Meizhen doing her part to unify the Bai via naming them all as part of one clan, lumping everyone together rather than splitting them by caste. Considering the speculation on Bai Lao Keung's disagreements on the disadvantages his castes faces under the current system, Meizhen seems to be working on gaining his loyalty by assuaging his concerns he'll be locked out of gains made by the White Serpents.
And, of course, there's the common enemy method of achieving unity. Notice how Meizhen mirrored Bai Lao Keung's reaction, thereby giving him her backing and approval, and the same bafflement expressed in all four Bai. They're all united!
Sun Liling seems to have something similar to Ling Qi's stealth/learning/expression cultivation bonus from the Moon, but her favored activity is simply Living. That's one benefit of her spirit-blood.
However, she's also doubled down on her barbarous outer personality, abandoning even the notion that she's a Princess and not just a big stick. The dismissiveness about roads just an excuse for how the jungle is probably working in favor of the Sun, instead of fighting them, but she's probably even more offensive to Imperial sensibilities than before. Given that Sun Shao has given up on the Throne, he probably thinks that's not a loss. Perhaps this might be a good wedge issue to break the Heavenly Peaks' support for the Sun in the Civil War?
Breaking the Cloud Tribes' Compact of the Red Noon, I see, as well as expanding the Jungle. This blocks the escape route west for the Cloud Tribes, further driving them into the arms of the existing Confederations out of desperation; expands the reach and power of the Sunflower Goddess and thus of Sun Liling; and continues to expound on the military bonifides of the Western Territories, weakening the will of the Empire to act against the Sun.
That last part is probably the most important politically, even as the growing influence of the Sunflower Goddess should worry everyone. Sun Shao already has the most powerful army of any individual province — if they're not struggling to pacify the land and can engage in military adventures, they can expand into the other provinces during the civil war. That has to be accounted for in the clans' calculations of who to support.
So that's how Sun Shao's hiding things. Like how the Moon hid Sima Jiao's image after he met Xin, Sun Shao has the Sunflower Goddess intercede via her fragment to protect her granddaughter.
[] Rare reagents (Begin Forgotten Elixir Quest, complete Part 1 of 4 immediately)
This is the best option, I think. The Hearts Dream Elixer is a breakthrough medicine for use to achieve the Fourth Realm; rare enough that getting them elsewhere will have to be a boon gained from a quest line. Considering that we're going to try to get Suyin to make it, I'd rather start the quest line now, since Suyin will need to do an extended experimentation phase to modify the recipe to work for her as well as under modern conditions. (And, she's getting resources poured into her by the Sect. If she's working on a breakthrough medicine that can subsequently be put to use empowering the Sect's forces, that would only make her even more valuable to the Sect. I like Suyin, and want only good things for her.)
