ic inbox, ryslig.

[daozhangs]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, XIAO.XINGCHEN. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.07.154.55 *** XIAO.XINGCHEN has joined 018.07.154.55 <XIAO.XINGCHEN> You have reached Xiao Xingchen. <XIAO.XINGCHEN> I am often away from my laptop, but I will do my best to answer as soon as I'm able.

Comments

[legbreakings]

Not my child. I have no children or wife. But I tried to help as much as I could in seeing that my sister's son was raised a proper man and not some gold-breasted peacock.

He has grown into a fine young man. I should be at his side now as he faces the greatest challenges of his life but he would understand why I need to stay and deal with the Fog God here in Ryslig before she becomes a danger to all of us. I did teach him well.

I'm convinced the plants in the forest I had to cross tried to kill me. That forest is corrupted with resentment, or rather the local counterpart of it.

[daozhangs]

( ah. yes, that does make quite a bit of sense, falling a bit more in line with that which he had heard. )

Resentment?

Is it something we should investigate?

( no offense intended to jiang wanyin or his nephew, but his cultivator senses are tingling. )

[legbreakings]

[ That's perfectly fair. It is more important, after all. ]

I would like to, yes. It could be related to the Fog God. We would have to approach Dyster, her stronghold, to see if it is the same kind of corruption. But if Lager Forest has been corrupted by her in ways the rest of the peninsula hasn't it could be relevant.

[daozhangs]

If the purpose of venturing close to Dyster is to understand how the Fog God's corruption manifests closer to the source, there's no need.

I can identify it.

[legbreakings]

I didn't know you have experience with her corruption.

We should explore Lager Forest together once the weather is better. Being out in the snow is a nightmare on my systems.

[daozhangs]

Briefly, but it isn't something one can easily forget.

If you think the situation poses little enough danger to wait for the thaw, I trust your judgment on the matter.

[legbreakings]

When? You never mentioned going to Dyster before.

From what I understand the forest has been like this for many years, waiting should make no difference now.

[daozhangs]

Not to Dyster itself, no. I met with one of the residents outside of town, a fog priest whom I've found myself on civil (if wary) terms with. I'm not certain if you've ever come face-to-face with one of her followers, but if you haven't, know that it's viscerally disconcerting.

We will wait for Spring.

[legbreakings]

You met with one of them?! Alone!

Did you get injured?

[daozhangs]

I had questions. He was willing to attempt to answer them, though he didn't succeed.

You have my word that I wasn't injured, nor did I receive anything passing for threat of injury. We spoke calmly and then parted ways.

[legbreakings]

It's still careless! They are not to be trusted.

[daozhangs]

Rest assured, at no point did I trust him.

Which is quite unlike me, isn't it? Perhaps I'm growing as a person.

[legbreakings]

I didn't mean to question your competence. I'm simply worried.

[daozhangs]

I know. It's unlikely to occur again, as that which he knows seems to overlap very little with that which I sought to know.

[legbreakings]

It was worth a try.

What were you hoping to learn?

[daozhangs]

How our monstrous forms are chosen. Are they hand-picked by her will, or does she plant some manner of nondescript seed and something within us decides how it blooms?

And why it is that those born here within Ryslig aren't worthy of her blessing, why such a thing is only given to those from other realms - not even a specific realm, it seems, but any realm apart from this one. As if those here are uniquely condemned to her disfavor.

And I wondered what it is that she seeks in those she draws here, if there's some common trait or inherent monstrosity, or something along those lines. Something she finds desirable, or perhaps undesirable in such a way that she feels that the Fog could remedy.

( a beat, and then: )

He had little patience for any of it.

[legbreakings]

These are good questions. Having answers would have helped us understand the Fog God better.

I suppos it was worth the risk, even though it didn't pay off in the end.

To whom did you speak?

[daozhangs]

Javert.

He had humored far more intrusive questioning before.

[legbreakings]

I see.

He seems a man who holds to his principles and is unfailingly loyal to the cause he has chosen. I respect that.

It makes him a more dangerous enemy.

[daozhangs]

I thought similarly. His forthrightness in our prior discussions also left me with the impression that he is an honest man, even if not necessarily a kind one. Were he a danger to me, I feel that he would be honest about that just like anything else.

[legbreakings]

You are probably right in that. I just don't like to offer trust, especially to people I already know are my enemies.

I dislike how disordered this situation is, in general. It is unavoidable to fraternize with the enemy, to some extent. It adds unnecessary complications once we meet in battle. Squeamish people make no good soldiers.

[daozhangs]

( there's a long pause before his next reply - xingchen means to respond to what's been said, but perhaps the thing that jiang wanyin will find more pressing is, )



I've decided I'd like to speak with her.

[legbreakings]

I expected you would want to, sooner or later.

[ He may not be happy about it but he is not surprised, either. Just resigned to the reality of it. ]

It is the only way you can get the answers you need. But it will be far more dangerous than speaking to Javert.

[daozhangs]

I know it will.

( though he isn't at all sure what manner of danger. )

I'd like to think that since I've not spoken or acted against her, she might recognize my intent to learn. To understand.

( this is why xingchen has not yet burned such bridges. perhaps jiang wanyin is accustomed to war, in which sides are chosen and fought from star to finish, but xingchen is not. he's accustomed to survival and that which must be done to ensure it. this includes taking care not to burn the path to critical resources simply because you disagree with it. one day, this war will commence properly, and it's increasingly clear to xingchen that he will take part in it - but that time isn't now. )

[legbreakings]

[ Such caution is certainly useful but not something Jiang Cheng has in him anymore these days, and now that he has declared himself it is far too late to back down anyway. He can't bring himself to regret it either, for all it is inconvenient. ]

Be careful anyway. You wouldn't want too much of her attention. Nothing good can come out of it.