Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

[yrsillar]

Okay, fixed up some front page stuff. Added threadmarks to the posts and fixed the tutorials to include how qi and domain growth work. Also fixed some wonkiness in the ranking description.

Fixed the formations tab in the character sheet as well. Added the stats for Zhengui and Sixiang and did up the relationships tab.

Now there is one additional announcement to make. there have been TWO outright retcons to previous canon, which will be acknowledged in the rewrite.

1. Sun Liling is Sun Shao's Great Grandaughter, rather than Grandaughter
2. The age at which you receive an automatic ennoblement at realm 3 has been reduced to 17 for verisimilitude purposes
3. There is no comb

 

[Thor's Twin]

The Envoy

Gu Li Na rested sedately in the carriage as her entourage slowly moved through a verdant forest of the Emerald Sea Province. Sunlight gently streamed through the upper canopy of the trees, creating a dappled pattern of light and dark upon the smooth paved stone. Behind her lay a small caravan of guards, merchants, entertainers, and the pack beasts which carried the gifts and treasures to be traded. Each step the entourage took led them deeper into the forest, and closer to their destination, the Ling family home. Currently nestled in some of the darkest parts of the Emerald Sea, it was a difficult, dangerous, but extremely productive journey to make. Hence why father had selected her regularly out of all the other siblings to be the envoy to the Ling in order to resolidify the alliance and work on the newer and more profitable trade opportunities.

Leaves were dyed red from the setting sun by the time Gu Li Na reached the waypoint which was a large clearing housing a bustling town of craftsmen and lumberjacks. As her entourage fully entered the clearing, Gu Li Na saw a small party briskly walk to greet and, hopefully, provide instruction upon where the caravan could rest for the night. The group was comprised of an aging man who had reached the middle stage of yellow, and several uniformed men in red. Gesturing to her driver to stop the carriage, she opened the door and stepped upon the road. Stepping forward to place herself in front of the caravan, she patiently waited for the group to reach her and begin introductions.

It was the same niceties and politeness from her previous times here, with the added twist that they were not expecting a group this large to be passing through. After some quick discussion, it was determined that the town could not house the entire caravan in their taverns and lodges, but that there was space large enough to the west of the village for the caravan to stay and rest for the night. It was an unfortunate, but expected, outcome. Thanking the elder and his guards, Gu Li Na began instructing and directing the caravan where to go, huddling the merchants, entertainers, and wealth in the center and creating a ring of guards around them. Even in an area with properly maintained wards, it was prudent to be cautious. It would be a disaster of the highest order if some spirit beasts were able to sample the more exotic, potent, and expensive materials. And as Gu Li Na looked out across her caravan, she saw her destination in the distance. A small mountain rising sharply out of the forest, creating a sharp contrast with the rest of the canopy as the sun set behind it. For a moment, she thought she saw twin embers blazing upon the summit of the mountain, like the eyes of a god gazing upon an unusual spectacle. But as quickly as that thought crossed her mind, Gu Li Na dismissed it. The Guardian of the Ling has rested and slept for over a generation, and it was the height of folly to think that it would care about her presence now.

With the rising of the sun, the caravan was moving towards the distant mountain again. Farewells were given to the Elder, and now the most dangerous part of the journey began. Transitioning from smooth cobblestone, the current path was paved in polished obsidian which reflected only the bright brilliant lanterns of the convoy. The woods grew darker and even the bark of trees became blackened as if they had survived a great forest fire. Dark shapes danced among the thicking forest as the sun was completely blotted out by the canopy, plunging the caravan in perpetual twilight. Mist began curling around them, kept at bay only by the formations etched into the edges of the road. It was disconcerting, knowing that stepping off of the road may get you trapped eternally in the mists, your perception twisting as the space around you warped, pulling you deeper into the eternally dark forest.

There was a comfort, though, in knowing that the Guardian of the Ling still kept the eon old formations powered. Apparently copying some of the more potent techniques that their ancestor had developed, the formation created mists kept all those who were undesirable from even approaching the Ling Clan's manor unless they used the proper routes and roads. Only members of the Ling Clan could truly walk amongst the mists unhindered.

Still though, seeing the shadows dancing through the trees was a stark reminder of the power that the Ling Clan held. Users of more ancient traditions and techniques than even the Imperial System, the Ling Clan had demonstrated the potency of their arts against barbarians and insurrectionists alike. Nothing seemed to stop a member of a Ling Clan for long, and they had demonstrated a patience and cunning that was only surpassed by the Bai.

Which made them all the more powerful allies, Gu Li Na thought. Cultivators of powerful herbs and fruits, made all the more potent by the powerful qi of the Guardian of the Ling, were always in demand. Especially when the saplings of some of their trees could even survive the destructive qi in the desert. The wealth spent on acquiring those precious saplings was a small price to pay for comfort they gave and the ground they reclaimed.

The darkness in the trees seemed to lighten slightly when the caravan reached the final stopping point. Gathered under the boroughs of a truly massive tree by the side of the road was a collection of Ling Clan members and servants hopefully here to assist in reaching the final destination. Just around the bend in the road rose a veritable wall of flesh and shell, the first actual sight of the massive Xuan Wu that the Ling Clan called home since entering this final leg of the journey. It was humbling, knowing that with a twitch this whole forest could be subsumed in a great fire that would put her own flames to shame.

Gesturing for her carriage to stop, Gu Li Na opened the door and stepped out. Now the song and dance of politics would begin again, hopefully to the benefit of both the Ling and the Gu clan.

A/N:
This omake was inspired by @yrsillar's own Xuan Interlude. Also, it would take place millennia after the current events where Zhengui is already white himself. I hope you enjoy the read, and as always critiques and criticisms are welcomed. Additionally, @yrsillar another omake for the omake throne.

 

[yrsillar]

"It's good to see you again, Li Suyin," Ling Qi greeted her friend brightly as they met among the crowd heading to the earliest of the Elders freely given lessons. Ling Qi thought it would be wise to attend every Elder's lesson at least once, to show respect and see what knowledge was on offer.

Her friend smiled back at her a touch nervously. Li Suyin had begun to grow her powder blue hair out again, and it now reached her shoulders. She shapeless smock she had taken to wearing in her workshop had been replaced with a gown of pale green silk with gold trim. Only the geometrically patterned eyepatch she wore remained the same. "You as well Ling Qi," she greeted politely. "Congratulations on placing so highly in the tournament."

"I could say the same to you," Ling Qi said cheerfully, glancing around at the other disciples, most looked to be only a bit older than them, but there were a scattering of people who looked a bit older as well. In as much as cultivators bore the marks of early aging anyway. "Where do I put my order in for one of your talismans anyway?"

Li Suyin's expression grew bashful. "A-ah, well I should have the first production batch done in a month or so? I will be sure to give you one then."

Ling Qi opened her mouth to protest but a pointed look from her one eyed friend made her close it again. She supposed she didn't have any right to complain about charity. Li Suyin blanched then, her face growing pale. Her reaction was mirrored in a rippling wave through the crowd.

"Good Morning Ling Qi," her friend, Bai Meizhen's voice reached her ears, and Ling Qi turned to find her best friend moving through a wide gap in the crowd, with the same smooth, gliding grace that she always had. Her golden-slit pupiled eyes moved disinterestedly over the disciples gathered before focusing on Ling Qi. "I hope your move has found you well."

"The ceiling is a little low," Ling Qi grumbled, to which Meizhen responded with a raised eyebrow. The pale girl was a full head shorter than her after all. "But I am satisfied, for now," she added cheekily.

"Good morning Miss Bai," Li Suyin greeted timidly from beside her, determined to be polite even while struggling under Bai Meizhen's heavy aura of terror.

Bai Meizhen glanced at her, and gave a shallow nod. "Good Morning," she replied, not unkindly, but with clear disinterest. "Ling Qi, is Cai Renxiang not attending this lecture?"

"She remains busy," Ling Qi replied apologetically. "I will be taking notes for her though," she added, holding up the lacquered case of writing utensils provided for the task.

Meizhen's lips quirked up slightly, and even Li Suyin gave a nervous laugh. "I had wondered when it was that you had decided to be a scholar," Meizhen said dryly.

Ling Qi laughed in reply as they resumed walking toward the lecture area, chatting with her friends. Well chatting with Meizhen, Li Suyin still seemed too nervous to speak up. It was nice. Could she have imagined a year ago that she could walk around with a straight back, and her head held high in a crowd like this?

Putting aside her musings the Elder's venue of choice was no lecture hall. Rather the path lead her and the other disciples into an expansive stone grotto, with a softly bubbling pool at its rear, lit by innumerable softly glowing balls of light scattered across the artfully shaped ceiling. The grotto had clearly never been touched by an artisan's chisel, but it was also clearly shaped artificially all the same. Regular sloping stone benches rose from the mossy ground in concentric half- circles radiating out from the pool at the center, broken here and there by lanes for passage.

Ling Qi and Bai Meizhen took seats near the center, while Li Suyin parted from them with a hurried bow to seat herself nearer the front. Seating herself, Ling Qi was glad that her borrowed writing case unfolded into a tray that could be laid across the lap, as the benches offered no writing surface.

She spent a few more minutes of idle chat with Meizhen as the rest of the disciples filtered in, but soon enough she fell silent as she felt the pressure of a great presence from the center of the room.

The light dimmed, and luminous mist rose from the bubbling pool at the grotto's center, quickly resolving into the shape of a man. The figure that resolved itself from the mist was ancient… and a little unsettling.

The Elder, clad in plain silver robes without ornamentation, was more visibly old than any cultivator Ling Qi had ever seen. His wispy, snow white hair spilled down to his shoulders, matching the long, carefully groomed beard that hung to his waist . His face was a labyrinth of wrinkles, and his eyes had the milky cast of a man blind with age… although a luminous amber light burned in his pupils regardless.

Most unsettlingly, he seemed… not all there, at regular intervals, slow pulses of light traveled through his form, outlining his bones in radiance while his flesh seemed to fade into mist. It felt like she was looking at a ghost.

"Forget one foot in the grave, that guy is already lying down,"Sixiang laughed in her head, drawing a hurried mental shush from Ling Qi, who knew if the Elder could hear her.

The Elder had appeared from the mist seated in a lotus position, hovering a few centimeters above the surface of the water, and for a long minute, he regarded the gathered disciples in silence, stern, heavily wrinkled features giving way to a skeletal rictus before fading back in, only for the cycle to repeat.

"I am Elder Hua Heng," The Elder's voice was dry and scratchy, as if from long disuse, and echoed as if rising from the bottom of a deep hole. "My final years are upon me. I have chosen to spend them spreading knowledge to new generations, be grateful," he spoke bluntly but not in a clipped tone, despite the scratchiness of his voice he had the cadence of a professional lecturer.

"You will not speak while I am lecturing, nor interrupt in any way," he continued without pause. "There will be a time allotted for questions at the end of the session. Am I understood?"

The chorus of confirmation from the disciples seemed satisfactory to Elder Heng.

"Then allow me to begin the lecture on advanced qi theory," he began smoothly as the last voices fell silent. "You are, each and every one of you a cultivator who has either reached the third realm or will in the near future. A significant number of you will even achieve the fourth, or perhaps higher realms. As such, it is important to ground yourself in the deeper lore of how qi functions. The simple pattern imitation of lower realms will not avail you as you advance toward the peak of the third realm and beyond," Ling Qi carefully transcribed his every word, her brush flying across the page with a speed and grace that would have been impossible for her mere months ago.

"The first piece of knowledge that you must scribe into your mind is that qi is fundamental to all things," As the ghostly man spoke, ribbons of water rose from the water beneath him, twining around his seated form in an intricate display of control. "It is the clay from which we were shaped by the hands of Those Who Were, and it is the true form of all things. The earth and the sky are composed of qi, as is the flame and the heavenly bolt."

The mist and the waters shaped themselves above and around the Elder, shaping a scene of two indistinct but titanic figures locked in battle with innumerable things of terrible shape. "However, this world is impure. Stained by the blood and essence of those who sought our destruction ere the world was born, it is riddled with toxin and corruption. Age, disease, all the maladies of the mortal condition are born from this impurity. The art of cultivation then, is expelling ever more of this impurity, until the body and soul are fully cleansed," his scratchy voice rang out over the silent grotto as the shapes in the water and mist faded, splashing back into the pool.

"It is a task beyond the vast majority of us," He continued dryly, gesturing to himself. "All things in this world are composed of qi and impurities, and straining out the whole of the latter is a task only the most talented may ever accomplish."

Ling Qi nodded along as she copied down his words, it had not been laid out clearly to her, but she had picked up the gist of this.

"This truth then, leads to our subject matter proper. Arts are exercises and patterns of qi which bring about certain effects. Once created and refined, they may be copied by the less talented or powerful to shape the world according to the method of the arts creator. This is accomplished by expelling qi through the shaped channels carved by your efforts through the morass of corruption which separates the soul from the physical world. The exact shape of the channel and numerous other factors determine the effect., but also limit the number of patterns a cultivator is capable of making use of," Elder Heng continued. "Over time, carving new channels becomes nearly impossible, while the complexity of the patterns needed for powerful arts continues to rise."

Ling Qi had worried over this quite a bit, as she grew better at puzzling out the requirements for her arts.

"However, the patterns used in arts are just that, structures designed to create an effect. In the third realm, a cultivator has the potency of spirit to shape these flows more directly, and personalize them for greater efficiency. In the end, no pattern made by another will match one cultivated and tailored to oneself in that regard. The focus of my lectures then, will be in giving you the tools to do so for yourselves, going forward," he raised one hand, ina gesture for them to pause. "However. It is unwise to attempt to reshape your meridians before the Threshold Stage of Green Soul. Until you reach this level, do not attempt direct manipulation of meridians. Until that time, satisfy yourself with simply making your arts more efficient."

Ling Qi leaned forward eagerly as the Elder continued to speak, launching into an explanation on the meditative exercises one could perform to discover and refine the inefficiencies in an art one practiced.

Efficiency Upgrades Unlocked for next turn.
Arts which have two or more meridians of the same type may now be made more efficient by combining two of it's meridians of the same category. This type of cultivation is considered a meridian roll and requires a number of successes equal to five times the number of meridians used for the art. However each efficiency upgrade past the first increases the successes required by 20. Only arts which are mastered may be made more efficient.

More advanced forms may be unlocked later

After the lesson, Ling Qi must decide what to do next.

[] Visit Gu Xiulan, she did not see her at the lesson.
[] Visit Li Suyin's workshop, if she will allow it. Ling Qi was curious about her project.
[] Cai Renxiang was not expecting her back until later, but Ling Qi could check in on her.

 

[Neshuakadal]

The Far Far Future

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Zheng Lie slipped into hall four. He searched quickly for any familiar faces in the near empty hall but of course found none. He was to be the first cultivator of the Zheng clan. His father was ecstatic, of course, seeing this as a chance to bring the Zheng clan to the greatest heights. To bring the mercantile empire of the Zheng clan up to the heavens! At least, that is what Zheng Lie managed to pick out during his father's drunken ramblings at the parties thrown in Zheng Lie's honor. The last week of his life had been the most confusing that Zheng Lie had ever managed to live through. In one week his father had tried to makeup for 14 years of neglect.. Now though, Zheng Lie was alone and he tried to desperately remember the half hearted lectures his tutors gave him on making friends. At this moment though he could only remember his father telling him to "make connectioshns s-s-so the Zsheng can ma-ma-get money!"


As Zheng Lie looked around at the sparsely populated room his attention was drawn to a boy with short blue hair with a pale green shirt with small golden whorls in a pattern he couldn't quite figure out. The boy had a writing station set out before him but did not seem to be writing anything just yet. The other people that were here had already formed groups of two or three and where talking quietly. This boy was the only other person alone. Moving before his confidence could desert him, Zheng Lie approached the front row.


As Zheng Lie approached, the boy turned to face him. Swallowing his heart Zheng Lie bowed to the stranger. "Greetings, this one is known as Zheng Lie. I was hoping you would allow this one the opportunity to speak with you as we wait." Zheng Lie held his breath. He was hoping that this humble approach would work.


"I of course do not mind. This one is known as Li Yong. I would be pleased to speak to a fellow early arrival. I hail from Fenghou. Where do you hail from?"


Zheng Lie felt his stomach ease. He could do this. As he gently took his seat he responded "I hail from Tonghou."


Li Yong gaze turned thoughtful. "Tonghou? I have heard that name before… ah! Is it not the city recently brought under the care of the Ling Clan?"


Zheng Lie blinked in surprise. That transition had happened five years ago. How was that recent? "It is as you say. The previous caretakers were deemed to have failed in their duties of maintaining the spirit wards along the trade roads." He still remembered the day the mists rolled into the city making it difficult to even breathe let alone walk anywhere. The next day the mists had left and his father had announced to the clan that the venerable Ling Clan had taken on all the tasks and duties that Tonghou would require. "Being in the care of the Ling clan has only brought prosperity to the city of Tonghou."


Li Yong chuffed in amusement. "Of course. Members of the Ling clan are quite zealous in taking care of any imperial duties that fall upon them. Is that not right Mei-Mei?"


Zheng Lie nearly tumbled out his seat as a soft voice spoke right next to him.


"Of course the Ling clan is zealous in imperial matters as all clans should be. And Yo-Yo please do not use that childish nickname anymore or I will have to come up even more childish nicknames for you."


Zheng Lie stared at the girl who had been sitting next to him for spirits knows how long. She wore a pitch black dress that had a silver edge at the hem, the sleeve ends, and the collar. She also wore a matching set of earrings that were a black circle chased with silver. She was resting her head on her hand as she gazed with a look that could be called disinterested were it not for the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She was by far the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.


Zheng Lie hastily stood to bow. "Ah.. Greetings, this one is known as…"


The soft voice cut him off. "Zheng Lie, yes. Please have a seat. There is no need to be so humble or formal. After all we are all still children."


Li Yong gave a wave towards the girl who had apparently been behind Zheng Lie the whole time without Zheng Lie noticing. "This is Ling Meizhen. Since our clans are ancient allies we have been friends our whole lives. Congratulations though Meizhen on a full yellow breakthrough. I had not realized you were so close when we last saw each other."


Ling Meizhen turned her gaze towards Li Yong. "Thank you Yong. My sister is mostly to credit for this state though. She wanted to shine as brightly as possible when she arrived here and so convinced grandfather to give us a training ground far closer to the guardian then normal. I still don't think I have washed all the sweat off. However, I also see that you have breached into silver. Congratulations as well."


Li Yong laughed slightly "I was given a new recipe soon after we parted last time. I have benefited greatly from the new pills I have made."


As the conversation turned towards topics and words that Zheng Lie did not understand his stomach started to twist and turn again. As he tried to swallow his heart again the door to the hall opened. Ling Meizhen's gaze snapped towards the sound.


Ling Meizhen's soft voice now had a slight ringing sound as if there was a distant bell inside her. "Wang Min, Red 1, Gold 2."


As Zheng Lie turned a questioning gaze towards Li Yong he saw there was already a small picture with the name, colors and numbers that Ling Meizhen had rattled off below it. As Li Yong meet his questioning gaze Li Yong gave a small shrug and a small smile.


While Li Yong set aside his brush he started speaking again. "It is best to know where as many people stand as possible to better understand what pills will be in greatest demand. Ling Meizhen as you can see is far better at seeing where people stand then most and is very helpful to this little reference project of mine."


Ling Meizhen's gaze was now resting on something near the front of the room. "Friends help friends."


Zheng Lie and his rapidly sinking stomach both had the feeling as though he had jumped into the deep end of a river without knowing he was jumping, or that he was near a river. Now he could only hope to keep his head above the waters he felt starting to climb at his neck.

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Well guys another omake. This one takes place quite far in the future. I have been thinking a great deal about how the Ling Clan might possibly look like in the future. This is an attempt at showing a possible future Ling clan from an outsider's perspective. I tried for some humorous interplay between two old friends and some one who has has confidence issues. Please enjoy and critique!
@yrsillar An Omake for the Omake Throne!

 

[yrsillar]

Ling Qi carefully blotted the ink on the last string of characters describing the qi circulation exercises they were to practice before the next lecture. Elder Heng's form was already dissipating into mist, and the low buzz of conversation among the disciples was resuming, even among those nearby. It seemed that the reaction to her friends presence had been one of surprise for the most part.

"Ling Qi," Bai Meizhen spoke, catching her attention. "What are your plans for this week?"

Ling Qi blew on the drying ink one last time and looked up? "I'm… not sure? I will be cultivating at night and in the evenings, but I don't really have my days planned out yet. I was going to be discussing that with Lady Cai later, I think."

"I see," Meizhen replied, pursing her lips as she stood, her white gown shimmering like water under the pale light in the grotto. "Will you be visiting the town in the foothills at all?"

Ling Qi nodded, beginning to pack up her utensils and notes. "I'll want to visit my mother sometime, sure."

"Inform me when you intend to do so, and make plans for a further stay before or after then," Meizhen said crisply. "There is someone I should be introducing you to."

Ling Qi blinked, pausing in her clean up. Looking up at her friend, she felt a thread of concern. "...This isn't a marriage thing, right?"

She saw a flicker of horrified surprise in Bai Meizhen's eyes though it didn't touch of the rest of her expression. "No, of course not. It is only one of my lesser branch cousins. Certain things need to be made clear," she replied hurriedly.

Ling Qi let out a breath of relief. She had thought maybe something had been arranged for Meizhen, not what the other girl had thought of, but that was fine. She also knew Meizhen wouldn't get any more specific than that in public about a personal meeting. "I'll let you know tomorrow then," she said lightly.

Bai Meizhen gave her a small nod, and they parted ways as Ling Qi finished packing. Weaving through the crowd, Ling Qi soon caught up to Li Suyin in the paved plaza outside the grotto.

"Wait up Li Suyin," she called to catch the blue haired girl's attention.

"Ling Qi?" Li Suyin replied, sounding a little befuddled as she stopped and turned around. "Is there something wrong?"

Ling Qi felt a pang at that, did they not used to get together after almost every lesson? She supposed they had drifted apart a little in the second half of the year. "Nothing, nothing," she replied brightly falling into step beside the shorter girl. "I just thought it might be fun to catch up a little, and you could show me what you've been working on. I'm curious, you know?"

"Oh? I don't mind at all," Li Suyin replied with a smile. "We've both been so busy, so…"

"Right?" Ling Qi replied with relief. "Besides the horror project we haven't had much time to talk."

"It really was a fascinating project, wasn't it?" Li Suyin replied wistfully. "You know I've managed to repurpose the Scout formation a bit since then, I could show you if you would like."

"Sure," Ling Qi said as they took one of the paths leading up the mountain, filling the air with chatter about Li Suyin's work on developing the Ossuary formations away from their roots.

Like Ling Qi, Li Suyin ranked above Eight Hundred Fifty, and so she too had a single home set into the side of the mountain without immediate neighbors. Their homes were in fact completely identical in layout and design.

As Li Suyin lead her back toward the workshop, Ling Qi decided to fill the silence now that their previous discussion had reached a pause. "How did things go at the tournament anyway?" She asked obliquely.

For moment Li Suyin looked puzzled, pausing in front of the door to the workshop, but then understanding dawned. "...Father was distraught and angry at my injury," she replied with a sad smile. "Mother and I talked him down from attempting to file a legal suite against the girls involved… it would not help given our relative positions."

Ling Qi grimaced, she wasn't a legal expert at all, but that was obvious to her. Even if Imperial Law technically gave mortals the right to do that kind of thing, it was useless for even a wealthy mortal family to go against a noble clan without equally ranked backer. "They weren't too mad at you though?"

Li Suyin shook her head, turning back to open the workshop door. "Mother was put out with me deceiving them, but… she understood I think. We spoke of it."

Ling Qi nodded and didn't press further, anything else was private. She moved to follow Li Suyin into the workshop, only to pause on the threshold. The interior had already been much changed compared to her own home. Hammocks of spidersilk hung from the web coated ceiling, and even the walls had been buried under a layer of silken threads. On the unwebbed surfaces dozens of tiny rodent skeletons scurried about, small objects grasped in their bony jaws, while others stood completely still in neat rows around the rooms perimeter.

"You've really spruced the place up," Ling Qi said dryly, stepping carefully inside to avoid crushing the tiny assistants.

"It is all thanks to Zhenli," Li Suyin replied cheerfully. "Zhenli, I am back, and we have a guest!"

Ling Qi looked up at the sounding of chitin scraping against chitin. In the far left corner of the room, the webbing grew into a bulbous nest as large as a full grown man. From it, emerged her friends spirit. The last time they had met the spider had been small enough to fit in her palm. Now the arachnid was the size of a small cat, and pale pink chitin and the thick fuzz that grew from it shimmered with a rainbow of hues. Li Suyin's spirit beast was at the peak of the first realm now, as far as she could tell.

"Zhenli greets Sister Suyin," the spiders voice whispered in the back of Ling Qi's skull. Her jaws worked and her frontmost limbs wriggled warily as her attention turned to Ling Qi. "Zhenli greets the Ling Qi and the moonchild too."

"Don't pay me any mind," Sixiang said, seemingly awakened from the bored quasi-sleep they had sunk into during the lecture. "Grandmother doesn't stand on ceremony and neither do I. Just tell your kin to keep the good stuff coming for the next party!"

"Zhenli will pass message," the spider let out a high pitched physical chitter, turning her attention to a bemused looking Li Suyin, who was looking curiously at Ling Qi. "Does Sister need Zhenli for anything?"

"No, it's fine, you can return to your preparations. I wish you luck," Li Suyin replied, earning another chitter in response as the spider practically dove back into her nest. "Zhenli is going to be breaking through soon," she then said, answering Ling Qi's unasked question.

"You better watch out or she's going to surpass you," Ling Qi teased.

Li Suyin grimaced. "I have neglected my base cultivation recently, haven't I?" She lamented. "Well I intend to fix that soon. I cannot afford to idle away in second realm now that I have ended up here somehow."

"Somehow nothing," Ling Qi replied flatly, taking a seat on one of the benches, scattering the skeletal servitors in her wake. "You earned your place."

"Perhaps," Li Suyin replied with a self deprecating smile as she moved further into the room to examine a tray of familiar bone carved wands. "Who was Zhenli speaking too there, anyway?"

"Ah, I guess I've never introduced you," Ling Qi replied self consciously. "My second spirit, Sixiang, is a bodiless moon muse. Speak up, will you Sixiang?"

"Well, if I have permission," Sixiang huffed. "Hello there! Your little friends family produces some interesting stuff for mine is all."

"I see," Li Suyin said, still seeming unsure. "In any case, you were interested in my project, right Ling Qi?"

"Yeah, I'm not an expert, but a whole lot of people who were, seemed real interested in your work," Ling Qi replied.

Her friend hesitated for a moment, before opening a drawer and removing a small, glass covered case. Turning back to face her, Li Suyin brought it over to the table she was seated at. Inside the case were six tar black spheres each perhaps two centimeters across. "Su Ling and I discovered a cave several months back. The sinkhole in the forest seemed to have opened it up," she explained.

"Did it now?" Ling Qi asked with concern. "Wasn't that closed off by the Elders?"

"We did not go in until after it was opened again," Li Suyin reassured her. "In any case, the cave was more of a shaft leading straight down for some distance, but at the bottom, we discovered a cave inhabited by all sorts of strange creatures. We harvested a large number, but we did not explore far, the beasts grew stronger very quickly as went further down."

"Those are cores then?" Ling Qi asked, peering down at the black tar balls. Somehow they didn't seem like it.

"That's just it, they didn't react like cores at all," Li Suyin gushed. "They poisoned and ruined every mixture we tried to use them in."

"So what are they then?" Ling Qi said. "And how did you find a use for them?"

"Well, I had noticed that their… aroma resembled that of the impurities flushed out during a cultivation breakthrough," Li Suyin continued cheerfully. "As it turned out, that was the key, these cores are saturated with impurity, but it is possible to strain it out with certain processes. The remaining material acts like a magnet or a sponge afterward, drinking in impurities it comes into contact with."

That made a kind of sense, Ling Qi supposed. "What is the rest of the talisman for then?"

Li Suyin glanced to the side, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "They control the forces inside the core. Without regulating formations and Zhenli's web acting to strain the impurities going in, contact with an empty core will rupture and poison flesh at and near the point of contact. It is very… messy."

Ling Qi grimaced, she got the picture. "Well that explains that. Have you told anyone else?"

"I had a conversation with Elder Su regarding my project," Li Suyin replied. "She said that the creation was incompatible with her way, but that it seemed safe to proceed. I have been given dispensation to keep the source and materials secret for a ten year period while I develop my work, after which the Sect will begin letting other disciples experiment. Of course, if they discover it on their own…"

"Good for you Li Suyin," it sounded like she was going to have a good foundation built before anyone else in the area could try horning in on her discovery. "Do you think you could get better materials further in?"

Li Suyin blinked. "I suppose, but…" she trailed off, and understanding lit in her eyes. "Would you?"

"I'm not sure when I'll have some time, but it sounds like an adventure," Ling Qi laughed. "Don't you think Sixiang?" Besides, she still felt a little uneasy about an open cave under that sinkhole.

"You could probably get a poem or two out of it, maybe a song," the spirit mused.

Li Suyin bowed her head. "Thank you very much. I still have to wait for my dispensation to process among other things, but I will look forward to your aid."

"None of that, Li Suyin. We're friends aren't we?" Ling Qi replied cheerfully.

Ling Qi remained with her friend for some time after that, their conversation turning to lesser projects, like Li Suyin's work on improving her silk guards. Soon enough though, it was time for Ling Qi to go, she had an appointment to keep with Cai Renxiang.

Although they had a number of things to talk about already Ling Qi wanted to get Cai Renxiang out of her work for at least a little bit. To that end she…

[] would suggest that they have a spar after their talk
[] Try to get her liege to show her some needlework basics
[] talk tea over a cup of the stuff, Cai Renxiang seemed to think it was important.

 

[yrsillar]

Alright, about time I announce this since I'm already getting omake for the new thread. The new omake policy is as follows.

1. Remaining omake rewards will somewhat carry over from the previous thread. In the interests of not breaking things, the following postsers will have the following number of omake bonuses
@TehChron 4/9 points
-2 into formations(NA), 30 successes for EPC(NA)
@Erebeal 8 points
@Thor's Twin 0/7 points
-70 successes to EPC(NA)
@Lazy Minx 4/6 points
-2 points into Dodge
@Camellia 5/8 points
-3 to Spiritual
@zinay 2 points
@Neshuakadal 4/8 points
-2 into Dex
@djd 2/4 points
-1 points to presence
@BurnNote 1 point
@tryrar 0/2 points
-1 points to presence
@Cerdaemon 2 points
@BungieONI 4 points
@Black Noise 2 Points

-a. If you feel that you deserve some points as well, please tag me and link or name your unrewarded omake, and I will make a determination. It is fairly likely that I'm forgetting some people.

2. New omake will earn points at the following rate.
-Sidestory Omake: 2 points
Apocrypha Omake: 1 point
-Art: 2 points

3. Omake points may be traded in at the following rate

1:1= Skill XP
1:10 Art successes
2:1= Attribute XP

4: No single skill or attribute can receive more than 4 omake xp in one turn cycle. No single Art can receive more than 100 bonus successes in a turn cycle. This is prevent any unfortunate runaway growth.

5. Omake XP can only be spent on arts, skills or attributes which are being trained that turn.

 

[TehChron]

Chu Song Negaverse​

For the second time, you look upon the Outer Sect Mountain from the place set aside for the older Disciples. The failures. Those who could not meet the cut for the Inner Sect. For the second time, you knew that you did not belong here, among the failures and the disappointments. For the second time, you had been unlucky. For the second time, you had been robbed of your well-earned opportunity.

For the second time, for the last time, you resolved yourself to get back on track, and advance on the long road towards restoring your clan.

You are Chu Song, and you will not be denied a third time.

It was the first day since the beginning of the new year, and though the events of the previous one had been tumultuous indeed, you understood keenly that you were head and shoulders above those who would be entering the ranks of Outer Sect Disciples this year. Yes, just like last year. However, this year you were armed with knowledge you did not possess the previous one. Information earned through the grim toll of experience. This year, there was little doubt that Cai Demon's abominable government would remain in some form or another, courtesy of her mewling, oversized idiot of a bootlicker Gan...Something. It didn't matter.

Cai's Big Lapdog is how you always thought of him, and if anyone bothered to correct you you'd let them! But he was the pawn of the Demon, and so he'd try and copy her ways. You might be able to defeat him, your ex-Lil' Bro Ji Rong had managed it, sure, but then he had gotten beaten by the same self-absorbed little snit that had taken you out like you were trash. No less a demon than her mistress, that one.

Sure, you were bitter. You'd try warning her, but a rat's still a rat, no how far they'd climbed out of the gutter. At least you and Ji Rong had been agreed on that much...But damn, that still stung. You'd gotten your hopes in working with the lil' bastard, helped raise him up when he didn't have anyone else, and then what happens? That freaking embarrassment Sun Princess showed up, won you both over with boasts about just how 'brilliant' she was, and how you 'needed to stick together' to beat the Cai demon.

Man, what were you thinking?

You must've been desperate to go along with those promises of hers. And as a result, you lost your lil' bro to the clutches of that miserable little harpy. Pfft. She just wanted to pretend to be some perfect lil' Princess while covering herself in blood. You knew the type. Sun Liling might've had everyone else fooled, but a Chu always sees through people. That's why your clan knew the Demon exactly for what she was, and why you understood just how Sun Liling had been a faker...But you'd bought into it anyway. Like a sucker.

At least Ji Rong had the excuse of getting distracted by that useless fat on her chest, what were you looking for?

Well, whatever. You couldn't do anything about it for a year anyway, not directly anyway, same as with the Demon and her merry band of the Snake, the Turtle, and the Rat. And that mousy little blue haired girl, too. Sheesh. Those two really had to suck all the talent around them into their little circles, didn't they? But as a result...Of the groups left after last years mess, there's still that group under the Han kid and the leftover remnants of the two greater factions too. Plus, with The Worm gone into the Inner Sect, that meant there were a lot of subordinates just waiting to be snatched up.

A lot of people who sure would like to hitch themselves onto the bandwagon you'd make for yourself once you got started on the business of remaking the Clan. Heck, even among the girls still here the only one capable of really contesting you was Wen Ai, and she and you had wildly different views on recruitment. Yeah, you've got this in the bag.

Third time's the charm, right?

Choose One:

[] Han Jian: The guy was the ringleader of a four man squad. Or he would have, ordinarily, but that firebrand Gu girl wound up making it into the Inner Sect at the expense of Wen Ai. You had no love for the hoity toity faker, but there was no way she wouldn't take offense to you lending this group a hand. Especially since the Han kid is still strutting about in that Cai Armor of his. Still, you needed the allies, and he at least wasnt beholden to the Demon.

[] Gan Whatever: Yeah, he was a bootlicker and subordinate to the Demon. But he wasn't the demon herself, and you had held your nose up enough at worse things (like Liling bossing you around) to know that sometimes you needed to make sacrifices of pride in order to get more important payoffs down the line. He's gonna be setting up a fake council or whatever in the Demon's absence, so he's gonna be desperate for strength to help him keep it going. Hey, at least it'll pay better than the pittance that Liling tossed you when you worked under her.

[] Wen Ai: The flower priss wasn't someone you got along with, but rumor has it she was building bonds with Kang Zihao before the end of the year, in the event that one or the other of them didn't make it into the Inner Sect. Wen Ai was definitely going to push herself to make it in after she got blasted out by someone who wasn't even fully third realm at the time, and you needed a good sparring partner. Plus, she might have an in with that beefcake Kang, and you wouldn't say no to saying hello to him, mhmm.

[] Lu Feng: The last remaining bit of Sun Lilings crew, which wasn't saying much because pretty much everyone abandoned that overhyped poser after she surrendered to the Demon. Of those, the only ones that really mattered were your ex-Lil' Bro and Mister Luscious Locks over there. He wasn't exactly the type to lead, more the cloak and dagger type, and if he wanted to strike back at The Demon's lackeys this year, he'd need some muscle to back him up. Besides, it'd be only too fitting if you managed to snatch him away the same way that the lil' Princess had managed to steal what was yours. Turnabout and whatever.

[] Take Your Chances: See if there were any independents left for you to pick up that hadn't really participated in that mess last year. You remember there being some fox half breed with the Rat and her Blue Haired friend that one time, and she didn't even try to get into the tournament if what you heard was right. There's gotta be some other diamonds in the rough just waiting for someone to take them under their wing, right?

Okay, we need to set up our own bloc. First year? We got rekt because we tried to YOLO everything. Second year? We got rekt because we tried to suck up to someone more powerful than us. This year? We get to be the big girl on campus. It's the only way to win.

Click to shrink...

We literally tried that at the beginning of last year, man. It went so badly that we wound up shacking up with Liling anyway just to try and salvage that mess of hot garbage as everything went to hell around us. It just isn't a working model. If anything, us half assing working under someone else is what screwed us over! We saw how strong Ji Rong and Lu Feng got after the war ended. Imagine if the Disney Princess had given us some of that dosh too! We'd have swatted that fly out of the air for sure.

Click to shrink...

Hey larsilly, why don't we get the option to try and poach from the newbies?

Click to shrink...

What are you planning to do, just creep up around the first year's area and act like a stalker for three months until you can interact with them after the ceasefire ends?

Click to shrink...

So Smol Demon's Big Guy shows up one day to ask us if we're 'SongEncore2017' before having us take a seat? :thinking:

Click to shrink...

Look, I think we're underestimating the value of the Mystery Box option, guys. We're looking to make our own group, right? So let's find the leftovers that no one cared about from last year, and maybe we'll be able to use them to dominate stuff this year. We even remember where all those second year trials are at, so we can probably use them to bribe some people over to our side if we move quickly enough.

Click to shrink...

Look, it's obviously a good idea to take that fire chick's place in catboi's Four Man Band. We're totally hotter than that THOT, right? Right.

Click to shrink...

A.N. There you go, another Omake as promised, @yrsillar . Regrettably, the only person who's tone I'm sure I absolutely nailed is the Arkeus expy tho.

 

[Neshuakadal]

Exploration for Beasts


Liu Wei gazed upon the small gathering of nail beaked wrynecks. It was a slightly disheartening find. While observing these creatures as the drank sap from the mighty trees was interesting and gave him insights into their natures they were very common grade 1 beasts in the Emerald Sea. He had been hoping that he would be able to see a predator of the wrynecks. The shadows had lengthened and darkened but nothing had appeared. Instead Liu Wei was simply getting a headache from the great deal of noise that wrynecks made. Soon Liu Wei would have to give this up as a lost cause.


As the last lights from the sun died the wrynecks flew off to their nest. Liu started to stretch his cramped legs. Staying still in such a small space for so long was quite hard on his silver body he thought wryly. As he began packing up his tree perch he heard a soft noise against the leaves. The noise sounded a great deal like a silk scarf passing through the leaves above him. As slowly as possible Liu Wei stepped back into his warded perch. Looking outside again he saw a large moth slowly drift down to where the wrynecks had been hammering away. Sap still oozed from the tree as the moth softly settled down and started to drink.


This was fantastic! This was everything that Liu Wei had dreamed about. No imperial bestiary he had memorized had mentioned a moth with this behavior in this part of the Emerald Seas before! Quickly Liu Wei began to take notes about everything he had saw so far. The beast was a low green beast! The color and texture of the moth were changing to match that of the tree! Fastasanting! If Liu Wei had not know it's exact location he would not know where it was now. Slowly he began to prepare his talismans. He had trained and prepared for this. If he could bring back a new beast and record its entry into the imperial bestiary his reputation would increase greatly! He might even be able to leverage this to get access to the Meng clan's marshes. They were quite a bunch of isolationist but surely they would see the value to adding beasts to the imperial bestiary!


Slowly he honed his gaze on where the beast was and focused his attention. With a gasp he dumped as much qi into the talisman as he could overloading it. A net shimmering with a multitude of strange colors burst out of his perch and towards the human sized moth. The moth tried to flee but was far to slow. As the moth gently pushed off the tree the net slammed into it, quickly wrapping around the moth before a pulse of lake qi erupted from the net and sending the beast into a deep sleep and sending it tumbling onto the forest floor.


Liu Wei dove out of his perch towards the beast. He would need to be fast. There were a great deal of dangerous creature that would love to eat both him and the prize he had just caught. Such a pulse of qi would not go unnoticed. His "Monkey Reaching for Branches" art proved its usefulness allowing him to reach the ground faster than he would have been able to only months ago. Blitzing towards the creature he hoisted the moth across both his shoulders. Already he could feel the beast twitching as the lake qi's effect wore off. He activated the talisman on his back. Two straps shot out over his shoulder and connected its matching pair on his chest. Lake qi began to flow through the strap and into the net. Now with the beast firmly asleep he began his long run through the dark woods. Liu Wei grimaced as he heard a howl from a wolf pack closing in. He definitely had a long run ahead of him.

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A.N

@yrsillar an Omake for the Omake throne!
This idea came from a lot of reading about Darwin and other naturalists exploring the world looking for new animals to catalog. Since there is an imperial bestiary someone needs to fill it. But I doubt filling it would be as easy as picking a butterfly off of a flower.

 

[yrsillar]

Cai Renxiang's dwelling further up the mountain was not very much larger than her own Ling Qi mused as she approached the door set in the mountainside, if the spacing between it and the others on its level was any indication. Stepping up to the wooden portal, she knocked once politely and settled in to wait.

She was not left for long. Soon enough the door swung open, revealing her liege standing behind it. The passive corona of light which shone behind her head casting her shadow over Ling Qi. "Welcome," she said crisply, stepping aside to allow Ling Qi entrance.

"Thank you for your invitation," Ling Qi replied politely giving the proper bow for a vassal greeting their liege before stepping inside. The front room of Cai Renxiang's domicile was about the same size as hers, but better furnished. She suspected that the girl herself was the source for that, given that it had been arranged to look rather more like an office than a sitting room.

"I copied the Elder's lecture as you requested, Lady Cai," she said politely as the shorter girl closed the door and swept past her, returning to the desk laden with sheaves of paper and scrolls set up against the far wall. "Have you made progress on your own projects?"

"All of our necessities have been arranged for and filed," Cai Renxiang replied. "And I have reviewed my resources and available intelligence. I will be prepared to attend our honored elders lessons on the morrow."

Ling Qi waited a moment for her Lady to take her seat before taking her own. "Thank you for your efforts," she replied. "What intelligence are you referring to though?"

Cai Renxiang accepted the writing kit and notes as she passed them over the desk before responding. "Information from disciples loyal to my Mother of course," she replied absently glancing over the notes. "Your calligraphy is improving. Continue working hard."

Ling Qi grimaced, getting the real meaning. Her chickenscratch was readable now, but not to the level expected of a noble. "Thank you. Am I going to be out of the job then?" She asked lightly.

Cai Renxiang glanced up from the notes. "No, they have been instructed to limit their aid," she said quietly.

Of course. Ling Qi almost wanted to sigh. The duchess would not make anything easy for them.

"That is not to say we are without benefits," Cai Renxiang continued crisply, setting the papers down. My allowance has been expanded significantly. "I have a package containing spirit stones and medicines for your use. I will give it to you when you take your leave."

"I did not expect any less," Ling Qi replied with some relief.

"I promised benefits and I will not break my word," the other girl replied seriously. "I have also instructed the head of the Cai families archive to search out arts which may suit your inclinations. That may take some time to complete, and the results will be limited… I may only take so much of the head archivist's time and resources."

Now Ling Qi felt almost embarrassed. "You are too generous," she said awkwardly. "I… ah did you have any tasks in mind for me then, Lady Cai?"

Cai Renxiang leaned back in her seat, the light playing around her shoulders shimmering on the silk of her gown. "I will be holding monthly gatherings to build my influence in the Inner Sect, I will expect you to attend."

"Of course," Ling Qi replied immediately. What fun, but she could…

"You will be providing the entertainment," her liege said bluntly. "There is little point in wasting your talents. Your musical ability is a superior tool in the Inner Sect environment. I do expect you to keep your ears open, however, and continue improving your other abilities."

"Hmph, she can at least see what good taste looks like," Sixiang murmured in Ling Qi's head, almost startling her.

"I will do my best not to disappoint your expectations," Ling Qi replied instead.

"I trust you will not," Cai Renxiang replied confidently. "Other than that… do as you do. Make personal connections, and of course, should you overhear anything of interest…"

"So make friends and eavesdrop," Ling Qi said wryly. "You give me the most difficult tasks."

Her liege gave her a flat look over her steepled fingers. "You jest, but is that not the task of the spymaster, stripped of its pomp?"

Ling Qi was glad that Cai Renxiang had recovered from dealing with her Mother, she did not like seeing the other girl shaken and uncertain. "I suppose it is," she said lightly. "Is there anyone in particular I should be on the lookout for?"

"Extend a hand to Xuan Shi," Cai Renxiang said. "He and his clan are both amenable to connection, even if he himself has fallen from my circle."

Ling Qi's eyebrows rose, she hadn't even been aware of that happening. "Was there some dispute?"

"No, not as such," the light the other girl gave off rippled, sending the shadows in the room dancing as she frowned. "Our paths simply diverged."

Ling Qi hummed but didn't press the issue. If Cai Renxiang thought it would impact her task, she would say something. "What do you think of Shen Hu?"

Cai Renxiang frowned in thought. "Your opponent from the preliminaries? He is a scion of a small baronial clan in Meng territory. No one of great importance, but I suppose his personal skill makes for a useful connection."

"I'll have to follow up on that chat I had with him then," Ling Qi said. "I… don't really know anyone else though." She could search out her tutors she supposed. She wondered what rank Ruan Shen held.

"That will be your task then. Discern those who you feel you might connect with," Cai Renxiang replied crisply.

"Consider it done, when will your first gathering be, do you think?" Ling Qi asked.

"I am uncertain," the other girl admitted. "There are too many factors yet. I shall inform you once a date is set."

She would just have to learn a few more songs in free time, Ling Qi supposed. "I will leave you too it then," she decided. "Do you think you will have time for a cup of tea soon?" She asked innocently.

Cai Renxiang raised an eyebrow. "Shall I ask now what devilry you have in mind?"

Ling Qi huffed, it had come out mechanically, but that had definitely been a joke. Still, some niggling part of her wondered if the other girl was just getting better at imitating the behavior Ling Qi thought of as friendly. "I thought it would be relaxing. Besides, did you not say that you would teach me about tea blends? You made it seem very important."

"And you expect that I shall serve you tea? How arrogant," Cai Renxiang replied imperiously. For a moment, Ling Qi felt concerned, looking back at the girls affronted expression, but then the corner of the stiff girl's lips quirked up. "I suppose there is only one individual capable of not burning the leaves present however. Tasks should be divided by merit."

Ling Qi narrowed her eyes at the other girl. She wasn't sure how pleased she was to see Cai Renxiang able to fool her like that. She simply bowed her head deeply. "This humble vassal apologizes for her inability," she instead said aloud, allowing a sarcastic edge to touch her voice.

The shorter girl made a brief sound of amusement, before turning her eyes back to her desk. "I shall be sure to remove that inability. You will have to entertain yourself until I have completed these last forms however. Confine yourself to this room however."

"Hm, well that makes me wonder what my Lady is hiding," Ling Qi mused, but her liege ignored the minor jibe. Sighing, Ling Qi stood and drifted over to one of the bookshelves, flipping through one of the less weighty tomes there.

It was about a half hour later that she found herself seated across from Cai Renxiang at the little table in her homes kitchen, with a steaming cup of dark brown tea being placed in front of her. It had an invigorating, earthy scent, but also a hint of sweetness.

"Hm, you added honey?" Ling Qi asked, for once recognizing a scent. She had stolen jars of the stuff a time or two after all. It was expensive and kept well, so it was easy to hide until it could be fenced.

"The Primeval Root blend is incomplete without a a small spoonful of Cloudblossom honey," Cai Renxiang replied from her seat. Seeing her with her eyes closed, inhaling the scent of the tea, Ling Qi could almost mistake her for being a normal, relaxed girl.

"Throwing out names like that," Ling Qi said slyly. "You should have told me it was cultivation aid."

Cai Renxiang cracked one eye open to give her a disapproving look. "It is not, the medicinal blend has a terrible flavor, and uses a different subspecies of the plant."

Ling Qi huffed in a disappointment, but took a tiny sip anyway. It had a very rich flavor, which she had to admit was really tasty. It still seemed a bit of a waste. "What is with those names then?"

"The tea leaves only grow from the hills formed by the capital city's root network, and the honey arises from the bees kept in the fourth stratum cloud gardens," Cai Renxiang explained, taking a sip of her own.

"I definitely want to see that place one day," Ling Qi mused, struggling to picture it, a tree big enough to be a mountain. "So, why is tea so important in Emerald Seas?"

Her liege was silent for several moments as she sipped from her cup. "It is in truth, a holdover from the days of Weilu rule. Their founder Tsu the Diviner, mastered the secrets of weather and seasons, and allowed his people to grow their food from the earth. Tea plants were among the first domesticated this way. Those early blends were of practical use… they fortified the drinkers health and warded off sickness."

That made sense Ling Qi supposed, even she knew boiling water helped remove some of the impurities that could make you sick, if you could make it have medicinal value and taste good at the same time, why not? "So it's a habit that stuck around then?"

"In simple terms, yes," Cai Renxiang replied. "It became a mark of status to grow especially flavorful and desirable plants on your land, and remains so to this day."

Ling Qi hummed to herself, taking a deeper drink from her cup. It did have a certain relaxing effect. "So it's another thing like swords then... " she mused aloud. "You seem more passionate about it than a mere obligation would imply though."

Cai Renxiang did not answer, and as seconds stretched into a minute and more, Ling Qi looked up, to find the girl wearing a troubled expression.

"...Mother does not care for teamaking at all," the other girl finally said in a quiet voice. For once, her corona of light had died down to a bare flicker. "She recognizes its value. So she does not reprimand me for the practice, but it also holds no interest to her… and it is something I enjoyed, even as a small child"

Ling Qi simply nodded in understanding, but didn't say a word. She could read between the lines of what had been said well enough. As the silence began to get heavy, Ling Qi put on a smile. "Well, you've certainly gotten good at it. Are there any other interesting blends from the capital?" She asked.

Cai Renxiang gave her a look that said that she knew clearly what Ling Qi was doing. "Of course, some even, which might interest you. In the fifth and sixth stratum, there are…"

Ling Qi leaned forward and took the pot, pouring herself another cup. This wasn't such a bad way to spend the afternoon.

With her first day in the Sect past, Ling Qi found herself faced with a few decisions

You still had that mirror from the Weilu tomb, it would be worth a hefty sum if auctioned.
[][M] Ask Cai Renxiang to put it up for auction
[][M] Keep the mirror

Zhengui had put off his slumber, to remain with you for the tournament. Now he is barely able to stay awake. A space has been assigned to him by the Sect though.

[] Go with Zhengui and help him build his breakthrough nest on your own.
[] Invite Xuan Shi to help you with building his breakthough nest. Surely his knowledge will improve it
[] Invite Gu Xiulan along to help you, if the last one was any indication, you would need to start a lot of fires.
[] Invite them both, why not? They don't have any conflicts, right?

 

[Neshuakadal]

Library Workers have it Rough
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Shen Wuhan grumbled to himself as he took books, scrolls, and tomes off the shelves. He carefully put these terribly old and fragile pieces of knowledge onto the cart he was pushing ahead of him. Using some qi tricks older archivists had taught him he carefully cleaned off years of dust so he could read the titles. Once the book was marginally cleaner he would write the title and location the book was found into the ledger he carried with him. When all the books on a shelf were stored and marked he would move to the next shelf. If Shen Wuhan was lucky it was simply a mind numbing process, he had not been lucky today. Shen Wuhan grimaced as he looked at the cover of the book he had dusted off. It didn't have a title on the front.


These were the worst books. He would have to open the book up in order to check the title. Depending on how old and fragile the book was he could damage it severely just by opening it without the correct qi flows. He prepared himself and slowly cracked open the book. A small piece of paper fluttered out and landed on the cart. He leaned a little to take a closer look what the paper had written on it.


"I've been watching you Shen Wuhan."


Shen Wuhan gently took the piece of paper and slipped it back into the book. As he slipped the note back the book began to scream and it's pages looked far rougher, and far sharper, than parchment should be. Shen Wuhan slammed the book shut and quickly put it back on the shelf where the book began to quiet down.


As Shen Wuhan looked at the nameless book he was able to say only one thing, "fuck." This was the third book he had found today that had been possessed by a crazed library spirit. He had already banished the other two spirits but his qi had run low. Slowly Shen Wuhan turned to look out of a nearby window making sure the book stayed in his view. The sun was almost touching the peak of the Misty Rains mountain and in a few minutes it surely would. As he turned back to the unknown book he felt the library spirit flex it's qi. He could feel the sweat that had started to form on his neck as the book stared back at him with it's blank cover. After a few minutes had passed he checked the window again. This time the sun was touching the peak.


"What a shame," Shen Wuhan announced out loud. "My shift seems to be over." Shen Wuhan turned his library cart around and he heard the book shuffling it's cover back and forth in what sounded like a crude laugh. He heard at least two other books doing the same further down the aisle.


"Yah, Yah," Shen Wuhan called over his shoulder. "I'll be back tomorrow though so don't get too comfortable."


As Shen Wuhan descended he could see his fellow archivists emerging from their aisles and the night crew walking through the doors. When he passed by the history section he gave a wave to the older archivists who were busy helping to suppress a library spirit that had gained enough strength to pull a great deal of pages together. Right now it was in the form of a bear trying to maul the head archivist. Those library spirits were the worst. You couldn't simply force the spirit away because that might damage some of the pages containing precious knowledge. No, you just had to endure it's attacks as you slowly suppressed it.


As Shen Wuhan passed through the main floor and gave his cart over to the archivist manning the front desk he turned back towards the library to observe the art taking place before his eyes.


Great hills and valleys were being formed as books where stacked higher than a man could reach. It was a field of paper and ink that stretched before his eyes and continued deep into the shadowed aisles of the library.


He sighed as he turned around a left the library. Being an archivist was normally a cushy job. He usually had only three tasks. Find the book. Put the book away. Suppress the odd mischievous library spirit. It was only when a fucking higer up order a fucking full audit of the library that things became hell. The library spirits that normally dozed years and years away awoke and started to defend the books they thought were being removed. Now the archivists had to fight the very books they loved so much in order to make someone who may never visit this library happy. Hopefully the audit would be done in a couple years and peace would return to this library again.


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@yrsillar Omake for the Omake throne!

So here is an omake since you guys liked my comments about libraries so much. Full disclosure I worked at the college library during my days as a student there. When I finally left college and thus my library job I was likely the 3rd most superstitious person on campus only being beat out by my two bosses at the library. If you are not a superstitious person when you start working at a library you will be superstitious when you stop working at the library. For example during the audit my library had to do I found a blank covered book. When I opened the book a note fell out saying "I've been watching you insertrealnamehere." I checked the book and it had last left a library in 1937. That was before my college was founded. I did not put that book on my cart. I left that book for someone else to audit.

Please critique! It helps me become a better writer.