A Sage's Journey (Original Xianxia)

I’m sorry, between exciting (in a good way) things happening, me being a bit, hm, lazy regarding this quest seeing as it is in the SFW section of QQ and thus, kind of barren, the tie, and me recently getting back into XCOM: Long War (I’m trying a French MEC Rush campaign; it’s fun. Except when I’m raging at thinman bullshit).

So yeah, here’s the next part. Finally?

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After purchasing a new pair of sandals, and realising that it isn’t that the sandals are too hard, or too soft, but that they haven’t been properly broken in yet. You have not learned how to walk in these particular sandals, and the sandals have not learned how to shelter and protect your feet properly. So much philosophy in this, it is unreal.

That’s neither here nor there, as you are now flipping the idea of either going off to meditate and think on that glimpse of Something, or just going to buy a map. Both options have their appeal. Meditating may help you digest this new way of looking at things, and make the idea that you may be a Sage settle properly. On the other hand, the map, well, look what happened after you went off to buy sandals?

What could a map do?

* * * * *

Turns out, nothing.

Well, not nothing, you did find some spectacular maps, and yes, even bought some, on the off chance you do leave the city and go travelling. You honestly wouldn’t mind, and the old man that sold the maps looked so alive when he explained the exotic places you could see that you swear you could almost taste it.

Alas, it was only a woman with too much makeup and perfume. Still, it’s sparked a wanderlust in you, that you can say. You just have to come to a decision on how and what you want to go about this. Either not going on a journey and living a cold, miserable life in the city, or a cold, miserable life on the road.

You aren’t going to romantic it up. Your parents have told you what it was like when the moved to the city, after all. Rain and mud and bugs and predatory animals. Oh, there were good things too, they told you, but they also cautioned you to remember that even if it looks good, sounds good, and feels good, that there is some drawback. Some hardship you must persevere through.

Nothing good is free.

Which is about where your thoughts stop as you turn the corner and see, standing outside of the family’s bakery, a couple of thugs. One of them holding a bottle with a blackened rag hanging out of it. You aren’t up on all the tools of thuggery, but you are sure that bottle is meant to catch fire.

Since they are standing outside the bakery, and gestating at it, you surmise they must be with the thug you, and your dad, beat up the day before. Hunh, looks like the people the thug runs with got annoyed at his inexplicable ability to garner multiple blows to the head, and a jail stay, when trying to shake down a simple bakery.

This, this is a problem. You do not want the bakery to burn down. You also do not want these thugs to trouble you and your family any more. Unfortunately, you do not know what to do. You could go and flail at them like a...like a flailing person. You could hide out and when they run off, you could follow them back to their hideout, but that would mean the ruin of the bakery in a fire.

Or you could run and get help, but that would take too long, you suspect, and the bakery would be on fire and the thugs would be running away..

What do now?
[X] Flail at the thugs
[X] Run to get help
[X] Wait and follow the thugs

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Again, none of the voting choices are traps, they are just different paths to follow. Obviously, each path comes with consequences, but they also bring with them rewards, even if you do not see them.

And since the 'reward' from this one will not appear for a bit, and by then, people won't make the connection. Since you took the buy a map option, you will have more options when you do finally go on the road (because we all know it will happen, eventually), and some other miscellaneous things that I haven't fully decided on yet.

 

Flailing commences!

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You blink once, twice. You do not even think, you just react.

One of the sandals you are, or were, carrying, is suddenly flying through the air to impact the thug with the fire bomb, causing him to drop it...just as he lit it. Which is good, as it hit the ground and shattered, causing a pool of flame to appear, and distract the two men. This gives you enough time to throw your other sandal, and impact the other thug, knocking him off balance enough that he stumbles.

Right into the flame puddle.

With nary a care, you drop the rest of your packages -two maps, a bundle of string, and sadly, a very good beef bowl- and sprint the rest of your way towards the thugs as they are still disoriented. Along the way, you grab a pole -used to light and extinguish lampposts- leaning against, well, a lamppost. Lucky you that someone left it there.

You skid to a stop just at the edge of the puddle of flames and pain, wobbling on your feet and gripping the pole -like you have seen those monks, out by the monastery, hold their sticks- tightly in both hands. With a squick, you try to hit the thug that is turning even now towards you and raising his hand as he scrambles out of the fire.

Bend, don’t break. Be the good sandal, not the new sandal, not the old sandal.

Hunh, that...makes some sense, and while you are drifting in your own head, the thug takes a swipe at you, even as fire crawls up his left leg. Which you block, barely, with the pole, though you are forced to take a step back, else you be overbalanced and tumble down. That would be bad.

“Shit! You lil’ cunt, you set me on fire,” the thug you’re currently dealing with shouts at you and takes a swipe at you with one of his hands, his other patting at his leg as he hops and tries to put himself out.

You can’t help but squeak as you block the swipe with the pole, though the wooden impromptu weapon breaks in half, leaving a piece in each of your hands. You also stumble back and fall on your cute bum. Thankfully, you fell away from the burning pool of fire, and just landed on packed dirt. Unfortunately, you are now on the ground, your opponent(s) are above you, if hopping around on fire, and you have dropped your weapon(s).

Flipping onto your hands and knees, you scrabbling away from the the thugs, hearing a thump, and then another thump, as the thugs stop, drop, and roll. Only...you feel a big hand wrap around your ankle and start tugging you backwards!

“What, nonono! Getoffgetoffgetoff!” you screech, as you roll onto your back and kick the thug in the face repeatedly, trying to get him to let you go. It doesn’t work and you are dragged, kicking and screaming towards the thug, as the other thug gets up, more slowly as he savours the fact that you can’t go anywhere.

Until one of your flailing legs nails him in the crotch. You honestly weren’t aiming there, but you will take what you can get. Oh, hey, thug two let you go, to mimic his buddy and grab his groin in sympathy. This lets you flip back on your hands and knees and get up to your feet again.

With a grunt, you kick the sympathising thug in his ugly face before you turn and run back to the bakery. Making as much noise as you can, in the hope that someone, anyone, will come help. To no avail apparently, as you see doors and windows close instead. Not the bakery, of course, but everywhere else. And it is oddly bereft of people.

Well.

You pick up a bamboo umbrella someone has carelessly left lying on the road and twirl it around in your hand, before turning and setting yourself for the thugs. They will not pass. Hopefully, you can hold them long enough for father to get his wok into play.

“Oh, Resplendent Lotus, the things you get yourself caught up into,” you hear father behind you, and you glance to the side just enough to see him step up beside you, weidling his wok of headbashing. I thought mother and I told you not to get into any more trouble?”

“But father, they were going to burn the bakery,” you protest, your lips turning into a pout as you stamp your foot. “They deserve to get their butts kicked!”

“Yes, yes, but it doesn’t have to be you that does it,” mother fusses as she pulls up on the other side of you, holding a...is that a sword? Oh, that’s the replica sword that your mother puts on display in the front room.

“Shit, we gotta tell the boss ‘bout this,” says the thug you nailed in the groin, still a bit hunched over before he turns and starts to hobble/run away. HIs partner in crime, literally, follows right behind him.

What do now?
[X] Stay here
(make sure your parents are safe)

[X] Apprehend the thugs
(Stop the thugs to turn over to the subprefects)

[X] Follow the thugs
(Try to find the thugs base)

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Ugh, I forgot how hard writing fighting scenes are. Especially when the main protag doesn't know how to fight. Ah well; I think I am getting better.