[LP CYOA] 傳

[Nevill]

I don't trust Gao Ying farther than Cao'er can throw him, but he's useful for now.

How is he useful, pray tell? What would you use him for?
Really, he is more of a liability to us.

 

[treave]

One step away from being considered Theseus mk.III, I presume?

 

[Rex Feral]

roll back

Seeing as you actually voted in favour of the last one, it's rather unsporting of you to ask for another rollback. It would be fairer to give that opportunity to those who didn't vote for a rollback. If I'm inclined to give one at all.

I know, I know.

I didn't like the whole kidnap the emperor plan from the beginning. Too much effort, too much trouble, and too many chances to fuck up or have someone dying on us. It's there where I would roll back, because I was strongly against it and despite all my arguments people still went with it for the lulz, and because Zhang would pat us on the back for it. Though things went better than expected.

Also, great job at portraying Gao Ying, I really like his character. I'm kinda glad we didn't had to fight him, because of the monster.

 

[Tribute]

Well, for one thing, he's useful in that he grabbed us instead of letting us fall. Of course, we're likely to fall anyway, and knowing our luck Gao Ying will still consider it repayment for saving his life.

 

[treave]

I didn't like the whole kidnap the emperor plan from the beginning. Too much effort, too much trouble, and too many chances to fuck up or have someone dying on us. It's there where I would roll back, because I was strongly against it and despite all my arguments people still went with it for the lulz, and because Zhang would pat us on the back for it. Though things went better than expected.

And boy will Zhang pat you on the back for it when you finally manage to find your way out of the tunnels.

 

[Nevill]

I have a nagging feeling Zhang does not like the former Emperor.

Though it might make our little present to him all the more amusing.

 

[Anabanana]

Also, great job at portraying Gao Ying, I really like his character. I'm kinda glad we didn't had to fight him, because of the monster.

Same. I love the character dynamics and interactions here, with Gao Ying being the loyal, logical tool who is concerned about Shun the monarch, and Jing who is concerned about Shun as a friend and human being. The bonding with Qilin was great too.

 

[Tribute]

I have a nagging feeling Zhang does not like the former Emperor.

Though it may make our little present to him all the more amusing.

He is a fellow of the Manor, which we now know to be a hotbed of rebellious sentiment.

 

[Rex Feral]

I didn't like the whole kidnap the emperor plan from the beginning. Too much effort, too much trouble, and too many chances to fuck up or have someone dying on us. It's there where I would roll back, because I was strongly against it and despite all my arguments people still went with it for the lulz, and because Zhang would pat us on the back for it. Though things went better than expected.

And boy will Zhang pat you on the back for it when you finally manage to find your way out of the tunnels.

What, 9 months from now ? Shit. We could definitely use Cao'er's Perception to get out. And it would be better to have her with us in case Ying would take her hostage to ensure we don't meddle with Shun anymore. Or if the monster goes after them and somehow kills her. Or if Qilin is somewhere down here and needs medical attention ASAP.

That's it, voting with B.

 

[Tribute]

Something that you should have – something you had… but when did your feelings begin to change?

Correct me if I'm wrong, here, but I'm not sure Jing has changed, at least in terms of serving Shun. Shun likely has several personally-loyal servants, but he's always considered Jing his brother (and he was specifically put into that role). The first time we saw them together they were laughing and joking in a manner that would be fairly inappropriate for master and slave, and Jing has always been concerned for Shun as a person even if he always knew the reality of his situation as far as the Emperor and such are concerned. On top of that, Shun has repeatedly made it clear that considering Shun as his brother and as a person is the role Shun thinks Jing should be filling, both before and after we joined the jianghu. We're still filling the same role we were intended for, and Gao Ying is a little presumptuous in thinking that he and Jing are the same sort of servant.

 

[Nevill]

We're still filling the same role we were intended for, and Gao Ying is a little presumtuous in thinking that he and Jing are the same sort of servant.

Is that why we risked our neck to prevent Chanfeng from leaving?
For that matter, why didn't we kill her or took her away from the secret police at all? Why are we hiding the one who assauled the prince at Mt. Emei even now?
Jing has changed. He does not follow Shun as his liege. He is a friend, not a follower.

Were Shun to order the extermination of Guizhou... I actually don't know who Jing would side with.
Though that may be a bad example... we don't have friends there.

 

[Tribute]

Because we told Shun about it and he doesn't really care, and on top of that Jing now has more people who he's loyal to than just Shun.

 

[treave]

Well, at the beginning of the LP Jing did see himself only as a tool to be used, regardless of what Shun thought - it was the prince that had to convince him that he was a friend and not just a servant. After all, you could say that playing friend was his role, and even if it was genuine friendship Jing would convince himself that it was part of his obligation to be the prince's friend. The nature of the interaction hasn't changed on the outside, but due to their time apart Jing now sees himself as a bit more of an equal thanks to the experiences he has had; the things that the prince hasn't had the opportunity to experience. Still not a full equal, of course, he is still subordinate to the prince, but his tool complex is somewhat lessened. Three years ago if Shun had ordered him to slit Yunzi's throat for whatever reason he would have done it. Reluctantly, yes, but he would have done it all the same.

He doesn't feel like it is his duty to be Shun's friend anymore - he has realized that those feelings are something that spring genuinely from inside him, not as part of some job package the Emperor gave to him.

...maybe I should have put this all down in the update.

 

[Nevill]

Because we told Shun about it and he doesn't really care, and on top of that Jing now has more people who he's loyal to than just Shun.

We have made this decision even before we met Shun.
Exactly. Jing's loyalties are to his friends.

...maybe I should have put this all down in the update.

I don't know... I've been partial about this since the beginning, and the change comes across if you are willing to find signs of it.

 

[Tribute]

Well, at the beginning of the LP Jing did see himself only as a tool to be used, regardless of what Shun thought - it was the prince that had to convince him that he was a friend and not just a servant. After all, you could say that playing friend was his role, and even if it was genuine friendship Jing would convince himself that it was part of his obligation to be the prince's friend. The nature of the interaction hasn't changed on the outside, but due to their time apart Jing now sees himself as a bit more of an equal thanks to the experiences he has had; the things that the prince hasn't had the opportunity to experience. Still not a full equal, of course, he is still subordinate to the prince, but his tool complex is somewhat lessened.

So the change is in what Jing thinks he himself is, rather than what Shun thinks he is? I suppose that makes sense, and I may have just been looking at it from too outside a perspective.

He doesn't feel like it is his duty to be Shun's friend anymore - he has realized that those feelings are something that spring genuinely from inside him, not as part of some job package the Emperor gave to him.

...maybe I should have put this all down in the update.

Didn't they grow up together essentially as brothers? I'd be amazed if they weren't actually real friends no matter how technically inappropriate that is. That sort of thing isn't really something you can control.

Though yes, I'm willing to buy that Jing was deluding himself about the reality of the situation.

 

[Tribute]

Because we told Shun about it and he doesn't really care, and on top of that Jing now has more people who he's loyal to than just Shun.

We have made this decision even before we met Shun.
Exactly. Jing's loyalties are to his friends.

Well on top of that, Jing has been entrusted to act in Shun's best interests in the jianghu, and having Xiahou Yu on his side is significantly more beneficial than making sure Liu Chanfeng is dead, especially after we found out she bears no actual ill-will toward the prince and she was just hired for the job.

 

[Smashing Axe]

B - We shield her with our body. If she lives, she can help fix up both Qilin and us.

That and we're going to need high perception/intelligence to navigate the maze of tunnels.

 

[Azira]

B

 

[Baltika9]

A, the last thing we need is to get injured inside these tunnels from the get-go: we have not pressure points for a quick fix-up, and applying poultices and performing more traditional medicines will be rather impossible in pitch darkness, even with 10 PER. I'm pretty sure Qilin used her qinggong to land safely, now all we have to do is the same thing. And somebody of our our absolutely must stay with the Emperor's body, and that someone really must be Cao'er.

I didn't like the whole kidnap the emperor plan from the beginning. Too much effort, too much trouble, and too many chances to fuck up or have someone dying on us. It's there where I would roll back, because I was strongly against it and despite all my arguments people still went with it for the lulz, and because Zhang would pat us on the back for it. Though things went better than expected.

And boy will Zhang pat you on the back for it when you finally manage to find your way out of the tunnels.

 

[Tribute]

I'm not entirely convinced that Gao Ying isn't going to just kill the emperor "for the Crown Prince's sake" the moment he's separated from all three of Jing, Cao'er, and Qilin.

And by way of evidence:

For example, in these tunnels, any amount of accidents could happen…”

“What would you tell the Crown Prince, that his father slipped and cracked his head against a rock?” you snap.

“Perhaps,” replies Gao Ying. “He would see through me and understand the necessity of it. The Crown Prince is a wise man, a man far greater than you and I. He is the only one who can bring order from this chaos the country is embroiled in.”

“He is still a man, Gao Ying. He has emotions. By nature he is as far from cruelty as I can imagine. If he has to murder his own father to take the throne it will kill his own heart.”

“That is why he has me,” says the eunuch fiercely. “I work in the darkness while he walks in the light. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of his rule.

Hell, he'd probably be proud of himself for doing it. He seems to have something of a martyr complex.

 

[Nevill]

Well on top of that, Jing has been entrusted to act in Shun's best interests in the jianghu, and having Xiahou Yu on his side is significantly more beneficial than making sure Liu Chanfeng is dead, especially after we found out she bears no actual ill-will toward the prince and she was just hired for the job.

In Luoyang, there were no doubts about it. Women in black were Shun's enemies, and therefore our enemies, to be exterminated and/or interrogated.
Then we met Yu, and - lo and behold! - they were enemies no longer. Nothing really changed between us and Changfeng - we just found out that a friend considers her important to him. That is not how a tool - how Gao Ying - thinks.
And we did snuck her from under Shun's nose, just when Gao Ying came to pick her up. We didn't know if she was important to Shun or not back then, we just felt that we need to help Yu, get the necessary information out of her, and sort the rest by ourselves.

Your wording implies that we make friends in jianghu with some goal in mind, and not because it is natural for a person like Jing to have pals like these. I bet he didn't think of Shun's interests when he saved Yu's life in the manor.

Didn't they grow up together essentially as brothers? I'd be amazed if they weren't actually real friends no matter how technically inappropriate that is.

You know, brothers usually do not receive training to spread their butt open at another brother's request. It was really thanks to Shun's nature that we didn't end up like this. He was still a master to us, a kind one, but a master nonetheless. Jing didn't delude himself, their relationship was shaped not only by their interactions, but by external factors as well.

And now I want to wake the Emperor up and ask him what was he thinking when he gave us to his heir. He must have had something particular in mind.

 

[treave]

Zhang Jue Gaiden II

Yorimitsu pinched his eyes and put aside the papers he had been reading. The Minamoto village was doing well - Yinhu Island was fertile and there was no shortage of land. The tigers were initially a problem, but they had found a way to coexist after a troublesome start. It was a bright, sunny day. It might be a good day for some sword practice, he thought. Picking up the wodao, he got up from his chair…

Without so much as even a greeting, Zhang Jue strode in through the door.

“Zhang-dono!” exclaimed Yorimitsu in surprise. “You are back!” Then, his expression darkened. He had received a brief report on the events that had occurred back in Nippon shortly after the Southern Maniac’s arrival. “How fares my people?”

“Ah, it is a pleasure to see you too, Minamoto no Yorimitsu,” replied Zhang politely. “If I were to describe the state of your people in one word… ‘Healthy’ is the word that I would use. They are doing fine.”

Yorimitsu nodded, and then asked, “And the state of the country?”

Zhang Jue grinned. “Not so healthy.”

The young Minamoto scion sighed, but deep in his heart he knew that this was the price he had to pay for his lack of leadership. He vowed mentally to continue improving, so that one day he could restore his country. Everything was a lesson.

The Southern Maniac dropped a large sack in front of him, interrupting his thoughts. It landed with a heavy thump on the table. “Souvenirs. I thought you would appreciate some treasures from your homeland.” Yorimitsu laughed excitedly. “Thank you, Zhang-dono! Hold on, let me get the kids! They will be pleased to see this.” Zhang Jue nodded as Yorimitsu ran off to gather the Minamoto children.

It did not take long – soon they were all in front of Zhang Jue’s mansion. Zhang raised an eyebrow at the crowd, walking over to the sack. With the satisfied flourish of a magician revealing his tricks, he untied the sack, letting its contents spill out.

The children screamed and ran.

“Z-Z-Zhang-dono?”

“Yes?”

“What are these?”

“Souvenirs from your country. Ones that I collected personally. Be grateful, Minamoto no Yorimitsu,” said Zhang proudly. He picked up a head as large as a small boulder, its eyes a fearsome red and its tusks long. “This is an oni.”

“I-I know what an oni is,” muttered Yorimitsu, “but I thought they were just fancy tales.”

“Well,” shrugged Zhang carelessly. “They are now.”

“And this?” asked Yorimitsu, pointing to a giant fang.

“It once belonged to a legendary eight-headed snake monster. Sadly it slithered away before our battle reached its conclusion, but that beast gave me one of the toughest experiences of my life. I nearly died,” smiled Zhang, reminiscing about the fight fondly. Yorimitsu drew in breath sharply, trying not to shout out loud. There was only one eight-headed snake that he knew of.

“Well, at any rate, it was a very educational experience. I have learnt a lot more than I would have just sitting here on the island, and grown much stronger for it. I must thank my disciple for… hm, what is that?” The Southern Maniac turned to look at the man sitting at the table in the garden.

“Ah, that.” Yorimitsu scratched his head. “I was told by Yoriwaka that he is… or was… the Emperor of the country. Apparently your disciple staged his disappearance from the Imperial Palace and sent him here.” Zhang’s face immediately broke out into a huge, feral grin. “How very amusing! I shall have to meet with Xu Jing soon… I am suddenly very interested in how much he has grown in his travels.”

Just then, the old man shuddered. He slowly opened his eyes. “He’s awake!” whispered Yorimitsu. “He has been asleep all this while, Zhang-dono.”

“Really? Well, let me greet the retired Emperor with all the respect he deserves.” Zhang Jue walked over to the blinking old man. Yorimitsu stayed behind, nervously wondering whether the Southern Maniac was going to rip off the head of royalty.

“Who might you be?” asked the old man, uncertain and confused. “Where am I?”

“Who do you think I am?” replied Zhang Jue as he stroked his beard. It had grown long on his way back – he had neglected to cut it on the ship, and the sunny sea voyage had tanned him rather red. “That beard… that stature…” The old man gasped. “Lord Guan? Am I-“

“Congratulations, Emperor Taisheng,” replied Zhang Jue, smiling imperiously. “You have succeeded in making it here.”

“Really?” The old Emperor cackled. “Yes, yes. This must be it. I am in the celestial gardens, am I not? Are those the peaches of immortality?” He gloated, looking about him excitedly. Zhang Jue nodded. “You would know best, wise sage. Now, I have come with a decree about your future position in this place. You are to tend the gardens with all your wisdom and ability.”

“Are you saying that I get to be appointed the Celestial Master of the Gardens of Peace and Tranquility?”

“If that is what you wish to be, wise sage, that is what you are,” replied Zhang, bowing. “You will be assisted by others shortly, to settle you into your new position. Now, if you will excuse me…”

As he left, Yorimitsu stopped him. “Zhang-dono, what are you planning?”

“Nothing. I need a gardener. I believe the former Emperor of the Tang is qualified enough for it. Educate him as best as you can, and treat him kindly. After all, we would not want to disrespect the Celestial Master of the Gardens of Peace and Tranquility,” he grinned. And that was all Yorimitsu needed to know.

***

Disclaimer: The above may or may not bear any resemblance to actual events during Zhang's Return to Maniac Island, and may have been subject to embellishment.

 

[Baltika9]

Hell, he'd probably be proud of himself for doing it. He seems to have something of a martyr complex.

"Something," he says. But, seriously, even without him, Cao'er needs to be on hand to make sure the Emperor stays in good health and doesn't die because he's an old man hopped up on drugs.
When we make it out of these tunnels, I'd expect us to be more familiar with blind fighting, which would be extremely useful for us with a missing eye. Also, now would be a very plot-convenient time to get our neiggong back.

 

[Tribute]

And now I want to wake the Emperor up and ask him what was he thinking when he gave us to his heir. He must have had something particular in mind.

One more reason to make sure the Emperor makes it to Maniac Island in one piece, then.

 

[Tribute]

He picked up a head as large as a small boulder, its eyes a fearsome red and its tusks long. “This is an oni.”

“I-I know what an oni is,” muttered Yorimitsu, “but I thought they were just fancy tales.”

“Well,” shrugged Zhang carelessly. “They are now.”

Jesus Christ, not only did he hunt oni, but he hunted them to extinction?

And not only that, but the Emperor thinks he's Guan Yu? This is absolutely perfect.

Disclaimer: The above may or may not bear any resemblance to actual events during Zhang's Return to Maniac Island, and may have been subject to embellishment.

Nuh-uh. Just tell us what we need to do to make sure this is what actually happened.