[IC] The Immortal Honor: Ghost Serpents of Onan (Fantasy Kung-Fu Epic)

[Algorhythm]

Trade Road

The colors of autumn draped around Daokai like an orange magenta robe. The skies were peaceful today, but charcoal clouds were looming from the western coast. Military Officer Peng Do and Zhu Li were traveling on horseback down the main trade road connecting the City of Virtue to the City of Udai. For the past several days they've been gathering info about The Pale Hunter, coordinating with Prime Minister Guan Zen about the recruitment of heroes tasked for the job. Peng had expressed his reluctance about the idea of enlisting citizens. He understood the propaganda behind the move, and though these people were capable fighters, he felt more comfortable having obedient officers that would follow his every command. The grizzly old veteran even suggested recruiting within the Iron Schools academy, but Prime Minister Guan Zen wouldn't budge.

"The Emperor demands it so." Guan simply stated. Such was the way in Daokai. Further grievance on Peng's end would only aggravate the Emperor. Nothing good ever comes of that.

At the very least, he had Zhu Li by his side. She had served with him during the campaigns against the Dragon Fang Liberation Army. Logical and fearless, the battle hardened easterner was loyal to him like a loving daughter, one that would kill for him without hesitation. He will need her loyalty for the coming days.

---

North Central: Shami's Stop

Between the expansive greenery and farmlands of rural Udai stands a lonesome trade station. The dying sun casts the golden rooftop decor ablaze, shining like a beacon for wayward travelers. The giant ornate blade mounted just below the highest rooftop belongs to Ra Daiyan, the legendary warrior of Udai who slayed a thousand bandits. While the legendary weapon is a nice tourist attraction, it also serves as a warning for any would-be thieves looking to cause trouble. There might not be official security on duty, but anyone looking to start a raucous with Old Man Oba Shami would have to deal with his adoring patrons, who've made the tavern section of the station their second home. The facility itself was about as large as one of the Five Fortresses surrounding the City of Virtue. The 1st floor was like a small market, full of local vendors pedaling food and wares of all sorts. The second floor acts as an inn with four private suites and two main community rooms that could fit as many as twenty people, while the third floor is Oba Shami's personal living quarters.

Yuo Zhang slowly opened his eyes. The sky was dark and his body was aching. He tried lifting his head, but when he did, it felt as if all of Daokai collapsed onto his skull. He rested back onto his pillow of mud and cursed at the stars. Yuo had arrived at Shami's Stop a day earlier than expected. Per instructions given to some Military Officer named Peng, he was to wait for his arrival at the trade station with the others. His calligraphy was crude, a stark contrast to the delicate strokes of Prime Minister Guan Zen who cosigned the message. Yuo believed a person's writing hand told a lot about a person, and so far, he wasn't too impressed with Officer Peng. After hours of chitchat with the locals he found his way to the tavern, as if magnetically pulled towards the inevitable debauchery that would leave him laid out by the horses.

"There he is." Yuo heard the quiet whisper, but only groaned in response. Foot steps approaching. Boots can be heard sludging through the mud.

"Here...I...am..." Yuo managed to utter, eyes now shut tightly as he tried to stop the world from spinning. A pair of hands carried him upright, then pinned him firmly against the wall. "No... lay me back down. The mud is better." The hands were now groping for his pockets. Yuo laughed, mentioning that he was ticklish. When the hands found nothing of value, a cold blade pressed up against his throat.

"You better have some money or Old Man Oba is gonna be cleaning up your dead body with the horse shit!" Yuo didn't want to open his eyes. Not because he was scared, but dulling pain boring into his skull wasn't letting up. He sensed there was at least four people; two holding him up against the wall, with two others in the background - most likely the lookout. Yuo smiled as he felt the warmth against the cobblestone wall of Shami's Stop. Despite the knife to his throat, it turned out to be a much better resting spot than the ground.

"Hey!" Another voice yelled. His breath made Yuo gag. "We saw you earlier today, going around buying things in market. We know you got money, so spit it up!"

He eventually spat something up, but unfortunately for the thieves, it was not money. Yuo vomited all over the two men that held him down. The blade left his throat as they staggered back in disgust. They could've killed him right then and there, but the primal urge to beat him up took over. Those were expensive clothes they had on. Stolen, but expensive nonetheless. Yuo was thrown to the ground like a rag doll as the four men began raining down kicks and punches. All he could think about was how warm the cobblestone wall felt.

[Therealslayer]

North Central: Shami's Stop

"Woah girl, slow down." Sam gently ushered her horse to a slow trot as she came up in front of the trade station. She fetched the now crumpled piece of paper in her satchel and quickly went over it to make sure she had the right location. "This should be it," she said as she stepped down from the horse and proceeded to tie him securely on the many hitching posts for the night. Samantha had arrived a day early as she had been travelling in a nearby area and decided it would be wise to spend the night here.

She made her way into the market, a soft smile on her face as she browsed the various items and trinkets for sale. Samantha wasn't one for shopping, yet she loved art in all its forms. She picked up a snack as she continued to explore the vast area. Traveling always made her hungry. In fact, she was always hungry whether she had a decent meal or not. She grabbed an extra apple for Trigger, her horse.

Heading outside, bright red apple in hand, Sam's ear picked up the sounds of a struggle - or what could be a battle. Slipping the apple in her pocket, she moved outside quickly.

Eyes wide at the scene before her, the one sided battle she saw made her blood boil. A man was being savagely beaten by a group of thieves. Samantha had developed a taste for battle over the years, yet hoped this will be a quick one as the days travel heavily weighed down on her. She unsheathed her sais and spun them once in her hands - the adrenaline was already making its way through her veins. "Get off him, cowards!" She spoke loudly in hopes of grabbing their attention.

[Algorhythm]

@Therealslayer

---

North Central - Outside of Shami's Stop

"Get off him, cowards!"

The beatings seized. The chilly air and intoxication made Yuo feel numb to any of the pain that was inflicted. His headache somehow disappeared, so that was a relief. He looked around. It was hard trying to make out the silhouettes cast from the oil lantern mounted from on top of the trade station wall. Its warmth drew most of his attention than anything as he remembered the heat felt from the cobblestones. Yuo dragged himself toward the wall to meet its embrace once more.

"Oh? Who be this?" One of them catcalled. The four men had their complete attention on the woman, approaching her like a pack of wolves. "You want trouble little hero?"

"Get her!" The one with the short blade ordered. All four of them pounced at her like rabid dogs.

[Therealslayer]

North Central - Outside of Shami's Stop

Samantha never made it a habit of smirking, but that time she did. She relished when people would underestimate her even before they had the chance of fighting her. In fact, she hoped they would as that simple mistake on their part would make this battle much easier for her. "Is there a chance we can...talk?" She attempted weakly, and chuckled when they continued to advance on her.

Samantha shrugged "Worth a try," she said before she lunged at the first one and slammed the hilt of her sai against his temple. Quickly, she dodged a kick that came from the second thief and took advantage of his opened stance to kick his feet from under him and slammed her foot down on his sternum. She then blocked the oncoming hit from the third thief with her forearm and delivered two hits with the hilt of her sais, effectively knocking him down. The fourth landed a few hits, but he was just as quickly put down with a vicious kick to the stomach and a knee to the forehead.

With laboured breathing, Samantha cast a glance at the downed man and said "Can you get up?" She then turned her attention back to the thieves. Her hits stunned them for a moment but they were nowhere near knocked out status.

[Algorhythm]

"Yes." Yuo said, pushing off of the ground and sliding up against the cobblestone wall until he was completely upright. "You fight well!" He drew a hand close to his mouth to shield the woman from his cough. As he did, he saw that his skin was caked in mud. He felt thick globs of wet earth weighing down on his feet, and dirt smeared on his face and beard. Some of it must be blood. He smiled at the absurdity of his appearance then gave a slight bow to the woman.

"Thank you for your help." He looked over her shoulder and saw that the men had sprung to their feet, looking like they wanted to go for another round. He groaned. "Can't we have a conversation in peace!" Yuo realized that he was still slurring his words. He silently nodded to himself, identifying that he wasn't sobering up at all. "Geez, that tavern wine is demon urine!"

Yuo's hazy brown eyes met his rescuer's concerned face, both for him and the thieves, who were now charging at both of them. He saw the blade flicker in the moonlight, the same blade that was pressed up against his neck moments before. "You shouldn't be running with sharp objects!" Yuo barked at the armed thief like a parent chastising his kid. He clumsily dashed forward and closed distance between him and the knife man. The thief stabbed at Yuo's torso, but he only caught air as the Wine Viper twirled to the side. A second assailant came into the mix, throwing punch and kick combinations as the bladed thief desperately swung in Yuo's direction. His fluid movements were loose and free flowing, dodging and deflecting with a drunken grace that seemed to agitate the attackers more. The other two thieves ran past them to fight the woman. One of them unsheathed a machete while the other opened the attack with a flying jump kick.

[manapool1]

Fuana sighed as she looked at the piece of paper before her once more, desperately trying to figure out the characters. The young lady, adorned in strange clothing that caused others to murmur and stare around her walked with her head down so that she may read the note, though she was getting nowhere. This new area of the world was different from much of the rest. Centralized government and such focus on technique in fighting, she was falling in love with it by the minute. She was told to travel the road until she found the large trading post and she assumed this was it. If it wasn't, she would be out of a job, yet her skill with this language was minimal and she was too proud to let herself have an embarrassing exchange with a stranger just yet, she just got into town. As she walked, the street became progressively less and less populated, and she was glad of it. Rarely has she seen this sort of population, and the silence reminded her of her life at home, if only it was as warm as it was there. Here it was colder, but she had been to worst. Her attention broke as she heard the pained grunts of young men and she desperately ran towards the commotion. Her Moccasins kept her silent as she moved, along with her training leaving her footsteps ever diligent and light, as if she were a feather. As she studied from afar, it seemed no one had noticed her. She knew that this was a foreign land and she had no reason to do anything here, in fact, it would be foolish, but she could never live with herself know she let what seemed to be a sickly, hindered man and a woman be abused and mistreated by able-bodied, rich citizens, or at least they seemed to be based on their clothing and appearances. She moved her head down up and down fast, causing her mask to slide down with a muffled 'clunk' and with that she pulled her blade.

Piercing the air only filled with blunt grunts and the sound of dull punches and swipes what a blood-curdling, passionate, and malevolent screech, sounding as it was not from a human being, but perhaps a demon. It echoed and surged through the air and following it was the light pitter-patter of fur covered feet. From behind the men a young lady drabbed in a demonic mask, white fur racing behind her like a cape and strange clothing rushed toward them, a thick, boxcutter looking sword raised into the air above her.

With no hesitation she cleaved it down full force at the clavicle of the other armed man, and only after she swung did she stop screaming.

[Therealslayer]

"Of course," Samantha returned his bow as the clearly intoxicated man thanked her. A small smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she watched him; he sure didn't seem to mind the dirt on his face. "You...don't look so good." She cringed at her own words and wished she could have said something better - or perhaps nothing at all. No matter, there were angry thieves baring their teeth at them like savage beasts.

Before Sam could do anything, the stranger intercepted two of them. Astonished at the man's prowess in this state, she almost forgot about the other two attackers wanting her head on a silver platter. It was too late, however, as a foot connected with her face and she was launched into the air, landing on the ground harshly. "Okay, ouch." She complained before she swiftly kicked off the ground and landed on both feet.

The thieves both charged at her, but instead of unsheathing her Dao to even up the odds, Samantha sidestepped the unarmed thief and grasped his shoulder with both of her hands. She turned his back towards her, holding him against her chest as his friend plunged his machete into him. "Sorry," she whispered and moved from behind him, and let his limp body fall on the ground.

Samantha watched the second attacker struggle to pull the machete out of his friend. It was a nasty sight to see, and one Sam hated seeing, but sometimes it was necessary. After a while, the thief decided he wasn't going to get the weapon back anytime soon he turned towards her and raised his hands up in a loosely held stance. Sam did the same, and had already placed her weight on her right leg to prepare for the kick he would eat square in the jaw. She knew before he even moved that he would jump up at her, and when he did, she unleashed a strong kick in his face.

Somewhat unsteady on his feet, the thief shook his head and jumped back in with a series of punches and elbows, which were all expertly dodged and countered. Samantha firmly grasped his left arm, turned her back to him and flipped him over her shoulder. She kept a hold on his arm and twisted it in a painful and uncomfortable angle. With the other she unsheathed her sword and placed it against his throat.

Samantha then glanced over to see how her companion was doing.

[Algorhythm]

Yuo won't be able to maintain this dance for long. The ground was slippery and the world was still spinning. He launched a swift back kick, sending the armed thief tumbling. As he did so, the other attacker managed to land a glancing blow on Yuo's abdomen. The punch was mitigated by a reactionary roll of his body that took some steam out of its power, but the shot registered. It was enough to make his gut rumble. Yuo instinctively tried to cover his mouth but the projectile vomit snaked through his fingers and onto the thief that had punched him.

"Ack!" The thief cried out. Yuo experienced a moment of clarity, like time had stopped to present an opening in his attacker's guard. He power stepped forward and unleashed a snaking jab followed by a short, but powerful, closed right hand fist to the jaw that knocked the thief unconscious before he dropped to the ground. Yuo lost his footing in the follow through and slipped on the mud, causing him to fall face forward onto the thief he had just knocked out. Sigh...

Just as he hit the ground, he remembered that the armed thief was still behind him. As Yuo rolled onto his back in a defensive guard, he saw that the armed man had been swiftly dispatched by someone else. The figure was oddly clothed with a mask and garments that he'd never seen anyone from Daokai wear. This night was getting crazier by the second.

"T-thanks!" He clumsily got onto his feet and glanced back at the woman, who dismantled one attacker, and was now holding the other in what looked to be a painful arm submission.

"Let me go you wench!" The thief winced in pain as his left arm was kept bent in an awkward position.

[manapool1]

Turning to the distressed drunkard, who she saw now was seemingly not as helpless as she had assumed, she decided to do her best to comfort him at this time. She realized her presence was irratic and most likely terrifying, seeing as she was a murderous woman in strange clothing and an impossibly loud and obnoxious roar, but it was worth while. She knew that if she attempted to speak clearly to him, she'd end up with nothing more than confusion. There was a chance she could mistaken for a beast or someone cursed if she talked do to her lack of ability. Instead, she turned to him slowly. Now with splatters of blood on her mask, she raised her thumb up with a fist underneath, Giving him a thumbs up. It was the best she could think of at the time, perhaps later she would try tout explain herself, but not now. Now she needed to be a righteous indignation of justice upon what she assumed was unworthy nobles praying on weak peasents. It was not her place but it was against her code not to intervene after all.

Having been keeping the man up with one arm and the sword cleaved into his shoulder, she placed a foot on his left pec and pressed on it, pulling towards herself with her arm, and watched as he slowly slid off, her eyes, or to everyone else the dark void holes next to one another, staring straight at the last remaining standing man. As the fallen victim finally slid off she raised her sword once more.
"He die for crimes, yes?" She asked, deciding that her strange choice in language would be tolerable here. To her it seemed sensible enough that she would not seem too out of place, which she had been doing so horribly already.

[Therealslayer]

"Let me go you wench!"

Samantha twisted his arm further and slid the tip of her sword just under his chin. She could still feel and hear the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears, her laboured breathing and her blood running down her dilated veins. A loud scream snapped her out of it, and it was only then that Sam noticed a strange woman whom had joined their fight. The woman had slid the machete out of the downed thieves Sam had taken care of earlier. She didn't know what to make of her, but she had fought with them and not against them so it seemed that she was on their side.

The thief in Samantha's grasp had tried to free himself, but Samantha only tigthened her grip further. She smacked his face with the dull edge of her Dao in a way a mother would chastise her child for getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, if his barred teeth are an indication.

The woman's speech pattern was odd, but Sam had no trouble understanding her. "No!" Sam shouted at the woman, and quickly explained herself: "I think it would be best to alert the authorities."

Strange speech, strange clothing; Samantha's interest was peaked.

[Zero Hex]

"Oh yes, alert the authorities that a foreigner just hacked a person to bits. I'm sure they'll be quite welcoming" came a voice from the far end of the stables. Wei Zhan Wu had only just arrived, no point in getting ahead of schedule if he'd simply be forced to stop once he did so, and had been drawn to the sounds of battle and the smell of blood once he went to drop off his rented horse. Still riding atop the animal, he looked down upon the end result with clear amusement. "He died because you chopped him in half, whatever you are", he continued to address the one in the mask, "and you did so in the one place where people will care about it".

He was a mercenary and an assassin, killing people was a large part of his life, but this was pitiful. Not only was it completely unnecessary when comparing levels of skill, it was bound to attract more attention and cause more problems than a bunch of lowlives were worth. "Ah, perhaps you don't understand me. You then, or you", he gestured with his head towards the blonde that looked like a foreigner and the man with all the bearing of a drunken miser. "Could you not handle a few louts without bloodshed? Doing it out in the wild is one thing, but killing someone in the lone trading post within miles is bound to complicate life for everyone".

As he adressed the group, the tall, slender man climbed off his horse, examining the bodies of the robbers and regarding the one restrained man with the same look one would give a child caught stealing a snack before dinner. "Hm, you wouldn't happen to have a reward on your head, would you? If there's going to be a commotion I'd rather it be justified".

[Therealslayer]

"Could you not handle a few louts without bloodshed? Doing it out in the wild is one thing, but killing someone in the lone trading post within miles is bound to complicate life for everyone".

"And who exactly are you to judge?" Samantha asked, though she didn't care much for an answer. Not that there was no truth in his words and in fact, it's the truth that stung. She would have been the first to admit that the people who met their fate tonight was useless, but she did her damndest not to kill anyone - which is something she valued greatly for herself and others as well. Other people's action she had no control over. "These cowards were beating on our friend here -" She motioned towards the dirtied man swaying on his feet, "and I intervened. And if I hadn't, there would have been another senseless death here tonight. So, stranger, it would be in your best interest not to base your opinions on what you didn't see."

Samantha's arm was starting to burn from holding the thief in place and decided a switch of position would be in order. She pressed him down in the dirt on his stomach and sat herself down on his back. Her Dao remained pointed at his neck, which she inched closer to him as he made a crude remark.

She then turned to the newcomer, thinking how everyone gathered here at the same time was nothing short of a coincidence. She examined the man - his face and posture held stories of many fights but it was the youth in his eyes and clued in Samantha the man most likely was not in his thirties. He clearly had a different outlook on what happened here tonight and though that was perfectly fine, she believed anyone deserved the benefit of the doubt - even their foreign friend with the homicidal tendencies.

For once, Samantha was glad she hasn't spoken her thoughts outloud.

[manapool1]

Having already raised her blade, Fuana haulted with it high up, like an executer frozen in time. She watched the man cry out and try to escape faster, all of which helping in tiring the other female of their group's arm. She nodded, flipping her blade in her hand and sheathing it reluctantly. In her culture it was death for any person caught in the act of a crime by the people it was based around. Theives would plead to be put in cells or they may suffer the wrath of the twin they had stolen from. She saw no qualm with the murder of these young men. They could have easily made themselves into respectable men yet they had chosen the path of a criminal aND in doing so had taken the wrong and deadly path. Yet when a man behind her appeared and began to slander her good deeds fuana was both confused and angered. Again she withdrew her still bloodied sword and turned to him with her weapon brandished and her blood boiling. She turned to the others and spoke.
" his is bad too?" In a low, grunt like voice, hardened no doubt byou Herr life, expressing her primal lineage and lifestyle.

[Zero Hex]

"A professional. Wei Zhan Wu, at your service" was the quick, simple reply the mercenary gave to Samantha's first line of questioning, punctuated by a bow of the head so slight it might as well not have been there. He watched with amusement as the blonde brought the would-be assailant down to the filthy dirt floor of the stable and sat on top of him to further add to his humiliation, and that the man was unable to escape such an easily countered joint lock was just further proof that these were not exactly martial masters. Zhan Wu let the woman say her piece while he guided his horse to a stall, seemingly paying her no mind until after he was done.

"Ah, so do you know why they were beating him? He has the look a drunkard to him" he replied once more, pausing to take sniff of the air before continuing. "And the smells, as well. Hardly the sort that doesn't earn such treatment. As for the dying, well, he certainly seems capable of handling himself". Just how much exactly Zhan Wu saw, he wouldn't say, but he thought it was fairly obvious this was no average lowlife wasting away in alcohol. As for the savage, the mercenary regarded her with a look of contempt not unlike the one given to a disobedient animal that continues to inconvenience its master, clearly unfazed by the brandished blade.

"As for you, foreigner, I'll give you some advice. Put your weapon away, learn the customs of the land and learn when to fight and when to kill. Only fools rush in, as the saying goes".

[Therealslayer]

"I'm fairly certain a four to one fight, whatever the reason, is unwarranted." Samantha felt the thief buck underneath her, growling and spitting harsh words at her. "Though we don't need to play much of a guessing game, we have a live one we can interrogate." She smiled all too sweetly as she leaned forward and smacked her sword underneath the thieve's chin. She watched him expectantly, waiting on an answer. When he didn't say anything, she asked "Why did you attack this man?" Perhaps he hadn't paid his bar tab, Sam thought, or maybe he possessed something of value they wanted to get their hands on. Whatever the reason, she was curious to find out.

Still no response. "I get the feeling he doesn't like me." Samantha sighed and shrugged at the others with a slight chuckle. Suddenly, the woman remembered about the paper in her pocket. She took the now muddy paper out and lifted it in front of her. She directed her gaze at the newcomer, raising an eyebrow at him. "So Mr. Professional, I'm guessing you got one too?"

[Algorhythm]

Before 'Mr. Professional' could answer the woman, a group of people scurried out from Shami's Stop. They were armed with weapons and lanterns. The people leading the charge were no doubt warriors of some kind, confidently brandishing polearms and swords. The ones in the back were more likely vendors and average citizens that joined the mob with broomsticks and chairs. One man even had a vase raised over his head, but Old Man Shami grabbed him by the collar and snatched the item from his grasp and slapped him on the back of the head for good measure.

"What is going on out here?" Old Man Shami barked, setting the vase down before stomping forward. The sea of patrons parted to reveal a tiny man with a long white beard. Even though he was the eldest out of everyone there, there was no hunch in his back, or crook in his step.

Yuo walked forward then bowed. He took pride in the fact that he did not stumble over doing so. "Forgive us, kind Shami. We meant no disrespect to your establishment. These men lying on the ground tried to rob me. If it weren't for the kindness of these good Samaritans, I would've been in a much more graver state than I am now."

"Young Zhang?" Old Man Shami squinted, trying to identify Yuo's face past the blood and soot. "By the river of stars, you're a mess." The tension in the air softened. Some of the people from the mob chuckled and gossiped at the sight of the muddied black sheep of the Zhang family. The patrons would be hard pressed to forget Yuo's outlandish storytelling that lit up the tavern hours ago.

"Not by design. Partly." His white smile was like the crescent moon reflecting off of a dirtied pond. "You will find no fabrication in my story."

"Lies!" The thief in the blonde woman's hold cried out in a panic. "They attacked us! This she devil killed my friend, and the masked one slayed the other!"

"Just look at their clothes." Yuo said. "I'm sure Shopkeeper Ikam can recognize them."

A tall, lanky middle-aged merchant sprung at the sound of his name. With a lantern in hand, he surveyed the men's garments with eyes wide and mouth agape. "My Sky Tunics! These thieves ruined them!" Shopkeeper Ikam began kicking the dead body of the thief until he was restrained. After a moment of silence, Old Man Shami made an executive decision.

"I concur that Young Zhang is telling the truth." Shami said. "These men had violated market law. Take the two who are still breathing into the basement chambers." The mob motioned over to retrieve the man in the blonde woman's clutch, and dragged the other who was still knocked unconscious. "Round up the dead and make them presentable for the authorities."

Yuo bowed in thanks, but Old Man Shami did not return the gesture. "Your family name can only save you for so long, young Zhang. Do take care of yourself." The old man's squinting eyes gazed upon the rest of the group, showing much concern. "The night is cold. I will not have any more freezing bodies awaiting the authorities. Stay inside and please respect my establishment. That is my only warning." Shami stared long and hard at the masked figure before walking away.

"Well, quite the exciting night." Yuo turned to everyone and bowed. He felt much more sober now. Something had to be done about that. "Thank you all for coming to my aid. As you might've heard... I am Yuo Zhang." He awaited everyone's introduction before continuing, motioning everyone towards the entrance way of Shami's Stop. "Any of you here to meet a military officer named Peng Do?"

[manapool1]

Watching the ground emerge, the masked lady skid back to her fellow female and put her hand on her weapon. She had seen that in much of this world a woman would be capture and put into use as a toy to men, or married off to or by her captures. So far this lady had been the closest she had to a freind in this new area. She did not want harm to come to her of all people. The drunk would be fine, perhaps even feel natural with others in his position. For the other man, she had grown to dislike him. Much of what he had spoken had been no more than rude banter over her way of simplifying the situation.

To her surprise the rich man before her had done much to help, negotiating and using diplomacy to his best. It seemed as if he had some face to him as what she assumed to be the village elder of their stop recognized him and greeted him kindly. As others came and went before finally dispersing she was releived and fully sheathed her blade with a loud clank. She would need to clean it later.

She wondered what he meant when he said his name, was it important here? She decided to try to gauge the other's reactions. She had noticed the paper other girl had shown, and assuming he was talking of it she pulled it a pouch she had on her person.
"I am to go. Who can read?"

[Therealslayer]

Samantha looked up at the group of locals, startled and wary of what would happen next. Her grip on her sword tightened considerably. She had no experience in running away from angry mods of citizens - and not to mention Trigger would never let her live it down if she took that way out. Sam claims the mare has trouble with holding grudges against her, especially when she gives Trigger apples that are way too ripe.

To her surprise, this Zhang individual she had aided smoothly diffused the situation with the locals. Samantha stood up and slid her Dao into its sheath on her hips. She carefully watched the thief stand up, somewhat painfully- she smiled proudly, though inwardly at his obvious wounds. Sam considered he wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt to run now; or so she hoped.

The masked stranger came to stand beside Samantha, and as she gazed into the holes of the mask and examined the stranger's eyes, Sam could see traces of wariness clearly displayed - or perhaps it was confusion. Sam nodded at her, a small smile displayed on her lips in an attempt to send a sense of security her way. If this woman trusted her, Sam thought, she could start to learn how to understand her better and avoid further misunderstandings.

Sam turned to Yuo has he introduced himself. She reciprocated the bow and joked with a chuckle: "exciting isn't exactly the synonym I would use." She placed one hand on the hilt of the sheathed Dao and introduced herself to the group next: "Samantha Oshiro."

"Any of you here to meet a military officer named Peng Do?"

"Affirmative." Sam stepped forward towards the masked woman and quickly skimmed over the piece of paper she held. She didn't really need to read the paper, as the familiar handwriting was enough of an indicator of whom this was from. "Yes, you are to come with us," Samantha replied to the foreign woman with a nod of her head.

[Zero Hex]

Zhan Wu watched with disinterest as the crowd sorted out their business, deciding that time was best spent securing his mount and making sure it was provided for after his journey. He might need it later, after all, and what had gone down or how the locals handled it really wasn't any particular concern of his if it didn't interrupt his coming and going. At least, it wasn't any particular concern of his until fate mandated it be so, when the two names came to light and made him turn around and pay attention. "Ah, the so-called Drunken Master of the Zhang family, yes. You are rather well known amongst escort agencies and the like".

Being the scion of a highly regarded and resourceful family had its benefits. For everyone willing to pay for a serious hit on the rambunctious drunkard, seen as the easiest target of the influential clan, the Zhangs or their friends and allies often reserved the right to match the offer to void the contract before it was signed should they feel Yuo's life was truly in danger. When that wasn't an option, a defense contract was called for instead. Whether he was aware of this or not, Zhan Wu couldn't say and so he wouldn't divulge the information. Instead, he gifted the man a smiling bow that seemed stuck halfway between being mocking and sincere.

"Ah, the heavens do work in funny ways. I am here for the contract indeed, though I must say it seems like something the Iron School should handle", he shrugged, conspicuously not producing a letter as the others. Papers could be stolen and his had been burnt to ash to ensure such a thing would not happen, a common precaution. Instead, a password and reply had been agreed upon with the employer when the Howling Hunters were contacted to deal with the Pale Hunter. Zhan Wu turned to the group once more. "Didn't figure a Zhang would go for this line of work, not even you. In fact, I must say the same for everyone here. First day on the job?".