Smelting 1

The carriage was impossibly fast, Ling Qi thought, as she stared out the tiny window at a landscape that was little more than a green and brown blur. She knew she should be excited, maybe awed; she was witnessing the power of Immortals after all. It wasn’t something a girl like her could have ever expected to see.

Instead, she simply felt numb. Absently, she brushed a strand of unruly black hair out of her eyes. She had let it get too long again, hanging down below her ears as it was. She was being taken to the Wall, the impassable mountains that formed the southern border of the Emerald Seas province. The carriage was bound for the Argent Sect that resided there, and it was all because a terrifying man in a porcelain mask had said that she had the talent to become an Immortal.

It was why she sometimes heard voices no one else could hear, why she could feel strange presences when she ventured out to the outskirts of the city where the wards against the spirit beasts were porous and weak. She had always assumed she had been born a bit crazy.

Boyish, inelegant, crazy Ling Qi, who ran away rather than play doll for her mother.

It had grated when she was younger, listening to her mother’s complaints about her appearance and demeanor to clients, hearing the frustration in the woman’s voice when she talked about her. Ling Qi was too tall, too thick of limb, her skin too dark, and her features too long and lacking refinement.

She couldn’t say she regretted leaving. It wasn’t as if Mother had tried very hard to find her in the four years since she had run off. Ling Qi blew the stubborn strand of hair out of her eyes again and turned her thoughts away from the past. It was pointless now; she would never grow up to be like her Mother, and so, she had left. She was free, even if it meant facing hunger and cold. Even if it meant she had often been hurt or frightened. She might be ugly, be poor, but she was herself, did as she wanted, which to her was all that mattered. It had to be.

Which was why this grated on her.

She should have been ecstatic, the only commoner from her city that had the talent... Would any other denizen of Tonghou be able to raise their heads in front of her by the time she was done training? Would even Mother be able to criticize her? No, of course not.

She still wasn’t happy though, because once again she found herself without a choice. She had no money, no resources. Even if she had gone back to Mother, the woman wouldn’t have been able to pay the fees described by the recruiter, and if she had refused to go along to the sect, her talent would be removed. She hated the idea of something that was hers being taken away even more.

So once she was done training, she would owe the Empire eight years of military service instead. Not very long at all in an Immortal’s lifespan, she had been assured. Really she couldn’t say that the idea of facing off against the wind riding mountain barbarians like a figure out of a story didn’t excite her.

She just hated not having a choice.

Ling Qi shook her head and turned away from the blurring landscape outside the carriage window. The carriage was eerily quiet. More magic, she supposed, and despite her misgivings, she couldn’t help the spark of excitement she felt at the thought.

Still, it had been hours since they left, and she was bored. Even at this speed, it would still be some time until she arrived. So rather than continuing to mope about the past, she decided to turn her attention to the leather satchel sitting on the bench across from her. It contained her meager possessions: a few coins, some clothing, and an old wooden flute that she had liked to play on occasion. Mother’s music lessons had been one of her happier memories.

It also contained what she had been provided by the recruiter. Reaching over, Ling Qi picked up the bag and flipped it open. Peering inside, she ran her fingers over the bundle of grey cloth that sat on top. She once again marveled at the smooth softness of the material. Her disciple’s uniform, the man had said. Something provided to less well off disciples, since normal clothing would have difficulty holding up to the rigors of training.

There were a few other things too: a hand mirror, a comb, and a sewing kit, among a few other miscellaneous items. She supposed the implication was that she should make herself presentable before she arrived. She glanced down at her rather ragged brown shirt, pants, and muddy sandals. Not exactly the most impressive outfit.

This was the first time in a long time that it might matter though. She hadn’t had much time before she had been shuffled into the carriage. If she was going to make an effort, she should do it now. Ling Qi glanced toward the locked door on the other side of the carriage, then back toward the window. There was enough space at least; it really seemed like the carriage was meant for several people. After another moment contemplating the contents of the satchel, she drew the shutter down over the window and got to work changing.

Some time later, Ling Qi sat back down with a frown on her face, idly smoothing the wrinkles out of the amazingly soft gray fabric of the outfit she now wore. It was… nice, but she hadn’t worn a dress in years. At least it didn’t pinch and cling like the ones Mother used to try and make her wear.

It was layered and cut on the bottom half to allow for easy movement, but annoyingly loose around her hips. She had had to bunch up the sash and tie it twice. At least the wide, billowy sleeves would be good for concealing her hands. She could also hide things inside them pretty easily with a bit of work. The embroidery of clouds and stylized wind currents were kind of nice too.

She still felt uncomfortable though. It felt strange to wear something that probably cost more than a month of a laborer’s wages. Well, maybe whatever this was made of was the Immortal equivalent of sack cloth? She glanced down at the mirror in her hands. There weren’t any cosmetics provided thankfully, so apparently they didn’t expect her to dress up that much.

There had been a few hairpins though, made of some kind of painted bone. She thought they went well with her bright blue eyes. That was her best feature in her own opinion. No one else in her hometown had eyes that shade. Not that her effort at pinning up her hair in some resemblance of order had prevented the strands from falling back into her eyes. Maybe she could learn some kind of magic to manage that, she thought idly.

As she put the mirror away and reached for the clean sandals that had been under the uniform, the carriage suddenly jerked, almost sending her tumbling headfirst into her bag. Snapping a hand up to grab the frame of the window, she managed to steady herself.

“Be ready. We’re nearly at the entrance plaza,” sounded the voice of the man who was driving the carriage. He had seemed… less formal than she would imagine an Immortal to be, greeting her kindly as she had passed the two adults to enter the carriage.

Curiously, she lifted the shutter that she had pulled down over the window. They were now moving along at a much more normal pace while traveling up a meandering mountain path. Somehow, the inside of the carriage remained level despite the slope.

“I will be ready shortly,” Ling Qi called back after a moment’s hesitation. Whatever had been blocking the sounds from outside was gone, she noticed with a start. She could hear birdsong and the sound of the horse’s hooves again as well.

“H-how long do I have?” she asked tentatively a moment later, frowning at the hesitant stutter that had come out despite her best efforts. She was nervous, but she couldn’t let them see that. One thing she had learned quite well by now was that the appearance of confidence was important.

“Oh, you’ve got a few more minutes more,” the man called back in a lackadaisical tone. “The Sect doesn’t like us speeding on the mountain, at least for those of us stuck on the ground anyway.”

Ling Qi blinked. Was he implying that some would be arriving by flight? She had heard stories… but had thought that mostly the domain of the mountain barbarians.

“Thank you. I’ll just be a moment.” It felt strange to revert to the speech Mother had taught rather than the more relaxed kind she had gotten used to in the last few years, but it felt like a good idea. If there was one thing Mother had been right about, it was that first impressions mattered.

Shaking off such thoughts for the moment, she reached down for the sandals, a determined expression on her face. She would need to be ready.

When the carriage finally came to a stop, Ling Qi felt she was as prepared as she could be, given that she didn’t precisely know what was coming next. The driver hadn’t said anything else, and neither had she, preoccupied as she had been with trying to focus and keeping the nervous thoughts that kept flitting through her head from showing.

There was a thud from outside and the sound of footsteps walking around the carriage as she stood, self-consciously smoothing the wrinkles in her new uniform. Shortly thereafter, there was another click and the door opened, revealing the driver.

It was difficult to read his face, or anything really, given how well covered he was. He wore a strange, wide brimmed hat from which hung paper slips covered in odd symbols. It left his eyes barely visible in the gaps between the slips. The high collar of his deep blue robe rose to meet the hangings, concealing the rest of his face. Somehow, he managed to give the impression that he was smiling.

“Need a hand getting down?” he asked pleasantly offering a gloved hand to her.

“I’ll be fine, thank you,” Ling Qi responded with confidence she didn’t quite feel, hesitating only a moment before picking up the now lightened satchel and stepping down slowly to avoid tripping on the hem of her dress.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, she finally got a look at her surroundings. The two of them stood on a wide stone plaza built upon a plateau carved into the mountainside. She could see the steep road they had traveled to get here wind past the ornate gate that broke the stone fence encircling the plaza and vanishing into the mist below.

There was only a single building here, a large two story structure with a high peaked roof that reminded her both of a temple and the scholars’ testing hall in Tonghou City. The plaza was dotted with small, tastefully arranged gardens centered around tall peach trees. There was still a trickle of people going into the building dressed in similar uniforms, as well as several other similar carriages, each with their own eclectically dressed driver.

“Hey, might not want to stand around staring too long.” She startled as the driver’s amused voice jolted her from her thoughts. Ling Qi glanced over at him and then back to the central building. He was facing away from her, working to free the odd, blue furred horses from their harness.

“You’re in the last group of arrivals so one of the elders will be down soon to lay out the rules. You’re assigned to hall one by the way.” He patted one of the horses on the neck, drawing a snort from the beast, as he turned back to face her.

Ling Qi still hadn’t gotten a proper look at his face, but somehow, the tilt of his head gave the impression that he was examining her, making her straighten her posture unconsciously.

“Thank you,” she responded after a moment. “And… where is hall one? And is there anything else I should know?”

“In the front door. Just follow the signs,” he responded dismissively, crossing his arms. The act tugged the long sleeves of his robe up, showing that his gloves extended to at least his elbows. He paused, once again giving her the feeling of being appraised.

“The Elders will lay out the rules. Just be respectful,” he added in a lazy tone. “But… find some friends and be quick about it. Loners tend to have trouble. You can’t watch your back all the time, you know?” His monstrosity of a hat tilted to the side, and she got the impression that he was smiling again. “Call it advice from a senior who was in a similar spot.”

She… had never been particularly good at making friends, much less keeping them, but she could take friendly advice with good grace.

“Thank you again. I should be on my way though.” Her voice was more hesitant than she would have liked. She turned to head toward the building then stopped.

“Might I know your name?” she asked. It seemed silly to not at least introduce herself to someone who seemed helpful.

“Dong Fu,” he responded easily. “You’re right. Get going. You don’t want to be late, and I already know your name.”

Ling Qi dipped her head in his direction and set off, hurrying along as fast as she could manage in her new clothes.

The Sect’s central building loomed ahead. Somehow, she knew, things would never be quite the same again once she crossed that threshold.

Smelting 2

As it turned out, Dong Fu was correct. The signs were quite clear. Only a handful of other silver robed youths remained in the wide open entrance hall as she entered, and none of them paid her any more than a passing glance.

The rear wall of the entrance hall was taken up by a massive board of ebony wood. A banner was strung up on the board, clearly delineating directions for new disciples. The spotlessly clean wooden interior of the building was honestly a little unsettling. It was unnatural; the floor was so polished that it was practically a mirror, and she couldn’t see a single scuff or mark anywhere, let alone a speck of dust.

She couldn’t give that too much thought, however, because she was one of the last ones in. As she arrived at the sliding doors marking the entrance to hall one, she could hear the murmur of a large number of people speaking quietly within.

Peering inside, she could see that the large room was built with a series of long desks placed on descending tiers, broken up by shallow steps going down to the pit where the lecturer’s podium stood. The desks were almost completely full, and as she stepped inside, Ling Qi caught more than one curious, dismissive, or assessing look from the crowd of chattering fourteen year olds already present. It made her hackles rise; the feeling of condescending dismissal was an almost physical thing.

Giving herself a shake, she forced herself to ignore it and search for empty seats.

The most obvious and first to draw her eye was a whole section which lay empty centered on a pale girl. The girl had snow white hair that fell freely down to the middle of her back and was everything Ling Qi was not: petite and dainty with almost supernaturally pale skin. She was whispering into the sleeve of her uniform, which had been personalized with a scale-like pattern in the embroidery. She seemed to be paying very little attention to her surroundings, yet she sat alone in an otherwise packed room.

The girl raised her head then, looking toward Ling Qi. Ling Qi felt her blood run cold for as she saw the other girl’s eyes, golden and slit pupiled. A shudder of animalistic fear rippled up her spine. The moment ended when the other girl broke eye contact and returned her attention to a bright green snake which had just poked its head out of her sleeve.

What was that? She had felt like a mouse in front of a serpent, yet the girl’s expression hadn’t even been hostile nor condescending, just indifferent.

 Ling Qi quickly turned her attention to the other possible seats. There was another girl who had a seat open next to her. She was leanly muscled with sun-darkened skin and bright red hair woven into a single braid. The splash of color stood out amidst the rest of the room.

Strangely, she was wearing a partial boys uniform: a pair of baggy pants rather than a robe and a silken sleeveless shirt. Ling Qi might have thought her a feminine boy if not for how… stretched the shirt she wore was. Unlike the others, who were seated with meticulous posture, she sat with her feet propped on the desk in front of her and a bored expression on her face. Her gaze briefly flickered Ling Qi's way before the laid back girl seemed to dismiss her as unimportant.

Further down, there was an open seat adjacent to the steps next to a tall boy, tall enough that she wouldn’t be looking down at him if they stood face to face. He was… well, a little handsome Ling Qi could admit, in the classical way, with noble features and good proportions. But not girlish, the way some nobles and wealthy sorts could get.

Mainly, her attention was drawn by the gold furred tiger cub curled up on top of his head. She stared for a moment, but no one else seemed to think it odd. When he noticed her look, the boy gave her a friendly smile and a slight nod that made the cub on his head growl unhappily.

The last available seat was in the room’s far corner next to a short young man with with shaggy brown hair and a rather nasty burn scar extending across his right cheek, down his neck, and under his shirt. It was quite ugly, and it took a moment to pull her eyes from the scar to look at the rest of him. He was of middling height and compact build. Just from a glance, she would guess him to be one of the few others in this room to be of the same… social class as her. He certainly looked as out of place and uncomfortable as she felt.

When he met her eyes, his gaze was measuring and wary. Her eyes skittered away immediately. He reminded her too much of Tonghou, and wasn’t she going to leave that behind?

Ling Qi glanced between the open seats, but in the end, the choice was obvious. Dong Fu’s advice still echoed in her ears, and… if she was honest with herself, she wanted to follow it.

It came down to loneliness in the end. If there was one thing Ling Qi’s effort to remain unconstrained had failed to give her, it was friends. Given Mother’s occupation, that pool had always been limited to begin with and living as she had for the last four years had not allowed her to spend a long time in anyone’s company.

With that in mind, she chose the option that at least seemed friendly. She began to make her way down the stairs toward the handsome boy with the tiger cub at a sedate pace. Even if his friendliness was a facade, it was better than indifference or hostility.

That seemed to trigger most of those who had been looking at her askance to go back to their own conversations. Now that she had the opportunity to study them, Ling Qi could see that there seemed to be several cliques among those seated here. She was no socialialite, but she could see that there was no room for someone like her there.

As she came to a stop next to the desk where the boy was seated, she did her best to put her doubts and worries aside, but it was a difficult thing.

“D’you mind if I sit here?” The words escaped her before she could really think about it, and she clenched her fists under her sleeves. She had been trying to remember to speak formally, but it wasn’t something that came naturally to her anymore. Now he was going to think she was…

“Sure thing.” His laid back words cut off her internal panic. The boy shifted in his seat, moving over a bit to give her more room. The easy smile he gave her absolutely did not make her heartbeat speed up.

“You were kinda cutting it close though, weren’t you?” He had a slight accent that she couldn’t place, which combined with his laid back attitude, seemed to draw his words out oddly.

Ling Qi hastily seated herself before too much attention could be drawn to her embarrassed flush. Not that most were likely to care, her more reasonable side would point out. She glanced up to find him regarding her with something like amusement.

The tiger cub curled up atop his head seemed to be sleeping again, and she briefly wondered how it hadn’t fallen when he’d turned his head to look at her.

“My carriage only just arrived,” she responded, more defensively than she would have liked. She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t introduced herself yet.

“I am Ling Qi by the way,” she said quickly. “If.. ah, you were wondering, I…” She hated the way her voice trailed off into awkward uncertainty. Let her slip through a busy street dipping her hands into pockets or stand up to a fence trying to swindle her, and she could be confident. Apparently, friendly conversation could make her composure crumble in moments.

Worst of all, her damn hair was working its way loose again. She already had a few unruly strands drifting in front of her eyes.

For his part, the boy gave her an odd look out of the corner of his eye as she hunched her shoulders, feeling stupid.

“Han Jian,” he said after a moment. “Nice to meet you. Can’t say I recognize the name. If your carriage just got here, you must be local so that makes sense. My tutors always complained about me not paying enough attention.” He says the last with a self-deprecating smile.

His easy acceptance eased the tension Ling Qi felt and allowed her to sit up straighter. Doing so made her notice that aside from Han Jian, she just might be the tallest person in the room. So much for standing out less.

Still, the implied question made her feel awkward. Was he only being polite because he thought she might be someone of noble birth like him? He seemed almost too casual to be a noble though.

“My family isn’t very important,” she decided to hedge. “Where are you from? I’m, I mean, I am not familiar with yours either.” She stumbled over the words more than she would have liked, but she felt that it was still a decent deflection.

He laughed, and Ling Qi felt the corners of her lips quirk up. It was hard to stay tense around him.

“Guess we’re both a couple of slackers then,” he responded, sounding amused. “The Han family is from the Golden Fields province.” He seemed really amused but also… almost relieved?

Golden Fields… the name was vaguely familiar as if she had heard it once a long time ago. It came to her then. Golden Fields was the easternmost province of the empire, and more importantly...

“Oh, the Grave of the Sun. I didn’t think someone would come from so far away.” She trailed off as she noticed that his smile had gone rather stiff.

Did she say something rude? The story of Lu Guanxi and his final stand was famous. He was one of the Empire’s greatest heroes. She couldn’t really think of a reason why mentioning the hero would offend him. Maybe his family had sent him away and he didn’t like being reminded of how far away he was?

He gave a slightly forced laugh. “Yeah, that’s the one. I guess most people only remember us for that old story these days.”

Ling Qi looked away awkwardly, pursing her lips. What had she said? She cast around for a change of subject to hopefully end the uncomfortable silence. Eventually, her eyes settled back on his pet, which she noticed had now opened its eyes and was staring down at her with the sort of imperious disdain that only a feline could manage.

“So… where did you get your pet? I’ve never seen one like that.” Truly, she was a master of conversation and that wasn’t stilted at all.

Why did it feel like the little tiger cub was glaring at her now?

He blinked, but accepted the subject change. “I was introduced to Heijin by my Grandmother a few years back when I managed to awaken my qi. He’s not really a pet though, more like a little cousin.”

What was that supposed to mean? Ling Qi had heard of some people treating their animals like family, so maybe he was just one of those. She was about to ask for clarification when a muffled boom cut through the buzz of conversation in the room.

Like the others in the room, her attention was drawn to the source of the sound. It came from below where a tall, thin man had appeared at the lecturer’s podium. He was even now lowering his hands back to his side as if he had simply clapped for their attention.

Ling Qi frowned as she studied the man. There was something about him which set her on edge. Perhaps it was his almost unnaturally bland and thin features, clean shaven down to the eyebrows, or the slightly gray tone of his skin. If she didn’t know better, she would think him ill.

...Or maybe it was the eye searing shades of pink and lilac he was garbed in. It was bizarre seeing what looked like the robes of a high minister in such an undignified shade. How had someone wearing such loud colors gotten past her like that? There was no door down there, so he must have come through the same entrance she had.

She glanced over at Han Jian, but he didn’t seem particularly surprised. She forced herself to relax a bit. It was some form of magic obviously, and not something which anyone else seemed concerned about though a few of the students had been startled out of their seats.

“Welcome to the Argent Peak Sect, children,” the strange, bald man said as he clasped his hands behind his back. His expression was one of careful neutrality, but she thought she could see amusement twinkling in his grey… no, green, no… in his eyes, which seemed to rapidly change colors.

 “I am Sect Elder Sima Jiao, Head of the Talisman Department, and it seems that it is my turn to greet our new arrivals.” So this man was the one in charge of creating talismans like the spirit repelling totems placed around villages and cities? He must be incredibly wealthy. No wonder he could get away with dressing so outlandishly.

Then she remembered the ridiculous hat her driver had worn. Perhaps becoming Immortal compelled one to dress strangely? While Ling Qi pondered the fashion sense of cultivators, Elder Jiao had clasped his hands behind his back and was giving her and the other students an assessing look.

 “I am terribly busy on the best of days so I will not ramble on. To be honest, it is likely that the majority of you will never amount to anything beyond the outer sect where you stand now, and are thus... not particularly worthy of my time.” His blithe dismissal drew a grumble from the gathered students, Ling Qi among them. Han Jian’s serene expression didn’t change though. Perhaps he was simply that confident. Seeing that, Ling Qi let out a breath, reigning in her irritation.

“It is simply reality. Nothing to be ashamed of,” the Elder continued, not unkindly. “In any case, your first years here will serve the purpose of separating those with only minor potential from those with true talent. This is why no one will be allowed to leave the sect grounds during the first year, nor will any correspondence be allowed in or out in the first three months.”

That seemed to surprise some of the other disciples, setting off a wave of whispers, though no one dared to openly question the elder. It didn’t bother Ling Qi though. What did she have outside this place? Perhaps she would enjoy a stroll through her original home when she had made something of herself, but until then, why bother?

“Be silent,” Elder Jiao said then, pulling her attention back to him. “You will have time enough for mortal concerns later. Today and in the future, you are disciples of the Argent Peak. The foundation you lay in the first steps of your path will shape the rest of your lives. There is no need for distractions from the outside world.” His odd, color-shifting eyes sweep over the room as his stern expression softened back into the same easy amusement he showed at the beginning of his speech.

“The only other rule is that you may not kill or permanently maim your fellow disciples nor may you damage or steal sect property. In addition, there is to be absolutely no violence between you newcomers for the first three months. Conflict is important for your growth, but it would not do to allow potential to be cut off before it can even begin to bloom.”

His words, delivered in a light tone still sent a chill down Ling Qi’s spine. It seemed things wouldn’t be so different from home after all. She found herself eyeing her fellows in a new light, as possible enemies and obstacles.

Ling Qi was brought up short only when she saw Han Jian giving her a reassuring smile. Only then did she noticed that her hands resting on the desk in front of her had clenched nervously. She did her best to return her current companion’s smile, but the expression was a little wan.

It was unlikely that she could rely on someone whom she had only shared a brief conversation with. She managed to calm herself after another few moments; worrying for her safety was nothing new. Besides, the Elder was speaking again, and she needed to pay attention.

“Each of you will be granted an allowance of five red spirit stones per month and access to the Argent Soul Art,” he continued, confusing her. She had no idea what either of those things were.

“For those of you not aware,” he added, “spirit stones are the currency of the Immortals, more valuable than gold or silver.” Ling Qi was suddenly all too aware of the way his unsettling gaze rested on her before passing to a handful of other students in the room.

“Cultivation requires the consumption of the energy in said stones, at least until one masters certain other arts. I would suggest frugality. As for the Argent Soul Art, it is the beginners form of the Sect’s cultivation art. It is exceptional for early growth, if somewhat less effective for mature cultivators.” The older man rolled his shoulders then and glanced toward the door.

“All of your mortal necessities will be provided in the Sect at no further cost. Behind this building are two paths leading to the residential areas. You will be segregated by gender, of course.” He smiled as if amused by some private joke. “I would not suggest trespassing in the wrong zone. Rooming arrangements will be up to you, but expect to room with at least one other disciple. For the first three months, two Elders will be on the mountain to provide beginner’s training in, the physical and spiritual aspects of our arts respectively. I suggest you seek them out because you will need to earn such elder attention later.

"All else will be up to you, your skill, and your talent.” He unclasped his hands and brought them back up to rest on the podium, but they were no longer empty. Instead, he held a large jewelry box made of dark green jade. “Now, if you would file up in an orderly fashion, I will be handing out your first month’s allowance.”

As she stood, preparing to join the forming line below, Han Jian spoke up quietly from beside her. He was now standing as well, and Ling Qi noted that she had been right. He was actually taller than her; it felt strange to look up at someone her own age. Heijin, his tiger cub had migrated from his head to his shoulder, clinging to the fabric with his…? little kitten claws. The tiger cub was still giving the impression of glaring at her.

“Do you need a couple of pointers on getting started?,” he asked, sounding a bit awkward. “I couldn’t help but notice you aren’t actually awakened yet. You just seemed a little on edge, you know?” He followed Ling Qi as she stepped out into the aisle to join the line.

“Thank you,” Ling Qi responded after a moment. He had seemed friendly enough, and it wasn’t as if she had anything he could possibly want.

“How would I contact you though?” Ling Qi asked.

He hummed thoughtfully as the line shuffled forward. “Hm, I’ll wait out in the front plaza here around noon tomorrow. That sound good? I’d rather not end up with last pick of the housing today.”

She supposed she didn’t have much choice in the matter. She nodded her assent and fell silent. Making conversation was more tiring than she thought.

She soon received her allowance of spirit stones and a scroll case containing her new ‘cultivation art’. No one had come out and said it, but she thought it likely that it was necessary for ‘awakening’ since they were giving it out to everyone. She would have to read it later, and practice. Perhaps she could surprise Han Jian come tomorrow? The thought was oddly pleasing.

For now though, Ling Qi thought as the line moved forward, she had to make sure that she would be able to keep these ‘gifts’. The first step to that would be seeing to her housing.

Smelting 3

The glittering red stones were almost entrancing to look at, Ling Qi thought. Each one was the size of her thumb and had an odd warmth that was very pleasant. She stowed them away almost immediately.

Having what felt like such valuable precious stones on her person made her nervous. She really wished the gown she had been given had hidden pockets to it. Still, the Elder had forbidden all violence for the next three months, and while that normally wouldn’t be enough to make her relax, in this case, she had a feeling that it would actually be enforced.

Filing outside, their group was quickly joined by the disciples from the other two lecture halls. The disciples moved toward the two mountain paths that lay behind the main hall. Each path was flanked by a pair of large stone pillars carved with many symbols centered around a single large character. The right hand set had the character for man; the left hand set had the character for woman. The meaning was rather obvious, and it seemed that no one had a desire to test the elders’ words today.

Walking between the pillars gave Ling Qi an odd tingling sensation, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It was unpleasantly like being watched, but thankfully faded as they moved further from the pillars. For now, she walked silently somewhere in the middle of the crowd of quietly chattering girls, clutching the strap of her satchel tightly and feeling terribly out of place. There were a bit over a hundred people in the group here. That meant that she had quite a few people to compete with if the implications of Elder Jiao’s statements were true.

She recognized a handful of the girls from her own lecture hall, mostly the two she had considered sitting with. The red haired girl strolled along at the head of the group, hands behind her head and looking for all the world like she was leading them despite simply walking in the same direction. The white haired girl was noticeable simply because of the ‘bubble’ of clear space around her as she walked with her head down toward the rear of the group. Many of the other girls had grouped into little chattering cliques already.

Reaching the crest of the hill, Ling Qi caught her first glimpse of the residences. Built at the bottom of a small ravine in the mountainside, the homes were set out in a neat grid with wide clean streets between them. At the far end was a veritable mansion, like something she would glimpse over the wall that separated the inner city from the outer back home. Smaller, but still nearly palatial homes with flowering gardens came next. Then came the stone homes that lacked gardens but looked like something a successful craftsman might own. Past that, there were tiny round hovels with straw roofs, barely big enough for two people.

Ling Qi peered over the residences with a determined look. To be frank, having a home at all was a luxury beyond her means so the quality didn’t necessarily concern her. However, given Elder Jiao’s words that she would likely end up rooming with someone, it meant there simply weren’t enough free homes.

Ling Qi took a calming breath as they began to make their way down the steep path that led to the residences. She was going to be in danger here once the brief period of enforced nonviolence ended. She would need to make an effort to keep herself safe.

One way was to gain strength herself, which was strange to think of as it had never really been an option before. A second method was following her driver’s advice and finding ‘someone to watch her back’. Han Jian… well, while she hoped he would turn out to be genuine, even if he was only pitying her, he couldn’t help her here on the girl’s side.

She really wasn’t good at this sort of thing. She had never joined any of the street gangs at home; she had no illusions about what her ‘role’ in such a group would have been. If she wanted that, she would have just stayed with Mother and at least made a living out of it.

At the same time, she didn’t really have anything to offer at the moment though. Casting a surreptitious glance around at the other girls, she found it doubtful that she would be able to involve herself in any of their cliques. There were a few who seemed like they came from less wealthy backgrounds, including a strange girl with dirty smudges on her and wearing some kind of odd fluffy belt of fur around her waist. They wouldn’t be able to help keep her safe though because they had the same problem of having nothing to offer yet.

So her gaze went back to the two girls she had shared a lecture hall with. The white haired girl was a better choice to approach first she thought. A look around at the others showed that she was ostracized for some reason whereas the distance kept by the others around the red headed girl seemed more… respectful? Fearful might be a better word.

Another glance at the white haired girl solidified her resolve to approach. She had no real position so any approach was a gamble. She may as well try for someone who clearly had some kind of power but who wouldn’t have other options.

... And honestly she felt a little bad watching the girl trudge along with her head down. She could recognize the defensiveness in the set of her shoulders.

Ling Qi began to drift closer to the girl, sidling through the gaps until she reached the empty space around the other girl. As she ‘broke’ the bubble, she noticed several of the girls nearby go quiet and one or two look her way.

Ignoring the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, she pressed on until the girl she was approaching noticed her presence and looked up. She got a better look at the other girl’s face then.

She was unnaturally pale and had the fine features of a porcelain doll framed by silky white hair that fell down to the middle of her back. However, her thin lips were unpainted and bloodless, barely standing out from the rest of her skin, nor did she appear to be wearing any other cosmetics.

Mostly, it was her eyes that drew Ling Qi’s attention. The slit pupils and wide golden irises were unnerving, but despite the thrill of terror when their eyes met, Ling Qi did not look away or retreat as the fear made her want to do. It helped that the top of the girl’s head didn’t even reach Ling’s Qi’s shoulder. Instead, she nodded to the other girl and fell in beside her a few polite steps away.

“Hello, I am Ling Qi.” Her voice was stiffer than she would have liked. Several beats of awkward silence followed as the white-haired girl stared at her expressionlessly without blinking. It was very off putting.

When the girl didn’t respond, she asked, “May I have your name?”

That seemed to prompt the other girl to blink thankfully, though her expression was unchanged. It was difficult to read her, but she didn’t think the other girl was wary of her so much as… nonplussed at her presence.

“Bai Meizhen of the Thousand Lakes province,” the girl responded by rotely. “Why did you not finish introducing yourself?”

Ling Qi glanced to the side, aware that she and the other girl were being surreptitiously watched. “I did,” she responded awkwardly. “I mean, I suppose I am from the Emerald Seas province,” she added hastily.

It seemed like trying to maintain formal speech patterns really was a lost cause. She doubted she could deceive the girl for any length of time anyway given her lack of knowledge about noble families. Was there a noble Ling clan?

Her response ended in another painfully awkward silence, and Ling Qi shifted from foot to foot as the other girl stared at her. She really wished the other girl would blink more often.

Finally, Bai Meizhen spoke again, a hint of confusion coloring her mostly toneless voice. “I… see. What is it you require then? I am afraid I have not been granted allowance to hire a maidservant.”

Ling Qi could not help but grit her teeth at the dismissal and the soft titter she caught from one of the closer girls… but she managed to calm herself. She had been insulted before and after the initial wave of irritation, she could see that there was no malice in the other girl’s words. It was more like she was just… completely lost on why else Ling Qi would be talking to her. So she pushed down her anger and put on a smile. She would just be blunt then.

“I was actually thinking we could be friends. We’re both cultivators, right?” Cultivation was supposed to supersede bloodline and such, even if it seemed that might not be how it worked in practice. “You seem like you could use a friend, and we have to pair off for housing anyway.”

The odd girl tilted her head to the side slightly, her pace slowing as she observed Ling Qi with an odd intensity. Then her eyes shifted to the side as she frowned, pursing her lips as if listening to something. No one was talking to them as far as Ling Qi could tell.

“I suppose that is acceptable,” Bai Meizhen responded after a moment longer. She didn’t seem particularly pleased or displeased with Ling Qi’s assertion of friendship, but that might have been the unsettling lack of emotional cues the girl gave.

“I will warn you however. Do not approach me while I sleep. It is likely that you would die.” The white haired girl delivered that line in the same cold, even tone as the rest of her speech.

Ling Qi stared at Bai Meizhen trying to work out if that was meant as a threat, a warning, both or something else entirely. After a moment’s consideration, she forced herself to laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind. That would be pretty unfortunate, wouldn’t it?”

The other girl just dipped her head very slightly in acknowledgement. “It would be unpleasant to lose my first friend to something so avoidable,” she responded agreeably.

Ling Qi narrowed her eyes at the other girl, trying to work out if she was mocking her, but quickly gave up. Turning her eyes ahead as they resumed walking, she saw that they were a bit over halfway down the path.

“I was thinking we might talk someone else into joining us. Safety in numbers, you know? Would you have a problem with that?”

Bai Meizhen seemed to consider that before briefly glancing down at her left arm. “It would likely be difficult to convince another to share a space with me. I do not object in principle though. Did you have someone in mind?”

Ling Qi glanced at the nearby girls, noting with a somewhat heavy heart, the disdainful looks she received in return. Cozying up to Bai Meizhen had earned her some residual dislike. Keeping her voice low so as not to carry, she nodded toward the front of the group. “That girl, the one with red hair, She’s alone too.”

For the first time, she saw something like actual emotion surface on Bai Meizhen’s face as her perfect eyebrows drew together in a look of bafflement. “You… wish to share a roof with her?” she asked, sounding somewhat incredulous.

She looked back and forth between Ling Qi and the redhead before something seemed to occur to her and make her consternation disappear. “That is the eldest great-granddaughter of Sun Shao, Sun Liling” she explained patiently, as if to a child.

Ling Qi bristled at the condescension, but she was fairly certain that Bai Meizhen meant well by it. She was hardly going to jeopardize her success at this juncture.

“...Who?” she asked as politely as she could.

The other girl frowned at her, irritation flashing in her eyes. “The Butcher of the West.” Her frown only deepened at Ling Qi’s lack of recognition. “The Scarlet General. King of the Western Territories.”

Well, that wasn’t ominous at all. She was at least aware of the Western Territories. It was a swathe of land on the western border of the Celestial Empire that had been conquered under the reign of the previous Emperor. As far as she knew, it was barely civilized and constantly under siege by barbarians.

“What is someone like that doing here?” Ling Qi asked cautiously. Han Jian was from a far flung province as well, but he wasn’t a direct relation of the province’s ruler either.

...He wasn’t, right? She might have to start learning more about this kind of thing.

“I do not know. Her presence here is bizarre,” Meizhen replied simply.

Ling Qi felt oddly gratified to know her first thought on the matter was not entirely off base. “Still, is there a particular reason not to approach her?” If she were to approach her, she would need to do so soon as the group was nearing the entrance to the residential area.

Bai Meizhen shook her head. “Yes,” she replied flatly. “However, I will not stop you if you wish to go to her.” The pale girl gave her a measuring look, and something she couldn’t quite manage to read flashed through Bai Meizhen’s eyes. “You may have a chance, I suppose,” Bai Meizhen added impassively before turning her attention back to the path ahead.

“Well, I’m at least going to try and talk her into it,” Ling Qi said stubbornly. She stole another look at her companion, but the girl just nodded, her expression blank again. Ling Qi dipped her head to the other girl and strode forward, picking up her pace to move through the crowd.

It was a bit harder than before as she found herself blocked by seemingly oblivious girls, even jostled once or twice ‘accidentally’. She refused to rise to such bait for the moment. More uncomfortable was the way she could feel Bai Meizhen’s unwavering gaze on her back. Still, they weren’t walking particularly fast so even with such distractions, it didn’t take more than a minute to get up to the front of the group. She soon broke through the crowd, and after a moment’s hesitation, she continued forward toward the red haired girl.

“You can stop right there.” Sun Liling’s voice brought her up short several steps away. The tanned girl had a pronounced rough accent, though thankfully, it didn’t make her words too difficult to understand.

“Whaddaya want?” The other girl hadn’t even looked at her yet.

Up close, Ling Qi could see the corded muscle in the other girl’s bare arms and the torn cloth where the redhead had ripped off the sleeves of her uniform. The girl was taller than most, only a few centimeters shorter than Ling Qi.

More importantly, Ling Qi got a better look at the way the girl moved, and it reminded her of the most dangerous people on the streets back home, the murderers and gang enforcers. Sun Liling had a grace that even they lacked however.

 “I was going to ask if you had decided who you were pairing up with for housing,” Ling Qi responded tentatively.

Finally, Sun Liling deigned to turn her head slightly, not lowering the arms held behind her head. The pose made it difficult to ignore the fabric strained to near breaking across across her chest. Ling Qi managed it with only a minor spike of irritation, returning her attention to the other girl’s face.

It was disturbing to note that the other girl’s eyes were the color of freshly spilt blood. The most attention grabbing feature was the three, thin white lines that traced down across her nose and lips. It looked like something had raked it’s claws down her face.

“The snake blow you off then?” She asked abruptly.

The other girl was making no effort to keep her voice down, and Ling Qi just managed not to squirm at the silence from the girls closest to them.

“I… no.” She still stumbled over the words though. “How did you…”

“I wanted to see what had the geese back there squawking,” Sun Liling drawled lazily. “I guess I gotta give you points for ambition if nothing else.” Ling Qi felt uncomfortable at the other girl’s intent study of her.

“You don’t look completely soft. You might be worth something if you work at it.”

Indignant, Ling Qi’s next words slipped out before she could think about it. “Don’t say that as if it’s praise,” she snapped.

“I was...” Ling Qi’s eyes flew wide open wide as a scar nicked fist suddenly stopped a hair’s breadth from her nose, the blowback enough to make Ling Qi’s flyaway strands flutter from her face. The others behind them stopped dead in their tracks as well. She hadn’t even seen Sun Liling move into position. Sun Liling’s crimson eyes were hard and cold.

Then, Sun Liling withdrew her fist and chuckled. “Made ya flinch,” she said in a voice laced with amusement. “But seriously, if you survive the inevitable backstab from the snake, I’ll still be around.”

As the girl turned away and kept walking, Ling Qi glared at her back, hating the flush of embarrassment that she knew was rising on her face. This time, she managed to control herself. Her heart was still pounding in her ears from the fear she had felt in that bare second when she had thought the other girl was going to strike her. She wasn’t an experienced fighter, but… she was quite certain she would be in no condition to walk anywhere if the girl had followed through.

Ling Qi fell back through the crowd, ignoring the looks she was getting and returned to Bai Meizhen’s side. There was a trace of… concern, maybe, on the pale girl’s face before vanishing.

“Are you well?” the other girl asked evenly.

“Fine,” Ling Qi responded tersely. With an effort, she fought down the indignation and anger she felt and let out a long breath. There was no point in it right now.

“So,” she began with false cheer, “what kind of residence do you want to take?”

Bai Meizhen stared at her unblinking before dipping her head slightly, apparently acknowledging Ling Qi’s desire not to talk about it.

“I do not feel the need to enter conflict over the more luxurious housing. However, the outer hovels are unacceptable.”

At least that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about. Ling Qi would have been happy enough to take one of the smallest homes if she were alone, but given the other girl’s words regarding the consequences of disturbing her rest, Ling Qi wouldn’t want to risk being in such close proximity when sleeping.

“Somewhere in the second block then? That’s more than enough for me,” she replied, keeping her voice cheerful.

Ling Qi had suffered far worse than a threatened fist, and she had been foolish to let her emotions get the better of her. She couldn’t allow herself to forget the caution that had kept her alive for the past four years, no matter where she was now.