- Location
- Greece
That seems fair to me, at least.
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.
That seems fair to me, at least.
NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Here you go
Ok, since people keep asking questions, I've tried to reorganise the cultivation requirements into (hopefully) easier to read tables:
| # | Green | XP | Domain req. | Other req. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Early | -- | -- | |
2 | Appraisal | 1200 | ||
3 | Foundation | 2400 | 4 insights | |
4 | Threshold | 4800 | 5 Insights, at least one advanced | |
5 | Framing | 6000 | Domain Rank C, 7 Insights | |
6 | Formation | 7200 | Domain B, 10 Insights, at least three of which must be advanced. | Successfully created and mastered a Successor art of at least Green 3 potency and a Max level of 5 |
7 | Fortification | 8400 | Complete Domain Name Quest | |
8 | Completion | 9600 | Domain A | Successfully create unique personal Art |
Peak | -- | 10000 | Domain S |
| Domain | XP | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| F | -- | -- |
| E | 900 | |
| D | 1100 | Integrate an art with Domain Weapon |
| C | 1400 | 1 Advanced Insight |
| B | 1700 | Green 5 |
| A | 2000 | Green 6, Master and Integrate Domain Weapon |
| S | 2000 | Green 7 |
Turn 12-Arc 6-3 Part 1
"It is a curious thing, it feels almost like a lullaby in construction," Ling Qi said absently, listening to the sounds merging from the flute in her hands, and feeling the rhythm in her spirit as she flexed her qi to create the sounds.
"I'm surprised you weren't already familiar with it to be honest," Bao Qian said. The rotted floorboards creaked under his weight as they traveled down the ruined hall. "It's rather common among the funerary cults in the south of the province."
"I've never attended a funeral, aside from the ceremony for the war dead at the Sect," Ling Qi replied. "My musical education is really just what my Mother taught me in the time she could spare, Master Zeqing's teachings and self experimentation."
They paused for a moment at a crossing in the halls, Bao Qian tapped his foot against the floor and nodded toward the left. She followed after stepping around a patch of wet black mold. "Mm, that is a shame, the Emerald Seas has very rich musical traditions, more so than any other province, I think," Bao Qian said.
"Well, you've got good taste," Sixiang said, affecting a haughty sniff.
"There is a reason spirits of your kind are more common in these parts," Bao Qian laughed. The cheerful sound seemed muted by the soft music and chilled atmosphere, but not by much.
"That's quite a claim," Ling Qi said curiously. "Why do you say so?"
They stopped, having reached the broken frame which had once held the door blocking the steps of the basement from sight. The steps, were carved from stone and shone wetly in the light of her wisps as they darted downward to explore the space. Shadows, insects and minor faeries scattered in their wake.
"It is a legacy of the Weilu and our scattered nature, like most things," Bao Qian said, starting down the steps. Ling Qi glanced down, and restrained the urge to reach for Zhengui as he struggled with the steps. His pride wouldn't appreciate her interference. "It comes down to the cults and their use of music in their rites. Unlike the central state cults of the Bai, which inspired the structures built by the Sage and his descendants, the temples of the Emerald Seas have always been more scattered and independent."
"So they developed more music for rituals independently, and that spread to regular life too," Ling Qi mused, tiny flies and other insects swirled in the air around her attracted by the light of her hair.
"You people have changed, but there's still a lot of little gatherings for me and mine all over," Sixiang sighed. "We don't get the big ticket venues as much anymore, but there's plenty of people out there who remember."
Bao Qian was smiling now as they descended to the basement floor. All that remained were the scraps of shelving and storage. Ling Qi wrinkled her nose at the faint scent of vinegar, still strong in the air. Those wine bottles she had spotted intact along the right wall certainly weren't salvageable then.
"The division of the Emerald Seas has always had its strengths. Competition breeds conflict, but also innovation," he said, sliding the first of the stakes from the bundle on his back. "Miss Ling, could you implant this in the far left corner?"
"Is it okay with Gui and Zhen go hunting a little?" her little brother asked as she set him down,eyeing the cringing shadows and insects hiding from their light.
"I think that's fine?" Ling Qi asked, glancing to bao Qian as she accepted the stake.
"It won't harm anything, so long as the stakes aren't disturbed after placement," Bao Qian said.
"Go ahead then," Ling Qi said smiling faintly. "Hanyi do you want to go with him?"
"Hmph, cultured young ladies don't go pawing around in the dirt," Hanyi said, looking haughty. Ling Qi restrained the urge to roll her eyes. Ling Qi could tell she was bored of the conversation already though.
"Hm, I think Zhengui would have more fun with you though, wouldn't you Zhengui?" Ling Qi said, trying not to be too obvious in her prodding.
"Huh? Yes, Gui would like that. Hanyi has been missed," Gui chirped.
"Well, I guess I can," Hanyi said with much dignity. "C'mon Zhengui, I bet there's some actual juicy bits hiding around here."
As Ling Qi watched them go off, she became aware of Bao Qian watching her with a considering frown. She arched an eyebrow back at him.
"It's a curious thing is all. You do truly regard those spirits as family," Bao Qian replied to her wordless question. "I… cannot say I understand it well."
"What's there to understand? I raised Zhengui from an egg, and Hanyi is the daughter of my mentor," Ling Qi said with a shrug.
"What am I, scraps?" Sixiang muttered good naturedly.
Ling Qi rolled her eyes. "You're the pushy cousin with boundary issues."
"I'm not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted," the muse laughed. "Mm, I'll go with compliments, I think."
Ling Qi looked back to Bao Qian. "I know its not the norm, but I can't really feel differently about the people I spend so much of my life with. Isn't it stranger to be distant?"
Bao Qian frowned. "For me, Yinhui is a friend and associate, but it would feel strange to call them family. I suppose it is foolish to try and apply one template to all situations though."
He sounded a little like he was trying to convince himself.
"We were talking about music though, weren't we?" Ling Qi said, turning away toward the corner he had indicated.
"Yes, we were," Bao Qian said, recovering his aplomb as he moved off to place his own marker. "Really, as important as the work of grandmasters and their followings are important, its a must to listen to the trends among mortals and common cultivators too. Few will admit it, but even high art arises from the milieu of wider culture, and the diversity of that is one of Emerald Seas strengths."
Ling Qi smiled faintly, imagining for a moment the screech of rage that would have been emitted by a certain twice-dead man at that statement. Approaching the left corner of the room, followed by the soft sleepy tune, she paused as hissing smoke emerged from a crack in the wall, a low keening sound emerged along with a stretched, screaming visage and phantom claws. Ling Qi let out a single sharp whistle, and the phantom burst and scattered, torn apart by her qi."Hidden room over here," Ling Qi called back. "But anyway, that's an interesting point of view. I can't imagine it's too popular."
"Hm? That would explain some of the energy flow down here," Bao Qian, he was already on his second marker, the first glowing faintly and humming where it had been planted in the hardened dirt. "But I think you would be surprised. It has become fashionable to offer patronage to talented artists who catch your eye. This business I agreed to with your junior sister would not have been possible a hundred years ago."
Ling Qi brought the side of her hand down on the top of the formations stake, and the light chop drove the solid wooden post a quarter meter into the earth. Energy snapped and hissed as the warding formations came to life, tendrils of light briefly flashing in the ground under her feet. His statement made her pause. "Ah, well that makes sense at least," people liked having new signs of status to promote themselves with. At least this gave some benefit to other people as well."
"Hah, it is a fine thing indeed. It is a shame for any talent to go unfulfilled, and it gives us something to pride ourselves in," Bao Qian agreed. "But let us resume talking after we've finished the sealing of the basement. "If you'd like to step aside, I can crack our hidden chamber."
"You needn't spare my feelings,'' Ling Qi replied with a shrug. "I've already glanced inside, there's no sign of bodies."
"I don't mean to call you fragile," Bao Qian said, looking pained as he turned to look at her. "But you are my guest, it's polite to spare you any unpleasantness."
"Well don't worry about it," Ling Qi said. "So, the sealing?"
AN: Due to time constraints I'll be splitting this one into two parts, I will have a little something for the thread to deliberate over come tomorrow
"I'm surprised you weren't already familiar with it to be honest," Bao Qian said. The rotted floorboards creaked under his weight as they traveled down the ruined hall. "It's rather common among the funerary cults in the south of the province."
"I've never attended a funeral, aside from the ceremony for the war dead at the Sect," Ling Qi replied. "My musical education is really just what my Mother taught me in the time she could spare, Master Zeqing's teachings and self experimentation."
They paused for a moment at a crossing in the halls, Bao Qian tapped his foot against the floor and nodded toward the left. She followed after stepping around a patch of wet black mold. "Mm, that is a shame, the Emerald Seas has very rich musical traditions, more so than any other province, I think," Bao Qian said.
"Well, you've got good taste," Sixiang said, affecting a haughty sniff.
"There is a reason spirits of your kind are more common in these parts," Bao Qian laughed. The cheerful sound seemed muted by the soft music and chilled atmosphere, but not by much.
"That's quite a claim," Ling Qi said curiously. "Why do you say so?"
They stopped, having reached the broken frame which had once held the door blocking the steps of the basement from sight. The steps, were carved from stone and shone wetly in the light of her wisps as they darted downward to explore the space. Shadows, insects and minor faeries scattered in their wake.
"It is a legacy of the Weilu and our scattered nature, like most things," Bao Qian said, starting down the steps. Ling Qi glanced down, and restrained the urge to reach for Zhengui as he struggled with the steps. His pride wouldn't appreciate her interference. "It comes down to the cults and their use of music in their rites. Unlike the central state cults of the Bai, which inspired the structures built by the Sage and his descendants, the temples of the Emerald Seas have always been more scattered and independent."
"So they developed more music for rituals independently, and that spread to regular life too," Ling Qi mused, tiny flies and other insects swirled in the air around her attracted by the light of her hair.
"You people have changed, but there's still a lot of little gatherings for me and mine all over," Sixiang sighed. "We don't get the big ticket venues as much anymore, but there's plenty of people out there who remember."
Bao Qian was smiling now as they descended to the basement floor. All that remained were the scraps of shelving and storage. Ling Qi wrinkled her nose at the faint scent of vinegar, still strong in the air. Those wine bottles she had spotted intact along the right wall certainly weren't salvageable then.
"The division of the Emerald Seas has always had its strengths. Competition breeds conflict, but also innovation," he said, sliding the first of the stakes from the bundle on his back. "Miss Ling, could you implant this in the far left corner?"
"Is it okay with Gui and Zhen go hunting a little?" her little brother asked as she set him down,eyeing the cringing shadows and insects hiding from their light.
"I think that's fine?" Ling Qi asked, glancing to bao Qian as she accepted the stake.
"It won't harm anything, so long as the stakes aren't disturbed after placement," Bao Qian said.
"Go ahead then," Ling Qi said smiling faintly. "Hanyi do you want to go with him?"
"Hmph, cultured young ladies don't go pawing around in the dirt," Hanyi said, looking haughty. Ling Qi restrained the urge to roll her eyes. Ling Qi could tell she was bored of the conversation already though.
"Hm, I think Zhengui would have more fun with you though, wouldn't you Zhengui?" Ling Qi said, trying not to be too obvious in her prodding.
"Huh? Yes, Gui would like that. Hanyi has been missed," Gui chirped.
"Well, I guess I can," Hanyi said with much dignity. "C'mon Zhengui, I bet there's some actual juicy bits hiding around here."
As Ling Qi watched them go off, she became aware of Bao Qian watching her with a considering frown. She arched an eyebrow back at him.
"It's a curious thing is all. You do truly regard those spirits as family," Bao Qian replied to her wordless question. "I… cannot say I understand it well."
"What's there to understand? I raised Zhengui from an egg, and Hanyi is the daughter of my mentor," Ling Qi said with a shrug.
"What am I, scraps?" Sixiang muttered good naturedly.
Ling Qi rolled her eyes. "You're the pushy cousin with boundary issues."
"I'm not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted," the muse laughed. "Mm, I'll go with compliments, I think."
Ling Qi looked back to Bao Qian. "I know its not the norm, but I can't really feel differently about the people I spend so much of my life with. Isn't it stranger to be distant?"
Bao Qian frowned. "For me, Yinhui is a friend and associate, but it would feel strange to call them family. I suppose it is foolish to try and apply one template to all situations though."
He sounded a little like he was trying to convince himself.
"We were talking about music though, weren't we?" Ling Qi said, turning away toward the corner he had indicated.
"Yes, we were," Bao Qian said, recovering his aplomb as he moved off to place his own marker. "Really, as important as the work of grandmasters and their followings are important, its a must to listen to the trends among mortals and common cultivators too. Few will admit it, but even high art arises from the milieu of wider culture, and the diversity of that is one of Emerald Seas strengths."
Ling Qi smiled faintly, imagining for a moment the screech of rage that would have been emitted by a certain twice-dead man at that statement. Approaching the left corner of the room, followed by the soft sleepy tune, she paused as hissing smoke emerged from a crack in the wall, a low keening sound emerged along with a stretched, screaming visage and phantom claws. Ling Qi let out a single sharp whistle, and the phantom burst and scattered, torn apart by her qi."Hidden room over here," Ling Qi called back. "But anyway, that's an interesting point of view. I can't imagine it's too popular."
"Hm? That would explain some of the energy flow down here," Bao Qian, he was already on his second marker, the first glowing faintly and humming where it had been planted in the hardened dirt. "But I think you would be surprised. It has become fashionable to offer patronage to talented artists who catch your eye. This business I agreed to with your junior sister would not have been possible a hundred years ago."
Ling Qi brought the side of her hand down on the top of the formations stake, and the light chop drove the solid wooden post a quarter meter into the earth. Energy snapped and hissed as the warding formations came to life, tendrils of light briefly flashing in the ground under her feet. His statement made her pause. "Ah, well that makes sense at least," people liked having new signs of status to promote themselves with. At least this gave some benefit to other people as well."
"Hah, it is a fine thing indeed. It is a shame for any talent to go unfulfilled, and it gives us something to pride ourselves in," Bao Qian agreed. "But let us resume talking after we've finished the sealing of the basement. "If you'd like to step aside, I can crack our hidden chamber."
"You needn't spare my feelings,'' Ling Qi replied with a shrug. "I've already glanced inside, there's no sign of bodies."
"I don't mean to call you fragile," Bao Qian said, looking pained as he turned to look at her. "But you are my guest, it's polite to spare you any unpleasantness."
"Well don't worry about it," Ling Qi said. "So, the sealing?"
AN: Due to time constraints I'll be splitting this one into two parts, I will have a little something for the thread to deliberate over come tomorrow
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- She/They
I got to say, I'm liking this dude a lot more lately. He seems to have a similar good (if less lazy) nature as the Han that Xulian liked in the outer sect, and a bit of the wry humor that moon bro has. (I am still a moon bro shipper- he is easily the one I crush on hardest, and so I want Ling Qi to as well)
But the way he treated Meihzen's girl in his sidestory, that I liked a lot. And I like the idea of a family connection to Meizhen, even if at one remove.
So I'm interested in the hesitations he has shown us here: the way he finds our intimacy with our spirits odd, or maybe feels that we are shaming him for his distance with his? And the awkwardness with the hidden room- I think Ling glides over it, but I'm betting it's a clue as to where we would see the most common little frictions for him in a relationship.
But the way he treated Meihzen's girl in his sidestory, that I liked a lot. And I like the idea of a family connection to Meizhen, even if at one remove.
So I'm interested in the hesitations he has shown us here: the way he finds our intimacy with our spirits odd, or maybe feels that we are shaming him for his distance with his? And the awkwardness with the hidden room- I think Ling glides over it, but I'm betting it's a clue as to where we would see the most common little frictions for him in a relationship.
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TimEd
Meteor maker
Bao Qian just keeps on being reminded just how difficult it can be to scale Mt. Qi.
The product of rising standards of living under the rule of Cai Shenhua, I presume. The time before -- during the consolidation of power under the Cai, the purging of dissidents and Hui remnants, the paranoia and war-torn paradigm under the Hui -- saw people devoting themselves to war and the necessities of survival. With the expectation of safety, then, comes the desire and inclination for art and culture and the money to pursue it.
This sounds like Bad Qian (and therefore the Bad in general?) sees the multiplicity of Emerald Seas' religious and cultural factions as part of the Emerald Seas' national identity. As I remember, it was speculated that one of the projects Cai Shenhua is pursuing, that the Bao are supporting, is the creation of a distinct, unified Emerald Seas identity. From her aesthetics, I wouldn't have pegged 'diversity of opinion' as something Cai Shenhua would have wanted in her duchy's cultural values. Is this something Cai Shenhua is deliberately fostering, or are the Bao (or just Bao Qian) beginning to run on a divergent track?
This is a case of LQ being the weird one tbh. The number of clans that consider spirits family is small even if you look across the empire. And even they are like the Bai and the Han and got bloodties with those specific group of spirits or are individuals like Jiao with his wife.
The Bai and the Han were also her first introduction to spirits and LQ took her cues from them.
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Very lovely update! Bao Qian is really working on Qi's weirdness and I'm sure he realizes that if he marries into the Ling he's gonna have to treat her spirits like family. Which brings me to how great our spirit interactions were in this update!
Tsundere Hanyi trying to be dignified before being won over by the very sincere Gui? Amazing.
Excellent update overall!
The legendary beast struggling with stairs and Qi struggle not to mother him? Adorable.
Tsundere Hanyi trying to be dignified before being won over by the very sincere Gui? Amazing.
Pushy Cousin Sixiang? Wonderful.
Excellent update overall!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Qi is already a great mom. I really love her displaying that side of herself in public, and slightly challenging Qian's sense of normality.
My dude, this is Ling Qi you're talking to.
Shenhua is in a position to play the hand she's dealt. Forging a singular unified national identity out of a bloody coup and purge would have gotten her deposed, because interfering in that level of society would have required directly pacifying and occupation of the entire province, and the Cai do not have the lands needed to have an army strong enough to do that if a plurality of the counts aren't on board for that kind of military action, and there's no way the plurality of the Emerald Seas counts would back fighting every cyan or greater spirit in the region, or every corrupt baron, spending thousands of troops and significant portions of their wealth, just to consolidate the spiritual power of the province behind Shenhua.
So Shenhua is put into a position where if she wants a strong local identity that all of the Emerald Seas can share before her grandkids take control of the province, she has to lean into what exists rather than what she might wish exist.
- Location
- Greece
Well, not necessarily deposed, as, unlike real life, people in threads of destiny can have tremendous personal power independent from any power structure, and even though armies still matter, this is still xianxia and Shenhua is one of the people that has the most power in the setting, but...
It wouldn't be very effective if she dried to strongarm every single subject... she can't be everywhere, after all, and killing or punishing subordinates every so often would really just leave the land unruled.
Hi all! Former RR reader just got caught up after accidentally reading the last interlude, looking forward to my first vote! 
I don't think these thoughts are as mutually exclusive as they seem. Here in America our cultural diversity is a major point of pride for many people and I remember growing up hearing about the "great American melting pot" in school. They could be looking to do something similar as kind of an inverse to the Hui, a united union of uniquity.
Edit: despecifying the latest patreon interlude
I don't think these thoughts are as mutually exclusive as they seem. Here in America our cultural diversity is a major point of pride for many people and I remember growing up hearing about the "great American melting pot" in school. They could be looking to do something similar as kind of an inverse to the Hui, a united union of uniquity.
Edit: despecifying the latest patreon interlude
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Well first of all, I'm pretty sure the Bao don't give a damn about music, as a group. What we've recently learned of them is that they are literally too busy to see their own children so they just have the help take care of them, and switch the servants around so no child gets too attached to the people actually raising them. Bao Qian is into music because it is his passion, and his family tolerates it because he's made it profitable. That's why he's so good about sounding authoritative and objective about this stuff, it's habit he's practiced to make sure nobody tries to give him grief about his choices.
Second of, Shenhua doesn't give a shit what your opinion is so long as you keep it where it belongs. Namely you can think poorly of her all you want so long as you follow the law, and insulting her is more likely to make her laugh so long as she doesn't actually lose face over it.
Fundamentally Shenhua isn't super huge into building an identity for the Emerald Seas I don't think, it sounds like the sort of thing she knows she's not great at because people's minds are delicate and fiddly and she's big and breaks things. She knows if she tried it'd end up causing some manner of civil war.
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I thought she didn't pick him up?
I'm maintaining my assessment, because if Shenhua really tried to stamp out the old and build a new cultural identity for the province, everyone that doesn't directly benefit from the new identity have no reason to adopt it and every reason to make life hard for Shenhua, and while she can replace the staff of a ministry branch, she can't replace the various greens in a count family that manage the land and secure the border, and if she tried it would start a new civil war that Shenhua doesn't get a clean victory like she did with the Hui.
Well, up until the Cai/Bai alliance, the new ES order was cleaving towards Peekaboos which makes sense as the Peaks (under An) were the ones who helped with Odogei, sponsored the Sects, and later said said fuck the Hui when Shenhua committed her coup. So with a strong dislike of the Old Ways (hello Xia Ren), a strong national identity wasn't going to be amongst the Weilu types.
Going off our debriefing at court
and Shenhua's actions against the Dreaming cults, it sounds like she destroyed the Old Ways as political institutions and everyone assumed that this would make the Great Spirits either hostile or, at best, indifferent to her. Yet her daughter's Moon retainer finds and kills a minor enemy from her past as well as provides her with an excellent diplomatic opportunity. This suggests that the Moon and Sun are offering Shenhua an olive branch to have their traditions be part of her new order.
Or, to put it another way, Shenhua herself cares more about consolidating political power than enforcing a particular identity and will only crush traditional organizations that try to compete with her for power. Her preference for Peaks' culture is just that, a preference, and she doesn't really care about imposing it on others.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the "cultivators are tools" peakaboo approach gets mixed with the "cultivators are people" traditional ES approach. I am fully expecting Xia Lin to be the one we personally see go through that transformation.
- Location
- Finland
I think there might b a bit of scope confusion going on.
For cultivators, destroying the dreaming palaces and the cults might seem like a major thing, but to the Dreaming Moon, eh, shit happens and those were not going to last anyway so out with the old and in with the new.
We saw a glimpse behind the mask the Moon is older, and wider, than the empire, so while they might meddle, and have opinions, the empire is not really as important as empire thinks it is, let alone a single province and its ruler.
Also, dreaming cults may be gone, but suddenly we are getting a boom in art sponsorships.
For cultivators, destroying the dreaming palaces and the cults might seem like a major thing, but to the Dreaming Moon, eh, shit happens and those were not going to last anyway so out with the old and in with the new.
We saw a glimpse behind the mask the Moon is older, and wider, than the empire, so while they might meddle, and have opinions, the empire is not really as important as empire thinks it is, let alone a single province and its ruler.
Also, dreaming cults may be gone, but suddenly we are getting a boom in art sponsorships.
Sixiang, a Dream Muse was annoyed at the Cai for destroying Dream temples in Xiangmen. The Dream Palaces are probably a separate thing.
The Hui and their followers Ways disdained earthly, mortal matters. Their Arts didn't containthose ideas. They wanted to show the view from up high and deep in the Dreaming. The local rituals Bao Qian speaks of belong to mortals or low level local cultivators. Not something the Hui are interested in. Now with the fall of the old regime and its values appreciation for the local arts, arts that aren't steeped in Hui dogma get recognition.
- Location
- Finland
Well i meant the dream temples just mixed the words.
Sixiang is not really a representative sample of the Dreaming Moon, they are influenced by their original nature, and by the memories they were created with.
Also, scope, Cultivators might go "this is a terrible tragedy never seen before" while Dreaming Moon goes "they ate my last cookie".
Reason to be annoyed, but nothing more.
In general the local ascended beings get their way. This is fairly subtle and deniable in the case of the Emerald Seas but was rather more abrupt and striking when it comes to the Western Territories. That's not to say that cultivators can't push back an ascended level entity (just look at the Golden Fields) but its difficult and will be the work of generations.
Looking at the Cai we have Shenhua as a rather Peaks' focused cultivator but her daughter is immediately shifting to be more of an ES sort of cultivator and surrounding herself with Sun and Moon cultivators as confidants. She even may be getting insights about how you need to support each person as an individual and treating them as tools makes things worse for everyone.