Bai Meizhen Quest Part 2
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<== Previous
BAI MEIZHEN QUEST Prt. 2
[o] Agree with Ling Qi's proposal.
Bai Meizhen considered the girl. There was not much to recommend her. She saw blue eyes, wild, unkempt hair, tan skin, an unfitted disciple's uniform, and a face more homely than refined. Her speech was rough, her manner blunt, her cultivation non-existent. Still, she stood and made an offer none else had dared to. She had to give the girl credit for bravery and perceptiveness, if very little else.
"I suppose that is acceptable," Meizhen responded, making sure to keep her voice clear of any warmth. It would not do for the girl to presume favor that did not yet exist. "I will warn you however. Do not approach me while I sleep, it is likely that you would die."
Cui added a little hiss of warning that was more miss than hit. Without the active flow of qi, there was little purchase her cousin's voice could find.
Ling Qi laughed, albeit a little uncertainly. "I'll keep that in mind. That would be pretty unfortunate wouldn't it."
Meizhen nodded gravely. "It would be unpleasant to lose my first friend to something so avoidable."
Smiling now, apparently relieved, Ling Qi added, a little diffidently: "I was thinking we might talk someone else into joining us. Safety in numbers, you know? Would you have a problem with that?"
A moment of stunned silence.
Cui was the first to break it. As a young spirit beast, her cousin had been perhaps overly fond of the tales of her father's exploits, not to mention the opera and had been trying to act nicely dramatic, but had clearly given up in the face of Ling Qi's... Ling Qi-ness.
"Did she not notisssse the... sssss, there are so many things wrong with that statement I don't even know where to start!" Cui hissed. "Is she simple?"
It took effort to ignore Cui, who was not wrong, but it would be rude to address Cui when Ling Qi was yet unable to address nor hear her.
"It would likely be difficult to convince another to share a space with me," Meizhen responded carefully. The idea had merit, though not for reasons of safety. "I would not object in principle though, did you have someone in mind?"
Ling Qi pointed. "That girl, the one with red hair, she's alone too."
Meizhen looked. Saw someone. Looked again. Then kept looking. Surely the girl could not mean that miserable excuse of a barbarian Sun princess-
No, she clearly did.
Was she out of her bloody-?!
"Simple. Definitely simple," Cui sighed.
"You... wish to share a roof with her?" Meizhen said, voice rising, not quite hiding her disbelief. Her head swung between Ling Qi's slightly hurt expression, and theevil devil voluptuous redhead. Meizhen mentally retracted her previous assessment of unusual perspicacity and courage as being Ling Qi's more positive traits and instead decided that she was almost unbelievably ignorant. Truly, the Bai family was in dire straits when it came to allies. "That is the eldest granddaughter of Sun Shao, Sun Liling."
"...Who?" asked Ling Qi.
"It's almost admirable in a way," Cui said as Meizhen tried not to look like she was choking. "Can you see daylight through her ears?"
"...?" Ling Qi questioned.
And that was Ling Qi in a nutshell.
The girl did not know anything. It was as if she had been raised by wolves - no, not even wolves, the Er Clan of the Snow-Shrouded Hills Province had once counted wolves among their numbers and by all reports they had been adequate, if undistinguished scholars. It was more like she had raised herself and sorely neglected her academics.
For instances:
About Sun Liling after having had an explanation about why it'd be impossible for them to share a roof: "Still, is there a particular reason not to approach her?"
About their residences: "So, what kind of residence do you want to take?"
(Her reaction to the modest dwelling they had chosen had been admittedly adorable: she rushed around, oooing over the small garden, poking at the ornamental fish pond like a small cat, patting the hearth with obvious satisfaction, and generally acting like it was a manor of unparalleled luxury instead of a one-floor stone house in adequate repair)
About the Argent Soul Cultivation Technique: "Bai Meizhen, do you know what this part means?"
Later, on the same topic: "What is a Dan Tian exactly?"
It was this last question that truly made Meizhen despair for her. She paused in her tea brewing flicked her eyed towards Ling Qi, frowning, but... yes, the girl was serious. Her first 'friend' did not even know the basic fundamentals. A mere mortal indeed.
"The Dan Tian," she said, stressing the proper intonation as she poured herself a cup of tea, "is the root of a cultivator's power. The core from which you channel energies through the meridians in your body. Filling the dantian is required to awaken and begin production of your own Qi."
She stared at Ling Qi's eyes which were currently furrowed in concentration.
"I doubt she knows what Qi is," Cui murmured. "Ironic, really, considering."
Meizhen thought her cousin to be uncharitable, but continued the explanation. "Qi is the energy which allows us to do… everything beyond the ability of mortals."
Ling Qi bristled, and it was all Meizhen could do not to sigh. Really? Pride had its place of honor, but could someone starting from so little afford its price?
"I know that much," Ling Qi responded defensively. "But how am I supposed to feel something inside of me like it says? It's not like I can sense any of my other organs."
Meizhen pursed her lips, and although her patience was formidable, there was only so far it could be stretched before she started taking short-cuts. "Give me your hand," she ordered, holding out her own left hand. Words were only so useful when it came to matters of cultivation.
"Why?" Ling Qi asked, suddenly suspicious. Of all the times to be suspicious, Meizhen failed to see why now was any different than before. Perhaps she did not like being touched.
"I will inject a spark of Qi into you," she responded patiently. "It will hurt, but it will allow you to feel your dantian until it fades. You will need to practice in the future to avoid the need for such crutches though."
"How much pain are we talking about?" Ling Qi asked, but held her hand up nonetheless.
Meizhen didn't roll her eyes because a Bai would never act in such a familiar fashion with anyone, but if she had been lower born, she would have been tempted. "It is painful, but my Aunt did this for me when I was eight. It should be no trouble for you."
Then she injected the spark of qi.
Perhaps she had misjudged the amount or its potency because Ling Qi doubled over, motionless, expression caught in a rictus of pain and desperation.
"Did you kill her?" Cui wondered.
"Nonsense," Meizhen replied. She noted the shallow, gasping breaths. "Probably."
A minute passed by, then two. Meizhen refilled her teacup twice, trying to remain calm. It was like being thrown off a cliff, painful, yes, but no one ever died from such a trifle.
Finally, to her unutterable relief, her partner unbent and drew in a ragged breath. Blue eyes glared at her. "That… that was more than painful."
"Was it?" Meizhen replied. "My apologies, you can feel it now though, correct?"
"I can," Ling Qi admitted grudgingly.
"You should drink your tea, then meditate while it lasts," Meizhen said evenly. "Otherwise it will have been for nothing."
Ling Qi quaffed the tea like she was in a barhouse, and Meizhen quickly retreated to her own room.
-----
You may select EIGHT actions for the following week. Six of these must be cultivation or training actions.
[o] Spend time with Ling Qi. You're living with the odd peasant girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
[o] Look for the Hu girl. Your family does business with the Hu family, you saw one of their daughters in the hall. Although a minor noble, she is diligent and posseses fair talent and is also very beautiful.
[o] Look for the Cai heiress, it would be a good opportunity to introduce yourself and lay to rest any unkind words about you that have reached her ears.
[o] Mingle with your fellow female disciples. Surely there must be some who aren't put off by your reputation
[o] Mingle with your fellow disciples in general
[o] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
[o] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Physical cultivation
[o] Explore the mountain. Surely there is more than one plaza and two residential areas
[o] Cultivate on your own.
----
Note: Please quote this post or tag me if you want to be edited in as a negaverse commentator. Please include your hypothetical comment too. Do not put an x in your voting bracket unless you want to erase your vote, just leave it as an [o].
<== Previous
BAI MEIZHEN QUEST Prt. 2
[o] Agree with Ling Qi's proposal.
Bai Meizhen considered the girl. There was not much to recommend her. She saw blue eyes, wild, unkempt hair, tan skin, an unfitted disciple's uniform, and a face more homely than refined. Her speech was rough, her manner blunt, her cultivation non-existent. Still, she stood and made an offer none else had dared to. She had to give the girl credit for bravery and perceptiveness, if very little else.
"I suppose that is acceptable," Meizhen responded, making sure to keep her voice clear of any warmth. It would not do for the girl to presume favor that did not yet exist. "I will warn you however. Do not approach me while I sleep, it is likely that you would die."
Cui added a little hiss of warning that was more miss than hit. Without the active flow of qi, there was little purchase her cousin's voice could find.
Ling Qi laughed, albeit a little uncertainly. "I'll keep that in mind. That would be pretty unfortunate wouldn't it."
Meizhen nodded gravely. "It would be unpleasant to lose my first friend to something so avoidable."
Smiling now, apparently relieved, Ling Qi added, a little diffidently: "I was thinking we might talk someone else into joining us. Safety in numbers, you know? Would you have a problem with that?"
A moment of stunned silence.
Cui was the first to break it. As a young spirit beast, her cousin had been perhaps overly fond of the tales of her father's exploits, not to mention the opera and had been trying to act nicely dramatic, but had clearly given up in the face of Ling Qi's... Ling Qi-ness.
"Did she not notisssse the... sssss, there are so many things wrong with that statement I don't even know where to start!" Cui hissed. "Is she simple?"
It took effort to ignore Cui, who was not wrong, but it would be rude to address Cui when Ling Qi was yet unable to address nor hear her.
"It would likely be difficult to convince another to share a space with me," Meizhen responded carefully. The idea had merit, though not for reasons of safety. "I would not object in principle though, did you have someone in mind?"
Ling Qi pointed. "That girl, the one with red hair, she's alone too."
Meizhen looked. Saw someone. Looked again. Then kept looking. Surely the girl could not mean that miserable excuse of a barbarian Sun princess-
No, she clearly did.
Was she out of her bloody-?!
"Simple. Definitely simple," Cui sighed.
"You... wish to share a roof with her?" Meizhen said, voice rising, not quite hiding her disbelief. Her head swung between Ling Qi's slightly hurt expression, and the
"...Who?" asked Ling Qi.
"It's almost admirable in a way," Cui said as Meizhen tried not to look like she was choking. "Can you see daylight through her ears?"
"...?" Ling Qi questioned.
And that was Ling Qi in a nutshell.
The girl did not know anything. It was as if she had been raised by wolves - no, not even wolves, the Er Clan of the Snow-Shrouded Hills Province had once counted wolves among their numbers and by all reports they had been adequate, if undistinguished scholars. It was more like she had raised herself and sorely neglected her academics.
For instances:
About Sun Liling after having had an explanation about why it'd be impossible for them to share a roof: "Still, is there a particular reason not to approach her?"
About their residences: "So, what kind of residence do you want to take?"
(Her reaction to the modest dwelling they had chosen had been admittedly adorable: she rushed around, oooing over the small garden, poking at the ornamental fish pond like a small cat, patting the hearth with obvious satisfaction, and generally acting like it was a manor of unparalleled luxury instead of a one-floor stone house in adequate repair)
About the Argent Soul Cultivation Technique: "Bai Meizhen, do you know what this part means?"
Later, on the same topic: "What is a Dan Tian exactly?"
It was this last question that truly made Meizhen despair for her. She paused in her tea brewing flicked her eyed towards Ling Qi, frowning, but... yes, the girl was serious. Her first 'friend' did not even know the basic fundamentals. A mere mortal indeed.
"The Dan Tian," she said, stressing the proper intonation as she poured herself a cup of tea, "is the root of a cultivator's power. The core from which you channel energies through the meridians in your body. Filling the dantian is required to awaken and begin production of your own Qi."
She stared at Ling Qi's eyes which were currently furrowed in concentration.
"I doubt she knows what Qi is," Cui murmured. "Ironic, really, considering."
Meizhen thought her cousin to be uncharitable, but continued the explanation. "Qi is the energy which allows us to do… everything beyond the ability of mortals."
Ling Qi bristled, and it was all Meizhen could do not to sigh. Really? Pride had its place of honor, but could someone starting from so little afford its price?
"I know that much," Ling Qi responded defensively. "But how am I supposed to feel something inside of me like it says? It's not like I can sense any of my other organs."
Meizhen pursed her lips, and although her patience was formidable, there was only so far it could be stretched before she started taking short-cuts. "Give me your hand," she ordered, holding out her own left hand. Words were only so useful when it came to matters of cultivation.
"Why?" Ling Qi asked, suddenly suspicious. Of all the times to be suspicious, Meizhen failed to see why now was any different than before. Perhaps she did not like being touched.
"I will inject a spark of Qi into you," she responded patiently. "It will hurt, but it will allow you to feel your dantian until it fades. You will need to practice in the future to avoid the need for such crutches though."
"How much pain are we talking about?" Ling Qi asked, but held her hand up nonetheless.
Meizhen didn't roll her eyes because a Bai would never act in such a familiar fashion with anyone, but if she had been lower born, she would have been tempted. "It is painful, but my Aunt did this for me when I was eight. It should be no trouble for you."
Then she injected the spark of qi.
Perhaps she had misjudged the amount or its potency because Ling Qi doubled over, motionless, expression caught in a rictus of pain and desperation.
"Did you kill her?" Cui wondered.
"Nonsense," Meizhen replied. She noted the shallow, gasping breaths. "Probably."
A minute passed by, then two. Meizhen refilled her teacup twice, trying to remain calm. It was like being thrown off a cliff, painful, yes, but no one ever died from such a trifle.
Finally, to her unutterable relief, her partner unbent and drew in a ragged breath. Blue eyes glared at her. "That… that was more than painful."
"Was it?" Meizhen replied. "My apologies, you can feel it now though, correct?"
"I can," Ling Qi admitted grudgingly.
"You should drink your tea, then meditate while it lasts," Meizhen said evenly. "Otherwise it will have been for nothing."
Ling Qi quaffed the tea like she was in a barhouse, and Meizhen quickly retreated to her own room.
-----
You may select EIGHT actions for the following week. Six of these must be cultivation or training actions.
[o] Spend time with Ling Qi. You're living with the odd peasant girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
[o] Look for the Hu girl. Your family does business with the Hu family, you saw one of their daughters in the hall. Although a minor noble, she is diligent and posseses fair talent and is also very beautiful.
[o] Look for the Cai heiress, it would be a good opportunity to introduce yourself and lay to rest any unkind words about you that have reached her ears.
[o] Mingle with your fellow female disciples. Surely there must be some who aren't put off by your reputation
[o] Mingle with your fellow disciples in general
[o] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
[o] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Physical cultivation
[o] Explore the mountain. Surely there is more than one plaza and two residential areas
[o] Cultivate on your own.
----
Note: Please quote this post or tag me if you want to be edited in as a negaverse commentator. Please include your hypothetical comment too. Do not put an x in your voting bracket unless you want to erase your vote, just leave it as an [o].
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