A middle-aged man in a green coat and matching robe with a tupelo tree emblem on his coat was escorted into the courtroom by an inquisitor who had a slender tall build, long flowing black hair whose age seemed to be about 30 years. He had a long sword sheathed in a pure white slender scabbard attached to the left side of his waist. His name was Feng Xin. Despite his slender build, the person is quite the ravenous eater and has been banned in a couple of mess halls in the courthouse. Feng Xin is also part of the inquisitor team attached to Yang Qing under the leadership of Yi Jie.

The middle-aged man being escorted by him was Cheng Yuan the current Sect master of the green fog swamp. The sect itself has been in existence for close to 9,000 years. The tupelo tree symbol that had been embroidered on his robe became their sect symbol because that tree is the reason the sect has been able to survive in the swampy region located southeast of the continent.

The tree was once planted in the current sect grounds of the green fog swamp by the founder who at the time was a rogue cultivator on the run. He didn’t realize anything special with the seed of the tree at the time. It was only after a while when the seed had grown into a tiny sap that he started noticing some minute peculiar changes. Spiritual essence in the air increased and the ground got richer and less damp however for some reason insects were fearful of approaching the tree.

The more the tree grew the larger the sphere of its effect on its immediate surroundings. It affected the air, water, and soil soon even the plants around started changing. A small biome soon came into existence and revolved around the tupelo tree. This became the basis and the foundation of the sect.

The swamp is highly inhospitable, full of poisonous insects and spirit beasts. Anyone below the foundation stage has a risk of being poisoned to death by any living thing there. This danger became a cover for the sect helping them in keeping the tree a secret before they grew strong enough to defend the tree by themselves. The swamp is also home to an abundant and varied species of spiritual herbs. It is because of this that the green fog swamp sect has been able to establish itself as an herb growth specialist and also dip its poisoned toe into alchemy.

Soon the Sect Leader Cheng Yuan and a cow that seemed to be about the size… well, just from its size alone, one could tell it stopped being a normal cow ages ago. Five Yang Qings could sleep legs and arms wide and there’d still be room for more. The cow had a green and white coat. With the green coat shaping itself to the clear patterns of a leaf. It also had green horns serrated like a leaf. This was the emerald leaf cow.

The Sect master and the cow had a solemn look at this moment, the earlier daggers they were staring at each other were all but gone at this moment due to the place they now were. The courtroom had a regal aura accompanying it with an incandescent golden glow around the whole room. It was dome-shaped and filled with furniture and equipment made of high-grade resources. The spiritual essence here was 100 times richer than in their sect. Stepping in here made them feel they’ve been living a dung beetle’s life.

The sect master couldn’t help but stick his tongue out and feel if the air tasted sweeter. Yi Jie and the rest weren’t surprised by his reaction. It wasn’t the weirdest thing they’d seen or experienced in these courtrooms. One person during his trials once pretended to have had an epiphany and sat down to start cultivating which Yang Qing happily obliged as it meant he won’t have to work until the “epiphany” was over. He ended up doing all-nighters for a week because of the stunt.

Feng Xin brought the sect master Cheng Yuan and the emerald leaf cow to the center of the courtroom and separated them with the cow being brought to the right side and Cheng Yuan brought to the left.

“Inquisitor Feng Xin hereby presents the 3rd generation Sect master of the green fog swamp sect who has filed charges against the emerald leaf cow on grounds of breaking defined sect agreements. He has waived autonomy and is willing to wholly submit himself to the ruling of the Order Courts as opposed to his internal sect rules. The emerald leaf cow named Wen Chang also agrees and submits to the same.” Said Feng Xin as he performed a curt bow toward where the podium where Yang Qing was.

“Thanks, Feng Xin. I seem to remember you once mentioned the green fog swamp to me.” Said Yang Qing with a hint of nonchalance on his face however he was throwing a hinting gaze at Feng Xin.

As Feng Xin was rising like a seasoned inquisitor of course that look Yang Qing was giving him didn’t escape his eyes.

“Yes, Judge I seem to remember mentioning it in passing” He replied as he threw a knowing acknowledging look toward Yang Qing.

“Is it really as poisonous there as you had said?”

“Judge if there is one thing I never joke about it’s poison. I’ve sampled a lot of fo…ahem poisonous fungi but the poisonous plants near the green fog swamp are in a class of their own.”

“Hahaha Good!! Good!!” Yang Qing lost himself for a bit there forgetting what setting he was on before he put on a serious solemn look pretending that the earlier person who was hitting the podium table with his palms saying good good with a drooling grin wasn’t him.

Sect master Cheng Yuan in the meanwhile had a puzzled look on his face as he inwardly wondered, ” How poisonous are the fungi they are discussing? I don’t remember seeing any and if it caught the attention of these big shots it must be deadly. Those damn elders I always warned them to pay close attention to all the plants growing all-round the sect with the disciples. But all they do is fawn over the emerald cow. See we now have poisonous fungi, what if it poisons the Tupelo tree? No, No!! I have to find a way to invite the people from the myriads herbs sect to do an inspection. But those bastards will bleed me dry. The cow is already swallowing all the sect reserves. Hmmph, just you wait..Maybe I might get the order to help they’re bound to be cheaper. How do I do that?”

As the Sect Master was going through a myriad of emotions, sweating buckets and qi, the emerald leaf cow too was lost in her thoughts which had originated from the hallway.

“There must be something fishy going on with the judge and the inquisitor. From the hallway that inquisitor has been throwing hidden glances at me like a wolf eyeing its prey. I felt that same look from the judge the moment I stepped in even though it was for a brief moment. What are these 2 planning?” Wen Chang the emerald leaf cow silently wondered as she kept throwing deep contemplative gazes at Feng Xin and Yang Qing trying to see through them.

The two people in question were busy continuing their charade that Mao Yunru had to clear her throat to bring back their attention to continue with the proceedings.

“Sorry about that. Feng Xin, we shall continue this another time.”

“Yes, Judge” Feng Xin replied as he offered another curt bow before turning to exit.

But just as he was leaving, by some sheer web of fate or karmic strings 3 people ended up locking eyes at the exact moment. Yang Qing, Feng Xin, and the emerald leaf cow.

Wen Chang was now certain that the vague feeling she had earlier of being stared down by ravenous hungry wolves definitely came from Feng Xin and Yang Qing. It was no imagination. This shook her to her core. Bringing back memories from her past before she awakened her bloodline, of the chicken and goat neighbors she lost to the sect, and how she dreaded her day would come.

“Let’s start, shall we? Both parties will first take a turn presenting their side of things before we move on from there. Wen Chang since you haven’t broken through to the palace stage you can’t transform into a human yet.” Yang Qing upon finishing that statement took out a golden eagle medallion and inserted it into his podium. Glowing glyphs suddenly lit up originating from the podium and then spreading out in the whole courtroom forming circles and lines that filled the whole court.

A grey almost translucent smooth ball suddenly appeared from the ground below the emerald leaf cow and floated above its head. The translucent ball was covered in formation arrays.

“Wen Chang you can use that ball to transmit your thoughts and it will transform your thoughts into a voice for everyone here to hear. Just insert a strand of your spiritual qi in there and the rest is easy. Sect master Cheng Yuan we will start with you first as we give Wen Chang a moment to familiarize herself with the thought transmission ball.” said Yang Qing as he took back the medallion with the glyphs slowly disappearing.

Yang Qing’s whole demeanor had changed at this moment his earlier goofiness and laziness were nowhere to be seen. What was present was a seasoned and powerful judge whose presence seemed to draw everything to himself. ．𝚌ｏ𝚖

This change always surprises Yi Jie and Mao Yunru no matter how many times they see it. The moment a case starts Yang Qing’s whole look changes he feels like a completely different person from the one they’re used to.