Yang Qing nervously looked up at the newcomer who just appeared in front of their eyes especially when his name got mentioned. Over the years whenever he heard his name had been mentioned, it was never in a good light. He couldn't help but worry about what news of him had spread this time around.
"It was not anything bad," the valiant-looking lady in pink lightly chuckled once she saw Yang Qing's subtle reaction.
Now that Yang Qing got a clear look at her the more her visage seemed oddly familiar. Her hair was haphazardly tied together into a bun with a lot of loose strands everywhere as she wore sleeveless yellow robes and coat. Even with her careless appearance, her look didn't wane one bit, especially her lively eyes and matching beauty, and a cheery personality to follow.
"You are Yu Huifang's mom?" Yang Qing couldn't help but ask once he noticed how closely the middle-aged lady oddly resembled his friend Yu Huifang.
"Yes I am…it seems she doesn't speak about me much, that unfilial child. Maybe I should ramp up her training some more," the middle-aged lady who seemed to be Yu Huifang's mom vengefully said.
Lei Weiyuan had to cough multiple times so he could drag Yu Huifang's mom back from that vengeful spiral.
"Oh sorry," Yu Huifang's mom said as she awkwardly laughed.
"Oops, where's my head, I even forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yu Hong, Yu Huifang's mom and also the deputy director of the roaming inquisitors in charge of coordination in the domain courts.
I heard from Lei that you will soon be moving up to the palace courts, Yang Qing?" Yu Hong suddenly asked.
"Yes I will," Yang Qing eagerly answered once he heard her job title. Maybe with her pull, he might end up with three roaming inquisitors attached to his court instead of the standard two who will also be constantly rotated to other places such as branches despite being attached to his court.
"Sadly I can't pull any strings to help you have more roaming inquisitors attached to your court. Maybe the director could do it but sadly I'm just a tiny deputy director," Yu Hong teasingly said as she enjoyed Yang Qing's change of emotions from glee to distraught.
"Another sadist. How can she be Yu Huifang's mom? Other than their looks they are nothing alike," Yang Qing thought once he noticed that happy glint in Yu Hong's eyes from his distraught appearance.
Yu Huifang has always been the compassionate, gentle but sometimes stern and meticulous sort, the complete opposite of her mother who seemed like a wild spirit who did things on the fly.
"While I may not be able to help with your numbers, I can put in a good word for you with the deputy director in charge of coordination in the palace courts and have the roaming inquisitors attached to you to not be rotated so much.
He is my junior and he owes me a favor or two. Though you should know that status can only be maintained for two months at most and even then something unexpected may happen within those two months that may result in the roaming inquisitors under you getting reassigned.
So if your luck is bad be prepared to do both the role of a judge and inquisitor for a while there before your team has the necessary requirements to handle palace court cases.
Your cases and schedule will be sporadic so you will have to be adaptable to the changes, especially in the palace courts. It's filled with much more unpredictability compared to other courts. So prepare yourself, young judge," said Yu Hong with a rare air of seriousness.
Yang Qing nodded solemnly in gratitude at her good intentions.
"Well if being a judge gets too tough you can always join our roaming inquisitors. We would gladly welcome a palace realm expert who had a purple core in the core formation stage.
We are severely undermanned and overloaded with work and with our strict requirements on enrollment it ensures our recruitment numbers are always severely low.
Think about it Yang Qing. With what my daughter told me about you, you are definitely a sure in. You too miss, seeing that you are a purple core expert too.
You may still be at the late stages of the core formation realm and are thus ineligible to join us but I would be willing to save a spot for a talent such as yourself.
We pay well and we have the most freedom than any other department as well as access to most of the Order's specialized facilities and artifacts.
Think about it, it's not a bad deal right?" Yu Hong expectantly said as she eyed both Yang Qing and Mao Yunru.
"Hong, don't you think you are being too forward trying to poach members of my team in front of me?" Lei Weiyuan coldly said.
"Mmmph so what ...We both know how many people we set our eyes on that your fancy courtroom's poached especially that Huilang kid," Yu Hong contemptuously said.
"Thank you very much for your consideration Auntie Yu but for now I think I will retain my role as a judge plus I don't think I'm particularly suited for combat," said Yang Qing as he smiled apologetically. He had decided to use an informal tone to try and soften the rejection. He still needed her good word with the roaming inquisitor's coordinator of the palace courts.
"Shameless as advertised. To think someone nicknamed the balance extremist would label himself as a non-combatant. What would that make everyone else?" said Yu Hong. Even though she seemed to be chastising him, the mildly pleased expression on her face showed being called Auntie Yu had worked.
She soon turned her gaze towards Mao Yunru who seemed nervous at being put in an uncomfortable position. Despite not having the thick face for it she decided to follow Yang Qing's steps in her response.
"I'm sorry Aunt Yu I will have to politely decline too as I'm not confident in doing anything else," Mao Yunru softly said as she cautiously eyed Yu Hong.
"Fine your loss…You won't find any other job that pays better," Yu Hong derisively said as she specifically eyed Yang Qing when she mentioned the latter part of her sentence.
"What did Yu Huifang tell her mother?" thought Yang Qing as he noticed her not-so-subtle look.
"Don't be such a sore loser, Hong," Lei Weiyuan smugly said saving the duo from the awkward pressurizing moment.
"Lei you know your way around, take them over, I have other guests to greet," Yu Hong's voice echoed over as she disappeared from her spot with a peach blossom petal taking her place.
"Take one of these and pour your qi into it. It will transport us where we need to go," Lei Weiyuan said as he grabbed three of the petals floating about and handed two to Yang Qing and Mao Yunru.
The petals were cool and soft to the touch almost like soft fur with a refreshing fruity smell. Both Yang Qing and Mao Yunru did as they were told.
The moment they poured their qi into the petals they felt their vision change and in the next moment they were in a large round room filled with unfamiliar guests.
Both Yang Qing and Mao Yunru curiously looked around trying to gauge where they were. Above them, they saw a blue night sky filled with a cluster of stars which was strange since just a few moments ago it seemed like it was daytime with accompanying snow that was currently absent.
By their feet were orange fresh wooden floorboards that had the smell of peach. But what shocked both of them was how dense the qi was. Even the celestial nesting weaver's nest with the enormous treasures Yang Qing poured into it couldn't match a tenth of the qi in this place.
"You're inside one of the flowers of the 108 space weaving snow peach tree. Just like its name, it creates a habitable space in 108 flowers each with a unique environment. So far the tree has only unlocked 62 flowers with the remaining 46 still in their budding phases," Lei Weiyuan calmly introduced when he saw their curious gazes.
"A space attribute tree," Yang Qing muttered in awe as he expanded his gaze. His monarch sense seemed to be sealed within the flower's space which Yang Qing attributed to being one of the unique features of the flower they were in.
His eclipse tree was also a space attribute natural treasure though it had not yet unlocked its space-related features. It would require astronomical resources and time. Though Yang Qing could faintly detect over the past year it was close to unlocking a part of its attributes.
"Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, Supervisor Lei Weiyuan welcome," a soft pleasant voice sounded before he saw the owner of the voice, It was Yu Huifang. She had a cloudy pink robe that perfectly melded with her hair as she came over with a sweet smile on her face.
She was accompanied by a slender and handsome middle-aged man. He was wearing a black robe that matched his long smooth flowing black hair that had reached his back. Both he and Yu Huifang had faint resembling features.
"Vice dean Yu Long, Yu Huifang, How are you?" Yang Qing cheerily greeted both of them once they reached them.
He may have not known Yu Huifang's mom since her post made it hard for one to know her with their circles not being the same and she was usually not around due to her posting but he knew her dad, Yu Long.
He was the vice dean of cultivation art history and dissection. He became the interim head of the department when Dean Zhu Lao was in absentia from his 50-year forced seclusion.
Mao Yunru also followed up with her greetings.
"Lei," Yu Long gently nodded toward Lei Weiyuan who nodded back.
"Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, nice to see my students flourish after the institute. By the way, I told Dean Zhu Lao about you Yang Qing, he is interested in meeting you," Yu Long gently said as he smiled admiringly at the two.
"Yang Qing when you meet Dean Zhu Lao later pleased don't mention his brother," said Lei Weiyuan as he communicated with Yang Qing via his domain sense.
