Daily life of a cultivation judge

That wasn't even the worst part; the celestial nesting weaver had not lied when it said it was just a baby. As it grew, those feathers would carry more years in them.

If, just as a young chick, it already had almost double the life expectancy of an early-stage Soul Formation expert, how unimaginable would the numbers be when it grew up a bit?

The only way Yang Qing could save the dignity of his bones was if he somehow stumbled onto immortality, or if his physique and his Dao underwent some miraculous transformation the higher he advanced. Or perhaps if he discovered that his clan was descended from some mythical race, and he managed to unlock it as a domain or Soul Formation expert.

Barring those extenuating circumstances, he would either have to hide his body where the celestial nesting weaver would never find it once his lifespan was close to depletion, or resign himself to being a tail feather ornament. Having raised it from young, he knew the celestial nesting weaver wasn't bluffing. It really would do that.

Pushing back those blood-vomiting-inducing thoughts, Yang Qing often found himself wondering: if the celestial nesting weaver, even in its infancy, carried that much lifespan, then how much lifespan would the blue fairy carry? A race touted to have a larger life expectancy, even when compared to other mythical races.

If he carried that bloodline in him, even just a smidge, then maybe he wouldn't be having frequent nightmares about being a tail ornament. At least the one good thing about those nightmares was that they did a good job of motivating him to cultivate. And, given how much he constantly meditated to quell those nightmares, he gained a lot of skills in that area, too. He could definitely teach the ascetic cultivators of the Spiritual Temperance Sect a thing or two about completely emptying one's mind of all distractions.

...

"The black yin water oak tribe, that's who you wanted to discuss?" Gu Xing asked, her question pulling Yang Qing out of his swirling thoughts.

"Sorry," Yang Qing apologized as his eyes regained focus. "It's not necessarily the black yin water oak tribe that I wanted to talk about. Though they are definitely part of the conversation," he added.

Without waiting for Gu Xing to ask, Yang Qing revealed, "It's the members of the Aurora Jade Winter Spruce tribe that I am really interested in."

"Why?" Gu Xing asked, her eyes — and Meifeng's as well — sparkling with curiosity.

"Well, where do I start?" sighed Yang Qing as he tried to arrange his thoughts about everything regarding Bai Chen's case, shaping it in a way that would be easier to explain to Gu Xing.

Finding his starting point, Yang Qing said, "Well, there is someone I know who went missing....."

Yang Qing then gave a brief overview of Bai Chen and how he went missing, before moving on to the key detail he had personally uncovered about the kidnapper during the course of the investigation. He finished it off with his various doubts and suspicions about the case.

"You really were busy," Meifeng innocently remarked, looking at Yang Qing with a gaze mixed with admiration, guilt, and surprise.

"What's with that tone of surprise in your voice?" Yang Qing snorted. "I don't just loaf around drinking wine and eating food, you know. At the Order they call me Ant Bee Yang Qing, given how hard I work," he added, smugly raising his head.

"Really?" said Meifeng with widened eyes. "Ant Bee Yang Qing," she murmured pensively. "It does have a nice ring to it....

Mmh... Ant Bee Meifeng," she whispered to herself, gently pinching her chin as she sank into deep contemplation. "Maybe I should use that too," she muttered, her expression showing that she was actually giving the idea serious thought.

Gu Xing smiled wryly as she shot Yang Qing a look that seemed to say, Now see what you've done.

Yang Qing smiled guiltily at the accusation. If Meifeng decided to go with that nickname, what was he to do? He would have to comply and address her as such. Hopefully, her master, if she ever came back, would not take him to account for the name. His back ran cold at the thought of being confronted by her, especially given the claims he'd heard about her strength.

Throwing those scary thoughts to the side, Yang Qing turned his attention to Gu Xing, who nodded slightly before sighing.

"So that's why you asked about them?" she said, bringing the conversation to the matter at hand.

"Mmh," Yang Qing nodded.

"You really think the culprit could be from the Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce tribe?" she asked.

"Given the evidence, it fits," said Yang Qing. "Not many can manipulate nebulous yin qi the way those two tribes can, and if we are going by elimination, of the two, I'd go with the Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce as the likely culprit.

If a member of the Black Yin Water Oak tribe was the one after Bai Chen, then they would have had no need to go through that roundabout process. They could have just approached Bai Chen directly and gotten what they wanted from him. There would have been no need for all the skullduggery.

The kidnapping showed someone with skill, but also someone trying all they could to avoid attention.

You've seen them. Do you think they'd go through this roundabout route just to kidnap a fourth-stage palace realm escort captain?" asked Yang Qing.

"They wouldn't," said Gu Xing as she sighed.

"They've not been seen or heard of in years. Even I have never seen one," she said, referring to the Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce tribe members. "Though given what they've been through, it is not surprising either," she added with a soft, sympathetic sigh.

"It won't be easy to retrace their steps," she said, gazing deeply at Yang Qing.

"I know," Yang Qing replied softly.

"I will ask my guardian. Maybe he might have leads, or those from the Black Yin Water Oak might know. If I find out anything, I will let you know. But before that, fellow daoist," said Gu Xing, her voice and expression turning solemn, "what do you intend to do to that tribe member if you find them?" Her tone carried a heaviness as she asked the question.

Contrary to her seriousness, Yang Qing's expression and demeanor remained light as he answered, "I will help them if they let me."

"Help?" said Gu Xing, her baffled expression breaking through the solemn exterior she had moments earlier.

"Yes… Help them," Yang Qing said, his clarity showing not only in his voice but also in his eyes. "Everything leading to this point shows someone who was desperate, yet despite being desperate to the point of orchestrating a kidnapping, they still maintained their decency by not taking lives when the situation easily allowed it, and or, demanded it. Instead, they even rewarded some of those involved.

I don't know why they did it, but I can only imagine how desperate they must have been if kidnapping felt like the only feasible option. And yet, despite all that, they showed restraint and decency that even those not in dire straits don't usually show.

If I can't extend my help to someone like that, then I am better off turning in my robes and quitting my life as a judge to take up something else… maybe farming or day drinking. I am a coward who hates danger, but even cowards have their bottom line, a line through which they're forced to abandon their cowardice and act—and this is one of mine.

If it is within my power and ability to do so, I will help him," he said, softly smiling.