31-34

Bonus 6: Charity

"Will you cease your fidgeting?" Gu Xiulan chided irritably, working her hairbrush through the veritable bird's nest that the other girls hair had become.

Ling Qi grimaced and stilled herself, clutching the arms of the chair she was seated in with a white knuckled grip. "Sorry, not used to this," she replied stiffly.

"So I gathered," Gu Xiulan replied haughtily. At least the other girl was less tense than she had been earlier, while Gu Xiulan had been applying the rejuvenating elixir. She supposed that it was good to know that Ling Qi was so weak to physical contact. It was important to know the flaws in allies as well as enemies after all.

That was rather the point after all. From what she had observed, Ling Qi was rather easy to manipulate. A small show of equitable treatment and a few stones spent on charity were enough to cement a positive relationship. She was rather glad that she had restrained her more aggressive instincts in that regard.

Mother would be proud of her, she was sure, Gu Xiulan thought smugly as she fought the mess the other girl had made of her hair. It was just good sense to acquire those of good talent. Gu Xiulan had always wanted a handmaiden of her own after all.

"Are you sure we can't leave it at this for today?" Ling Qi asked, squirming a bit in her seat.

"What did I just say?" Gu Xiulan replied. "This will be for naught if we leave things half done."

Besides, there was a certain amusement to this. Gu Xiulan had no younger sisters, but doing this did remind her of time spent with younger cousins. She smirked at the memory of little Xu-Xu complaining while she put ribbons in his hair and used him as a dummy for testing her cosmetics.

Ling Qi was certainly oddly childish about this kind of thing, for all that she had proved a competent cultivator. Gu Xiulan chalked it up to the pride of the deprived. Many lesser clans in Golden Fields that had not recovered as well as the Gu still refused the trappings of civilization, as if they were somehow better for choosing to act like filthy sand diggers, barely better than roving beggers and bandits.

Well Ling Qi was sensible enough not to be stubborn about it, which was one thing that she liked about the other girl. Though she came across as a bit of a cringing coward at times, Gu Xiulan had seen the ruthless pragmatism that lay at the core of her. Though her father had taught her the methods to strike at the body to inflict maximum pain, and her mother had taught her the art of honing word and gesture into weapons, their lessons agreed on one thing. Once one had decided what they wanted, achieving that goal came before everything else.

Honor, face, and prestige were useful tools, but that was all that they were. She suspected that Ling Qi knew that lesson well, even if she hadn't the skill with the tools Gu Xiulan's parents had given her.

Gu Xiulan pursed her lips as she at last pulled the brush free, eyeing Ling Qi's still curled locks with a critical eye. This was probably as good as could be achieved today. It would take more applications of elixir to straighten her hair entirely. "Well, I suppose that will have to do."

She did not comment at the way Ling Qi brightened up. Really the girl could be such an open book. They would have to work on that. Gu Xiulan would just have to keep heckling her she supposed. "Really? Ah, thank you for your help Xiulan," she hurriedly amended her excited declaration.

"Now, now, I did not say we were done," she replied sweetly, laying her hands on Ling Qi's shoulders. "There are a few braiding techniques you should learn first. You need to be able to take care of your own appearance after all."

Ling Qi pressed her lips together, clearly restraining a grimace. "Alright, well that doesn't sound like a bad idea, friends are supposed to do that kind of thing for each other sometimes, right?"

"Why of course," Gu Xiulan replied smoothly. Ones immediate retainers and maids were often the ones a noble was closest with after all. She knew that she cared more for Mother's head maid than she did for her actual aunts after all. She would have to work on Ling Qi's vocabulary though.

"I wonder if Bai Meizhen would let me help her," Ling Qi muttered.

Gu Xiulan felt her smile freeze for a moment. That was the biggest problem with her plan. Ling Qi was tied to the Bai scion, and if it came down to opposing her or allowing her plan to fail there was only one choice. Pursuing a goal with ones full abilities did not mean being willing to dive into a poisonous oasis for it. Still she thought her chances good. The Bai were an insular bunch, they rarely recruited their households from those outside their branch clans. "Perhaps," Xiulan said, not letting her concern enter her voice. "In any case, are you ready to begin?"

Ling Qi nodded firmly, and Gu Xiulan grinned, plucking thoughtfully at Ling Qi's hair. "Hmm where shall we begin then…"

"Nothing too complex I hope," Ling Qi replied looking back over her shoulder.

"Of course not, there is no use in moving directly to advanced forms when the student doesn't even have the stances down," Gu Xiulan replied haughtily. "Well, perhaps the swordmaiden's braid would be the simplest starting point, Neither of us has the art or skill for maintaining the more complex patterns in a fight…"

"I'll take your word for it," Ling Qi replied dryly, and Gu Xiulan narrowed her eyes at the slight jibe. Yes, Ling Qi was one to keep.

"As you should," she replied with a sniff. "Well to begin with, gather your hair at the nape of your neck…" Gu Xiulan began, keeping her motions slow so that Ling Qi could follow.

It was good to have a subordinate one could unwind with.

Chapter 31-Mountainside Clash 3

Ling Qi's lesson with Elder Zhou that morning was a bit of a disaster. Seeing as she had only had a few hours to rest after their battle with Huang Da, she was still sore, tired, and numb from his poison. She had recovered some motion in her right arm, but it still made the exercises she was expected to perform incredibly painful and awkward.

She powered through, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to keep up with the rear of the pack on the morning run. She avoided being reprimanded by Elder Zhou, and that was all that mattered. She didn't care about the assholes who sneered at her struggles.

The spars were pretty brutal that day, and with how many times she ended upon on her back in the dirt, she wanted to scream by the time they were done. She had not had the time to recover her qi so she could not use her techniques. Soon, she promised herself, she would wipe the smug off of a few faces.

Ling Qi was interrupted from her brooding thoughts in the aftermath of the lesson by Han Jian's voice.

"Ling Qi. Hey, Ling Qi." She startled as she looked up from the weapon rack she had been leaning against as class dispersed for the day to find Han Jian and Han Fang looking down at her with concern. Gu Xiulan stood a short distance behind them with her arms crossed, studying her intently.

"You doing alright? I saw you favoring your left side," Han Jian continued when he saw that he actually had her attention.

"I'm fine," Ling Qi responded instinctively, forcing herself to straighten up despite the pain in her ribs. "Just… had a couple rough encounters while I was out exploring last night. I didn't get back till a few hours before training."

She didn't explain the Huang Da encounter because it would almost certainly involve mentioning the vent, and she hadn't run that by Li Suyin and Su Ling yet. This was mostly because Su Ling had almost collapsed when they got to the bottom of the cliff, and Li Suyin had to support her for the rest of the trip back to the residential area.

Han Jian peered at her with a frown on his face, and she squirmed under the inspection. He could probably tell that she was hiding something.

"Alright, if you think you'll be fine. I was going to ask if you wanted to come train with us. I wanted to work on my Dawn's Courage technique now that I've broken through and opened some more meridians, but if you aren't up for it…"

That was his heart technique if she remembered correctly.

"Thanks for offering," Ling Qi said regretfully. "I'm going to be really busy for awhile though. I'm aiming to win a spot in the top three in Elder Su's lessons for the Archive prize so I'll be studying and cultivating with Li Suyin a lot this week." Ling Qi paused, feeling awkward as she recalled an issue. "Ah. Have I introduced you to Li Suyin? She's my friend in the spiritual lessons."

Gu Xiulan gave Ling Qi a reproachful look.

"You have not nor have you even mentioned her previously," Gu Xiulan said irritably. "I believe I have seen her around. Is it that waifish girl with the blue hair? I had noticed you speaking to her, but I did not know you were so close."

"I've seen her," Han Jian said, shooting Gu Xiulan a quelling look. "That's fine. Just make sure you're careful with what you're doing. If you hurt yourself badly, it can set you back a lot more than moderating your pace will."

Ling Qi nodded and gave Han Jian and Gu Xiulan an apologetic look.

"I'll be careful," she said to Han Jian then turned to Gu Xiulan. "Sorry. Studying with Li Suyin just never came up. I just… I really need all the advantages I can get, you know?"

That seemed to mollify Gu Xiulan, who sighed theatrically.

"I suppose it would be hypocritical for me to tell you not to strive for high rewards, but you must stop being so reticent." The reproach returned to her tone. "Really. You hardly say a thing about yourself."

"Sorry," Ling Qi muttered, lowering her head. "I'll try to be a little more open." It felt wrong to say that given what she was currently hiding from them, but what else could she do?

They parted ways after that, and Ling Qi began the trek back to the residential area. She needed to speak with Su Ling and Li Suyin about the possibility of bringing Bai Meizhen to the vent. It would make cultivating there much safer.

Ling Qi's trudge back to the disciple housing was less than pleasant. She still felt sore and sluggish, and more than one of her fellow disciples seemed to take that as a sign that it was fine to 'accidentally' bump into her or otherwise cause her trouble. One asshole even knocked her down as he pushed past her without a word in the plaza.

She committed his ratty face to memory along with the faces of the girls off to the side tittering at her plight. Nothing truly concerning happened beyond that, but Ling Qi still had a scowl fixed firmly on her face by the time she was rapping her knuckles on Suyin's door.

"Li Suyin! It's Ling Qi. Can you let me in?"

There were some shuffling sounds from the other side of the door and a clattering of clay bottles before the door cracked open a notch, revealing a scowling Su Ling. Her expression eased up a little when she saw Ling Qi's face.

"Come in," she grunted grudgingly, opening the door a little wider and stepping aside.

Now that Ling Qi got a better look at the feral girl, she could see the bandages swathing her upper body. They were easily visible under the girl's gown. Su Ling's hand kept twitching as if she wanted to scratch at it before the girl would stop herself.

The interior was messier than usual with a pile of bloody bandages in one corner that Ling Qi recognized as the field dressing Li Suyin had done on the mountain. There was also a scattering of clay bottles on the floor around Li Suyin, who sat in the middle of the room with her head down. Li Suyin looked like she was about to pass out where she sat.

"So what is it?" Su Ling asked bluntly as she kicked the door shut behind Ling Qi. "I don't think we're getting back up there today unless you want to carry her." Su Ling, jabbed a thumb in Li Suyin's direction. The blue-haired girl jerked slightly as if startled by Su Ling's voice.

"Hm? Yes… I'm sorry. I just… I only just finished cleaning and dressing her wounds properly," Li Suyin murmured tiredly. "Getting the salves and medicines from the market took some time."

Ling Qi glanced over at Su Ling as she leaned against the door, arms crossed. The other girl simply shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"I figured cashing in some savings to make sure I healed up right was worth it. I needed Li Suyin to come along so I didn't get cheated."

"I kind of assumed we all needed a bit of rest," Ling Qi responded neutrally, eyeing Li Suyin with some concern. "I actually wanted to talk to you two about what we're going to do about Huang Da though. He isn't going to drop this."

Li Suyin's face fell and she hugged herself.

"Are you certain? I… we beat him. That should be enough, right? The damage I did shouldn't heal easily. I-I targeted his lungs..." Her voice was barely audible, even in the tiny room.

Ling Qi saw Su Ling's hands clench into fists and heard a low growl escape the girl's throat.

"I'm sure he can get medicine too," Su Ling said bluntly. "You did good. But Ling Qi's right. We can't assume he's gonna stay down. We don't go up there alone, I assume. Gonna be a pain in the ass for my hunting."

"I was thinking something a little more," Ling Qi admitted carefully. She liked to think that she had gotten slightly better at talking to people since she had come here. "I think we should tell my housemate, Bai Meizhen, about the vent. If she cultivates up there too, we should be safe from Huang Da."

Su Ling looked distinctly unhappy, but Li Suyin simply continued staring at her lap.

"Yeah, fine, snake girl is strong, I'll give you that. We can't just go handing our prize out like that though. She didn't do anything to help us, and who is going to stop her from just sharing it around with whoever she wants?" Su Ling said angrily. Ling Qi noted that Su Ling didn't completely reject the idea though.

"That card I used to make him freeze was something she gave me," Ling Qi admitted quietly. "He wouldn't have run if not for that."

Ling Qi wasn't dumb. She had been one good hit from falling over. If he had continued fighting, there were good odds she would have also gone down. Ling Qi shuddered to think of what might have happened. "And I don't think she would share the vent's location. As far as I know, I'm the only one she really talks to."

"I am fine with telling her," Li Suyin muttered. "If… if it means we don't have to fight over it again, isn't that better?"

Su Ling tensed, her knuckles going white before she let out a long breath, forcibly relaxing herself. "Fine. If you want to trust her, we will. Whatever happens is on you."

"Right. We should probably head over to my place then," Ling Qi replied, relieved that they had agreed to it. Ling Qi did her best to conceal the wobble in her stance. The numbness was still fading slowly.

"I figured you two should be there when we talk to her about it."

The two of them agreed easily enough, reluctantly in Su Ling's case and listlessly in Li Suyin's. Ling Qi really hoped that the other girl would be in better shape once she got some sleep. A short time thereafter, the three of them arrived at Ling Qi's home. Ling Qi knocked twice on the door before opening it.

"Bai Meizhen, I'm home, and I have a couple guests. Is it ok to let them in?" she called as she opened the door a crack and peered in.

"Guests?" her housemate called back as she exited her room, a slight frown on her fine features. Her hair was still slightly damp, even if she was otherwise as impeccable as always, so she must have been washing up. Ling Qi wasn't sure how Bai Meizhen bathed in her room given that she's never seen a basin or a tub in the few times she's glimpsed the inside.

"I suppose that is fine. I must ask that you refrain from using our meditation chamber. I currently have some effects in place for my own cultivation," Bai Meizhen said as she shut the door to her bedroom.

Ling Qi stepped inside, leaving the door open for her other friends.

"That's fine," she replied. "We actually wanted to talk to you about something. Well, more like, I wanted to offer you something, and it wouldn't be fair for them to not be here."

Bai Meizhen cocked her head to the side curiously as she regarded the two girls Ling Qi had brought. Su Ling looked both tense and uncomfortable, her pointed furry ears laid back flat against the side of her head as she stubbornly met Bai Meizhen's slit-pupiled gaze. Li Suyin looked to be doing her best impression of a frightened mouse although she, at least, made the effort to bow her head respectfully and mumble an unintelligible greeting.

"...I see," Bai Meizhen replied neutrally. "Do close the door," she added in the same tone, moving off toward the merrily burning fire in the hearth. "I suppose this has to do with why you are wounded, Ling Qi?"

"It does," Ling Qi admitted as she followed her roommate. She gestured for Su Ling and Li Suyin to follow them once the duo had shut the door behind them. "We were doing a little exploring last night and searching for better places to cultivate."

"A worthy pursuit," Bai Meizhen said. "You came into conflict with another disciple over it then?"

"How do you know that?" Su Ling snapped. "What, you get some divination in the package too?"

Bai Meizhen gave Su Ling a reproachful look, which stopped her in her tracks.

"The poisonous qi clinging to the two of you is artificial in design. Obviously, it did not come from a spirit beast. It is beginning to fade already. It will not linger for more than perhaps another half-day."

"T-thank you. I had thought so as well, but I wasn't sure if I had made a mistake or not." Li Suyin flinched when Bai Meizhen's gaze landed on her but continued, "U-um… may I ask, do you think we should go to the Elders about this? I… he attacked us. Isn't that supposed to be against the rules?"

Bai Meizhen's expression was unreadable. "I would not expect much, no. I assume this happened well off the primary paths?"

"Yeah, it did," Ling Qi agreed. "He even said that he doubted the Elders would do anything about it."

"He is somewhat correct," Bai Meizhen replied as she gracefully sat down by the fire, folding her hands in her lap. "The 'truce' is not ironclad. The Elders of the Sect are far too busy to watch every part of the mountain at once. They would investigate a killing, of course, or perhaps even serious and permanent injuries if the disciple in question held their interest. But no, the Empire's justice is far from absolute, whatever its proponents might say."

Li Suyin's shoulders sunk further and she stared down at the floor from where she stood behind Su Ling.

"That sounds about right," Su Ling grumbled, her tail wriggling in an agitated manner around her waist. "You gonna tell her or what?" she asked, shooting Ling Qi a look.

Ling Qi nodded and took a deep breath. She was going to feel really foolish if Bai Meizhen didn't agree to come.

"We found a natural spirit stone deposit. It had both yellow and red veins of crystal and was venting some kind of mist that reacted to our Argent Foundations. I was hoping that you might be interested in cultivating with us when we go there."

Ling Qi was treated to the sight of Bai Meizhen's snowy white eyebrows climbing high as the other girl stared at her.

"The three of you found one of the mountains vents? I had been…" Bai Meizhen trailed off, shaking her head. "Your fortune is rather amazing… but I suppose one with a fox's blood would be useful in penetrating illusions."

"What do you mean?" Ling Qi asked before Su Ling could say something rude.

"There are a handful of such sites on every one of the Sect's mountains. This mountain has the smallest and least potent deposits. It is why the Outer Sect is located here. On this mountain, they are hidden as prizes for enterprising disciples," Bai Meizhen explained. "I had thought I was on the path to one of them, but I was not been able to penetrate the illusory formation around it."

That would explain the ease of the cliffside path, Ling Qi thought. She had wondered why no one had found it from that side, but she had been too distracted to really think about it. She glanced to Su Ling, who shrugged irritably.

"I could smell a bunch of qi in the air meant to lead us off track. Figured it was some beast marking its territory," Su Ling mumbled self consciously.

"I believe I will find the time to join you," Bai Meizhen mused. "It would prove a boon in allowing me to complete the Argent Soul and move on to other tasks." She seemed pretty pleased to Ling Qi.

The four of them spent some time afterward discussing when the best time to cultivate at the vent would be, and in the end, they agreed to meet after Ling Qi's morning lessons. That decided, they broke up and went their separate ways.

Ling Qi went to bed. She needed to rest lest she risk nodding off during Elder Su's lecture.

Chapter 32-Mountainside Clash 4

Sleep left Ling Qi feeling refreshed. Her side was still numb, but the motion had largely returned to her arm. She took just a bit of vicious satisfaction in the fact that Huang Da wasn't present at Elder Su's lecture.

She didn't allow herself to dwell though. Instead, she focused on Elder Su's lecture on the function and meaning of the Argent Soul technique. It was interesting if a little hard to follow at times. The Argent Soul technique and its more advanced forms functioned on the principle that every individual was unique and held the potential to find a perfect balance among the imperial elements.

Few ever achieved this potential, but balance remained the core of the technique. It was essentially the reinforcement of the self. The exercises the Argent Soul technique was based on had the purpose of purifying the qi the cultivator absorbed of all elemental essence, leaving only the pure and unadulterated qi of the World. In principle.

What they were actually doing was nowhere near that purity, and their bodies would not be able to handle it if it were. The Argent Soul was designed to allow its users to slowly spread a foundational layer of 'pure' qi throughout their bodies beginning with the dantian then spreading to the bones and organs, reinforcing them to handle larger and denser quantities of qi.

What exactly balance meant differed from person to person as every individual was unique. It was implied, Ling Qi thought, that the strong personalities of certain elders was a result of mastering the Argent Soul line of cultivation arts because it magnified the unique quirks of the individual who used it.

As the lesson ended, Ling Qi once again lingered behind to ask a question of the Elder, this time about her recent experience with cultivation pills. The Elder informed her that as someone of simple background, Ling Qi's body was simply not acclimated to large amounts of medicinal energy. Given her cultivation and her continued use of pills, she should now be essentially fine to use them as she willed although the Elder warned her that some medicines should not be used until certain realms were reached. Ignoring such warnings could have dire consequences.

Ling Qi fell heavily into cultivation as the rest of the week passed. She barely ate or slept as she concentrated on mastering the next exercises of the Argent Soul cultivation art. It was a heady feeling, having the pure qi in her body slowly expand and soak into her bones starting from her spine outward.

With every breath that she spent cultivating, the energy flowed more smoothly and with less loss. It felt like she had been congested her entire life and could only now breathe freely as her Argent Foundation expanded from bone to organ, soaking into and weaving through flesh. It was strange to be so aware of her body and somewhat disorienting at first.

She was glad enough to receive another Qi Foundation pill although it confused her. She didn't think she had advanced enough the previous week to earn it.

Perhaps the Elders were aware of the altercation at the vent after all.

Her lessons with Elder Zhou continued apace as well. She was growing faster and stronger every day, the qi reinforcing her body allowing her to improve faster than a mortal could hope to. She was also beginning to do reasonably well in the spars. She couldn't claim that she was winning even close to a majority of them except when the team matchups favored her, but she was getting better and better at making her foes work to put her out of the fight.

She could match them if she worked hard enough. That was the real joy of cultivation for Ling Qi: the fact that it was truly possible to claw your way up from the bottom of the heap with luck and dedication. Huang Da was a good stick to measure herself against; he was strong but she could see his level within reach, unlike Bai Meizhen or Sun Liling, who both lay far beyond her ability to even think about matching. In contrast, Huang Da was someone she felt she could beat if she worked hard enough.

He was fast though, and even one hit could be crippling. So in addition to working on the penultimate layer of her Argent Soul, she channeled some of the energy she had absorbed from her Qi Foundation pill toward opening a second channel in her legs. This would enable her to begin learning the next set of exercises for her Sable Crescent Step art.

If there was one thing that hadn't changed from her mortal life, it was the simple axiom that speed was life. Ling Qi couldn't get beaten, caught, or killed if her pursuers and enemies couldn't keep up with her to begin with.

However, Ling Qi did not focus entirely on training. She was aware enough of those around her to see that Li Suyin was not improving with rest. Li Suyin remained downcast and listless as days went by. Although she continued to improve, breaking through to the fourth layer of Argent Soul during their cooperative cultivation. Ling Qi saw the growing bags under the girl's eyes and the way she fumbled even basic physical exercises Ling Qi had shown her a dozen times.

Honestly, it pissed Ling Qi off although her temper wasn't directed at Li Suyin. No, she was pissed at that lanky creep who had affected her friend so badly. At least he had been out of Elder Su's class for a few days now, even if his absence was starting to set off her paranoia.

Li Suyin was only growing more withdrawn by the day so Ling Qi found herself in the unenviable position of needing to start an uncomfortable conversation. She chose to wait until after they had finished cultivating at the vent for the day, leaving Su Ling and Bai Meizhen behind to continue.

After they had descended the cliff face and began to walk the winding path back to the plaza, Ling Qi gathered her resolve to speak.

"You don't have to keep worrying, you know? We have the vent. We're going to get those passes and rub his face in it." Ling Qi intended to do more than that, but there was no reason to alarm the pacifistic girl with violent promises.

Li Suyin startled at her sudden words, glancing at her in askance as they walked down the sun-dappled mountain path. The bruise on her cheek was fading though it still made for an ugly mark.

"I… yes, of course we will," Li Suyin responded quietly before lowering her head and returning to staring at the ground ahead.

Ling Qi frowned and crossed her arms, leaving her hands hidden in her sleeves, a gesture she had copied from Bai Meizhen. Having one's hands hidden was a useful thing. She supposed that was why they gave everyone these billowy sleeves. Finally, she sighed explosively.

"Look, I know that isn't your real problem. But I'm not sure what to say. You did what you had to do. If you hadn't, he would have put me down next and then done… whatever he wanted to us afterward." Even if his intentions were probably not vulgar given his insulted reaction, she still felt disgust at the idea of being at the creep's mercy.

"I'm glad you did it, but I'm not happy that it's making you so depressed. So help me understand, will you?"

Li Suyin clutched the front of her gown in her hands and didn't look up.

"It wasn't right to use my art that way. It is not what it is meant for. I shouldn't have felt satisfied when I felt his pain. I shouldn't have felt happy when I saw his blood. I-I don't want to be like that. Things shouldn't be like that. We shouldn't be willing to hurt each other so much over things like this. We're all imperial citizens. Cultivators are supposed to be virtuous!" Her voice started out quiet, gradually growing louder and more distressed until her last words, which were practically shouted as she came to a stop on the path.

"The law isn't meant to be to be ignored or circumvented, or..." She gestured helplessly. "Papa… Father always read me to me from the classics, and I thought… I thought cultivators were supposed to embody the Virtues, but… Maybe that's why Mother never read from those."

Ling Qi was silent. She didn't really have any base to understand what the other girl was saying.

"Before I came here, I already knew things weren't like that," she began tightly. "The world isn't fair, and people will trample on others the second they feel like it will benefit them." Ling Qi kept the guilt out of her voice. She had done the same after all.

"To me, cultivators were just people strong enough to do whatever they want. I remember the first time I saw a cultivator. It was when a couple of guards from the outer gates came by the brothel where my mom worked when I was young. I saw the bruises on her and the other women the day after, saw the shit the guards broke, and saw that the one new girl lost half her teeth when a guard slapped her. No one ever called them on it."

Li Suyin had looked up and was staring at her in horror. Ling Qi wasn't surprised. The other girl was pretty sheltered.

"Such excesses are supposed to be... That is… I mean..." Li Suyin trailed off into incoherency. She wrung her hands, clearly having no idea what to say.

Ling Qi let out a slightly bitter laugh. "Yeah. Lots of things aren't supposed to be the way they are." Even if Li Suyin didn't want to talk to her after this, it was fine. Li Suyin couldn't afford to keep believing in fairy tales.

"The point is: you can wring your hands and complain about it, live with it, or try to do something about it. I'm not the type to try and change things, but maybe you are. You won't ever be able to do anything about it if you break down the first time you run into trouble. Isn't facing evil supposed to be virtuous too?"

Ling Qi walked on, grimacing now that Li Suyin could no longer see her face. What the hell was she even saying? She was a bit surprised when she heard the other girl's footsteps, hurrying to catch up to her.

"I-I'm sorry for making you mention something like… that," Li Suyin apologized as she caught up. She still looked downcast, but the horror had faded from her expression. She also looked uncomfortable as she peered up at Ling Qi, and that hurt more than Ling Qi thought it would.

"You are right though," Li Suyin added. "Turning my face away from corruption is hardly better than being a part of it. Father would be disappointed in me if I came home now. I will just need to be careful not to allow myself to grow complacent."

Ling Qi shot her a surprised look. Li Suyin had been thinking of leaving? That was more extreme than she expected. Shaking her head, Ling Qi bumped her shoulder against Li Suyin's, feeling relieved when the other girl didn't flinch away.

"Glad to hear it. Now let's get going. We don't want to be late."

Li Suyin made a sound of agreement and picked up her pace, practically jogging to keep up with Ling Qi's longer stride.

Although Li Suyin's demeanor improved after their conversation, the week did not end on such a positive note. On the last day of the week, Ling Qi entered Elder Su's lecture hall early, only to find herself face-to-face with Huang Da. Li Suyin had split with her earlier in order to retrieve some notes before the lesson so she was alone. Well, they were in a reasonably crowded room, but it didn't help her feeling of isolation.

"Hello," Huang Da said in a remarkably friendly manner given how their last meeting ended. He looked rather exhausted as he leaned against the rearmost row of benches, studying her intently. "You are looking more lovely than ever."

She scowled at him, itching to draw one of her knives. "Go to hell," she hissed quietly. "I have nothing to say to you."

The corners of his lips quirked up in amusement, and she had to restrain the urge to punch him. "No need to be rude. I underestimated you far too much. Li Suyin as well, I suppose," he mused.

"You cost me quite a bit," he added in a more dangerous tone. "My escape talisman, two dozen red stones worth of treatment… It was really an expensive night."

"You forgot denying you the prize," Ling Qi replied vindictively, crossing her arms.

"Why yes, I suppose I did never get the chance to hold you, my sweet night flower." Ling Qi flushed as he raised his voice just enough for others nearby to hear, drawing looks their way.

"I'm afraid I have been making use of the other thing though," Huang Da said more quietly. "It's not as if you and your companions use it all day."

Ling Qi glared at him. She hadn't thought of that, and it really pissed her off. "We offered that in the first place, you…"

Huang Da waved a hand dismissively. "What reason did I have to allow myself more competition than necessary?" he asked rhetorically. "In any case, I would rather put that behind us. Would you like to come to dinner with me tonight?"

She gaped at him, poleaxed by his sheer arrogance and delusion. "No, you creep. Why the hell would you even ask?"

Huang Da frowned, managing to look truly put out. "I wanted to celebrate my breakthrough, and as the muse that finally drove me to break through the peak, I thought it only fitting"

Ling Qi stiffened, backing up a step from the boy, suddenly leery. "You're bluffing."

Huang Da pushed himself up to stand straight, 'looking' her directly in the eye. "I'm afraid not. I achieved Yellow Soul just yesterday. It's all thanks to you, which is why I'm willing to waive past debts," he said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Li Suyin was more dangerous than I expected, but you… The two of them could not have even touched me without you. I have decided that I want you," he continued, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as he raised his hand as if to cradle her cheek.

She swatted his hand away, ignoring the increasing number of stares they were receiving. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "And I don't care what you want." She turned away deliberately, trusting that he wouldn't attack her in the middle of the lecture hall.

"That's fine. I knew you wouldn't submit easily," he said, making her flush further. "I hope we can both enjoy the chase."

It was pretty hard to concentrate on the lesson after that.

Chapter 33: Dwindling Peace 1

"Is that offer of training with you all still open?" Ling Qi asked after Elder Zhou's lesson had ended for the day. She had drifted over to where Han Jian and the others stood at the base of the cliff that formed one of the borders of the training field.

She wanted to work on strengthening her arts this week, and practicing with Han Jian and his group was her best option for that. She wasn't quite ready to begin using the new techniques in the class spars, but she wanted to start by the end of the week, which meant polishing her skills beforehand.

Han Jian paused in signing something to Han Fang and looked over to her with a smile. "It is. Got things polished enough that you're willing to show off a bit?" he added, making her flush slightly in embarrassment. Of course Han Jian would be perceptive enough to tell that she had learned a few new tricks.

"Something interesting, I hope. You will need it to keep up," Gu Xiulan interjected from where she sat on one of the benches nearby. "I wouldn't want you to be left behind. I intend to complete my breakthrough to Yellow Soul by this time next week."

"And Fang and I should both be reaching Silver by the time the truce ends or soon after," Han Jian said. Han Fang grinned widely at this, straightening his shoulders proudly.

"With your new techniques, I figure you'll be fine as well," Han Jian added reassuringly.

"I do have some pretty good options that I haven't shown off," Ling Qi admitted, feeling some worry. The ranks of those who had reached the second realm in one or both forms of cultivation was growing, but she still felt like she wasn't quite ready to break through. "They do need some polishing in real combat though."

"Well, that's what these sessions are for," Han Jian said, studying her carefully. "That said, everything going well for you? I heard you had an argument in Elder Su's lecture hall the other day."

Ling Qi scowled at the reminder of that encounter. Every time she thought of it it just made her angrier. Huang Da didn't have any right to talk to her like that or act like they were anything other than enemies.

"Yeah. I actually wanted to warn you about that. That Huang Da guy and I had a disagreement over some resources, and that somehow turned into him deciding that he…" Ling Qi trailed off, expression screwing up in disgust.

"He decided that he's going to… pursue me. He's a creep. He was stalking my other friend, Li Suyin, before he switched to me. You might want to watch out for him. I don't really know what he's going to do."

"You're not interested then?" Gu Xiulan asked curiously. "I suppose he is hardly your type. And pushy men are so boorish.

"Still, the Huang family is quite wealthy and prestigious as I recall, if a little odd. You could do worse." Gu Xiulan paused thoughtfully then amended, "Perhaps not if he really changed his mind so quickly."

Ling Qi stared blankly at the other girl. "No. I'm not interested at all. He tried to get Li Suyin and I to split up and choose him over each other and Su Ling like the arrogant jackass was someone we should have fought over. He then attacked us when we didn't oblige."

"Ugh." That seemed to convince her, going by the way Gu Xiulan made a face.

"Even so, you should try not to dip into vulgarity like that," she chided. "No one will respect a lady who speaks like that."

Han Jian coughed to draw their attention. Both he and his cousin had awkward expressions, likely at the direction that the conversation seemed to be heading. "I'll keep an eye out for him. Don't worry. I've started working on my family's sword art, and I'm not exactly helpless in a fight. None of us are."

"I know. He's just a sneaky bast…" Ling Qi glanced at Gu Xiulan's raised eyebrow and huffed irritably. It wasn't like the girl was wrong about talking like a commoner; it made other people look down on her. "He's stealthy and has some kind of poison effect on his weapon. That might be a technique. Just keep your eyes open."

"We will," Han Jian replied. "If you want to join us, head down to the training field we met at before in about two hours. We start around then and go until Elder Su's lessons start."

Ling Qi nodded. That would give her some time to cultivate at the vent with the others and talk to Li Suyin and Su Ling about possibly joining Han Jian's group to train. She wanted to make sure they were interested before trying to convince Han Jian and the others. If the joint training session went well, maybe she could convince Li Suyin and Su Ling to let Han Jian's group share the vent in return for further training sessions.

There were so many things she still needed to do.

Ling Qi's stress levels were not helped by the atmosphere on the mountain. Everywhere she looked, there were the signs that her fellow disciples were training furiously and otherwise preparing for the end of truce. The greedy looks she had gotten in the immediate aftermath of Elder Zhou's test were returning. More and more, she felt hemmed in and surrounded by enemies.

It didn't help that her ears caught the word going around. That stupid conversation with Huang Da in Elder Su's hall had apparently fueled all sorts of rumors, most of which painted her as the spirit stone-digger for leading on a wealthy scion for her own gain. It looked like the bastard even had fans among the other girls, going by the cold looks she got and the muttered words she heard in her passing.

By the time she joined up with Bai Meizhen and the others to head up to the vent, Ling Qi was definitely in the mood to hit something despite having just been in Elder Zhou's lesson.

Ling Qi ended up leading an impromptu lesson in physical cultivation for Li Suyin and Su Ling, who were both looking to make improvements in that regard. Bai Meizhen was content to simply sit beside the vent meditating, the silvery mist swirling about her in a wide spiral.

Su Ling took to it more; while Li Suyin listened in, it seemed she was focusing on reaching Late Red Soul for the moment. It seemed that Li Suyin had been neglecting her base cultivation in favor of expanding her qi, opening meridians, and learning arts.

Ling Qi raised the idea of group training during her time at the vent. Li Suyin had been receptive to the idea, but Su Ling had been more reluctant. Between the two of them and Su Ling's own worries, Su Ling eventually agreed to give it a try.

Despite feeling a bit better, Ling Qi was still feeling high-strung and agitated as she descended the mountain afterward. When she arrived at the concealed training field and passed through the barrier, she was surprised to find that she was early. The only one there was Han Jian, who was crouched in the middle of the field, talking to the tiger cub she had seen with him a few times during their initial meetings.

"Heijin, we're really partners now, aren't we? You have to start working with me here. I need to be able to work you into my tactics." The handsome boy pleaded with the cub, who was curled up at his feet, apparently ignoring him.

Ling Qi cleared her throat awkwardly. "Hello, Han Jian. Am I… interrupting something?"

Han Jian blinked and looked up, hands resting on his knees.

"Ah, Ling Qi, No, you're not. I'm just trying to get this lazy bones to work with me," he said with a note of frustration. "I already had to carry him here, and now…" Han Jian stopped as the tiger cub stood up, still with his back to the boy, and padded over to Ling Qi.

Ling Qi looked curiously down at the cub, which had paused at her feet, looking up at her with feline arrogance. The cub stared her down before sitting down again and brushing a paw against his ear before beginning to groom it.

'The female may pet me now.'

Ling Qi twitched as a voice that sounded like an arrogant young boy seemed to echo in her ears. Having 'spoken' to Cui before, she wasn't completely taken off guard, but she was surprised at how clear his voice was. Was it perhaps because she had grown closer to Yellow realm and had mastered the fourth layer of Argent Soul?

"Why should I? You're giving Han Jian trouble, aren't you?" Even knowing that bound spirit beasts understood her, she still felt rather silly talking to an animal.

Heijin seemed nonplussed. 'Pet me. The slacker has naught to do with it.'

The little feline was definitely demanding.

"Sorry about that," Han Jian said as he approached, shooting his 'cousin' a dirty look. "He always was spoiled along with the other cubs at home so…"

'The slacker is merely jealous, and wishes his fur was silky enough to be petted,' the cub cut in haughtily. 'Now, pet me, Cold One. It is hot.'

Ling Qi bit her lip, holding in a laugh at Han Jian's expression, but attempted to look sternly down at the cub.

"If I pet you, will you listen to what Han Jian is saying?" Ling Qi asked. She felt like she should be more annoyed by the spirit's demanding and haughty tone, but she couldn't quite bring herself to be. He was only a kitten after all.

Ling Qi got the impression that the tiger cub was pouting at her despite the limited expressiveness of his face. '...That is acceptable,' he replied with great dignity.

She sighed and crouched down to scratch behind the cub's ears before giving Han Jian a pointed look. Heijin's fur really was amazingly soft and silky, and the cub pushed his head up against her hand as she petted him.

Han Jian roughly scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Thanks," he said, glancing to Ling Qi before focusing on Heijin. "Now, look. I get that you don't really respect me, but this has to stop. I need you to work with me. Do you really just want to laze around all day without getting stronger?"

'The slacker cannot say such things,' the tiger cub replied, peering up from under Ling Qi's hand with disdain. 'Where were those words when you wasted away your time under your Father and mine?'

Ling Qi felt uncomfortable as Han Jian's expression contorted into a frown.

"...Yeah, I wasted some opportunities," he replied evasively. Ling Qi didn't miss the way he looked briefly at her. "But I told you I wanted to start making up for that, didn't I? How am I supposed to catch up if you won't even give me a chance to try? I'm responsible for the ones around me: Xiulan, Fang, Yu, and others too once I get back. I need your help with that."

Ling Qi wasn't entirely sure how she felt to be left out of that list so she concentrated on the soothing feeling of soft fur as she brushed her hand down the cub's back.

Heijin did not reply immediately, nuzzling at her hand. 'I suppose I have been bored. Very well. I will grace you with my presence,' he answered imperiously. 'Besides, it would not do to deny the others my magnificent presence.'

Han Jian rested his face in his palm briefly, giving the tiger cub another frustrated look, before looking back at Ling Qi. "Sorry you had to hear that, but thanks for getting him to hear me out."

"It's no problem," Ling Qi replied awkwardly. "That said… do you think I could ask you for a favor?"

Han Jian nodded easily. "I suppose I owe you one. go ahead," he replied, gesturing for her to continue even as Heijin butted his head against her hand to remind her to keep petting.

"I was hoping I could bring by Li Suyin and Su Ling, my other friends, to train here too sometimes. We could all use a little work on our fighting skills." That was an understatement, particularly in Li Suyin's case.

"Well, I don't mind you using the field. But I assume you mean training with us." Han Jian grimaced, scratching the back of his neck as he often did when thinking. "Let me talk to the others about it. Give me a day or two, alright?"

"Sure," Ling Qi responded, scratching Heijin behind the ears one last time as she heard the sound of others entering through the barrier. It was time to get started on the actual training.

It was a little nerve-wracking to be at the center of attention. Facing them, Ling Qi could see Han Jian's and Han Fang's curiosity, Gu Xiulan's calculated interest, and Fan Yu's dour dislike.

"So, this first art is…" Ling Qi began nervously, letting her flute drop into her hand. "Area control, I guess? It makes me harder to hit and confuses people's senses. I can include others in it, but it's more tiring."

Han Jian hummed thoughtfully, giving her flute a curious look. "Don't tire yourself out. Fang, you want to try and tag her?"

The bald boy nodded amicably, stepping forward and adjusting the practice wraps across his knuckles. As the others retreated, he fell into a neutral stance, fists raised in guard.

Ling Qi studied him, Elder Zhou's lessons allowing her to pick up the nuances of his starting stance. It leaned defensive, but he could snap into a more offensive mode quickly if he got the opportunity. Ling Qi held back a self-deprecating laugh as she raised her flute. It felt strange to know even that much.

Mist billowed from the gaps in her flute as the first melancholy note of the Forgotten Vale Melody rang out. In mere moments, the field around them grew as dark as an overcast spring morning, the light mist swirling outward to engulf them both. Han Fang's expression grew tight with concentration as the mist rolled over him. Ling Qi began to circle him as she continued to play, and Han Fang's narrowed gaze hesitated before flicking to follow her.

Cautiously, he advanced on Ling Qi, quickly eating up the short distance between them. The faint sound of thunder rumbled in her ears as a shimmering heat haze began to arise from his bare scalp, pushing away the cloying mist. When he seamlessly shifted to an offensive stance and lunged, she was ready.

Cool, dark qi flooded through the meridians in her legs, and the edges of her being grew fuzzy as she flowed around his opening strike and the one that followed it, gracefully dodging with barely a stutter in her song. As she leaned out of the way of his third punch, she dodged to the side, disengaging from melee range impossibly fast as her limbs blurred and wavering shadows trailed from the hems of her gown.

As Han Fang spun to face her new direction, already moving to close the distance she had made, she began the second technique of the Forgotten Vale Melody. The mist grew dark and thick. Han Fang jerked, glancing around in bewilderment as the shifting shapes in the mist drew his eye and allowed Ling Qi to slip away even further, fading into the misty shadows. Her song echoed, seemingly from everywhere now, and gave little indication of her position.

Still, she found herself at an impasse. Han Fang advanced cautiously through her mist, searching for her, but she had little in the way of offensive options if she wanted to attack while maintaining her mist. In a real fight, that would be a problem, but in a simple demonstration spar…

Her song cut off, and Han Fang immediately fell into a defensive crouch. It was not enough as a blunted training knife struck between his shoulder blades with a thump.

"That's my hit," Ling Qi said impishly as the mists began to dissolve under the light of day, revealing her position.

Han Fang gave her a chagrined grin as he bent down, picking up her knife. He gave her a friendly bow as she approached and took it back.

"Looks like we need to get you started on a perception art, Fang," Han Jian's voice rang out from outside the clearing mist. "That's a good art," he added, complimenting Ling Qi

Ling Qi smiled, warmth budding in her stomach. Fan Yu was still glowering at her, of course, but both Han Jian and Gu Xiulan looked mildly impressed.

"Shall I provide her with some power then?" Gu Xiulan asked lightly, glancing at Han Jian.

"If Ling Qi's ready for a full match," Han Jian agreed.

Ling Qi nodded decisively as Gu Xiulan sauntered over, a slightly cruel smile blooming on her lips.

She almost felt a little bad for the boys in the coming spar.

Chapter 34-Dwindling Peace 2

Between Elder Zhou's lesson, continuing to cultivate her physique at the vent, and practicing with Han Jian and the others, Ling Qi was feeling quite bedraggled by the time she slumped into Elder Su's lecture hall. She suspected she looked it too given the sweat-darkened spots on her gown and the scuffs, dirt, and other marks of heavy exercise she had picked up. Ling Qi was thankful that the rose scent that Gu Xiulan had bought her was strong enough that she didn't smell completely terrible on top of that.

Ling Qi was relieved to be called down at the start of class despite the disdainful looks she received from the other disciples. They could look down on her all they wanted; she was the one getting the prize. Both she and Li Suyin had made the cut again, along with the seemingly undefeatable Ji Rong, who shot her a pitying look as she moved down to stand beside him.

Ji Rong's reason became clear when Huang Da joined them at the bottom of the hall and shouldered his way between her and Li Suyin. She scowled at him, but he just smiled back and brushed his hand against hers. She snatched it away before he could do anything more. The last of their number was Gan Guangli, who was apparently working hard in these final weeks.

Once the actual lesson had started, Ling Qi was able to relax and actually focus. They were finishing the formation characters today and moving on to the meanings of basic character chains and combinations. Ling Qi was glad Elder Su had decided to teach this. Now that she had some basic understanding of formations, she wouldn't have to rely on Bai Meizhen to identify any talismans she found.

Perhaps if she got the archive pass reward, Ling Qi would consider looking into the art more. At the very least, being able to set up alarms around her home seemed like a good idea… and she might need to know how to disable such things if her half-formed plans for revenge on her detractors were to bear fruit.

The next few days passed in much the same manner, a constant blur of cultivation, training, and practice. She could feel her body continuing to grow stronger, absorbing the qi she dispersed into her skin and muscles. She was growing closer to some sort of limit, qi starting to press against the outer bounds of her body.

When she was too tired to practice any further, usually well after nightfall, she would sit and practice with her flute, slowly mastering the next measure of her Melody. It was hard, but she felt she was progressing quickly. She could see and feel it in her mind's eye, the trials and travails of a new traveler, lost in the dark, surrounded by hungry eyes. It seemed the second measure was meant to show that anxiety and fear and bring it into the world within her mist.

Ling Qi decided then that she would begin using Forgotten Vale Melody in Elder Zhou's class when she fully mastered this new verse of the song. Until then though, she had other concerns.

Han Jian had said that it would be alright to bring her friends along to training today. She really hoped things went well, but it was starting to look unlikely given the increasing reluctance and tension Su Ling was showing as they approached the field.

"Will you just relax already," Ling Qi said irritably, glancing at the girl on her right. Su Ling's ears twitched violently at the sound, and the fluffy tail waving agitatedly behind her stiffened. "Even if this doesn't work out, no one is going to hurt either of you. Han Jian wouldn't do that."

"Says you," Su Ling snorted. "You think you're the first girl to believe a pretty noble was a nice guy? The only reason I'm here is because you two kept badgering me about it."

Li Suyin also looked nervous, wringing her hands as she peered at the formations on the gate. "If Ling Qi says it's fine, I'm willing to trust her, and we really do need some more practice with … this kind of thing."

Ling Qi was glad she had talked to Li Suyin last week. The other girl still didn't want to hurt anyone, but Li Suyin was at least willing to learn to better defend herself.

"Like I keep saying, it will be fine. This is just training, and the field doesn't lock or anything. You can leave whenever you want."

Su Ling still looked reluctant, her ears falling flat against her head as she glared at the gate, but she didn't continue to object as Ling Qi lead them onto the field. This time, everyone was already present and waiting. Han Jian and the other boys were in the midst of chatting about something, and Gu Xiulan was seated on a wide stone, meditating. They all looked up when she and her friends entered.

It took all of her willpower not to hunch her shoulders defensively, but she managed it. The reactions were largely what she expected: a scowl of dislike from Fan Yu with a healthy helping of disdain; neutral friendliness from Han Jian and Han Fang with a hint of wariness in the mute boy's narrowed eyes as he regarded Su Ling; and Gu Xiulan studied both of the new girls with sharp eyes, her painted lips set in a thin line. Ling Qi held in a sigh as she heard the low growl coming from Su Ling's throat behind her.

"Good afternoon, Ling Qi." Han Jian was the first one to break the silence, his tone upbeat. "Same to you… Su Ling and Li Suyin, was it?"

"U-um, thank you very much for your invitation," Li Suyin responded, dipping into a hasty and somewhat clumsy bow.

"What she said, I guess," Su Ling grunted, crossing her arms and looking anything but grateful.

"Tch. Well, at least one of them is polite," Fan Yu snorted as he glared at Su Ling. "Expecting more from a beast was probably futile."

"Go fuck yourself," Su Ling snapped. "I'm no more a beast than you are."

As Fan Yu puffed up furiously, Gu Xiulan spoke up. "As vulgar and unnecessary as her words were, there was no need to get worked up over it, Yu dear." Gu Xiulan stood up, brushing off her gown.

"Right. No need for things to get heated," Han Jian replied, his tone slightly strained. "Why don't you two tell us what you do? We can figure out how to work you into our exercises."

Ling Qi's friends were both silent until she looked back at them with a pleading expression. "Guys, please. We aren't going to get anywhere if they don't even know what you want to work on."

"I intend to focus on healing arts," Li Suyin replied in a small voice. "I haven't quite mastered it well enough to fix anything more than minor scrapes yet. I have been practicing a water-based movement technique as well. It, um, is rather simplistic though."

Han Fang looked interested and even Fan Yu nodded in her direction, although he continued scowling at Su Ling. Gu Xiulan simply smiled enigmatically.

"Illusions and foxfire," Su Ling said shortly. "The fire's stronger if I have the target under my illusion."

"As expected of a fox," Fan Yu sneered. "Little use except for leading men astray and playing trickster."

"You wanna try it, fatty?" Su Ling replied darkly. "I'm sure you'd make a good meal."

"As if I would even be tempted," he scoffed, turning to Han Jian. "Must we waste our time with this? The other girl I can understand - healers are useful and require much talent - but is this rude creature to join us?"

"S-she's my friend. Please don't speak of her like that," Li Suyin said with only a bit of a tremor.

"I can see Yu's point. Between Ling Qi and I, she has little to offer that we do not do better," Gu Xiulan said clinically. "I'm not certain about the other either.

"Are you certain you even have the nerve to stand on a battlefield?" Gu Xiulan asked, turning to Li Suyin. "I understand you have been leaning on Ling Qi to advance as far as you have and wish to remain with her, but perhaps you would be better suited to a role in the background."

Li Suyin's shoulders slumped, but before she could reply, Ling Qi cut in.

"Gu Xiulan, please don't be rude to my friends," she said flatly. "Li Suyin stood with me when we fought Huang Da. She'll do just fine with some practice. Su Ling too.

"I'm not asking you guys to let them join your group permanently. I'm not even asking you to be friends with them. I just want to help them practice and polish their skills."

Gu Xiulan's sharp gaze met hers, but Ling Qi didn't waver, staring straight back at the other girl.

"I suppose I can trust your judgement on this," Gu Xiulan replied slowly. "Really though. The girl is shaking like a leaf. You will have to let her stand on her own at some point."

Ling Qi nodded once, getting the picture. She was going to have to talk to Gu Xiulan later. She had expected the other girl to not like her other friends, but there might be something more to her dislike.

"Fan Yu, I understand your objections, but I ask you to trust my judgement in this. As Ling Qi said, they are only temporary sparring partners. There is no need to get so worked up about this," Han Jian said soothingly to the other boy. "The more opponents we practice against, the stronger we'll be, right?"

"Fine," Fan Yu ground out in defeat. "As you say, Han Jian. It is not as if I have any right to contradict you," The boys shoulders slumped, but his blustery scowl was back a moment later.

"Thank you," Han Jian said, seeming relieved. "Anyway, for the first round, let's split up like this…"

The following training session was awkward and difficult, but she felt like Li Suyin and Su Ling at least got something from it. Between her and Gu Xiulan's coaching as well as some advice from Han Jian, Li Suyin began to incrementally improve at avoiding attacks, and Su Ling seemed interested in the way Han Jian wielded his sword. By the time she left, Su Ling was glancing down at her sheathed knives thoughtfully.

When they showed up to train the next day, Su Ling had acquired a sword and set to practicing with it, studiously ignoring Fan Yu and the others in favor of prodding Han Jian for advice. The fox girl's close attention to Han Jian put Gu Xiulan in a poor mood, and when the two were on opposite sides of a spar, things got heated rather quickly. Su Ling's tail ended up on fire that day, and Gu Xiulan lost one of her sleeves to the other girl's embers.

Li Suyin suffered from more than one waspish comment about her lack of confidence and physical fitness. Although she improved, Ling Qi noticed her becoming more withdrawn as the week went on.

The results were mixed at best, but Ling Qi believed the joint training sessions to have been worthwhile. However, she couldn't in good conscience try to set up another session

With how much training and cultivating Ling Qi was doing, it was late in the week by the time she got around to the final thing on her to-do list for the week, namely, heading down to the market to take a longer look around and finally offload the staff. Her time was cut down even more when she decided to try and find out the status of the original owner. She had no doubt that the girl was going to want the thing back, but she had had so many other things to worry about that investigating the matter had slipped her mind until now.

It took some poking around but eventually she learned a few things. The girl who was the owner of the staff had survived their encounter and was named Zhu Mei, and the boy who had been with her down there was Zhu Fong, her twin brother. The both of them had disappeared into near isolation in the wake of the test, which was why she had not seen either of them out and about.

The new information didn't change her calculation so she simply brought the staff to market to sell. Ling Qi had spent the entire afternoon dithering back and forth on the possibility of trading the staff in for a single expensive talisman or as collateral for a custom item, but in the end, she chose to simply shore up her immediate weaknesses with the proceeds from the sale of the staff: a set of fine steel knives inscribed with formations for sharpness and durability; a protective vest similar to what Su Ling had worn under her gown; and a defensive talisman. Ling Qi spent the rest of that afternoon trading for various pills to help her with her planned training in the coming week.

Finally, as the week was coming to a close, Ling Qi mastered the second measure of the Forgotten Vale Melody, which enabled her to use two new techniques, Diapason of the Lost Traveler and Dissonance in the Night. Her first match the day afterward found her in familiar company. She and Gu Xiulan were paired as the support and range for Gan Guangli. They were facing Lu Feng, Hong Lin, and a third boy whose name she didn't know. The unknown boy was armed with a bow and hung behind the other two.

"Did you really have to pick up such a plain piece of equipment?" Ling Qi sighed as Gu Xiulan spoke, looking her over with frustration. "I understand that you think they are useful, but plain brown leather? And the feather patterns are so uneven - clearly amateur work - not mention how thick they make your wrists look..."

"I told you they're just temporary until I can afford better stuff," Ling Qi replied, fingering the flute in her hand as she eyed their enemies across the field. "Besides, you wear a glove too."

Gu Xiulan sniffed haughtily. "My glove is the finest of Ashwinder skin, cut to be perfectly form-fitting and not impede my range of motion in any way. It does not compare at all," she replied, sounding affronted.

"Miss Ling, Miss Gu," the tall blond boy standing in front of them rumbled. "This is not the time to converse about such things. While it is true that the importance of good accessorization and coordination of equipment cannot be understated, now is the time to focus. I will require your full attention to watch my back while we battle that devious western devil and his vicious compatriots."

Gan Guangli's stern and serious expression were the same as ever. He was actually serious.

"Oh, I am certain that Ling Qi will be keeping a very close eye on your back," Gu Xiulan replied brightly, shooting Ling Qi an amused look.

Ling Qi flushed, glaring at the other girl. Gu Xiulan just would not drop that idea.

"We won't lose today," Ling Qi confirmed, pointedly turning away from the other girl. "I have some new techniques to try. They won't know what hit them."

Gan Guangli eyed her curiously but nodded as he turned back to face the other team. "As you say, Miss Ling, Miss Gu. I shall entrust the rear of the field to you! None shall pass nor touch a hair upon your heads while I yet stand today!"

Ling Qi winced. There he went getting loud again.

The match started soon after, and Ling Qi began to play. An arrow was sidestepped, pushed aside by her refined control of the currents of air around her, and her music rose in volume, carried on that same wind to overcome even Gan Guangli's battle cry. The mist rolled forth, and she grimaced as she felt the qi drain from excluding both Gu Xiulan and Gan Guangli from her mist's effect.

She heard the rumbling crack of Gan Guangli's oversized fist cratering the ground, and the the metallic clangs as Hong Lin struck him a half dozen times in turn. Gu Xiulan's lances of flame cut burning lines through the mist as Ling Qi moved for a better vantage to control Lu Feng's movements.

Steadily circling away from her starting position, Ling Qi shifted into the next verse and let herself flow with the mist. This time she wouldn't be taken out so easily. Completing the second technique, Diapason, and darkening the mist, she felt a jolt of satisfaction as she saw the archer boy try to retreat from the mist only to find himself running in circles.

Then, for the first time in true battle, she began the third technique of the Forgotten Vale Melody, Dissonance in the Night. A high, sharp note heralded its beginning, and the mist came alive. Clumps of roiling fog darkened, forming frightening beastly visages and tearing claws. The shadowy phantoms swarmed her enemies, eyes aglow with a dull red light.

Their immaterial claws and fangs were weak yet, barely doing more than tearing cloth and scratching skin, but the distraction of being mobbed by shadowy foes was more than enough to give her team the advantage.

Hong Lin fell first, grabbed bodily in a gigantic hand and spiked into the ground like a child's ball. Lu Feng and the other boy fell thereafter, weathering withering bolts and bursts of flame from the laughing Gu Xiulan, and unable to do more than annoy the juggernaut that Gan Guangli had become by the end of the fight.

Ling Qi hadn't noticed before, but it seemed that his art grew stronger the longer the battle went on with corresponding effect on his height and mass. Gan Guangli had been nearly four meters tall by the end of things.

It was one of her new knives though that had ended the battle. She sent Lu Feng spinning to the ground with a blade buried in his shoulder.

Ling Qi felt exhilarated with the victory. She could do this. She might not be the strongest… but she wasn't weak anymore either.

Bonus 7: Spite

That damn scar still itched.

Su Ling clenched and unclenched her hands, resisting the urge to scratch as she picked her way through up the collapsed cliff face. She had to be careful not to dislodge the loose rock and dirt under her feet, or she'd be in for a nasty slide. Her ears twitched then catching a sound, and Su Ling stopped dead, pale blue flame blooming at her fingertips as she whipped her head around.

Only to see a little brown rabbit escaping into the underbrush. Su Ling let out a ragged sigh, scrubbing her hand through her hair. She had to get her nerves under control, it wasn't helping her. She knew all to well that if you reacted to every little thing, you'd end up missing the real danger, out of exhaustion if nothing else. So, letting out a shallow huff, she forced herself to relax a little and get back to climbing.

She didn't know why she was surprised. Of course the truce was a bunch of bullshit, meant to give the ones who were already strong cover. That was all rules and laws ever were. The rules hadn't stopped that creep anymore than it had stopped those shitheads from taking everything after Gran died.

She could practically hear the creaky old bats voice in her ears reminding her of what she already knew.

"Want to be left in peace girl? Then you make yourself too big a bone to swallow. Someone wants to do you wrong? Make them choke on it. And If you can't manage, than you keep your head down and stay outta sight, you hear?"

So when some shithead kid stomped on her tail, she sent them home crying with a bloody nose and chipped tooth, and when their parents came to whine, Gran would tell them to piss off or suffer a price hike. The advantage of being the only halfway decent apothecary in the village. Being too big a bone to swallow.

'Course it broke down after she died, but then you got to the second piece of advice, didn't you? Stay on the edges, keep your head down. Scavenge, fight, live. Make sure you were too much trouble to come after.

That wasn't enough though, not here. The people around her were too strong, and resources too few. She could probably get by in the short term, finding a hole and hiding in it, but she'd always stay small, always stay weak if she did that. She didn't have any illusions about the limits of her ability. She'd never be one of the folks lording over things from on high, that wasn't her goal. No, she just needed a solid core of strength, enough to survive getting thrown at barbarians for half a decade and change. Then she could go off and 'retire' like that old drunk of a militia captain back home.

The problem, Su Ling mused darkly, was Li Suyin. Narrowing her eyes, Su Ling bent her knees and jumped, leaping up to catch a handhold on the cliff above. That girl… sometimes Su Ling felt like she was like a dumb puppy. All stupid innocent grins and eagerness, like the world wasn't just waiting to bring the boot down. Yet now, she couldn't help but be pissed off, now that the other girls illusions had been broken.

Su Ling knew perfectly well that she'd been half feral when she'd gotten here, she'd been a shitty housemate, and all around unpleasant, but Li Suyin… That dumb girl had just kept on being nice anyway. It was the first time she'd had a real conversation that wasn't just mockery and threats since Gran had died. With a grunt, Su Ling dragged herself up over the lip of the cliff and peered around.

There was some scrub left, the trees that had been up here had gone down in the rockslide, but this place would still work. As she began to head toward the tiny box canyon that she had come here for however, her thoughts turned back to Li Suyin… her friend. The other girl had been doing better, something that Ling Qi had said she assumed. She still had some mistrust for that one, she recognized another scavenger after all, but…

Su Ling shook her head. If Ling Qi had wanted to betray them, she'd have sided with that Huang creep and then gone to the snake princess to give him the boot, take the prize all for herself. No, she was pretty confident that the girl wouldn't act against them. Still, she thought grimly, things were only going to get worse from here, those pretend rules, weak as they were would be falling soon.

Back in the housing zone, Su Ling could practically smell the resentment and envy that Li Suyin attracted. The girl was always showing off in those elder lessons, though from the way she spoke of it, she didn't see it that way. Yet Su Ling knew that was the way a lot of their 'sect sisters' saw it. Preening little shits, getting mad at being shown up, at getting passed over for praise. Ling Qi was the same, but in regards to the near freakish speed of her cultivation, and the growth of her qi.

Ling Qi had the snake princess though, and in the end Li Suyin had only humble Su Ling. She smiled in bitter amusement at the thought as she reached the back of the canyon, and the narrow crevasse that waited there, leading back into a small cave system that she'd found in her first week. She had some supplies cached here, but it was going to need to be more. She, no, they needed a bolthole, something the cave back here would serve nicely for.. She'd just have to do some work trapping the place.

Winter was coming, and the wolves were out to prowl. Hopefully she could make Li Suyin see that.