??As Deng Chao was busy ruminating over why soone of ng Chao's stature had made a personal appearance on the case, the contract parchnt in the middle of the courtroom split into five copies. The five copies turned into dazzling golden lights as they flew toward sect master Han Qingling, Owner Liu Yun, Zhao Qi, ng Chao, and finally Deng Chao who was pulled from his daze when he saw a golden light fly at him.
"I think my work here is done. Thank you Yang Qing for giving
a chance to intrude on your case. I'll leave the rest to you," ng Chao nodded to Yang Qing who nodded back in acknowledgnt.
"Lei Weiyuan you're coming to Zhu Lao's welcoming party, right? His wife has finally decided to let him out after the little stunt he pulled 50 years ago. The party will be tomorrow night at Su Yin's place," ng Chao said as he shook his head while chuckling.
"Glad to hear his seclusion is over. His departnt in the institute has been out of sorts without their dean to hold down the fort. Hehehe sure I'll be there," Lei Weiyuan said as he smiled.
"Zhu Lao, isn't he?" Yang Qing paused as he imdiately recollected who that was. How could he not when that was the na of the longti absentee dean of the faculty of cultivation art history and dissection.
Other than him being the only dean Yang Qing had never seen in his ti at the institute the real reason he rembered him was that one of the core cultivation arts currently being practiced by the Order was created by him. It was a movent art in the middle ranks of gold-grade cultivation arts, the shadow void steps.
The shadow void steps made one as light as a feather and as fast as the wind. With high levels of mastery, one would even move within the shadow of objects around making it as versatile as teleportation. It even went to the extent that one could bypass protection arrays of a particular level as long as the cultivator had high proficiency in the art. It was one of the best stealth and multipurpose utility art the Order had, so its creator Zhu Lao was widely known despite never being seen by the younger mbers, especially the story surrounding the art's creation.
Rumor was he had created the art so he could sneak out of his ho undetected to go have a chat and drink with friends in the wee hours of the night and sneak right back in. He was successful at first but later his wife with abnormal instincts felt sothing was off, especially with the random dao research excuse he used on her for a few months when he ca ho late. Acting on her suspicions she added a few alert formation arrays without Zhu Lao's knowledge.
Zhu Lao who had grown careless from his pumped-up pride at pulling one over his wife ended up triggering one of those formation arrays on his way out. After he was caught red-handed sneaking out, the information circulated around the Order was he was going into closed-door cultivation to deepen his understanding of the dao.50 years have passed since the announcent.
Yang Qing had always wanted to et the person who created the Shadow void steps considering how intricate that cultivation art was among movent arts. If he received pointers from such a person he felt the improvents he would make would be astronomical considering Zhu Lao had created the shadow void steps by improving on a red-grade art, the silent moon steps. He had elevated the cultivation art by three grades which was a feat in and of itself.
Though there was another person who Yang Qing would have even traded his leave days just for a chance to say hi, a monster who invented four purple-grade arts sothing even those from the holy lands couldn't achieve. But sadly just like Zhu Lao who was hard to get in touch with because of his 'closed-door cultivation' it was similarly hard to find the four-ti purple-grade cultivation creator.
The only reason Yang Qing and most people knew about him was that his na was among the top ten nas written in the all-ti rit wall.
…
"Senior ng Chao do you think I could.." Yang Qing hurriedly asked as his eyes glead with expectation. Though currently his request wasn't purely borne out of a young cultivator's interest in seeking pointers from their seniors. His gluttonous nature just like always had already guided his steps.
"What could be better than a feast hosted by a domain expert? The quality," Yang Qing thought to himself
"Yang Qing don't you think you should try to atleast hide your true thoughts a little bit better?" ng Chao said as he pointed at the side of Yang Qing's mouth that had a tiny drool sneaking out from it.
Yang Qing hurriedly wiped it with his sleeves.
"Sorry about that senior ng Chao. It seems like I've made a fool of myself in front of you. My hunger for the dao sotis gets the better of
and I lose control of myself. I have much to learn especially from my very talented seniors," Yang Qing shalessly said putting on the most solemn serious dao focused look he could muster.
"This guy is truly shaless beyond asure. If shalessness was a dao I'm afraid he would already be an unparalleled expert by now," Yi Jie thought as the swollen throbbing vein in his forehead threatened to burst open from the passive sha he was suffering from. He always bore the brunt of Yang Qing's shalessness since he was his chief inquisitor.
Even ng Chao was a little taken aback by Yang Qing's reaction.
"Fine you can co too, your team included and those judge friends of yours you eat with," ng Chao said in exasperation. He couldn't wait to escape before Yang Qing did sothing that made him ruin his expert-like deanor.
"Lei Weiyuan is truly a pro at this. He hasn't flinched even a little," ng Chao thought as he looked at him in admiration
"Well then, if there is nothing else I will be taking my leave," ng Chao hurriedly said as he turned around to make his getaway. But as he passed by Deng Chao he paused for a second as if debating about sothing.
"I was there during the final monts of your sect. I'm sorry that I couldn't do much for you or your sect at the ti but in the next year or so should you want to find out the truth about the identity of the mastermind behind your sect's destruction and the origin of the last intruders, you can seek
out," ng Chao said as he passed a small black token with a golden eagle symbol on one side and the na ng on the other.
Deng Chao reflexively took the token though he was in a stupor as he did it. By the ti he regained his senses and was about to ask a question, ng Chao had already disappeared from his sight the sa way he had appeared.
"If he was there then why didn't he step in? With his abilities surely he would have been able to prevent the total annihilation of my sect or even kept the intruders who ca at the last mont, at bay," Deng Chao softly said. However, everyone could feel the anger and despondence in his tone despite the softness of his tone.
"He was at the peak of the seventh stage of the domain realm at the ti and the Order was barely a few months old and thus didn't have the proper structure to involve itself and solve sothing of that level efficiently.
I'm not saying this to make an excuse for senior ng Chao or the Order but I'm just stating the facts as they were.
If the situation were reversed and you were in ng Chao's shoes, a seventh-stage domain realm, would you recklessly intervene in a clash that had more than ten late-stage domain experts?" Lei Weiyuan asked.
Deng Chao's eyes flashed with pain as he swallowed his next words. He knew he was just being unreasonable by assigning bla but sotis blaming another person seed a lot easier than facing the grim harsh reality.
"He couldn't do anything for you then but over the past 400 years, he has been searching and investigating every clue he could find concerning those who masterminded the destruction of your sect. He has spent countless hours and resources doing it all because he felt he owed it to a cultivator whose character he admired.
I hope you find the answers you need fellow daoist.
Yang Qing I'll be taking my leave too," Lei Weiyuan said as he flashed and disappeared from the spot.
The mood remained somber for almost five minutes without anyone moving or saying anything.
It was only when Deng Chao regained so semblance of clarity that the silence was broken.
"Judge Yang Qing, can you give my thanks to fellow daoist ng Chao when you next et him? Tell him I will never forget the favor he has done for
and my sect," Deng Chao softly said with so calmness to his tone.
"I will. By the way, can I ask you sothing? It's okay not to answer if you find the question too personal," Yang Qing said.
Ever since he saw Deng Chao there was sothing that he couldn't shake and has been nagging at him. Once he saw Deng Chao was in a calr mood he decided to take a gamble and ask.
"If I can answer I will," Deng Chao replied with a polite smile.
"Is Deng Chao your real na?" Yang Qing hesitantly asked.
"Why ask that?" Deng Chao asked as he narrowed his gaze and his face turned serious.
"If I said just acting on a hunch would that be enough?"
Deng Chao went silent for a second a bit hesitant before he sighed as his shoulders relaxed.
"Well, it doesn't matter revealing it now anyway seeing how they're all dead.
My real na isn't Deng Chao but Li Ren. Other than that I'm afraid I can't tell you more as it is a past I'd rather not dredge up. I already have too much grief to last several lifetis," Deng Chao said as he bitterly smiled.
"Thank you senior Deng Chao for fulfilling my selfish request," Yang Qing said as he got up and deeply bowed toward him.
"Maybe later you will tell
the real reason you asked
that," Deng Chao said as he smiled.
"I will," Yang Qing solemnly said. If he confird his suspicions to be true he had thought of looping both parties in but that would have to wait until he t with the other half of the potential equation when he clocked off.
"Clocking off," As if realizing sothing, Yang Qing had a joyous smile on his face as he hurriedly grabbed his gavel.
"I, Yang Qing, judge of the superior core court of the Order and the judge in charge of this case hereby declare the case of Sect master Han Qingling of the Yellow lotus sect vs Zhao Qi vs Mountain spring pavilion, CLOSED!" Yang Qing joyously said as he thunderously brought the gavel down that it even made the podium vibrate much to the dismay of the rest.
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