Daily life of a cultivation judge

"Every palace court judge is given a group of informants. These informants are individuals placed in unique positions across different organizations around the continent. Some are from sects, clans, merchant organizations, alchemy, kingdoms, empires, and the like. Some are even bandits and members of other shady organizations. 

Your job is to be the connection of the Order to them. You will meet with them at your discretion to source any information that they may have on them, and evaluate their mental well-being and you will also be their lifeline and source of help. 

Whatever help they need; you will be the one to provide it. Of course, you could consult with us if it's something complicated but I think it would be more prudent for you to handle it yourself.

The discretionary fund you receive from the Order is meant to help with that along with a few other things I will tell you shortly…" Assistant Shi paused when he saw Yang Qing's look turn gloomy.

"Is something wrong?" asked Assistant Shi.

"I'm sorry Senior Shi but I can't help but wonder if the funds I receive will be enough since its supposed to cater also for the payment of commissions done for my cases throughout the year. 

With the caseloads I'll be getting and the remuneration scheme I was given, I can't help but feel the amount may not be enough to cater for both my duties as a judge and in the maintenance of the intelligence network," said Yang Qing.

He didn't know what troubles may arise in the network but whatever the case, they were sure to cost a tidy sum.

"You don't have to worry about that, even if the discretionary funds won't be enough, there are other sources to make up the difference, which was what I was going to get to later, but other than that I feel you have other reservations. Go on, no need to be shy here," said Assistant Shi.

Yang Qing on seeing Assistant Shi's look put on a serious expression as he asked,

"The informants, can they all be trusted?" 

Since he would be meeting personally with them, there was an inherent risk a trap may be set for him during one of those meetings, and with the recent surge in attacks on personnel from the Order, there was a very real chance of that happening.

"They can, after all, they are all from the Order," Assistant Shi leisurely answered which drew a confused look from Yang Qing.

He could understand Order employees infiltrating a sect, an empire, a kingdom, or some large-scale merchant organization, but for something like a clan and how close-knit it was, it would prove difficult to infiltrate one. 

Even some kingdoms and empires never allowed outsiders within their sphere of ruling, it was always kept within and around the topmost ruling families of which the royal family was one of them.

"The southern continent is a really big place and the wars that have happened over the years, though they are a tragedy but, in some regard, they could be considered opportunities.

Over the years, even just the last century, do you know how many low-ranked organizations have disappeared?" asked Assistant Shi

"A quarter of a million?" answered Yang Qing in an unsure tone.

"I wish it was that low because then it would be proof that we have an impact," said Assistant with a rueful smile.

"It's no less than ten million. As we are speaking, a hundred of them have likely fallen," said Assistant Shi.

Yang Qing knew even with the presence of the Order, the state of things around the continent was still hard but he never thought they were still that bad, he thought that they'd made a difference even if by a tiny margin. But ten million made it seem like they hadn't made a dent at all.

"Don't be disheartened, even though that number is high, it isn't as it once was a millennium ago and at least now even though those low ranked organizations find it hard to grow, their destruction isn't an entire annihilation," said Assistant Shi seemingly reading through Yang Qing's thoughts.

"Some get lost through mergers and alliances, others disband and the like while the bulk sadly is through slaughter, either by rivals or fiendish organizations like the scarlet blood ghost hand syndicate or the Crimson wave, well remnants of it…

But enough with the gloomy topic. Now because of how many organizations are lost, this makes it easier for someone to plant someone in the ruins of those organizations. 

With the information we have collected over the years and the multitude of lost cultivation arts we have, it's easier to plant someone from the Order in the background of some destroyed organization in other instances we can even make up one and no one would be the wiser.

We'd pick someone from the Order and give him/her enough support to start a clan, or a sect, or other different types of organization depending on the skill set of that member. 

The direction and growth of the organization is entirely up to them. Our part is to ensure their smooth integration into the locations they would be situated at. We fabricate everything about them including their karma. You've met Veiled Destiny, part of it is done with its help.

That project has been going on for the past 700 years and finally, its fruits are starting to show, however, the workload of maintaining it is too much for only the Shadow Hawks to manage, so we need help, and who better to do it than our very own judges.

None of the organizations within that network are powerful. Most range between rank 4 and rank 5, with a handful reaching rank 3 but the latter don't number more than 10. There's none at rank 2."

Yang Qing had an incredulous look. With the talent of the Order surely, they would have been able to have at least one person reach the domain realm in the past 700 years, not unless it was by design and the Order made those members slow their progress so as not to draw suspicious eyes.

"Those selected for the program are those who failed their entrance examinations but showed some talent in some aspect. The lack of rank 2 organizations wasn't by design, in fact, the rank 3 organizations we have, some of them appeared as a total surprise.

Hiding a talent in plain sight would draw much more eyes than revealing it, especially to a trained eye. It's safer to use people with normal aptitude in this regard and the Order would not risk their highest talents for such a venture, and it's not like they had or have enough of them as it stands," Assistant Shi carefully explained.