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.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
What's the most up to date and/or detailed description we have of Xuan Shi and Gan Gaungli? I know there's the chibi art of Gan Gaungli, but that's, y'know, chibi art.
ElizatronicWarfa
Himejoshi Supreme
- Pronouns
- She/They
Gan has a fullbody portrait on his wiki page: Gan Guangli - Encyclopaedia Of Destiny
Introductions
ElizatronicWarfa
Himejoshi Supreme
- Pronouns
- She/They
Introductions
Hu Baojun coughed roughly into his handkerchief at the top of the stairs, leaning heavily on the banister as his body rebelled. His lungs failed him more often these days, and the voyage from Jingshan had strained them. Even now, halfway up the island's stony peak, the sea air drove spikes into his chest and what was left of his hair threatened to fly away in the breeze. There was a soft pressure on his shoulder, and reflexively he jerked it such that the hand slid off."Enough, woman. I am not so frail that I must be coddled. Let us reach this meeting on time."
Pangguan said nothing, and fell in a step behind as he crested the stairs. They shuffled along a wide stone balcony that had been carved from the mountain itself, overlooking a tall and unpleasant drop down towards the rocky shore. A pair of lacquered wooden doors swung inwards as they approached, opening into a more conventional indoor hallway of polished wood and elegant paper screens. Every dozen meters the corridor branched off in both directions, creating the impression of aisles, and here and there were wooden cabinets bearing ancient clay tablets, jagged stones, or aged scraps of cloth.
Just as he was scrutinising the faded colours on one of the latter, the sound of footsteps jerked Baojun's attention away. A young woman was approaching him with the unmistakable air of nobility. She wore an understated yet expensive silk dress in muted blues, edged with embroidered silver thread that appeared to shimmer at odds with its' movement. It had likely cost more than he could make in years, and clearly indicated her status next to his plain traveling clothes and its' coarse, rugged stitching. Her dark hair was richly ornamented, her pale skin was flawless, and... something about her eyes was familiar. Baojun bowed as low as his body would allow him, waving one hand behind him to urge Pangguan to do the same.
"My lady. I am Hu Baojun, a humble weaver of Jiashan. This is my wife, De Pangguan. We are both honoured by your presence in this Great Sect of the Empire."
There was a long moment of silence, during which Baojun tried to keep himself from trembling in his hunched pose. He was used to lords playing this game.
"...Rise."
The woman was tall and regal, not bent by age, and she looked down at him with a glacial expression. A wall slid open, revealing a meeting room with one central table and pairs of cushion seats on either side. The woman from the Sect wordlessly indicated for them to enter as she walked in, taking the lead according to her station - but her irregular lack of introduction raised the hairs on Baojun's neck. The cushions were also fine silk, embroidered lavishly with the Sect's heraldry and colours, and sitting on one felt almost sacrilegious.
Across the small table, the sect Lady watched them without saying anything. Pangguan quietly sat on the cushion to his right as she always did, peering at the stranger curiously, so it fell to him to break the silence with another deep bow.
"Honoured madam, thank you for your hospitality. We arrived this morning from the mainland, after receiving a letter from the Sect asking us to attend. Where is our-"
Hu Baojun suddenly coughed, his lungs momentarily spasming as he had attempted to form the next word. The interruption threw him off-balance, but he tried to re-order his thoughts. There was a faint smell of damp earth that vanished with the next breath, and he grunted deeply to press his chest back into service while fumbling in his robe for a handkerchief.
"Hh-hrm. Please excuse me. Where is our child? We received a letter from the Sect asking us to meet-"
Again, Hu Baojun was stopped by his own body refusing to produce a word. He finally withdrew a handkerchief, and cleared his chest again to try and regain control over his speech. He felt stifled, but cold, like he was buried in wet dark earth. Something was wrong. He shrugged off Pangguan's tugging on his sleeve. The woman from the sect had not moved, and watched him silently.
"My apologies again - the journey has not been kind to this old man. As I was saying, we received a letter asking us to meet our child here today. What is going on? We have not received a letter from them for over a year. Have they caused trouble? If it's about those bloody dresses that Hu-"
Dieshu allowed a very small part of herself to feel good about the way her father's face lit up with panic when she closed his lips and sealed them shut. The rest of her was panicking, but she had not gotten this far to stop now.
"You will not address me by that name any longer. Is that understood?"
Horrified, enraged realisation began to dawn on his piggish face. It went red, then white, as the reality of his situation sunk in.
"You now know exactly who I am. This is an incontrovertible fact. You will not change it any more than change this mountain. This is the first thing you will accept."
She snapped a hand out over the table, for the theatre of it more than anything, moving the scroll out of her storage band and into it.
"This is an imperial baronial writ, awarded to me three weeks ago upon achieving the Third Realm. It authorises me as head of the Hu Clan, granting power over those under its' banner."
Both of them boggled at it, wide-eyed and shocked.
"As mortals, you are afforded certain legal protections under Imperial law. You are not compelled to join the Hu Clan, nor is it appropriate for anyone to retaliate against you for not doing so. You may, once we are done, walk out this door and return to your lives exactly as they were. This is your right."
Both of her parents glanced at the door mutely.
"You have a choice. I want you to know that."
Dieshu reached into her storage band again and took the pouch of red stones out into her other hand. She dropped it onto the table, allowing the contents to be seen through the open neck.
"If you choose to join the Hu Clan and observe its' principles, you will be provided with a stipend of cultivation materials to extend your lifespans with. You will also be permitted to return to Jiashan and continue to run your textiles business."
Both of them now boggled at what looked like a small fortune in front of them. Dieshu reached over and tugged the drawstring closed on the pouch.
"Either way, once you die, the factory will be without your guidance. Your choice today will determine when that happens, and whether you will have had time to secure its' future."
She folded her hands and watched her father mutely travel through his familiar moods of confusion, rage, fear, avarice, rage again...
"Your requirements for joining the Hu Clan are very simple. Respect me, Hu Dieshu, as its' head. Do not contact me unless I contact you first. Do not bring shame to the clan. I will have final say on any matters I deem worthy of my attention. You understand."
The last point was more instruction than query. Dieshu released her father's lips. Her mother urgently tugged on his sleeve again, and they held a whispered conversation that Dieshu did not listen to. She watched their horror and anxiety and anger swirl inside them as they decided whether to swallow their pride and accept reality, or fade into mediocrity. She wondered if they would gain some small measure of understanding from it.
Eventually, her parents turned to face her again. Her father, of course, spoke for them both. His voice was small and halting, but she could feel the indignant bravado that he tried to weave into it.
"What... have you done to yourself? We left you in the Sect's hands hoping Master Ran's discipline would solve your... your issues, but now you come before us as a... a..."
"As myself, Father. You behold the culmination of two years' intense effort. Cultivation is the removal of falsehood, and I did not undertake it lightly."
She had left many things behind. A name. A face. Self-censorship. Filial piety. She shook one hand free of its' voluminous sleeve, and held it out against a lantern.
"Every cultivator becomes themselves to one extent or another. I merely did the same."
"But – but why? You could have become a successful soldier, or, or a-"
She slapped the tabletop, and they both jumped.
"Father, have you even wondered what it is I do here? Why I have been allowed to remain on Sect grounds for two full years now? I am performing vital archaeological research via liminal delving, developing formationcraft designed to pierce and filter collective psycho-geography so that its' historical roots can be – you, you have no idea, do you?"
He stuttered, blustering. Dieshu could see the raw confusion in his mind. It was like explaining money to a baby. This was fruitless, and she was coming undone under the pressure of the meeting as it dragged on.
"Enough. Do you accept my terms?"
Her parents looked at each other. Their lined faces were bloodless with fear and shock. Their decision festered inside them, Dieshu could see it – but she needed to hear it from their own mouths. It had to be done in its' entirety. Her father grovelled, slowly rising up onto his knees like a man kneeling for the executioner's block.
"Pledge fealty to your Baroness."
Dieshu watched the words form inside him, watched his brain order each syllable like a rat drowning in honey. The world stilled, the air became thick and clammy, she felt herself push on the entire room in one continuous breathless anticipation stretching itself to breaking point-
Her father bowed again, even lower this time.
"Hu Baojun pledges himself in undying loyalty to the noble house of Hu, and to... to Lady Dieshu."
Her mother bowed, and followed in his footsteps.
"Rise."
Both did so, trembling with anxiety. Dieshu flicked the bag of red stones across the table, pushing them off the edge and onto the floor in front of her father's knees.
"This is now yours. More will be provided at the appropriate intervals. Letters will be forthcoming. Return to your home."
Both of them backed out of the meeting room, bowing and scraping. Her mother was the last to leave, and looked like she was about to say something – but then Baojun tugged on her sleeve, so she left.
Tsulu flickered out of the liminal and landed on Dieshu's shoulder in the empty meeting room, taking the familiar form of a cat-sized moth. His antennae flicked, tasting the hot, smooth, bright anger boiling off her, and his legs felt a slight tremor. He'd waited until a minute or so after the mortals had left.
"Ho-ly shit. I felt it from out there. They said yes?"
Dieshu did not reply immediately.
"...It felt like giving a child candy for good behaviour."
"Not as satisfying as you wanted?"
"He's a sad, self-interested old man."
Tsulu considered this, and made a wet noise with his mandibles to punctuate the thought.
"Not worth pursuing, then."
"No."
"I'm sorry, Dieshu."
"Yeah."
He regarded the two cushions on the other side of the table.
"Hrm. And her?"
"Mm."
Tsulu decided not to push it any further.
"Wanna go get smashed and find some old plays that are bleeding together? You love that shit."
Dieshu grunted, and soundlessly slid into the liminal with him.
The meeting room was now empty.
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ElizatronicWarfa
Himejoshi Supreme
- Pronouns
- She/They
Thankyou!
Yes.
To offer a more helpful answer, Tsulu is a dream spirit that Dieshu ran into while lost in the liminal behind the sect. He was a grub at the time, and took pity on a poor little larval human. He became a cocoon at Yellow, and hatched into a moth at Green. Tsulu likes gossip, art, booze, and shit-stirring. He's a horrid, lazy little creature who frequently tries to tip the scales in favour of Dieshu's id, but his loyalty is unwavering.
Very tense, and you really nailed the deflating anticlimax of finally being able to dictate terms and her dad still not getting it. All the little assumptions Baojun keeps making about whats happening, and him not understanding her work were good touches
New ways to annoy the Bai found.
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zamin
The Watcher in the Dark
Ooh, very nice. I liked how direct Dieshu was. "I am a third realm now. Accept my terms or piss off" was probably not the most diplomatic way to approach things, but given the hints about their prior relationship (the fact that she specifically mentioned leaving behind filial piety was pretty telling), I can understand why she wanted to just get it over and done with.
I would argue that from the hints we've seen, it was rather very diplomatic. She could've just never talked to them again, or just really made their life unpleasant. Sure, technically you're not supposed to do that, but people only give limited shits about random mortal, and so much less so if it's a family affair.
They got an official letter. That's hard and dangerous to fake.
Year 45, Month 13 Arc 1-4
There were certainly many better investigators and diviners in the Emerald Seas, in the Diao clan or even the region, but for the moment none of them were here, only Ling Qi, and her ability to listen. But in the end she also was not the one who could solve this all, she could only use her time here to give what small aid she could, and that meant focusing on one thing. The whole world whispered, but she was not yet a sovereign, able to listen to every voice in tandem as anything but mind straining noise
The best thing she could offer these men and the Diao's forces was a glimpse of who had done this and what marks they carried and left in their wake. She closed her eyes firmly, closed off her mortal senses, letting the inside of the carriage truly fade away. She could not do this on the move or under stress, only in meditation. Her immortal senses replaced them entirely, the view of shimmering whorls of qi and the sound of spiritual voices. She closed it down, focused, pushed the deafening noise of the dense forest and the chatter of flagstones away.
The walls had no answers, stolid and unmarked, the stones and mortar knew nothing. No foe had breached them, no cunning saboteur had climbed them. They divided and excluded, the border they made held, only as porous as it had been made.
The earth was disturbed, the ground sickly with blood and worse things, spilled by the dying and by the spreading toxic mycellum of fungal fibers which crawled and spread, slowly writhing and burning under the sun. She listened to that creeping fiber but… it had nothing to say to her. It refused her despite not being conscious to do so.
The craft of the Ith had its own defenses against diviners.
Instead she listened to the sounds of feet. Late many had rushed and stampeded too and fro, seeking the gates, seeking shelter, seeking nothing at all, merely panicking. But if she whispered to the earth, asked it to remember further back, to before the sickness had begun to sprout and right after…
She heard the sound of rickety wagon wheels and the steady tramp of boots, the slap of sandals and shoes against the ground. Small traffic, carrying things from the logging and forestry camps back to the town itself.
It was still a tremendous rush of information, a million, million moving parts and intersecting factors, even translated through the inhuman senses of flagstone and dirt. She took a ragged breath, feeling a vein pulse in her forehead, an ache beginning to bloom inside her head head, just under her eye.
There. A set of boots which had only rarely crossed the stones under the gate. A quickened pace, ragged breaths. Leaving just an hour before the deaths began.
He stood out from the handful of other travelers, because he was heavier than he should have been. His shadow weighed on the earth, his boots carried a weight that a mortal man should not have
The Mortal-not-mortal left with a small departing caravan, just another of many boots, porters and laborers. She could not see his face or frame. Stones did not feel such things, and whatever winds had touched him had long blown on from this place. But she could in her minds eye, construct a silhouette. Height and weight, a man, but most of all, she thought the most relevant fact was…
She stirred in her meditation as a hard knock rapped against the door of her carriage.
Her meditation broke. She gestured as she rose to her feet, hearing the soldier outside step quickly back as her carriage door swung open.
It was Huo Gen, the same old man as before, waiting respectfully outside.
"I apologize for missing your first three attempts to rouse me. I was deep in meditation," Ling Qi apologized, reviewing the sounds which had come around the carriage shortly before she awoke.
"It is nothing, Miss Ling. I merely wished to confirm that the Oracle Formation has cleared your identity and indicated that you are not under any form of subversion," he paused. "And neither is your driver."
"I am pleased to hear that," Ling Qi replied, stepping down from her carriage. She wondered what that said about her games with Huisheng. "I found my meditation fruitful."
"Did you?" he asked, frowning.
"A man who held marks of ith impurity left this town fifty seven minutes before the sickness began to spread. He was one hundred seventy two centimeters tall and about seventy two kilograms," Ling Qi said. "He left with a small caravan of fifteen people."
Huo Gen took in a sharp breath, straightening up immediately. "You are certain of this?"
"I will stake my honor and my liege's honor on it," Ling Qi said. "There is only one other detail my method could discern."
"What is it?"
"He was mortal."
"Mortal?" Huo Gen frowned. "Then it may be meaningless…. Mortal pawns controlled by cultivators do not last. The mechanisms of control break their fragile bodies…"
"...Are not the same among the ith. I… did not feel that the man was dying, or even… controlled with a hard method," Ling Qi said. He had been running a little hot, but… it didn't feel sickly.
The soldier frowned deeply. "Regardless, the man will be found, alive or dead, and this barbarian method will be discerned. I, Huo Gen, thank Lady Ling for her time."
"Please do, and you are more than welcome," she said, bowing her head. "Let the culprits be rounded up swiftly, and this crime against our people be avenged."
The man's expression darkened, and she felt the chaotic mix of helpless rage, hope and anxiety slip through the facade that had held against her casual senses slip through.
This old man had kin among the sick and the dead.
She held back a grimace and the urge to bow lower. He wouldn't be happy to know she had glimpsed his thoughts.
"...Yes. These attacks will be responded too in full. Good speed, Baroness Ling. I will hold you up no longer here."
Ling Qi merely nodded, and gestured up to her driver, who straightened in his seat as she climbed back into the carriage.
She had known to some degree that the fight with the ith had never really stopped, with clashes underground and attacks on their own land like this going on at a low level for many months now, while she fought her own battle of words and spirit at the summit.
But it was another thing to see and feel it, the building strain and rage against an enemy who struck at places which should never have been vulnerable in the first place.
There was no end here which did not see further violence. And having felt the echoes of that village… she couldn't even say she wanted one.
But she could easily see that anger splashing out. She had to make sure better lines of communication were opened with the surrendered ith beneath Xiangmen.
"It shows that they have not forgotten the post rebellion era, and the hunt for the Hui who went to ground when their leadership fell," Xia Lin agreed. "Though this plan… were they simply not capable of targeting larger population centers?"
"Going by Ling Qi's discovery and my own observations, it is my belief that they were intending for the artificial plague spirits to spread on the high road traffic which my honored mother's wedding has caused," Cai Renxiang said. The light which glinted on her hair and shone from behind her head was brighter, like it had been in the Outer Sect, the sharp radiant outline of a mandala hidden behind her hair. "By beginning the attacks in less defended areas vectors could slip through stronger defenses though less openly malicious means."
"...It's a sophisticated attack. I don't think we've seen something at such a large scale before," Ling Qi said uncomfortably. The carriage the three of them shared was much more spacious than her last two rides, altered by a minor spatial formation to be large enough for all of them to fit comfortably.
"...I guess the enemy gets a say too huh?" Sixiang murmured.
"It is. Well, I suppose it would be impossible to hide the movements to gather for the offensive, even if her grace tried," Gan Guangli said.
"A Provincial Muster cannot be hidden, even a Sovereign of lies and misdirection would likely only obfuscate its timing and direction," Xia Lin said gruffly.
"They know the Emerald Seas is coming for them then. It then begs the question: is this warning escalation, or a panicked one?"
"Unfortunately we do not know the highest level of operational thinking. Only my Mother and her inner circle would," Cai Renxiang replied, shaking her head in frustration.
"We will not simply sit and let ourselves be attacked. These ith may think us ponderous for the speed of our response, but they will regret awakening it when it comes," Xia Lin said quietly. "There can be no mercy for those who would unleash weapons on mortals."
The atmosphere was not the most cheerful.
"But there is nothing we can do about it right now… We aren't the military or intelligence commands of the Diao. We should focus on what is within our reach," Ling Qi said.
"Well said," Cai Renxiang said. "Firstly, I have been in contact with my people we have left behind in Shenglu."
"The speaking stones did arrive in time?" Xia Lin asked.
"They did… though given the timetable and prices, it is only usable a few minutes a week. It will do for reports, but something better may need to be commissioned."
Formations which allowed long distance communication were monstrously expensive and prone to degradation through use. Something like the projection mirror her liege had used to appear in the court at Xiangmen drank stones like water. Only a ducal family or a very wealthy count could afford such things. But there were lesser talismans which were good for short messages.
Though even these were quite expensive.
"Better watch out or you'll end up strapped to somebody's office someday sending and receiving messages," Sixiang teased.
"Then the last portions of the wall were laid?" Ling Qi asked, hiding a smile at Sixiang's words. Another benefit of having a reasonable liege.
"Indeed!" Gan Guangli boomed. "The security detail of the Sect has also reached the area and will assist our house troops until we return. Shenglu should remain secure until we return.
"That is good. I'm glad our hires are living up to Lady Cai's standards."
"There are inefficiencies which could grow if left unattended, but yes, I may comfortably cede some administrative control for the time being," Renxiang said.
"Has the next slate of projects been decided?" Xia Lin asked idly, looking out at the root hills they were passing by, the colossal trunk of Xiangmen beginning to truly loom in the distance. "I have focused on the defense and we have what is needful there already?"
"Not going to advocate for more military spending?" Ling Qi asked impishly."Isn't that how these little councils are supposed to go?"
Xia Lin gave her a deadpan look. "Build a stable. Purchase all of the horses immediately, Lady Cai."
"I think that will prove unnecessary," their liege replied dryly. "I have some thoughts and the petition system is seeing some results, but for now, I believe it best that Shenglu focus on…
[ ] Fief Plan vote!
-[ ] Project 1
-[ ] Project 2
-[ ] Project 3
The best thing she could offer these men and the Diao's forces was a glimpse of who had done this and what marks they carried and left in their wake. She closed her eyes firmly, closed off her mortal senses, letting the inside of the carriage truly fade away. She could not do this on the move or under stress, only in meditation. Her immortal senses replaced them entirely, the view of shimmering whorls of qi and the sound of spiritual voices. She closed it down, focused, pushed the deafening noise of the dense forest and the chatter of flagstones away.
The walls had no answers, stolid and unmarked, the stones and mortar knew nothing. No foe had breached them, no cunning saboteur had climbed them. They divided and excluded, the border they made held, only as porous as it had been made.
The earth was disturbed, the ground sickly with blood and worse things, spilled by the dying and by the spreading toxic mycellum of fungal fibers which crawled and spread, slowly writhing and burning under the sun. She listened to that creeping fiber but… it had nothing to say to her. It refused her despite not being conscious to do so.
The craft of the Ith had its own defenses against diviners.
Instead she listened to the sounds of feet. Late many had rushed and stampeded too and fro, seeking the gates, seeking shelter, seeking nothing at all, merely panicking. But if she whispered to the earth, asked it to remember further back, to before the sickness had begun to sprout and right after…
She heard the sound of rickety wagon wheels and the steady tramp of boots, the slap of sandals and shoes against the ground. Small traffic, carrying things from the logging and forestry camps back to the town itself.
It was still a tremendous rush of information, a million, million moving parts and intersecting factors, even translated through the inhuman senses of flagstone and dirt. She took a ragged breath, feeling a vein pulse in her forehead, an ache beginning to bloom inside her head head, just under her eye.
There. A set of boots which had only rarely crossed the stones under the gate. A quickened pace, ragged breaths. Leaving just an hour before the deaths began.
He stood out from the handful of other travelers, because he was heavier than he should have been. His shadow weighed on the earth, his boots carried a weight that a mortal man should not have
The Mortal-not-mortal left with a small departing caravan, just another of many boots, porters and laborers. She could not see his face or frame. Stones did not feel such things, and whatever winds had touched him had long blown on from this place. But she could in her minds eye, construct a silhouette. Height and weight, a man, but most of all, she thought the most relevant fact was…
She stirred in her meditation as a hard knock rapped against the door of her carriage.
Her meditation broke. She gestured as she rose to her feet, hearing the soldier outside step quickly back as her carriage door swung open.
It was Huo Gen, the same old man as before, waiting respectfully outside.
"I apologize for missing your first three attempts to rouse me. I was deep in meditation," Ling Qi apologized, reviewing the sounds which had come around the carriage shortly before she awoke.
"It is nothing, Miss Ling. I merely wished to confirm that the Oracle Formation has cleared your identity and indicated that you are not under any form of subversion," he paused. "And neither is your driver."
"I am pleased to hear that," Ling Qi replied, stepping down from her carriage. She wondered what that said about her games with Huisheng. "I found my meditation fruitful."
"Did you?" he asked, frowning.
"A man who held marks of ith impurity left this town fifty seven minutes before the sickness began to spread. He was one hundred seventy two centimeters tall and about seventy two kilograms," Ling Qi said. "He left with a small caravan of fifteen people."
Huo Gen took in a sharp breath, straightening up immediately. "You are certain of this?"
"I will stake my honor and my liege's honor on it," Ling Qi said. "There is only one other detail my method could discern."
"What is it?"
"He was mortal."
"Mortal?" Huo Gen frowned. "Then it may be meaningless…. Mortal pawns controlled by cultivators do not last. The mechanisms of control break their fragile bodies…"
"...Are not the same among the ith. I… did not feel that the man was dying, or even… controlled with a hard method," Ling Qi said. He had been running a little hot, but… it didn't feel sickly.
The soldier frowned deeply. "Regardless, the man will be found, alive or dead, and this barbarian method will be discerned. I, Huo Gen, thank Lady Ling for her time."
"Please do, and you are more than welcome," she said, bowing her head. "Let the culprits be rounded up swiftly, and this crime against our people be avenged."
The man's expression darkened, and she felt the chaotic mix of helpless rage, hope and anxiety slip through the facade that had held against her casual senses slip through.
This old man had kin among the sick and the dead.
She held back a grimace and the urge to bow lower. He wouldn't be happy to know she had glimpsed his thoughts.
"...Yes. These attacks will be responded too in full. Good speed, Baroness Ling. I will hold you up no longer here."
Ling Qi merely nodded, and gestured up to her driver, who straightened in his seat as she climbed back into the carriage.
She had known to some degree that the fight with the ith had never really stopped, with clashes underground and attacks on their own land like this going on at a low level for many months now, while she fought her own battle of words and spirit at the summit.
But it was another thing to see and feel it, the building strain and rage against an enemy who struck at places which should never have been vulnerable in the first place.
There was no end here which did not see further violence. And having felt the echoes of that village… she couldn't even say she wanted one.
But she could easily see that anger splashing out. She had to make sure better lines of communication were opened with the surrendered ith beneath Xiangmen.
***
"It is a grave situation, though the Diao have been incredibly swift and proactive in their response," Gan Guangli said. He seemed larger than ever, his head brushing the roof of the carriage."It shows that they have not forgotten the post rebellion era, and the hunt for the Hui who went to ground when their leadership fell," Xia Lin agreed. "Though this plan… were they simply not capable of targeting larger population centers?"
"Going by Ling Qi's discovery and my own observations, it is my belief that they were intending for the artificial plague spirits to spread on the high road traffic which my honored mother's wedding has caused," Cai Renxiang said. The light which glinted on her hair and shone from behind her head was brighter, like it had been in the Outer Sect, the sharp radiant outline of a mandala hidden behind her hair. "By beginning the attacks in less defended areas vectors could slip through stronger defenses though less openly malicious means."
"...It's a sophisticated attack. I don't think we've seen something at such a large scale before," Ling Qi said uncomfortably. The carriage the three of them shared was much more spacious than her last two rides, altered by a minor spatial formation to be large enough for all of them to fit comfortably.
"...I guess the enemy gets a say too huh?" Sixiang murmured.
"It is. Well, I suppose it would be impossible to hide the movements to gather for the offensive, even if her grace tried," Gan Guangli said.
"A Provincial Muster cannot be hidden, even a Sovereign of lies and misdirection would likely only obfuscate its timing and direction," Xia Lin said gruffly.
"They know the Emerald Seas is coming for them then. It then begs the question: is this warning escalation, or a panicked one?"
"Unfortunately we do not know the highest level of operational thinking. Only my Mother and her inner circle would," Cai Renxiang replied, shaking her head in frustration.
"We will not simply sit and let ourselves be attacked. These ith may think us ponderous for the speed of our response, but they will regret awakening it when it comes," Xia Lin said quietly. "There can be no mercy for those who would unleash weapons on mortals."
The atmosphere was not the most cheerful.
"But there is nothing we can do about it right now… We aren't the military or intelligence commands of the Diao. We should focus on what is within our reach," Ling Qi said.
"Well said," Cai Renxiang said. "Firstly, I have been in contact with my people we have left behind in Shenglu."
"The speaking stones did arrive in time?" Xia Lin asked.
"They did… though given the timetable and prices, it is only usable a few minutes a week. It will do for reports, but something better may need to be commissioned."
Formations which allowed long distance communication were monstrously expensive and prone to degradation through use. Something like the projection mirror her liege had used to appear in the court at Xiangmen drank stones like water. Only a ducal family or a very wealthy count could afford such things. But there were lesser talismans which were good for short messages.
Though even these were quite expensive.
"Better watch out or you'll end up strapped to somebody's office someday sending and receiving messages," Sixiang teased.
"Then the last portions of the wall were laid?" Ling Qi asked, hiding a smile at Sixiang's words. Another benefit of having a reasonable liege.
"Indeed!" Gan Guangli boomed. "The security detail of the Sect has also reached the area and will assist our house troops until we return. Shenglu should remain secure until we return.
"That is good. I'm glad our hires are living up to Lady Cai's standards."
"There are inefficiencies which could grow if left unattended, but yes, I may comfortably cede some administrative control for the time being," Renxiang said.
"Has the next slate of projects been decided?" Xia Lin asked idly, looking out at the root hills they were passing by, the colossal trunk of Xiangmen beginning to truly loom in the distance. "I have focused on the defense and we have what is needful there already?"
"Not going to advocate for more military spending?" Ling Qi asked impishly."Isn't that how these little councils are supposed to go?"
Xia Lin gave her a deadpan look. "Build a stable. Purchase all of the horses immediately, Lady Cai."
"I think that will prove unnecessary," their liege replied dryly. "I have some thoughts and the petition system is seeing some results, but for now, I believe it best that Shenglu focus on…
[ ] Fief Plan vote!
-[ ] Project 1
-[ ] Project 2
-[ ] Project 3
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*****
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A small afterward, If you enjoy the quest, please consider dropping a few dollars to the patreon or for a fun bit of merch. For patrons even as quest followers you get early access to commissions, full access to Journey to the East as well as the new sidestory featuring Meizhen's trip in Zhengjian underway as well as first access to new stories if I make them!
Check out them out!
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Thank you your readership and participation in the Quest!
*****
Please wait two hours before voting.
Mortals as a vector, willing ones at that... going to end up a mess that one.
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- He/Him
I find myself very very surprised by the incredible level of specificity Ling Qi could get without a single active qi technique. Insane post-cognitive detective work just by listening real hard.
Settlement Walls is still present in the available projects. Not sure if that's intended.
Snowblossom Shrine seems particularly important at the moment ("hold more regular rites and beseechments of your town's guardian deity"), for reasons that seem obvious. Doing "Moar Fishing Boats" at the same time seems sensible, given the lake spirit's preferences.
Boiling Deeps is an extention of the Veins of the Earth, which is giving us +10 to Settlement Defense and resistance to minor disease events. Given what the Ith like getting up to...
Think I'm generally fine with @Alectai's suggested plan. Ag might be a bit tight next turn, though.
Edit: Looking through the available projects, we'll have enough low-Ag options that I'm not worried about it.
Snowblossom Shrine seems particularly important at the moment ("hold more regular rites and beseechments of your town's guardian deity"), for reasons that seem obvious. Doing "Moar Fishing Boats" at the same time seems sensible, given the lake spirit's preferences.
Boiling Deeps is an extention of the Veins of the Earth, which is giving us +10 to Settlement Defense and resistance to minor disease events. Given what the Ith like getting up to...
Think I'm generally fine with @Alectai's suggested plan. Ag might be a bit tight next turn, though.
Edit: Looking through the available projects, we'll have enough low-Ag options that I'm not worried about it.
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I'd like to start gathering some of the rare resources soon but that can wait until next time I guess . Getting the last necessary fishing infrastructure and Snow blossoms shrine up are important though.
There are 13 months in a Destiny verse year. So 39 project slots per year. I went through the projects list and counted them as well as the mentioned unlockable projects and ended up a bit over 30. Even with the necessity of occasional Call on Cai wealth and multi-month projects it should be possible to do most of the available projects in an in-universe year.
Shenglu is going to expand filthy fast by settlement standards.
Shenglu is going to expand filthy fast by settlement standards.
Yeah I think this is where I lean too if we can do boiling deeps. We really want to get the cultivator pop in, and we've been waiting on boats for ages with it being a good upgrade.
I'm kind of inclined to think about starting to work on the fields development in the coming months too as we enter spring for RP reasons. Maybe around month 3? dunno
Forestry is also quite strong, providing 3A for 1P, and unlocking more stuff. Though I believe we'll also have to be looking at a cai wealth action ~turn 2 or so as well.
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- He/Him
Yeah, Fields Expansion will give us more manpower, and for RP reasons it would be a very good idea to implement Bai Clan Soil Studies shortly.