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I have become GOD! Ahahahahaha! The power surging through my penis veins! Xu Jing I will rape destroy all you love and care about! This will be my revenge!
(BTW did Jing ressurect the fucker in this alternate scene? Or are just gods hating us so much?)
Although Youxia City is not governed by any official of the government, it pays its tribute to the Imperial Court; after the brief war between the Tang army and the Bandit Kingdom, the much diminished bandits agreed to a treaty that reduced their territory and established the independent status of Youxia City – it would no longer be under the thumb of Pang Hu.
The lord of the city is Du Yao, who was once a minor bureaucrat in Chang’an. Under his rule Youxia City has become known for its lucrative black market. If there is any city in the Central Plains that can be called a nest of miscreants and thieves, this is it. However, Youxia City is also one of the freest cities; there is little in the way of taxes and regulations. It now runs a thriving business off of the bandits, the nearby Tang garrison, as well as a multitude of visitors whose strange and perhaps disreputable tastes are catered to.
You catch your first sight of the city as you come down the mountain pass. Unlike the stone walls surrounding the more respectable cities, Youxia City is surrounded by wooden ramparts. The buildings in and around the city are constructed haphazardly, with no thought given as to planning and layout; more than anything, it seems like a collection of buildings that have sprouted all over the place like mushrooms. The path to the city is well-lit with lanterns, and the city itself is full of life. You can feel the activity even though you have not yet stepped past its gates.
Your group arrives separately from Jiang Zheng’s constables; they had to strap the paralyzed Fu Xia to a horse for a good part of the journey after he attempted to flirt with Cao’er and Yifang, and from that moment onwards Jiang had ordered the two groups to move separately until further notice.
The guards at the gate do not stop you, nor they do even pretend to notice you; they seem more preoccupied with their game of dice than anything else. As you pass under the rickety of arch, Song Lingshu lets out a murmur of astonishment. Narrow streets and crowded buildings stretch out before you, packed with all manner of activity both legal and illegal.
“First time travelling the jianghu?” you ask.
She shakes her head. “No, but I’ve always journeyed with either my father or Mao Sanjiao. They’ve never brought me to these places.”
“I do not like it here,” says Yifang, lowering her head. “It is sinful.”
You laugh. “Of course it is. There is no place without sin in the world, sister.”
“There’s no need to worry, Yifang,” says Lingshu happily. “Just like there is no shadow without light, the darker the evil, the more brightly our justice shines! We should be able to do much good here.” Apparently Lingshu and Yifang had busied themselves righting wrongs and capturing criminals in Chang’an while you were occupied with other matters, earning a small reputation for themselves as they assisted the city’s constables in their duties.
You wonder amusedly how they will find Youxia City.
“We are supposed to meet up with Chief Jiang at Xinchun Restaurant, aren’t we?” asks Qilin.
“That’s right. Should we ask someone for the way?”
“There’s no need. I know how to get there. It’s the most famous restaurant in the northern region, beating out even Chang’an’s famed Fuman Restaurant. Their roasted duck is to die for,” she says excitedly.
“You seem really knowledgeable about food for someone who can’t cook,” you remark.
“Oh? You seemed eager enough to tuck in the last time I made something for you.”
Your face twists into a grimace as the memory comes back to you, causing Qilin to giggle. To be fair, you had no choice in the matter whatsoever, at the time…
Qilin leads the way through the narrow streets, and you remind Cao’er and the others to follow closely. You would not want any of them getting lost. Cao’er seems to take it quite literally, however; she clings on to you, with Yifang clinging to her, and Song Lingshu taking her friend’s hand at the end of the line – it is enough to attract the attentions of the passersby as you walk down the street like a mother duck leading her ducklings.
You reach Xinchun Restaurant without any mishaps on the way. It is a large, wooden structure three-storeys high and full of raucous revelry. Entering the building, you see that it is packed – there must be hundreds of customers here. Most of them look like they can hold their own in a fight; there are soldiers, thugs, bandits and pugilists both men and women, and even a few drunken monks lounging about. The waiters are busy scurrying about the place, serving the dishes as fast as they can.
Looking around, you spot Jiang Zheng and his constables at a table, food already on the table. Xiaofang and Fu Xia are talking animatedly, the former having put on a very feminine disguise and the latter now cured of his paralysis. Lady Suien has her nose in her books rather than the food in front of her. Chief Jiang is the only person actually eating, though he does so quietly and slowly, taking his time.
Approaching them, you ask, “I am sorry, but this place appears to be rather full. Could we share this table with you?” Jiang Zheng looks up at you and nods stoicly. As your group takes their seats, Fu Xia moves away nervously when he sees Cao’er. She ignores him, instead taking out her own books and burying herself in them, just like Lady Suien opposite her. The waiter comes over; Qilin takes care of the ordering before you can say anything, rattling off a list of delicacies. The waiter takes her order readily before running off.
“I hope you can pay for that,” you whisper.
“But you’re the head of the household, darling!” she replies, feigning a look of shock before grinning. “Don’t worry, the government will pick up the tab, won’t they?”
Jiang Zheng scowls, but nods. “Necessary expenses,” he grunts.
Qilin flashes you a look of triumph.
As you wait for the food to come, you begin talking to the chief constable. “What are we doing here?”
“The first rule of any investigation is to keep yourself fed. Can’t run one on an empty stomach,” he says. “Besides, we all need some rest after the journey. After this, I’ll pay Du Yao a visit. I’m sure he already knows I am here, so it is better to meet him sooner rather than later.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Just be prepared for anything. You can come along with me if you wish. If I am unable to find out anything from Du Yao, we will have to keep our ears open in this city. Leads will surface sooner or later… in fact, look over there.” He gives a surreptitious jab with his thumb that only you can see. You slowly shift your gaze slightly so that you see who he is pointing at: a man with untied long hair, sitting together with three others at a small table. They appear to be wearing uniform colours, black and red. “That’s the uniform of the Jinkong Sect,” explains Jiang Zheng. “The man with the long hair is one of their senior disciples, Xi Mukang.”
“It wouldn’t be surprising to see them here, since their sect is nearby, right?” you offer.
“No, it wouldn’t. They could be here for entirely unrelated reasons. But it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him anyway. We also-“
“Come on, ladies, hang out with us instead! These men are more interested in talking to each other than plucking the beautiful flowers in their midst!” Jiang is interrupted vulgarly by a red-faced large man leaning over your table. His sleeves are ripped off – on purpose, it seems – baring his muscular arms. The interloper drapes one such arm over Song Lingshu, grinning. Her nose wrinkles; he probably stinks of alcohol.
“So, how about it?” he grins goofily.
Before you can do anything, Lingshu drives an elbow into the man’s gut, sending him stumbling away in pain. There is a smile on her face. “Don’t you know it is impolite to lay your hands on a lady? Really, you should behave yourself,” she calls out, as the man falls to his knees, hunched over.
A split second later, chaos sweeps the restaurant; it looks like the fallen man was part of a rather larger group. They rush at her, but with an expert twist of her wrist she brings one man down and kicks him right in the face. Yifang immediately leaps to her aid, nervously guarding Lingshu’s back as she takes down a grown man with a chop to the neck.
You try to stand up to stop the fight, but Jiang shakes his head, his face now set into a frown that seems to be on his face more often than not ever since the two of you became acquainted. “Don’t worry. It is not that unusual in Youxia City for a fight to break out, and it’ll be a good distraction while I leave. In fact… I think I should leave to meet Du Yao now. Before anything else happens.”
Meanwhile, the small brawl that Lingshu and Yifang have gotten themselves in has widened in scope; some of Lingshu’s careless attacks have sent men flying into other tables, angering even more of the patrons.
One of them attempts to grab Cao’er, charging at her. Annoyance smouldering in her eyes, she flicks her fingers, sending a chopstick shooting right into his eye. He falls, rolling on the floor in agony.
Yet another one goes after Lady Suien. Without so much as looking away from her books even once, she draws a strange, unwieldy contraption from her robes and points it at his legs. There is a bang and a puff of smoke, and her assailant hops backwards as he clutches his bleeding thigh. He crashes into the drunken monks’ table, spilling their food all over the floor. The shaved ones spring to their feet, shouting angrily both at him and at your group. Fu Xia stands up and tries to talk with them, but instead becomes entangled in a fight with the monks.
Xiaofang, on the other hand, is just sitting and staring at the chaotic mess all around her.
The Jinkong Sect members are looking around angrily, as if they too have been infected by the mood and want to participate in the brawl, but Xi Mukang is still sipping his wine calmly. That only lasts until a flying man knocks the cup from his hand. They, too, join the fight.
“Try this, it’s good!” says Qilin as she dangles some nice-looking duck meat from her chopsticks. She seems entirely unconcerned at the brawl going on around her that now threatens to engulf all three floors of the restaurant.
***
A. You leave the restaurant to meet Du Yao, the most influential man in the city.
1. You do so together with Jiang Zheng. It would be a good opportunity to introduce yourself to the lord of the city formally, and you would be able to pick up more of the investigation directly that way. Besides, he probably already knows of your arrival in the city anyway - you should pay your respects honestly.
2. You arrive separately from Jiang Zheng, introducing yourself as if you had no relation to him. Perhaps Du Yao will say different things to different people. This could yield valuable information that Jiang Zheng would not be able to obtain; your reputation as the Southern Maniac's apprentice could be advantageous here.
3. You sneak after Jiang Zheng, shadowing him into the estate. Just in case – it could be more interesting if no one knew you were there. Perhaps you might be able to uncover more secrets as you snoop about Du Yao's residence and eavesdrop wherever you can.
***
B. You stay in the restaurant so that you can keep an eye on the Jinkong Sect members.
1. You will make the girls behave and sit down, and then you will crush this entire restaurant by yourself. There are perhaps two, three hundred people here at least. No problem. You’ll just have to beat them down until they give up, and you don’t think it will take long. Still, it is a pity you did not learn the Lion's Roar... it would have been perfect here.
2. You join the girls in the brawl and lend them a hand. You will fight together with them until your opponents surrender or the restaurant is destroyed, whichever comes first. It might not be too wise to leave everything up to the hot-headed Lingshu. Though you probably don't have the right to criticize her on that aspect.
3. You sit back and enjoy the meal with Qilin. The rest of the girls can handle the fight; it’ll be good practice for them. Besides, Qilin is really insisting that the duck is very good, and you’re more interested in whether it lives up to the hype. Anyone that interrupts you does so at their own peril.
2. You arrive separately from Jiang Zheng, introducing yourself as if you had no relation to him. Perhaps Du Yao will say different things to different people.
I'd rather stay, if only to keep an eye on the girls. Yifang and Lingshu are not well-suited for the Youxia adventures.
I take it B3 will allow us to talk with Xi Mukang, as we would be the only people not busy fighting.
Centering all attention on ourselves with B1 does not sound too good. If anything, it would be nice avoiding fame around these parts. Besides, will the government cover those expenses, too?
On the fence between B2 for Lingshu bro-points and a more controllable fallout, and B3 for sheer awesomeness and conversation opportunities, though leaning to the latter.
The girls seem to have things in control (and we can step in that changes). It would seem tempting to go and talk to the guy alone to see what story he spins our way, but we've already been seen in a restaurant talking with policemen. And they are apparently buying us food as well.
Song Lingshu and Yifang are like Minsc and Boo. Xiaofang is a drag queen. Lady Suien is a gunslinger. This group of people has all kinds in it :D
I'm voting B3>A3>B1. If this duck is realy that good...
Also SneakyTiger would yeld some tasty info. And then again we could step up the 100 man battle up a notch here!
I'll vote B3, just because it is customary for the biggest badass in the tavern to sit down and enjoy the food while the brawl breaks all around him. And I want to savor the look on the face of an unfortunate soul who will inevitably come crushing into our table and realise that he just spoiled the lunch of the Southern Maniac's apprentice.
treave said:
Your group arrives separately from Jiang Zheng’s constables; they had to strap the paralyzed Fu Xia to a horse for a good part of the journey after he attempted to flirt with Cao’er and Yifang, and from that moment onwards Jiang had ordered the two groups to move separately until further notice.
