Yang Qing injected a few streams of green light into the three brothers. Minutes later, they began groaning as the cracks on their skin visibly healed. Once he saw that they were regaining consciousness and were no longer in mortal danger, he stopped and stepped aside.
Shen Tian was the first to wake, followed by Shen Shi and finally Shen Ding. At first, they were groggy, barely able to speak. Their bodies felt like they weighed a ton, and their innards roared with pain. Though Yang Qing had healed them, he had only done enough to ensure their lives weren't at risk and that their dantians wouldn't be crippled. As for the rest, the three Shen brothers would have to recover naturally using the vitality of core formation experts or rely on whatever means they had at their disposal.
As rogue cultivators who had spent most of their lives flirting with danger and death, they surely had measures in place to deal with critical injuries—whether potions, pills, or life-saving herbs and treasures. Yang Qing was still dissatisfied with them, and he wasn't about to go out of his way to let them save up on their resources.
"Now that you're all awake, your sentence begins today," Yang Qing's cold voice rang out above the three brothers, who were still struggling to gather their bearings, reeling from the shock of being alive. But the moment they recalled that they had barely lasted four seconds, their moods instantly plummeted.
Hearing Yang Qing's voice sent tremors through their bodies as they nervously looked at him. Shen Tian couldn't help but lower his head in shame and fear. He had walked in here today, believing his talent and experience made him worthy of matching anyone from the Order whose cultivators he viewed as nothing more than sheltered birds.
But the experience from seconds ago had been a brutal awakening. Whatever pride they had was shattered mercilessly—by nothing more than a single finger.
"We couldn't even measure up to a single finger..." Shen Tian thought, shaking his head in self-deprecation.
"Shen Shi, Shen Ding, and Shen Tian, as agreed, since you failed to remain conscious for ten seconds during my attack, two years have been added to your sentence. Your sentence will now be twelve-years of hard labor," announced Yang Qing.
"As I mentioned earlier, you need to ensure your work is of the highest quality," Yang Qing warned. "Your work will be regularly monitored and graded, and if you receive anything less than a seven out of ten in your evaluations, six months will be added to your sentence as a penalty."
"Zheng Hu, take them to the Penalties and Rehabilitation Office and have the chief administrator decide the order of their labor assignments, as well as the personnel responsible for monitoring and evaluating them throughout their sentence," Yang Qing requested before he shifting his gaze to Mao Yunru. "Mao, give Zheng Hu a copy of the proceedings so he can hand it over to the administrator."
"Zhong Quan, " Yang Qing said addressing the plump merchant. "Zheng Hu will guide you to the Restitution and Reclamation Office to collect your owed dues."
"With this, I declare the case of Zhong Quan, owner, and proprietor of the Earthvine Restaurant, versus the Shen brothers, regarding the damage and compensation for the Earthvine Table, closed."
Yang Qing delivered his verdict in quick succession before bringing the gavel down.
"Thank you, Judge Yang Qing," Zhong Quan said with a respectful bow.
Things had turned out differently than he had anticipated, especially toward the end. He ended up getting a firsthand view of how fearsome the Order truly was. Unlike the three brothers, he had some level of reservation when it came to the Order, but even then he wasn't as wary of them as he was now, thanks to that brief showing.
"This place is truly packed with crouching tigers and hidden dragons," Zhong Quan warily thought.
The Shen brothers, on the other hand, looked utterly pitiful. Their legs were wobbly like newborn calves, forcing them to support each other just to maintain balance. Mentally, they were just as shaken. Twelve years of hard labor now loomed over them, and they weren't even sure if they would survive until the end of their sentence. The safest job available to them was mining, but according to their sentencing schedule, they would only be in the mines for six months.
"We can only do our best and take it one day at a time," Shen Shi said with a heavy-hearted sigh escaping his lips. His brothers nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Judge Yang Qing, for sparing our lives and even healing us despite our lack of manners. We will do our best to serve our sentence properly," Shen Shi said, attempting a bow that nearly sent him and his brothers tumbling to the ground.
"I sincerely hope that by the end of your sentence, you will be different people with a developed sense of prudence and awareness. Not everything is as it seems, and not everyone is who they appear to be. Exercising caution and discernment is sometimes the key to survival, allowing you to reach your fullest potential instead of becoming yet another 'could-have-been.' Hopefully, your time at the Order during your sentencing will broaden your horizons and perspective," Yang Qing said with a sigh.
Complacency and arrogance were dangers he had to guard against every single day. They were among the highest do not's of the institute. In the early days, when the Order was rapidly rising in power, many young inquisitors had let their pride swell, treating themselves as untouchable and looking down on everyone else. It had been one of the darkest periods for the Order riddled with the highest mortality rates among both inquisitors and judges. The losses were so severe that older cultivators had to step in to fill the gaps while the institute devised ways to address the issue.
One such method was the life-and-death duels the students had against convicts who had been expressly chosen for the role because of their talents in combat prowess and cunning. Facing them in battle had a humbling effect on many young inquisitors. Another method was the work program, where students served as attendants in inns and restaurants with their characters and conduct being secretly evaluated by senior judges. Though arrogance had not been entirely eradicated, these measures had significantly reduced its prevalence compared to before.
Zheng Hu escorted Zhong Quan and the Shen brothers out, the golden eagle phantasm still perched on his shoulder. Mao Yunru had also handed him a white jade talisman containing the recorded court proceedings, while the other copy was given to Yang Qing, who promptly sent it to the higher-ups using the array attached to his podium.
Yang Qing let out a weary sigh. "Which case should I handle next? This day has just been one thing after another. Yi Jie, cross your fingers with me so the next case is an easier one," he said, his expression dead serious as he crossed his fingers, all the while still convinced that today's misfortunes were Lei Weiyuan's doing. He wouldn't put it past that stern geezer to have schemed something that would drain every last drop of Yang Qing's qi for the Order's sake.
Yi Jie, however, ignored him with a snort of contempt. But Yang Qing didn't miss the strange gleam in his eyes, the unmistakable look of someone gloating over another's misfortune.
Yang Qing gasped dramatically. "Yi Jie, you?!! Is this really how you want to do things? Blatantly mocking your boss?" He shook his head in exaggerated disappointment before sighing.
"Fine. If you cross your fingers, I promise I'll diligently do three-fourths of whatever Lei Weiyuan has in store for us later," he offered as if making the ultimate concession.
"Three-quarters, you? The same conniving person I know?" Yi Jie scoffed, clearly not buying it.
"Fine, half! I'll do half," Yang Qing admitted, looking a bit embarrassed at being so easily called out. Yi Jie stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to see through his sincerity.
"You better," Yi Jie finally said before reluctantly crossing his fingers.
"Mao Mao, you too. And before you say no, remember you owe me," Yang Qing said, flashing a mercantile smile.
Mao Yunru, who had been just about to refuse, shot him a sharp glare before sighing in defeat. With clear reluctance, she too joined the curse-breaking bandwagon, executing the time tested luck inducing finger-crossing technique