Daily life of a cultivation judge

As tumultuous and volatile as the cultivation world was, continent invasions were not common occurrences due to several factors. For one, the waters separating the continents were not easy to traverse. By the time one crossed them, they were often weaker than when they first set out. And secondly, a local serpent was greater than a dragon when fighting on its own turf. No matter the internal feuds between cultivation organizations, they would unite the moment an outsider appeared.

For that reason, continent invasions were rarely seen.

And yet, not long ago, one reached the doors of the Southern Continent— and not from just a single continent, but from two. That alone spoke volumes about how coveted the Southern Continent truly was.

A faction of Hebei scholars believed that as long as the Order remained in its current form, it would only bring ruin to the continent. So, it had one of two choices: either be dismantled completely, or—if that proved too difficult—abandon its mandate and adopt a new identity, one aligned with the continent's natural flow.

In no uncertain terms, that meant the Order had to give up its current role and become a sect, living and operating as a sect would.

Only then could the continent's natural flow be restored—and its eventual decline prevented.

Of course, while there were those within Hebei who believed the Order shouldn't continue for the greater good of the continent, there were also those who believed its presence was essential for the continent's flow to remain uninterrupted. To them, the Order's existence was part of the continent's natural evolutionary cycle, and removing it would interfere with that cycle, possibly even triggering the very destruction and chaos the opposing faction feared.

Yang Qing wasn't sure which side he agreed with, because, truthfully, he was fine with either outcome.

If the Order became a sect—well, while he'd had misgivings in the past about ever joining one, especially due to the politics and factional disputes that came with lacking strong backing—now, things were different. He had backing within the Order. And in a way, even he himself could be considered a backing, however small.

If the Order transitioned into a sect, he wouldn't have to worry about the same internal strife that once concerned him, nor about his cultivation path being derailed because of it. The Order already had an established way of doing things, and that likely wouldn't change much even if it became a sect.

The one thing that would change, though, was that they wouldn't have to keep exposing themselves to countless dangers just to protect a continent that hated their guts and vilified them for trying to prevent the return of those dark days from a thousand years ago. They could simply do what the holy lands did: close themselves off from the rest of the world, grow their strength in their own little corner of the continent, and no longer interfere with anyone.

But the question was—would the rest let them be?Or would they remain endlessly wary until that wariness finally turned into action?

After all, it hadn't been that long since the Myriad Beasts Sect's Holy Land was attacked, simply because the majority of the continent viewed it with suspicion.

What were the odds that the same wouldn't happen to the Order, even if it became a sect and ceased all operations, leaving the continent to its own devices?

Would those paranoid, highly vengeful, highly scheming, and highly covetous cultivators really let things be?Let them be?

Yang Qing didn't think so. Whether the Order was dismantled or reformed into a sect, those organizations would still come for them the moment the opportunity presented itself.There was too much resentment—and too much greed—for them not to.

And if that was the case, then as cowardly as he might be, he was also a highly petty and highly responsible person. So, he wouldn't mind too much if the Order remained as it was. At least this way, he'd get to torment and annoy his would-be attackers, whittle down their strength, and muddy the waters by tossing unstable elements into the mix. And if he was being honest, as dangerous, tiring, and thankless as the work seemed at times, it also had its rewarding moments.

He wasn't some chivalrous hero—especially given how much he hated danger and how quick he was to save his own hide before anything else—but on those occasions where duty as a judge forced him to act, or the rare ones where he actually volunteered willingly, the results—when they turned out well—gave his life a bit more meaning.

He couldn't help but think of Ma Yuan and his daughter. If by some chance they were able to overcome the trauma they endured and truly live their lives—and maybe, just maybe, Ma Yuan lived long enough to experience the joys of not only being a father but a grandfather—then the mental turmoil Yang Qing went through when he destroyed the Ice Emerald Sect, or when he failed to save Ma Yuan's wife, it would all be worth the heaviness it brought on him.

So, should the Order become a sect, or remain as it was? He was fine either way—but in his heart of hearts, he knew he leaned slightly more toward one side than the other.

He would never admit it, though. That was a secret he'd take to the grave, given the potential implications if it ever got out. A slight chill ran down his back at the thought.

Time passed quickly, and it wasn't long before the borders of the Hebei Kingdom came into view. In terms of travel time, it was just as Yang Qing had predicted—they had arrived two and a half hours shy of midnight. From the border to Yunnan, it would take another twenty to thirty minutes at most.

Yunnan wasn't far from the border, but Hebei was a rank two kingdom, and its territory reflected that status. Just in terms of sheer size, Yunnan Province alone likely matched the size of some rank five and even rank four kingdoms.

So yes, Yunnan was close to the border—but only in relative terms when compared to the full scale of the kingdom. It was closer to the outer edge than it was to the central region, and for that, Yang Qing was thoroughly thankful.

It meant he had fewer chances of accidentally stumbling into one of their domain experts.

On paper, the kingdom was said to have nine domain experts, all of whom were centered in the core regions of the kingdom, of which Yunnan Province was not. And while the faction hoping for the dissolution of the Order did nothing more than air their views—unlike other organizations that acted on those views by attacking Order members—Yang Qing didn't want to push his luck by stumbling into one of Hebei Kingdom's domain experts.

What if they were from the "Order shouldn't be around" faction, and happened to come across a judge from that very organization conducting investigative duties within their kingdom?

Yes, there was an Order branch in Hebei, even with how divided the kingdom was about them. That branch even housed the very domain branch chief he'd called earlier to vouch for his identity with the Wan family. But still…

Yang Qing couldn't help but hope he hadn't already used up his lifetime's worth of luck.

The closer he got to the kingdom, the more he felt like he should just turn back—or go borrow (more like grovel until they relented) some saint-grade treasure from the Order and then return.

"Why didn't I think to ask for one?" he muttered, chastising himself—though deep down, he knew exactly why he hadn't.

The Order already owned him plenty, and that was without borrowing a saint-grade treasure. If he actually went ahead and took one, how deep in the hole would he be with them?

And worse—what if they said yes?

He'd probably have to change his first name to Order and be known as Order Qing, which, honestly, would be a rather fitting name considering how thoroughly they'd end up exploiting him.

A one-day loan of a saint-grade treasure would likely leave him indentured for life. And knowing the Order, who knew what kind of tasks they'd pile onto him just to squeeze every last drop of value out of that debt? He'd probably end up as a judge, roaming inquisitor, special inquisitor, healer, herbologist—maybe even used as an energy supply, given the restorative properties of his qi.

A librarian (he actually wouldn't mind that one), an instructor (this too—he had plenty of pettiness and misery in him to spread around), a beast tamer…

Yang Qing felt his stomach churn at the thought.

Order Qing, he murmured softly in fear.What are these things I randomly think about? he added with a bitter smile.