"Are there any official documents that need my review recently? Bring them to me immediately!"
Jiang Yuan sat upright in the main hall, addressing the yamen runners below, and indeed carried himself with the air of a judicial commissioner!
Unfortunately, the commissioner's seal and insignia couldn't be equipped, so Jiang Yuan couldn't obtain the corresponding fourth-rank official robes. Otherwise, he'd look every bit the proper magistrate!
As Jiang Yuan spoke, a runner immediately stepped forward with a stack of documents and placed them on the desk before him.
Jiang Yuan opened the first document, which read: On a certain year, month, and day, soldier Xu Li of the Southern Heavenly Gate, drunk and causing trouble, smashed up a shop, damaging several items.
"Charge: Disturbing public order. Order him to compensate the merchant for losses and sentence him to five days of detention!"
Jiang Yuan picked up the vermilion brush on the desk and swiftly wrote down the verdict.
[Ding! Case resolved successfully. Reward: 100 Taiji Golden Pills, 1 Immortal Crystal!]
What? This good fortune?
Hearing the system notification in his ear, Jiang Yuan paused slightly, the brush in his hand, a look of delight spreading across his face!
This was the first time he'd heard that resolving cases came with rewards. If he'd known earlier, why would he have bothered taking those tedious Golden Pill tasks!
He quickly flipped to the second document, which read: On a certain year, month, and day, Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long, in collusion with Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji, infiltrated the Peach Garden and stole two peaches.
"Charge: Theft. Confiscate all illegal gains, impose a fine of twenty Immortal Crystals, and sentence them to three years of imprisonment!"
Jiang Yuan picked up his brush again and wrote the verdict on the document. This time, the system's reward was even greater!
[Ding! Case resolved successfully. Reward: 300 Taiji Golden Pills, 3 Immortal Crystals!]
"Huh? Could it be that the harsher the sentence, the richer the reward?"
As the notification faded from his ears, a sinister thought suddenly crossed Jiang Yuan's mind.
"If I sentenced Jiao Long and Xu Ji to death, would the reward be even bigger?"
But reason and conscience told Jiang Yuan he couldn't do that. Upholding the law impartially was a professional duty he had to follow!
Suppressing the wicked idea, Jiang Yuan continued reviewing the documents.
The next few were minor cases—insults, slander, rumors, and the like.
After finishing the stack of documents, Jiang Yuan gained 500 Taiji Golden Pills and 6 Immortal Crystals!
Using the 500 Taiji Golden Pills, Jiang Yuan's body glowed with white light, and his level instantly shot up to 121, with an extra 20% of cultivation progress!
With the documents processed, Jiang Yuan checked the time. There were less than two hours until noon, when he could clock out and leave!
The verdicts he'd just issued had been sent by the runners to the Ministry of Punishments for verification, after which they would dispatch personnel to punish the offending immortals.
For the rest of his time, Jiang Yuan only needed to sit in the main hall of the Judicial Commission, hum a little tune, and wait for the workday to end!
About half an hour later, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the gates of the Judicial Commission.
"What nonsense is this so-called judicial commissioner? I don't accept it!"
With a voice like a booming bell, two figures burst into the Judicial Commission and strode straight into the main hall.
"Who stands before the hall? Why do you make such a racket in my Judicial Commission?"
Jiang Yuan sat up straight, squinting at the two intruders, and barked loudly.
One of them, on the left, had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a fiery red beard and hair. The other, on the right, was dressed like a scholar, refined and bookish.
"I am Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long!"
"And I am Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji!"
They announced their names—the very two of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Stars whom Jiang Yuan had sentenced for theft!
"Why aren't you two serving your sentences in the Heavenly Prison? What are you doing here? Guards! Escort them to the Heavenly Prison at once!"
*Slap!*
Jiang Yuan slammed the gavel on the desk and shouted at the runners below.
Immediately, some runners stepped forward to apprehend the two.
"Who dares?!"
Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long's immortal energy surged, his eyes bulging as he roared at the approaching runners.
"Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long, do you intend to resist the law?"
Jiang Yuan hadn't expected the man below to openly defy enforcement. He pointed at him and barked sternly.
"A mere second-tier loose immortal dares to judge me? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long shook off the two runners closing in, glared at Jiang Yuan, and cursed loudly.
"Jiao Long, show some respect!"
Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji shot a glare at the furious Jiao Long and scolded him in a low voice.
"Commissioner Jiang, please calm your anger. My brother here has a hot temper and speaks without thinking. I beg you to forgive his disrespect!"
After reprimanding Jiao Long, Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji bowed to Jiang Yuan, pleading for leniency for Jiao Long's rudeness.
"Hmph!"
Jiang Yuan snorted heavily to show his displeasure, then looked at Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji and asked, "What business do you have at my Judicial Commission?"
"Commissioner Jiang, my brother and I were momentarily blinded by greed and committed a grave mistake! Today, we've come specifically to confess our guilt. We've already returned the stolen peaches in full. I implore you, Commissioner, to consider that we've recognized our errors and are willing to reform, and show us mercy!"
After speaking, Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowed to Jiang Yuan a few times, then turned his head to find that Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long hadn't knelt with him, still standing there with arms crossed. He quickly tugged at the other's sleeve and whispered, "Jiao Long, what are you doing? Kneel down!"
Only then did Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long reluctantly kneel before Jiang Yuan, though his face still bore a resentful expression.
"Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji, do you know why the Jade Emperor appointed me, a mere loose immortal, as a fourth-rank judicial commissioner?"
Jiang Yuan didn't directly respond to Xu Ji but instead posed a question.
"I do not know. Please enlighten me, Commissioner Jiang."
Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji smiled faintly, shook his head, and looked at Jiang Yuan.
"The Jade Emperor, with his golden words, personally appointed me as judicial commissioner precisely because I can judge without regard for kinship or status, and decide solely by the law! In my heart, there is only fairness and justice!"
Jiang Yuan spoke with righteous indignation, rising from his chair and addressing the two below loudly.
"So, there's no need for you two to plead with me today. Pay your fines obediently and follow the runners to the Heavenly Prison to serve your sentences!"
Jiang Yuan added another sentence to Earthly Jin Star Xu Ji and Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long, then waved them off.
"Bah! You brat! I've stooped to beg you, and you still have the nerve to be so ungrateful?!"
Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long erupted in fury at this, springing to his feet, his body radiating a blinding white light as he cursed Jiang Yuan.
"Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long, this is my final warning: resisting the law will add to your crimes!"
Seeing Jiao Long's immortal energy surging as if ready to attack, Jiang Yuan quickly retrieved his magical artifact, the [Awe-Inspiring Ruler], and pointed it at the man, shouting!
"Die, you whelp!"
With a furious roar, Earthly Yin Star Jiao Long charged at Jiang Yuan!