Chapter 167 Murong Family’s Evaluation (1)

Yang Qing didn't wait too long before he detected hurried footsteps coming their way from the direction the tripping guard had disappeared off to.

Since Yang Qing had already deployed his palace sense he detected that the majority of the members coming were in the late stages of qi refinement realm. However, most of the auras were weak the kind that you'd find on those who were nearing the end of their lifespans.

"Mmmh! so that's the foundation member, that's a surprise," Yang Qing mused.

A few seconds later a flurry of old men and women kept swarming out with agitated and excited appearances.

Their sudden appearance made all the other clan members who were walking about, pause their footsteps in shock as they saw the elders running like they were chasing some treasure.

At the lead of this group was an elderly man with a slender build, white hair tied in a topknot, and a long flowing beard that had reached his chest. He had on white robes which were similar in fashion to the rest of his party.

"Forgive us for our poor manners, envoy from the Order that we were not there to receive you. Had we known you were coming today we would have prepared a proper welcome and feast," said the elderly man in the lead.

They all looked excited and also a bit worried since from the schedule they were given for the potential evaluation date, it was meant to be a week from now.

The only reason the evaluation happened a week early was due to the interference by Lei Weiyuan when he was handing off the evaluations to Yang Qing instead of it going to the allotted judge and the decided time schedule.

"It's okay, I'm the one who came without giving prior notice," Yang Qing replied as he gave a polite smile.

"Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Murong Jie, I'm the current patriarch of the Murong family, and behind me are the elders of the clan," Murong Jie said as he cupped his fist.

"Nice to meet you clan head Murong Jie. My name is Yang Qing and I'll be in charge of your clan's evaluation today. These are Zou Yi and Zou Liqin. They are my friends who I brought to tag along, I hope you don't mind.

Zou Yi, Zou Liqin say hi to patriarch Murong Jie and the rest," Yang Qing said as he pushed the two siblings forward.

"Greetings patriarch Murong Jie, we offer our greetings and congratulations in advance," Zou Yi and Zou Liqin simultaneously said as they cupped their fists.

"Did they rehearse on the flight over," Yang Qing wondered as he saw them speak at the same tempo while cupping their fists at the same time.

"Hahaha!! it's Master Zou Yi and Master Zou Liqin, I thank you for your warm wishes on behalf of the Murong family," clan head Murong Jie smiled as he offered them daoist salutes.

The rest of the entourage mirrored Murong Jie's actions as they offered their thanks in unison.

Zou Yi inadvertently puffed up his chest when he was called master which drew light smiles from the elderly group around even Yang Qing couldn't but smile as he shook his head.

"Their experience these past three years wasn't a total waste," Yang Qing thought as he gauged the interaction between the Zou siblings and the rest of the Murong family.

The reason he pushed them forward in their greetings was to monitor their temperaments and attitudes towards a low-ranking family.

When the Order was founded to date, one of their fundamental rules of recruitment was they would only recruit from rank 5 families and unranked organizations, and rogue cultivators. They would not touch anyone from rank 4 organizations and above though there are special exceptions to this rule. For example, if a cultivator is banished from their parent organization like in the case of the Zou siblings where they were banished from the Zou clan.

In that case, the Order would accept them should they pass their evaluations. This is because technically they could be considered rogue cultivators. However, even then those who once belonged to high-ranking organizations would be closely monitored on what their characters are like even after they pass their entrance examinations and get admitted into the Order.

The reason for this requirement was, those born from high-ranking organizations even though they may or may not mean it, tend to have an unconscious or conscious bias towards those beneath them.

If it was any other place such temperaments would not be an issue but within the Order that's supposed to be a beacon of fairness to all, such a habit would be a huge hindrance and a source of potential rot in the organization.

Even though Yang Qing was sympathetic and valued their abilities in observation, he was still worried about their characters. They were born in a rank 2 family and with it came the prestige of belonging to such a high-ranking clan.

From Purple City up to now, he had been closely monitoring their interactions with others, and from what he could see, their interactions with people thus far didn't have the disdain one would expect.

They did wear a mask at times but that was more of a protection for them to hide their identities than anything else.

To Yang Qing it seemed like the three years they lived by themselves had beaten any sort of superiority they had in them and made them into people who could interact naturally and comfortably with people of all walks and stations of life.

"Atleast their odds of getting in now are higher," Yang Qing thought as his gaze turned toward a lady standing alone in the middle of the crowd of old men. She looked to be in her late thirties. She too had on a white robe and had tied her hair in a simple bun.

She wasn't a breathtaking beauty but one would notice her if they passed by her on the streets. She had deep black hair, rosy skin, and round black eyes that seemed to flash with a tenacious will.

The reason Yang Qing's eyes drifted towards her wasn't admiration for her beauty but rather from the fluctuations she was releasing. He surmised she was the foundation establishment member he was evaluating.