Threads 318 Parting 4

“You’re good, Fang. You can do everything I need ya too,” Han Jian comforted. “I guess you were probably always meant for crazy stuff though, huh?”

“Fortune and talent are intertwined.” Ling Qi observed as Hanyi put her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue at Heijin, the two spirits bickering. She dug her fingers in behind the big cat’s ears and turned the angry rumble into a purr. “I’m going to be busy with all this for a long time.”

“You’ve got a couple projects that you could spend a mortal lifetime or two on by the sounds of it,” Han Jian agreed. “Me, I gotta sit back and wait for my father to approve deployment.”

Ling Qi was surprised. “You requested that?”

Han Fang looked like he’d bitten a lemon. Clearly, he disagreed with Han Jian’s plans.

“I need experiences and merits to bring home,” Han Jian said thoughtfully. “And there’s some interest in what the Han have to offer. It’s not just you. Better ties with the Emerald Seas is important right now.”

The Han family were the experts who had built the system of geomantic oasis that made the recovery of the Golden Fields more than a dream. They would be experienced with the spread of corruptive and insidious energies.

“It’s not fun,” she warned. “It’s not fun at all down in the dark or under a hostile sky. Don’t go into it thinking of merits.”

“Survival. Victory. Glory. In that order,” Han Jian agreed. “Sounds about like the advice my father’s been giving.”

That was a good, pithy way of putting it. “Most would probably say victory first.”

“The Golden Fields learned better. A victory that costs too much is just a pretty defeat.” Han Jian shook his head. “Ah, but we’re getting off into serious stuff again. Didja know I’ve got a match in the works?”

“Already? The Fields does things way too soon,” Ling Qi said.

You’d think explosive fallout like Gu Xiulan and Fan Yu’s arrangement would happen enough to ward it off. On the other hand, of all the provinces, the Golden Fields would be the most inclined to make fruitful matches early. They had spent a long time in strife.

“You’re not wrong. We’re just exchanging letters, but she is half-Guo, so it’d be a good alliance.” Han Jian shrugged. “Dunno. She seems nice enough, but I feel way over my head…”

“I can sympathize. I’ve only just started thinking seriously about potential matches.” Ling Qi sighed. “Half-Guo?”

He grimaced. “Zheng being irresponsible.”

“Oh.”

So, his match had been born out of marriage. That habit of the Zhengs still didn’t sit well with her. A person should take responsibility.

“Anyway, you actually got a pick in mind?”

“Moon above, no. I don’t even know where to start.”

***

She stayed there with Han Jian for a time, just chatting about the past, the present, and the future. The future was coming fast for both of them, moreso for her, but all the same. It seemed like the day they had met in the Outer Sect was much more than two years ago now.

“Did you have fun with Heijin?” Ling Qi asked her little sister.

“Ugh, he was annoying the whole time!” Hanyi complained.

“So you had fun,” Ling Qi said knowingly.

Hanyi harrumphed and turned her nose up.

Look at her junior sister, pretending she hadn’t enjoyed needling the haughty tiger to the edge of distraction.

“Zhengui could beat him up.”

Ling Qi blinked at the non sequitur. “I suppose he could. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Just saying, I can do better.”

Ling Qi furrowed her brows at Hanyi, who smiled angelically.

“No,” Ling Qi said. Whatever that was, she wanted no part of it.

“Hehe, I got you to make the same frowny face the boss lady makes!”

Ling Qi wrapped her arm around Hanyi’s shoulder and dug her knuckles into the little brat’s scalp.

“H-hey. Sis, Big Sis, you can’t just do that!” Hanyi whined, batting at her hand as Ling Qi thoroughly mussed her hair. She didn’t even care that they were still in the square, being stared at by aghast disciples.

“I can, and I will,” Ling Qi corrected, letting her go. Hanyi sprang away, scowling at her and holding her hands over her head. “Now, be good. We have other places to be.”

“Like where?” Hanyi asked mutinously. She muttered, “That stung!”

“We’re going to the medicine hall. Li Suyin will be there,” Ling Qi said.

Her friend was still doing very well in the sect. While she wasn’t an apprentice of any particular elder, thanks to her impurity talisman projects, Li Suyin received a great deal of attention and resources from the sect overall.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Oh, the skeleton girl?”

Hanyi eyed her suspiciously as if she expected Ling Qi to grab her again. As if being on guard would help if Ling Qi decided that it was time for more sisterly punishment. She smiled sweetly at her little sister and held out her hand.