Forge of Destiny

Threads Chapter 556-Parting 1

The barracks ground was not a building yet. It was not even the foundations of one, though a few supply sheds had been raised along the periphery. Rather, it was a mostly level field out to the east of Shenglu's center, which had been cleared of brush. Mostly bare dirt due to the constant movement of drilling soldiers across it, it served as a supply depot for those performing patrols along the road as well.

Gan Guangli was there, arms crossed over his broad chest, nodding approvingly to the men filing back to the sheds to put their padded training equipment away. Mu Wuye stood some distance back from him, outside the fence that marked the perimeter.

Ling Qi did not mask her presence much on her approach, and the imperial scion glanced up long before she arrived on the ground. Gan Guangli did not look up at her until she was descending on the breeze.

"Lady Ling! Everything went well with the strays, I hope?" Gan Guangli queried, turning away from the field.

"It did. No losses among the herds," Ling Qi answered, letting her shoes touch down on the grass. "Sir Mu, I am honored to greet you as well. I hope you were not inconvenienced by the trouble."

"The frontier is not a place for weak hearts that cannot stand some disruption," Mu Wuye replied. "I was not troubled."

"Sir Mu is a font for good advice on discipline and drill. I am thankful for his presence, as are all of our men!" Gan Guangli boomed, causing spines and shoulders to straighten as the dismissed soldiers raised one last salute.

"Your soldiers have quality hearts and steel in their spines. Their loyalty and drive will serve you well, even if they are but raw recruits for now."

"We are fortunate indeed to have a core of troops from Lady Cai's retinue, that I may spend more time getting such good soldiers properly trained, rather than throwing them against beasts right away," Gan Guangli agreed. "I will be proud to lead such troops when they have been properly polished."

"It does feel strange to see so many soldiers with so few mortals," Mu Wuye commented. "That, too, is the frontier, I suppose. Do you have any word for me, Baroness Ling?"

"I do not, but if you will forgive my presumption, I judge Lady Cai will have completed her inbox in about an hour," Ling Qi said, bowing her head.

Mu Wuye's lips twitched into a brief smile. "It is forgiven. I will leave you to your discussion with Sir Gan then."

The two of them said their pleasantries and waited politely for the imperial scion to make distance. They disappeared from her sight and senses alike before they reached the road. Their movement technique was soundless. She suspected that Mu Wuye was cutting distance.

Ling Qi shook her head, turning away from the road and back to Gan Guangli. "I just wanted to confirm what we talked about."

"Ah! You wound me, Lady Ling, to question my courage so!" Gan Guangli laughed.

"It's not a matter of courage. The technique Shu Yue helped me to develop is… invasive," Ling Qi warned. "I do want to test it on a peer realm cultivator before I use it in war, though."

"And that is why I will aid you," Gan Guangli vowed, letting the bombastic tone fade from his voice. "We shall all be back to back soon, in reliance on each other. What is a little discomfort or even true pain to improve our chances of returning home, minimally scarred?"

"It really is that simple, isn't it?" Ling Qi asked rhetorically. "I doubt I shall be able to improve that much in a week, even if we practice this technique every day. We are past those early days of cultivation."

"It was a heady feeling, wasn't it? Strength growing in leaps and bounds in mere days and weeks. Of course, you were much faster than I."

"It was," Ling Qi agreed wistfully. "After so long of scrabbling for nothing but another day, the same as the last, that sense of progress was addictive."

"Indeed! But we are not elders yet, Miss Ling. A week might not bring great breakthroughs and insights, but any sword or armor is better with a bit of polish!"

Qiyi rustled in agreement. Ling Qi felt the faint pressure of her gown spirit's attention. Ling Qi would get her some of the cleaning solution she liked later.

"They are," she said aloud. "I'll leave you to your business here then, and see you in the morning, Gan Guangli."

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Ling Qi set aside her concerns for that technique of hers as she returned to Shenglu and her family's section of the manor. It was no big spectacle of a feast like Yu Nuan's adoption, but even if it was probably somewhat wasteful with her time, she did not regret setting aside time to sit down around the table with her family.

"Biyu, stay in your seat," Mother said sternly. "Ask for help if you want another serving."

"Okayyyy." Her little sister reluctantly dropped back into her seat. "Sister, more peach, please!"

Ling Qi retrieved a few of the fresh, sweet slices for her. "Of course, little sister. Is this enough?"

"Mhm!"

Ling Qi smiled back at the little girl, letting her eyes pan around the table. Sixiang sat on her other side, inhaling the scent from a teacup with a happy sigh. Across from her, Ling Nuan sat stiffly, clearly doing her best to remember her etiquette and occasionally glancing at Ling Qi's mother for signs of disapproval. Hanyi, beside her, was the opposite. The young spirit was gradually losing poise, and slouched as the minutes ticked on, idly kicking her bare feet. The frosted over and withered strips of fish on Hanyi’s plate was utterly drained of lingering qi.

Zhengui's heads poked in through the opening to the garden. He had shrunk himself to only about two meters in length, but their dining table was set up to accommodate him, and his trough was set beside the table. Zhen and Hanyi began bickering back and forth, light verbal jabs flying back and forth. Sixiang began to egg them on, only for Mother to cut in with a disappointed comment.

Ling Qi took a peach slice herself, ruffling Biyu's hair with her other hand.

This was not wasting time at all.

She caught her mother's eye over Biyu's head and gave her a small nod. They would talk after dinner, too.

With Biyu gone to bed, Ling Nuan returning to cultivation outside the manor, and her spirits gone out to their own business, Ling Qi and her mother retired to the sitting room in the Ling clan's part of the manor. With thick carpets and plush furnishings, it was so much more luxurious than either of them could have dreamed back in the city of Tonghou. It had no hearth or fireplace, being near the center of the manor structure, but in place of that, there was a crystal imbued with fire qi, carved artfully to resemble a hearthfire, and reflecting a wavering light from within.

The output of yang qi helped counteract her own presence, too, as long as she was careful about keeping her own energies contained.

"You really have gone all out with the decor, Mother." Ling Qi eyed the silk watercolor paintings, the plants, the fine porcelain, and the embroidery on the furniture. Some of the decorations were items she had kept from her share of the corpse immortal’s ring, scattered tastefully among newer pieces.

"This is a place for receiving guests as well as family alone. Though we live in the lord’s manor, the Ling clan must be able to give its own hospitality," Ling Qingge replied. They sat on the same couch. Mother was so much smaller than her, but she still sank more deeply into the thick cushions than Ling Qi did.

"I know. This part, I don't regret leaving to you. Thank you for taking care of everything here, while I am away."

"It is welcome. I would… Well, go a little mad, if I were truly left idle."

"Ah, you wouldn't be happy spending your days pouring out your heart into compositions?" Ling Qi teased.

"Some days, perhaps, if I were ever to be such a musician. Those days have passed, though," Ling Qingge said wistfully. "I do not think the melodies composed by such an idle person would remain good."

"Maybe not." Ling Qi leaned back. "I think I would get restless, too, if writing songs was all I did."

Silence fell between them. It wasn't fully comfortable.

"I'll be deploying with Lady Cai in about a week and a half."

Ling Qi’s statement hung in the air.

Mother let out a slow breath, gripping her knees tightly. "It is easier when it is a task I can call foolish, something which seems unnecessary. However, my daughter will always be walking into the mouth of death."

"Cultivation and duty are both like that," Ling Qi said. "I am afraid, Mother. I know war is not going to be like my adventures, these singular encounters with dangerous spirits who might be amused or malicious, but are not actively seeking my death."

There were still moments like that. Madam Grey, the fox, had shattered her flute. Still Waters Deeping would have killed her, if he had not been distracted by a peer cultivator. The nomads at the caldera, too. All of those were still single encounters, though.

"Even if you did not believe me, I sincerely felt no fear about the fire spirit. I was confident that I was not in danger of anything but some pain and exhaustion," Ling Qi said heavily. "But I can't make any such promise right now."

Mother lowered her head. "I understand this. I will keep this home, that you may return to it. I was angry, Qi, when you showed such disregard for your own pain. However, I trust you will return from this offensive."

Ling Qi squeezed her eyes shut. "I will do everything I can to return to you and Biyu, so that we can have more dinners and more days in the garden. I do promise that. I swear that. There is nothing I won't do to survive and come back."

A person could not build anything, speak anything, or do anything when their story was over. Ending was inevitable, but she would struggle against her own with all of her strength.

Ling Qi carefully embraced her mother. Even with a mote of cultivation awoken, Mother felt terribly small and fragile. Ling Qi knew she was uncomfortable to the touch even with all of her qi reigned in, chillier than a person should be, with her emotions churning her qi like this. Mother hugged her back regardless.

The memories of this week would not be her last ones of home.