Threads 145-Tome 2

“So, let us grant that I believe your studies are relevant to our task.”

“Most generous of you, Baroness,” Meng Dan said, resting his chin in his hand.

“What skills do you have to offer to my lady in the field?” Ling Qi asked, ignoring his interjection.

“Mm, I agree. You’d obviously be a real good study buddy, but how’s your practicals?” Sixiang asked flippantly. Normally, Ling Qi wouldn’t be so casual, but she thought she had a decent measure of Meng Dan now.

“While I do not spend a great deal of time in the wilderness, the Deep Archive is not so very different for cultivators of our level,” Meng Dan replied smoothly.

“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned that,” Ling Qi said. “What is the ‘Deep Archive’?”

“Scholar Ling is familiar with the struggles of the Argent Peak Sect librarians,” Yinhui said. “Argent Sect’s archive is a very young library.”

Ling Qi hummed to herself. She was aware that plenty of the older books and scrolls had some bite to them and that the archivists had to do significant work in keeping everything orderly and peaceful.

“Blue Mountain Sect’s Library of the Diviner is one of the oldest surviving structures in the Empire,” Meng Dan explained. “And has at times been left understaffed.”

“The stacks are as deadly as any bramble patch,” Sixiang summarized.

“Just so,” Meng Dan agreed. “There are many wings and sub-basements which are essentially naturally reinforcing spirit ecosystems, some of which extend entirely or partially into the liminal. When I describe making an ‘expedition’ into the Deep Archive, I am not making use of hyperbole.”

Ling Qi nodded slowly. She knew that all things developed spirits in time, so a building that, by inference, dated back to the time of Tsu the Diviner, the half-mythical founder of the Emerald Seas, would likely be strange indeed. “Fair enough. So you have experience with survival skills and spirit negotiation then.”

“I would humbly claim some proficiency, yes,” Meng Dan replied. “However, I believe my greatest skill, and the asset which I could provide to your lady, is my ability to organize, decipher, and interpret large amounts of information.”

“Most cultivators can claim to be able to quickly absorb information,” Ling Qi pointed out.

“Knowledge and understanding are separate tasks,” Yinhui said, barely touching her teacup to her lips.

“It is indeed trivial for any cultivator of the third realm to memorize great reams of information,” Meng Dan said, pushing his glasses up. “But the skill of dissecting, discarding, and interpreting that information into useful data is another. One which, and I mean no offense, Lady Cai’s small court yet lacks in its retainers.”

Ling Qi hummed to herself, drumming her fingers on the table as she met Meng Dan’s eyes. Behind her eyes, she felt Sixiang focus as well. To her eyes, Meng Dan seemed sincere. His perpetual smile and manner did seem a little condescending, but it did not feel malicious in the way it could for some individuals.

She didn’t get the feeling that he thought he was better than her.

Ling Qi traced her finger along the edge of her tea cup. “One more question. What is it exactly that you find so funny, Sir Meng?”

His smile became a little thinner, his eyes practically twinkling with humor. “Lady Baroness, when you study people and their institutions as closely as I, laughter is the only rational and healthy reaction.”

Ling Qi nodded. Whether she agreed or not, those words held the thrum of Truth. His Truth, at least.

***

“Your impressions?” Cai Renxiang asked crisply as they faced one another beneath the evening sky. They stood in an empty training field, a small field of grass atop a steep cliff.

Ling Qi shifted, adjusting her footing, along with the grip on the blade in her hand. She had reached the vague point of “good enough” with blades. Yet, sometimes, she still faced Cai Renxiang like this, without techniques or active arts.

Some people had odd ways of relaxing.

“I believe both of them will be assets in different aspects,” Ling Qi answered as she slid forward, bringing her blade up in a textbook perfect upward slash.

She was met by a similarly perfect deflection, metal sliding off metal. Ling Qi turned with the motion of the slash, ducking beneath the countering blow. They were only moving a bit faster than mortals. This wasn’t even a spar really, just moving meditation.

“I am not concerned with Meng Dan’s intentions, and Xia Lin is…” Ling Qi began.

“Loyal.” Cai Renxiang finished shortly. “General Xia is unwavering in her devotion to Mother. She would not give a recommendation lightly.”

Twice more, their blades clashed. Cai Renxiang pressed forward. Her style was offensive and overbearing. Ling Qi retreated and circled, the saber style she practiced in moments like these was more than a little dance-like. There was no reason to be inefficient after all.

“And your business?” Ling Qi asked. The General implied that Renxiang had made a request of her mother. That seemed… odd.

There was the faintest waver in the upheld edge of the practice blade in Renxiang’s hands. “It is because of the two of you.”

Ling Qi’s knees bending as her upraised blade absorbed the force of Renxiang’s downward sweep. She tilted the blade, letting it slide off of her and circled left. “Meizhen and I?”

The heiress’ nod was stiff. “Accepting and reacting to Mother’s directives is not enough. My failure in finding insight is proof of this.”

Ling Qi remembered the very awkward tea party where that had come up and held back a grimace. “I did not mean to unsettle you so.”

“You were… not wrong. If I damage myself unnecessarily in the course of my duty, this is also a disservice to those I am responsible for,” Cai Renxiang stated coolly. “So… maintenance of the self.”

Ling Qi stepped back as Renxiang did, letting the saber fall to her side. “I’m glad, Lady Renxiang. You haven’t answered though. Evasion is unlike you.”

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“I chose to make a selfish request,” Cai Renxiang said. For a moment, the girl’s normally overbearing presence shrank. “Gan Guangli will be accompanying us on this journey.”

Ling Qi blinked, then smiled. “That’s great! It will be good to have another familiar face along.”

“I could likely have secured further material support for you and our expedition, if I had not spent my capital so,” Cai Renxiang elaborated bluntly.

Ling Qi’s smile faded. “Lady Renxiang, my stipend is generous enough. I am not going to begrudge you this. Although naturally, I will accept any further windfalls.”

“Naturally,” Cai Renxiang repeated dryly.

She would not pretend that she really understood the heiress’ reasons. She knew that even if both of them would deny the title, Cai Renxiang and Gan Guangli were friends. “When will he be meeting us?”

“Tomorrow,” Cai Renxiang replied, bringing her saber up to rest on her shoulder. “We are departing in two day’s time. I wished to speak with you regarding that. I believe it would be good to undergo some manner of group exercise before our departure to test our cohesion. I am inclined to do a military exercise given the presence of the General’s forces, but I would know your thoughts.”