After the negotiations finish the three find themselves making their way back to Ling’s room alongside an unexpected visitor. Having talked themselves into a frenzy to the point where patience was no longer a viable option Hu Bao accompanies the group chatting away with Shun about alchemical processes all the while. Ling pushes down a smile. With such a public showing of walking alongside them and talking to Ling’s servant the message is clear for all to see even if Bao had not meant it that way. She’s serving her now. No one else will waste their time trying to approach her to tempt the Hu woman to join them.
The conversation slowly dies down and Bao’s nervosity returns when they approach Ling’s room. She hooks a finger under her collar and shakes it to fan herself, her eyes darting around to each of their faces to see if she isn’t making one blunder or the other. Only now realizing they have yet to prepare their room for guests, Shun apologetically looks at Ling.
“Let’s head in shall we.” Ling says waving off their worries and gesturing for Shun to let her in. Stepping into the room Shun waits for the privacy formation to cover them all before stepping close to Ling and whispering in her ear.
“My lady, is this wise?”
Ling smiles warmly, a smile that turns into a twisted grin when she sees Bao staring all around the room. At their alchemy set-up completely prepared in advance for Shun’s return. At their talisman collection in the middle of being sorted, counted and organized for the excursion at the end of the week and at everything else, their tools and secrets laid bare before her. She jumps feeling Ling’s hands on her shoulders as the girl spins her around to face Qiu and Shun.
“It’s alright, we can trust her with our secrets. She’d fall at my feet if I asked, isn’t that right, Bao?”
“Yes!” Bao replies far too quickly before freezing in place and dying inside from embarrassment.
“I believe you were going to show my dear Shun how to process the Misty Blossom?” Ling asks pointedly, bailing her out of her awkward spot by giving her something else to focus on.
“Yes!” Bao replies once more, eagerly leaping on to the opportunity. She pushes her oversized glasses up and tweaks the frame with a gleam in her eyes as she steps over to their alchemical tools. Shun quickly follows with a twitching eye seeing the lanky woman already picking things up and moving them around. Before long they’re off in their own world as they chatter in a way incomprehensible to Ling and Qiu, leaving sentences half finished before moving on and using terminology that prompts Qiu to questioningly look at Ling only to be met with a shrug.
Taking the redhead by the hand Ling moves to the bed and plops down atop it face first before turning over with a groan, utterly exhausted from the day’s events. Qiu snorts at her clinginess, the ice princess’s arm awkwardly stuck under her back as she refused to let go of her hand while rolling. Neither of them speak, simply sitting there and looking at Shun and Bao work despite both of them knowing what needs to be said. After a stretch of time that feels far too short to both of them Ling sighs and forces herself upright, an awkward act with her arm still stuck behind her. They can each feel the other’s sped up heartbeat through their entwined fingers. Looking for the right words to speak they both stay silent for another moment, almost falling back into complacency until Ling speaks up. Neither faces the other and instead keep their gazes aimed at the two concocters working their craft.
“We really do need you to talk to Qing again.”
“Why? You said it would be dangerous otherwise but is that really all there is to it?”
“How much do you know about hidden realms.”
“They’re, uhm, hidden? Also realms, probably. There’s treasures in there? Ow ow ow ow!” Qiu hisses when Ling squeezes her fingers hard enough it begins to hurt, more just to react than due to the pain. Glancing at her mistress she shivers at her icy glower and thinly pressed together lips. Qiu’s other hand pats the top of Ling’s to get her to stop, knowing that with the toughness of her body Ling is likely hurting far more than she is right now.
“Spiritual palaces or legacy trials?”
“Yeah! You did explain those already.” For some reason her eager statement makes Ling bite her own lip hard enough to draw blood. The ice princess closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, by the time she opens them again her pained expression has vanished like snow before the sun.
“Hidden realms are similar except they are formed either by a far more skilled expert or simply by memories of qi.”
“Memories of qi?”
“Battles between exceptionally powerful cultivators can destroy space itself and cause everything in an area to be lost as the fabric repairs itself. What is lost however does not vanish. It is a complex topic but for now all you need to know is that in time such casualties may draw together and turn into a realm with only the most tenuous connection to our own. We can stabilize this connection through the use of formations and rune stones to some extent but it is a solution that is far from perfect. Any large power passing through the connection would shatter it entirely killing or stranding whoever is caught in the transfer outside of reality.”
“Huh, so is that why the elders don’t just go in and plunder it?”
“Reclaim resources. Not plunder, Qiu. The hidden realm we possess is in the latter of the two categories I mentioned. It has no owner hence the dangers of traveling to it. You are however correct, that is why none at or above Core Formation are capable of entering. Which is why we use this social event to gather the most talented amongst our number whenever the connection has stabilized enough to allow entry. The issue is that it is incredibly dangerous inside given that what is already in it has no such constraints. Our entry point is in a fairly stable and safe location but that is all the guarantee we have. Once we step out it’ll be up to us to ensure we don’t run into something far beyond our capability to handle. In addition to that no communication with the outside is possible. Entry and exit are done at set times and any not present at departure are assumed dead. That is why any inside knowledge whatsoever is crucial.”
“And Qing has that?”
“Undoubtedly and from an Ancestral Beast no less. If she were to work against us there’s no way we’ll survive until the time of departure. Should she work with us on the other hand our chances greatly increase.”
“She won’t hurt us, I’m sure of it.” Qiu replies with confidence Ling does not feel. “I’ll try to get her to join us, it shouldn’t be too hard. She does have the completely wrong idea about you though.”
Irritated but unwilling to restart their argument anew she lets go of the redhead’s hand and makes her way to their tea cabinet. She wonders whether the demi-human girl’s impression of her is truly the one that’s incorrect or whether it is Qiu’s instead. Walking back to her with two cups in hand she observes the redhead’s leisurely expression. She seems fully at ease where she is, a content smile on her face as she watches Shun bicker with Bao over the specific properties of one thing or the other. Anyone could see she’s truly satisfied lounging there on her bed. Alone. Without her. Gesturing for her to scoot over Ling hands her both cups so she can sit down. When Qiu tries to hand back one of the cups once she’s seated she is quite surprised at Ling’s hand moving to grab her rear instead.
“Don’t spill anything, Qiu.” Ling whispers in her ear, a sadistic undertone to her words. The redhead gulps and looks at her wide eyed. “There’s someone else here, Ling.”
“You’re mine, Qiu. It doesn’t matter that there’s a Hu here. Besides, she won’t find out if you stay still.”
Qiu has to stifle a yelp when Ling emphasizes her statement with a nibble on her ear. The ice princess’s hand moves in circles over her back, rubbing it as if to comfort her or lull her into a sense of security. Her other takes her by the chin and turns her head to face her. She can see the lust in Ling’s eyes warring with a dozen other emotions. Slowly she draws closer, lips opening slightly in a motion that sends tingles through Qiu’s nethers. She closes her eyes to await the deep kiss that will follow. Her disappointment is palpable when Ling merely gives her a chaste peck before turning her head back to the front.
“Keep watching them, Qiu. You wouldn’t want to be caught off guard by them turning around would you?”
The wet sound of Ling’s tongue resounds in Qiu’s ear as she licks all over it while her hand runs down her neck and begins to tease her modest chest. Her fingertips traverse the valley between her shapely globes parting her robe as they do, the princess's other hand having loosened the redhead’s sash without her noticing. It does not stop at simply opening the sash however, a fact Qiu realizes too when she feels Ling’s caress beneath her waistband. Her digits curl between her underwear and the bedding they are sitting on, scratching the soft fabric of the freckled beauty's underwear with her nails in a way that sends pleasant shivers through Qiu. Lin softly tutts in her ear.
“This won’t do, dear heart. I can hardly reach anything like this. Get on your knees and be careful not to spill a drop.”
Trying to get her legs underneath herself is a far more challenging task than she’d expected with both of the very full cups in her hands and Ling clinging to her side. Not to mention the woman’s probing hands, the one on her chest having worked its way into her undergarments pinching her rapidly stiffening nipple whenever she tries to move and the other using the little space her movement creates to head deeper into her pants. By the time she finally manages to raise herself into a kneel she has to bite her lip to stop herself from moaning out loud.
“You dirty girl, you were hoping for this.” Ling says with sadistic glee as her fingers run over Qiu’s lacy underpants. Entering them her fingertips run over moist lips, a single digit teasing the opening, hinting at possibilities both know aren’t going to happen this day. Just as the redhead’s breath is starting to speed up Ling withdraws her hand and raises it in front of Qiu’s face, the glittering wetness on her fingers unmistakable. Her face reddens even further when Ling’s fingers hover just beneath her nose.
“Can you smell it, my dear Qiu? The scent of your lust. Are you in heat, dear?”
“Y- yes, mistress.” Qiu whispers back and gulps. She can practically feel the smug satisfaction radiating from Ling and imagine the villainous laugh that would normally accompany it.
“Get them nice and wet.” Ling sensually commands while inserting her fingers between the freckled girl's red lips. Qiu can hear Ling feign soft moans as the freckled beauty’s tongue runs over every inch of her fingers, her every sensation heightened by trying desperately to muffle her moans without being able to close her mouth. She can feel the heat of the steaming tea through the lacquered ceramic, the softness of Ling's skin and the hardness of her nails as they run circles around her nipple. She can taste the barest hint of her mistress’s sweat on her fingers, overpowered by the taste of her own wetness. She sees Shun twitch hearing Ling’s fingers leave her mouth with a loud plop, a single moan leaking out after it before she can press her mouth shut once more.
She freezes in place until she notices the brunette redouble her efforts to distract Bao from their play, the lanky concocter still completely oblivious to what is going on behind her. Ling’s quiet cackles echo through her mind like the laughter of a devil tempting her with pleasures to come, mockingly teasing her for nearly succumbing while they’d just started and warning her that there is still a long night ahead of them.
