Seated around a small table are three people, from their appearance perhaps in their late teens or early twenties at best.
A simplistic description of a gathering of some of the most influential people within the entire White Rose Sect at the moment; Each of them a scion to one of its three great clans.
Seated at the head of the table - or as close as one could get to such a thing at a round table - is Du Juntao. Oldest amongst the three he has achieved more than enough to guarantee a place within his clan's upper hierarchy in the future despite his comparative youth, a shining exemplar of the future.
Not only does he possess good relations with all of the clans within the realm of the White Rose Sect, a rarity amongst rarities, but even those far his senior tend to seek his counsel on matters of import. Wise beyond his years the man has already negotiated a variety of important trade deals, mediated to prevent large scale conflicts and attained valuable intelligence for clan and sect.
Second, and viewed most warily by the meeting's other participants is Li Ling. Unremarkable and lacking any significant influence to throw around but a few months ago she has since reversed course entirely and revealed herself to be a dragon amongst men. Not even a lone one either, this dragon has an entire pack behind her nearly as talented as she is.
The sheer amount of fortunate encounters she has had are starting to stretch suspension of disbelief thin. Yet were she not a Li it all might have been chalked up to coincidence nevertheless. With her lineage as it is however many theories have been put forth, each more outrageous than the last. Even these astute scions cannot help but ascribe to some of them.
Ice cultivators are generally seen as emotionless yet even amongst them the Li tend to be particularly cold, cruel and conniving. It is for good reason that they maintain their position as first amongst equals within the three great clans, many a time in the past fortune has seemed to favor them a bit too much, only the benefit of hindsight revealing parts of the elaborate plots that altered things to their advantage. To them Li Ling appears to be the latest of these schemes, part of a plan set in motion they can only begin to grasp at. Neither of them are so arrogant as to believe they can see through what their long lines of ancestors more often than not failed to. Despite that neither has any intent of simply throwing in the towel, no matter how much the deck seems to be stacked against them.
It is clear beyond doubt to them that she is a hidden genius the Li have kept in reserve until such a time when it was most advantageous to strike, a thought that even by itself would cause them to thread with care. What concerns them more is the manner in which her strength was unveiled. Neither is so foolish as to believe the sudden showing of the older Shen sibling after her brother’s capture is anything but a plot by the Li, yet the mere fact that Ling maneuvered around the elders in a way that would benefit her so is what truly strikes fear into their hearts. Were that all perhaps they would simply treat her as dangerous and attempt to avoid her as much as possible yet it appears to be only the first move in a long game where they have yet to even see the board.
That the maidservant accompanying her since her youth proves to be nearly as skilled as both the hidden genius of the Li and the foremost genius of the Shen removes all doubt as to it being a coincidence. As cultivators near the same level they know just how much of an investment is required to get someone to that level and how exponentially said investment increases to reach it at a younger age. Even Ling’s progress alone has their respective clans’ analysts scouring through records to find out how the Li clan hid her expenditure. Let alone that of one of the Dai as well.
Naturally the thought they might be dual cultivating does not even occur to them. Let alone the risks, most dual cultivation techniques are so inefficient they are only worth using to those severely lacking in traditional cultivation aides.
The majority of their wariness however comes from the fact that the young Li does not appear content in the slightest with the way the scales are already stacked in her favor. None would accuse her of course, yet the way her main obstacle -Cai Yin- was removed from the board shortly after she was placed under such heavy guard as to have a watertight alibi has raised some eyebrows. Most tend to ignore the implications of just how fearsome she would be were she truly to have involved a Song in a battle amongst youths. It is far easier to stomach if they ascribe it to the hidden hand of the Li scheming and plotting after all.
The way she has made use of the entire debacle to both ensnare two of the Hu prodigies and draw the Ke closer to her camp has caused grit teeth already, were they to know the vast majority of events truly were simple luck and thinking on the draw they would spit blood.
None could even imagine how little involvement the Li truly had in her rise.
Without a doubt the least influential of the esteemed trio is Cai Yuu. Not even a member of the main branch of the Cai he is only here due to Cai Yin being unable to attend. There is little reason to believe the shapeshifter will amount to greatness the likes of his peers at the table, little other than the spark of ambition within those attentive amber eyes.
With the amount of resources Grand Elder Cai has poured into his own son Yuu has little chance to reach the same heights without drastically outperforming the young master in both achievements, power and influence. The Grand Elder’s pride simply wouldn’t allow for it unless he had no other choice.
Were that high bar his sole requirement it would already be near impossible but not only is the finish almost impossible to reach, his starting line too is further back. The Cai’s most powerful subordinates are all more loyal to his cousin than him. He would need to clean house to ensure he has servants truly loyal to him yet as a temporary replacement for young master Yin there is little he can do in that regard.
Despite that this event is likely his only chance to raise his standing. Once Yin is better he will be sidelined again. Ling can easily see how getting treasure within the hidden realm will be a great opportunity for him, perhaps even his best. Should this be the young Cai’s motivation she could potentially wrangle a ceasefire for the month or even some form of cooperative pact. Yet she can also tell how ensuring she does not return from said realm could greatly benefit Yuu’s standing as well.
“Thank you both for coming.” Juntao starts them off genially. “Please do not hesitate to partake in the delicacies I have procured. Might I recommend a rice wine to start us off? I have recently managed to get my hands on an excellent bottle from the Zhongguo plateau.”
The man does not even wait for them to nod in reply before having his manservant pour three cups. Not that either of them would turn down his generosity but tradition dictates he ensures they need not give face by accepting charity from their host. Nevertheless it is expected they nod anyway, especially given the quality of his gift.
Set firmly in the center of the continent the Zhongguo plateau is host to the Zhou dynasty’s holdings. Descendants to the Great Tang the plateau was spared from the cataclysmic destruction that turned it into the Scorched Lands by virtue of being their southernmost territory. Even though their glory has long since faded they are still the second most influential faction on the entire continent, beaten out only by the Silver Sword Sect. While the truth of the plateau’s creation and unique circumstances is long lost to history the fact remains that it has been a veritable treasure trove of all things rare and valuable even since before the Tang took control over it. To source and transport anything from that hallowed place this far north shows far-reaching influence beyond even what Ling expected of the man.
Regardless, Ling is no fool nor inexperienced at these games the clans are so fond of playing. If Juntao intends to parade around his foreign relations then Ling will counter with her internal gains.
“Junior Sister shall gratefully accept Senior Brother’s kindness. Please allow me to offer a humble contribution to the proceedings.”
With a small visible signal she has Shun step forth, pure theatrics as the entire event is proceeding exactly according to protocol. Ling could’ve been replaced by an inanimate doll and Shun would still know to approach the table at this point carrying the ornate box they prepared in advance. She channels a mote of heat qi through her thumbs and into the entry point for the small formation etched into the inside of the box. Just enough to unleash an aromatic burst of steam the moment she opens the box, an intricate tapestry of scents spreading across the room in an instant.
First comes the fresh minty scent of ice grass. Collected at the perfect ripeness by the most expert gatherers the subtle scent of dew is still noticeable despite the ingredients having been skillfully baked into small cakes. The scent lingers for but a moment before being pushed aside by another following in its wake. Far colder than the last, the aroma of mist crunch candies chills the steam into a cooler form, one far more suited to the cornucopia of odors.
It takes no genius to realize the implications. Ice grass is traditionally sourced to the sect by the Ke clan, the ideal climate for its growth set firmly within the plains and forests between the Ke and the Xie. To put forth a treat based around a high quality ingredient procured by a clan that was until recently firmly within the Cai’s camp sends quite the strong message as to the young mistress’s influence with them.
An important achievement for any Li given their location. Their holdings are set further north than that of the other great clans, their bloodline physique giving them quite the advantage within the unforgiving frozen wastes. As much as the far north is rich in cultivation resources - most notably ones attuned to ice - the very same climate leaves the soil barren and infertile. It is no surprise then that the region is greatly reliant on imports to ensure their mortal population does not starve. So it is that every Li without exception must be strong and connected enough to attain such a thing.
Much like the mist crunch candies themselves their purpose is far colder than that of the cakes. It tells a tale of quick wits, decisiveness and political superiority over her peers. After all, both Du Juntao and the man Cai Yuu is serving as a lesser replacement for were present at the Misty City yet it is she that succeeded in attaining the most gains in this once in a lifetime event. All that despite the fact that she was nearly assassinated in the process.
A powerful statement and not one to be made lightly, in fact, were it not for the remaining contents of the box it would be far too insensitive. Or rather what causes Juntao to raise an eyebrow instead is the lack of one. It is customary for such a box to contain three kinds of snacks. Ling briefly considered adding rock candies but even if she herself had not felt it would be a bit on the nose Shun's highly unamused glare quickly shut that idea down. No, the lack of a third option itself is a far better statement.
The empty space next to the other two immediately draws the eye. The most likely explanation would be sabotage but all present are informed enough to know no Dai would commit such a petty act against their master. No, two is a deliberate move. It is an acknowledgement that there is something she yet lacks, a display very unlike a Li. One that clearly shows an interest in allying.
Ling pretends to hide a smile behind her fan as Juntao’s eyes rove over the box’s contents once more. Ice grass from the Ke, a victory over the Cai. Mist crunch candies from the Hu, a victory over the Du. She can see him wonder if that’s all there is to it. After all, rumors abound that it is her very actions in the capital of the Hu that led to the young master of the Cai to fall victim to a Song. She’s sure he’ll spend quite some time thinking what else the two might represent in relation to them instead of his first thought.
‘Good,’ She thinks, ‘It’ll keep him off balance.’
Last and perhaps least is Cai Yuu’s turn to present the customary gift. An older man with short, graying hair steps forth from behind him. His face rugged and scarred showing quite clearly that the man has experience on the battlefield. While Ling certainly would not have spared the old warrior a glance and merely taken him for a retired soldier turned caretaker the information provided by the Dai was far more comprehensive.
Yes, she’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the man whenever he’s present. Somehow the box in his hands turns out to be even more interesting. It is certainly less ornamental than the one Ling brought and far smaller as well, yet the contents catch even her off guard. They too look simple, a trio of cylindrical jade pendants, unadorned but for the simple golden ring at the top and circle at the bottom. Simple, however, is the farthest from how they could be described.
Qi batteries; Or perhaps Qi storage devices would be a better description. An extraordinary and unusual item containing pure, unaligned qi easily taken in by any cultivator of sufficient proficiency. They are like spirit stones but artificial and far more difficult to make. Similarly their purpose is also different. Whereas a spirit stone is best used during cultivation to improve one’s qi intake a qi battery is far too valuable to serve a similar purpose. Likewise, whereas a spirit stone can be gradually drained for qi a battery provides its entire charge at once, the force of the transfer shattering it.
It is a single use artifact intended for combat, a second wind during a moment where it is most needed. More importantly, it is exceedingly rare. Indeed, Ling wonders where and how Yuu even managed to get his hands on one. The costs of its production compared to its benefit are not worth it in the slightest. For a similar price one could get their hands on a combat artifact, something far more permanent than a single extra burst of qi.
But, Ling thinks as she appraisingly looks at Cai Yuu, sometimes even if it is not ideal, all you need is just that little bit extra. Juntao appears to be of similar mind, a thoughtful frown on his brow as he accepts one of the three pendants.
Raising his cup in toast the stickler for decorum officially opens their discussion finally allowing them to move on to the next part of posturing. The procedures have barely begun yet already Ling is beginning to get a headache.
EntonaVZ· Nov 27, 2022
