Now to be fair, I hadn't realized he had already decided to sink his omake bonus somewhere when I wrote that post.
Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
I thought 'begin to dominate' =!= actually being the best. It just means that if we are with a decent partner we can begin to be competitive against the best of the non-silver in the class.
After all, if we can reliably win first initiative roll our first clash dices are similar to someone who has 4attribute+4mastery+4tech/passive, which should be around the 'top end' for the late red peeps. As long as we do a graze and activate AtW, it turns our team into having a very significant advantage for a while. Now, does this mean we'll win every fight against non-silver when partnered with a good disciple? Of course not, but it does mean we'll be competitive in every fights.
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
Not really? That's pretty middle of the road - think about what at minimum an attack focused art should do. It should give passives to attack, and it should give actives to attack for tech bonus, and it might give extra attacks. Support abilities can be worth a lot, but that's as part of a group, against a group. Our actions debuff entire teams, but that means they'll lose out to the bonuses people give themsleves. -1 to ten people is mroe then +2 to your self. Against the Wind reduces the dice pool by two for entire groups of enemies, Guiding Zephyr helps all clashed on our side, and the artt passively give defense, attack, and init. If we have ten people on our side, and the other has ten on theirs... well that's huge.
But it will be balanced by the fact that if we're alone, or only have two or three people on our side, and the other side is one to three people... it will be weak-sauce.
You are underestimating the level of bonus people will be giving themselves. We're high talent, but started late. Assume most people have roughly the same number of arts. Three. The standard pattern is going to be a mobility art, and defensive art, and an attack art.
Some people will have less then that, or do something exotic instead, but that will be average. They won't be as good as what we have - they'll be along the lines of Zephyr's breath, except with better bonuses and no ability to share them. So roughly on par with us, but with a stronger hit and less evade when we go all out.
The best non-silver will be solidly above that. They'll have bigger pools then us, extra actions, and there attacks will have extra effects that either you can't ignore just by spend qi to avoid taking a wound, or are nasty bad touch to force you to spend qi you need for other techniques.
Our primary strength is as part of a larger team, and against large numbers of individually inferior opponents. Don't forget it, because our enemies won't. They'll make sure to separate us from others, or gack us first, or send elites instead of wearing us down with mooks, or otherwise work against our strengths.
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
I completely agree... but that's not the case I am talking about. This is not about "sparring where everyone is going all out and showing their secret techniques". People in the class are not doing so.
This is a case where they'll mostly be using their passives and one of their less special attack techs. Our 'normal' pool is going to be 4+2+2 (passive)+1/2(tech, depending on guiding zephyr or AtW). Our 'only during first clash and if we win initiative' pool, which is not about support, is going to give us another +2.
That's the pool I am talking about: A pool where neither us nor our opponents use any of their secret arts active powers and where we have an extra 2 dices to bridge the gap from 'support centred' to 'actually capable of fighting'. If we win that clash, this then means our group will have an advantage as long as no one actually use their special techs.
I am not forgetting it at all, but good thing this is group sparring where no one actually shows their special combat techs.
For example, while our pool will be equal to Huang Da's by next turn (well, equal offense, but in defense we'll have -1 against melee, though equal against range, and it's possible he has hefty penalty during the day), our 'debuff' are much, much weaker than his when it comes to single target (that poison...). Huang Da is clearly a couple of level below the top of the late red in Elder Zhou's class, of course, but it should give an idea on what kind of techniques they can have once 'serious'.
- Location
- United States
We need 31 successes from dice since auto successes stay the same. Assuming the 66 dice rolled there are 31 of 67 possible outcomes that result in failure (0 success -66 success ) 31/67 = ~46.3%
Edit: excluding omakes it is 35/67 = ~52% failure.
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Rem
fite me
...I don't know what you think you're doing, but if we're looking for 31 or more successes with ~60 trials, where each trial has a success rate of 0.500, you'll want to use a CDF of binomial distribution.
The fact that natural ones cause rerolls complicates this significantly, but the probability of successfully getting 31 successes disregarding the rerolls is 44.9%. Not great, but it puts us in spitting distance so ech.
Assuming there are exactly six rerolls (Which is not a safe assumption, even though that's the average) this becomes a 73.1% chance of success.
(To clarify slightly, the CDF of Binomial Distribution is just the sum of all acceptable PMF Binomial Distributions. The PMF of a Binomial Distribution is the odds of getting exactly a set number of successes--so the CDF is the odds of getting exactly 31 or 32 or 33... all the way to 66).
Edit: The odds of failure are, of course, 100 minus the percent chance of success.
Second Edit:
Binomial Calculator
There. Actually doing this by hand is beyond impractical, so test it there if you want. See for yourself.
Assuming there are exactly six rerolls (Which is not a safe assumption, even though that's the average) this becomes a 73.1% chance of success.
(To clarify slightly, the CDF of Binomial Distribution is just the sum of all acceptable PMF Binomial Distributions. The PMF of a Binomial Distribution is the odds of getting exactly a set number of successes--so the CDF is the odds of getting exactly 31 or 32 or 33... all the way to 66).
Edit: The odds of failure are, of course, 100 minus the percent chance of success.
Second Edit:
Binomial Calculator
There. Actually doing this by hand is beyond impractical, so test it there if you want. See for yourself.
Without Rerolls: 44.9% Chance of finishing AS4 this turn.
With One Reroll: 50.0% Chance of finishing AS4 this turn.
With Three Rerolls: 59.9% Chance of finishing AS4 this turn.
With Six Rerolls: 73.1% Chance of finishing AS4 this turn.
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Year 43, week 10
Ling Qi's first lesson with Elder Zhou that week was a bit of a disaster. Seeing as she had only a few hours to rest after their battle with Huang Da, she was still sore, tired and numb from his poison. She had thankfully recovered some motion in her right arm, but it still made the exercises she was expected to perform incredibly painful and awkward.
She powered through though, gritting her teeth and at least forcing herself to keep up with the rear of the pack on the morning run and to not fall behind during exercises. She avoided being reprimanded by Elder Zhou, and that was all that mattered. She didn't care about the assholes who sneered at her struggles.
The spars were pretty brutal that day though, and she wanted to scream by the time they were done, with how many times she ended up on her back in the dirt. She could feel her desire to continue hiding her techniques fraying at this point. After all, it wasn't like they were properly a secret any longer. She refrained from doing it for now though. Perhaps she could use that as a way to stand out in the final days of the training. It might be fun to wipe the smug off of a few faces.
She was interrupted from her brooding and vengeful thoughts in the aftermath of the lesson by Han Jian's voice. "Ling Qi, Hey, Ling Qi," she startled a bit as she looked up from the weapon rack she had been leaning against as class dispersed for the day to find Han Jian and Han Fang looking down at her with concern. Gu Xiulan stood a short distance behind them with her arms crossed, studying her intently. "You doing alright? I saw you favoring your left side," he continued when he saw that he actually had her attention.
"I'm fine," Ling Qi responded instinctively, forcing herself to straighten up despite the pain in her ribs. "Just… had a couple rough encounters while I was out exploring last night, and I didn't get back till a few hours before training. She didn't want to explain the Huang Da situation, because it would almost certainly involve mentioning the vent, and she hadn't run that by Li Suyin and Su Ling yet.
Mostly because Su Ling had almost collapsed when they got to the bottom of the cliff and Li Suyin had to support her for the rest of the trip back to the residential area. Han Jian peered at her with a frown on his face and she squirmed a bit under the inspection. He could probably tell that she was hiding something. "...Alright, if you think you'll be fine. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us to train a bit… I wanted to work with my Dawn's Courage technique now that I've broken through and opened some more meridians, but if you aren't up for it…"
That was his heart technique if she remembered right. "Thanks for offering," she responded regretfully. "I'm going to be really busy for awhile though. I'm going to try to win a spot in the top three in Elder Su's lessons, so I'm going to be studying and cultivating with Li Suyin a lot this week," she paused, feeling awkward as she recalled an issue. "Ah… Have I introduced you to Li Suyin? She's my friend in the spiritual lessons."
Gu Xiulan frowned, giving Ling Qi a reproachful look. "You have not, nor have you even mentioned her," she said, sounding a little irritated. "I believe I have seen her though, that waif-ish girl with the blue hair? I had noticed you speaking to her, but I did not know you were so close."
"I've seen her, yeah," Han Jian replied, shooting Gu Xiulan a quelling look. "That's fine, just… make sure you're careful with what you're doing, alright? You hurt yourself badly it can set you back a lot more than moderating your pace will."
Ling Qi nodded and gave Xiulan an apologetic look. "I'll be careful… and sorry. It just never came up," she said, first to Han Jian and then to the other girl. "I just… I really need all the advantages I can get, you know?"
That seems to be enough to mollify Xiulan, who sighs theatrically. "Well, I suppose it would be hypocritical for me to tell you not to strive for high rewards, but you really do need to stop being so reticent," the reproach returning to her tone for the second half. "Really, you hardly say a thing about yourself."
"Sorry," Ling Qi muttered, lowering her head a bit. "I'll… I'll try to be a little more open," it felt wrong to say that given what she was currently hiding from them, but what else could she do?
They parted ways after that, and Ling Qi made the trek back to the residential area. She needed to speak with Su Ling and Li Suyin about the possibility of bringing Meizhen into things… it would make cultivating there much safer.
Ling Qi's trudge back to disciple housing was less than pleasant. She still felt sore and sluggish, and more than one of her fellow disciples seemed to take that as a sign that it was fine to 'accidentally' bump into her, or otherwise cause trouble, one asshole even knocked her down as he pushed past her without a word, in the plaza. Asshole, it was one of those guys who had tried to rob her the first week after the test too.
She committed his ratty face to memory along with the girls off to the side tittering at her plight. Nothing really concerning happened on the way back thankfully, but she still had a scowl fixed pretty firmly on her face by the time she was rapping her knuckles on Suyin's door. "Li Suyin! It's Ling Qi, can you let me in?"
There were some shuffling sounds from the other side of the door and a clattering of clay bottles before the door cracked open a notch, revealing a suspiciously scowling Su Ling. Her expression eased up a little when she saw Ling Qi's face though. "Come in," she grunted grudgingly, opening the door a little wider and stepping aside.
Now that she got a better look at the feral girl, she could see the bandages swathing her upper body. They were easily visible under the girl's gown. Su Ling's hand kept twitching as if she wanted to scratch at it before the girl would stop herself. The interior was messier than usual, with a pile of bloody bandages in one corner that Ling Qi recognized as the field dressing Li Suyin had done on the mountain. There was also a scattering of clay bottles on the floor around Suyin, who sat in the middle of the room with her head down. She looked like she was about to pass out where she sat.
"So what is it?" Su Ling asked bluntly as she kicked the door shut behind Ling Qi. "I don't think we're getting back up there today, unless you want to carry her," the fox girl continued, jabbing a thumb in Li Suyin's direction. The blue haired girl jerked slightly, as if startled by her voice.
"Hm? Yes… I'm sorry. I just… I only just finished cleaning and dressing her wounds properly," Li Suyin murmured tiredly. "Getting the salves and medicines from the market took some time," she added distractedly.
Ling Qi glanced over at Su Ling as she leaned against the door, arms crossed. The other girl simply shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "...I figured cashing in some savings to make sure I healed up right was worth it. I needed her to come along so I didn't get cheated," she replied, scowling.
"I kind of assumed we all needed a bit of rest," Ling Qi responded neutrally, eyeing Li Suyin with some concern. "I actually wanted to talk to you two about what we're going to do about Huang Da though, he isn't going to drop this," she felt confident in saying that.
Li Suyin's face fell and she hugged herself, looking down. "...Are you certain? I… we beat him, that should be enough, right? The damage I did shouldn't heal easily, I-I targeted his lungs..." her voice was barely audible, even in the tiny room.
She saw Su Ling's hands clench into fists and a low growl escaped the girl's throat. "I'm sure he can get medicine too," she said bluntly. "You did good," she said, turning to look at Suyin, who just shrunk in on herself more. "But she's right, we can't assume he's gonna stay down," she added, nodding to Ling Qi. "We don't go up there alone, I assume," she added gruffly. "Gonna be a pain in the ass for my hunting."
"I was thinking something a little more," Ling Qi admitted carefully. She liked to think that she had gotten slightly better at talking to people since she had come here. "I think we should tell my housemate, Bai Meizhen about the vent. If she cultivates up there too, we should be fine."
Su Ling looked distinctly unhappy, but Li Suyin simply continued staring at her lap. "Yeah fine, snake girl is strong, I'll give you that. We can't just go handing our prize out like that though. She didn't do anything to help us, and who is going to stop her from just sharing it around with whoever she wants?" Su Ling replied angrily. She didn't completely reject the idea though Ling Qi noted.
"That card I used to make him freeze for a second was something she gave me," Ling Qi admitted quietly. "He wouldn't have run if not for that," Ling Qi wasn't dumb, she had been one good hit from falling over, if he had kept going odds are she would have gone down, and she shuddered to think of what might have happened. "And… I don't think she would do that. As far as I know, I'm the only one she really talks too."
"I am fine with telling her," Li Suyin mutters. "If… if it means we don't have to fight over it again, isn't that better?"
Su Ling tenses, her knuckles going white for a moment before she lets out a long breath, forcibly relaxing herself. "Fine, you want to trust her we will, whatever happens is on you."
"Right, we should probably head over to my place then," Ling Qi replied, feeling a bit of relief that they had agreed to it. She stood up, doing her best to conceal the wobble in her stance. The numbness was still fading slowly. "I figure you two should be there when we talk to her about it."
The two of them agreed easily enough, reluctantly in Su Ling's case and… listlessly in Li Suyin's. Ling Qi really hoped the other girl would be in better shape once she got some sleep. A short time thereafter, the three of them arrived at Ling Qi's home, and she knocked twice on the door before opening it. "Bai Meizhen, I'm home, and I have a couple of guests, is it alright to let them in?" She called as she opened the door a crack and peered in.
"Guests?" Her housemate called back as she exited her room, a slight frown on her fine features. Her hair is still slightly damp, even if she was otherwise as impeccable as always, so she must have been washing up. You're not sure how she bathes in there, given you've never seen a basin or a tub in her room on the few times you've glimpsed the inside. "I suppose that is fine. I must ask that you refrain from using our meditation chamber. I currently have some effects in place for my own cultivation," she adds as she shuts the door to her bedroom.
Ling Qi stepped inside, leaving the door open for her other friends. "That's fine," she replied. "We… actually wanted to talk to you about something," Ling Qi continued, glancing over her shoulder and gesturing for them to come in. "Well, more like I wanted to offer you something and it wouldn't be fair for them to not be here."
Bai Meizhen cocked her head to the side curiously as she regarded the two girls you had brought with you. Su Ling looked both tense and incredibly uncomfortable, her pointed furry ears laid back flat against the side of her head as she stubbornly met Bai Meizhen's slit pupiled gaze, her arms crossed over her chest. LI Suyin looked to be doing her best impression of a frightened mouse, although she at least made the effort to bow her head respectfully and mumble an unintelligible greeting. "...I see," Bai Meizhen replied neutrally. "Well, do close the door," she added in the same tone, moving off toward the merrily burning fire in the hearth. "I suppose this has to do with why you are wounded Ling Qi?" She asked, without turning back to face them.
"It does," Ling Qi admitted as she followed her roommate. She gestured for Su Ling and Li Suyin to follow them once the duo had shut the door behind them. "We were doing a little exploring last night, searching for better places to cultivate."
"A worthy pursuit," Bai Meizhen replied. "You came into conflict with another disciple over it then?"
"Yeah, but how do you know that?" Su Ling replied snappishly, the grip of her hands on her own elbows turning her knuckles white. "What, you get some divination in the package too?"
The pale girl gave the Su Ling a reproachful look, which halted her in her tracks. "The poisonous qi clinging to you is artificial in design. Obviously it did not come from a spirit beast," she responded archly. She paused a moment thoughtfully, "it is beginning to fade already, it will not linger for more than perhaps another half day."
"T-thank you, I had thought so as well, but… I wasn't sure if I had made a mistake or not," Li Suyin said quietly, flinching when Bai Meizhen's gaze landed on her. "U-um… may I ask, do you think we should go to the Elders about this? I… he attacked us, isn't that supposed to be against the rules?"
Bai Meizhen's expression was unreadable. "I would not expect much, no. I assume this happened well off the primary paths?"
"Yeah, it did," Ling Qi agreed quietly. "He even said he doubted the Elders would do anything about it."
"He is somewhat correct," Bai Meizhen replied as she gracefully moved to sit down by the fire, folding her hands in her lap. "The 'truce' is not ironclad. The Elders of the Sect are far too busy to watch every part of the mountain at once. They would investigate a killing of course, or perhaps serious and permanent injuries, if the disciple in question held their interest," she explained easily. "But no, the Empire's justice is far from absolute, whatever it's proponents might say."
Li Suyin's shoulders sunk further and she fell into silence, staring at the floor as she stood behind Su Ling. "Yeah that sounds about right," said girl grumbled, her tail wriggling agitated around her waist. "So you gonna tell her or what?" She asked, shooting Ling Qi a look.
Ling Qi nodded and took a deep breath, she was going to feel really foolish if Bai Meizhen didn't agree to come. "We found a natural spirit stone deposit. It had both yellow and red veins of crystal, and was venting some kind of mist that reacted to our Argent Foundations too. I was hoping you might be interested in cultivating with us when we go there."
She was treated to the sight of Bai Meizhen's snowy white eyebrows climbing high for a moment as the other girl stared at her. "The three of you found one of the mountains vents?" She asked curiously. "I have been…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Your fortune is rather amazing… but I suppose one with a foxes blood would be useful in penetrating illusions."
Ling Qi frowned even as Su Ling growled. "What do you mean?" Ling Qi asked before Su Ling could say something rude.
"There are a handful of such sites on every one of the sects mountains. This mountain has the smallest and least potent deposits. It is why the Sect is located here. At least on this mountain, they are hidden as prizes for enterprising disciples," Bai Meizhen replied. "I had thought I was on the path to one of them, but I had not been able to penetrate the illusory formation around it."
...That would explain the easiness of the cliffside path, Ling Qi thought. She had wondered why no one had found it from that side, but she had been too distracted to really think about it. She glanced to Su Ling, who shrugged irritably.
"I could smell a bunch of qi in the air meant to lead us off track. Figured it was some beast marking its territory," Su Ling mumbled self consciously, not meeting any of your eyes.
"I believe I will find the time to join you," Bai Meizhen mused. "It would prove a boon in allowing me to complete the Argent Soul and move on to other tasks," she seemed pretty pleased to Ling Qi.
The four of them spent some time after discussing when the best time to spend up there would be, and in the end agreed to meet after Ling Qi's morning lessons. Once that had been decided, they broke up and went their own ways. Li Suyin and Su Ling to rest and her and Meizhen to do their own cultivation.
Ling herself fell into a light sleep for an hour or so before heading to Elder Su's lesson, feeling refreshed, her side was still numb but the motion had largely returned to her arm. She took just a bit of vicious satisfaction in the fact that Huang Da wasn't present today. She didn;t allow herself to dwell though, instead focusing on Elder Su's lecture on the function and meaning of the Argent Soul technique. It was interesting… if a little hard to follow at times. The Argent Soul technique and it's more advanced forms functioned on the principle that every individual was unique, and that humanity was not truly connected to any one element, and held the potential for all to be held in perfect balance.
Few ever achieved this potential, but balance remained the core of the technique. It was essentially the reinforcement of the self the exercises the Argent Soul technique was based on had the purpose of purifying the qi the cultivator absorbed all elemental essence, leaving only the pure and unadulterated qi of the World. In principle anyway, what they were doing was nowhere near that purity, and their bodies would not be able to handle it if it was. The Argent Soul was designed to allow its users to slowly spread a foundational layer of 'pure' qi throughout their bodies, beginning with the dantian, and then spreading to the bones and organs, reinforcing them to handle more larger and denser quantities of qi.
What exactly balance was differed from person to person though, as every individual was unique in that regard. It was implied, Ling Qi thought, that the… strong personalities of certain elders was a result of mastering the Argent Soul, as it magnified the unique quirks of the individual who used it.
Her question after class was met with a bit of amusement from Elder Su, who simply informed her that it should not be a lingering problem. As someone of… simple background, her body was simply not acclimated to large amounts of medicinal energy. Given her cultivation, and her continued use of pills, she should now be essentially fine to use them as she willed, though she did warn that some medicines should not be used until certain stages were reached, and ignoring such warnings could have dire consequences.
Ling Qi fell heavily into cultivation as the rest of the week passed. She barely ate or slept as she concentrated on Mastering the next exercises of the Argent Soul technique. It was a heady feeling, having the pure qi in her body slowly expand, soaking into her bones, starting with her spine and expanding outward.
She felt more secure and centered than ever before as her cultivation continued, the qi spreading throughout her body, and with every breath that she spent cultivating it seemed the energy flowed more smoothly, with less loss. It felt like she had been congested her entire life and could only now breath freely as her Argent Foundation expanded from bone to organ, soaking into and weaving through flesh. It was strange to be so aware of her body though, and a little disorienting at first. She was glad enough to receive another Qi Foundation pill, though it confused her a little. She didn't really think she had advanced enough the previous week to earn it.
+1 Qi Foundation Pill
Her lessons with Elder Zhou continued apace as well, she was growing faster and stronger every day, the qi reinforcing her body allowing her to improve faster than a mortal could hope for. She was beginning to do reasonably well in the spars, she couldn't claim that she was winning even close to a majority of expect when the team matchups favored her, but she was getting better and better at making her foes work to put her out of the fight.
She could match them though if she worked hard enough. That was the real joy of cultivation for her, Ling Qi thought. The fact that it was truly, really possible to claw your way up from the bottom of the heap with luck and dedication. Huang Da was a good stick to measure herself against she felt, he was strong… but she could see him, not like Meizhen, or Sun Liling, who still lay far beyond her ability to even think about matching. Huang Da was someone she felt she could beat if she worked hard enough.
He was fast though, and even one hit could be crippling, and so in addition to working on the penultimate layer of her Argent Soul, she channeled some of the energy she had absorbed from her QI foundation pill toward opening a second channel in her legs, so that she would be able to begin the next set of exercises for Sable Crescent Step. If there was one thing that hadn't changed from her mortal life, it was the simple axiom that speed was life. You couldn't get beaten, caught or killed if your pursuers and enemies couldn't keep up with you to begin with.
However, Ling Qi did not focus entirely on training as much as she felt the urge too. She was aware enough of those around her to see that Li Suyin was not improving with rest. She remained downcast and listless as days went by, and although she continued to improve, breaking through to the fourth layer of Argent Soul herself during their cooperative cultivation. Ling Qi saw the growing bags under the girl's eyes, and the way she fumbled even basic physical exercises Ling Qi had shown her a dozen times. It pissed her off a little honestly, though her temper wasn't directed at Li Suyin. No she was pissed at that lanky creep who had affected her friend so badly. At least he had been out of class for a few days now, even if his absence was starting to set off the bells of her paranoia.
Li Suyin was only growing more withdrawn by the day though, and so Ling Qi found herself in the unenviable position of being the one who needed to start an uncomfortable conversation. She chose to wait until after they had finished cultivating at the vent for the day, leaving Su Ling and Bai Meizhen behind to continue. After they had descended the cliff face and began to walk the winding path back down to the plaza, Ling Qi gathered her resolve to speak. "You don't have to keep worrying, you know? We have this, we're going to get those passes and rub his face in it." She intended to do more than that, but there was no reason to alarm the pacifistic girl with violent promises.
Li Suyin startled a bit at her sudden words, glancing at her in askance as they walked down the sun dappled mountain path. The bruise on her cheek was fading, though it still made for an ugly mark on the other girls face. "I… yes, of course we will," Li Suyin responded quietly, lowering her head, returning to staring at the ground ahead.
Ling Qi frowned, crossing her arms and leaving her hands hidden in her sleeves, a gesture she had first begun copying from Meizhen. Having one's hands hidden was a useful thing, she supposed that was why they gave everyone these billowy sleeves. Finally she sighed explosively. "Look, I know that isn't your real problem," she wasn't blind or deaf after all. "...But I'm not sure what to say. You did what you had too, he would have put me down next and then done… whatever he wanted to us afterward," she felt disgust at the idea of being at the creeps mercy, even if she had a feeling his intentions were probably not just vulgar, he had seemed genuinely insulted when she had insinuated that he would turn on whoever stayed with him after all. "I'm glad you did whatever you did, but I'm not happy that it's making you so depressed. So help me understand, will you?"
Li Sutin clutched the front of her gown in her hands and didn't look up for several seconds. "It wasn't right to use my art that way. It is not what it is meant for, and… I shouldn't have felt satisfied when I felt his pain. I shouldn;t have felt happy when I saw his blood. I-I don't want to be like that. Things shouldn't be like that. We shouldn't be… be willing to hurt each other so much over things like this. We're all imperial citizens. Cultivators are supposed to be virtuous!" Her voice started out quiet, gradually growing louder and more distressed until her last words, which were practically shouted as she came to a stop on the path. "The law isn't meant to be to be ignored or circumvented, or…." she gestures vaguely and helplessly. "Papa… Father always read me to me from the classics, and I thought… I thought cultivators were supposed to embody the Virtues, but… Maybe that's why Mother never never read from those."
Ling Qi was silent, she didn't really have any base to understand what the other girl was saying. "Before I came here. I already knew things weren't like that," she began tightly. "The world isn't fair, and people will trample on others the second they feel like it will benefit them," she added, keeping the guilt out of her voice. She had done the same after all. "To me cultivators were just people strong enough to do whatever they want. It seemed true," she continued with a shrug. "I remember the first time I saw a cultivator, it was when a couple of guards from the outer gates came by the brothel where my mom worked when I was young. I saw the bruises on her and the other women the day after, saw the shit they broke, and the one new girl who lost half her teeth when one of them slapped her. No one ever called them on it," she wasn't really sure why she was saying this.
Li Suyin had looked up though and was staring at her in horror. Ling Qi wasn't surprised, the other girl was pretty sheltered. "I… such excesses are supposed to be.. That is… I mean," she trails off into incoherency. She wrung her hands, clearly having no idea what to say.
Ling Qi let out a slightly bitter laugh. "Yeah lots of things aren't supposed to be the way they are," she continued on, even if Li Suyin didn't want to talk to her after this, it was fine. "The point is, you can wring your hands and complain about it,live with it, or try to do something about it," she added with a shrug as she resumed walking. "I'm not the type to try and change things, but maybe you are. You won't ever be able to do anything about it if you break down the first time you run into trouble. Isn't facing evil supposed to be virtuous too?"
Things were quiet for several seconds as Ling Qi walked on, grimacing now that Li Suyin could no longer see her. What the hell was she even saying? She was a bit surprised when, a few seconds later she heard the other girls footsteps, hurrying to catch up to her.
"I-I'm sorry for making you mention something like… that," Li Suyin apologized as she caught up to Ling Qi, she still looked downcast, but the horror had faded from her expression. She still looked uncomfortable as she peered up at Ling Qi though, and that hurt more than she thought it would. "You are…. You are right though, in one respect at least," she added in a softer tone. "I… turning my face away from corruption is hardly better than being a part of it… Father would disapointed in me if I came home now… I will just… just need to be careful not to allow myself to grow too complacent."
Ling Qi shot her a surprised look. She had been thinking of leaving? That was more extreme than she expected. Shaking her head, she bumped her shoulder against Li Suyin's, feeling a bit of relief when the other girl didn't flinch away. "Glad to hear it. Now let's get going. We don't want to be late."
Li Suyin made a sound of agreement and picked up her pace, practically jogging to keep up with Ling Qi's longer stride.
Although Li Suyin's demeanor improved after that, the week did not end on such a positive note. On the last day of the week, Ling Qi entered Elder Su's lecture hall several minutes early, only to find herself face to face with Huang Da. Li Suyin had split with her earlier in order to retrieve some notes before the lesson, and so she was alone. Well, they were in a reasonably crowded room, it didn't help her feeling of isolation though.
"Hello," he said in a remarkably friendly manner, given how their last meeting ended. He looked rather exhausted as he leaned against the rearmost row of benches, studying her intently. "You are looking more lovely than ever," he added tiredly. He lacked the usual lethargy she had seen from him during the day though.
She scowled at him, itching to draw one of her knives. "Go to hell," she hissed quietly. "I have nothing to say to you."
The corners of his lips quirked up in amusement, and she had to restrain the urge to punch him. "No need to be rude. I didn't get what I wanted obviously, I underestimated you far too much. Li Suyin as well I suppose," he mused. "You cost me quite a bit," he added in a more dangerous tone. "My escape talisman, two dozen red stones worth of treatment… it was really an expensive night."
"You forgot denying you the prize," Ling Qi replied vindictively, crossing her arms.
"Why yes, I suppose I did never get the chance to hold you, my sweet night flower," she flushed as he raised his voice just enough for others nearby to hear, drawing looks their way. "I'm afraid I have been making use of the other thing though," he responded more quietly. "It's not as if you and your companions use the thing all day."
She glared at him, her fists trembling. She hadn't thought of that, but it really pissed her off. "We offered that in the first place, you…"
He waved a hand dismissively. "What reason did I have to allow myself more competition than necessary?" He asked rhetorically. "In any case, I would rather put that behind us. Would you like to come to dinner with me tonight?"
She gaped at him, poleaxed by the sheer… arrogance and delusion in what he was asking. "No, you creep. Why the hell would you even ask?" She asked, losing her grip on politeness.
He frowned, managing to look truly put out for a moment. "Well, I wanted to celebrate my breakthrough, and as the muse that finally drove me to break through the peak, I thought it only polite," he responded.
Ling Qi stiffened, backing up a step from the boy, suddenly leery. "You're bluffing."
He pushed himself up to stand straight, 'looking' her directly in the eye. "I'm afraid not. I acheived yellow soul just yesterday. It's all thanks to you, which is why I'm willing to waive past debts," he said a smile playing on his lips. "Li Suyin was more dangerous than I expected, but you… yes. The two of them could not have even touched me without you. I have decided that I want you," he continued, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as he raised his hand as if to cradle her cheek.
She swatted his hand away of course, ignoring the increasing number of stares they were getting. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "And I don't care what you want." She turned away deliberately trusting that he wouldn't attack her in the middle of the lecture hall.
"That's fine, I knew you wouldn't submit easily," he said, making her flush further. "I hope we can both enjoy the chase."
It was pretty hard to concentrate on the lesson after that.
Relationship Gains
Li Suyin: ooo
-Good Friends
Huang Da: oo
-Fear, Disgust
You Have FOUR actions for the following week
Select which resources you would like to use in your plan
[] You haven't spent much time with him, but Han Fang seems nice, try to get to know him better?
[] Spend some time with Gu Xiulan and ask for advice... she has to have some experience with unwanted... suitors, right?
[] Talk with Su Ling again. She seems like a useful friend to have.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
[] Talk to Han Jian, he did mention wanting to do some training
[] Ask Bai Meizhen for information on Huang Da and advice for the situation
[] Explore the mountain
-[] See what you can find
[] Head to the market for some shopping
-[] Sell the staff
-[] Try to find a trade for the staff
[] Try to puzzle out the tokens left from the test
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Physical
-[] Spiritual
-[] Qi
-[] Meridian (which one?)
-[] Art(Which one?)
-2 wounded penalty. 3 Auto successes,
3 dice +1 Success
7 6 9. 2 Successes. 3 total
3 dice +1 Success
7 6 9. 2 Successes. 3 total
She powered through though, gritting her teeth and at least forcing herself to keep up with the rear of the pack on the morning run and to not fall behind during exercises. She avoided being reprimanded by Elder Zhou, and that was all that mattered. She didn't care about the assholes who sneered at her struggles.
The spars were pretty brutal that day though, and she wanted to scream by the time they were done, with how many times she ended up on her back in the dirt. She could feel her desire to continue hiding her techniques fraying at this point. After all, it wasn't like they were properly a secret any longer. She refrained from doing it for now though. Perhaps she could use that as a way to stand out in the final days of the training. It might be fun to wipe the smug off of a few faces.
She was interrupted from her brooding and vengeful thoughts in the aftermath of the lesson by Han Jian's voice. "Ling Qi, Hey, Ling Qi," she startled a bit as she looked up from the weapon rack she had been leaning against as class dispersed for the day to find Han Jian and Han Fang looking down at her with concern. Gu Xiulan stood a short distance behind them with her arms crossed, studying her intently. "You doing alright? I saw you favoring your left side," he continued when he saw that he actually had her attention.
"I'm fine," Ling Qi responded instinctively, forcing herself to straighten up despite the pain in her ribs. "Just… had a couple rough encounters while I was out exploring last night, and I didn't get back till a few hours before training. She didn't want to explain the Huang Da situation, because it would almost certainly involve mentioning the vent, and she hadn't run that by Li Suyin and Su Ling yet.
Mostly because Su Ling had almost collapsed when they got to the bottom of the cliff and Li Suyin had to support her for the rest of the trip back to the residential area. Han Jian peered at her with a frown on his face and she squirmed a bit under the inspection. He could probably tell that she was hiding something. "...Alright, if you think you'll be fine. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us to train a bit… I wanted to work with my Dawn's Courage technique now that I've broken through and opened some more meridians, but if you aren't up for it…"
That was his heart technique if she remembered right. "Thanks for offering," she responded regretfully. "I'm going to be really busy for awhile though. I'm going to try to win a spot in the top three in Elder Su's lessons, so I'm going to be studying and cultivating with Li Suyin a lot this week," she paused, feeling awkward as she recalled an issue. "Ah… Have I introduced you to Li Suyin? She's my friend in the spiritual lessons."
Gu Xiulan frowned, giving Ling Qi a reproachful look. "You have not, nor have you even mentioned her," she said, sounding a little irritated. "I believe I have seen her though, that waif-ish girl with the blue hair? I had noticed you speaking to her, but I did not know you were so close."
"I've seen her, yeah," Han Jian replied, shooting Gu Xiulan a quelling look. "That's fine, just… make sure you're careful with what you're doing, alright? You hurt yourself badly it can set you back a lot more than moderating your pace will."
Ling Qi nodded and gave Xiulan an apologetic look. "I'll be careful… and sorry. It just never came up," she said, first to Han Jian and then to the other girl. "I just… I really need all the advantages I can get, you know?"
That seems to be enough to mollify Xiulan, who sighs theatrically. "Well, I suppose it would be hypocritical for me to tell you not to strive for high rewards, but you really do need to stop being so reticent," the reproach returning to her tone for the second half. "Really, you hardly say a thing about yourself."
"Sorry," Ling Qi muttered, lowering her head a bit. "I'll… I'll try to be a little more open," it felt wrong to say that given what she was currently hiding from them, but what else could she do?
They parted ways after that, and Ling Qi made the trek back to the residential area. She needed to speak with Su Ling and Li Suyin about the possibility of bringing Meizhen into things… it would make cultivating there much safer.
Ling Qi's trudge back to disciple housing was less than pleasant. She still felt sore and sluggish, and more than one of her fellow disciples seemed to take that as a sign that it was fine to 'accidentally' bump into her, or otherwise cause trouble, one asshole even knocked her down as he pushed past her without a word, in the plaza. Asshole, it was one of those guys who had tried to rob her the first week after the test too.
She committed his ratty face to memory along with the girls off to the side tittering at her plight. Nothing really concerning happened on the way back thankfully, but she still had a scowl fixed pretty firmly on her face by the time she was rapping her knuckles on Suyin's door. "Li Suyin! It's Ling Qi, can you let me in?"
There were some shuffling sounds from the other side of the door and a clattering of clay bottles before the door cracked open a notch, revealing a suspiciously scowling Su Ling. Her expression eased up a little when she saw Ling Qi's face though. "Come in," she grunted grudgingly, opening the door a little wider and stepping aside.
Now that she got a better look at the feral girl, she could see the bandages swathing her upper body. They were easily visible under the girl's gown. Su Ling's hand kept twitching as if she wanted to scratch at it before the girl would stop herself. The interior was messier than usual, with a pile of bloody bandages in one corner that Ling Qi recognized as the field dressing Li Suyin had done on the mountain. There was also a scattering of clay bottles on the floor around Suyin, who sat in the middle of the room with her head down. She looked like she was about to pass out where she sat.
"So what is it?" Su Ling asked bluntly as she kicked the door shut behind Ling Qi. "I don't think we're getting back up there today, unless you want to carry her," the fox girl continued, jabbing a thumb in Li Suyin's direction. The blue haired girl jerked slightly, as if startled by her voice.
"Hm? Yes… I'm sorry. I just… I only just finished cleaning and dressing her wounds properly," Li Suyin murmured tiredly. "Getting the salves and medicines from the market took some time," she added distractedly.
Ling Qi glanced over at Su Ling as she leaned against the door, arms crossed. The other girl simply shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "...I figured cashing in some savings to make sure I healed up right was worth it. I needed her to come along so I didn't get cheated," she replied, scowling.
"I kind of assumed we all needed a bit of rest," Ling Qi responded neutrally, eyeing Li Suyin with some concern. "I actually wanted to talk to you two about what we're going to do about Huang Da though, he isn't going to drop this," she felt confident in saying that.
Li Suyin's face fell and she hugged herself, looking down. "...Are you certain? I… we beat him, that should be enough, right? The damage I did shouldn't heal easily, I-I targeted his lungs..." her voice was barely audible, even in the tiny room.
She saw Su Ling's hands clench into fists and a low growl escaped the girl's throat. "I'm sure he can get medicine too," she said bluntly. "You did good," she said, turning to look at Suyin, who just shrunk in on herself more. "But she's right, we can't assume he's gonna stay down," she added, nodding to Ling Qi. "We don't go up there alone, I assume," she added gruffly. "Gonna be a pain in the ass for my hunting."
"I was thinking something a little more," Ling Qi admitted carefully. She liked to think that she had gotten slightly better at talking to people since she had come here. "I think we should tell my housemate, Bai Meizhen about the vent. If she cultivates up there too, we should be fine."
Su Ling looked distinctly unhappy, but Li Suyin simply continued staring at her lap. "Yeah fine, snake girl is strong, I'll give you that. We can't just go handing our prize out like that though. She didn't do anything to help us, and who is going to stop her from just sharing it around with whoever she wants?" Su Ling replied angrily. She didn't completely reject the idea though Ling Qi noted.
"That card I used to make him freeze for a second was something she gave me," Ling Qi admitted quietly. "He wouldn't have run if not for that," Ling Qi wasn't dumb, she had been one good hit from falling over, if he had kept going odds are she would have gone down, and she shuddered to think of what might have happened. "And… I don't think she would do that. As far as I know, I'm the only one she really talks too."
"I am fine with telling her," Li Suyin mutters. "If… if it means we don't have to fight over it again, isn't that better?"
Su Ling tenses, her knuckles going white for a moment before she lets out a long breath, forcibly relaxing herself. "Fine, you want to trust her we will, whatever happens is on you."
"Right, we should probably head over to my place then," Ling Qi replied, feeling a bit of relief that they had agreed to it. She stood up, doing her best to conceal the wobble in her stance. The numbness was still fading slowly. "I figure you two should be there when we talk to her about it."
The two of them agreed easily enough, reluctantly in Su Ling's case and… listlessly in Li Suyin's. Ling Qi really hoped the other girl would be in better shape once she got some sleep. A short time thereafter, the three of them arrived at Ling Qi's home, and she knocked twice on the door before opening it. "Bai Meizhen, I'm home, and I have a couple of guests, is it alright to let them in?" She called as she opened the door a crack and peered in.
"Guests?" Her housemate called back as she exited her room, a slight frown on her fine features. Her hair is still slightly damp, even if she was otherwise as impeccable as always, so she must have been washing up. You're not sure how she bathes in there, given you've never seen a basin or a tub in her room on the few times you've glimpsed the inside. "I suppose that is fine. I must ask that you refrain from using our meditation chamber. I currently have some effects in place for my own cultivation," she adds as she shuts the door to her bedroom.
Ling Qi stepped inside, leaving the door open for her other friends. "That's fine," she replied. "We… actually wanted to talk to you about something," Ling Qi continued, glancing over her shoulder and gesturing for them to come in. "Well, more like I wanted to offer you something and it wouldn't be fair for them to not be here."
Bai Meizhen cocked her head to the side curiously as she regarded the two girls you had brought with you. Su Ling looked both tense and incredibly uncomfortable, her pointed furry ears laid back flat against the side of her head as she stubbornly met Bai Meizhen's slit pupiled gaze, her arms crossed over her chest. LI Suyin looked to be doing her best impression of a frightened mouse, although she at least made the effort to bow her head respectfully and mumble an unintelligible greeting. "...I see," Bai Meizhen replied neutrally. "Well, do close the door," she added in the same tone, moving off toward the merrily burning fire in the hearth. "I suppose this has to do with why you are wounded Ling Qi?" She asked, without turning back to face them.
"It does," Ling Qi admitted as she followed her roommate. She gestured for Su Ling and Li Suyin to follow them once the duo had shut the door behind them. "We were doing a little exploring last night, searching for better places to cultivate."
"A worthy pursuit," Bai Meizhen replied. "You came into conflict with another disciple over it then?"
"Yeah, but how do you know that?" Su Ling replied snappishly, the grip of her hands on her own elbows turning her knuckles white. "What, you get some divination in the package too?"
The pale girl gave the Su Ling a reproachful look, which halted her in her tracks. "The poisonous qi clinging to you is artificial in design. Obviously it did not come from a spirit beast," she responded archly. She paused a moment thoughtfully, "it is beginning to fade already, it will not linger for more than perhaps another half day."
"T-thank you, I had thought so as well, but… I wasn't sure if I had made a mistake or not," Li Suyin said quietly, flinching when Bai Meizhen's gaze landed on her. "U-um… may I ask, do you think we should go to the Elders about this? I… he attacked us, isn't that supposed to be against the rules?"
Bai Meizhen's expression was unreadable. "I would not expect much, no. I assume this happened well off the primary paths?"
"Yeah, it did," Ling Qi agreed quietly. "He even said he doubted the Elders would do anything about it."
"He is somewhat correct," Bai Meizhen replied as she gracefully moved to sit down by the fire, folding her hands in her lap. "The 'truce' is not ironclad. The Elders of the Sect are far too busy to watch every part of the mountain at once. They would investigate a killing of course, or perhaps serious and permanent injuries, if the disciple in question held their interest," she explained easily. "But no, the Empire's justice is far from absolute, whatever it's proponents might say."
Li Suyin's shoulders sunk further and she fell into silence, staring at the floor as she stood behind Su Ling. "Yeah that sounds about right," said girl grumbled, her tail wriggling agitated around her waist. "So you gonna tell her or what?" She asked, shooting Ling Qi a look.
Ling Qi nodded and took a deep breath, she was going to feel really foolish if Bai Meizhen didn't agree to come. "We found a natural spirit stone deposit. It had both yellow and red veins of crystal, and was venting some kind of mist that reacted to our Argent Foundations too. I was hoping you might be interested in cultivating with us when we go there."
She was treated to the sight of Bai Meizhen's snowy white eyebrows climbing high for a moment as the other girl stared at her. "The three of you found one of the mountains vents?" She asked curiously. "I have been…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Your fortune is rather amazing… but I suppose one with a foxes blood would be useful in penetrating illusions."
Ling Qi frowned even as Su Ling growled. "What do you mean?" Ling Qi asked before Su Ling could say something rude.
"There are a handful of such sites on every one of the sects mountains. This mountain has the smallest and least potent deposits. It is why the Sect is located here. At least on this mountain, they are hidden as prizes for enterprising disciples," Bai Meizhen replied. "I had thought I was on the path to one of them, but I had not been able to penetrate the illusory formation around it."
...That would explain the easiness of the cliffside path, Ling Qi thought. She had wondered why no one had found it from that side, but she had been too distracted to really think about it. She glanced to Su Ling, who shrugged irritably.
"I could smell a bunch of qi in the air meant to lead us off track. Figured it was some beast marking its territory," Su Ling mumbled self consciously, not meeting any of your eyes.
"I believe I will find the time to join you," Bai Meizhen mused. "It would prove a boon in allowing me to complete the Argent Soul and move on to other tasks," she seemed pretty pleased to Ling Qi.
The four of them spent some time after discussing when the best time to spend up there would be, and in the end agreed to meet after Ling Qi's morning lessons. Once that had been decided, they broke up and went their own ways. Li Suyin and Su Ling to rest and her and Meizhen to do their own cultivation.
Ling herself fell into a light sleep for an hour or so before heading to Elder Su's lesson, feeling refreshed, her side was still numb but the motion had largely returned to her arm. She took just a bit of vicious satisfaction in the fact that Huang Da wasn't present today. She didn;t allow herself to dwell though, instead focusing on Elder Su's lecture on the function and meaning of the Argent Soul technique. It was interesting… if a little hard to follow at times. The Argent Soul technique and it's more advanced forms functioned on the principle that every individual was unique, and that humanity was not truly connected to any one element, and held the potential for all to be held in perfect balance.
Few ever achieved this potential, but balance remained the core of the technique. It was essentially the reinforcement of the self the exercises the Argent Soul technique was based on had the purpose of purifying the qi the cultivator absorbed all elemental essence, leaving only the pure and unadulterated qi of the World. In principle anyway, what they were doing was nowhere near that purity, and their bodies would not be able to handle it if it was. The Argent Soul was designed to allow its users to slowly spread a foundational layer of 'pure' qi throughout their bodies, beginning with the dantian, and then spreading to the bones and organs, reinforcing them to handle more larger and denser quantities of qi.
What exactly balance was differed from person to person though, as every individual was unique in that regard. It was implied, Ling Qi thought, that the… strong personalities of certain elders was a result of mastering the Argent Soul, as it magnified the unique quirks of the individual who used it.
Her question after class was met with a bit of amusement from Elder Su, who simply informed her that it should not be a lingering problem. As someone of… simple background, her body was simply not acclimated to large amounts of medicinal energy. Given her cultivation, and her continued use of pills, she should now be essentially fine to use them as she willed, though she did warn that some medicines should not be used until certain stages were reached, and ignoring such warnings could have dire consequences.
Ling Qi fell heavily into cultivation as the rest of the week passed. She barely ate or slept as she concentrated on Mastering the next exercises of the Argent Soul technique. It was a heady feeling, having the pure qi in her body slowly expand, soaking into her bones, starting with her spine and expanding outward.
Talent 6, Lesson 5, Suyin 2, Red Spirit Stone 5, Pills 12, Time 30. 60 dice
2 10 5 1 2 6 2 2 4 10 2 2 6 3 10 8 1 7 4 6, 1 5 2 6 3 6 3 7 8 9 1 5 5 8 8 6 9 2 1 4, 8 4 4 1 4 4 9 10 1 5, 5 4 9 5 10 3 1 4 1 8. 37 successes
Rerolling 9
9 5 4 1 6 8 10 6 7. 3 successes
Rerolling 1
2 10 5 1 2 6 2 2 4 10 2 2 6 3 10 8 1 7 4 6, 1 5 2 6 3 6 3 7 8 9 1 5 5 8 8 6 9 2 1 4, 8 4 4 1 4 4 9 10 1 5, 5 4 9 5 10 3 1 4 1 8. 37 successes
Rerolling 9
9 5 4 1 6 8 10 6 7. 3 successes
Rerolling 1
- 40 successes total +5 Auto for Vent. 45 successes total +4 Omake Success
Effects:
-Users gain six bonus dice to all cultivation attempts up until Mid Yellow Soul Stage.
-During Cultivation roll again for each 1 rolled. Effect becomes permanent
-Users gain a three bonus successes on all attempts to expand their Qi pool up to a maximum of twenty five.
-User reduces the successes needed for opening Meridians by one
-User Gains +4 bonus Qi
-Users may reroll a failed check or test once per turn.
-User may bind Grade 1 spirits at Yellow Soul
-Users Breakthrough Value increases by 5
Level 5 Progress 9/100
-Users gain six bonus dice to all cultivation attempts up until Mid Yellow Soul Stage.
-During Cultivation roll again for each 1 rolled. Effect becomes permanent
-Users gain a three bonus successes on all attempts to expand their Qi pool up to a maximum of twenty five.
-User reduces the successes needed for opening Meridians by one
-User Gains +4 bonus Qi
-Users may reroll a failed check or test once per turn.
-User may bind Grade 1 spirits at Yellow Soul
-Users Breakthrough Value increases by 5
Level 5 Progress 9/100
She felt more secure and centered than ever before as her cultivation continued, the qi spreading throughout her body, and with every breath that she spent cultivating it seemed the energy flowed more smoothly, with less loss. It felt like she had been congested her entire life and could only now breath freely as her Argent Foundation expanded from bone to organ, soaking into and weaving through flesh. It was strange to be so aware of her body though, and a little disorienting at first. She was glad enough to receive another Qi Foundation pill, though it confused her a little. She didn't really think she had advanced enough the previous week to earn it.
+1 Qi Foundation Pill
Her lessons with Elder Zhou continued apace as well, she was growing faster and stronger every day, the qi reinforcing her body allowing her to improve faster than a mortal could hope for. She was beginning to do reasonably well in the spars, she couldn't claim that she was winning even close to a majority of expect when the team matchups favored her, but she was getting better and better at making her foes work to put her out of the fight.
Talent 6, Lesson 4, Argent Soul 4, Red Spirit Stone 5, Elixir 3, Vent 5. 27 dice
7 4 8 6 6 2 4 1 4 3 5 6 4 1 10 8 8 7 6 5 10 8 9 9 4 4 4. 13 Successes
Rerolling 2
9 7. 13 Successes total
19/60
4 success to Qi
1 qi gained
2/16
7 4 8 6 6 2 4 1 4 3 5 6 4 1 10 8 8 7 6 5 10 8 9 9 4 4 4. 13 Successes
Rerolling 2
9 7. 13 Successes total
19/60
4 success to Qi
1 qi gained
2/16
Talent 6, Lesson 3, Suyin 2, Argent Soul 4, Red Spirit Stone 5, Foundation 9. 29 dice
1 1 1 10 2 4 9 6 5 2 9 4 6 8 10 8 5 9 3 1 3 1 2 8 7 6 8 5 9. 15 successes
Rerolling 5
3 9 2 5 10. 3 successes. 18 total.
9 Required for Meridian, remaining 9 goes to spiritual
10/60
1 1 1 10 2 4 9 6 5 2 9 4 6 8 10 8 5 9 3 1 3 1 2 8 7 6 8 5 9. 15 successes
Rerolling 5
3 9 2 5 10. 3 successes. 18 total.
9 Required for Meridian, remaining 9 goes to spiritual
10/60
She could match them though if she worked hard enough. That was the real joy of cultivation for her, Ling Qi thought. The fact that it was truly, really possible to claw your way up from the bottom of the heap with luck and dedication. Huang Da was a good stick to measure herself against she felt, he was strong… but she could see him, not like Meizhen, or Sun Liling, who still lay far beyond her ability to even think about matching. Huang Da was someone she felt she could beat if she worked hard enough.
He was fast though, and even one hit could be crippling, and so in addition to working on the penultimate layer of her Argent Soul, she channeled some of the energy she had absorbed from her QI foundation pill toward opening a second channel in her legs, so that she would be able to begin the next set of exercises for Sable Crescent Step. If there was one thing that hadn't changed from her mortal life, it was the simple axiom that speed was life. You couldn't get beaten, caught or killed if your pursuers and enemies couldn't keep up with you to begin with.
However, Ling Qi did not focus entirely on training as much as she felt the urge too. She was aware enough of those around her to see that Li Suyin was not improving with rest. She remained downcast and listless as days went by, and although she continued to improve, breaking through to the fourth layer of Argent Soul herself during their cooperative cultivation. Ling Qi saw the growing bags under the girl's eyes, and the way she fumbled even basic physical exercises Ling Qi had shown her a dozen times. It pissed her off a little honestly, though her temper wasn't directed at Li Suyin. No she was pissed at that lanky creep who had affected her friend so badly. At least he had been out of class for a few days now, even if his absence was starting to set off the bells of her paranoia.
Li Suyin was only growing more withdrawn by the day though, and so Ling Qi found herself in the unenviable position of being the one who needed to start an uncomfortable conversation. She chose to wait until after they had finished cultivating at the vent for the day, leaving Su Ling and Bai Meizhen behind to continue. After they had descended the cliff face and began to walk the winding path back down to the plaza, Ling Qi gathered her resolve to speak. "You don't have to keep worrying, you know? We have this, we're going to get those passes and rub his face in it." She intended to do more than that, but there was no reason to alarm the pacifistic girl with violent promises.
Li Suyin startled a bit at her sudden words, glancing at her in askance as they walked down the sun dappled mountain path. The bruise on her cheek was fading, though it still made for an ugly mark on the other girls face. "I… yes, of course we will," Li Suyin responded quietly, lowering her head, returning to staring at the ground ahead.
Ling Qi frowned, crossing her arms and leaving her hands hidden in her sleeves, a gesture she had first begun copying from Meizhen. Having one's hands hidden was a useful thing, she supposed that was why they gave everyone these billowy sleeves. Finally she sighed explosively. "Look, I know that isn't your real problem," she wasn't blind or deaf after all. "...But I'm not sure what to say. You did what you had too, he would have put me down next and then done… whatever he wanted to us afterward," she felt disgust at the idea of being at the creeps mercy, even if she had a feeling his intentions were probably not just vulgar, he had seemed genuinely insulted when she had insinuated that he would turn on whoever stayed with him after all. "I'm glad you did whatever you did, but I'm not happy that it's making you so depressed. So help me understand, will you?"
Persuasion+Presence+Equipment. 4 dice
10 2 3 3. 1 success
Failed
Rerolling
2 10 5 7. 2 successes.
Success
10 2 3 3. 1 success
Failed
Rerolling
2 10 5 7. 2 successes.
Success
Li Sutin clutched the front of her gown in her hands and didn't look up for several seconds. "It wasn't right to use my art that way. It is not what it is meant for, and… I shouldn't have felt satisfied when I felt his pain. I shouldn;t have felt happy when I saw his blood. I-I don't want to be like that. Things shouldn't be like that. We shouldn't be… be willing to hurt each other so much over things like this. We're all imperial citizens. Cultivators are supposed to be virtuous!" Her voice started out quiet, gradually growing louder and more distressed until her last words, which were practically shouted as she came to a stop on the path. "The law isn't meant to be to be ignored or circumvented, or…." she gestures vaguely and helplessly. "Papa… Father always read me to me from the classics, and I thought… I thought cultivators were supposed to embody the Virtues, but… Maybe that's why Mother never never read from those."
Ling Qi was silent, she didn't really have any base to understand what the other girl was saying. "Before I came here. I already knew things weren't like that," she began tightly. "The world isn't fair, and people will trample on others the second they feel like it will benefit them," she added, keeping the guilt out of her voice. She had done the same after all. "To me cultivators were just people strong enough to do whatever they want. It seemed true," she continued with a shrug. "I remember the first time I saw a cultivator, it was when a couple of guards from the outer gates came by the brothel where my mom worked when I was young. I saw the bruises on her and the other women the day after, saw the shit they broke, and the one new girl who lost half her teeth when one of them slapped her. No one ever called them on it," she wasn't really sure why she was saying this.
Li Suyin had looked up though and was staring at her in horror. Ling Qi wasn't surprised, the other girl was pretty sheltered. "I… such excesses are supposed to be.. That is… I mean," she trails off into incoherency. She wrung her hands, clearly having no idea what to say.
Ling Qi let out a slightly bitter laugh. "Yeah lots of things aren't supposed to be the way they are," she continued on, even if Li Suyin didn't want to talk to her after this, it was fine. "The point is, you can wring your hands and complain about it,live with it, or try to do something about it," she added with a shrug as she resumed walking. "I'm not the type to try and change things, but maybe you are. You won't ever be able to do anything about it if you break down the first time you run into trouble. Isn't facing evil supposed to be virtuous too?"
Things were quiet for several seconds as Ling Qi walked on, grimacing now that Li Suyin could no longer see her. What the hell was she even saying? She was a bit surprised when, a few seconds later she heard the other girls footsteps, hurrying to catch up to her.
"I-I'm sorry for making you mention something like… that," Li Suyin apologized as she caught up to Ling Qi, she still looked downcast, but the horror had faded from her expression. She still looked uncomfortable as she peered up at Ling Qi though, and that hurt more than she thought it would. "You are…. You are right though, in one respect at least," she added in a softer tone. "I… turning my face away from corruption is hardly better than being a part of it… Father would disapointed in me if I came home now… I will just… just need to be careful not to allow myself to grow too complacent."
Ling Qi shot her a surprised look. She had been thinking of leaving? That was more extreme than she expected. Shaking her head, she bumped her shoulder against Li Suyin's, feeling a bit of relief when the other girl didn't flinch away. "Glad to hear it. Now let's get going. We don't want to be late."
Li Suyin made a sound of agreement and picked up her pace, practically jogging to keep up with Ling Qi's longer stride.
Although Li Suyin's demeanor improved after that, the week did not end on such a positive note. On the last day of the week, Ling Qi entered Elder Su's lecture hall several minutes early, only to find herself face to face with Huang Da. Li Suyin had split with her earlier in order to retrieve some notes before the lesson, and so she was alone. Well, they were in a reasonably crowded room, it didn't help her feeling of isolation though.
"Hello," he said in a remarkably friendly manner, given how their last meeting ended. He looked rather exhausted as he leaned against the rearmost row of benches, studying her intently. "You are looking more lovely than ever," he added tiredly. He lacked the usual lethargy she had seen from him during the day though.
She scowled at him, itching to draw one of her knives. "Go to hell," she hissed quietly. "I have nothing to say to you."
The corners of his lips quirked up in amusement, and she had to restrain the urge to punch him. "No need to be rude. I didn't get what I wanted obviously, I underestimated you far too much. Li Suyin as well I suppose," he mused. "You cost me quite a bit," he added in a more dangerous tone. "My escape talisman, two dozen red stones worth of treatment… it was really an expensive night."
"You forgot denying you the prize," Ling Qi replied vindictively, crossing her arms.
"Why yes, I suppose I did never get the chance to hold you, my sweet night flower," she flushed as he raised his voice just enough for others nearby to hear, drawing looks their way. "I'm afraid I have been making use of the other thing though," he responded more quietly. "It's not as if you and your companions use the thing all day."
She glared at him, her fists trembling. She hadn't thought of that, but it really pissed her off. "We offered that in the first place, you…"
He waved a hand dismissively. "What reason did I have to allow myself more competition than necessary?" He asked rhetorically. "In any case, I would rather put that behind us. Would you like to come to dinner with me tonight?"
She gaped at him, poleaxed by the sheer… arrogance and delusion in what he was asking. "No, you creep. Why the hell would you even ask?" She asked, losing her grip on politeness.
He frowned, managing to look truly put out for a moment. "Well, I wanted to celebrate my breakthrough, and as the muse that finally drove me to break through the peak, I thought it only polite," he responded.
Ling Qi stiffened, backing up a step from the boy, suddenly leery. "You're bluffing."
He pushed himself up to stand straight, 'looking' her directly in the eye. "I'm afraid not. I acheived yellow soul just yesterday. It's all thanks to you, which is why I'm willing to waive past debts," he said a smile playing on his lips. "Li Suyin was more dangerous than I expected, but you… yes. The two of them could not have even touched me without you. I have decided that I want you," he continued, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as he raised his hand as if to cradle her cheek.
She swatted his hand away of course, ignoring the increasing number of stares they were getting. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "And I don't care what you want." She turned away deliberately trusting that he wouldn't attack her in the middle of the lecture hall.
"That's fine, I knew you wouldn't submit easily," he said, making her flush further. "I hope we can both enjoy the chase."
It was pretty hard to concentrate on the lesson after that.
Strength 2/15 Training
Dexterity 20/20 New dot gained! Omake+Training
Stamina 4/20
Intelligence 8/20 Lessons
Presence 7/10 Suyin
Manipulation 12/15 Suyin
Academics 1/12 lessons
Formations 2/3 lessons
Occult 1/9
Athletics 9/12 training
Stealth 4/12 General
Empathy 8/9 Suyin
Persuasion 4/9
Dodge 9/9 New dot gained!
Throwing Knives 8/9
Unarmed 2/9
Dexterity 20/20 New dot gained! Omake+Training
Stamina 4/20
Intelligence 8/20 Lessons
Presence 7/10 Suyin
Manipulation 12/15 Suyin
Academics 1/12 lessons
Formations 2/3 lessons
Occult 1/9
Athletics 9/12 training
Stealth 4/12 General
Empathy 8/9 Suyin
Persuasion 4/9
Dodge 9/9 New dot gained!
Throwing Knives 8/9
Unarmed 2/9
Relationship Gains
Li Suyin: ooo
-Good Friends
Huang Da: oo
-Fear, Disgust
You Have FOUR actions for the following week
Select which resources you would like to use in your plan
[] You haven't spent much time with him, but Han Fang seems nice, try to get to know him better?
[] Spend some time with Gu Xiulan and ask for advice... she has to have some experience with unwanted... suitors, right?
[] Talk with Su Ling again. She seems like a useful friend to have.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
[] Talk to Han Jian, he did mention wanting to do some training
[] Ask Bai Meizhen for information on Huang Da and advice for the situation
[] Explore the mountain
-[] See what you can find
[] Head to the market for some shopping
-[] Sell the staff
-[] Try to find a trade for the staff
[] Try to puzzle out the tokens left from the test
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Physical
-[] Spiritual
-[] Qi
-[] Meridian (which one?)
-[] Art(Which one?)
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Kai Merah
Hound Hearted Hedonist
- Location
- Somewhere in the corners of my imagination
Initial reaction: ...AAAAAHHHH!!!
PANIC! PANIC PANIC!!! ALL HANDS ON DECK! NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL IN ALL ALLIES REGARDING HUANG DA SITUATION! AAAAHHH!!!
EDIT: This is absolutely the turn we need to ask Meizhen for advice on the Huang Da situation, and also train with Han Jian and let him know about the Huang Da situation as well. We've avoided Han Jian for two weeks, and are already being called out for being a bit too secretive with him. We absolutely cannot afford to avoid him a third week. Time to call in all allies!
PANIC! PANIC PANIC!!! ALL HANDS ON DECK! NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL IN ALL ALLIES REGARDING HUANG DA SITUATION! AAAAHHH!!!
EDIT: This is absolutely the turn we need to ask Meizhen for advice on the Huang Da situation, and also train with Han Jian and let him know about the Huang Da situation as well. We've avoided Han Jian for two weeks, and are already being called out for being a bit too secretive with him. We absolutely cannot afford to avoid him a third week. Time to call in all allies!
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I am a bit surprised that we got the pill this week... what are the chances that the elders are actually aware of what happened at the vent.
Need to do one of the two anti creeper social actions now though.
Need to do one of the two anti creeper social actions now though.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Pretty reasonable, based on Bai Meizhen's description, these vents are made for enterprising students to get advantage, and have a formidable illusion protecting them--if anything would have gained their attention, it was one of the Sediment Guardians being destroyed.
So, we can pretty comfortably bet that we've got the Foundation Pills on lock for the remainder of the 'Truce', we've got two weeks left, but we gained significant advantage by picking up AS 4 so quickly.
Next week should be our Art Mastery Turn, which'll double as pumping our Qi even further. Then we should make our final preparations in Week 12 and hope we can achieve a breakthrough before the fights get out of hand.
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I would advise getting either the Bai Meizhen or Gu Xiulan option this week, preferably both really. That creep needs to die or at least we can give Ling Qi some peace of mind speaking to either of these two.
Can someone explain why we got a 30 bonus for "time"?
So, one of the issues I think we're having is that our two groups - well, 3, I guess, including Meizhen - don't really trust each other, and it's preventing us from sharing info from one group to the other. I wonder if we could invite Su Ling and Suyin to the Han Jian training exercises. It'd be good training for Suyin and Su Ling, and it'd help them get used to the other group in a lower pressure setting.
We'd have to run it by Han Jian and Xiulan first of course.
Edit: On another note, given Meizhen's comment, I wonder if this means she's about to finish up AS5.
We'd have to run it by Han Jian and Xiulan first of course.
Edit: On another note, given Meizhen's comment, I wonder if this means she's about to finish up AS5.
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Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
@yrsillar, can you explain why Qi Ling thought she didn't deserve a Qi Foundation pill for last week? I would have thought that Late Red + 10AS+ Art learned would have made it a cinch in her mind.
We are going to disagree again on having the Sabe Light week on week 12 (for tea) or week 11 (without Tea), aren't we?
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
Ok, good news out of the way... Argent Soul 4 is awesome, and was well worth the investment of time. What we just learned also made me even more sure we don't want to completely drop it once we've mastered the first step. I want to get eight phase once we've maxed it, but I'll also want to swing back around and pick up the descendant art once we master Eight Phase.
It's elementally neutral nature seems to not only make it match everything else we cultivate, but protect against imbalance or lock-in. That's protagonist bait.
Now the bad news. Conflict fuels growth, and we just fueled the growth of someone we really didn't want to. I would say we should take three specif actions next week.
[] Spend some time with Gu Xiulan and ask for advice... she has to have some experience with unwanted... suitors, right?
She'll invested in us at this point. Lets get her interested in defending her investment.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
More people traveling with us when we go out in the wild is good. There a big enough group that they'll be traveling to and fro at odd hours, giving us more safe times to go there. And the fact Huang Da is using the vent should mean Su Ling and Li Suyin won't mind us bringing in more people.
[] Ask Bai Meizhen for information on Huang Da and advice for the situation
She's our friend. I'm not sure how much she can directly help - she'll be able to protect us at home and while at the vent, but she just isn't going to be able to play bodyguard. She's too isolated herself. But she'll have good advice.
That's one of our cultivating actions and two social actions locked in, leaving only one cultivating action to select if we stick to plan. But this is definitely a situation where we need to double down on safety.
It's elementally neutral nature seems to not only make it match everything else we cultivate, but protect against imbalance or lock-in. That's protagonist bait.
Now the bad news. Conflict fuels growth, and we just fueled the growth of someone we really didn't want to. I would say we should take three specif actions next week.
[] Spend some time with Gu Xiulan and ask for advice... she has to have some experience with unwanted... suitors, right?
She'll invested in us at this point. Lets get her interested in defending her investment.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
More people traveling with us when we go out in the wild is good. There a big enough group that they'll be traveling to and fro at odd hours, giving us more safe times to go there. And the fact Huang Da is using the vent should mean Su Ling and Li Suyin won't mind us bringing in more people.
[] Ask Bai Meizhen for information on Huang Da and advice for the situation
She's our friend. I'm not sure how much she can directly help - she'll be able to protect us at home and while at the vent, but she just isn't going to be able to play bodyguard. She's too isolated herself. But she'll have good advice.
That's one of our cultivating actions and two social actions locked in, leaving only one cultivating action to select if we stick to plan. But this is definitely a situation where we need to double down on safety.
First:
Yay! We have AS4 and it is amazing!
Next:
Huang Da broke through, it is a problem.
But we were able to reach Li Suyin before she decided to leave, this is great.
A really good turn, all in all.
Now we have to decide how to proceed - we need at least one "anticreep" action this turn, that's for sure.
Yay! We have AS4 and it is amazing!
Next:
Huang Da broke through, it is a problem.
But we were able to reach Li Suyin before she decided to leave, this is great.
A really good turn, all in all.
Now we have to decide how to proceed - we need at least one "anticreep" action this turn, that's for sure.
Manic Dogma
This, I can't deny.
- Location
- The far side of tired
- Pronouns
- Whatever
Eurgh, he's one of those assholes.
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
I am 90% sure we are going to get another Qi Foundation Pill for this week, so I am thinking something like spiritual (normal) for Elder Su's class, 1AS as cooperative training at the vent maybe bringing han jian, 1Art (SCS?), 1 Han Jian Training, 1 Bai Meizhen.
The big question is, well, cooperative training for Art is worth more than for AS... but is cooperative training the 'vent action', so we can't get the AS bonus otherwise? @yrsillar, if we have cooperative training for Li Suyin for an Art, and train AS too as another action, would we get the +5 auto-successes?
The big question is, well, cooperative training for Art is worth more than for AS... but is cooperative training the 'vent action', so we can't get the AS bonus otherwise? @yrsillar, if we have cooperative training for Li Suyin for an Art, and train AS too as another action, would we get the +5 auto-successes?
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
Looking at other peoples suggestions, let me modify my suggestion slightly.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
--[]Ask them to work with Su Ling and Li Suyin during training. They're going to need to need to be better at defending themselves too.
That sort of obliges us to take
[] Talk to Han Jian, he did mention wanting to do some training
Which means we have to drop asking Meizhen. Not happy about, but while she would have some great advice, her social situation would somewhat tie her hands anyways.
[] Go up to the vent to cultivate with Su Ling and Li Suyin
-[] Bring in Han Jian and his group
--[]Ask them to work with Su Ling and Li Suyin during training. They're going to need to need to be better at defending themselves too.
That sort of obliges us to take
[] Talk to Han Jian, he did mention wanting to do some training
Which means we have to drop asking Meizhen. Not happy about, but while she would have some great advice, her social situation would somewhat tie her hands anyways.