[LP CYOA] 傳

[ERYFKRAD]

She's number one, Qilin number two. But negotiations are always open. It'd be a miscellaneous technique like Reikan. You have the required intelligence for learning it, but I'm not too sure about that luck stat...

That luck stat implies multiple mother-in-laws. The Harem is inevitable.

 

[Baltika9]

Kill! A

 

[Kipeci]

She's number one, Qilin number two. But negotiations are always open. It'd be a miscellaneous technique like Reikan. You have the required intelligence for learning it, but I'm not too sure about that luck stat...

That luck stat implies multiple mother-in-laws. The Harem is inevitable.

I don't know about that. Cao'er and Yifang's mother died, I think Yunzi's mother is also gone, and no mention of Qilin's mother implies that she's also out of the picture.

We've also barely run into many mothers with living children, and in one case we ended up making one of those people outlast her son. Guo Fu and his wife might need to start watching out for any accidents following the birth of their child...

 

[treave]

Oh, Qilin's mother is still alive. Just that they don't talk about her/like to pretend she's dead.

 

[Nevill]

Oh, Qilin's mother is still alive. Just that they don't talk about her/like to pretend she's dead.

Oh? Can we get the full story one day?

Is this an act to make Jing an ally and not betray Wudu cult to the prince? Or do we actually have this good future ahead of us?

Well, act or not, you have the following traits:

1. One of the strongest martial artists of your generation, even if not yet the strongest.
2. Disciple of one of the Great Pugilists, lending your name much prestige. Also a potential Great Pugilist in the future.
3. Unorthodox, and has done unorthodox deeds. Not stuffy or overly righteous. No stranger to killing.
4. Cunning, not all muscle and no brains. Knows how to be quiet and stealthy, and use words skillfully.
5. Previously apprenticed to the Killer Physician, good knowledge of medicine.
6. Connected to the Crown Prince and future Emperor. Educated and aware of court politics.
7. Roguishly good-looking.
8. Eye-patch.

All of which combine to make you an extremely desirable son-in-law for an unorthodox organization like the Wudu Cult. You can bet her father, aunt and uncle were making such a list in their minds. Doesn't mean they won't kill you if you get in their way, though.

Actually, we are a very bad fit for Wudu Cult, though I guess they don't know it yet. Jing is a living antithesis to their first commandment:

“My family’s first motto is, ‘profit determines allies’. We don’t do anything for free, and everyone knows it.

Jing is motivated by anything BUT profit. I bet if they knew what we did with the money we won at the tournament, they would lose their interest fairly quickly.

It may be the very thing that attracts Qilin to us, though, the impulsiveness that she thinks she herself is incapable of.

So, no, I believe that the only way Jing x Qilin romance could happen is for Qilin to elope and for her family to hunt Jing until the end of their days. Which would be awesome in its own right.

 

[treave]

I bet if they knew what we did with the money we won at the tournament, they would lose their interest fairly quickly.

They'd see it as a calculated move to earn the loyalty of a talented man and last living scion of the Xiahou family, whose value cannot be simply measured in coin. Regardless of your intent, that is how it turned out. Money isn't the only type of profit that they seek, or else they'd just go for the richest guy around. That motto's meaning is closer to 'we are friends only as long as it benefits us', and having a potential powerhouse like you in their camp is reason enough to lay down some solid connections at the present. Building for the future, one might say.

Besides, she's the one who's going to be the leader of the sect. You're the consort, picked for your skills rather than your principles.

Of course, if you do start going around acting like Song Lingshu and being exceedingly noble they'll sour on you rather quickly, so there's your way out, but thus far the behaviour you've exhibited isn't anything that's unacceptable to them. Minor eccentricities are to be expected.

 

[Nevill]

But money is the most obvious way to measure up the profits. They don't take them lightly.

“Don’t be such a tease!” she fumes. “Especially when it comes to money.

There were other ways to get Yu out - we could have sneaked him out, or we could have taken him with us by force. I just brought it up because it was the most glaring case of disregard for personal profits.

"Yo! I've heard they call you the Southern Maniac, but you don't look that scary to me. Let's be friends!" is another one. Or the Minamoto pirates. Or the ghost hunt. Or the whole Changfeng sequence. I suppose the heir of the Wudu Clan, or her spouse, for that matter, can't allow themselves to be that carefree. But that's just how Jing is. And Qilin admires him for it - the very first time she looked at us differently was when we brazenly walked before Zhang and started chatting him up, something that she herself would never do, because that would be risking her life just for shits and giggles.

(Yes, it turned out allright, but this was not, and never could have been, a calculated risk)

The parents might not know it yet, but we are very different from them. Not to say we are better, just different.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

But money is the most obvious way to measure up the profits. They don't take them lightly.

“Don’t be such a tease!” she fumes. “Especially when it comes to money.

There were other ways to get Yu out - we could sneak him out, or we could take him with us by force. I just brought it up because it was the most glaring case of disregard for personal profits.

"Yo! I've heard they call you the Southern Maniac, but you don't look that scary to me. Let's be friends!" is another one. Or the Minamoto pirates. Or ghost-hunting. Or the whole Changfeng sequence. I suppose the heir of the Wudu Clan, or her spouse, for that matter, can't allow themselves to be that carefree. But that's just how Jing is. And Qilin admires him for it - the very first time she looked at us differently was when we brazenly walked before Zhang and started chatting him up, something that she herself would never do, because that would be risking her life just for shits and giggles.

(Yes, it turned out allright, but this was not, and never could have been, a calculated risk)

The parents might not know it yet, but we are very different from them. Not to say we are better, just different.

YOLO, baby.

 

[Nevill]

Basically, yes, that was what I was trying to say.

I don't think there is anything for Wudu Cult that can't be measured in coin - even the Emperor's life could be, though the price is exorbitant. But for Jing, there is.

 

[Grimgravy]

A

 

[Nevill]

I am currently rereading the previous updates. I almost forgot about this bit:

“A lady shouldn’t be wandering about in the middle of the night unchaperoned,” says Chi Qilin with a straight face.

“Why me?” you groan exasperatedly.

“I thought you would be gutsy enough to do it.”

“No, I was asking the heavens why I am being cursed with this misfortune.”

“Oh, that’s just your karma. You were definitely a great villain in your previous life... probably a big seducer of women and murderer of hundreds. Do more good deeds – like helping me out, and perhaps it’ll go away!”

It's a vicious circle, isn't it?

 

[treave]

But money is the most obvious way to measure up the profits. They don't take them lightly.

Good thing Jing made a wise and lucrative investment right before that move, then, demonstrating his business savvy.

He might not be as amoral as them, but they're pragmatic enough to understand that no one is perfect. Though as I said, all this consideration from them goes out the window if Jing ever actively becomes a threat.

Absconding with the heiress wouldn't count... unless she renounces her family.

 

[Zero Credibility]

It has to be A. They can't report what they have seen as that could fuck up Shun's plans. At least we can try to take them alive and resort to killing if we don't have a choice. Hell, we took out 100 pugilist in such a way Jing was not sure that any of them actually died. Once help arrives the cultist can take them as prisoners.

 

[Nevill]

By the way, just how old is Qilin? She tries to play the 'older lady' card when she is around us, but is she actually any older than Jing? By how much?

 

[treave]

She claims to be a year older than Jing.

 

[Jester]

Looks like A is the name of game. Will there be early update?

 

[Stygian Lurker]

B

 

[treave]

Royal Reunion

“…I can get them from here,” mumbles Cao’er. You had managed to stay on the trail of the retreating scouts. They had paused for a while to get their horses, allowing you to catch up to them. There are seven of them – a bit more than you think you could handle without allowing any to slip past you. Standing a good distance away, Cao’er rummages around in her pack and brings out a half dozen polished little stones. Taking aim, she flicks the stones at the soldiers. You recognize the technique – Master Yao’s Tanzhi Divine Skill. The stones fly with unerring accuracy, hitting three of the scouts in the tianzhong and mingmen points in their back. They topple over, unconscious. Their comrades shout out in surprise, but to your amazement they recover quickly, drawing their crossbows and aiming into the darkness. It looks like these men have been well-trained. You push Cao’er down, telling her to stay quiet – you do not want any stray bolts hitting her.

Then, you rush out, a swift shade bursting out from the darkness. If you wait a second longer, the remaining four men will mount their horses and flee. There is no time to hesitate. You drive your fist into the temple of the first scout you reach, felling him before he can get a shot off with his crossbow. As you make for the other men, the horses whinny, rearing up suddenly before falling to the ground, kicking in protest. Taking advantage of the chaos, you pounce upon two of them from behind, sinking your claws in around their spine. They convulse and fall to the ground, incapacitated by the pain.

The last scout turns to face you with a yell of desperation. A cloud of soil scatters in front of your face – the soldier has grabbed a handful of earth and thrown it. He moves faster than you expected, managing to get into the blind spot of your missing eye while you are distracted. You hear the sound of his sword being unsheathed. The slash comes unseen. You turn your head on instinct, wincing slightly as the blade travels past your cheek smoothly, leaving behind a shallow cut.

You retaliate with an upwards strike. Warm blood splashes over your hand; you feel your opponent’s flesh give way. There is a ripping noise, and you rend his sword-arm clean from his body. The arm twitches in your grasp as you look at the writhing, screaming soldier apologetically. “Sorry,” you say, “I didn’t mean to do that.” Dropping the arm, you call Cao’er over to treat the soldiers as best as she can.

“That was remarkable.”

A bodiless voice rings out throughout the dark bamboo forest. You look around you, but all you can see are the shadows of rustling leaves. Suddenly, a man drops out of the trees, landing right besides you. You attack, startled, but he stops your fist without even a hint of effort. He laughs, and you realize that it is Tulu Huodu. “You are like a beast that requires taming. I would not have expected any less from Zhang Jue’s disciple.” Pulling your hand away, you step back and bow. “Master Tulu, I apologize for my offense.”

“Your attack did not offend me. Be at ease.” The leader of the Wudu Cult looks around at the aftermath of the battle and nods. “I see you left some of them alive. Good. You did well… they may have gotten away if you did not lend us a hand. My followers will be here soon to take care of matters. You may return and rest.”

“Thank you for your consideration. Are they to be taken prisoner?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” replies Tulu Huodu, and he says no more on the subject.

***

Chi Tianxie had insisted that you spend the past two days talking with him – it seems that he had plenty of questions about the sort of wife you would be keen to have. You had dodged what you could and nodded along while he extolled his daughter’s virtues. Qilin, on the other hand, cleverly hid somewhere to be free from her father’s meddling, bringing Cao’er along for company.

Still, the day of the meeting comes before you know it.

Chishui Town turns out to be a small, sleepy place nestling comfortably besides the river it was named after. To your surprise, you see soldiers laboring around the town; some were bringing in crops, while others were perched on top of roofs and mending holes. There were even some soldiers digging irrigation ditches in the fields. It was not the scene that you had been expecting. It looks like Shun had not been keeping his men idle in the camp, but had instead sent them out to assist the townsfolk in their menial tasks.

You wonder what Shun is planning…

The inn that was designated as the meeting place is devoid of customers. There are no soldiers guarding it either. Feeling slightly nervous, you follow Tulu Huodu up the stairs. Qilin is here upon his orders, and of course Cao’er is by your side, but the Scarlet Scorpion and his sister had remained behind at the Wudu Cult, directing the evacuation. They had moved quickly after the scouting party was discovered, scattering towards huts and cabins all over the countryside.

Finally, you reach the room where Shun is waiting. Without so much as a knock, Tulu Huodu pushes it open.

Shun is alone in the room.

The Crown Prince has grown a lot in the time that you were not by his side. Though the two of you had always been of the same height as children, he is now nearly half-a-head taller than you are. His boyish brashness is gone, replaced by the quiet confidence of one who is used to command. He is sitting in front of a table on which a chess set has been laid out; as Tulu Huodu enters, the prince does not bother getting up from his chair. He flicks his eyes towards him, and then at the people behind him. When he spots you, however, his glance pauses for a while, and his eyes widen in recognition. Then, he gets up, knocking the chair back in his haste.

“Jing! My brother!” he exclaims, arms held open. Tulu Huodu gives the two of you a curious look as you step forward to embrace the prince, a wide grin on your face. “As I thought…” “…yes…” You hear Qilin and Cao’er whispering to each other, but you ignore them for now. “What are you doing here – no, what happened to you?” asks Shun as he looks at your eye-patch and hair. “I did some training so that I could come here and push you down to second-most handsome man in the room,” you explain. The prince laughs, slapping you on the shoulder. “It must be a very interesting story. Tell me more about it later.” Giving Tulu Huodu an apologetic look, he says, “I am sorry, but he is an old friend. I could not help but be carried away.”

“No matter,” smiles the Western Snake thinly as he takes a seat after bowing to the prince. “I am surprised that you acknowledged him so easily, Your Highness. I would have thought that you would be more… circumspect about this issue.”

Shun returns the smile. “Since he came along with you, I am sure you know of his connection to me. There is no need to hide.”

“It is as you say, Your Highness,” says Tulu Huodu with a deferential nod.

“Before we begin, Master Tulu, I need to inform you that the seven men you sent into my camp have been taken into custody safely. I will return them to you after this, unharmed,” says the prince matter-of-factly. He looks down at the chessboard and moves a piece forward, as if challenging the Western Snake to a chess match. Tulu Huodu arches an eyebrow, the only sign of surprise that he gives, before making his own move, accepting Shun’s challenge. “I am afraid I cannot say the same for the scouts they pretended to be. Two of them did not survive, while the others have been broken in mind. Still, I am impressed that my followers were caught, Your Highness.”

“I would not march all the way down here without taking precautions,” says Shun quietly as he sips from his cup of tea. “It is a shame about the soldiers, but such is the price of lies. There is no room for regret in the path I am about to take. Is the evacuation complete?” His chariot takes a stray horse.

Tulu Huodu is still – very still – as he chuckles softly. “You continue to surprise me at every turn, Your Highness. Yes, it is.” Moving his pawn, Tulu Huodu takes the chariot. In truth, it had still been ongoing when you left the Wudu Cult this morning, though they estimated that the process would be complete by the end of the day.

“I see,” says the prince, lifting another chess piece and placing it down in a strategic position. “It seems I am fated to put the people of my own country to the sword, one way or another.”

“Are you really going to go through with this, Shun? It won’t help you find the Wudu Cult members,” you say. “I know that if you do not you will be deemed an unfilial son, but something tells me that by doing so you will fall into your enemies’ trap all the same.”

“Oh, yes, I underestimated them,” sighs Shun. “I only needed to trip up once for them to gain a leverage over me. As it is, there is no perfect solution to this situation. No matter what I do, innocent people will die, and the longer I delay, the stronger my enemies get.”

“So, I take it that you have your answer, Your Highness? You will begin burning Guizhou to the ground, village by village?” asks Tulu Huodu, countering the prince’s moves on the board.

“No.” The exchange of chess continues, and though you try to follow it, you have not played in too long; the prince’s chess skills seem to have far outstripped yours.

“Then, you plan to defeat me?” Tulu Huodu’s horse places Shun’s general in check.

“Of course not,” denies Shun. “No one here could stop you from killing me, and I happen to be rather fond of my head.” The general moves, evading the horse.

“I happen to prefer your head where it is, too. Your death would be troublesome,” agrees Tulu Huodu as he presses the advantage on the chessboard. “What do you plan to do, then?”

“We force a change in the situation. There is only one way to do this,” says Shun, smiling wanly as he pushes a piece forward, past the boundary on the board denoting the Chu River. “Rivers are there to be crossed. If the threat of being deemed unfit for the throne by some corrupt officials is all that keeps me from doing what is right for the people, I am not fit to be Emperor in the first place. Checkmate.”

Tulu Huodu looks down at the board and murmurs, “The flying general. You plan to…”

“The Emperor must die.”

Raising his hand, Shun smashes his own piece down on the opposing general, shattering the enemy piece. “I will take the throne by my own hand.” Tulu Huodu leans back, his eyes glittering with admiration. “Your ambition will serve you well, Your Highness, but can it be done?”

“This is reckless!” you blurt out, aghast at your prince’s treasonous speech, but Shun shakes his head. “It is a gamble, yes, but for me it is already a do or die situation. Should I capitulate to their whims now and carry out a massacre, I will lose support from the connections I have cultivated, and as long as my father is alive, they may claim to speak on his behalf. If they are going to call me unfilial, and a traitor, I would be better off living up to those names. After all, when I become Emperor, they will start to sing a different tune.”

Looking at you, Shun continues explaining his plan. “In my absence from the capital, should the Emperor sadly pass away, my brothers will begin their bid for power instantly. They cannot afford to wait and see what I do this far south… they will attempt to claim the throne for themselves. However, as the Crown Prince my legitimacy is set in stone. My father’s will cannot be changed. It may be forged, but I have taken pains to ensure that will not happen. If they refuse to acknowledge my rule, they will be deemed as traitors.”

“And when you ascend, people will stop caring whether or not you actually did poison the former Emperor,” remarks Tulu Huodu.

“That is right. The people are only concerned for a comfortable life and a just rule,” says Shun.

“What of the army? I am sure your brothers have military backing of their own. How would you even assassinate the Emperor in the first place? If it was so easy, the others would have done it already.” You are not yet convinced that this is the best path to take, if only because you do not want Shun to be responsible for the death of his own father. You are aware that there is little love lost between the two of them, but still, they are flesh and blood.

“I have not been idle these past few years. I have secured backing from a great majority of the generals and military prefects in the country, but given the circumstances I believe they may want to wait and see whether I am worthy before throwing their lot in with me. I expect them to stay out of this when I make my move. This will not be a repeat of the war my father participated in, if you are worried about that.” Shun speaks with confidence, tossing and catching one of the chess pieces.

“As for ending my father’s life, I can have men in place quickly. As it so happens, I finally managed to wrest control of the secret police just recently. The only reason the Emperor is still alive right now is because his death would bring me to the throne, and that would be a galling prospect for many of my brothers. Even though they have no love for our father, they would fight tooth and nail to prevent me from ruling. I must admit, this happened a lot sooner than I expected. It would take me a few weeks to prepare, and even then I do not have the manpower to make it a certainty. The assassination itself may very well fail. As I have said, it is a gamble. Just the sort you would like.” He grins.

You sigh. It does look like he has thought about this carefully.

“If that is the case, the Wudu Cult will assist you in this endeavor,” says Tulu Huodu calmly. “We will not strike at the Emperor ourselves, but we have people in and around the palace in Chang’an that will keep an eye out for your agents.”

“You are not going to have them collaborate directly?” laughs Shun.

“Of course not. That would risk exposing them. Some will come to help should things not go as planned, and they may perform some simple tricks with food and drink, but nothing more. Your men should be capable enough to do their job alone in the first place.”

“Oh, I would hope so,” says the prince.

“What if… the assassination fails?” you venture.

“I lose my agents and my support, though the latter would vanish anyway should I dance like a puppet here in Guizhou. If I am unlucky, the fallout leads to the army withdrawing their support from me, in which case I can fully expect to be enthroned on the end of a pike,” says Shun cheerfully. “If my luck is good, I retain some military support, and will be able to clash with my siblings on the battlefield. That is a war I am confident of winning, eventually. If the assassination occurs successfully, however, I have a contingency in place that will allow me to take the throne with minimal bloodshed. That is what I am aiming for.

He sighs, suddenly looking rather tired. “Honestly, this would have happened sooner or later. It is just that my father had the unfortunate timing of going into a coma before I was ready. That is why the risks are high, not only for me, but for the empire itself. I could stand my ground here and do nothing, but the longer I wait, the more time it gives the others to spin their plots. I have been caught flat-footed this time, but with my father's death, everyone will be on unstable ground instead of just myself. Then, I can only trust that I have made sufficient preparations to come out ahead. This is the only chance I have. I have heard stories of your exploits, Jing. I will not order you around, but…”

He looks at you, and you can hear the unspoken question. Will you assist him?

***

A. You cannot bring yourself to do this. Though you know the consequences will be dire should Shun’s gambit fail – he may die, or plunge the entire country back into a war – it is too risky and ungrateful since the Emperor himself brought you in once before. You will help in any other way you can, but not with this patricidal plot.

B. It is not like you have to strangle the Emperor with your own two hands; both the assassination and Shun’s plan to defeat his rivals will occur almost simultaneously, and there are other parts of the plot you can help with. You will assist him with his attempt to take the throne. The country will be the better off for it, Shun will be the better off for it, and even you will be the better off for it, in the end.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

A for now.

 

[Zero Credibility]

B.

I kind of see Jing as loyal to the Prince personally, not to the current Emperor who is in a coma anyway. And it's not as we are not declared a traitor already. So, if Shun asks for this then we should help him as much as we can. He certainly has planned this out and my only concern is that our bad luck will fuck up his plans somehow.

 

[asxetos]

B.
The things we do for love...

 

[Rex Feral]

I guess it would be B.

Though knowing how assassinations, especially of royal figures, work, after the deed is done I half expect we get accused for it. "A sacrifice for the greater good", Shun would say. We will forever be remembered for our service to him and the country. If he is uninvolved, or better, bring his father's killer to justice, his legitimacy would greatly increase. He would no longer be remembered as the one who killed his father and took the throne by force, but the one who avenged his father's death at the hands of the Southern Maniac's apprentice. We are the perfect assassin and the perfect scapegoat for this ordeal. Just sayin'.

 

[Smashing Axe]

B

There's no way I'm going to abandon Shun.

 

[Anabanana]

B.

We wouldn't abandon our friends in need, let alone Shun. Glad we came along so we could help him.

 

[Azira]

We're destined to bring about the downfall anyway. Why fight it? Though I fear it is Shun's downfall we might cause, I'm still mostly leaning towards B. Will hear arguments first though.