it was strange, none of the silly stories told to little girls were about a prodigal child coming to sweep one away. She thought she might prefer this though
Hey, Ling Qingge is outside of Liu-controlled territory. She can find new employment, now.
She also had her musical spirit complimented by a music-aligned Cyan spirit. If she put in the time and effort, it should be possible for Ling Qingge to compose a song encompassing her feelings and containing the story of a prodigal girl coming back to whisk away her mother to a life of luxury. With some assistance, perhaps the song could become popular enough it enters the province's zeitgeist, mortals passing it along to their children as a nursery rhyme.
Even touched by ice, they brought to mind another set. Her lips twisted into a scowl as she she retrieved everything she would need to prepare her tea.
Ah, this hurts me right in the feels. Ling Qi's best-liked features are also the parts of her Ling Qingge hates most. Ling Qi never knew -- I can't imagine she wouldn't have internalized it alongside her feelings about her skin, hair, and build, if she heard her mother disparage her eyes, too -- and the mismatch is just painful.
She could still recall the day that the duchess had come to Tonghou, when she was a young girl of six. She could remember huddling between her Mother and Father in the family compound, with the rest of the mortal members of the clan, and though she had never seen the Lady Cai, she could remember the terrible, crushing presence that had descended upon the upper ring of the city along with the rows of white helmed guards, and lingered there, oppressive and heavy, making it difficult to so much as breath.
Ah, so this should be the Cloud Peak guards Gan mentioned, which are also the guards protecting the White Room we're using. Not too surprising: the White Room is ridiculously valuable, and so should have the very best guarding it.
This is also the most explicit reference we have in the story itself about how higher-level cultivators are capable of deleteriously affecting lower-level people through their presence alone, isn't it? Gives another reason for the promotion of lower-level clans, as well as the efforts to maintain that status -- every lower-level servant is an intermediary for the high nobles, the loss of which also prevents the useful interaction with people too low on the totem pole.
Though, the most important thing I see. What the hell did the Liu do to warrant the personal visit by the Duchess?! They're just Viscounts; the natural course of action would be through their Count liege. Was it just a routine tour of her cities or was it an administrative correction?!?
Now whether they leave well enough alone or start sniffing at Sect business to find out what happened remains to be seen
I'm sure the Sect informed the Liu of the transport of a Sect-relevant person from their city. Even if they didn't, the Liu should be retaining records of everything and everyone that passes through their gates, which would heave the Sect-employed guardsmen informing the Liu that they were transporting Ling Qingge to the Argent Sect on the behalf of Lady Ling Qi. If they're a large noble clan, they should have sent scions into every Great Sect in their province, and every social noble in the Outer Sect should have heard of Ling Qi's acceptance of Cai's proposal, which should then tell them of what a bad idea pursuing this particular small grudge is.
