Serpent's Eyes 6

“I worry my challenge might have been too crude a thrust, honestly,” Bai Meizhen said mildly, accepting a cup of wine from Xiao Fen.

The speaker smiled thinly, the light of the lanterns glinting off lenses of the eyeglasses perched on her nose. It was a strange statement for an accessory. Even if one used them for meticulous work, the implied physical imperfection and frailty should have kept them a workshop tool. Tall as well, amongst the tallest here, standing a good head and half above Bai Meizhen herself.

“It was blunt, but there is a place for that, when confronting martial types. As your equal in cultivation, she lacked any way to refuse that could not be spun as cowardly,” the woman, who was not of Meizhen’s year but one of the elders, said. “Of course the value of the play comes down to whether you are the one humiliated in the ring or not.”

Bai Meizhen searched her mind for the other White serpents name. That styling of the hair, two long braids bound together and hanging down the chest indicated a northern origin, as did the more geometric patterns of pale blue-green woven into the hems of her gown. Not more than two years her elder, peak of the third realm… Bai Shuye, third daughter of the Minister of Communication.

No professed loyalties to her Aunt or to the General, a neutral figure, focused on brokering power as the overall governor of the coastal north.

“I am confident it will not be so,” she said coolly.

Bai Shuye tilted her head, examining her with eyes that glittered with amusement. The quirk of her surprisingly full lips distracted, but Bai Meizhen kept her gaze disciplined. 

“It would be a shame to see such fine porcelain shattered.”

Her thoughts ground to a halt for a moment.

“Excuse me?” she said archly, her training bringing the response automatically.

Xiao Fen half turned, glowering up at the other Bai, but her presence was matched by the tiny, almost doll-like black shadow hovering at Bai Shuye’s elbow, her own Xiao, blank faced and poised.

“Oh my apologies. I work with ceramics and sculpting as a hobby you see,” Bai Shuye said mildly. “I was caught up in thinking of you as a model.”

Bai Meizhen shook her head, though her eyes remained narrow. She firmly controlled the circulation of her blood, not allowing any heat to rise on her cheeks. Needling, she had no doubt some rumor of her predilection had wound its way back home. “I will accept it as a compliment, but you should not allow your mind to wander so, Senior Sister.”

“It is as you say. I find myself a bit ill suited to Zhengjian,” Bai Shuye replied, turning her head to look out over the banquet hall. “The ancestral halls are invigorating, but… perhaps a little cramped.”

“One acclimates to the outside in different ways, but it is important to retain your roots,” Bai Meizhen replied carefully. “Were you…”

“Two years in the Dust of Ages Sect, off the northern coast,” Bai Shuye replied casually. “Should you be well enough tomorrow, would you care to take tea with me?”

She was again brought up a little short.”May I ask the reason?”

“Your retainer was looking into glass work and naval equipment lines for investment, wasn’t he? I may know a thing or two of the sea.”

The Dust of Ages Sect was one of the Jin’s, located on an island hosting a potent cultivation site, and ruins from the days before even Yao, and the coast was her interest right now. She felt a little uneasy… but she could see no reason to refuse. 

“If you like. I would be pleased to find where our interests might overlap.”

“As would I,” Bai Shuye said, lowering her head a fraction. “Thank you, I’ll leave you to your business today then. I am sure you have many plans.”

Bai Meizhen watched her go with narrowed eyes, internally cursing her baser instincts. She could not allow herself to fluster over every tall woman who leaned her way. She turned her head, meeting Xiao Fen’s eyes, causing her viper to relax her pose, though she still looked a little disgruntled. Bai Meizhen would have to ask about that later.

“Bai Zixin, you are not regretting your choice?” She asked easily.

“...No,” the younger man said, hands folded into his sleeves. “Senior Sister is aggressive.”

He said no more than that, but the question was implied. “I am aware of Bai Nuying’s record in duels and challenges. Her lack of losses is admirable.”

Perhaps it was her youthful bias showing, but she remembered the girl who was careful never to put herself in a situation where she could lose a confrontation.

It was why she had been forced to press now, while Bai Nuying’s image of her was still that of her younger self, while riling her temper bluntly and directly. Her new position made it impossible for her to simply be brushed off.

“It has merely been a long time since I have had the opportunity to sharpen myself against a sister. We must all be sharp these days. Complacency kills.”

Bai Zixin bowed his head. “Senior Sister speaks true.”

He was lying a little. He was afraid she was reckless. She would put that to rest tomorrow.

“Do you know anything of Bai Shuye?” Bai Meizhen asked, drifting now toward the side of the hall, now was the time to pick out more targets of opportunity, if she was too belligerent, it would only tarnish her image.

“She is on the outside of things among our generation, and returned only last year,” Bai Zixin replied, following after her dutifully. “She has some friendships among those interested in debating over philosophies of governance, and the daughters of those who oversee commerce.”

The Ministry of Commerce was the lowest, socially. It was often a place to dump white serpents judged to have little ambition or talent, as it would still be unacceptable to place a lower caste at the top positions in even that Ministry. She still held some disdain for the profession, but… she and Cai Renxiang had spoken enough about the functions of provincial governance that she understood the necessity of keeping it in good order.

To stretch the metaphor of the body a bit, even if the bowels were the lowliest organs, the first to be replaced by a proper cultivator, one did poorly to let sickness flourish there. Her mother understood this too, it was why she had offered a hand to Bai Zixin after all.

“I see, enemies?”

“I must apologize and say I do not know, any she has not been in public confrontations,” he replied carefully as they arrived by the west end of the hall, some distance from the churn of new arrivals and exits. “She is not well integrated into any particular… friendships, though.”

“No matter,” Bai Meizhen dismissed. Her eyes scanned her caste mates, picking out faces, those to be engaged with politely, those to be challenged and insulted, those to be met with warmth, such as it was.

“What of you, Bai Zixin? We were interrupted, but I would know if there are any friendships you might have, that I might need to be aware of.”

“This one has been focused on his cultivation,” Bai Zixin said slowly, he pondered in silence for several seconds, pushing to the edge of rudeness. “But, my elder brother has much business with the Blue Cobra, and the refurbishment of the northeast interior cities. I have some contacts here, if such lowly things are of interest to Senior Sister.”

“Interesting. Infrastructure is not my direct interest, but it is good to be aware of it,” Bai Meizhen replied. “I will have you speak with my retainer about these later.”

“As you wish, Senior Sister.”

She had quite a lot of work to do before tomorrow came.