Those were pretty damn good reasons to hunt normal pirates, but unfortunately Jing didn't have any way to know about these guys at the moment and with the challenge we dug deeper pit for ourselves. I am sure that ninja guy can teach us good technique and perhaps even skill point at stealth and who knows what else he could teach, but rep hit with orthodox schools will come back haunt us in near and long future. Current grandmasters are pretty old and don't have lot of years anymore, If we are only feared now then we will be despised and feared after we negotiad for pirates. Personally I admit that I still can't fathom how much deeper in the shit we have to face, if we negotiate.
About that, the Orthodox world will never really love us in our entirety, that ship has long since sailed (somewhere between going unorthodox, killing Junior, vecoming Zhang's apprentice and being a total jackass at the tournament) and honestly, why do we want the respect of those hypocrites? At the very least, the Minamori will make for better and more dependable friends, someone to whom we can come to at any time if we have problems, and seek shelter/assistance (not to mention Shun would love to have them). The ninja uncle's tutelage is also a rather unique opportunity, I don't think Japanese tutelage is something we'll find in the near future without going out of our way.
We must also consider that while "bad" reputation closes some doors, it opens others: we can most likely make a bid to join the Black Dragon Society and get closer to the WiBs (and fix Scholarbro's "in love with a prostitute" problem, one way or the other), amd perhaps the Wudu Cult would appreciate our wiley ways.
Lastly, and this geys into moral fag teritorry, but it just seems douchey and completely un-Jing to allow a massacre to happen that will kill men, women and leave the children orphaned and/or dead in a few weeks (here's an idea, let's send them to Master Zhang's Tropical Summer Fun Camp and have him open a school
) and the assaulting pugilists, bottom line is the pirates know what the fuck they're doing in regards to tactics; kill such a cool guy like the clan leader and remove a useful security system from the province.
Between these guys and every other gang, they are the lesser evil
by far, like an old-school Mafia family that takes over a district and pushes all the drug dealers and violent criminals out. There will always be crime and piracy, but I'd rather have them be doing it than anyone else, at least until Shun comes and gets them.
Throwing all of that away in exchange for what? A good word in from a pissant orthodox school? Huehueshan won't buy it, BJ won't stop being a dick, the little conspiracy they're planning won't change and the Frathouse won't really care (I daresay they would rather the Coalition be alive). If that means taking a rep hit, so be it. We can take it. Because we are the hero China deserves, but not the one it needs right now. And our hour will come, and in the meanwhile let the haters hate and the bros bro.
