The duo continued their meal in contrasting moods—Cheng Yuan savoring every bite, while Yang Qing wore a disgruntled pout. His irritation stemmed from noticing that a few of the dumplings were smaller by a few millimeters. Though tempted to complain, he decided against it, knowing it would mean waiting for replacements, assuming the restaurant even entertained his grievance. With a resigned sigh, he ate the dumplings first, mentally vowing to give the restaurant an earful later.
A few minutes later, the steamed and baked pork buns were finished, and Yang Qing reached for the plate of fried taro dumplings. The dumplings were golden and crisp, with a subtle red tint from the phoenix tail shrimp in the filling. Still suspicious from his earlier discovery, Yang Qing carefully examined each fried taro dumpling, ensuring they were uniform in size. Only after confirming their consistency did he nod in satisfaction and begin dividing them.
Cheng Yuan, observing Yang Qing's peculiar behavior, wondered what all the scrutiny was about. After a brief moment of consideration, he chalked it up to some sort of eating ritual unique to Yang Qing. Though curious, he ultimately decided against copying it.
As they ate, Cao Ying, the ever-dutiful waiter, appeared to clear away the empty plate that had held the pork buns. Cheng Yuan's gaze lingered on him, unable to shake his curiosity. For someone so young and already at the early stage of the foundation realm, being a mere servant in a restaurant—even one as glamorous as this—seemed almost absurd.
"Is the Order blind, or do they just have so much talent that someone like him doesn't even stand out?" Cheng Yuan silently wondered, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Curious about Cao Ying, are we?" Yang Qing asked with a knowing smile, breaking Cheng Yuan's train of thought.
Startled, Cheng Yuan choked on a piece of fried taro dumpling mid-bite, coughing as he struggled to clear his throat before finally managing to respond.
"No, it's not that... it's... it's... Yes, I'm curious why someone that gifted is just a servant at a restaurant. Doesn't the Order want someone with his talent? From what I've noticed, even rank 1 sects and families would covet someone with his level of skill. And he doesn't even seem like a regular early-stage Foundation Realm cultivator—his realm feels far more refined and robust." Cheng Yuan decided to be honest, realizing there was no point in fabricating an excuse when Yang Qing, being both a judge and stronger than him, had likely noticed his interest in Cao Ying.
"You have a keen eye, Sect Master Cheng Yuan," Yang Qing said with a calm smile, pausing to chew on a taro dumpling. "Your years of personally mentoring and guiding your core disciples haven't been wasted if you can discern the intricacies of Cao Ying's Foundation Establishment Realm. Perhaps nurturing truly is your forte."
Cheng Yuan waited expectantly as Yang Qing continued, "The Order isn't overflowing with talent to the point that it would ignore someone like Cao Ying. He's one of us—a student of the Cultivation Order Institute. Once he reaches the Core Formation Realm, he'll be inducted into the Order, whether as a judge, inquisitor, or in some other capacity, depending on where his talents and interests lie."
Yang Qing casually reached for another taro dumpling as Cheng Yuan frowned in thought. "Then why—" Cheng Yuan began but cut himself off, realizing it might be inappropriate to question the Order's practices so directly.
Yang Qing chuckled, filling the silence. "You're wondering why a student from the prestigious Order is working as a servant in a restaurant, right, Sect Master Cheng Yuan?"
Caught off guard, Cheng Yuan nodded sheepishly, acknowledging the question.
"Well, it's not a secret or anything. Anyone with a decent source of information knows that most of the servants in these restaurants, inns, and pavilions are students of the Order Institute. Like I told you, cultivation is just a part of life, not life itself. I learned that lesson at the institute. As kids, we couldn't cultivate continuously, so the institute gives us a three-month break every year. During those three months, students with families can go visit them if they want to, while those without families are given the option to work here. Even those with families sometimes choose to spend the remainder of their holidays working here."
"I worked at one of these restaurants when I was a student, and the pay wasn't bad," Yang Qing said, a nostalgic smile spreading across his face. He couldn't help but recall those days fondly. It was during one of his holiday stints at a restaurant that he met Feng Xin and Yi Jie. Coincidentally, both he and Feng Xin shared the same brilliant idea of working at a restaurant to score free food. At first, the owners were thrilled, thinking they'd gotten cheap labor. But when they realized how much the two of them ate, they quickly fired them before the restaurant went under. Soon, word spread about the two "fiends," and no restaurant dared hire them.
As for Yi Jie, he had been working as a wine brewer at the time. He was almost as skilled at brewing wine as he was with the saber. However, his perfectionist tendencies often got the better of him, leading to an excessive use of ingredients in his quest for the perfect blend. Inevitably, he was let go, blacklisted from restaurants just like Yang Qing and Feng Xin.
The three bonded during that time. Yi Jie and Yang Qing were in the same year, while Feng Xin was two years below them. Their circle grew over time, but the bonds they formed in those days remained strong. When Yang Qing became a judge, he specifically requested for both Feng Xin and Yi Jie to be placed under his court. Interestingly, though both Feng Xin and Yi Jie had the talent to be judges themselves—with their gold cores—they chose different paths.
Feng Xin became an inquisitor, eager to travel and taste delicacies from across the land. Yi Jie, on the other hand, took up the role because it allowed him access to new ingredients and inspiration for his wine recipes. His other, less glamorous reason? After years of knowing Yang Qing, he somehow ended up as his unofficial caretaker. He'd once tried to leave, but the higher-ups quipped that he would be Yang Qing's nanny forever. He didn't particularly fight it in the end since he was getting something in return for providing them with information on Yang Qing's schemes from time to time. It was a win-win for him in the end. Getting free ingredients for his wine experiments and at the same time seeing Yang Qing's distraught expression every time his schemes failed, never knowing how the Order caught up.
"Those were fun times," Yang Qing muttered to himself, lost in the memory, before snapping back to reality. He looked up to see Cheng Yuan staring at him, completely dumbfounded.
Cough cough "Ahem, where was I? Right—students like Cao Ying from the institute working at restaurants and the like. Well, the pay is good, but that's not the main reason the instructors encouraged us to do it. Beyond helping us strike a balance from cultivation, it was meant to keep us grounded.
Think about it: young kids getting accepted into one of the most powerful organizations on the continent? The more their talent shines and flourishes, the more seeds of arrogance are planted, and before long, they start looking down on others as beneath them. You've seen how disciples from those stronger sects and families treat weaker ones, haven't you? As an organization rooted in impartiality and order, the Institute couldn't allow its members to tread that path. Working in establishments like these was one of the measures put in place to curb that pride. Here, they serve everyone—from the big shots like us judges to cultivators from rank 5 sects and even mortals."
"The students are required to be sincere and diligent in their service because their behavior is constantly evaluated. Those evaluations are sent back to the instructors, who share them with the class once the students return to the Institute. These reports are vital. Students with great evaluations gain favor from the judges and inquisitors who assessed them. When the work experience period comes up, those judges or inquisitors can personally requisition them instead of allowing random assignments. On the flip side, poor evaluations are shared not just with instructors but also among us judges and inquisitors. Hardly anyone would want someone with a bad attitude working under them.
If a student falls into that category, they're left in limbo—unable to progress, as the Institute won't allow them to graduate without proper work experience, and the Order won't employ them. Their only choice is to come back, humble themselves, and work diligently to rebuild their image.
Pretending you don't look down on someone while putting on a smile is exhausting—especially when you know there are experts here who can instantly see through the act. The only way to survive is to shed the pride. Once they do, life becomes easier, and their outlook starts to shift. And besides, judges occasionally come here with defendants, like how I'm here with you now. Witnessing interactions like these helps them readjust their attitudes." Yang Qing patiently explained.
"Umm, pardon me for saying this, but why would a student risk coming here if there's a chance of receiving a negative evaluation? Wouldn't it be safer to just stay at home and avoid any evaluation altogether?" Cheng Yuan couldn't help but ask. The risk seemed too great to him.
"If you were offered a small test in exchange for the chance to receive pointers from someone in the palace realm or domain realm while you're only at the foundation or qi stage, would you take it?" Yang Qing asked with a calm smile.
"I would," Cheng Yuan answered instinctively. Who wouldn't jump at such an opportunity? He'd take the test repeatedly if it meant getting insights from experts of that level. As his thoughts reached this point, he couldn't help but smile, a look of understanding dawning on his face.
"Precisely. Here, they get the chance to interact with numerous experts at the core formation stage and above, all in one place. Some may even receive glowing recommendations that put them miles ahead when their work experience begins. It's an opportunity too good to pass up, no matter the risk.
Besides, our evaluations aren't as harsh as they seem. We don't judge their service skills—only their sincerity. If they treat others the way they would treat their friends, parents, or teachers, they'll pass with flying colors. Most students receive favorable evaluations; it's only the occasional bad apples who fall short. This process is a way to weed them out. After all, contempt is a dangerous flaw for anyone in the Order. If our eyes as judges and inquisitors were clouded by something like that, it would be disastrous." Yang Qing's tone grew serious, but the intensity lasted only a moment before vanishing. In the blink of an eye, he was back to fishing for another taro dumpling with his chopsticks.
"How does he switch expressions that fast?" Cheng Yuan wondered, bemused, before deciding to follow Yang Qing's lead and dig into the taro dumplings himself.