Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1406: Dependable comrades (2)

"This is what he looks like," he said as he conjured up the image of a slender, mid-thirties man with a scholarly look and a gentle, handsome face. "This is what he looks like as Xie Huan.

"And this is what he looks like as Xue Peng," he continued, waving his hand, which disassembled the previous image into a blue cloud before it reformed once more into a different man who looked older, in his early to mid-forties, with a more stern look and differently colored hair. It was blue as opposed to the grey of Xie Huan.

He went on to create two more images, one for Cao Tian and the last one for Wu Chen.

The latter two looked much more the same, be it in terms of age, which was mid-thirties just like Xie Huan, and their general aura and temperament, which was more scholarly. If there was a difference between the two, it was that Wu Chen looked more bookish than Cao Tian, while Cao Tian had a more free-spirited air about him, which was to be expected, given that particular alias wore the identity of an artist.

Yang Qing went into the background of all four, though he left out why he was looking for them, but did not hide the importance of digging out any and all traces related to the four identities, and the urgency of it.

"Use all your connections. They should still be usable, right?" asked Yang Qing once he was done with his explanation.

"Most should be," answered Han Lei with a confidence in his tone that brought relief to Yang Qing, given his request.

"Whatever resources you need in terms of spirit stones and the like to do your business, they are yours. I will put you in contact with a colleague of mine, who will guide you through it.

"In terms of spirit stones, do not limit yourself. However much you need, ask," Yang Qing said in a tone and with an expression that drove the point home that he really meant it and was not just saying those things to be polite.

"I understand," said Han Lei, nodding solemnly.

"Good," said Yang Qing before adding, "And no assassinating or doing the things you used to do in your old occupation. If that is the cost asked to get the information I need, do not get it that way. I have enough burdens on my conscience; I do not need more," Yang Qing softly warned, using his eyes to show his seriousness on the matter.

"That part of my life was put to rest when I finally avenged my clan and the Ghost Viper Court’s destruction.

"I have no intention of going back there," Han Lei softly said, with a smile that showed his sincerity and resolve.

"Okay then," said Yang Qing, nodding to him. "By the way, how is Zhu Qing?" he suddenly asked, as the disgraced formation master he had been worrying about earlier came to mind.

Han Lei sighed before giving his response. "He does not talk much. He does not move much either. Most of his days are spent either staring listlessly at the sky or counting sand grains or blades of grass. At least that is what I think he does when he stares at the ground."

"Is that so?" said Yang Qing, sighing, as he internally debated whether to make use of Zhu Qing despite his state. By the looks of things, it did not seem like he would get a lot of use from him, which would be a shame for Yang Qing, as a blue-grade formation master was a worthy asset for any organization.

Not to mention, before his big blunder with the gold-grade formation that exploded, reaping countless lives in the process, Zhu Qing had been an up-and-coming prodigy of the Guardian Blue River Star Pavilion. And if it had not been for that incident with the gold-grade array, he would have been the next leader of the renowned pavilion.

His achievements up until that point already showed he had talent, even by the Order’s standards. Yang Qing hoped that the person from before was still there somewhere, but as someone once plagued by mental and heart demons, he knew finding that person would be a tall order. He was not sure whether the former prodigy of the Guardian Blue River Star Pavilion would even dare to look at a worn-out formation blueprint, let alone interact with a formation array.

Yang Qing sighed once more as he decided he would just take it a day at a time with Zhu Qing and trust that Vice Warden Shao An had suggested him for a reason. After all, to make it to the rehabilitation program, while the staff at Requiem made the evaluations, the prisoners themselves had to have a willingness for it.

So, as lifeless as Zhu Qing looked at the moment, he must have shown a willingness to grasp at the chance of a new life, given his placement in the program. Unless he had not shown it, and his being placed on Yang Qing’s team was Vice Warden Shao An throwing the responsibility on Yang Qing to help Zhu Qing find that reason.

Yang Qing hoped it was not the case, as he was drowning in work as it was, without adding rehabilitation of the mind and heart to his workload. He really hoped it was not the case, but a nagging voice in the back of his mind kept telling him he had been saddled with Zhu Qing for more than just using him for the program. After all, of everyone on that list, one could say the program was built exactly for people like him, because unlike Han Lei or Luo Suyun, the deaths he caused were a result of recklessness rather than outright villainy.

Had the gold-grade array he had been working on not failed in the eleventh hour and exploded just as it was about to be completed, he would be living a different life as a different person from who he was at the moment.

Pushing thoughts of Zhu Qing to the side, Yang Qing led Han Lei to Fan Mei, as the latter handled the discretionary funds assigned to him. The more this case progressed, the more he grew increasingly grateful that he had Fan Mei to rely on.

Just as he had grown to expect from the studious and efficient Fan Mei, she handled everything smoothly and quickly, taking a little over fifteen minutes to make arrangements for Han Lei and the resources he had access to and how to access them, before Yang Qing swiftly deployed him.

Han Lei was also another whom Yang Qing felt would make his life easier, especially with this case. As a former assassin, digging up information and trails, even old ones, was the bread and butter of those in his profession. Information was their lifeline, as it not only determined the success of their mission but also their life and death. As such, they went to great lengths to create a vast and reliable information network, which Yang Qing hoped to make use of at the moment, especially in digging up old clues.

The list of unverified locations was born out of the places Yang Shitong had uncovered from his inheritance memories of where Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce Tribe members lived.

Those places might not be in existence at the moment, given the dire straits the tribe eventually fell into and their minimal sightings over the years, but even so, Yang Qing felt they were still worth a look. After all, in hard times, he had come to realize people often clung to the familiar. As such, maybe his kidnapping suspect had done the same and gone to the old stomping grounds of his ancestors, and if he did, he figured a seasoned former assassin like Han Lei would be able to uncover a thread.

He could only hope.

With all matters that needed taking care of already taken care of, Yang Qing decided to spend whatever time he had left before the team from the Vast Blue Merchant Company arrived by having an exchange with Fan Mei, which was more or less them correlating what had been gathered thus far and structuring it as they added more to it.

Hours quickly passed before the session was interrupted by a talisman call to Fan Mei from the Vast Blue Merchant Company team, informing her of their arrival to pick up Yang Qing for the auction.