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[Jin Ling rings the bell and soon he'll hear another bell jingling as Peach approaches. This is Wednesday, it means she's dressed in her teacher outfit with black cat-eye glasses instead of her uniform and she's...straight-up crawling past the bed to look into the room.]
You rang, sir? [What the heckie did y'all do.]
You rang, sir? [What the heckie did y'all do.]
[:o That's fair...she hums for a moment before she's also flat-out reaching forward to poke between his brows, not quite touching the mark.]
And it needs to be saffron? Nothing else will suffice? [She doesn't seem to be kicking up a fuss, she's just curious.]
And it needs to be saffron? Nothing else will suffice? [She doesn't seem to be kicking up a fuss, she's just curious.]
[WAH. She gets a poke in, but he reaches up quickly to swat her hand away, leaning his head back by the shoulders. And looking a little offended.]
It can't be lipstick. I'm not putting lipstick on my forehead. It's important. It's a vermilion mark, and it means to "open the door to wisdom and aspiration." Like enlightenment. It can't be anything stupid. We use saffron powder sometimes.
Also. [He puffs up a bit.] Can you make people have dreams? And can you give me Spirit Grass?
[Very demanding.]
It can't be lipstick. I'm not putting lipstick on my forehead. It's important. It's a vermilion mark, and it means to "open the door to wisdom and aspiration." Like enlightenment. It can't be anything stupid. We use saffron powder sometimes.
Also. [He puffs up a bit.] Can you make people have dreams? And can you give me Spirit Grass?
[Very demanding.]
[There's a pout when she draws her hand back. Wow???]
It wasn't gonna be lipstick! Do you know people who put lipstick on their forehead? That seems like a waste. [But she's listening and nodding along....]
I don't know who's in charge of dreams, but...[...spirit grass? ...weed? Peach looks puzzled...] I think we have some in the garden! Have you been outside yet? [...a glance at the bed in the door.] Can you get outside?
It wasn't gonna be lipstick! Do you know people who put lipstick on their forehead? That seems like a waste. [But she's listening and nodding along....]
I don't know who's in charge of dreams, but...[...spirit grass? ...weed? Peach looks puzzled...] I think we have some in the garden! Have you been outside yet? [...a glance at the bed in the door.] Can you get outside?
Ayabe is the one who mentioned lipstick!
[Because Ayabe is a stupid modern boy, but listen. Jin Ling has to make sure Peach is on the same page as him.] The garden...? I-- [He follows her look to the door.]
I can get out fine. I've been get--Ayabe is the one who made us come in here! I don't know why. He's just stupid.
[Wait. Being in a such a rush to get saffron, he only just now realizes he's standing alone... in a room... with a girl... with his shirt open. He turns beet red suddenly in the face and snaps the shirt closed before hastily trying to do up the buttons.]
A-anyway! I need saffron more importantly! For my mark. And I want to make Carbide Ash see what my world looks like so he will stop saying it isn't real!
[Because Ayabe is a stupid modern boy, but listen. Jin Ling has to make sure Peach is on the same page as him.] The garden...? I-- [He follows her look to the door.]
I can get out fine. I've been get--Ayabe is the one who made us come in here! I don't know why. He's just stupid.
[Wait. Being in a such a rush to get saffron, he only just now realizes he's standing alone... in a room... with a girl... with his shirt open. He turns beet red suddenly in the face and snaps the shirt closed before hastily trying to do up the buttons.]
A-anyway! I need saffron more importantly! For my mark. And I want to make Carbide Ash see what my world looks like so he will stop saying it isn't real!
I think that's just how Ayabe is, sir. [She sounds amused even when Jin Ling says that Ayabe's stupid. She's about to comment further when...he blushes? And immediately tries to redress. Don't mind her, she's just hanging out here, tail swishing mischievously.]
I can get you a tiny bit of saffron for your mark. You'll have to preserve it though! [...hm.] I don't know what we can do about dreams though. People don't really have control over those, do they? Why not just draw him pictures or something?
I can get you a tiny bit of saffron for your mark. You'll have to preserve it though! [...hm.] I don't know what we can do about dreams though. People don't really have control over those, do they? Why not just draw him pictures or something?
[Stop that, he is a good boy. No bully.]
Fine! It doesn't have to be a lot. I'm only putting my vermilion mark on again. [He glances up, but then quickly looks down again so he can find the hole for the last button.] No, he wouldn't believe me even if I drew it.
[Would Ash believe a dream? Damn... It'd at least be more real than a drawing.]
Fine! It doesn't have to be a lot. I'm only putting my vermilion mark on again. [He glances up, but then quickly looks down again so he can find the hole for the last button.] No, he wouldn't believe me even if I drew it.
[Would Ash believe a dream? Damn... It'd at least be more real than a drawing.]
[You said that about Hiza and I don't believe anything anymore.]
Of course. I'll deliver it right away. [True to her word, she will leave behind a little saffron for him in a bitty pot.] Why is it so important that he believes you? Do others believe the things you've said?
Of course. I'll deliver it right away. [True to her word, she will leave behind a little saffron for him in a bitty pot.] Why is it so important that he believes you? Do others believe the things you've said?
[STOP
Yay, his saffron! Now he can be a stupid family-oriented cultivator in peace.]
Everyone here sounds insane. They keep talking about āother worlds,ā but there isnāt such a thing! There is one world, and Heaven, and the Yellow Spring! He thinks Iām stupid for not just trusting everyone, and thenā
ātried to turn it around in me! Iām going to prove to him Iām not lying!
Yay, his saffron! Now he can be a stupid family-oriented cultivator in peace.]
Everyone here sounds insane. They keep talking about āother worlds,ā but there isnāt such a thing! There is one world, and Heaven, and the Yellow Spring! He thinks Iām stupid for not just trusting everyone, and thenā
ātried to turn it around in me! Iām going to prove to him Iām not lying!
[Hmmm...she's starting to realize a lot of people straight-up don't realize there really are other worlds, so she's going to pause to think of how to explain this.]
If there's really one world, where do you think you are right now? And how do you explain the things that everyone else has experienced? [She'll get back to Ash being mean in a second.]
If there's really one world, where do you think you are right now? And how do you explain the things that everyone else has experienced? [She'll get back to Ash being mean in a second.]
[NO, he's a simple Chinese cultivator with trauma. STOP.]
I don't know, but Sect Leader Nie is here! So I'm probably dead in the Underworld! We were in the temple in Yunmeng... Uncle Jiang had just come inside, but--
[He sighs heavily, almost defeated.]
I don't know. Uncle Jin had the Stygian Tiger Seal, and he probably... We're probably both dead, and everyone here is some kind of ghost or soul!
I don't know, but Sect Leader Nie is here! So I'm probably dead in the Underworld! We were in the temple in Yunmeng... Uncle Jiang had just come inside, but--
[He sighs heavily, almost defeated.]
I don't know. Uncle Jin had the Stygian Tiger Seal, and he probably... We're probably both dead, and everyone here is some kind of ghost or soul!
Ugh. Of course he'd be dead. Sect Leader Nie can't do anything but flap a fan around. He never wants to fight. Hanguang-jun and Zewu-jun were probably too skilled not to survive. [But that means he's dead, and he hates that, but...! He's only... a disciple!] Well, I've never been a ghost before because I've never been dead!
Sometimes, ghosts don't remember how they died, or why! I don't plan on being dead, but if Uncle Jin had the Seal, and he did something stupid...! We could have all met an end like what happened with the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian!
Sometimes, ghosts don't remember how they died, or why! I don't plan on being dead, but if Uncle Jin had the Seal, and he did something stupid...! We could have all met an end like what happened with the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian!
So I've noticed. [Huaisang strikes her as sort of pathetic but it's okay.] You don't have to be dead to be a ghost! I mean yeah, it helps, but that isn't the only option! Sometimes people can just leave their bodies behind. That's what the stories say.
[Huff!] And who the heck is Wei Wuxian?
[Huff!] And who the heck is Wei Wuxian?
...What?!
[He looks bewildered, and then all at once he looks somewhat--not angry, but disgruntled. Like he's hefting a chunk of old grudge on one shoulder]
Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch. He was a terrible person. He killed many people, and he walked the crooked path by practicing demonic cultivation. Resentful energy consumed him, and my uncle killed him on the Burial Mounds to stop him.
[He looks bewildered, and then all at once he looks somewhat--not angry, but disgruntled. Like he's hefting a chunk of old grudge on one shoulder]
Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch. He was a terrible person. He killed many people, and he walked the crooked path by practicing demonic cultivation. Resentful energy consumed him, and my uncle killed him on the Burial Mounds to stop him.
He's not a-- [Wait. He's kind of a ghost. He was like a ghost, but more like a... story...? A ghost story. (Master Blue is actually Dark Wishbone.) His mouth opens, but then his brows furrow at her question.] Spiritual cultivation.
[How many times has he said this, he laments!]
There's no demons. Cultivation is harnessing your inner energy, forming a golden core, becoming strong and also becoming an Immortal. Ascending to godhood. Demonic cultivation is using resentful energy, dark energy, instead. It can corrupt you, make you qi deviate.
[How many times has he said this, he laments!]
There's no demons. Cultivation is harnessing your inner energy, forming a golden core, becoming strong and also becoming an Immortal. Ascending to godhood. Demonic cultivation is using resentful energy, dark energy, instead. It can corrupt you, make you qi deviate.
[This is still horrible and she's just whispering "homegrown ghost" under her breath.]
If you say demonic, why wouldn't I think demons were involved? But the whole idea of cultivation sounds really hard...that's not really common where you're from, right? How do you even form a golden core or anything?
If you say demonic, why wouldn't I think demons were involved? But the whole idea of cultivation sounds really hard...that's not really common where you're from, right? How do you even form a golden core or anything?
The demon is you. [His face is flat.] If you're practicing that kind of thing!
It's... not unusual. There are plenty of people who become cultivators. You form your core after you've... [He sighs.] You pull energy from the world around you and refine it inside your body. Once you've practiced for a long time, you can use it to form a golden core.
It's... not unusual. There are plenty of people who become cultivators. You form your core after you've... [He sighs.] You pull energy from the world around you and refine it inside your body. Once you've practiced for a long time, you can use it to form a golden core.
[He's ?? about the witch stuff.] You're basically a demon. The resentful energy will consume you, and you won't ever be yourself again. It's exactly what this Master Blue is doing, I'd bet.
I'm a Jin Sect disciple of cultivation! I go on Night Hunts and get rid of ghosts, or walking corpses, or train my dog, Fairy.
I'm a Jin Sect disciple of cultivation! I go on Night Hunts and get rid of ghosts, or walking corpses, or train my dog, Fairy.
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