[X][stat] Dexterity
[X] Plan Backlog, Cultivation, & Helping
I can appreciate the intent of Coursing River- but I've always considered the idea of bringing our two circles of friends close together, especially this quickly a huge mistake. You want an impoverished cultivator and a heavily stigmatized bastard to get along with minimal friction with a gang of tight-knit fairly insular nobles- even if they're pretty chill as far as nobles go.
I hate to break it to people, but sometimes your friends don't get along with each other, and we've seen nothing to indicate that as collective groups they can really get along. For all Li Suyin's new determination, all it takes is Fan Yu making one asinine comment about her losing her eye being a good thing and she's either depressed or trying to rupture his veins. Su Ling is also going to be interested in Han Jian at a time when Gu Xiuling is more insecure than ever.
It doesn't matter if Han Jian's a decent guy, it doesn't matter if objectively such an alliance makes sense- there's an immense cultural and class gap that neither side has shown any interest in actively overcoming. Both groups are wary of the others; Li Suyin and Su Ling see rich and powerful nobility seeking any advantage when they already have so many (and are able to potentially better exploit their sole advantage) and they aren't even necessarily wrong. Han's gang sees a weak-willed cultivator (that they'll probably learn is from a disgraced family) and a kitsune rape-baby, both are stigmatized in a society where 'Strength is the first virtue' and strengthening such questionable characters when they likely know entrance into the Inner Sect boils down to a tournament isn't appealing.
It just feels overly optimistic. Best case, we get the business transaction going down and have to try and serve as an arbitrator keeping everyone honest. Worst case Han Jian and Co. will make the decision they value the Argent spring more than our friendship and force us into a confrontation over this. It's actually a pretty profitable course of action for them- they have several Yellow-tier cultivators and extensive team training, if Bai Meizhen wasn't a factor it would be trivial for them, as it stands they still might be able to pull it off if they played smart. The fact remains, any spirit stones and talismans they're giving our two friends are items they're not using to secure sect points and their own position- there can only be 8 Inner Peak disciples and as a tight knit group they're probably counting on trying to move move up mostly as a group. That doesn't leave much room for Su Ling and Li Suying at the winners' table and I doubt the two will be willing to swear off trying to gain entrance to the Inner Sect considering it might be the key for Li Suying to get strong enough to heal her eye and Su Ling is surprisingly proud in her own way.
TLDR: The Argent vent situation is really complicated, it exploded in our face when we tentatively tried before and it's not liable to go over that much better this time around. If this means we're at risk of breaking ties with Han Jian's group- that's sad but thems the breaks, at least we can still be Best Snek's second and have our two plucky minions underlings friends on our side. I know I've effectively had to choose between two circles of friends at times.
