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[LP CYOA] 傳
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
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Riverine Fugitive
Cao’er is sitting by herself, having found a dry corner where she could unpack her books. Her nose is buried in yet another tome, her eyes rapidly taking in the contents. She is so lost in her own little world that she only notices you when you sit down beside her. Clapping the book shut a little too quickly, she stares at you from behind her long bangs. “…yes, Jing?” Her face appears to be flushed.
You need to get around to giving her a haircut again, you think. Perhaps after you board the boat. “Nothing much. Is your book really that interesting?”
She nods.
“Can I take a look?”
She shakes her head.
“Why not?”
“It’s… not time yet. Still learning from it…” she explains quietly.
“I see,” you say, feeling just a little worried. At least, whatever it is, it shouldn’t come into play while you are on the river. Still, perhaps she shouldn’t be reading those sort of books in public. You rub the seam around your shoulder absentmindedly.
“…arm okay?” asks Cao’er.
“Oh, yes. Of course. You did a great job,” you smile. Even Master Yao himself probably could not have done any better.
“Don’t stress it too much for now.”
“Physician’s orders?”
She nods.
Laughing, you pat her head. Then, you look around. Yifang is talking to Song Lingshu. “I was just wondering… are the two of you alright?” With the Huashan Twins in close proximity on this trip, you had been reminded that Cao’er and Yifang are still twin sisters. After some time it was easy to forget, as they interacted little in front of you.
Cao’er seems to understand what you are getting at immediately. “No problem… no need to worry… no conflicts.”
“There being nothing is what I’m worried about,” you say. “Perhaps you should spend some time with her once in a while. The trip up-river will be a good opportunity.” You will try to think of something too – perhaps the other girls will be able to help.
Cao’er giggles, her voice a hushed whisper. “Don’t worry… you must be wondering if I will be okay when you are not around. Not a problem… we will always be together. Forever.” You cannot see her face clearly, hidden as it is by her long hair, but she seems to be smiling.
***
Bai Jiutian gives you that arrogant, know-it-all smile that you have come to expect from her when you approach. “Yes, what is it?” Though she greets you politely, you can tell that your presence is not entirely desirable.
“I needed to speak with you about the Ten Swords Conference.”
“Isn’t that over and done with?” she replies dismissively.
“What is your master planning with the Xuanyuan Sword? I find it hard to believe that he would just hand it over to the Emperor.”
“Hasn’t he made his intentions to you clear? It is of benefit to him from a political perspective. It could also serve as a way to intercede for the Zhang clan’s latest mistakes at the moment, and make him the stronger partner in the relationship.” She seems bored talking to you, as if you should already be able to figure all of this out by yourself and are wasting her time.
“Are you sure there is nothing else to it?” you press.
Bai falls silent in thought. Looking at you, she grins slightly. “I suppose that as my partner, you have done well in stealing the credit for everyone to share. That at least should disrupt part of my shifu’s plan. I should reward you for this, shouldn’t I?”
“By trying to kill me again?”
“Of course not!” She leans her head back gleefully, her shoulders shivering with laughter. “What would you say if I told you that I found out just where the rumours of the manuals’ re-emergence started? What would you say, if I told you that it originated from the palace?”
Does she mean to implicate the eunuchs or the Zhang clan? Or does she mean…
“That is a good, serious look you have in your eyes, Xu Jing,” smiles Bai Jiutian.
“I just thought it would be nice to treat you seriously once in a while, lest you blow your top off one time too many,” you say lightly, averting your eyes from hers. “Why would the palace be involved in this?”
“I would not know. Perhaps you may be able to find out. Is there anything else you need to speak with me about?”
“You aren’t telling me everything, are you?”
“A gentleman never reveals all of his secrets,” says Bai Jiutian smugly, as if she was actually one. “If you want to know more, you have to offer me more. We are equal partners, are we not? Hm… how about this? I am actually curious about what happened after the conference was disrupted by its host. If you tell me the whole truth about Taoying Island, I will tell you something else that I have found out about my shifu and shimu’s plans. Do we have a deal?”
A. You tell Bai Jiutian the truth about your fight with the immortal.
B. You tell Bai Jiutian about your fight with the immortal, but leave out certain pieces of vital information, such as Shun’s true identity, and the real Xuanyuan Sword.
C. No deal. You do not trust Bai Jiutian that much.
***
Liu Qi and Su Liaojing look up from their weiqi board as you arrive. It is rather clear that the Kunlun disciple is winning. “Young Master Xu,” he greets you with a bow. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
“Nothing serious, really,” you say, sitting down. “I just thought it would be nice to get to know the both of you better, as fellow young pugilists.”
“I see,” murmurs Su. “I thought you might still hold a grudge for Heihu Valley.”
You laugh. “Ah, you did beat me pretty soundly with that trick, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t know you beat Man Tiger Pig in a match, Liaojing!” exclaims Liu Qi.
“I was merely lucky, and in the end he came out ahead,” he says humbly.
You remember Cao’er helping you out by ambushing him, and then you had left him frozen in the middle of the battlefield. It was a rather humiliating fate; perhaps it was he who should hold a grudge instead. You shake your head. “It was a good trick. I was overconfident.”
“Since you’re here, Xu Jing, there is one thing I found curious,” asks Liu Qi. “How do you know… him?”
He must be referring to Shun. You give Liu a good shrug, and say, “We go quite some ways back. In fact, I’m actually surprised that you knew them, Brother Su.”
“I have been in the palace workshops quite a few times as of late, invited to help with their projects related to fire medicine. They are… greatly expanding on its uses. I have seen him there frequently, and though he did not reveal his true identity I had my suspicions,” explains Su Liaojing, and he elaborates no further. “The eunuch besides him I have never seen, but I sensed something dangerous about him. Clearly he is someone we should be careful of. You should take care too, Man Tiger Pig.”
“Oh, he’s just a softie once you get to know him better,” you chuckle. Perhaps you have gotten too used to Gao Ying’s presence, that his quiet menace no longer registered with you. You are not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
“Is it such a good thing for us pugilists to be so closely involved with the palace?” wonders Liu Qi out loud suddenly. Is he talking about himself, or is he talking about his masters? For now, you have no answer for him.
***
The travel upstream is comfortable and steady – Nie is well-off enough to be able to hire three boats to accommodate the large number of travellers. It would take a few more days to get to the next point, but in the meantime, you could rest on the decks. You notice that Xuezi seems to be spending quite some time on the Huashan boat; she claims that she has been invited by Madam Nie to spend some time there, and that she will use this as an opportunity to dig out whatever information she can. When you tried to advise caution, she was rather rude in return… but that is no surprise by now. She can probably handle herself, you think.
The second day on the river brings with it an unexpected commotion.
As you pop your head out of the covered deck, you see Bai Jiutian on the boat next to yours, looking towards the far bank. There, a familiar figure is waving around two axes, racing alongside the river on horseback, followed by a group of ten ragged men. Pursuing them, but lagging a fair distance behind, are at least a few dozen imperial soldiers. Pang Xiaohu rears his horse and reverses direction, riding past his surprised men and charging at the soldiers; apparently he is attempting to buy them time to escape.
What is the Little Tiger doing here?
“Jiutian, help out the soldiers in capturing those men,” orders Nie Wuxing loudly. “As orthodox pugilists, we cannot merely stand by and watch.”
“As you wish, master,” bows Bai politely, but before he can leap into action, one of the Huashan Twins speaks up.
“Father, let us assist!”
Nie Wuxing scowls. “This is too dangerous!”
They argue for a very short while before deciding that the Twins should assist in capturing the fleeing followers, while Bai Jiutian goes after the leader.
You do not feel like sitting here and watching the show; you have to intervene somehow.
***
A. You assist Bai Jiutian in taking down Pang Xiaohu. You do not know why he is here or being pursued by soldiers, but he is a bandit after all. It is not surprising.
B. You ‘assist’ Bai Jiutian in taking down Pang Xiaohu. Even if you do not know why he is being pursued, finding a chance to let him go free at the moment might yield a reward later.
C. You assist the Huashan Twins in going after Pang’s men. They might need the help; you are not sure if they are savvy enough to be going up against cut-throats and brigands.
D. You ‘assist’ the Huashan Twins in going after Pang’s men. Letting them escape should earn you the gratitude of the bandits, and they already seem beaten anyway.
Cao’er is sitting by herself, having found a dry corner where she could unpack her books. Her nose is buried in yet another tome, her eyes rapidly taking in the contents. She is so lost in her own little world that she only notices you when you sit down beside her. Clapping the book shut a little too quickly, she stares at you from behind her long bangs. “…yes, Jing?” Her face appears to be flushed.
You need to get around to giving her a haircut again, you think. Perhaps after you board the boat. “Nothing much. Is your book really that interesting?”
She nods.
“Can I take a look?”
She shakes her head.
“Why not?”
“It’s… not time yet. Still learning from it…” she explains quietly.
“I see,” you say, feeling just a little worried. At least, whatever it is, it shouldn’t come into play while you are on the river. Still, perhaps she shouldn’t be reading those sort of books in public. You rub the seam around your shoulder absentmindedly.
“…arm okay?” asks Cao’er.
“Oh, yes. Of course. You did a great job,” you smile. Even Master Yao himself probably could not have done any better.
“Don’t stress it too much for now.”
“Physician’s orders?”
She nods.
Laughing, you pat her head. Then, you look around. Yifang is talking to Song Lingshu. “I was just wondering… are the two of you alright?” With the Huashan Twins in close proximity on this trip, you had been reminded that Cao’er and Yifang are still twin sisters. After some time it was easy to forget, as they interacted little in front of you.
Cao’er seems to understand what you are getting at immediately. “No problem… no need to worry… no conflicts.”
“There being nothing is what I’m worried about,” you say. “Perhaps you should spend some time with her once in a while. The trip up-river will be a good opportunity.” You will try to think of something too – perhaps the other girls will be able to help.
Cao’er giggles, her voice a hushed whisper. “Don’t worry… you must be wondering if I will be okay when you are not around. Not a problem… we will always be together. Forever.” You cannot see her face clearly, hidden as it is by her long hair, but she seems to be smiling.
***
Bai Jiutian gives you that arrogant, know-it-all smile that you have come to expect from her when you approach. “Yes, what is it?” Though she greets you politely, you can tell that your presence is not entirely desirable.
“I needed to speak with you about the Ten Swords Conference.”
“Isn’t that over and done with?” she replies dismissively.
“What is your master planning with the Xuanyuan Sword? I find it hard to believe that he would just hand it over to the Emperor.”
“Hasn’t he made his intentions to you clear? It is of benefit to him from a political perspective. It could also serve as a way to intercede for the Zhang clan’s latest mistakes at the moment, and make him the stronger partner in the relationship.” She seems bored talking to you, as if you should already be able to figure all of this out by yourself and are wasting her time.
“Are you sure there is nothing else to it?” you press.
Bai falls silent in thought. Looking at you, she grins slightly. “I suppose that as my partner, you have done well in stealing the credit for everyone to share. That at least should disrupt part of my shifu’s plan. I should reward you for this, shouldn’t I?”
“By trying to kill me again?”
“Of course not!” She leans her head back gleefully, her shoulders shivering with laughter. “What would you say if I told you that I found out just where the rumours of the manuals’ re-emergence started? What would you say, if I told you that it originated from the palace?”
Does she mean to implicate the eunuchs or the Zhang clan? Or does she mean…
“That is a good, serious look you have in your eyes, Xu Jing,” smiles Bai Jiutian.
“I just thought it would be nice to treat you seriously once in a while, lest you blow your top off one time too many,” you say lightly, averting your eyes from hers. “Why would the palace be involved in this?”
“I would not know. Perhaps you may be able to find out. Is there anything else you need to speak with me about?”
“You aren’t telling me everything, are you?”
“A gentleman never reveals all of his secrets,” says Bai Jiutian smugly, as if she was actually one. “If you want to know more, you have to offer me more. We are equal partners, are we not? Hm… how about this? I am actually curious about what happened after the conference was disrupted by its host. If you tell me the whole truth about Taoying Island, I will tell you something else that I have found out about my shifu and shimu’s plans. Do we have a deal?”
A. You tell Bai Jiutian the truth about your fight with the immortal.
B. You tell Bai Jiutian about your fight with the immortal, but leave out certain pieces of vital information, such as Shun’s true identity, and the real Xuanyuan Sword.
C. No deal. You do not trust Bai Jiutian that much.
***
Liu Qi and Su Liaojing look up from their weiqi board as you arrive. It is rather clear that the Kunlun disciple is winning. “Young Master Xu,” he greets you with a bow. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
“Nothing serious, really,” you say, sitting down. “I just thought it would be nice to get to know the both of you better, as fellow young pugilists.”
“I see,” murmurs Su. “I thought you might still hold a grudge for Heihu Valley.”
You laugh. “Ah, you did beat me pretty soundly with that trick, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t know you beat Man Tiger Pig in a match, Liaojing!” exclaims Liu Qi.
“I was merely lucky, and in the end he came out ahead,” he says humbly.
You remember Cao’er helping you out by ambushing him, and then you had left him frozen in the middle of the battlefield. It was a rather humiliating fate; perhaps it was he who should hold a grudge instead. You shake your head. “It was a good trick. I was overconfident.”
“Since you’re here, Xu Jing, there is one thing I found curious,” asks Liu Qi. “How do you know… him?”
He must be referring to Shun. You give Liu a good shrug, and say, “We go quite some ways back. In fact, I’m actually surprised that you knew them, Brother Su.”
“I have been in the palace workshops quite a few times as of late, invited to help with their projects related to fire medicine. They are… greatly expanding on its uses. I have seen him there frequently, and though he did not reveal his true identity I had my suspicions,” explains Su Liaojing, and he elaborates no further. “The eunuch besides him I have never seen, but I sensed something dangerous about him. Clearly he is someone we should be careful of. You should take care too, Man Tiger Pig.”
“Oh, he’s just a softie once you get to know him better,” you chuckle. Perhaps you have gotten too used to Gao Ying’s presence, that his quiet menace no longer registered with you. You are not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
“Is it such a good thing for us pugilists to be so closely involved with the palace?” wonders Liu Qi out loud suddenly. Is he talking about himself, or is he talking about his masters? For now, you have no answer for him.
***
The travel upstream is comfortable and steady – Nie is well-off enough to be able to hire three boats to accommodate the large number of travellers. It would take a few more days to get to the next point, but in the meantime, you could rest on the decks. You notice that Xuezi seems to be spending quite some time on the Huashan boat; she claims that she has been invited by Madam Nie to spend some time there, and that she will use this as an opportunity to dig out whatever information she can. When you tried to advise caution, she was rather rude in return… but that is no surprise by now. She can probably handle herself, you think.
The second day on the river brings with it an unexpected commotion.
As you pop your head out of the covered deck, you see Bai Jiutian on the boat next to yours, looking towards the far bank. There, a familiar figure is waving around two axes, racing alongside the river on horseback, followed by a group of ten ragged men. Pursuing them, but lagging a fair distance behind, are at least a few dozen imperial soldiers. Pang Xiaohu rears his horse and reverses direction, riding past his surprised men and charging at the soldiers; apparently he is attempting to buy them time to escape.
What is the Little Tiger doing here?
“Jiutian, help out the soldiers in capturing those men,” orders Nie Wuxing loudly. “As orthodox pugilists, we cannot merely stand by and watch.”
“As you wish, master,” bows Bai politely, but before he can leap into action, one of the Huashan Twins speaks up.
“Father, let us assist!”
Nie Wuxing scowls. “This is too dangerous!”
They argue for a very short while before deciding that the Twins should assist in capturing the fleeing followers, while Bai Jiutian goes after the leader.
You do not feel like sitting here and watching the show; you have to intervene somehow.
***
A. You assist Bai Jiutian in taking down Pang Xiaohu. You do not know why he is here or being pursued by soldiers, but he is a bandit after all. It is not surprising.
B. You ‘assist’ Bai Jiutian in taking down Pang Xiaohu. Even if you do not know why he is being pursued, finding a chance to let him go free at the moment might yield a reward later.
C. You assist the Huashan Twins in going after Pang’s men. They might need the help; you are not sure if they are savvy enough to be going up against cut-throats and brigands.
D. You ‘assist’ the Huashan Twins in going after Pang’s men. Letting them escape should earn you the gratitude of the bandits, and they already seem beaten anyway.
Last edited:
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Alternatively, you could have talked to Madam Nie, drawing her interest to yourself and away from Xuezi, or talked to the Huashan Twins, which would have earned you an invite onto their boat, or to Nie Wuxing, trolling him so much that he asks you to be there just to keep an eye on you.
Elfberserker
Liturgist
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2013
- Messages
- 1,540
Hmm.
The situation with Xuezi might be still be salvageable.
Still this is difficult situation.
I doubt that Pang Xiaohu flees easily, if his men are still in trouble.
Then again he is fighting Bai Jiutian.
Well damn.
So we could had hot milf or twin route and codex passed those, even thought Xu Jing was supposed to be harem king
The situation with Xuezi might be still be salvageable.
Still this is difficult situation.
I doubt that Pang Xiaohu flees easily, if his men are still in trouble.
Then again he is fighting Bai Jiutian.
Well damn.
So we could had hot milf or twin route and codex passed those, even thought Xu Jing was supposed to be harem king
Nevill
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 11,211
What do you know - this was a valid concern. Hmm.
Does she not wonder where Fu Xia could have learned the neigong of her people who betrayed her?
Anyway, Bx for the current choice.
Edit: abstained
Last edited:
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If you were really serious about pursuing those particular leads and investigating the Jiuyin Manual, you'd have voted for a combination that includes Madam Nie and Bai Jiutian, which would unlock a bit more information, so to speak. As it is, there's no reason for Xuezi not to do a bit of probing on her own.
There were other hidden synergies in those conversation options too.
E.g.
Madam Nie & Nie Wuxing
Nie Wuxing & Twins
Taishan Masters & Taishan Disciples
Cao'er & Yifang
Sword Saint & Zhang Minyue
etc.
There were other hidden synergies in those conversation options too.
E.g.
Madam Nie & Nie Wuxing
Nie Wuxing & Twins
Taishan Masters & Taishan Disciples
Cao'er & Yifang
Sword Saint & Zhang Minyue
etc.
Elfberserker
Liturgist
- Joined
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- Messages
- 1,540
AX
For now.
It would look bad for us even someone suspecting that we assisted bandits, but I have gut feeling that Pang Xiahou knows something important or has something important,
Location of legendary manuals, Manuals themself, Secret information about palace etc,etc
Or it could be nothing and I am just paranoid.
For now.
It would look bad for us even someone suspecting that we assisted bandits, but I have gut feeling that Pang Xiahou knows something important or has something important,
Location of legendary manuals, Manuals themself, Secret information about palace etc,etc
Or it could be nothing and I am just paranoid.
Kashmir Slippers
Magister
BA
Elfberserker
Liturgist
- Joined
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- 1,540
If you were really serious about pursuing those particular leads and investigating the Jiuyin Manual, you'd have voted for a combination that includes Madam Nie and Bai Jiutian, which would unlock a bit more information, so to speak. As it is, there's no reason for Xuezi not to do a bit of probing on her own.
There were other hidden synergies in those conversation options too.
E.g.
Madam Nie & Nie Wuxing
Nie Wuxing & Twins
Taishan Masters & Taishan Disciples
Cao'er & Yifang
Sword Saint & Zhang Minyue
etc.
Oh wow
You must tell us which would have been most lulziest
Akkudakku
Arbiter
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2014
- Messages
- 1,125
A - because I like Bai AND we can still flop her completly to 'our' side.
A>C - Fuck Pang, never liked him, bandit scum threading on innocents need to die. But I'm somewhat scared for the Twins their harem situation might be salvagable also (and massive Nie points here, he might start to think we were swayed to their side of thinking (and thats what we want him thinking), also saving his daughters counts).
A>C - Fuck Pang, never liked him, bandit scum threading on innocents need to die. But I'm somewhat scared for the Twins their harem situation might be salvagable also (and massive Nie points here, he might start to think we were swayed to their side of thinking (and thats what we want him thinking), also saving his daughters counts).
Fangshi
Arcane
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- Jan 9, 2014
- Messages
- 1,997
CB
C for the first vote, I don't trust BJ but have no desire to tell her half a story either. The girl is smart and I am not convinced that Jing will be able to fool her.
B for the second vote, the Little Tiger is our MurderBro, we can not let him get captured! He has been nothing but a gentleman to us the entire time we have known him, he deserves to be free so I can not in good conscience vote for anything else.
C for the first vote, I don't trust BJ but have no desire to tell her half a story either. The girl is smart and I am not convinced that Jing will be able to fool her.
B for the second vote, the Little Tiger is our MurderBro, we can not let him get captured! He has been nothing but a gentleman to us the entire time we have known him, he deserves to be free so I can not in good conscience vote for anything else.
Nevill
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 11,211
It does sound like we don't have enough Bai points for her to share something really useful with us right now.
Still, it feels somewhat strange to try and build a proper cooperative relationship while undermining her fight with Pang Xiaohu.
I do not want to tell her everything, since it is not our secret to tell (Heavens fighting against Shun is kind of a huge deal, as far as his legitimacy is concerned), and I just know Madam Nie will find a way to use it against us. A half-truth is probably acceptable here. She'll figure the rest eventually, but by then it might be already late for zhangs.
Maybe I should not get involed with Xiaohu, after all. Or maybe I should go all the way and help Bai apprehend him.
I just don't trust what is happening in the Palace anymore, and we've been told repeatedly, since the very beginning of the LP, not to get entangled in the matters of the court. I figured that Xiaohu might know something about the recent happenings. He did visit Youxia City for some reason, after all.
I'll abstain on the second choice.
Last edited:
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This.
Kz3r0
Arcane
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Rex Feral
Prophet
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2013
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Where's the option to stay out of the fight?
BC
And damn were that some shitty choices for who to speak with. Cao'er who rarely has anything to say, Bro Jiutan, who is as trustable as a snake, and two guys we barely know. Not that I have any right to complain since I havent'voted.
BC
And damn were that some shitty choices for who to speak with. Cao'er who rarely has anything to say, Bro Jiutan, who is as trustable as a snake, and two guys we barely know. Not that I have any right to complain since I havent'voted.
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