yrsillar

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 182 (Red+)

Near the ceiling of the archive, the quintet of silvery wisps danced, orbiting and circling one another in a complex pattern. As the strains of her music rose to a crescendo, their movements sped up until the flashing lights seemed like one strobing sphere, then in time with the descending tone, the orb shrank and the light inverted, leaving a tiny-two dimensional circle of wispy shadow hovering near the rafters. It darted upward then, passing straight through the warded ceiling of the archiv...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 181 (Red+)

Points of light winked and sparkled, circling above the garden pond and over the low walls that surrounded their property. The dampness remaining in the air and the qi exhaled from her lungs left a thin mist crawling along the muddy ground of the storm-wracked garden. The gravel paths were still visible though, and the decorative boulders remained in their places, giving Ling Qi a place to sit as she channeled the energies of the Roaming Moon’s Eye art.

Of her arts, it was one which s...

Threads patron Preview Chapter 180 (Red+)

“I’m home,” Ling Qi said.

“Welcome back,” said her mother, bowing her head.

Ling Qi itched to embrace her, but that could come later when they weren’t standing in the front garden. Somehow, every time she saw the Duchess, she found her appreciation for her own mother growing. Following her mother inside, Ling Qi cast one more glance over the house and the town outside.

It wasn’t pretty. There were holes in the roof where shingles had been torn away, and several...

Threads patron preview Chapter 179(Red+)

The magnificence of the court of Xiangmen had not changed. The faces in the crowd had. The great stone platform held in the curled branches of the great tree was more crowded than it had been the last time Ling Qi had seen this place through the projection array. She could make out the distinctions between the coimital clan contingents, now no longer represented by a single ambassador and their attendants.

The newcomers had the look and feel of soldiers and officers to Ling Qi’s eye. ...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 178 (Red+)

When Ling Qi found Cai Renxiang in her office, she stood in front of a mirror. It stood out in the perfectly ordered room, a foreign thing disrupting the geometric perfection of her liege’s decor. Full length and plain as such things went, it sat against the far wall of the study. Cai Renxiang stood in front of the mirror, arms behind her back as Ling Qi quietly closed the door behind herself.

“I didn’t even know you owned a mirror,” Ling Qi said, breaking the silence.

“...

Interlude: The Declining Storm (Red+)

The rain had not stopped for a week now.

The garden had been churned to muck by the pounding rain, and the unpaved paths and roads in the town had become impassable. All industry had shut down as people huddled inside. The immortals were going to war against the barbarians, it was said. The storm was the wrath of the Sect’s lord as he marched against their foes. Fields would be ruined, streets and homes damaged, but that was better than suffering under the hands of the Cloud Tribes. 2022-01-04 02:25:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Threads Patron preview Chapter 177(Red+)

Ling Qi quietly shut the door to her room behind her, leaving Hanyi and Zhengui to their rest and cultivation. They wouldn’t be participating in the talks today.

“Join us, Ling Qi.” She looked up at the sound of her liege’s voice. Cai Renxiang and Gan Guangli were already seated at the table in the main room. She had felt their presences from within her room; a beckoning pulse of Cai Renxiang’s light had brought her out so early.

“Of course, Lady Cai.”  A flicke...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 176 (Red+)

“Once, there was a girl and her mother. They lived in a sad and dying city where purpose had long been lost. The girl and mother loved one another, but her mother had a hard and ugly job, respected by no one, least of all herself.”

Storytelling was not really a skill she practiced, but it was not so different from singing. There was a cadence to it, and it had the same effort of condensing complex meaning into more concise lines.

She drummed her fingers on the table as memorie...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 175 (Red+)

No matter how their Alaniar hosts seemed at this first meeting, Ling Qi could not countenance leaving her sister behind. She could feel Hanyi tensing up under her hands, and the young spirit looked like she was going to say something

Ling Qi kept her mouth shut, sealing back her instinctive denial, and tapped her finger on Hanyi’s shoulder. The young spirit paused, looking up to meet her eyes. Ling Qi gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Hanyi had the right to speak, but Ling Qi wante...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 174(Red+)

Hanyi materialized before her, and Ling Qi immediately put her hands on her sister’s shoulders for comfort. Beside her, Jaromila’s expression twitched in discomfort. It was a small thing, and Ling Qi nearly missed it, focused as she was on the Voice. Something else she needed to figure out.

In front of her, the tree woman bent her head down, a dusting of snow falling from her twiglike hair and leafy gown. Her every motion was accompanied by the groans and cracks of bending wood, mak...

Threads Patron preview Chapter 173 (Red+)

Ling Qi’s eyebrows rose in surprise as she faced her escort in the hall outside of their suite. Ilsur looked back at her impassively, arms crossed over his chest.

“You are prepared for the meeting?” the barbarian asked.

“I am,” Ling Qi replied, squaring her shoulders and meeting his gaze. “I am surprised that you will be my guide.”

“It is a gesture of trust.” Ilsur smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

<Makes sense, It’s like having a lord’s w...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 172 (Red+)

“Big Sister, Zhen and Gui are going to go back now, okay?” Gui spoke up, surprising her. She looked down at him to find Zhen coiled atop their shell, looking pensive, and Gui looking up at her.

“Alright.” Ling Qi reached down to pat each of his heads once. He seemed really deep in thought about something. Zhengui’s form wavered and then dissolved, returning to her dantian.

Hanyi frowned at the space he had been standing in, but just shook her head as Ling Qi straightened...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 171 (Red+)

She wasn’t sure what she had expected. Something more like the sun shrine, perhaps? But this place was empty save for her and her spirits, and the silence in it hung heavy like a thick cloak. Overhead, the ceiling twinkled with a thousand points of light like a clear night sky, and frost dusted the bare iron floor. The walls behind the statue were bare, but Ling Qi could sense twisting patterns of temperature in the black iron. She thought the patterns might have formed images, but her sens...

Journey to the East Part 6

It had been good to get a proper bath. Cultivation could keep the body clean, cycling qi preventing the build up of sweat and other impurities, but it simply could not compare with a good, hot soak. That it was an opportunity to change out of her traveling clothes for an evening was merely a welcome bonus!

Gu Xiulan frowned for a moment, inspecting her reflection in the stand mirror that adorned one side of the rooms she had been given. The scars her tribulation had left on her face wer...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 170(Red+)

At least Gan Guangli seemed to be getting along with them.

“While I stand by my word. I will not deny your dedication to excellence,” the foreign man rumbled as he stood up, flexing his hand.

“I apologize for my earlier words, Sir Ostrik. They were spoken in ignorance,” Gan Guangli said. Standing as well, he bowed his head.

“Youthful impetuousness, I am well acquainted with it,” the older man said, waving off his apology. “But we have guests! My apologies for n...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 169 (Red+)

“This is unfortunate.” Cai Renxiang pinched the bridge of her nose.

They stood in the central room of the small guest suite Jaromila’s servants had guided them to. It was somewhat cramped, but it was warmed by a roaring fire in the gated hearth on the north wall. A low table carved from darkly painted bone sat in the middle, surrounded by sturdy chairs upholstered in thick hide and fur. Four doors arrayed around the room led to small bedrooms.

Hanyi had flopped back in one o...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 168(Red+)

Ling Qi’s thoughts raced. She didn’t want to undermine Cai Renxiang, but neither did she want to leave a potentially insulting misunderstanding.

“On that note,” Ling Qi said, “we were given some small gifts to present as part of our suite.”

Reviewing what she had placed in her storage ring, Ling Qi plucked forth a few examples. Jade rings and jewelry, including a torc, carved with potent defensive formations, a steel cavalry saber sheathed in luxurious leather, and a n...

Scheduled break

Hey folks, its been a great year, and I'm glad for all of your support. For those of you following the quest you know we're coming up on the end of the next current big arc and soon we'll be planning to votes for the next one. It does mean I'll be taking a one week break from posting content to prepare and recharge. The break will take place between the dates of December 9th and December 16th resuming on normal schedule afterward.

Journey to the East Part 5

AN: SO no double chapter, but Part 6 will be out next week.

The oasis bustled with activity. The geometrically perfect roads paved with marble and gemstone were lined with the stalls of merchants and craftsman, they called out the nature of their wares, everything from food and wines to trinkets, jewels and fine cloth. The smell of spices polishes, and perfumes filled the air. Their voices together blurred into a comfortable cacophony. Gu Xiulan sighed in sat...

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 167 (Red+)

Ling Qi saw no reason to give away their own flight capabilities so the group travelled along the ground. The young cloud tribesman took off ahead to carry word back to the redoubt, and the women in the chariot remained to lead them.

She learned the vehicle was called a “sani.” The word didn’t translate, so she was forced to try and pronounce it with middling success. There was a minor incident when the huge beasts pulling it had grown restless at Zhengui’s approach, snuffling a...

Threads Patron preview Interlude: Faceless (Red+)

Once, there was a child who lived in the roots of the great World Tree. In the wondrous city of dreams, ruled by the Lord of Heavenly Lies, they lived in base reality, in dirt and muck and blood. They lived in the dark in chains of coin and paper. Owned, they were. Used, they were. In the lowest roots, there was only cruelty and the laughter of petty little gods.

Once, there was a child, but unlike the countless others, they heard the dark, and the dark heard them. They welcomed it, the...

Notice of delay, and future updates

Hello everyone. Things have been a little hectic lately. I already made a note of no update tomorrow, but I did not mention the Journey to the East Chapter today. Since this week is a bit jam packed for me the chapter will be coming out next Wednesday on the first of December. I may end up just combining the November and December chapters into one double length release, since the end of December is likely to be hectic too, so please look forward to that!

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 166 (Red+)

Ling Qi opened her eyes with those words still echoing in her ears, brought out of her meditation by a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she met Cai Renxiang’s eyes.

“We must begin planning our approach,” the other girl said. Her expression was stoic again, no sign of unpleasant emotion in her expression or voice.

“Ah, my apologies, Lady Cai,” Ling Qi replied, standing up and offering a bow.

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Cai Renxiang replied stiffly. “...

Notice for 11/25

There will be no update on royal road or patreon on the 25th, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you for your understanding! Updates will resume normally on Saturday.

Threads Patron Preview Chapter 165 (Red+)

Silence, heavy and cloying, fell in the wake of the spirit’s words. Even the shriek of the wind seemed dampened, and the cold less biting. Ling Qi turned to face her companions, and clasping her hands together, she bowed low.

“I apologize sincerely for the trouble my choice has caused,” Ling Qi said. “I accept fault in the matter.”

“Any path would have seen us face such a creature. There was no avoiding pain of some kind,” Xia Lin responded first, her voice a little ...