The Rain Curtain (A Wuxia/Xuanhuan Bandit Quest)
Stealing Breakfast from Tigers (Part 2)
- Location
- boundless optimism
"You're actually friends with that thing, are you?" It makes sense. If he was just hanging around it like a remora around a shark, he'd up and run at the first sign of trouble. The kind of bandit would up sticks and run to the end of the winds once some bigger shark showed up to challenge their boss. "Ha," she breathed when she saw the man's face tense into the beginning of a scowl. "I knew it."
"So?"
"So," Yongming said, "I will kill her. I will skin her and make it a cloak. I will use her flesh to make tiger soup and shit it out. What do you think about tha-"
Earth and sky inverted. He was a fast bugger. When did he kick her in the nose? Bark splintered, but the tree at least broke her flight. Then he was standing above her, stomping down at her. Strong too. Her hands shook when Yongming caught his foot, trapping it in an iron grip even as he bore down on her collarbone with the force of a screw-press.
He won. His foot hit like the hammers Master used to toughen her up. Even denuded of its momentum, something cracked and she coughed up blood. Her hands wrapped around his ankle before he could rip it away, and took him to the ground with her. Dirt stuck to her face as she slammed the bandit (?) into the mud with her. No place to run now, she grinned, rearing up like a viper about to bite, the raised axe the fangs.
He was a slippery bastard too. Her axe bit nothing but dirt again, and suddenly she was flying through the air again. The teak skinned man was swinging her by his own leg, smashing her through trees and into the ground again and again, each impact rattling her bones. Well, joke's on him.
There was a crack in the silence of the forest.
She can break bones. They fell to the ground once more, the man screaming in pain as Yongming rose above his curled up body, dusting herself off and made her way to the cave. Something grasped her heel. Of course it was the bandit, bleeding from the nose and the leg. It was a nasty break. There was a sliver of bone outside the flesh. "You can't-" he mumbled through the pain, "won't-"
There was no strength left in his grip. He couldn't even hold on to her heel as she stepped out of his reach, crawling slowly after her as she ducked into the dark cave. She felt a little guilty. Except she shouldn't, Yongming consoled herself. His friend is going to eat her's. They had a fair fight over it, so he shouldn't complain. After all, she did the same to dozens of punks and small time thieves, so why was she overthinking this? Maybe it was the tiger soup. That was a bit too much. Eugh. What would a tiger demon taste like, anyway?
Still..
[]- Be a bit guilty.
[]- Don't be.
The cave is lit by intermittent torches that fill the air with smoke and slopes downwards gently. It's narrow, and if Yongming stretches out her arms her fingers would brush against the cavern walls, wet with condensation that dripped off of stalactites that echo through the cave. Cave. Cavern? What's the distinction?
The path eventually opened into a circular chamber with a fire pit dug in the middle, rimmed with stalagmites and stalactites. Tied to one was Jing Chenbiao, bleeding from a gash on his forehead, ruby red in the firelight. At the opposite end was a wild woman in every sense of the word, curled over pots and pans and a gigantic meat cleaver embedded in a wooden stump. Even seated and hunched, she had to be an armspan taller than Yongming, who herself towered over most of the imperial consorts and maidservants. Her hair was stringy and matted, and her muscles stood out like knotted ropes under her skin.
"Hey, tiger!" Yongming roared as she walked in, rasping her axe on stone. "You want some meat? I got some meat."
She whipped her head around, and when she stood, her head brushed the roof of the cave. It was strange and off kilter. Her face was like a painting of a celestial fairy brought to life with a fanged maw like one of Tianzhu's fanged rakshasas and tiger's eyes.
Yongming felt a little bit out her depth.
"Do you?" the tigress growled, sniffing around. "Mutton? Venison? Anyway, I don't need meat. I'm making stew from this stringy thing. I wanted to fry him, but there's no oil. Either way, I need herbs, not more meat."
She's dumb. "I'm here to kill you," Yongming elaborated, "and to take the 'stringy thing' back with me."
The demoness scratched her stringy hair. "Are you a demon? I smell forge fire and ash from you. A forge-spirit? Do you eat humans? I can share, sister, if you want."
"I'm not going to eat him," Yongming bit out through clenched teeth.
"Then why do you want him, then, sister? Are bones firewood? Oooh! That sounds like an idea. Have you ever tried that?"
Yongming blinked. There were certain ritual impurities that most human bodies, especially those shoved into an oven, would impart onto a blade forged in that way. For instance, being haunted by the unlucky sod, but a haunted blade would be in itself quite a thing. Mostly for the reputation it would bring. But perhaps burning the treasured blade of someone on a funeral pyre would- hold on, what the hell was she thinking about?
The axe glinted in the firelight as she pointed it at the tigress, who was doing her own thinking. "Hold on," the demon muttered to herself, "Ge Niao was at the cave, so how did she come in? Hey!" Yongming tensed. This was it. This was the moment when the tigress wised up and shucked her human shape to spring for her throat as a tiger.
"Do you know Ge Niao?"
Yongming almost hit her face with her palm. "No," she further explained, "I'm here for Jing Chenbiao, the skinny-"
"But you just said you're not here to eat-"
"Shut it. I'm not here because I want to eat him, I'm here because he is a friend."
The tigress just looked confused. "I could be a friend. A better one than some human. Is that why you're here?"
[]- Just fight: This has been a strange and surreal experience and Yongming'd like it to be over now, thanks.
[]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
"So?"
"So," Yongming said, "I will kill her. I will skin her and make it a cloak. I will use her flesh to make tiger soup and shit it out. What do you think about tha-"
Earth and sky inverted. He was a fast bugger. When did he kick her in the nose? Bark splintered, but the tree at least broke her flight. Then he was standing above her, stomping down at her. Strong too. Her hands shook when Yongming caught his foot, trapping it in an iron grip even as he bore down on her collarbone with the force of a screw-press.
He won. His foot hit like the hammers Master used to toughen her up. Even denuded of its momentum, something cracked and she coughed up blood. Her hands wrapped around his ankle before he could rip it away, and took him to the ground with her. Dirt stuck to her face as she slammed the bandit (?) into the mud with her. No place to run now, she grinned, rearing up like a viper about to bite, the raised axe the fangs.
He was a slippery bastard too. Her axe bit nothing but dirt again, and suddenly she was flying through the air again. The teak skinned man was swinging her by his own leg, smashing her through trees and into the ground again and again, each impact rattling her bones. Well, joke's on him.
There was a crack in the silence of the forest.
She can break bones. They fell to the ground once more, the man screaming in pain as Yongming rose above his curled up body, dusting herself off and made her way to the cave. Something grasped her heel. Of course it was the bandit, bleeding from the nose and the leg. It was a nasty break. There was a sliver of bone outside the flesh. "You can't-" he mumbled through the pain, "won't-"
There was no strength left in his grip. He couldn't even hold on to her heel as she stepped out of his reach, crawling slowly after her as she ducked into the dark cave. She felt a little guilty. Except she shouldn't, Yongming consoled herself. His friend is going to eat her's. They had a fair fight over it, so he shouldn't complain. After all, she did the same to dozens of punks and small time thieves, so why was she overthinking this? Maybe it was the tiger soup. That was a bit too much. Eugh. What would a tiger demon taste like, anyway?
Still..
[]- Be a bit guilty.
[]- Don't be.
The cave is lit by intermittent torches that fill the air with smoke and slopes downwards gently. It's narrow, and if Yongming stretches out her arms her fingers would brush against the cavern walls, wet with condensation that dripped off of stalactites that echo through the cave. Cave. Cavern? What's the distinction?
The path eventually opened into a circular chamber with a fire pit dug in the middle, rimmed with stalagmites and stalactites. Tied to one was Jing Chenbiao, bleeding from a gash on his forehead, ruby red in the firelight. At the opposite end was a wild woman in every sense of the word, curled over pots and pans and a gigantic meat cleaver embedded in a wooden stump. Even seated and hunched, she had to be an armspan taller than Yongming, who herself towered over most of the imperial consorts and maidservants. Her hair was stringy and matted, and her muscles stood out like knotted ropes under her skin.
"Hey, tiger!" Yongming roared as she walked in, rasping her axe on stone. "You want some meat? I got some meat."
She whipped her head around, and when she stood, her head brushed the roof of the cave. It was strange and off kilter. Her face was like a painting of a celestial fairy brought to life with a fanged maw like one of Tianzhu's fanged rakshasas and tiger's eyes.
Yongming felt a little bit out her depth.
"Do you?" the tigress growled, sniffing around. "Mutton? Venison? Anyway, I don't need meat. I'm making stew from this stringy thing. I wanted to fry him, but there's no oil. Either way, I need herbs, not more meat."
She's dumb. "I'm here to kill you," Yongming elaborated, "and to take the 'stringy thing' back with me."
The demoness scratched her stringy hair. "Are you a demon? I smell forge fire and ash from you. A forge-spirit? Do you eat humans? I can share, sister, if you want."
"I'm not going to eat him," Yongming bit out through clenched teeth.
"Then why do you want him, then, sister? Are bones firewood? Oooh! That sounds like an idea. Have you ever tried that?"
Yongming blinked. There were certain ritual impurities that most human bodies, especially those shoved into an oven, would impart onto a blade forged in that way. For instance, being haunted by the unlucky sod, but a haunted blade would be in itself quite a thing. Mostly for the reputation it would bring. But perhaps burning the treasured blade of someone on a funeral pyre would- hold on, what the hell was she thinking about?
The axe glinted in the firelight as she pointed it at the tigress, who was doing her own thinking. "Hold on," the demon muttered to herself, "Ge Niao was at the cave, so how did she come in? Hey!" Yongming tensed. This was it. This was the moment when the tigress wised up and shucked her human shape to spring for her throat as a tiger.
"Do you know Ge Niao?"
Yongming almost hit her face with her palm. "No," she further explained, "I'm here for Jing Chenbiao, the skinny-"
"But you just said you're not here to eat-"
"Shut it. I'm not here because I want to eat him, I'm here because he is a friend."
The tigress just looked confused. "I could be a friend. A better one than some human. Is that why you're here?"
[]- Just fight: This has been a strange and surreal experience and Yongming'd like it to be over now, thanks.
[]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
- Location
- Wörms, the half continent
[X]- Don't be.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
I must compliment our tiger demon: a stew is a most economical method of preparing a human.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
I must compliment our tiger demon: a stew is a most economical method of preparing a human.
- Location
- USA
[x]- Don't be.
[x]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
[x]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
- Location
- boundless optimism
Zhu Bajie is Pigsy from the Journey to the West, and Tang Sanzang is one of the names for Tang Seng or Xuanzhang or whatever name you want for him today.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[X]- Don't be.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
[X]- Don't be.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
[X]- A different tack: She's Zhu Bajie. Yongming is Tang Sanzang.
Stealing Breakfast from Tigers (Part 3)
- Location
- boundless optimism
If the tiger doesn't want to fight, then don't fight. It's not that she's scared or anything, it's just she's already quite beaten up, with a cracked collarbone and a bleeding nose. It certainly has nothing to do with the tiger's gleaming fangs nor her towering height, nor her claw-like fingers or hesitation at whatever sorceries the demon could muster.
She needed to get better at lying to herself. She'd rather fight all of the Jianghu in Luoyang from the mightiest sword guest to the one thousand swarming gangs than really try to kill a demon. Yongming wasn't an exorcist. "Tiger," she started, axe falling to her side. "My name is Yongming. What's your's?"
"Hu Jie," the tigress responded. "Well met? Is that what you say? Anyway, sister, now that we have made introductions, let me put the pot on."
Yongming raised a hand. "My friendship," she said, "is entirely contingent on Jing Chenbiao not being eaten, by you, me, or anyone."
"What's contingent?"
This time Yongming really did cover her face. "It means I'll only be friends if you won't eat him," she elaborated, "and not just him! Preferably, don't eat any more humans."
"What!" Hu Jie scoffed, pacing the length and breadth of the cave. The firepit casted the shadow of a great tiger behind her. "Why shouldn't I? You eat meat, don't you?"
Gods damn her and her and refusing to listen to her litany of tutors. Maybe if she studied more she could have come up with a rock solid rebuttal, but now she was scrabbling for a response.
Hu Jie eventually stopped. "What happened to Ge Niao?" she asked.
Her heart skipped a beat. "If you mean the Kunlun slave, we fought and I defeated him," Yongming said. "Not to death, but I broke his leg and nose. Why do you eat people, anyway?" Hu Jie seemed the flighty type, the kind to heh, flitter from one topic to the other. Hopefully she'd take the bait.
"Because if I eat strong things, I'll get stronger," Hu Jie explained with the same sort of certainty as 'the rains are coming tomorrow,' and 'the sky is blue.' "That's how I got where I am today."
That didn't sound plausible, but then again, Yongming wasn't a demon tiger. "That's all good and well," Yongming said, "but I heard that you regularly eat the livers of the peasants around here."
The tiger shrugged. "So I get hungry and a bit peckish. So what?"
"What do they taste like?"
"Huh?" There was a look of confusion on her face.
"I asked you what they tasted like," Yongming repeated. "As a matter of curiosity."
Hu Jie shrugged. "Not very good," she conceded. "Bitter, sour, and not at all filling. Scraps of yuanqi, not even worth talking about! These people don't live a very good life. Hey, isn't it the job of the emperor to make the people fat and happy? They're not happy, and they're certainly not fat!"
"Well, there's that issue with the rains and the flooding and...," Yongming muttered under her breath. She could remember Imperial Father's simmering rages at the priests who could do nothing at the floods and the demons that crawled from dark places. "Anyway, my point is, it's not really good, is it? Eating the livers of the common people simply isn't worth it. Didn't the monks try to-"
"And I killed and ate them all!" Hu Jie cried proudly.
"Yes, yes, and aren't they far more nutritious than the peasantry? My point is, Hu Jie, is that in my near future I expect to embark on several idiotic and boneheaded adventures," Yongming conjectured based on nothing more than imagined tales of brave bandits. Still, this was more her taste. It was just bargaining, but playing on higher stakes. Lives instead of coin. "You see, me and Jing Chenbiao and others, we're robbers and thieves. No doubt we'll have run in with the law and some of them are quite strong. I know a man who can punch a rock and bury his arm up to his shoulder. The point is, wouldn't you like to sink your fangs into someone like that rather than some scrawny farmer?"
The tiger was nodding along, deep in thought. "So, join us!" Yongming continued. "Just yesterday, four magistrates and a master fell into our hands, and we liberated taels and taels of silver's worth of jewelry." She hoped that Ai Zhulin could get a good deal on those things. Was Jingcheng even a big city?
"Ha!" Hu Jie laughed, sharp and sudden. "Those are pretty words, Yongming. Fine! I'll take you up on it. Do you have a lair, or do you want mine?"
Yongming let out a long breath as she stood up and cut Jing Chenbiao free. "The temple? It's empthy now."
"So that's why he was chopping a squirrel." Hu Jie mused as she stood up, following Yongming out of the cave. "Where's Ge Niao?"
"He's at the cave entrance. Should be, anyway." And he was, sitting up against a tree, his broken leg stretched out and musical bow held against his chest.
"You," he snarled, blood pouring down his nose. "What does tiger soup taste like?" In response, Yongming stepped to the side and let Hu Jie into the light. Her face was drawn in concern and shock.
They really were friends. Think of that, Yongming mused to herself as the tiger rushed to Ge Nia, wrapping him in a tight hug that went on and on and on.
Yongming turned away. It seemed too private for her to look. "Hey. Hey, Hu Jie what-" Ge Niao was lifted up by Hu Jie, cradled in her arms like a child.
"There," Hu Jie remarked. "Now we match." Yongming laughed as they set off for the temple again.
What does Yongming feel about Hu Jie and Ge Niao?
[]- She's giddy and eager. It's a demon tiger! That's cause for bragging anywhere you'd care, at least outside the hearing of the magistrate-exorcists. Still, demon tiger companion! Oh, and Ge Niao, too, she supposes.
[]- A demon tiger and some master of body levitation? These two will be useful in any measure. Perhaps in time she will develop a friendship with them, but as of now she's reserving most judgement.
[]- Just because they're on her side doesn't mean they can't cause problems for her down the line. After all, she's sheltering a demon tiger that ate all the monks of the temple.
She needed to get better at lying to herself. She'd rather fight all of the Jianghu in Luoyang from the mightiest sword guest to the one thousand swarming gangs than really try to kill a demon. Yongming wasn't an exorcist. "Tiger," she started, axe falling to her side. "My name is Yongming. What's your's?"
"Hu Jie," the tigress responded. "Well met? Is that what you say? Anyway, sister, now that we have made introductions, let me put the pot on."
Yongming raised a hand. "My friendship," she said, "is entirely contingent on Jing Chenbiao not being eaten, by you, me, or anyone."
"What's contingent?"
This time Yongming really did cover her face. "It means I'll only be friends if you won't eat him," she elaborated, "and not just him! Preferably, don't eat any more humans."
"What!" Hu Jie scoffed, pacing the length and breadth of the cave. The firepit casted the shadow of a great tiger behind her. "Why shouldn't I? You eat meat, don't you?"
Gods damn her and her and refusing to listen to her litany of tutors. Maybe if she studied more she could have come up with a rock solid rebuttal, but now she was scrabbling for a response.
Hu Jie eventually stopped. "What happened to Ge Niao?" she asked.
Her heart skipped a beat. "If you mean the Kunlun slave, we fought and I defeated him," Yongming said. "Not to death, but I broke his leg and nose. Why do you eat people, anyway?" Hu Jie seemed the flighty type, the kind to heh, flitter from one topic to the other. Hopefully she'd take the bait.
"Because if I eat strong things, I'll get stronger," Hu Jie explained with the same sort of certainty as 'the rains are coming tomorrow,' and 'the sky is blue.' "That's how I got where I am today."
That didn't sound plausible, but then again, Yongming wasn't a demon tiger. "That's all good and well," Yongming said, "but I heard that you regularly eat the livers of the peasants around here."
The tiger shrugged. "So I get hungry and a bit peckish. So what?"
"What do they taste like?"
"Huh?" There was a look of confusion on her face.
"I asked you what they tasted like," Yongming repeated. "As a matter of curiosity."
Hu Jie shrugged. "Not very good," she conceded. "Bitter, sour, and not at all filling. Scraps of yuanqi, not even worth talking about! These people don't live a very good life. Hey, isn't it the job of the emperor to make the people fat and happy? They're not happy, and they're certainly not fat!"
"Well, there's that issue with the rains and the flooding and...," Yongming muttered under her breath. She could remember Imperial Father's simmering rages at the priests who could do nothing at the floods and the demons that crawled from dark places. "Anyway, my point is, it's not really good, is it? Eating the livers of the common people simply isn't worth it. Didn't the monks try to-"
"And I killed and ate them all!" Hu Jie cried proudly.
"Yes, yes, and aren't they far more nutritious than the peasantry? My point is, Hu Jie, is that in my near future I expect to embark on several idiotic and boneheaded adventures," Yongming conjectured based on nothing more than imagined tales of brave bandits. Still, this was more her taste. It was just bargaining, but playing on higher stakes. Lives instead of coin. "You see, me and Jing Chenbiao and others, we're robbers and thieves. No doubt we'll have run in with the law and some of them are quite strong. I know a man who can punch a rock and bury his arm up to his shoulder. The point is, wouldn't you like to sink your fangs into someone like that rather than some scrawny farmer?"
The tiger was nodding along, deep in thought. "So, join us!" Yongming continued. "Just yesterday, four magistrates and a master fell into our hands, and we liberated taels and taels of silver's worth of jewelry." She hoped that Ai Zhulin could get a good deal on those things. Was Jingcheng even a big city?
"Ha!" Hu Jie laughed, sharp and sudden. "Those are pretty words, Yongming. Fine! I'll take you up on it. Do you have a lair, or do you want mine?"
Yongming let out a long breath as she stood up and cut Jing Chenbiao free. "The temple? It's empthy now."
"So that's why he was chopping a squirrel." Hu Jie mused as she stood up, following Yongming out of the cave. "Where's Ge Niao?"
"He's at the cave entrance. Should be, anyway." And he was, sitting up against a tree, his broken leg stretched out and musical bow held against his chest.
"You," he snarled, blood pouring down his nose. "What does tiger soup taste like?" In response, Yongming stepped to the side and let Hu Jie into the light. Her face was drawn in concern and shock.
They really were friends. Think of that, Yongming mused to herself as the tiger rushed to Ge Nia, wrapping him in a tight hug that went on and on and on.
Yongming turned away. It seemed too private for her to look. "Hey. Hey, Hu Jie what-" Ge Niao was lifted up by Hu Jie, cradled in her arms like a child.
"There," Hu Jie remarked. "Now we match." Yongming laughed as they set off for the temple again.
What does Yongming feel about Hu Jie and Ge Niao?
[]- She's giddy and eager. It's a demon tiger! That's cause for bragging anywhere you'd care, at least outside the hearing of the magistrate-exorcists. Still, demon tiger companion! Oh, and Ge Niao, too, she supposes.
[]- A demon tiger and some master of body levitation? These two will be useful in any measure. Perhaps in time she will develop a friendship with them, but as of now she's reserving most judgement.
[]- Just because they're on her side doesn't mean they can't cause problems for her down the line. After all, she's sheltering a demon tiger that ate all the monks of the temple.
- Location
- USA
[x]- She's giddy and eager. It's a demon tiger! That's cause for bragging anywhere you'd care, at least outside the hearing of the magistrate-exorcists. Still, demon tiger companion! Oh, and Ge Niao, too, she supposes.
Namer
ᵘʷᵘ
- Location
- Bangladesh
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]- She's giddy and eager. It's a demon tiger! That's cause for bragging anywhere you'd care, at least outside the hearing of the magistrate-exorcists. Still, demon tiger companion! Oh, and Ge Niao, too, she supposes.
Squeeing over her brand new demon tiger sounds so cute.
Squeeing over her brand new demon tiger sounds so cute.
[x]- She's giddy and eager. It's a demon tiger! That's cause for bragging anywhere you'd care, at least outside the hearing of the magistrate-exorcists. Still, demon tiger companion! Oh, and Ge Niao, too, she supposes.
The Temple on the Mountain (Part 2)
- Location
- boundless optimism
When Li Xiaopeng entered the abandoned temple with Ma Wei behind him, he noticed a few things. First, the walls and floors were free of dust. Secondly, a thin trail of smoke rose from the rear halls of the temple, carrying an aroma of meat stew, along with the caterwauling of a poorly made string instrument. Thirdly, and perhaps the most importantly, there was a great fanged ogre of a woman sitting on the steps of the main hall, between the two lion-dog statues.
His body immediately moved out of reflex, shoving Ma Wei out of the temple gates and levelling his spear at the demon, fingers gripping the haft so tight it creaked like an old door. "Demon!" he shouted, half falling into the habits of a wandering Shaolin mendicant, "what did you do to my companions?"
The thing laughed, a growling chuckle that exposed its great fangs as it rose to its full height. It roiled with threat. "That's the second time I've heard this this week," it grinned. "You're Li Xiaopeng, I think? And the one behind you must be Ma Wei. I haven't heard much about you, but I guess that's because even sister Yongming didn't know you much."
"Why the hell are you calling her that."
"Because she's Yongming," the demon explained it to him like he was a not at all bright child. "Anyway, put down that spear, or don't blame me for being rough." There was threat in her voice, but not that Xiaopeng would care. He had already decided to- was that Yongming storming out of behind her?
"Don't start don't start don't start," she chanted as she slid to a stop between him and the tiger. "Li Xiaopeng, how was Jingcheng?"
"Get out of the way, Yongming. That's a-"
"Demon, yes," she finished impatiently. "I know, okay? Look, I won't say I converted her, but I talked her into joining up. She's got talents. Hell, she's a better cook than Chenbiao."
"She ate," Xiaopeng enunciated, "all the monks in this temple, Yongming."
The tiger leaned over Yongming. Not that it needed to. She was an armspan taller than the maybe princess. "Well, of course I did," she said as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "They were trying to kill me. What did you expect me to do?"
"Thank you, Hu Jie. Could you go check on Ge Niao, while I talk to these two? Thanks." They watched the demon shrink away. Yongming took a breath, running a hand over her hair. "Okay, so, let me explain."
"Sorry, what's going on?" Ma Wei stuck his head through the door. "I heard Li say something about a demon."
"Oh, hello, Ma Wei. How's the arm?"
"Eh, clean break. The physician says I'll be able to wave sharp things around with it in a week or so. Go back to the demon?"
Yongming took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "Okay, so a couple of days ago, I went out to get firewood. 'Cept when I returned, Jing Chenbiao was abducted by Hu Jie- that's the tiger's name, by the way." Li Xiaopeng grunted, leaning his spear against his shoulder again. "So I went and found her, right, and then I ended up talking to her 'cos she had a friend that beat me a bit. One thing led to another and that's why she's part of our bandit band now. And her companion. Knows body levitation, really gave me a run for it."
"She's a demon," Xiaopeng repeated for further emphasis. "Yongming, in case you haven't realized, demons are kind of a bad thing, right? Bandits, the magistrate won't care about, but the moment they hear we shacked up with a demon they'll land on us like a ton of bricks."
Yongming scoffed. "Of course they won't. The peasants already heard of her for a long time, and if that wouldn't get them after her, then the missing monks would. Since they haven't, it's safe to assume they're being drunk and useless at their posts, and either way the Exorcist Corps are a long ways off. Why the sudden concern? Li Xiaopeng, you've already killed some officers of the law. Convert her to Buddhism to make amends or something."
Xiaopeng growled, jabbing a finger at Yongming. "You know what? Fine. But I want you to deal with her. If she fucks up, it's your ass."
"Brother, tell her about the tournament," Ma Wei broke in, eyes gleaming with barely concealed glee. "Wait, don't. I will. You know about Bai Chengsan, the merchant of too many things to count?"
"The former armed escort?" Yongming frowned. "What about him?"
"He's holding this tournament, see? There's a cash prize for the finalists, but that's not important. It's the bets, see?"
The tall woman frowned, biting her lip. "Let me hazard a guess. You want us to go into the tournament, take a couple of falls, and drive up our odds in the bets? And then one of us takes the final prize after we've stuffed the brackets."
"With you around, I don't even need to think, eh? You've got it in one. What's cooking, by the way?"
"Bear stew," Yongming replied. "Hu Jie went and killed one after seeing we only had squirrels. And she rustled up some herbs from god knows where."
"Oh, my heart. I forgive her for everything she's done. Come, let's break the news to our new cadre."
"Cadres. She has a friend, remember? He's the guy playing the music." Yongming followed the other two to the rear hall, where a great steaming wok was laid out at the central table. On a pole once used for laundry was the bear's skin, swaying in the wind. It wasn't very impressive, but still. There was Ge Niao sitting next to Jing Chenbiao, in muted conversation that elicited occasional chuckling. Li Xiaopeng was sitting opposite of them, already devouring a bowl of oily golden soup with an expression as if he couldn't make the decision to be angry or ecstatic.
Yongming and Ma Wei sunk into the remaining two seats. Demon or not, Hu Jie was pretty good at this hospitality thing. "So, did he fill you in on the tournament?" Yongming asked as Hu Jie set a bowl in front of her.
The demon nodded, ladling out a bowl for herself. "Yep! Looking forward to it. Did you hear about the rumors, sister?"
What's the rumor?
[]- In secret, this tournament is a marriage tournament. Bai Chengsan is an old monster who wouldn't want some weak bookling to inherit his enterprises. It's his daughter's- Bai Yanhua- suitors that are making up the tournament's contenders. Nobody knows what Bai Yanhua thinks of this.
[]- A captain of the Chui's Fire-Breathing Dragons Division is overseeing the tournament. One of the regiments of the Division has lost their captain, and some whisper that the next successor is to come from the winner of the tournament.
[]- The prize isn't cash money or anything as pedestrian as that. It's the map to the long dead Tomb Sect's headquarters, where the last master wrote down her sword techniques on the wall, given away to some young rising star before it's hunters destroy Bai Chengsan's manor looking for it.
His body immediately moved out of reflex, shoving Ma Wei out of the temple gates and levelling his spear at the demon, fingers gripping the haft so tight it creaked like an old door. "Demon!" he shouted, half falling into the habits of a wandering Shaolin mendicant, "what did you do to my companions?"
The thing laughed, a growling chuckle that exposed its great fangs as it rose to its full height. It roiled with threat. "That's the second time I've heard this this week," it grinned. "You're Li Xiaopeng, I think? And the one behind you must be Ma Wei. I haven't heard much about you, but I guess that's because even sister Yongming didn't know you much."
"Why the hell are you calling her that."
"Because she's Yongming," the demon explained it to him like he was a not at all bright child. "Anyway, put down that spear, or don't blame me for being rough." There was threat in her voice, but not that Xiaopeng would care. He had already decided to- was that Yongming storming out of behind her?
"Don't start don't start don't start," she chanted as she slid to a stop between him and the tiger. "Li Xiaopeng, how was Jingcheng?"
"Get out of the way, Yongming. That's a-"
"Demon, yes," she finished impatiently. "I know, okay? Look, I won't say I converted her, but I talked her into joining up. She's got talents. Hell, she's a better cook than Chenbiao."
"She ate," Xiaopeng enunciated, "all the monks in this temple, Yongming."
The tiger leaned over Yongming. Not that it needed to. She was an armspan taller than the maybe princess. "Well, of course I did," she said as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "They were trying to kill me. What did you expect me to do?"
"Thank you, Hu Jie. Could you go check on Ge Niao, while I talk to these two? Thanks." They watched the demon shrink away. Yongming took a breath, running a hand over her hair. "Okay, so, let me explain."
"Sorry, what's going on?" Ma Wei stuck his head through the door. "I heard Li say something about a demon."
"Oh, hello, Ma Wei. How's the arm?"
"Eh, clean break. The physician says I'll be able to wave sharp things around with it in a week or so. Go back to the demon?"
Yongming took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "Okay, so a couple of days ago, I went out to get firewood. 'Cept when I returned, Jing Chenbiao was abducted by Hu Jie- that's the tiger's name, by the way." Li Xiaopeng grunted, leaning his spear against his shoulder again. "So I went and found her, right, and then I ended up talking to her 'cos she had a friend that beat me a bit. One thing led to another and that's why she's part of our bandit band now. And her companion. Knows body levitation, really gave me a run for it."
"She's a demon," Xiaopeng repeated for further emphasis. "Yongming, in case you haven't realized, demons are kind of a bad thing, right? Bandits, the magistrate won't care about, but the moment they hear we shacked up with a demon they'll land on us like a ton of bricks."
Yongming scoffed. "Of course they won't. The peasants already heard of her for a long time, and if that wouldn't get them after her, then the missing monks would. Since they haven't, it's safe to assume they're being drunk and useless at their posts, and either way the Exorcist Corps are a long ways off. Why the sudden concern? Li Xiaopeng, you've already killed some officers of the law. Convert her to Buddhism to make amends or something."
Xiaopeng growled, jabbing a finger at Yongming. "You know what? Fine. But I want you to deal with her. If she fucks up, it's your ass."
"Brother, tell her about the tournament," Ma Wei broke in, eyes gleaming with barely concealed glee. "Wait, don't. I will. You know about Bai Chengsan, the merchant of too many things to count?"
"The former armed escort?" Yongming frowned. "What about him?"
"He's holding this tournament, see? There's a cash prize for the finalists, but that's not important. It's the bets, see?"
The tall woman frowned, biting her lip. "Let me hazard a guess. You want us to go into the tournament, take a couple of falls, and drive up our odds in the bets? And then one of us takes the final prize after we've stuffed the brackets."
"With you around, I don't even need to think, eh? You've got it in one. What's cooking, by the way?"
"Bear stew," Yongming replied. "Hu Jie went and killed one after seeing we only had squirrels. And she rustled up some herbs from god knows where."
"Oh, my heart. I forgive her for everything she's done. Come, let's break the news to our new cadre."
"Cadres. She has a friend, remember? He's the guy playing the music." Yongming followed the other two to the rear hall, where a great steaming wok was laid out at the central table. On a pole once used for laundry was the bear's skin, swaying in the wind. It wasn't very impressive, but still. There was Ge Niao sitting next to Jing Chenbiao, in muted conversation that elicited occasional chuckling. Li Xiaopeng was sitting opposite of them, already devouring a bowl of oily golden soup with an expression as if he couldn't make the decision to be angry or ecstatic.
Yongming and Ma Wei sunk into the remaining two seats. Demon or not, Hu Jie was pretty good at this hospitality thing. "So, did he fill you in on the tournament?" Yongming asked as Hu Jie set a bowl in front of her.
The demon nodded, ladling out a bowl for herself. "Yep! Looking forward to it. Did you hear about the rumors, sister?"
What's the rumor?
[]- In secret, this tournament is a marriage tournament. Bai Chengsan is an old monster who wouldn't want some weak bookling to inherit his enterprises. It's his daughter's- Bai Yanhua- suitors that are making up the tournament's contenders. Nobody knows what Bai Yanhua thinks of this.
[]- A captain of the Chui's Fire-Breathing Dragons Division is overseeing the tournament. One of the regiments of the Division has lost their captain, and some whisper that the next successor is to come from the winner of the tournament.
[]- The prize isn't cash money or anything as pedestrian as that. It's the map to the long dead Tomb Sect's headquarters, where the last master wrote down her sword techniques on the wall, given away to some young rising star before it's hunters destroy Bai Chengsan's manor looking for it.
- Location
- USA
[x]- The prize isn't cash money or anything as pedestrian as that. It's the map to the long dead Tomb Sect's headquarters, where the last master wrote down her sword techniques on the wall, given away to some young rising star before it's hunters destroy Bai Chengsan's manor looking for it.
[x]- The prize isn't cash money or anything as pedestrian as that. It's the map to the long dead Tomb Sect's headquarters, where the last master wrote down her sword techniques on the wall, given away to some young rising star before it's hunters destroy Bai Chengsan's manor looking for it.
- Location
- Canada
[X]- In secret, this tournament is a marriage tournament. Bai Chengsan is an old monster who wouldn't want some weak bookling to inherit his enterprises. It's his daughter's- Bai Yanhua- suitors that are making up the tournament's contenders. Nobody knows what Bai Yanhua thinks of this.
Clearly, we must win the tournament and recruit her.
Clearly, we must win the tournament and recruit her.
Namer
ᵘʷᵘ
- Location
- Bangladesh
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]- The prize isn't cash money or anything as pedestrian as that. It's the map to the long dead Tomb Sect's headquarters, where the last master wrote down her sword techniques on the wall, given away to some young rising star before it's hunters destroy Bai Chengsan's manor looking for it.
How can we say no to a tournament with a plot hook as the reward?
How can we say no to a tournament with a plot hook as the reward?
- Location
- Earth
[X]- In secret, this tournament is a marriage tournament. Bai Chengsan is an old monster who wouldn't want some weak bookling to inherit his enterprises. It's his daughter's- Bai Yanhua- suitors that are making up the tournament's contenders. Nobody knows what Bai Yanhua thinks of this.
- Location
- ireland
[X]- In secret, this tournament is a marriage tournament. Bai Chengsan is an old monster who wouldn't want some weak bookling to inherit his enterprises. It's his daughter's- Bai Yanhua- suitors that are making up the tournament's contenders. Nobody knows what Bai Yanhua thinks of this.