Interlude: Welcome to the Jungle

“Can’t believe you lost again,” Sun Liling jibed. She leaned back against the wall of the closed carriage, her hands behind her head. “The hells do I even keep you around for?”

“Tch, you’re the one who told me I was probably gonna lose,” Ji Rong scoffed. “You can’t rile me up that easy anymore, Liling.”

She paused a beat, waiting for Dharitri’s bloodthirsty whisper, urging her to punish failure and disrespect. It never came. Sun Liling shifted uncomfortably. “Feh,” she grumbled, peering out the window. The Sect mountain retreated into the distance as their horses picked up speed.

“Sides,” Ji Rong said, “not sure what else I could do.”

“You need to improve your efficiency with the Gates of Shura art,” Liling commented. “You had waste qi spraying all over the place, and the impurity purging effect wasn’t working right.” He hadn’t been able to purge that cold toxin effect. If he had, the girl’s setup would have failed.

“It wouldn’t have been enough,” Ji Rong said stubbornly.

Liling looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Once again, there was no commentary in her head. “She’s a bad matchup,” Sun Liling said bluntly.

Ling Qi, the ridiculous twit, had turned herself into a control cultivator, and she seemed like she was actually doing it on purpose now. Between her and her spirits, she was a mobile hardpoint, the sort of officer battle formations would hinge around. That was a bad matchup for duelists like the two of them.

In a duel, a disruptor type worked best to destabilize a controller’s constructs and setup, slipping the knife in when a gap came up. In war, the best answer was a disruptor keeping the controller busy until strategic range blasters burned down the layers of defense through continuous bombardment.

She didn’t say any of that out loud. If Ji Rong didn’t remember his lessons, that was his problem. She turned back to the window.

The carriage rolled along in silence for a while.

“You know, I lost a duel. What’s your excuse for brooding?” Ji Rong asked, breaking the silence.

Sun Liling shot him an irritated look. “Do you think I won’t boot you out of the carriage and make you run or something?”

He just crossed his arms and glared at her. “Something’s bothering you.”

The bastard had gotten pushy, hadn’t he? She supposed it was her fault. After the tournament, she’d relied on him too much, giving him a big head. Sun Liling glared at Ji Rong, and he glared back defiantly.

“I don’t know why I’m being called back,” Sun Liling finally ground out. “And I can’t think of any good reasons.”

“Aren’t we both getting some one-on-one training time?” Ji Rong asked, furrowing his brows.

Gods and spirits, this thickheaded dunce was going to make her burst a blood vessel, Sun Liling lamented. He was like a big stupid dog, all loyalty and barking and running face first into invisible formation barriers.

“Rong, do you really, really think that we’d be crossing the continent just for some training?” she asked incredulously.

“I mean, it’s not like your gramps can just drop by to visit,” Ji Rong defended.

“Sure,” she said, rubbing her temples. “But he could impress lessons on a jade slip, he could send a few retainers over, he could do a lot of things that aren’t pulling us across the continent.”

“Then why? Is it something to do with that other branch of your family?” Ji Rong asked, scowling. “Or are the Bai trying something?”

“I don’t know,” Sun Liling said irritably. “Grandpa didn’t tell me. He just said I needed to come home for a couple months.”

Once again, silence fell between them.

“You know I have your back, no matter what, right?” Ji Rong asked, not looking at her. “So… relax a little.”

Sun Liling grunted. Rong might be a big dumb hound, but sometimes, that was comforting in its way. Well, assuming he didn’t get his fool self eaten by a Sunflower Child like her last dog. “I’m not sure I should trust you with my back when your eyes end up glued to my ass.” There was no reason to get sappy.

Ji Rong’s face reddened. “Oi, you told me that there’s nothing wrong with looking!”

“There’s looking, and then there’s slavering,” Sun Liling distinguished. “Honestly, half the time I think you let me pin you on purpose. If you want a closer look that bad, then just join me in the baths already.”

He let out a flustered growl, and Sun Liling had to hold back a snicker. Fuckin’ easterners. They couldn’t even handle a little flirting.

She was glad the dumbass was coming with her.

***

Even with worries weighing on her mind, it was good to be home, Sun Liling reflected.

She’d left Ji Rong behind in the city. He had work with the paper-pushers to do. They’d get him situated. Not like the residency office was ever busy.

As for her, Sun Liling enjoyed the heat and the scent of flowers in the air as she stood alone on the lift that carrie