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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
"You- you foolish girl," Ling Qi glanced to her side eyebrows rising at her Mother's harsh whisper. "Why would you deliberately take a blow like that?" her eyebrows climbed higher as the older woman rounded on her. "What were you thinking?"

Not surprising. Having a selfless person as a loved one is a very painful thing, because you must watch them suffer for the sake of others.

"Please promise me you will not do such a thing again," her mother cut her off, giving her a pleading look.

Ling Qi met her eyes, and for a second she hesitated at the look on her Mother's face. However, in the end, she couldn't lie, not to her Mother, and not about this. "I would do the same for you or Biyu," she replied quietly.

Ling Qingge searched her face, eyes still pleading, and then her shoulders slumped marginally. In that moment, her mother seemed older, as Sect Head Yuan seemed older. "Very well," mother said, and if not for her cultivation, Ling Qi would not have detected the trace of bitterness in her voice.

She ultimately has no power to change the shape of Qi's convictions. And Qi will not give them up.

Her mother's features screwed up in disgust. "It… It is difficult to describe, like a great hairless rat, but with the eyes and hands of a man."

As she suspected then, LIng QI thought grimly. There was no two ways around it. The things she had encountered on her expedition with Suyin were definitely the source of all this. They would pay for many things, but threats to her home were unacceptable. "I have a friend who specializes in security formations. I will make we have something more potent installed soon," she replied tightly. It had been there since she had heard, but the seed of ice cold fury in her heart that had been born at the news burned in the back of her thoughts. In her dantian, she felt her bond with Hanyi resonate, and the sluggish cold qi in her arms pulse.

Qi's fury manifesting as icy frost is always cool. I loved when she absentmindedly froze a teacup solid at the tea house. She does not snarl in hot rage.

"They are friends," Ling Qi replied. Xiao Fen was a sort of friend, right? "Su Ling is common born like me, but spirit blooded. Xiao Fen is Bai Meizhen's handmaiden."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Mother pause at the second thing, nervously worrying at her lower lip. "Since the visit is so sudden, I am aware that they must not be expecting full amenities, but should I…?"

"Given the current situation, I doubt they are here for personal matters," Ling Qi said. "There won't be trouble." If there was, she would not let Xiao fen get off lightly the next time they trained.

Don't worry, Xiao Fen is just my adorable kouhai and student.

Su Ling shot her an unreadable look, prowling up to stand beside her, and lean against the rail. Her two tails, waved agitatedly behind her. "Yeah. I want to know who you've been talking me up too," she said bluntly. "I know you like to be generous, even when it's not asked for. I want to know why I'm getting rounded up for a serious fu…" she paused, glancing back at Ling Qingge. "A serious venture, down below," she finished vaguely.

Ling Qi looked at her blankly. "I haven't done anything of the sort," she replied. "Su Ling, I was in medical recovery until yesterday evening."

Su Ling still has this self-image as someone at the bottom.

"We will have to find another way to stay in contact."

"Sect's not exactly restricting contact hard right now," Su Ling grunted, fighting a smirk at the sinking of Xiao Fen's expression.

"...Yes," Xiao Fen said her face blank.

You shall not escape our grasp.

Also, yikes, what a vote. My immediate thought is to keep them here, this sounds like a beefy security system. I'd honestly love to talk about this with Qingge about this first, but it ain't a narrative option.
 
Definitely leaning towards keeping them here, I am sure that Suyin will be able to make a rock solid security formation for them.
 
At her heart Qi is still a selfish girl

Hey nothing wrong with that. I actually really like that part of her character. Was just making note of it.

Also in regards to joining the expedition as people mentioned, it does sound like an invite thing. But also, we have decent political capital and I wouldn't be surprised if we are able to join if we asked for it. That or su ling could ask. Either way it's something to keep in minds
 
Poor Fen Fen, even war won't let you escape the Ling Qiness your mistress has cursed you with.

Also my boy Gan being a smooth operator, calling in favors to keep Su Ling company and foot the bill for her friends medical expenses. None can resist Gan Flexington, Su.
 
Fair enough, it just feels kinda shitty to decide without consulting her, not to say against our Advanced Insight.
I think mom would prefer staying, hence the " potential emotional conflict? " part of the sending away choice.
As Rayous said, I think it's pretty clear what Qingge wants. Sending mom away will mean we can see her less often and she will be in the dark about what and how we're doing.
 
I think I am pro 'keeping them here'

for one, I want the family related development to continue.
for second, 'family is close to the front' is going to be true in the future too, or are we going to send them away then too?
and for third, having her family around is also a huge emotional support for LQ and I think she is going to need it during the war.


Also, Mother apparently wants to stay and the new staff was warned about potential dangers
 
Easy vote, not letting the family out of our sight.

I don't think there has been a single scene shown where Meizhen has been rude even when we were a commoner, crass language and all.

Meizhen hasn't, and Suzhen was also remarked to be perfectly civil, but I was under the impression that they were the exception rather than norm.

Though, I have to say, for all that Meizhen is consider polite and diplomatic for a Bai, she routinally commits social faux passes with fear aura/killing intent.
 
I want the family to stay here, under better protection.
I think sending them away just paints a huge target on them for all the people that want revenge or leverage on Ling Qi.
I also agree with this.

And lastly, with how our fox-friend was brought short by the polite Ling Quingge, as seen in the quote below
Su Ling on the other hand, seemed to have been brought up short by the introduction, glancing between Ling Qi and Ling Qingge. Her jaw worked silently for a moment, but then she ducked her head, before Ling Qi could read the emotion in her eyes. "...Yeah, Thank you for the hospitality," she replied tersely. By the time she raised her head again, her expression was set in its usual default.
I think... this just might be a chance for Ling Qi to get her family and friend get along, as well as benefit from one another. or lay the groundwork for such to happen after the war footing calms.
 
Basically, yeah.

This shit's potentially province wide, and they're safer in one place, under the eyes of a Count level powerhouse of a nation as a hard target-slash-low value one.

Barring the Cloud Nomads reaching White Cloud Mountain and burning it to the ground, there's fewer safer places to be--and if that happens? Things are going to get even worse.

But, realistically speaking? Sending them away when there's a breach in the defenses and warbands can now slink in is even more dangerous than leaving them here without beefed up security.
 
Su Ling never knew Ling Qi was anything but a noble did she? I don't remember us talking about our history with her and Su Ling is definitely the kind of person who'd assume Ling Qi was a noble like all the other people she hung around with.

Keeping the household near the Sect might mean we have to protect the village in case of an attack but that also means we get to flex in front of out family. What would you rather, fight somewhere else or throw a hundred barbarians out of the sky when showing out family what we can do? We'd get to show Biyu what to aspire for and Qingge that we can handle ourselves.
 
Su Ling never knew Ling Qi was anything but a noble did she? I don't remember us talking about our history with her and Su Ling is definitely the kind of person who'd assume Ling Qi was a noble like all the other people she hung around with.

Keeping the household near the Sect might mean we have to protect the village in case of an attack but that also means we get to flex in front of out family. What would you rather, fight somewhere else or throw a hundred barbarians out of the sky when showing out family what we can do? We'd get to show Biyu what to aspire for and Qingge that we can handle ourselves.

No, she knew we were a commoner / scholarship student. She just thought we'd decided to run straight for the Noble land. There's some discussion about that pre-disappearances I think.
 
I wanna have them stay! But how to make sure they are safe? Maybe prioritizing their scenes over other things, when we get the chance?
I am afraid that keeping them far away from us will have them be bullied somewhere where we can't intercede in their favor. Plus, having to flex our limited political power to call in favors seems a bit risky at the time. I would feel much safer if, should we decide to send her away to somewhere safer, at least, we waited for Quingge to be more advanced in her cultivation, maybe when she has an art or two that she can use for defense. Do we still have access to any Red tier arts that we think we could lend/gift mom?

This reunion was a bit more tense than expected, I hope there is time for warmth and hugs, too. And Biyu, want to pat Biyu.
 
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