Can't be.
Chu Song is in Ling Qi's age group. Her little sister evidently wasn't born until after she ran away from her mother which going by Smelting 2 was four years ago.
Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
Can't be.
Chu Song is in Ling Qi's age group. Her little sister evidently wasn't born until after she ran away from her mother which going by Smelting 2 was four years ago.
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
No. Not really.
Nevermind the whole typecasting off of a handful of physical features, she has the wrong Elemental alignment. Our heritage is wind aligned.
If she is related to Qi, then she could have the same father or is a cousin or something.
- Location
- Staring into the void
Ling gets her wind from her dad's side?
If she also gets hers from her dad's side, they could be different due to different dads.
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- They/Them
@Nervaqus987 you're missing the "other" part of "other half sister"
But yeah, it was only a half serious comment. Could be a relative of our absent father. If not though she can be our gateway crush and show Ling Qi that she's not straight, just musclesexual. Meizhen would still have a chance! Although she may be slightly upset at first....
But yeah, it was only a half serious comment. Could be a relative of our absent father. If not though she can be our gateway crush and show Ling Qi that she's not straight, just musclesexual. Meizhen would still have a chance! Although she may be slightly upset at first....
This is my main stance.
Cai's government should be sturdy enough to take it without our constant intervention, and our close allies aren't immediately involved.
Better to get information, then intervene.
Blind loyalty makes us too easy to handle compared to reasoned action.
[jk] Discuss spirit rearing tips, bring the minions into the discussion
Free tutoring?
Free tutoring?
- Location
- United States of America
Probably not free tutoring, but it would be nice to get someone else as a training partner. She could be the next social link that people want to interact with. It certainly seems that she is strong enough to provide a good benefit to the action of training with her. However, I doubt that it will be free in the beginning. We will probably have to do a task or favor for her as we get to know her. Depending on the favor, it might not be a bad trade. Of course, there is the problem of our relations with Cai souring if we interact with an individual who is an opponent to the establishment.
I guess we will see where this conversation leads us!
[jk] Try not to ogle at her bare muscles
-[jk] Fail trying not to ogle at her bare muscles
--[jk] ogle at her bare muscles
For some reason i assume she is a she-hulk
-[jk] Fail trying not to ogle at her bare muscles
--[jk] ogle at her bare muscles
For some reason i assume she is a she-hulk
Growing Pains Part 1
"I don't get it," Ling Qi said bluntly, relaxing her stance fractionally. She wouldn't bolt immediately, because something was off here. She itched to check on her friends, particularly Meizhen and Xiulan, but she wouldn't help anyone by being reckless. "This whole scenario makes no sense. If you don't want me to interfere, why approach close enough to be sensed at all? If you've been keeping an eye on me at all you must know I would have been cultivating for another hour yet at least."
"Really?" The taller girl asked in a not particularly convincing tone. "Well, I screwed up then didn't I?" She mused, idly toying with the bone clasp at the bottom of one of her braids. "I guess I should have been more thorough in my scouting."
Ling Qi frowned at her. "If you're going to treat me like I'm an idiot, we don't have anything to talk about. How did you know about this place anyway? If you did something to Su Ling or Li Suyin…" she trailed off, staring the other girl down. She wasn't sure what she would do, but she would make the other girl regret it.
"That's a pretty good expression you have there," Chu Song said lightly. "But nah, it's not that hard to figure out, if you already know where the vents are, you know? Not much other reason to come to this part of the mountain."
Ling Qi relaxed a bit. That was right, older disciples lost access to trial sites and other things meant for first years. "So why then. Why alert me when I would have missed all this on my own?"
"Who says it's started already, or that it isn't already over?" Chu Song asked absently, leaning back against the trunk of a tree, apparently satisfied that Ling Qi wouldn't be running immediately. "That would be awful convenient wouldn't it? If you detected me right as things were kicking off?"
"...That's fair," Ling Qi said grudgingly, crossing her arms under her mantle, slipping her knife back into storage. Her flute remained in hand though. She hadn't managed to detect anyone else yet, and the other two were maintaining position. "So what's the point then?" She might have jumped to a conclusion, but she had no doubt that things would be kicking off soon if they hadn't already.
"I guess it'd be rude to keep deflecting you, huh," Chu Song laughed. "Fine. I want you to stop supporting that Cai, it'd be pretty great if you could persuade MIss Bai, or your other friends to do the same," she continued, spreading her arms. "That blunt enough for you?"
"I kind of doubt Bai Meizhen will be interested in siding with Sun Liling," Ling Qi replied dryly. "That's kind of a non starter, isn't it?" She maintained her stance, even as she picked up another presence. A passing spirit beast in the woods? No, the movement was too regular.
"Nah, you're not getting it," Chu Song replied, waving her hand irritably. "Don't be so conceited Junior Sister, those two might be strong, but the rest of us aren't exactly useless. Even if you and your friend have been knocking around the pinheads. There are a couple others as strong as me still interested in advancing, or at least not rolling over for Cai, you know."
"I am not seeing much in the way of benefit there honestly," Ling Qi replied dubiously. The ridge on her right was the best route in her opinion, if she activated her gowns flight and her movement art she could rush to the top in a second and run from there, using the flight to glide down when she had a chance. "You might say that, but abandoning Cai Renxiang might as well be supporting Sun Liling. The rest of you never interfered before."
"I couldn't convince the others to care when it was just the first years squabbling," Chu Song replied, furrowing her brows. "Now she's messing with them too though. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that right after that slimy little sneak Fu Xiang joined up with her that Hei Boqin and Wen Ai started acting like we should just let her do what she wants."
Ling Qi didn't so much as twitch at the mention of that, it looked like her little escapade was already having effects. "Fine, so what are you trying to say that you'll offer protection instead of Cai Renxiang then? I don't even know you. All I see is a way to let Sun Liling rampage as she likes."
"I don't exactly like the princess either," Chu Song replied sourly, her right hand clenching into a fist. "It may be the little dumbasses own fault for listening, but the fact remains that she's stringing my lil' Bro Rong along. Cai's the bigger threat though, what she's trying to build… it's against the spirit of the Sect. I just want you and the rest of your friends to distance your ties. Stop working for the damn demon like she's your liege lord. Be allied if you want, but don't obey her and let her grow out of control."
Ling Qi studied the taller girl's expression carefully. It seemed that she was at least a little short tempered. Ling Qi would have to be a little cautious from here. "We already do that," Ling Qi began. "It's not like we swore or…"
She tensed, her flute nearly rising to her lips as s a thunderous splintering interrupted her words. She watched warily as the tree to the muscular girls right fell backwards, crashing into branches and underbrush, the portion of the trunk that Chu Song had struck pulverized to splinters. "You are, whether you admit it or not," she replied lowly. "You're wearing that gown and that band, backing up her thugs with your presence. You go along with her goon squad to suppress others and take sites. You were ready to rush off and help her fight Sun Liling. Don't tell me you weren't before your good sense kicked in," she said accusingly. "At least talk to that Bai friend of yours. Someone like her shouldn't be subordinate to someone else, the same for that Han guy. Any other year and they'd both be the heads of their own groups. The last thing the Sect needs is to go the way of the province."
"...This isn't exactly about Cai Renxiang, is it?" Ling Qi replied shrewdly as she backed up a step, carefully avoiding any indication that she was going to flee. "Not really."
Chu Song blew out a calming breath before meeting Ling Qi's eyes once again. "A demon spawn is still a demon," she replied bluntly. "It's pretty damn clear she's following the same path, even if she doesn't have the power to do as she wants yet. No other province's ruler rules the way the Cai do. It's not right," her words were full of absolute conviction that she was right. Ling Qi strongly doubted she was lying.
Ling Qi remained silent for several seconds. "...Say I believe you. I still don't want Sun Liling running rampant. Bai Meizhen is my friend and in the end, that makes that girl my enemy. Why should I just let her plan go without a hitch?"
Chu Song held her gaze for a moment before shrugging her broad shoulders. "The girl isn't stupid, maybe impulsive, but not stupid. She's not gonna rampage. What do you do when your forces are routed and scattered?"
Ling Qi blinked at the question. "You regroup and recover."
"Right, and if you know that, do you think a girl raised on the Butcher's knee doesn't?" Chu Song laughed. "She's busting out Kang Zihao and rallying people. At this point it's all about bloodying the demons nose and proving that she's not invincible. I might not like her, but she's just staking out her independence, not trying to conquer the sect, so for now we're allies," she said with satisfaction. "And that's how it should be. No disciple has the right to try and play Elder, just like no lord has the right to play Emperor."
She could see the other girls point, but she wasn't certain she agreed with it. Even if she did, she wasn't certain she would care to oppose Cai Renxiang regardless. Not when she was the one benefiting from the girls 'misdeeds'. In the end did she really care to allow a threat to herself and her friends build itself back up in the name of some nebulous power balance?
Was allowing Cai her absolute authority a bad thing if she was positioned to be advantaged by it? "I've heard you, but I hope you aren't expecting a declaration right now. I won't just go off on my own. What happens now?"
"Well, now we wait…" Chu Song began, only to twitch as an odd ripple passed through the air, followed by a sensation like a net being torn. Ling Qi's eyes widened as well as she felt three familiar sensations. Li Suyin, Su Ling, and Bai Meizhen's qi all blazed at the edge of her senses, approaching rapidly from the forest side of the vent.
"Never mind then," Chu Song said sourly. "Let me turn the question back around on you. What now?" She said while spreading her hands wide. "I gave my word, so are we going to fight, or will you ask your friends to stand down?"
"I don't like being threatened," Ling Qi replied quietly. "And whatever you say, that is what you were doing."
"That's fair," the tall girl laughed, her irritation seeming to fade by the moment, replaced by a certain excitement. "I guess I won't blame you if you want to sock me in the jaw a couple of times."
Ling Qi frowned. Her position had just gotten more advantageous but it was hardly weighted entirely in her favor either. The presences below were approaching in a hurry, and Cui was still out of commission, while Chu Song presumably had a spirit beast. The two below probably had at least one between them too, if the presence had felt earlier in the woods was any indication. However, now that they were growing closer, she could tell that they were only second realms. Su Ling and Li Suyin also were not exactly the most combat capable friends she had either.
[] Fight, you aren't alone anymore, and Meizhen should be able to match Chu Song.
[] Keep things peaceful, she has a point, Cai Renxiang could do with being taken down a notch.
"Really?" The taller girl asked in a not particularly convincing tone. "Well, I screwed up then didn't I?" She mused, idly toying with the bone clasp at the bottom of one of her braids. "I guess I should have been more thorough in my scouting."
Ling Qi frowned at her. "If you're going to treat me like I'm an idiot, we don't have anything to talk about. How did you know about this place anyway? If you did something to Su Ling or Li Suyin…" she trailed off, staring the other girl down. She wasn't sure what she would do, but she would make the other girl regret it.
"That's a pretty good expression you have there," Chu Song said lightly. "But nah, it's not that hard to figure out, if you already know where the vents are, you know? Not much other reason to come to this part of the mountain."
Ling Qi relaxed a bit. That was right, older disciples lost access to trial sites and other things meant for first years. "So why then. Why alert me when I would have missed all this on my own?"
"Who says it's started already, or that it isn't already over?" Chu Song asked absently, leaning back against the trunk of a tree, apparently satisfied that Ling Qi wouldn't be running immediately. "That would be awful convenient wouldn't it? If you detected me right as things were kicking off?"
"...That's fair," Ling Qi said grudgingly, crossing her arms under her mantle, slipping her knife back into storage. Her flute remained in hand though. She hadn't managed to detect anyone else yet, and the other two were maintaining position. "So what's the point then?" She might have jumped to a conclusion, but she had no doubt that things would be kicking off soon if they hadn't already.
"I guess it'd be rude to keep deflecting you, huh," Chu Song laughed. "Fine. I want you to stop supporting that Cai, it'd be pretty great if you could persuade MIss Bai, or your other friends to do the same," she continued, spreading her arms. "That blunt enough for you?"
"I kind of doubt Bai Meizhen will be interested in siding with Sun Liling," Ling Qi replied dryly. "That's kind of a non starter, isn't it?" She maintained her stance, even as she picked up another presence. A passing spirit beast in the woods? No, the movement was too regular.
"Nah, you're not getting it," Chu Song replied, waving her hand irritably. "Don't be so conceited Junior Sister, those two might be strong, but the rest of us aren't exactly useless. Even if you and your friend have been knocking around the pinheads. There are a couple others as strong as me still interested in advancing, or at least not rolling over for Cai, you know."
"I am not seeing much in the way of benefit there honestly," Ling Qi replied dubiously. The ridge on her right was the best route in her opinion, if she activated her gowns flight and her movement art she could rush to the top in a second and run from there, using the flight to glide down when she had a chance. "You might say that, but abandoning Cai Renxiang might as well be supporting Sun Liling. The rest of you never interfered before."
"I couldn't convince the others to care when it was just the first years squabbling," Chu Song replied, furrowing her brows. "Now she's messing with them too though. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that right after that slimy little sneak Fu Xiang joined up with her that Hei Boqin and Wen Ai started acting like we should just let her do what she wants."
Composure 4 Passive 1. 5 dice
8 5 7 4 8. 3 successes
8 5 7 4 8. 3 successes
Ling Qi didn't so much as twitch at the mention of that, it looked like her little escapade was already having effects. "Fine, so what are you trying to say that you'll offer protection instead of Cai Renxiang then? I don't even know you. All I see is a way to let Sun Liling rampage as she likes."
"I don't exactly like the princess either," Chu Song replied sourly, her right hand clenching into a fist. "It may be the little dumbasses own fault for listening, but the fact remains that she's stringing my lil' Bro Rong along. Cai's the bigger threat though, what she's trying to build… it's against the spirit of the Sect. I just want you and the rest of your friends to distance your ties. Stop working for the damn demon like she's your liege lord. Be allied if you want, but don't obey her and let her grow out of control."
Ling Qi studied the taller girl's expression carefully. It seemed that she was at least a little short tempered. Ling Qi would have to be a little cautious from here. "We already do that," Ling Qi began. "It's not like we swore or…"
She tensed, her flute nearly rising to her lips as s a thunderous splintering interrupted her words. She watched warily as the tree to the muscular girls right fell backwards, crashing into branches and underbrush, the portion of the trunk that Chu Song had struck pulverized to splinters. "You are, whether you admit it or not," she replied lowly. "You're wearing that gown and that band, backing up her thugs with your presence. You go along with her goon squad to suppress others and take sites. You were ready to rush off and help her fight Sun Liling. Don't tell me you weren't before your good sense kicked in," she said accusingly. "At least talk to that Bai friend of yours. Someone like her shouldn't be subordinate to someone else, the same for that Han guy. Any other year and they'd both be the heads of their own groups. The last thing the Sect needs is to go the way of the province."
"...This isn't exactly about Cai Renxiang, is it?" Ling Qi replied shrewdly as she backed up a step, carefully avoiding any indication that she was going to flee. "Not really."
Chu Song blew out a calming breath before meeting Ling Qi's eyes once again. "A demon spawn is still a demon," she replied bluntly. "It's pretty damn clear she's following the same path, even if she doesn't have the power to do as she wants yet. No other province's ruler rules the way the Cai do. It's not right," her words were full of absolute conviction that she was right. Ling Qi strongly doubted she was lying.
Ling Qi remained silent for several seconds. "...Say I believe you. I still don't want Sun Liling running rampant. Bai Meizhen is my friend and in the end, that makes that girl my enemy. Why should I just let her plan go without a hitch?"
Chu Song held her gaze for a moment before shrugging her broad shoulders. "The girl isn't stupid, maybe impulsive, but not stupid. She's not gonna rampage. What do you do when your forces are routed and scattered?"
Ling Qi blinked at the question. "You regroup and recover."
"Right, and if you know that, do you think a girl raised on the Butcher's knee doesn't?" Chu Song laughed. "She's busting out Kang Zihao and rallying people. At this point it's all about bloodying the demons nose and proving that she's not invincible. I might not like her, but she's just staking out her independence, not trying to conquer the sect, so for now we're allies," she said with satisfaction. "And that's how it should be. No disciple has the right to try and play Elder, just like no lord has the right to play Emperor."
She could see the other girls point, but she wasn't certain she agreed with it. Even if she did, she wasn't certain she would care to oppose Cai Renxiang regardless. Not when she was the one benefiting from the girls 'misdeeds'. In the end did she really care to allow a threat to herself and her friends build itself back up in the name of some nebulous power balance?
Was allowing Cai her absolute authority a bad thing if she was positioned to be advantaged by it? "I've heard you, but I hope you aren't expecting a declaration right now. I won't just go off on my own. What happens now?"
"Well, now we wait…" Chu Song began, only to twitch as an odd ripple passed through the air, followed by a sensation like a net being torn. Ling Qi's eyes widened as well as she felt three familiar sensations. Li Suyin, Su Ling, and Bai Meizhen's qi all blazed at the edge of her senses, approaching rapidly from the forest side of the vent.
"Never mind then," Chu Song said sourly. "Let me turn the question back around on you. What now?" She said while spreading her hands wide. "I gave my word, so are we going to fight, or will you ask your friends to stand down?"
"I don't like being threatened," Ling Qi replied quietly. "And whatever you say, that is what you were doing."
"That's fair," the tall girl laughed, her irritation seeming to fade by the moment, replaced by a certain excitement. "I guess I won't blame you if you want to sock me in the jaw a couple of times."
Ling Qi frowned. Her position had just gotten more advantageous but it was hardly weighted entirely in her favor either. The presences below were approaching in a hurry, and Cui was still out of commission, while Chu Song presumably had a spirit beast. The two below probably had at least one between them too, if the presence had felt earlier in the woods was any indication. However, now that they were growing closer, she could tell that they were only second realms. Su Ling and Li Suyin also were not exactly the most combat capable friends she had either.
[] Fight, you aren't alone anymore, and Meizhen should be able to match Chu Song.
[] Keep things peaceful, she has a point, Cai Renxiang could do with being taken down a notch.
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- Location
- Staring into the void
[] Keep things peaceful, she has a point, Cai Renxiang could do with being taken down a notch.
We're okay, our friends are okay. I'd like to keep it that way.
We're okay, our friends are okay. I'd like to keep it that way.
- Location
- Brazil
... Huh.
Now what.
Now what.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Ahhh.
She doesn't directly dislike CRX, but she hates CRX's mother and is interfering on principle because she's assuming that CRX would be just as bad if given power. So basically anything CRX did that had the slightest implication of 'Gathering power and influence' would have made Chu Song an implacable enemy of hers, to the point where she's willing to back up Sun Liling even against her better judgement.
Also, confirmation that they set up a formation to catch us if we tried to do a runner. Something broke when Bai Meizhen and company showed up on our senses. If that thing was even halfway compentently formed, it would have slowed us down enough to let Chu Song run us down.
I'm glad we had this talk, it gave us a fair amount to chew over. Especially the confirmation that "CRX's mother is a terrible person" You don't create that kind of hate just with normally lording things over.
She doesn't directly dislike CRX, but she hates CRX's mother and is interfering on principle because she's assuming that CRX would be just as bad if given power. So basically anything CRX did that had the slightest implication of 'Gathering power and influence' would have made Chu Song an implacable enemy of hers, to the point where she's willing to back up Sun Liling even against her better judgement.
Also, confirmation that they set up a formation to catch us if we tried to do a runner. Something broke when Bai Meizhen and company showed up on our senses. If that thing was even halfway compentently formed, it would have slowed us down enough to let Chu Song run us down.
I'm glad we had this talk, it gave us a fair amount to chew over. Especially the confirmation that "CRX's mother is a terrible person" You don't create that kind of hate just with normally lording things over.
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- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
I have no idea what I want to do here. It's obvious that people have a serious gripe about how cai is running the show. Thinking long term it would be worth it to fight chou now and try and decreases the advantages that her group would have for the tournament. But I really don't know
I was voting for running, but I am glad to see I was wrong.
This was an important talk.
This said, I am honestly unsure what to do now.
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
Yeah, but she was powerful enough to have her own faction. A true idiot wouldn't. The whole 'we caught you' thing never passed the smell test, but I was just putting that down to yrsillar wanting to make sure we stayed involved. That she was here to talk from the start makes it make more sense.
Also -
[] Fight, you aren't alone anymore, and Meizhen should be able to match Chu Song.
We don't want to sent the message way-landing us is ok.
I strongly disagree. You don't need to be a bad person or a bad ruler for something like that; all you need to do is step on peoples' toes. We know that CRX's mother was consolidating power by raising up commoners she recruiting instead of delegating to the previously-dominant nobles. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this rubs some nobles the wrong way.
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
I don't disagree here. I want Cai to stay on top... just. As long as she has to work to consolidate her political power, it will eat into her cultivation, she'll spend useful resources on her allies to help them grown and retard their political ambishons, and it will generally make us more important.
Diomedea
A piece of the continent
- Location
- The interblag
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I don't want to decide for Bai. We have enough power to form our own faction between us, but we shouldn't unilaterally decide. We don't (unlike everyone else) have an oar in the politics of the greater empire (until our mysterious backstory is revealed at the very least), so Bai is at the most risk (both in greater politics, and as the prime enemy of Sun Liling).
If CRX mother is similar to her prototype character, she is... let's say a very bad person, besides being a tyrant.
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