Daily life of a cultivation judge

Buildings of different designs, housing different occupations were arranged neatly around the town from tea houses, to inns and pavilions, to general stores, to blacksmith shops, to alchemy and herbal shops that sold all manner of ingredients and potions, to martial dojos.

There were also little roadside stalls that sold sweets, simple dishes, and little trinkets that attracted the interest of the young ones, who pulled their parents and used every trick in the book to get them to buy them something from those stalls. The guardians, parents, or relatives would then pretend to agonize over it before they acquiesced but not before exhorting them to practice hard in their cultivation when they get home in exchange or some other activity that the young one would otherwise grumble over.

Haggling, banter, teasing, laughing, arguing, and all manner of interactions went on all over the place filling it with life and personality. The Blue Respite Town was unlike most towns in that it felt more like a harmonious village where everyone has known each other for years and years, spanning generations and generations that their entire lives have been interwoven together as it indeed was.

Yang Qing could see four elderly grandpas playing go on a terrace outside a teahouse called Lady Ma's House of Tea and Golden Scallion Pancakes. For as long as he could remember ever since he joined the Order and was a student, he always saw them there, playing Go while regaling the young ones with tales of their youths, and from what he had heard, they had been doing the same thing for the past 270 years.

"Little Qing, you're back? Your mom told us you had left.." said one of the elderly men as he waved Yang Qing over with a genial smile.

"How was it? Still terrified of the outside world?"

Yang Qing scratched the back of his head with a bashful smile as he said,

"Grandpa Ma, Grandpa Jin, Grandpa Hu, Grandpa Ling, glad to see you all in good health. I'm even tempted to take you all with me during my next mission outside to see your dragon slaying, and phoenix egg stealing skills in the flesh, or that roar you always talk about Grandpa Ling that is able to scare even tribulation clouds.."

"Ling said that? Hahahaha, how shameless can you be? Where was that roar when sister Fei was tearing you a new one the other day. With how docile you had been that day as you took the lashing, one would have even mistaken you to be deaf, dumb, and blind..."

The elderly man called Grandpa Ling had his face redden in embarrassment as he hurriedly stood up to defend himself.

"You're one to talk Ma, we know you haven't been home in a week, I wonder why is that. I see you're using the skills you used to escape from that phoenix quite well.."

"Could you two please not start.." a voice came from within the restaurant. It was an exasperated female voice, who revealed herself as she walked out of the restaurant. She looked to be in her late forties with auburn hair tied in a bun with loose strands hanging loosely all around. Though one wouldn't call her a city-toppling beauty, she had a beauty that could be described as simple and comforting.

When Yang Qing saw her, he smiled widely as he said,

"Auntie Wei, your beauty gets more and more unmatched every time I see you..."

"Always cheeky..." answered the lady as she shook her head with a smile as she looked at Yang Qing with a gaze one would look at their child.

"Give me a second.." added the lady as she went back into her restaurant and later came out holding three bags filled with golden scallion pancakes releasing piping tantalizing smoke.

Yang Qing couldn't help but gulp when the smell hit him. The reason he was so close to the four elderly men was because of the restaurant. It was owned by Grandpa Ma's daughter, Ma Wei. Her scallion pancakes were the most flavorful Yang Qing had ever had. Even his mom, who was a great cook in her own might, admitted her inferiority to Ma Wei when it came to making golden scallion pancakes.

From the moment he joined the Order and discovered this place, he used every free opportunity he had to visit it and have the scallion pancakes, and when he couldn't afford it, he would trade favors for a few pieces here and there, though half the time he would be given freebies like he was now.

"Here, two are for you because I know your appetite, and the other is for your nephews. Don't eat it, or I won't give you any for a month.."

"Auntie Wei, am I that sort of person.." Yang Qing said feigning an aggrieved as he hurriedly took the bags from her.

Ma Wei didn't even have to respond before the four elderly men answered in unison,

"Yes, yes, you are.." as another round of laughter went around the place.

Hiding his embarrassment, Yang Qing hurriedly thanked Ma Wei as he left the shop lest he give the four elders to bash him some more, and before he knew it more would come and it would devolve into an event.

After a few twists and turns and crossing a clay bridge, he arrived outside the Flaming Goose Restaurant. It was a three-

story restaurant made of citrine elm wood, which provided a refreshing smell that blended perfectly with the scent of roasted meat, causing hunger and want in all who walked close.

The restaurant was another of Yang Qing's favorites in Blue Respite Town. Unlike the previous tea house that was owned solely by Ma Wei, the Flaming Goose Restaurant was owned by four people from different families. The four were all chefs skilled in a particular class of dish, there was the meat and poultry specialist, the vegetable and egg dishes specialist, the tea and wine specialist, and the snacks specialist.

The four united their skills and opened up the Flaming Goose Restaurant, which ironically wasn't famed for its goose dish, nor did it have one, with the name only being chosen that way because it sounded cool and seemed better than calling the restaurant the Golden Goose Restaurant.

Though they didn't have goose, their meat and poultry dishes were exemplary and the restaurant was frequented even by Order employees and not just their families, because of the quality of their dishes.

Yang Qing took a big whiff in with a satisfied smile on his face as he thought to himself, he was finally home. With large steps, he walked into the restaurant and made his way to the third floor which was where he had detected the Wang couple sitted.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting.." Yang Qing said with a soft tone when he reached their table startling the couple who had been admiring the scenery around the restaurant.