Well Ling Qi is a snake charmer.
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.
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- They/Them
To be fair, she basically checks out the girls as much as the guys in the early parts of the first thread
- Location
- Staring into the void
Ugly duckling surrounded by swans.
I've got a question pertaining to the mechanics. See:
So, do the needed meridians mean that Ling Qi lacks 12 Lung meridians and 12 Leg meridians? Or does it mean something else??
Vikram
!!FUN!! Containment Officer
- Location
- New Delhi
I don't remember the exact lines used in the quest, but the Royal Road version makes it blatantly obvious that she's ogling the guys and feeling inferior to the girls. There's barely any ambiguity at all.
It means the art will require an extra Lung meridian on each of art levels 3 and 9, and an extra Leg meridian at each of art levels 5 and 7. In total it will require seven meridians on completion, four leg and three lung.
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- He/They
So some talk about Zhengui's weaknesses did some to make me realize that even though he's one of our greatest assets he has very little synergy with the others.
He's Yang and Fire, and we're Cold and Yin.
Despite this, he's likely one of the things that a member of the Sect who knows 5 things about us knows.
He's one of the greatest bits of fortune we've ever received, with the real competition their being the Xin-slip/Moon patronage and Cai vassalage.
Thinking about the Cai got me to thinking about our element spreads and Shenhua's tests.
Like Zhengui they're quite unlike us, Light and Order to our Darkness and Wind. They're so unlike us that to find arts to fit us worthy of our relationship with their daughter they had to reach outside their own archives.
Additionally, we were given simple requirements from Shenhua compared to Renxiang's. But remember Renxiang's tests weren't just tests. She needed to realize that it wasn't enough to fill the paperwork out correctly, she had to make the situation on the ground different.
I think there's a similiar test lying in our arts.
On it's surface level, Coldstar Blade makes no sense for us to use. Why do you give your Mid-range Musician Moonwraith a Blades art from a Sun Sect? (The thing in the sky, not the flower fuckers)
Did the archivists of two Ducal families not bother to consider our build? Did they just give it to us so our kids have something to use if they're shit with a flute?
I don't think so.
I think they gave it to us because cultivating it and arts coming off of it will enhance our synergy with Zhengui and Renxiang, because of the Contrast keyword.
I think they didn't point this out in any way on orders from Shenhua. She wants to see if we can see how good this will be for us, or if we'll say "Gross, Blades, I didn't combine my physical and spiritual attack skills so I could still train both". She wants to see if we can plan long term like most mortals can't, and see how good this art would be for us and play off FSS with the Blades swapped for Woodwinds.
Now, it's time to move from fridge logic to dreams.
We know that the Weilu elements were mostly Moon and Sun along with the Trad-5.
I think that the core reason that this art is in our package from Cai is that the Frozen Sun Sect was the ONLY source in the Empire of Yin-Sun arts.
I think that Cai know of something, a legacy of the Weilu that requires the cultivation of both Moon and Sun to use, which we're uniquely situated to benefit from because of our Moon-Patronage and Zhengui partnership.
I think that Elder Ying knew of this as well, which is why she gave us TRF.
He's Yang and Fire, and we're Cold and Yin.
Despite this, he's likely one of the things that a member of the Sect who knows 5 things about us knows.
He's one of the greatest bits of fortune we've ever received, with the real competition their being the Xin-slip/Moon patronage and Cai vassalage.
Thinking about the Cai got me to thinking about our element spreads and Shenhua's tests.
Like Zhengui they're quite unlike us, Light and Order to our Darkness and Wind. They're so unlike us that to find arts to fit us worthy of our relationship with their daughter they had to reach outside their own archives.
Additionally, we were given simple requirements from Shenhua compared to Renxiang's. But remember Renxiang's tests weren't just tests. She needed to realize that it wasn't enough to fill the paperwork out correctly, she had to make the situation on the ground different.
I think there's a similiar test lying in our arts.
On it's surface level, Coldstar Blade makes no sense for us to use. Why do you give your Mid-range Musician Moonwraith a Blades art from a Sun Sect? (The thing in the sky, not the flower fuckers)
Did the archivists of two Ducal families not bother to consider our build? Did they just give it to us so our kids have something to use if they're shit with a flute?
I don't think so.
I think they gave it to us because cultivating it and arts coming off of it will enhance our synergy with Zhengui and Renxiang, because of the Contrast keyword.
I think they didn't point this out in any way on orders from Shenhua. She wants to see if we can see how good this will be for us, or if we'll say "Gross, Blades, I didn't combine my physical and spiritual attack skills so I could still train both". She wants to see if we can plan long term like most mortals can't, and see how good this art would be for us and play off FSS with the Blades swapped for Woodwinds.
Now, it's time to move from fridge logic to dreams.
We know that the Weilu elements were mostly Moon and Sun along with the Trad-5.
I think that the core reason that this art is in our package from Cai is that the Frozen Sun Sect was the ONLY source in the Empire of Yin-Sun arts.
I think that Cai know of something, a legacy of the Weilu that requires the cultivation of both Moon and Sun to use, which we're uniquely situated to benefit from because of our Moon-Patronage and Zhengui partnership.
I think that Elder Ying knew of this as well, which is why she gave us TRF.
At some point I wanna see ling qi learning from her teacher and start chucking her little bro at people.
Varder
Tired Cultist
- Location
- Hell
That's not how that happened (at least as I understand it). Cai traded with Bai, infrastructure & materials for arts. Cai needs loyal clans, for those she needs decent arts with various themes, from Red levels and higher. Out of those arts, those that suit for LQ were thrown her way.
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- He/They
Yeah, but they only needed to do that trade because of our whole Darkness, Yin, Moon, Water dealio.
Like, with the way the economics work, the Cai archives necessarily contain an arbitrary number of moderate quality arts of all variety.
Since we were their daughters personal retainer instead of an 8 year army veteran Baron who barely squeezed into Green at 17 they wanted us to have arts that would let us keep up, which means arts with the polish that only generations of cultivators improving them can provide.
Those are not cheap, even for Green arts, and they can't be bought with money or commanded from subordinates.
deadcrystal
Slaaneshi Cultist
- Location
- The Warp
The problem that the Cai have, is that despite having one of the Empire's very few White Realm cultivators, they're a very very young clan.
I know that how long they've been around was mentioned in an update somewhere but I can't find it for the life of me, but it was not very long ago they began on the scale of things.
Old clans have had thousands upon thousands of cultivators, so even if the family has specialities they've had enough cultivators walking enough different Ways that they have Arts across all elements, skills, and themes.
Recent clans will have had not enough time for Green+ cultivators to develop different art spreads of good enough quality, they have one main road they can really pull from.
Looks like the Cai main arts are GLORIOUS GLOWING TYRANNY, which CRX has followed Shenhua into, and whilst they're very powerful arts...they're way off theme for LQ.
The Cai art vault might have contained some darkness arts, but they'd have been trash tier stuff simply because the Cai aren't old enough to have had family members develop/trade for decent quality arts in every arena.
Like, the Bai might favour water/lake/poison arts, but if a new Bai is born who turns out to be overdramatic and full of bombast they can feel pretty secure that the vault will have some arts created by the thousand-year-ago Bai McBurnEverything that they'll be suited to.
I know that how long they've been around was mentioned in an update somewhere but I can't find it for the life of me, but it was not very long ago they began on the scale of things.
Old clans have had thousands upon thousands of cultivators, so even if the family has specialities they've had enough cultivators walking enough different Ways that they have Arts across all elements, skills, and themes.
Recent clans will have had not enough time for Green+ cultivators to develop different art spreads of good enough quality, they have one main road they can really pull from.
Looks like the Cai main arts are GLORIOUS GLOWING TYRANNY, which CRX has followed Shenhua into, and whilst they're very powerful arts...they're way off theme for LQ.
The Cai art vault might have contained some darkness arts, but they'd have been trash tier stuff simply because the Cai aren't old enough to have had family members develop/trade for decent quality arts in every arena.
Like, the Bai might favour water/lake/poison arts, but if a new Bai is born who turns out to be overdramatic and full of bombast they can feel pretty secure that the vault will have some arts created by the thousand-year-ago Bai McBurnEverything that they'll be suited to.
- Location
- Canada
Ling Qi actually has quite a few yang arts
Turn 5: Arc 2-5
No, it wasn't worth it. Even if she assumed that her estimation of the cultivation was too high, this was bad terrain. She had already put a significant drain on her reserves just by being in flight for so long, and she couldn't even bring out Zhengui easily, if it came to a fight. Not to mention, even if she did manage to sneak amongst them… she didn't know any of the tongues of the cloud tribes. While she could probably pick up some meaning by leaning on her comprehension of music it wouldn't be enough to make up for the risk.
Ling Qi shot down through the clouds, keeping her qi as restrained as she could while moving at such speeds. Better to deliver warning back to her group, and the main army left behind. As she descended, she considered what she had done, in her moment of panic when it became clear that one of the barbarians had noticed her. It was not quite the same as her One with Shadow technique, nor any other. Even when she blinked from one place to another in combat she didn't quite… disperse like that.
Even now, her dantian burned and her head pounded from the strain, but… it really was just an extension of what she had already learned. In dispersing her aura to blend into the background and hide herself, she was already taking the first step. Still, to do the same with her actual body…
"Are you thinking that bodies are more important than spirits? I'm hurt Ling Qi," Sixiang laughed, sounding flippant even though she could feel the spirit's tension and watchful intent as they peered out at the world through her. "Well I guess it is a big step for a meat-person."
Ling Qi wrinkled her nose at the gross appellation, even if it wasn't wrong.
"Obviously someone who Momma taught would figure out something easy like that," Hanyi said grumpily. "Big Sister should be more careful though."
"Sister should stop picking fights where Zhengui can't help," her little brother sulked.
Ling Qi shifted uncomfortably even as she maintained her speed, flitting through the air back to the distant ground. "I would have been fine if was just the first one, or if he had just met a few first and second realms,' Ling Qi replied silently. 'And I could have found something. And I backed off didn't I?'
"I think it's fine. That first guy had no idea you were there, so why not tail him?" Sixiang said. They seemed less tense as Ling Qi soared down below the clouds.
'I'm still worried,' Ling Qi admitted. 'But I don't think I could have gained anything worth the risk.' Ling Qi knew that the Cloud Tribes could move incredibly quickly, many times faster than any similarly sized imperial grouping. So escaping from them if she had been caught would be very difficult. Maybe she could manage once she had begun cultivating the Wind Thief art, but as it was, she would have probably had to rely on using the final technique of Sable Crescent Step again and again. Combined with the slow drain of flight, and she could all too easily picture herself running out of qi.
There was no good in second guessing herself Ling Qi decided, listening to the chatter in her head. She believed that she had made the right choice. Liao Zhu was no doubt aware of what she had seen as well, so it was perhaps for the best to leave matters to him. Moving at her full speed, Ling Qi left the impossibly high mountains far behind her in short order, descending to fly and then to run among the little peaks and valleys that were their primary assignment. Reaching her subordinates did not take long after that.
They had made good progress on their assignment by the time she had returned, being more than halfway through combing the region. Using her superior mobility, it did not take long to signal them all to regroup and meet her at the bend of a stream that lay ahead. With Sixiang keeping a wary eye on the sky, she settled in to wait for them to arrive.
It took only a few minutes for them to begin to arrive. The soldiers did not look like they had suffered much in her absence. Chun Yan was somewhat scuffed, with a thin cut on her cheek and a few rips in her armor under the cloak. Chang He's boots glistened with some kind of slime that smelled faintly of fish oil. Mo Lian was largely untouched, though mud spattered his boots and trousers. Overall, they were in good condition, showing only a minor depletion of their qi.
"I won't take too much of our time to explain," Ling Qi announced as they arrived in the clearing. "I spotted three barbarians in the third realm meeting in the high peaks to the south. It was close to the edge of our range, so I was not able to confirm more. As such, we need to maintain a higher level of awareness, and watch ourselves as we work our way south."
Ling Qi was a little surprised at the reaction her words cause… or the lack of it really. She got three sharp nods, and the usual verbal acknowledgement, but they seemed surprisingly unworried. She frowned, looking toward Chang He, the oldest of the three. "I would like to hear your thoughts, as well as any advice you have on defensive measures," she said politely, triggering some muttering from Hanyi in her thoughts.
Chang He raised his head, meeting her gaze with an even expression. "You have the gist covered ma'am," he replied. "We stay aware, but we don't stop our mission. Likely as not, they'll stick to their upper peaks, gathering and hunting. There are rare reagents up in the high peaks, and its not as if we're the only ones who want them. Even if not, we can't outrun them. Earthworks and stealth are the best defense."
"I have an art which may be used for swiftly creating fortifications ma'am," Mo Lian added. "Should a group who is beyond us arrive, we can swiftly dig in and wait for the main force."
"Oh I can help with that!" Zhengui chirped excitedly.
"My spirit can help if it comes to that," Ling Qi agreed. "I want to inform the main force as well. I know our overseer has the communication equipment, but…"
"Master Liao has already sent off the message," Ling Qi very deliberately did not jump at the smooth and cultured voice which spoke in her ear. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of silver mist, gleaming like a mirror. "Your situation is known."
A swift glance showed that her subordinates had not heard the voice, nor noticed the mist. In her thoughts Sixiang muttered something about a show off. "...It seems that isn't a problem," she said after what she hoped was not a noticeable pause. She clapped her hands together. "So! Let's not waste any further time, and resume the survey. Mo Lian, show me the map you've compiled already, and we will see what I can do to speed things along."
All they could do now was complete their job and remain aware. Ling Qi held in a sigh, it was going to be a long and tense day. She hoped that her friends were having better ones.
And here we come to a little pause, we'll be voting here for an interlude, after which… who knows? Please select from among the following scenes.
[] The Snake and the Spider(Bai Meizhen and Bao Qingling)
[] Needle and Thread (Li Suyin and ???)
[] Fire and Water (Gu Xiulan and Shen Hu)
Not really super happy with this update, too short, but I need a bit of a transition
Ling Qi shot down through the clouds, keeping her qi as restrained as she could while moving at such speeds. Better to deliver warning back to her group, and the main army left behind. As she descended, she considered what she had done, in her moment of panic when it became clear that one of the barbarians had noticed her. It was not quite the same as her One with Shadow technique, nor any other. Even when she blinked from one place to another in combat she didn't quite… disperse like that.
Even now, her dantian burned and her head pounded from the strain, but… it really was just an extension of what she had already learned. In dispersing her aura to blend into the background and hide herself, she was already taking the first step. Still, to do the same with her actual body…
"Are you thinking that bodies are more important than spirits? I'm hurt Ling Qi," Sixiang laughed, sounding flippant even though she could feel the spirit's tension and watchful intent as they peered out at the world through her. "Well I guess it is a big step for a meat-person."
Ling Qi wrinkled her nose at the gross appellation, even if it wasn't wrong.
"Obviously someone who Momma taught would figure out something easy like that," Hanyi said grumpily. "Big Sister should be more careful though."
"Sister should stop picking fights where Zhengui can't help," her little brother sulked.
Ling Qi shifted uncomfortably even as she maintained her speed, flitting through the air back to the distant ground. "I would have been fine if was just the first one, or if he had just met a few first and second realms,' Ling Qi replied silently. 'And I could have found something. And I backed off didn't I?'
"I think it's fine. That first guy had no idea you were there, so why not tail him?" Sixiang said. They seemed less tense as Ling Qi soared down below the clouds.
'I'm still worried,' Ling Qi admitted. 'But I don't think I could have gained anything worth the risk.' Ling Qi knew that the Cloud Tribes could move incredibly quickly, many times faster than any similarly sized imperial grouping. So escaping from them if she had been caught would be very difficult. Maybe she could manage once she had begun cultivating the Wind Thief art, but as it was, she would have probably had to rely on using the final technique of Sable Crescent Step again and again. Combined with the slow drain of flight, and she could all too easily picture herself running out of qi.
There was no good in second guessing herself Ling Qi decided, listening to the chatter in her head. She believed that she had made the right choice. Liao Zhu was no doubt aware of what she had seen as well, so it was perhaps for the best to leave matters to him. Moving at her full speed, Ling Qi left the impossibly high mountains far behind her in short order, descending to fly and then to run among the little peaks and valleys that were their primary assignment. Reaching her subordinates did not take long after that.
They had made good progress on their assignment by the time she had returned, being more than halfway through combing the region. Using her superior mobility, it did not take long to signal them all to regroup and meet her at the bend of a stream that lay ahead. With Sixiang keeping a wary eye on the sky, she settled in to wait for them to arrive.
It took only a few minutes for them to begin to arrive. The soldiers did not look like they had suffered much in her absence. Chun Yan was somewhat scuffed, with a thin cut on her cheek and a few rips in her armor under the cloak. Chang He's boots glistened with some kind of slime that smelled faintly of fish oil. Mo Lian was largely untouched, though mud spattered his boots and trousers. Overall, they were in good condition, showing only a minor depletion of their qi.
"I won't take too much of our time to explain," Ling Qi announced as they arrived in the clearing. "I spotted three barbarians in the third realm meeting in the high peaks to the south. It was close to the edge of our range, so I was not able to confirm more. As such, we need to maintain a higher level of awareness, and watch ourselves as we work our way south."
Ling Qi was a little surprised at the reaction her words cause… or the lack of it really. She got three sharp nods, and the usual verbal acknowledgement, but they seemed surprisingly unworried. She frowned, looking toward Chang He, the oldest of the three. "I would like to hear your thoughts, as well as any advice you have on defensive measures," she said politely, triggering some muttering from Hanyi in her thoughts.
Chang He raised his head, meeting her gaze with an even expression. "You have the gist covered ma'am," he replied. "We stay aware, but we don't stop our mission. Likely as not, they'll stick to their upper peaks, gathering and hunting. There are rare reagents up in the high peaks, and its not as if we're the only ones who want them. Even if not, we can't outrun them. Earthworks and stealth are the best defense."
"I have an art which may be used for swiftly creating fortifications ma'am," Mo Lian added. "Should a group who is beyond us arrive, we can swiftly dig in and wait for the main force."
"Oh I can help with that!" Zhengui chirped excitedly.
"My spirit can help if it comes to that," Ling Qi agreed. "I want to inform the main force as well. I know our overseer has the communication equipment, but…"
"Master Liao has already sent off the message," Ling Qi very deliberately did not jump at the smooth and cultured voice which spoke in her ear. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of silver mist, gleaming like a mirror. "Your situation is known."
A swift glance showed that her subordinates had not heard the voice, nor noticed the mist. In her thoughts Sixiang muttered something about a show off. "...It seems that isn't a problem," she said after what she hoped was not a noticeable pause. She clapped her hands together. "So! Let's not waste any further time, and resume the survey. Mo Lian, show me the map you've compiled already, and we will see what I can do to speed things along."
All they could do now was complete their job and remain aware. Ling Qi held in a sigh, it was going to be a long and tense day. She hoped that her friends were having better ones.
And here we come to a little pause, we'll be voting here for an interlude, after which… who knows? Please select from among the following scenes.
[] The Snake and the Spider(Bai Meizhen and Bao Qingling)
[] Needle and Thread (Li Suyin and ???)
[] Fire and Water (Gu Xiulan and Shen Hu)
Not really super happy with this update, too short, but I need a bit of a transition
Last edited:
- Location
- Leeds
Why ??? If its talking about threads wouldn't it be Cai related?
- Location
- the internet
I thought the threads refer to Li Suyin's spider silk... the question would be who's the needle...
It could be the ~mysterious~ Du Feng, which we know nothing about.
- Location
- Earth
Li Suyin does use her Acupuncture Needles. which Ling Qi only recognized because she once fenced a set
- Location
- United States of America
Remember, there is a 2 hour wait period before voting!
Mother Nyx
Mother of Elpis
- Location
- The Kei Klub
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[ ] The Snake and the Spider(Bai Meizhen and Bao Qingling)
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Nice one Moon senpai, does what's needed without even being asked. Ling Qi's looking a pretty solid leader too, even if she does still feel a tad unsure. Confidence will come with time! Seems we were pretty lucky with the competence of our subordinates, both cultivator and spirit. Especially liked Sixiang's meat-person nomenclature.
On the vote, gonna have to give it to the Bas. Individually they're only matched by Xiulan, together they have a clear lead. Even if I am somewhat curious about ???...
On the vote, gonna have to give it to the Bas. Individually they're only matched by Xiulan, together they have a clear lead. Even if I am somewhat curious about ???...
