Remove ads

History's Most Mediocre Cultivator (Xianxia Quest)

How should the remainder of the five months prior to joining the sect be handled?

  • Same as usual (i.e. 5 more updates similar to the last 2)

    Votes: 10 43.5%

  • Vote for a cultivation plan for all 5 months at once and then having a training montage

    Votes: 4 17.4%

  • Vote for a cultivation plan for all 5 months and then have updates with character events and RPing

    Votes: 15 65.2%

  • Continue as usual, but with shorter, more frequent updates until the five months are up

    Votes: 6 26.1%
  • Total voters
    23
  • Poll closed .
Reader mode
[X] [Letter] Consult him regarding his thoughts on Cultivation elements.
[X] [Minor Action] Attend the entire New Years' festival at the main clan compound. (Spends 180 coppers on a suitable present).
[X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Meiling – Soon you will be gone and will rarely see your sister for two years. It might be good to spend some time with her now.
[X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Suyin – the daughter of one of your father's closest friends and a minor noble in her own right, Suyin is good company and an intelligent conversationalist when you can get her to speak. She beat you quite badly in your spar recently. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from her and her father? Though that would mean putting up with Father's teasing.
 
[X] [Letter] Consult him regarding his thoughts on Cultivation elements.
[X] [Minor Action] Attend the entire New Years' festival at the main clan compound. (Spends 180 coppers on a suitable present).
[X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Xiaoli – She has become your closest friend, and it is good to maintain that bond.
[X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Meiling – Soon you will be gone and will rarely see your sister for two years. It might be good to spend some time with her now.
 
Inserted tally


Vote is closed.
Adhoc vote count started by Timewinders on Dec 30, 2017 at 6:43 PM, finished with 277 posts and 11 votes.
Click to expand...
 
Remove ads
Chapter 2.4 – A Slightly Disappointing Start to the New Year (Part One)
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] [Letter] Consult him regarding his thoughts on Cultivation elements.
    [X] [Minor Action] Attend the entire New Years' festival at the main clan compound. (Spends 180 coppers on a suitable present).
    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Meiling – Soon you will be gone and will rarely see your sister for two years. It might be good to spend some time with her now.
    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Suyin – the daughter of one of your father's closest friends and a minor noble in her own right, Suyin is good company and an intelligent conversationalist when you can get her to speak. She beat you quite badly in your spar recently. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from her and her father? Though that would mean putting up with Father's teasing.

    Chapter 2.4 – A Slightly Disappointing Start to the New Year (Part One)
    ​
    Ice 3, 12052

    Shaohuo and his parents arrived at the main clan compound an hour late wearing their finest silk robes. Of course, arriving an hour late at one of these parties meant being one of the first ones there. The servants guided them to the ballroom, where a few of the Honored Elder's vassals had already brought their families, but many branch families of the clan were only just trickling in.

    Xiaoli, her father, and the Honored Elder were standing at the far end of the room past the dining tables, greeting guests as they arrived. As they pushed forward to perform their own greetings, Shaohuo and his parents passed half-full tables of guests already chattering loudly.

    He and his parents gave the customary greetings, bowing, and the members of the main clan gave their own. Xiaoli was wearing a red silk dress with her hair tied up in a bun. Shaohuo would have liked to talk to her more, but he could tell from her straight back and serious expression that she was in "formal mode" and it would be better to approach her later. Xiaoli met his eyes and give him a subtle nod, so she was probably thinking the same thing. As they left, they were replaced by another set of guests greeting her. Xiaoli would probably be busy for much of the first day just greeting people and making the minimal inquiries into their lives that were necessary for propriety.

    Shaohuo left while his parents were talking to another guest, having spotted Suyin sitting and eating some egg rolls at one of the tables. There were a few other guests on the opposite side of the round table, but Suyin was clearly sitting by herself.

    "Hi, Suyin. How are you doing?" he said, taking the seat next to her. She turned her head quickly, seeming startled by his appearance.

    "Oh, I'm fine. Just eating some egg rolls," she said, pointing at her plate. She gave him a smile that didn't extend to her eyes.

    "Not really a party person?" he said sympathetically.

    Suyin turned her head to look back and forth. "Not really, no." she said softly, as if it was a terrible secret. He chuckled.

    "So, are you looking forward to joining the sect? It's just a few more months now," he said.

    "Yes, I can't wait to learn some new arts. Father has been teaching me, but he specializes in water and earth arts, and I'm not sure if I want to specialize in those," Suyin said, seeming to become more talkative now that the topic was something she knew how to handle.

    "It's the same for me, I suppose," Shaohuo said, nodding. "So far I've just been focusing on cultivating Ghost Eyes. I haven't decided whether to focus on wind and light arts like Father does. For what it's worth, the water and earth arts you used during our spar were pretty effective."

    "Thanks," Suyin said, and winced. "Sorry about that,"

    He shook his head. "It's fine. No harm done, after all. And I was the one who asked you to spar in the first place."

    "I suppose…" Suyin said. Suddenly her face turned unusually pale, her pupils dilated. Shaohuo was just about to ask her what was wrong when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see the form of Wang Shen, heir to a nearby county. Shaohuo wasn't very familiar with him, and nothing about his ordinary appearance, from average height to dark hair, suggested anything unusual. His aura was dark red with streaks of the lighter red that indicated his level of cultivation, which was also nothing special. He was certainly not as strong as Suyin, at any rate.

    "Lady Ma, it gladdens my heart to see you on this wonderful day. You are as beautiful as a cherry blossom in bloom." Wang Shen said. Shaohuo raised an eyebrow, unsure if the boy was actually serious.

    Suyin just gave him a nod. Coming from her, it was shocking. It was about the rudest Shaohuo had ever seen her be to someone.

    "And who might you be?" Wang Shen said, his face darkening as he turned to face Shaohuo. "Just a friend of Suyin's, I trust?" He said, his voice sharp.

    "Yes, I'm her friend. My name is Li Shaohuo," he said, his tone neutral. What was this boy's problem? "Pleased to meet you."

    "Of course," Wang Shen said, and promptly ignored him, turning back to Suyin. "My lady, would you care to accompany me for a walk on this fine day?"

    "I think I'd rather stay here," Suyin said, picking up the last piece of her eggroll and chewing it with clearly deliberate slowness.

    "Surely not," Wang Shen said, stepping toward her and grabbing her hand. "Come, the view outside is spectacular."

    Suyin glanced at Shaohuo, her eyes wide and pleading. He resisted the urge to just smack Wang Shen in the face. That would probably have some political repercussions.

    "Oh, I think the Governor mentioned wanting to speak to you." Shaohuo said. "It would probably be best not to keep him waiting." He nodded toward the long line of new arrivals waiting to greet Xiaoli and the Honored Elder.

    Shaohuo Deception 4 vs. Wang Shen Diplomacy 3 = 4d10 vs. 3d10 = 17 vs. 20. Failure.

    "Really?" Wang Shen said, peering at him suspiciously. Shaohuo cursed internally. He never was a good liar, and it seemed even someone as dimwitted as this boy wouldn't quite buy it.

    "Okay, I lied. You're just being a nuisance. Leave." He said, glaring at Wang Shen.

    Wang Shen let go of Suyin and clenched his fists. "How dare you! My father will hear about this."

    "I'm sure he'll be very impressed." Shaohuo deadpanned. Wang Shen huffed and stormed off.

    Suyin let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for that. He won't leave me alone."

    "You just need to be a bit more direct, I think." Shaohuo said, though he could understand how someone like Suyin would have trouble with that.

    She just shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I say when he doesn't listen."

    "True enough, I suppose." Shaohuo said. He'd have to keep an eye on Suyin when they joined the sect. He wasn't usually one to start a fight, and in fact never had. But if anyone ever needed a thrashing then that boy did.

    In the end, Shaohuo didn't get a chance to talk to Xiaoli all day, she was so busy being the host of the party. Even after the greetings were done, she accompanied the Honored Elder in talking to all of the guests. Shaohuo spent a few hours talking to Suyin and then joined his parents in meeting some of the other local nobles. Though when he did look at Xiaoli, it occurred to him that he hadn't seen her wear a real smile once the whole day.


    A/N: Partial update for today since I suspect this one will be quite long. I also thought it'd be nice to get it out at the same time as New Year's IRL.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Y'know, this is a pretty interesting concept, but I'm gonna have to unwatch it. Been thinking about it for several updates now, but this quest is just...making progress way, way too slowly to hold my interest. A quest about a "Mediocre cultivator" is an interesting thought experiment, but in practice it's just...well...mediocre.

    The writing's fine, technically, and you're a pretty creative guy, but this just isn't holding my attention.
     
    Having a disadvantage in cultivation means we probably should put some efforts in our other skillsets.

    Get working on that Deception and Diplomacy scores, Shaohuo!
     
    For what it's worth, I find it more engaging that the main character isn't tripping over dragon eggs and blowing through the development of skills as if they were nothing. The characters thus far are seeming a lot more like people than the stat crunching machines that are so common on this site.

    Also, I'm glad to see that he has a pair and told off that Wang Shen to his face when the lie didn't pan out! Maybe won't go super well in the long-term, but it wa satisfying to see him get called out as a nuisance immediately.
     
    TheLurker said:
    Y'know, this is a pretty interesting concept, but I'm gonna have to unwatch it. Been thinking about it for several updates now, but this quest is just...making progress way, way too slowly to hold my interest. A quest about a "Mediocre cultivator" is an interesting thought experiment, but in practice it's just...well...mediocre.

    The writing's fine, technically, and you're a pretty creative guy, but this just isn't holding my attention.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Fair enough. I honestly hadn't expected to spend so much time in the childhood arc.
     
    As long as the author keeps writing then having actual "Hard" quests seem like a pretty great idea in general and something to strive for instead of op stuff.

    For example , when i found hp fanfiction i devoured alot of it but alot of fanfiction go to moves got old and overpowered and no "threat" or godmodes seems honestly boring for the most part i have noticed . Now i have trouble finding reading material for hp fanfiction so idk.

    If this is active enough on the author and other peoples part this could become a great quest cause the writing is atleast good enough and u have already come up with a system apparently wich is diffrent enough from the other zanr quest and it is literally the opposite of that where we are a talented street urchin originally but here we are from a province ruling family if a meh talent one.
     
    I don't even think it's hard. It's just our challenges and solutions are different from those in the stories where protagonists are expected to overpower rivals and bull through obstacles. Which, admittedly, is what a good half of xianxia protagonists are about...

    We are unlikely to give Wang Shen a slap in the face and humiliate him in a duel of honor - hell, we are unlikely to win a duel with Suyin anytime soon - but perhaps there will be other avenues open to us to make him leave us and/or Suyin alone.

    We won't be a legendary figure like our grandfather, but it didn't particularly inconvenience our own father. I wish we spent some more time with him before departure.

    I wonder what kind of quest it is going to be, though. Does it intend us to be stuck cultivating in the sect like yrsillar's, or will it just be an episode in the story.
     
    Last edited:
    Eh, charitably speaking. It's still the equivalent of telling off a high school bully and dealing with the consequences, only in a different setting. Whether you want to call it 'intrigue' is up to you.
     
    Timewinders said:
    Fair enough. I honestly hadn't expected to spend so much time in the childhood arc.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    To be honest I quite like it.
    While I understand that the sects provide more drama, I yet find it weird that xianxia always jumps to sect politics, and never has the more realistic familial focus that one might suppose would be more characteristic of highly jealous clans who use body/bloodline specific techniques.
     
    atrophy said:
    As long as the author keeps writing then having actual "Hard" quests seem like a pretty great idea in general and something to strive for instead of op stuff.

    For example , when i found hp fanfiction i devoured alot of it but alot of fanfiction go to moves got old and overpowered and no "threat" or godmodes seems honestly boring for the most part i have noticed . Now i have trouble finding reading material for hp fanfiction so idk.

    If this is active enough on the author and other peoples part this could become a great quest cause the writing is atleast good enough and u have already come up with a system apparently wich is diffrent enough from the other zanr quest and it is literally the opposite of that where we are a talented street urchin originally but here we are from a province ruling family if a meh talent one.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Yeah, I was partly inspired by one of the omakes on the Forge of Destiny thread about a Han Jian quest, where you start as a somewhat talented noble rather than a plucky street urchin.

    Nevill said:
    I don't even think it's hard. It's just our challenges and solutions are different from those in the stories where a protagonist is expected to overpower rivals and bull through obstacles. Which, admittedly, is what a good half of xianxia protagonists are about.

    We are unlikely to give Wang Shen a slap in the face and humiliate him in a duel of honor - hell, we are unlikely to win a duel with Suyin anytime soon - but perhaps there will be other avenues open to us to make him leave us and/or Suyin alone.

    We won't be a legendary figure like our grandfather, but it didn't particularly inconvenience our own father. I wish we spent some more time with him before departure.

    I wonder what kind of quest it is going to be, though. Does it intend us to be stuck cultivating in the sect like yrsillar's, or will it just be an episode in the story.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Long term plans depend partly on what direction readers want to take the quest in, but (assuming I'm able to keep the pace up) I don't intend for the sect to take up the entire story, though it will be a large chunk of it. In this setting people generally go to the sect for about two years so they can spend some time dedicated to cultivating and at least get through the first couple of cultivation levels and learn some arts. I'm guessing this will take around 100 updates or so? Though I might use time skips or updates that cover entire months like I'm doing now if I think it's necessary. After that, commoners who couldn't afford the tuition serve in the military and nobles go home and cultivate on their own using their own clan's resources when they're not busy with other duties. Since Shaohuo's family is able to afford tuition, what he does after the sect is mostly up to him. His dad's around sixty or so but he's still not dying anytime soon (average life expectancy even for commoners is around 120 years or so) so there's some flexibility if people want Shaohuo to spend time adventuring, join the military, work in one of the government ministries in the capital, help Xiaoli, etc. Of course if there's a major war then Shaohuo could get drafted into the military. I have a general theme in mind for the story as a whole, but exact plot lines are hard to say in advance.
     
    Chapter 2.5 – The End of the New Year
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 2.5 – The End of the New Year
    ​
    Shaohuo and his parents retired for the evening in one of the guest rooms, and then the next day was more of the same, with Xiaoli once again busy speaking to guests with the Honored Elder. It did make Shaohuo wonder why they had chosen to hold a celebration for all three days of the New Year's festival. He supposed it was a good opportunity for the main clan to talk to and check up on all their vassals in one sitting. Xiaoli and the Honored Elder even came to speak to his parents, though the conversation was strictly small talk and discussion of the year's harvest. Xiaoli wore the same false smile as before, but spoke little. To Shaohuo's eye, the stiff way she held herself and her unusual lack of engagement betrayed her boredom.

    In the evening, the Honored Elder finally left, presumably to tend to other business, leaving Xiaoli free to join Shaohuo and Suyin at their table.

    "Ugh," Xiaoli said, falling into her chair. The room was almost empty as guests were leaving for the night.

    "Long day?" Shaohuo said.

    "You don't know the half of it," Xiaoli grumbled, seeming much more relaxed now that there were few other observers.

    "It's nice to meet you again," Suyin said, getting up and bowing before returning to her seat.

    "You too. Suyin, right?" Xiaoli said.

    "Yes." Suyin said. "We've met a few times, I think."

    "I remember," Xiaoli said, smiling. "You're the shy one, right?"

    "Umm…" Suyin said, clearly unsure how to respond.

    "Stop teasing her," Shaohuo said, frowning at Xiaoli, and then turned back to Suyin. "Don't take her seriously. It's much better for your health that way."

    "So defensive. Why do you give Suyin special treatment? It's very suspicious." Xiaoli said with a smirk, making Suyin's face flush red.

    "Well, you definitely don't need it." Shaohuo grumbled. "But I did get you a birthday present."

    "Oh? What did you get?" Xiaoli said.

    "You'll find out." He said. This time it was his turn to smirk.

    "You're no fun," Xiaoli said, crossing her arms and pouting.

    "It's just one more day," Suyin pointed out, looking between them anxiously.

    "Like I said, you can't take her words seriously." Shaohuo said, shaking his head.

    "That accusation is completely unfounded." Xiaoli said, and even Suyin raised an eyebrow at that.


    The next day was the beginning of the new year and, of course, Xiaoli's birthday. The ballroom was decorated with special red banners and the children were given red envelopes with money in them. Meiling had arrived that morning, dressed in a miniature, pink version of the usual formal robes. She was clutching her own envelope tightly, occasionally tracing the gold design on it. She seemed more taken with the envelope than the actual money.

    The guests reciprocated by lining up to present birthday gifts to Xiaoli. When it was his family's turn, his parents presented several new dresses to Xiaoli, which she accepted with a smile. Shaohuo stepped forward and gave her his own gift, kept in an unadorned wooden box. Xiaoli looked at him curiously and opened it with barely-suppressed eagerness.

    She smiled as she held up the necklace he'd bought her. It was simple in design, with a thin 10 karat gold chain and a jade pendant with an engraving of a jasmine flower, to match her name.

    "Thanks, Shaohuo," she said. From the way she immediately clasped it around her neck rather than setting it aside, it looked like she was pleased with it.

    Afterwards, there was a particularly large feast with selections ranging from the local spicy cuisine to fish cooked in the Eastern Forest style. Shaohuo and Suyin were able to eat together, but Xiaoli was busy once again. After the meal was finished, most of the guests began to leave, and he said goodbye to Suyin. His parents and Meiling were still standing and talking with Xiaoli's parents.

    "The party's over. Let's get out of here!" Xiaoli's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, startling him. She was already leaving the ballroom, and he followed her down the halls to her room.

    "Finally over!" Xiaoli said, flopping down onto her bed and burying her face in a pillow.

    "Was your birthday really that bad?" Shaohuo said, taking a seat on her desk chair. He was feeling a bit concerned now.

    Xiaoli turned to her side to face him, smiling contentedly. His traitorous brain didn't fail to notice how her dress clung to the curve of her hips. He couldn't tell if her mannerisms were intended to look graceful or were just naturally so.

    "The presents were nice. I just wish they didn't make such a big deal out of the celebration," Xiaoli said. "But I guess there always has to be at least one big party each year."

    "Well, I do have one more surprise for you. Hopefully it'll make you feel better." Shaohuo said.

    "And? Don't leave me in suspense…" Xiaoli said, looking at him. He let her sit in silence for a few seconds, and her lip began to quiver.

    "Alright, alright. You know that sword we looked at in Xichang? I got one for you." He looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed now. It was quite a bit to spend on a present, and that might make things awkward. "I thought I'd give it to you once we got the sect, since you said your parents wouldn't let you have one."

    "You did? Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Xiaoli said, grinning.

    She bounced down from the bed, and before he knew it her arms were squeezing around him in a very tight hug, her head nuzzling into his shoulder. He hugged her back, enjoying the warmth. She finally released him and he took a deep breath in, recovering the air she'd crushed out of his lungs.

    "You know, I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said, still smiling at him.

    "Well, your mother did give birth to you," he said dryly. He chuckled at his own joke for a moment, until he was cut off by her jabbing him in the shoulder with her finger.

    "You know what I mean," she said.

    "Yes. I'm glad I did it then." Suddenly a thousand coppers felt like a small price to pay.


    Shaohuo spent the rest of the month continuing to cultivate his Ghost Eyes. He was running low on cash so he had to ask his father for the month's allowance in advance so he could buy enough Spirit Herb pills.

    (Ghost Eyes Level 1 * 5 + Talent 4 *5 + Spirit Herb Pill 5) * 12 actions + Tutoring 10 * 4 actions = 400d10 = 4,4,3,4,4,5,1,5,4,8,4,4,5,10,4,2,9,6,6,7, 7,6,6,1,4,3,10,5,7, 7,3,4,1,10,6,3,3, 5,2,4,2,5, 5,2,9,3,8,3,10,7,2,2,1, 3,3,9,9,10,3,3,8,5,6,8,10,8,2,1,2,7,7,6,3,5,7,6,5,3,7,6,9,5, 6,1,3, 9,6, 2, 10,3,2,7,6,8,4,1,9,9,9,1, 1,5,4,5,3,4,4,6, 9,7,2,9,3,3,4,5,8,4,2, 5,10,9,6,4,10,6,6,10,8,3, 8,5, 2, 8,10,7,3,5,2,6,8,4,7,8,8,6,8,9,9,7,8, 6,5,6, 7,6,4,6,6,3,6,2,5,3,8,5,4,4,9,8,10,9, 3,8,5,3,5,4,7, 3,6, 9, 5,3,8,2,5,2,2,3,3,3, 2,3,7,1,2,9,5, 2,9,7,8,7,8,10,5,7,10,8,9, 2,5,3,7,5,4,4,2, 6,4,1,9,2,6,6, 8,3, 4, 2,5, 7,2,6,3,4,5,6,5,2,5,6,7,4,10,3,6,1,5,5,5,6,6,5,4,7,5,2,8,5, 4,8,3,4,2,9,1,1, 2,5,2,10,2,6, 8,9, 10,10, 3,3,6,3,3,4,5,3, 7,8,1,5,8,5,7, 7,6,5,8,8,1,1,2,2,5, 6,3,8,4,5,8,5,9,6,7,6,9,8, 6,9,6,2,2,5,7, 8,2,3,9,9,4,10, 2,5,5,4,7,2,10,9, 7,4,5,7,5,8,8,6,4,2,7, 8,9,7,8,8,8,3, 4,9, 4,5,3,5,5,10,3,7,4,1,6, 8,9,1,1,9,5,4, 8,2,1,5, 8, 7,6,9,8,1,9,8,2, 8,4,5,5,9,1,9,5,4,7,6. Number of successes: 110.
    Progress: 323/400.

    One third of successes to Qi Cultivation: 36.
    Progress 36/4
    Qi: 28/28 > 37/37
    Progress 0/4

    His ability to sense qi and see the life around him by qi alone was steadily improving, and he could sense he was near a breakthrough. Sadly, his aura still only had a red tinge rather than the reddish-orange that Suyin's had when he fought her. It was probably because he'd been focusing entirely on Ghost Eyes recently and had neglected his physical cultivation for the moment.

    In fact, when Shaohuo went along with his father to visit Suyin, he saw that she had broken through, with her blue aura now interspersed with pure orange.

    "You've reached orange, haven't you?" Shaohuo said as they sat in one of her family's guest rooms sipping tea.

    Suyin nodded happily. "Yes, Father says I'm making good progress."

    "He's right. There'd be no point in challenging you to another duel now," he said. It was unfortunate, but he could still catch up eventually.

    "It's not really that special," Suyin said, ducking her head. It seemed she could only handle praise up to a point. "My brother reached orange much faster than I did."

    "Come to think of it, I know your brother is going to govern this county but I don't think I've ever asked what you're planning to do after the sect," Shaohuo said. "Are you going to work for the Honored Elder?"

    "Something like that?" Suyin said, and bit her lip. "I was thinking I might apply for a position in the Ministry of Justice. But if I reach blue one day, I'd like to appeal to the Emperor for land of my own."

    "Well, you're making good progress there. I wouldn't be surprised if you reached blue or even violet at this rate," Shaohuo said. Suyin's face became red.

    "A-anyway, I can show you one of the arts I used during our spar last time if you want? You seemed interested in them," Suyin said, obviously trying to change the topic, but the offer was too good to pass up so he let it slide.

    "Your father won't mind?" Shaohuo said, lifting an eyebrow. Though the techniques she used didn't seem very powerful, some families fiercely guarded even their lowest-level arts.

    "I don't think so. It's just a beginner art." Suyin said, and led him through the halls to an empty training room. It was far too cold to practice outdoors, sadly.

    "Um, this is a water art that you can use to improve your balance. It's called Still Waters." Suyin said, standing across from him. "I thought it might help you since you're tall."

    "That does sound useful," Shaohuo admitted. During hand-to-hand combat training with the guards he tended to get tripped or pushed over rather easily.

    Suyin spent the next hour or so showing him how she channeled water qi into herself to enhance her own sense of balance. Though she might sway from side to side easily while moving, the art would help her return to her center of balance, just like a puddle of water would always return to calm after a momentary ripple. He tried the art himself, and Suyin corrected the mistakes in his qi flow pattern. He didn't make much progress on mastering the art, but he'd learned enough to practice it on his own, at least.
    ​

    Though he'd resolved to spend more time with Meiling while he still could, he hadn't quite expected this.

    He'd been sitting at his desk in his room reading the latest letter from the Honored Elder. Meiling was lying down on his bed with her belly down, kicking her legs back and forth as she read a book. She'd become fond of adventure novels, which Shaohuo hoped weren't giving her any dangerous ideas. Shaking his head to himself, he returned to reading the letter.

    Dear Shaohuo,

    I am glad to see you and your family are well. When I saw you at the New Year's festival I was surprised by how much you and Meiling have grown recently.

    As far as cultivation elements go, there are countless books on the various types of arts that can be produced by each element. I assume you want my advice on which elements to focus your cultivation on. There is no one element that is superior to all others, and given enough time a cultivator can become competent in all of them and truly master a few. However, for you I would advise focusing on perhaps two elements. As for which elements, I would advise ensuring that at least one of them has use outside of direct offense. I would not recommend learning only fire and lightning arts, for example. Such a strategy would leave you with very few options for defensive arts. Of course, you can always supplement your main elemental focus with a few useful arts in other elements.

    There are many classic elemental combinations that work well together. The earth element lends itself well to defensive arts and can complement any other element effectively. Wind has both offensive applications as well as arts that enhance mobility, along with a few defensive arts. Gravity has broad applications for offense, defense, and mobility. I would advise however that there are few gravity arts that directly enhance the body's defenses. If an enemy's attack were to land despite your defensive measures, it could still do great damage. Earth and shadow arts do not have this weakness, as many earth arts enhance the body's resilience while higher-level shadow arts can prevent some physical attacks from hitting at all. Your own father uses light, and this can be effective for purposes of trickery and enhancing the senses, with a few offensive applications as well. Also, while my earlier words may have turned you away from fire or lightning, at higher levels they do have a few arts that enhance mobility greatly, as well as arts that can deal devastating damage.

    As with many choices in life, there is no right or wrong answer, and you will simply have to choose what is best for your particular circumstances.

    Best Regards,
    Elder Li Lee

    Shaohuo finished reading and put it aside. He took a spare sheet of paper and jotted down a reply. He had been just about to leave and find a servant to handle the delivery when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Meiling holding up her own sheet of paper.

    "I wrote a letter to the Honored Elder too, Shao-Shao," she said, nudging his hand with the paper. "Can you send it to him?"

    He paused, unsure how to respond. "I don't know, Meiling. The Honored Elder is a busy man. I wasn't even sure if he'd respond to me, and I was older than you when I tried writing him a letter for the first time."

    "What do you mean?" Meiling said, tilting her head. "He doesn't want to talk to me?"

    Meiling looked up at him with wide eyes, and he didn't have the heart to tell her that, no, the Honored Elder would probably not want to spend time talking to her until she was old enough to hold an intelligent conversation.

    "Fine, I'll send it to him with my letter," Shaohuo said, taking the letter from her hands with a sigh.

    "Yay!" Meiling said, throwing her arms into the air.

    "Don't get too excited, he usually takes a long time to respond," He said. Meiling didn't seem to take heed, smiling contentedly as she continued reading her book. He suppressed his own smile, but the corner of his mouth quirked up despite his best efforts.

    He returned to his desk and unfolded his letter once more.

    P.S. Meiling wrote a letter as well, and I've included it with mine. If you have the time, please read it. I think it would mean a lot to her.

    He shook his head. What did she even want to send it for? She probably just wanted in on what he was doing. Still, he hoped the Honored Elder would write back to her after all.
    ​

    Shaohuo's Base Stats:

    Talent – 4
    Qi: 28/28 > 37/37
    HP: base 10/10 * 10 (from physical cultivation) = 100/100
    Funds: 680 > 100 coppers (-180 from gift, -1200 from drugs, +800 from allowance)
    Spear Mastery: 2/5 (Trained)
    Diplomacy – 8/10
    Knowledge – 7/10
    Deception – 4/10
    Intelligence – 9/10
    Perception – 6
    Martial – 4/10
    Strength – 9
    Defense – 5
    Flexibility – 4
    Balance – 3
    Speed – 8
    Stealth – 4
    Stamina – 8
    ​

    Does Shaohuo ask anything specific of the Honored Elder in his next letter?

    [X] [Letter] No, just keeping in touch.
    [X] [Letter] Write-in.

    Outside of cultivation, what does Shaohuo spend his time on during the next three weeks? Pick two.


    [X] [Minor Action] Gather the spiritual herbs that the Honored Elder spoke of.

    [X] [Minor Action] The tutor's patience with Meiling has been wearing thin, and Father has promised to pay you if you spend some of your free time helping Meiling with some of her tougher lessons. (+200 coppers).

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Wang Shen – He seemed like a very unpleasant individual, but he's still a fellow noble of the Four Rivers province. Perhaps some conversation could clear the air or even get him to learn that no means no. Well, it didn't sound believable even in your own head, but it might be worth a try.

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Xiaoli – Now that she's sixteen she should be able to cultivate soon. It might be a good idea to keep an eye on her, if only to make sure she doesn't burn down the entire province.

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Father – You do spend quite a bit of time with Father during training and some social events visiting subordinates. But outside of duty, you could still get to know him better as a person.

    [X] [Minor Action] Mother – obviously, you know Mother well, and you get along well too, seeing as she dotes on you almost as much as on Meiling. Still, you could always spend more time with her before heading off to the sect.

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Meiling – Soon you will be gone and will rarely see your sister for two years. It might be good to spend some time with her now.

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Suyin – the daughter of one of your father's closest friends and a minor noble in her own right, Suyin is good company and an intelligent conversationalist when you can get her to speak. Though that would mean putting up with Father's teasing.

    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Chin, Fang, and Daquan – they are good friends, and you'll be leaving soon. It couldn't hurt to spend time with them.
    ​

    A/N: The cultivation plan has only three weeks left, so there will another planning phase along with the next update.​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Well, we could use the money. And tutoring can double as a social action. Perhaps clearing the air? Or spending time with one of the prospective waifus?
     
    Wow, we spent a lot on drugs

    EDIT: Maybe the tutoring for money and Meiling Social, then Xiaoli or Suyin for potential waifu social.

    EDIT2: Ha, only two actions for minor actions
     
    Last edited:
    [X] [Letter] Of the responsibilities of higher social ranks. You are curious regarding what the Elder does.
    [X] [Minor Action] The tutor's patience with Meiling has been wearing thin, and Father has promised to pay you if you spend some of your free time helping Meiling with some of her tougher lessons. (+200 coppers).
    [X] [Minor Action] Spend time with Xiaoli – Now that she's sixteen she should be able to cultivate soon. It might be a good idea to keep an eye on her, if only to make sure she doesn't burn down the entire province.
     
    Aetharian said:
    Wow, we spent a lot on drugs

    EDIT: Maybe the tutoring for money and Meiling Social, then Xiaoli or Suyin for potential waifu social.

    EDIT2: Ha, only two actions for minor actions
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Drugs are an expensive habit. It was kind of amusing to me when I realized that the jewelry would probably be quite a bit cheaper than a single pill, but it makes sense.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top