Keep in mind Ling Qi's Way is about family and that in the long run a Way must be compatible with one's actions. If Ling Qi believes that, for instance, that family is a treasure more important than any material good - she cannot a) marry for wealth b) arrange any marriages for her own family members where wealth is a primary motivating factor.
I feel like as our Way gets more and more constrained the insights we get from it are going to impinge on these definitions of what family is and not only what it means to Ling Qi.
Thank fuck our advanced insight is 'people have their own thoughts and opinions' because you can look at exhibit A Cai Mommy and at exhibit B Grandpappy Sun to see what happens when that isn't the case.
Ultimately I do believe that love and the nature of love - whether it is necessary or not - will be an inflection point that will greatly alter Ling Qi's character arc going forward.
Worth caution that due to believing that the opinions of her family matter, it could easily manifest as doggedly ensuring that no partnerships with the 'wrong sort' happens, as someone is either In or Out. And if they are In she'd have to take their opinions into account as well, which is a tricksy thing because the more diversity of opinions the more likely to lead to an inaction trap which would pin against the anti-stasis insight.
The Xuan also don't acknowledge the relationship between parents and children. That makes the "have kids together" part a little difficult to prove.
And, again, CRX was explicit about how she was teaching us the imperial baseline and learning how any individual clan handles things could take years. As time goes on our Wind and Darkness natures will get in the way of arranged marriages, as will many of our insights.
Unless something in our cultivation changes we literally may not be able to force our children into an arranged marriage without breaking our Way, especially as we climb realms. If we are a family and a family needs many wills, then imposing ours upon our children could eventually literally kill us. After all that insight came from Zeqing killing herself by not imposing her will upon Hanyi.
Not sure where you are getting this. WoG on this? Cant really say much atm on the info I got.
This is what I was drawing on
I remember there being a discussion surrounding this about how they are raised in creches but I'm having trouble finding it.
Edit: that may have just been speculation?
Missing background elaboration:
-Turtles leave their eggs to incubate on beaches, where they are fertilized, hatch and then survive on their own in the wilderness, before attaining maturity and returning home to start families.
-The result of this is that the chinese word for Bastard is literally "Turtle Egg", the parents need never meet.
-However, turtles can unerringly identify their birth shores.
The Xuan may identify by geographical allegiance over genetics as a result.
"I'd rather avoid the caves if it's all the same to you, Lady Renxiang," Ling Qi said.
"Not your most well thought out reasoning," Cai Renxiang replied. "Although I can empathize with the reasoning."
Ah, that was right, Cai Renxiang had been… incapacitated, in the initial assault by the activation of Liming.
"I think from the perspective of earning Sect Rank an attack is also better. It is more visible and a more obvious victory," Ling Qi said after a moment, looking up.
The corner of Cai Renxiang's lips quirked up. "Better, but not yet fit for public."
Ling Qi huffed. "Fine, between the two of us, it is highly unlikely for any barbarians in our assigned zone to escape. We will be more of an asset in such an operation."
Cai Renxiang looked back at her impassively, and then gave a small nod. "Very good."
Three truths. One personal and motivating. One practical but impolitic. One tactical and misleading, because while it is true and sincere it wasn't the motive.
Cai Renxiang ignored her, turning back to the tea. "Cloud Grotto Ginseng requires the use of the type three wind natured strainer to achieve the optimum flavour. To strain the brew properly, you must…"
With superhuman senses, comes superhuman levels of food pickiness.
Though Ginseng is usually steeped in hot water for an extended period IIRC, straining the root fragments isn't much done. I suppose Wind elemental stuff would not appreciate being kept under pressure at just shy of boiling for a long time.
"What a pleasant surprise, junior sister!" Liao Zhu said brightly, speaking over the high wind.
"Well at least you'll have something nice to look at," Sixiang chuckled in her head.
Ling Qi silently hushed the muse and offered a bow. "Senior Brother Liao," she greeted, glancing to his side where another young man stood. "Senior Brother Ruan?"
Ruan Shen gave her a wan smile. "Indeed, it seems we will be working together, junior sister."
In her head, Hanyi let out a wholly inappropriate giggle. Zhengui just seemed confused.
Zhengui: "I don't get it. "
For the three of them rain poured around them. It was a simple enough thing for Ling Qi to manipulate the air around her to deflect it. "Do the two of you know each other?" She asked curiously.
"This senior brother may have once tutored a young fellow going through his brooding phase," Liao Zhu said, eyes crinkled in amusement.
"Is it really necessary to speak of such things?" Ruan Shen sighed, making a pained face. "How have you been, junior sister? I must express my regret that we were not able to have our meeting this last month."
"I am doing well, my wounds are healed," Ling Qi said politely. "How is senior sister Bian?"
"She is recovering well from her exhaustion," Ruan Shen said, scrubbing a hand through his hair.
"You would know, having spent the better part of a week camped at the Medicine hall," Liao Zhu said lightly. "So dedicated."
Ling Qi smiled. "I am sure that Senior Sister appreciated it."
Hanyi grumbled in her head. Ling Qi ignored her.
"Why do I feel like a rabbit caught between two snakes?" Ruan Shen grumbled good naturedly.
The fox that normally has this wabbit is away.
"Alas, to be left alone. Such is the fate of the idealist," Liao Zhu lamented. "Left out in the cold due to my path of justice!."
"It's more that you have a tin ear and cannot tell an erhu from a guqin," Ruan Shen said dryly.
"Cruel, junior brother, to mock my disability so," Liao Zhu said, laying a hand over his chest.
"Justice is blind, not deaf"
Cai Renxiang gave Ling Qi a look out of the corner of her eye. "Hm, quite. In any case, I believe we should be taking our places for the orientation meeting."
"Ah, is it truly so late already?" Laio Zhu said, peering up at the iron gray sky. "It is so difficult to tell when the barbarians are about."
Ling Qi glanced up, considering the storm. The roiling clouds stretched to the horizon in every direction, except for the south, where they curved unnaturally around the mountains of the Sect, curbed by its wards.
...They certainly weren't interrupting something small it seemed.
This doesn't sound like a meeting so much as the storm front of a mustering Cloud Tribe horde. They're building up force, but this seems a LOT like five minutes before the general invasion kicks off.
At the center of the tent stood three people. One was a familiar face. Guan Zhi stood at attention to the left side of the tent, only briefly glancing Ling Qi's way as she entered. The only change in the girl was a hair thin scar that traveled from the corner of her right eye up beneath her hair. A relic of whatever encounter she had deep in the Dream before finding them.
Damn, must have been some big fix to permanently scar a Cyan.
It was the young man who spoke as the last of the Inner disciples filed in. He clapped his hands once, silencing the stray murmurs. "Welcome, my Junior siblings. For those that are unaware, I am Core Disciple Diao Gen, at my side is Core Disciple Guan Zhi, and with us today is Honorable Elder Bei Yongrui."
Oh hey a Diao!
"Divination within the Sect remains troubled and inconclusive," Diao Gen said, shaking his head sorrowfully. "However such sources as we have indicate both the potential for great fortune as well as great danger, and so it was decided that we must strike. However we are not foolish, Elder Yongrui will ensure that we are not overwhelmed by a potential high cultivation foe and if need be, call upon reinforcements. If the barbarians intend to trap us, then they will find themselves trapped in turn."
Ling Qi glanced at the smiling Elder, Sixth realm, as potent as anything that the barbarians could muster… yet Elder Zhou's fate worried at her mind.
Concerning.
Divinations being troubled suggests numerous high power parties in play, possibly conflicting oracles at work.
If I'm not mistaken, Elder Yongrui's aesthetics suggests he's a defense focused Elder, so the Sect is aware and plans to tarpit for additional reinforcements to be deployed via the teleporter.
Biggest risk? Multiple Sixth Realms snowballing, because while the Cloud Nomads can't field many, their allies are not so restricted.
"Earthwound Peak is believed to be a dormant volcano, although it has never erupted in the history of the Empire."
"The obvious implication is incorrect however," Guan Zhi said crisply. "To awaken the mountain would be beyond the abilities of any Cloud tribesman yet recorded. There is some possibility of cooperation with their allies, but we do not believe that to be the purpose of the meeting taking place."
Buttocks ready for Volcano Uncroaking.
So the two approaches here:
-Caldera
--Fixed, grounded location. Cloud tribesmen of Green and Yellow should be dismounted initially, allowing for several rounds of ground based binds for Zhengui while they summon their mounts and take off.
--Target rich environment, lots of enemies packed into a smaller space. Possible option to perform a surprise attack with potent AoEs and nail large numbers of lessers. However, this is ALSO a target rich environment for them, if there are higher realms present they'd be able to strike at multiple of our team at once. Ling Qi has options to deal with that, but still, unpleasant is likely to be true.
--Attacking prepared ground. We don't know what resources they may have, but if we were there there'd be defensive formations and the like on site.
This is a zoning battle.
-Perimeter
--Wide perimeter to be secured.
--Focus on one to one takedowns, this is about identifying fleeing enemies and trapping them in her mist, or Zhengui's roots so they can't flee further.
--Most flexibility for changing the plan when unexpected elements show up, as there'd be some distance.
This is a series of chases.
[X] Join the group assaulting the caldera.
