Threads 40-Justice 1

Ling Qi arrived at Cai Renxiang’s door only a quarter hour later, having flown straight there. As she stepped through the door, absently chewing a qi restoration pill, her eyes darted around.

There were no immediate threats that she could see, and she could feel the other girl sitting in her study under no external stress at all. The mountain had seemed peaceful during her flight as well. So what was this about? Her liege didn’t normally send notes as dramatic as that.

<It’s not fair. I wanted a snack and a nap,> Gui grumbled.

<Like you even did anything, you big lazy lump,> Hanyi retorted.

<Keep it civil, kids,> Sixiang scolded. <I got a feeling Qi needs to be paying attention.>

Sending Sixiang a silent thanks, Ling Qi stepped inside of Cai Renxiang’s study and offered a low bow to the girl behind the desk. Cai Renxiang was seated in her usual place, resting her cheek on her fist as she stared down at the desktop. It held no stacks of forms and documents now, just a single, long, hinged box made of fragrant, expensive wood and a single open letter.

“Lady Cai, I apologize for my delay. I arrived as quickly as I could,” she said politely, keeping her head low.

“You are excused,” Cai Renxiang replied. “I was aware of your activities.” This was something they both knew, but acknowledging it was part of the game, even if they were alone. Ling Qi was starting to get the hang of these social niceties. “You may raise your head. My honored Mother has given me a task.”

Ling Qi straightened up, giving the letter on the desk a look of renewed concern. The page was pure white and without decoration, but the calligraphy she could see was exquisite. Ling Qi held back a grimace as she felt the echo of displeasure that emanated from those perfectly inked characters.

“I hope that I can be of assistance,” Ling Qi said carefully. “What task does the Duchess have in mind?”

“You are aware of the opening of relations between our province and the Thousand Lakes,” Cai Renxiang opened, drumming her fingers on the top of her desk. She continued at Ling Qi’s nod. “There has been a disturbance on the border. A town in Meng lands has been sacked by bandits.”

Ling Qi’s eyes widened, but her liege continued speaking.

“In addition, a shipment of goods bearing the Cai seal had been in the settlement’s Ministry of Communication outpost and is among the missing goods. Between the missing items and the complaints of the Meng representative at court, Mother is displeased.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Ling Qi noted. “Surely something like that would have to be too well guarded for a bunch of thugs to access.” Bandits, bands of deserters mostly, were usually little more than starving gangs crouched out in the woods, quick to get wiped out the first time they made a mistake or crossed into the wrong spirit’s territory.

“There are places in the Empire where the law has little reach, and the absence of order invites new organization,” Cai Renxiang said calmly. “However, in this instance, you are correct. There are some… oddities. The town’s baron was away visiting his liege, and the guards meant to guard Mother’s goods, including an old third realm veteran, were found drugged and murdered in their barracks with no sign of conflict.”

“That sounds like something a bit beyond bandits,” Ling Qi said shrewdly.

“Quite,” Cai Renxiang replied in a voice as dry as the desert. “The Meng are… obliquely blaming the attack on the changes to security brought by opening the border. Between that and the theft, Mother requires that a point be made in our clan’s name. To make that point herself would be excessive, you understand.”

“Are we ready for something like that? Even with the baron missing, a group that could attack a town and get away with it… That’s not going to be just a band of thugs. How are we even getting there in time?” Ling Qi asked.

Cai Renxiang stood, toying with the clasps on the box resting on her desk. “We will be making use of the Sect’s emergency transport formations. It is a great expense, but one that Mother is willing to cover,” her liege said, staring down at the container.

She flipped the box open, and Ling Qi’s hand twitched, grasping for her flute at the ripple of aggression that emerged from the unsealed case. Resting inside, nestled in a cushion of velvet, was an elegant saber. The metal was pale blue with the edge fading almost to white. Etched into the base of the blade was a thumb-sized butterfly, the grooves in the metal filled with powdered diamond. It glinted up at her, rippling through a rainbow’s worth of color, radiating awareness and the promise of violence.

When Cai Renxiang grasped the hilt, Ling Qi could practically hear the blade purr as she raised it to eye level with a stoic expression. The blade gleamed with unnatural brightness, sending the shadows in the room dancing. The force given off by the saber was not inferior to Cai Renxiang’s own recently achieved foundation cultivation. “I recognize Mother’s personal touch. She does not give gifts without expectations. You understand the importance of this, correct?”

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Ling Qi let out a breath. It seemed the first real test of the responsibilities she had chosen had come. “I understand.”

“It is likely that we will have watchers ready to step in if we fail,” Cai Renxiang continued, staring at the blade in her hand. “However, if such a thing is required…”

“It will be a great embarrassment,” Ling Qi finished. She could practically feel the resources drying up. Well, assuming that the watchers would step in for her in the first place. She forced herself to cheer up; it wasn’t like she was unfamiliar with danger. “At least I should finally get those arts once we prove ourselves, right?”

Cai Renxiang stared unflinchingly into the etching on her new saber a moment longer before lowering it. “Indeed. They were among the stolen goods.”

Ling Qi blinked, shocked out of her worry. “What? Why?”

Cai Renxiang arched an eyebrow. “Our exchange with the Bai included some access to their library of arts in return for a great deal of infrastructure investment and materials. The negotiations on what was exchanged took quite some time. Why did you imagine that your art package was taking so long?”