"Zhengui," Ling Qi said, raising her voice just enough to override his bickering.
"Yes Big Sister?" Both of his heads replied, united in the moment.
"I assume it is not possible to heat the earth and to purify the underground water?" Ling Qi asked.
"I don't think so, um…"
"To attempt both projects would muddle the flow of qi, indeed the current state of the veins is like this, too confused to provide anymore than a minor effect," the older scholar said. "For the veins to provide a notable effect the fire qi must be aligned toward mountain or water more strongly."
"Yeah! Gui think's this is also because of the Blizzard Grump though, because he is being greedy."
"I, Zhen think it is the lightning leaking in from the south."
It was probably both. So for now there was no use trying to be greedy and doing both things. "We must choose based on what is most beneficial in the near term then. Our farms are just getting off the ground, but we have already much more capacity to deal with bad weather than illness. A permanent physician onsite is something we do not have yet," Ling Qi decided. "Tell me how this is supposed to work?"
Zhen hissed unhappily, but Gui stomped his feet happily, shaking the earth. "Oh! The fire will make the good earth stuff in the water better, and when people drink it, the fire will burn bad spirits that try to make people sick and the earth stuff will make their bodies stronger!"
She glanced over to the scholar. "It is not so potent as to sicken a mortal, we have tested this. Only at this site itself is the qi so concentrated."
"Sister, we should not interfere with the water too much, this is Snowblossoms place," Zhen complained.
"Does the spirit in the lake connect to the underground waters?" Ling Qi asked curiously. "Maybe in the cliff, where the falling waters have worn passage, but I do not think it is connected to the valley aquifers."
Zhen's head tilted back and forth, until at last he huffed. "...I do not know. I Zhen, assumed. If the spirits of fire and earth are mine, should the water not be theirs?"
Ling Qi pursed her lips. "...I'll have a conversation with the lake about that. It seems like something that should be discussed."
She had no idea how that would go, but she wasn't going to do it right now. If only because she was pretty sure Xia Lin would spontaneously develop multipresence in the third realm in order to come strangle her if she went and did such a 'spontaneous negotiation' with the Summit nearly underway.
Renxiang would probably help her too.
"....Fine, Zhen will trust Big Sister," the serpent hissed, lowering his ash scaled head.
Beneath, Gui remembered his manners well enough not to speak, but she could practically feel his smugness at winning the argument.
She reached out and rubbed Zhen's head between the eye ridges. "Very well that's decided. All of you, please compile a list of any materials you need to complete your work. I will present it to Lady Cai. I am going to walk with my Little Brother for now, have it ready when I return."
She was sounding a little imperious there wasn't she? Well the scholars seemed reassured by it, if anything going by the bows and murmurs. Some people found comfort in structure and clear orders she supposed. Letting her hand fall of Zhen's head she turned from the now huddling scholars. Zhengui trundled after her, his heavy footfalls beating a cheerful cadence on the rock of the cliff.
They ascended the hill further and Ling Qi admired the shimmering bubbling pools that lined the slop below, and watched the geyser erupt again, crackling with power. "You've done a good job, Zhengui. Do you like this place?"
"Mm, Gui thinks this is a good place! There are many sleepy things here, that do not remember humans, or how to speak to little things," Gui chirped.
"Hmph, there are, many big things, but I Zhen, will grow bigger still. This is a good place, Zhen can breathe here."
She let out a breath. "I'm glad. Well this spot in particular will probably be Renxiangs, but I think I like the land."
"Gui and Zhen will be king of the land so what spots Big Sister and her Boss put human things is up to them," Gui chirped.
"I Zhen, know Big Sister will not break anything," Zhen said.
"I admit, I am a little worried for the summit. It's only going to be Lao Keung here taking care of things in our absence," Ling Qi said, frowning. The Argent Peak Sect's army would be nearby so they should still be protected from serious incursion but…
Her little brother's heads looked at one another. "Big Sister. Gui thinks that we should stay here."
She blinked in shock.
"I, Zhen do not have any important things to say to people from far away, and there are… many big people there already," Zhen said, lowering his head.
"Gui thinks that he can protect Big Sister better here. Grandmother and little Sister are still under the eyes of the big dragon king. Sisters people here only have Mr. Hugs and Zhengui."
"Mr. Hugs?" Ling Qi asked.
"Mhm, the red snake man. His arms are very strong, Gui bets he could break lots of things in them," her little brother said guilelessly.
She looked back into his innocent eyes. So why did it feel like he was leaving something out? "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you just because you don't think you'll be useful."
"I Zhen am sure. There are many things to do here, and very few things there," Zhen said.
Yet she could tell he was reluctant. He still didn't like being away from her. But she thought that wasn't it entirely. He
did like it here. "You're still coming with when I visit Mother."
"Yes! Gui wants to see Grandmother and little sister and the others," Gui agreed.
"And then Zhen will keep this place safe while Sister does all of the big talking," his other half agreed.
"Well, I'll trust you with that," Ling Qi said. "Hm, and when I'm done we'll need to find a place to build a garden here, huh?"
"Yes! Gui has ideas already, but there are still places to see!"
Ling Qi nodded. "Oh yes, Xuan Shi also gave me something for you. He said they were formation diagrams for your project…?"
"Oh! It is done, it's done!" Zhengui exclaimed, his voices in perfect synch. "I'll need to get Mister scholar to unroll and hold them for me!"
"That's the one who has been writing your letters?" Ling Qi asked, amused.
"That's right. Mister Scholar is very nervous and fidgety, but he is nice. Gui is glad he made another friend!"
"Foolish Gui is too generous… but it is good to have someone who can do hand things," Zhen grumbled. "Now, Big Sister, please let us see!"
Ling Qi chuckled, and drew the scroll case out of storage. She supposed this wasn;t a bad feeling.
***
"Was your time here productive?" Cai Renxiang asked.
Ling Qi considered settling into her seat by the table in the little cabin 'office'. "I think so. I'm confident Zhengui are those fellows have the Earth Vein's handled well. Just remind the builders to consult them when digging new wells."
Cai Renxiang's brush swept across the page in front of her rapidly tracing perfect court characters. "Noted. Protection from illness is indeed a good boon to begin a settlement on."
"Indeed, such a foe may not be fought by normal means, yet is just as deadly as any beast," Gan Guangli said. He sat a short way down from her the little camp chair groaning under his armored bulk. "On my end I must say the farms are coming along well. The new settlers are adjusting things to their liking."
"That is good, the largest draws of new settlements are always the offers of land, there are ever more children than inheritance among mortals," Cai Renxiang said. "Things are coming along well."
"They are," Ling Qi said. "So, what next, people are coming in and I've received notice that the Luo are ready to transport beasts if we want them."
"I am not so certain we have enough people for that yet," gan Guangli said. "And it would spread us out further.
"I believe we need to decide where the settlements manor will be even if we do not yet begin the project. It is impossible to plan long term without knowing this," Cai Renxiang said.
Gan Guangli drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Against the cliff near where the waters fall? Even Cloud Nomads may not easily shoot through so much rock."
"I like the idea though the mist might make things uncomfortable for mortal citizens," Ling Qi said. "...Well I could probably do something about that. Perhaps out where the river leaves the lake, the flowing water would make things better as the city grows, wouldn't it?"
"It would leave easier room for expansion later at the cost of defense," Cai Renxiang allowed. "Of course this place equidistant near to the prospective docks has value as well. The settlement is likely to grow from several places along the lakeside, a central location may improve administration."
"True! Still, speculation for now, we must decide what projects to focus on first," Gan Guangli said.
AN: Below you will find the link to your fief information, from there please Select which two development projects to begin over the next turn.
Vote format should be
[ ] Funny Plan name
-[ ] Project 1
-[ ] Project 2
If the Admin Center is chosen a location vote will be added as part of the next update.
Fief Informational
