Daily life of a cultivation judge

The one to follow after the Imperial household manager was done, was the person Yang Qing had been most curious about. Even if he felt his guess on his identity was more or less right on the mark, his heart couldn't help but speed up in anticipation when he saw the young man take the stage.

"That damn Mao Mao infected me.." Yang Qing thought, ashamed at the excitement he was showing.

"Like fellow daoist Hou Dehui said, my nis Deng Wei, and before anything else, I would like to thank you all for your accommodation and also to apologize on behalf of my friend's descendants, and mine too, and the Red Maple Empire.." said Deng Wei as he bowed deeply

His actions startled Yang Qing as he had not expected a domain expert to bow before him in apology.

Yang Qing wasn't the only one caught by surprise, as the person next to him, Gong Jie reacted strongly.

"Ancestor, don't do that!" he said frantically with a pitch in his tone showing a level of anxiety and discomfort that one would not expect from such a rough-looking man.

"We are the ones who brought this on and destroyed what you and the rest hoped the Red Maple Empire. We are the culprits and should be the ones to apologize. You had nothing to do with it!" the rough-looking man pleadingly added as he tried to help Deng Wei.

Deng Wei slowly raised his gait which gave the illusion that it was because of the efforts of the rough-looking man, but all present, including the rough-looking man, knew it wasn't. If Deng Wei didn't allow there was no way the rough-looking man would have made him move one millimeter even if he burst forth with the strength of his entire cultivation.

"Hope of Red Maple Empire, huh.." muttered Deng Wei with a melancholic look as his gaze fell on the rough-looking man who was now apologizing for another thing.

"Deng Wei? Forgiveif I am out of turn here, fellow daoist, but are you the sDeng Wei as the rumored seventh founder of the Red Maple Empire?" asked Liu Guan.

"Good job. I can see why you are the Imperial Household Manager.." joyously thought Yang Qing, cheering the household manager's efforts.

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Other than Hou Dehui, Lei Weiyuan, and the rough-looking man who presumably knew his identity, everyone else looked on curiously. Even the snappy Cai Hong had her fury abate slightly at the question as her eyes fell on Deng Wei with an appraising look.

Even while being the center of attention, Deng Wei's demeanor was the sas that of a gentle breeze during summer weather.

Looking up, he sighed once more, before he answered,

"Founder?.... I never did much back then to be considered that..." pausing as he looked at Liu Guan and the rest.

"It was all my friend's doing, but to answer your question, while I may not be the founder, that Deng Wei and I are the same. I am surprised that anyone knows of me, seems like someone putin the history books back then despitetelling the rest not to.." Deng Wei said as his gaze fell on the rough-looking man who lowered his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you for humoring me, fellow daoist Deng Wei.." said Liu Guan, with the selegant and refined air to him.

"It isn't much.." Deng Wei lightly said as his gaze fell on Lin Guiren.

"Be it today or tomorrow, my identity would have gotten out one way or another. Besides, I would have introduced myself properly to fellow daoist Lin Guiren at spoint.." he added with a meaningful undertone to his voice.

"Aren't you behaving a little too arrogant for a sixth-stage domain expert?" said Cai Hong, her tone rife with contempt.

"Am I?.." Deng Wei said with a gentle smile.

"I am sorry if it coff that way. I haven't been interacting with people for a long time. For the past 30,000 years, I have interacted with no more than four people. Since long ago, social interactions have never been my strongest suit. I apologize in advance for my lacking manners, fellow daoist.."

Just as Cai Hong was about to retort again, she paused as Lin Guiren touched her hand, throwing her a look that said don't.

"I look forward to talking and making your acquaintance, daoist Deng Wei. Forgive my wife, it hasn't been the easiest of months for her. I will make sure to apologize properly at a later time.." said Lin Guired with a poised calmness.

"It's okay.."

"Hong'er don't antagonize him. There is something strange about him.."

"Strange how?"

"I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it but I can feel fleeting strands of a primal force from him. The sensation I am getting from him is similar to what I've felt from the Fu clan patriarch and a few of the elders.."

Cai Hong's pupils trembled slightly before they went back to normal.

"You mean he has a contract with one of the mythical beasts like the Fu Clan does with the golden roc?"

"No, not that. The sensation I'm getting from him is even stronger which makeswonder if the rumors surrounding him had struth to it?"

"The one of him being a treefolk?"

"Mmh. If it is true, then even if he is just in the sixth grade of the domain realm, with the mythical bloodline of the treefolk in him, other things aside, as a treefolk, he is guaranteed tremendous vitality, let alone him being a domain expert.

I could defeat him, but killing him is another matter, and even if I could do it, mythical beings like them have soul links within their bloodline. Someone within their bloodline would be alerted and immediately know who did it from the many esoteric means at their disposal.

Besides, his potential ancestry aside, he doesn't strikeas the reckless kind. If he wants to completely cut ties between the Red Maple Empire and us, he should have something that gives him the confidence that he can actually do it.

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We already have enough on our plate with our merger with Green Fig Manor, keeping all secrets surrounding the mysterious realm of the Sky rendering sword sect under wraps, and now Duyi'er's matter.

We can't add more to the plate. We have enough to deal with as it is.."

"I know. It's just that I'm worried about Duyi'er. If anything were to happen to him.."

"It won't. I will do everything to help him or guarantee his life at least, no matter the cost. He is my son too and I don't want anything to happen to him either.."

...

Unaware of the covert discussion happening between the couple, Yang Qing was practically beaming at the subtle tenseness in his courtroom. His prayer had been answered. Whatever attention he had feared would be placed solely on him was now being split among different sides. Hou Dehui was getting some, and now it seemed Deng Wei had joined in on the action.

Yang Qing couldn't help but silently give the mysterious founder a thumbs up.

"No wonder I felt ssense of kinship with him.." thought Yang Qing as his spirits rose.

"But a sixth-grade domain expert? How did he manage to increase his cultivation realm so fast? Is it because of his supposed treefolk bloodline?" curiously wondered Yang Qing.

Red Maple Empire was roughly about 35,000 years old, and if he took the accounts written back then as facts, it meant that 35,000 years ago, Deng Wei was not a domain expert. If he were, then they would not have been fleeing from the rank three clan that had been pursuing them back then.

Following that thread, then it meant that it took him 35,000 years to move from the core formation realm to the middle stages of the domain realm staring down at the doors of the late stages. Such a speed was stupendous, even by the Order's standards, after all breaking through to the domain realm seemed like an impossible task, and it was even harder moving from one stage to another.

Sdomain experts immediately after breaking through might never improve again,or for others, it might take them those 30,000 years just to move from the first stage to the second stage of the domain realm, and others may never get to step beyond the early stages of the domain realm just to reach the fourth stage, let alone climb to the sixth stage like Deng Wei had done.

Reaching the sixth stage in just 35,000 years was a testament to Deng Wei's abilities, but Yang Qing couldn't help but feel there might have been another factor in why he improved so fast in such a short amount of time. His treefolk bloodline while a factor, may have not been the only thing.

"Maybe it lies with where he has been for the past 35,000 years..." thought Yang Qing.