"I'd thought of trying to convince you to come, but I never thought you'd seek it out," Ling Qi's voice rang out sourcelessly from the churning mist in the ruined cavern
"And why not? I have every right to attend the gatherings of my peers," Meizhen said imperiously. She stood upon a raised platform of stone, surrounded by a clear air. Where tendrils of mist crept into her sphere, it grew dark and heavy, drizzling to the ground in fat droplets of rain to join the rippling pond of black water that had formed around her.
"Well I didn't think you thought them peers for starters," Ling Qi's echoing voice chuckled. The mist shifted and rang with a cold aria. Ice spread across the black pond as freezing wind whipped the air.
Ribbons of metal flashed and skirled, and the flexible blades captured the wind guiding it to the ground where the pond erupted ted into an expanding line of spiky ice. A twitch of Meizhen's wrist sent the ribbons out, hissing like serpents as they punched holes in the mist, tearing apart shadowy phantoms. "There is no harm in being polite."
"You've changed," Ling Qi laughed, and her laughter became a hoarfrost wind, closing from all sides.
"I would hope so," said her friend, smiling lightly before she disappeared behind the snow and hail conjured by Ling Qi's song.
The mist rippled and withdrew as Ling Qi landed on the uneven ground in a crouch, eyeing the blossom of crystal ice which had formed in the center. She hardly had time to blink before the first cracks formed.
"I would be a failure of a cultivator if I had not," Meizhen said, as the ice shattered, scattering from her. Frost and slush clung briefly to the hems of her gown as she stepped down onto the gleaming black ice. "The power behind your techniques has improved, if the potency of your art was higher, it would have broken my passive defences."
Ling Qi nodded as she rose to her full height. The Frozen Soul Serenade, the art taught to her by Zeqing was beginning to fall behind as she rose through the stages of the green realm. But she was not yet ready to truly make it her own, and develop her own version. She still felt a little trepidation at the idea. There was a difference between tweaking a basic art from the archive and trying to make something equal to Zeqing's song. "You have me at a disadvantage, like usual," Ling Qi sighed.
She could feel Sixiang all but rolling their eyes, and laughed. "Why did you ask that way instead of talking to me?"
Meizhen cocked an eyebrow, resting her hand on her hip, where the sash gifted to her by Bao Qingling rippled with toxic qi. "You were unavailable."
Ling Qi gave her a dead eyed look, unimpressed by the excuse.
Meizhen smiled thinly. "You have described him well enough. A request from one of my stature put him in a good, malleable mood, once he got over the initial alarm did it not?"
"Don't put it like that," Ling Qi grimaced. "But yes, it did make him happy."
"Whatever your preferred terminology is," Meizhen replied flippantly.
"You have changed," Ling Qi mused. Meizhen had always had an unshakeable confidence in her public persona, but it had deepened over the past months. In a way, Ling Qi was a little jealous. She still felt as if she were faking her own poise at times.
"For the better, naturally," Meizhen replied, stepping up onto solid stone once more.
"Yeah, who knew a few kisses could accomplish so much, or have you gone further than that?" Ling Qi said idly, her lips twitching up into a smirk.
Meizhen spluttered, color rising in her pale cheeks. "Do not just say things like that you vulgar girl."
Sixiang snickered along with her, but Ling Qi raised her head in surrender as Meizhen began to glare. "Sorry Meizhen. Someone has to tease you though, and unfortunately I can't rely on Lady Cai for that."
"Hmph," Meizhen replied wordlessly, giving her a look that promised vengeance. Ling Qi resigned herself to being embarrassed in the future, the vengeance of a Bai was unstoppable after all.
"I can sense when I am being made light of," Meizhen sniffed.
"I would never," Ling Qi said, giving a mocking bow. Rasing her head, she let her smile fade. "Really though, Meizhen how have you been?"
The other girl pursed her lips. "In all honesty, I have been frustrated. I understand why I am not deployed, but I am beginning to find it stifling. Particularly when I am the only one."
Ling Qi dipped her head in acknowledgement. The only one out of the people Bai Meizhen concerned herself with naturally.
"But my growth has been good," Bai Meizhen said. "I will not be far behind Qingling in achieving the sixth stage. However, beyond that, Ling Qi can you tell me what has happened to Cai Renxiang?"
"We have accepted a heavy responsibility," Ling Qi said.
"That would explain a certain level of stress, but I am certain you know that is not what I am talking about," Bai Meizhen replied.
Ling Qi considered the encounter on the mountainside, Liming and the conversation they had earlier this month. "It is something only lady Renxiang has the right to share. Please, just continue as you always do around her. She won't appreciate anything else, I think."
Meizhen crossed her arms, and although frustration passed over her features, she gave a single nod. "Very well. It was somewhat rude of me to ask."
"Its not rude to be concerned about a friend," Ling Qi said with a shrug. "But I guess I should ask, what do you think of what we're doing?"
Meizhen paused, glancing back at the frozen pond and scattered ice. "I worry for the both of you. That you are pushing too fast and trusting too quickly. I can't imagine my family looking upon this matter with approval."
Ling Qi lowered her head a little. She had expected that.
"Which is why I expect you to be invited to speak with us, come the tournament," Meizhen finished, and Ling Qi looked up in surprise.
"Well, Lady Cai will be invited. You will no doubt attend as her retainer," Meizhen acknowledged. "While my Aunt will be busy, representatives from among her supporters will come, both for Xiao Fen's sake and to maintain the connection with the Duchess."
"Oh," Ling Qi said, feeling a little nervous. "Will they be ill disposed towards us, do you think?"
Meizhen was quiet for an uncomfortably long time. "...They will be the friendliest audience you can expect, among my family."
"That doesn't give me any confidence at all," Ling Qi groused.
"I had hoped to give you and Cai Renxiang both a degree of coaching," Bai Meizhen said, ignoring her words. "Do you think your schedules will allow it?"
"I already asked Xuan Shi to clear his schedule over the next few days. And I have a meeting with Bao Qian yet this month," Ling Qi said, chewing her lip. She needed to clear time for Zhengui too, although that could be done in the evening and early morning."But yes, please and thank you. I am sure Lady Cai will say the same."
"Then it seems, we will be seeing one another more often, Qi," Meizhen said, smiling slightly.
"That is a silver lining," Ling Qi said, smiling back
***
Looking up at the polished stone door which bore Li Suyin's name on its replaceable placard, Ling Qi considered her own surprise. She had introduced Xuan Shi to her friend, but she hadn't expected to be invited here to meet him. Raising her hand to knock, she blinked as the door creaked open on its own. Her eyes flicked up to the strands of pale white webbing attached to the upper part of the door.
Shrugging, she stepped inside, tracing the vibrating lines that traversed through the lacey cloud of cobweb which shrouded the ceiling, feeling the echo of [communication] and [alertness] embedded in the silk.
"Yep, perfectly normal answering system, no need to spare it a thought," Sixiang whispered in amusement.
The door drifted shut behind her, with a faint, eerie creak. Li Suyin was really dedicated to her theme, wasn't she? Walking deeper into the entry room, unconcerned, Ling Qi caught the movement deeper in the hall as the floor ground open.
"Welcome Ling Qi! I'm so glad that your journey went well!" Li Suyin said, beaming up at her from her seat on the back of the pony sized white spider which had evidently carried her up the hidden tunnel in the floor.
"Well I hardly wanted to let everyone down," Ling Qi replied, she met the jeweled eyes of the construct staring blankly up at her from beneath the lip of the tunnel. It was definitely a construct rather than a living spider. "You look well Suyin. I hope you're not letting your exercise slip, riding about like that though."
Li Suyin pouted at her, an expression much at odds with her dress and surroundings. "Ling Qi, it's not kind to lead with things like that when you return from a trip."
"Sorry," Ling Qi laughed. "I'm glad to see you Suyin. How have things been."
"Very well," Li Suyin said cheerfully. "Oh, do hop on Xuan Shi is down in the testing chambers with Su Ling."
"Really?" Ling Qi asked as she circled the construct, eyeing the saddle bolted to its back. After a moment, she reappeared behind Li Suyin, letting her legs dangle off the side. It was a little snug being pressed against the shorter girls back, but she wasn't quite as bad about that kind of thing as she had once been.
"Not even gonna joke, progress is progress," Sixiang said sagely.
"Yes, I wouldn't have imagined them getting along either," Li Suyin agreed as their mount shuddered to life and began to skitter downward. The tunnel entrance slid shut behind them as the spider descended into the dark. "Oh, watch your head, the tunnels are a bit snug."
Ling Qi stared at the back of her friend's head, wondering if she was being teased in turn. Li Suyin glanced over her own shoulder humor sparkling in her one eye.
With much dignity, Ling Qi ignored it, peering instead at the winding tunnel descending into the earth. "Why do you put so much work into these temporary homes anyway?"
"Practice for when I decide on something more permanent," Li Suyin said cheerfully. "Why are you seeking out Sir Xuan?"
Ling Qi pondered that for a moment. She was still deliberating how she wanted to handle this…
[] Treat the destination as a surprise. (More chance to speak with Xuan Shi about other things. More engaging conversation for Ling Qi)
[] Tell him right away where you intend to take him (Get your ear talked off by a fan, learn more about Xuan Shi personally.)
