Daily life of a cultivation judge

"So this means..." Yang Qing murmured under his breath, eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings. The person worked here up until Bai Chen arrived and then left... or the staff members helped him, he thought. Of course, there's also the chance they were just a customer who frequented the teahouse day and night, waiting for Bai Chen's arrival. Maybe asking him to hand over the orchid was just a random detail added to deepen the subterfuge, he added, his gaze turning more contemplative.

If he was being honest, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that the Velvet Orchid was involved in some way—whether directly or indirectly—given how safe the kidnapper felt conducting their business here.

But then again, the kidnapper had shown themselves to be both highly cautious and meticulous. If Yang Qing were in their position, while he would have preferred to use a proxy to handle the ransom negotiations for safety's sake, if the matter at hand were extremely important, then caution would only go so far. He'd have no choice but to handle it personally—because that would be the only way to maintain control of the situation and ensure he got the results he wanted.

The evidence he'd gathered so far made one thing clear—the kidnapper really needed Bai Chen. They wouldn't have gone through the trouble of setting up such an intricate trap if they didn't. They had even gone so far as to use nebulous yin qi in their efforts.

Given how much they wanted Bai Chen, there was a very real possibility they had stayed here, waiting for him—either as a staff member or a patron.

If they were staff, that would make things easier for Yang Qing. He could investigate and find out which employee hadn't been seen for the past two weeks.

But if they were a patron… that would take more effort.

"A patron, huh," murmured Yang Qing thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin with his free hand. They'd have to be a regular to pick this place. And if that's the case…

His gaze dropped to the moonlit orchid in his right palm, whose silver-blue petals reflected in his eyes as he twirled its stalk between his fingers.

A second later, the orchid vanished.

Yang Qing's pensive expression gave way to a carefree smile, a flicker of excitement lighting up his eyes as they shifted to his far left—just in time to see Sun Biya arriving with a tray of kettles and clay pots.

"Thank you for waiting. Please enjoy," Sun Biya sweetly said as she began unloading the dishes onto the table one by one, until no space was left. "Do call when you finish so I can bring the next set," she added, then courteously cupped her fist in farewell.

Yang Qing returned the gesture, his face lit with a satisfied and eager smile. "Thank you very much for this."

Sun Biya nodded with a gracious smile. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Yang Qing's voice halted her steps.

"Could I ask something?"

"Anything," Sun Biya generously offered.

"That painting," Yang Qing began, pointing at the mysterious artwork. "You said it was a friend of the owner's restaurant who did it, right?"

"Yes," confirmed Sun Biya.

"Could I ask how long that painting's been here?"

"You've really never been to Orchid City, have you?" she asked with a mirthful smile.

"No, I haven't. Like I told Madam Cai Shan, it's my first time here or in Hebei Kingdom, for that matter," Yang Qing admitted with an awkward smile.

"I wouldn't have guessed that," Sun Biya replied, still smiling. "You seem like someone who's travelled almost three-quarters of this continent," she added teasingly.

"I have," Yang Qing boasted as he playfully raised his chin and puffed out his chest as he gazed at Sun Biya pompously through the rim of his nose, given how high he'd puffed his chest. "It's just that Hebei happens to fall in the third that I haven't yet covered."

"Is that so?" Sun Biya said in amusement, and the two of them shared a laugh before she finally answered his question. Gesturing to the painting, she said, "It's been here for twenty-eight years."

"Twenty-eight years?!" said Yang Qing, his apparent surprise in the figure showing in his tone as he responded, along with his brows that had risen slightly. " That twenty-eight years," he continued, "is that also its age, or is it just how long it has been here?" he asked.

"It's both age and how long it has been here. It was created here," Sun Biya curtly replied as her gaze beamed with pride and warmth as it fell on the painting. With the way she looked at it, one would have thought she was looking at her own child who had just done something noteworthy.

"I wouldn't have guessed that. Given its quality, I would have pegged it to be at least 500 years old."

"It's a common misconception. A lot of people who see it for the first time have those same guesses, and even now, there are several among our regulars who still find it hard to believe that it's so young."

"I can definitely see why," said Yang Qing as he sighed deeply. "It definitely makes the trip here already worth it," he added as another sigh of admiration escaped his lips.

"Mhh, really twenty-eight. Who would have expected that?" he murmured lastly, tearing his gaze away from it before it rested back on Sun Biya. "Thank you for humoring me," he said.

"No problem. Anything for our special guest," she said playfully. "And if you ever feel like sharing the stories hiding in the three quarters you've already covered, I'm sure there are plenty here who'd love to hear them," she added.

"I'll consider it," Yang Qing replied with a chuckle.

Sun Biya smiled back before excusing herself, leaving Yang Qing to his own company — though he looked slightly troubled as she walked away, his eyes darting about guiltily.

"It can't be she was flirting with me, could it?" he murmured warily, then shook his head quickly, brushing the thought aside. I'm just being paranoid... he told himself, the investigation must be making me read too much into things.

Still, just to be safe, he glanced around cautiously — half-expecting someone to be hiding behind a pillar or disguised as a painting.

She's over ten thousand miles away, you fool, he scolded himself, but the thought of her somehow finding out still made him break into a cold sweat.

Thankfully, the table piled with food, tea, and pots of wine helped him shove the scary idea to the far corner of his mind.

"Let me activate this," he said gingerly, his voice carrying a slight melody to it as he activated the isolation array, followed by the fragrant-locking array. With everything set, his eager hands then moved to the wide clay pot holding the piping-hot dumplings.

A burst of rich, savory steam erupted the moment he removed the lid, revealing golden-brown dumplings nestled inside. The aroma of juicy pork, laced with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chilies, and a bunch of herbs, instantly washed over him—igniting his hunger even further.

Like a viper, Yang Qing's chopsticks struck in a swift, practiced motion, snatching up a dumpling. With a quick dip into the sauce at the center, the dumpling never even stood a chance—before it knew what hit it, it was already being savored in Yang Qing's mouth.

His eyes closed into crescent slits as he hummed in blissful pleasure.

Truth be told, given Sun Biya's earlier reaction—her surprise when he asked if they served meals—Yang Qing hadn't expected much in the way of flavor when the dishes arrived. For a teahouse where it seemed people didn't really come to eat, they sure knew their way around dumplings.

No wonder the set was called The Dialogue of Dumplings—his mouth hadn't stopped moving since the first bite. He reached for another, then another, and another, finally stopping at the seventh, which he washed down with a jar of old pine needle wine that was just as exquisite—actually, even more so—than the dumplings themselves.

Yang Qing let out a hearty, satisfied sigh as he reached for the steamed lotus with sticky rice.

"Special guest huh.." he murmured meaningfully between bites as his gaze drifted toward the painting and then shifted to the other 'unoccupied' tables on the floor.

Two days should be enough to get a clear picture of things here, he thought, just before reaching for another lotus root.