

The assistant director waved her sleeves and the scroll unsealed itself revealing strange glyphs circling around the scroll which later settled to form words.

"So you're Yang Qing?" Assistant Director Jun Pei meaningfully said as she lightly chuckled.

Yang Qing awkwardly smiled at the connotation behind the question. No matter how soft and polite it sounded, he had a feeling there was nothing good behind the question. He couldn't help but worry about what news of him has been spreading around the Order. He had caused a few righteous-driven actions over the years but he didn't think those actions were enough to reach the ears of a renowned expert like Assistant Director Jun Pei.

"Is it old man Lei's doing?" Yang Qing couldn't help but worry.

"Congratulations on your promotion to the outer palace court judge Yang Qing. The Order has big expectations of you.

Give me a second as I get your robe and artifacts," Assistant Director Jun Pei said as she turned to face the grey plain wall at her back.

"What does she mean by that? What expectations? I don't want to be greatly expected, nothing good ever comes of it." Yang Qing's countenance became increasingly worried. He didn't even have the mood to admire the transformation that was happening to the wall behind Assistant Director Jun Pei.

The wall behind her transformed into some swirling gateway filled with grey mist that had small dazzling scripts floating around it. Within the grey mist, one could see a glimpse of a small silver-colored mountain. The grey mist was a transmission portal that led to a special grotto used by the internal logistics department. Only senior members, the assistant director and above could gain entry to that place.

Assistant Director Jun Pei disappeared into the mist and came back a few minutes later holding a folded dark blue robe with white linings, above it was a small white eagle medallion, a small needle-shaped artifact that was made of some sort of crystal and a green necklace that looked like it was made of green vines intertwined together.

Yang Qing's eyes flashed with greed the moment his eyes fell on the things Assistant Director Jun Pei came out with. A faint auspicious mist seemed to be leaking from them.

"All of them, saint grade," Yang Qing muttered in a greedy daze. His eyes were wide open, his jaws hanging loose, and his tongue slurping all over the place.

His fingers were itching to grab them but he held them back since they were in the hands of a former trainer of the guards of Requiem and chief supervisor of special inquisitors. Both these places were filled with dangerous people who had special expertise that made evil cultivators seem like saints. There was no way he would risk grabbing something from someone who trained those monsters and was even their head at some point in time.

"This is the blue universe enclave robe. It's filled with arrays that will defend against the full-blown attack of a soul master cultivator at the soul formation realm. The protection will last for a full hour.

The crystal needle on top of it is the veiled destiny void domain crystal. It will isolate your karma and protect you from having your karma probed or interfered with. It also doubles as a protection for your soul especially in regards to karmic spells and will heighten your senses to that of a peak domain realm, however, don't use that aspect lightly since it takes its toll on the soul and mental sea. The safe duration of use is thirty minutes.

The necklace is made from a 500,000-year-old green silkworm vine and will boost the regeneration of your body instantly should it be obliterated in an attack. It will also react to ghost and corpse qi and also to faint murderous intent directed at you.

As for the medallion, it will be used to temporarily raise the level of your own medallion so you can control the arrays and other protection mechanisms that will be on the platform you will be standing at." Assistant director Jun Lei patiently explained.

"Please take out your medallion so I can merge it with this one," she added.

Yang Qing took out his medallion as asked and gave it to Assistant Director Jun Lei. The Assistant Director formed a few seals and the medallion she had, turned into a grey translucent corporeal form that surrounded Yang Qing's medallion and seamlessly merged into it.

Yang Qing's medallion was still gold colored, however, it had a faint silver luster to it, around the eyes of the eagle in the medallion.

"I can take them now?" Yang Qing eagerly asked. He couldn't wait to try them on.

"You can, oh I almost forgot, pardon my forgetful mind," Assistant Director Jun Lei said as she lightly chuckled.

"You will need to hand these items back exactly one hour after your ceremony ends. Every minute you delay returning it, you will be fined 1,000 high-grade spirit stones. If one hour passes and you still haven't returned it, at the sixty-first-minute mark, the fine you owe will double to 120,000 high-grade spirit stones with increments of 20,000 high-grade spirit stones every five minutes.

If it crosses the three-hour mark, special inquisitors will be sent after you for repossession of the items and all treasures and wealth under your name will be confiscated as reparations for the delay. So do make sure you bring it on time," Assistant Director Jun Lei said with the kindest and gentlest smile ever.

Yang Qing who was eager to grab the items, flinched midway as his skin grew pale in an instant.

"Dir..rr…rr….r…rrr..r..rr..ector what you said?" Yang Qing stammered as he asked to confirm what he had just heard.

"It's all true,"

"Can I not take them?"

"You could, but you do know there is a huge risk of being assassinated during your ceremony right? Even with experts of the Order being present, an attack can still get to you before they react, as you well know it has happened before, but if you are that confident in yourself, I'd be happy to take them back," Assistant Director Jun Lei said in a teasing tone.

"I'll take it," Yang Qing weakly said as he took the items. His hands trembled slightly as he picked them up. What had been a treasure had now turned into a cursed object that had the ability to destroy him.

"Order is really ruthless, these are just saint-grade treasures. How many do they have? Do they need to be this strict about it? If I got those fines how many years would I have to work for free? Could it be....?" Yang Qing had a bold scary thought that made him flinch and turn in time to see a cunning glint flash in Assistant Director Yun Lei's eyes.

"Assistant Director Yun Lei thank you for your assistance, I wish you a nice day, we have a lot to do please don't see us out," Yang Qing nervously said as he quickly dragged Song Guozhi on his way out.

"We sure have been getting a lot of interesting kids of late," Assistant Director Yun Lei muttered to herself as she resumed drinking her tea with a cheeky smile hanging on her face.