- Location
- Yes
You've convinced me to not abstain.
[X] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
[X] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Insert Tall-- Hey, a tie!
Oh no. Here we go again
[X] In the communications wagons with Meng Dan, while Hanyi tried to draw Yinhui into conversation.
- Location
- All around you.
- Pronouns
- Lord/Master/God
Edited Chapter:
"Honored Ancestor," Ling Qi began carefully. "Before we leave you to your… rest, might you have any wisdom on the lands beyond the wall to pass. Your wielder is well known for his travels."
"Those days were ending, afore we departed the blood slick sea, and left the treasure fleet behind," the sword spirit murmured.
Beside her, Meng Dan looked fit to burst at holding back the questions on his lips.
"Still, can it be true that such a man never ventured far?" Ling Qi pressed. "We will be journeying there, or close at least. Any knowledge you have to give would be helpful."
The swirling mists of the graveyard thickened around them, and silence answered her words. Carefully, Ling Qi prepared the weaves of qi to aid in their flight if need be, and she felt the others doing the same.
Eventually the grinding voice spoke. "The endless wind upon the frozen plain is a blade, shearing away chaff. It is a place where the sun shows not his face for weeks and months, and the dark is full of terrors that cannot be cut. It is a place of obstinate refusal of inevitability, where each blade of grass clings to life with vitality beyond the limits of its frame. It is a place where the Law of Man does not rule supreme. That is all a blade can say."
Ling Qi shuddered, not at the words themselves, but at the spiritual weight that hung in the air, carving images into her mind's eye. Of wind that would cut immortal flesh. A plain of hardy grass stretching out beyond sight, interrupted only by blots of huddled black trees. A sky with no sun, where the moon was wan and far away and the stars shone cold. A wall of fiery peaks far far in the south, beyond which a curtain of wicked daemon lights winked and flowed in an alien sky.
The pressure let up, and Ling Qi took a sharp breath, the sound loud in her own ears. "Thank you for your words, honored ancestor."
The words and visions spoke to her of the depths of Zeqing's demesne made more cruel and hostile still. Even if they were not to descend on those hostile plains, they would need to prepare well to traverse the southern mountains.
What kind of people would live in such a place, she wondered. It was a question she thought she would be pondering for some time. Still she sensed the simmering irritation in the air and knew that their time was up.
For now. She was going to be back here, if in different company.
"Thank you for your words, Honored Ancestor," Ling Qi said, offering a final bow. She glanced at the others, and jerked her head toward the exit.
As they turned to go however, the sword spoke again. "Child of Wildfire, what is the blade at your side?"
Cai Renxiang, who had observed the proceedings in impassive silence until then, frowned, her fingers brushing the hilt of her saber. "It is one tool among many, no more," she said crisply.
The mist churned, but whether in approval or disapproval she could not say. "Go," rumbled the sword.
And so they did.
"I will see that we are provided with sufficient environmental gear from the underground stockpiles on our return," Renxiang said as they stepped back into the lighter mist of the second ring.
"I had not been under the impression that the lands beyond the wall were as hostile as the western jungles, or the deeplands," Meng Dan mused. "An odd oversight in the records."
"If clans and individuals shared their findings freely with the wider province, the world would be unrecognizable," Xia Lin replied a touch sourly. She still seemed very unhappy with what she had seen in the grave.
"Still, I think that was at least productive?" Ling Qi said tentatively.
"I agree. I have a wider view of everyone's capabilities," Xia Lin agreed, striding ahead through the mist. The bent space was lighter now that they were leaving, the paths direct instead of twisting.
"Hm, I would have liked a more in depth interview with a survivor of the first treasure fleet," Meng Dan said, sounding a little dissatisfied. "Alas that primary sources are always so difficult."
"It is a shame for a relic to be left in a place like this, still," Xia Lin agreed.
"It is better," Gan Guangli said, less boisterous than normal. "Despair such as this is poison of the mind. No good would come of this spirit's return. Let the Sect remember the Elder Lang as the hero he was."
Ling Qi watched out of the corner of his eye as Gan Guangli rubbed his cheek as if remembering some phantom blow.
Meng Dan hummed thoughtfully, but didn't say anything further.
The expedition was over. It was time to prepare for the real thing.
The army camp was a hive of activity as the Sect prepared to move out in force for barbarian lands. Elder Jiao had recovered from the worst of his wounds, and so Sect Head Yuan himself, along with General Xia Ren would be sallying forth. In addition to soldiers and combat disciples, there were a great deal of production cultivators and disciples and a multitude of wagons and vehicles full of supplies. The Sect planned to march and claim territory, building roads and temporary fortifications as they went, requiring far more material than simple storage formations could hold.
On the initial march, Zhengui had volunteered to work among the other spirit beasts hauling material, and the quartermaster had been happy with his presence. Hanyi planned to stay with her, not caring much for the regimented atmosphere. Soon enough, the march was on.
It felt painfully slow to Ling Qi, moving at the pace of this great mass of people. Even when she was assigned to a scouts duty, she found herself feeling restless, knowing that no matter how far out she ranged she always had to circle back. It wasn't helped by the endless storm that rumbled overhead, stretching for kilometers in every direction. Heavy black clouds hung fat in the sky, never releasing their rain and lightning, instead gathering around the golden coils of the Dragon King that flew overhead.
Ling Qi swiftly began to miss the moon and the stars
Still for these first few days at least they were in friendly territory and so there was not too much need for vigilance, which left Ling Qi with some time free of duty. She found herself…
[] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
[] In the vanguard with Xia Lin, observing the White plumes, sharing observations with Sixiang.
[] In the communications wagons with Meng Dan, while Hanyi tried to draw Yinhui into conversation.
Special thanks go to my Cyan patrons: Alaco, Alectai, Gregory O'Niell, Leviathan, NotAlwaysFanfic, Pickle and Vanguard_D, and everyone else that supports me!
If you want more to read, check out my Patreon! Patrons get first dibs on RoyalRoad chapters, early access to commisions, and can vote on the monthly bonus update I write for RoyalRoad. plus, you can check out the Discord, where folks can chat about the story.
Also worth looking at is Tales of Destiny, where I post supplementary materials, like short stories, worldbuilding, maps, and more!
Ohhh, I want more Yinhui and Meng Dan action! :Ü™
[X] In the communications wagons with Meng Dan, while Hanyi tried to draw Yinhui into conversation.
"Honored Ancestor," Ling Qi began carefully. "Before we leave you to your… rest, might you have any wisdom on the lands beyond the wall to pass. Your wielder is well known for his travels."
"Those days were ending, afore we departed the blood slick sea, and left the treasure fleet behind," the sword spirit murmured.
Beside her, Meng Dan looked fit to burst at holding back the questions on his lips.
"Still, can it be true that such a man never ventured far?" Ling Qi pressed. "We will be journeying there, or close at least. Any knowledge you have to give would be helpful."
The swirling mists of the graveyard thickened around them, and silence answered her words. Carefully, Ling Qi prepared the weaves of qi to aid in their flight if need be, and she felt the others doing the same.
Eventually the grinding voice spoke. "The endless wind upon the frozen plain is a blade, shearing away chaff. It is a place where the sun shows not his face for weeks and months, and the dark is full of terrors that cannot be cut. It is a place of obstinate refusal of inevitability, where each blade of grass clings to life with vitality beyond the limits of its frame. It is a place where the Law of Man does not rule supreme. That is all a blade can say."
Ling Qi shuddered, not at the words themselves, but at the spiritual weight that hung in the air, carving images into her mind's eye. Of wind that would cut immortal flesh. A plain of hardy grass stretching out beyond sight, interrupted only by blots of huddled black trees. A sky with no sun, where the moon was wan and far away and the stars shone cold. A wall of fiery peaks far far in the south, beyond which a curtain of wicked daemon lights winked and flowed in an alien sky.
The pressure let up, and Ling Qi took a sharp breath, the sound loud in her own ears. "Thank you for your words, honored ancestor."
The words and visions spoke to her of the depths of Zeqing's demesne made more cruel and hostile still. Even if they were not to descend on those hostile plains, they would need to prepare well to traverse the southern mountains.
What kind of people would live in such a place, she wondered. It was a question she thought she would be pondering for some time. Still she sensed the simmering irritation in the air and knew that their time was up.
For now. She was going to be back here, if in different company.
"Thank you for your words, Honored Ancestor," Ling Qi said, offering a final bow. She glanced at the others, and jerked her head toward the exit.
As they turned to go however, the sword spoke again. "Child of Wildfire, what is the blade at your side?"
Cai Renxiang, who had observed the proceedings in impassive silence until then, frowned, her fingers brushing the hilt of her saber. "It is one tool among many, no more," she said crisply.
The mist churned, but whether in approval or disapproval she could not say. "Go," rumbled the sword.
And so they did.
"I will see that we are provided with sufficient environmental gear from the underground stockpiles on our return," Renxiang said as they stepped back into the lighter mist of the second ring.
"I had not been under the impression that the lands beyond the wall were as hostile as the western jungles, or the deeplands," Meng Dan mused. "An odd oversight in the records."
"If clans and individuals shared their findings freely with the wider province, the world would be unrecognizable," Xia Lin replied a touch sourly. She still seemed very unhappy with what she had seen in the grave.
"Still, I think that was at least productive?" Ling Qi said tentatively.
"I agree. I have a wider view of everyone's capabilities," Xia Lin agreed, striding ahead through the mist. The bent space was lighter now that they were leaving, the paths direct instead of twisting.
"Hm, I would have liked a more in depth interview with a survivor of the first treasure fleet," Meng Dan said, sounding a little dissatisfied. "Alas that primary sources are always so difficult."
"It is a shame for a relic to be left in a place like this, still," Xia Lin agreed.
"It is better," Gan Guangli said, less boisterous than normal. "Despair such as this is poison of the mind. No good would come of this spirit's return. Let the Sect remember the Elder Lang as the hero he was."
Ling Qi watched out of the corner of his eye as Gan Guangli rubbed his cheek as if remembering some phantom blow.
Meng Dan hummed thoughtfully, but didn't say anything further.
The expedition was over. It was time to prepare for the real thing.
***
The army camp was a hive of activity as the Sect prepared to move out in force for barbarian lands. Elder Jiao had recovered from the worst of his wounds, and so Sect Head Yuan himself, along with General Xia Ren would be sallying forth. In addition to soldiers and combat disciples, there were a great deal of production cultivators and disciples and a multitude of wagons and vehicles full of supplies. The Sect planned to march and claim territory, building roads and temporary fortifications as they went, requiring far more material than simple storage formations could hold.
On the initial march, Zhengui had volunteered to work among the other spirit beasts hauling material, and the quartermaster had been happy with his presence. Hanyi planned to stay with her, not caring much for the regimented atmosphere. Soon enough, the march was on.
It felt painfully slow to Ling Qi, moving at the pace of this great mass of people. Even when she was assigned to a scouts duty, she found herself feeling restless, knowing that no matter how far out she ranged she always had to circle back. It wasn't helped by the endless storm that rumbled overhead, stretching for kilometers in every direction. Heavy black clouds hung fat in the sky, never releasing their rain and lightning, instead gathering around the golden coils of the Dragon King that flew overhead.
Ling Qi swiftly began to miss the moon and the stars
Still for these first few days at least they were in friendly territory and so there was not too much need for vigilance, which left Ling Qi with some time free of duty. She found herself…
[] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
[] In the vanguard with Xia Lin, observing the White plumes, sharing observations with Sixiang.
[] In the communications wagons with Meng Dan, while Hanyi tried to draw Yinhui into conversation.
Special thanks go to my Cyan patrons: Alaco, Alectai, Gregory O'Niell, Leviathan, NotAlwaysFanfic, Pickle and Vanguard_D, and everyone else that supports me!
If you want more to read, check out my Patreon! Patrons get first dibs on RoyalRoad chapters, early access to commisions, and can vote on the monthly bonus update I write for RoyalRoad. plus, you can check out the Discord, where folks can chat about the story.
Also worth looking at is Tales of Destiny, where I post supplementary materials, like short stories, worldbuilding, maps, and more!
[X] In the communications wagons with Meng Dan, while Hanyi tried to draw Yinhui into conversation.
DangerKitty
shoddy writter
- Location
- lala land
[x] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
- Location
- All around you.
- Pronouns
- Lord/Master/God
That's effectively no vote at all :Ü™
I voted for all my fav choices, its not my fault yrs made so many!
Moon senpai was in a coma last we knew, though.
- Location
- Florida
Eh it's a possibility, Jiao is a big name so of course people will know.
Mostly not interested in Dong Fu and Gan over talking with Meng Dan, I want to get to know him more besides talk to Gan since we gave the green light for him to come with us so it'd make sense to know him more.
[X] Spending time with Gan Guangli and Zhengui in the company of the road layers.
MY BOY
MY BOY
Have we met Dong Fu since we got to the sect?