[IC] The Jade Stream

[Muttonhawk]

Kyang maybe would have cared about the food coming out if Xin hadn't been so brazen. She had her arms crossed as she sat across from him. Her glaive was leaned up against the table as usual, blade down. "I'd wonder that too, Torako," Kyang commented, still looking at Xin. Her tone turned sarcastic, "But, far be it from me to tell a bully what to do without being able to beat him up first."

With that, Kyang took up a pair of chopsticks and snatched up a bao. She was still frustrated enough that she almost let out a growl as she tore off half of it with her teeth and started chewing quickly. However, Within the space of about three seconds, she looked down at the remaining half of the bao and slowed her chewing. As much as she tried, she couldn't stay angry with this food in her mouth. It was too much like the family cook back home.

She eventually swallowed and spoke so serenely it was as if she had meditated for days, "Damn it...these are so calming..." She raised a finger to Xin and gave him a blank look, "...I'll yell at you some more...later. Food first."

After finishing her bao, Kyang gave the others a smile, this food was making her reminisce. Again, she was uncharacteristically serene, "So, have you all got families?"

[Zeroth]

"They are usually very angry. I often have to fight many challengers in a single day. Especially if I choose to take copies of their skill books." Dai Xin answered Torako and Kyang, once more completely-matter-of-fact. "Oddly enough they get even angrier when I return the books. I suppose it must be because I make a point of only throwing aside techniques and training methods that I think are useless, and they may feel disrespected because of that."

When their food arrived, Dai Xin made a point of letting the ladies go first, then deftly separated his chopsticks and picked up one of the buns. Unlike Kyang he didn't bother to separate it, opening up wide and putting the whole thing in his mouth in one go. He still managed to chew politely, mouth closed, but his stern jaw bulged comically. The dough was soft and chewy, but firm enough to completely envelop the pork's juicy, slightly fatty body without any of it leaking out. Biting into the dumpling was like lying on a soft pillow, after which the warm, full body of the pork was like the sensation of a lover settling down next to you. It was tender, each chew causing an explosion of juices, but there was a light dusting of spices that made each movement of the jaw tingle delightfully. The powerful flavor of the meat, and the fierceness of the spices, melded perfectly with the light and elastic texture of the dumpling. It was like martial arts itself, hardness and softness, working together in harmony! Dai Xin could feel it, in this dumpling--the essence of the universe! The Yin-and-Yang of existence, the dark of pork and the white of dough, intermingling to create a sensation of oneness!

He swallowed, and took another.

"These are excellent." he said.

[VitaVitaAR]

Torako did not really, immediately, respond to anyone. She was really rather distracted. This light, soft dough... the juicy, perfectly tender, melt in your mouth pork... Ah, it was too good. Just too good! One bun vanished into her mouth, and she let out a delighted "Mmm~" of satisfaction. Then she had another. And another. And another. And another... One by one, the incredibly moist, delicious, and fluffy meat buns vanished into the pale white-yellow-haired girl's waiting mouth. Anyone who saw her meal earlier would probably be completely baffled at how she still had room for so many of the savory pork buns, and yet they were still rapidly disappearing into her as if she was some kind of black hole of food. Torako simply couldn't stop herself, the incredibly delicious pork buns tempting her further and further to eat more and more...

"Haaaah~" the girl let out a delighted sigh as she sat back, taking a brief break from her incessant devouring of all the food, "They're so good~! The food here is great, I'm so glad I came!"

Torako let out a cheerful grin towards the others.

She paused for a moment before realizing that Kyang had asked her, and the others, a question.

"I don't really have a family," she said, with a small shrug of her shoulders, "But Rikoku itself is my family, really!"

[FujiwaraPhoenix]

A sigh of relief left Liu's mouth as the other three guests he had brought with him began devouring the bao left and right. The one worry he had was that they wouldn't take well to them, but since he was wrong, there was nothing left to worry about.
...
Except the pace at which they were devouring them. Torako in particular was an egregious example of this; she had downed all those bowls of soup earlier, and she had somehow managed to polish off a good third of the buns in the time it had taken for him to eat two. What was she, some kind of monster? A bottomless hole?

"I think... We may require some more bao." he laughed nervously as he turned to the kitchen. It'd take a while for Mr. Zhang to have the next order ready, so hopefully they wouldn't get rowdy. They didn't seem like the type, luckily enough, but it never hurt to play it safe. Maybe he could ask if some tea could be put on...

Kyang's question was... Interesting, to say the least, but he could go along with it. Given the way things were going, he might be stuck with these people for a while, so there was no point in not gathering information. The same went for giving it out.

"Ah... My parents live here in Mingdu; father works on the fields, mother as an aide at the medicine house. I mean, when you live in a tight-knit community like the one here, though, everyone's basically extended family. I've got no complaints about that, of course." he stated, a smile on his face. "Though they are starting to get a bit old... Gotta start picking up the pace in hunting big game, or else it might get a bit hard to continue saving as usual."

[Muttonhawk]

Taking her time eating meant that Kyang was missing out on many of the bao - Torako was delivering food to the army that lived in her stomach as she had been before. Though, Kyang didn't much mind. Her constitution was closer to average and she had eaten soup barely an half hour earlier. These bao were an experience of quality over quantity anyway.

Kyang felt a little guilty for asking Torako about her family. Any number of tragic stories could explain her lack of family, but at least she was good natured about it. Liu's answer was a little more upbeat, thankfully. Xin seemed to ignore the question, likely for his own reasons.

"It's nice that you have a good family," Kyang said to Liu. Just for something to talk about, she decided to give an answer, "My family were real stuffy types. They didn't even let me out of the walls of the manor until I was ten. I had to get out of there or else they were going to marry me to some fat-face from the eastern coast." Kyang opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue in a pretend retch. In an effort to keep the conversation tame, Kyang changed the subject. She didn't want to risk going into detail about her family. "So, any of you got hobbies? I like reading."

[Zeroth]

"My family were serfs on the land of a minor noble." Dai Xin answered, a bit late as he was focused on the food, but answering nonetheless. "I left my home village when I was fifteen, after my master died. I speak to them from time to time through letters, and last I heard things were as they always are."

He somehow managed to fit three of the dumplings in his mouth at once, chewing and swallowing as he listened to the others before giving his second answer.

"My master taught me to read, but I do not often have time to do so for simple enjoyment. I suppose I have no hobbies, as my training consumes most of my time." He looked over at Liu for a moment as another few bao disappeared. He wasn't quite as voracious as Torako, but had no less of an appetite than the girl. "If you are a graduate of the Mingdu school, why do you not become a soldier or a mercenary? The coin might be harder to get but it would surely be more abundant than game. If you've hunted this area for so long, no doubt the animals will grow scarce."

[VitaVitaAR]

Two more of the buns vanished into Torako's waiting mouth, before she gave Kyang a wide grin.

"I like swords!" she said, cheerfully, in response to the somewhat younger girl's query into her hobbies. "... Though to be honest, travelling itself kinda feels like my hobby, but does that really count as one? It's a bigger undertaking then a hobby, hobbies don't't usually make you to go to other countries... but I do it mostly because it's fun! Does that make it a hobby, or something between a hobby and a journey? Is it a journey if I do it just 'cause I enjoy it? ... This is obviously a topic that required more research! Which I will never do because it's too much effort into a subject that required lots of sitting down and reading old dusty scriptures about philosophy that would make me sneeze."

She paused for a moment, looking rather thoughtful about such a silly statement. But then her happy smile returned.

"Or something like that!"

[FujiwaraPhoenix]

Liu watched silently as the platter of bao seemed to disappear right in front of him, a sigh exiting his lips as he turned back towards the kitchen. A second serving might be necessary now, given the situation...

"Hobbies, huh?" Liu responded, half-absentmindedly as he began to go through the final costs for the meal given how much everyone had eaten (or would eat) in his head. "Well, I guess... I can read, given how I was taught at the school and all, but I'd much rather be hunting. Job's not a hobby, but it's close enough."

Taking a moment to realize he had been spacing out, the young hunter blinked and shook his head, slapping his face with both hands to bring some clarity back to his world.

"Okay. Well, that aside... I'm hoping you guys have got some place to stay tonight. Some weird rumors have been going around about bandits attacking travelers on the roads recently. I'm pretty sure you're all able to handle yourselves, but... Well, never hurt to be safe, right?"

As the nonchalant comment came and went, the old shopkeeper came out of the kitchen, this time with another platter of bao in one hand and a teapot with some teacups in the other.

"...Wow. I was just about to ask for some tea, too." Liu laughed, helping the man place the two plates safely onto the table.

"Yeah, had a feeling you would. need me to cook some more food for you all?"

"Nah, won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer, though."

Less than a matter of 'not wanting more', really; that Torako girl by herself could very easily empty his wallet, given the chance. With that in mind, Liu calmly began pouring some of the tea into each of the teacups, handing them out as he completed each one before placing the pot down and drinking some of his own.

[Zeroth]

"Travel is an excellent hobby, Miss Torako." said Dai Xin. "Expanding one's horizons is one of the many paths to enlightenment. I too have enjoyed seeing different people and places on my journey." Dai Xin ate a few more buns before graciously accepting the tea with a bow of his head. He gave off a very dignified air as he sipped at it, savoring the subtle intricacies of the flavor. After a few moments he lowered the cup and took a deep breath, savoring the scented steam rising from the cup.

"I could kill them, if you know where they make their hideout." he offered Liu nonchalantly. "Or capture them, if Mingdu prefers to give its criminals due trial." He sniffed, as if the idea of sparing the bandits was distasteful, but then went back to eating. Already between himself and Torako they'd finished what was left of the first serving. He made a "hm" sound as a thought occurred, then looked up at the others.

"Do the bandits have bounties, by any chance?" He looked around the table. "Miss Kyang, you seemed concerned about money earlier. Forgive me if I pry unnecessarily, but perhaps this would provide a solution? Or are you elsewise employed?"

[Muttonhawk]

Kyang counted it as fortunate that everyone present was at least literate. Though, it appeared as if she was the only one who had read extensively at first blush. It made sense given what the others said about their backgrounds. Kyang was likely the only one with the spare time to sit down with a book or a scroll earlier in life.

The tea was welcome, as it dampened the effect that Xin's courtly manner and speech was having on Kyang's patience. She held the cup in both hands and sipped just as Xin addressed her directly. Her eyes flicked up to him and one of her eyebrows lifted. She spoke only when she had carefully put the tea cup down. It was in that short moment that she managed to contain her anger. "No. I've not found work yet," she said firmly.

After a quick sigh, Kyang actually gave the idea some consideration. "Never tried bounty hunting before," Kyang glanced at her glaive, "I've fought bandits, but only to defend myself. I don't have experience going out to hunt them." She looked around the table, finding Liu, "But we have a hunter here," Kyang smiled and found Torako and Xin, "and a couple of fighters, both well travelled. And me, well..." Kyang straightened up, "I've read of the great ambushes of general Chin Po Shin. I'd bet I could organise you all into a precise strike team! What do you guys think?"

Kyang put both of her hands on the table and leaned forward with a grin. Her eyes flicked between them. She failed to realise that there was little she had put forward for incentive.

[VitaVitaAR]

Torako listened for a bit, devouring further meat buns as she did. So, bandits...?

"... I'll go along, but I don't know how much help I'll be!" she said, cheerfully, before shoving another meat bun in her mouth. It was true, she didn't really know how much help she would be. Perhaps not in the way it sounded like, but it was true. Two more meat buns vanished. Bandits, huh... she'd met bandits before, that was for sure. It was kind of hard not to have some inkling of them even if you never left your home, you'd probably hear about some news of them at some point.

"Bandits can be scary!" she added.

Of course, Torako didn't say they could be scary to her...

[FujiwaraPhoenix]

Liu looked at Xin expectantly and, with a shrug, took a sip of his tea before placing the cup back on the table.

"Well, if we had found the bandits, we'd have sent a team out for them by now. They used to be a nuisance, but with all the trade that's been picking up recently they've started pulling off more convoluted ambushes." he sighed, shaking his head. "But yeah, we've got a bounty on their heads. It's decently large from what I can see, and it's growing every day. But even with all these new prospective bounty hunters out there, nobody's got any leads."

Shaking his head, Liu moved to grab another bao off the plate, but was stopped by Kyang's suggestion that the four of them go hunting for the bandits themselves. Well, three of them seemed to be in agreement...

"...Er... I guess... If you're strapped for cash, we might as well try." Liu sighed, holding up his hands in defeat. "Not gonna try and stop you, but... You know, maybe we should finish eating first."

With that said, Liu took a bite out of his bao and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing.

"So, if we're going down this path... From what I hear, the bandits tend to strike loaded caravans that decide to pass, regardless of time and day. Also lone women, probably for reasons you'd expect. Now that I say it out loud, though... Yeah, let's go cut those guys up. It doesn't feel right, breathing the same air that they do."

[Zeroth]

"Baiting them out would expose the decoy to danger." Dai Xin said, "Would it be possible, young master Fengxian, for you to track them from a place where they were recently spotted?" He set his tea cup down and looked around the rest of the shop. "Or, perhaps we might search a tavern or the poorer streets of Mingdu for an informant? If the bandits have made the surrounding roads their target, they would perhaps need a fence to sell their ill-gotten gains, or someone looking out for them in town to tell them when the merchants are going or coming."

Having found no reason to be suspicious of anyone else in the shop, he returned his gaze to the table and bowed his head slightly to Liu.

"I am afraid that, like Miss Kyang, most of my encounters with the typical highwayman have been defensive. And I am not a hunter--I can offer little more to this attempt than my fists, though I give their service gladly. If Mingdu were a larger place, with a seedier underbelly, and contacts to a crime family or triad, perhaps I could offer more help. I have worked for such organizations in the past and know a little more of their dealings."

[Muttonhawk]

Kyang rubbed her hands together and wore a wide grin. "Oh, I think everyone can be of help here," she remarked slyly.

As for the initial thoughts, there was good information given by everyone, but Kyang felt as though there was deeper thoughts required. Thoughts that were out loud and accelerated in speed as she went. "No leads, you say? I guess that sets a precedent...no matter! There is still intelligence to find. There has to be survivors, otherwise we wouldn't know the attacks to be committed by bandits," Kyang brought a finger to her mouth, "Unless that's just what people are speculating. Anyway, we should find survivors to tell us about them, how they fight, how they move. We can get to know our enemy. Barring that..."

Kyang pointed a finger to Xin, "I like the idea of finding where they might be fencing stuff, if there is anything of the kind in Mingdu. I've got my great grandfather's glaive that I could express interest in selling in order to get close to them. It's still possible that they would smuggle elsewhere, though."

Kyang then lowered her fist onto the table in front of her, leaning forward and sticking her elbow up, "As for the confrontation itself, myself or Torako could be a decoy. I like the idea of baiting them out if you guys could hide yourselves in the surrounding woods. That plan can be fleshed out later, though. First..."

Finally, Kyang clicked her fingers, pointed at Liu, and suddenly slowed down her speech to a more intelligible rate, "I've been going on a bit about stuff that other bounty hunters may have tried. Do you know anything that might answer the questions we have already about these guys? Anything that has been tried before?"

While waiting for an answer, Kyang took up her chopsticks and grabbed at the last pork bun on the table. When she tugged to pick it up, she found that there was resistance caused by Torako's chopsticks clutching it as well. Many different words could have been said, but Kyang instead locked narrowed eyes with her, daring her to be polite enough to give it up. A stand-off of sorts ensued.

[VitaVitaAR]

"..."

".."

"."

There it was. That meat bun, clutched not only in her own chopsticks, but in the chopsticks of Kyang... A firm grip on either side, and the other girl glaring at her, that intense gaze demonstrating such unwillingness to give up! Oh, a fire lit inside of Torako, and there were few things that could satisfy such a flame, so very few things... Tightening her grip, Torako tugged, encouraging Kyang to tug back against her efforts... and, when it seemed like she was pulling her hardest... Torako's deeply serious grimace become a cheerful smile and she suddenly released the meat bun.

"You can have it, Kyang-dono!" she happily declared, before deciding to switch her thoughts to the other matter at hand.

"... Bandits can be really scary," she repeated her early thought, "But... I can be bait! I trust all of you, so I'm not worried!"

Torako gave the other people at the table an innocent, cheerful grin, devoid of anything like doubt or fear or even the tiniest scrap of deceit.

After all, Torako did trust their abilities.

And the Tiger Lily wasn't scared.

[FujiwaraPhoenix]

Liu glanced at the little 'bao fight' going on in the center of the table before letting out a little snicker, then shaking his head and turning to the more... Serious matters at hand. The fact that Kyang was incredibly eager to do this aside, willingly putting out someone as bait felt more like something to be done as a last resort than as a primary plan. Thinking about it like that, though... If the bandits figured out that the four of them were snooping about, and if they realized that they were planning to bait them, wouldn't they simply not fall for the bait?

"In regards to what we've got as options here... So far, you're making logical points here, Dai Xin." he said, nodding his head before sighing. "It's a shame, though, that nobody's been able to get a lick of information in regards to a lookout or someone of the sort. The suspects that statement would suggest are very influential people, and trying to interrogate them would be like a tiger defeating a dragon. So I'd recommend against that."

With that said, he turned to Kyang, who still seemed to be recoiling from the sudden shift in balance in regards to the bao from earlier.
"As for what I do know... Since it's the talk of the town, rumors get around quite easily. The bandits seem to be hoarding their ill-gotten gains, so offering to sell it might not be the best course of action. And for older bait-and-switch tactics... Well, let's just say that people come back missing a few things."

Stopping for a moment, Liu closed his eyes and began sifting through his memories. Who the rumors were from, how trustworthy they were, the proof thereafter...

"But most of the people who tackled the job weren't masters; more often than not, they were cocky students that thought they could take on the world. A lesson in humility, I assume, but they come back crippled for weeks, if not months. They seem to avoid the moderately experienced like the plague, which may prove to be a bit of a hassle."

Right, there was that. But the students had been so thoroughly rattled by the rumors and the results that none would dare try. Unless...

"Actually, I do have a plan in mind, now that I've thought about it a bit. I've still got my old training outfit back at home; if I can masquerade as one of those students and hunt around with Torako with you two tailing us, we might have a chance. Granted, that blade of yours might have to be held onto by either of our two peers, but it has a chance to work."

Turning to Torako and the rest for confirmation, Liu shrugged his shoulders and added a closing remark.

"Or would it be better to snoop around for info? Either way's got chances of backfiring on us real hard."

[Zeroth]

"Even a dragon will die if its throat is clawed out." Dai Xin replied, though Liu's comment was apt. As the conversation went on the group explored the two possibilities more, fleshing out the dangers inherent to each. Kyang seemed oddly enthusiastic about putting herself and Torako in danger, from Dai Xin's perspective. Still, he could not deny that it was a sound plan. Liu advocated them to choose wisely, as either method they used had a chance of coming back to bite them. Dai Xin put a finger to his chin and was silent for a few moments as the others went back and forth. When he finally spoke again, he looked at the three companions in turn.

"I mean no insult, Miss Kyang, but if we were to use either of you two ladies as our bait--which I'm loathe to do, I must admit--I feel Miss Torako might be the better choice." He looked between the smart, sharp-eyed woman carrying the glaive, and the bubbly, flowery dressed woman whose sword didn't match her actions or personality at all. "As for the sword, she could possibly place it in a satchel or wear it on the back of her hips instead--the position of a sword that is being carried, respectfully, as a squire to a master. The way she wears it now is obviously that of someone who intends to use such a blade, but otherwise the bandits might think she was delivering it to someone else's hands." He nodded at the scabbard of the blade and its exquisite craftsmanship. "Her clothes would mark her as a foreigner as well, someone unfamiliar with this land, and too brightly colored to be entirely practical--the markings of wealth. A much more tempting target."

After this he again inclined his head to Liu.

"However, personally, I am more comfortable seeking information. You said that you could not intimidate powerful or influential people. It is wise that you do not kick the nests of hornets. However, if I were to assist, I believe I would have much better luck. My reputation often precedes me, and I find that the stories grow more embellished with every tale."

A memory occurred to him, and that might have been a smile that quirked at the corner of his stern face for about half a second.

"For example, the story of my conquest of the Mantis Blade Fist school claims that I kicked a hole in their wall with such force that the rocks flew from it and caved in some of the enemies' chests. That is ridiculous. I simply have a habit of kicking my opponents in the center of the body, and most of my kicks happened to collapse the sternums and chest cavities against the Mantis Blade Fist warriors. The only reason I kicked a hole in the wall is because whenever I went to the front door, they would hide like cowards and shoot arrows at me."

He let out something that might have been a cough, or a short lived laugh.

[Muttonhawk]

The battle for the last bao may have seemed like an awkward silence, but to Torako and Kyang, it was a clash of wills. Each of them tugged as much as they dared without either slipping or causing the bao to rupture. It was a delicate balance that they had to maintain. Kyang's eyes drilled into Torako's as Kyang, in turn, saw the fires of a waking demon flaring in hers. One of Kyang's eyes began to narrow maniacally, trying to hold her nerve. The bao was so strained that it was beginning to elongate, but it did not break.

The clash ended with Torako letting go first, and suddenly. Kyang's mind and body reeled as if she was in a tug-of-war with an opponent that had disappeared into thin air. She came to her senses to find herself leaning back in her seat, at the very edge of her balance. The bao was still in her chopsticks, held by her hand. Her hand, however, had recoiled and extended as far up and away from Torako's reach as possible.

Kyang cast quick glances at everyone with wide eyes and an exaggerated frown, and then slowly shrank back into her original posture, retracting her extended hand in the process. "Ahem...huh, er," Kyang forced a smile to try and play off the incident. "Thanks...Torako..." she said with a nervous stare at Torako as she slowly and carefully devoured the bao. She had the strange feeling that she had started a shadow war with the girl and that comeuppance was in her future.

By the time Kyang had finished her mouthful, everyone had put forth their input into their approach. "So," she paused to swallow, "We either have Liu and Torako go out as bait while we follow them, or we go and find a noble and scare them into telling us something they might know?" Kyang tapped her finger on her lips and hummed in contemplation, "Well, if we go around scaring people, Liu and Torako can't be seen to be involved, otherwise the bandits might be warned of them. I'm more inclined to just go out and bait them now rather than alienate people with guards who might be innocent. Then again, the information we get could be pivotal."

A few more seconds passed before Kyang made her decision. "My vote is with using the bait and cutting them up, but I could be convinced otherwise. Liu? How do you think events will transpire if we kick in a noble's door and threaten them? Also, Xin? Are you sure you want to anger the locals like that? What is everyone else's vote?"

[VitaVitaAR]

"We shouldn't bother people who haven't done anything wrong," said Torako with a pout, folding her arms as she did. The idea of hassling random people into telling them about the bandits just seemed like the wrong thing to do to the girl with the pale blonde hair. Besides, just baiting them out seemed like it would be the easiest way to do things... they wouldn't need to know, of course, why Torako was confident in this entire plan at all. It wasn't necessary.

"Besides, I'm good at baiting!" she added, her voice cheerful once more.

[FujiwaraPhoenix]

Liu opened his mouth to attempt to formulate a response towards Xin's casual mention of his takedown of another martial arts school, but (wisely) decided to simply drop the idea of calling him out on that and spoke of the nobles instead.

"I still wouldn't recommend trying to intimidate people. Bodyguards will be bodyguards, after all, and it might only lead us down a rabbit hole what we might never emerge from. Not only that, but it might actually jeopardize your intended match tomorrow with the headmaster; your reputation precedes you for the moment, but going around like that might not lead to anything and might simply make us look like thugs picking a fight," Liu said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Not only that, but I was the one acknowledged to have led you around the town. If you decided to do something like that, the three of us might be implicated for collusion and get in just as much trouble. I'd rather not have to deal with all the explanations and worry that would come with that."

Sighing, he turned to Kyang and Torako before nodding.

"Bait seems to be the most reasonable option, all things considered. It keeps from anyone else getting caught up in our troubles and seems to be the fastest method of getting things done. That makes it 3 to 1, correct?"