>>5626318

Fu however fought for his life and gained a few new scars from the encounter, Heh-Heh-Heh. It would seem the wretched corpse eaters have learned your scent after your slaughter of their brethren as the few above ground picking amongst the graves or gnawing on the bones that were left behind after Tiexingege's children devoured the corpses left behind from your earlier fight, scatter and run away howling, some burrowing underground and others running for the mountains on the horizon, still carrying bones leaking marrow and wet with blood.

"Cowards!" Tiexingege shouts from atop your shoulders, shaking her fist. She's wearing a robe too big for her since you thought it was too funny for her not to wear one, and it made her lethally adorable. Jionghuagege, not wanting to soil the robe the Five colors emperor gifted to her, is wearing clothing made out of living flowers, whose roots wrap around her legs and that crawl up her body to cover her with their petals and fan like leaves.

Fu is dressed like Fu is always dressed, with fresher bandages after the ones he had dressed and wrapped tightly around his scar covered body and mangled face got soaked with honey, which lead to Jionghuagege and Tiexingege's mindless daughters to bother him incessantly, trying to lick the sweet substance off of him.. Jionghuagege hides behind you, while Tiexingege tries and fails to rip herself out of your arms to chase down the fleeing corpse eaters. Fu stands stalwart, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable except for the look of loathing contempt burning darkly in his eyes and the clouds of grudge miamsa curls out of his lips like tongues of flame and gouts of heavy fog.

"I can chase them down if you'd like me to, Master" He offers, his voice low and murderous, killing intent rising off of him with every word he speaks.

"The glory will be mine!" Tiexingege roars, pulling on your hair, like she could reign and pilot you to chase after the running ghouls yourself. You have half a mind to drop her to the ground for acting like such a brat.

How do you draw out the eater of the dead, Huanliuxue?

>By killing more of its children, with four cultivators at the level of foundation establishment, it will be a completely one sided slaughter.

>Playing ghost empress melody to rouse and empower the ghosts whose corpses it has been feeding on to attack it (Magic trial DC 65)

>Give Tiexingege the honor of the first blow and have her burrow underground to assault it in its own nest (Underling Martial Trial. DC 70)

>Ask Jionghuagege to destroy the graveyard, though it will weigh heavily on your heart, by encouraging the growth of the plants above it (Underling Magic Trial. DC 82)

>Write in

>>5626319
>Playing ghost empress melody to rouse and empower the ghosts whose corpses it has been feeding on to attack it (Magic trial DC 65

>>5626319
>Give Tiexingege the honor of the first blow and have her burrow underground to assault it in its own nest (Underling Martial Trial. DC 70)

>>5626319
>>Playing ghost empress melody to rouse and empower the ghosts whose corpses it has been feeding on to attack it (Magic trial DC 65)

>>5626319
>Killing more of it's children

Lets wipe out as many pawns as we can

>>5626319
>Ghost Empress to summon army
>Fu to embrace the grudges of summoned ghosts who wish to fight but aren’t strong enough to make a difference individually
>>Check to see if Ghost Empress Melody can empower Fu’s grudges if he takes them from the ghosts?
>Tiexingege and Jionghuagege to work together trapping the arena. Tie can soften the ground while Jiong spreads roots through the softened soil. When the eater surfaces, ensnare the eater in the plant network and pull everything towards the eater for a violent, painful embrace.

I have no idea if anything I wrote for the others will work, but we may as well try to empower each other if we’re fighting together.

>>5626319
>By killing more of its children, with four cultivators at the level of foundation establishment, it will be a completely one sided slaughter.
Let's start by getting rid of the minions

>>5626319
>>5626722
I like it. +1
Full strategicool.

>>5626722
+1

>>5626722
Sure, I'll change from >>5626458 to support this.

>>5626722
I'll back it

>>5626319
>Playing ghost empress melody to rouse and empower the ghosts whose corpses it has been feeding on to attack it (Magic trial DC 65)

File: zhbi7r96so861.jpg (201 KB, 1505x1443)

201 KB JPG

ending the vote, tallying the result now.

Playing ghost empress melody to rouse and empower the ghosts whose corpses it has been feeding on to attack it:3

Give Tiexingege the honor of the first blow and have her burrow underground to assault it in its own nest:1

By killing more of its children, with four cultivators at the level of foundation establishment, it will be a completely one sided slaughter.:1

Ghost Empress to summon army, Fu to embrace grudges+The gege's trapping the arena:5

So the write in strategy wins! Huanliuxue is a clever girl!

Update will arrive shortly

>>5628534
Nuts, missed the vote. There's probably some in genre cliche about this.

>>5628534
The way I see it, Huanliuxue doesn’t train using half measures. She WILL push her students to accomplish the ridiculous just to show they can.

The tactical training is just a nice touch to get our two new foundation-level students thinking bigger.

"Restrain yourself little sister, I have a plan and you're a part of it" You purr as the shortie on your back gnashes her teeth and hops off your back, barely able to restrain herself from rushing into battle "Use your strength to soften the ground of this battleground to be, you're experienced with working soil, aren't you?"

"It's an ants pride to work beneath the earth" Tiexingege boasts, nodding her head, her twin tails that you and Jionghuagege held her down to tie bouncing up and down as she crossed her arms "Leave it to me and I'll make this whole graveyard appear like an ant lion's burrow"

She dived to the ground and moved through it like it was water, her feet kicking as she vanished underground. You couldn't help but to wonder if she'd pop back up as the little girl she was now or as her usual self. She didn't much care for her human body yet, so there was a chance she'd shift back to her natural state just for comforts sake even though you had told her she needed to learn how to fight as a person and that no, bullying poor Fu didn't count as martial training

"And what is my part in this plan, elder sister?' Jionghuagege asked courteously as she stood beside you, her freckled face glowing under the sun

"Spread roots through the ground Tiexingege softens, fill the whole of the graveyard with them" You say, throwing your arm out in front of you like you were a general giving an order to chase down and slaughter an enemy army "When the mother of these monsters emerges, ensnare it in your web and pull anything towards it for a violent, painful embrace"

"Well at least I won't be getting my new hands bloody" She said cheerfully "It shall be an elegant execution as befits the work of a princess"

Fu looked at you expectingly but said nothing. It was clear as day what he wanted

"You'll embrace the grudges of the ghosts I summon who aren't strong enough to join us in the fight" You explain, making the scarred boy smile warmly, which brings a smile to your own face as you march forward, watching the ground erupt as Tiexingege tunnels through it and roots burst through the ground young and green "I'll play ghost empress melody and summon us an army, and perform a little experiment. While the gege's part of the plan is also part of their training, I am curious if my enchanted Guqin can empower the ghosts hanging from your back, Heh-heh-heh"

"This student would be all too happy to assist you in this experiment" Fu said with an excited smile "It has been too long since I've heard Ghost empress melody's song anyways! May its voice herald the doom of the mother of all ghouls"

And with that said, you sit down, floating in the air with the assistance of your specter lightness skill as you set the Guqin over your lap and begin to play a ditty. The air here is thick and heavy with grudges, and if there's one thing all dead souls share, it is a hatred for those who defile their mortal remains

roll 1d100. DC 35. best out of 4. DC REDUCED

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>5628544

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>5628544
73

>>5628548
So close.

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>5628544

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>5628544

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>5628544

>>5628552
Amazing success! 50 over DC! Update will arrive shortly

Breathing in, you draw in the burning smoke of their enmity as it drifts over the grave yard, and as if possessed by another spirit, you hands move, plucking ghost empress melody's strings to create a mournful dirge that carries in the air and towards the mountains, whispering across the broken ground and muttering curses into the ears of the vengeful dead. They emerge from the morning mist, revitalized and returned to the land of the living, summoned out of the stray pieces of meat and shards of cracked bones left behind by their corpses. And then, they reach to the ground and pull up those whose corpses have been completely devoured, who then lead those whose remains have returned to dust and soul from the ancient burial ground and then they call out to those whose grave markers have been worn away by the passing of time. Soon there is a massive army that could overrun cities and conquer whole regions if they were to be unleashed onto the world and some how persist without the strength you lend.

Fu walks amongst them, hopping over roots and tunnels to talk with them, you can't hear what he is saying because the music you're playing fills your ears, but one by one the faded faceless ghosts he approaches shake his hand and fall behind him, standing in his shadow. Soon he has a swarm of ghost flames around him, flickering like candles in a storm. More and more of the weak lights gather on his back as his shadow grows and twists, taking on the shape of a contorted and monstrous seeming tree that the ghost lights sit beneath like hanged corpses. The grudges you haven't swallowed converge on him, deepening and darkening his shadow and swirling around him like smoke. You shift your tune, turning the sorrowful dirge into a shrieking, screaming call to arms, drifting through the air lazily behind Fu as you serenade the pitiful ghosts who he has gathered in his shadow.

Then something interesting happens, as the weaklings are empowered, the ghostly yin Qi that pervades the air around Fu surrounds him and the the ghost lights burn, leaving the branches of his shadow to circle behind him in an array. And out from their ghostly breath, an armor of mist forms around your disciple as his skin pale and his hands tremor. He winces and gnashes his teeth, enduring the sudden surge of the energies of death rushing through his body, spectral horns rising from atop his brow as dark bags form under his eyes.

"It would seem, lady Huanliuxue, we've created a combination technique between your law and mine" He says, his voice reverberating with a hundred other voices, the veins around his face and neck running black "I must be the first man to be possessed by a hundred ghost without using his mind. I feel as though I've become a vessel containing the will of an army that could conqueror the heavens! What a wonderous feeling! I wonder if this is what brother Ping felt when you gifted him his cursed arm"
Cont

>>5628572

"Oh no, ping didn't feel euphoria, he felt agony and deathly terror" You cackle "If you feel you can conquerer the heavens, then do you think you can beat a wretched carrion eater?"

"I feel like I'm ready to taste the wine of revenge, master" He said, his voice echoing as two tiny pale green ghost fires burned in front of his eyes, dark qi roiling over his lips as the grudges surrounding him formed into a long flowing cloak of black miasma that would've been regal if it wasn't so tattered and hole worn. The grudge cloak fused with his shadow

"Then, I shall call our victim to step into its open grave!" You snarled, striking the strings of your magical guqin and threw your head back to wail "Oh devoured dead! Hear the call of your empress! Rise from your graves and take your pound of flesh! Gnash your teeth and consume those who made a meal of your bodies and broke your bones! Avenge yourself by my side and join me in the dance of phantoms and corpses! Raise banners of your own skinned hides and bring me the head of the eater of the dead!"

And with a final strum, you play a note so loud that it'd wake even the reincarnated back into their old bodies! The ground, now so soft as to become like sand shifted and a low rumbling roar rose from the earth. Jionghuagege, who stood at the boundry of the battlefield shuddered and looked to you with pleading eyes.

"NOW! JIONGHUAGEGE!" You bellowed as your feet touched the ground and you lifted your hands to the sky like a conductor and bowed as the soft earth shifted and began to pour down. A massive, pale white hand burst through the ground, rising like a tower of palid flesh to the sky, blotting out the sun itself.

Then, a second, more shrill roar erupted from the ground, as pools of blood bubbled to the surface and roots titanic and small snaked through the soil like biting snakes. You could see them burying into the flesh of the ghoul mother, burrowing beneath her skin. A vortex formed in the center of the graveyard pulling graves, the bones beneath them and any corpse eater that didn't flee for the mountains quick enough into its yawning maw, crushing them together in a slurry of blood and gravel. You could see the face of the scavenger's matriarch now, revealed as the softened dirt poured into her den. It didn't look like any beast you've ever seen. Eyeless, with teeth like rats and two lashing tongues tipped with suckers it hissed and snarled as the sunlight fell on its skin and where it touched began to boil and char. It had four arms, each as massive as the first, with bloated spade like hands and yellowed nails. It was bloated in the belly and its eggshell white skin was as leathery as an elephant's hide, and it was caught in the center of Jionghuagege's crushing root web, tearing and pulling at the plants she controlled as they invaded its body and tried to tear it apart like everything else.
Cont

>>5628575

From the ground, Tiexingege's head popped out, her adorable twintails having been pulled loose and ruined. A toothy grin flashed across her face and her cheeks flushed red the moment she spotted the eater of the dead. She burst from the ground and opened her mouth. A moment later the massive monster wailed in pain. Tie-tie had sunk her teeth into its throat and was pulling mouthfuls of skin, meat and blubber out of it, painting her face red with blood. As she gnashed her teeth, you could see she had turned them into steel by infusing them with Qi.

You stomached turned as she buried her head completely into the hole she was gnawing through the beast. Something about the scene of a little girl trying to eat a bloated monster was nauseating, but you couldn't call it disturbing. Such was the fate of all living things great and small. In the end all became food for the worms and maggots. Though Tiexingege was neither, she was an ant.

"Kill, kill, kill" Whispering voices called out from each breath Fu took.

What do you do, Huanliuxue?

>Give the command to attack and have Fu lead the charge. With any luck, the corpse eater will be slaughtered before it can even stand (Martial/ Leadership trial DC 70)

>Take control of the beasts blood and impale into the ground by forming great spears through each of its palms (Magic trial. DC 65)

>Encourage Jionghuagege to crush the mother monster into pulp (Underling magic trial. DC 82)

>Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege (Underling Martial trial. DC 68)

>write in

>>5628576
>Take control of the beasts blood and impale into the ground by forming great spears through each of its palms (Magic trial. DC 65)

Hold it down!

>Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege (Underling Martial trial. DC 68)

Then take it out!

>>5628588
I'll support it.

2 rolls shouldn't scare us too much

>>5628576
>>5628588
Fun idea!

>>5628588
Why not

>>5628576
>>5628588
Supporting.

For Jiong to keep her busy and push her strategic skills further,
>Have her ensnare the lesser corpse eaters in her web as well so the ghosts may kill them quicker. Those that finish with the riff-raff may join Fu in defeating their mother.

She must control the battlefield for her warriors.

For Tie,
>Remind her she isn’t limited to her teeth anymore. Fashion axes from the earth and learn from Fu’s style while incorporating her own! Make a sharp edge to pierce the skin easily, then reshape it into a barb to rip out chunks of flesh! Reshape it into a spear to strike even deeper into her flesh and then serrate it so her every movement cuts her to pieces while you attack elsewhere!

A shame someone else can’t play GEM. I’d love to see what we could do if we went into our ghost form and joined the gaggle of ghosts on Fu’s back.

>>5628576
>Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege (Underling Martial trial. DC 68)

>>5628588
+1

>>5628588
+1
Also, we gotta test if we can pull this trick off on our own depending on how strong it is.

>>5628576
>>Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege (Underling Martial trial. DC 68)

No love for continuing to push the geges I suppose?

>>5628576
>Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege (Underling Martial trial. DC 68)
Observe sisters how Humans fi-TieTie what are you doing‽

>>5628888
Quads, so I will back the instructing. If only so TieTie learns to not to try and cannibalize her foes

>>5629698
I'm not big on it, truth be told.

There's a place for instruction, but this sort of crazy bullshit innovation in the middle of combat is our wheelhouse, not our gege's and giving so many conflicting bits of information will just distract them.

Like how we did with Fu, and how he got mobbed. I'd be inclined to support something for tie tie like "Remember, Metal and earth are sharp!".

Your reccomendation for Jiong is. . not really a lesson. She's already doing that.

Ending the vote now, tallying the result.

Take control of the beasts blood and impale into the ground by forming great spears through each of its palms:7

Test out the newly formed combination technique, by holding back the army of the dead to fight the corpse eaters emerging from the pit while Fu fights their mother with Tiexingege:10

Have her ensnare the lesser corpse eaters in her web as well so the ghosts may kill them quicker. Those that finish with the riff-raff may join Fu in defeating their mother.:2

Remind her she isn’t limited to her teeth anymore. Fashion axes from the earth and learn from Fu’s style while incorporating her own! Make a sharp edge to pierce the skin easily, then reshape it into a barb to rip out chunks of flesh! Reshape it into a spear to strike even deeper into her flesh and then serrate it so her every movement cuts her to pieces while you attack elsewhere!: 2

Alright, so the combo of spearing it with its own blood and sending Fu to maul it wins!

Update will arrive shortly

With a flick of your wrist, you throw you enchanted Guqin into the air, keeping it floating there at the boundary of your Youling Qingong as you trust out your arms and stretch your fingers out as far as they'll go before piercing the tips of both your thumbs with your incisors, then whipping them forward, misting the air with your blood saturated with blood Qi. All it needs to do is fall near the every growing wound Tiexingege is gnawing into the blubbery flesh of the matriarch of the grave defilers and you'll be able to spread your Qi into its veins and take control of its blood.

"Hold" You command sharply as the army of the dead and defiled begin to move to join the princess of the ants in mauling the titanic monster thrashing around in the sinkhole the Gege's made with their combined efforts "My student Fu will have the honor of second...er, third blood! So stand ready on the edge and be patient, you'll all get your pound of flesh soon enough! Not like the beast is lacking in it, Heh-Heh!"

"Give me the command and I shall carry out their enmity" Fu said as the additional voices carried by his breath continued their chant of kill, though now some were recommending how he should kill it. And you had to hand it to the spirit's on his back, they were creative in their cruelty.

The four armed glutton tried to swat Tie-Tie off of her bloated neck. Your felt your eye twitch in anger. How dare she treat your adorable little sister like a bug to squash. Spreading your fingers as far apart as they could, you felt you control spread throughout the whole of the impudent bitch's body and smirked maliciously, feeling bloodthirsty and killing intent welling up inside of you.

"Wait for me to give the signal. You'll know it when you see it" You say, voice trembling with murderous rage as you flick your tongue across your teeth.

Roll 2d100! First roll best of four, DC 65! If successful, reduces the DC of the second roll by five and five more for every number ten more the first roll's DC. Second roll. Best of three, DC 68 unaltered

Rolled 78, 68 = 146 (2d100)

>>5630754

Rolled 39, 1 = 40 (2d100)

>>5630754

File: 1284893293523.gif (85 KB, 462x552)

85 KB GIF

>>5630758
blood reversed, pray to rngesuit for a 100

Rolled 51, 31 = 82 (2d100)

>>5630754

Rolled 76, 80 = 156 (2d100)

>>5630754

well good news is that the DC is passed, so going on previous accounts it is a success.

downside is that there will be an unexpected misfortune. for Fu.

>>5630757
>>5630758
>>5630777

Good success. 78. Ten over DC, lowering Fu's roll DC to 58. 80 and a 1, Nice success, 20 over DC but with a complication

Update will arrive shortly


>>5630778
Correct

You envision the eater of the dead's bloated soon to be carcass as a bowl filled with water. And in your mind's eye you stir the water in that bowl with your finger tips, swirling it around until it forms a vortex then increasing the speed of the circling motion you make through it with your hands until it becomes white as rapids. Then, picturing the bowl, the water and the vortex splitting into six identical vessels, body of water and movements, you shift them outward, picturing the veins of the mother of ghouls as rivers that they float down until they reach ponds at the end that mark her four palms and two ankles.

Then with a flick of your hand, with two fingers intertwined, you invert the vortexes, that traveled through her veins like twisters, tearing through her flesh, rupturing and bruising whatever they passed. The waters in your imagination and the blood gathered as a deep bruise on each of her palms and each of her ankles rises as pillars of twirling blood, the ends sharpened and hardened like a spear's edge while the constantly rolling and shifting sides are serrated like a knife. The scream that escapes the abomination's throat is something you're unable to describe, but you feel it rattle through your bones, vibrating and buzzing as it squirms and flails, no completely helpless before Tiexingege's iron fangs and Fu's axes. It is pinned to the ground by its own blood, shaped into chains and great, crushing pillars. Fu does not need to be told what to do.

He moves like night falls, his cape of grudges and tree like shadow spreading across the open pit like the yawning maw of an all devouring darkness, claws and fangs sprouting from its side as the ghost lights on his backs fan out and flare, glowing magnificently as the stronger ghosts watch on with barely contained jealously and envy, some gnash their teeth and others bite their rusted blades but all are eager to join the ghosts on Fu's back in the fray. It cannot be called a fight, Tiexingege already has the beast by the throat and is tearing away chunks of its flesh and snapping her teeth through its arm thick veins as it whimpers and cries out, begging its children to save her. When Fu falls upon it, you can only call the spectacle a slaughter. He doesn't move like a man, but rather a saw through wood, the grudges on his back spreading out like a choking smog as the ghosts in his shadows tear and rip apart the flesh he swings his axes and drags them through the struggling form of the bloated graverobber.

It doesn't so much look like you're watching a fight, but rather a beast being butchered and cut apart to be sold in market while its still alive. You're certain Tie-Tie has eaten some of its flesh already, even if it wasn't obvious how thrilled she was to sink her teeth into its neck. That doesn't concern you, you've eaten far fouler dishes and more intelligent ones at that. What bothers you is how Fu is acting.

Cont

>>5630820

He's gone berserk. His style is ferocious at its calmest, but you cannot call how he is acting sane. He appears feral, gnashing his teeth, foaming at the mouth and swinging at anything that gets close to him, be it the quivering flesh of the eater of the dead, the roots Jionghuagege grew and empowered, or the shades joining him in his brutalizing of the gargantuan grub like mother. You recognize the symptoms of his affliction even from a distance.

He's gotten himself possessed. Truly possessed. He must've taken on more ghosts than he could handle, thinking he was immune to true possession. And that is partially your fault, since the ghosts he called into his shadow were empowered by ghost empress melody. And what happens when you give a half mad collection of ghosts more power than they've had in centuries if not eons? They go snake fuckingly crazy. Like Xiongji. And unlike a natural possession, Fu is being piloted by many different souls all with their own vendettas or insane goals. Currently they're all focused on causing pain and killing the monster whose progeny devoured their mortal remains. But that target was about to be lost as it was teetering between life and death.

The question was not if it would die or when, but rather what would kill it first. Tiexingege chewing through its carotid artery, bleeding to death from the geysers of blood bursting from its palm, or Fu and his followers tearing it apart with his axes and their bare hands. It'd happen in a matter of moments, and then Fu would be a danger to anyone around him.

Luckily, you were an expert when it came to dealing with deranged spirits.

How do you try to end Fu's possession, Huanliuxue?

>Just play ghost empress melody again and weakening their hold on the mortal realm (Magic trial. Auto succeed)

>Tell the other ghosts to hold him down and as a reward they can slay the eater of the dead (Leadership trial. DC 45)

>Use blood control and hold him in place until he and the ghosts have calmed down (Magic trial. DC 65)

>Put him to sleep by gently strangling him (Strength trial. DC 80)

>Write in

>>5630822

> WRITE IN

> Leave our body in the care of Jionghuagege and enter ghost form. Then possess Fu alongside the other ghosts and establish our rightful dominance over them.

>>5630843

My rational is that this could be a good learning opportunity for Fu to have to struggle against so many ghosts, and with us in the mix he can do it without murdering everyone in the area.

If he can throw off possession by the Happy Bloodshed he can defeat any ghosts!

>>5630822
>Just play ghost empress melody again and weakening their hold on the mortal realm (Magic trial. Auto succeed)

>>5630822
>>5630843 +1

>>5630843
Interesting proposition, but i would add that in spiritual form we be careful in entering lest the vessel bursts at the seam.
Maybe rooting out some of the weaker and least mad before plunging inside, and an eye on protecting Fu's.
Poor boy can't catch a break on this outing.

>>5630843
>Support

I honestly don't see an issue here.
There are 4 foundation establishment cultivators and with this option there will only be 3. It's still a slaugter.

>>5630822
>Just play ghost empress melody again and weakening their hold on the mortal realm (Magic trial. Auto succeed)

>>5630822
>>5630843
Supporting. I don’t know whether you were thinking of this already or if I gave you the idea, but either way I approve.

We have yet to try and use possession to “enhance” someone without controlling them or do ghost-to-ghost combat, and if we get a new ability from this fight I want it to be the one that lets us command lesser ghosts.

“You seem to find it acceptable to trample over your Queen’s first disciple to get what you want. The Ling thought the same of the peasants when they raided my village. I will correct this notion.”

>>5630843
+1

>>5630843
+1, just gotta avoid getting lost in the sauce. or landing another +1 somehow

Ending the vote, tallying the result.

Leave our body in the care of Jionghuagege and enter ghost form. Then possess Fu alongside the other ghosts and establish our rightful dominance over them.:7

Just play ghost empress melody again and weakening their hold on the mortal realm: 2

Near landslide victory for chasing the ghosts out of Fu by possessing him yourself

Update will arrive shortly

"Jionghuagege, catch and watch over my body will you, I will be cross if I return to find me laying on the ground with dirt in my hair" You say airily as you flick a stray strand of blood red hair out of your eyes and close your eyes, falling back to make your adorable little sister panic as you step out of your body, turning into a brilliant crimson ghost light which you then transform into an ethereal copy of your natural form.

The weak are prey to the strong, it is one of the immutable facts of the world and while you don't intend to lower and shame yourself by partaking of the foul act of devouring souls, the presence of a tiger is enough to make lesser beasts scatter. Mice run when a housecat prowls, and vermin should know better than walk into a mouser's range. Besides, while it is the duty of a ruler to protect their people they also have a responsibility to keep peace and ensure their laws are upheld. Laws which they are trampling by possessing their queen's first disciple, an act of treason you shall swiftly rectify and punish. You pounce on Fu as he howls to the sky, spittle flecking his face as he continues to slam his axes into the still form of the eater of the dead while Tiexingege watches on with a look on her face that is all too familiar. Since you've made the same look a thousand times before the moment before you pounced on your prey. She might've been able to beat Fu handily when he was a stage lower than her, but now that they are both cultivators of the foundation establishment stage, the fight would be much fairer and thus much more bloody and dangerous.

You had to act quickly. So you had to pounce first. Fu froze as you entered through his back and found yourself assaulted by dozens of bickering voices, each demanding the other allow them the body so they can use it as they please to solve the regrets keeping them bound in the mortal plains or to be allowed to live again. The latter group enrages you more than the former who just want to alleviate their suffering with petty errands or watching the sunset or feeling the sensation of tasting roasted meat and rice again.

And you let your anger be known as you spread your Yin Qi throughout Fu, dominating the space within his body and usurping control from the hundreds of weaklings. None dare challenge you, as you take back the Qi that empowered them and drain them of a portion of their own ghostly essence to make certain they're well cowed and properly terrified

Clever tactics and wise stratagems sharpen the mind like a whetstone. +10 to next cultivation/ training roll. Total bonus +240

"Silence! You will return to your graves, and will not partake in the vengeance of your kin for the crime of your arrogance, begone or be obliterated!" You command, slamming his axes into the ground and crossing his arms as one by one the weak ghosts he courted flee from his back, even mor reduced than they were before you empowered them.

Cont

>>5633089

Thus is the price for rebelling against their monarch to pursue their own ambitions, and trying to steal away your follower to serve as their robes. Only you are allowed to possess your students and friends at random to use their bodies to chase your whims or pursue your goals, despite their protestations or unwillingness! No one else is allowed to touch what is yours and what you guard!

You leave Fu and he immediately falls to his knees to vomit up a black bile, overwhelmed by the mere presence of the potent Yin within your soul, that is far stronger than any of the trash spirits that thought they could make him theirs.

"Awww" Tiexingege groans, as she turns into her natural state as Fu continues to vomit and tremble, using is internal energy to purge the ghostly Qi you left behind in his meridians and flesh.

"Thank you master" He groans between heaves and wretches.

Corpse of the eater of the dead obtained. Army of ancient ghosts have pledged themselves to you
The corpse eater's numbers have greatly dwindled, the ancient graveyard danger level has been reduced to (N/A)

What do you do now, Huanliuxue?

>Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.

>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.

>Ask the Geges if they'd like to join you and Fu when you leave the primordial wilderness. Which you will be doing soon.

>Organize your new loyal followers into a proper army with the gege's help

>write in

>>5633091
I DON'T want to help Fu restore his internal balance. This sort of thing he needs to figure out how to do himself.
If he can't figure it out in a few days, we can fix it.

>Scold Tie-tie for still fighting like an ant
>Go and study the Gege's scriptures [DC 90]

We can learn how to organise these ghosts from the source. And the tunnel to the temple still needs work, requiring they stay here to work on it. When it is done then they can be our disciples properly.

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.

>>5633091
>>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.
>Go and study the Gege's scriptures

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.
>Go and study the Gege's scriptures

>>5633091
>Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.
He wouldn't be in this state if it wasn't for us.

>>5633155
It's a learning experience. Don't feel guilty about it, if it's gonna damage his foundation or his life we'll fix it instantly but learning to do so himself will have him much better prepared.

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.

>>5633091
>Organize your new loyal followers into a proper army with the gege's help

>>5633200
Actually, changing to this
>Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.

>>5633091
>Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.

>>5633091
>Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.
>But before, give instructions to Fu on how to return balance to his internal energy by himself, while also telling the Geges what's happening to Fu and how identify if something like that is happening to you.

The learning doesn't stop. If there's a Path of technique that disrupt someone's internal energy (and that might exist as a technique from outside the foundation stablishment), they all need to learn by themselves, or at least identifying it.

>>5633091
>Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.
Get her to try the shapeshifting metal weapon idea I suggested earlier, shifting her scales to entrap blades and limbs that strike her, maybe even spit/coat weapons in poison if she had any as an ant.
>But before, give instructions to Fu on how to return balance to his internal energy by himself, while also telling the Geges what's happening to Fu and how identify if something like that is happening to you.
The hardest wounds to heal are Qi-related ones. Important to learn that lesson.
>While you are training Tie-Tie, instruct Jiong to organize the spirits with Fu assisting as requested. If she expects to command as part of her law, she must get accustomed to ordering disparate creatures and soliciting useful advice from others.

>>5633184
What a fine master we're turning out to be, jumping into our student's meridians, raising havoc with his internal qi and not cleaning up after ourselves.
I will grant teaching Fu to properly shake off or fight off possession is a lesson we should give, later. Right now? We fix our fuck up.

Ending the vote now, tallying the result.


Scold Tie-Tie for still fighting like an Ant, and drag her off to fight more things until she learns how to properly fight.:8

Go and study the Gege's scriptures: 3

Balance Fu's internal energy: 6
-Make sure Fu is alright and use your blood Qi to help return balance to his internal energies.:4
give instructions to Fu on how to return balance to his internal energy by himself, while also telling the Geges what's happening to Fu and how identify if something like that is happening to you.: 2

Organize your new loyal followers into a proper army with the gege's help: 0


While you are training Tie-Tie, instruct Jiong to organize the spirits with Fu assisting as requested. If she expects to command as part of her law, she must get accustomed to ordering disparate creatures and soliciting useful advice from others.: 1

Alright, so You'll help Fu and use your blood Qi to inject him with Yang energy to rebalance his internal energy and then scold Tie-Tie and drag her off for more practice

Update will arrive shortly

He doesn't look well, in fact he looks terrible. Sickly even. Feeling a twinge of guilt for being the main source of his suffering for not accounting the potency of your souls Yin energies in your rush to save him from becoming the puppet and toy of a bunch of worthless ghosts, you pat Fu on the back. Transforming into your true feline form, you tear open the back of his robes and place the pads of your paws between his shoulder blades and concentrate. Pushing four veins into his skin to more easily accesses his veins and meridians that run alongside them to tamper with his screwy and imbalanced internal energies, you send a wave of Yang Aligned Blood Qi into him, forcing it into his Dantian's like a knife into his navel. He jolts, bending his back and give a yowl as his eyes bulge and color returns to his face. What sort of a teacher would you be if you left behind a mess inside your students' bodies after possessing them? Using the life aspect of blood Qi, you mend his wounds and chase away the chill of death from his bones and meridians.

"Thank you master! I feel as if I've been reborn!" He shouts, cupping his fist and bow as you remove your paw and saunter in front of him and over to Tiexingege who is pouting, upset that she wasn't able to fight Fu again and that there was nothing else for her to savage. She was still in her human form. Good! You didn't intend to allow her to leave it until she learned how to fight like a person! If she went out into the wider world and started biting people and tearing out their throats, her human cover would be blown and she'd be exposed and hunted down like a rabid dog!

"Idiot girl!" You scold, smacking her atop the head with your paw "This exercise was meant to teach you how to fight like humans do, not for you to still fight like an ant, using your teeth like mandibles and devouring them alive!"

"What's your problem red fur! We won didn't we? You got a bunch of new followers and a corpse to do your weird magic on with Jiong-Jiong! Why shouldn't I use these teeth especially when I've figured out how to make them tough enough to be of any use at all!' She shouted back, snapping her teeth. She was being cheeky, so you hit her again and she gave a little squeak

"Because you won't be in this basin forever, and if you fight like an insect our enemies will realize you are one!" You snap, picking her up by the scruff of her cloak "Now quit complaining, Black Iron, you should be grateful! You and I will seek more opponents and fight until this lesson gets through your thick skull!"

"Let me down!" She snarled, punching and kicking at you, but not changing into her true shape, as even she can realize getting you mad is the worst choice she could make. Or because she thinks you won't let her fight if she upsets you more than she has. She is something of a battle junky
Cont

>>5633839

"Jionghuagege, make sure Fu's recovery is going well and keep my ghosts in check while I'm gone" You grumble through your mouthful of robe

"W..what ghosts?" She cries back as you carry away her sister to find something else for her to kill and hopefully like a human rather than an ant!

You do not elaborate.
_
[Meanwhile, in the lair of Xuebai and Jingyu]

"So, we've reached an accord, lady fox spirit?" Qiang asked tiredly as she kicked her legs up on the table between them as the monstrous mass of cold air and snow in front of her smiled, bowing its vulpine head before its dainty smile spreads into a wicked sneer

"Oh, I will meet my little sister, but only if she proves she truly mourns my death" She purred, too much like Huanliuxue did when she had cruelty on her mind "Pet, do you think her gifting me the head of one of the winter blossoming wisdom elders would be sufficient proof of her familial loyalty"

Qiang narrowed her eyes and sighed. Of course there had to a condition. New customers always wanted you to do something extra alongside what they paid you to do. Huanliuxue had told her to convince the ghost of her sister to meet her and her mother and so she held all of the power in negotiations. Qiang, though she had long since ended her career as an assassin, still made it a matter of pride that she had never failed a job, only willingly chose not to see them through.

"Can't I do it? My master is very busy" She sighed, as the fox eared man crept behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She resisted the urge to put the edge of her blade to his throat

"Oh I think it'd be a wonderful gift!' He cackled as Qiang shuddered "Your mother will surely be pleased with it as well, and who knows, if half the tales told of the divine spirit protector of the chuan family are true, she might just kill that grouchy old fuck who killed you and cast me out"

"Well lets not get our hopes up, she is still a little girl" Xuebai tittered "And no, human kit, it has to be her. I want to see if she truly shares my family's hatred for those treacherous snow humpers! She has to tear one of their elder's heads off and deliver it to me, then she and I can go about establishing our sisterly bond"

"Perhaps over a plate of Winter blossoming wisdom sect disciple liver?" Her pet monster laughed. Qiang sighed through her teeth

"Fine. I'll tell her. I just so happen to know where she was heading" She said with a forced smile "I'll go and deliver your request to her, but she is proud and might take offense if she thinks she's being ordered around"

It was a mistake to use that wording, Qiang decided as the fox spirit turned demonic and snarled at her an inch from her face. She didn't budge and just rolled her eyes. She could sense killing intent a mile away, this was just an intimidation tactic, nothing more.

"She is my little sister" Xuebai spat
Cont

>>5633840

"And I know her. She has every reason to be proud. Worry not, I will deliver your message as cordially as it can possibly be worded" She said monotonously "But its up to her to listen"

"Fine" The fox spirit said coldly, pouting as she turned to a more adorable form again "Jingyu will accompany you"

"Bad idea" Qiang said shaking her head "I get you want to make sure I follow through with my word, but my master is past enemy territory, someplace they are keeping close eyes on. That maniac wouldn't make it through their defensives, but I can, its my specialty. Send him to kill someone if you're frustrated, but I refuse to be tailed by a loud idiot who'd blow my cover"

And with that, she stood up and walked from the den

"I like you" Xuebai giggled as she left, a winter chill following her for miles after she had departed from their company
_

It had taken a few days, but Tiexingege was finally as adept at fighting as a girl as she was a massive ant, though you had to beat the lesson into her head a few times, she didn't hold it against you. She respected strength after all. She had just went to bed after your latest sparring practice, and you watched her children chop up the eater of the dead's corpse into more manageable portions so you could pick through it for useful materials at some later date.

That last thing you were expecting this night was for Qiang to suddenly appear from the shadows, but there she was. You sensed her presence a few minutes ago and sure enough she was marching up to you, looking exhausted and with bags under your eyes

"Oh! I thought you'd go back to the temple once you finished your job. What did you find? Is the fox spirit my sister? Is she dying to meet me?" You asked excitedly as she yawns and frowns

"She's being troublesome and demanded a show of loyalty. She wants you to kill an elder of Monu and Ping's old sect" She said tiredly "I tried to offer to do it in your place, but she refused. Also, those fools on the cliff really need better trained sentries on that wall. I've snuck past infants more alert than any of them"

Your eyes narrow.

How do you respond Huanliuxue?

>Put the matter off, there's still training to be done here in the basin and insights to uncover

>With a smile. You were planning on killing them anyways and if they're distracted, you might be able to pick of an elder. Certainly you've punched above your weight class before

>By deciding to go to meet her yourself, and making it clear you won't be ordered around like a dog

>Realize that if she's a ghost her memory probably isn't sharp and that the elders of the sect have changed over the years. All you need is to kill a powerful enough cultivator, not an elder...

>write in

>>5633841
I don't understand. Why is the matter about Xuebai meeting Huan? Isn't it Monu who should want to meet her?
Do we even want to meet Xuebai enough to listen to her demands? What for?

>>5633841
Eh I am unsure of what to do.
Can we even delay doing it? Huan should at least rank up once before trying to kill someone who is golden core and Jingyu will scuttle any attempt at deception now or later.
Is the elder who is almost dead and who has only a tiny fraction of his original power still alive or is he recently deceased enough that we can likely convince them we killed him and claims to the contrary are the winter sect just saving face?

>>5633841
>Put the matter off, there's still training to be done here in the basin and insights to uncover
>Gather information on this Elder
I can only assume the Elder in question well a albove our level, mainly because we're not currently tormenting them.

>>5633841
>>Put the matter off, there's still training to be done here in the basin and insights to uncover
I'm in no hurry

>>5633844
She is our "elder" sister, and quite prideful herself. So she is going to be a little shit like we can be, demanding a gift.

Then this all really depends on if we want to hit above our weight class now or be secure later.
My vote is this

>Put it off until later
>Gather information on the elders [including the one who killed her]
>Let Qiang rest, and then send her back with a confirmation [We'll do it, just wait around for a few years while we finish out our cultivation] and our own ultimatum [We want a gift of equal value, as proof of REQUEST being an exchange of long lost family. Rather than some low attempt to exploit a sister desiring to meet her elder. It should be easy, with a few years to do it.]

We are an empress damnit. Emperess' do not bow, nor scrape, and they most certainly are not going to be humble before a new rival like Jingu.

>>5633873
need to link properly>>5633841

>>5633873
I don't think she's prideful at all. I think she's manipulative and is looking at if she can get Huan to do as she wants. But who can say?

>>5633875
All the more reason to demand our own "Gift".

>>5633841
>By deciding to go to meet her yourself, and making it clear you won't be ordered around like a dog

>>5633918
Also, we should bring Monu with us, and mention that we helped Monu restore her old power and youth.
If big sis doesn't think that is enough familial loyalty, then she would never be satiafied, and is just using us.
In which case we would need to beat her up until she learns. Huan is the empress of magical beasts and ghosts, she won't be ordered around by someone that is both, even if they are her elder sister!

>>5633841
>Put the matter off, there's still training to be done here in the basin and insights to uncover

Let her stew if she thinks she can order us around. We'll get to it, eventually, on our own time.

>>5633873
>>5633841
+1

>>5633841
>By deciding to go to meet her yourself, and making it clear you won't be ordered around like a dog

My general idea when we get there is to argue
>Tell her you will storm them with her after you have next cultivated. Such grudges are best satisfied in person, as you well know from hunting Ling and your own unique dao.
>We will not put them on guard with the slaying of one. When we both pounce, they will all submit or die quickly.

We could hit above our weight class, but the objective is not to kill one elder. The real objective is to kill the sect, and there’s more than one target for that. I’d like to go before her and argue that her “test” is counterproductive and we should simply kill all their elders in a matter of days when we are both ready. We’ll want GC for the stamina to do that.

>>5634338
>>5633841
Yeah actually changing my vote to +1 this.

We have the ability to get admitted into their sect with Xiaosi's name, and ruining that by putting them on more edge for direct attacks is pointless. And there's a lot of other prep we could accomplish like proving-via-surrogate that the Ling sect has demonic blood to get the other sects to gang up on them and thereby provide a multi-sect spanning distraction as we assault the WBS.

I suspect Xaobai's strategy is centered on weakening the sect to make them look like vulnerable prey to other sects, if they don't believe themselves capable of taking down elders at the moment. If so she's kinda lost the forest for its trees.

Vengeance is important, it is ideally one ceaseless motion. Putting their elders on guard, more than they already are from Snowy and Jingyu/the sect conflicts, would be shifting their focus away from the weaknesses they currently hold and depriving us of using them intelligently.

Given how none of their elders have sallied forth to expunge them, I think that speaks to how bad of an idea it is strategically to attempt singling one out. They're either cautious to the most extreme or strong enough not to care, and due to recent conflicts they're definitely prepared to be under further direct assault.

Sneaking in to take an Elders head only to get stuck in an array made to fight against the golden core elders of another sect would be pretty f'n dumb. All the sects are holding back their strongest hitters until someone reveals weakness or saunters their dumb arse into varieties of strategic/magic traps laying in wait in their innermost sects.

I think she'll like the suggestion because it carries more commitment and more of a plan. It also sidesteps the issue of her seeing our previous "ask" as giving her an order; we're basically ignoring her demand to give her the essence of a better goal, and the option of being included in it. We can make it clear that we're doing this without her or not, (truthfully, right? we were planning this before we knew she was sane enough to speak to.) But we stretched out diplomatically because it's not solely our own affair.

>>5634338
Supporting

>>5633840
Also
> I will meet my little sister, only if she proves she truly mourns my death
That's such weird line, isn't it? Our goal of creating an entirely different world stems from Monu's story of how the world destroyed her and her child. She can't be dumb enough to not realize Qiang stands there in front of her because of our efforts in building a heretical sect.

Then there's the dig of "proving familial loyalty", which more comes across as her figuring that's something we believe we need to do.

I'm not sure if she's trying to manipulate more long term aid out of us, or if she's trying to get information.

Either way, seeking them out with a response effectively of "Why just ask for one, when you could have asked for them all?" kinda ultrakills three birds with stone of us.

>>5633873
I change from here to >>5634338

You have convinced me with your audacity.

Can we atleast mention what I said here
>>5633920
About proving our family loyalty?

Also we can say that Monu also wanted to storm the sect as soon as she regained her power, but we convinced her to wait. We know grudges well.

>>5634378
We totally should.

Also something to tell her, is that revenge against the elder, and the winter blossoming sect by extension is just the first step. There is an even greater injustice of the entire cultivation world betraying our kind, just like they did with Monu and Xuebai. Carelessly destroying them will only lead to the rest of the cultivation world falling on our heretic sect, and us joining the ranks of vengeful ghosts, if the like of the Ling don't destroy our soul while at it.
No, it is better to bleed them slowly, putting them at one another's throat while poaching the ones that are virtuous or have potential, so when the time comes to snuff them out, they will have seen everything they built with their lies destroyed, and we will be strong enough to take on the fury of the heavens.
Vengeance is a dish best served cold.

>>5633841
>>5634338
Adding
>Mention that we expect Monu will join us. She has been restored to the peak of her power and has been itching to sate her grudge. Vengeance will be one ceaseless motion from all parties.
per >>5634362 and >>5634378

Though that said, I expect we will have another vote to set the verbiage of how we approach our sister once we’ve said initial pleasantries. Some stuff depends on how she treats us for showing up.

>>5634384
I considered pointing out that our own goal is to topple the very heavens, but I don’t feel that’s appropriate. It feels like a dick-measuring contest but with grudges. I may back that depending on what she says, but I may also keep quiet about that until after we agree to attack after hitting GC.

>>5634392
I thought it was more like setting up like it's part of a long term plan instead of my grudge can beat us, but I guess it can be seem as that.

>>5633920
>>5634338
+1 bring Monu to the meeting and say "Sister, you're dumb. There's a better way to make it" looks like in-character for Huan

Tho, it's a shame we didn't followed the secondary mission of getting into the sect with Xiaosi's name and seeing it with our own eyes...

>>5634395
yours, not us

>>5634338
>>5634392
Oh, and officially supporting the mentioning of Monu's healing as proof of filial piety and planning a family grudge hunt soon

>>5634396
We still could, but it certainly would make the logistics complicated if we're playing them long on a game of pretend in person. To make it work we'd need it a semi-commitment at best, playing the role of a pious hermit sage in human form, offering temporary aid and valuable but not heretical looking pills based on the final words of Xiaosi "wanting dearly to help his brethren" or something sappy. We're alchemically minded and pretty enough to not need to pretend the skills and its benefits.
Assuming we don't go mad wearing a humbler or more sagely outfit for the duration of our theater, we got enough good karma that our offer isn't contestable when paired with his name.

Problem: We already pretended to be a Gardner to lowest-tier WBS members. Our looks will be spoken of. We'd need an altered appearance (not a possession) for any realistic infiltration.

>>5633841
>>5634338 +1

>>5634392
>>5634396
I really don't think we need or want Monu present at our first encounter.

One, she may be unaware of Monu's crippling, so our fixture is less impactful and for two it may distract her from us. Given a false impression that we need monu there to be respected

>>5634738
I say it's us who shouldn't be present. Let Monu meet her alone, she's her mother. I don't see any need to meet Xuebai that's pressing enough to bend to her demands.

>>5633841
>By deciding to go to meet her yourself, and suggesting she rides on your back.

Given the depth of her grudge this would allow us to study it more closely in action.

Also i've got a good idea, if we copied Fu's technique and harnessed both hers and monu's grudge at the same time we could possibly slaughter the whole sect.
Especially since from what i gathered Monu and the bastard who had his meridians turn to ice were the strongest power couple of the sect, so the remaining elders can't be all that much good.

As a safety net we could ask Fu, Quiang and the geges in human form to wait around.

>>5634751
Ok, I actually like this kind of logic... Let them meet alone, talk and after a couple of hours we get in.

Getting Monu's past self to how she met Xuebai should be more than enough to prove we care about this "family".

>>5634751
That's to make her happy with us. It would unfortunately seems to put us on a lower pedastal in her eyes, reliant on Monu's approval to be seen as "proper" by her.

>>5634769
>>5634770
We don't need to meet her at all is what I'm saying.
And hly crap, "using Monu's approval"? Why do you make it all about us? Doesn't Monu want to meet her lost daughter by her own will? I know making everything revolve around the main character is a staple of bad xianxia, but it's bad for a reason.

>>5634773
But this vote is about us though, since it's Xuebai demanding the elder's death before wanting to meet us to begin with.

>>5634776
And the US is both Huan and Monu, since that was the invitation. Unless Qiang forgot that was the deal.

>>5634776
It seems I've forgotten to vote, thanks for the reminder.

>>5633841
>Ignore her. This meeting isn't important enough to bend to her whims.

>>5634778
Forgot to mention
>>5634780
No problem anon

Talking about votes, this one is a bit spread out. So that mean tally time!

>Votes - 12
VOr5ZOfE
J1dQ+tKd
I0332NOd
58cX70Hs
5ZyiOCxg
TCT4FmEW
ZD8pZyhJ
e8VxKQ0h
0332NOd
fKffwDLP
yLSsHrBa
CnRqNcBw

>Stay in basin - 3 (4?)
VOr5ZOfE
J1dQ+tKd
5ZyiOCxg
CnRqNcBw (?)

>Ignore - 1
CnRqNcBw

>Get info - 1
VOr5ZOfE

>Send message back - 0

>Go there - 7 (8?)
58cX70Hs
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW
e8VxKQ0h
I0332NOd
v7bSzKWe
fKffwDLP
yLSsHrBa (?)

>Monu as filial piety - 3 (4?)
58cX70Hs
TCT4FmEW (?)
ZD8pZyhJ
v7bSzKWe

>Family hunting - 7
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW
e8VxKQ0h
I0332NOd
v7bSzKWe
58cX70Hs
fKffwDLP

>Give a lift - 1
yLSsHrBa

>Unsure/Didn't vote
xijoRSJz >>5633863
WRmxx34Q >>5633875

If it has a ? it's because it didn't use the exact same words, but it's close enough, or a variation. Or just a non greentext support like >>5634380
The unsures is just to keep track

>>5634773
I'm making it about us, because I'm not seeing her as JUST our long lost sister.
I'm seeing her as a rival and a threat, whom if we wish to recruit, will need to make sure that she understands that WE are in charge. Imperial in bearing and absolute in authority over the sect and all of it's members.

And having our sister, with her foundation establishment pet not understand this, or worse think that she can push us around using her age and position as Monu's first daughter to ignore us, is not going to fly at all.

I treat her like a fellow powerful cultivator, who act more like nations unto themselves than individuals. And a firm rule of diplomacy is not allowing yourself to be seen as weak.

>>5633841
>Put the matter off, there's still training to be done here in the basin and insights to uncover

File: 1670129170613944.jpg (1.06 MB, 1800x2400)

1.06 MB JPG

Ending the vote now, tallying the result.

>>5634788
Thank you junior for assisting in the tallying effort.

>>5635435
And since there was one additional vote, I don't need to list them myself, since you've done that job already.

So meeting Xuebai yourself and telling her you will storm the winter blossoming wisdom sect with her after you've cultivated and telling her " We will not put them on guard with the slaying of one. When we both pounce, they will all submit or die quickly." wins

Update will arrive shortly

Well that certainly wouldn't do. She seemed to think she could order you around like you a dog rather than a cat. Maybe pride ran in the family, even if you weren't related by blood. Well you had to clear up this misunderstanding before it caused a sibling rivalry.

"Well, we'll leave at once. Seems I need to have a talk with my elder sister, Fetch Fu" You say with an idle wave of your hand "My other, more agreeable sisters will remain here, to continue work on that tunnel to our school beneath the mountain"

"You should send him to alert Monu and the others that a horde of giant insects will be burrowing up through the floor...er, out of the wall" Qiang suggested "Since they'd have to dig through the crypts to come up through the floor"

"Right you are, and when you go to wake up Fu, make sure to tell my sisters to not dig too deep or else they'll unearth a kingdom of ghosts, I'm sure they'll be able to avoid but just to be certain" You say as you rub your chin in thought "And I will have Fu act as the messenger, once we get out of the basin, since I'll need you and Yujijiao to lead me to my sister's den. Where is she anyways"

"Resting in my sword" She answered, drawing it to reveal that indeed the serpent was wrapped around the length of her blade, as asleep as a ghost could be "She got lost a few times in the jungle, so decided to cling to my blade to keep us from getting separated"

"How clever!" You praise with a smirk "Anyways, just incase we get spotted, I'll stay in my human form, so we aren't attacked on site"

"Understood" Qiang said, bowing before she sheathed her blade and staggered away to wake Fu and tell him you were leaving. You decided to stop follow her, so you could tell the Gege's you were leaving yourself, since it'd be unforgivably rude to just vanish without telling them were you were going or that you were leaving at all.

Jionghuagege insisted she'd give you a hug before you left, which you were all too happy to oblige, since her soft body made her perfect for hugging and cuddling. Tiexingege meanwhile simply made you swear you'd spar with her when you came back, after initially trying to challenge Qiang to a fight to test her strength, a demand she dropped after Fu smacked her on the back of her head.

The journey back out of the basin was easily accomplished, as the winter blossoming wisdom sect had sent no more expeditionary patrols since you scared off the last one. And they had listened to your lies it would seem, as the wall had less sentries stationed on it then before. So you, Fu and Qiang easily slipped past them. And once you were far enough away from it, you sent Fu back to your retreat to tell the rest of your sect of the impending arrival of the Geges and their children and then allowed Qiang and Yujijiao to guide you into the territory of your sister.
Cont

>>5636277

You hadn't set foot over the boundary before you saw just how many vengeful ghosts were in the portion of the primordial forest of the tragic loves they had claimed as their territory. You drank greedily of their grudges, and bade Qiang to do the same as the wandering souls muttered their curses and filled the air with their sweet enmity.

All you had to do then was follow the dead. And you came across your sisters creature in no time at all. Just as Ping, Qinxin and Qiang described him. A human with long black hair, fox ears and red eyes ringed black. He was busy cutting apart a corpse when you stalked up to him.

"You must be Jingyu" You say, remembering his name only because Qiang told you it again early in the day "If you would be so kind as to lead me to your master, I would like to speak with my sister"

He frowned as the air grew colder, but not enough to make you feel chilled as a pale blue ghost flame emerged from the underbrush and transformed into a monstrous, many tailed fox.

"Huanliuxue?" They growled

"Xuebai!" You cheerfully replied "Hah! I knew you still dwelt on the mortal plane! How nice it is to finally meet my honored elder sister!"

"I don't smell human blood on you, did you wash up after the killing?" She asked bluntly "And yes, I agree, it is nice to finally meet my adorable sister, how is mother"

"Thriving" You say simply as you lick the back of your paw "And there hasn't been a killing is why"

That angered her and she snarled as she leaned closer to you

"And yet you show your face here? do you even grieve for me, sister?" She whimpered, trying to make you feel bad to guilt you into being her pawn

"No, I just have more than half a brain" You dully reply with a roll of your eyes and flick of your tail "And know which fights I can't win. I'll storm the winter blossoming wisdom sect after I've cultivated, besides I would not deny you the opportunity to personally fulfil your grudge and see it satisfied by your own two paws, Heh-heh-heh"

"Cute, you laugh just like her" She cooed as her tails curled around you as she shrunk down to match your size and paced around you "And how thoughtful, I see you are no mindless brute, good! And I know all to well, It was I who crippled their secthead after all, there is no wine as sweet as cold revenge"

"Wise words, sister" You purr as you pace around her in turn, flicking your tails "I know that truth all to well, ending a grudge is a delightful experience and it serves a wonderful spice, At least it did when I devoured Ling Meng. I am well informed on the nature of grudges, as it is one of the twin dao I follow"

"Interesting, yet you ask me to wait to satiate my enmity, so you may grow stronger" She asked sharply

"Of course. Pursuit of revenge can be as blinding as it is satisfying to carry out" You say respectfully, grinning ear to ear "We will not put them on guard with the slaying of one. When we both pounce, they will all submit or die quickly"
Cont

>>5636278

"How ambitious!" She declared "I see I was thinking too small, forgive me little sister, you intend to slaughter them all in one go! Inspiring!"

"That is a giant cat" Jingyu whispered, glancing to Qiang

"I know" Qiang muttered, clearly annoyed that he was still here

"Oh its so nice to see family getting along" Yujijiao sighed as she appeared and coiled protectively around Qiang

"I would not be Huanliuxue if I wasn't" You sneer and boast

"You're in the middle stage of the Foundation establishment, what rank do you intend to reach?" She asked

"Core formation" You answer with a smirk "Or Golden Core"

"Oh? You think you can achieve it in so short a time?" She challenged "It takes the best of the orthodox sect decades to achieve golden core"

"I would not be Huanliuxue if I couldn't!" You declare, stamping a paw on the ground

"Well, do not keep me waiting" She said, smiling as her tails curled around you again "And, if you would be so kind as to join me as I reunite with my mother"

What do you do, Huanliuxue?

>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect

>Say that it is a private matter for her to meet with your mother, and you wouldn't want to spoil the moment

>Leave to gather cultivation resources to prepare for you unheard of ascent through foundation establishment

>Decide to enter the tournament between sects, as you may not have another chance to

>Go back to your temple, and while you wait for the Geges, train some of your students (DC decided by who you train and how many)

>Write in

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect
Sorry for doubting you big sis, you are cool

>>5636281
This junior begs forgiveness from his senior martial sister, for doubting your wits and temperment.

>Enjoy the family reunion
We have been invited, and it's the time to solidfy ties. Plus get to know their capabilities. And after we have a solid plan hammered out

>Go and gather resources for our unheard of ascent.

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect
We'll probably want to hammer out specifics like outing the Ling sect and other things or how to use Xiaosi's name for info gathering or part of a bait or distraction.

We still need to check out our students and decide optimal cultivation methods for them. Gathering resources is an inevitable must even with our current bonus. Then there's advancing into the deeper layers of our tomb for that sweetly dense Yin. Ah there's so much to do.

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect
>Ask if she would like some time alone with Monu first. You are family, but you understand if your sister would prefer to say some things only to her mother.
She has offered us to join her, thus I feel the need to allow her a moment of privacy if she desires it. She may refuse (perhaps she feels it’ll be awkward if it’s just the two of them at first) or agree, I don’t mind either way.

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect
>Stay close
Just in case. She might not hate Monu, but her appetite might be quicker than her sense around our other disciples.

>>5636281
>Say that it is a private matter for her to meet with your mother, and you wouldn't want to spoil the moment

>>5636825
She probably shouldn't be allowed into the sect until we butcher the winter blossoming sect.

I'm also somewhat hesitant to interfere. See, I do want to give our sister the ghost manual. But I also think that she is getting on just fine with her own dao.
And if we sever her need for Jingu, who knows what he'll go off and do.

>>5636974
AND WHAT WILL PING THINK!

That's gonna be really awkward.

I say we either kill jingu because he's got a ton fuck of Grudges and ghosts on him and it's already unhinged, or we make something so that he's done being unhinged and the ghosts can rest again. By just keeping Jingu alive it's anchoring a bunch of people from reincarnating and that surely includes innocents.

We haven't talk about it, but bringing Xuebai brings a lot of troubles, from the personal level to our Sect Leader level.

>>5636281
>>Decide to enter the tournament between sects, as you may not have another chance to
it seems tournament arc is never to be, alas
>>Leave to gather cultivation resources to prepare for you unheard of ascent through foundation establishment
jingyu is still the kind of monster that should be repellent to huanliuxue. what is natural about stealing the bodily traits of others? glossing over that, just because xuebai is huan's sister, shouldn't really be possible without a lot of dissonance

>>5636281
>Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect
FAMBILY!
I've been waiting for this for a long time. It'll be so nice to see all the girls together and getting along!

And Jingyu continues to be a treasure. Love seeing him here, though his presence is of lesser importance.

>>5637042
I have justification, and have made the same arguments on past threads.

Jingyu is a scavenger and a predator who preys on more talented cultivators than himself, neither of these things go against the laws of the wild albeit they are quite unconventional.

His method of attaining a better form is crude, brutish and unsophisticated, which would probably offend the graceful cats sensibilities but claiming your spoils from a kill and changing your form to improve your might is hardly abhorrent.

You'll get Ping rebelling against us at this rate, anons.

>>5636281
>Leave to gather cultivation resources to prepare for you unheard of ascent through foundation establishment
>>5637845
I have no doubts Jingyu will be ballsy enough to come after us when he learns about our Supreme Yin body or, more importantly, transient spiritual roots.

>>5637852
I don't think he'd succeed. But I also don't really have any objection to killing him, so long as it's got even a pretension of justification.

His relationship to big sis protects him like our connection to Monu does for us. We'll need to pass a decree that limits his bad, then drop the hammer on his ass when he transgresses the decree.

>>5636281
>>Leave to gather cultivation resources to prepare for you unheard of ascent through foundation establishment

>>5637848
It is simple, no? Harvesting people from our own sect is attacking ohana. Ohana means family. It has yet to happen, but should one of our students kill another student the context of that will define our answer. But for Jingyu harvesting members of our sect should be, even for him, an obvious do not cross line.

Keeping in mind that neither of them have seen our sect yet. We haven't said our views or proselytized our mission to them. Seeing their reactions to both will show how far this can go beyond our revenge alliance of convenience. While Xuebai isn't simply an older "evil" version of ourselves, Jingyu is a well of greed that's been primed and aimed in one direction as a human weapon.

Worthier for us if he's shattered and destroyed. The earlier he steps out of line the better. The right time for him to do anything would be when we attempt our next breakthrough, which we did just tell them about so it's on their minds.

This is all presuming that Xuebai herself wishes to stay within our umbrella, for Monu or reasons otherwise. They're heretics and Xuebai still cares for Monu, but it isn't guaranteed that they'll choose to stay. As well, I'm not really sure how much Xuebai actually cares about Jingyu. If at all.

The dangers I see are along the "rival" line that after the revenge is complete they're going to be rudderless unless Xuebai has deeper plans herself. It's on us to provide some sails if we want them, but it's on them to not become recurring potential enemies.

Creating opportunities to loyalty hip check them would be one way. They're not dumb, though. We'd need to do it in depth while we've got a lot of other stuff on our plate.

>>5638072
I'm not worried that Jingyu would attack someone from our sect. That's not what I'm talking about.

Recall that the Winter Blossoming Sect is mostly composed of deluded, but fundamentally decent people. Like Ping was. He had friends in the sect, people who treated him well and who he probably wouldn't want to get hurt. And now you anons plan to ally with the monster that butchered many of them to butcher those he didn't manage to butcher.

>>5638175
I see, I wasn't thinking about that. Ping said to the effect he can't forgive a monster like Jingyu. I can;t see our words changing that but I'm hoping Ping will bring it up with the principle ideas for how we deal with his former sect. Since those will involve him no matter our choices.

If we wipe the sect I guess we get bad karma, knowing we're slaying people largely innocent and uninvolved in the vengeance cycle we're completing? Unless we can set limits on who we gank, or battle plan up guidelines on their elders/loyal powerhouses and take over the people remaining. Jingyu will still be the enemy of any people remaining, a difficult issue itself.

Supposing victory, it is our choice to genocide the sect or just its leaders, the danger of taking in the remnants weighed against the benefits of their usefulness and our karma and how much we care about Ping & don't care for Jingyu.

It was a while ago I think someone suggested Jingyu would be an excellent source of grudge dao research. Much of how this plays out depends on our sisters choices, and she's been careful so far, keeping Jingyu in a place where they can hunt & build up uncontested.

If I'm meta'ing correctly and nine familial exterminations aside, the WSB still think the Celestial Sunlight sect is or shares responsibility for the tragic lovers forest killings. As for how that's relevant, if we spare a majority of the decent people in the WSB, and hold their sect hub itself it's going to draw us into conflict with the CSLing Sect. To say nothing of the spies other sects have doubtlessly hidden in their outer disciple ranks which will be a challenge for us even if we just pick everyone up and move them directly under our banner.

Having Jingyu on our side for the invasion I can see ourselves being able to argue for its practicality in dealing with his former sect. However, if our plan for the WBS is a bloodied clean slate Ping will more than take issue with it. While sparing most of the sect sans its leaders contains its own host of challenges.

Quite a pickle innit? I can't think of any perfect outcome for us atm. Jingyu at least will always have enemies, whether we aim him at the heavens or not.
Ping has every right to kill him regardless of what we order him as Sect Head. Moreso for that Ping has gained a grudge against Jingyu and us telling him to stop and thereby becoming a hypocrite for convenience would be disgusting, in the whole great context of what we're doing including our law, I'd hate that.

Xuebai might pretend to be argued into limiting her wrath & disregard our notions as vainglory mercy when it comes down to deciding who lives or dies. Then paint bricks with disciple blood and ask us "forgiveness for faaamily".

Jingyu is her weapon/agency in the world, and if she thinks we'll jeopardize that for morality I don't believe she'll react well. At best, she'd leave and take her murderball home, adventuring regionally to upgrade her tool.
Ah, there's so much to do.

>>5638216
We can hammer out our operational targets before we attack.

I'm in favour of the wholesale death of their elders, with one being spared but maimed to keep the other members in line.
Maybe every disciple above or At foundation establishment being crippled or slain.

We have our own issues with the sect, given they sent a hit squad our way. This at least keeps most alive while destroying their effective ability to fight back

The way i could see things shaping up is that during the attack if the lower disciples of the sect will be made to escape jingyu will probably be sent to deal with them.
So we have ping hiiden nearby to mob him with his ling friend and then it's round two baby!

This in theory would deal both with sparing the innocents and dealing with the wicked patchwork monster.
That said we need to ensure ping and his friend can actually stomp him out.

>>5638297
I’d say kill them all, install Monu as elder. She was crippled before and came back whole, which is more than their current leader can say. She’s clearly the superior cultivator.

Then let her run them as she wishes. The grudge we have against WBS isn’t truly ours, it belongs to Monu and Xuebai. I don’t think slaughtering the WBS will incur a karma cost if they choose it, we haven’t been dinged for our wanton slaughter of Ling either in spite of some of them likely being good souls.

We would lose her as our sect leader while we’re away, which would suck. But having an allied sect would be beneficial.

>>5638557
I doubt Monu has any interest in picking up the pieces of a broken sect that had her so mistreated.
And how many orthodox disciples would follow an heretic cultivator?
Besides she's an elder of our sect now which is 1000% more animal friendly thus better in every way.

File: mnzefz30ukia1.png (2.04 MB, 1512x1184)

2.04 MB PNG

Ending the vote now, tallying the result. Sorry to make you wait over the weekend. Wanted to let this vote go on a bit longer due to all the discussion that was going on.
Enjoy your family reunion and discuss plans to destroy the winter blossoming wisdom sect:7

Leave to gather cultivation resources to prepare for you unheard of ascent through foundation establishment:4

Ask if she would like some time alone with Monu first. You are family, but you understand if your sister would prefer to say some things only to her mother.:1

Say that it is a private matter for her to meet with your mother, and you wouldn't want to spoil the moment:1

Decide to enter the tournament between sects, as you may not have another chance to:1

So you'll enjoy your family reunion and use the time to discuss the destruction of the Winter blossoming wisdom sect with your mother and elder sister

Update will arrive shortly

"Of course, I wouldn't want to miss you two reuniting. My mother's joy is my joy" You say politely as Xue bai smiles and bows her head

"We shall depart immediately, Jingyu, you remain here to guard our supplies and treasures" She says off handedly, one of her ears twitching as the fox eared man nods, and you think you seem him pouting as he walks away deeper into the woods, dragging behind him his victim "And what of your underling, shall she come as well?"

"I understand that our meeting location is drowning in water Qi, and is so cold as to freeze most who approach it into solid ice before they can even catch sight of the cavern. While I am confident in my resistance of the cold, I'm not certain Qiang has reached the same level of resilience" You explain, as Qiang nods but remains respectfully silent "And Yujijiao needs to make up for lost time in her training, so she can become as powerful a ghost as you or I, elder sister"

"I see, well it should be a family affair only anyways" She says with a haughty bur to her voice "Still, we'll have much to talk about as we travel to meet our mother, I am curious of how she has managed to survive so long without spiritual energy to power her longevity and youth"

"Oh well that is a story I'd be happy to tell! It is a curious tale, is all I'll say for now" You snicker as you remember the stroke of good fortune that lead you to claim the miraculous pill that returned your mother to her old self and repaired her meridians, spiritual roots and cultivation base! You still have no idea why you were sent to the underworld in the past that day. Why you were taken to the birthplace of carmine mysticism was easy enough to understand. The river of history sensed your desires and took you to the prize you desired, but you had never imagined that there existed a medicine for Monu's ills until the day you presented her the pill that remade her body so utterly. Maybe that strange gateway sensed your sorrow of her reduced and withered state and took you to a treasure you didn't realize existed by hoped and dreamed of? Perhaps, perhaps. You could ask the five colors emperor the next time he appears from nowhere, if you can get him to stick around long enough to ask him before he wanders off and vanishes to who knows where.

"I'll hold you to that little sister. I guess she must've found some method, however repugnant, to extend her life. Mother never was one to lie down and accept defeat" She said as warmly as a specter made of ice and frost could "And judging from that proud look in your eyes, she didn't do it alone. Perhaps that is what we'll talk about first"

"Well, I shall alert Monu that the meeting has been planned, if Fu hasn't done so already" Qiang said dully, cupping her hand before bowing and walking off, Yujijiao silently following her, humming a tune as she went.
Cont

>>5638750

"Or perhaps we can talk about you, I've heard about the happy bloodshed, even though I haven't been among the living for decades" Xue Bai said, with a curious glint in her eye "But I'm curious how much I've heard about you is the truth and what is mere myth. Or perhaps I should ask you about that poor girl who lost her head"

"Yujijiao?" You ask, even though you know exactly who she is referring to

"I suppose~" She says airly as she floats through the air, leading you through the forest towards the cavern where she and Monu first met "Or maybe we can talk about something less depressing. You walk with an air of confidence, so I imagine you have quite a few stories to tell of your own glory. Or maybe, you can take the time to learn from your elders and hear about my life. I can't imagine mother was too willing to talk about the short time we shared, my death did break her heart"

"Enough that the grudges you hold towards those who performed that grave injustice are still as fresh and fierce as the day they were formed" You muse as the two of you walk together underneath the shadows of the trees and through a throng of the vengeful dead, who mutter curses as you pass them by. The phantoms languishing in their own enmity, which is just as persistent as your sister's and Mother's if it has kept them bound to the mortal realm, certainly their resentment is potent enough to fill the woods with a deep smog of grudge energy that tingles upon the tongue like a dancing bolt of lightning.

"Well I suppose I should allow you to decide the topic of our conversation, though I am curious if you actually ate Ling Meng, I've heard that human's are gamy and greasier than other meats is that true?" She asks with a girlish titter as you think back on the taste of your numerous two legged meals.

"I did eat Ling Meng, his flesh was delicious more because I could savor my revenge as I lapped up his blood. And that depends on the human, like any beast, what they eat flavors and textures their meat. Tax collectors for example are fatty and sweet" You explain happily "I don't have much of a taste for human, but I prefer it to toad or frogs"

"You'd put something so disgusting in your mouth!?" She gasps, raising a paw to her face in a manner you recognize because you often find yourself doing it when you cackle, which is something you picked up from monu, though she usually did it to pull her pipe from her lips instead of hiding your smirk which is why you picked up the habit. Besides it feeling like the proper thing to do as a princess.

"Frogs and toads?" You asked coyly

"No tax collectors!" Xuebai laughed, poking you in the side with her intangible paw which sunk through your body. You cackled and then howled with laughter. But while you were joking around, you were mulling over and contemplating which topic would be best, since it'd paint your sisters perspective of you and color your relationship for at least a few months.
Cont

>>5638751

It was obvious she wanted you to ask about her, but that she was also genuinely curious about your life with monu as well.

What do you talk about with Xuebai as you walk together, Huanliuxue?

>Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died

>Tell her about your origin and how you hunted down Ling Meng

>tell her about your glorious battle with the king of the crow demons

>Explain to her how Monu was revitalized and your encounters with the five color emperor

>Share with her the sad tale of Yujijiao and the Ling Ogress, and how that damn brat has been making a habit of bullying your juniors

>Something else [write in]

>>5638752
>Tell her that we'd heard she saved Monu and was awoken in gratitude, leave the opening for her to jump in and elaborate.
>Once she's gone over her life, Inquire as to how she was awoken, since we only really know 'natural' awkenings. We can then use this to springboard into our awakening being vengence, and keep talking about our killing of Lings. It's a perfect topic.

>>5638752
>Explain to her how Monu was revitalized and your encounters with the five color emperor
>Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died

>>5638752
>Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died
>Do not tell her Monu was revitalized, let it be a surprise.

>>5638752
>Something else
>Share with her the story of your heavenly tribulation to attain a human form, something that was once common to beast cultivators but was lost due to “orthodoxy”. Relish the defiant roar that laid a foundation for exacting justice on the orthodoxy that subjugate all beasts.
Gives her an insight on our “fuck the heavens” viewpoint and regale her with some of the lost history of demonic beasts. It should show we’re a scholar, have our sights set high, and are putting muscle behind bringing demonic beasts on par with humanity. Our goals are far beyond just our own needs.

>>5638752
>Tell her about your origin and how you hunted down Ling Meng up until Monu found us.
Then:
>Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died

An origin story for an origin story

Well if she hates tax collectors then she must be good people.

>>5638752
>>5638959
+1 this then followed by going into
>Tell her that we'd heard she saved Monu and was awoken in gratitude, leave the opening for her to jump in and elaborate.

I like the first because it expresses our views cleanly and practically. Which we can follow after hearing about her origin, with talking about our own. I think that's a nice contrast without appearing as if we're trying to one-up her.

Having Monu's full recovery be a surprise will be cool. It's one of our few speaks for itself acts that can flow naturally, we don't need to overshare it. It's rare for us to be humble but when it comes to family, I think it fits us.

As well just spilling five-colors acquaintancy and wondrous time travel feats is a little childish in a "be impressed because I'm impressive" way. While the tribulation talk is more purposed towards summing our views for potentially deeper elaboration if she wants to know more.
Plus we have ten other things to boast about that've happened since.

>>5639245
>Having Monu's full recovery be a surprise will be cool.
>Votes for ruining the surprise
I don't understand you, anon

>>5639271
Where are you seeing that?

>>5639271
I urge you to reread the vote.
It's actually about the time Xuebai saved Monu not when Huan gave her the pill!

I actually did a little rereading of the archives myself and returned to the creation of the guqin because i was unsure if she had used a tuft of fur from xuebai in it's creation but it was huan's whiskers instead (as showing off the guquin would have been awkward otherwise).
And i wonder if we could use our blood cultivation and xuebai talent for flesh sculpting to remake her a body to possess from that single brush Monu has.

>>5639300
>>5639382
In my defense, I was half asleep.

>>5639566
Which half? Which fucking half, anon?

>>5639567
Both of them!

File: 098875647653654.gif (2.41 MB, 380x206)

2.41 MB GIF

>>5639571

>>5639573
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L397TWLwrUU

>>5638752
>>5639245
I can back this rider to my vote (the one they linked) as well. I focused on one thing since I’m unsure how long we’ll be talking for, but hearing from her as well on a shared topic is good. If she decides to expand on that with a tangent, I’m fine with that.

>>5638752
>>5638756 +1

>>5638780
Changing my vote to support this
>>5639047


Also here's a tally

>Votes - 7
I0332NOd
WxepXGXr
CnRqNcBw
ZD8pZyhJ
/AnTVuql
TCT4FmEW
fKffwDLP

>Tell a bit and let her continue - 3
I0332NOd
TCT4FmEW
fKffwDLP

>Ask about awakening - 2
I0332NOd
fKffwDLP

>Monu healing - 0

>Xuebai's past - 3 (7?)
WxepXGXr
I0332NOd (?)
CnRqNcBw
/AnTVuql
TCT4FmEW (?)
ZD8pZyhJ (?)
fKffwDLP (?)

>Keep it a surprise - 1
CnRqNcBw

>Talk about the tribulation - 2
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW

>Huan's past - 2
/AnTVuql
WxepXGXr

The ? is because I think the votes are more or less a variation of that prompt

>>5639047
supporting

>>5638752
>Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died
>Tell her about your origin and how you hunted down Ling Meng

No update tonight, really not feeling well, in pain. Probably won't get an update out tomorrow, either . ate something I shouldn't have again

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648 KB PNG

>>5642007
Don't let the take-out heart demons win, take your time to rest well and thoroughly grandfather.

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78 KB PNG

I'm alive, ending the vote now, tallying the result

Explain to her how Monu was revitalized and your encounters with the five color emperor:0

Indulge her and ask her of her life before she died:10
-Tell her that we'd heard she saved Monu and was awoken in gratitude, leave the opening for her to jump in and elaborate.:4

Share with her the story of your heavenly tribulation to attain a human form, something that was once common to beast cultivators but was lost due to “orthodoxy”. Relish the defiant roar that laid a foundation for exacting justice on the orthodoxy that subjugate all beasts.:2

Do not tell her Monu was revitalized, let it be a surprise.: 1

Tell her about your origin and how you hunted down Ling Meng:7
-Once she's gone over her life, Inquire as to how she was awoken, since we only really know 'natural' awkenings. We can then use this to springboard into our awakening being vengence, and keep talking about our killing of Lings. It's a perfect topic.:2

So you will indulge xuebai and ask her about her life, before telling her about your origin in kind and how you hunted down Ling Meng

update will arrive shortly

Sorry for taking forever

>>5640529
thank you for your hard work junior

"You say what I am thinking, not that tax collectors are filthy as they are but that I should ask you of your tragically short life" You sneer as you plod alongside your spectral sister "I was just thinking how prudent it'd be to share in your wisdom, elder sister. So please, regale me with the story of your life before it was so cruelly ended"

Xuebai's eyes gleam like shards of light that have caught sunshine within their edges and are reflecting them out. Haughtily, she lifted up her head and pranced ahead as you followed behind, smiling as you waited and listened as she strutted about, fluffed up and cheerful that you'd ask her what she so obviously wanted to talk about. You'd indulge her pride first, then relish in your own when you satisfied her curiosity of your past, once she had finished talking about her own life.

"Oh I wouldn't call it tragic. Shorter than it should've been yes, but only the end of it was sad. I would say I lived a dignified and proud existence, and lead a fulfilling life up to my final day" She says, rotating her head completely around to look at you and grin as her body prances elegantly forward, leaving behind patches of ice on the forest floor where her paws touch "Some might have called it dreary or lonely as I only knew our mother and had no friends beside her, but our life together as a family was filled with joy. She raised me from a kit"

"After the warmth of your fur saved her from freezing to death in a snow storm" You interrupt, remembering the story Monu told you of her beloved snow white and how she came to adopt and raise her

"Yes, so she has told you something of me after all" She tittered, tilting her head so far to the side that if she was not a ghost her neck would snap in two "Good. But yes I remember that day well, it wasn't the first time I had seen her, I had followed her because she fed me scraps of food and when she grew weary and was nearly overcome by the mystical cold of the peak, I sat and curled ontop of her, using my tail to contain her body heat before she froze, and we lay together like that for days in the cave until the storm had passed"

"And what happened when it did, she turned you into a magical beast?" You ask as you hop over a root and ran to keep up with the drifting spirit

"Yes, she gave me a potion. An elixir that the creation of which would've been enough for her to be branded a witch from its ingredient list alone" She continued wistful on "I awoke and knew love and happiness, and we spent a spring idling away our time as she taught me about the world and its common sense. Only when autumn came did she begin my training as a cultivator"

You nod to show you're listening.

"And that training dominated my life, we were together for years, decades, and we made discoveries about the nature of demonic beasts that had been forgotten for centuries" She sighed happily as her eyes twinkled with frozen tears
Cont

>>5643336

"And I will admit" She continued with a very monu like cackle "We got up to quite a bit of mischief and wickedness. Mother is a poison fairy by heart and the creation of Gu is nothing a virtuous soul could accomplish, and as her daughter I to wished to learn the art though didn't have much talent for it, I learned I had a skill for illusions, charm and enchantments as well as an affinity for ice magic, and when you're raised by a woman like her you get a taste for trickery and mischief, Which I suppose is what lead to our downfall, my delight in toying with humans and her...questionable ethics. She might've been a favorite of the old sect head but even before she took me as her daughter and committed the heresy of creating a demonic beast, she was often considered a villain by her generation"

"Oh from what she told me of her glory days, it seemed like she was rather popular" You exclaim with a shocked gasp

"Oh she was for her beauty, charisma and genius, but all knew that to remain at her side for too long was to court death. She kept Gu insects in her stomach after all, but she was known as a prodigy who was the first member of the winter blossoming wisdom sect to create a law that the heavens ordained as an orthodox technique since its founding generation" She explained proudly "The ice law she and I followed, was that law. But her poison cultivation method was her own design, though it has since been outlawed as it "Invites corruption of the users mind and Dao heart and drives them to depravity, hedonism and eventually devilry", which is utter nonsense. Mother just enjoyed all the pleasures of life and was born with venom in her mind, she took revenge and avenged slights, like any other cultivator would. She just did so lethally rather than through humiliation or crippling"

"And her personality must've made it easy for them to accuse her cultivation law of being corruptive, considering her many vices and delight in teasing others. Did she ferment corpses into medicine and poisons back then as well?" You ask, now curious "And how did you spend your time when you weren't training? Did you play pranks?

"Not human corpses if that is what you're wondering" Xuebai chuckles "Though I do recall her muttering about how many materials lied within the human body and how they could be alchemy treated, refined and altered, mostly when she was complaining about the low quality of her current supply of reagents. Which is how I know that a human liver left to ferment in the spittle of the Scorpion tailed snake would create a poison so virulent it corrodes flesh"

"Scary~" You say with a smirk "And your free time?"

"Oh I did play pranks, and practice curses on common folk, there wasn't much to do in the mountains so I'd leave to entertain myself, I also tried to learn how to steal human bodies since one of my bedtime stories was how beasts used to be able to walk as men. Never figured it out" She answers, words tinged blue with sorrow
Cont

>>5643338

"I never ate anyone, not even their hearts or livers despite what mother and I were accused of. Never had a hunger for it as is commonly believed as you no doubt well know, and I preferred to eat the same things I did when I was a simple snow fox. Though I did find that certain Qi infused wild life and monsters quite delectable, like the death's head tarantula which was once one of the most fear monsters in the region before Mother and I slew it use its husk as a container for her latest Gu ritual"

"Most monsters I've bitten into taste awful" You sigh loudly "And I've snapped these jaws of mine down on many exotic meats, like the sinner bone centipede or actual demons"

"Oh? Sounds like you've traveled to hell, jealous~" She swooned, sashaying closer to you "Do tell, mother always wanted to find a way to breach the underworld to turn the yellow springs into her harvesting ground, and I wanted to see if I'd find creatures like me in the muck. I was born in a time when the supply of natural awakened beasts were slim and their numbers never rose while I was alive, I don't think I met another demonic beast before I died, thinking back on it"

"Yet I find myself surrounded by them" You say, feeling a strange sense of pride because of it "But I'd rather tell you of how I was born"

"Oh yes! That is much more interesting. She didn't awaken you like she did me, but I doubt you emerged from a pool of blood, called forth by a dying priests prayers and certainly you didn't fall from the skies as a red star" She snickers, repeating two of the more bizarre rumors surrounding your sudden appearance in Chuan "So tell me sister, how were you truly born"

"I was a little white kitten, living a simple life by a village near a river. Because of my fluffy white coat I was adored by the children there and loved them in turn, they took care of me when my ear was cut, kept me safe from dogs and owls , and played with me" You explain "It was a simple but pleasant life, a pampered and luxurious existence for the child of a mouser. My littermates weren't so lucky. I didn't belong to anyone and preferred my freedom. I was the kind of scruffy willful cat that'd claw the hand that offered them a fish, at least if it belonged to an adult. I learned from an early age children were innocent and didn't mean harm, unless they were the sort of shitty brat who liked to grab cat's by the tail to make them crack. "

Xuebai nods along to show she is listening.
Cont

>>5643341

"So that's my life as a mere housecat, I lived by a river, hunted and survived while my siblings didn't, grew fond of the children who fed me and played with me" You say as a twinge of sadness stabs into your heart as you remember what took that idyllic life from you "Until that contemptible bastard Ling Meng decided to play conqueror, stepped over t he border of his lands and slaughtered my village for no reason besides to stroke his own ego. Innocent men and women, defenseless children, he trampled them all. Imagine how terrifying that is for a kitten who only knew danger as a snarling dog or shadow of an owl in flight. Galloping horses, hateful screams and burning torches"

You suppress a shudder of rage and curl your lips in a silent snarl.

"I had never been more afraid the day of the raid. The chaos of it, the confusion and noise. I might not have liked every person in that village, but I had never known humans to kill one another. Cats, we fight, but we don't try to kill each other, just intimidate or chase them away or make them accept our authority" You continue on "So to see so many cut down so purposelessly, it was nearly as confusing as it was horrifying. I didn't understand what was going on until the children I loved became victims and my white fur became red with their blood. That was when I awoke, when a grudge flickered in my tiny heart as the last breath of one of my caretakers washed over my face and I was left alone in a ruin filled with corpses, choked by smoke and the scent of blood. I grew stronger and larger by eating the flesh of the few Ling soldiers who died in the attack, and buried my human siblings, then I began hunting"

"And you killed dozens of Ling Men" Xuebai says proudly "or was it hundreds, I know some tales claim you devoured entire armies, Heh-heh"

"I killed and I ate them that's all I know, that time was all kind of a blur of enmity and agony, I was controlled by the grudge that birthed me and the sorrow of losing my dear playmates" You mutter "Eventually I had drank enough blood and eaten enough flesh for my mind to deepen and my intellect to sharpen, and I taught myself to speak and realized the identity of my nemesis, the man behind the murder of those sweet, innocent children. The moment I was wise enough to make that connection, I hunted him down"

"And devoured him?" She asked excitedly

"Snuck into his camp, ate his organs and bowels, ripped his head off and dropped it in front of his army. From the little attention I pay to my mortal realm, I understand they haven't stopped running since that day" You cackle with a dark sense of pride
Cont

>>5643342

"And then I didn't know what to do with myself, I'd succeeded in my only goal in my life and slaughtered the man who murdered my friends, who killed one of them as she held me in her arms, poor pinwheel girl, and avenged them all. I met Monu when I returned to their graves to tell them of my victory and cry over their graves. It was bittersweet. No amount of killing brought them back, but, the toad witch did give me a new purpose and saved me from dying like a dog by telling me I needed to hide from my enemies and just how numerous my enemies were"

"Seems you've lead a much more tumultuous existence than I have, little sister" She said solemnly "I'm sure the kids appreciated the lengths you went to avenge their deaths"

"I saw their ghosts" You said happily "I hope I can meet them again in their next lives, they're why I'm so fond and protective of children. Be they men or be they beasts, I can't abide by those who harm the young"

"Well, do you want to hear about the time I figured out how to make a glamor that makes humans have fox ears?" Xuebai asked, trying to lighten the mood with humor

What do you do once you've arrived at the meeting location, Huanliuxue

>Warn Xuebai that Monu isn't as old as she expects

>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction

>Figure out how long the traitor who killed Xuebai and crippled Monu has left to live, so he can witness the downfall of his sect

>Listen to them talk for awhile, before, on a whim, turning into your human form to amaze xuebai.

>Write in

>>5643343
Warm memories from an icy fox ghost.

So long as they're not exclusive..
>Don't warn Xuebai, and try not to laugh at her reaction
Don't wanna ruin the moment tooo much
>Figure out how long the traitor who killed Xuebai and crippled Monu has left to live, so he can witness the downfall of his sect

>>5643343
I'm gonna fully support >>5643368

I don't wanna reveal our human form yet.
That can wait.

>>5643343
>Listen to them talk for awhile, before, on a whim, turning into your human form to amaze xuebai.
>Figure out how long the traitor who killed Xuebai and crippled Monu has left to live, so he can witness the downfall of his sect

>>5643374
I want to reveal it just because she said she read about beasts walking as humans

>>5643376
Heard not read

>>5643376
I know, but it's not really the time.
We won't be praised enough for it.

Anyway, I must retract what I said previously in the thread about justifying Jingu's existence. Haun's first instinct when told about his method of cultivation was 'that it was evil' and 'Incredibly brutish'.

>>5643343
>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction

>>5643343
>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction

>>5643343
>Figure out how long the traitor who killed Xuebai and crippled Monu has left to live, so he can witness the downfall of his sect
>Listen to them talk for awhile, before, on a whim, turning into your human form to amaze xuebai.

>>5643343
>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction
>cryptically say that to complete the revenge one must overcome and rise above what their enemies did to them, so as to invalidate their hateful actions and throw in their face their impotence.

>>5643343
>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction

>Listen to them talk for awhile, before, on a whim, turning into your human form to amaze xuebai.

>>5643343
>Decide it'd be funny to see her reaction and tell her to meet her on her own, so you can laugh at her reaction

>Figure out how long the traitor who killed Xuebai and crippled Monu has left to live, so he can witness the downfall of his sect

Tally

>Votes
TCT4FmEW
I0332NOd
WxepXGXr
fKffwDLP
CnRqNcBw
xijoRSJz
19af9W+x
ORiujjgY
e8VxKQ0h

>Don't warn & don't laugh
TCT4FmEW
I0332NOd

>Don't warn & laugh
fKffwDLP
CnRqNcBw
19af9W+x
ORiujjgY
e8VxKQ0h

>Traitor
TCT4FmEW
I0332NOd
WxepXGXr
xijoRSJz
e8VxKQ0h

>Human
WxepXGXr
xijoRSJz
ORiujjgY

>Rise above
19af9W+x

File: 1647731491067.png (4.68 MB, 1770x1296)

4.68 MB PNG

Forgive me juniors, for making you wait four days for an update. I've been undergoing a tribulation so stressful it has made my blood flow in reverse

>>5644908
And thank you for tallying in my stead

So You will not warn Xuebai about Monu's healing, to laugh at her reaction And then once that is done, figure out with them how long the traitor who killed your sister and crippled your mother has left to live so he may be present to witness the down fall of his sect/ the time limit you have on at least just killing him to avenge your found family

"I'm surprised how comfortable you seem in this inhospitable climate, sister" Xuebai remarked after you had been traveling up ice covered mountain side for hours, noticing at last that the only discomfort you felt from the cold and thin air was an annoyance at how much powdery snow was clinging to your fur and freezing into unwelcome and ugly clods of ice that you had to repeatedly shake from your beautiful crimson hide "I suppose our family, even if we have no blood connections, at least shares the trait of being all but immune to the cold"

"Yes, it does make me feel more like I deserve to be called our mother's daughter" You say warmly, parting your lips with a crack as the sheet of ice that had frozen your jaw together and kept your snout shut broke, the cold tickling your tongue as you walked by the long dead frozen corpse of a robed man, who seemed to have been turned to ice midstride "I can see why she chose this place as the site of your reunion, besides of course the nostalgia factor and deep meaning it holds for both of you. I doubt there are many foundation establishment cultivators who would dare to challenge these heights. Perhaps we've passed a few core formation experts who got cocky"

"Precisely, she is cunning like that. It'd be terrible if our heartfelt meeting was interrupted. But that you can prance so readily and elegantly over this natural barrier of fierce winds and killing cold shows that you do indeed deserve your name on our family's records" She snickered happily, hopping through the snow as you trudged through it, carving a path through sheer stubborness. Besides the layer of powder thick enough to drown most men, most of the snow was frozen as as solid as ice and filled with the bones of those who challenged the mountain unprepared.

But, to you it almost feels warm! For you have walked into hell and become something of a minor celebrity there. Oh~! that reminds you, you should check if the goods you've commissioned have been finished when you have time free to do so. It'd be a waste of wealth to order such fine clothing and armor only to leave it to gather dust in its maker's web. Besides Anjing-Yinshi is your friend! And thinking on friends, you should check to see how Yuyi is recovering and fairing and a dozen other things you've put off in favor of training your students. Such as training your newest students. Bah! Thinking about how busy you're going to be is giving you a headache.

Xuebai is gossiping, talking about games she and monu used to play high in these mountains peaks while you listening closely, warmed by her stories and innocent joy. Not just because she was your sister, but because a ghost driven half mad by their enmity was talking of such positive things and happier times. That was a rare sight. Even in your ghostly court most of your courtiers and servants had a habit of being downers when you were not siphoning off their excess Yin Qi.

Cont

>>5647700

But you were certain it was because she was your sister that your heart melted like ice before a flame when she spotted the sign your mother had left to inform the two of you that she had arrived safely in the cave where she and her once huddled together for warmth. Smiling gently, a mischievous whim fluttered into your mind and buried its claws there. You hadn't told your sister that Monu would look much the same as she remembered, that she would appear to not have aged at all due to the miraculous pill you found in the past, given to you by one of the greatest alchemical masters to ever live. You wondered what happened to him, after he finished the manual of underworld alchemy you still treasure dearly. Was he alive or dead. And if he had died, where was he now? Reborn or lingering?

Shaking the sudden curiosity from your head, you chose to be whimsical and carry out your scheme, just so you could laugh at Xuebai's reaction when instead of a withered crone, she saw the jade beauty that your mother had become once again.

"Now prepare yourself, sister, for I am certain she has quite changed from your memory. Remember your manners and do not stare, for to do so would be to wound her pride and remind her of how far she has fallen" You say, smiling as you resist the urge to laugh before the joke has even been played "So hide your surprise and speak to her as you always have"

A look of dread passed over Xuebai's lupine face and she bounded forward. You flopped on your side, laying in the snow to relax your paws a little after you had spent the better part of a few days walking without rest, and half of those days up the side of a heaven piercing mountain. You heard Monu first, who by way of her returning to her old power, was capable of seeing her daughter and after the squeal of delight she gave, now doubt rushed her to try and smother her beloved daughter in her arms. And that was followed by the panicked yipping of the fox spirit.

Which itself proceeded your howling, uncouth laughter and a ghost of spectral fire as Xuebai immediately ran out of the cave, furious that you'd tricked her and made her worry for nothing. So the two of you ran and chased each other around, as you enjoyed the simple bliss of having a family as much as Monu did, as she watched you two sisters play while she smoked on her pipe and waited for Xuebai to calm down and chill out.

Though not before she dropped a pile of snow atop your head. You decided it'd be best to allow her and Monu to do most of the planning for your revenge, since while you may be an expert on grudges, you really have no personal enmity towards the winter blossoming wisdom sect, besides of course what they did to your family, what they would've done to ping, and that they keep feeding themselves to Jingyu. Really, that they've been causing problems for the cultivation side of the Ling clan is reason enough for you, personally, to leave them alone.
Cont

>>5647702

Well except for their leader, who you do hold a potent grudge against, as he killed your sister, crippled your mother and would surely destroy your adorable students and little sisters if he knew they existed. So he has to die at least. And because of Xuebai's pet, he is dying, painfully. And that is why you met Monu, as she traveled back to the Chuan after hearing he was on death's door. But that happened a few years ago, when you were recently born again.

How long can a man hover between life and death. Curious, you interrupted the conversation that had become little more than soothingly macabre background noise as you reflected on your feelings of the matter.

"How long does the traitor have to live anyways, I've heard he is slowly turning to ice, starting with his meridians and veins. How much longer does he have left? It'd be a shame if he didn't die by our hands" You muse outload, causing your mother's cruel smile to turn to a stricken look as Xuebai frowns "It'd be best if he'd live long enough to see the downfall of his life's work, but if we act too slowly, he'll die and we won't even have the pleasure of seeing the light fade from his eyes himself"

"Then we can just move onto the next one? He'd have died by my cunning anyways, and so long as Winter blossoming wisdom sect members die, I am content" Your sister answer plainly

"Though I do want to grind up his bones and scatter them on the four winds, so his spirit may never know rest. And if he dies, they'll dispose his body. Besides, it'd be quite a waste to let them do away with such Qi rich ice. It'd be a perfect cultivation material" Monu muttered, clearly furious at the thought "But even if he's weak, he's still strong. I'm sure Huanliuxue could become strong enough to match him, but as it stands, even I am beneath him, even though he failed to cross over to the golden core stage by your clever machinations, daughter"

What do you say now, Huanliuxue?

>Remembering the corpse of the crow king, ask your mother if she is nearly finished processing it and what materials it has provided

>Ask if you should really wipe out of the winter blossoming wisdom sect. Sure their elders need to die for their crimes against your family, but it'd be a waste of life and talent to wipe them out. Just as wasteful as killing without reason or not eating all the food on your plate

>Tell xuebai what you think about her underling and how Jingyu disgusts you. His cultivation is an afront to the natural order and basic decency

>Realize you still don't know Monu's name, and ask her for it and the name of your family's enemy, since it is hard to properly hate without having a name to curse.

>Listen to them plan for awhile, then offhandedly ask how your beast students are doing.

>Write in

Sorry again for taking awhile on the update, got hit by writer's block and got stressed out.

>>5647704
>Realize you still don't know Monu's name, and ask her for it and the name of your family's enemy, since it is hard to properly hate without having a name to curse.
>Ask if you should really wipe out of the winter blossoming wisdom sect. Sure their elders need to die for their crimes against your family, but it'd be a waste of life and talent to wipe them out. Just as wasteful as killing without reason or not eating all the food on your plate
>"I've meet a some of those students, foolish as they are. Still, some had their hearts in the right place, if only misguided. Perhaps there could be a few more like Ping amidst their numbers, hidden gems waiting for the chance to be torn from the shadows of orthodoxy to be able to truly shine."

>>5647712
+1

Like the write-in. Good place to launch into our master sectbuilding plan when Xuebai presses us on sparing any, too.

>>5647704
>Remembering the corpse of the crow king, ask your mother if she is nearly finished processing it and what materials it has provided

>>5647704
Supporting >>5647712

>>5647712
I'll support.

I don't really think mentioning her underling here is important. Not yet anyway.

>>5648137
Yeah, baby steps. Once she trusts us more we can deal with Jingyu. Either by putting him down or changing his cultivation method.
The only reason I'm even entertaining the latter as a possibility is because I was wrong about my assumption on how calculating sister would be towards us, so there is a chance that it could work out.

>>5648145
Aye. Jingu has a body capable of cultivation now, he's no longer a talentless hack.

So I think we can say, very clearly after the eradication of the winter blossoming sect, that he needs to put down his cleaver and pick a better Dao.
I'd be willing to compensate our sister for the troubles, we've got a lot of knowledge and shit and can find even more. But this butchery of others has to cease.

>>5647712
Supporting

File: xqmgmhvhdaea1.png (735 KB, 1620x1220)

735 KB PNG

Writer's block hasn't left me, it remains a heart demon troubling me, luckily Naraka bladepoint has been keeping me from drowning in stress. Anyways, sorry for taking like four days to do anything, I shall give however much face is required. Ending vote, tallying result now.

Realize you still don't know Monu's name, and ask her for it and the name of your family's enemy, since it is hard to properly hate without having a name to curse.:5

Ask if you should really wipe out of the winter blossoming wisdom sect. Sure their elders need to die for their crimes against your family, but it'd be a waste of life and talent to wipe them out. Just as wasteful as killing without reason or not eating all the food on your plate:5

"I've meet a some of those students, foolish as they are. Still, some had their hearts in the right place, if only misguided. Perhaps there could be a few more like Ping amidst their numbers, hidden gems waiting for the chance to be torn from the shadows of orthodoxy to be able to truly shine.":5

Remembering the corpse of the crow king, ask your mother if she is nearly finished processing it and what materials it has provided:1

Allright so its nearly a landslide victoryfor the combo of, ask Monu her name, Ask if you should really wipe out the WBWS and the write in explanation

again, very sorry for taking so long again, juniors

updater will arrive shortly

Suddenly a thought crosses your mind to become the most prominent rattling around in your head. You still don't know Monu's real name. She calls herself witch and that is what everyone else calls her, especially now that Toad hag or witch are not fitting epithets considering her returned youth and beauty, though her tongue is still very toad like. And that realization makes you also realize that you do not know the name of the man who betrayed her trust, crippled her and killed Xuebai. And that is another issue. Your sister knows both of their names and not knowing makes you feel left out and like you're losing to your elder sister. Its a petty irritation, but such annoyances quickly bristle your fur and become like a thorn in your paw. So you decided to be shameless and ask without guiding the conversation towards this reveal.

"Mother. Isn't it quite shameful, that I, your younger daughter, does not know the true name of her mother nor even our familial name?" You ask sweetly with an adorable pout and purr "And isn't it hard to properly hate without having a name to curse every night as I go to bed and every morning as I rise to greet the sun? What's your name and the name of our family's nemesis"

"You never told her your name? I thought Monu was a cute nickname that spread to her disciples" Xuebai scolds, nipping at Monu's sleeves as she idly curls her tongue around the length of her silver pipe, steam rising from the metal as her saliva pours over its heated surface

"I need no other name" She answered warmly, gently tugging her sleeve from your sister's spectral jaws "My old name died with you, Xuebai. Men have called me witch for longer than they called me by the name given to me by my mother and nearly as a long as the name I earned through my reputation. But it was taken from me, when I was reduced to a powerless cripple. Monu is fine. I am more of a witch than I've ever been before now, so why not embrace it. Perhaps I shall take a new name to mark our victory over those snow stuffing simpletons, maybe it'll be my old name, maybe not"

"Okay but I still want to know it" You answer dully, bluntly demanding her to tell you, but she just flutters her eyes coyly and smirks

"No fun in that" She giggled "Besides I like when you call me Monu, or Granny Monu, its adorable!"

"And makes them all seem rather childish" Xuebai muttered

"Are you going to be hard headed about this mother?" You growled as she laughed, throwing her head back and nearly swallowing her pipe

"Yes!" She cackled and sneered "I think its cute, and I like cute things. Sure you're more of wild beauty, but I still think my daughter is adorable, so yes, I'll have you call me Monu for awhile longer"

"Xuebai what is her name?" You ask, as you are smart enough to know you don't have to ask Monu her name or play her games when her other daughter is right next to you
Cont

>>5651659

"Hao Lianduye [莲毒液, Lotus Venom], is the name she took after managing to poison a dragon to death, her birth name is Hao Lifen, she's always been a flower, you see" She answered mischievously as your mother's pipe dropped from her mouth and her cheerful eyes turned dark with anger

"You're lucky you're not corporeal, xuebai" She spat grouchily, crossing her arms and wagging a finger at you as you grinned cheekily at her "And you're too clever, Huanliuxue. Now, to answer your question, the bastard who stabbed me in the back is Xue Laohue, Snow tiger"

"Is that why you named Xuebai Xuebai?" You ask curiously

"No, she just lost me in the snow one to many times" Xuebai herself answered as Monu pouted and looked gloomily, but the connection between the names of your sister and your enemy brought a treacherous thought to your mind. Did you really need to wipe out their old sect? Sure you were all for slaughter, but only when it was committed against the deserving and scum of the earth. You didn't go wild and bathe in blood. Mindless, purposeless killing wasn't natural after all. And you were bold enough to voice this concern to these two ladies drunk on their own enmity

"Should we really wipe out the winter blossoming wisdom sect?" You ask, turning laughter to silence as two pairs of eyes shot to you and glared, so you quickly explained yourself "Sure their elders need to die for their crimes against us, but it'd be a waste of talent and life to wipe them all out. Just as wasteful as hunting but not eating"

"Poisoned flesh must be cut out cleanly, all parts corrupted must be removed" Monu answered charismatically, but you can see the grudge clouds pouring out of her lips "It'd be better to ensure no one is left to hold grudges against us, even if you have a taste for their bitterness"

"They killed me" Xuebai yipped angrily. And you realized you were talking to stone walls. So sighing and taking a deep breath, you ready all of your charm, which you admittedly hadn't practiced or refined much. Didn't have much of a reason considering how naturally beautiful you were and how much more so you had become recently.

""I've meet a some of those students, foolish as they are" You state with an air of humility and gentleness, like a proper princess "Still, some had their hearts in the right place, if only misguided"

"Ping, I'd forgotten Ping was once one of them. But he took to heresy like a fish to water, darling!" Monu tries to argue, but her words just lead into your next point

"Perhaps there could be a few more like Ping amidst their numbers!" You cheerfully exclaim as your mother looks like she's about to spit up blood after realizing you tricked her into undermining herself and Xuebai " hidden gems waiting for the chance to be torn from the shadows of orthodoxy to be able to truly shine"

"Well I suppose we can spare those stars hidden in the murk" She muttered as she pouted "And kill the rest"
Cont

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>>5651660

"If they'll be obedient to the three of us" your sister snarled, clearly upset with the compromise you force "I'll have no issue taking them as my underlings"

"Besides Ping would complain if we killed all of his little friends" Monu added with a smile "And it would be a loss to the cultivation world if we pulled up all the saplings in its garden and burned all of its records, we'll take everything from the winter blossoming wisdom, even their legacy!"

"Oh! That's good! we'll take their laws and corrupt them, removing every limiter and seal to show the world the power they could achieve in lawlessness!" Xuebai yipped excitedly

You sigh in relief. Sure your family still has wicked plans, but at least you've managed to reign them in from planning a wholesale slaughter of men and women who have done nothing to any of you besides be taken in by those who had wronged your family ages ago. That was good enough and far more merciful treatment than they could expect to receive from their enemies the guardians of the celestial sunlight. Or any other sect of cultivators, really. This world was one were the cutthroat flourished, even if they had to take care to disguise their misdeeds as righteousness, the damn hypocrites.

What do you do now, Huanliuxue?

>Take your leave and cultivate, it has been too long since you've sat down and meditated among the dead

>Press the Jingyu issue. The creature is repulsive and you do not want it in your sect

>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students (Training trial, DC 65)

>See if that tournament is still going on. Earning more experience fighting cultivators would be a great boon

>Realize with your human body you could scout out the Winter blossoming wisdom sect and mark those who'll be spared

>Write in

hopefully I've buried my heart demons

>>5651662
>See if that tournament is still going on. Earning more experience fighting cultivators would be a great boon

>>5651662
>See if that tournament is still going on. Earning more experience fighting cultivators would be a great boon

>>5651662
>Take your leave and cultivate, it has been too long since you've sat down and meditated among the dead
After we showed our face in the Garden I don't think we should show it again.

>>5651662

>Offer our sister sanctuary [don't train].

Now my next move heavily heavily relies on Fequing and his skill in forging.

>Take our leave and cultivate.
THIS IS CONTINGENT, ON THE THRONE BEING DONE.

If the throne isn't finished, then I say
>Train our juniors with Xuebai

We want that fucking throne for the BIGGEST gains, and the +20 of raising fequing to foundation establishment.
Grandfather, can we get an ETA if he still isn't finished.

>>5651879
I feel like we need to return to take stock of the situation, besides without huan nor monu in the sect i worry for the juniors that won't be able to protect themselves if attacked by a high tier cultivator.
Did we ever prepare some defenses?
Or did monu ready some out of her own initiative?

>>5651662
>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students (Training trial, DC 65)
>Realize with your human body you could scout out the Winter blossoming wisdom sect and mark those who'll be spared

>>5652033
We have some basic defences, don't ask me what, but we also have Fu there.

So the sects would need to send some of their decent students to fight him. Plus don't sleep on the fact that all our inner disciples are at least somewhat battle tested, increasing their battle power.

>>5652228
I was more worried about random higher level masters than disciples, because if they get wind of the number of beasts in the sect that's who's going to knock.
Also if the evil undead king below the catacombs gets an idea to stir up shit it might get under the radar and do damage.

I was under the impression we could go further in the crypt before we cultivate, or are we rushing?

>>5651662
>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students (Training trial, DC 65)

I mean we could also train them by seeing how far they can help us in conquering the crypt etc.

>>5651662
>Realize with your human body you could scout out the Winter blossoming wisdom sect and mark those who'll be spared
>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students (Training trial, DC 65)
>Take your leave and cultivate, it has been too long since you've sat down and meditated among the dead

Ghost fox should be able to wrangle her weaponized simp and we can simply forbid him from entering sect grounds or Fu's village. If he fucks up Huan should have enough sway to kill him.

>>5651662
I’ll try my hand at unifying some sentiments.
>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students
>The training in question will be an assault on the next level of the catacombs. Your disciples will practice and strategize on how to assault an enemy they have partial information on using their combined skills. Such conflicts will become more likely as you grow larger and draw more eyes to your sect.
>Mention that Jingyu will of course be allowed to stay as well, but his choice of targets for cultivation materials will be heavily restricted in our domain. If he seeks to cultivate there, Siwang may assist in choosing his targets… assuming Siwang doesn’t try killing Jingyu himself. Good training either way.
>Realize with your human body you could scout out the Winter blossoming wisdom sect and mark those who'll be spared
>Should any comment on your similar looks and red hair with the “gardener”, act as though you are shocked yet do not dispute the claims and ask for details of where they met and what they do. Would it be any surprise that a striking red-haired woman who respects Huan is lost kin to “gardeners” in the Five-Colored Emperor’s garden of beasts? It would to her, and that’s why she presses for details.

Make a detour to the winter sect to pick out people to spare while leveraging the red hair connection to a gardener as a plot point like we’re a cultivation protagonist. Adds to our mystique and helps us identify the potential “safe” people since the “orthodox” disciples probably consider the idea of “gardeners” heretical and wouldn’t discuss it with us.

Then we head back home, train via an assault on the crypt using our combined forces in whatever ways we can (fashioning weapons, buffing others, setting up “healing” stations on the backlines, planning out group fight tactics etc.) to take it for our cultivation. Also touches on Jingyu as an issue without locking him out completely.

No tournament in all this, but I’d rather get to work quicker on cultivating so even doing the WBS scouting is a stretch for me. At least the crypt assault has direct benefits for our next stage.

>>5651662
>>5652639
I like dis. Hopeful +1

>>5651662
>>Press the Jingyu issue. The creature is repulsive and you do not want it in your sect
>See if that tournament is still going on. Earning more experience fighting cultivators would be a great boon
>Realize with your human body you could scout out the Winter blossoming wisdom sect and mark those who'll be spared

>>5652639
I don't think anyone but our ghost girl, Quiang an Ping can help us in the crypts.
It's too cold otherwise.

>>5653084
I consider that part of the training. Not that everyone needs to fight in the crypts, but that anyone who can’t fight there needs to discover how they can assist their fellows who will do the fighting. A unique challenge for many in the sect, I’m sure.

Even the ones who have the straightforward job of assaulting the crypts need to consider how their sectmates can give them an edge in the coming battle. Huan should float around and help others brainstorm their cultivation techniques and if they can be applied to buff others, how to research for the locations of (and possibly gather) useful alchemy ingredients, how to assist in the forging of wards or weapons using a variety of qi etc. When the sect inevitably decides to go on a war footing with cultivators in the future, this “trial run” should pay off with better planning and logistics in the future.

>>5651662
>Press the Jingyu issue. The creature is repulsive and you do not want it in your sect

I really want to sit down and cultivate but I'm also a bit worried about the power dynamics evolving here so before we sit in a cave for a year let's put our paw down and make it clear who calls the shots under this mountain.

>>5651662
>Offer Xuebai sanctuary in your temple, and a chance to train Yujijiao and help you in training your other students (Training trial, DC 65)
Might as well try to squeeze out some more bonus before trying to shoot up to the next stage

>>5653756
Yeah, +1

No one has really mentioned Jingyu and the fact that he killed and mutilated Ping's friends while also almost killing him and the Ling guy. Plus if we recruit the WBS they're going to be near the same monster that have been killing him, and another clear problem is Siwang.

We either have to kill him or giving him such a huge ass beating into sumision that he even lose all his cultivation powers

>>5653793
Power commands this council. We are on equal footing with Xue, we can demand nothing and socially we are slightly lesser due to elder sister.

When we have become stronger, we can demand he be cut off. For now we can probably set sanctions in place.

>>5654097
It's a reasonable request too, losing prospective students to his greed will not avail our sect or goals long term. Plain and simple.

>>5654106
Having her cripple/kill her direct disciple/ghost robe is not a reasonable request in any reality.

ESPECIALLY when the only benefit to her is to bring her into the sect. Unless she is repulsed by the moron and no longer wishes to use him, then she's not gonna go for it.

>>5654114
Oh, I wasn't interpreting it that way. More in the nature of bringing Jingyu up while we're here together. We shouldn't need a threat, but I'd thought earlier it could wait until she actually sees what we're doing and has a chance to meet the beast disciples.

>>5654119
I. . don't understand how you could interpret "We either have to kill him or give him such a beating. . . he loses his cultivation" as anything but an unreasonable request as her entrance fee into the sect.

>>5654158
Because I was replying to the sanctions comment with pressing the Jingyu issue in mind. My mind is an enigmatic farce, anon.
Don't try too hard to solve it.

>>5654158
>>5654162
The simple is "It's a reasonable quest" was a reply to you.

>>5654097
Nope my house my rules.

>>5654826
Yeah, her reply to that will be "Okay, keep your house." and then refuse.

Which okay, fine, just don't offer in the first place.

>>5654872
So what I'm worried about is letting a literal fox spirit and professed master of manipulation, along with her pet monster, into our home and leaving her with our sentimental mom while we sit in a cave for heavens know how long. So I want to set some ground rules before we do that.

>>5655282
Right, thats fine, and i am going to put this down once and for all.

My view is that placing restrictions on Jingyu is good. We should do that if we are to allow him into the sect grounds.
I dont want him in the sect, but putting rules we know he will break to allow us to puniah him is good planning.

Demanding his death from our sister is not going to work and she will refuse, and damage our relationship.
We must be more powerful by far to demand hia death, or convince her to give him up.

Or the unspoken option, discard our sister to do so, but this is not currently on the table.

Going forward, do not try and confuse my attitudes to each option. Limit Jingyus actions if he is entering our sect hq.
Do not demand he die or make our aid contingent on his death.

Any continued confusion will have this post linked to it.

>>5651879
I am also adding to my vote, press the Jingyu issue.
>Adding it.

This should bring it up to 7, same as sanctuary, if >>5652639
>>5652648

Counts as pressing an issue for Jingyu.

So we should pass both with 7/13 votes.

>>5655376
Yeah I wasn't advocating for any violent action, that was the other guy.

>Votes - 12 (13 ?)
5ZyiOCxg
fKffwDLP
CnRqNcBw
I0332NOd
WxepXGXr
TCT4FmEW
xijoRSJz
ZD8pZyhJ
J1dQ+tKd
DV4BmVjz
e8VxKQ0h
v7bSzKWe
ZgVX1uZS (I0332NOd ?)

>Tournament - 3
5ZyiOCxg
fKffwDLP
J1dQ+tKd

>Cultivate - 3
CnRqNcBw
I0332NOd
xijoRSJz

>Sanctuary - 6
I0332NOd
WxepXGXr
TCT4FmEW
xijoRSJz
ZD8pZyhJ
e8VxKQ0h

>Catacombs - 2
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW

>Scout - 5
WxepXGXr
xijoRSJz
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW
J1dQ+tKd

>Gardener - 2
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW

>Jingyu - 6 (5 ?)
ZD8pZyhJ
TCT4FmEW
J1dQ+tKd
DV4BmVjz
v7bSzKWe
ZgVX1uZS (I0332NOd ?)

I tallied things, but now I'm wondering if I miscounted something. Anon said there were 13 votes with 7, but seems I can't find the extra one is it this one? >>5652033 >>5652252

>>5655544
I must have miscounted, with 13.

>>5655634
I033 is also Zg, so yes it's 12.

Meaning that Jingyu is one vote down.
So it'd be nice if someone added him to their vote.

No, fuck.

Look.
>>5653793
>>5653767
>>5653756
>>5653074
>>5652648
>>5652639
>>5652487
>>5652290
>>5652059
>>5651879
>>5651792
>>5651709
>>5651669

Here. 13.