Chapter 134 Patron Preview (Red+)

Ling Qi panted as she leaned against the icy wall of the ravine where she and Meizhen trained. Welts and bruises stung painfully on her arms, and her vision swam with the light toxin Meizhen had inflicted on her. Meizhen had taken their conversation last week as a signal to use more of her repertoire in spars.

Ling Qi was of mixed feelings about that.

“That was a well thought out attempt,” Bai Meizhen complimented, looking as unruffled as ever. The snow on the ground was torn up in wild patterns from their spar, but Meizhen herself was untouched. Well, she did seem to be breathing a little harder than usual. Ling Qi might have been imagining that though. 

“It still didn’t work,” she grumbled as she straightened up, her back twinging. “Did you have to throw me into the wall like that?”

“It was the most efficient non-lethal solution,” Meizhen replied demurely, dismissing her ribbon sword. “You had come quite close to striking me with your final flanking maneuver.” 

That ‘maneuver’ had left her pretty drained. Jumping multiple shadows in rapid succession and summoning her worms right on top of her friend to distract her for a crucial instant… It had been hard on her reserves. 

“You didn’t even look back when you threw me away,” Ling Qi said grumpily. “Your awareness is just too amazing,” she added to ensure that the other girl knew her complaints were good-natured.

“It is nothing,” Bai Meizhen dismissed, although Ling Qi could hear the slight smile in the girl’s voice. “Shall we rest then? You expended a great deal of qi.”

“That sounds good,” Ling Qi agreed, allowing herself to slide down the wall and sit, a gust of wind blowing away the powder before it could soak through her gown. Meizhen was much more elegant about it. “Meizhen, can I ask you something?” 

“You may,” her friend responded. “Is something troubling you again, Qi? You are advancing as quickly as can be expected.”

“I met with Gu Xiulan’s cousin a few days ago. I left with a betrothal offer,” she said bluntly. “I don’t... I don’t like the idea,” she admitted, “but I know that isn’t necessarily rational.”

Meizhen’s expression was blank, her lips pressed together in a thin line. “I see. The offer is hardly an insult. The Gu family is quite prominent,” she said slowly. “However, I believe Cai Renxiang’s offer to be a better choice.”

“Probably,” Ling Qi admitted. “But if it didn’t come with a marriage attached, I’d probably jump on it. Getting to explore places no one has been in a thousand years or more? That’s more exciting than politics.”

“I suppose,” Meizhen huffed, clearly disagreeing.

“It’s…” Ling Qi paused. “It’s an option, you know? Even if I don’t necessarily like it, I’m glad I have the choice.” She was rambling. “The point is - if you have an idea for how I could stay with you, I’d like to know about it, even if you believe I won’t like it.”

Meizhen stared at her in silence before looking away, her right hand clenching on her her gown. “It is amazing,” she said quietly, “how cruel your earnesty can be at times, Qi.”

“I’m sorry, Meizhen,” Ling Qi said, guilt creeping into her tone. “I just… I want to know.”

“Nothing would stop me from visiting you in Cai Renxiang’s domain,” Meizhen pointed out. “Given my relationship with her, it is even fairly likely that I may argue to receive assignment to the Duchess’ court as a liaison.”

Ling Qi fidgeted. She hadn’t really considered that. “That’s not the point though.”

“It isn’t,” Bai Meizhen acknowledged. “You foolish, reckless, greedy girl.” The insults had no heat in them.

“I’m sorry,” Ling Qi apologized carefully, although she wasn’t quite sure what it was she was doing it for.

“You are not sorry,” Meizhen said clearly, meeting her eyes once more. “Please do not condescend to me so.” She let out a frustrated breath. “I do not understand you. You rejected me.” Emotion strained her voice.

“Meizhen- ” Ling Qi began.

“Let me finish, Qi,” she reproached, her voice cracking like a whip. “You rejected me. Completely. Yet you persist in approaching me - in remaining intimate with me.” Meizhen’s voice trembled slightly. “Friends are not as close as we are. Friends do not reject a position as a province heir’s right hand merely to ‘stay together’. So tell me, Qi, why do you do this?”

Ling Qi’s shoulders slumped. She hadn’t meant to pick at her friend’s wounds. On some level, she knew the other girl was still hurt, exacerbated by their close proximity, but Meizhen showed so little, it was hard to remember at times. 

“You were my first friend too, you know?” she said, looking away, not ready to meet the other girl’s eyes. “Before I came here… I was nothing.”

Meizhen didn’t say a word, simply letting her continue. After a beat of silence, she did. 

“You know how badly educated I was? Even for a commoner?” she asked rhetorically. “That’s because I was a street kid. I was a pathetic, petty thief, and I could never stop watching my back.”

“I suspected,” Meizhen admitted, “given your proclivities.”

Ling Qi let out a sharp bark of a laugh. “Then I came here and met you. You were terrifying, but you were lonely too. And you helped me again and again, even though I couldn’t offer you anything. During Elder Zhou’s test, I decided that I didn’t want to be the kind of person who would spit on that anymore.”

Meizhen’s gaze dropped to her lap. “I still do not understand.”

Ling Qi squeezed her eyes shut. “My mom was a whore, you know? I guess maybe you could call her a courtesan, if you wanted to be polite. The place she worked for was pretty fancy. I don’t want to talk about that, but… I guess, I don’t really have an idea of how people are supposed to relate to each other and where the line between friends and… other stuff is, beyond the obvious.”

“I see.” Meizhen didn’t look up.

“I also… I don’t think of girls that way,” Ling Qi continued uncomfortably, rubbing her arm nervously. “At least as far as I can tell.”

An awkward, lingering silence fell between the two. “Should I defeat Sun Liling publically during the tournament at the end of the year, I believe Grandfather would be willing to grant me a favor if I request it,” the pale girl finally said, plucking at the hem of her sleeve. “To that end, I could take you as my official handmaiden, rather than selecting one from among the Xiao clan, as is traditional for the White Serpent caste of the Bai.”

Ling Qi perked up. “That doesn’t seem too-”

Bai Meizhen shook her head. “Understand, Ling Qi, that the Bai do not countenance weakness. My… feelings for you are a large one. I do not doubt that my cousins would make things incredibly difficult for you, and even making the request would undermine my own position. You would suffer for accepting such an offer. Whatever you might feel, you would come to resent me, and I, you, assuming you survive the internal politics of my clan.” She clutched her sleeve tightly. “Please. Accept Cai Renxiang’s offer - or even that of the Gu Clan, or stay in the Sect. It would be better. For both of us.”

If Meizhen was so certain, it was probably a bad idea. Still, Meizhen’s assessment rankled her. Surely she could handle some backstabbing Bai cousins.

... She wished that she could believe that.

AN: Hey guys, some editting is happening behind the scenes to help with consistent chapter length, so some things will be moved around a little by the time they go to RR. This part in particular is going to get added to the previous chapter 133, So you guys basically get a little bonus! Below is the newly christened chapter 134

Ling Qi,

It seems you have grown a great deal. I can easily recall the days when you had no eyes for anything outside your obsession of the day. Your Sect has done what I never could - or perhaps it was the time in between? I apologize if my words seem terse, but you did request that I be candid.

Biyu and I are well. I did not lie; your gifts are enough for us to live in comfort, even allow the occasional luxury. However, things are rarely so simple in Tonghou. I suppose you can imagine that I did not come to my position at the brothel of my own will. I would not burden you with the details in a letter, but suffice to say, your old mother has few friends.

My previous occupation was the only one which would accept me, despite, if I may be so prideful as to say, my passable skills in some fields. That is an old complaint though, and not one which bears revisiting. It does relate, however, to current troubles. A number of creditors have begun to darken my doorstep of late, speaking of debts unpaid. While I will not say that I never borrowed, I am quite certain that it was never so much.

You recall my efforts to teach you your numbers, I am sure, albeit perhaps less than fondly. I am not so lax as to make so many errors. I still hesitate to say this, as some small pride remains to me, but it would be helpful if the Ministry of Law could be made to bear an interest in a poor old woman, if only for a short time.

It seems I am in the habit of using many words to say little, despite your admonishment. I, too, look forward to speaking with you face-to-face once more, my daughter. As you have said, certain matters are best left to such a meeting.

Let us speak no more of that for the moment. I am glad that studies (?) are going so well and that you are making some good connections. You were always such a flighty girl when you were younger,. I worried you would have trouble tying yourself to others. However, the young lady you mentioned by name… The characters you wrote were not in error? No other clan dares use that character.

Finding out that my daughter found herself in ‘difficulties’ with a member of the Bai is not good for my heart, Ling Qi, but I suppose the rest of your words reduce that worry. The two of you are still friends then? I hope that you remain careful not to cause offense.

As to your request, I am, of course, willing to share my humble attempts at composition. You are likely better than I by now, but it gladdens my heart that I may be of some help to you.

Ling Qi smiled slightly as she folded down the front page of the letter, revealing the first page of the rest of the sheaf. Musical notation in her mother’s neat hand filled the revealed page, and carefully formatted notes hugging the margins of the page explained her mother’s thoughts on the composition.

“Can we get started again?” 

Ling Qi looked up from her letter to see Ma Lei looking at her expectantly, bouncing on her heels. She had decided to get a feel for their abilities, and to that end, she had come out to a training field to spar with them. They had just been getting started when the letter arrived.

“Lei, be patient,” her sister chided, peering at Ling Qi worriedly. “Let Miss Ling finish reading her letter.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ling Qi said. “I brought you here for a reason. I can practice my mother’s compositions later.” She dismissed the packet of papers into her ring and stood up from the bench. She was feeling pretty happy with her mother’s gift. Even if her mother was having trouble and being evasive about some matters, her mother had shared something personal with her.

“Oh, is your mother an entertainer?” Ma Jun asked curiously, fingering the strings of the small zither cradled in her hands.

“... Something like that.” Ling Qi gave a small cough. “Ah, how about you two? What does your family do?” The Ma sisters didn’t come across as nobles to her; she doubted they’d be so cheerful about having to trail around behind her all day if they were.

“Dad is a potter,” Ma Lei replied with a shrug. “He makes fancy vases and stuff.”

“Father is a popular artisan in our hometown,” Ma Jun replied more demurely, shooting her sister a chiding look. “And he worked very hard to send us here.”

Ma Lei grimaced at her sister’s look. “C’mon, sis, you know I’m not being disrespectful.”

“You still need to consider our position, Lei,” Ma Jun stressed before turning back to Ling Qi. “My apologies, Miss. We should not squabble in front of you.”

Well, they were better off than her, but who wasn’t? Still, if their father had ‘sent’ them here, that implied wealth over what a mortal could usually access. She supposed that the Ma family must be ‘common’ cultivators, like the people in town who were three times her age but still first realm. 

“It’s fine,” Ling Qi said after an awkward beat, dismissing the apology.

It was bizarre to think of people whose status was so high above her a year ago as ‘common’. Even a first realm physician or artisan was highly sought after among mortals. Ling Qi briefly wondered how many people from who had troubled her when she was a thief would void their bowels if she gave them a glare now. Maybe she could give Meizhen a tour?

... Well, that would be childish, and the Ma sisters were waiting on her. She dismissed the tangent her thoughts had gone on. “In any case, I thought it would be good to get to know your fighting style, so we can work together better if Sun Liling’s raiders decide to hit us.”

The crimson princess wasn’t taking her loss lying down. They were hitting Cai Renxiang’s enforcer patrols, striking from stealth with overwhelming force and leaving Cai’s people stripped and humiliated.

“We won’t let you down, Miss,” Ma Lei said cheerfully. “Bring it on!”

The confidence was good at least. “Well, since you two are supposed to be bodyguards, I figured the two of you could defend yourselves from me and show me what you can do.”

Ma Jun looked concerned. “If you think that is for the best,” she said nervously. “I hope that we can meet your expectations.”

“Sounds great!” Her more boyish sister spoke right over her. “Fighting someone tough without having to lose my stuff will be nice.”

“This is why I do not allow you to carry our money any more,” Ma Jun sighed. Her sister either didn’t hear her or ignored her words.

Ling Qi glanced between the two, amused. “... Right. For our first bout, I’ll let you two have a ten count to set up before I attack.” She wouldn’t break out Forgotten Vale Melody yet since most people who would attack the three of them were likely to be physical types. She backed up until there was a good twenty meters between her and the Ma sisters and then gave them a nod. “Let’s start.”

Ma Jun bit her lip but nodded, and Ling Qi watched and listened curiously as the girl began to pluck at the strings of her instrument, beginning a soft, slow melody. The air gained a feeling of solidity and weight as natural wind qi was displaced by heavy earth qi. The bells twined in Ma Jun’s hair chimed, and her music grew louder, the qi pouring from her zither gaining greater potency. 

Ma Lei grinned and fell into a combat crouch. A solid, heavy square shield made of fired clay appeared in her right hand, and an iron mace appeared in her left. The ring on her right hand glimmered as well, and clay burst forth, slithering up her arm to form a heavy looking vambrace, seemingly in counterweight to her shield. It then began to spread further, making the beginnings of a breastplate, but...

The ten count was over. Ling Qi moved. She crossed the distance between them in a flash. There was resistance as she closed in - her limbs felt heavy, and her feet seemed to be slogging through thick mud - but she adjusted quickly. Ma Jun’s eyes widened as Ling Qi lashed out with a knife hand aimed at the girl’s throat.

Ling Qi was surprised when she found herself having to abort the attack as Ma Lei’s shield appeared in front of her. Her fingers had only barely brushed the clay of the shield before the curved surface erupted in grasping, muddy tendrils and spikes of baked clay, forcing her back a step.

Ma Lei was now standing where Ma Jun had been, her brow furrowed in concentration as the tempo of Ma Jun’s melody grew more energetic. Some kind of switching technique? 

Ling Qi flowed right into her next attack despite her musings. Steam rose from her skin as she fell into the movements of Argent Current. She drove Ma Lei back with a heavy flurry of attacks that had the girl desperately blocking and playing defense, unable to retaliate as her qi began to drain under the assault. Cracks started appearing in her clay armor.

Ling Qi felt the moment that changed. Vitality suddenly flowed into the other girl, repairing her armor even as she took one of Ling Qi’s strikes head on and used the opening to swing the heavy head of her mace toward Ling Qi’s head. It wasn’t fast enough to hit her, but it did disrupt her pattern. The breeze that ruffled her hair spoke more of a boulder than a fist-sized lump of metal swinging past her.

Ling Qi dissolved, shooting into the shadow of a training bench at the edge of the field. Time to see how they dealt with harassment. 

As she emerged from the shadows, her bow appeared in her hands, and she let loose three shots before the Ma sisters could even spot her. Ma Jun cried out as three blunted training arrows struck her in the back, causing her to stumble, her song faltering. Ma Lei moved with admirable quickness to prevent her follow-up shots, but once Ling Qi really started to move, the girl couldn’t keep up with her, even with her sister scrambling back to her feet to resume support.

For the next several minutes she continued to snipe and harass, using the spar to practice with her bow, she drove the two sisters from one end of the training ground to the other. Until at last Ma Lei panicked and pulled up a fully enclosing dome of earth to give them time to breath.

It ended with the two collapsed on the ground, sweaty and depleted of qi, while Ling Qi simply took a Wellspring Pill to top herself off as she strolled over from the edge of the field. 

“Your endurance is pretty good,” Ling Qi complimented. You were supposed to do that in this kind of situation, right?

“That’s my job,” Ma Lei panted, pushing herself up onto her knees. Her clothes were covered in bits of clay, and Ling Qi suspected that the girl was bruised from her arrows. “I take a pounding and keep on going.”

Her sister muttered something that sounded distinctly unkind to Ling Qi’s ear, despite being little more than a garbled mumble. “T-thank you for your instruction,” Ma Jun managed as she too pushed herself off the ground with shaky limbs. “Do you… have any suggestions... for improvement?”

Ling Qi scratched her cheek, glancing away as the Ma sisters stood and comported themselves. “You two are kinda slow and immobile. It’s fine, I guess, given your current job. But one of you should probably have some kind of answer for ranged attacks,” she pointed out. “Um, oh, that big dome of earth you pulled up at the end was good!” Praise was important too. “It took three solid shots to break through that.”

“... That took a third of my qi,” Ma Jun mumbled glumly.

“I guess we just have to work harder,” Lei said cheerfully, clapping her slimmer sister on the back. “I’ll spend some points looking for a ranged counter.”

Ling Qi thought the spar went fairly well. The Ma sisters were pretty well suited for a guard and delay role. Sure, Sun Liling or Meizhen would tear through them in seconds, but that was true for most people. Maybe she should consider assisting Gan with his plans for a counter ambush.