[X] The Snake and the Spider(Bai Meizhen and Bao Qingling)
Despite what anyone might say, I am enjoying the current Arc so far. It is nice to see Ling Qi interact with more 'normals', and seeing a little of how the world works or how things are done. I don't find any of this particularly boring. So good job, Yrsillar.
That we managed to surprise you with our vote against taking extreme risks without pressing need after being warned several times very directly is in turn a surprise to me, but I doubt this is any kind of problem. Surprise happens and I guess you wouldn't write a quest if you wanted to strictly follow your own ideas. So taking a kind of time-out and remaking plans is perfectly fine and what any good quest master should do.
Similarly, I disagree with some of the concerns that have been brought up by people here about missed opportunities or Ling Qi not showing enough curiosity. Or, at the extreme end, that we might get reprimanded for cowardly behaviour or not taking risks. Taking opportunities, and even risks, is necessary for Cultivators and picking the right ones is a valuable skill. Even in retrospect, no information we had, and have, hints at any worthwhile gains without risking too much.
Overall, I think the story would be cheaper if Ling Qi grabbed each and every opportunity that she came across and followed it without regard for risks and dangers and having it always work out for her in the end. There are many terms for that kind of plot, and I am glad that this story is not going that route. Ling Qi does outrageous things and takes huge risks but not all the time and not without consideration or sometimes just *not* jumping head first into danger. I like that. She seems smart.
(I also liked her early 'cowardly street rat' attitude. Although I am not unhappy about the confidence she found, either.)