A puff of fog escapes your lips as you look ahead at the silhouette of tall city gates beyond you obscured by a mild snowstorm, lit by the presence of a few braziers of flame.

Seated on a goods wagon owned by a kind travelling merchant of textiles - Deng An, you can see the towering walls of Yunshuang fortress grow larger and larger as the wagon draws closer to the renowned fortress city.

After a quick inspection of the goods by the tall, bulky looking guards wearing fur lined helmets and armor, the wagon travels for a moment through the steam filled streets as you see all manner of shops peddling warm looking steam buns and sticky white soups - their clouds of fragrance warming your cold nose.

It is just the middle of autumn, and yet snow has already begun to fall in Yunshuang Fortress. Normally a person such as you desparately on a journey to carry out the task set to you by your Master would likely not come to this fortress of mortals and would more likely search for clues and information in places for immortal cultivators such as Ciban Chengshi Red Striped Market City and Mieyun Cheng Cloud Destroying Castle. Unfortunately, in the past few years, you have been ensnared and perpetually badgered by an annoying mortal - Er Lian.

Due the troublesome nature of your debt and her incessant demands for you to carry out errands for her, you've had little choice but to carry out her requests for now. As such, the reason why you are here is to assassinate the Ore Merchant Xu Piao - said to be guarded by a few exotic mortal experts he hired from Xiawu. It is said that he has a rather large mansion in the Cloud District (lol) of Yunshaung Fortress located next to the Pavillion of Gathering Clouds.

Soon you realise the wagon you are on coming to a halt, and you find yourself at an unloading bay at the back of a medium sized shop.

"We've arrived Lady Zi. I hope the ride hasn't been too bumpy...! I've been using this old wagon for too long a time..." the merchant Deng An chuckles as speaks. You happened to meet this humble man while trekking towards Yunshuang, and accepted his offer to allow you to hitch a ride to this fortress city.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:51, Sun 18 July 2021.

She stretches and pushes herself from her meditation, the bumpy ride meaning she certainly couldn't focus enough to properly cultivate, but she could at least get some self-reflection in. "Thank you for your help, you are my benefactor, I would have still been a week away from landing in town if not for your help" She dips her head a bit as thanks and helps him unload the cart, her strength as a cultivator more than enough to help a mortal with his duties.

Once she was done helping the mortal, she gave him a smile once again "If you do ever need help, I do owe you a small favour for this, and I will always consider your requests if you wish to hire me for a job of some kind, though currently, I am on a mission" Zi was many things, but ungrateful was not one of them, she had lived her life far too long among those with a superiority complex and she did not wish to follow their example.

Once she was in the city, she started to ask around, gathering information on her target, where his mansion was, using her rather substantial charms to influence the local mortals and make sure she had acquired a pretty good profile on her target, wanting to make sure she could kill him discreetly, without having to deal with fighting too many guards, since as strong as she was, fighting many guards, even if they are mortals, seems like a recipe for trouble, and attracting an actual cultivator that might be a threat to her.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 2):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/10/20
Season: Autumn
Time: Night

"There is no need to worry, it was a pleasure to be of service to a beauty such as yourself," the trader Deng An chuckles as he salutes your with cupped hands and begins unloading his wares into his shop.

....

You spend about an hour wandering about the streets listening for anything related to Ore Merchant Xu Piao, and asking many of the men and sometimes women, who seem to be rather taken by your considerably captivating appearance. Based on a basic level of hearsay, you gain the insight of the following regarding Ore Merchant Xu:

- He is a rather attractive middle aged man, but is quite short. Based on the gossiping of women, he has tried to court many in hopes of gaining a wife, but has failed numerous times due to his considerably short height.

- He is known to be quite eccentric when it comes to pottery, and it is said that he has spent a large sum purchasing potteries from renowned craftsmen throughout Dingzhou. It is said that he possesses an extremely rare antique called the Xuanwu Jade pot - which is a small palm sized pot made of an extremely rare dark colored jade made by pottery Grandmaster Huyuan. It is said to be one of the treasures of the ancient Xia Dynasty that once united the Kingdoms of Dingzhou during times of antiquity.

- Recently a pot Burglar who tried to steal one of his rare pots, was mercilessly slaughtered by one of the 5 expert bodyguards he hired to protect his residence. It is said that the expert came from the harsh lands of Xiawu Absent Summer, and is proficient in the use of the 3 sectioned staff.

After gathering a few of these bits of information, are stumble upon a strange man who overhears your inquiries regarding Ore Merchant Xu. The man appears middle aged, swarthy with neatly combed black and white hair tied in a topknot. He apears to wear rather fine robes and it seems that he perhaps possesses a small fortune.

"Is your esteemed self perhaps seeking audience with Ore Merchant Xu? My name is Wu Kan - you could say that I am a matchmaker of sorts, if you wish, I can arrange a meeting with you and Merchant Xu. May I know your esteemed name?" the man who names himself Wu Kan speaks to you as he salutes you by cupping his fists.

She made mental notes about everything she found out about the ore merchant as she turned her attention to Wu Kan, returning the gesture before nodding. "A meeting with him would be most appreciated" She smiles and pauses for a moment "as for my name, I go by Ye Zhou, but you may call me just Zhou" She stretched a bit as she relaxes.

She pauses once more before asking a question "Well since you can have me meet with him, is there anything else you can tell me about him? I wish to get to know some things about him before we are to meet so that we might have some things to talk about"

In reply to Dao Master (msg # 3):

"Oh no! I wouldn't dare to be so rude to a lady on a first meeting!" the man speaks in a flustered tone as he quickly regains his composure. "It is pleasant to be acquainted with you Madam Ye. Let us bring our conversation to another place more conducive for a discussion. Please, follow me."

You notice the envious stares of many of the men in the surroundings, clearly jealous of Wu Kan having successfully making an appointment with a beauty such as yourself.

As the two of you weave through the crowd and make a few turns at various junctions, you eventually come to a restaurant of the name Yang Jiao Bao - Goathorn Pot. The delectable scent of stewed goat can be richly perceived as you approach the façade of the establishment.

After entering and taking a seat at a slightly more quiet table, you notice quite a few stares towards you. Wu Kan too notices this and looks about before speaking to the waiter for a moment and then beckoning to you to follow him to a more private dining room deeper inside the restaurant.

Judging from the decoration and the tastefulness of this room's interior, you surmise that it probably costs more to dine in here than at the main dining area. To think that this man would be prepared to fork out so much for a random stranger he just met!

Over a length meal of rather succulent goat hot pot and warm wine, you discuss a few things with Wu Kan regarding the Ore Merchant and learn the following information:

- Merchant Xu prefers a lady who can shares the hobby of pottery collection and appreciation. Unfortunately, this seems to be commonly a male pastime and throughout his career as a Matchmaker, Wu Kan has never encountered a lady who had the similar hobby as him. Luckily for Wu Kan, he managed to keep a good relation with Merchant Xu also because he shared the same hobby. He has tried to drill into girls some basics of pottery appreciation, but sadly none have had the motivation to do so.

- Merchant Xu greatly appreciates a lady who is not picky with her food. There was once a falling out with him and a woman she courted as she could not take the Xiawu cuisine that Merchant Xu often ordered his cooks to prepare.

- Merchant Xu greatly appreciates a dignified lady who is learned in the ways of etiquette and would not embarrass him should he have guests in his home.

"If you have any other things you wish to learn about Merchant Xu, do not hesistate to ask! I imagine that I would be able to arrange a meeting with him at least one week later after you have your portrait drawn by a painter."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:12, Mon 19 July 2021.

She enjoys the rather lavish meal with thanks, she felt almost bad for the man, spending so much to matchmake her eith Merchant Xu, when she was simply here to kill him. This didn't stop her from enjoying the food however, she had gone without such tasty meals for quite some time, her debt meant she was living quite frugally, so this was a great change of pace.

Once she had heard what he had to say, she simply nodded "I may ask you to tell me about his manor, as I dont wish to get lost while I'm there, and it would he too embrassing to ask him or be caught asking a servant" she chuckles a bit before she considers pottery, shaking her head "unfortunately I haven't had the chance to learn about pottery, I do quite enjoy Jade and other such arts though, so I would be more than willing to learn the basics if you would teach me" she gives a soft smile, playing into her beauty as she shifts into a position that better showed off her body "After the portrait is taken, I shall be working on a small project within the city and will be unavailable, so you will have to teach me about pottery before the portrait is done" she stood up and bowed her head slightly, giving the man a soft smile "there is much to do before I meet Merchant Xu, where shall I meet you to learn the arts of pottery?" Once her question had been answered, she took her leave, politely excusing herself, her plans needed much preparation.

---

on top of learning pottery, she will also be sourcing(presumably by picking them herself) poisonous herbs and animals to refine into a poison with which to kill Xu, if the materials are avaliable she will of course try to refine one that can be mixed in with tea or alcohol without being able to be detected, though that might not be possible, who knows
This message was last edited by the player at 11:49, Mon 19 July 2021.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 6):

You notice Marchmaker Wu stare at your slight provocations, occasionally shifting restlessly on his seat.

As you make your proposals, he hurriedly shares with you verbally the rough layout of his manor, which contains quite a number of guestrooms and even a fancy teahouse. Though based on his description alone would likely not suffice to exactly pinpoint the private quarters of Merchant Xu, you imagine you might be able to identify a number of landmarks that would narrow down your destination within the manor.

Based on the description of your needs, Wu Kan agrees to tutor you about pottery in the evenings at his friend Merchant Luo's pottery establisment in the southwest district of Yunshuang.

While looking through the herb and animal markets in Yunshuang, you notice the availability of a few poisonous herbs and venom sacs - that would cost around 5 silver taels each. Based on your understanding of Medicine, you unfortuantely do not know any poisons that are undetectable, but the most lethal of that you know of ingestable poisons that can be procured with the materials available in Yunshuang is Dogsbane poison which requires Rodent Root, Woodstooth Fungi and dried Fallfish Eyes. All of these can be bought at the quantity required from the market for 10 silver taels each, or harvested.

If you decide to search for the plants and fungi needed, make a Herbalism self check. (Lower than skill is success)

After a day passes with having lessons on pottery with Wu Kan, you estimate that you will likely become somewhat familiar with the subject of pottery in 1 month. Based on Wu Kan's estimates, he is able to arrange a meeting with Merchant Xu by the end of 3 months at most, after which he is not certain if the merchant will still remain in the fortress city.

Zi would agree to take the pottery lessons for 2 months, wishing to have enough of familiarity to pass casual inspection and conversation, as well as learn a little for if she needs to know again in the future. As she taking these lessons, Zi uses the cover of night and her free time to pick the herbs and fungi needed, finding more than enough for a dose or two to kill Merchant Xu with, refining the poison and preserving it so that it does not lose effectiveness as she prepares to meet Merchant Xu.

---

Today: Zi Cheng rolled 27 using 1d100.  Herbalism TN 56
More than enough to find the plants I need, Herbalism is my highest skill actually.

Could you tell me a little more about the poison? like how I should use it to poison him.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 8):

You manage to just spend 1 week finding the necessary herbs you need to refine the poison. As it is not a complicated poison, it simple needs to be mixed and coagulated into a paste - very quickly you find yourself with a small bottle of Dogsbane poison enough to poison a grown man.

According to what you have learnt, the poison can either be ingested (i.e. taken with food) or drank (i.e. mixed in water or a drink) - the scent of the poison is rather intoxicating - like alcohol, but has a rather bitter aroma. Based some obscure records that you've studied, apparently the poison can also taken by rubbing it into a person's eyes - but the efficacy is not certain as there is only one anecdote of the poison being used through the eyes.

Your lessons with Wu Kan have been going rather smoothly, and you gain rather useful elementary knowledge on Pottery. (+7d6 Pottery Appreciation)

On the 2nd month, you gain further knowledge (roll d100 and compare it with Pottery Appreciation. If the roll is higher, add +1d6 to Pottery Appreciation)

During the 2nd month of appreciating pottery alongside Wu Kan, you encounter a fellow cultivator!

This cultivator is appears to be a lanky young man with long black hair and strange green eyes. Your spiritual sense is able to detect that he is at the Middle Qi Gathering stage. During your encounter, your eyes meet, and it seems that he also recognizes you are cultivator, but quickly averts your gaze and pretends nothing happened.

During a seminar of pottery appreciation by a pottery master, you also notice the your target Merchant Xu participating and manage to make his acquaintance alongside Wu Kan.

What seems quite surprising is that Merchant Xu, though initially quite drawn by your appearance, seems to be more drawn towards the lanky young cultivator that seems to be named Ouyang Peng. Based on what you overhear, it seems that Merchant Xu is very excitedly discussing a few obscure pointers about ancient pots alongside Ouyang Peng who seems to be very knowledgeable about the subject. They seem to converse nonstop in considerable animation for the rest of the seminar.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:18, Wed 21 July 2021.

Though not to a level of knowledge where she could really keep up with Merchant Xu, she knew that she had spent enough time learning and already had her poison ready, so it was time that she struck against her target, making a note of the cultivator for later, such a cultivator at her level was sure to have supplies that would help her own cultivation, or at the very least they should be somewhat expensive. They could be sold off to pay her debts.

She comes to Wu Kan and expresses that she is ready to have her portrait taken and sent to Merchant Xu, making sure she had everything she needed on her person or within her natural interspacial inventory, making sure to keep her sword and the poison within the inventory as to not arouse any suspicion.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 10):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/12/27
Season: Winter
Time: Evening

After having made the necessary preparations for the session of matchmaking, you eventually find yourself at the guest reception hall of Merchant Xu's Azure Cloud Manor in the rich Cloud District of Yunshuang fortress city.

The guest hall is rather large and has finely furnished with meticulously varnished scented redwoods, decorated with very elegant hanging scrolls of mountains and sometimes illustrations of legendary works of pottery.

And of course, most important to Merchant Xu himself, there are numerous pedestals of tastefully placed pottery placed in very eye catching positions clearly intended to be shown off to his visitors.

"Welcome, welcome Miss Zi! Welcome to my humble abode! Matchmaker Wu has spoken much about you, and I believe we've met once at a seminar as well? I am truly impressed that you possess such passion to examine such an esteemed pastime like I do. Ha ha ha!!" Merchant Xu laughs heartily as he ushers you to a seat where there is a large porcelain pot of tea and two cups.

You notice standing at one corner is an androgynous person with a long braid in a foreign looking pink robe, casually gazing over at you as you converse. Likely one of the foreign Experts from Xiawu.

"Come! Let us appreciate some fine pottery together over a cup of fine Sparkling Hill Tea from Xiawu! It truly has a refreshing taste indeed! I wanted to ask you for your opinion about this fine Clay relic pot I bought in an auction not long ago..."

Make a pottery roll. If you fail (roll higher than pottery appreciation skill), you may try to propose a method through which you salvage the situation.

She smiles and follows Merchant Xu, looking at the pot quizzically but feeling like she was drawing a blank, not knowing what to say in the slightest about the pot, she had learned some things about pottery, but nothing to do with relics and all that. So, as to not accidentally make herself look badly upon their first meeting, she simply said nothing, inspecting the pot and nodding, keeping her mouth shut so that anything offputting will not come out. Once she had stayed silent long enough to garner a strange look from Merchant Xu, she smiled "The pot was so lovely that I was simply breath taken at their beauty." She pauses and smiles "I am still a novice at pottery, even though I want to learn more, so I will hope you will forgive my lack of specificity, as I do not know what is so breathtaking about this pot yet, only that it is."

She took sips of her tea, tea being something she can appreciate, without needing such skills, quite enjoying the cup of tea as she continues to examine the pot, still having little idea exactly what she was looking at, but doing her best to at least look like she was trying her best to understand.

---

Well, my luck is back at it again; thank god for no critical fails?
Pottery Appreciation TN 23
11:25, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 100 using 1d100.  Pottery Appreciation.

Persuasion to bullshit my way through it and convince him of my being a novice without offputting him.
Persuasion TN 44
11:32, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 26 using 1d100.  Persuasion

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 12):

"Good good - though you may be unable to put into the words the sublimity of this work of art, what is important that is you managed to feel the aura of its beauty!" Merchant Xu smiles, clearly satisfied with your explanation.

"No worries - I will teach you and share with you a number of pointers... I am sure you will become a fine appreciator of pots in the future!"

It seems that you're demeanor has managed to pull at the heartstrings of Merchant Xu who seems to enjoy the role of being a teacher of the way of pottery appreciation.

"I think one of the ways to best inspire a passion for pottery would be to show you one of the pottery treasures I possess. When you see it, you will be absolutely stunned! Come with me - come with me to my private quarters!" Merchant Xu excitedly says as he grabs you by the sleeve and very excitedly tries to lead you to the northern part of his manor compound.

As you follow him, you notice the pink robed man slowly following behind some distance - actively trying to stay discreet.

Eventually, after a few moments, you arrive at Merchant Xu's private quarters, and find that it is quite tastefully design.

Upon entering, you see a very fancy and tasteful shelf of potteries of various sizes, and they all look extremely refined and tasteful - even for a beginner of pottery.

"Those are some of my favourites, but the greatest treasure lies here... Come, take a look..."

He moves towards his bed shifts open a hidden wall by his bedside to reveal a very minimal single shelf in which lies a Deep Black Jade Pot the size of a small cup that gives off a slightly cool aura.

"This is... the Xuanwu Jade Pot... I've went through much trouble to get my hands on it, and it is truly a transcendental work of art! You can just feel that aura of coolness from it! Ah... just what treasures await me in Xiawu?" Merchant Xu fawns over his small bedside pot, reciting various couplets to extoll its beauty.

But suddenly, you notice a shadowy streak fly towards the pot - and it disappears!

She jolted up and scanned the room, seeing if anyone else was inside still before pausing the consider what just happened, someone has stolen the pot right in front of us without being seen, such a person has to at least be a somewhat skilled cultivator. She was considering stealing the pot herself once she had finished off the merchant, but at this point, he might be more useful to her alive to help pay off her debts.

She paused, gauging merchant Xu's reaction before speaking "To use a technique like that to steal the pot, one must be at least some degree of Cultivator, there are very few within the city who are one, and only one I know of that was interested in pots, after taking those seminars almost daily." She frowns then looks at merchant Xu again, letting the demeanour she had been keeping with him drop a bit "are there are who might consider you enemies, and want to steal that pot?"

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 14):

As you quickly scan the room, your spiritual sense manages to detect a man hanging from a beam at the ceiling near the room's entrance dressed completely in black with his face obscured with the Dark Blue mask of a leering demon. In his black gloved hand appears to be the Xuanwu Jade Pot, which he quickly stows in his robe. Your spiritual sense also reveals that this thief is a cultivator at Middle Qi Gathering stage!!

"Some... Someone! Hurry!" Merchant Xu shouts as he realises his treasure having been stolen - but has not noticed the culprit.

Immediately, the door to Merchant Xu's room bursts open with a loud bang, and you see the Pink robed man appearing in a wary martial stance looking about swiftly.

But what he fails to do is look up.

In a powerful leap, you see the black robed man pounce at the Pink robed man from the ceiling and deliver a axe kick towards his head!

But just by sheer chance, the Pink robed man moves deeper into the room with a quick step forwards, and the masked man misses, leaving a large hole at the wooden floor with series of loud snaps breaking apart the clean flooring!

Clearly startled, the Pink robed man jumps and you clearly see his face contort in horror as he realises that he was nearly killed and only escaped that fate due to sheer luck!

The masked man curses as you see him take a low stance, preparing to land another killing blow to the Pink Robed man!

---

Lol, the masked dude rolled a 1 XDDD And Pink Robed managed to push his luck
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:34, Sat 24 July 2021.

Zi lept into action, grabbing her sword from her interspacial inventory and getting into a ready stance, exhaling through her mouth as she focuses. Once she had her focuses, she releases it in one explosive burst, her body a blur as she performs a powerful thrust, propelling herself through the room and then a second to land back where she was standing originally, holding her sword up as she watches the man. She stood ready for some retaliation for her attack as she wipes blood from the corner of her mouth, her damaged meridians rejecting the natural flow of Qi as she uses it.

---

Initiative: 40
10:33, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 40 using 1d100+34.  Initiative.

Activating Violet Lightning

Thrust One: 107 To Hit for 26 Slashing
10:28, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 107 using 1d100+53.  Swords.
10:30, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 26 using 1d4+2d20.  Thrust Damage.

Thrust Two: 128 To Hit for 23 Slashing
10:28, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 128 using 1d100+53.  Swords.
10:30, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 23 using 1d4+2d20.  Thrust Damage.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 16):

The two flashes of chilling swordlight bursting from your sheath swoop through the Pink Robed Man and the Masked Man in a blink of an eye!

You hear a wet squelching of flesh as you feel your sword pierce through muscle a total of 3 times! With one of your thrusts just barely being parried by some weapon!

Without even looking, you can sense that the Pink Robed Man has already ceased breathing and is in the process of crumpling to the ground in a mangled mess of exposed shattered ribs and disemboweled, shredded lungs.

The Masked Man on the other hand is clearly rather injured by your sudden attack, only just having barely parried your second vicious thrust with his steel gauntleted right arm!

You notice that this steel gauntlet is no ordinary gauntlet - and is at the very least a low grade magic tool!

It is at this moment, you notice a flashes of light emerging from this gauntlet as you sense a barrage of small copper needles firing towards you!
[Roll (1d100 + relevant skill) more than 87 to parry, dodge or block, otherwise 11 damage. When damage is received Failed Max Health Self Check (roll higher than your max health) will lead to SPD -4 on your turn (lasts only one turn)]

After firing the needles, somersaults backwards out of the room and runs towards the perimeter walls creating a distance of 37m from you!

You can hear a thud behind you followed by the sounds of hyperventilation behind you. Merchant Xu is clearly terrified by the sight unfolding before him!

---

Hint: You need to be at most within 5m to attack someone in close quarters - with the exception being large and long weapons like Zhanmadao, Spears etc
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:24, Mon 26 July 2021.

Zi moved her body subtly to the side, the needles breezing by her body, barely missing, as she sprinted after the man, moving 34m and getting within 3m of him, not quite being close enough to be grappling them, but more than enough for a couple of punches, targeting the points of his body that would cause him the strain, looking the cause him to falter or trip.

"Hmph, Persumptous, trying to escape from me with those skills" She said between stikes, doing a total of 3 punches targeted at his organs, "You would need to work on your foundations for another 10 years before you consider attacking me with those skills" she places her final strike, hitting a major acupoint with the last one.

---

Today: Zi Cheng rolled 109 using 1d100+45.  Dodge.

Activating Manifesting Violet
12:38, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 116 using 1d100+42.  Fist(Re-roll, as I made a mistake).
12:39, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 7 using 2d4+3d2.
If not dodged/parried, they're stunned on a failed self-health check.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 18):

The Masked man desperately tries to dodge, but your fists strike at his flesh a total of three times causing him to fall to his knees!

But he quickly rebounds (Stun failed to activate), cursing as he this time tries to retaliate, stomping towards the ground to swipe at your diaphragm with an arm swipe with his gauntleted arm! Fortunately you see that his posture is greatly affected by his wounds, and he is unable to unleash the full might of his technique!

[Roll (1d100 + relevant skill) more than 116 to parry, dodge or block, otherwise 11 damage. When damage is received Failed Max Health Self Check (roll higher than your max health) will stun you on your turn (lasts only one turn)]

Zi grunts as she gets hit by the technique, her body twisting away to avoid the strike but just barely being too slow, as the strike hit, the masked man could see her stumble and wheeze a bit, the strike causing her to lose her footing. A bit of blood came from her mouth, a bit of internal damage obviously being caused by the strike as she lets out a bit of a growl, getting back her footing as she gets back into a proper position to strike again, fury burning in her eyes now.

---

Was wondering where my bad luck went, here we see it again.
I'm assuming being stunned means no actions? there's nothing on being stunned in the rules so I'm not sure.

14:52, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 108 using 1d100+45.  Dodge.
14:54, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 73 using 1d100.  Self Health Check.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 20):

Noticing your loss of balance, the masked man follows up with two slow but very heavy kicks, aiming to knock out your Qi with a kick to your solar plexus!

"Such arrogance! To think one at Early Stage would be so foolish to challenge one at Middle Stage! Stay down and don't pursue! Be glad that this kind hearted senior of yours has a policy of not killing women!" the masked man boasts as his kicks lands on your belly consecutively! It is clear that your taunt earlier enraged him greatly which inspired him to make such a brutal attack!

It is at this moment, you recognize the voice as the same one that belongs to none other than Ouyang Peng!

As you keel from the devastating blow, you are suddenly struck with Martial Genius! You somehow notice an opening which affords you a guaranteed hit on your next attack! (no roll required, cannot be parried)

[Receive 22 damage, Deduct Qi by 6. If you have no Qi left, deduct health instead]
When someone is stunned, they can't take actions and can't react.
Two turns are over now, and you can make an action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:53, Tue 27 July 2021.

She growls and spits blood in his face as she recovers from the stun, feeling herself be drained to very little Qi, she knows she can't perform anything particularly impressive, but she knows that she does have something to make an attack count. She performs a swift knee to the stomach of the man as he boasts, lowering his guard before she grabs the glass vial of poison out of her natural interspacial inventory and slams it against the face of the man, shattering the glass vial and grinding the shards into his eyes viciously, letting the poison flow into his eyes and wounds, the calloused palms of her hands protecting herself from the cuts that might otherwise have caused the poison to affect her a well.

"Indeed, this Juinor was too arrogant, please accept this gift as thanks for your teachings" she sneers, her words dripping with almost as much venom as Peng's now ruined eyes. Circling him and repositioning so that he wouldn't know where she was, given he could most likely no longer see.

---

thought long and hard about what might be the best way to deal with him, and given I have exactly 2 Qi left after he drained mine, this was the best attack I can muster.

Since it's more or less an improvised attack, I don't know how much damage baseline it should do on top of poisoning him(since applying to the eyes was a method that was at least said might work) so I didn't roll anything.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Wed 28 July 2021.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 22):

"You despicable wench!! You're courting death!!" the masked man yells as the bottle shatters in his eyes past his mask.

Hurriedly, he takes off his mask and starts trying to rub the liquid off his eyes, but only makes it worse by causing the sharp porcelain fragments stuck near his eyes to continue to dig painfully in his face, creating bloody red streaks across his eyes and forehead.

"Ouyang Peng! To think that you were plotting to steal my treasure...!" you hear Merchant Xu emerging from his room yell in rage as he sees that man's face. "This is divine retribution for harboring such vile designs and hurting my future wife!!"

"Silence, mortal! An insect like you does not deserve to speak in my presence!" Ouyang Peng yells in pure rage as he somehow motions towards the source of Merchant Xu's voice, releasing a barrage of needles. And as one would expect, the needles fly through Merchant Xu's neck, immediately silencing him and causing him to collapse to the ground - struggling to breathe.

"AAaarghh! You are truly unscrupulous!! Poisoning me in such a manner...!!" Ouyang Peng falls to his knees and desperately tries to rub dirt into his eyes - but only making it worse. After a few seconds of struggling, the man loses all his strength and falls to the ground unconscious.

It seems that due to the poison being in his eyes, they had a much faster route towards the brain which would most likely have very painful and deadly effects produced at a faster speed than when ingested.

Based on your knowledge the poison is not nearly enough to kill a cultivator, but perhaps enough to put them in significant pain to the extent of passing out.

---

Very nice idea I like it XD
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:11, Wed 28 July 2021.

Zi grimaces as she took her sword and stabbed it through the neck of Ouyang Peng, finishing him off once and for all. "you truly were a worthy opponent, it's a shame you met me" she said as she crouched down and began searching through the body of the man, taking his magic tool as well as the pot and putting it in her interspacial inventory, having a feeling that the pot may have more to it than meets the eye if a cultivator is after it, and with its unnatural coolness.

As she searched the body of the man she grimaced and coughed up blood, her organs had been damaged a bit in that fight, and although it was nothing that wouldn't heal, it was still painful, the last vicious blow from Ouyang Peng having certainly done some damage. She got up once she had taken everything of value from his body, spitting blood onto him one last time, as a parting gift, before she grunts and deals with Merchant Xu, having known from the moment she saw him get hit that she had no means to save him, not should she waste any effort on one she was instructed to kill, gently holding his hand, to at least comfort the man in his last moments.

---

With that, I suppose, if she is able to, Zi will go through and take valuables from the mansion, storing as much as she can in her coin purse or interspacial inventory before leaving, might as well pay off as much of her debt as she can

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 24):

After impaling Ouyang's throat, you eerily see him dismembered head try to mumble something but remains wordless due to his now missing throat.

On his body, you find nothing but a slightly shimmering silk bag tied shut with a precious looking necklace of blue beads. You immediately recognize this as a Storage Pouch which is often carried by immortal cultivators to store their many belongings by imbuing their Qi into them. No doubt there will be quite a number of items inside.

Other than that you find a small pouch containing banknotes for around 70 GT in divisions of 10 GT stamped by the government of the Yoh Empire.

The gauntlet on the other hand slips from his hand after some effort and slightly shrinks in size. It looks like this tool is capable of changing its size to fit its wearer. Judging from the condition of it, it is rather used and slightly battered, and might perhaps break if too much stress is placed on it. It seems that this was the result of Ouyang Peng repeatedly using it for his arm techniques.

You manage to procure 5 precious looking pots - storing them in the storage pouch (deduct 1 Qi) and a purse of 17 gold taels from Merchant Xu's body.

After pilfering the items, you begin to hear footsteps rushing towards the scene and you quickly make yourself scarce to the nearby sewer before anyone catches sight of you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Thu 29 July 2021.

Zi grimaces as she got out of the sewer after making sure she wasn't followed, it smelled God awful in there, and most likely made her stink. She went back to her inn, washing up amd getting a change of clothes before she sat on her bed, grimacing as she considered what to do for now, she technically has enough gold to settle her debts if she can convert these banknotes, or convince them to accept them outright, but she didn't particularly want to pay them, her Debtor was frankly, a bitch, and she didn't want to pay a penny to the woman if she didn't have to, but her presence did hold weight, as she had a Middle Qi-Gathering Cultivator at her call, and even if she had defeated another senior just hours before, she wasn't sure she would be so lucky a second time with her small Qi pool.

---

This is shorter than I wished, but im writing this from my phone before bed just so im not missed tommorow.

Essentially Zi is going to be staying in town for maybe a couple more months? I don't know if she has a deadline to report back to Er Lian, but I do want to fence the 5 pots I had gotten (saving the Relic Pot with the strange coolness for herself, as well as do research and information gathering on the things she needs for her master.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 26):

Date (Y/M/D): 1001/01/12
Season: Winter
Time: Night

Based on what you were told, you still have around 4 months left to complete the task, though you assume that word of Merchant Xu's death will likely travel rather quickly in which case Madam Er would be satisfied even if you reported back late.

You spend a week wandering the underworld of Yunshuang Fortress and eventually become acquainted with Smuggler Deng who is willing to buy your pots. What you realise though while showing the pots is Smuggler Deng having quite a shocked expression when he sees the pots but quickly offers to buy them for 1 gold tael each.

He is also willing to trade other stuff in exchange. He doesn't know what any of them do, except that he's certain that they are not only precious, but also extremely illegal:

- Water Spirit Dang Gui [3 pots]
- Earthly Opium Poppy Seeds [2 pots]
- Pickled Tiger Testicles [1 pot]
- Earthen Viper Gall [4 pots]
- Black Talisman [5 pots]

...

You also spend another week gathering information regarding the Yang Spirit Fragment and Rare Herb Seeds.

According to some rogue cultivators hanging out in the Yunshuang Fortress underworld, the Yang Spirit Fragment is a piece of the primoridial Yang that created all life in the world. It is said that most of these Fragments lie in another plane of existence where the Devas came from, but some of it is present deep underground, and some lucky cultivators have managed to find it by delving deep into ancient mines and subterrnean ruins. It is said that recently a Foundation stage cultivator named Zhong Qihong managed to find a Yang Fragment in a ruin some distance southwest of Yunshuang Fortress.

As for the seeds of rare herbs, it is said that there is an auction house in Ciban Chengshi Red Striped Market City Northwest of Yunshuang Fortress which frequently deals with medicine related items - though one should expect to wager a lot of Qi Stones - the currency of cultivators - in trying to procure them.

Zi considered the pots for a moment before shaking her head and putting them back into storage, thanking the smuggler for his time. She did want gold to pay off her debts, but she also had made quite a good profit on the killing of Peng, and the contents could be much more valuable to the eyes of someone who knew what they were looking at. She grimaced as she thinks about her next moves, walking out of the smuggler den with at least a little more information than she went in with, even if she had no details.

---

Zi nods as she talks to the Rogue cultivators, Listening to their stories and grimacing, her master had certainly gave her a steep task, but she also couldn't deny that this might be beneficial to her growth, many interesting artifacts aside from the Yang Spirit Fragments might be found. So with that in mind, she made plans to head towards the ruin Southwest of the Fortress to look, figuring that where one was found, more might be found. Before departing, however, she took one last look through any stalls that might sell supplies or techniques to cultivators, looking for an acupuncture technique, hoping that she can find one for the future if she finds a good place to cultivate near or within the ruins. She also looked for any herbs that might go well with her 200 Year Scorching Gegen Root, wishing to refine the effect of the Root into a pill, so that its effects might be enhanced.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 28):

One strange thing you notice about the smuggler when you put the pots back is that he let out a very faint sigh of relief.

...

As you wander through the underworld market, you sadly are unable to find any acupuncture technique manuals, but do find some people selling acupuncture sets (20 uses per set) that go for 2 GT a set.

As for herbs compatible with the Scorching Gegen Root, knowledge of herbalism you possess helps you identify the following herbs available in the underworld market:
- Pepper Gingers (50 ST)
- Frankincense (5 GT)
- Myrrh (3 GT)
- Velvet Antlers (1 GT)

Of course, these herbs are mortal herbs and would probably have at most a moderate effect on improving the effects brought about by a 200 year old spiritual herb. You imagine you might find Spiritual Herbs in Red Striped Market City instead.

...

When prepared to travel [You may decide to prepare food (1 ST per day) or buy cultivator fasting pills (10 ST) that last for a week per pill but can be easily carried], you begin travel to the southwestern ruins which you imagine will take 2 days to reach.

On the first day of your travel, you unfortunately meet with 5 mortal raiders who can't help but want to stop a woman travelling alone. With your speed, you can most likely outrun them, or you may wish to interact with them in another manner.

Whether you interact with them or not, you will eventually reach the ruins after a peaceful 2nd day of travel which seems to have 2 campsites, one belonging to mortal treasure hunters and another belonging to a group of Qi Gathering rogue cultivators who have a simple illusion formation set up to prevent wandering mortals from entering unknowingly.

Based on a quick survey of the ruins, there are 3 entrances to the ruin, with one being past a large gate, another being a deep artificial hole from which one rappels down from, and another being a long flight of stairs that lead diagonally down into a very deep ravine. These entrances are all dark and therefore will most likely require some light to illuminate the interior.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:24, Sat 31 July 2021.

Zi simply avoided the raiders, as much as she would wish to fight them and take what she could from them, she was running quite low on Qi, and needed to meditate, so she simply made her way to the cultivator's campsite and greeted them, with a smile "We are all brothers and sisters on the journey of cultivation, even if our paths diverge our goals stay the same, I hope you will have me while I rest" she chuckles, using their camp as a place to rest if they accept, or finding somewhere secluded to meditate otherwise, knowing she will need her strength before going into the ruins.

Once she had gotten her Qi and strength back, she took out the storage pouch she had taken from Peng, having not had the Qi to properly check what was inside before, he was a cultivator of the middle Qi Gathering and much her senior in age, surely he would have plenty of treasures in a pouch such of this.

After she had confirmed its contents, she gets up, acquiring a torch from one of the mortals or cultivators, or if necessary, fashioning one from a sturdy stick and some local plants that burned well for an extended time. "This shall do, for now, If necessary, I can always circulate some fire Qi to produce light"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:59, Sun 01 Aug 2021.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 30):

"Of course! We rogue cultivators are prey to those who are from established sects. It is only understandable that we all stick together to protect ourselves! Then again it is thankful that there aren't any sect cultivators here at the moment, so that's a relief... My name is Luo An" a deep voiced female cultivator greets you with cupped hands as you arrive.

"We - me and three other ladies who went off to gather some herbs - just arrived here too, and we are planning to explore the ruins tomorrow after we rest. You are free to join us if you wish!"

Luo An is pretty relaxed and doesn't mind if you accept or reject her offer.

You quickly manage to regain your qi in less than an hour and check the pouch revealing the following items:

- 6 black gems glowing with various shades of green
- 4 black gems bearing a dull colour
- A black medallion bearing the symbol of four magatamas.
- A black jade slip likely containing some info if one concentrates their spiritual sense into it
- 14 low grade wood element qi stones
- A gray jade slip bearing the inscription Feral Ape Arm Technique. Likely perusable if one concentrates their spiritual sense into it.
- A Red jade slip bearing the inscription Red Wind Cultivation Technique. Likely perusable if one concentrates their spiritual sense into it.


Luo An is more than happy to share a torch - which she has a huge stack of drawn from her storage pouch.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:27, Sun 01 Aug 2021.

She considers the offer for a moment then nods, smiling "I am in need of a specific item from the ruins if it appears, I am in need of a Yang Spirit Fragment, so I do hope that you will allow me to take it if one appears. Apart from that, I am more than happy to join you on your Journey, Ruins can be perilous places, having allies is a smart decision for any cultivator who hopes to delve into one." She got herself comfortable as meditated.

Once she had regained her Qi and seen what was inside the pouch, she took out the three Jade slips and returned the rest, putting her spiritual sense into the black slip to glean some information about what Peng was doing, and possibly about what was important about that pot, before she retracts it and injects it into the Arm Technique and Cultivation technique, doing her best to comprehend two techniques before the next day rolls around.

---

Realized I forgot to mention my purchases, ill take an Acupuncture needle set, as well as 2 Fasting pills.

Was considering buying some of the mortal herbs too, but ill wait till I can get some spiritual ones.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 32):

"Yang Spirit Fragment? Ah! So you've heard of Foundation Cultivator Zhong! Well I suppose you could say that we're here because of that rumor. We had the impression that most of these ruins have already been cleared out, but rumor's of Master Zhong's great find made us want to try our luck here again! You never know if you might stumble upon a great treasure like that great senior did not long ago!"

"As for whether we will allow you to take the treasure you speak of or not, I am afraid things are not that simple. Because the ruins are already rather sacked to begin with, we have decided that whoever manages to take what is there first will naturally be the one to keep it. Although I  too do not favor such a system, it is something me and my companions have unfortunately agreed upon. I hope you will understand where we are coming from!"

Luo An speaks while giving a really apologetic look.

...

As you inject your spiritual sense into the slips, you gain the following information:

Feral Ape Arm Technique
To Next: [STR 27, ABL 27, Arm 27, Wood 27]
Stage: Gathering Origin
Xiuwei: 0/1000

A demonic martial art technique that involves the use of swift but heavy swings of the arm to injure the opponent. According to the slip, it is enchanced by the assimilation of a primate demonic soul as the arm length provided by manifesting a demonic transformation brings out the techniques the best. But even without a transformation, it is of considerable deadliness due to its sheer range and balance staggering moves.


Red Wind Cultivation Technique
To Next: [Fire 55, Wood 55, Water 55, Wind 55]
Stage: Qi Gathering - Foundation
Xiuwei: 0/1000
An extremely strange manual detailing a form of elemental cultivation of True Self. The manual illustrates the forming of what appears to be elemental meridians in various parts of one's body, and circulating specific qi with the help of various elemental items, medicines and qi stones which can help change the nature of one's Dantian into a sort of vortex that is capable of producing Fire and Wind qi. By practicing this art, one can expect to develop a proficiency for Fire, Wood, Water and Wind. Based on some of the descriptions of its moves, it seems to teach a range of elemental spirit arts of Fire, Wood, Water and Wind, and in Foundation stage mainly explains the use of Wind and Fire arts in the same art to create rather moves with terrifying names like "Infernal Squall"


The black slip contains the following message:

The Demon Egg Pot is in the hands of Gu Muqi. Being the idiot she is, she probably doesn't even know that she is in possession of such a treasure. But it is too risky to grab it outright. If people were to know that that pot is the Demon Egg Pot, even a Primordial Fledgling stage master would pay attention. Protect her for now, and go along with her whims. And when you have the chance, bring it to a mortal, and steal it after a few years. Be sure to protect the mortal too! Don't be careless! This is the only way to keep this item out of sight of those treasure hungry cultivators.

When you have it, meet me at the shrine in Hanlong Gorge. We have much to do before the Matriarch awakens.

---

I checked your sheet and realised you added all of the illegal items from the smuggler. Actually you were supposed to trade your 5 pots for any of the items I listed before. So Tiger Testes (1 pot) would mean you traded 1 pot for a bottle of testes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:14, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

She waves away the concern, focusing on her meditation "I expected as much, don't worry, but I had to ask for the sake of asking, as I need it to get my meridians repaired, if I find any other treasures along the way, I will happily give them up for its sake." She appraises the different techniques she had acquired, finding interest in both of them, especially the Red Wind Cultivation Technique, even if it was a cultivation of the true self, she felt like she should at least learn its principles, and possibly apply them to her own demonic techniques, its basis of turning ones Dantan into an elemental medium being extremely appealing since she did not have much in the way of ways to control elemental Qi. Thus, she spent the rest of her night studying that technique, trying to at least comprehend the foundations of it.

---

Fixed that, sorry for the confusion, lol.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 34):
Date (Y/M/D): 1001/01/15
Season: Winter
Time: Morning

As you study the manual, you learn that the technique requires the possession of either elemental qi stones or spiritual herbs of fire, water, wood and wind. For herbs, they ought to be combined with Qi Richening Incense herbs to be burnt in a wooden incense holder an enclosed cave after which one is the follow exactly the breathing technique and mental chant described in the manual. Based on the estimates given by the manual, it would take around 1 month of closed door meditation to begin seeing some results which would gradually improve one's foundational attunement towards the elemental qi.

You find that such a technique does not really clash with your basic technique of Demonic cultivation as the Red Wind technique simply serves as a technique which improves your attunement to certain types of Qi - though you expect that there might be some drawback related to the cultivator being more vulnerable overcoming elements such as Metal and Earth should one dedicate their way fully to the Red Wind technique.

After you manage to decipher how exactly to start with this technique, you notice three other Qi Gathering stage cultivators returning.

Should you greet them, they will introduce themselves by Luo An's recommendation:

Ning Wan - A very short and slender female asura cultivator with bright hazel eyes and two bluish horns. She seems to be wearing rather tattered rags. She professes herself as an expelled member of the Zhanbei Beggar's Sect who recently broke through to Qi Gathering, but got expelled because she was starving and got caught stealing a roasted chicken. She doesn't have any ambition in particular and simply says she wants to repay her debt to Lan Qing for buying her a nice meal.

Lan Qing - A swarthy tall human cultivator with sandy brown eyes. She looks very neat and is dressed in a fine robe. She, like you also heard of the word of the fine treasure discovered in these ruins and decided to team up with Luo An a few days ago while on the road to these ruins.

Li Zhemao - A very fair Asura cultivator with long dark brown hair combed neatly backwards. One of her hands is completely red in color with long black menacing claws. She wears a rather fine robe. Unlike the rest, she is rather reticent and only introduces herself with an expressionless countenance.


Whether you decide to interact with them or not, you notice that Ning Wan, Lan Qing, and Luo An have developed quite a fine kinship and chat quite happily, while Li simply meditates silently near her tent until it is time to sleep.

...

The next day, now ready to set off to explore, Luo An offers for you to join them in searching the ruins from the entrance of the Large Gate. According to her, there are rumors that the Treasure Hunter Zhong who found the Yang Fragment first entered the ruins from here, and she says she has mapped out a possible location of the new uncharted location where Zhong might have found the new treasure.

As for the rest of the explorers, they seem keen on following Luo, and you notice that none of them except for Ning with her staff carry any weapons, holding only torches in their hands.

Zi, pleased with her findings of the Red Wind Technique, gets up and greets her fellow cultivators making sure to get to know them well enough, knowing your allies, no matter how temporary, is a good thing, if only to learn their habits and weaknesses and how to exploit them.

---

Once morning came, she lights up a torch, staying in the middle of the group as they advance to the unknown area, making sure to stay very alert, although most of the ruin had been explored before, this unexplored section could be filled with traps, but also with treasures, so she was making sure to be on alert for anything that might be hidden from plain sight.

In reply to Zi Cheng (msg # 36):

As the four of you begin your delve into the ruins, you survey the surroundings to find the rather robust looking stone columns that hold up the large stone hallway large enough to fit an elephant.

As you check about the area warily, you notice Luo chuckle as she speaks. "You don't have to be so wary, friend. We are just at the entrance of these ruins - they have no doubt been virtually combed clean by the generations of cultivators that have searched them for treasure..."

Ning follows up with a comment, speaking, "Indeed, though I am encouraged to be a little more careful in my search considering the latest discoveries made here, I highly doubt the ancients would have built a hidden passageway to their secret treasures at the entrance!!"

As you exchange small talk with your companions, you eventually begin to hear what seems to be echoes of limping footsteps coming from ahead in the darkness where you see the faint light of a small candle.

Surprised by this, Luo and Ning's eyes widen in alert as they try to size up this encounter.

Judging from the sounds and the height of the candle's light, it is no doubt a human.

"This fellow's step seems to be erratic - this person is no doubt rather injured..." Ning whispers as the figure ahead eventually enters the circle of light from your torches.

Dressed in heavily damaged and tattered fur robes and covered in numerous bruises appears to be a Swarthy woman with Salt and pepper colored hair and beautiful azure eyes. You can sense from her teal hued flared tail that she is a Deva of Qilin features. As she notices you, she eventually loses much of her strength and begins to fall towards the ground as she loses her balance...!

Zi runs forth and catches the woman as she falls, inspecting her wounds as she holds her up, glancing back at Luo "One cannot be too careful, with such promise of riches, traps and attacks from the original creators of this place are not the only thing we have to worry about, many cultivators fall to their fellow cultivators rather than traps in a ruin such as this"

She lays the woman down as she continues to inspect her wounds, grabbing cloth bandages from her pack to wrap up her wounds, though she didn't quite know what the woman was hurt by.

---

OOC:
Made a medicine check to identify her wounds, failed by 14.
12:09, Today: Zi Cheng rolled 52 using 1d100.  Medicine 38.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:12, Mon 30 Aug 2021.