Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1077: Why would he do that?
Without wasting any time, Yang Qing deployed his palace sense, isolating himself, Duan Ting, and Liu Ying from their surroundings.
Given the sensitive nature of the topic, he felt it was best to keep the discussion private, leaving Ming Wa out for now.
His palace sense functioned similarly to the anti-scrying and isolation arrays embedded in their table, concealing their figures and voices. Ming Wa, despite having her head lowered, immediately noticed the change. She raised her head in surprise, her eyes scanning the area.
Though she could still see Yang Qing, Duan Ting, and Liu Ying, their appearances were now blurry. Their clothing, faces, and even their presence felt hazy—reduced to indistinct outlines.
The abrupt shift startled her, but she quickly composed herself. Reading between the lines, she realized they likely needed privacy to discuss something important.
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Ming Wa reached for her cup and took a sip of wine. The isolation provided her with a welcome reprieve, lifting the burden of having to speak or maintain appearances. No longer weighed down by the pressure to contribute, or the awkwardness of hiding her emotions, she finally felt a small sense of ease.
At least with Yang Qing and the others isolating themselves, Ming Wa no longer had to suffocate under the endless debate of whether she should speak up or stay silent.
Even though she knew the reprieve wouldn't last long, she fully intended to make the most of it—sipping her wine and savoring the meat strips she had quickly grown fond of.
...
"From the list of goods, I noticed a monarch-grade treasure," Yang Qing began, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "The treasure in question is the Heart-quenching Mulberry Dew. Why was something so precious included in the shipment Jiang Hao was transporting?"
His gaze sharpened as he added, "You're all aware of its value, aren't you?"
"We are," Duan Ting replied solemnly.
Yang Qing frowned. "And yet Jiang Hao still agreed to handle that commission?"
Liu Ying let out a heavy sigh, stepping in to explain further.
"Yes, we know its value, and under normal circumstances, Brother Jiang Hao wouldn't have been the one to transport it. But we didn't have much of a choice," she said, pausing briefly to sigh again before continuing.
"When the client approached us with the commission, Bai Chen was still out handling his own contracts and wasn't available.
"We advised the client to wait until the Boss returned so he could personally oversee the delivery, but the client refused to hear any of it."
"To him, what mattered most wasn't security but speed. He insisted the dew had to be transported within a specific timeframe."
Liu Ying shook her head as she added, "We would have turned the request down outright if not for his insistence. He even went so far as to say that if it got lost, he wouldn't seek compensation. On top of that, he claimed he had measures in place to guarantee its safety, regardless of who delivered it."
"What kind of protection are we talking about?" Yang Qing asked.
"The dew was sealed inside a monarch-grade artifact," Liu Ying explained. "It not only concealed its aura completely but also had a discreet alert system built into it. If anything happened, the artifact would immediately notify its owner."
She continued, "According to the client, it would take a late-stage palace realm expert at least five hours to break through its defenses. That would give him more than enough time to respond."
Yang Qing's eyes narrowed. "And that was enough to convince you?"
Liu Ying nodded. "The distance for the delivery wasn't far, and we didn't rely on just the artifact. We had it appraised by someone from the Gold Earth Bank to confirm everything the client claimed—especially the part about masking its aura."
"It all checked out," she said with a slight shrug. "Given the short distance and the added security measures, we judged the risks to be manageable."
She paused before adding, "Brother Jiang Hao may not have had the strength to guard such a treasure himself, but the Boss provided additional support. Jiang Hao was allowed to use Bai Chen's personal ship for the commission. It's outfitted with blue-grade arrays.
"He also carried palace-realm talismans containing 80% of the Boss's strength and took along one of the three monarch-grade artifacts owned by the agency."
"With all these precautions, along with the artifact from the dew's owner, we believed it was enough for Jiang Hao to complete the delivery safely."
"And it was," Duan Ting cut in, nodding firmly. "Since it was the most valuable commission, we prioritized it above all others. Jiang Hao delivered the dew without any issues."
Yang Qing leaned back slightly, his eyes still sharp. "Mmh... Did you have any prior dealings with Li Gang or the Vast Blue Merchant Company?"
Even with the explanation laid out, Yang Qing still found the situation baffling. He couldn't wrap his head around why Li Gang would take the risk of entrusting such a valuable treasure to an outsider—especially someone without the strength to fully safeguard it. And even if Li Gang had decided to trust an escort agency, wouldn't it make more sense to choose someone with greater power and influence?
The Bluefin Escort Agency's decision to accept the commission was understandable. After all, they stood to make a handsome profit and potentially establish ties with the Vast Blue Merchant Company. But when it came to Li Gang, Yang Qing couldn't see the reasoning behind his willingness to take such a gamble.
The only plausible explanation he could think of was that Li Gang might have had a personal connection to someone within the escort agency—hence the inquiry.
Duan Ting shook his head. "Prior to that day, we didn't know him personally. But we've had a few dealings with the Vast Blue Merchant Company before. Nothing unusual, though—just standard business transactions, no more than what other escort agencies might have had."
He paused briefly before adding, "We also wondered why Li Gang came to us."
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
Yang Qing nodded thoughtfully, appreciating Duan Ting's candor. But the answer still left gaps in his understanding.
"Do you by chance know Li Gang's position within the Vast Blue Merchant Company?" Yang Qing asked next, probing further.
Duan Ting glanced at Liu Ying before replying, "Based on what the Boss managed to dig up, Li Gang is one of the rising branch leaders within the merchant company. He's supposedly on the verge of being promoted to the upper echelons—potentially becoming one of the company's elders."
Yang Qing's brows furrowed as he processed the information. "Thanks," he said after a moment, his voice calm, though his thoughts continued to churn.
With that, Yang Qing dispelled his palace sense, their forms gradually coming back into focus for Ming Wa.
