How long had it been, Cai Renxiang thought, since she had been in her Mothers court, even in spirit? Her day of birth would be next week, so nigh on ten years, it seemed, since the day that she had humiliated herself and Mother alike by failing to even withstand the Duchess' scrutiny. She had grown, if not strong, than at least durable, since that day. She would not bring shame to the Cai name today.
Though in body, she kneeled in her Argent Sect Cavern, to all of her senses, she kneeled, her head low, on the rich red carpet which lead up to her Mother's high throne, which stood at the far end of the hall. The Great Hall of Xiangmen was a vast slab of marble, a dozen meters thick and many hundreds around, grasped in the curling branches of living capital, far above the clouds. One hundred meters overhead, the ceiling of woven cloud danced in complex patterns of color, said to be modeled off the skies of the far off plains of living ice beyond the Wall, where the Diviner himself had quested in his youth. The twelve vast pillars that supported it were each carved from the bones of a slain Beast God, the trophies of the Weilu's conquest.
The throne itself was built from a single branch which breached the stone disk, ten meters wide at the base, it rose nearly thirty meters through the air, curving up in a hook to shade the throne built halfway up it's length with verdant foliage. Her Mother sat there, reclining in the cushioned throne, her radiance cast across the gathered court. The Prime Minister stood at her side, but she alone occupied the advisors platform built just below the throne. All around her was the gathered court of emerald seas. The carefully selected courtiers of the count houses and their direct viscounts rubbed shoulders with the courtly nobility, those families which occupied the hierarchy of the capital itself, and ruled over the day to day doings of its million souls. There were less of them now, if Cai Renxiang could judge from her faded memories of this place. Mother had been busy.
"And so, under the command of Core Disciple Jia Song, I led the vanguard against the northeastern outbreak," Cai Renxiang spoke clearly and concisely. Here, before her Mother, with the weight of her expectation and power resting on her back like a boulder, she did not dare waste a single breath or syllable. "Initial confrontation was successful, and the enemy spirits were driven back and slain without casualty. The initial movements were a total success."
"That did not last," Mother Spoke, and the world listened. Her words were airy and light, like a socialite commenting upon the weather, but to a cultivator of the highest realm, there were more to words than mere vibration in the air. The Duchess's statement held a sharp and terrible weight, and the Jia representative, a cyan cultivator, himself hunched his shoulders as if preparing for a blow, all of his practiced poise and cultivation rendered to naught by the mere inference of Mother's attention.
"Core Disciple Jia Song, ordered us into the breach," Cai Renxiang continued as if she had not been interrupted. The Jia were still allies, they would not suffer much censure for this, nor did she wish them to. To hold a grudge such as that was not only inefficient, but the seed of the thoughts that lead any ruler to vice. "As this was a military matter. I raised a point of contention, but did not disobey commands. We descended, and confronted the retreating enemy. It was a slaughter, however, our distraction was used to strike at the Core Disciple Jia Song, and further reinforcements waited in the tunnels. There were three casualties among the Inner disciples, one of which later became a fatality. However, in the battle an enemy commander emerged. I estimate that he was of roughly framing stage in cultivation. We dueled, and I took his head," Cai Renxiang let out a careful breath. The tunnel claustrophobic and dark, lit only by her own radiance. The darting figure in the shadows, and the envenomed edge of his knives returned to her. It was good that she had practiced so against a foe of similar mobility.
"However, the enemy we faced made heavy use of sacrificial techniques. The entity that emerged from their dead was beyond me," Cai Renxiang admitted bluntly and without shame. "It was only Mother's grace which allowed us victory." Boiling black flesh and eyes beyond counting, grasping, hungry mouths gnawing at her limbs. She remembered the traces of shen, beyond the potency of any third realm technique, punching through her defenses. Most of all, she remembered the second time in her life that Liming had truly awoken, the furious spiritual scream wiping her thoughts blank as she lost control of her limbs. The first time was a faded memory, the first and only time an assassin had dared seek her life and slipped the attention of Lin Hai.
She did not care for it. Even now, Liming seethed beneath her conscious mind, twitching threads sought to control her nerves. She still felt unclean, the total loss of control worse than any horror of the deep. Despite herself, she tightened her grip on Cifeng's hilt, and the saber qi flowed through her channels, severing Liming's angry susurrus from her thoughts.
Cai Renxiang kept her head low in the silence that followed the end of her report. The court was silent, even the wind seemed silent.That silence persisted for several torturous seconds, before it was finally broken by a tiny sound, the faint click of a lacquered fingernail tapping against wood.
"Raise your head, Renxiang," Mothers command was harsh and final, none of her affected humor present. Cai renxiang did not hesitate to do so, high on the throne of Xiangmen, Cai Shenhua was not reclining any longer. She sat tall and straight upon her throne and the radiance of her eyes swept across the court as a single one of her fingers tapped against the armrest of the throne. Each tiny click seemed to echo like thunder, and Cai Renxiang braced herself as that gaze fell upon her. Inhuman, heavy with expectation, it threatened to consume her as Mothers gaze pierced her mind, seeking, shaping, pitiless.
"You performed acceptably, my daughter. I expect you to continue to do so. In the name of the Cai, you will punish any barbarian which encroaches upon our lands," The words were like nails driven into her thoughts, and she could only nod in acceptance.
"It will be my honor to punish them in our name, my honored Mother," Cai Renxiang replied.
"Jia Xu," the named man bowed low at the waist, all but kowtowing at the mention of his name. "Inform your uncle that he needs to speak with his grand niece on matters of strategy," the humor was returning, the languid tone that colored Mothers words, but she was standing, and no one in court dared relax even a hair. "Esteemed members of my court. Pass word to your clan heads. There is another border in our kingdom which requires reinforcement. Laxity in this matter is unacceptable."
"Linqin," the Duchess said, towering over the other woman at her full height, she looked over her shoulder, and a flicker of something like an affectionate smile touched her lips. "Be a dear, and handle court for me today."
"As you command my lady," the Prime Minister replied without batting an eyelash. "May I request what business will be occupying you?"
Cai Shenhua smiled, and there was nothing kind in her expression. "It seems I have been too merciful. I will be taking a walk beneath the rootways. Arrange for soldiers to secure my route, after."
"Of course my Lady, please be mindful on your stroll," Diao Linqin replied simply.
Cai Renxiang lowered her head, pain still clouding her thoughts where mother's attention had lingered. She had been given her command, mother would be busy, and so would she.
