The Winter Solstice Conference Begins
You ignore Qilin and get up from your seat. There are better things for you to do than talk to her – for example, you could approach the mysterious, shirtless man sitting alone in the center of the hall. As you draw closer to the man, you hear Qilin shouting at you frantically, but whatever she’s saying is none of your concern. The whispers of the crowd grow louder and more worried at your actions, but you are not about to let that stop you.
The powerful man sits cross-legged on the floor. His muscled body is lined with weathered scars. From his face he looks to be in his forties, with long, wild hair and a short, grizzled beard. You clear your throat, slightly nervous, and greet him.
“Hello, sir.”
The entire hall falls silent. Every pair of eyes in the room is now focused on you and the man.
He turns his head, looking at you straight on. His eyes seem dull, as if he is not entirely there.
“What manner of business do you have with me?” The man’s voice is polite and cultured, in a way entirely unbefitting his appearance.
“Ah, I am new here, and I was just wondering if you would-“
He stands up, cutting you off. Up close, the man towers over you by more than a head’s length, and you are rather tall for your age. His dull eyes fixate upon you, and you feel a tremendous wave of fear sweep over your body. It is a feeling you recognize – you have encountered it at least twice before. You felt it when fighting the woman-in-black. You felt it when duelling Rong Zhiyu at Songfeng. It is the fear of death, and this man scares you so much more than the both of them combined. You feel that if he makes a move right now, you would be more certain of your death than if you sprang in front of the Emperor naked and pissed in his face.
“Someone get that boy back! He’ll get killed! Don't just stand around here!”
“Hey, you go then! I’m not going to cross him! We step into his range and we are minced meat!”
Panicked murmurs come from all around you, as the crowd reaffirms your sudden realization that this has been a bad decision.
Unfortunately, it has always been your bad habit not to back down in the face of death.
Forcing your legs to stay upright with all of your will, you maintain your polite smile. “I was wondering if you would be so kind as to acquaint me with your good self,” you say, a bead of sweat trickling down your face. You hear a few gasps from the crowd.
A flicker of interest sparks in his dark eyes. A smile stretches itself slowly over his face. His gaze turns sharp and keen, staring intently into you. The bearded man places his large hands over your shoulders, channeling his internal energy into your body. You feel a throb of dark warmth seeping into your core. Then, he speaks, “Your qi. How very interesting. How beautifully chaotic, like the raging swirls of a stormy ocean. You have rare talent. It would be a shame if I did not let it blossom.”
Then, his smile turns into a wicked grin. “You will be my next apprentice. I have just run out of living ones. Come, I am taking you home.”
His grip turns as solid as steel. You wince in pain as you try to shrug him off, but your efforts prove futile. “I can’t!” you say quickly. “I already have a master, and I’m bound to him-“ The man snatches up your arm – the one with the mark of poison. “This? I suppose it is a conundrum. I cannot cure it, and I am afraid I would rather you not die of petty poison. Still, I do have a solution.” He pulls at your arm gently. The crowd begins to shout, calling for help.
“Take off the limb and the poison will not reach your heart. Do not worry. Under my tutelage you will still be more powerful than any man, even with one arm.” With nary a hint of effort from the man, you feel your shoulder joint dislocate. You can already imagine your arm flying off in his grasp, spraying blood all over the hall.
A sweet, gentle fragrance fills the air. “Master Zhang,” says a woman’s voice. It is a beautiful voice, soothing and pleasant to the ear. You feel a slender hand place itself over your dislocated arm. The man frowns, as if taken by surprise. Neither of you had sensed her approach, it seems. “Lady Ji. I am afraid I am preoccupied with some personal business at the moment.”
“Master Zhang,” repeats the voice, sterner this time. “This boy is a guest of the manor, as are you. It is not proper etiquette to harm another guest, nor is it polite to abduct one before the conference has even started.”
With a loud sigh, Zhang lets go of your dislocated arm. It falls limply to your side, causing you to groan from the pain. “Very well. As you wish, Lady Ji. I will take him with me after the winter solstice conference.” He laughs cruelly as he turns around.
“Do you not wish to participate?” asks Lady Ji, standing out of your sight.
“I have decided to spend my time at the inner court this year. Until later, Lady Ji,” says Zhang without looking back. He walks out of the hall. The crowd scatters hurriedly, with not a person wishing to get in his way.
“What a capricious man,” sighs the lady of the house. She turns you around and you get a glimpse of her for the first time. It would not be wrong to say that she is possibly the most beautiful person you have ever met. Her complexion is exceedingly fair and clear, and her features as exquisite as the finest dolls. Her clothing is made of the finest silk, after the ancient fashion of court ladies from a much older dynasty that you cannot identify. The prettiest concubine in the Imperial Palace would be as a dull pheasant hen in her presence. Though you cannot pin-point her age, she does not seem a day over thirty.
“Are you okay, child?” she asks. You give her a deep bow in response. “My arm is still attached to my body. It’s not even a flesh wound. I am eternally grateful for your assistance, Lady Ji.”
“Think nothing of it,” smiles the lady with a radiance that would outshine even the sun. “While you are here, you are my guest, and under my protection. Luoying Manor places utmost importance on the safety of all who reside here.” With a polite nod of the head, Lady Ji sweeps away from you and towards the dais at the front of the hall.
You stagger back to your seat, where Chi Qilin is staring at you. “Wow,” she says. Her eyes seem to be full of admiration. “That was insane. You went and talked to the Southern Maniac. You actually did it.”
“Oh, so that was him?” you groan.
“You really didn’t know? Would you have gone to him if you did?”
You give that question two seconds of thought before shaking your head. “No. I think I would still have approached him even if I knew his identity beforehand.” And that was the truth – you do think you would probably have done so.
Qilin laughs, tickled at your answer. “You’re a strange one. Well, I must admit, you really have guts. I think I see you in a different light now.” She stands up and walks behind you. Instinctively you move away from her; who knows what manner of poison she plans to inflict upon you this time?
“Hey, don’t worry. I’m just going to do this…” Her hands flash forward before you can react and grip your dislocated shoulder firmly. With a gentle push, almost as if she is giving you a massage, she nudges it back into position. You give a little shout of pain. “There,” she says cheerfully. “The joint-dislocating poison is a favourite over at our place, and I’ve had to learn how to fix such problems myself after getting hit by it one time too many.”
You swing your shoulder about, flexing it. It’s pretty much perfect – you couldn’t do any better yourself. You are about to thank her when she interrupts you.
“So, that’s the second favour you owe me,” grins Qilin. You give her a stare of disbelief. “I could have done it myself in a while! Wait, second favour? What’s the first one?”
“Oh, think about that yourself,” she smiles mischievously.
Before you can press her for more details, Lady Ji commences her welcome speech. The hall falls into respectful silence as the winter solstice conference begins.
***
The post-banquet affair is set aside for mingling between the attendees. This is a good chance to trawl for more information. You walk around, asking about:
(Pick only two)
I. Lady Ji.
II. The trial for fellowship.
III. The Ten Great Swords.
IV. The Southern Maniac, Zhang Jue.
V. Your strange qi condition, though you do not reveal that you have it.
VI. Yuhua Hall and the Yuhua Duqing Palm, as well as the woman-in-black.
***
The conference is also a place where scholars and other knowledgeable and skilled persons present what they have learnt. Many of the people here are masters in their field who excel at conveying their teachings in an interesting manner, and there is much to be learnt – it is a pity you do not have the time and learning prowess to absorb it all. Strangely, the atmosphere of the conference seems to boost your attention and concentration; you find yourself remembering more than you usually would, helping you learn faster.
Many little presentations happen over the course of the first day, and while attending them you find that you have learnt the most from:
A. A very impressive lecture by a distinguished and renowned orator on the art of persuading people. (Speech +3)
B. An enlightening guide on how to combine scholarly knowledge with artistic skill, letting both blossom. (Scholarly Knowledge +2, Artistic Skill +2)
C. A brilliant demonstration about sleight-of-hand movements by a mysterious, masked street performer. (Sleight of Hand +3)
D. An exciting lecture on the principles of weapon that allows people with zero knowledge about handling weapons to quickly learn the basics of how to use one. (Axe+1 , Bow+1, Saber+1, Spear+1, Staff+1, Thrown Weapons +1)
***
You retire to your room that night, exhausted. Slumping into your bed, you drift off into a nice slumber… until you are rudely awakened by a warm weight atop your body.
“What’s… what’s this heavy thing?” you groan out as you try to push it off you.
“Hey, that’s rude!” whispers Chi Qilin angrily.
“It is even more rude for you to be coming into my room and sitting on top of me in the middle of the night when I am trying to get some sleep!”
“Hush, be quiet. It’s the middle of the night. People need their sleep. You are a very inconsiderate brat, aren't you?” says Qilin. In the darkness you can barely make out her finger held to her lips.
“Yes, everyone is trying to sleep, except for certain unladylike girls who creep into a man’s bedroom. Is this the adult behaviour you are so proud of?” you retort quietly.
“Is this not adult behaviour?” she asks innocently, though you know she is mocking you. "Adults are known for sneaking into each others' chambers."
“No, not yet,” you say. “Here, let me show-“
Qilin lets out a brief squeak and leaps away from you before you can grab her to teach her a lesson. “W-Well, I am here for another thing, not to dally with a virgin boy.” She changes the subject quickly, though she seems a little flustered.
“To be honest, I need your help,” says the girl, regaining her composure quickly. “There’s something strange going on with the young scholar that came with us and the other two strangers.”
“What’s this, more of your busybody meddling? What business is that of yours, or for that matter, mine?” you sigh tiredly.
“Well, don’t you find it suspicious? I spotted them walking off further into the manor grounds just now. They might be going towards the rumoured inner court.”
“Then follow them, if you’re so interested,” you say irritably.
“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!”
You can’t believe the cheek of this girl.
***
A. You go with her. You are curious about what she said anyway.
B. You have better things to do than go with her. Like sleep.