Loose Ends
"I am disappointed," Cai Renxiang said as Ling Qi closed the door to the girls 'office' behind her. The heiress was seated behind her desk, a slightly larger than normal amount of papers and forms stacked in front of her.
Ling Qi furrowed her brows in confusion. She hadn't even said anything yet, so what did… She winced as the answer came to her. "I admit that I didn't give my best showing there. I had my mind on other things."
"I had thought that you wished to begin building your own connections, not merely entertain the whims of a spirit," her liege's tone was displeased, but not angry thankfully enough. "Did you at least accomplish your actual goal?"
"I would say so?" Ling Qi replied tentatively, taking a seat across from Lady Cai. Now she understood why Cai had been so pleased to pass her the invitation. She had been projecting a bit it seemed. "Let me apologize for my poor conduct."
"Your apology is accepted," the heiress' lips remained set in a frown, but the disappointment in her tone lightened. "Thankfully, while your disinterest was obvious, it did not veer too far into insult. I will expect better in the future," she gestured, and a slip of paper fluttered from one of the little shelves that sat atop her desk to land in Ling Qi's hands. "I will be holding a gathering two weeks from now, you will have a chance to repair your image there."
Ling Qi dipped her head in acknowledgement and banished the invitation into her storage ring. She wasn't looking forward to it, but this was part of the path she had chosen. She had been too flippant before. "Thank you Lady Cai, for your understanding."
"It is best to get these misunderstanding out of the way now, while the stakes are low. I will think nothing more of it," she replied, leaving unsaid that this was conditional on Ling Qi handling things better in the future. "Now, what is it you wished to see me about?"
"Well, firstly. I wanted to ask you if something had gone wrong with my pill furnace," Ling Qi replied. "The take has been declining. Has there been trouble with it?"
"Not of the sort you speak of," Cai replied, she glanced down at her desk and the papers there shuffled themselves, a document from near the bottom rising to the top for perusal. "The end of the year means disciples have less use for such a public option. We cannot provide the privacy and security of the Sects furnaces without exorbitant expense."
Ling Qi's lips twisted into a frown. She understood, and wished that had occurred to her. Of course a furnace in a public place wouldn't be much good for major projects, and people's care packages from home were probably ramping up in preparation for the tournament, lowering demand for common pills. "I see, well. I will just need to plan my spending carefully then," she said a bit unhappily. She had gotten used to that income though. "In any case, my main concern is actually Yan Renshu."
Lady Cai raised an eyebrow. "I had thought you resolved that issue."
"It seems not," Ling Qi replied. "He has been receiving materials for works intended to counter me, and though he might simply be preparing defenses… I do not trust that he will not attempt to ruin my chances in the tournament given the chance."
Cai leaned back in her seat, the faint sound of paper sliding against paper providing a faint background noise. "I have left the handling of that miscreant to Bai Meizhen and yourself out of respect for your claims in that regard. You do understand that if I involve myself, you will have to surrender say in how it is handled?"
"I do," Ling Qi replied. "I am tired of looking over my shoulder. I would prefer if it could be resolved without further conflict, so that I may cultivate in peace for this last month."
Cai Renxiang simply gave a shallow nod, and plucked her inkbrush from it's holder. "Very well. I will pen a proclamation demanding that he present himself. Should he fail to do so, he will be crushed as any other rebellious element. Attend me at the council pavilion tomorrow morning for the meeting, I do not expect him to resist. In any case, tell me of your evidence."
Ling Qi quickly shared what she had learned from Fu Xiang after that. She wasn't so sure Yan Renshu would submit, but… then again, how much pride would you have to have to openly defy Cai Renxiang's government at this point?
Hopefully more than Yan Renshu had.
The word went out shortly after she left, that Cai Renxiang's patience and mercy toward the last of the major 'players' in the outer sect had come to an end. The heiress really didn't waste time with this sort of thing. For Ling Qi, the night passed quickly enough, and soon she found herself back at the council pavilion, flanking the Lady Cai's seat on her left, to match Gan Guangli, who loomed to her right.
Of the rest of the council, only Meizhen and Fu Xiang had shown up, with the sending replies indicating that they trusted Cai to resolve this matter to their satisfaction. The pavillion field itself was guarded by a heavy complement of Lady Cai's enforcers too, though Ling Qi wondered just how useful they would be if things blew up. She remembered Cai and Gan's words, but these were hardly professional soldiers.
As the sun began its climb away from the horizon, the appointed hour approached, and Ling Qi found her wandering gaze coming back to the path leading into the field. Would he actually show up, or would he defy Cai, and bring down the whole mountain on his head. She honestly wondered, he had been good at hiding after all, but surely he had to be at the end of his resources, given the damage done to his operations.
She received her answer, as the minutes ticked by.
Only as those present had begun to shift uncomfortably at the growing lateness did she catch sight of a shadow approaching on the path. It quickly resolved itself into a form that she recognized. Yan Renshu, the real one this time. He was short and stocky, and walked with the faintest hint of a limp. His rough, scarred features were set into a studiously expression, and he wore a set of formal, dark green robes that covered him entirely from the neck down, though she could see that she had not been imagining things, back in his lair. His right hand was blackened and ugly, and the sleeve above was oddly lumpy, and she could have sworn that she saw the cloth… wriggle.
He approached at a steady pace, coming to a stop only when his path was barred by the two enforcers guarding the bottom of the steps leading up into the pavillion. He bowed stiffly then. "This humble disciple presents himself as requested," his voice was rough and scratchy, like someone who had inhaled too much smoke. "I apologize for the lateness of my arrival, the invitation was… sudden."
Cai Renxiang's expression remained impassive as she gestured for the guards to stand aside. "Your arrival was not unacceptably late," she replied evenly. "Rise and approach."
Ling Qi scrutinized him hard as he climbed the stairs, she could see no signs that this wasn't the real Yan Renshu, but her eyes had been fooled before. Fu Xiang gave a subtle nod as Cai glanced his way though, so she supposed she would have to trust it.
"May I ask for what reason I have been called?" Yan Renshu asked blandly as he reached the foot of the table. "Since my last chastisement I have secluded myself, and bothered no one." Ling Qi could practically feel the simmering resentment there.
"Yet you have not come forth and submitted yourself to my rule," her liege replied simply, but harshly. "I have elected to be tolerant thus far, this is no longer true. You have given all appearance of plotting further against my subordinates."
"I am merely preparing defenses, with the resources generously granted to me by my own patrons," Yan Renshu replied, Ling Qi suspected it was a struggle to keep his voice even. "I and those beneath me have suffered greatly from the predations of certain individuals."
"Which you could have avoided easily," Cai Renxiang pointed out, not shifting her posture an inch. "One who refused to stand under the law cannot complain when they suffer the consequences of doing so."
Yan Renshu's stony gaze roamed across the council members present, and his expression only soured further as his gaze landed on Ling Qi. She met his stare evenly, not missing the spark of genuine hate in his gaze. "What would you have me do, Lady Cai? I am in your power, as it were."
"You will make your supplications, here and now," Cai replied. "And accept a watcher over your movements and operations for the remainder of the year," she added, gesturing to Fu Xiang. "I will refrain from fining or taxing you further, in the interest of not breeding further ill will, but should I perceive you to be acting with hostility to any under my interest. I will see you destroyed."
The heiress' words were delivered bluntly and without further preamble, and though Ling Qi saw Yan Renshu's clenched fists… she also saw the moment when resignation took over his features. "I would have your word that your watcher will not interfere with legitimate projects," he replied bluntly, some degree of pride keeping his back straight.
"You will have it, I am not so cruel as to force you to share hard won secrets," Cai Renxiang replied magnanimously. "Do not speak any further demands, nor question my honor further however. Make your supplications."
Ling QI watched as her enemy did, and for all that she felt some relief that there would not be any further issue this year, she couldn't help but feel that this wasn't the end of things.
Okay, so the next voting period will cover weeks 47 and 48, You will have 10 major action slots which may be devoted to training since you are doing this across two weeks and particular cultivation may be selected up to twice without penalty. Similarly, you may assign the white room up to two times, Meizhen up to two times, etc. If you would like to do another closed week you may select 12 actions. The reduced time will be reflected in your minors however.
[] Train at the vent with Su Ling
-[] Any
[] Train Music arts with Zeqing
[] Take a job
-[] Specify
[] Visit the Archive
-[] Search for a technique
-[] Study another subject
-[] Look into the items you found during your quest
[] Study Formations with Li Suyin
-[] Select up to two formations
[] Train with Meizhen
-[] Any
[] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang
-[] Any
[] Cultivate in the White Room
-[] What?
-[] With who?
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Any
Now this time, the minor actions will be voted for separately from the training plan, and will operate off approval voting. Cai Renxiang will not be included, since she will be getting some automatic scenes due to the chosen path. As before with the weapons, you may vote for up to three minor options.
[] Zhengui and Heizui could use a bit of extra attention to be sure that their interactions don't get unhealthy
[] Zeqing is proud of your progress, and has invited you back to her home again.
[] You have your new sword, and Meizhen would like to test her new spirits capabilities.... you want to see where you stand
[] Zhengui can manage himself now, introduce him to the rest of your family
[] Bind Sixiang, before she fades entirely, you would be a bit sad to see the muse go.
[] Gan Guangli could use some help putting his 'soldiers' through their paces, that sounds like a fun afternoon.
Ling Qi furrowed her brows in confusion. She hadn't even said anything yet, so what did… She winced as the answer came to her. "I admit that I didn't give my best showing there. I had my mind on other things."
"I had thought that you wished to begin building your own connections, not merely entertain the whims of a spirit," her liege's tone was displeased, but not angry thankfully enough. "Did you at least accomplish your actual goal?"
"I would say so?" Ling Qi replied tentatively, taking a seat across from Lady Cai. Now she understood why Cai had been so pleased to pass her the invitation. She had been projecting a bit it seemed. "Let me apologize for my poor conduct."
"Your apology is accepted," the heiress' lips remained set in a frown, but the disappointment in her tone lightened. "Thankfully, while your disinterest was obvious, it did not veer too far into insult. I will expect better in the future," she gestured, and a slip of paper fluttered from one of the little shelves that sat atop her desk to land in Ling Qi's hands. "I will be holding a gathering two weeks from now, you will have a chance to repair your image there."
Ling Qi dipped her head in acknowledgement and banished the invitation into her storage ring. She wasn't looking forward to it, but this was part of the path she had chosen. She had been too flippant before. "Thank you Lady Cai, for your understanding."
"It is best to get these misunderstanding out of the way now, while the stakes are low. I will think nothing more of it," she replied, leaving unsaid that this was conditional on Ling Qi handling things better in the future. "Now, what is it you wished to see me about?"
"Well, firstly. I wanted to ask you if something had gone wrong with my pill furnace," Ling Qi replied. "The take has been declining. Has there been trouble with it?"
"Not of the sort you speak of," Cai replied, she glanced down at her desk and the papers there shuffled themselves, a document from near the bottom rising to the top for perusal. "The end of the year means disciples have less use for such a public option. We cannot provide the privacy and security of the Sects furnaces without exorbitant expense."
Ling Qi's lips twisted into a frown. She understood, and wished that had occurred to her. Of course a furnace in a public place wouldn't be much good for major projects, and people's care packages from home were probably ramping up in preparation for the tournament, lowering demand for common pills. "I see, well. I will just need to plan my spending carefully then," she said a bit unhappily. She had gotten used to that income though. "In any case, my main concern is actually Yan Renshu."
Lady Cai raised an eyebrow. "I had thought you resolved that issue."
"It seems not," Ling Qi replied. "He has been receiving materials for works intended to counter me, and though he might simply be preparing defenses… I do not trust that he will not attempt to ruin my chances in the tournament given the chance."
Cai leaned back in her seat, the faint sound of paper sliding against paper providing a faint background noise. "I have left the handling of that miscreant to Bai Meizhen and yourself out of respect for your claims in that regard. You do understand that if I involve myself, you will have to surrender say in how it is handled?"
"I do," Ling Qi replied. "I am tired of looking over my shoulder. I would prefer if it could be resolved without further conflict, so that I may cultivate in peace for this last month."
Cai Renxiang simply gave a shallow nod, and plucked her inkbrush from it's holder. "Very well. I will pen a proclamation demanding that he present himself. Should he fail to do so, he will be crushed as any other rebellious element. Attend me at the council pavilion tomorrow morning for the meeting, I do not expect him to resist. In any case, tell me of your evidence."
Ling Qi quickly shared what she had learned from Fu Xiang after that. She wasn't so sure Yan Renshu would submit, but… then again, how much pride would you have to have to openly defy Cai Renxiang's government at this point?
Hopefully more than Yan Renshu had.
The word went out shortly after she left, that Cai Renxiang's patience and mercy toward the last of the major 'players' in the outer sect had come to an end. The heiress really didn't waste time with this sort of thing. For Ling Qi, the night passed quickly enough, and soon she found herself back at the council pavilion, flanking the Lady Cai's seat on her left, to match Gan Guangli, who loomed to her right.
Of the rest of the council, only Meizhen and Fu Xiang had shown up, with the sending replies indicating that they trusted Cai to resolve this matter to their satisfaction. The pavillion field itself was guarded by a heavy complement of Lady Cai's enforcers too, though Ling Qi wondered just how useful they would be if things blew up. She remembered Cai and Gan's words, but these were hardly professional soldiers.
As the sun began its climb away from the horizon, the appointed hour approached, and Ling Qi found her wandering gaze coming back to the path leading into the field. Would he actually show up, or would he defy Cai, and bring down the whole mountain on his head. She honestly wondered, he had been good at hiding after all, but surely he had to be at the end of his resources, given the damage done to his operations.
She received her answer, as the minutes ticked by.
Only as those present had begun to shift uncomfortably at the growing lateness did she catch sight of a shadow approaching on the path. It quickly resolved itself into a form that she recognized. Yan Renshu, the real one this time. He was short and stocky, and walked with the faintest hint of a limp. His rough, scarred features were set into a studiously expression, and he wore a set of formal, dark green robes that covered him entirely from the neck down, though she could see that she had not been imagining things, back in his lair. His right hand was blackened and ugly, and the sleeve above was oddly lumpy, and she could have sworn that she saw the cloth… wriggle.
He approached at a steady pace, coming to a stop only when his path was barred by the two enforcers guarding the bottom of the steps leading up into the pavillion. He bowed stiffly then. "This humble disciple presents himself as requested," his voice was rough and scratchy, like someone who had inhaled too much smoke. "I apologize for the lateness of my arrival, the invitation was… sudden."
Cai Renxiang's expression remained impassive as she gestured for the guards to stand aside. "Your arrival was not unacceptably late," she replied evenly. "Rise and approach."
Ling Qi scrutinized him hard as he climbed the stairs, she could see no signs that this wasn't the real Yan Renshu, but her eyes had been fooled before. Fu Xiang gave a subtle nod as Cai glanced his way though, so she supposed she would have to trust it.
"May I ask for what reason I have been called?" Yan Renshu asked blandly as he reached the foot of the table. "Since my last chastisement I have secluded myself, and bothered no one." Ling Qi could practically feel the simmering resentment there.
"Yet you have not come forth and submitted yourself to my rule," her liege replied simply, but harshly. "I have elected to be tolerant thus far, this is no longer true. You have given all appearance of plotting further against my subordinates."
"I am merely preparing defenses, with the resources generously granted to me by my own patrons," Yan Renshu replied, Ling Qi suspected it was a struggle to keep his voice even. "I and those beneath me have suffered greatly from the predations of certain individuals."
"Which you could have avoided easily," Cai Renxiang pointed out, not shifting her posture an inch. "One who refused to stand under the law cannot complain when they suffer the consequences of doing so."
Yan Renshu's stony gaze roamed across the council members present, and his expression only soured further as his gaze landed on Ling Qi. She met his stare evenly, not missing the spark of genuine hate in his gaze. "What would you have me do, Lady Cai? I am in your power, as it were."
"You will make your supplications, here and now," Cai replied. "And accept a watcher over your movements and operations for the remainder of the year," she added, gesturing to Fu Xiang. "I will refrain from fining or taxing you further, in the interest of not breeding further ill will, but should I perceive you to be acting with hostility to any under my interest. I will see you destroyed."
The heiress' words were delivered bluntly and without further preamble, and though Ling Qi saw Yan Renshu's clenched fists… she also saw the moment when resignation took over his features. "I would have your word that your watcher will not interfere with legitimate projects," he replied bluntly, some degree of pride keeping his back straight.
"You will have it, I am not so cruel as to force you to share hard won secrets," Cai Renxiang replied magnanimously. "Do not speak any further demands, nor question my honor further however. Make your supplications."
Ling QI watched as her enemy did, and for all that she felt some relief that there would not be any further issue this year, she couldn't help but feel that this wasn't the end of things.
Okay, so the next voting period will cover weeks 47 and 48, You will have 10 major action slots which may be devoted to training since you are doing this across two weeks and particular cultivation may be selected up to twice without penalty. Similarly, you may assign the white room up to two times, Meizhen up to two times, etc. If you would like to do another closed week you may select 12 actions. The reduced time will be reflected in your minors however.
[] Train at the vent with Su Ling
-[] Any
[] Train Music arts with Zeqing
[] Take a job
-[] Specify
[] Visit the Archive
-[] Search for a technique
-[] Study another subject
-[] Look into the items you found during your quest
[] Study Formations with Li Suyin
-[] Select up to two formations
[] Train with Meizhen
-[] Any
[] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang
-[] Any
[] Cultivate in the White Room
-[] What?
-[] With who?
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Any
Now this time, the minor actions will be voted for separately from the training plan, and will operate off approval voting. Cai Renxiang will not be included, since she will be getting some automatic scenes due to the chosen path. As before with the weapons, you may vote for up to three minor options.
[] Zhengui and Heizui could use a bit of extra attention to be sure that their interactions don't get unhealthy
[] Zeqing is proud of your progress, and has invited you back to her home again.
[] You have your new sword, and Meizhen would like to test her new spirits capabilities.... you want to see where you stand
[] Zhengui can manage himself now, introduce him to the rest of your family
[] Bind Sixiang, before she fades entirely, you would be a bit sad to see the muse go.
[] Gan Guangli could use some help putting his 'soldiers' through their paces, that sounds like a fun afternoon.
