The fight was as refreshing as it was frustrating.

Given even one more tool, she might have been able to make it an actual fight, one where there was a chance that this Elder Bin Wei could have lost. With her biomorphic powers, she could have lain traps, played tricks, adapted into more fluid and versatile shapes. With her Daos or her Inner World, she could have met him blow for blow, or allowed herself to consume parts of his Domain and techniques. Even with the stuff she's unfamiliar with, alchemy or chemistry or even formations, she could have put up more of a fight.

As it is, bound to nothing but a singular form and the regeneration thereof, she could survive him, press him, but never actually threaten him, much less defeat him. Given time, she could have drawn the fight out until he ran low on Qi, turned it into a war of attrition she's uniquely suited to win, but that would negate the point of all this, now wouldn't it?

The needles in her brain buzz angrily, and she can't help but frown at the sensation, the subconscious message of distaste.

It's not nothing. With martial arts and regeneration alone (ok, and some preset biological enhancements) she can at least glimpse the same field as a Warrior Realm cultivator. She would put her current strength, with all her limitations, as peak Nascent Soul Realm, with none of the associated versatility but enough enhancements to make up for it.

And admittedly, the fight was fun. And informative! Forced to work efficiently, she felt herself focusing on muscle groups she usually uses instinctively, refining the details and subtlest elements of her biology. Which, in its own way, is perfect- the whole point of this "her" is to improve her efficiency and technique, rather than working on her assorted powers.

But it still aches.

She had to surrender. First time she's surrendered in a while. Sure, it worked to her advantage, and avoiding blind stubbornness is a positive… but it still aches.

Her weakness is her own choice, and it's the right choice. The amount of growth this encounter alone provided proves that. But… it still aches.

She exhales, letting the smoke on her breath drift away on the wind.

At her current velocity it's less drifting and more "yanked away violently", but what can you do.

Turns out, these flying blades are absolutely as uncomfortable as they look. She's sitting side-saddle on a blade that, even for her size, would be massively unwieldy, twice as long as a human is tall, watching the wind whip by. Bin Wei is on the blade behind her, standing with his feet planted squarely and his Qi creating a sort of stasis field around him, keeping the wind and velocity from affecting him.

Raika has to admit, it looks kind of cool. If only that coolness wasn't severely undercut by how pretentious the whole thing is.

It would be one thing if the flying blade was some sort of way to be more subtle in one's movements, or optimal for formation-crafting and arrays, or, Heaven forbid, if the blade could be used as a blade. Instead, the edge is practically dull, sharp enough to cut mortal flesh and not much else. No Qi-enhanced edge, no formations she can detect to enhance attack power or imbue concepts into it, nothing! It really is just a wildly dramatic way to fly around!

She's trying very hard not to be judgy about it, because it is rather good at flying around, but still.

That Elder Qin Yana… she's really something. Frankly, they both are. Compared to that Feng brat (and how fun is it that she can refer to a Warrior Realm cultivator as that?) they both wielded far more power. Age probably plays a factor- they're both old enough that she can see the ways their bodies have changed, inhuman, almost alien features formed from centuries of cultivation and consciousness affecting them. Even without that, though, the way that Bin Wei used his Domain alone makes him more of a threat than anyone she's fought head-to-head before.

It wasn't static, like most Domain's she's faced, less of a solid block of power made to boost a specific action. It's more of a versatile, ever-changing tool, enhancing, protecting and attacking with startling freedom. He barely even touched his Daos, though she felt them peeking through in some attacks, and while she can't… feel, for want of a better word, any more Truths from him, the one he has is a doozy. And she never even got a peek at his Soul.

Overall, a wake up call in some ways, and proper information gathering in others. And very engaging.

Against Bin Wei alone, she's confident that her full suite of powers would emerge victorious. Against him and Qin Yana? She's pretty sure she'd survive, but only through her ability to be in multiple places at once, with at least one body hidden safely.

With that in mind, she enjoys the flickering remnants of her pipe, drawing in the flavor of the last few embers as she heads directly for an audience with a dozen sect elders at least as strong as these two.

The sect comes into view, and she has to admit to being impressed.

Unlike an Imperial sect, this one has no plateau, no dramatic pillar of stone reaching for the Heavens. Instead, it sits at the feet of one of the mountains that makes up the central geography of the Republic of Morae, and is a sprawling affair rather than a closely contained commune. It's hard to tell where farmland ends and sect begins, except by the smell- the closer they get, the richer the scent of Qi becomes, the plants benefiting from it as much as the cultivators, she assumes. The scent of vegetables and roots becomes louder, deeper, in that way that Qi saturation often brings about, and it's actually quite nice.

Almost blocks out the scent of something a little sour beneath it.

Not blood and slaughter, not the hidden death of the fortress city- it just sort of smells like they forgot to take out the trash somewhere, and her enhanced senses are picking it up. Unpleasant, but not a major warning sign.

The rest of the sect is as bright and open as the fields, made up of single and two-story buildings more often than not, and is shaped more as a city than a commune, or a campus, perhaps. Larger buildings have smaller ones around them, and the smells and scents of blacksmithing, pottery-crafting, butchery, leather-working and more all waft up in the air, mingling with the sounds of conversation, manual labor, sparring and more.

It's…

Fuck, it looks nice. There's an energy to it she really likes, a sort of blend of practical and aesthetic concerns, making a beautiful landscape and functional infrastructure at once. There's no train-tracks or teleportation pads she can see, and it doesn't have the complexity of a metropolis, nor the resources or inter-connectedness she's used to from larger cities, but for something that technically isn't a city? It's rather nice. More interconnected, mortals and cultivators living in vague proximity rather than separated by literal plateaus and mountains looking down on others.

Considering the shapes she can see higher up the mountains all around, that might not necessarily remain true for other sects here, but this particular blend appeals to her in a way she didn't expect.

They fly over the majority of the sect, heading into an interior compound, separated from the rest distinctly. Here, there are the walls she's come to expect, keeping the powerful from those who might bother them. They escort her on their flying swords down to what looks like a mansion, or a small castle in and of itself, slanted, sloped roofs decorated by brilliant blue, white and green colors. It has a garden the size of one of the patches of farmland from the exterior sect, with bodies milling about, and-

Oh. Oh no.

They lower into a courtyard of marble and polished stone, dismounting cleanly, at which point dozens of people file into the chamber, all wearing simple, basic robes. She barely has time to take note of their presence before a tidal-wave of bowing washes in, each and every one of the people around her either bowing at the waist, or, in the case of those further back, kowtowing to the ground.

The singular exception to the uniformity of the process is an older woman, her features softened by age but still sharp, who rises slightly from her bow to speak.

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"Honored Elders and Honored Guest! This Lau Mei is blessed to receive your presence in this humble abode!"

Bin Wei and Qin Yana barely even look at the woman, their eyes cataloguing the people and manor in one look and then studiously disregarding them. Raika, on the other hand, feels something very close to anxiety bubbling up, right alongside frustration.

Fuck. She should have guessed it would be something like this.

"We hope these accommodations are to your liking, junior Rai Ka," Bin Wei says, smiling softly, either not noticing or misinterpreting Raika's cues. To be fair, she doesn't really emote the traditional way unless she wants to anymore, but come on. He has to know. Right?

"...pardon?"

He tilts his head. "Surely you would grant us the opportunity to be gracious hosts? The Watchful Fields sect is not so callous as to negotiate immediately after such a gracious showing. Please, find yourself at ease. I would hope to not have insulted our guest with lackluster hospitality?"

Ugh. Ugh.

It's a test, in a way. If she reacts like a country bumpkin, he'll have that information to approach negotiations. If she makes demands, starts criticizing, that might reinforce her impression, give off the idea of a hidden master or higher background, but that would just extend the game. They'd take her to some other manor, and the best case scenario is that she'd kick out some lesser elder from their domicile for a while, making an enemy and even more discomfort.

Fuck. She has to play this right, or this is going to be such a hassle.

Part of her wishes she could reach out to her others and their many brains to navigate all this… and another part of her wouldn't wish the curse of politics onto herself.

Just see it as a challenge. She's good at those.

"It will do," she says, trying to keep her expression relaxed, but with a hint of haughtiness. She might not be the Mask anymore, but that experience remains.

"Excellent. Elder Qin Yana and I will ensure you have time undisturbed to rest, as an honored guest of the sect."

"And how long do you expect I'll remain a guest?" she asks.

A play. Unsubtle, but hopefully the image she's crafting will add implied subtlety to it. She could calculate out all the probabilities and thought-processes, track each individual reaction, but… ugh. No. She has limits.

"I would not wish to strain my junior's patience or time, honored Rai Ka. Perhaps we can arrange a time to negotiate a better understanding of what we can offer each other. Two days hence?"

She nods, making sure to hesitate so as not to seem overeager.

"That would be more than acceptable. My gratitude to my seniors for their generosity, and to the Watchful Fields sect for the honor and propriety of its elders."

Bin Wei quirks a grin at that, though Qin Yana, who has basically fallen back from the subtle but masterful touches her fellow elder has used to take command of the situation, remains impassive. She does give a bow that is a step beyond polite, though, and in spite of the sourness she exudes, Raika can sense the hint of eagerness behind it.

These guys really like her blood. And as of yet, Bin Wei's the only one who's gotten any.

"Then we shall leave you to it, junior."

They step on their ostentatious, semi-useless, kind of cool looking swords, and take off, the air barely rippling in their passing.

The woman who spoke earlier steps forward a single step before she sinks into a kowtow as well, her paltry cultivation on display in a show of submissiveness and communication.

"We are honored by the presence of the esteemed guest. This humble Lau Mei is the manager of this manor, and will gladly arrange for any service or item the honorable one might request. Each member of the staff has been informed of your presence, and will not disturb you as they maintain your manor. Is there any way I might assist you, Honored Lady?"

Raika lets out a long, almost explosive sigh, the exhale sending a cloud of previously-contained blue smoke out from her lungs. No one coughs, but she can tell that some people definitely want to- she makes her pipe strong, and no one in the courtyard is of a higher realm than Foundational.

"Yes. Thank you for your service. You are bound to obey my commands, yes?"

"Entirely, honored one!"

Hmm. It's not hard to sense the ways that people react to her question. No one so much as twitches, but the brain chemistry says otherwise. It takes focus to track it without full access to her Mind, but it's not that hard to sense the slightest flush of fear reactions, adrenal hormones and firing synapses all in sync with her words.

Hmm. Yep. Fuck this.

"Do you have servant's quarters here?"

Ugh. Much heavier fear reaction.

"Yes, honored one!"

"Good. All of you are to remain there, and in the grounds surrounding it, until further notice. Please leave only to provide for essential tasks, without which the health of the household will be threatened. Avoid the main manor as much as possible. Treat the grounds as you would were there no one here, with the exception of keeping the main manor empty. Is that understood?"

Finally. More confusion than fear, now.

"I… understand and obey, honored one!"

This Lau Mei is well trained, Raika will give her that.

"Good. If I change my mind, need something new, or have any questions, I will speak directly to a single representative. Lau Mei- who among your staff is the most experienced and lowest-ranked?"

That, at last, breaks through the mask.

"I… honored one, this Lau Mei does not understand. I assure you, this one is suited and well trained for-"

"Yeah, well trained. That's the issue. Answer the question, please."

Silence for a beat long enough that Raika senses genuine discomfort from some of the people around the courtyard, accompanied by more of those adrenal reactions. She's breaking expectations and social convention, two of the only things these people have to protect them from the elephants among ants.

Ugh. Gross metaphor.

Lau Mei, however, is as well-trained as she seems. That single beat is played off as a moment of thought, at which point she rises to her knees, raising an arm to the side.

"Honored one, Hui Jing is the eldest among the janitorial staff, and-"

"Great. She'll do. Everyone else- leave. I'll speak to her alone for the duration of my stay."

A dismissal is easier, more expected- a second round of kowtows, and all the staff gets up and walks out of the courtyard, most of them heading (a bit awkwardly) toward a cluster of buildings she sensed on arrival.

Save one.

The woman isn't quite elderly- but it's a close thing. The Foundational Realm only takes one so far- while it might ensure life well past a century, it rarely, if ever, takes one to two. Hui Jing is elderly, the creak of her joints audible to Raika's senses, rich but pale hair falling in a messy but polite bun atop her head. Tanned skin, wrinkles, and smile lines paint a picture of a woman who has spent a lot of time on her feet, working, but who doesn't carry the bitterness that might be expected from that fact.

And she is terrified.

She's hiding it fairly well, but she's not nearly as good at it as Lau Mei. She's afraid. A cultivator, an honored guest of the elders, and someone with seemingly no Qi whatsoever- in her place, Raika would be cursing the fate that found her trapped with such a mercurial danger.

She rises up, her joints slowing the motion ever so slightly, and bows at the waist.

"This lowly one is honored to-"

"If I pay you a crapload of money, do you promise to stop talking so properly?"

"...Your… um. Honored one, that is-"

"I'm serious. I will pay you for the gift of talking to someone who isn't falling over honorifics while I'm here. Do you take gold? Is it mostly Qi stones here? I don't have as many of those, but I'm pretty sure I can make some. What will it take?"

Hmm. Pushed too far. The older woman is barely a step from trembling, a mix of apprehension and confusion overwhelming her.

Mmh. Unfortunate to pull this out so soon, but-

"I will not harm you for offering me any answer, so long as it is honest."

Truespeak ripples through the air, the weight of it echoing through her being deeply enough that she hears a faint and distant Dink echo it back. Her second oath in barely twice as many hours.

The words carry with them a sense of sincerity, a foundational truthfulness, that they cannot be denied. That's their power- in turn, she can feel the way the weight of it settles in her. She's yet to break any oath, or be disproven directly, while using Truespeak- and she'd rather keep it that way. It doesn't feel like it would go well.

Hui Jing doesn't relax, per se, but the panic welling up abates, ever so slightly. The old woman stares at Raika, eyes wide, breathing shallow.

"That… that was…"

Raika waits. Let her get it out of her system.

And then…

There it is.

The old woman's brows furrow, and she crosses her arms.

"Fifty Qi stones, honored one."

"Great. I'll make you a hundred. Also, don't freak out-"

Having secured the (theoretical) bastion of human contact she was craving in this pompous mess, Raika calls up the trick she was holding back, and unfolds.

Her frame and spine distend, warping and opening pre-prepared seams in her body, widening until she takes the form of two doors, angled against each other- out of which fall two cultivators.

Ko and Aria, formerly of the Crashing Rainfall sect, currently of the "unnamed Raika Project #...who knows", tumble out into the Republic of Morae, both of them seeming a bit confused by the transit.

"Where-"

And then Hui Jing is screaming rather dramatically.

Ah. Right.

Well, Raika thinks, I should probably add some more stones. For emotional damage. Forgot that this still shocks people.

Now, how the fuck do I make Qi stones?

And what the fuck is that smell?

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