Displeasure against the Order

Yang Qing quickly pushed those thoughts aside and refocused on the matter at hand.

"As you've heard, the earthvine wood was 23,000 years old, and based on the amount of timber used to craft the table you brothers destroyed, its worth falls between 20,000 and 25,000 mid-grade spirit stones. The price Zhong Quan quoted you—15,000 mid-grade spirit stones—was more than fair on his part.

So, the accusation that the table wasn't true earthvine wood has been disproved, and the charges he requested for the damage have been found reasonable. With all these facts in place—"

"WAIT, JUDGE YANG QING!!!" Shen Shi suddenly interrupted, his voice laced with fury.

"What do you mean by fair? Is this how the Order conducts its business—colluding with the affluent to oppress rogue cultivators just because we have no powerful backers?

You really expect us to trust the judgment of some old man who's already halfway to the grave? He's just a senile fool you've dragged into this case to give the illusion of fairness when, in reality, you had already decided to side with that unscrupulous merchant over there. Some beacon of fairness and justice the Order is!

Just wait until we leave here—we'll make sure everyone knows how the Order really operates, especially when it comes to rogue cultivators. I and my brothers won't stand for this! We refuse to continue with this sham of a trial!" Shen Shi spat out, his voice filled with scorn.

His brothers stood with him, their expressions dark. Shen Tian even spat onto the courtroom floor in disdain.

Yang Qing's gaze remained steady as he calmly asked, "Is this sentiment shared by you two?"

"Yes, it is," Shen Ding coldly replied.

"Me too, though I think Shen Shi was a little too tame with his words. Shen Shi, you really try too hard to be 'refined' like those aristocrats. Like I always say, with enough strength, even a boar could be seen as more of a gentleman than a king."

Shen Tian scoffed, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

"If we had sufficient strength, do you think we'd have to endure this farce of a ruling?"

His eyes gleamed with scorn as he glanced around the courtroom.

"The Order is said to be a hotbed of talent, but they don't seem like much to me—just a bunch of soft cakes puffing themselves up. Just you wait… I'll make sure to grow powerful enough to openly spit in the Order's face."

His expression twisted with contempt as he locked eyes with Yang Qing, his gaze cold and unyielding.

Zhong Quan frowned at their outburst, displeasure flickering in his eyes. But as he turned to Yang Qing, his expression shifted. The judge remained calm and indifferent, unshaken by their provocation. In fact, Zhong Quan could detect a hint of playful craftiness in Yang Qing's gaze as he studied the three brothers, as if he had already seen through them.

"Good. Since you're all in agreement, this makes things easier," Yang Qing said, his tone growing colder. "As rogue cultivators, I would have thought you'd have a bit of awareness. How have you stayed alive being so reckless and clueless?

That 'old man' you call senile is one of the foremost figures in craftsmanship—he's created sentient artifacts. Do you have any idea how many materials have passed through his hands? From sky-grade to ascendant-grade, the amount is enough to bury an entire town, yet you have the gall to doubt his judgment over a single sky-grade material."

He shook his head slightly, his voice laced with mockery. "You're lucky he didn't hear your words. Even I wouldn't survive a punch from him—let alone three puny fourth-stage core formation cultivators. You've had your heads swollen with pride from surviving insignificant trials..trials that any early-stage foundation expert from the Order would've blazed through without breaking a sweat."

His gaze sharpened as his fingers lightly tapped the podium. "Do you think core formation cultivators are enough for the Order to pull tricks and tarnish its name over? Even a soul formation cultivator wouldn't be worth the trouble—let alone you three."

Yang Qing leaned back slightly, his voice dropping into a colder register. "And do you think this is some child's game that you can just back out of court proceedings whenever you feel like it?"

He paused, letting the words hang heavy in the air.

"I asked you beforehand if you were sure you wanted to submit yourselves wholly to the court's ruling—and you did. Your chance to refuse ended the moment you agreed. Any act that undermines this ruling or defies it will result in penalties far harsher than what you would have faced otherwise."

His expression turned utterly indifferent. "You'd best prepare yourselves for what comes next. This is the Order—not someplace where you can behave however you please."

Shen Ding couldn't help but nervously gulp, wondering if they had pushed their luck too far. Shen Shi and Shen Tian, however, looked undaunted—at least on the surface. Yet, Shen Tian's body seemed tenser than before, and one of Shen Shi's fists was tightly clenched.

"I, Yang Qing, as a judge of the Superior Core Court, hereby exercise the authority vested in me by the Order to pass judgment on the case between the owner of the Earthvine Restaurant, Zhong Quan, and the three Shen brothers."

His voice rang out in the courtroom.

"Having reviewed the evidence and deemed it sufficient for a ruling, I declare the defendants, Shen Shi, Shen Ding, and Shen Tian, guilty of destroying an earthvine table valued between 20,000 and 25,000 middle-grade spirit stones, as assessed by Master Craftsman Chief Song Chuanli. The valuation of 15,000 middle-grade spirit stones given by Owner Zhong Quan is found to be fair and above board."

Yang Qing briefly paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.

"As for sentencing, the Order is prepared to either compensate Zhong Quan in full or have the three brothers repay the debt through labor at the restaurant. The debt will be considered settled after one month of work. The standard remuneration for a fourth-stage Core Formation expert is 500 middle-grade spirit stones per day.

Which option do you prefer, Owner Zhong Quan?"

Before Zhong Quan could respond, the three brothers erupted in fury.

"Judge Ya—" the three brothers erupted in fury, ready to protest.

"Silence!" Yang Qing's calm voice instantly cut them off. "You have no say in the matter. Stand still and wait your turn." 

The moment his words fell, an invisible force surged through the courtroom. The Shen brothers' bodies froze in place, locked by an overwhelming energy. They couldn't move—not even to blink. The only thing left under their control was their breath.

This sudden change sent a chill through their bodies. They didn't even understand what had happened—one moment, they had control, and the next, it was completely stripped away. Fear settled deep in their hearts, but their frozen bodies betrayed nothing.

Zhong Quan noticed something strange about the three brothers, especially when it seemed like their words had been quite literally forced back down their throats.

"There may be more to this judge than meets the eye. Maybe earlier..." Zhong Quan paused midway as a more unsettling thought surfaced. His gaze toward Yang Qing grew more cautious.

"Judge Yang Qing, if it's acceptable, I prefer the first option. As much as I would have liked to employ Core Formation experts for a month, having them in my restaurant may cause more trouble than it's worth—especially since they clearly don't want to be there. The first option is the safest and most expedient for me," Zhong Quan said respectfully.

"You wouldn't need to worry about discipline if you chose the second option. The Order has ways to ensure they fulfill their duties properly," Yang Qing replied with a smile. "So, do you still prefer the first option, or would you like to reconsider?"

"Thank you for the consideration, but I'll stick with the first option," Zhong Quan said, offering a polite smile in return.

"Very well. Zheng Hu will take you to the Restitution and Reclamation Office. They'll pay you the full amount there, whether you want it in high-grade, mid-grade, or even low-grade spirit stones—they accommodate all preferences. Take this as proof," Yang Qing said as he quickly drafted a note on an ancient-looking piece of paper.

After finishing, he stamped it with his gold eagle medallion. The writing glowed with a pure golden light before the paper rolled itself up. A golden eagle spirit emerged, swallowed the note, then flew over to Zheng Hu and perched on his shoulder.