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Part 1 of Update 55 is on the previous page, and continued here because I exceeded the 50k limit. Oof.  (Mu Kui's coup d'etat failed due to your and Ade Ake's concerted efforts...) (The death of Mu Tianguang and his second son Mu Kui was eventually announced in Dayan Town...) (But under the governance of Mu Chu, the people's hearts and minds were quickly stablized...) (A few days later...)  It is finally over. Yes. Thanks to the good governance of my brother, there was no panic in town either. By the way, Ake, I have a question for you. Of course, go ahead. What was that Flying Snow Arrow Mu Kui mentioned before he died? Hmm... the Flying Snow Arrow is the most difficult of all our Mu Clan ancestral archery arts. When I was a young man, I asked my second brother for advice on mastering it, but I was unable to do so. At the time, my second brother said that there was only one condition to learn the archery stance well... One condition? At last! I've found you! Sirs, the archery competition is ready to begin at any time, we're just waiting for you two gentlemen! I see. Thank you for your hard work. Brother Gui, let us go the the Mu Clan Manor, my elder brother is waiting for us! Wow, are all these people here to watch the tournament? Exactly! This archery tournament will decide the strongest warrior of the Naxi clan, it will no doubt be most exciting. Welcome, Naxi townspeople, to the Mu Clan Manor! The five-yearly archery contest shall begin imminently! But before that, let me say a few words. A few days ago, our Naxi tribe suffered a great loss of talent... But it was only because of a young hero who helped us, that we were spared an even greater castastrophe. This young hero is none other than the foreign traveler, Gui Siwang! Hence, I shall invite this young hero to participate in this archery tournament as well! Well, Brother Gui? Would you like to join in? Um... I can't actually use a bow very well. No problem! It may be called an "archery" contest, but participants are not limited to the use of the bow and arrow. Plus, there are all kinds of rewards for proving your strength. I'm in!Mu Chu also offers to reward Siwang for his help in defeating Mu Kui's coup, and Siwang asks for the fragment of the Book of Heaven that Mu Kui had. Mu Chu agrees because he doesn't want the Mu Clan to get further mixed up with the NoMercy House.  Siwang then proceeds to blast his way through the tournament, being only briefly stopped at the fourth stage by a familiar face. The fourth round of the competition! Foreign traveler, Gui Siwang, battles against the youngest daughter of the He Family Horse Gang, He Yuqing! Hey, how come it's you? Well, I'm also a member of Dayan Town, so of course I can participate. Let me teach you a lesson, you insolent bastard! (Still holding a grudge, huh?) It's finally time for the seventh round of the tournament! Out-of-towner Gui Siwang, versus the last time winner, "Eagle of the Snowy Mountains", Ade Ake! So it turned out to be you, Ake. Brother Gui, I see that you made it to the final as well. Let's play a little, shall we? Go for it!Siwang wins easily, but gives Ade Ake a little bit of face by punching him out instead of beaning him in the head with a Nokia brick, and thus making a mockery out of the whole "archery" thing.  The winner! Outlander Gui Siwang! Young master Gui, here is the Book of Heaven fragment that I promised you, as well as the reward for winning the archery tournament. Thank you! Also, please be careful on your journeys. The doors of the Mu Clan will always be open for young master Gui. What about you, Ake? Hmm. I am bound to take revenge for my father's death from the NoMercy House... but I can't let go of matters concerning the Eagle Hunter Camp, either. For now, I will return there, but if Brother Gui needs me, then I will surely follow you. (A fragment of the Book of Heaven! What's carved on it... some kind of shield? And some words?) When a man is brave, he is strong, and when he is strong, he is armed... (This Book of Heaven really does hold many mysteries...) (The archery tournament finally draws to a close.) (After Mu Chu handed over the Book of Heaven fragment to you, he announced the official withdrawal of the Mu Clan from the Jianghu, never to interfere with martial arts disputes again.) (And as for you, you have obtained a fragment of the Book of Heaven, and are one step closer to returning home...) (I wonder how the Snow Wing Eagle we caught for Ake is doing?) (Maybe we should pay him a visit.) Ah, Brother Gui! I rarely see you here. Feel free to walk around by yourself, I won't escort you. Well, you must be busy, Ake! (It seems Ake is not pleased with my style of doing things.) This is because I beat you in the tournament, isn't it? That would be incredibly petty of me, Siwang. I see you aren't denying it. I really do have a lot of things to handle here at the Eagle Hunter Camp. I would love to throw off all my responsibilities like you, but... Hey! That sounded personal! Forgive me, Brother Siwang. I just need to lead a boring life for a while, there's been far too much chaos recently for my liking. Yeah, I get it. Oh dear. Ade Ake is apparently a lawful-alignment type and won't join the party unless Siwang is at a wild/unrestrained value of less than 15 (he is currently hovering around 90-100). If we want Ake to join, we'll have to stop being a rude and chaotic gremlin. I don't know of any tricks to change reserved/wild quickly or repeatably, and we don't have a whole lot of sidequests to act reserved in left. Additionally, roleplaying concerns aside, Siwang's current favored punching art (inherited from future father-in-law Uncle Chi) scales with wild/unrestrained, so recruiting Ade Ake will come with a bit of a nerf, power-wise. Please vote on Ade Ake's future with Siwang: A - Reform Siwang into a gentleman and make do his best to become a reserved scholar. Hopefully we will be able to recruit Ade Ake before the endgame. B - Do not change Siwang's alignment for the sake of recruiting a single companion. Continue to act wild/unrestrained. sandorius fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Dec 11, 2023 |
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Dec 9, 2023 18:07
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B, Siwang is a gremlin and should not be restrained 
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Dec 9, 2023 22:32
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Be a gremlin always
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Dec 10, 2023 02:14
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Be a gremlin forever.
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Dec 10, 2023 15:36
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B. Gremlining is in our blood.
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Dec 10, 2023 15:54
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B Siwang being a little too much of a Daoist is far too entertaining.
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Dec 10, 2023 22:09
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Update 56: Wayward Children You know, I had plans for Ade Ake and everything. I spent thousands of Wen on his new bow and armor. You have approximately one million Wen and the pawnbroker's eyes bug out everytime you bring him a new batch of bandit armor. It's the principle of the thing. Man, I hadn't pegged him for a lawful good type. Perhaps you should consider reforming yourself, Brother Siwang. You would make a fine gentleman if you learned to be polite. Can I politely tell you to gently caress off? Sorry.  Brother Gui, I have something I would like to share. I have experienced more in these passt few days of travel with Brother Gui, than I have in my entire life. To confess, I have often suspected your outrageous actions to go against the code of chivalry I abide by. (Wow, this sounds really unpleasant, what exactly does Duan want to say?) But in the end Brother Gui is always able to resolve people's problems, whether big or small, and makes me ponder on what true chivalry is. Perhaps this Duan's attachment to the way of chivalry has limited his own vision. So it seems that this Duan is still a bit inadequate as a general who leads others. This Duan would like to observe more of Brother Gui's behaviour and demeanor, and I think this Duan can learn from you the capacity required of a person in a high position. Haha, you praise me too much, Brother Duan. (I hadn't expected such a rigid guy to say such things, he really has changed a lot.) Finally, some maturity in the party. Oh, they're not too bad most of the time. Since Ake isn't coming with us, let's go north to Qingtian Fortress and pick Wang Zhe up. And then we can head to the Hidden Flower cottage and have dinner with Doctor Chen and Feifei. Thank you for remembering, Siwang.  Doctor Chen! Niece Cheng, you're back. Where is Feifei? I have told her many times that she should not go out at will before the residual poison has cleared from her system, but children are so playful... whenever I go out to pick herbs, she disappears in a flash. It brings me no end of worry. This kid! I'll teach Feifei a good lesson for giving Doctor Chen trouble. (Wow, it's really rare to see Madam Cheng seriously angry. Poor Feifei is going to have a hard time later.) Siwang, you are a fast runner, please help me look for Feifei. Well... Please? Little Feifei is not all that far away but has been cornered by seven angry snakes.   Where did all these snakes come from? Well, let me show you some pain! Take this! Snake repellent bile! Hiss! What? Why didn't it work? Doctor Chen clearly said that bear bile has is efficacious against snakes! Hiss!! Go away! Nasty snakes! Why do you keep following me?(Incidentally, it seems that Du Yuxiang is Feifei's real name, I think I have accidentally using Madam Cheng's pet name for her all this while.)  Feifei! Mommy! Oh no, why are there so many venomous snakes here? Could that guy Shi Hongtu be lurking around here somewhere? Please be careful! These aren't normal snakes! With that, Siwang is dropped into combat. The objective of this fight is clearly to rescue Feifei.  The snakes are actually laughably weak, stats-wise, but do have an "abnormally excited" buff that presumably makes them slightly more dangerous. Not that Siwang would know, he explodes them with a well-placed Buddhist Lion Roar.  What the hell is wrong with this group of venomous snakes? It's not normal for them to attack people. Mommy! Darling! You're you hurt, are you? I'm perfectly fine. See, I have a charm bag here, those snakes wouldn't have hurt me! How dare you talk like that! I see I'll have to punish you when we get back! But... but I've learned how to make this from listening to Doctor Chen, those snakes weren't a big deal at all! Don't lie! You clearly made a mistake while assembling this Bear Bile Snake Repellent. How dare you try to hide behind Doctor Chen when you haven't learned anything from him at all? I... I... You're still recovering, and you aren't paying attention to your lessons, how dare you run around like this! Do you know how worried Doctor Chen is about you? When we get back, go and apologize to him right away! Okay, don't be so angry, Madam Cheng. I think Feifei knows she was in the wrong, there's no need to continue scolding her here. Let's hurry back to the Hidden Flower Cottage. Hmm... yes, you're right. I shouldn't have done that, let's get back. Come on, Feifei. Snake? Yes. It seemed excited, unlike a normal wild snake you might find by the roadside. Then it must be... Although I have managed to remove 99% of the toxicity from Feifei's body, there is still some poison remaining. Shi Hongtu's poisonous technique was overwhelming and complicated, so it is possible that there remains some mysterious property that would make Feifei more susceptible to poison. (An unnatural poison technique!) If she were to stay here, where the smell of the medicinal herb field is overwhelming, then there should be little effect. But once she leaves, poisonous creatures would be attracted... Alas, Feifei is naturally naughty and mischievous, and never listens to my warnings. We were lucky this time, but if she leaves the Hidden Flower Cottage again while we are not paying attention, I shudder to think... This is all my fault for involving Feifei in the quarrel between myself and my younger brother. It is my responsibilty. No, Doctor Chen, don't blame yourself, if not for that man Du Jinpeng... (The atmosphere is getting stiff...) For now, all I can do is to try and pass on as much of my medical skills to Feifei for now, and hope she can take care of herself. Thank you for your help, Siwang. Please stay for the night, I shall make my special medicinal pork ribs for dinner. Excuse me, Gui Siwang? I have a delivery for you. And Wang Zhe as well. I see He Ziwan has sent us some poison. How nice of her. You sure she's not threatening us? Maybe she's unhappy we left her at the Duan Manor. Well, it's properly labeled and everything, so I think she's just in a good mood. I suddenly feel the urge to return to the Duan Manor and check that it hasn't burned down. Excuse me, everyone, but I need your help with something.  Brother Gui, I've just received a letter from Qingtian Fortress! They've identified the remaining locations of the Wolf Barbarians invading Central Shu! Good! Let's get moving! The first location is just west of Karma Monastery, let's go intercept them! I understand that you are worried about Feifei, Madam Cheng, but would you support us in driving off the Wolf Barbarians? Of course I will. I can't just stand by and watch while these monsters kill innocent civilians. But I do want to come back as soon as possible. Siwang, do you have some time? Does Madam Cheng want to go back to the Hidden Flower Cottage and meet Feifei? Yes, I hope she is taking her lessons with Doctor Chen seriously, and studying hard. Alas, that girl inherited her father's temperament and can be as stubborn as a bull sometimes. I hope she hasn't gotten into trouble again. Oh look, there's some Life-Building Pills packed in with the poison Ziwan sent. She could be a good doctor if she tried. Well, she didn't make these. The letter says she looted these from the Duan Manor. Arrgghh! Please, calm down, Brother Duan. Let us deal with the Wolf Barbarian incursion first, and then we can return to the Duan Manor to chastise her.  Hey, are the monks of Karma Monastery fighting amongst each other? Brother Gui, let's join the fight! While it's not immediately obvious, the Green Sea Sect monks associated with Abbot Shazar are fighting the orange-robed monks of the Karma Monastery. Luckily, everyone in the party out-levels them by far and so the fight goes smoothly without any insta-kills.   Thank you for your help, young warriors! There is no need to be so polite, Karma Monastery is a sacred place of Central Shu, we can't allow it to be defiled by the Wolf Barbarians. Unfortunately, there are still more Wolf Barbarians rampaging in Central Shu, so we must move on. Wait! We have a few pills on us, perhaps they will be useful to you young warriors. Much obliged! Well, the second group of Wolf Barbarians is just north of the First Fortune Winery. If they attack it successfully, the price of wine in Central Shu will skyrocket! This is not good! Let's go! Let's go!  At the specified location, the disciples of the First Fortune Winery are already engaged in battle with the Wolf Barbarians. They have an interesting sword martial art technique that gets enhanced if you are carrying the right wine in your inventory. I think Siwang could have gotten his hands on this technique if he had sided with the drunk swordsman back in Gongshi Village, rather than the monkeys? I've read that he enables a followup sidequest later on.  Hmmph, how dare you wolves come to rob all the wine, not a single member of the Jianghu in Central Shu will spare your lives! Fortunately we acted fast and no one was hurt, which is the one bright spot amongst all our misfortunes. There is only one group left, just to the west of Dayun Nunnery. I hadn't expected them to get so far down the river... Wow, what are all these people doing here? The last time we were here, it was as quiet as a tomb. Whoever they may be, I shall express my gratitude to them. I had half expected Dayun Nunnery to be a burnt out wreck. Yeah, let's go talk to them.   I don't understand why we're wasting our time here. We have no choice, we must fulfill our Master's last wish. And if the nun is not willing to go and see Master, are we going to spend the rest of our lives here? We must hope to convince her eventually. I say we should just take her to see Master. Nonsense! You dare treat Master's friend rudely? Moreover, are you quite certain she will let you do so? We are the Seven Immeasureable Swords, no one other than Master can defeat us. Brother, the world is wide and vast, there are many practitioners with strong martial arts to be found. Dare we claim to be the best in the world? If others hear us say such things, they will laugh at us for being arrogant and ignorant, like frogs in a well. Who are these people anyway? I am not too familiar with their sect, but it seems that they are looking for an old friend of their Master's here. Hah. Old friend? After Du Jinpeng left me, I would have entered a nunnery myself, if not for Feifei. Perhaps he is seeking her forgiveness. He can ask, but it is not so easily given.   Amitabha Buddha, I regret that the person you seek is one of us. Please go home. Madam Tzu-yin was my master's wife once, now that my master is about to pass away, his only wish is to see her again. Can you really turn a blind eye to my master's last request? Amitabha Buddha, Madam Tzu-yin has already seen through the world and cut off the karma of the secular world. Please do not disturb her meditation. I cannot believe Madam Tzu-yin would be so cruel. We will visit every day until we meet her, change her mind, and have her follow us down the mountain. Amitabha Buddha, many are the wishes that go unfulfilled. Why are you so attached to this one? Our master's benevolence to us has piled up as high as a mountain. I may not have been the best disciple, but in this case, I can only hope to fulfill my master's wish and in doing repay a small fraction of what I owe to him. Amen. Amitabha Buddha, let karma be repaid. Please leave. Farewell. We shall return. There they are! We've found them! This is the last battle, don't be careless, Brother Gui! Thank you for your help! Otherwise, the three of us would have died in the middle of nowhere! There is no need to be polite. The Wolf Barbarians are invading Central Shu, it is a man's duty to defend our country. Please take these elixirs as repayment, young warriors. Many thanks. Good! We've finally defeated the last of these Wolf Barbarian raiders. Yes, thanks to Brother Gui's speedy help. Otherwise, I'm afraid it might have taken too long for the army to arrive. The Wolf Barbarians are invading while the army of Central Shu is weak. Our Qingtian Fortress has taken many blows, and the people of Central Shu have nowhere to seek refuge. My sworn brothers and sisters have carried this burden for so long... when will it come to an end? Brother Wang... (Wang Zhe's concern for his country and people has doomed him to spend his life trying to protect them...) No. This is not the time to get discouraged. Don't worry, Brother Gui, Qingtian Fortress will never give up. As long as the people of Central Shu need us, Qingtian Fortress will certainly revive. Even if I follow in the footsteps of my elder brother and sister... there will be new recruits to carry on our legacy and continue to defend the common people. These words, and the belief behind them, will continue to follow Wang Zhe for the rest of his life... Thank you for your help in dealing with the Wolf Barbarians, Brother Gui. I fear I must return to Qingtian Fortress to reorganize my troops. Sure. Let's share a boiled fish together before you go. Thank you. I love fish. That leaves a gap in our little group, though. I'll miss having Wang Zhe's basalt spear between me and my foes. Hmm. Well, if you want a blade user to replace He Ziwan, how about He Yuqing? Yes. I would also appreciate it if we returned to Dayan Town, I would like to look in on matters at the Duan Manor. Alright then, let's head to Dayan Town. Do try to stay away from the Pretty Dream Pavilion, Siwang. Haha! Why would I want to go there with a pretty lady like Yan Yushu by my side? ...idiot.  He Yuqing is standing just outside the He Family Horse Gang's base, and is clearly bored out of her mind. Hey, wanna go for a walk together? ... Let's go. A few brief hours of clearing bandit camps gets her to warm up to Siwang a little. Hey, are you free? Depends on what you want me for. Your goal is to take down the NoMercy House, right? Well... that's not wrong. (Actually, all I want to do is to go home, but the NoMercy House is in my way. I have to take them down, there's no other option.) That means that as long as I follow you, one day I will meet the Ghost Mandrill King again. You... well, I'm in no position to criticize. If he gets in my way, naturally I will do my best to defeat him. Very well, if following you will lead to revenge, I will accompany you to the end, no matter if I have to use my blade or a frying pan! (I don't know if it's a good thing for her to be like this... but I guess I should see things through to the end.) Listen, Cold Moon Flowing Light is a legendary cleaver, I won't have you call it a frying pan. I... look, it was a figure of speech. It seems you need to study the "Butcher Knife" technique of the Fancy Feast Hall! If this is some kind of plot to make me learn how to cook... Don't worry. Xi Pao is really very good at chopping meat.  Excuse me, Brother Gui. This Duan must discuss something with you. (Huh? Why so serious? Is it possible that Brother Duan is getting dissatisfied with my behaviour, and wants to leave?) This Duan has been away for a long time and would like to return to the Duan Manor to see how my younger brother is doing. Would Brother Gui care to come along? Of course, let's go. Huh? Where is Siliang? It seems that he has gone out. Why not ask around the Duan Manor?  General, you're back! How wonderful? Do you happen to know where Siliang is? General Siliang? It would be nice if I could find him! Wh... what? What's been going on? He hasn't been paying attention at practice lately. I don't know what's distracted him. General, please give him a good talking-to. Distracted, huh? Siliang has been acting strange lately, I wonder if you know anything about it? General Siliang has been leaving in a hurry recently, early in the morning. No one knows where he's going. Hey. Maybe it's a girl? Don't talk nonsense! Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? Well, he went out with a few guards a while ago, and since then, he leaves the manor for a long time and never says where he's going. Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? I haven't seen him for a while! He's been missing his practice sessions, please advise him, General Duan. Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? Lately, General Siliang hasn't been coming to practice. Always rushing out the door, with the clanging of silver coming from his body. (Oh no, this doesn't sound good...) Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? Alas, I don't know if it's right for me, a servant, to say anything... Don't worry. Just say it. Lately, General Siliang's body smells like musk. I don't know where the scent comes from. Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? General Siliang? He has been acting a bit strange ever since he went out with the guard in charge of splitting wood. Siliang has been acting strange lately, do you know anything? I don't know anything! You are a little too suspicious. Tell the truth! You are a guard of the Duan Family, stand up straight and speak quickly! I... oh no, I... A few days ago, I lost a bet with my brothers and took General Siliang to the Pretty Dream Pavilion. (This is bad, I don't doubt that a person like Duan Siping has never been to the Pretty Dream Pavilion...) How could I have known that General Siliang would have such a great time, and fall in love with a girl there? It was not my intention to lead him astray. I swear... Stop. Speaking. (Oh no, he's really angry.) Brother Gui. Follow me. Duan Siliang is clearly having a wonderful time at the Pretty Dream Pavilion, and is happily dancing on the stage with Prince Ma and the three pipa performers.  I'm not drunk... hiccc... hahaha, I'm a Ma... hiccc... I'll buy up all the rice from the nearby villages... hiiic! My family's going to be rich! Oh my. What a den of sin and debauchery. Thank you for bringing me here, Siwang. Wasn't that man here the last time we were here? Has he been dancing on that stage for a week straight? Is that... is that the same pair of leopard-print briefs!? Please focus, Madam Cheng. We are here to save a poor lost lamb, Prince Ma is clearly gone beyond all hope. By poor lost lamb, you mean that guy shaking his rear end over there? I think he's enjoying himself. Well, I suppose love can drive you to do foolish things. I should know, I've been there. Siwang, why don't you ever do anything like that for me? Hey! Have you forgotten my fisherman outfit already?   Yulan? Do you see my dance steps, Yulan? Siliang! Your dance steps are amazing! Haha, look at how steadily I'm spinning, this is the awesome power of the Duan Family Southern Sky technique! (I have to admit, this kid is actually a good dancer.) This...! (Oh no! Brother Duan is shaking with anger!) Duan! Si! Liang! What the hell are you up to! Why, if it isn't big brother! Why don't you come on up and dance with me? You ungrateful bastard! How dare you fool around in a place like this! Brother Duan! Please control your temper in public, you'll embarrass the Duan Family. Yeah! Brother, don't make us lose face here, look at how scared you've made the girls of the Pretty Dream Pavilion. Brother Gui, the face of the Duan Family is the business of the Duan Family, it is not for you to interfere. (Alas, I was scolded for my kind words of advice.) You lazy slacker! This Duan is going to teach you a lesson today, on behalf of all our ancestors! Well, bring it on, if you have the ability! I'll show Yulan what I can do! (Okay, Brother Duan is seriously angry here, I had better step in before he does something he'll regret.) Do your worst, big brother! I'm not afraid! Haaah! Urk. Alright, fight's over. Drop your sword, Brother Duan, let's drag him back home. No. Not yet. He's brought shame upon the Duan Family. Drop the sword, dude. You don't really want to do this. Don't get in my way, Siwang. Hmm... I have just the technique in mind. Great Buddhist Seal: Arhat Sealing Fist! Evil begone!  Ugh... hghh... Look, Brother Duan. He's sobered up, there's no need to keep punishing him. Very well. Since Brother Gui has asked, I shall stop here for today. Siliang, return to the Duan Manor immediately. You are not to leave the manor without specific orders. But... No buts! I've been told by everyone in the Duan Manor that you've been playing around for fun and wasting your martial arts skills! If I catch you again, this Duan will not be so lenient! (Wow... fortunately, I managed to stop Brother Duan from killing this kid on the spot.) Thank you for your assistance, brave warrior. I owe you my life. Look, your brother is also doing this for your own good. Behave yourself for now, return to the Duan Manor, and listen to everything he says. Time may calm him down. Yes, you are right... Huh? Darling, doesn't that mean I won't see you again? This... I... (Wow, you Duan Family people are really clueless when it comes to beautiful women.) You'd better separate for a while and wait for Duan Siping's anger to subside. Yes, you are right. Yulan, I must return to the Duan Manor for now. I'll be waiting, Siliang~ Ugh. What a situation, maybe I should ask Fan Xiangdie for advice? It is her pavilion, after all. It's the middle of the night, won't she be asleep? Oh, I'll just wake her up. She'll be fine with it, I did solve a murder for her. Wait, this sound... Siwang, stop!   Stay back! Can't you see I'm taking a bath? Ah! Yes! I... purely unintentional, I assure you. (drat, I can only watch from a distance...) I'm sorry, alright? Hmph. You know, Siwang, I think you should stay away from the Pretty Dream Pavilion for a while. Well, I would like to agree, but do you seriously think Duan Siliang is going to stay grounded for more than a day or two? Yes, it is quite the dilemma. I guess you would know the mindset of a debauchee best. I resent the implication and I would like to have you know I was quite the good student back home. It's fine, Siwang. I know it was an accident. Let's get back to the Duan Manor, it's been a long night. Hold on, I've got a package from Wang Zhe. I fought against the Wolf Barbarians recently and picked up some black silkworm clothing from a centurion. Brother Gui, you are fighting against the NoMercy House, you will surely need it. This is a treasure! Brother Wang is really generous. Silkworm Clothing: "This vest is made of woven silk from the silkworm of the Great Snow Mountain, soft and strong, it can resist the impact of internal energy."  Alas, when can I see Yulan again? (This kid is down bad, it seems he won't recover for quite some time.) Hey, Siwang, are you free now? What's up? I haven't been back for a while, and I'm worried about my brother and the horse gang. Why, do you want me to go back with you? Why else would I be talking to you? Or do you not want to go with me? Brother Gui, my younger brother Siliang has been careless in his actions and behaviour lately, and given me cause for much worry. This Duan has been away for some time, could we return to the Duan Manor and visit Siliang? Of course! Let's go. General, you're back! Thank goodness. Is... is Siliang missing again? Yes, he disappeared early this morning, everyone is frantic. No way, he went missing again? How dare this uncouth slacker go to the Pretty Dream Pavilion again! (Should I speak up for Siliang?)Please vote: A - Don't be impulsive, he's probably just out shopping for fruits or something. B - This brat! Brother Duan, let's go teach him a lesson. sandorius fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Dec 14, 2023 16:49
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Oh man this is so obvious I can't decide if its a fakeout 
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Dec 14, 2023 20:09
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It's not actually obvious because we don't know if it's a simple fakeout, a double fakeout, and so on. I'll say "whichever is the best option."
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Dec 15, 2023 02:23
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"Can't you see that I am taking a (fully clothed) bath here?" Also, "How can I leak in front of Yulan! The big brother has the ability to come ah!". That is, uh, quite the translation!
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Jan 6, 2024 23:31
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Sorry for the long gap, it's been quite the busy holiday season. and also I was lured back into Genshin Impact by umbrella warfare Yeah, the translation can be hilarious at times. I'm pretty sure the mod is mostly machine-translated, which I can't really complain about because it is a freely-available labor of love. "How can I leak in front of Yulan!" - clearly the machine didn't have this phrase in its dictionary: "露丑" -> lit. "to show ugliness" -> "to lose face in front of" "The big brother has the ability to come ah!" - missing some implied grammar, should be "(if) big brother has the ability, (then) (bring it on)!"
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Jan 10, 2024 21:51
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Update 57: At Long Last, Li Tan A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody! Since nobody voted either way I will show both options. This is actually just an alignment choice which won't affect the quest, sometimes I just get tired of writing and stop at the first choice I see, y'know?  If Siwang takes the reserved choice and tries to convince Duan Siping that his little brother is probably just making a grocery run, he will fail pretty badly. Don't joke with me, Brother Gui! That rascal is definitely at the Pretty Dream Pavilion! If I don't teach him a lesson this time, I won't be able to face my ancestors! (Sorry, Siliang, I tried my best to help you.) Whereas if he takes the wild/unrestrained choice and offers to teach Siliang a lesson, Duan Siping will heartily agree. Let's go, Brother Gui! We'll find that bastard at the Pretty Dream Pavilion! (Look, Siliang, you brought this on yourself.) Siliang is in fact nowhere to be found at the Pretty Dream Pavilion, and Siwang has to ask around for his whereabouts.  Eventually, the cook will reveal that Siliang's crush, Yulan, has left to visit her parents at their home, a bit north of Zhangren Village.  Siliang, I'm scared! drat thieves, don't you dare to touch Miss Yulan! The runaway lovers have been cornered by a bunch of despicable ruffians when Siwang and Duan Siping barge onto the scene. Robbers? Good! This Duan can teach my younger brother a lesson and do justice at the same time! Brother? Duan Siliang! If I don't properly educate you today, I'll have let down the countless generations of our Duan family ancestors! Clench your teeth! Hey! How dare you ignore us! Cut them all down! The bandits are extremely outleveled and perish quickly.  And as promised, Duan Siping begins to administer an rear end-kicking to Duan Siliang.  (Wow, Brother Duan really isn't holding back! But Siliang's kungfu has really improved to such an extent, I hadn't expected such progress after only a few days.) Listen, Siliang, don't force yourself, listen to your elder brother and go back to the Duan Manor. ... no... I have promised to accompany Miss Yulan and pay our respects to her parents... I must... You shameless loser! I'll wake you up now! Stop it! Please, don't hurt Siliang anymore! You bullies, go ahead and hit me instead if you want. Siliang, just go back to the Duan Manor. Miss Yulan... Siliang... You are a member of the Duan family, the Generals of Nanzhao, and I'm just a girl of the Pretty Dreams Pavilion. Some things just aren't fated to be. I remember when you and I first met, I thought you were just another amorous lecher. I didn't expected you would be so smitten as to leave your home behind for me.  I will never regret having met someone who is willing to treat me with such sincerity. I only hope that whenever you see orchids, you will remember the day we met... I... (Wow, these two appear to be deeply in love. Should I speak up on their behalf?)Yulan translates to "Jade Orchid", hence the reference.  If Siwang remains silent, Duan Siping will remind Siliang of his duty to the people of Nanzhao, and he will return to the Duan Manor, forever to be parted from Yulan. Duan Siping will sort of regret the necessity of breaking his younger brother's heart, but hey, sacrifices are necessary when it comes to taking the throne. It is also clearly something that Siwang would never allow. This is looks like a job for the Love Doctor! Oh dear. Young man, it's all about the giver's heart. If Siliang were to give her something that could express his feelings and move Yulan, it would be worth more than a fortune. She wouldn't care about the material value. ...? Brother Gui, what are you talking about?  Brother Duan. Just let them go. What do you mean by that? I believe that Miss Yulan is sincere and has no bad intentions towards Siliang. The two of them have a deep love for each other, it would be unseemly for us to continue to block them. Brother Gui! Brother Duan, you always talk about righteousness and morality, but look at what you are doing now. In my opinion, you have become obsessed with the matter of your brother's disobedience and failed to adapt to his circumstances! If you continue to be blinded by your obsession, then I must ask you to cease our travels together! Brother Gui! Please don't endanger your relationship with elder brother on my behalf! I'll only bring pain and reproach to Miss Yulan if I stay by her side, it's better for me to return to the Duan Manor. ... Do as you wish. Perhaps it is as Brother Gui has described. This Duan was too obsessed with the benevolence and morality taught in books and scriptures, and failed to take into account the reality of the situation. Your life is in your own hands. It is not for me to interfere too much. Big brother, thank you! Thank you big brother! Remember to come back to Dayan Town from time to time. I'm sure Master Dong and the others will miss you. Of course! (Oh crap, I rebuked Brother Duan in such a straightforward way, will he take offense?) Brother Duan, about what I said just now... Brother Gui. This Duan would like to thank you. Huh? It is as you said. This Duan has always insisted on being right or wrong, but in fact many things are not so black-and-white. This way of thinking has gradually turned rigid, limiting this Duan's capacity. If not for Brother Gui's honest advice, I fear my life might have been led astray. Therefore. Thank you. (Wow, this is kind of embarrassing.) Although if Brother Gui does not mind, I must return to the Duan Manor and take care of affairs there, since Siliang is likely to be away for some time. Got it. You'll be fine heading south by yourself? We're going north to check up on Feifei. Of course. Take care, Brother Gui. You too, Brother Duan.  On the way to the Hidden Flower Cottage, Siwang drops by Qingcheng Monastery to duel their Rank 61 grandmaster. He praises Siwang and gives him a sword sutra for winning. I'm not sure exactly what triggers the gift, it could be a Qi or Sword skill threshold? Or maybe it's righteousness. The last time Siwang was here I tried dueling this guy but he didn't give Siwang anything for winning.  Zhu Zi Sword Scores: "The unique specialty of the head of the Qingcheng Sect, the authentic Sword of the King. It is a complex method acquired from a hundred different schools of thought, and it is claimed that all the sword techniques in the world can be picked up from it. Regardless of bodily mastery, only one who comphrehends the true meaning of the heart of the sword, can fully display the subtleties of the different schools of swordsmanship contained within."  Just as Siwang reaches the Hidden Flower Cottage, he notices the sounds of a fight nearby. Just a little to the north, Doctor Chen has been cornered by a few poisoned zombies left over from his evil martial brother's experiments. Madam Cheng, stay away! The poison in these zombies is... unusual... Doctor Chen! You shouldn't be fighting, you still have poison remaining in your body! (We have to help him, quickly!) cough... Doctor Chen! Are you alright? I'll be fine... but Feifei... she's gone again, we have to find her quickly... That girl! She's gone out again? This is bad, if there are poison zombies around, they might be attracted to the poison in her system! We must find her quickly!  Doctor Chen suggests looking for Feifei at the same place where Siwang and Cheng Yanhua found her previously, but when they reach the location in question, Feifei is nowhere in sight. There are, however, a bunch of poison zombies. More zombies? We can't let these zombies roam and continue to harm people! Unfortunately, one of the zombies lands a lucky blow on Madam Cheng. Madam Cheng, are you okay? (Oh no, the poison has gotten into a bleeding wound, and Madam Cheng is breathing heavily due to the fight, so the venom is spreading quickly...) Mother? Mother, are you alright? Darling... go find Doctor Chen... I'll be fine... Don't talk! It's speeding up the toxicity! (Feifei quickly took out a sachet of herbs and applied it to Madam Cheng's wound with skillful technique. She also gave her some prepared powder to dissolve in water and drink.) (Within a few hours, Madam Cheng had recovered enough to walk back to the Hidden Flower Cottage.) How is Mother? Well, the toxicity in Madam Cheng's body has been dispersed. She just needs a bit more rest before she can move around normally. Thankfully, she received treatment immediately, otherwise the damage from the poison would have built up, and the consequences would have been unthinkable. Feifei, your medical skills are already so good, that's amazing! Feifei... Mother! I almost can't believe it. You've grown to be so much better and smarter than Mother. Indeed, Feifei's potential as a doctor is incredibly high. In the future, she might even be able to clear the poison from her own body with her own medical skills. Heehee! Didn't I tell Mother before that I've already inherited Doctor Chen's skills? Shh! You're a quick learner, but you shouldn't make such big claims. Indeed, if I had been there, with the medicine at hand, Madam Cheng would have recovered completely in only a few hours. See, Feifei? You still have much to learn from Doctor Chen. Hmmph! (The three of them continued chatting noisily, almost like family.) Alas, despite saving her mother from literal zombification, Feifei is still grounded indefintely. Please rest here and look after Feifei for now, Madam Cheng. Don't exert yourself unnecessarily. Thank you, dear. What about your own adult supervision, though? I'm old enough to take care of myself, Madam Cheng. That attitude is exactly why I'm worried. Why not go see how your own family is doing? You mean Ning'er? I'm sure she's doing fine on Suishin Isle without NoMercy assassins on her tail. Actually, speaking of Suishin Isle, I've been hearing rumors of bandits planning to attack the new village there. What? Unacceptable! Let's go bandit hunting, everybody! Goodbye and good luck, Siwang.  Ning'er and Snowy have been very bored on Suishin Isle and happily accept Siwang's invitation to rejoin the party.  Honestly, big brother, I thought you'd forgotten all about us! You need to take being our Island Master more seriously, alright? Ahaha... sorry. I came back as soon as I heard about the bandits. Those poor guys are weaker than the oxen we have farming our fields. We just leave them some cabbages in the fields and let them steal some chickens from time to time. Tch. Some people just can't lead a honest life. Were you looking at me meaningfully just now? I think you were looking at me meaningfully just now. Don't worry, Miss He! I'll keep Siwang on the straight and narrow! Why don't tell your little sister all about our recent adventures at the Pretty Dream Pavilion, eh, Siwang? Shh! What? Listen, I can explain...  The sixth and last fragment of the Book of Heaven still remains to be found. At long last, after nearly forty updates, it's finally time for Siwang to tackle Li Tan's character quest. But first, he's going to stop by at Shu Yuji's vegetable shop. No particular reason. Handsome guy! Come take a look, my green vegetables are freshly picked and sent directly here from the farm, guaranteed organic! Twenty Wen per head, sixty Wen for three! What a deal! That seems... expensive for cabbage. It's daylight robbery, is what it is. Hey, dumbass, just because she called you handsome doesn't mean you have to fall for it. I wasn't planning on buying anything! Come on, big brother, let's go find this Li Tan person. You can have all the cabbage you want back on Suishin Isle.  Yes, the Bai family's daughter-in-law runs the vegetable shop, the sharp-tongued Jiang Fu... Unfortunately, she is on good terms with Brother Tin, the manager of the Tao Shi Gang, and she refuses to lower her prices... Just the other day, the head of the Tao Shi Gang said no one was allowed to set up another vegetable shop, so what can we do? We have to eat so we have to pay her prices. The Tao Shi Gang protects us from bandits, but that doesn't mean our life is easy... This Tao Shi Gang is nothing but a bunch of petty tyrants! So this is why there are so many refugees coming to Suishin Isle...  I say, young man, why are you still wandering around like this? Are you really unable to find a job? You don't understand, I'm on a business trip, this counts as working, alright? Yeah, big brother is really busy!  By my calculations, those two siblings from the Diancang Sect will be here soon, so I should probably... Tch. I can't believe that tricksy Elder Yu actually raised such unworthy children. Well, the world turns in mysterious ways. Elder Yu was always righteous, so... no, I should confirm it myself. Hey! What are you muttering to yourself for? Who's coming? Who's unworthy? Yo! It's rare to see a new face in this small village. Hahaha, did you come here to Shu Yuji for a purpose, or are you just passing by? I sense we have destiny together, maybe I can help you. The jade here is renowned, and I have come in search of it. Oh? A treasure hunt? Would this young warrior care to reveal if you are looking for a specific treasure...? Ha! You want answers for free? Why not share what treasures you have your own eye on? If Siwang had taken the other dialog choice, it would have moved his alignment towards reserved and the conversation would have been slightly different, but substantially the same. Li Tan does introduce himself formally in this dialog branch, but not to unrestrained/wild characters.  Treasure, eh? Well, there's always the Moonlight Ore in the Undercurrent Treasure Cave... Li Tan... stop playing around, there's not just Moonlight Ore in there, but crocodiles too! Shh, Uncle Ye. Hey, Uncle Ye is getting old, so he doesn't like to talk about dangerous things, haha. Are you interested? I can tell you more. Simply asking Li Tan for more information will let him teach Siwang how to identify and mine Moonlight Ore in the cave a short distance to the north, for free.  Siwang can also ask about Qi Xiao'er, who was bitterly complaining about Li Tan while binding her brother's wounds. Oh, Qi Xiao'er and the other guy have finally caught up? That girl, she always looks so angry, I find it so amusing. Brother Li, it sounds to me like you're not exactly in the right here. Oh no, a villain like me, caught in broad daylight... sunshine... I'm dying... help me... ... I'm beginning to see why those Diancang siblings dislike you. Come on, you don't even know me yet. How can you judge me as a bad guy just by listening to their words one-sidedly? This hurts me so much, brother. Tsk tsk tsk. Well, since you have kindly informed me those two siblings are on my tail, how about I point you at something interesting in return? Have you noticed the interesting shop between the Jade Workshop and the Tao Shi Gang Master's house? Such a small shop, but now that the two brothers have quarreled, it's been divided into two. How crowded! If you go find out more, you might make some interesting discoveries. Well then, that's my cue, I won't see you off, take care! Li Tan then disappears, but not before Siwang takes a quick peek at his belongings. White Horse: "Li Tan's sword is a rare and precious gift from his master, Ximen Yutang, gifted to him on the day he mastered his martial arts. The blade is thin and sharp, the back of the blade is smooth, the sword is fast, steady, agile and accurate, as if a white horse galloping without obstruction, hence the name." What a strange man. Did he steal anything off you, Siwang? No, I don't think he had the chance. I can't believe he just pointed me at all that valuable ore. It must be my heroic aura. I... don't think that was the reason, big brother. He likely had no time to mine any, given that he's being pursued by those two members of the Diancang sect. We could follow him. He's probably hiding out in Dayan Town. Excuse me? He just bribed us with the location of some valuable ore. What about the crocodiles? I bet we can sell their skins for a pretty penny, too.  Moonlight Ore only appears at night, so Siwang hangs around and gets involved in a domestic dispute between a couple sitting around on the riverbank. I'm really unlucky to have married such a lazy and gluttonous man like you! Are you my wife or my mother! I'm sorry I married you! Hah! What a joke, I'm the one who's having regrets! All you do is daydream about getting rich... everyone is gossiping behind your back, saying that you only know how to please Boss Shao and Shopkeeper Zhao! What a loss of face! Enough, woman! You know nothing, if you don't shut up, I'll beat you! This man...! It's so irritating, Siwang, aren't you going to do something? It's none of your business if I discipline the women in my family. Go home. All you do is slack off and beat your wife, I'll teach you a lesson!Shu Yuji is full of minor choices like this that affect reserved/unrestrained alignment. I generally won't be putting these up for vote since Siwang is pretty clearly an unrestrained character by now.  There are plenty of small sidequests in Shu Yuji. This old woman is looking for some ointment because the lake water is cold, but the man selling it charges too much for her to pay.  This poor man has broken his leg, but gets treated easily with Siwang's high medical skill.  This generous lady gives Siwang some free roasted meat.  And this old fisherman is looking for someone to help him fix his torn fishing nets.  Eventually, night falls on a constructive afternoon of helping the local smallfolk, and Siwang stumbles upon a small confrontation on his way to the Moonlight Ore cave.  Please, forgive the Jade Workshop, and let my son Tianwang go... No, no, no... it's all my fault... (What's going on? What's with that fierce-looking bald guy?) Brother Tian, please forgive us, I failed to give instructions properly... No, it was my fault, I failed to pay attention to my father's instructions! It was me who accidentally sold the jade Master Tao had his eye on, it has nothing to do with my father or Mr Shao! Please don't take it out on them!  Kid, you don't take our Tao Shi Gang seriously anymore, do you? Our brothers protect the villagers everyday while they pan for precious stones in the water or dig for ore in the caves. What a generous heart Master Tao Dashi has! But now you want to selfishly hold on to this jade for your own profit? Haa? I should break your legs and see if you'll be more generous in the future! Please, I'll find a way to get some jade just as good. I'll beg Master Tao to be kind and spare us his anger. Just a few more days! If Master Tao isn't satisfied, I'll pay with my life! Brother Tian strikes Zhao Qing and he crumples to the ground. Dad! No! You... I will fight you! Haha! Cut the crap, kid!Brother Tian then hits Zhao Tianwang too. This is just a little lesson for you! I'll be back soon, and you'd better be able to give Master Tao Shi a satisfactory explanation then! Let's go, brothers! Someone... save... father... Well... if I don't stop the bleeding quickly, they will die of blood loss within the hour...-Don't worry, old man, where do you live? -No witnesses around, eh? Let me search and see what I can find... Please vote: A - Save the old man and his son B - Loot the soon-to-be corpses
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Jan 10, 2024 21:52
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A. Save them. It's the least Siwang can do, I suppose.
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Jan 10, 2024 23:07
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A we spent all day helping villagers, what's a few more? 
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Jan 11, 2024 03:46
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A let's remain a good boy.
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Jan 13, 2024 03:17
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Bad boys win first place
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Jan 18, 2024 05:57
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Update 58: The Two Brothers' Inheritance What are you waiting for, big brother? We need to help them! Right! Sorry, I wasn't expecting them to just beat up the old man like that. Hmmph! The Tao Shi Gang are nothing more than glorified bandits, it seems. And foolish as well, to harm the chickens that lay their eggs. Let's bring them into their house and find a doctor quickly.   Alas... what a sin... Young master... thank you very much... cough! Brother, you seem to be seriously injured. Oh, the shame! Not only have I brought trouble to our Jade Workshop, but even made our boss rush back from Dayan Town... (Hmm... the elder Zhao is seriously injured, and the younger Zhao is too distraught to handle matters properly. The other villagers managed to find a travelling doctor, I should consult him.) What an unfortunate incident to encounter on my travels. I have checked the pulse of both Shopkeeper Zhao and his son. I'll do all I can do help. Alas, I can only preserve his life for now. For Shopkeeper Zhao to recover, he needs to ingest a medicinal soup, but I do not have the ingredients with me. Let me see the prescription... Jade Ginseng, Unchanging Gold, Cinnabar... huh? What the hell are these ingredients? Are you joking with me? Calm down, brother, let me explain. Unchanging Gold is just a term we use for Panax Ginseng, because of its effectiveness in treating trauma. As the saying goes, "Ginseng for tonifying Qi, Panax for tonifying blood." Ah, so the term is used due to it's power and efficacy. Exactly. In fact, it is the "Gold" in Jinchuang Balm, or Gold Trauma Balm. Ah! I know the Gold Trauma medicine, healing holy product, Jianghu essential! Excellent! I'm just three herbs short of Jade Ginseng and Panax Ginseng. If there were some cinnabar to form pills with, it would be even better. I've heard that Shu Yuji specializes in ores, perhaps you might find something if you go to the coast? This is an incredibly confusing sidequest because it's hard to pick out what exactly this doctor wants from all the herbal lore, and the game doesn't ever tell you what the "dansha" he wants actually is (cinnabar is a sort of mercury salt). I do think the game is actually trying to tell you how to heal from trauma here, but my eyes just sort of glazed over about halfway into the doctor's speech. Actually getting the cinnabar is a fairly convoluted process that should require tailing some random woodcutter's child to buy charcoal, but luckily Siwang already picked up some charcoal at some point in his journey, so all he has to do is to pick up some red ore from the lakeside and give both the ore and charcoal to an old lady working at the local ore workshop.  While triapsing around the village looking for cinnabar, Siwang stumbles upon yet another local dispute.  A customer! Welcome! Come in! Come in! Would you like to see some groceries? My little shop has everything. If you're from out of town, I have some rare herbs for you to look at, if you would like. You...! You're stealing my business again! No I haven't. It was the customers own choice. Arrgh! Again? We should split up! You think I don't want to? If our father hadn't said we shouldn't separate, I'd have done it a long time ago! Fine! As long as I get the painting that shows where our father's treasure is hidden! Never! Excuse me, aren't you running the same shop? I just want to buy something... Wh... what are you doing? If you won't give it to me, I'll have to take it by force! Is this sort of thing common here in the outside world? I think traveling with Siwang is a bit of an anomaly in that respect. The word "treasure" brings out the worst in men. Look at Siwang, he's practically drooling. I'm hungry! I just wanted to buy some food!  Where is it? Oh no, the painting is broken! Ugh, it's just like father said, if we were to split up, we might as well tear up the painting... This is a disaster! We'll never know where the treasure is! Wait, there's a layer in the middle of this painting! It's a sheet of thin silk with something written on it... You've never been able to read well even as a child, let me read it. Well, you were worse than me, so if I can't, then you can't either! (Oh? Are they arguing about a secret treasure?) If you can't figure it out, why not let me have a look? Can you really unlock the secret? Do you have a better method in mind? ... ... ... Fine, you can give it a try. Here's the thin silk hidden in the painting. (Oh no, these are really difficult words. Can I really find anything useful?) There's a poem on the thin silk: "The same roots quarrel, the same seat is abandoned, childhood play is now jealousy. The house is no longer what it used to be, though the memory of it fills the room, and bitterness lies heavy in the heart. Ah! The pain!" Hmmm... the house is no longer what it used to be? Has something changed? Well, Brother Li Tan seems to be an experienced treasure hunter, perhaps I can ask him about this poetry. Long ago, a great treasure was returned to the capital, and the bandits who stole it captured with rope. Yet somehow, through arrow or stone, in the chaos of battle, these bandits perished. What a mystery! Indeed, what a mystery... Yep. I knew he was the right person to consult regarding mystic gibberish. Big brother! You can't talk like that about a person you're asking for help! Come on, he'd think it was funny. It's especially funny when the mystic gibberish turns out to be true. That's my girl. Come on, I'll give him a share of the treasure. You'd better!  Brother Siwang! We meet again. Life is short, share a drink with me. Of course! The river flows and never comes back. You're in high spirits, Brother Li Tan. Poor Qi Xiaoer is very angry, yet Brother Li Tan is enjoying his free time here, so unconcerned about the fact that the Diancang Sect is hunting him. I really don't know why the old man of the Diancang Sect sent those two down from their mountain, with their weak kungfu. One can't help but worry on their behalf, actually. Especially that girl... Huh? Did you say something, Brother Li Tan? Hahaha! It's nothing. Come! Let's drink. I actually wanted to ask you about the two Yu brothers... We can talk about it during the day. Let's just enjoy the wine and the moonlight for now. Well, that wasn't very helpful. It's love. I know these things. Really? Yes, moping in the moonlight is a classic sign, remember when...? Shut up! Shut up! On the other hand, people banging on doors in the middle of the night is a classic sign of something interesting going on. Look, over there. Hey, what are you doing? It doesn't look like you're up to any good. drat, it's so late for a man to visit, could it be that she's really having an affair? Ow! Hey, why are you hitting me? Is it really that serious? Hey! Come back here! You think you can beat me up whenever you want, huh?  Young Master! Please wait a moment. I, Mo Yanhao, would like to thank you for your help. Hahaha... well, I just saw that man sneaking around, and I couldn't stand it, so I did something about it. (Well actually, I didn't even know what was going on and got into a fight for no reason... so it was over you! This beautiful young lady.) Please, have pity on me and help me. (Her speech is gentle and refined, but her clothes are old and faded. Perhaps she has fallen on hard times?) Miss, you seem to know that sneaky man who was out there? What's your problem with him? Well... back when my late father was still alive, the Mo family was one of the top merchants in Dayan Town. But ever since he passed away, our circumstances have been deteriorating... I'm not good at business, and neither am I good at managing my subordinates. The man outside my house is named Wang Youcai, and used to be a servant of our Mo family. Because he knew my late father, he forged a note in my father's handwriting, and now claims that my family owes him a large sum of money! And now he is harassing me with that note, even threatening to take my brother and sister away and enslave them... What! Of course I won't leave that bastard alone! As long as he has that note, I can't do anything. Please, help me to get that note, so that that villain can no longer harass my brother and sister. I thank you for your help, Young Master. I'm suspicious. Are you suspicious? Who knows if the note is real or not? Oh, come on. The poor girl is clearly a terrible merchant. We have to save her. She just got you to agree to help her with nary a promise of reward. It'll be fine! It's getting late, let's go get some rest at the local inn.  Boss, there's a newcomer in Shu Yuji. Is he gonna stay the night here? He looks like a pushover. How can he compare to us, the "Jade Faced Duo"? Hehehe. Now keep your voice down. I'm casting a spell on him, and when we're sure he's unconscious, we'll take his money! Hey! What are you guys doing up there? How dare you use incense to harm people! We've been discovered! Boss, what do we do? Idiot! Run away! Hey! Stop! drat, they got away. But I think they dropped something, I wonder what it could be? This event at Shu Yuji's inn is a poison skill check. If Siwang's poison had been lower, he would have passed out and lost all his money, but the robbers would have carelessly dropped an assassination sutra. As it is, he's going to have to be content with some junk treasure.  Resting at the inn also triggers Ning'er's first stage of her friendship quest. I want to thank big brother, if it hadn't been for your help, I don't think I would ever have been able to come to the outside world, and find out what happened to my grandparents. Not to mention, the rebuilding of Suishin Isle, which is all thanks to big brother. Well, this kind of thing is only natural for a big brother. Snowy is also very grateful. Hoo hoo! I would like to spend the rest of my life like this... Further rambling around Shu Yuji village reveals this nice member of the Tao Shi Gang, who has been posted here expressly to warn people about the Leopard King's Stronghold further up the mountain. He must not have heard the news.  And also this poor old lady, whose son has run away from home. He got captured by the Leopard King's Stronghold and should be a cook there now, but since Siwang destroyed it a while ago and he wasn't there, I'm not sure if we can pursue this storyline.  It's a nice morning to finish up sidequests. Siwang threatens an old beggar into coughing up some frostbite ointment...  does some manual labor for the local overseer...  figures out how to get cinnabar from the old grandma at the ore processing workshop...  and gets threatened away from some particularly ripe and tempting plums.  Hey! Don't touch that plum, it's mine! Grrr... Don't do it, big brother! Gnununu... Don't be so childish, Siwang. You have enough money to bury that child in plums, should you so desire. Everyone has to sleep eventually. Why am I even traveling with this idiot?  Eventually, Siwang circles back to Li Tan, who is still in the same place, and asks him about the Yu brothers' inheritance and the mysterious poem. I thought he'd left for Dayan Town, but it turns out it was just the day/night cycle moving him to brood on top of the ore processing workshop. Sorry! Well... this phrase, "A room full of memories, sinking in my heart", would seem to imply a position below. Why not trying looking at the floor? With the herbs, and more importantly, the cinnabar, Siwang returns to the Jade Workshop and gives the ingredients to the traveling doctor, who promptly brews his medicine and feeds it to the elder Zhao. Hey, listen up everyone, Shopkeeper Zhao is saved! Oh, master doctor, is it true? Thank you so much! If you want to thank someone, thank Young Master Gui here, he's the one who found the necessary herbs. For giving the doctor cinnabar as well as the necessary herbs, Siwang is rewarded with a medicinal sutra that teaches attack and defense buffs.   Young hero! I heard it was you who saved Shopkeeper Zhao and Tianwang. Thank you very much! You are...? Ah, I have yet to introduce myself. I'm Shao Qian, the owner of Shao's Jade Workshop. Zhao Qing is the shopkeeper of my workshop, he's been here for more than 30 years! And this is my daughter... Jue'er, please thank this young master.  Thank you, Young Master Gui, for saving the people of our Jade Workshop. I grew up under the care of Shopkeeper Zhao, and Brother Tianwang has been like an elder brother to me. Now that the Zhao family has suffered such a major disaster for the sake of our workshop, I'm really at a loss what to do... I was just passing through, but I couldn't ignore what was happening. What kind of gang is the Tao Shi Gang anyway? It is a long story... According to our workers, it seems that while I was away, we found an excellent piece of raw jade. Shopkeeper Zhao concluded that it was capable of yielding jadeite of the highest quality, which attracted the attention of many people. However, the head of the Tao Shi Gang, Tao Dashi, has become more and more arrogant lately. Not only has he stipulated that all the raw product of my jade mill be sold only to him, he has also set the price at 30% of the market value. All the caravans and workers around here rely on his protection... he has the best of everything, while we have no power to resist. I see. No doubt the merchants of Dayan Town were also being similarly extorted, and hence came here to buy jade directly. And when the Tao Shi Gang found out... While Vice Master Zhou Yi was around, this Tao Dashi was not so arrogant! Unfortunately, he has been missing for a long time now... Please, Young Master, I have a request. We cannot look for Zhou Yi without drawing the attention of the Tao Shi Gang. Could you try to look for him on our behalf? Could you tell me more about the history of the Tao Shi Gang? It is said that a master from the White Horse Residence came to Shu Yuji and took pity on our local residents, who were suffering from bandit attacks at the time. He created two martial arts techniques based on the local methods of panning for ore in the lake and mining for ore in the mountains, called the Nu Chuan Youyu Fish Palm and the Mountain Breaking Jade Knife. He then founded the Tao Shi Gang to protect the people of Shu Yuji from the bandits of the Leopard King's Stronghold. And indeed, the men of Shu Yuji were so grateful that they never complained about paying money to them. Your story makes it sound like the Tao Shi Gang is a righteous clan, fighting against bandits. Alas, after the death of the old chief, the Tao Shi Gang became more and more tyrannical. In the past, we would have worked together to support Shu Yuji together, but now... it's hard for me to swallow my anger. The old gang master left the Tao Shi Gang to his precious son, Tao Dashi, but he also had another adopted son, Zhou Yi, who is now the deputy gang master. We've been friends with Zhou Yi for many years. Zhou Yi... it's been so long since I've played chess with you... Tao Dashi was pampered and spoilt as a child, but no one expected him to grow up to be this arrogant and rude. After the old gang master passed away, Tao Dashi inherited the position of master, with Zhou Yi serving as his deputy. And now that Zhou Yi has gone missing, there is no one to rein in Tao Dashi. Ah! I am a mere scholar, with no power to control my own hands! I've brought this calamity onto this workshop! What does everyone think? I think Zhou Yi is moldering in a grave somewhere. How cruel! To backstab his own adopted brother... We could barge into their headquarters and demand justice for Zhou Yi! Unless you want to personally slaughter every last member of the Tao Shi Gang, we'll need proof. We should sneak in and look for evidence. Oh! Elder Kogui once said Snowy is very good at stealth! I... think he meant in a snowfield. Not so much in a village like Shu Yuji. We should probably wait until nightfall. Until then, let's try our hand at solving the Yu brothers' inheritance. Hmm... if the two brothers had not quarreled, they would not have found the thin silk hidden behind the painting. Could it be that Elder Yu knew in advance that the two brothers would fight against each other one day, and therefore set this up in advance? Aha! A box hidden underneath the floor! And inside the box... a broken pocket knife and a prescription? The meaning of this can only be understood by the persons concerned. I should speak to the two Yu brothers. I heard a grinding noise when I opened the box, could I have triggered some strange mechanism? It seems that the opening of the wooden box triggered this mechanic button under the medicine cabinet. But I have no idea what it does, I should go ask the brothers. Have you found the treasure? Well, no, but I found a wooden box underneath the floor of the shop, containing a broken knife and a prescription. Hmmm... let me see. One root, big belly bark, basil, white peony, ginger, licorice? This medicine doesn't make any sense at all! It sort of reminds me of the play prescription I prepared when I was young. One-stem incense, cinnamon bark, golden chrysanthemum, white peony, ginger, licorice. When I was little, my brother had a cold, so I pretended to be a doctor and wrote my own prescription, telling the shopkeeper that my father had ordered it. Alas, he did not look at it carefully, and actually prepared the medicine and gave it to my brother. My poor brother... This prescription calls for one root, big belly skin and basil. It makes even less sense. As a pharmacist, my father would never prescribe nonsense such as this. Huh? This, this is my childhood favorite pocket knife! Does it have some kind of story behind it? It was broken by my brother... I was about nine years old, and had just been measured at 1.33 meters. My brother was six and about... 1.15 meters tall. He wanted to compete in height, and we used to carve marks on the wall with a knife to keep track. But I'm the older brother, so naturally I would be taller. After a few comparisons, my brother got angry and actually broke my beloved knife. I cried a lot at first, but eventually got over it. My father kept the knife, though. Looking for the childhood knife marks on the walls of the Yu residence reveals an odd groove, like a keyhole.  This unlocks two set of four-dight cipher wheels.  And as for the button under the medicine cabinet, there are labeled drawers that can be pulled open on the shelf behind. The first time I encountered this puzzle, on my original playthrough, I had no idea what was going on. Now that I'm back for round two, I'm ashamed to say I had to look up the answer on the internet again. Can the megabrains of Something Awful do better?
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Jan 30, 2024 15:00
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2 4-digit wheels? Well first we have a prescription with 3 or..5 ingredients, depending. That does not seem useful, although we could try pulling the drawers in order. For cipher wheels, however, we have 2 sets of 4 digits: 9 years, 1.33 6 years 1.15 I would start by entering that into cypher wheels and see where that goes?
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Jan 30, 2024 15:47
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What's the deal with the drawers though? Does pulling them out seem to do anything? We've got One root, big belly bark, basil, white peony, ginger, licorice One-stem incense, cinnamon bark, golden chrysanthemum, white peony, ginger, licorice. The peony, ginger, and licorice overlap leaving one root/one stem, big belly bark/cinnamon bark, and basil/golden chrysanthemum, not sure what to make of that though Xun fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Jan 30, 2024 |
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Jan 30, 2024 21:56
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Update 59: Infiltrating the Tao Shi Gang What numbers should I enter for this set of combination locks? Well, clearly I should try the brothers' heights and ages. Hmm... 1339 and 1156. What? Why didn't it work? drat stupid trap! Who wants to tell him? Siwang, dear, why not try putting the ages first? Oh. It worked. Now I feel like an idiot. Yes, that must be because... Do you want to be fed candied hawthorn every morning for now to eternity? Because you are so wise and cunning that such moments of failure are rare. Thank you.  There is the sound of gears turning but otherwise nothing happens. Since there was both a broken knife and a prescription in the box, perhaps I have to solve the clue of the prescription as well. So clearly the father wanted to leave behind clues that could only be solved by his sons. It's simple. We pull out the drawers for the play prescription Yu Xingping made up. One-stem incense, cinnamon bark, golden chrysanthemum, white peony, ginger, and licorice. Uhhh... big brother? He doesn't have any ginger in stock. What? But ginger is a sovereign specific against wind-cold, how can he call himself a pharmacist without some? Maybe the other brother sells it as spice or tea or something. Well, there isn't any here in the medicine cabinet. Neither is there licorice. Arrgh! Let's just try everything from the play prescription we can get our hands on. One-stem incense, cinnamon bark, golden chrysanthemum, white peony, and push the button. Nothing happened! What should we do? ... Miss Yan, I humbly request you stop smirking and explain the puzzle to us. Try the difference between the two prescriptions. The white peony is shared with the real prescription, so leave it out. I'm an idiot, aren't I? But wise enough to ask for help when needed, so don't worry your pretty little head over it.  There is the sound of gears turning again, but this time something happens.  Ahh! The plaque! It fell! And a strange cloth bag was hidden behind it as well. Let's investigate it! You actually tore down our golden plaque! Yes, yes, what have you done, boy? First you tear up the floor of our shop, then you tear up the mats of my wall... You made a mess of my medicine cabinet! And now you've even smashed our plaque! Take it easy, take it easy. Look, I found this bag. But the knot on this bag seems to be quite rare, and the material of the bag is strangely resistant to external forces... I think this is the last barrier Elder Yu left to prevent outsiders from getting their hands on his treasure. Take a look. I'm afraid only you and your brother know how to unlock this bag. Bag? How dare you refer to it as just a bag, this is our father's Eight Treasures Bag! And this knot is our father's unique Kirin Cloud Piercing Knot! Oh, so you do know how to open it. Well, why not open it now? !!! This whole sack is full of gold! And also... some kind of diagram... I can't quite make it out... some kind of trip wire? I see! The prescription had nothing to do with pharmacology at all, but was given to us by our father to reason with us. Indeed. Elder Yu must have been trying to advise the two of you against fighting with each other. After all, you are family and run the family shop together. With this knife and prescription, he must have been trying to bring back memories of your childhood. This apparently irrational prescription represents one brother's anxiety at the illness of the other brother. You brothers are born of the same root, and family unity is worth more than gold, if you are drawn into conflict, you should strive to be magnanimous and not spoil your brotherly love over trivial matters. Yes... when we were kids, we were very close, but my father forbade me to go to the mountains to collect herbs or go to school with my brother because of our big height difference. I was so upset I broke my brother's beloved knife. I am sorry... Brother... Brother... All is well, all is well... My work here is done, farewell! Wait! I admire the fact that you took the trouble to help us brothers, even though we are strangers. Oh, it's no big deal, really! I have harvested many herbs and ores, many of which can be used in medicine and are very efficacious. Please, take this book, it is the result of my many years of study in medicine. I hope it will be of some use to you in your travels. And if you ever need anything, please come back and look for me or my brother. I wish you all the best in your travels! Aha! Is this the secret treasure left behind by Elder Yu? Who are you? Brother, put away the bag, quickly! My name is Li Tan. My father and Elder Yu were... old acquaintances, and I've been wondering if I could borrow some of your memoria for a look. Li? Brother, did our father have a friend named Li? Hmm... I don't remember... hey! Ow!! Brother Li Tan! Why did you paralyze them with their acupuncture points all of a sudden? drat, is this why you helped me figure out the verses on the thin silk sheet? Have you been using me? Haha! Well, you're half right. I did help you because I wanted to find Elder Yu's treasure, but also, I wanted to test your skills. I, Li Tan, have always been very clear about my grudges. Although Elder Yu did not come by this gold through righteous means, considering your circumstances, I won't take it. Although I can't say the same for this Tripwire Diagram! I thought you said you weren't a bad guy! What nonsense! My father was a righteous and upright man, how could this wealth be ill-gotten? Haha... do you not know what the relationship between my father and Elder Yu was? My late father was the head of the Anshun Escort Gang. He died on the last escort trip the Gang was commissioned to make... Well, what does an escort commission have to do with our father? No one survived the trip. and the caravan was totally destroyed. The first men on the scene discovered some strange tripwires, and now that I've compared Elder Yu's diagram here, I can be certain that those tripwires were Elder Yu's handiwork! Huh?  Li Tan! Oh, is Qi Xiao'er here too? Haha!! You little thief, today I've finally caught you! Excuse me, but did you see me steal anything? Well... maybe not today, but you've been accused of theft so many times, how could you not be up to something evil? Sister, don't banter with him, just attack him! Well, it's time for me to make my exit. I will miss Miss Xiao'er's energetic greetings, but not you, you evil-eyed uptight wintermelon. It's Dong Guo, not "dong gua"!Li Tan is making a pun on Dong Guo's name here.  Brother Gui, I did not use too much pressure to seal these guys' acupuncture points, they should recover quickly. Let them keep their hard-earned gold and live a good life. Brother Li, wait... Goodbye, Qi Xiao'er. See you in Dayan Town next.With that, Li Tan bounds onto the rooftop, and poor Qi Xiao'er and her martial brother chase after him.  Well, at least he left us the gold... oh, Young Master Gui, it's you! Thank you for my father's legacy! Speaking of which, what kind of person was Elder Yu anyway? You mean Li Tan's accusations? He's nothing more than a rascal who came to Shu Yuji to laze about with no proper job! Our father was a righteous man all his life, and even served under General Lan in the past, fighting in all the general's battles with him. There's no way he would have been involved in the robbery of an escorted caravan! Nonsense, all nonsense!! Young Master Gui, thanks to you, my brother and I have been reconciled. I salute you. Ah, it was a small matter, there is no need for such extravagant thanks. Although I do find myself curious about one thing, Brother Yu. It sounds like Elder Yu was a great master of traps and mechanisms, but why would he choose to open a small shop in this remote village to live in seclusion, and choose to live that way for the rest of his life? Ah. I do not really know much about it, but I believe something happened a dozen or so years ago, and my father had to ask the army for help. He was always sort of depressed since moving here. Whenever my father was drunk, he would look up to the mountains and mumble to himself. I think he was trying to say sorry to someone... I see... so he had his own reasons for moving here. But enough about Elder Yu. Let's get to Dayan Town, quickly! I can't wait to see how everything between Li Tan and Qi Xiao'er turns out. Aren't you upset he used you to get the diagram from the Yu brothers? Eh. The puzzles were annoying, sure, but he left them the gold, right? He's a ruffian with a heart of gold, just waiting for the right woman to come along and melt it. I think he's going to play with her heart and break it like glass. My elders warned me about men like him. Ah, but the difference is, my dear Ning'er, is that you are a good girl who listens to wisdom when she hears it, while Qi Xiao'er radiates a strong "I know better than my elders and I can fix this man" energy. I hate how you can make so much sense while making no sense at all. Ahem. Siwang, aren't you forgetting about the matter of the Tao Shi gang? Oh, right. Hey, their mansion is right next door, let's break in now!  Why are the Yu brothers storing their sugar up here? Probably didn't have the space, what with the hidden gears and treasure and all. Please don't get distracted, we don't want to get caught. You do realize it's broad daylight? Oh please, I could jump over their wall even if I had half the Qinggong I have now. Hey! Who the hell? Is this kid in our gang? Get out! You were saying? Look, I'm just too good at jumping, you know? I didn't mean to overshoot and land in the middle of their courtyard. We were lucky they were in a good mood. Aim properly this time, Siwang, please.  See? Easy. Their security does leave a lot to be desired. Do they never look up? I do like the "Tao Shi" characters inlaid in jade that they've got down there. It's got style. Stop getting distracted and climb onto the second floor balcony. We have a deputy gang leader to find. Welp. Too bad, no incriminating documents or mysterious safes up here. Maybe he doesn't like paperwork. I'll have to go down and ask him directly. No, wait! Big brother, stop!   Hey! Where did you come from? Don't scare me like that, get lost! Tch, the training of our newcomers is getting worse and worse, what's wrong with the trainers... Psst!! Hey! Big brother! You promised to stop stealing so much! Relax, Ning'er, I've given up on material desires and embraced enlightenment. I'm just admiring his stuff. Easy for you to say, you have more money than my entire horse gang. Does that mean you're going to stop stealing sutras? From a certain point of view, stealing sutras IS embracing enlightenment. Okay, enough enlightenment for today, let's try the other buildings. Prison Howls at the Sky: "The famous weapon of the Tao Shi Gang, inherited from the previous gang master. Made of steel, weighing seven times seven pounds, extremely powerful."  Who are you, who are you? I really don't know anything! Uh... I'm not a member of the Tao Shi Gang. Brother, why do you look so scared? Hmm... I guess you aren't wearing their uniform. I'm actually under house arrest. What a bunch of wretched bastards, wasting my father's devotion to the Tao Shi Gang... Who did you say you were again? I'm a friend of Boss Shao from the Jade Workshop. Oh, so you're from Jue'er's family. Why didn't you say so? Listen, I'm Zhou Xingheng, the son of the Tao Shi Gang's vice master. What happened to Vice Master Zhou? My father has been imprisoned in the mountain mine! And Tao Dashi has not only sealed the mine, he has set passwords to control access to the mine. Do you know the passwords? Are you kidding me? I'm under house arrest, how would I know the passwords? (I suddenly feel less inclined to save this young man.) Servant of Jue'er, save my father! Only Tao Dashi knows the passwords, you can't ask, but at least you can eavesdrop! Ugh, how am I going to get my hands on their passwords? What kind of idiot would go around just saying out their passwords out loud? Shh! Tao Dashi is congratulating himself on how clever he's being. Oh my god. I can't believe Shu Yuji is being oppressed by these idiots. How clever I was to set passwords to enter the mine! Who would have thought the world would have emerald ice gourds? A string is only a penny. Buy 8 strings, get 7 strings free One bite is still sour. Hahahaha! Hey, O Master of Directions, this is the wrong cave. I know. I just want to look for the Phantom Moonstone ore Li Tan was talking about. And I can practice the medicinal sutras we picked up on these crocodiles. Why crocodiles? Why not? Isn't that animal cruelty? All they have to do is not bite me and I'll leave them alone.  This is a surprisingly crowded cave. You think we like living with crocodiles, bitch? Some rear end in a top hat exterminated our bandit camp, when we got back from hunting, everyone was dead! Now give me all your money! Oh, you mean the camp that used to be just to the east of Karma Monastery? Oh crap.  Siwang, having finished the fist sutra he was studying, switches to the Meridian Acupuncture sutra he received from the traveling doctor who healed the Zhao father-and-son. It's quite easy to miss this sutra, which is a shame because it's a good sutra to slap onto your weaker party members. It lets you buff a single target's attack or defense by ~30% for 3AP.  The Yakushino Collection Siwang received from the Yu brothers, on the other hand, is a pretty mediocre AOE heal. Useful in the early game, to be sure, but far outclassed by the techniques received from Doctor Chen and Cheng Yanhua.  The Phantom Moonstone ore is an enchantment item that gives 25% MP leech. Very useful, but as far as I know there are only three in the game so I'll probably hoard these and never use them.  On the way back from the Phantom Moonlight ore cave, Siwang encounters a would-be peeper. He beats him up on general principle. Hey, stop hitting me! Look, I'm was just talking, did I really spy on anyone? That was very chivalrous of you, Siwang. I'm impressed. I'm more surprised than anything. Ahaha... it just came naturally to me. (I definitely shouldn't tell them I had no idea what he was doing and just beat him up for the experience...) Oh, and speaking of chivalry, let's go find Wang Youcai, the man who's threatening Miss Mo with the forged IOU.  This is the guy who ruined my day! Oh? You're a lot more brave now that you have two helpers with you, aren't you? Kid, you aren't from around here, why are you going to so much trouble to help Miss Mo and her brother? Let me tell you, I've been betrothed to Mo Yanhao since I was a child, and when her family got in trouble, my family bailed her out! It's thanks to our money that she even has a place to stay! See? Here's the marriage contract! (Huh? A marriage contract? Why didn't that girl didn't say anything about it? It sounds like it's not just about an IOU. I impulsively promised her I'd take care of matters , but now... this is making me feel dirty.) Gentlemen, I think there may have been a misunderstanding here. Let me confirm things with Miss Mo again. Brother Wang, we aren't in Dayan Town, this isn't our turf. We should refrain from making too much trouble here in Shu Yuji. Tch! Shu Yuji is just Shu Yuji, don't think that we can't do anything here! Even if I kill you, it'll just be a matter of paying money to erase the crime, you got it? Alright, alright, I got it. I'll just go back and clarify matters with Miss Mo.The two figures in the background turn and flee. (Did I just see someone run away?) Where is Miss Mo's room, anyway? drat, these huts look all the same. You have absolutely no sense of direction, do you? He's just easily distracted. Stop making excuses for him just because you're sweet on him. I... I... hmmph! Hey, whoever you are, I'm telling you, don't play with a girl's feelings, or I'll blow your brains out! Your ungrateful brain! This is the right spot, I think... but I don't see Miss Mo. Hey kid, aren't you her little brother? Oooh... Sister said... you didn't solve things... you're a useless... so... so... she ran away with Brother Yeh... What? She left you behind? Sister said I was a burden, she told me to fend for myself... drat, that woman did try to fool me! Don't... don't blame sister... big brother, don't be angry...  I'm so hungry without my sister... I can smell the fragrance of roast pork coming from the cookfire nearby, and I keep getting hungrier and hungrier... (This Mo girl actually abandoned her brother to run away with her lover!) Big brother, could you help me get some food? Here, have some roast pork. Wow, it smells so good! Thank you, big brother! (Alas, I have only relieved his hunger for now. This boy will have to fend for himself for the rest of his life. Well, one step at a time.) Kid, you need to take care of yourself, alright? Big brother is busy and can't look after you like this every day. Well, that was depressing. I can't believe that Mo woman would abandon her family like that. Maybe if Siwang had offed Wang Youcai for her... but then that would mean killing an innocent man? He struck me as a bit of a scumbag, but still... No sense in dwelling on the past. Actually, should we be pondering moral dilemmas like this while fighting bandits? It's not like they pose any threat to us. I thought you told me you had exterminated the Leopard King Stronghold weeks ago. Oh, you know how it is, there's always stragglers...  Eventually, Siwang finds his way to the mountain mine that has been taken over by the Tao Shi Gang. Well... I can't get in, no matter what I say. I left my tools in there, so I can't even mine somewhere else. The Tao Shi Gang doesn't care if I can't make a living...  What? This is our mine! No one is allowed in! If you have business in here, then our Tao Shi Gang Master would have given you the secret code! If not, get out! Of course I have the passwords! Oh, really?  Come on, come on, it's delicious! -Stinky tofu! -Sugarplum, yo-yo! -Big bun, yo! This really threw me for a loop back in the day because Tao Dashi was clearly muttering about emerald ice gourds. I think a lot of new players using the translation patch would be likely to get stuck here. In hindsight, it's probably just inconsistent translation for the same food, but it's really annoying.  Please don't mind the price, delivery is included! -Buy 3 get 1 free~ -Buy 3 get 10 free~ -Buy 8 get 7 free~ Thankfully this bit remains the same as what Tao Dashi said.  Tastes the best in the world! -Stinks! -Acid! -Salty! Terrible translation strikes again. Who remembers from chemistry that acids taste sour? Not me, I had to look it up on the internet again.  Tch! I didn't think you would actually know the passwords. You aren't even wearing our uniform. Hahaha! Well, if you know what's good for you, let me in. Sure, sure, just put in a good word for me with the gang master, willya? There are several Tao Shi Gang members scattered around the mine, some of which are aggressive and attack Siwang on sight for not wearing the gang colours.  Others are slacking off and can be dealt with using poison or sufficient Qi to knock them unconscious. Of course, Siwang could just kill them in their sleep, but that would be excessively evil.  There is an unusual Buddha statue in the depths of the mine, but there is nothing Siwang can do with it for now. Right next to the statue is a makeshift cell with someone trapped inside.  Deputy gang master... brother Zhou!  No matter how many times you come, I will never hand over the old gang master's handwritten will! (Old gang master? Handwritten will?) Brother Zhou, I was sent by Boss Shao of the Jade Workshop to save you! Tch. My younger brother is getting better and better at playing tricks, this time he even got someone to pretend to be from Brother Shao. Brother Zhou, what do I have to do to make you believe in me? If you were really sent by Brother Shao to help me, then get me the antidote to this Soft Tendon Powder, so that I can use my martial arts again. Soft Tendon Powder? What's that? Where can I find the antidote? Soft Tendon Powder is a medicinal powder that weakens the hands and feet and locks up the dantian, making it impossible to use internal strength. They put it into my daily food and water, and although I know of the powder's effects, I can hardly stop eating and drinking forever. The antidote must be kept by Tao Dashi, but he only trusts his own family, so I believe he will have entrusted it to my worthless nephew Tao Wencai. If you were really sent by Brother Shao to save me, then get me the antidote so that I can recover my power. Hmmm... Tao Wencai... I remember seeing him on the grass field outside the Tao Shi Gang mansion, but he'll probably still be asleep at this hours. Let's just take a nap outside and wait for the dawn. Big brother? I have a favour to ask...  Brother Siwang, are you free now? What's wrong? It's been a while since I've been back to Suishin Island. I miss how everyone is doing, and I promised Sweetie I'd bring some souvenirs back. Hoo hoo~ Snowy also misses everyone, can we make a trip back? No problem, let's go! Kid, this is my territory, what are you doing here?Please vote: A - I will not only shake it, but I will shake it in front of B - I heard you can sign up for the Tao Shi Gang here?
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Feb 7, 2024 17:42
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I think option A might be indecent public exposure so let's go with option B.
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Feb 7, 2024 19:47
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A. Siwang might just be down to boogie.
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Feb 7, 2024 20:27
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A I have no idea what this is suppose to convey other than maybe Siwang starts twerking or something idk
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Feb 11, 2024 04:11
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Update 60: The Tao Shi Gang Gets a New Master I recorded this back when there was a tie in the vote, so I'll just briefly show off the other, sane option.  I love everything about the Tao Shi Gang, but I hate that my parents weren't from the Tao Shi Gang, and that the first air I breathed wasn't from the Tao Shi Gang!Siwang will butter up Tao Wencai, and as long as he is willing to bow down and call Tao Wencai "big brother", Tao Wencai will be happy to show him the antidote to the Soft Tendon Powder. Clearly, a very un-Siwang-like thing to do.  For the record, I looked it up on Youtube, and Tao Wencai is saying "你怎么在我面前晃来晃去?", which does sort of literally translate to to "why are you shaking in front of me?". But in context it's more of a "I don't like the way you walk, this is my turf". This Gui Siwang walks where and how he wants, and right now I'm doing it in front of you like this. So what? You... you brat! Are you looking for death? A single Buddhist Lion Roar has Tao Wencai and his two goons crawling on the floor begging for mercy.  What are you... what are you doing? Stay back! I hear that you have an antidote to Soft Tendon Powder in your house. Get it for me! Don't hit me! I'll... I'll get it for you! Here it is! Don't hit me!  The mine is that way. I'm just checking in with everyone in Shu Yuji. Wouldn't want to miss any sidequests after the transition, y'know. Oh god, why did that make sense. I can feel my sanity slowly draining away. We should check in with Miss Shao and tell her we found her crush! Have you found him? Oh, for God's sake... is he hurt? Brother Zhou doesn't seem to have any obvious injuries, so don't worry. How can I not worry... ugh... Wang Youcai is still in the village and terribly bitter that his fiance has run away with another man. His bodyguards are also not especially welcoming to Siwang. Why do you keep looking at me, haven't you ever seen a man like me, with my muscles exploding, full of life and attractiveness? Duan Siping, ever the hardworking general, has sent Siwang a gift of some iron-knife wood to use in crafting his own weapons. This hard iron-knife wood can be used as a material for the Duan army's weapons, please try it too! Brother Duan is really thinking about the great task of counter-attacking Nanzhao anytime and anywhere. There is actually one more fairly memorable sidequest in Shu Yuji that starts with a stray monk, but he appears to have moved on. Maybe it's been too long? Eventually I give up looking for him and go back to the mine. Brother Zhou, I've got the antidote for the Soft Tendon Powder! Let me see... Well! It's really the antidote! Good, so you really are a young hero sent by my Elder Brother Shao! I am sorry for my rudeness before, how may I address you, young master? This one is Gui Siwang. Young Master Gui! As I have been taking this powder for a long time, the toxicity has penetrated deep into my organs and limbs, so it will take a little time for the antidote to fully take effect. Please get my godfather's will first, and then we'll go to the Tao Shi Gang together and teach my brother a lesson! Well, sure, if you say so. I have a question though, if you're more popular and more skilled than that Tao Dashi, how come he's the leader? And why do you refer to the old gang master as your godfather? Since you are involved now, you are hardly an outsider. I won't hide anything from you, although these are matters that belong to the past. My godfather was a fair and righteous person who led the previous generation of the Tao Shi Gang. When I was young, my parents were killed by bandits, and I fled and collapsed at the doorstep of the Tao Shi Gang. The old gang master took pity on me and adopted me. Originally, my godfather wanted me to succeed him, but I knew he always loved Tao Dashi more than me. And I thought to myself, rather than fight amongst ourselves and ruin our brotherhood, I would just let Tao Dashi have the position of gang leader. I see... However, my godfather understood my brother's heart too well. He left a will on his deathbed, instructing me that if ever Tao Dashi fell to evil, I should kill him myself and replace him. It's just that I've always been softhearted, and I delayed carrying out his wishes, to my sorrow. Knowing that it would be risky to keep my godfather's will, I put it in a box and entrusted it to Elder Brother Shao for safekeeping. Since you were asked to help by Brother Shao, you should have no problem finding him and asking for the box back. You mean Boss Shao of the Jade Workshop? Got it, you just stay here and recover from the poison, I will go and find the box. Young Master Gui, have you found any clues regarding the matter of Little Brother Zhou? Indeed, I have found him. He was imprisoned by Tao Dashi, and he has asked me to come here and ask Boss Shao for a lockbox that he left with you. A lockbox...? Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten! Here, bring it to Brother Zhou quickly. Good, thank you, Boss Shao! I'll bring it to him now. Hold on a moment. I happened across this heavy rhinoceros leather armor while I was in the storeroom looking for the lockbox. I have never been a martial artist, so I only bought the armor because it was rare. Now that Brother Zhou has been imprisoned by Tao Dashi, I'm afraid you will be drawn into conflict with the Tao Shi Gang. Please take this armor, I hope it can help you.Heavy Rhinoceros Skin Armor: "Specially made from the above-mentioned rhinoceros leather, it offers good protection, but is much heavier than ordinary leather armor."  Oh hey. I could have sworn this corpse wasn't here just now. Death and destruction really does follow in your footsteps, doesn't it? We should look around and see if he had any friends. Perhaps he was attacked by bandits. We just cleared out a whole bunch... sure, let me take a quick look at the body first. (A recently deflated corpse.) (This man looks like a lama, there are no visible injuries on the body...) (Wait, there's a dark palm print on this guy's back, it must be the fatal wound. Whoever did this has amazing palm strength!) Greetings, Master. Greetings, Master, what are you doing here? Ah. We are planning to go to Dayan Town to preach. (Though the master is sitting on the rock, seemingly resting, I can feel that his breathing and internal energy are not in order. Perhaps...) If I may ask, Master, have you just fought someone? What is patron saying? I can see that Master is suffering from internal disorder, which is why I am asking. This monk does not lie, I have indeed fought someone. Could it be the dead man I found on the hillside? Ah, then the villain is dead. Villain? Was he not one of your disciples?  Young Master, as my Master is injured, allow me to explain. The person you found was indeed my brother, and the three of us came here to preach together. Who knew that my brother had a hidden evil intention? He took advantage of Master's trust and attacked by surprise, but was fortunately still defeated. But why? He always complained that Master would not teach him his ultimate technique, but I never thought he would go so far... Wait! Are you also aiming for that technique? Don't be rude! *cough* Ah! Yes, Master. I apologize for my rudeness just now. Oh no, please don't misunderstand. I was just asking. Perhaps it is destiny that we met, and that you saw through my injury... If Young Master is willing to spar with my untalented pupil, I will teach you a little of my skill. How do you think? Winning this duel gives Siwang a small boost to Fist skill. This small unmarked sidequest actually took me by surprise because the first time I played through, these monks only gave me a little bit of food for the news about the dead body. I think this must be a Medical skill check or something.  There isn't anything else interesting around so Siwang returns to the mine. Brother Zhou, I've got the box you left at Boss Shao's place. Good! The poison has been removed from my body, let us leave together. Zhou Yi proceeds to blow up the entire cage wall. A simple cage is not enough to stop me! He pauses momentarily to pay his respects at the Buddha statue nearby. Godfather, this unworthy son Zhou Yi is about to fulfill his promise to you in front of your relics. (Relics? Perhaps I should ask Brother Zhou about this afterwards.) You... you! Vice Master! Sledgehammer, I don't blame you for how things went before, but now that it's come to this, are you still going to stop me? Vice Master... I'm sorry, it's all because of that kid beside you, I was suspicious of him so I reported him to the gang... Traitor! Master Tao has already promised me the position of Vice Master, all I need is to perform a worthy deed and he will announce it to all our brothers officially. Looks like my time has come! Hahaha! Ahh! No, Brother Tin! Vice - I mean, Brother Zhou has been good to us in the past, we can't... Cut the crap! Brothers, this is the traitor Zhou Yi, and the kid next to him is his accomplice. Whoever captures them will get a huge reward from Master Tao! At Rank 45, Zhou Yi is remarkably overpowered for an NPC in a beginner area and comes with an all-new Fist technique, the Angry River Fish, which does sort of OK damage but comes with a lot of debuffs. Siwang is already well past Rank 50, though, and mows through these mooks in a single turn.  Brother Zhou, are you sure about this? Haha, little brother, what's with that expression? Godfather taught me well, and before he died, he entrusted me to deal with my younger brother should he prove unworthy. Now I am only fulfilling his last wish... Zhou Yi barges into the courtyard of the Tao Shi Gang manor, where the unconscious bodies of Shao Qian and Shao Rujue lie sprawled on the ground. Big... big brother! Brother, you know why I am here. Don't embarrass yourself and step down as gang leader. No! I will not surrender my position! I remember when you were just a child covered in blood trembling in front of my house! If I hadn't found you, you would be dead! I have let our familial love blind me for too long... but now I see the suffering it has caused so many more people! As the leader of the Tao Shi Gang, you are responsible for protecting the people of Shu Yuji from evil. Now, not only have you failed to do so, you have gone on rampages in the countryside, and forced the Jade Workshop to sell you their top-quality stones at low prices, which the workers worked so hard to obtain. You are the first of the traitors and villains whom I punish today! It's even worse than that, look, behind him. Hey, punk, what have you done to Boss Shao and Miss Shao? Are you intending to take over the Jade Workshop by force? Brother Zhou, we must punish this man, not only for the sake of the Jade Workshop, but also the residents of Shu Yuji. Ooh... Jue'er, Dad, please save Jue'er... Xingheng, stay out of this and don't give us any trouble. Oooh... drat! Brothers, look at this man in front of you! The old chief ordered me to succeed him, and now he has repaid my father's upbringing with the intent to seize the position of gang leader! Let's go! Kill the traitor! Tao Dashi is also unreasonably powerful for the intended stage of the game this quest is located in, and has a pretty powerful Mountain-Opening Jade-Shattering Blade technique to go with his unique weapon. Normally a player would be Rank 10-15 if he had done some sidequests in Gongshi Village, so I believe the intent is for Tao Dashi and Zhou Yi to clash while the player cleans up the side mobs and then dogpile Tao Dashi.  In fact Tao Dashi is so powerful that he actually survives a Buddhist Lion Roar from Siwang, albeit with <10% health remaining.  Tao Dashi, Brother Zhou tempered his blows with mercy for the sake of your brotherhood, and yet every strike you made was with deadly intent. Shame on you! Dashi, by the order of my godfather, I will now replace you, and lead the Tao Shi Gang to serve the people of Shu Yuji. Here is his last will. Do you have anything else to say? Oww... Brother... just please, don't kill me. Please, spare me! Tao Dashi, you... You are not to step foot outside of the Tao Shi Gang manor. Stay here, for now, and reflect on your behaviour. (It seems Brother Zhou has a soft heart after all...) Dad, dad! Are you alright? How's Jue'er? ... Alas, silly child. Come in quickly and bring Boss Shao and his family back to the Jade Workshop for treatment. Of course! Jue'er, Jue'er!  Young Master Gui, you've been of great help all this while. I'm sorry to have dragged you into this for no reason. Haha, no need to be shy, Brother Zhou, I was just fulfilling a request. Of course. Tell me, how can I reward you? - I would like to learn your martial arts. - What I am most in need of at the moment is money. - Perhaps some forging materials? ` I am truly asking for nothing in return. If you knew him better, Brother Zhou, you wouldn't even need to ask. He likes to collect martial arts sutras. It's his hobby. I see, I see. Well then, please take a copy of my godfather's blade sutra. Thanks!  Mountain-Opening Jade-Shattering Blade Technique: "This blade technique is one of the self-defense martial arts of the villagers of Shu Yuji. It has the strength to open mountains and shatter jade, the splitting momentum is straight, vicious and accurate, and the slashing momentum is nimble and smooth."  By the way, Tao Dashi, I have a question. Hmmph! If I were still the gang leader... ok, ok, young man, don't be so grumpy, ask away. This Soft Tendon Powder has such a powerful effect, it doesn't seem like something that could have been produced in such a small village as Shu Yuji. Where did it come from? I bought that powder from a noble man known as Mr. San De. Mr San De? Three Virtues? You didn't know about him either? He has mastered the essence of poisoning, medicine as well as his master's teachings, that's why he's called San De! Oh? So powerful... where can I find this Mr. San De? Tao Dashi then points Siwang towards the Hidden Flower Cottage. Presumably this Mr. San De is Doctor Chen's wayward brother, Shi Hongtu.  Zhou Yi then expels all the evil-doers from the Tao Shi Gang and proclaims he is recruiting new members into a reformed Tao Shi Gang.  He can now be found training these new members during the day in the courtyard of the Tao Shi Gang manor. Young Master Gui, how are you doing? I wanted to ask you about that Buddha statue in the mines. Ah. It is said that the stone statue was designed by a great master of traps from Shu Yuji. I had heard from my godfather that he was taught the Angry River Fish and Mountain-Opening Jade-Shattering techniques by this great master, although he failed to master them. I was afraid I would similarly not be able to comprehend all his words, so I engraved all the lessons he had taught me under the statue. Of course, this knowledge is reserved for the leaders of the Tao Shi Gang, so please respect this and don't do anything to hurt our brotherhood. Of course, Brother Zhou! I would sooner rob the army than look under this statue. Good. Then I am relieved. Oh no oh no oh no  This must be the mechanism Brother Zhou spoke of. - My hand is so itchy... I can't help but want to try it. - I'd rather not act in a morally offensive manner.  This puzzle involves rotating the Buddha statue to face in one of four directions, four times. This is yet another puzzle I had to look up the answer to on the Internet, I actually don't know how the answer is derived. I think it has something to do with the martial arts Zhou Yi is practicing in the courtyard?  Sucessfully solving the puzzle yields a Fist sutra and loses Siwang quite a bit of Shu Yuji reputation. Angry River Fish Palm: "This technique is derived from the local diving technique of Gentle Judgment, where one has to submerge oneself in the water and weave through the whirlpools and undercurrents. One has to block, catch or hit the fish in the water, in order to practice this swift and nimble palm technique." Really, big brother? Was it worth it? Information wants to be free, little sister. I'm just lending it a helping hand. I... don't think I quite get it. If the old trap master didn't want his teachings passed down, why write them down at all? Why not just teach his disciples, why bother to hide this sutra in a statue? Clearly, he wanted us to have it. I'm not quite sure that's what he intended... If you guys are going to have an extended philosophical debate, pass me that Mountain-Opener book so that at least I have something to read. Perhaps we can make one last round around Shu Yuji before Brother Zhou Yi finds out?  The poor grocery store owner seems to have been genuinely in love with Brother Tian (the guy who cut down Shopkeeper Zhao and his son) and refuses to sell us food anymore.  Shao Qian gives us a substantial sum of money as a reward.  And outside the Jade Workshop, Zhou Xingheng (Zhou Yi's son) is dithering over something. If someone she knows were to ask... would she be too shy to answer? No, no, no, I can't ask anyone she knows. After all, she specially embroidered the scent bag for me, she must like me... Hey, isn't that Young Master... yes! I think it would be okay! ? Young Master, I have a favor to ask of you, it concerns my lifelong happiness, please grant it. Uh... that is to say... Why are you holding on to that bag of incense? Jue'er, that silly girl, embroidered a scent bag to give to me, but she was too shy to do so. Just the other day, when I was leaving Shu Yuji on patrol with Dad, she came running in a panic and bumped into him. In the end, the scent bag was not given to me, but it was left in Dad's pocket, and Dad found it and gave it to me. I can't believe he missed it for so long, haha! (This kid sure is full of himself...) Are you sure she is your sweetheart? Of course! She smiles at me and my father as we go about the streets, and she offered to mend my robes and my father's robes for me... naturally she likes me! But for some reason, I've asked her about our future together several times, but she always pretends not to know... she must be shy, haha! Young Master, you must help me, ask her directly what she means. So that's how it is. Go chase after your own wife! Oooh... oh my darling! Young Master, please, please, please, please. ... Please, please, please, please. ... ... Please, please, please, please, please. Enough! Fine! Just pass me the scent packet and get that disgusting expression off your face! Young Master, a man should be a little more gentle, you are so irritable, be careful no woman will like you. ... Do you have a bad feeling about this? I have a bad feeling about this. The Love Doctor knows exactly what is going on and is now somewhat inclined to help Shao Rujue instead of this bumbling idiot over here. Yes, she did seem rather concerned that Zhou Yi was missing, but nary a word about Zhou Xingheng. Oh god, he's old enough to be her father! I suspect that is exactly the problem. Let's just go talk to her first.  Ah Heng? Oh no, this must be a misunderstanding. I grew up with Ah Heng, so I'm naturally kinder to him, but I never thought he'd think this way. Please go and tell him I already have a lover, and that it's impossible for the two of us to be together. Then this scent bag...? This... why does he have this scent bag? (She seems really shocked, there must be something more to this...) Oh... even if he doesn't want it, did he have to give it to Ah Heng? Ooh... what am I even to him... Excuse me, Miss, can you please be more specific? Who exactly is your sweetheart? I... my heart is actually set on is Brother Yi. Huh? The former vice chief of the Tao Shi Gang? Zhou Yi? Yes, he lives alone with Ah Heng, with his clothes torn and no one cooking for him... he needs someone at home to take care of him. I tried to hint this to him so many times, and he never said anything, and now he's even handed the bag over to someone else! I can't... ugh... I... Young Master, since you are willing to pass on messages for others, could you also pass a message to Brother Yi for me? Please tell him that every night at midnight, Jue'er will be waiting by the bank of the river, outside the Tao Shi Gang's manor. And if he does not come, I will wait until he does. Welp. Looks like our guess has been confirmed. What do we do now? I don't think Brother Yi is the type to take advantage of a young girl's crush, so... let's just give him the message. Are you sure? Well, no, but do you want Shao Rujue to be waiting at the riverbank forever? ... We'll hide nearby and watch to make sure nothing happens. Fine.  Young Master Gui! How are you doing? I would like to speak with you regarding the Jade Workshop's Shao Rujue. You mean Jue'er? (You relay Shao Rujue's invitation to Zhou Yi.) Midnight, at the riverbank outside? Ugh, what's the matter again? Little girls are trouble... alright, I get it, thank you very much. Now what? There's plenty of time until sunset, let alone midnight. Let's go grab a bite at Dayan Town.  At the Dayan Town Inn, Qi Xiao'er and Dong Guoqiang are having lunch while complaining about Li Tan. Li Tan has always been known to rob the rich and give to the poor. But he took that diagram instead, I think there's something strange about that. It just doesn't make any sense. I wouldn't be surprised if nobody could figure it out either. My sister is very interested in capturing Li Tan, it's her first time off the mountain on an errand. Although to tell you the truth, Master said that it doesn't matter if we don't catch Li Tan, the important thing is to cultivate the relationship between me and my sister... Cultivate a relationship? Ah, you don't know? Sister and I have long been a couple approved by the sect. This time, the main purpose of leaving the mountain is to make my sister feel good about me, so that we can complete our lifelong mission when we return to the sect.  Ohoho, are you jealous of me? Hahaha! Big brother, stop! Beating up Dong Guoqiang yields a dual-wielding Sword sutra. Evergreen Sword Manual: "The sword technique created by the thirty-eighth generation master of the Dim Shan School is based on the characteristics of the Three Friends of Jiu-Han, which are simple and powerful. Those who practice it first train their minds to be calm, then to learn to think and be clumsy, and then learn to be supple, so that when facing an enemy, even when in a disturbed condition, their hearts are still as if they were bamboo, and they can only look at the strong enemy and think! Clumsy and dedicated, simple as an ancient pine, soft and tough with strength, spirited like the plum blossom."
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Feb 18, 2024 10:53
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Lets go love doctor siwang 
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Feb 19, 2024 17:11
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Update 61: Falling Flowers Yearn for Love Ugh, how did you get so powerful? Mostly by beating up people like yourself and taking their sutras. The Jianghu is indeed full of merciless predators... Fine. I admit my loss. Take it. What are you guys doing here anyway? What else? Chasing that shameless robber Li Tan!  Brother, I think we need to consider our information more carefully. Li Tan is no ordinary thief, he must have chosen to target the Philanthropist's Hall for a reason. I think it must have to do with the former owner, the "Little Mengchang" Su Qingrui. Little sister, I really don't get why you are so certain of Li Tan's character.Lord Mengchang was a aristocrat from the Warring States era, well known for taking in and feeding a huge entourage. "One night, during dinner, one of the guests was upset that he could not see what Lord Mengchang was eating because of bad lighting, believing that the advisers were only eating leftovers. Lord Mengchang then stood up, walked to this person's seat and showed him his bowl. It turned out to be the same food. The guest was so ashamed that he killed himself on the spot." - from wikipedia  That time in Dongchuan, when that shameless foreigner mistook our... our relationship, and got his stuff stolen and blamed it for us, if it hadn't been for Li Tan... Oh no, if he was mistaken about anything, it was that we were keeping it a secret... Ouch! (Hey! Was that Li Tan I saw throw that pebble?) How dare you ambush me! I've been suspecting you since Shu Yuji, tell me, why have you been following us? Are you stalking my martial sister? No no, of course not. Then you are... stalking me? It's no use, I tell you, I'm devoted to my sister, you will never sway me! That's quite enough, brother! Young Master Gui, I see you've come to Dayan Town as well. I heard you mention that Li Tan is planning to attack the Philanthropist's Hall? I thought you just said that Li Tan has always robbed the rich to help the poor? Why would he target the Philanthropist's Hall? Is there some sort of amazing treasure hidden there that anyone would covet? As far as I can tell, he isn't the type to simply snatch something he desires. He would much rather negotiate, and come to terms with the other party, so that they willingly give him what he wants. Perhaps... is he after the map of the Ancient Enlightened King's City? The map of the Ancient Enlightened King's City? Oh brother, don't you even know that much? Are you even a part of the Jianghu? Hey! Maybe's it's his first time down the mountain, like me! It is said that here in Xichuan, there is a ruin of the Ancient Enlightened King's City. His dynasty was wealthy and prosperous, but due to infighting between vassals, it fell to foreign enemies. Legend has it that there is not just gold and silver to be found in the treasury, but also divine weapons that could dominate the Jianghu. Unfortunately, due to the centuries of turmoil after the fall of the dynasty, the location of the city has been lost, let alone the treasury. I see. In short, it sounds like a treasure map. Li Tan has been looking for this map for quite some time, so if he has targeted the Philanthropist's Hall, it must either concern this map, or there is something amiss with how Master Jing took over the Philanthropist's Hall from Su Qingrui. Sister, have you considered that maybe Master Jing is really a righteous man, and that guy Li Tan is just greedy for money? Elder Brother! Tell me about the "Little Mengchang", Su Qingrui. He has long lost the right to be called as such. I have heard that he suffered a great shock and is now delirious, and is now being housed in the Jing Manor, that is to say the Philanthropist's Hall. The circumstances surrounding Master Jing's takeover of the Philanthropist's Hall remain unclear. I can't help but feel that there's something more behind all this. We've tried to ask Su Qingrui himself, but it seems he's gone completely mad. We couldn't get anything out of him. Sister, we should concentrate on catching Li Tan, and forget about Master Jing and Master Su! Brother, if we find out the reason why he's after Master Jing, we can catch Li Tan faster. Ugh. Fine, fine, I'll do as you say.  Everyone knows the immortals are good, but only gold and silver can't forget. At the end of the day, we regret that we don't have much together, and our eyes are closed. Everyone knows the gods are good, but only the spoiled wives can't forget. On your birthday, you say that you are grateful, but when you die, you are gone. What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen anyone else tanning comfortably in the sun? What's the matter, Siwang? Did you like that doggerel? "Like" is probably not the word for it. It's downright ominous, that poetry. Yes, I suppose I see what you mean. Aren't you being just a little bit too suspicious, big brother? Well, there's only one way to find out. Excuse me, old man, would you like to spar? Hahaha!  Esibo is actually of a higher rank than Siwang and is carrying an extraordinary rarity weapon. Hundred Refined Gold Sinking Staff: "Esibo's famous weapon, made of coral gold from overseas, is an unobtrusive looking weapon, but can also break iron like clay. An authentic treasure." Well, that confirmed it. Something's fishy about this Philanthropist's Hall. We could tell that even before you started beating old beggars up! Ohoho. A little exercise is good for old bones, young miss. Don't let me keep you from going in.  Huh? Did I hear my name? Hahahaha! Here we are again! Brother Li Tan! What are you doing here? Greetings, brother! Haha, I am here at the request of an old acquaintance to take care of this... this so-called philanthropist Master Jing. Also, I have heard it said that this good man's house contains a treasure vault, so naturally I want to see if there's anything good in there. Besides, I think I am being watched by some weird black-clad guys, so here in the city it's easier for me to hide and make them lose their trail. As for you, brother, why did you come here? - Treasure trove? Then there really are good things in this house! - I feel that Jing Tairan is quite unusual. I don't think the choice here really matters, so Siwang chooses to be refreshingly honest. I'm following in Brother Li's footsteps! Ha! How clever of you! Well, I could always use some help finding the treasure. Allow me to give you a hint. The key to the treasure of the Philanthropist's Hall is Su Qingrui. I don't think I'll be able to make him open up to me, so you will have to do it. Miss Qi said that you are looking for a map. If I find the treasure before you do, and it's the Ancient King's Map, can I keep it? Oh? The Ancient Enlightened King's City Map? That's out of the question. However, the treasure here came from outside our borders, so I do not believe it will contain the Ancient Enlightened King's City Map. Hmm... even you know about this, that girl Qi Xiao'er is really good at gathering information. Nice. There appears to be a bunch of people in black clothing chasing me for some inexplicable reason, so I'll see you in the treasure vault! See you there! Tch, how insolent... I had to deal with that beggar just now... Huh? Two heroes? Sirs, did you visit our Philanthropist's Hall because you need money, or for meat and wine? Haha, I'm a rooftop jumper, not a guest! If you must, give my share to Brother Siwang here. We'll meet again! Brother Li, wait! Wait, if I don't welcome you properly, I'll get blamed for it! (Maybe I should confirm to Qi Xiao'er that Li Tan really is interested in the Philanthropist's Hall.) This... he... Don't mind him, it's just the way he is. Then in that case, I'll give you his share, like he said. (There are so many strange people these days...) Nice! If I'd known the Philanthropist's Hall was giving out free money, I'd have dropped by sooner. Don't you find it suspicious, dear? Oh, don't get me wrong, just because they've bribed me doesn't mean I'll do their dirty work for them. So... it's okay to be evil to evil people? Stop corrupting your younger sister and let's go buy a drink with that bribe money. How can this Master Jing afford to give away money like this anyway?  Sister, Master's letter is very urgent, there must be a reason he asked me to visit our senior. I think we should put aside the matter of Li Tan and go visit Elder first. But... It seems that I have come at the wrong time, if you two have other matters to attend to. I was just at the Philanthropist's Hall... !!! Sister, I haven't finished speaking yet. I think we should... Gui Siwang, what happened at the Philanthropist's Hall? (What's with this Dongguo guy? He's looking at me like I owe him two million and killed him in a previous life as well.) Well, I met Li Tan at the Philanthropist's Hall and became interested in the story of Su Qingrui. - I would like to invite your sect to investigate, what do you think? - But it seems that you have other things to do, so I won't bother you. Again, this is a fairly inconsequential choice, the first choice will let Qi Xiao'er join the party immediately, so Siwang goes for that. The second choice will leave her in the inn, but still recruitable. I would like to invite your sect to investigate, what do you think? Sister, I think it's better for us to visit our seniors and get to know them, it'll help us in the future, and we will benefit greatly. Brother, I think it's better to catch Li Tan. You can visit our seniors alone. Brother Gui, you said you met Li Tan at the Good Samaritan House? I also think whatever happened to Su Qingrui is highly suspicious. If we can figure out what happened back then, we might be able to understand what Li Tan is planning. Sister... Brother, don't try to stop me, I've made up my mind! Ugh... when have I ever been able to interfere with anything you've decided... Well then, let's split up. (Qi Xiao'er joins the team as Dong Guoqiang leaves helplessly.) Qi Xiao'er is a Quick swordswoman who comes with her own pair of legendary swords and a nice dual-wielding sword sutra. Very good at stabbing people, perhaps less so at surviving due to her low HP. Golden Sword, Butterflies Fluttering Amongst Water Lilies: "Paired short swords made of red steel, exquisitely ornate in appearance, with gold filigree on the blade and dragon's blood crystals on the hilt. The two swords are light and powerful, dazzling in their splendour." Silver Sword, Butterflies Fluttering Amongst Water Lilies: "Paired short swords made of red steel, exquisitely ornate in appearance, with silver filigree on the blade and dragon's eye pearls on the hilt. The two swords are light and powerful, dazzling in their splendour."  Spring River Technique: "The secret of the Spring River is based on the fickle nature of spring and the treacherous nature of the river. It is an extremely dynamic double sword martial art. It is the heritage of the famouus Qi family, and as Qi Xiao'er is the only daughter of the Qi family, she has inherited it." The Silver Swallow attack this sutra teaches does not do quite as much raw damage as the one Siwang took off Dong Guoqiang, but being a 4AP dual-wielding attack that can be improved to 3AP makes it incredibly lethal when combo'd with AP-restoring talents like Strong Wind Sweeps the Leaves.  If you don't mind me saying so, Miss Qi, you don't seem very sad to be parted from Dong Guoqiang. He's been such a wet blanket! It's my first time off the sect mountain and everytime I suggest something fun to do he just says "That wouldn't be wise, Sister", or "Oh no, Sister, think of our sect's reputation". Do you not like him? He mentioned something about being betrothed... That's just something our parents decided on their own! I don't know. He's nice enough, I suppose. Kinda boring, though. Enough about that wintermelon, let's celebrate our new friend! To the marketplace! Anything and everything you want to eat or drink! You mean, like, alcohol? Girl, you've led a sheltered life, haven't you? Ning'er here spent most of her life in a cave and she drinks like a fish. Yay, alcohol! Yay, fish! It's just... the sect elders were very clear about the evils of drinking... Which is exactly why you must face the evil and defeat it. I.. yes, exactly. Wow, when I was a disciple, my master didn't allow me to drink, and then I left the mountain and my senior wouldn't allow me to drink either! I'm going to have to make up for lost time! Ugh... the smell of wine is so strong... I'm dizzy... why are there three wine bottles...? Take them away... I don't like them... I don't like drinking... She passed out after her first cup. Good, more for the rest of us. Stop hogging the preserves and give me some. Maybe I should use a healing technique on her? Better for her to learn that she's a lightweight here. Otherwise, she's likely to get duped and robbed by some unscrupulous man in broad daylight. Why are you all looking at me? Stop trying to act innocent, we've all seen you staring at her swords. I would never rob a party member! I just think they could do with a good sharpening. Well, then, be a dear and take them over to the blacksmith. We can have a nice girl's talk with Miss Qi while you're gone. Don't come back too soon or you'll get your feelings hurt. Could you order us some more food while you're at it? Don't... just one sip before and I fainted. I'm not going to faint again. Put it away, I'm not drinking! Hey, wine preserves! At the sect mountain, we didn't have these sweet and sour treats, I've never had a chance to eat something like this until I left the mountain. I'm back! What did I miss? We were just filling Miss Qi here in on the whole Shao Rujue situation. It's... it's so tragic... If we could command our hearts to love at will, life would be so simpler. I can only hope Zhou Yi does the right thing. Still, it's not all doom and gloom, you know? The Love Doctor has had his fair share of successes. Tell me all about it. I want every single detail. Yeah, well, the food's all gone and the stallkeeper is glaring at us. Let's stop hogging the table, we can spend the afternoon at the He Family Horse Gang. I do hope nothing has happened while I was gone. Wow, people really do eat such a big piece of meat in one go! When my sect brothers returned to the mountain from the outside world, sometimes they would tell me stories of gathering around a campfire at night, drinking wine and eating roast meat. Hmm... this is sort of difficult to eat. I'm... full... Being able to finish this piece of meat is a sign that I'm a grown up member of the Jianghu!  Little Yu, you're back. Brother! You look much better. Thanks to you and young warrior Gui, my health is much recovered. If only I could say the same of our horse gang... What happened? Alas, after our father passed away, there were rumours that the He Family Horse Gang had passed its prime, and we lost many contracts to other horse gangs. Not to mention, after the recent attacks, many of our members have grown fearful of the Ghost Mandrills, and do not think we can even last the year. Ghost Mandrills! Have they popped up again? We have heard they haunt the mountains to the southwest again. Recently, we had to send a team there, and we haven't heard back from them yet. I fear... How dare they! Gui Siwang, let's go! Let's go? Little Yu, stop! Huh, are you afraid of a few mere Ghost Mandrills? Let's go, who's afraid of who, think I'm a vegetarian? Huh, that's more like it, hurry up, let's go!Vegetarians catching random shots to the face. Sorry! In context, I think Siwang is actually saying he's not a Buddhist monk, who are mostly pacifist.  Alas, still the same impulsive temper in her bones. Great warrior, Little Yu has a stubborn nature and is not good with words, but I can see that she trusts you. I may never recover from these injuries, so Little Yu is the future of our He Family Horse Gang. Please take care of her. (Man, you're giving me a lot of baggage...) I'll do my best. These are the goods our horse gang was to escort. Our men must be nearby. There are fresh bloodstains on the ground, they should not be far away. Let's go! Ahh! A panther! No it isn't. It's a leopard. Thank you, Miss Qi, I see you studied your zoology well, up on that mountain of yours. Heehee! Thank you, it was one of my best subjects. Did they also teach you to standby and watch as your comrades get savaged by the local wildlife? It would have been dishonourable to interfere in a one-on-one duel. My teachers would have scolded me. What makes you think leopards participate in the Jianghu!? Stop complaining and help me and Ning'er patch this poor man up.  Little Yu? What are you doing here? Little brother, are you okay? Who attacked you? It was the Ghost Mandrills... they were waiting for us, they ambushed us and blew our caravan apart in a burst of sand and flying rocks. Was it the Ghost Mandrill King? I don't know, I didn't get a good look. Tch. We can worry about the Ghost Mandrill King later, let's look for the other missing people first. The scratches on this horse... this really is the work of the Ghost Mandrills! This isn't looking good... let's keep going! Ah Fat's corpse... there's no mistaking it, it must be the work of the Ghost Mandrills. They must be nearby, quick, let's move! ... drat! Little Yu...? Damnable demons! Come and get it! Kill them all! (This man is badly injured...) Young warrior, leave me alone, go help Little Yu! But your injury... She is the future of our horse gang, we can't let her die here! Alright, brother, take a break here, I'll be right back when I'm done with them. There are 10 Ghost Mandrills, all of which have a very annoying chance to dodge attacks completely and have a teleporting backstab. Qi Xiao'er, being a newcomer, has a comparatively low Qinggong and is hence all the way back in the initiative order.  Siwang actually fails to clear the field on the first turn due to some lucky dodges by the Ghost Mandrills, giving Qi Xiao'er a chance to show off both her lethality and fragility.  None of you dirty bastards are going anywhere! Grahhhh! Bring it on, if you can! Hahaha! Stop! How dare you try to escape! I haven't avenged my father's death yet He Yuqing! Stop it! Siwang! Go after that one! (She's gone completely beserk!) You Ghost Mandrills are really nothing! I'll hack you all until your King comes out! ... Gui Siwang, why are you ignoring me? This big brother here... he's gone. But why...? If we had concentrated on treating his wound, perhaps he might have lived. But he said that you are the future of the He Family Horse Gang, and couldn't afford to die here. Even if it meant his life, we were to protect you. ... Bury your brother well. ... Are you alright? ... Let's go. Just leave me alone for a while. We still have a bit of time before Shao Rujue's midnight meeting. Do we have any business in Dayan Town? Let's go investigate the former owner of the Philanthropist's Hall, Su Qingrui.   The beggar's plate is empty, and so is the warrior's heart. Please the great benefactor, and he might feed you a tart. What's the use of your good looks? You're another shameless eater! ... (This is the Great Benefactor Su that Qi Xiao'er mentioned? He looks far too young to be crazy, let me ask him a few questions) Don't let things get you down, man, your daddy's here to help you out! Ahahaha! So many kind people you meet as a beggar! Hmmm... what should I order this time? (He didn't even ask who I am! Has he really lost his wits?) Then, let's have a pot of wine that will make you dance like a monkey and say "Naturally, this wine is good!" Haha, that's not much of a request! Looking for wine? Easy!This is actually some very clever wordplay involving "果然酒", but unfortunately I lack the skill to translate it properly.  Foolish boy, you know not how high the sky goes nor how far the horizon stretches. You don't even have a lick of common sense, do you think this kind of wine grows on trees? What do you mean? This wine I'm looking for is exceedingly good, because it was never brewed by the hands of men, and so remains natural and untainted, retaining the natural spirit of the world. Does that sound easy to lay your hands on? Hahaha! I see, this is indeed a difficult problem you've given me. Just you wait, I'll get you that wine right away! Well, I don't see any natural wine on this tavern's menu. Does something like that even exist? Don't ask me, I'm hardly an expert on alcohol. Hold on. I can smell something. You mean the sour reek of spilled wine and unwashed bodies? No, it's the smell of a sidequest. Hey, brother, what's wrong? A strong man like you drinking alone here? I'm screwed, I lost an important martial arts sutra, if Master finds out, he's sure to punish me... Oh? What sect are you from? What sutra? I am from the Qingcheng Sect, and I lost the Songfeng Sword Scores. Do we have a copy of that sutra? It sounds familiar... Wind through the Pines? I think I did learn a sword art like that a while ago. Oy, Siwang, go ask the shopkeeper if he knows anything about that wine, while we root through your bag of sutras. Those are my sutras, you can't just give them away! Your sutra, my sutra, do you even know the difference? I'd bet you stole it off him a month ago or something. Why does a random traveler like Siwang have enough sutras to train an entire army? Funny you should say that...  Shopkeeper, do you know if there is a wine, a natural wine never touched by the hands of man, that will naturally make one go, "Good wine!"? Huh? Nature this, nature that, are you conspiring with that beggar outside to make a scene? Go away, we have paying guests to serve.  Good wine! Good wine! (Hmm? How can a beggar drink so well?) What kind of wine is that? What? Burp... monkey wine, you can't buy it outside... it's precious... hiccup... I chased the monkeys all over the mountain, ambushed them for days and days, until I finally caught one with wine... hic... (I see! This "natural" wine was brewed by monkeys rather than men, and so lacks the contamination of mortal intent! But it sounds like this wine is not easy to find.) Monkeys can make wine? It's so cute! Brother, we must go and see! Where can we find these monkeys? The beggar points Siwang towards the mountains southwest of Dayan Town, and Siwang spends a few minutes being cutely flashed by monkey butt as they run away from him.  What a cute monkey, he's carrying a little wine jug with him. Pass me that Thunderbolt Bomb, willya? Wait, noooo! Here's the wine you wanted. Are you sure? Let me smell it... ah, yes! It is written in the ancient texts that benevolence is only natural. Some might think that they were referring to men, but you, wise young man, knew they meant to refer to monkeys. Good wine, good wine! Naturally good wine! (He seems to be in a good mood now, I should ask him about Master Jing and the Philanthropist's Hall now.) Are you satisfied? I have something to ask you. If you have something to ask, first bow three times and do me three favours, do you know how to be polite or not? Don't you have any sincerity in your heart? What? Isn't this Monkey Wine sincere enough? Let me think... you know, isn't it too sad to be drinking wine while squatting at the side of the road? It's been a long time since I've tasted a banquet at the Yue Lai Inn. The last time I sneaked out of the Philanthropist's Hall and had a meal there, they kicked me out! Unbelievable! They said I was scaring their customers. And also, I want to visit the Pretty Dream Pavilion. Get me past that old piece of poo poo at the entrance, that Auntie Cai, who looks at beggars like they aren't human. Go on, arrange everything for me, and maybe I'll think about answering your questions. You...! Where did that madman come from, anyway? Why do we allow him to go crazy in this house? Sister, you are still new here, it's best not to ask too many questions. There are some things you don't need to know. In any case, if Master says he can live here, then he can live here. Why do you say that? This used to be the Su family house, so... What? Then how did it become Master Jing's Philanthropist's Hall? Who would have thought that "Little Mengchang", the charitable benefactor of Dayan Town, would become a raving lunatic! If it hadn't been for Master Jing's kindness, he wouldn't even have a place to live. How did he end up like that? I don't know, but I've heard rumors that he colluded with someone to smuggle salt, and a batch was found here at the house. It was chaotic for a while, Master Su escaped somehow, but I don't know how he got back here.  This gentleman seems interested in what happened back then? I advise you not to wash socks that aren't your own, or you'll end up getting your hands dirty. Not to mention, you'll find yourself with a pair of broken socks. It's your loss. Uhh... thank you for your help. Guess I'm off to the Pretty Dream Pavilion! Get that smile off your face and say that again, but sadder. Guess I'm off... to the Pretty Dream Pavilion... That's better.
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Mar 3, 2024 16:02
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Part 2 of Update 61 as it was slightly over the character limit. It always comes back to this place when we visit Dayan Town. It's the biggest building in the whole town. A pillar of the local economy. Yep, it's full of erect pillars, alright. How wonderful! My sect brothers told me all about places like these, they would visit them as soon as they left the mountain. ... ... ... ... What, exactly, did your sect brothers say? They said they liked to drink while talking to beautiful women. Ah yes, talking. Which is what happens here. Just talking. And using one's mouth mmphghh mmmmmh! That's quite enough, Madam Yan. Your mountain sounds like a terribly boring place. It was, wasn't it? Young Master Gui. I haven't seen you in a while. Uh... I'm looking for a girl... You're a young man, it's natural. I've already told you, if you need it, I'll ask Auntie Cai to arrange something for you, as a way of thanking you for your help to the Pretty Dream Pavilion. It's not for me, it's for a friend, Brother Su. Su...? Oh no, what is he thinking, how could he...? There is a friend of mine who is looking for a girl, so I'm here to arrange things. Who is this friend of yours? What a bigshot, can't he come here himself? Just get me your most popular and beautiful girl. Don't worry, all our girls here are top quality. But you know the rules of this place, the better the girl, the less likely she is to meet with a client... and even less likely to accept him! So tell me a little bit more about this friend of yours. Uhhh... he is the number one wonder man of this Dayan Town, with the character of a famous scholar, and an extraordinary appearance. (Su Qingrui is a weird, crazy man, and his mummy look is so weird, I'm not lying!) Ohoho! Very good! But we still need a meeting gift. 1200 Wen, only cash, no credit. I'll round it down to 1000 Wen just for you. There are many things in this world more valuable than money! No money? Then pay with your body! Stay back! Tch, you young men can't take a joke. Miss Xiangdie has told me you are a benefactor to the Pretty Dream Pavilion, so I should fulfill any reasonable request you have. Look at you, you're so frightened... bring your friend over whenever you want, and don't let him annoy our girls, alright? If Siwang does pay the 1000 Wen, Auntie Cai will at least give him a green-quality hidden weapon in recompense. By the way, there's one thing I haven't thanked you for. Li Hua didn't have many sisters she could talk to, so as thanks for finding her murderer, I would like you to take her bone-piercing nail weapon as a gift. It's getting dark, we should head over to Shu Yuji and check in on Shao Rujue and Zhou Yi. You sound pretty invested for someone who wasn't there. Look, the whole reason I left the mountain was to experience drama and romance, okay? And now I find out that I've almost missed it? I dunno, maybe we should just leave them alone. Don't you have a shred of romance in your body, Miss He? No? You're outvoted four-to-one. The Love Doctor finishes what he starts, even if he can't see a happy outcome. Hey, don't just go and vote for me like that. You spent your entire childhood sick in a room reading books. There's no way you would want to miss something like this. ...hmmph.  There's still a little bit more time so Siwang checks in on the orphaned Mo Heizi, whose sister abandoned him earlier. (Oh no, that look in his eyes, is he hungry again?) *stomach growling* Sorry... sorry, it's my stomach again... (This won't do, surely there must be a family here in Shu Yuji willing to adopt him, or at least care for him? He's lost weight, even if he's not starving yet.)Through the magic of horse-riding, Siwang brings Mo Heizi to the White Horse residence, where the adults agree to take him in.  Midnight is taking forever to come. Eventually, Siwang gets bored of waiting, and takes a nap, which triggers the second stage of He Yuqing's friendship quest. Siwang, are you free? Sure, what's up? I want to go back to Dayan Town and offer some incense at my father's grave. Would you come with me? Of course, let's go. Finally, the prophesied moment. Deputy Gang Master... no, Brother Yi... Jue'er, please, don't. I thought you and Little Heng... No! I would never! I... the one I love has always been you! It's been so many years since Little Heng's mother passed away. I have never thought about such matters since then... I don't care! I just want to be by your side, that's all... Jue'er, stop it. I've never thought of you as... No, don't say it! Stop it! Don't make it so clear! Ah, young warrior. Have you been there all this while? Please don't misunderstand me. I treat Jue'er like a daughter. I don't think she really meant what she said, either. Please, for the sake of her family's reputation, keep this a secret. Alas, the falling flowers yearn for love, but the heartless brook ripples on... As a final palette cleanser, have a shot of Mo Heizi running off to his new home the next morning at the White Horse Residence. Life isn't all teenage crushes and murderous assassins here in wuxia China. Siwang now has a hard choice ahead: should he give back the Songfeng Sword Scores to the poor Qingcheng disciple getting drunk off his rear end? A - Yes, it does belong to him after all. B - No, it's his own fault for "dropping" it. sandorius fucked around with this message at 16:06 on Mar 3, 2024 |
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Mar 3, 2024 16:02
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Our protagonist uses a Nokia, not a sword, he can part with it, better yet he could make a copy, really fast, on the back of some pharmacy receipt, but I don't think that's an option. But also the other guy dropped it, ehh, B for  .
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Mar 3, 2024 23:17
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Yeah do we even use that thing? Anyway B finders keepers
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Mar 4, 2024 00:10
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He dropped it at the Gongshi Village Inn, Siwang picked it up all the way back in Update 6, and has already mastered it because he doesn't have anything better to do. It's a fairly standard manual with +12 Sword and two techniques, one 3AP/150dmg and the other 4AP/250dmg with dizziness attached.
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Mar 4, 2024 03:12
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If it's already mastered then I'll switch my vote to A, no point to not letting be shared around now.
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Mar 4, 2024 03:21
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A, because I want to make Siwang explain his rampant sutra kleptomania to some random guy
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Mar 4, 2024 03:52
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A
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Mar 7, 2024 05:46
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This is going to be a very short update because I've been busy helping to plan a family vacation overseas (and the Steam sale did not help). I thought I'd just drop what I have before I leave. Sorry! Update 62: The Mad Beggar How sad! Poor Jue'er. That wasn't quite what I was expecting, to be honest. Yes, things never quite work out like they do in romance novels. Let's call it a day and give Zhou Xingheng the bad news tomorrow morning.  What? I misunderstood? How is that possible? Could I really have read too much into her actions? Ugh, why am I telling you this... drat, forget it, at least this way we know what she's thinking. Let's just leave it at that... Whoever it is, whoever her lover is.. I have to do something. I can't live without her! Uh... about Brother Zhou... Please don't say anything. I get it. But, thank you for your help. This Qingfeng Sword is a rare treasure May it help you in your travels. But I will not give up!The Qingfeng Sword is a green-quality weapon, sort of usable in the early game but vendor trash now. Looks like she has poor taste in swords, just like she has poor taste in men. Big brother! How can you say that? What? I waited until we were out of earshot, didn't I? At least she gave us something, unlike Zhou Xingheng. You should learn to appreciate gifts more. This weapon might be older, and sheathed for many years, but it could be put to good use in the right place. A younger user would probably be able to thrust more effectively. I've heard that enthusiasm isn't everything. Wild swinging doesn't work if you don't pay proper attention. Okay, get all the dick jokes out of your system before we reach Dayan Town. We've got a grave to visit. Thanks for remembering, Siwang.  In a nice touch, Mu Kui's grave has been added to the Dayan Town cemetery. Mu Kui... you were really a madman. ... ... (She hasn't said anything for half an hour, should I speak up? I don't want to set her off again.) Hey. Gui Siwang. (Why does she look so serious? Is she going to pull her blade on me?) Let's cross blades. She really did! What? Are you afraid? No, but... why all of a sudden? Just think of it as me messing around one last time. Defend yourself! Haah... whew... What the hell? Suddenly fighting in the cemetery! Sorry for troubling you. (Huh? Is she actually apologizing?) You're not sick, are you? What's wrong? Do you want to get chopped again? No, no, no. I surrender, just put the blade away. Haha! Just kidding! (What the hell is wrong with her? It's like she's a different person.) Father, I have disappointed you. (For example, by fighting people in a sacred cemetery.) You entrusted the He Family Horse Gang to me, but I was overwhelmed by hatred, and caused Brother Wo's death. This grudge will be avenged. I promise you. But I will no longer be controlled by hatred, and the horse gang will be foremost in my thoughts from now on. Gui Siwang. I've brought you a lot of trouble these past few days. Why do you sound like you're saying goodbye? Aren't you always saying you want to go home? We'll have to part sooner or later, it's just a matter of time. Think of it as a last farewell from the reckless girl who was just a member of the He Family Horse Gang. What are you talking about? It doesn't matter if you don't get it. Okay, now it feels like you're looking down on me. It's annoying. Take it easy. I'll be with you until you leave for home. He Yuqing was silent for a long while as she gazed at the horizon. In her heart, she made a wish. But she would never voice it for the rest of her life. Alright, that's the gravecleaning done for the day. Let's go get lunch. Let's arrange Su Qingrui's banquet too while we're at the inn.  Twelve hundred Wen? Are you kidding me? You son of a bandit! Father of robbers! Calm down, big brother. Don't you feel sorry for poor Su Qingrui? I could feed all five of us for a quarter of the price! Yeah, but maybe he has refined tastes, unlike us. Hey! What? Look at this guy you're traveling with. Erk. Ah, he must have begged outside the door many times, hungering for the food he could smell within... Oh, alright. I'll pay for the banquet. He had better appreciate it.  Doesn't the Philanthropist's Hall feed him, though? Since they give him shelter and all... Who knows? Maybe the servants are taking it for themselves. The merchant in charge, and his wife, seemed nice enough when I met them. When did that happen? A while ago, they paid me like a thousand Wen to kill a tiger. Actually I was just defending myself, I hadn't realized there was a bounty. You jumped into a tiger den. All of us were screaming "Watch out! Tigers!" I thought one of the dead hunters might have a sutra on him.  Welcome to Dayan Town. This is the liveliest town within a hundred mile radius, I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy here.  You look dusty, surely you must be tired after your travels? (So warm and gentle, she must be a great wife.) How about it, has the banquet been arranged? Don't forget, I want a good meal at the Yuelai Inn, and then to spend the night at the Pretty Dream Pavilion. The meal has been arranged, but Auntie Cai, the gatekeeper, said that she couldn't force her girls to meet with you. Hahaha! They will only see you if they think you are the right customer for them? It's only because I'm crazy and poor! Back then, no one dared to say that to me! Who cares! Look around you, no one remembers the "Little Mengchang" Su Qingrui. Do you know what they see? Madman Su! Beggar Su! ...shut up and take me to Yuelai Inn. Let me eat and drink my fill. The poor innkeeper is distressed to find out that the banquet is for a beggar, but Su Qingrui doesn't care and gobbles everything up.  The pair enter the Pretty Dream Pavilion after the meal, and both Auntie Cai and Siwang are greatly surprised. A... a beggar! What? Miss Xiangdie herself received you? What on earth is this madman capable of? I... I just wanted to see you... no meaning in particular... You made me so angry in the past, I thought I would gloat a little by drinking with you today, now that the Su House has fallen. Oh, have I offended you? The mad beggar Su? ... Oh, look at you... come on in, don't just stand at the door. Back then, when you told me you suspected someone was backing Jing Tairan, I did a little investigation of my own. Tell me, have you heard of the NoMercy House? That was not quite the drama I was expecting, but fine entertainment nonetheless. Who was that lady? Do they know each other? She runs the Pretty Dream Pavilion. Paid me a thousand Wen for stuff I can't talk about. Doubtlessly the money went right back to the Pretty Dream Pavilion. Hey, money is for spending, right? And Duan Siping eats like a pig. Big brother, please don't slander General Duan just because he won't travel with us anymore.
sandorius fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Apr 15, 2024 |
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Mar 20, 2024 11:28
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Update 63: The Mad Beggar II Brother Su, you've had your fill of meat and drink, and even visited a brothel. If you don't speak up, then aren't I the crazy one here? What, are you embarrassed? Just spit it out or I'm going to turn around and leave! Tch. It's not convenient to talk here, come to my room quietly later tonight. Remember, only after the sun goes down! Well, that leaves us with the whole day ahead of us. What should we do? Take a nap at the inn? Ugh. I left our sect mountain to see the world, not to stare at the ceiling. Come on, big brother, you can't be so slothful all the time! You're an Island Master now! Island Master? Oh yeah, so we started this small village a while ago... Let's go see how they're doing!  Uhh... the cabbages are very nice, I guess. Look at how big and round and free they are! Free? The farmers give us a whole bunch everytime we come back. We haven't had to buy food for a while now. Yeah, well, I for one think it's possible to have too much cabbage in your diet. Blasphemy! Someone throw this woman off my island! Ah! It's Sister Ning! Sister Ning, are you back to catch the demon! Demon? What demon? Haven't you heard about the demons on our island? Yes, Island Master, please help! Don't worry, what kind of demon is causing trouble on the island? The demon took Uncle Chen Yue's buffalo, ate Aunt Ruilien's cooking, and chewed up our fence! (What a fierce demon! An entire buffalo? That doesn't seem like something a typical demon would do.) Don't worry, Brother Siwang will help everyone catch the demon, alright? Uhh... that... that's for sure! I'm not afraid of any monsters! That's my big brother! Don't worry, Xiaotian, there's nothing in the world that big brother can't beat! (Oh dear, why did Ning'er have to put it so strongly? Looks like I'll have to do my best.) I'm counting on you, big brother Island Master! Uncle An, do you know anything about the demon? Oh? You mean the demon that took Chen An's buffalo? Well, I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I remember the scream. Yes, I was woken up in the middle of the night by that horrible scream. I've never heard such noise before, I swear the whole island was shaking! Grwahh! It sounded a bit like this white tiger here, actually. Are you sure it wasn't him? Snowy's been with me all this while! He wouldn't do something like that in the first place! Hooo... I'm so sorry my daughter Xiaotian made such a request of you. This demon is really scary, please don't force yourself to investigate. Big brother is very powerful! He isn't afraid of any demon! Err... yeah. Auntie Ruilian! I heard the demon stole your cooking? Ah, you're well-informed, just like your nose. Wow! What are you cooking today? Hooo...? Oh, thank you for reminding me, Snowy. Auntie Ruilian, can you tell me about the demon? Well, I didn't see it myself, but it basically ate all the meat I had set out to brine. Hooo! That's Snowy's favorite snack! Unforgivable! Have you three heard about the demon haunting the island lately? D... de... demons!? Of course we've heard of it. Aren't you going to catch it? Ehhhh?? (It's sort of funny to see the three of them so scared. I guess I should cut them some slack.) Come on, Ning'er, these three brothers have to protect everyone from bandits, let's not bother them with demon-catching on top of their duties. Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't think of that! I can cut down bandits, but what can I do against a demon? I've heard that demons are afraid of urine. Maybe we can use that? You idiot, are you a child? (I'm not going to get anything useful out of these three.) Uncle Chen Yue, I heard that a demon took your buffalo! Yes, I saw it with my own eyes! What did it look like? Well... it was the middle of the night, so I couldn't really make things out. The black demon jumped on my buffalo and took it away before I could get a good look at it. So fast! Yes, it ran off in a whoosh and was nowhere to be seen. My bull just disappeared. I feel sorry for the buffalo. Don't worry, big brother will find the demon soon. Well, it sure sounds like this demon is nocturnal. Which means if we want to catch it, we'll have to stand up Su Qingrui. It does seem a little rude, but then again, he didn't invite us to join in his little feast, did he? Oh! We can have our own feast for dinner, after we show Miss Qi around! You should meet our poison toad. It's good for a laugh if you're really bored.  Did you catch the demon already? Uhh... not yet. Aren't you supposed to be very powerful? Give him some time, Xiaotian, big brother will do it. Do your best, big brother Island Master! Do your best! (Ugh... so much pressure.)  Roar! What a beautiful black tiger! This must be the black demon the islanders are talking about! Rawr! Hoo! Huh? Snowy, what are you doing? Grrr! Stop it, Snowy! How can you be so rude to big brother? Hoo! Excuse me? A little help here? I, uh... this is clearly a family quarrel, I don't think I should interfere. Besides, we're all edged weapon users, Snowy might get injured if we join in. Snowy? What about me? Arrrgh! Grrr! Stop it, Snowy! Bad cat! Bad!  Ugh, this black tiger is quite fierce as well. Take this! Big brother, wait! This black tiger has a lot of wounds on it. Someone must have stabbed it on purpose! How outrageous! (On purpose? Someone must have brought it here and released it, this is an island, and tigers don't fly.) Big brother, can you cure this black tiger? He must have been injured and hungry, and had no resort but to steal food from the islanders. Of course, leave it to big brother. By the way, it's a her, not a him. Ohhh. Snowy, you cad! That's the Love Doctor for you. Well, it's not quite the romance I had in mind when I left the sect mountain, but it'll do.  Hoo hoo! Hoho! Great! The black tiger is recovering nicely. Thank you, big brother. (Wow, I'm even helping tigers to tie the knot, my matchmaking skills are getting better and better.) I'm so jealous that Snowy has found such a good partner. Don't worry, Ning'er, you are so nice, you will definitely find a suitable partner in the future. ... maybe I already have. Huh? Who is it? I'm not going to hand over Ning'er so easily! I'm not telling! Hey wait! Come on, tell your big brother! You... don't mind? With my condition? I'm just glad he'll have someone to look after him. That is, until he goes back home and breaks her heart. Excuse me, what's going on? I feel like I've walked in on the last act of a play. Yes, well, let me fill you in on the way back to Dayan Town.  Back in Dayan Town, Siwang spots the poor Qingcheng disciple who lost the Songfeng Sword Scores, and takes pity on him. Lucky for you, I have a copy. Here, take it. Ah! Thank you so much! I'm so relieved to have found it again. Unfortunately, I've run out of money, so I can't pay you for it. My name is Hao Chuxin, if you are free afterwards, you can find me in Qingcheng Sect and I will repay you! Maybe I'll see you there. Take good care of the sutra, don't lose it again. That was a kind and righteous deed, Young Master Gui. Yes, it was. I'm astonished, Siwang. Big brother has a good heart deep down! Haha! Thank you, thank you. Come on, Yushu, praise me more. I would, but I'm fairly sure you did that to butter up Sect Master Ling. Haven't you been asking him for the secret of his Jade Meridian sutra? Ahaha... what a nasty, suspicious mind you have, my dear. I learned it from you.  Back in the Philanthropist's Hall, Jing Tairan is enjoying the night air with his wife, Dong Chunlian, who is busy feeding him grapes. Young Master, I have some important matters to discuss at night, so it's really inconvenient for me to entertain outsiders. Please leave. Su Qingrui is waiting anxiously in his room. You're here! I have been waiting for you for some time. You have indulged my requests far beyond reason. Well, what do you really want? Let me be straightforward then. I have heard there is a collection of treasure from far off lands here, and I am very interested. I have no idea what really happened to you back then, but since you are still here and acting crazy... there must be something you want too. Let's make an exchange. You tell me where the treasure is, and I'll help you fulfll your wish. What I want is Jing Tairan's life! I've been lurking in this house, observing the ungrateful Jing Tairan day after day, but I've never had a chance to approach and kill him. There are some powerful men in black out there guarding him. If you want the treasure... kill him for me! Okay, deal. Why don't you just tell me where the treasure is, and I'll kill Jing Tairan on my way to find it? No, wait. I should find the treasure first before helping you take revenge. Otherwise, if you trick me, I'll have to kill you too afterwards. You only dare to say that to me because I'm an invalid now. Ah, the fallen tiger is being bullied by a dog! All right, I agree. These so-called treasures are now placed in my family treasury. There's no point in keeping them there when I can give them to someone who can avenge my death. (So he really does have a treasure trove here, what an unexpected bonus.) Su Qingrui then gives Siwang a key, a vase and directions to the treasury lock, which is hidden behind a painting. Naturally, it fails to work.  In order to unlock the treasury, four vases must be placed onto these four tables. Of course, when Jing Tairan took over the Philanthropist's Hall, he fired nearly all the servants without pay, and sold off a lot of furniture. It seems three of the servants took a vase with them in lieu of salary.  Siwang has to interrogate the old housekeeper as to their current location. Excuse me, I would like to ask you about certain vases the house used to have... What? Why are you asking me? It's not me that's asking, it's my fist. Arrgh! Ask away! One of the vases was taken by a maid, Rei'er, who is having some trouble with rats. Another of the vases was bought by Fan Xiangdie. Presumably this is the one Su Qingrui gave to Siwang, and is the reason Su Qingrui asked to visit the Pretty Dream Pavilion.  The third vase was taken by Aunt Hui, who is working at the local clothing shop now.  And the last is actually being held by the housekeeper himself. To tell you the truth, when I saw how beautiful the vases were, I kept one for myself. Each one must be worth at least 5000 Wen. I don't know what you want with them, but if you want it, you can buy it. 5000 Wen! Do I look like I have that much money? You do have that much money. Big brother is actually really rich! Even though he dresses like that. Say no more, miss. I know the type. I'll bet he even makes you buy your own breakfast. He does! He even ate my tofu pudding the other day! Well, if you don't want to pay up, there's another thing you can do for me.  You see, I happen to need something in a hurry. The thing is, I have a friend who is not well lately and needs a tiger penis and five snake gall bladders to drink to strengthen his body. Get me those things, and I'll exchange the vase for them. Uhh... by "friend", you mean yourself, right? What nonsense! I don't have a problem with that! "That"? Oh, so you don't want the vase after all, do you? Anyway, one tiger whip, five snake gall bladders, and a jug of wine! And stop babbling nonsense, are you looking for death? Okay, okay, don't worry. I'll get those things right away, hahaha. I wish you... err, I mean your friend... a speedy recovery! See, I told you the tiger whip would come in useful. I concede the point, but what about the other thirteen in our bags? There are more "friends" in the Jianghu than you might think. Do those things actually work? Who knows? The point is, people think they do.  Excuse me, I heard you have a rat problem. I hate rats! I can hit them hard enough that they can only take seven steps before exploding. I don't hate them quite that much. Can I have Su Qingrui's old vase in return for killing those rats? Alright, if the old master wants it back. No explosions!  A little bit of rat extermination later and Siwang has the third vase in hand.  Unfortunately, the last vase isn't quite as easy to get a hold of. The vase? Did Jing Tairan send you? Go back and tell them I am working here honestly and will never say a word to anyone about what happened back then. Please leave, I have work to do. I won't see you out! Hold on, perhaps I was a bit rash. I overheard Auntie Hui talking about the eldest daughter of the Flowing Cloud Chamber, could it be that something has happened? Pssh! You are the one in trouble, young lady is a good girl! Auntie Hui, I see you have a sad look on your face. Why not just tell me what's on your mind? ... The young lady has been spending a lot of time outside after dinner, and I hear our neighbours gossiping. A girl's reputation is important, I'm really worried about her. I practically brought the girl up... If you see her around here at night, please warn her and ask her to come back early. Tell her Auntie Hui is worried. How can you say something like that, Juncai? It's so sad... Darling, can't you see it from my point of view? We can't keep sneaking out like this. Why not just talk to your father? It's not that I don't want to, but.... I can't. He has so much on his mind these days, running the Flowing Cloud Chamber. (Something must be going on here to make her not come home at night. Let me hide and observe matters first.) Darling, as a man, having to slink around to meet my beloved... how can I not feel ashamed? My mother is not well, and anxious to hold her grandson, so she has already found a marriage partner for me. I would like to tell her the truth, but it's hard for me to do so when you yourself are so reluctant. Ooh... don't... you say that to me every night, I really feel bad... Just... just think it over, will you? Wow! A real lover's quarrel! Just like in the books! I dunno, he seemed a little pushy for me. He's stormed off. Poor man, being forced into an arranged marriage... Time for the Love Doctor to make his entrance!  Arrgh! Who are you? What do you want? Please don't be alarmed, Miss, I don't mean any harm. It's just that Auntie Hui... Hmmph! Auntie Hui again? Who does she think she is, always bossing me around. I'm quite upset right now, so tell her to leave me alone, okay? Don't you think Auntie Hui would be sad to hear you say that? Would you rather hear her say, "I don't care, don't bother me, do what you want"? (This young lady is so enchanted by her lover that she can't say no to him. I don't think he's a good man, let's follow him and see what he's really like.) Go home and sulk if you want. Don't wander around here, it's dangerous at night! That was a mean thing for her to say about Auntie Hui. Well, would you look at that. Another girl waiting for her lover on the riverbank. I can't believe it! It's outrageous! As a Dayan Town native, I feel ashamed of our local girls. Oh, come on, Miss He, don't you think it's romantic? Meeting a man at night? Nope. They're idiots. For being tricked by a charming rascal into getting their shoes muddy? ... What? Don't look at me like that, I'm not tricking anyone. You're all enjoying this, even. Haha. Very funny, now shut up or they'll hear us.  Good girl, how long have you been waiting? The breeze here is so cold that it hurts. All the more reason to get to the point. Well, has that woman agreed to be with you? She says her family are too worried about the Flowing Cloud Chamber for her to bring it up. Give me a little more time. As soon as I inherit the business, I will divorce her and bring you in. Tch. You can't even get her to sign a marriage contract after all this time? Have you really fallen for her? I'm telling you, you won't touch me again until after we get her property. Don't be like that, my dear Tongfen. Darling, dear baby, don't be angry over that woman. It's not worth it... here, give me a hug, eh? Wait... someone's listening! Who's there! Ugh... have I been found out so quickly? Well then, I may as well go out and confront this couple. What a vicious pair! So it's a conspiracy to covet the property of the Flowing Cloud Chamber! ... Abhorrent. Where did you come from? Wow, could it be that Miss Ba fakes a noble appearance, but in fact has many adulterous lovers? You son of a bitch, watch your mouth! Cut the crap, you're asking for a fist to the face! Come and get it! No! Don't hurt him! Huh? Miss Ba, take a good look at the situation. What do you mean? You knocked him unconscious, you... you lawless brute! Miss Ba, you're mistaken, I'm trying to help you! These two have been plotting to take over your family's Flowing Cloud Chamber. Are you going to pretend you are deaf and failed to hear their schemes? And blind too, to ignore their private meeting here? Step aside, Miss Ba. Let me bring these two to the authorities, and see if they still dare to cheat people. What? It was all planned by this heartless guy, I have nothing to do with his scheme! I was being used by him too! Shut up! Miss, please, I'm just a lowly insect, not even worthy to lick your shoes. If you let me go, someday, I'll definitely repay you for your kindness! Owww... Tongfen... help me... You... you bastard! Auntie Hui was right, I should have listened to her. I regret ever meeting you! (Wow, what a dramatic exit. No matter, now that the interested party has left, it's up to me to deal with these two scammers.)Please vote: A - Hand over all your money if you want to live! B - Swear that you'll never bother Miss Ba again, and I'll let you go! sandorius fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Apr 16, 2024 |
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Apr 15, 2024 17:37
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Where the gently caress is "I am executing both of you on the spot" option. Or at least "I am turning you over to the authorities"
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Apr 15, 2024 21:32
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Do a B.
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Apr 15, 2024 22:19
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Regallion posted:Where the gently caress is "I am executing both of you on the spot" option. The evidence is very limited, also B because our boy is rich enough.
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Apr 16, 2024 00:17
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Yay this is back! I do feel like taking all their money even if we don't need it to be a dick but I guess Ning'er is around so we shouldn't stoop to their level B it is
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Apr 18, 2024 19:25
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Let's move this to the next page.
sandorius fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Apr 19, 2024 |
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Apr 19, 2024 17:03
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