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[LP CYOA] 傳
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
Absinthe, old chap, I think we're finally starting to think alike.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Very well then, my narrative power demands that Jing misses the trial for taking the longest (time-wise) options for the previous two updates.
Actually, I suppose you guys didn't notice that Song Lingshu was removed from the list about two updates back?
Kashmir Slippers
Magister
Hey, we just like doing things nice and slow. You don't get five lady traveling companions by rushing things, do you?
Nevill
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 11,211
Actually... didn't the fortress start (?) to burn at the end of the first fight?
Meaning that unless the orthodoxes just watched the place go up in flames, the trial was already over by this time?
...I guess we'll find out soon enough.
TOME
Cuckmaster General
- Joined
- May 25, 2012
- Messages
- 1,820
You guys really dun goofed back in the dungeons. Everyone knew we were in a hurry, yet you chose the most time consuming way to disable the couple. What was the reasoning behind that? Well, no matter.
Are the votes closed yet? The character sheet was less than an hour ago so maybe the update is on it's way?
Does Cao'er still get to study the antidote in D? If yes, then I'm voting D, else C.
Are the votes closed yet? The character sheet was less than an hour ago so maybe the update is on it's way?
Does Cao'er still get to study the antidote in D? If yes, then I'm voting D, else C.
Nevill
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 11,211
It is nice to have our mastery in the field officially recognized. It took us 20 years to achieve what our Master did in 40.
I guess the Big Reveal is not too far away now.
That fully depends on whether we would be able to reach her and keep the bottle.
Last edited:
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
Ahem.It is nice to have our mastery in the field officially recognized. It took us 20 years to achieve what our Master did in 40.
We've yet to be recognized as LORD of Unorthodoxy. So no, we have a ways to go yet.
treave, do we get a "Zhang Jue 4 Lyfe" tattoo?
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Black Dragon Pyre III
You toss the bottle lightly and catch it, repeatedly.
“Am I to think that you are proposing a trade of favours, hm?” you ask, leaning against a half-smouldering desk.
“Yes, yes! A trade! Of favours, whatever you want! It is yours!” shouts Hei Zuolong, his throat growing hoarse.
“Do not worry. I will make this quick,” you murmur softly. You reach out with one hand, and before he can understand what is going on, your grip closes around his neck. His mouth gapes open, as if to suck in the antidote currently nestling in your palm. “Unfortunately, Brother Hei, your initial judgment was right. I am not a very reliable person. It would be mean of me to get your hopes up, don’t you think?” You shake your head sadly, and tuck the antidote away in your blood-stained clothes with your free hand.
“You… you!” Finally, the light of recognition dawns through his drug-hazed mind. Hei Zuolong glares at you, breathing heavily. “Man… Tiger… Pig…”
“Yes.” Your fingers tighten, and twist, and then it is done.
***
You leave the main building of the Black Dragon Society behind, allowing it to become a fiery tomb for the corpses that lay within. It may not last, however. The sky above you is darkening, and the rumbling of thunder can be heard rolling in from the distance. You have to meet up with your companions quickly; your first priority should be the gates, where the orthodox pugilists had been trying Master Yao for his role in the death of Song Jiangke. Climbing up the nearest wall for a better vantage point, you walk along it, noting the dead in the courtyard as you go along. Beggars and mercenaries alike lay dead; though to your relief, you do not see any familiar faces.
It does not take you long to find what you are looking for. As you expected, they are still at the gates. You hop up onto the low earthen parapet, surveying the scene below you.
You spot Cao’er instantly: she is tending to Qilin and Yunzi together with Master Yao, Armaiti and Ameretat. Yifang is with Miecao, supporting her grandmother. Xuezi is sitting on her own, looking somewhat disinterested. Mudan and Shuixian are looking on concernedly, their faces pale with worry.
Lingshu is in the Qingcheng camp… it looks like she has made her choice.
Qi Liuwu and Jiu Mou are off to one side, standing guard over their captured foes, Beggar Chief You amongst them – or is that former Beggar Chief at the moment?
You can see the orthodox pugilists gathered; Madam Nie, Bai Jiutian, Guo Fu, Liu Qi, Su Liaojing – all of them are here. The Sword Saint and his disciple are not present, however – you find that a bit surprising.
A few surviving bands of Black Dragon mercenaries have gathered here, looking confused and tired. They number about four dozen, all armed and armoured with nowhere to go.
Then there is Vairya, surrounded by Nie Wuxing, Liu Ye, Su Cheng and Mao Sanjiao: four Masters of the Eight Orthodox Sects. All of them have their weapons out... from the torn-up condition of the ground around them, they have already exchanged a few moves in battle. Vairya seems uninjured, and entirely unconcerned; there is a slight grin on his lips. He turns, looking up directly at you. For some reason unknown to you, he drops to one knee at the sight of you. Lightning flashes overhead, followed by a peal of thunder; and subsequently what the collective crowd happens to see is the Fire Cult’s Guardian of Metal kneeling to a bloody spectre dramatically silhouetted by a flash from the heavens.
Well, this is not going to be good for your reputation.
There is no point staying up here; the wind is whipping up and it is starting to feel chilly. The dried blood is getting uncomfortable, sticking to your skin. Taking in a deep breath, you gauge the distance – you hope you don’t botch the landing and fall flat on your face.
You jump.
Your qinggong carries you clear of the walls, and you glide down seemingly effortlessly to land near Cao’er. Upon seeing you, she immediately abandons Qilin and Yunzi’s treatment to rush to your side. She begins fussing over you, running her hands over your wounds in an attempt to diagnose all of your injuries.
Meanwhile, Yifang walks up to you, looking distinctly troubled. “What happened to… never mind,” she shakes her head, and raises her arm. She is holding a sword by its scabbard, one that you recognize well – it is the Chixiao Sword that you took from the Sword Demon. “Lingshu is returning it.”
Not knowing what to do with it for now, you take it in hand and nod. You glance over at Lingshu, but she looks away, not wanting to meet your gaze. Sighing, you turn back to Yifang. “Do you know where Shangguan Chuji and Murong Yandi are? I thought they said they would attend the trial.”
Yifang shakes her head. “Master Shangguan said something about sensing a troublesome fellow coming this way. He said he’d find a place to lay low for now.”
Before you can make any comments about the Sword Saint’s reliability, a voice rings out, calling your name.
“Xu Jing! Just what is the meaning of this?” Nie Wuxing is shaking his sword angrily, while keeping a wary eye on Vairya. Vairya, on the other hand, has folded his beefy arms, his eyes shut – he gives off the impression of a guardian statue just awaiting its master’s order to pounce.
“There is no hiding it, Lord Jing,” says Ameretat smoothly. “Our presence has been made clear to the orthodox sects. There is no longer any need to disguise your holiness.” Her eyes flicker up to the spark dancing in your empty socket; you had not found the time to replace the eye-patch just yet.
You turn to face Nie and his allies, holding back any sign of exhaustion or pain.
“Vairya, return,” you order.
With a nod of acknowledgement, he leaps to your side, covering the distance with a single bound. None of the masters attempt to stop him.
“I am not here to teach meaning, Master Nie,” you call out, laughing. “Even at the most enlightened temples that costs money, as you well know.”
“I thought it was suspicious that you were consorting with that evil fire witch,” Nie says accusingly – though he was the same person that approved of her presence when it seemed to suit his purpose – and gestures at his comrades to move to a safer distance. It seems that he is not exactly looking for a fight at this point either. “I am surprised that you would betray your country and become a commander of a foreign force!” Already he is starting with the attempts at tarnishing your good name. You would be concerned, if you actually had a name that would suffer from being tarnished further.
“A commander? Shifu, the Fire Temple’s Amesha Spenta bow only to one man,” says Bai Jiutian, breaking her silence. You glance at her; she seems to be enjoying this.
“You mean…” Nie Wuxing’s frown grows deeper. He stares at you as if you are some strange monster that just fell from the sky. “The Fire Lord.” A whisper of a murmur ripples through the orthodox pugilists at the mention of that title. Many of them still remember clearly the heated battle at Heihu Valley.
You look behind you: if it comes down to a fight here, you may be at a disadvantage. Vairya and Ameretat are strong, but you are not sure if they can stand against the numbers of the orthodox pugilists. You have Qi Liuwu’s support, but the beggars have already endured battle and still need to guard their traitor brethren. You do not know which way Liu Qi and Su Liaojing will swing at the moment; Guo Fu would probably help, but you do prefer that he not get himself in trouble over this.
Maybe a bit of diplomacy is called for here.
“Why is the Fire Cult attacking the Black Dragon Society?” asks Su Cheng suddenly.
“What?” They think you did this? Though, to be fair, Vairya does look like the sort that would revel in burning down the fortress. You leave that comment unsaid and shake your head calmly. “This is not of our doing.”
“Who else could it be? We were conducting the trial, and things were proceeding smoothly until we saw fire rising above the walls,” says Mao Sanjiao derisively. “Then, the beggars appeared, as did your cultists, and made a right mess of things.”
“It was not them, or us,” Qi Liuwu speaks up at last. “On our way here, we crossed paths with a cloaked man. He was highly powerful, and killed a few of our brothers before disappearing into the fortress.”
“I punched him into the fortress,” muses Vairya, “yet when I entered he was nowhere to be found. Whoever he is, he is good at hiding. I would have spent the time hunting him down, but your orders were clear, little lord. I escorted the beggars just as you wished.”
“We cannot trust your word, Master Qi,“ says Su Cheng, but Nie Wuxing bids him to stop talking with a wave of his hand.
“The issue with the Beggar Sect is… complex. Let us leave that matter aside for now. Now, the important thing is to-“
A sharp cry echoes through the air, followed by a raspy, mocking laugh. It is coming from the orthodox side, behind Nie Wuxing. He turns around, sword at the ready.
The cloaked man is standing there, holding Liu Ye off the ground by his head. He stands slightly hunched over, but you can feel power emanating from him. One of his arms hangs by his side, wrapped tightly in cloth – the shape of the arm looks off to you. The Kunlun master is groaning and striking at the rather more normal arm that holds him, to no avail. Su Cheng has his sword pointed at the intruder but he does not move an inch. Perhaps he fears that Liu Ye will die the moment he does.
None of you had sensed his arrival; you had all been too focused on each other.
“Who are you?” challenges Nie Wuxing, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“Oh, to try and give the credit to Man Tiger Pig for this marvelous display… That really, really hurts my pride,” the cloaked man groans, before crushing Liu Ye’s head without any warning. There is a sickening crunch as blood and brains spurt out from between his bandaged fingers. Su Cheng falls back at this sudden display of brutality, his face growing deathly pale.
“Father!” Liu Qi screams, charging in at full speed with the Tai’e sword drawn. His rage is palpable, and it appears to drive the powers of Tai’e – even from here you can feel the wild aura of his qi, enhancing and in turn enhanced by the sword. Liu Qi’s speed is such that it only takes him a single step to reach the cloaked man.
“No, stop!” Nie Wuxing barks out a warning suddenly. “Hold him back! That sword cannot be controlled well with pure anger!”
His advice comes too late. Liu Qi’s first swing goes way wide, missing the cloaked man as he crouches down low. With a single blow from his fist he shatters Liu Qi’s elbow; the Tai’e Sword spins off into the air, out of reach, as its wielder shouts in pain.
The strange-looking arm tightly bound in ragged cloth draws back, preparing to deal the finishing blow.
A long staff shoots forth, the end of the pole forcing the cloaked figure to leap back. Su Liaojing spins the staff in front of him, stepping in to cover the fallen Liu Qi. The counterattack comes swiftly; a single kick from the man is sufficient to disrupt Su Liaojing’s guard. He kicks off the staff while Su is off-balance, flying into the air. Spinning around, he brings his heel down on the Kunlun disciple’s head. You cannot help but stare.
Guo Fu moves in with surprising speed, intercepting the kick with a perfect Taiji counter and hurling the cloaked man away. He lands on his feet, his heels digging into the ground. With only the briefest whisper of movement, Bai Jiutian appears behind him, a deadly look on her face. Without hesitation, without mercy, she cuts at his head.
All that she slices is cloth.
The cloaked man evades that attack at the last second, throwing himself flat and sliding through the dirt like a snake. He slithers a safe distance away before raising his head. His hood has fallen back, revealing a face wrapped up with bandages. Pus oozes from the open sores behind the dirty cloth. His mad eyes fix upon you, and he grins.
You had hoped that you were rid of him for good.
“Manxing…” gasps Nie Wuxing.
“Xu Jing, Xu Jing, Xu Jing! Why are you not helping me?” laughs Zhang Manxing. “I know we had our differences, but that was before I found out just how hypocritical and traitorous the orthodox sects are. I’m on your side now! Fighting your enemies! Lend me a hand, will you?”
“Do you still have your dick and balls?” you ask. “I might accept you if you’ve gotten rid of them.”
“Come on, what’s a few balls between pals?” he giggles madly and nonsensically. “You don’t trust me, do you? Here, let me show you that I am genuine about overthrowing the Eight Sects…” He hops back and turns his gaze to Nie Wuxing. “So, how’s that Xuanming Jiuyin manual working out for you, my former master?”
Nie chokes and splutters. “W-what are you talking about?”
“Oh, you know what I am talking about,” grins Zhang Manxing. “I’m here for that. I heard that you have the Xuanyuan Sword too. Why don’t you show it to me?”
“If you think you can walk out of here alive, spouting such nonsense… It will not matter if you are my former disciple or not. For attacking the Eight Sects, I will put a rabid dog such as you down with my own hands,” declares Nie Wuxing, raising his Chunjun Sword high in the air.
“Is that so?” Zhang shrugs arrogantly, full of insane confidence. He spreads his arms out to his side, as if daring them to strike him down. “Some of you might walk out of here alive if you just hand over that manual now. For all the sins you have committed... The older Hei was tight-lipped, but the younger spilled quite some interesting information before he died. The so-called orthodox sects are truly corrupt, along with the rest of my clan! I am ashamed that it took me so long to open my eyes!” As he continues his rant, you wonder just how strong he has become.
“Lord Jing,” whispers Ameretat, coming close to your ear. “This might be an emergency, and if it pleases you, I have something saved up for emergencies…”
***
A. You will have Vairya, Armaiti and Ameretat weigh in the battle on Zhang Manxing’s side – he is alone, after all. Regardless of his intentions, this might be a good opportunity to defeat your most troublesome enemies in the Eight Sects. You will just have to ask them to try and capture alive and unharmed those who are friendly to you – unfortunately, they will not understand and will surely see this as a betrayal.
B. You have your Amesha Spenta stand back for now; if at any time the orthodox pugilists look like they are in danger, you will have them join in to fight Zhang Manxing. Having them enter too early may distract the orthodox fighters.
C. You will step aside and watch the whole thing play out without interfering. It seems that Nie Wuxing is his main target: if Zhang Manxing can manage to kill him, you would be rid of one of your main foes.
D. You take the opportunity to leg it. Of course, you do not think that the orthodox pugilists would let your group slip away without a word, but having a distraction from Zhang Manxing is better than none. It’ll definitely be easier for you to leave right now.
***
Ameretat has a potion that will temporarily remove all current exhaustion from your body, allowing you to continue to fight, though it will come at a cost later: she says you may experience temporary enfeeblement for a couple of weeks. It will take quite a few minutes to kick in, however, so if you want to ingest it, it will have to be now.
A. You take the potion, consequences be damned.
B. You don’t take the potion. It is probably not needed at the moment.
You toss the bottle lightly and catch it, repeatedly.
“Am I to think that you are proposing a trade of favours, hm?” you ask, leaning against a half-smouldering desk.
“Yes, yes! A trade! Of favours, whatever you want! It is yours!” shouts Hei Zuolong, his throat growing hoarse.
“Do not worry. I will make this quick,” you murmur softly. You reach out with one hand, and before he can understand what is going on, your grip closes around his neck. His mouth gapes open, as if to suck in the antidote currently nestling in your palm. “Unfortunately, Brother Hei, your initial judgment was right. I am not a very reliable person. It would be mean of me to get your hopes up, don’t you think?” You shake your head sadly, and tuck the antidote away in your blood-stained clothes with your free hand.
“You… you!” Finally, the light of recognition dawns through his drug-hazed mind. Hei Zuolong glares at you, breathing heavily. “Man… Tiger… Pig…”
“Yes.” Your fingers tighten, and twist, and then it is done.
***
You leave the main building of the Black Dragon Society behind, allowing it to become a fiery tomb for the corpses that lay within. It may not last, however. The sky above you is darkening, and the rumbling of thunder can be heard rolling in from the distance. You have to meet up with your companions quickly; your first priority should be the gates, where the orthodox pugilists had been trying Master Yao for his role in the death of Song Jiangke. Climbing up the nearest wall for a better vantage point, you walk along it, noting the dead in the courtyard as you go along. Beggars and mercenaries alike lay dead; though to your relief, you do not see any familiar faces.
It does not take you long to find what you are looking for. As you expected, they are still at the gates. You hop up onto the low earthen parapet, surveying the scene below you.
You spot Cao’er instantly: she is tending to Qilin and Yunzi together with Master Yao, Armaiti and Ameretat. Yifang is with Miecao, supporting her grandmother. Xuezi is sitting on her own, looking somewhat disinterested. Mudan and Shuixian are looking on concernedly, their faces pale with worry.
Lingshu is in the Qingcheng camp… it looks like she has made her choice.
Qi Liuwu and Jiu Mou are off to one side, standing guard over their captured foes, Beggar Chief You amongst them – or is that former Beggar Chief at the moment?
You can see the orthodox pugilists gathered; Madam Nie, Bai Jiutian, Guo Fu, Liu Qi, Su Liaojing – all of them are here. The Sword Saint and his disciple are not present, however – you find that a bit surprising.
A few surviving bands of Black Dragon mercenaries have gathered here, looking confused and tired. They number about four dozen, all armed and armoured with nowhere to go.
Then there is Vairya, surrounded by Nie Wuxing, Liu Ye, Su Cheng and Mao Sanjiao: four Masters of the Eight Orthodox Sects. All of them have their weapons out... from the torn-up condition of the ground around them, they have already exchanged a few moves in battle. Vairya seems uninjured, and entirely unconcerned; there is a slight grin on his lips. He turns, looking up directly at you. For some reason unknown to you, he drops to one knee at the sight of you. Lightning flashes overhead, followed by a peal of thunder; and subsequently what the collective crowd happens to see is the Fire Cult’s Guardian of Metal kneeling to a bloody spectre dramatically silhouetted by a flash from the heavens.
Well, this is not going to be good for your reputation.
There is no point staying up here; the wind is whipping up and it is starting to feel chilly. The dried blood is getting uncomfortable, sticking to your skin. Taking in a deep breath, you gauge the distance – you hope you don’t botch the landing and fall flat on your face.
You jump.
Your qinggong carries you clear of the walls, and you glide down seemingly effortlessly to land near Cao’er. Upon seeing you, she immediately abandons Qilin and Yunzi’s treatment to rush to your side. She begins fussing over you, running her hands over your wounds in an attempt to diagnose all of your injuries.
Meanwhile, Yifang walks up to you, looking distinctly troubled. “What happened to… never mind,” she shakes her head, and raises her arm. She is holding a sword by its scabbard, one that you recognize well – it is the Chixiao Sword that you took from the Sword Demon. “Lingshu is returning it.”
Not knowing what to do with it for now, you take it in hand and nod. You glance over at Lingshu, but she looks away, not wanting to meet your gaze. Sighing, you turn back to Yifang. “Do you know where Shangguan Chuji and Murong Yandi are? I thought they said they would attend the trial.”
Yifang shakes her head. “Master Shangguan said something about sensing a troublesome fellow coming this way. He said he’d find a place to lay low for now.”
Before you can make any comments about the Sword Saint’s reliability, a voice rings out, calling your name.
“Xu Jing! Just what is the meaning of this?” Nie Wuxing is shaking his sword angrily, while keeping a wary eye on Vairya. Vairya, on the other hand, has folded his beefy arms, his eyes shut – he gives off the impression of a guardian statue just awaiting its master’s order to pounce.
“There is no hiding it, Lord Jing,” says Ameretat smoothly. “Our presence has been made clear to the orthodox sects. There is no longer any need to disguise your holiness.” Her eyes flicker up to the spark dancing in your empty socket; you had not found the time to replace the eye-patch just yet.
You turn to face Nie and his allies, holding back any sign of exhaustion or pain.
“Vairya, return,” you order.
With a nod of acknowledgement, he leaps to your side, covering the distance with a single bound. None of the masters attempt to stop him.
“I am not here to teach meaning, Master Nie,” you call out, laughing. “Even at the most enlightened temples that costs money, as you well know.”
“I thought it was suspicious that you were consorting with that evil fire witch,” Nie says accusingly – though he was the same person that approved of her presence when it seemed to suit his purpose – and gestures at his comrades to move to a safer distance. It seems that he is not exactly looking for a fight at this point either. “I am surprised that you would betray your country and become a commander of a foreign force!” Already he is starting with the attempts at tarnishing your good name. You would be concerned, if you actually had a name that would suffer from being tarnished further.
“A commander? Shifu, the Fire Temple’s Amesha Spenta bow only to one man,” says Bai Jiutian, breaking her silence. You glance at her; she seems to be enjoying this.
“You mean…” Nie Wuxing’s frown grows deeper. He stares at you as if you are some strange monster that just fell from the sky. “The Fire Lord.” A whisper of a murmur ripples through the orthodox pugilists at the mention of that title. Many of them still remember clearly the heated battle at Heihu Valley.
You look behind you: if it comes down to a fight here, you may be at a disadvantage. Vairya and Ameretat are strong, but you are not sure if they can stand against the numbers of the orthodox pugilists. You have Qi Liuwu’s support, but the beggars have already endured battle and still need to guard their traitor brethren. You do not know which way Liu Qi and Su Liaojing will swing at the moment; Guo Fu would probably help, but you do prefer that he not get himself in trouble over this.
Maybe a bit of diplomacy is called for here.
“Why is the Fire Cult attacking the Black Dragon Society?” asks Su Cheng suddenly.
“What?” They think you did this? Though, to be fair, Vairya does look like the sort that would revel in burning down the fortress. You leave that comment unsaid and shake your head calmly. “This is not of our doing.”
“Who else could it be? We were conducting the trial, and things were proceeding smoothly until we saw fire rising above the walls,” says Mao Sanjiao derisively. “Then, the beggars appeared, as did your cultists, and made a right mess of things.”
“It was not them, or us,” Qi Liuwu speaks up at last. “On our way here, we crossed paths with a cloaked man. He was highly powerful, and killed a few of our brothers before disappearing into the fortress.”
“I punched him into the fortress,” muses Vairya, “yet when I entered he was nowhere to be found. Whoever he is, he is good at hiding. I would have spent the time hunting him down, but your orders were clear, little lord. I escorted the beggars just as you wished.”
“We cannot trust your word, Master Qi,“ says Su Cheng, but Nie Wuxing bids him to stop talking with a wave of his hand.
“The issue with the Beggar Sect is… complex. Let us leave that matter aside for now. Now, the important thing is to-“
A sharp cry echoes through the air, followed by a raspy, mocking laugh. It is coming from the orthodox side, behind Nie Wuxing. He turns around, sword at the ready.
The cloaked man is standing there, holding Liu Ye off the ground by his head. He stands slightly hunched over, but you can feel power emanating from him. One of his arms hangs by his side, wrapped tightly in cloth – the shape of the arm looks off to you. The Kunlun master is groaning and striking at the rather more normal arm that holds him, to no avail. Su Cheng has his sword pointed at the intruder but he does not move an inch. Perhaps he fears that Liu Ye will die the moment he does.
None of you had sensed his arrival; you had all been too focused on each other.
“Who are you?” challenges Nie Wuxing, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“Oh, to try and give the credit to Man Tiger Pig for this marvelous display… That really, really hurts my pride,” the cloaked man groans, before crushing Liu Ye’s head without any warning. There is a sickening crunch as blood and brains spurt out from between his bandaged fingers. Su Cheng falls back at this sudden display of brutality, his face growing deathly pale.
“Father!” Liu Qi screams, charging in at full speed with the Tai’e sword drawn. His rage is palpable, and it appears to drive the powers of Tai’e – even from here you can feel the wild aura of his qi, enhancing and in turn enhanced by the sword. Liu Qi’s speed is such that it only takes him a single step to reach the cloaked man.
“No, stop!” Nie Wuxing barks out a warning suddenly. “Hold him back! That sword cannot be controlled well with pure anger!”
His advice comes too late. Liu Qi’s first swing goes way wide, missing the cloaked man as he crouches down low. With a single blow from his fist he shatters Liu Qi’s elbow; the Tai’e Sword spins off into the air, out of reach, as its wielder shouts in pain.
The strange-looking arm tightly bound in ragged cloth draws back, preparing to deal the finishing blow.
A long staff shoots forth, the end of the pole forcing the cloaked figure to leap back. Su Liaojing spins the staff in front of him, stepping in to cover the fallen Liu Qi. The counterattack comes swiftly; a single kick from the man is sufficient to disrupt Su Liaojing’s guard. He kicks off the staff while Su is off-balance, flying into the air. Spinning around, he brings his heel down on the Kunlun disciple’s head. You cannot help but stare.
Guo Fu moves in with surprising speed, intercepting the kick with a perfect Taiji counter and hurling the cloaked man away. He lands on his feet, his heels digging into the ground. With only the briefest whisper of movement, Bai Jiutian appears behind him, a deadly look on her face. Without hesitation, without mercy, she cuts at his head.
All that she slices is cloth.
The cloaked man evades that attack at the last second, throwing himself flat and sliding through the dirt like a snake. He slithers a safe distance away before raising his head. His hood has fallen back, revealing a face wrapped up with bandages. Pus oozes from the open sores behind the dirty cloth. His mad eyes fix upon you, and he grins.
You had hoped that you were rid of him for good.
“Manxing…” gasps Nie Wuxing.
“Xu Jing, Xu Jing, Xu Jing! Why are you not helping me?” laughs Zhang Manxing. “I know we had our differences, but that was before I found out just how hypocritical and traitorous the orthodox sects are. I’m on your side now! Fighting your enemies! Lend me a hand, will you?”
“Do you still have your dick and balls?” you ask. “I might accept you if you’ve gotten rid of them.”
“Come on, what’s a few balls between pals?” he giggles madly and nonsensically. “You don’t trust me, do you? Here, let me show you that I am genuine about overthrowing the Eight Sects…” He hops back and turns his gaze to Nie Wuxing. “So, how’s that Xuanming Jiuyin manual working out for you, my former master?”
Nie chokes and splutters. “W-what are you talking about?”
“Oh, you know what I am talking about,” grins Zhang Manxing. “I’m here for that. I heard that you have the Xuanyuan Sword too. Why don’t you show it to me?”
“If you think you can walk out of here alive, spouting such nonsense… It will not matter if you are my former disciple or not. For attacking the Eight Sects, I will put a rabid dog such as you down with my own hands,” declares Nie Wuxing, raising his Chunjun Sword high in the air.
“Is that so?” Zhang shrugs arrogantly, full of insane confidence. He spreads his arms out to his side, as if daring them to strike him down. “Some of you might walk out of here alive if you just hand over that manual now. For all the sins you have committed... The older Hei was tight-lipped, but the younger spilled quite some interesting information before he died. The so-called orthodox sects are truly corrupt, along with the rest of my clan! I am ashamed that it took me so long to open my eyes!” As he continues his rant, you wonder just how strong he has become.
“Lord Jing,” whispers Ameretat, coming close to your ear. “This might be an emergency, and if it pleases you, I have something saved up for emergencies…”
***
A. You will have Vairya, Armaiti and Ameretat weigh in the battle on Zhang Manxing’s side – he is alone, after all. Regardless of his intentions, this might be a good opportunity to defeat your most troublesome enemies in the Eight Sects. You will just have to ask them to try and capture alive and unharmed those who are friendly to you – unfortunately, they will not understand and will surely see this as a betrayal.
B. You have your Amesha Spenta stand back for now; if at any time the orthodox pugilists look like they are in danger, you will have them join in to fight Zhang Manxing. Having them enter too early may distract the orthodox fighters.
C. You will step aside and watch the whole thing play out without interfering. It seems that Nie Wuxing is his main target: if Zhang Manxing can manage to kill him, you would be rid of one of your main foes.
D. You take the opportunity to leg it. Of course, you do not think that the orthodox pugilists would let your group slip away without a word, but having a distraction from Zhang Manxing is better than none. It’ll definitely be easier for you to leave right now.
***
Ameretat has a potion that will temporarily remove all current exhaustion from your body, allowing you to continue to fight, though it will come at a cost later: she says you may experience temporary enfeeblement for a couple of weeks. It will take quite a few minutes to kick in, however, so if you want to ingest it, it will have to be now.
A. You take the potion, consequences be damned.
B. You don’t take the potion. It is probably not needed at the moment.
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Nevill
Arcane
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Well.
Orthodox schools may not be our allies, but they aren't our enemies, either. Not just yet. Especially now that the younger ones may take over some of them.
The zhang clan are. And especially manxing.
manxing have become extremely strong under Yang Xue's tutelage, so giving him the legendary manual on top of that may be unwise.
I feel the need to weigh in on the orthodox side. That probably means gulping down the potion.
BA.
Also, I never knew Liu Qi was Liu Ye's son. I suppose I should have suspected, with their masters being buddies and all.
Orthodox schools may not be our allies, but they aren't our enemies, either. Not just yet. Especially now that the younger ones may take over some of them.
The zhang clan are. And especially manxing.
manxing have become extremely strong under Yang Xue's tutelage, so giving him the legendary manual on top of that may be unwise.
I feel the need to weigh in on the orthodox side. That probably means gulping down the potion.
BA.
Also, I never knew Liu Qi was Liu Ye's son. I suppose I should have suspected, with their masters being buddies and all.
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Nevill
Arcane
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Heh. He is the boss encounter now that Yang Xue is probably gone. Backed by the gods themselves, as one of the 'unofficial' updates suggested. Potentially with the Jiuyang manual to his name, too.
No way we are killing him here, even with all of the masters combined.
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Nevill
Arcane
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Can't he share some dirt on BJ-MTP connection with the interested partieds instead? Bai's company would be greatly appreciated.
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adame MILF>Celestial Toadie.
Esquilax
Arcane
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- 4,833
Wait, so what you're saying is that we finally have a chance to make it up to BRO Manxing? I know that he's a kind, gentle soul, but will he forgive us after all that we've done to him?
Nevill
Arcane
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Previous post made in July, 18.
The guilt must have weighed on you heavily, it seems.
Nevill
Arcane
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No, really, though.
I know Nie Wuxing is not exactly loved here, hell, I don't like him either, but
1) The Twins won't stand there while manxing kills their 'former' father (as if there is such a thing). They won't join with the Fire Cult unless we prove our goodwill here, either.
2) If we don't fight, manxing is likely to slaughter everyone who won't run away. That would probably include Guo Fu and Lingshu unless they realize the disparity in strength (and it is unclear if they bolt even then).
3) It would be harder to paint us as a traitor to the country and our organization as an Evil Cult (TM) if we will be the ones saving their hide. We promised Shaolin to conduct our business in an upstanding manner, so if we ever want to make our alliance public, we have to act the part.
Seriously, I can't see a way out of this without invalidating some of our major earlier decisions, except for B.
I know Nie Wuxing is not exactly loved here, hell, I don't like him either, but
1) The Twins won't stand there while manxing kills their 'former' father (as if there is such a thing). They won't join with the Fire Cult unless we prove our goodwill here, either.
2) If we don't fight, manxing is likely to slaughter everyone who won't run away. That would probably include Guo Fu and Lingshu unless they realize the disparity in strength (and it is unclear if they bolt even then).
3) It would be harder to paint us as a traitor to the country and our organization as an Evil Cult (TM) if we will be the ones saving their hide. We promised Shaolin to conduct our business in an upstanding manner, so if we ever want to make our alliance public, we have to act the part.
Seriously, I can't see a way out of this without invalidating some of our major earlier decisions, except for B.
Elfberserker
Liturgist
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- 1,540
What's interesting that he put rest of his clan in same place as corrupted orthodox sects. Does this mean that his clan is his enemy too?
That being said I can defninately say that I like new crazy Manxing
After all, shouldn't unorthodox bros stand side by side against corrupted orthodox sects and forgive past balls conflict between us and him?
That being said I can defninately say that I like new crazy Manxing
After all, shouldn't unorthodox bros stand side by side against corrupted orthodox sects and forgive past balls conflict between us and him?
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