Forge of Destiny Threads Chapter 522- Deep Fire 3

The only sounds were the gentle pour of tea and the chime of wind blowing through the garden. Ling Qi knelt, head pressed to the floor in the family wing's dining room, a space of absolute privacy. She suspected her mother would have been frantic about her breaking propriety on any other day.

Her mother, meanwhile, meticulously stirred a drop of honey into her tea, exhaled deeply, and downed the cup in one gulp before setting it down with a soft clink.

"You truly believe this method will not cause you any lasting harm?"

"Master Meng Duyi is certain the spirit has no access to shen. It is merely an exceptionally vast reservoir of potent fire qi, the most potent in this region. If there is a greater entity, it resides deep within the crust and is indifferent to actions spanning less than centuries," Ling Qi replied, her forehead still touching the floor.

"I do not approve of this. If you claim your arts are sufficient, you should not have been hurt like that again. I must take your word for it," Ling Qingge stated coolly.

Ling Qi flinched at the icy tone in her mother's voice.

"If it were on the battlefield, there would be no avoiding it," Ling Qingge said, her voice low and pained. "There was no justification here for seeking counsel before acting. Ling Qi, you know I cannot stop you. Why?"

Ling Qi lifted her head, guilt coloring her expression. "I feared my resolve would waver if I saw how upset you were when I explained it. I had hoped to avoid that, even though it was an option."

It was a simple, childish reason, and she knew it offered no real excuse. Had she been forced to confront that look before the necessity was undeniable… there might have been alternative approaches, but they all demanded greater expense and risk, potentially causing more severe damage to their infrastructure. Objectively speaking, her plan was the most efficient. Yet, objectivity wasn't the sole consideration.

Furthermore, she had no justification for her cowardice, especially given all she had endured.

Her mother drew a deep breath. "If you are truly unharmed in the end, I will forgive this rashness. But Ling Qi, while I will always be thankful for everything you have done…"

"If I repeat this action, it will damage our relationship," Ling Qi acknowledged. "I am sorry. This impulsive daughter caused harm through her cowardice."

"She did. See that it does not happen again," Mother instructed. To Ling Qi's surprise, she leaned forward, her hands cupping Ling Qi's cheeks. "I have enough stress from these meetings. You owe me, young lady."

Grimacing, Ling Qi nodded and rose to her feet. "Very soon, Mother, I will bring Meng Dan to you. Xuan Shi should arrive later. I intend to send him to assist with the warding."

"No more delays. Lady Cai awaits you outside the wing."

"I know. I am sorry, and thank you, Mother."

A more in-depth conversation would surely follow, she was certain, but a different kind of trial awaited her now.

She moved swiftly through the halls of her family's manor wing, sensing her liege's presence as a palpable pressure, akin to a mountain having settled overhead, hovering ominously.

"Lady Cai, my sincerest apologies for keeping you waiting at my door," Ling Qi said, bowing deeply from the waist as she exited the hall.

"It is forgiven. My presence here was unannounced. The appointment in the yard is not for another hour yet."

Cai Renxiang's tone lacked genuine forgiveness. Ling Qi did not point this out, instead straightening and falling into step behind her as Renxiang turned to walk.

"I dislike being misinformed about the plans I am approving."

"I had hoped not to resort to that eventuality, but yes, I was remiss in not presenting it among the possibilities. However, I trust you understand the reasoning behind my decision."

Renxiang was easier to deal with in some respects, as her cold, pragmatic approach held significant sway. This made Ling Qi feel all the more foolish for withholding that option when presenting her plans to Renxiang. She knew the girl would have been displeased, but ultimately, would have accepted it as a potential bargaining chip.

"What led you to choose that course of action?"

"The spirit's malice. I failed to grasp how enraged it became at being thwarted in its attempt to incinerate myself and Zhengui," Ling Qi revealed. Earth qi represented community. When fused with fire, the creation of scorching grudges was not an unthinkable outcome. "Despite all our considerations, Zhengui and I did not truly anticipate it would take such extreme exception to our resistance."

"And so, by offering yourself, whose animosity it had already fixated upon, as the focal point, you secured an unbreakable agreement." Cai Renxiang shook her head. "I find it distasteful, but I accept it. In the future, you will present all options you are considering, regardless of how improbable they seem."

"Yes, Lady Cai," Ling Qi replied. "May I inquire as to our destination? Perhaps a one-on-one spar before others arrive?"

She hoped to maintain some dignity during her inevitable pummeling, having already resigned herself to the strong possibility of it.

"No. While in the initial round of our exercises, I have designated you as the opponent. You should practice your multitasking by generating constructs."

"Ah."

Well, she intended to put up a good fight, but, indeed...

"I shall limit my participation to support arts."

At the very least, the other retainers would still have to earn their victory.

"However, that is not where we are presently headed," Cai Renxiang stated, turning down the corridor that led toward her office instead of the sparring grounds.

Ling Qi lowered her head with a sigh. Her hopes had been raised, yet again, when she ought to have known better.

"We will be meticulously reviewing every detail of the geomantic array devised by you and Meng Duyi. Additionally, you will be composing a letter to Sir Xuan so as to avoid surprising him upon his arrival for his visit."

"I had already intended to do so," Ling Qi ventured. "The letter, that is. As for the array review… rest assured, my contribution will not cause any interference."

"Excellent. Following that, you must draft correspondence to all relevant parties nearby, explaining the reason for an explosion of such magnitude on the date agreed upon. This includes the inhabitants at the summit location and the sect, as well as the southern army command posts in the vicinity. Naturally, you will also be responding to all inquiries, assuaging any concerns they may harbor," Cai Renxiang instructed, opening the door to her office.

"I presume I shall be utilizing your official stamp, representing the lady of Shenglu?"

"Indeed. As the subject matter expert, I shall entrust the wording to you."

It wasn't as if she were unaware of the consequences of her choices.

***

Ling Qi flexed her fingers as she looked at her palm, feeling thankful that, as a cultivator, she could alleviate discomfort in her body with minimal effort, barring the most severe injuries. Otherwise, she feared her hand might have become permanently frozen into a claw-like grip.

"Do persevere, Lady Ling," Meng Dan offered in consolation.

They were now outdoors, beneath the open sky. She leaned against the balcony railing, with Meng Dan standing beside her, maintaining a polite distance. Cai Renxiang was conversing quietly with Gan Guangli across the way, the sounds faintly reaching Ling Qi's senses. Ling Qi deliberately allowed them their privacy. And, last but not least among the retainers…

"I've heard you'll be our opponent today. I also just learned of your new undertaking. I am concerned. How much of the General's flame did you say you managed to extinguish?"

"All but a mere ember," Ling Qi asserted. "I will manage. Between Qiyi, Zhengui, and my own arts, I am confident I can withstand any single blow not imbued with Law."

"Then, be mindful of combined attacks. Even an explosion can occur in stages," Xia Lin advised.

That was a valid point. Arrogance would not serve her well. She had to prepare herself and Zhengui to fully integrate everything into their defense.

"Regardless, what art are you practicing that Lady Cai wishes to test us all against?" Xia inquired, crossing her arms, which produced a creak from the metal plates.

"Gan Guangli and yourself, surely," Meng Dan interjected. "Like Lady Cai, I am primarily an observer. Given Miss Ling's mist, this may prove quite crucial."

"So, I should target you first?" Ling Qi tilted her head. "Since Lady Cai is excluded."

"Ah. Oh dear. I may have placed myself in peril," Meng Dan mused, resting his cheek on his hand.

"Enough," Xia Lin commanded, her tone unimpressed. "The art itself."

"Beast King's Savage Dirge. I have significantly refined it, and its execution now feels much more natural to me," Ling Qi explained. "I plan to work on the Bear God's verse. I've left it largely unstudied beyond the basic performance for too long, but if I'm on my own, my beast constructs will require enhanced resilience."

"And some intelligence to complement that power boost!"

Ling Qi turned her head, a hint of amusement in her eyes as Sixiang leaped over the banister, landing softly on the packed earth with only the faintest whirring of internal gears. "Indeed, I am never truly alone."

"You certainly are not!" Sixiang cheered enthusiastically.

"I had been wondering about that. You are strong and difficult to apprehend, but I admit I was somewhat vexed when it seemed you wouldn't have any of your spirits," Xia Lin commented. "Good."

"I have a feeling that this spar isn't exactly supposed to be fair for me, or at least, not this first exercise," Ling Qi cautioned. "If that makes you feel better."

"A good point." Xia Lin touched her chin thoughtfully. "Meng Dan. You will not go easy just because of your infatuation."

"I would never!" Meng Dan exclaimed. "Not the least because no one would appreciate that."

"True, true, can't have Ling Qi getting it in her head that you're looking down on her." Sixiang looped an arm around her shoulder. "Ling Qi, are you ready for me to merge?"

"Go ahead, Sixiang. And I would be disappointed in you, if you misjudged me that badly, Meng Dan."

There was a soft sigh of rushing air as Sixiang's illusory flesh dissolved in a brief haze of rainbow smoke, and she felt their comforting presence fill her mind. The mannequin Sixiang had been occupying slumped against her shoulder, and with a gesture, she drew it into her storage ring. A talisman so complex, storing it filled te ring’s capacity to near limit in a flash, but it was fine to store temporarily.

"I am pleased to not be so foolish a man," Meng Dan said.

"I have no room for fools at my side. The tolerances for such are already strained as is," Cai Renxinag approached from the other side of the ring, Gan Guangli towering at her side.

Sixiang mused.

Ling Qi would take that under advisement.

"Hoh! I look forward to the clash with you, Miss Ling, all else aside!" Gan Guangli enthused.

"I appreciate it, Sir Gan. Let us have a good match," Ling Qi replied airily. Enough was enough. She simply wasn't going to let these little jabs wear her down!

Ling Qi did not let her expression twitch, nor did she splutter. Why had she invited Sixiang back in here on the regular again?

"Oh, dear me. Strife between companions before the match even begins. Be careful, Miss Ling. You shall need your wits about you," Meng Dan teased.

She huffed. "Let's just get to our places, shall we?"

"Indeed," Cai Renxiang said. "Ling Qi, you shall have two minutes to set the field, as this is an exercise meant to simulate attacking a prepared formation."

Even in mild punishment, Cai Renxiang was always practical.

Meng Dan gave her a cheery wave as he and the others trooped to the far side of the yard. A proper training facility might have some distance-warping formations in place to make for more realistically sized cultivator battlefields. Some of the better Inner Sect fields were like that. Still, even with Renxiang's wealth, it wasn't easy to get the attention of a formation master who could create stable, long-term arrays like that.

So, she was going to have to take into account the fact that the distances here could be crossed in moments or even faster, probably, in Xia Lin's case. In this field, her friend might as well be able to teleport just as she did, limited only by still needing to pay some attention to momentum.

Cai Renxiang gave her a small nod. Ling Qi began.