>>36815798
Stupid paste function.

>>36815815
Oh shit son, it's kung-fu time so soon? Christmas has come early!

Are you sure your sleeping pattern's okay, sage?

>>36815852
Now I am.
I was up at 6 after bed at 12:30-ish.
I'm on PST, so my timeframe is somewhat different from much of 4chan.

>>36815798

You stand before Yuan Shanli as you brush off leaves and other detrius of his garden home after he aided you in escaping your chasers, and he seems to be quite amused over the situation.

"I must admit Hero Tiankong, your life seems somewhat hectic! Merchants talk about a xia who 'glows like lightning' who slew bandits all up along the Min River to Chengdu, handily defeating all of our peers in the Preliminary matches, defeating both Qiu Qiang and Hong Lan, and unless I miss my guess an infamous den of criminals in Chengdu was cleaned out by you barely two days ago now! Where do you find all the energy needed to deal with all these women you have after you?" he sounds pretty cheerful about the whole thing.

"From the waist down, that's where," you say, finally removing most of the leaves from your hair.

There's a pause as Shanli watches you before he says; "You're actually talking about your legs, aren't you?"

"...what else WOULD I be talking about?"

He laughs even HARDER this time, enough that you're afraid the party that just left might come back to investigate.

"Okay, you officially have my approval as a xia! I like you lad! If there were more like you the Ming would have less problems besetting them!"

>WDYS?

>"Why DID you help me?" [Inquire Yuan Shanli]

>"What we're you talking to Hong Lan about?" [Inquire Hong Lan]

>>36815902
No offense intended, but your timeframe seems different from much of humanity. Do you work swing shifts?

>>36816078
>>"What we're you talking to Hong Lan about?" [Inquire Hong Lan]
Now, I know we're a forward thinking Xia and all.

But that sounded suspiciously like some sort of women's rights movement being approved, and ancient china will not like that even a little bit. That's not rivers muddying the well, that's going to be rivers running red with blood.

>>36816083
Nope. I've always had bizarre sleeping patterns my whole life, but I vastly prefer getting up early because it nets me more hours.

The early bird gets to cut out the Nine Yang Manuel from the belly of the great white ape so that he may purge himself of the Xuanmin Divine Poison after all!

>>36816078
>"Why DID you help me?" [Inquire Yuan Shanli]

>>36816111
so what you are saying is, glorious awesome fun war

>>36816078
>"What we're you talking to Hong Lan about?" [Inquire Hong Lan]
Intrigue! Politics! Women!

>>36816078
>"What we're you talking to Hong Lan about?" [Inquire Hong Lan]

>>36816078

"What was that you were talking to Hong Lan about?" you ask bluntly, pointing your thumb in the direction of where Resplendent Phoenix Heroine went.

"We were discussing a more official alliance between the Yuan Clan and the Resplendent Phoenix Society," he says honestly. "They are a righteous sect with worthy ideals and goals, and I've always felt great respect for those who struggle against established authority even with such great odds stacked against them."

"And their whole deal is helping women out right? Even outside the Jianghu?" you ask, recalling what Duan Lei said.

"Correct. A noble enough ideal, especially since it's true. Group's like the Emei Sect and the Phoenix Society as well as other historical groups prove that women are hardly the weaker of sexes, and should be treated as individuals. Confucian virtues however hold them as inferior, which is demonstratably ridiculous in evidence of such obvious evidence to the contrary. Only a fool ignores what's right in front of his face because it doesn't match with his existing notions of the world," he explains.

"Makes sense," you say with a nod and a shrug. "And I'm sure you wanting ally with the Resplendent Phoenix Society has nothing to do with them being one of the major clans of the Wulin of course."

He gives you a look of amusement.
"You're an awfully puzzle aren't you? You're in my palace and in my center of power but STILL you shoot your mouth off as soon as the words pop into your head, as careless as a bird in the air. You talk like a country bumpkin, fight like a tiger and move about as freely as a cloud, but you're much cleverer then you lead people to believe, aren't you? I bet everyone you meet thinks you're half and idiot and the other half a fool, and you just go right on letting them think it."

You smile back without acknowledging anything he says, but you mentally note that Yuan Shanli seems a very canny fellow as well as a very wealthy one.

You know, I assumed earlier that Yuan Shanli was an old guy. Was kinda surprised to see Liu Bei's mug representing him.

>>36816370

"And what was all that earlier when you were talking about me?" you ask, folding your arms and leaning against a tree behind you.

"Hong Lan's quite interested in you. You impressed her in your duel obviously, which is perhaps a more notably accomplishment then defeating her!" he says by way of congratulations.

"Pretty sure you know that isn't the part of the conversation I'm talking about."

He smiles that knowing smile again as his attempt to verbally mislead you fails. You should know; you do it all the time to everyone else.

"I was watching your performance and noting the crowd's reaction, and now I've made a decision; how'd you'd like to join the Yuan Clan?"

>WDYS?

>"Thanks but no thanks." [Refuse]

>"Why?" [Inquisitive]

>>36816447
Eh, he's older than us at least. And I'm guessing could whip us like a newborn pup currently.

>>36816447
He's in his late 30's/early 40's age-wise, and thanks to exceptional Qi cultivation appears much yoinger.

>"Why?" [Inquisitive]

>>36816463
>"Why?" [Inquisitive]
>>36816463
eventually though, we will refuse

>>36816463
>"Why?" [Inquisitive]
I wonder if he knows our terrible secret.

I mean, we're going to say no obviously, but it won't hurt to hear him out.

>>36816463
>"Why?" [Inquisitive]

>>36816463
>"Thanks but no thanks." [Refuse]

>>36816463
>>"Thanks but no thanks." [Refuse]
i want to know how he handles rejection

>>36816552
We can do that right after we find out why he wants us so bad.

>>36816463
> "Thanks but no thanks." [Refuse]
Nope.

>>36816463
>"Why?" [Inquisitive]

>>36816565
I mean, I think it probably has something to do with having the strength of someone who can beat the representatives of other clans on his side.

Just a guess.

Surely Sky is smart enough to understand why wulin clans would want to recruit him after his showing so far. Hell, even if he lost every remaining tournament match they would want him, because he has beaten at least two other clan representatives -- and he didn't even have backing at the time!

>>36816599
Probably, but there's likely more to it than just us being strong and him wanting promising talents. I'm mainly wondering if he has a more specific goal in mind.

>>36816463

This is the second time you've been asked this question, and this time you're not caught off-guard.

"I'm curious as to why you'd even bother asking me at all. I'm nobody special," you say with a shrug and a smirk that adds an unspoken "am I?" to the statement.

"You say that, but appearing out of thin air, performing numerous heroics and handily beating two of the potential Top Ten Young Hero hopefuls in public duels and befriending at least two more seems to answer your own question. You claim to be nobody special by birth via your mpuntain hermit father, which I suppose is true by conventional definition. On the other hand everything you seem to do or touch apparently becomes exceptional via your involvement and speaks of great potential you've yet to fully realize even despite your amazing accomplishments so far. Perhaps you aren't BORN special but you ARE special yourself. If talent was inherent to birth like some claim then Dynasties would never fail as every child would inherit the skill of the Emperor's that founded them in the first place. You're young, talented, hand no official backing, and I'm willing to provide you with resources and training to accomplish whatever you want. I'm willing to bet in a year or so you'll be inheriting my personal skills and styles, which I would be happy to pass on to such a promising youngster. You might even inherit a lot more, you never know," he explains with a shrug, hands still folded behind his back. "I honestly can't think of a logical reason why you WOULDN'T except beyond simple whim and desire for independence from a clan."

>WDYD?

>[Truth]

>[Bluff]

>>36816660
>[Truth]

>[Truth]

I AM tempted, but the girls probably won't like it.

>>36816660
I am not sure how much truth [Truth] entails.

I'm willing to tell him that we're on a mission right now looking for our father, who was kidnapped. That's not a secret, we've practically been screaming it in every village we saved from bandits and to everyone we meet.

Just leave it at that. Tell him that if he helps us with the search it would make us inclined to listen to his offers at a later date, but for now we're a bit busy.

Family is a big deal in China, there is no way he would be able to deny that our cause is important and takes priority.

>>36816660
>>[Truth]
Say we are looking for our kidnapped father, and we don't really want to swear loyalty to a clan until we know who did it.

>>36816702
Tempted to join his clan? Eh. I think marrying into the Ao family is a better option there if we want to do that kind of thing. These guys seem like they might be getting a bit puffed up, and are on a collision course with some major powers.

>>36816760
It's more the fact that we can learn new techniques. Your point about the Ao family is also another reason as to why I'm not interested in voting for joining.

>>36816716
Oh, and we can describe the guys that appeared in the village beforehand too. The guy who was beating the shit out of everyone in the village square would probably be high ranking enough to be known to a major player in the wulin like Yuan at least.

>>36816660
> [Truth]
We have no interest in losing our independence, and not that we're receiving multiple offers to join clans it looks like a good time to stay the fuck away from Wulin politics.

>>36816660
what is the truth?

>>36816808
>The guy who was beating the shit out of everyone in the village square would probably be high ranking enough to be known to a major player in the wulin like Yuan at least.
Its a village, he was beating up non xia
He could be special, or he could be a scrub

>>36816660
What does these options even mean? What truth? Bluff what?

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>>36816660

"I can think of a few reasons," you say. "Firstly: right now I have my own objectives, which mean joining a clan or sect and focusing purely on my personal desires conflicts with them right now. Secondly; I'm also invested in winning this tournament fair and square, and joining the clan who's hosting it before I'm halfway done looks less then legit."

Shanli nods at these, as if they were logical and acceptable to him.

"Thirdly...," you say, looking at him with another smile and folding your arms behind your head as you lean against the tree. "I'm really not sure how much I trust you, quite frankly."

He smiles back. "Like I said; smarter then you lead people to believe. Some people would've accepted that offer without even a thought in between, but you are already wondering what I'M getting out of this arrangement, aren't you? Though I fail to see how possibly learning all the skills of a famed Wulin clan and one of the Four Houses could possibly be a better deal then anything I could get out of this offer," he points out.

"See, that's the thing; I don't either," you explain. "Which means either I haven't figured it out yet or I don't have the proper perspective necessary to see what you're getting out of it."

"I can't simply be altruistic?" he says, seeming to enjoy watching you puzzle over his motives.

"There's being altruistic and then there's helping someone you don't even know and offering to reveal the secrets of your clan out of nowhere. I'm new to the Wulin, but even I know what kind of commitment that is. Don't you have any sons or students you want to pass your skills to?"

"No," he says, shaking his head and walking past you. "What I have is a daughter. One about your age."

He keeps walking, leaving you to ponder the implications of the conversation as he gives a final word behind you.

"It's an open offer. Keep it in mind."

Oh god. Another potential waifu.

>>36817118
>"What I have is a daughter. One about your age."
fufufufu
I see his plot now.
Also, presumably what he would be getting from it is our own secrets.
>We join clan
>We learn all their secrets
>We get married to daughter
>We teach our own secrets
>New and improved dynasty with muchu powah!

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>>36817118
>"What I have is a daughter. One about your age."
The sad thing is that Sky may not even realize the possible implications.

>>36817118
Fuck it. Call Mighty Kamushin. We need out of this mess and someone to listen to our problems.

>>36817168

You know nothing John Xue.

>>36817118

You shake your head and look around. It's still Autumn, but the leaves are falling swiftly.

>WDYD?

>[Head into Yuan Palace]

>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]

>>36817229
>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]

>>36817229
>>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]
Clear our head time!

>>36817229
>>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]
i hear their is some thing mighty in the sky

>>36817229
>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]
Nice try WS, but we remember that Shanli directed all our pursuers into the palace so we GOTTA KEEP AVOIDING OUR PROBLEMS BECAUSE IF WE IGNORE THEM THEY WILL GO AWAY YEP NO QUESTION ABOUT IT

>>36817229
>[Head into Yuan Palace]

>[Head into Yuan Palace]

>>36817229
>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]

>>36817229
>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]
Find Yuan girl. Need to expand that harem.

>>36817229
>[See just how big the damn Gardens are]
time to clear our head a bit.

>>36817398
Feng Tiankong has got 99 Problems and a bitch is like, three of them at least. Maybe more, we'll see.

>>36817480
My count so far is 4.5. I'm sure it will get worse.

>>36817498
my bet is that the final number will be 8, any other guesses as to how many it probably will be?

>>36817521
108?

>>36817521
>8
I see what you did there.

>>36817480
>a bitch is like, three of them at least
>not 4

>>36817588
some bitches are not a problem

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>>36817526
His surname is Feng, not Song, heh.
>>36817229

You uncross your arms and begin moving through the garden again using your Lightfoot skill, just for fun.

Though I'm not always visually describing it, I imagine much of the time Sky uses Lightfoot in a far more casual manner then many xia, seeming to nearly float from place to place when he's not thinking about it. It's representative of how skilled he is at Lightfoot techniques.

You eventually come across the sound of someone in training, with powerful blows hitting trees and stones echoing through the orderly garden.

As you land in a tree nearby you see a bandaged figure several inches taller then you are strenuously training, even as his body is wrapped heavily in bandages.

Even injured he carries himself as someone who could be incredibly dangerous when provoked...or maybe just when in a bad mood.

It's Iron Palm Qiu Qiang, and after another Palm thrust that he has to force himself to perform, he looks up, realizing you're watching him from your spot on a wide branch.

"It's you," he says, and "you" is almost a curse word coming from him. "Come to spy on my training, have you?"

>WDYS?

>"Not sure there's much to spy on."

>"Kinda messed up for exercise, aren't cha?"

>"Kinda messed up for exercise, aren't cha?"

>>36817677
>"Kinda messed up for exercise, aren't cha?"

>>36817677
>"Not sure there's much to spy on."

>>36817677
>"Kinda messed up for exercise, aren't cha?"
even though sky is literally the same, i'm sure the guy would find a way to train even if he had a broken spine.

>>36817677
>"Kinda messed up for exercise, aren't cha?"

>>36817721
hypocrisy ftw

>>36817677
>"Not sure there's much to spy on."
Not that it isn't worth learning or countering, but that it isn't exactly possible to learn or counter through sheer power of our piercing gaze.

>It's representative of how skilled he is at Lightfoot techniques.
Which reminds me that we still need to find out what was up wi-ANDAAAAAAAAAA

>>36817740
I haven't forgotten him, heh.

>>36817677
>No. Hiding from some well-meaning crazy people. Crazier people? Maybe less? If I'm running from my doctor because I wasn't cleared to train I have no idea how you managed to get cleared.

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"Man, I gotta admit," you begin, plopping to a sitting position on the branch with one leg dangling off. "I thought I was stubborn when I snuck out of bed to train, but YOU were hurt way worse then I was and here you are grinding away the day."

"I can move my limbs. Resting heals me, but does nothing to improve my skills. The choice I make is obvious. At least you understand the importance of improving yourself in idle moments when battle is not upon you. We have that much in common at least."

"Careful there Iron Palm," you warn in a faux-serious tone. "That sounds dangerously close to paying me a compliment."

"It's not a compliment if it's an obvious fact; it's simply the truth. And I never lie. It's...BENEATH me as a warrior."

"Me neither. Mostly because I suck at it."

"He should've drilled that sense of frivolity out of you as well, Hero Tiankong. It's luxury you can't afford to have anymore."

"Worrying about me now? Tongues will wag, Iron Palm, better check that compassion muscle before it gets too much exercise. But don't worry, I can take care of myself, no matter what the rest of the world throws at me."

"I don't care WHAT the rest of the world does. It's me that I'm talking about," she says, and he smiles a little, reminding slightly you of that berserker grin he wore during your fight with him. "I've fought you once and you beat me, but you left me alive. Now that I know what you're capable of, I WILL be training to exceed it. When I do, I will find you and challenge you again, and this time I will KILL you, especially if you fail to improve."

"Is it weird that I feel the same way talking to you that I do to all the women in my life? They get all clingy and weird about me too," you say, unrelenting in your employment of humor.

"If you AREN'T here to spy on me then what are you doing out here?"

>WDYS?

>"Just kinda wandering. I think I'm a bit lost actually." [Truth]

>"What's up with Yuan Shanli, do you know?" [Subject Change]

>>36818019
>"Just kinda wandering. I think I'm a bit lost actually." [Truth]

>>36818019
> [Truth] + "also, hiding from all the women in my life."

>>36818019
>"Just kinda wandering. I think I'm a bit lost actually." [Truth]

>>36818019
>"What's up with Yuan Shanli, do you know?" [Subject Change]

We already know he's intelligent, just antisocial. He is also the head of a clan, and brought it to power from obscurity. He clearly knows politics, even if he is a taciturn SOB.

>>36818019
>"Just kinda wandering. I think I'm a bit lost actually." [Truth]

>>36818019
>"He should've drilled that sense of frivolity out of you as well, Hero Tiankong.
What? Is "he" in this case a generic "your Sifu"?

>>36818203
The message was cut out for some reason.
Sky says that his father drilled it out of him to which Qiang gives his response.

>>36818019
>"Just kinda wandering. I think I'm a bit lost actually." [Truth]

Really though, killing me? then who would you test yourself against? Don't you know the stories of the old xia who run out of worthy opponents? that is just too sad a fate.

I do want to fight you again once we both improve, it would give us something to strive towards, someone to test ourselves against and hone our craft. I hope we could do it on a somewhat regular basis in the future. which means not killing your opponent once he is down. I mean, if we had some vendetta, then sure. But so far all you were to me is a worthy opponent.

>>36818203
>>36818229
oh, I just assumed it meant "your sifu"
although, didn't we make it public knowledge that we were trained by our father in the mountains?

>>36818252
Eh, that's a bit compassionate for someone who just said they want to kill us. Plus, I can already see his reply: "If I kill you then you weren't a worthy foe anyway."

Just be like "Yeah whatever man, good luck with that you'll need it."

>>36818266
Pretty much. He told Yuan Shanli that when he asked earlier after the preliminaries.
>>36818019

"The bathroom again?" Qiang says.

You blink just once.
Did he just make an actual joke?

"Same as you I guess; dodging my minders," you truthfully admit with a shrug.

"I dodge nothing, Hero Sky," he says coldly.

"Tell me about it. Not sure if my fist would break before your face did."

"Funny," he says, though he doesn't smile. "I ordered my minders away. I prefer solitude when training, or else a sparring partner."

"Yeah, can't imagine you have many of those in abundance," you note sardonically.

"No, I do not," he fully admits.

A member of his sect quietly appriaches to him and bows, speaking to Qiang without paying attention to you.

"Chief Qiang, a letter from your wife."

"Thank you. You may go. Tell the others to prepare medicinal poltuices and food for when I return shortly."

"At once, Chief!" he says, speeding away after receiving his orders.

Woah, he's married?! He doesn't seem the type.

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>>36818392

You sit there, your mouth hanging open.

"What?!" he says, annoyed for some reason.

"You're MARRIED?!" you finally spit out.

"What, is that all? Yes, I'm married," he says, removing the letter and reading it.

"To WHO?"

"What are we, girlfriends now?" he says in irritation. "None of your damned business who! If you don't have an actual question to ask me then be gone already!"

"I'm lost?"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" he exclaims, rolling his eyes and folding the letter up again. "The castle is built like a giant circle with layers! The second layer ringing the castle is the gardens and each of the guests has their own room looking out over them! Just keep walking and you'll FIND yourself eventually!"

"Oh. Thanks."

"You're WELCOME!" he barks, going back to his letter.

There's a pause as you sit there.

"So is she pretty or what?"

"GO!" he shouts, and you immediately leap up and Lightfoot away, laughing to yourself.

>>36818616
QQ's wife is either totally like he is, or totally unlike him. Nothing in between.

>>36818616
If you are important in Ancient China, you married. For power, for your legacy to be carried on, for trustworthy allies. Many reasons. Love might enter into it for some, but was usually something established after the fact -- much like nobles in europe.

That said, wulin stories tend to have love as an element of many pairings, even if it's not always obvious gushing love.

>>36818629
>"What are we, girlfriends now?"
snerk, hahah

>>36818629
>"So is she pretty or what?"

>"GO!" he shouts, and you immediately leap up and Lightfoot away, laughing to yourself.

sky being sky

>>36818629
oh sky you magnificent troll.

Nothing so far seems like the kind of thing you would summon a giant condor for in order to run away.

And then we get caught by all the people chasing us, somehow having quadrupled in number as they raced through the palace looking for us.

>>36818697
>>36818698
Infinite Trolling Style

>>36818818
so is that the form sky came up with to fight genshu

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>>36818019
>"Is it weird that I feel the same way talking to you that I do to all the women in my life? They get all clingy and weird about me too," you say, unrelenting in your employment of humor.

>>36818818
"I have now mastered the Four Forms of the West! The Infinite Troll! The White Knight! The Sperg Lord! The SJ Warrior!" (takes a different fighting pose for each.)

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>>36818629

You follow Qiang's instructions, hoping to circle back to your room where Duan Lei will hopefully be and continue your training in peace.

You come across at length another pavilion, almost identical in shape to the one where Zhengzhu sat awaiting your tea time with her, only here sits Yang Meilin, holding a brush and drawing on a long sheet of paper while looking at the late Autumn scenery.

>WDYD?

>[Greet her]

>[Spy on her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]
Not polite to spy on a lady.

>>36819072
>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>greet her
Not polite to ignore her, and I don't think we'd spy without prior reason. Even shits and giggles, we'd have a prior reason.

>>36819072
>>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]

>>36819072
>[Greet her]
she was nice enough to us when we first talked

>>36819072
<[Greet her]

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>>36819072

You move up to the pavilion where you can be plainly seen, so as not to disturb her,

"Oh, hello Hero Tiankong!" the Junzi Society hopeful says with a smile.

"Hey," you say with a simple nod, and she motions for you to join her on the pavilion. Her ornate spear rests on the side near her, it's long blade covered to protect it.

"Are you out enjoying the Autumn weather?" she asks, smiling at you in between brush strokes.

"That too," you say with a nod. "Are you painting?"

"Calligraphy," she clarifies. "Poetry, specifically."

"Huh," you say with mild interest. You don't know much about poetry or art, so her calligraphy brush strokes, while elegant and graceful, mean very little to you.

"You seem distracted by something?" she asks, smiling her warm smile again.

"Yeah. Just....stuff. You know. Lots of little things," you admit. You don't really feel like lying to her or making fun of her.

"Ma Huizhong once told me that the longest and most difficult battles are with ourselves," she notes.

"Sounds like something Genshu would say," you note dryly.

"To be fair, I'm fairly certain Genshu told him that before he told it to me," she says with a small giggle.

"If I did I don't remember doing so," comes a voice directly behind you.

"GAAAHD!" you cry out, falling over and causing Meilin to jump in surprise.

You pick yourself up and sure enough the friendly monk stands there smiling, his prayer beads wrapped around his hand which is raised in a praying motion.

"Amitābha almsgiver!"

>>36819438
I am never in my life going to donate to the shaolin sect because of this you know.

>>36819438
Admit it Genshu, you get your kicks from that.

>>36819438
Genshu is like batman with a sense of humor

>>36819438
i swear the monk is part ninja.

>>36819438
...Eff it. I need to donate to my nearest Buddhist community. If anyone asks why, I'll say that Brother Genshu convinced me. That'll confuse them.

>>36819438
let me guess, you were here before either of us

>>36819646
No, this time he actually snuck up on them as they seemed interesting.

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>>36819438

"WHYYYY are you here?" is all you can say as you haul yourself to your feet with an expression similar to the Iron Palm Sect Chief's painted across your face.

"I was invited?" he says with a smile.

"By WHO?"

"Me," Yang Meilin says. "Brother Genshu knows poetry, so I asked him here to examine mine and judge it."

"What does a monk know about poetry anyway?" you ask, sitting on the rail of the pavilion and crossing your arms and legs, balancing like a bird on a branch with ease.

"More then you evidently," Genshu points out. "Miss Yang is a good friend, and a mighty talenlted poet as well."

Meilin bows slight at him as she works.

"Brother Genshu gives excellent advice as well, which I much appreciate," she says, still smiling.

"'Excellent' is a funny word for it," you mumble, blowing an unruly tangle of hair out of your eyes.

"It always seems to help you, doesn't it?" he notes happily.

"'Helps' is a funny word for it," you repeat, in the exact same tone of voice.

"Perhaps you need some guidance right now?"

"I most definitely do NOT!"

"That isn't what I heard you telling Miss Yang," he notes, his face changing to a "don't you fib, fibbing is bad" expression.

"How long were you standing there anyway?"

"The whole time."

"AAAAGH!"

>>36819791
give in and ask his advice about our women problem.
surely the celibate monk whose xia name is "heartbreaker genshu" (referring to romantic heartbreaking not combat heartbreaking) is an excellent avenue for such advice

>>36819791
I fucking love Genshu

>>36819791
Sky has nothing on Genshu in the art of trolling.

>>36819791
Ask him to choose a girl for us so we are spared the trouble.

>>36819791
sky cannot win from this master both in the arts of verbal and physical sparring

>>36819836
>Choose one girl
>Not a harem
you make baby tenchi cry

>>36819889
Harems are a pain in the ass.

>>36819906
But, I would argue, worth it in every way.

>>36819791
Does Sky hate Genshu, or love him like a brother, I wonder? It's hard to tell.

>>36819791

"You could always just ask you know," Genshu points out. "It'd be a lot less stressful then this thing where you dance around the subject and I address all of your ancillary concerns before getting to the heart of the matter."

"Stress? Who's stressed? I'M not stressed!" you say, folding your arms again and looking away.

"You seem a LITTLE stressed," Meilin notes helpfully.

"I'm FINE! Perfectly fine!"

"If you say so Hero Sky," Genshu says, still smiling.

>WDYD?

>[Ask Genshu for advice]

>[Screw this, you're outta here!]

>>36819967
>>[Screw this, you're outta here!]
nope sky is butt hurt plus we gotta stay on the move less all the girls find sky

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]

What could possibly go wrong?

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]...begrudgingly.

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]
I think we need it. And we should probably give Genshu a chance. He may be roundabout, but he's a good man.

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]
even though his advice is about as clear as a puddle of mud it still helps somehow.

>>36819964
He's sort of an extremely aggravating but ultimately helpful older brother figure for Sky in most ways. Sky's just an only child so he doesn't really have any experience with the sensation.
He's also not used to being out-trolled, admittedly.

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]
We ask directly and he gives a direct answer. Those are the rules.

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]
be as tsundere as possible

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]

>>36819967
>>[Screw this, you're outta here!]
We have got to complete our circle around the mansion.

>>36819967
>[Ask Genshu for advice]
Girl. Troubles.

>>36819967
>>[Ask Genshu for advice]

>>36820358
I mean, yes. But Genshu is not the one that we should ask about that considering his status I think.

Perhaps Meilin would have some advice though. She has supposedly had her share of issues with romantic entanglements being forced on her. And thus we begin the process of making her a waifu too.

>>36820410
we also have to beat her in combat too.

>>36819967

"Okay so...I have this...friend," you begin.

"Is this friend in fact yourself?" Genshu inquires.

"Shut up. No. So I have this FRIEND," you say, cutting him off. "He wants to...focus on his immediate goals. They're important to him."

"Do they perhaps involve finding a missing family member?" Genshu asks.

"Shut up, no! I'm talking! No, they involve...painting. He wants to focus on improving his...painting. Because it's important to him. As a person. Painting, that is," you say, grasping the first falsehood you could come up with. "And all these women in his life they...want...stuff from him. Attention, time, other stuff."

"Women troubles. Common in painters," Genshu says with a sage nod.

"They are? I mean, yeah, obviously. They are. And they constantly want more of him then he's ready to give right now because he's focusing on training. His painting I mean. Training his painting skills."

"And?"

"And how should he tell them this? I mean...he likes all of them plenty, and they're nice and they're his friends, but he needs to focus on the basics first, because otherwise his...painting might suck, and he won't reach his goals?"

"Have you-"

"My FRIEND!" you correct.

"Has your friend simply tried explaining this to them? Verbally? With actual words?"

"....no."

"Why not?"

"What....what if they leave him because he can't help them and give them everything they want? He...doesn't have anyone else in his life anymore," you explain, your voice getting quiet as you speak. "He's never had very many people in it EVER and...now he's only a mistake away from being COMPLETELY alone. Especially since I....he only recently found out how much he likes spending time around other people, even if he has to focus on mostly his painting while he's with them?"

"Do they seem like such shallow people to your friend?" Genshu says, his voice full of understanding.

"No. I guess not. But.....another person he cared about seemed like something he turned out not to be."

>>36820476
good call choosing to ask genshuu

>>36820476
awww.
I am glad we had that talk.

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>>36820476

Wow. He really is fucking awful at lying.

>>36820476
Oh fuck.

Sky, you've gone and busted out the vulnerable yet caring tough guy card, showing yourself to be a wild, powerful, rich man in need of someone to show him the softer side of life... in front of a woman.

God rest your soul.

>>36820476
>from all my laughs to all my sads
Well played OP.

>>36820476
that was actualy slightly painfull to read my god when you said sky is bad at lying i did not think he would be bad enough to go with the my friend is in some sort of trouble that is a lot like mine.

>>36820603
OHHHHH FUCK

i forgot she was their because she didn't say anything

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>>36820476
Sky my man you really need to brush up the art of lying.

>>36820476
So you are saying we should talk to the people instead of running from them? That doesn't make any sense.

>>36820476

"And what did he think this other person was?" Genshu inquires, his voice no longer full of mirth.

Meilin looks upon you as well, focusing on her calligraphy but still realizing that the subject matter is quite serious.

"A good man. A helpful one. Maybe even a hero," you say, voice barely above a whisper as you think about the last time your father spoke to you, telling you you could go to the village for the Autumn Festival.

It seems like years ago to you now.

"And what did he discover this person was?"

"I...he doesn't know anymore. Maybe he wasn't a hero at all. Maybe he was....someone who hurt people," you admit, voice barely above a whisper "Maybe he was even a monster."

"Your friend's fears are..understandable, Sky," Genshu says reassuringly. "But avoiding other people because you want to keep them around isn't going to help your friend either, my friend. Your friend has to tell them how he feels, otherwise he seems like he's trying to push them away himself, you see?"

"Yeah....I guess so. Maybe if I-"

"SKYYYYY!" Zhu'er's voice says from the enterence to Meilin's room and she rushes out...followed by Ao Zhengzhu, Duan Lei, That Foreign Guy, AND Hong Lan this time.

Genshu closes his eyes and says; "WORST possible timing imaginable...," under his breath just as you say "Aww, SCREW this shit!" and Lightfoot away from the gazebo onto the topof the nearest tree.

"KAMUSHIIIIIN!" you cry, filling your voice with qi so it echoes into the Heavens.

"SKREEEEE!" comes the reply as the party nears your tree and facing them you leap, right arm raised as Mighty Kamushin grasps it and carries you off into your namesake!

>Interlude

Genshu stood next to his young friends admirers and sighs, giving them all a sidelong glance.

"Wow. Way to fuck up my monk advice moment. Great job guys."

>Interlude End

>>36820808
>>Interlude
>Genshu stood next to his young friends admirers and sighs, giving them all a sidelong glance.
>"Wow. Way to fuck up my monk advice moment. Great job guys."
>>Interlude End

again you have the best interludes ever

>>36820808
oh how the winds of fate blow.

>>36820808
>"Maybe he was even a monster."
When have we found anything leading to that conclusion?

All we've been told so far is that when the Wulin couldn't get their shit together in a dark, dark hour our dad came in and beat them all down and made them do the right thing with nothing but brute strength. Then he defeated the foe and relinquished power, vanishing.

That sounds like nothing but heroism to me. Hell, I would suspect something was up because it was TOO pure, if I didn't already know that he really did vanish to train Sky on a mountain for 20 years.

>>36820968
Shhh. Just let the badly thought out philosophy wash over you.

>>36820968
and if Sky's father killed Sky's mother then what.

Speaking of Storm Dragon, I've got a theory about him that I'd like to voice.

About his immense power, you see, what if he was not actually using Heaven's Blessing as Sky knows it?
What if instead of pulling them apart momentarily, his Yin and Yang were separated permanently, unloading the constant stream of thunder?
And Heaven's Blessing is an imitation of his natural skill.

>>36821027
...Where has it ever been even hinted at that happened? As far as I can tell, she probably got assassinated by people vying for power within the Wulin, prompting ba to take his son away from all that backstabbing and live in peace on a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

>>36820968
I think it's the bit where Storm Dragon killed a good many of the clan heads he fought in order to gain authority. Ba was righteous, but he didn't care about collateral damage. What mattered to him was that justice was served, and any who got in the way deserved what they got. That's kind of monstrous.

>>36820968
He also killed more then one of them while unifying them, and did so with very little obvious regret.

Storm Dragon's legacy is an amazing one, but a mixed one as well; xia can't decide if he was a hero who did hard things, a villain who simply wanted his Wulin preserved from an outside force as many villains would or simply someone so powerful that he simply considered himself totally above their petty concerns and rivalries (which is itself a not very heroic mindset honestly).

To make matters even vaguer, Sky doesn't really know how Renshu acts around other people because his father simply refused to associate with anyone else.

>>36821055
Sounds to me like wild speculation.

I prefer the thought that he was just really good.

>>36821066
its a possibility in the dream sky had a wile back all his father said was its complicated

>>36821027
>>36821055
what if ma was/is evil and ba took us away from her to keep sky safe

>>36821101
another good theory

>>36821080
Not... really.

That's standard Xia behavior, to be honest. Hardly something you would doubt your own father over, especially when he brought people together and saved the day when it would have otherwise been lost.

>>36821101
would be hilarious if she ended up being the BBEG

>>36821118
Except Sky doesn't know what "standard xia behavior" is. He's still very new to this world, and aside from "the river shall not muddy the waters of the well" he doesn't know much about the social mores xia live under. To learn that his father could kill without remorse is going to be at least a little unsettling for him, even if it's not something other xia would be worried by.

>>36821080
That's not what collateral damage is. He just fought them and killed some.

>>36821084
I dunno. I guess I can see where you are coming from, but killing someone who attacked you rather than unify against a common threat hardly seems like something that would cause grave doubts in the man who raised you.

I dunno, I guess I've just watched too many kung-fu flicks where the heroes had body counts just as high (or higher) than the "bad guys". I just don't associate Xia in general with a "killing is bad no matter what, mmkay?" mindset. And I can't see Sky thinking that way either to be honest, he's shown himself to be fine and untroubled by killing foes so far.

Mind you, I like it that way. Kung-fu flicks have that right, in my opinion. If someone fucks you over, or kills your family, or wants to harm you -- or even if they are just being so retarded it endangers what you believe in like the wulin were being back then -- it seems perfectly justifiable to enforce your own way of thinking in opposition, even if that means killing them.

>>36821173
That's total bullshit anon. We killed someone and gave no fucks the very first thread. We've killed so many bandits that it's made the papers in a society that doesn't even have printing yet.

>>36821259
to be fair sky didn't say "definitely a monster"
he said maybe. he doesn't know

>>36821173
Kill without remorse en masse, don't forget.
And without regard to if the person he was killing was a good or bad person overall.

And make no mistake; it's a point of Ao Zhengzhu's story that good AND bad people died.
That's why his actions are considered comparable to a deity's sometimes; a god who floods a town or smites someone with lightning doesn't care if the person was good or bad, and it it doesn't bother to explain it's actions to the petty little beings who survive it's wrath.
People simply die and then have to make sense of what's left afterwords.

Sky is basically discovering his father was a flawed human being who nonetheless possessed a frankly disturbing level of personal power, something that's difficult for him to accept in a lot of ways.
>>36821259
It's not the killing part that bothers him, it's how indiscriminate he was about it.
In most of those movies almost all the killed guys are shown to be bad, pretty much without much grey area.

Storm Dragon's body count of good people and dead people is somewhere in the middle however, and some of them were considered very important good people.

>>36821313
I guess. It just seems really out of place for the story so far to have Sky questioning that with what he knows.

Maybe it's an author slip-up due to knowledge he knows that we don't. I'd understand that. Feng Renshu might have done some very grey things.

It's just we (and therefore Sky) haven't been told about these things yet, so it is making me very confused as to why he is doubting his own father.

>>36820808
So, who else thinks The Mighty Kamushin's reaction to hearing our tail will be too fly around for a bit then flat out drop us on the group that had been chasing us?

>>36821341
>something that's difficult for him to accept in a lot of ways.

is it because its a possibility for Sky to become equally strong or even stronger

>>36821433
Mighty Kamushin has no time for his sidekick's bullshit.

>>36821341
>In most of those movies almost all the killed guys are shown to be bad, pretty much without much grey area.
Eh. Somewhat. There are a lot of kung-fu movies where the enemies fight deadly battles over things like women or insults too. Or revenge for killing a friend/family member of the protagonist, even if the killer wasn't exactly a terrible person.

But I've said my piece now. I just think that this came a bit out of left field for what we know. Sky has never had a problem with killing or death so far.

>>36821482
Well, he was kind of unsettled by how Steeleyes killed all those people at the brothel. He seems to not have an issue with killing in small volumes, but once you go over a threshold of people killed in one day it starts getting weird.

>>36821376
We were told about the indiscriminate killing part of Storm Dragon's introduction. Sky just extrapolated that with what he already knows about his dad who refused to speak about himself or their shared history. It's a reasonable enough doubt to crop up when you find out you didn't know anything about the person you were closest to for all of your life.

Sky's also probably pieced together his dad killed someone important to Zhu'er (possibly her father) which complicates his feelings.

>>36821433
Have we asked Kamushin if the person who put that collar on him is in the area? That may be an interesting person to meet.

>>36821519
Well, Kamushin's collar looks really old, and great condors are said to have incredible longevity. His first partner is probably dead by now. Could be that's why he bonded to us so quickly, he's a lonely old bird..

>>36821446
More because he got drilled with the ideals he holds by his father from a young age, only to discover his father might have been no better or more righteous then anyone else in the Wulin, simply much more powerful then everyone else.
>>36821519
It's kind of more of a harness. And even if you asked it's not like he could answer. He's a bird, after all, heh.
Also yes, he has a sneaking suspicion his father is responsable for the death of her own.
>>36820808

>Present

"And so that's why I'm up here with you," you explain to your condor friend, finishing your story. "Pretty bullshit huh?"

The great condor says nothing, simply continuing to fly as you rest on it's back.

"I mean...I guess Genshu was right," you admit to yourself. "I want everyone to stay near me but I keep pushing them away and hiding everything from them too. That's gotta be confusing."

Mighty Kamushin still says nothing.

"And if I just explained to to them they might get it. I don't even need to tell them the whole story about dad yet. Especially since I'm still not sure what the entire story actually IS. Which reminds me, I gotta ask Genshu sometime about that. THAT'LL be fun, ugh. I guess it's better then asking that Ironheart dude. Don't tell anyone, but that guy seriously gives me the willies."

There's another pause, the silence around you punctuated only by the flapping of Kamushin's mighty wings.

"...Dammit. I have to go back, don't I?"

>>36821718
Well it was more along the lines of "Ask him to take us to the guy if he were in the area" since Kamushin is intelligent and all. If he could talk I wonder if he'd have a tale about hobbits.

>>36821718
daww, character ghrowth makes me warm and fuzzy inside. our sky is growing up.

also, genshu confirmed for BFF

>>36821783
sorry Lei

>>36821763
>Kamushin can't talk
pls, its more like sky can't talk glorious condor language

>>36821794
you can have more than one BFF you know... like, a harem of BFFs

>>36821803
Those are called sworn brotherhoods.
>/tg/ goes full harem mode to collect all the bros. And Waifu's.

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>>36821901

>>36821718

You ride Mighty Kamushin back to the Yuan Palace gardens, where somehow everyone you know is arguing, though they stop when you arrive via giant bird and lightly hop from his back before he soars away.

"Hey," you begin with a wave, before sighing, and bowing to everyone there. "I apologize for my behavior to you all. I've been...difficult to deal with all this time, and I admit my fault. I am focused purely on training and finding my father now, and though you are all...," you pause, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing. "You are all good friends, and I don't want to loose any of you. I need....help to find my father and achieve my goals, help only you all can give me. Up until this point I've simply gleaned or wheedled information or skills out of you when I needed them without regad for your feelings, and I've taunted and pestered you with no real regard for your feelings either. Forgive me, friends."

There is a silence, as they look shocked by your ernest admission.

But then they smile.

After that? The day isn't so bad anymore.

>To Be Continued.

>>36821937
Sorry about the abrupt ending, but I gotta stop for today.

Next thread will PROBABLY be this weekend.

>>36821901
fun fact
>Blood is thicker than water
water is family (womb water)
blood is fellow soldiers (blood brothers/blood pact)

>>36821953
That's fine. This was still a good thread. See you next time, WulinSage.

>>36821937
A little cheesy, and I loved every moment of it.

see you next thread sage

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>>36821937

>>36821953
Thanks for running!

>>36821937
Sky's not a bad guy.

Now it's time to see if he can walk the walk as well as he can talk the talk. Pity it's not daily any more, but you can't have everything, I suppose.