Black Tiger Valley
On your way back to your quarters, you see Gao Ying in front of you. “I am surprised. I thought you would have accepted His Majesty’s offer,” he says. You raise your shoulders in a shrug. “Still haven’t gotten in to filling in that hole, eunuch?”
Gao Ying replies, “Soon. The engineers need to be mobilized for some reconstruction… I cannot do it with my bare hands after all. It is a good thing I have plenty of free time now that the secret police are being disbanded.”
“Ha! I know him well enough, eunuch,” you laugh. “I am not as smart as Shun or Yu, but I am not so stupid that I do not realize the stratagem of feigning foolishness while keeping your wits when I see it. It was telling when he did not offer you any position in the new constabulary.”
“His Majesty just might not trust me enough to grant me any positions of power,” demurs Gao Ying.
“And again, I said I know him well enough. A virtue of a great ruler is in how he employs men,” you reply. “First make them believe he is an idealistic fool, then let them see the cracks in his camp. How are the preparations going?”
Gao Ying smiles. “Perfectly. Of course, Grand Eunuch Li is suspicious and smart enough to see through the ploy, if there was one.”
“Which would set him up for the second ploy, hidden behind the first. Let your enemies know your next move,” you recite, recalling the treatises you once studied with Shun. You are sure Xiahou Yu knows them well too. “What would that be, the diffusion of your spies and informants in a network now free from secret police control?”
“I am not at liberty to say, Xu Jing,” says Gao Ying, still smiling.
“It doesn’t sound like it is going to be easy. I suspect that the Grand Eunuch will be starting to think two moves ahead, after that little show we put on.”
“Which merely means we will have to be three moves ahead.”
You walk past the eunuch, smiling. “Well then,” you respond, “the warrior will leave the handling of the emperor’s political foes to the scholar and the eunuch.”
“A good decision. Your fight for His Majesty’s continued success will be in other arenas,” comes Gao Ying’s reply from behind you.
“By the way,” you pause and ask, “why did you try to save me from falling?”
“Why, indeed.” He lets out a little chuckle, and begins to walk away from you. “His Majesty passed me a message before the mission began. That is all I will say. I am not yet convinced your influence on His Majesty is the wisest thing to keep around, but for now we are on the same side. Aren’t we?” His footsteps stop.
“Yes. We are,” you answer, and continue on your way without looking back.
***
By the fifth day, you knew you were never going to make it in time to Heihu Valley. On the seventh, still a day away from reaching the site of the challenge, you came across two panicked beggars.
The news was not good. The Fire Temple had been more powerful than the Eight Sects expected. The battle between the Lord of the Temple and the Grand Taoist had drawn in another six heads of the Eight Sects, as well as five of the deadly Amesha Spenta warriors. A cliff had been brought down by the battle, and the combatants’ fate unknown, presumed dead: the beggars were running to send out the word to everyone about the result of the challenge.
For now, the Fire Cult’s contingent was retreating as the outcome had been beyond their expectations too, and the remaining orthodox fighters have rallied together under Bai Jiutian to pursue the cultists.
***
The top of the hill provides you a good vantage point from which you can observe the battle going on below. The orthodox pugilists had caught up with the Fire Cultists, and the fracas had devolved into a melee soon enough. “…I think I can get a better view if we climb up there, Jing,” says Cao’er, tugging at your sleeve as she points to the highest tree on the hill top. Seeing her, you can’t help but redden slightly, remembering what she said to you back in the palace: “…I want the first time to come more naturally… so I’ll wait. It will be more… memorable. When you are ready, Jing.”
You are pretty sure Qilin had something to do with those strange words. You think the two of them are planning something, but you don't know what yet...
Without asking for permission, Cao’er leaps up and sits on your shoulders, her long legs swinging gently on either side of your face. “Come on. Climb,” she orders. “Don’t fall now,” waves Qilin, laughing as she sits under the tree, seemingly unconcerned with the battle raging below.
***
At the top, it seems clear that the orthodox pugilists heavily outnumber the Fire Cultists. Cao’er manages to spot several people known to you engaged in battle. You wonder if you should join in any particular fight…
***
A. Yunzi is fighting the Huashan Twins, and the flow of the fight appears rather even, with no side able to gain the advantage over the other for now.
B. Bai Jiutian is engaged with Vahista, and surprisingly holding his own, though the spokesperson of the Amesha Spenta appears to be gradually gaining the upper hand.
C. Guo Fu is cut off from his Wudang brothers, surrounded by more than fifty Fire Cult fighters and holding them off single-handedly. You do not know how long he can last.
D. A group of Taishan and Kunlun disciples are easily beating back some junior Fire Cult fighters – it looks like there may be some deaths involved soon.
1. You join the side of the orthodox pugilists.
2. You join the side of the Fire Cult.
3. You attack both sides, attempting to force them to stop their fight.
E. You stay out of it, preferring to just stand by and watch, waiting for the fights to resolve themselves and for matters to become less messy before you jump in.
***
When you come down from the tree, you see a surprising sight, putting your plans to join the fray on hold. “Guess who’s here?” says Qilin, turning to you.
“What are you doing here, Brother Xu?” Murong Yandi gives you a pleased smile as he greets you. “That should be my question! How have you been?” You give him the traditional salute, open hand over closed fist.
“I’m doing well, thank you. I assume you came for the challenge?” he asks.
“Yes, but it seems that we are too late.”
Murong Yandi nods sadly. “I suppose so. My master hurried for no reason.”
“You mean… the Sword Saint is here?”
Murong Yandi jerks his head over his shoulder, drawing your sight to the man standing behind him. The Sword Saint is watching the battle below, his hands folded behind him. He is younger than your master, an unkempt, rather bookish fellow with long hair left untied, falling down to his shoulders. His expression is mild and appears to be lost in daydreams, though some would call it serene. A large, black sword is strapped to his back: the legendary Zhanlu Sword.
“Master, this is the Man Tiger Pig, Xu Jing,” calls out Murong Yandi. The greatest swordsman in the world turns around, his eyes half-closed, and says, “Hm?”
“Do you remember that I told you about him? The Southern Maniac’s disciple?”
He seems to become slightly more alert at the mention of your master. “Ah, Jue’s only surviving apprentice? I have heard of you. How fares your master?” he says lazily.
“I think he should be doing well, though last I heard he had sailed for Nippon,” you say politely.
“That must be terrible,” he says with a straight face. “Well, in any case, he is not one to miss a fight. I am surprised he isn’t here yet, but he should be soon.”
You are not sure whether that prediction is a good or bad thing.
“So, Master Shangguan,” you ask, “are you planning on participating in the fight?”
“I am yet undecided,” says the Sword Saint simply. “On one hand, the Fire Cult may be dangerous to the country, but on the other hand, I am not too sure if it is the righteous thing to do, to cut them down like this. Mercy to the defeated is the prerogative of the strong, after all. What do you think I should do, Yandi?”
“You should attack both sides,” says Murong Yandi without hesitating. “With your strength, it would be possible to force them to stop fighting.”
“Sounds like a bother,” laughs the Sword Saint, before turning to you, Qilin and Cao’er. “And what do you think I should do?”
“…up to Jing…” mutters Cao’er as she looks away from the man, while Qilin just shakes her head. “I’m just along because someone would be utterly incapable without my presence,” she grins.
You have already decided on what you would do, but what do you think the Sword Saint should do?
***
A. You ask for him to intervene in the fight; you are interested in his strength, and he could be helpful.
B. You don’t ask for him to intervene in the fight, preferring that he stay out of the battle.
