[LP CYOA] 傳

[Absinthe]

Baltika9, Pang Xiaohu is going to lend his vote in favor of extracting a confession from Jiang Zheng. Seriously. We can't free Jiang Zheng with nothing more than a scenario that an outsider did it. Even if it is plausible, we have no concrete proof, and our word inherently carries less weight because as a constable we're trying to protect the constable leader while they at least have Jiang Zheng with a bloody sword at the crime scene. 6 Speech isn't fucking magic. Jiang Zheng makes a better suspect than "potential outsider we don't know." The best suspect we have is Fu Xia. We have a lot of reasons to think he did it, so lets mention Fu Xia.

C seems ridiculous in that we passed up the chance to interrogate / investigate Fu Xia before this. You can't really say "hey here's a guy we didn't really examine during our investigation period and we still don't really have any concrete evidence against him but ITS HIM, give us our boss back".

I was completely in favor of interrogating him but others decided not to interrogate him in favor of evidence magically appearing. It didn't, so now we're in this shitty position, but I still think he's the most likely culprit so I'm going to fingerpoint him, yes. This is the trial, and as the constable, it's our job to disclose possible suspects. Fu Xia is still the most likely candidate, so not mentioning him goes against principle.

Remember, Fu Xia has no alibi during all of this and he could've been at all the crimescenes so far and packs a sword matching the weapon that injured Du Yao, plus we have these reasons specifically to fingerpoint Fu Xia:

1. Xiaofang knew the assailant. That makes a coworker the most likely suspect for Xiaofang's attack though. And the only coworker that could be placed there is Fu Xia.
2. Hanbing Needles technique was used with the same poison at both attacks. This means there is a high likelihood it was the same culprit in both cases, which couldn't be Jiang Zheng.
3. We have evidence of the culprit escaping over the wall during the mansion investigation, which Jiang Zheng certainly didn't do.

Aside from that, the fact that we know Fu Xia has been a two-faced person makes him a likely candidate for the mole, which would in turn connect him back to this assassination that was done to protect the manual. Plus he was trying to put us on the trail to the Jinkong framejob. So here we have an extremely dodgy person who could very well have been at every single crime scene (The Xiaofang attack points very strongly to Fu Xia.) with evidence that would fit him while he has zero alibi for what he was up to during those hours.

Fu Xia is literally the only suspect who matches all the details.

 

[treave]

Give or take. I suspect that it is more democratic. Lets ask treave

Theoretically, all three have to agree, it's not majority wins. They're trying to find a solution acceptable to all sides, futile as it may seem.

Of course in B you're attempting to persuade the garrison commander specifically to go 'fuck the trial, I'm taking the chief home' so it doesn't matter what the other two think there.

 

[Absinthe]

So if B does succeed, we basically start a war between the Tang and the Bandit Kingdom? I guess that also means that B would get us separated from Yunzi again.

I'm going to go with C Fu Xia, who probably actually did it, guys.

 

[Baltika9]

So if B does succeed, we basically start a war between the Tang and the Bandit Kingdom?

Also known as Skirmish #3000135 in Imperial records. Come on dude, either option has the potential of a war. At the very least B takes away one pretext since Jiang Zheng or Fu Xia weren't found guilty.

 

[Absinthe]

Hilarious. If the bandit kingdom could've been brought under the imperial thumb so easily it would've been done long ago. The last war resulted in the truce that led to the establishment of Youxia City. Also, if Tang has to fight a war against the Bandit Kingdom, then the borders would weaken, which means Tang can get invaded.

Besides, B doesn't take away a pretext. It establishes one. Bandit Kingdom claims that Tang is protecting their assassin. Tang claims that Bandit Kingdom is framing the constable. Hell breaks loose.

 

[Kipeci]

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.

I think you're overpumping the bandit's resources, here. The Tang didn't want to devote the resources to wage a costly war of extermination while they're busy with other things, but they whooped on the bandits badly in the last war, and I don't think the bandits will want to repeat the experience over an investigation playing out longer than they'd prefer... especially since, you know, there's the three thousand strong garrison right outside that's now been mobilized to ensure that justice plays out properly here instead of getting a quick execution for the chief.

 

[profreshinal]

I just can't see it in Fu Xia to have done it. Neither his personality or his ability seem capable of pulling this of.

Fu Xia is chatty as hell, imprudent and easily readable. Every interaction we have with him he is that character which is a long way removed from the cold calculated killer who would kill someone and then tries to shove it in his boss's shoes and after that tries to off a colleague/friend.

He's also not much of a fighter he gets beaten by Jing in 1 move then paralyzed for days by Cao'er. And somehow he would manage to beat Du Yao then get himself hit by the chief just enough to get blood on his sword, knows qinggong to cover up his traces. He also knows a bunch of techniques you don't pick up just anywhere. 2 Jinkong sects and an exotic ice needle one. Even Jing needs some time to learn stuff and Jing's gifted by the gods and knows a technique that does just that. A regular person would need months to even get a basic ability in a off-beat technique as ice needles.

Just sitting there and hoping the chief holds out until xiaofang tells us more is kinda dick and Jing tends to take the hard road.
B


How about an option D we tell them we think Xiaofang is the culprit but before we can torture him to confess we must first cure him so that he can talk again.

 

[treave]

Xiaofang is an even easier sell for the crime. Eunuchs aren't very well-liked by the military, while Jiang is actually a veteran. The garrison commander would be quick to accept pushing the blame onto one, and so would Du Yao's lieutenants. If you accused him now they'd just put his thumbprint to a false confession while he's unconscious and be done with it before he can wake up and complicate matters for them.

But of course, if your aim is just to get Jiang Zheng off the hook and offer up Xiaofang in exchange while everyone whistles, looks away and ignores the evidence already shown that both the eunuch and the deceased had been hit with the same technique, then that could work. Not the nicest course of action, though.

 

[Baltika9]

Good idea, but I'm hesitant. Xiaofang is one of Gao's men and Gao is Shun's man, so that fucks the whole chain.

 

[ScubaV]

treave, if we succeed in convincing the garrison commander in B would we be able to continue the investigation to find this Person X or are they planning to close this case right now one way or another?

 

[treave]

Jiang will return to Chang'an and follow up on it. I think you'll have other things to do.

 

[ScubaV]

Fair enough. I think I'll still vote B. I think Jiang is more important than Youxia City/Bandit Kingdom rep.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I'm going to go with C Fu Xia, who probably actually did it, guys.

Doubt he did it. He's too foppish. No, but he may know who did it and why...

 

[Absinthe]

I just can't see it in Fu Xia to have done it. Neither his personality or his ability seem capable of pulling this of.

Fu Xia is chatty as hell, imprudent and easily readable. Every interaction we have with him he is that character which is a long way removed from the cold calculated killer who would kill someone and then tries to shove it in his boss's shoes and after that tries to off a colleague/friend.

You know, if a double agent is obvious, he's a shitty double agent. What we can tell is based on his interactions with Xiaofang that he's quite capable of being two-faced since we can read that he dislikes Xiaofang despite the rather friendly conversation they've been having earlier. Considering the kind of honest and straightforward guy we'd expect Fu Xia to be, this is extremely suspect. Not to mention he was delaying us from investigating Xiaofang's absence.

He's also not much of a fighter he gets beaten by Jing in 1 move then paralyzed for days by Cao'er.

Odds are he was holding back and is actually better than that. But he's still not going to be good enough to avoid getting beaten by Jing or paralyzed by Cao'er with her 10 Pressure Points skill.

And somehow he would manage to beat Du Yao then get himself hit by the chief just enough to get blood on his sword,

Seems he hit Du Yao after his regular techniques failed. Poison was probably a last resort he had to use.

knows qinggong to cover up his traces.

No he doesn't. The qinggong left traces and was discerned to be a qinggong. A stealth technique would suit him as a mole/double agent though.

He also knows a bunch of techniques you don't pick up just anywhere. 2 Jinkong sects and an exotic ice needle one.

He was probably taught those techniques. It seems he's been taught Jinkong Sect techniques more thoroughly than Hanbing Needles. Remember, Xuezi confirmed a newbie cannot make Hanbing Needles last longer than a few seconds, so he's probably a beginner at the needle technique. We already confirmed that the technique would've done basically nothing without the poison so he doesn't seem to be particularly skilled with the needle throwing tech here.

Even Jing needs some time to learn stuff and Jing's gifted by the gods and knows a technique that does just that. A regular person would need months to even get a basic ability in a off-beat technique as ice needles.

Learning beginner techniques isn't that hard. Jinkong techs he was probably trained to rank 3 or so. Hanbing Needles he probably has at rank 1 or maybe 2. He's not that proficient. This isn't an extensive training thing.

Right now he's the only one who could have done this. We've been over this many times, but all the evidence fits Fu Xia.

Just sitting there and hoping the chief holds out until xiaofang tells us more is kinda dick

I agree.

B

I think you guys are forgetting that our job is solve the investigation and do it peacefully. Also, if we start a war with the Bandit Kingdom, maybe you guys are all forgetting this: We cannot find the martial arts manual if we start a war. We came here to use the resources of Youxia City to find the manual.

Also, we'll probably lose Yunzi in the chaos.

Doubt he did it. He's too foppish. No, but he may know who did it and why...

You mean he acts foppish. Anyway, he's definitely involved in this so lets just interrogate him now.

 

[Baltika9]

Also, we'll probably lose Yunzi in the chaos.

Yeah, odds are good that she'll run away when eight hundred bandits and Little Tiger start massacring the three thousand Tang soldiers. Armaiti will probably die to cover her escape.

 

[Absinthe]

Treave, could we see Xuezi's Herbalism/Pressure Points/Scholarly Knowledge/Artistic Knowledge? I think those are her high skills now.

Also, you miscounted Akkudakku's vote. He voted C>B, not B>C.

 

[treave]

She doesn't have good herbalism, scholarly knowledge or artistic knowledge. Her pressure point skill is also reduced thanks to her current condition.

 

[Absinthe]

treave, if we succeed in convincing the garrison commander in B would we be able to continue the investigation to find this Person X or are they planning to close this case right now one way or another?

It's already been established that C is our only chance of solving the investigation. (It's written right in the description of the C vote.) If we investigate Fu Xia (the suspected mole and most likely candidate for having ambushed Xiaofang and Du Yao), we can actually solve the case. Otherwise, you're basically calling it a day. The B vote means Youxia City gets fucked royally, our manual investigation lead ends here, and we lose Yunzi in the chaos. The A vote means we let him die in exchange for a peaceful transition of Youxia City.

Kz3r0, could you flop back to C now that we know that a successful persuasion means Tang and the Bandit Kingdom go to war?

Esquilax, care to flop to C?

Voting A but i dont like it.

If you don't like voting A, why not vote C? Worst case scenario Fu Xia gets pinned as an innocent (but a lower-profile constable than Jiang Zheng) and we save Jiang Zheng and reduce the blow to Tang's reputation. Best case scenario we solve the whole investigation.

Kashmir Slippers, care to make a ranked preference vote or switch to C so that we can actually solve the case peacefully? A will hand them Jiang Zheng, but C will turn over Fu Xia.



GreyViper, Azira, archaen, a bear named spigot, Grimgravy, Bloodshifter, Rex Feral, Fangshi, the situation right now is that A will allow a peaceful transition of power; B if it succeeds will basically lead Youxia City into a war because the garrison commander will take Jiang Zheng with him and ignore the other 2 and trial by extension, so he'd do it by force (costing us Yunzi in the chaos, our lead on the martial arts manual here, and basically failing at our job as investigator, but at least Jiang Zheng would live); C is the only chance to solve the investigation (you'd have to reread the posts from the Duck Testimony to see our suspicions in detail); quick summary of suspicious facts below though). With C we stand to succeed at the investigation, save Jiang Zheng, and avoid the chaos of war with Bandit Kingdom (including losing Yunzi and any chances of investigating the manual).

Remember, Fu Xia has no alibi (he left us sometime before the end of xu, shortly after Jiang Zheng in fact, and we all met up in the later half of the hai hour, so Fu Xia was missing during every single crime) during all of this and he could've been at all the crimescenes so far and packs a constable sword which is the weapon that injured Du Yao, plus we have these reasons specifically to fingerpoint Fu Xia over Jiang Zheng:

1. Xiaofang knew the assailant. That makes a coworker the most likely suspect for Xiaofang's attack though. And the only coworker that could be placed there is Fu Xia.
2. Hanbing Needles technique was used with the same poison at both attacks. This means there is a high likelihood it was the same culprit in both cases, which following the last point would mean Fu Xia also attacked Du Yao.
3. We have evidence of the culprit escaping over the wall during the mansion investigation, which Jiang Zheng certainly didn't do.

Aside from that, the fact that we know Fu Xia has been a two-faced person (“Don’t worry,” says Fu. “He tends to operate on his own… he’s something like a loan from the eunuch department.” Something about the look in his eyes tells you that he is not too fond of Xiaofang despite the friendly way they were talking to each other before dinner.) makes him a likely candidate for the mole, which would in turn connect him back to this assassination that was done to protect the manual. Plus he was trying to put us on the trail to the Jinkong framejob (why would an assassin run in wearing Jinkong clothes?). So here we have an extremely dodgy person who could very well have been at every single crime scene (The Xiaofang attack points very strongly to Fu Xia.) with evidence that would fit him while he has zero alibi for what he was up to during those hours.

Fu Xia is literally the only suspect who matches all the details.

I'm voting C, care to join me in this vote?

 

[Esquilax]

While I disagree with a lot of Absinthe's hyperbole and really biased argumentation (i.e. "he's definitely involved", "we'll lose Yunzi in the chaos", you can't be certain about these things), he makes some excellent points about how Fu Xia could have plausibly been involved. If he is a spy, then his whole shtick is to act a fool and put everybody's guard down so that he can get to work. But let's forget Fu Xia for a second - let's consider what sort of skills that a spy would have and what they would have done up till now.

First, a leak from within the constabulary is a safe bet as to why the constables initially guarding the Jiuyang Divine Manual were killed. There could have been other ways that the manual was discovered, but this seems most likely. Then we have evidence that the mysterious man-in-black who attacked Xiaofang and those who killed the constables guarding the manual both used Jinkong Sect techniques. Strangely, we also had an all-too-obvious trail towards the Jinkong Sect that felt like a red herring, which Fu Xia encouraged us to look into. Then you have evidence that Du Yao's killer also used Hanbing Needles on both Xiaofang and Du Yao, confirming the man-in-black was certainly the same guy, given the way the timelines sync up.

Xiaofang disappeared, along with Fu Xia, but strangely enough, got into an argument with the mysterious assassin:

After the middle of the hai hour, the homeless man had seen someone matching Xiaofang’s description arguing, and then fighting with a masked man in black, though his failing ears were not good enough to hear their words clearly. The unknown man had won, leaving behind Xiaofang on the ground. The homeless man was too afraid to venture out and hid, trying to sleep, but shortly after the night watch rang out the end of the hai hour and the beginning of the zi hour, he finally gathered enough courage to creep out from his shack of rags. By that time, Xiaofang’s body was no longer there.

I find this sort of strange. It seems to me that Xiaofang was at a rendezvous point, being that she encountered the killer at the exact time that they left. Furthermore, the fact that they argued seemed to imply that they knew each other. The killer, likely not wanting anyone to connect him to the crime, attempted to kill the eunuch with the Hanbing Needle technique, which Xiaofang managed to survive.

Based on this, I think that we have to put the pressure on Fu Xia. I'm flopping.

C

 

[Baltika9]

Well, not so sure a bet and not the only choice that will lead to it:

C. You still think Fu Xia is hiding something. You had refrained from interrogating him until you found more evidence that might point to him, but you have no choice now but to bring him into the spotlight for a public interrogation in a last-ditch attempt to fully solve the case even in the absence of that evidence... although you are not sure whether it will actually be fruitful at this point.

I basically boils down to this: if you believe Fu Xia is 100% guilty (which I don't), then C is the answer.
If you believe the perp is someone else, not Fu Xia and would like to give the Constables an open opportunity to investigate the case more (something that becomes difficult after A, C and D. If the case is closed, then why investigate it more), then B is right up your alley. That's it.

Oh, and A for "fuck this shit."

 

[Absinthe]

C is still a better bet than A for resolving the case peacefully, as C can quite possibly actually solve the case, and Fu Xia is still more expendable then Jiang Zheng even if he really does happen to be innocent.

The reason I suspect B will lose us Yunzi is because Yunzi is avoiding us and if B succeeds, shit's going to go down starting from the trial. Since Yunzi isn't with us yet, I figure we still need some more time for her emotions to settle down, but with B we won't have that kind of time. Gears start moving and we need to leave. That's my rationale for why I think B will probably lose us Yunzi for the time being.

Then you have evidence that Du Yao's killer also used Hanbing Needles on both Xiaofang and Du Yao, confirming the man-in-black was certainly the same guy, given the way the timelines sync up.

I forgot about this, but Xiaofang was attacked with some Jinkong Sect techniques and - according to Fu Xia - Du Yao was ambushed by a man wearing Jinkong Sect colors, supposedly Xi Mukang (except Xi Mukang was knocked out by Song Lingshu at the restaurant brawl at the time, so it couldn't've been him). That makes another point to suspect it was the same framejob agent at both locations (also the agent who confronted Xiaofang was dressed in plain black this time according to the beggar, not Jinkong Sect colors).

Also, it wasn't just the same Hanbing Needles technique. It was also the same poison according to Cao'er.

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Voting C

I wanted more proof but I think its clear that we need to take Fu Xia in, anymore and he might bolt or kill someone. Shun's aunt suspects Fu Xia or Xiaofang, and I can't see it being Xiaofang unless BOTH Fu Xia and Xiaofang have the ice needle tech or Xiaofang stabbed himself in some weird gambit to cause the war.
I can't see Gao Ying provoking said war either, and Xiaofang is one of Gao Ying's OGs.

Then there's the Child Elder, who could've been a suspect but is depowered (aparently) and wants to essentially hang out Jing because he's her best chance to find that manual and restore herself. The fact she doesn't remember but knows she was depowered by somebody who knew the manual's techniques only makes it worse.

Who's the most likely mole, and therefore one who touched the manual? Fu Xia or somebody over him.
We go to investigate the manual and, surprise surprise, one of our leads is killed and the chief framed.

 

[Zero Credibility]

How did Yunzi became a part of the argument here? I don't see why B or any other choice means we have to leave her or she us, but even if it does, ffs we need to stop thinking with our dick and concentrate on the task at hand. The whole argument between B and C rests on whether we have anything on Fu Xia or not. And I do agree with Nevill's assessment on the last page that we don't have anything beyond finding the guy suspicious. And I too value Constabulary and our Imperial ties far more that this place or the bandits. They want to press an issue when they are outnumbered 4 to 1 and we are here as well? Good luck to them, they'll fucking need it.

 

[Esquilax]

Remember, Fu Xia has no alibi (he left us sometime before the end of xu and we all met up in the later half of the hai hour, so Fu Xia was missing during every single crime) during all of this and he could've been at all the crimescenes so far and packs a constable sword which is the weapon that injured Du Yao, plus we have these reasons specifically to fingerpoint Fu Xia:

1. Xiaofang knew the assailant. That makes a coworker the most likely suspect for Xiaofang's attack though. And the only coworker that could be placed there is Fu Xia.
2. Hanbing Needles technique was used with the same poison at both attacks. This means there is a high likelihood it was the same culprit in both cases, which couldn't be Jiang Zheng.
3. We have evidence of the culprit escaping over the wall during the mansion investigation, which Jiang Zheng certainly didn't do.

Aside from that, the fact that we know Fu Xia has been a two-faced person (“Don’t worry,” says Fu. “He tends to operate on his own… he’s something like a loan from the eunuch department.” Something about the look in his eyes tells you that he is not too fond of Xiaofang despite the friendly way they were talking to each other before dinner.) makes him a likely candidate for the mole, which would in turn connect him back to this assassination that was done to protect the manual. Plus he was trying to put us on the trail to the Jinkong framejob (why would an assassin run in wearing Jinkong clothes?). So here we have an extremely dodgy person who could very well have been at every single crime scene (The Xiaofang attack points very strongly to Fu Xia.) with evidence that would fit him while he has zero alibi for what he was up to during those hours.

To be fair, of your three points, only 1 could point to Fu Xia. We know that Jiang Zheng isn't the killer anyways, so that's got nothing to do with Fu Xia. Also, his dislike of eunuchs is hardly incriminating - nobody seems to like eunuchs. If our personal experiences are anything to go by, they're mostly a bunch of cunts. Really, the possibility does remain that he's just an idiot who is a terrible detective. If that's the case, we've thrown an innocent man under the bus, which is exactly what you were hoping to avoid anyways.

I still might flop back to B, but the point is, things aren't as black-and-white as you're describing.

Flopping back to B for now. This is a tough choice.

 

[Nevill]

Strangely, we also had an all-too-obvious trail towards the Jinkong Sect that felt like a red herring, which Fu Xia encouraged us to look into.

Actually, this is a pretty valid lead. Whoever did this didn't learn these techniques in Wudang, you know? Even though the sect might not be responsible for this, it is a safe bet that they are/were involved in it somehow, same how Yuhua Hall turned out to be connected to Chanfeng. Maybe we should have investigated it.

But I guess it's too late for that.

How did Yunzi became a part of the argument here?

You don't understand. In a choice you don't like Zheng dies, Armaiti dies, Yunzi dies, Shun dies, and if you are exceptionally not fond of it, Jing dies, too. That's how we roll.