"Now it's time to settle accounts with you three," Yang Qing said, his expression frosty.
He had seen his fair share of arrogant defendants—those reckless with both their words and actions—but this was the first time someone else was the target, and worse, that someone was Chief Song Chuanli. Of the instructors he was close with, Chief Song was one of the few who held a special place. It was the reason Yang Qing called him despite his fiery personality.
During his time at the institute, Chief Song had guided him and offered support that went far beyond the duties of a normal instructor. And Yang Qing wasn't the only one—Xia Boqin, the superior core court judge who always carried himself like a noble, was also one of the people closest to Chief Song. In truth, Chief Song was more of a father figure to him.
Hearing someone badmouth Chief Song angered Yang Qing more than if he had been the target himself. It took no small amount of self-restraint to keep from slapping them to death on the spot.
"Had you decided to be patient, things might have ended differently for you," Yang Qing said, his tone cold.
"Yes, there's no doubt that you three are guilty of damaging Owner Zhong Quan's property, and under normal circumstances, you would have been required to compensate him—either through labor or spirit stones.
But, as I already informed Owner Zhong Quan, the Order would have been more than willing to cover the amount upfront and allow you to repay us later through a reasonable installment plan, charging an interest of just 1% on the reducing balance every six months.
Unlike Zhong Quan, we would have had no reservations about granting you the loan, despite our lack of prior dealings. After all, tracking you down would be quite easy for us if you ever decided to welch."
Yang Qing's voice grew colder as he continued.
"The other option for repayment would have been to work for us by taking on commission jobs. The Order has plenty of well-paying tasks, and it wouldn't have been impossible to find a single job that could cover the entire 15,000 middle-grade spirit stones in one go," he explained.
The Order maintained a public contract and commission job system, allowing cultivators to hire its services while also providing opportunities for independent cultivators to earn rewards. This initiative not only helped the Order strengthen its ties with the public but also addressed its manpower needs.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, particularly for rogue cultivators who found it invaluable. The Order didn't just compensate in spirit stones—it offered equivalent-value exchanges, allowing individuals to redeem their earnings for pills, herbs, artifacts, specialized services like appraisals and healing, or even personalized guidance from the instructors at the Institute.
For rogue cultivators who had to rely solely on themselves, the chance to receive direct pointers from elite instructors was an opportunity they could hardly afford to pass up.
And that wasn't all. Those who demonstrated enough talent or promise would receive further assignments—or, in some cases, even a more permanent place within the Order's ranks.
Had the three of them displayed a better attitude, with the talent they possessed, this minor case could have become a fortuitous turning point in their lives.
Yang Qing's gaze turned razor-sharp.
"However, because of your earlier display of utter contempt and disregard for this court, your end will be much graver and harsher," Yang Qing slowly said, his voice cold and unyielding.
"I, Yang Qing, judge of the Superior Core Courtroom, hereby declare Shen Shi, Shen Ding, and Shen Tian guilty of slander and showing contempt toward the court and a member of the Order. You are also guilty of breaching Article 24 of the Court's Code of Conduct—specifically, the requirement for obeisance and compliance with the court's ruling and its penalties.
You willingly and wholeheartedly submitted yourselves to the court's judgment but acted contrary to your agreement, placing you in direct violation of this article and thus invoking its penalties."
Yang Qing's gaze sharpened as he continued delivering his verdict.
"Maligning a member of the Order without grounds carries a sentence of three years of hard labor. The nature of this labor is left to the discretion of the presiding judge but may be adjusted depending on the Order's needs at any given time.
Be aware—this work may place your lives at risk, and the Order holds no obligation to save you should that happen. Any injuries you sustain during your sentence will not be treated by the Order. Our responsibilities extend only to providing basic housing, meals, and the necessary information to complete your assigned tasks. Logistical support will also be provided—but only as it directly pertains to the labor itself. Combat gear is not included; you will have to rely on yourselves for that."
He let his words settle, his expression growing even frostier.
"In addition, the penalties for breaching Article 24 carry a minimum sentence of five years of hard labor, along with the full repayment of any damages awarded in your case.
In your case, after serving your time, you will still owe the Order 15,000 middle-grade spirit stones, along with accrued interest it will have until its full repayment.
Given the blatant severity of your breach of Article 24, I find it prudent to exercise my judicial discretion to impose an additional two years on that sentence, bringing it to seven. That, including the three years for your contempt, I hereby sentence you to ten years of hard labor under the jurisdiction of the Order."
Yang Qing's tone remained steady, his judgment firm and without a trace of mercy.
"Shen Shi, Shen Ding, Shen Tian," said Yang Qing to the three brothers. "During the duration of your sentence, your hard labor will include, but not limited to, the following:
Spirit Stone Mining (6 months): You will work as spirit stone miners for six months. The Chief Secretary of Mining will determine the specific mines to which you will be assigned along with the work schedule.
Alchemy Division Assistance (6 months): You will be attached to the Alchemy Division for six months. Your duties will involve assisting in any capacity they deem fit with an especial focus in combating the miasma affecting the grounds housing our Branch Office located within the Snow Streak Empire.
Midnight Flower Kingdom Reconstruction (15 months): For fifteen months, you will be stationed in the Rank 5 Midnight Flower Kingdom. Following a catastrophic flood that damaged nearly one-third of the kingdom, you are to assist in their recovery efforts. This includes the construction of dams, retrofitting their waterways, and improving various types of infrastructure.
Additionally, you will also aid in their land reclamation, rehabilitation, and restoration projects.
A disaster management specialist from the Order will accompany you, providing supervision and guidance. Given your cultivation bases, it shouldn't be difficult to complete all works within that timeframe, and failure to do so will result in an additional six months being added to your sentence.
And lastly, The remainder of your sentence which is seven years and seven months, will be spent as support staff for the Core Courts across the Order—both at the headquarters and the branch offices, depending on who will need you most at the time.
Based on your capabilities, you will only be assigned to the Outer Core Courts and the Inner Core Courts.
You are expected to carry out any and all tasks assigned to you without question. Any disobedience will be deemed as an infraction, which will result in an additional three months being tacked on to your sentence. Your schedule and assignments will be managed by the administrative supervisors of the Lower and Inner Core Courts.
For the next seven years and seven months, whatever they say... goes," explained Yang Qing in a firm tone.
"A point of note—during the conduct of all these duties, you will be graded," Yang Qing continued, his tone cold and unwavering. "Your performance will be evaluated based on the quality of your work and completion rate. If you score anything less than 7/10 on your evaluations, six more months will be added to your sentence."
With that, he withdrew the oppressive energy that had paralyzed the three Shen siblings. As the pressure lifted, their bodies went weak as their eyes widened with fear and mouths hanging open in disbelief. They had wanted to protest and shout their grievances, but the lingering terror of being completely immobilized moments ago was still fresh in their minds, which left them hesitant and paralyzed to act.
"J-Judge… isn't this unfair? Just because we contradicted your decision?" Shen Ding—the crafty-looking brother in yellow robes—stiffly asked. His voice trembled, his body visibly shaking and pale, though he tried to maintain some semblance of composure.
He wasn't alone in his fear. Shen Tian, the youngest and most intuitive of the three, was faring even worse. Despite clenching his fists so tightly that blood droplets seeped between his fingers, his hands and knees continued to tremble uncontrollably. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, an overwhelming sense of impending doom clawed at him.
His intuition—the very thing that had saved their lives on countless occasions—was screaming louder than ever, warning him that they were doomed. That this time, there was no escape.
The earlier contempt and arrogance they had displayed had completely vanished, leaving only raw, undeniable fear.
"At the start of the case, I asked if you were sure you wanted to surrender yourselves to the ruling of the court—did I not?" Yang Qing's voice was calm, but the chill in his tone cut through the air. "You all agreed. If you'd like, I can even replay the jade stone recording of your agreement."
His gaze swept over the three brothers, now visibly shaken. "The problem I have isn't even with your disagreement—it's the manner in which you went about it."
"You really thought you could hide your true thoughts from me?" he asked, his voice turning sharper. "From the moment you stepped into this court, you reeked of utter disregard and contempt—both for this place and the people in it.
It's one thing to think it, but you didn't stop there. You actually dared to act on it, treating this court like your own backyard."
Yang Qing leaned forward slightly, as he clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, as his suffocating gaze fell on the three brothers. "If you dare to do something, you better be ready to face the consequences. Not only did you mock the court, but you even had the gall to threaten to smear our reputation."
He let out a faint scoff. "Do you honestly think the Order is fragile enough to be shaken by the idle rumblings of core formation experts? How laughable."
His words hung heavy in the silence, the brothers too stunned to respond.
"But," Yang Qing continued, his tone suddenly lightening as a small, innocent smile curled up on his lips, "since I'm feeling magnanimous today, I'll give you three a chance." His eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"If you feel the sentence is too unfair then I'll let you repeal it and let you use that strength you're all so proud of as your defense."
That smile—harmless on the surface—sent a chill down Zheng Hu's spine. He recognized it all too well, and as he glanced at the Shen brothers, he could only mourn for what was about to happen to them.