QM Notes

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy playing in this quest! To set expectations for what's to come;

1.)This is (as the title says) a Cultivation quest. You'll be starting out dealing with the low powerscale side of things, but expect to go to Xianxia scale eventually, if you play your cards right.

2.)The setting is an eastern fantasy setting that is not China, but has many elements from Chinese and other cultures. Figured it's worth saying, since a lot of wuxia/xianxia stories can be kind of confusing there.

3.)I don't speak Chinese. If you do and someone's name somehow translates to something goofy like "Buttfarts Mountainfoot", I'm sorry in advance. It will probably happen again.

4.)Mechanics may be subject to change as we go. I'm no game designer, so if things are jank I'll try to fix it as we go.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I will answer if it's something I can explain without spoilers.

>>5753672
>>Rabbit

SPEED IS KEY

>>5753672
>>Tiger

Tigers are cool

>>5753672
>Monkey
Monkey time

>>5753672

>Rat

let's try to stay humble here...

>Dog

>>5753688
>>5753689
>>5753691
>>5753694
>>5753697
Honestly, I should have expected this with twelve options on a new quest. I'll give it 10 minutes in case tiebreaker votes come in, if not then I'll just roll a die to decide.

>>5753672
>>Rat
HIT EM WITH THE RAT ATTACK

File: rat-spinning.gif (1.96 MB, 498x498)

1.96 MB GIF

>>5753672
Let's go for ratto

Rat it is! Typing now

>>5753672
Ox and Rooster are tubular but Rat is cool and has potential. I'll pitch in for
>Rat
As well

>>5753672
The stars that form the zodiac of the Rat call to you; First to rise and first to cross the horizon's threshold. You wonder why it feels so familiar, but you simply cannot recall. Even so, you're sure you will remember in due time.

Looking around, you realize the crater you woke up in was close to a lake. Your lips feel dry, and so you climb out of the hole and approach the still waters, cupping your hands to drink from it. Once your thirst is quenched, you come to the realization you don't actually know what you look like, and wait for the rippling waters to still. In your reflection, you get a glimpse of yourself. You are a young man of short lithe build, with snow white hair that runs down past your shoulders, and eyes of deep blue. Your tattered clothes are ruined, the white silk stained brown and black by damp dirt. Your cheeks and hair are colored by dirt as well, giving you the ragged appearance of a street urchin.

While you look over your appearance, you notice faint lights in the lake's reflection. You glance up and notice that there is a village nearby, the light of lanterns so distant they almost look like fireflies. However, you can see that some of them are moving. Narrowing your eyes, you realize there is something approaching around the lake, vaguely making out the sight of people holding lanterns and sharp farming tools.

>Hide from them
>Approach them
>Attack them
>Wait for them
>Write-in

>>5753672
>Rat

>>5753726
>Hide from them

>>5753726

>Hide from them

Ratmode

>>5753726
>Hide from them

>>5753726
Hm.
What's the most rat-minded thing we can do?

> Avoid lights, seek village granary to acquire cheez

>>5753726
>Hide from them
We /rat/ now

>>5753726
>>Hide from them

>>5753735
>What's the most rat-minded thing we can do?
Breed.

>> Avoid lights, seek village granary to acquire cheez
Cheez is weird, is bad but taste nice.

>>5753735
>>5753750
>Support both
We require cheez.

>>5753726
You don't know these people, so the prudent thing would be to hide and observe them before you act. Turning around, you look for a hiding spot. There wasn't much to hide in an open, grassy field. However, you look to a nearby tree and decide to climb, thinking you can hide above in the thick leaves. Hurrying over before you're spotted, you find a handhold and start to climb. In seconds, you're already at the top, nestled into the thick green foliage. You only realize after settling into your hiding spot how easy it was to climb, much easier than it should have been for one of your size and build. Perhaps you were an athletic person before you lost your memories?

Peeking out from your leafy cover, you watch as the men with lanterns come closer. Some were armed with sickles and hoes, though the man who seemed to lead them was carrying a hammer. His clothes were stained with spots of black soot, and though he seemed to be well into middle aged, his build was stocky and square. His hair was short and gray with a thick beard peppered by flecks of red.

"Wow…look at that." One of the men comments, gesturing his lantern towards the crater. "If that thing fell just a little closer, it coulda flattened someone's house!"

"The way it sounded, I thought it did at first." Another quips.

"Hah! Wouldn't that be something? The thing destroys your house, but now you're rich enough to live like an emperor!"

"Yeah, if it didn't kill, that is. Well, Jin? What do you figure this thing's worth?"

The man with the hammer approaches the crater, climbing atop the dirt hill around it and looks down. He seems surprised, looking back to his peers.

"There's nothing here."

"What?! Quit foolin' around, Jin, we all saw it fall!"

"Heard it too!"

"Look for yourselves." Jin says, the other men looking reluctantly between themselves before clambering up.

"...What the hell, where's the starmetal?! It didn't just grow legs and walk away!" One of them exclaims.

"Yeah…Something's fishy, ain't it? You said it yourself, them Wulin types would normally be on this like flies on manure, right?"

"Maybe they just didn't expect this one?"

"Maybe. Don't explain where the starmetal went though."

"...Hey, wait a tic. Hey Jin, does this look like it?" One of the villagers asks, digging up one of the black iron shards from the crater.

Jin furrows his brow, taking the shard and examining it closely. "...Maybe. I've never seen starmetal before, but they say it looks like black metal."

"Must not be as special as they say though, if it broke up like this." Another quips.

(Continued)

>>5753758
None of these men seem to have noticed your presence yet. Listening to them, though, you get the impression they were expecting something else. 'Starmetal'? The word sounds familiar, but you can't recall why. Either way, it seems these people weren't looking for you specifically. The way they relax their hold on their tools, you suspect they aren't expecting danger any more either.

>Sneak away. Better to leave before they realize you're here.
>Show yourself. They seem harmless, maybe they can tell you where you are and what's going on.
>Ambush them. You're not taking any chances. Maybe you could snatch one of their weapons away while they're distracted.
>Write-in

>>5753762
>Show yourself. They seem harmless, maybe they can tell you where you are and what's going on.

>>5753762

>watch them as they collect the star-metal and then rob them later

Let's put those ratboi skills to the test

>>5753762
>>Show yourself. They seem harmless, maybe they can tell you where you are and what's going on.

"Hi guys! You know what happen here? I just wake up."

"Me? I am lost to say the true, can you tell me where I am right now?"

>>5753762
>Show yourself. They seem harmless, maybe they can tell you where you are and what's going on.
We have the soul of the Rat. We can flee like mad, and fight like madder if we're cornered.

>>5753762
These people don't seem to be a threat. Might as well show yourself, maybe they can help you figure out where you are. Or who you are. While the villagers continue to scratch their heads and wonder aloud what happened here, you stick your head out from the leaves to talk. Better to stay up where they can't reach you, just in case.

"Excuse me."

The villagers all jump in surprise, startled by an unexpected voice in the dark. One drops his hoe and crouches to cover his head, until someone looks up and notices you.

"Excuse me. Could you please tell me where I am?" You repeat yourself, speaking calmly and politely to the lightly armed strangers.

"Wh-what the hell, boy who are you?! What're you doing up there?!" The cowardly villager demands, finding his courage as he stands up in a huff and picks up his hoe again.

"I am lost. I don't know where I am. You seem to live nearby, could you please tell me where this is?"

"Lost…? Hah! A likely story! Whatchu doing hiding up in that tree then?" The hoe-wielding villager accuses, until his face falters with some kind of realization. "Wait…Hey, Jin, you don't think he's one of those Honglang-"

The old man shoots him a stern glare, and the villager's words seem to die in his throat. "I don't think he would be hiding in a tree if he was Honglang." Jin points out, and the rest of the villagers seem to relax. The old man's gaze turns back up to you, his stern gaze softening when he speaks to you. "You're near Still Lake Village, kid. What are you doing wandering around this late? You look like a tiger washed your clothes."

You glance down to your tattered robes. Right, you suppose you might look like you were attacked if they didn't know better…Then again, maybe you were. You don't feel hurt, so if you were attacked, you suppose you were fine.

>Lie
>Tell the truth
>Write-in

>>5753812
>Tell the truth

>>5753812
>Tell the truth

But you know, lean into the idea that maybe you were attacked. Maybe some brigand bopped us and stole the starmetal?

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>>5753812
"I don't know." You answer truthfully.

"Ya don't know…?" The old man answers, a bushy eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I don't know anything. When I woke up, I was lying in that crater. I don't remember anything that happened, but since my clothes are tattered, I suppose I might have been attacked by these Honglang people you mentioned. Perhaps they took the starmetal you were talking about, although I can't recall for sure."

"Pfffft. What, did they drop you from a cloud too?" The hoe-wielding skeptic scoffs, earning another annoyed side-eye by the old man. The villagers must respect Jin, given how they all seem to defer to him.

"...I'll admit, your story's strange, kid. But you ain't from around here, that's for sure, and you talk too polite-like to be one of those Honglang thugs." The old man admits. Now that he mentions it, the villager's manner of speech was quite different from yours. The term 'provincial' comes to mind, with vague thoughts of rural countrysides. It's fair to assume you weren't from anywhere similar, if your accent and speech patterns were so different.

"...I am not a kid. I'm fairly certain of that, at least." You correct him. Just as you do, your stomach grumbles aloud. The sound catches you off-guard as much as them. You almost didn't realize you were hungry until now…Was that strange?

"...Hah. Well, seems like they didn't feed ya, wherever you came from." Jin jokes, the other men chuckling with him. "Well, tell ya what. Seeing as there's no fallen star here to pick up, why don't ya come back with us? I'll get you some breakfast, and you can sit down and think a while on what you can remember. See if you can remember anything about that starmetal and where it went."

"Careful now Jin, you know what they say about feeding stray cats now!" One of the villagers jokes, the men all laughing together at that.

The villagers seem good-natured enough. You can't think of any reason to refuse, so you nod your head. "That sounds fair. If I can remember anything, I will tell you." You agree, shifting your weight to drop down. The villagers seem to panic a little as you fall from the highest branch, but you land gracefully on your feet and tilt your head in confusion at the surprise on their faces.

"...Sheesh. You might be onto something, Bao, the boy certainly lands like a cat." Another villager quips. The villagers all chuckle at that, though for some reason, the comparison sparks a faint pang of irritation in your mind. Still, the tension from before had completely evaporated, and so you follow after the villagers on the long trek around the lake and back to their village.

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>>5754071
Faint rays of orange and purple hues begin to shine from the east when you arrive, the stars of the Rat beginning to cross the horizon in the west. It seems you awoke not long before sunrise, and so have the villagers. Many of them poke their heads out from their homes when you pass by, some whispering to each other, others calling out to ask Jin about the fallen star and the strange guest he brought back. The old man offers a short assurance that everything was fine and he'd tell them later, but you can feel everyone's eyes on you. Some were curious, some felt wary. The other villagers eventually part ways with you and Jin, telling others about what happened, but you follow the old man until he comes to a stop.

"This is it. Don't mind the mess, we weren't expecting guests." The old man tells you, gesturing to the hut in front of you. It was a humble place, built from creaky wood and surrounded by rough wooden fencing, though you note how it was bigger than most of the other huts in this village. You walked past pigs and chickens in people's yards on your way here, but Jin's home didn't have any animals. Instead, you see a forge and an anvil beside the house, covered by a thatched roof. Various tools hang from the outside wall, with Jin hanging the hammer he was carrying next to them. Beside the forge, you notice a rack of assorted weapons. Seeing them makes you wonder, why did Jin grab a hammer for protection if these were right here?

"Come on. My granddaughter's probably making breakfast, she'll fix something up for you too." Jin assures you, gesturing for you to follow him in. You do so, noting the smell of pork in the air as you cross the doorway. Smoke rises and flows out an open window, and you find a young red-headed woman tending to a cooking pot over a fire. She notices Jin first, looking up and smiling in what appears to be relief.

"Grandfather, you're back! What happened? Are you alright? Did you find out what that loud crashing was?" The young woman bombards Jin with questions. You don't think she's even noticed you yet.

"I'm fine, Ming. I'll explain, but get another bowl ready. We have a guest." Jin tells her, stepping aside and gesturing to you. The girl's eyes widen when she sees you're shredded clothes, but Jin is quick to reassure her. "The boy's not hurt either. Just hungry and lost."

"Oh my, what happened? Did somebody rough you up? Poor thing, it was those Honglang meatheads, wasn't it? They've got no right hurting a little fella like you!" She huffs, fretting over you in search of injuries. When she confirms you were indeed unharmed, she seems to huff indignantly as she speaks of the Honglang people the villagers keep mentioning.


>"...I am not little."
>"What is Honglang?"
>"I don't know, I can't remember what happened to me."
>Ignore her and check the pot. You're hungry.
>Write-in

>>5754072
>"...I am not little."

>>5754072
>"...I am not little."
>"What is Honglang?"

>>5754173

This seems reasonable

>>5754072
>"I don't know, I can't remember what happened to me."
>"What is Honglang?"

>>5754173
This

>>5754072
>>5754179 +1

>>5754072
"...I am not little." You mumble. Objectively, she's right; You only barely stand at chest-height to Jin beside you, and even Ming is just slightly taller than you. Even so, you don't like to be called that. You felt nothing when you found yourself laying in a deep crater with no memory of your past or surroundings, but this annoys you for reasons you can't quite explain.

Ming seems amused by your reaction though, a mischievous smirk crossing her face. "Aw, don't take it the wrong way, shorty! I'm sure you gave as good as you got." She teases you, gently poking fun at you.

…You barely hear anything after the first sentence. The old man frowns and starts to chastise her for insulting guests, but you don't pay attention as you feel a spark of recognition in your mind; Similar words you've heard before.

'Keep up, shrimp!'
'Watch it, tiny!'
'Not bad, mouse!'

The voice in your memories was arrogant, haughty. Proud. Your mind draws up hazy images from forgotten depths; A woman, tall, powerful, covered in blood spatter. You can't remember her face, but you remember her toothy grin. Mixed emotions come to mind when you think of her. Annoyance, camaraderie, regret. Then another image springs to your mind. Stars, aligned in the midnight sky. The constellation of the tiger.

"...Hey, are you alright?" You finally hear someone say, not in memory but here and now. You suddenly realize you've been holding your head and grimacing this whole time, and the others are looking at with concern.

"...I'm fine." You assure them. "Just…Thinking of something."

"Did you remember something?" Jin asks, and when you nod he looks back to Ming. "Hurry and get him a bowl, and don't bother him any more. Let the boy think."

>>5754383
************
"Gosh, you can't remember anything?" Ming asks while you eat, having been told the whole story now by Jin.

"No. I…Think I remembered someone I used to know. But I can't remember her name, or how I knew her." You answer, setting down the bowl of rice and pork you were given. The others were only half-finished with theirs, but you were famished. The meal you were given was a humble one, but it fills your stomach. The taste was…The word 'provincial' comes to mind again. It wasn't terrible, but you feel you might have had better before. You're not sure what implications that may have for your past; Perhaps you did come from wealth, as Jin suggested before.

"Can you remember your name, at least?" The old smith asks.

You furrow your brow, reflecting on what you've recalled thus far. You remember that woman's voice, and soon other voices come to mind as well. Their faces are still lost to your mind's depths, but you manage to grasp whispers of words from them. Voices of men, and voices of women. Words of kindness, words of reprimand. But one word does repeat in your mind, a word spoken and repeated by each voice.

"...Shu." You answer hesitantly.

"Shu? Shu who?" Ming asks.

"I don't recall. That's the only name I can remember." You shrug. "I still can't remember how I got here, though. Or what happened to that starmetal."

"Hrm…" Jin muses, scratching his bearded chin in thought. "Well, there's nothing for it then. Unless you fought off a bear, we can assume it was Honglang thugs that roughed you up. Probably took the starmetal with them too, I knew we should have gone to check it out sooner." The old man grumbles.

>>5754386
"You keep saying that word, Honglang. What is that?"

The old man and his granddaughter's faces fall. They were silent for a moment, as if wondering whether to answer or not. "The Honglang Gang. They're a bunch of brutes from around here." Ming breaks the silence. "They're bandits. They rob travelers and shake down villages like ours. Maybe they robbed you and left you in that ditch?"

You think about it for a moment. The Honglang Gang doesn't bring any memories to mind, and you would probably be injured if they robbed you, but the only sign of pain you felt despite your damaged clothes was that dull ache when you first got up. It doesn't make much sense. "Have they been causing you trouble?"

"They used to." Jin answers this time. "But not as much anymore. I…struck a deal with them. They won't steal from us anymore, but in exchange, I give them weapons. Now they only come once a month, to take what I make." The blacksmith admits, scowling as he lowers his head in shame. You think back to the weapon rack outside; That must have been for them.

"So they say, but they always take whatever they want with them whenever they show up!" Ming blurts out in anger.

"It would be worse if I didn't agree to help them." Jin insists, though even he seems unhappy with the arrangement.

>Why haven't you fought back?
>That's smart. It's better than having them raze the village.
>Write-In

>>5754387

>That's smart. It's better than having them raze the village.

Rats wait things out in secret tunnels, they don’t start fights

>>5754387
>Why haven't you fought back?
>"Couldn't you forge traps to stop their attacks?"

>>5754387
>Write-In
Do you think that will keep them happy forever?

>>5754387
>That's smart. It's better than having them raze the village.
>But... Do you think that will keep them happy forever?

>>5754387
>>5754429 +1

>>5754387
"That's smart. It's better than letting them raze the village." You pitch in, siding with Jin. Ming seems surprised you would agree with him, but the old man seems a little relieved to hear you say that. "But do you think that will keep them happy forever?"

"Pfah! None of those fools take care of their equipment, I'd be surprised if any of them even know what a whetstone is!" Jin scoffs. "But…No. I'm sure those thugs will decide they don't need me anymore at some point, but what can I do? Those thugs are strong enough on their own, but Wong Li is…"

Ming's face darkens at that name. Jin seems displeased just to say it as well, but he continues on with a grimace. "...Wong Li is their leader. They say he used to be one of those Wulin types, until they threw him out. He's scum, but he's strong." He pauses. "...When the Honglang first came here, my son tried to fight them. Wong Li killed him, and his wife. I only saved my grandchildren because I agreed to be his smith."

"Grandchildren?"

"That's right. My grandson is-"

"Hey, old man! Guess who's back!" A voice shouts in from the doorway. You see both Ming and Jin perk up at the sound, surprised recognition registering on their faces.

"...Speak a devil's name and they'll come." Jin grumbles, but Ming seems elated. Grinning ear to ear, she practically jumps up from where she was sitting and hurries to the door.

"Shen, you're back!" Ming calls out, a name you don't recognize. You look to Jin for an explanation, and he sighs.

"...My wayward grandson, back from chasing foolish dreams." Jin tells you quietly, rising to his feet. You follow suit, curious to see what he meant.

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511 KB JPG

>>5754589
The man standing in the doorway was young, perhaps around your age. Like his sister, his hair was red and tied back behind him. He wears a roughcloth cloak, with worn black clothes underneath. You notice a sword on his belt as well, hiding under his cloak. Ming was giving her brother a hug, the young man smiling to see his family again. When you turn the corner with Jin, though, he seems confused.

"Grandfather, I'm home. Who is this?" He asks. You notice that his accent wasn't quite as thick as the others. There were traces of it, but he doesn't quite drawl his words the way his sister and grandfather do. You can see a flicker of concern in his eyes, no doubt because of your damaged state of dress.

"Ah! Grandpa found him outside the village. This is Shu, when he found him he was like this."

"...Honglang did this, didn't they? Are you hurt?" Shen asks, a sternness in his eyes when he says that name.

"...I am fine, thank you for your concern." You reassure him.

"Hmph, still. You look like they tried to kill you! Don't worry though, they won't be trouble for much longer!"

"Shen." Jin sternly interrupts. "I told you to let go of these foolish ideas. When you left for the city, I'd hoped you would wise up and help us save up to leave the village, not-"

"And leave everyone else here to die?!" Shen rebukes angrily. "You know they'll just raze the village if you leave!"

"I can stay, you and your sister should-"

"Absolutely not!" Shen shouts. You get the impression this is not the first time they've argued over this. "Besides, I'm stronger now! The Burning Heart Brotherhood accepted me as a disciple, now I can fight them!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Jin shouts. "Do you want me to lose my grandchildren too?!"

"So what, we should hide in fear until Wong Li decides he doesn't need us anymore?! Maybe you're still scared, grandfather, but I'm not! I can fight them now!" Shen boldly declares, drawing his sword and holding it in a dramatic pose as if to emphasize his point.

The moment he draws his weapon, a wave of rapid thoughts run through your mind. You analyze Shen, his posture, his grip, his stance, everything. Within seconds, you hear thoughts in your head of every flaw in his stance. His feet were too far apart, his balance was terrible, and other such revelations. All of it leads to one conclusion, you don't know why you know it but you realize one absolute truth.

This man will die if he fights, you are certain of it. He is not as strong as he believes he is.

>Stop him
>Offer to join him
>Side with Jin, it would be better to just leave
>Write-in

>>5754594
>Stop him
>"You aren't going to beat them all up yourself! Now if you had a plan on how to pick them one by one without the rest noticing, or even weaken them first, that would be a different story..."

>>5754601
+1

>>5754594

>>5754594

> Admit that you seem to have some instinctive understanding of combat, perhaps he could spar with you briefly? Maybe it would trigger a few memories?

> You have a sneaking suspension you're going to wildly humble this young man

>>5754594
>>5754612
I'll Support, a little spar to see where we both stand at first.

>i know kung fu
>show me

Also a wuxia/xanxia quest with the mc martial arts based on constellations?
You better believe i'm gonna vote to get a rat shaped armor and go full saint seya.

>>5754601

this is ratmode

>>5754594
"No, you cannot." You interject, deciding to get involved.

"Hah?! And what do you know? You're just-"

You don't even let him finish. Although you don't know where you learned it, the movements come naturally to you. Before the words even finish leaving his mouth, you step in and slide a foot between his stance. You grab his wrist with one hand and launch the other as a sharp elbow into his ribs, knocking the wind from his lungs. In the next moment, you twist your hips and throw the armed man over your shoulder, slamming his back into the floor while he is still gasping for air. His grip on the sword-handle loosens, and you immediately snatch it from his hands, now armed and standing over him.

All of this took less than a second to accomplish, and leaves the two bystanders in shock as they flinch back from Shen's hard impact into the floor.

"See? If I was Wong Li, you would be dead now, and this would all be pointless. Are you so eager to follow your parents into the afterlife?"

Shen coughs and gasps as the wind comes back to his lungs. Jin and Ming can only watch dumbfounded at what transpired, though no one was as shocked as Shen. "You…Who the hell are you? Are you part of the Wulin too? What Sect are you from?" Shen asks between coughs, wincing in pain.

"I do not know what that is. I'm not sure how I know to do this either, but I do." You calmly admit. You step back to let him get up, but he doesn't do so immediately. You wonder what the problem is, you didn't hit him that hard after all. However…You understand when he rolls over and staggers back to his feet, to reveal how you splintered the wood floorboards under him.

It seems you're stronger than you realized.

"No…You've got to be." Shen remarks with a wince, stretching his back to loosen back up after that slam. "The Wulin, it's our term for those that practice martial arts and hone their qi. You must have been one of us."

You're unfamiliar with the term he uses for it, but 'Qi' certainly does sound vaguely familiar. You suppose it's not impossible. It would explain why you're so strong despite being smaller than Shen.

>>5754792

"Why the hell are you hiding here, then? We could take them together, if you'd help me!" Shen insists, seeming frustrated by his instant loss. You hand him his sword back, and he snatches it away with a sulky look in his eyes.

"That would be foolish. I'm not familiar with Honglang, but if they're a gang then fighting outnumbered is foolish. Perhaps if we had a plan, however, things could be different."

"...Shu, you're not seriously entertaining this?" Jin finally interjects, shaking off his surprise at what happened. "Even if one of you can fight, they're still-"

"Enough,[i/] grandfather." Shen cuts him off, glaring at him. "I'm doing this, with or without your blessing."

Jin scowls, clenching his fists in frustration. For a second you think he might strike the boy, until finally he throws up his arms in defeat. "Fine! Throw your life away, if you must! I can't stop you anymore." He blurts out in frustration, storming off and leaving the three of you alone.

"...I'll, um…I'll go get water for a bath." Ming meekly speaks up. "You should probably wash up, Shu. I'll see if grandpa has any spare clothes you can borrow too." She adds, excusing herself to grab a water basin and leave the house in turn. Now, it was just you and Shen.

"...So? What are you suggesting?" Shen asks. Though his pride was a little wounded, you can see he was determined. He acknowledges that you know better, and will consider whatever ideas you present.

>We should sneak up on them, and kill them one by one. Then we can attack their leader.
>We should target Wong Li while he's alone. If their leader dies, the gang will disperse.
>Bandits are selfish. If they're scared, they'd sooner flee than risk their lives. Break their will and they'll break ranks.
>We could set traps for the next time they come. Dig pits and set sharp bamboo inside.
>Get any villagers you can find that are willing to fight. There's strength in numbers.
>Have you tried poison?
>Write-in

...Ah shit, I messed up the italics. Whelp.

>>5754793
>Have you tried poison?
>We could set traps for the next time they come. Dig pits and set sharp bamboo inside.

>>5754793
>Bandits are selfish. If they're scared, they'd sooner flee than risk their lives. Break their will and they'll break ranks.
Maybe we can frighten them away with some form of hoax, Scooby-Doo style?

>>5754799
I'm worried they might be more scared of their leader then whatever we come up with, since Wong Li is an ex-Wulin.

>>5754793
>We should target Wong Li while he's alone. If their leader dies, the gang will disperse.
>Have you tried poison?

Selected mushrooms in the soup so he can't fight back
Target him while he's in the latrine so he also dies embarassingly
The rest of the band will either disperse or become easy pickings.

>>5754803
Maybe, but if we can win without killing, more's the better. We haven't yet established if we are/were cool with causing death, let alone murder by deception.

>>5754793
>We should sneak up on them, and kill them one by one. Then we can attack their leader.

>Bandits are selfish. If they're scared, they'd sooner flee than risk their lives. Break their will and they'll break ranks.

Do these two together. Pick them off as we can, then mutilate their bodies into spooky fetishes. With any luck most of them will abandon the area and run, leaving the leader defenseless and alone.

>>5754793
>We should sneak up on them, and kill them one by one. Then we can attack their leader.

this seems interesting. brutal rat kid making his way through the world with calculated intelligence
>>5754793
>>Have you tried poison?
>We should target Wong Li while he's alone. If their leader dies, the gang will disperse.

>>5754793
"Have you tried poison?"

"Wh-What? No, of course not!" Shen exclaims, caught off-guard by your blunt suggestion.

"Why not? If your enemy is strong, then poison will make him weak, or even kill him."

"Because it's dishonorable!"

"It's practical. Your enemies are bandits, I doubt they care for honor anyways. Would you rather they continue to terrorize the village?"

"I'd rather kill with honor!"

"Then you will die. And the Honglang will continue to terrorize people. They may even use your resistance as justification to be even crueler. Do you really think you can kill Wong Li in a fair fight, when you can't even beat an unarmed stranger?"

Your words cut Shen deep. You can tell he wants to argue, but can't refute your points. At least, not sincerely. You get the vague idea you've had this sort of conversation before; The argument in favor of your methods rolls naturally off your tongue."You…Are you from the Demonic Alliance? The Five Poisons Cult?" Shen asks, his tone more wary of you now.

"I do not know what either of those are. They don't sound familiar, so I don't think so." You answer honestly.

Shen's fists tremble slightly as he grapples with the dilemma you've presented. The man who entered the village confident and proud was now doubting himself. "...Tch! Do what you want, I won't stop you. But I won't use it myself! I won't dishonor my parents' memory by stopping that low to avenge them! Besides, my seniors in the Brotherhood would never accept me back if they knew I used poison to win a fight."

>>5755624
"That is acceptable." You shrug. Now, the only question left was how to make the poison. You don't immediately recall any particular recipes, but perhaps if you focus you might-

"I SAID, WHERE ARE YOU HIDING IT?!" Someone shouts outside. You see Shen's face pale when he hears it, rushing to a window to look outside. You glance over his shoulder to see as well, and see five armed men in the village center. One of them was holding Ming, the basin she was carrying dropped and rolled to the side. Jin was there as well, deep panic on his face.

"I told you, we didn't take it! When we got there, the meteor was already gone! We thought-"

"You thought what, huh?! Thought you could keep it for yourselves? That starmetal is worth more than this entire shithole! Boss said he wants it, and I'm not going back empty handed!"

"Sir, please! I would give it to you if I had it!"

"Well then you better find it, quick! That hunk of metal is gonna be a big payday, so if I don't get it then I'm taking whatever I can get instead!" The armed thug sneers, his eyes turning to Ming. "...Starting with this girl right here. She's no starmetal, but I bet she'd sell for a pretty silver!" The thug muses, his mouth curling into a wicked grin.

"Let me go!" Ming spits, stomping hard on the thug's foot.

"Agh! Bitch!" The thug shouts, smacking her across the cheek.

"Ming!" Shen shouts, his face twisting with fury before he rushes out the door. You try to stop him, but it's too late. You only see five of them, so this probably wasn't the full gang. That one mentioned a boss too, so Wong Li probably wasn't among them.

Might as well test these skills you apparently have.

Sneaking out the back door, you go to the forge you saw beside the house. While you come up with a plan, you grab a weapon from the rack, your hand naturally reaching for one kind in particular, without realizing it. However, it feels natural in your grasp, as though you've used one countless times in your life.

>Light sword
>Heavy saber
>Spear
>Staff
>Hammer
>Bow
>Daggers
>Hooked Swords
>Chakram
>Glaive
>Nothing - Your fists feel the most natural
>Write-in

>>5755625
>Chakram

>>5755627
I might change to
>Daggers
It's probably the ratter weapon

>>5755625
>Chakram

>>5755625
>>Light sword
Nice and simple. No reason to make it complicated in search of novelty.

Also, it's the 'gentleman's weapon', which makes a good disguise. Harder to trace

>Net
Think of it... when a swarm of rats comes over someone and presses them into the mud, what happens? They're bound, as if by a net! With a net, we can snare the feet of our foes and tear them apart!

>>5755667
Forgot to link post >>5755625. If Net isn't possible, I'll say Light Sword because we seem dex-focused but not a total coward.

>>5755667
Support, get the threads to be really thin so we can cut our foes, or have blades on the edges.

Alright, we have 2 votes for Chakram, 2 for net, and 1 for sword with a Maybe for sword. Nets I don't think are usually weapons in cultivator fiction (though feel free to share if you know any examples), so I'm a little hesitant on that. If y'all realpy want it though, I'll do it. Though I will offer a Whip as a potential alternative, as something that can bind people and gets used in the genre fairly often, if the Net voters are in favor.

Regardless, I'll give it 10 minutes for a tiebreaker vote. Reply here for:

>Chakram
>Net
>Sword
>Whip

>>5755820
Actually the first chakram anon changed his vote for dagger

>>5755830
I'm fine with either

>>5755820
But I'll vote for
>Sword
to break the tie

A light sword is like a long dagger

>>5755820
Eh, I find sword a little generic, I'll go witg chakrams then if net isn't winning.

>>5755820
>Chakram

>>5755625
You grab a pair of chakram without hesitation. The iron in your hands feels…natural. As if a part of you was missing until you picked them up. There was no time to dwell on the implications of this, though, as you hear Shen's voice joining the shouts from the village center.

"Unhand her, you dogs!" Shen shouts, drawing his sword with a metallic shing.

"Who the hell are you, drawing steel on us? Wait…I remember you. You're that other brat that skipped town! Think you're a hero or something just because you've got a sword now?" The thugs mock him. Shen scowls at the thugs, beginning to charge until one draws a knife and holds it to Ming's throat. "Not another step, boy!"

"Khh! Honorless dogs…!" Shen scowls. You can see him hesitate, trying to decide what to do. Thankfully, the Honglang's focus is on him now, leaving you to sneak around into position. Instinct tells you that they are within comfortable range.

Breathing in, you decide to act while they're distracted. With your weapons held in hand, you…

>Strike fast, their heads will roll before they even know what happened
>Aim for the strongest looking thugs first, cutting tendons and leaving them crippled. Then pick off the weaker ones
>Spin a chakram on your finger and fling it at the thugs, cleaving several in half with it's powerful momentum
>Recite some strange syllable from memory before you throw, watching as the chakrams fly in unnatural patterns to strike from all angles.
>Write-in

>>5756251
>Aim for the strongest looking thugs first, cutting tendons and leaving them crippled. Then pick off the weaker ones

>>5756251
>Recite some strange syllable from memory before you throw, watching as the chakrams fly in unnatural patterns to strike from all angles.

>>5756251
>Aim for the strongest looking thugs first, cutting tendons and leaving them crippled. Then pick off the weaker ones

Leave someone to interrogate.

:( missed my chance to argue for staff

File: RATTO STYLE.png (14 KB, 663x115)

14 KB PNG

>>5756251
>Strike fast, their heads will roll before they even know what happened, focus on swift footworks and fast strikes, like a rat.
We're rat, fast and vicious is the name of the game

>>5756251
>Aim for the strongest looking thugs first, cutting tendons and leaving them crippled. Then pick off the weaker ones

>>5756251
The bladed disks fly from your hands, their trajectory low and precise. In one moment, the bandits were sneering at Shen. In the next, the two biggest thugs cry out in agony as the chakram slice through vulnerable tendons in their legs.

"W-what the hell?!" The hostage taker exclaims, before one chakram bounces back off an iron post and slices across his eyes. The thug screams in pain and releases his hold on Ming, who takes the chance to escape to Shen's side.

"Ambu-!" One of the two remaining bandits cries out, but you silence him in an instant. Before the chakram even find their marks, you dashed towards the Honglang, catching your chakram as they rebound back to hand. The moment you grasp them, you hold them in hand and swing your arm in an arc towards the alert bandit's throat, the bladed wheel cutting his throat with a violent spurt of blood. The words in his throat turn to gurgles as he falls to his knees and dies. The last thug panics, glancing between you, Shen, and Ming. He lunges for Ming, perhaps thinking to take a hostage, but Shen does not hesitate. Placing himself in front of her, the bandit swings his saber down but Shen strikes first, thrusting his sword into the man's heart. His eyes widen, sword arm trembling for a moment before he falls dead.

With the situation settled, you stop to examine yourself. Blood spatters your face and weapons, yet your mind is calm. Something about what you did feels natural, even instinctive. The precise strikes to vital areas, the way you moved your feet, the way you caught bladed chakram in the air without hurting yourself. The techniques you used feel as though they were ingrained into your very soul, and yet, you felt sloppy. Not in technique but in execution, like your body was too slow, too weak, to properly execute. Your form was perfect, yet your mind's critic tells you this body will require training to keep up.

***New Martial Art Discovered - Swarming Devil-Rat Fangs***
Attack: +30
Defense: +10
Speed: +20
Power: +20

This style thrives on exploiting weakness. The Swarming Devil-Rat Fangs Style emphasizes precise strikes to vulnerable parts of the body, aiming to kill in one stroke or, failing that, cripple the opponent. It is an offensive style, prioritizing aggressive attacks to defeat foes before they can counterattack. However, this leaves it vulnerable when forced into a corner and fighting defensively. Each rat is weak, but the swarm is dangerous. Yet if the swarm fails to overwhelm, it will face extermination.

All Style bonuses are doubled against opponents who are at a disadvantage (such as being ambushed, crippled,outnumbered, poisoned, etc) or otherwise have a weakness that you are exploiting. However, all style bonuses are halved when you yourself are disadvantaged. If both sides are disadvantaged, your style bonuses remain unchanged, or one side may be deemed more advantaged at QM discretion.

>>5756711
Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of retching. When you look up, Shen is bent over to the side and vomiting. He is unharmed, as are Ming and Jin, though the two grandchildren both seem to be rattled.

"Are you okay?" You ask, checking on Shen.

"Y-yeah, sorry." Shen apologizes, wiping his mouth. "Just…That was my first time killing. Don't get me wrong, they deserved it and worse, but…Well, Senior Brother says everyone gets sick the first time." He grimaces, taking a deep breath and straightening up, finding his composure again.

…Ah, that's right. You suppose this should be disturbing, killing a man for the first time. Yet you feel nothing, only realizing that might be strange when someone else felt sick. Given what else you've grasped about your capabilities, it was safe to assume you've lived a violent life before losing your memories. You start to wonder if that's a bad thing, until a sharp shiver[i/] runs down your spine.

Instinctively, you spin around and raise your weapons, just in time to deflect an arrow aimed for your back. Your eyes spot the archer by the corner of someone's hut, his eyes widened in stunned shock that you deflected his shot. You throw your chakram at him, slicing his neck before he can run or fire another shot. He grasps his bleeding throat and slumps to his knees, before falling over dead.

Another death to your name. Still, you feel nothing.

***New Zodiac Art Discovered - Danger Sense***

The sign of the rat is the sign of the ultimate survivor. You can sense danger before it strikes, and while there's no guarantee you can avoid it, you will always know when it's coming.

You will always detect direct incoming danger, whether environmental or hostile. You can never be ambushed, and will always have a moment to act before you're hurt. Your senses may also give you a warning when dealing with potential dangers, such as a powerful cultivator in disguise or men with malicious intent. This Art is always active.

>>5756713
With the last of the bandits disposed of, you turn your attention back to your immediate surroundings. All the villagers watching you seem stunned at your sudden deflection, the surviving Honglang thugs most of all. "You…argh! What are you?!" One of the two crippled men asks, his head craned up to look at you. The blind one who took Ming captive was still clutching his eyes, blindly gasping for his fallen weapon in a panic. Shen kicks it away and steps on his hand, looking up to you as if asking how to proceed.

>That doesn't matter. But I have questions, and the first to answer them gets to live. I will kill the rest. (Unlocks Warrior Arts)
>I am from the Five Poisons Cult. Your gang has displeased us, so I suggest you answer my questions (Unlocks Courtier Arts)
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)
>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)

>>5756717
>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)
Healing is too useful to pass up, and it might even help with the poisoning plan.

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)

Life, death, they both answer to me

>>5756717
>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)

Doctor is cool and all but the mystical path may lead to us summoning a swarm of rats and that is too cool to pass up

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)
I've never been in a quest where we didn't have healing abilities where we didn't end up REALLY wishing we had healing abilities.

>>5756717
>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)
No support for poor Courtier at all T_T

>>5757472
Why be a courtier in another's palace when you can be the rat king of the sewers?

>>5756717
>>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)

Ratmaster!

With sorcery we could probably conscript a legion of rats!

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)

>>5756717
>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)
Poison is nothing if not poorly dosed Medicine.

>>5756717
>>Don't bother asking. Instead, you cut your thumb and draw a symbol on one thug's forehead. You're unsure what you're doing at first, but for some reason you know he'll answer you truthfully afterwards. (Unlocks Sorcerer Arts)
There's already another doctor xianxia I'm reading (though he's snakes) so I'd like to see something different

>>5756717
>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)
Martial medic is a pretty unique mix

Ratbros... it's joever, isn't?

>>5760722
Seems like it.

>>5760722
Alas. I liked this one.

>My name is Shu. And if you ever want to walk or see again, you'll answer my questions. (Unlocks Doctor Arts)

>5760722
I'll be furious if it is. I need more cultivation

>>5760722
Jowari da