treave
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
A Challenger Arrives
Neither you nor Yifang make a move. Her sword is held steady as she keeps her focus pinned on you. The nun takes one step forward. You hold up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. As she looks on in puzzlement, you rummage around your garments. After a while, you whip out a folded, grey piece of cloth, which you hold out to her in an unmistakeably apologetic manner. Her eyes widen.
“I am sorry. I should not have stolen this,” you say, soft enough that the crowd cannot hear you clearly. “Your serious and earnest aura just now convinced me that I have erred in my ways. I see the light now.”
She relaxes almost instantly, a smile lighting up her face. “That is wonderful! I am glad you have repented. Let me teach you later about the wonders of the Buddha’s teachings!” Yifang comes towards you to take the skull cap back, but you stop her again once she is close enough. “Wait,” you say. “There is one last thing I would like to do.” Yifang looks at you with a puzzled, innocent smile. “Yes?”
Putting the skull cap to the pig’s nose of your mask, you inhale very, very deeply before letting out a satisfied sigh. The crowd begins whistling and jeering you in good humour, laughing at your antics. Yifang’s face turns red instantly. “G-g-g-give that back right now, you impure pervert!” she stammers, running towards you. You flee from her, holding the skull cap over your head.
The two of you begin running in circles around the ring as she attempts to snatch back the skull cap. “Why do you always act like this?” she moans, clearly frustrated with your recalcitrance. “Don’t you take anything seriously?”
“Let me guess,” you chuckle as you duck her grasping arms, “you thought that if you really beat me in a fight, I would listen to you?”
“Yes! You are arrogant and boastful and perverted. I wanted to show you that-“ –she attempts to grab the skull cap with a wide swing, but fails– “-that there is always someone better, so that you would be humbled and listen. If I beat you today… if I just beat you today…”
She comes at you with her sword, but her movements are sloppy and impatient. Her eyes are tearing up from your bullying. You suppose you shouldn’t go too far – you should stop before she starts crying. You dance back a few steps. Twirling the skull cap around your finger, you say, “So all you want is for me to listen to you, right? Okay. If you can get this back, I’ll listen to you for… let’s see, about an hour. I will sit quietly and consider everything you have to say seriously.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I give you my word.”
“Then…” Yifang comes at you with renewed resolve. Her technique is keen and swift – her first stab would have hit you right in the chest if she was not aiming for the more difficult target; your hand holding her skull cap. You manage to draw back in time, but she presses the attack without pause. Even with your knowledge of how the Qingcheng Stab works, you find yourself quickly being pushed towards the edge of the ring. Her control over the technique is absolutely flawless; you find yourself thinking that the counter you had devised would probably work only four times out of ten, against an opponent of her caliber. If this had been a serious fight, where she was aiming to defeat you instead of getting the skull cap back, you would have certainly lost by now in your current condition.
As it is, you can predict where she will strike thanks to the treasure you have in your hand. Still, you won’t be able to hold out much longer. You slow down your movements, clutching your injured arm. A look of concern passes across her face, but it doesn’t stop her from closing the distance as she attempts to wrest the skull cap away from you now that you are in a vulnerable position. Clever girl.
In desperation, you toss the skull cap away, out of her reach. She leaps after it.
Yifang catches the skull cap and turns around to look triumphantly at you, but at the same time the gong is sounded, signalling that she is out of bounds. Her face freezes as she realizes a bit too late what you were planning. Silly girl. You bow towards her respectfully. “I will listen to all you have to say later, as promised.” Thankfully, Yifang isn’t as cunning as Qilin. That would never have worked if she was.
The crowd is in a good mood despite the anti-climatic end to the match, apparently humoured sufficiently by your antics.
As you are announced the winner, a young man comes running towards the stage. The tournament officials attempt to restrain him, holding him back. He seems to be wearing the uniform of a Huashan disciple.
“You!” he shouts, his voice ringing loud and clear, “You are Zhang Jue’s disciple, aren’t you? Man Tiger Pig!” There is an audible gasp from the crowd as they begin to murmur at this accusation. Yifang begins to come towards you, clearly worried, but you wave her off with a quick and subtle gesture of your fingers.
You take one step forward and stare silently at the Huashan disciple from behind your mask. You have not met him before, of that you are sure. He falters slightly under your wordless gaze before bravely continuing his allegations. “Your master killed my father! How dare you come all the way here in front of the honourable and noble Eight Sects when you study under such a cruel and murderous man?” The tournament officials continue to push him back as they do their jobs. The man is clearly disrupting the event.
“Wait!” calls out a man from the benches where the tournament committee sits. As he stands up, you recognize the clothes to be that of Kunlun. He appears to be in his early thirties, with a rather distinguished moustache above his lips. “Officials, free this brother of ours and allow him to speak. If indeed Man Tiger Pig is Zhang Jue’s disciple, he must at least face up to the sins of his master. That is his duty as an apprentice. We can afford to bend the rules for such a serious matter.”
The tournament officials reluctantly let go of the Huashan disciple. With a single bound he leaps onto the stage.
He shouts out his challenge, “My name is Yu Gan! Your master, the Southern Maniac Zhang Jue, killed my father Yu Bing. He was struck down without righteous cause and died a horrible death. I have trained all my life to avenge his death. Now that I know his disciple is here, I would seek a match to uphold my father’s honor! Will you respond, Man Tiger Pig?”
When he finishes, he places one hand on the hilt of his sword. You find funny that he is using the name ‘Man Tiger Pig’ so seriously in connection with the tragic death of his father at Master Zhang's hands. The crowd is waiting with bated breath, eager to see how you will react.
***
A. You admit to being Zhang Jue’s disciple. You don’t think there is any need to hide it now, after your conversation with the leaders of Wudang and Shaolin.
B. You deny being Zhang Jue’s disciple. You don't think Yu Gan's appearance is a coincidence. Someone is trying to lure you out, and you are not going to oblige.
***
1. You will fight him. Whether or not you admit to being Zhang Jue’s disciple, if he has come up on stage you can’t let him leave without the fight he wants. That would be rather impolite. Besides, it would serve as an easy reminder of your strength after your anti-climatic win over Yifang.
2. You don’t fight him. You aren't going to push yourself after managing to avoid a straight fight with Yifang. It may disappoint the crowd, but you can’t please everyone. You'll just have to talk your way out of the challenge.
Neither you nor Yifang make a move. Her sword is held steady as she keeps her focus pinned on you. The nun takes one step forward. You hold up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. As she looks on in puzzlement, you rummage around your garments. After a while, you whip out a folded, grey piece of cloth, which you hold out to her in an unmistakeably apologetic manner. Her eyes widen.
“I am sorry. I should not have stolen this,” you say, soft enough that the crowd cannot hear you clearly. “Your serious and earnest aura just now convinced me that I have erred in my ways. I see the light now.”
She relaxes almost instantly, a smile lighting up her face. “That is wonderful! I am glad you have repented. Let me teach you later about the wonders of the Buddha’s teachings!” Yifang comes towards you to take the skull cap back, but you stop her again once she is close enough. “Wait,” you say. “There is one last thing I would like to do.” Yifang looks at you with a puzzled, innocent smile. “Yes?”
Putting the skull cap to the pig’s nose of your mask, you inhale very, very deeply before letting out a satisfied sigh. The crowd begins whistling and jeering you in good humour, laughing at your antics. Yifang’s face turns red instantly. “G-g-g-give that back right now, you impure pervert!” she stammers, running towards you. You flee from her, holding the skull cap over your head.
The two of you begin running in circles around the ring as she attempts to snatch back the skull cap. “Why do you always act like this?” she moans, clearly frustrated with your recalcitrance. “Don’t you take anything seriously?”
“Let me guess,” you chuckle as you duck her grasping arms, “you thought that if you really beat me in a fight, I would listen to you?”
“Yes! You are arrogant and boastful and perverted. I wanted to show you that-“ –she attempts to grab the skull cap with a wide swing, but fails– “-that there is always someone better, so that you would be humbled and listen. If I beat you today… if I just beat you today…”
She comes at you with her sword, but her movements are sloppy and impatient. Her eyes are tearing up from your bullying. You suppose you shouldn’t go too far – you should stop before she starts crying. You dance back a few steps. Twirling the skull cap around your finger, you say, “So all you want is for me to listen to you, right? Okay. If you can get this back, I’ll listen to you for… let’s see, about an hour. I will sit quietly and consider everything you have to say seriously.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I give you my word.”
“Then…” Yifang comes at you with renewed resolve. Her technique is keen and swift – her first stab would have hit you right in the chest if she was not aiming for the more difficult target; your hand holding her skull cap. You manage to draw back in time, but she presses the attack without pause. Even with your knowledge of how the Qingcheng Stab works, you find yourself quickly being pushed towards the edge of the ring. Her control over the technique is absolutely flawless; you find yourself thinking that the counter you had devised would probably work only four times out of ten, against an opponent of her caliber. If this had been a serious fight, where she was aiming to defeat you instead of getting the skull cap back, you would have certainly lost by now in your current condition.
As it is, you can predict where she will strike thanks to the treasure you have in your hand. Still, you won’t be able to hold out much longer. You slow down your movements, clutching your injured arm. A look of concern passes across her face, but it doesn’t stop her from closing the distance as she attempts to wrest the skull cap away from you now that you are in a vulnerable position. Clever girl.
In desperation, you toss the skull cap away, out of her reach. She leaps after it.
Yifang catches the skull cap and turns around to look triumphantly at you, but at the same time the gong is sounded, signalling that she is out of bounds. Her face freezes as she realizes a bit too late what you were planning. Silly girl. You bow towards her respectfully. “I will listen to all you have to say later, as promised.” Thankfully, Yifang isn’t as cunning as Qilin. That would never have worked if she was.
The crowd is in a good mood despite the anti-climatic end to the match, apparently humoured sufficiently by your antics.
As you are announced the winner, a young man comes running towards the stage. The tournament officials attempt to restrain him, holding him back. He seems to be wearing the uniform of a Huashan disciple.
“You!” he shouts, his voice ringing loud and clear, “You are Zhang Jue’s disciple, aren’t you? Man Tiger Pig!” There is an audible gasp from the crowd as they begin to murmur at this accusation. Yifang begins to come towards you, clearly worried, but you wave her off with a quick and subtle gesture of your fingers.
You take one step forward and stare silently at the Huashan disciple from behind your mask. You have not met him before, of that you are sure. He falters slightly under your wordless gaze before bravely continuing his allegations. “Your master killed my father! How dare you come all the way here in front of the honourable and noble Eight Sects when you study under such a cruel and murderous man?” The tournament officials continue to push him back as they do their jobs. The man is clearly disrupting the event.
“Wait!” calls out a man from the benches where the tournament committee sits. As he stands up, you recognize the clothes to be that of Kunlun. He appears to be in his early thirties, with a rather distinguished moustache above his lips. “Officials, free this brother of ours and allow him to speak. If indeed Man Tiger Pig is Zhang Jue’s disciple, he must at least face up to the sins of his master. That is his duty as an apprentice. We can afford to bend the rules for such a serious matter.”
The tournament officials reluctantly let go of the Huashan disciple. With a single bound he leaps onto the stage.
He shouts out his challenge, “My name is Yu Gan! Your master, the Southern Maniac Zhang Jue, killed my father Yu Bing. He was struck down without righteous cause and died a horrible death. I have trained all my life to avenge his death. Now that I know his disciple is here, I would seek a match to uphold my father’s honor! Will you respond, Man Tiger Pig?”
When he finishes, he places one hand on the hilt of his sword. You find funny that he is using the name ‘Man Tiger Pig’ so seriously in connection with the tragic death of his father at Master Zhang's hands. The crowd is waiting with bated breath, eager to see how you will react.
***
A. You admit to being Zhang Jue’s disciple. You don’t think there is any need to hide it now, after your conversation with the leaders of Wudang and Shaolin.
B. You deny being Zhang Jue’s disciple. You don't think Yu Gan's appearance is a coincidence. Someone is trying to lure you out, and you are not going to oblige.
***
1. You will fight him. Whether or not you admit to being Zhang Jue’s disciple, if he has come up on stage you can’t let him leave without the fight he wants. That would be rather impolite. Besides, it would serve as an easy reminder of your strength after your anti-climatic win over Yifang.
2. You don’t fight him. You aren't going to push yourself after managing to avoid a straight fight with Yifang. It may disappoint the crowd, but you can’t please everyone. You'll just have to talk your way out of the challenge.
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