With Gan Guangli stood that Gun Jun fellow and ma Jun, who looked as she were torn between bouncing on her heels in joy at her success, and frightened glances at their Bai guests.
Is there a special word for joyful terror or terrified joy?
"I am pleased to see my allies subordinates succeeding as well," Bai Meizhen said primly, looking up from Xiao Fen, who stood stiffly under Bai Meizhen's examination. She had received a few scratches in her fight, nothing worth the medicine hall, but Meizhen seemed inclined to fuss a little anyway.
This is just adorable :3
"I am certain you know Xiao Fen already, but with us today are Bai Xia Anxi, and Bai Lao Keung, my new subordinates."
Ling Qi caught a brief expression of thoughtfulness on Lao Keung's face as she introduced them. It was something she had noticed, first with Xiao Fen and now with these. When introducing her kin, Meizhen went out of the way to refer to them fully; Bai Xia, Bai Lao. Other white serpent Bai didn't do this.
Lao Keung spoke first, clapping his fists together and offered a formal military bow. "I am Lao Keung. As I will be heading MIss Bai's personal security, I expect we will be working together."
Xia Anxi offered a slightly condescending smile. "And I am Xia Anxi, part of the diplomatic attachment. I hope you will keep anything from troubling us while we work."
Meizhen goes out of her way to recognize that they too are Bai. Thats rare and a demonstration of either sympathies or weakness depending on how you see it(the conservative white caste will not like it one bit)
Lao Keung genuinely does respect Meizhen for that, which is good, but Xia Anxi doesn't quite buy it yet huh?
It was a flash of red in the corner of her vision. No, rather it was a crimson that filled her spiritual senses. The coppery scent of blood mingling with freshly turned soil. Ling Qi turned her head toward the source of the sensation. There at the edge of another arena, with the victorious Lu Feng, stood Sun Liling. Had she been so tall when last they met?
Sun Liling glanced away from Lu Feng, briefly meeting her gaze before her eyes swept away to the rest of Ling Qi's party, who had noticed her as well. The princess of the west had changed since Ling Qi had last seen her. Her crimson hair held a streak of vibrant green, and the sharp edged smirk she wore seemed more literal than before. The biggest change was to her spirit though. She was a sink of power. Her skin drank in the qi of sun and water in the air, the power of the earth and soil flowed into her feet, visibly so, to Ling Qi's spiritual senses. Her dantian burned in Ling Qi's spiritual sight like a miniature sun, environmental qi churning, digesting into hungry crimson.
She was formation stage, the sixth step of the third realm, a full two stages above where she had been just a couple months ago.
Hmm, the way she is visibly more plantlike is expected. A two month long max resource boosted closed door cultivation could cover things numerically if Sun Shao spared no expense.
The Insights though...she shouldn't have enough this quick. Not impossible, but something hinky is going on.
"Yo! Looks like we're all here again huh?" Sun Liling called out cheerily, waving. She seemed totally oblivious to the stony silence of the Bai around them as she strolled over to them. Sun Liling wore the same loose black silk pants she always had, but her shirt was a pale cream color, embroidered with sunflowers, and over it she wore a loose and unsecured vest of crimson. It wasn't silk, but some plant fiber that seemed still alive. "This sure is nostalgic."
Oh no, she's wearing a Goku Uniform! Thats literally Life Fiber! It'd probably even drink blood to activate!
Shenhua will sue for copyright!
There was a beat of heavy silence, and in it, Ling Qi finally noticed Ji Rong, standing in her shadow. He hadn't grown explosively at least, stronger of course but not unreasonably so. His expression was stony, and she couldn't read him at all.
Ji Rong not liking it is a good indicator that all is not well.
If a good thing happened he'd be bragging up in front with her.
He does not like this at all.
"Princess Sun," Cai Renxiang greeted politely. "I am glad your return was untroubled."
"Yes, it seems that the west has at least managed its transport infrastructure," Bai meizhen said in a voice as cold as Ling Qi's Hoatfrost Caress technique.
"Right?" Sun Liling laughed. "Roads right, how do those work? How're a buncha meatheads supposed to know?"
Bai Meizhen blinked, momentarily nonplussed.
"Well, I guess we managed on our own, just like always," the princess continued cheerfully. "Honestly things are goin pretty great back home! Gramps had some tips for me, and I got to see my people again."
"...I am pleased for you," Cai Renxiang said slowly.
..is she literally drunk on Life?
"Right, so first, no hard feelings either way, regardless of which of our boys wins yeah?" Sun Liling said, slipping her hands into her pockets. "Just a fun lil challenge, right?"
"Of course," Cai Renxiang said slowly.
Gan, be prepared. She's hinting, and we've observed that Liling loves to gloat by dropping hints when she has an advantage
Sun Liling nodded cheerfully. "Other thing's a bit bigger. I need you to pass a message to your Mother. Gramps has decided, since we're all doing this imperial unity thing, he's gonna head south too, clear out our bits of the mountains! So, he's gonna be coming to meet the Duchess so they can talk coordination, yeah? Don't want to step on each other's toes!"
I...cannot read into this well enough. Not enough context it'd all be blind guessing.
"If that is King Sun's wish, I am certain mother will prepare to receive his simulacrum," Cai Renxiang replied, barely missing a beat. It is good to see such cooperation."
"Nah, he's gonna have his alternates overseeing the muster. General Lu's got that mostly in hand. He'll be coming in person. Ask your mother to open a line so we can figure out the date, yeah?" Sun Liling said.
Sun Shao can leave the jungle now. That bodes ill for the Bai.
As an aside, I think I see how command structures would work for higher cultivators. Their simulacrum would be at the ground level commanding with a comm link to Shenhua Prime flying up above in her full radiance, and remain in charge even when she engages.
Silence again, and this time, Sun Liling didn't give them time to reply, turning to saunter away. "C'mon boys, we got other people to see.
Ling Qi blinked, mortified as Sun Liling pulled her hands from her pockets to swat both Luf Feng and Ji Rong on the bottoms as she passed them by. She glanced to Ji Rong, who briefly met her eyes, looking conflicted before he hurried to follow.
Definitely high on Life.
"What." Lao Keung said.
"What." Bai Meizhen agreed, glaring at Liling's back.
Xiao Fen made a sound not unlike a furiously burning fuse.
"I do not even know where to begin," Xia Anxi muttered.
"And I do believe it would be best if you did not," another voice startled Ling Qi, and she glanced back to see Xia Lushen standing behind them, one hand on Bai Meizhen's shoulder. "This is not business for you."
"Lord Xia," they all swiftly greeted.
Xia Lushen has the right idea. This is WAY above us, we cannot affect anything of it, and puzzling over it is unproductive.
Let the intel groups do their work.
She nodded to her liege as the group broke up with a few more pleasantries, following after Meizhen's uncle as he walked toward one of the exits. She turned her attention inward toward Sixiang, the muse hadn't said a word in some time.
"...Yeah sorry, trying to figure out what I was looking at, got blocked by the princess' spirit. Who… I'm not sure if they were flirting or threatening, it was kinda both. That was a weird conversation," Sixiang muttered. "Please don't fight her again anytime soon. I don't wanna get involved with that."
Probably both. Murderfuck.
"However, if mere stones will not interest I may offer some small studies I and my apprentices have done on soil and fertilization. Your spirit undoubtedly does good work, but given the constraints of your environment, it may be best to stack advantages."
Our fief is in the Wall and yes, that means a few things with regards to soil studies:
-Relatively rocky soil that needs to be cleared or broken down. However, many types of rocks have high metal or salt content, so you need to know which ones you can smash and which ones you're better off setting up a quarry for.
-Limited hydration. Water runs down, and then out for hilly terrain. Identifying places which tend to naturally pool will be critical if you don't want to make the mistake of fighting to make water flow uphill.
-If the soil has any history. Remember, animistic spirit world. The soil and hills will have Opinions, and we need to know to either work around those or beat some sense in.
"On the other hand," he mused. "Medicines. I am not an unskilled alchemist…"
Ling Qi perked up. "I did acquire the recipe for a cyan breakthrough drug recently, perhaps you could help me acquire some of its reagents?"
"Have you now? So resourceful," Xia Lushen chuckled. "Yes, that would be within my power. I take it you already have a maker in mind?"
"I mean no insult," Ling Qi said humbly.
"No, it is good to develop your own networks," he dismissed.
Indeed, your personal alchemist is important - especially for advanced drugs - they aren't really sold on the open market and you have to be able to trust the maker to not fuck you over.
That said, we're still looking at something like half a decade before we even need it, and while the reagents may be rare, I'd like to learn HOW rare first, and whether there are substitutes.
It'd be easier to trade for these things when we have more than a Green's personal pocket money to work with. A small barony still runs with more funds than a rich Green as a matter of course.
"Aside from that I could offer some insightful conversation. Our ways are not particularly close, but some of my meditations may aid you."
This part he does say our Ways are very different. It'd be almost a waste of his time.
Almost, except he's already here anyway.
