>>4009043
>You climbed to the mountaintop and fought the other children. (Starting Style: Furious Howling Gust)
baichi dont give no fucks bout yo rice paddies, time to fight
>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)
>You were the fastest child in the village and none could outrun you.
It sounds like it'd go well with a "Furious Howling Gust".

>>4009043
>You trained under a crazy hermit outside of the village, to your father's disapproval.

>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)

>You were the handsomest child in the village and every girl wanted you. (Hard Mode)
Challenge accepted. Gigolo quest it is then. Who says you can't manwhore your way to the top?

>You turned your pants into solid gold through alchemy (Starting Style: Gleaming Undergarment)

>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)

>You were the luckiest child in the village and never once lost a game of dice.

>You secretly studied a scroll you found in a ruin, until you began to understand. (Starting Style: Dizzying Overhang Spike)
>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)
>You were the luckiest child in the village and never once lost a game of dice.

>>4009043
>You trained under a crazy hermit outside of the village, to your father's disapproval.
>You were the fastest child in the village and none could outrun you.

In the world of magical marital arts bullshit, speed is king.
>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)

Can't avenge your master if he dies of alzheimers.

>>4009043
>You climbed to the mountaintop and fought the other children. (Starting Style: Furious Howling Gust)
>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)
>You were the luckiest child in the village and never once lost a game of dice.

>>4009043
>You climbed to the mountaintop and fought the other children. (Starting Style: Furious Howling Gust)
>You needed to leave the region before your father forbid you to go, forcing one of you to lose face. (Starting Quest: Seek Escape)
>You were the handsomest child in the village and every girl wanted you. (Hard Mode)

>>4009043
>You secretly studied a scroll you found in a ruin, until you began to understand. (Starting Style: Dizzying Overhang Spike)
Something we found in a ruin? I know how this works, the weird treasure the cultivator found when young is going to have the best rewards.

>You realized you could learn no more and set off to find a shifu or join a martial sect. (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)
Plenty of cultivators cultivate just because they want to, there doesn't have to be any melodrama. We'll pick that up along the way.

>You were the luckiest child in the village and never once lost a game of dice.
Luck all day every day, got to have as much of that as possible for finding lost cultivation methods.

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>>4009047
>>4009090
>>4009130
>>4009141
>>4009155
>>4009167
>>4009310
>>4009400
>3 votes for (Starting Style: Furious Howling Gust)
>7 votes for (Starting Quest: Seek Mentorship)
>4 votes for (Lucky)

You are Báichī, often called Lucky Dog by the old men in your village because they could never beat you at dice. Instead of learning from a mentor or scroll, you taught yourself the Furious Howling Gust, a style that relies on a reckless and rapid offense to beat the wielder's foes to the ground. The Furious Howling Gust has proven enough to beat even the strongest bullies of your village but you know there are many mightier opponents out there and you too, must grow stronger to fight them. After fighting a crazy hermit to a standstill, you realized you can go no further in the village of your birth so you said your goodbyes and left.

Father looked on you with scorn but did not block the way, because he knew you had become too strong for him to control. He is disappointed that you would abandon everything to chase dreams of cultivating qi alone instead of accepting your duty to tend the rice paddies alongside your family. You are hurt but there is no other path to take, so it is with a heavy heart you leave the sleepy village behind.

One day you will return to show your father how wrong he was and finally earn his respect, but that day is not today. As with meditating, you must clear your mind and focus on the task at hand: finding a shifu or sect willing to teach you true kung-fu. There are many places you could venture and it may be many years before you return to the village crossroads. You must think carefully about where you tread.

>Where do you want to travel?

>Away from the paddies and into the wild forests of the east, where you heard the wisest of men try to become one with the world.
>Farther east, into the caves of the distant mountain, where they say fearsome beasts and practitioners of forbidden arts lurk.
>Away from the paddies and into the wild forests of the north, where it is told that savage tribes commune with spirits and defy the emperor.
>Farther north, into the frozen tundra where the rarest plants grow, fiercest beasts dwell, and and only the strong can survive.
>Away from the paddies and into the sparsely settled plains of the west, where the people have grown strong and hardy in isolation.
>Farther east, into the steppes themselves where mighty beasts roam and savages bring them to heel and defy the emperor.
>Deeper into the paddies and into settled lands of the south, where a shifu is sure to be looking for someone to pass his wisdom to.
>Farther south, into the largest city of the province where it is told that a handful of sects compete for the governor's favor.
>Nowhere, it is not glorious but this way, you can help your family with the harvest and learn everything you can from the hermit you bested.

>>4009569
>Away from the paddies and into the wild forests of the east, where you heard the wisest of men try to become one with the world.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wsWtyLVafS0

>>4009569
>Away from the paddies and into the wild forests of the east, where you heard the wisest of men try to become one with the world.

>Tfw your parents literally name you Idiot

>>4009569
>>Farther north, into the frozen tundra where the rarest plants grow, fiercest beasts dwell, and and only the strong can survive.

>>4009605
Clearly the luck only kicked in well after he was born.

>>4009569
>Farther east, into the caves of the distant mountain, where they say fearsome beasts and practitioners of forbidden arts lurk.

>>4009569
>>Farther north, into the frozen tundra where the rarest plants grow, fiercest beasts dwell, and and only the strong can survive.

>Away from the paddies and into the wild forests of the east, where you heard the wisest of men try to become one with the world.

>>4009569
>Farther north, into the frozen tundra where the rarest plants grow, fiercest beasts dwell, and and only the strong can survive.

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>>4009585
>>4009605
>>4010366
You meditate in a quiet glade and in the serenity from dusk to dawn, you realize that in some ways, the world itself is greater than you could ever be. If you want to become a legend you must seek the wise men of the eastern forest, join their order, and learn their secrets. Even so, there is no reason you need to go immediately and if your task is to become one with the world, some worldly experiences could serve you well.

>What route do you take to the eastern forest?

>Direct, in as straight a line through the rice paddies as possible. Unless the tales of the cultivator's eternal youth are true, you have no time to waste.
>Meandering, visiting a handful of villages, you'll challenge their martial artists to single combat and prove your worth or be humbled.
>Convoluted, it may take many months or even years, but you intend to plunder the ancient ruins and keep an open ear for interesting rumors along the way.

>>4010460
>Meandering, visiting a handful of villages, you'll challenge their martial artists to single combat and prove your worth or be humbled.

Keep an ear out for any word of rumors or ancient ruins.

>>4009605
At least we can still get a daoist name.

>>4010434
You ninja'd my post but I checked five minutes before writing and already had the update. Don't worry, this is Xianxia and unless you go drinking sketchy elixirs or defiling/reshaping your own qi you won't be locked into any one route. Like the starting styles, each has its strengths and weaknesses.

>>4010469
>Meandering, visiting a handful of villages, you'll challenge their martial artists to single combat and prove your worth or be humbled.

I have a Bad habit of slipping in right before an update

>>4010469
I still vote for heading up to the frozen north to prove our worth when we have the chance

>Convoluted, it may take many months or even years, but you intend to plunder the ancient ruins and keep an open ear for interesting rumors along the way.

>>4010460
>Meandering, visiting a handful of villages, you'll challenge their martial artists to single combat and prove your worth or be humbled.

>>4010460
>>Direct, in as straight a line through the rice paddies as possible. Unless the tales of the cultivator's eternal youth are true, you have no time to waste.

>>4010460
>Meandering, visiting a handful of villages, you'll challenge their martial artists to single combat and prove your worth or be humbled.

>>4010460
>Convoluted, it may take many months or even years, but you intend to plunder the ancient ruins and keep an open ear for interesting rumors along the way.

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>>4010466
>>4010505
>>4010541
>>4010620
You decide to take a meandering route to the eastern forest, stopping in some of the villages on the path to challenge their martial artists. Also, you'll keep an open ear for anything of interest but won't go out of your way to seek them.

>Roll 1d20 to travel, Bo3 for luck

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>4011002
Welcome back, OP

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>4011002

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>4011002

>>4011004
>>4011023
>>4011057
Jfc so much for Lucky

>>4011073
Now imagine how unlucky everyone else in our village was. They probably picked off a spirit dragon or something.

>>4011075
lol

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>>4011004
>>4011023
>>4011057
You set off immediately, not wanting to waste another moment. The first few hours away from home are peaceful but as the rice paddies part into unkempt grassland you start to feel you're being watched. You can't see anything when you look over your shoulder so you dismiss it as your imagination playing tricks. Then you stop to rest in the shade of a lone tree and an arrow flies from the bushes, piercing the bark beside your head! A large man with a hooked dao steps out and flanking him are two thugs holding clubs. Behind them, you spot another holding a long bow and trying to hide but failing because of the angle the light strikes the grass.

What a stroke of luck.

The man with the blade, their leader, you assume, brandishes it and barks out a command. "Boy, this road belongs to Gao Ling's band and you would do well to pay the tithe." You tense, thinking quickly. "I assume you are him?" He puffs out his chest in pride. "I am the famed Gao Ling, master of the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw! Once, I was a sergeant of the Imperial Army and then I left, when the pay proved less than I what I could take!" He swings the sword in a swift, vicious flourish. "Now pay! In blood or yuan!"

Your eyes don't leave the iron while his minions smirk. "How much is the tithe?" Gao Ling snarls. "As much as you have, and if it cannot satisfy, your hand!" That brings you to worry. Only four hundred yuan are in your robes, barely enough to buy bread and lodging for your journey. Could that be enough? His foot taps. "Well, boy? I'm waiting..."

>What do you want to do?

>Throw your coin pouch at his feet and run away as fast as you can!
>Toss the coin pouch to Gao Ling, then strike while he's distracted!
>Pay the brute's toll and pray to the divines that it is enough.
>Accuse Gao Ling of cowardice and challenge him to single combat, to prove that he isn't too weak to handle a "boy" without his gang.
>Scream to the heavens and charge their leader, you shall show these thieves the wrath of the Furious Howling Gust!
>Offer to pay him in something much more valuable than yuan, the knowledge of the Furious Howling Gust.
>Ask him if his band is looking for a new member, this Gao Ling seems like a strong warrior and you could learn much from his example.
>Ask him if band is looking for a new member, with intent to betray them later, either in their camp that night or when you've earned their trust.

>>4011234
>Toss the coin pouch to Gao Ling, then strike while he's distracted!

>>4011234
>Toss the coin pouch to Gao Ling, then strike while he's distracted!

>>4011234
>Toss the coin pouch to Gao Ling, then strike while he's distracted!

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>>4011238
>>4011246
>>4011360
These men are thieves who have abandoned their honor and they deserve none in turn. You reach into your robes, grab your coin pouch between two fingers, and fling it at Gao Ling's face. Both thugs are distracted by the sight and he reflexively reaches to grab, leaving himself wide open! Faster than conscious thought, you assume the Furious Howling Gust stance and sprint to strike them down!

>Roll 1d20+4 to attack the thieves! Bo3 for luck
>(Offensive Style: +2)(Element of Surprise: +2)

Rolled 2 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4011570

Rolled 9 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4011570

Rolled 13 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4011570

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>>4011583
>>4011629
>>4011686
You fall onto them in a furious onslaught and your vision goes red as a wrathful cry erupts from your throat. Gao Ling foolishly moves to pocket the coins immediately after catching them, giving you the chance to knock him aside with one of the style's wide, sweeping strikes. He gasps, fumbling back and reaching to bring his sword to bear, but the clumsy slash goes wide and for an uninterrupted five seconds, you are able to rain thunder on his chest and chin. The bandit leader collapses, stunned, and you kick his dao aside so that he cannot grab it.

Both of the thugs look at each other and then to you, then charge. The first attempts an overhand swing leaving his torso unguarded, you pummel his ribcage and fling him down, just in time for the second's club to dash his skull. You howl in rage as he tries to bring his stick back up, but this untrained invalid can't hope to match your speed and crumbles beneath your fury. A still moment passes as a sudden, gentle wind sweeps through the grass, blowing the archer's arrow off-course so that it strikes the tree instead of your throat! He stares in terror, thinking you to be a masterful martial artist, and he is not wrong. Soon the foliage parts and he lies at your feet, beaten to the brink of death.

Against the odds, your reckless assault carried you through! You sense that if you failed, now you would be dead or maimed. The excitement in you knows no bounds and you shout to the heavens! In the sight of your ancestors, these are not the last cowards you shall fight. This is only the first step of your journey to be a true warrior!

>What do you want to do with these fools?

>Behead each of the bandits with Gao Ling's dao, no-one, courtly noble or rice farmer tries to steal from you and lives to tell the tale!
>Cave in each of the bandit's heads with a mighty stone, no deserter of the Imperial Army and threatener of travelers deserves to live.
>Sever their hands and carve the symbol for THIEF in their foreheads, then allow them to go, just rewards for banditry.
>Let the bandits go, but not before they swear to tell their thieving friends about the wrath of Báichī, warrior of the Furious Howling Gust.
>Allow them to leave unharmed but unharmed in an incredible act of mercy, may they be humbled by the lesson you've given.

>1/2

>>4011926
>What do you want to do with their leader?

>Chop off Gao Ling's head with his own dao and set it in the bottom of your pack, surely a bandit such as him has a respectable bounty.
>Slit Gao Ling's throat and let his carcass rot unburied in everlasting shame, a lowly thief and deserter deserves no better.
>Cave his head in with a mighty stone, then bury his corpse with your own two hands, he might be a monster but you are no beast.
>Sever his sword hand to serve as a constant remainder his past misdeeds, that he may atone for his evils and spread your legend.
>Force Gao Ling to swear a sacred oath to the heavens to teach you the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, lest you slay him then and there. He may have spurned the emperor, but none would dare defy the heavens.
>Let Gao Ling go in peace, you have proven your power and from this day forward, he is beneath your notice.

When you have finished your decision you take to plundering the thieves and find two-thousand yuan, a respectable sum but not as much as you expected. The bow is of shoddy make and you are no archer, so you toss it aside but the hooked dao... It is a sharp edge on a weapon of a brutality that matched its master, and could prove fearsome if you learned its use, but is that a path you're ready to follow?

>Do you take the hooked dao?

>Yes
>No

>2/2

>>4011926
>Let the bandits go, but not before they swear to tell their thieving friends about the wrath of Báichī, warrior of the Furious Howling Gust.

>>4011930
>Force Gao Ling to swear a sacred oath to the heavens to teach you the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, lest you slay him then and there. He may have spurned the emperor, but none would dare defy the heavens.

>Yes

>>4011930
>Behead each of the bandits with Gao Ling's dao, no-one, courtly noble or rice farmer tries to steal from you and lives to tell the tale!
>Chop off Gao Ling's head with his own dao and set it in the bottom of your pack, surely a bandit such as him has a respectable bounty.
>Yes

>>4011926
>Sever their hands and carve the symbol for THIEF in their foreheads, then allow them to go, just rewards for banditry.
>Sever his sword hand to serve as a constant remainder his past misdeeds, that he may atone for his evils and spread your legend.
>Yes
We can't just let these guys go without punishment and I doubt that it would be worth the effort to learn this guys style.

>>4011938
Support for learning the style but carve thief into the other heads

>>4011938
>>4012022
>>4011930
support

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>>4011938
>>4012018
>>4012022
>>4012071
You take the hooked dao without hesitation and promptly put it to use. Ten minutes later the trio of surviving thugs are mutilated but go on their way for fear of what you would do if they stayed. They knew what would happen if they were caught and you spare them no pity. When Gao Ling comes to, the razor's edge is at his throat and you stare down with all the contempt you can muster. He takes a moment to narrow his eyes and darkly chuckles. "Need your first kill to be awake then, boy?" The bandit bends his head back, pressing his neck into the blade, almost daring you to slash. "Go on then! Do it! End this old dog's days of outlawry!"

It is tempting but you stay your hand and his expression hardens. "Oh? You're not too much of a craven milksop to do the deed are you?" You snarl. "No, I need you." Gao Ling gives a hearty false laught. "Ha! You've already run through my robes, stolen my sword, and scattered my men! What could I possibly give you now, except- Oh!?" You glare, sealing your lips as a treacherous grin spreads across his face. "Ohoho! You want power then boy? You want to wield the infamous Gao Ling's dao as though you walked in his shoes? Ahahaha!"

The blade presses down, silencing the bandit. "Swear to teach me the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, or die in this moment and stand before the celestial bureacracy." He grunts. "Very well, I see you are insistent and swear by my ancestors that I shall teach you th-" A boot presses on his chest. "No. You have already broken one oath and won't another. Swear by heaven." The brute's eyes widen in disbelief. "Surely you don't mean-" It becomes evident in your gaze that cold wrath is stayed only by the desire to understand. Gao Ling gives a slight nod then spits on the grass. "Boy, you're a ruthless bastard but I can respect that. If that's the way it's going to be..."

You nod. "That's the way it will be." The bandit takes almost a minute to compose himself and breaks into a sweat as an unseen presence fills the clearing. "I, Gao Ling, son of Deng Ling, swear by the heavens to teach this boy the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw until he has learned all that I know or allows me to take my leave." An almost imperceptible weight presses on your shoulders and judging by the bandit's clenched teeth, his are much heavier. You release the dao's tension and offer a hand to help him stand, which he accepts with a harsh glare. "So, boy, if you wish to know and won't give me the dao to demonstrate, the first thing you can do is fetch me a branch from that damned tree to carve into a training sword."

The tables have turned and you offer a slight, informal bow, the bare minimum of respect. "As you wish... Mentor." There is the hint of a smile hidden in the bastard's scowl.

>Roll 1d20 to learn the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, Bo3 for luck

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>4012814

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4012814

>>4012845
someone roll to save us

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>4012814

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>4012823
>>4012845
>>4012866
Our d20s are cursed.

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>>4012823
>>4012845
>>4012866
That hint of a smile soon turns to a scowl and then a grimace. He explains that the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw focuses on overwhelming the enemy with repetitive lightning-fast thrusts to the heart and lungs interspersed by backhand slashes to the face and arms as the opportunity presents itself. Similar to the Furious Howling Gust, both styles eschew defense in favor of a rapid offense but unlike your style, it is best-suited to methodically executing individuals, however long that may take, instead of throwing caution to the wind to end the fight as soon as possible. These subtle but fundamental differences, in addition to the facts that you've never wielded a weapon or served under a mentor before come together to slow your progress. Gao Ling has sworn an oath to the heavens and can do nothing but continue to instruct you to the best of his ability, but you sense his patience runs thin.

"Boy, your footwork is sloppy, your slashes off-center, and your thrusts imprecise! I've seen drunks more coordinated than you and that is a feat in and of itself! I was twice your age when I learned the rudiments and that took me a mere two weeks, but here we are after four with no change!" You tense, then sigh as his stern gaze drills into back of your head and resume your exercise of the forms. "That's not true, I've learned the stance and how to swing my weight when thrusting." He curses. "Petty trinkets, the soul of the dao escapes your grasp!" That brings you to bristle and turn to face him. "I caught you off-guard the last time we sparred, you never saw the throat-punch coming!'

Gao Ling hefts the training sword, and behind him the crude hut you each constructed sways in the wind. "Foolish boy, that brings you no closer to Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw! You think your spontaneity gives you strength but when it comes to learning discipline, it is a yoke around your neck! From your amateurish display, one would think you were a country bumpkin who taught himself!" This brings an uneasy smile to your lips. "Truthfully..."

>1/2

>>4013147
The ex-bandit's eyes widen in incredulity. "You do not jest?" You scoff. "I swear by my ancestors and each bully I beat black and blue that I tell no lie." He lowers the training sword, though his outward expression is unchanged. "Then perhaps you have some potential yet. Boy! Back to the drill! Do not stop until it is second nature! Keep dallying and I will whip your back until the bamboo runs red!" At his instruction, you turn and resume the exercise but your thoughts are racing.

>How do you want to proceed?

>An oath was sworn to heaven and you'll be damned if this was a waste of your time. You will not cease until you have learned the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw.
>The ancestors watch with baited breath and Gao Ling's words ring true. You decide that if you cannot learn from a mentor, you'll teach yourself again and learn a new style, no matter how long it may take.
>You tire of this deserter's shouting, you will cut him down in your next sparring session take his head and go as you should have to begin with.
>You fear that you cannot learn the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw in a timely manner but you refuse to murder your mentor, even one so foul, and will leave in the dead of night.

>2/2

>>4013148
>An oath was sworn to heaven and you'll be damned if this was a waste of your time. You will not cease until you have learned the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw.

>>4013148
>An oath was sworn to heaven and you'll be damned if this was a waste of your time. You will not cease until you have learned the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw.

thread approved

>>4013147
>>An oath was sworn to heaven and you'll be damned if this was a waste of your time. You will not cease until you have learned the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw.

>Use your inner Baka power Bai Chi!

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>>4013153
>>4013168
>>4013222
Gao Ling swore an oath to the heavens that you would be taught, and you don't dare disrepect them by seeing it in vain. To prove your father wrong and earn your ancestor's respect, you shall learn the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, no matter how long it may take!

>Roll 1d20 to learn the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, Bo3 for luck

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>4013243

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>4013243

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>4013243

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4013560
>>4013243
Ayy bruh cool the same fagging

>>4013586
Like 3 hours since last post and no one was rolling

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4013590
Still samefagging man, it's midday in the US and not everyone's a phone-poster. It's no problem but it's not uncommon for quests to go six hours without someone posting, next time wait at least twelve hours. Normally I'd count your first roll but >>4013410 and >>4013540 were both 11, so just this once I'll be merciful and let the heavens decide.
>if 1, >>4013540
>if 2, >>4013560

>>4013624
Fair as it gets, that settles that.

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>>4013410
>>4013540
>>4013586
You thirst to know the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw but two months after you've begun, your efforts are still the fumbling of a buffoon compared to Gao Ling's practiced grace. True, there is some improvement and you've learned a good deal of footwork and swordplay, but in the ex-bandit's words, "It is the amateurish attempt at excellence a mentor would expect from a dimwit." His insults grow more barbed and venomous by the day and you believe the fate of his band is forgotten and he only cares that you comprehend the art. Allegedly, the difference between your flow with the Furious Howling Gust and the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw is greater than that of night and day, and the clouds themselves have begun to weep at the waste.

Rain pours down as you go through the forms, faster and fiercer than before, but lacking that spark of genius that turns a combative stance from dull, automatic motion to living, killing beauty. Gao Ling says that your name was well-chosen and you are an idiot savant, but he has no choice but to see your foolishness through and so he shall. Though, the bastard is swift to remind you, he could be released at any time. Sometimes, when immersed in meditation and feel that you were on the cusp of mastery, only to have it torn away by the whims of chance, you think that he might be right.

The notion is unthinkable. You aren't caught in a bottleneck so early on, you can't be! The Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw is in your grasp and all you need to do is seize it! You are on the verge of a breakthrough, you might be, no, you must be! This rings truer than the air you're breathing and each day you awaken to the slurs of a brute that would've killed you if you didn't force his submission to the heavens, the wind seems to still. In your hands, the dao moves with the clumsiness of an initiate carpenter's carving blade. You must make it yours and become the blade until it is no less than a third arm and no slower to strike.

>Roll 1d20 to learn the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, Bo3 for luck

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>4013684

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>4013684

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>4013684

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>>4013692
>>4013695
>>4013697
You are tired of the rain pouring down on your head, tired of the insults filling your ears, and more than any other, tired of your own inadequacy. The Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw encompasses your every waking moment and you consume it, bent on embodying the forms that have eluded you for so many days. Beneath the spiteful glare of your mentor, you throw your mind, body, and soul into the mastery of the art, in vain until... in the midst of a sparring match, you recall the first roundhouse of the Furious Howling Gust you threw in a fight and everything comes together.

The efficiency of movement and fluidity of attack that eluded you for so long floods your veins and while you cannot match Gao Ling, who has wielded the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw longer than you have lived, you can give him pause. His surprise at the expert backslash to the side of his head opened the opportunity for two central thrusts, followed by a sidestep and fierce cut to the sword arm's shoulder before he regained the initiative and forced you back in a blinding flurry of blows. You were left beaten and bruised as any day but for once, no more than your mentor. At last, he looks on you with contentment, spits blood onto the soil, and turns to walk away.

Confused, you raise the dao and shout, "You dare break a heavenly oath?" The ex-bandit remains silent until he has gathered his few belongings from the shack. "Foolish boy, you are the slowest to begin learning I've ever seen but I can teach you no more." This does not answer the question and you give an angry slash. "What do you mean? I've barely learned the three-pronged maneuvers!" He laughs. "Ohohoho, but I have shown you everything that can be taught. The only way to get better is practice. Even a boy as thickheaded as you should know."

>1/2

>>4013847
You instinctively realize this is true, which could only mean- Eyes widening, you sheath the blade and assume the Furious Howling Gust stance. Gao Ling throws his head back and roars with laughter. "Ahahaha! That's right boy, I am free of my oath and free to go! When I next see you I'll pry my dao from your cold, dead fingers. Until that day, remember to practice." His says his words with deadly certainty and even without his honor, he is an experienced warrior you only overcome through trickery and ferocity, a plan that may not work again. At the moment his back is turned and you have a rare, if despicable opportunity.

>How should you respond to Gao Ling's departure?

>Rush forward and stab him in the back as swiftly as possible, he would've done the same to you and you can't afford a mortal enemy so early on.
>Let the ex-bandit leave in silence, the two of you have said all that needs to be said and the less words you part bitter ways with the better.
>Tell him to prepare himself, because when he next sees you you'll be on your way to becoming the greatest cultivator this province has ever seen!
>Cast the dao over your shoulders, assume the Furious Howling Gust stance and challenge him to face you in honorable combat to the death.

>Báichī
>Martial Arts:
>Furious Howling Gust, skilled
>Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw, adequate
>Inventory:
>A hooked dao
>Treasure:
>2,400 Yuan

>2/2

>>4013848
>Tell him to prepare himself, because when he next sees you you'll be on your way to becoming the greatest cultivator this province has ever seen!

This but tell him we’ll kill him next time we see him

>>4013624
>>4013586
That’s not samefagging jackasses. Samefagging is when pretend to be someone else.

>>4013848
>>Tell him to prepare himself, because when he next sees you you'll be on your way to becoming the greatest cultivator this province has ever seen!
If we channel a shounen protag maybe our rolls will get better.

>>4013848
>>Tell him to prepare himself, because when he next sees you you'll be on your way to becoming the greatest cultivator this province has ever seen!

>>4013848
>Tell him to prepare himself, because when he next sees you you'll be on your way to becoming the greatest cultivator this province has ever seen!

>>4013870
Samefagging is just double posting without an ID, but WvO+sBR+ wasn't guilty of anything but enthusiasm and that's nothing to fault someone for. Just a pair of rolls that's already been resolved, best to move on with the quest.

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>>4013853
>>4013872
>>4013904
>>4014163
You whistle, causing the ex-bandit to stop cold and turn, reaching one hand into his robes. The words come unbidden to your tongue and carries across the field. "And you must prepare as well, for I'll soon be on my way to being the greatest culvtiator this province has ever seen!" He relaxes and withdraws his hand. "Is that so, boy?" These next words hit with the force of a gong and his shoulders tense, though his face doesn't change. "Watch your back and atone for your misdeeds, for the next time I see you shall be the last!" A smirk comes to Gao Ling's face. "So we shall see."

These are the last words you exchange before he returns to the grass and watching your first true mentor go, you wonder when you'll see him again. You hold the handle of the dao and know no doubts. The time and place make no difference, all that matters is that you are ready when the day comes. Enough time has been wasted here, and you leave in the opposite direction. The eastern forests await, as do the villages between them and your home!

>Roll 1d20 to continue your journey, Bo3 for luck

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>4014284
Luck of the idiot, let's go!

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>4014284

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>4014284

>>4014217
No it fucking isn’t. Samefagging is pretending to be someone else on a forum, this is why other boards have problems with samefags because some posters would reply to their own post to make it seem like a more popular opinion. Doubleposting is just doubleposting unless it it done intentionally in which it becomes spam.

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>>4014308
>>4014484
>>4014679
A sense of deep dread looms over your head as you wander the paths but eventually you near a few small rice paddies and the feeling subsides. Perhaps Gao Ling was trailing you? You should remain watchful but wherever he is, it isn't here and at least for now, you can relax. Fifteen minutes of walking later a thatched village comes in sight and you sigh in relief. The workers in the fields watch your hooked dao with wary eyes but do not move to keep you from entry.

It doesn't take long to come to the most revered elder's home, and you give a deep bow in respect. This sets them at ease and soon you experience their hospitality over a hearty bowl of rice. You regale him, his wife, and several grandchildren too young to tend the paddies but old enough to listen with the tale of your journey so far, and explain that you are an aspiring cultivator seeking to test your strength and join the wise men in the eastern forest. The old man strokes his beard and gives a belly laugh. "Ha! These parts haven't seen a cultivator in years but my eldest grandson, He Yun is the strongest boy in the village and a practitioner of the Sleek Oar of Bountiful Harvest. Hehehe, He ought to be quite glad for an outsider to test himself... If you care to, I could set up a sparring match in the village square and get the whole community something to see."

You do not hesitate for a moment, rise from your chair, and dramatically clench your fist, for the benefit of the children as much as yourself. "Yes! I shall fight your grandson and prove myself worthy to be called cultivator!" The old couple smile to themselves. "It's settled then. You be sure to get a good night's rest, traveler, you'll need it." After the meal you sleep on a generously provided guest's mat and awaken at the break of dawn. The elder's wife prepared you some tea in courtesy and your dao is untouched. You are sure to thank her and take the blade, you don't know what you're going into and you may need it. She watches you with the bemusement of someone who saw something like this once before, many years ago.

Soon you have left their home and see a small crowd of farmers and their families have gathered. When someone sees you they shout, and dozens stare at you in jovial curiosity and a few, mild hostility. The people part to allow you through and you spot a handful of coin pouches changing hands. Word must've gotten around but what they do with their yuan is not your concern. Approaching the center, you see a wide circle has been cleared and a tall, burly man holds a staff. You watch, intrigued as he swings a wide sweeping blow to the right, and shifts his grip to repeat to the left in a swift, steady rhythm. Hmm, at least now you see why it is called the Sleek Oar, but the Bountiful Harvest? Ah, you realize it might be common among farmers and for good reason, it seems to be a simple, balanced style reminiscent of the motions required for rice harvesting.

>1/2

>>4015573
No-one ever told you about this, least of all your father. The man, who must be He Yun gives a friendly smile when he spots you. "Traveler, I never thought you'd awake! I trust my grandfather's fed you well?" You nod in response. "Indeed he has! Truly, I am humbled by your hospitality." The village champion grips the staff in one hand, swinging in a demonstration of his strength. "Soon you'll be humbled by the Sleek Oar of Bountiful Harvest!" An excited grin comes uninvited. "I can't wait to see!" He Yun laughs. "I think I like you traveler! Are you ready to begin?"

>How do you respond?

>Draw the hooked dao and impress the crowd with a demonstration of the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw
>Crack your knuckles, roll your shoulders, and demonstrate the raw ferocity of the Furious Howling Gust
>Ask if you can get involved in the betting, possibly disrepectful, but potentially acceptable, especially if you were to bet on He Yun
>Nod without further fanfare and enter your chosen stance. Choose: (Furious Howling Gust) or (Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw) Because this is Xianxia, bladed weapons can be used in nonlethal sparring matches.

>2/2

>>4015575
>Crack your knuckles, roll your shoulders, and demonstrate the raw ferocity of the Furious Howling Gust

Eh no rush. Show off a bit.

>>4015575
>Crack your knuckles, roll your shoulders, and demonstrate the raw ferocity of the Furious Howling Gust

>>4015575
>>Crack your knuckles, roll your shoulders, and demonstrate the raw ferocity of the Furious Howling Gust

>>4015575
>Draw the hooked dao and impress the crowd with a demonstration of the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw

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>>4015581
>>4015674
>>4015768
You crack your knuckles, roll your shoulders, and swagger in the direction of the village champion, stopping after two steps. Every eye is trained on you, waiting with baited breath to see what form of martial art you have to show them, and you erupt into a storm of motion, throwing a punch as quickly as the eye can blink, each time at a different angle and boasting stunning force honed by years of bloody street fighting. This is no hobby practiced when a day's work is done, the Furious Howling Gust is who you are, the foundation of your passion and you pour it for these people. Once you've finished, sweat pools in your brow but you are more energized than you were when you awoke in bed.

He Yun is not recklessly confident as before, but views you as an enigma, a braggadocious outsider with delusions of grandeur to be shown his place. Some of the crowd look on your relentless style in scorn, deeming it savage and foolish but others, especially the younger are impressed. In particular is a small, scrawny boy who stares with starry eyes and punches his fists together in anticipation. He reminds you of you once, before you began your journey to cultivate. You must do your best to impress, you don't know if you could bare the weight of that child's disappointment. Across the circle, He Yun laughs, you think to reassure himself as much as anything else. "Are you through dancing traveler?"

You shout to the heavens, "I'm ready to fight!" The two of you stare, circling each other before the elder cries over the murmur of the crowd. "Then let us begin!" A loud whistling noise from his reeds signals that the duel has begun. You have a few seconds to decide how you want to handle the combat.

>What style do you want to use?

>The Furious Howling Gust
>The Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw
>Blend the techniques of both, despite your lack of practice

>What strategy do you want to take?

>Rush in and beat him down, end this fight as quickly and decisively as possible
>Hold your full power in reserve and try to tire him out while you wait for an opening
>Put on a show for the crowd and throw He Yun off his game with unpredictable theatrical moves.

>>4017595
>Blend the techniques of both, despite your lack of practice
>Hold your full power in reserve and try to tire him out while you wait for an opening

>>4017595
>Blend the techniques of both, despite your lack of practice
The Furious Slitting Hawk Wind! More nouns and adjectives means better, right?

>Hold your full power in reserve and try to tire him out while you wait for an opening
Then, just when he THINKS he's got us on the ropes, switch to regular Howling Wind, beat the shit out of him.

>>4017595
>Blend the techniques of both, despite your lack of practice
>Rush in and beat him down, end this fight as quickly and decisively as possible
>>4017881
>>4017951
Remember, our styles are both meant to take down people fast. Holding back and saving power is the last thing we should be doing when we use them.

>>4017987
+1

>>4017987
this

>>4017987
This

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>>4017987
>>4018415
>>4018666
>>4018986
The Sleek Oar of Bountiful Harvest is a balanced style, suited to any strategy and able to overcome the weakness in the user's opponent's style. If you want to win you can't play to his strengths, you have to go all in. You draw your hooked dao and enter the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Claw stance, stabbing to the center to keep He Yun from rushing you, then shift into the Furious Howling Gust, swinging your off-hand to strike the air while backslashing with the hooked dao. Now he is guessing, too busy trying to guess which style you plan for the next attack to plan his own attack and even if you are somewhat more unbalanced than usual from the constant switching, you feel that aura of unpredictability is just what this duel needs. The reason for the Furious Howling Gust's name becomes plain as you howl to the heavens and rush into the fight with the tempest's rage!

>Roll 1d20 to fight He Yun!
>(+2: Offensive Styles)(+2: Element of Uncertainty)(-2: Clashing Skills)(-2: No Experience Mingling)

>>4019802
>Bo3 for luck

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>4019807

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4019802

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4019807

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>>4019823
>>4020053
>>4020331
You dive against He Yun and though the large farmer's defense is formidable, it is no match for the raw swiftness and ferocity of your attacks. Each thrust he counters is followed by a punch or backslash from a completely different angle, or vice versa, leaving him battered and disoriented, without the chance to retaliate. On the rare occasion that you leave an opening and he does, you manage to dodge his swings by the narrowest of margins through random chance as much as actual skill. Those who watch marvel at this display, and assume you must be planning your moves in response to his reactions ahead of time instead of blindly attacking with no thought to anything else. In the eyes of the villagers, you must be be a martial artist of wisdom far beyond your years.

He Yun is panting and every one of his staff moves is slower and weaker than the last. You recognize from experience that he is weakening and the momentum of the duel is beginning to shift in your favor but the battle is far from over. Few are the martial artists that can be called fools and He Yun is not one, he realizes this as well and as your opponent grows desperate, he grows dangerous. You see panic beginning to glint in his eyes and know that you must seize the advantage or risk the tables turning.

>How do you want to keep fighting?

>Transition to the Furious Howling Gust, the style you are most skilled in, and overpower him by redoubling your speed and aggression
>Shift to the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Wind, a style well-suited to rapid takedowns, and claim victory like a hawk snatching a field mouse
>Keep mingling both styles, if it has worked so far it should continue, even if the village champion has had time to grasp the rhythm
>Relent your assault, allowing him the chance to land a few blows so you can end in a tie and preserve his face while seeming modest
>Go easier on him by shifting to flashier, theatrical moves and giving the village crowd the show they stayed out of the paddies to see

>>4020650
>Shift to the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Wind, a style well-suited to rapid takedowns, and claim victory like a hawk snatching a field mouse

>>4020650
>Shift to the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Wind, a style well-suited to rapid takedowns, and claim victory like a hawk snatching a field mouse

>>4020950
>Relent your assault, allowing him the chance to land a few blows so you can end in a tie and preserve his face while seeming modest

Changing my vote

>>4020650
>Shift to the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Wind, a style well-suited to rapid takedowns, and claim victory like a hawk snatching a field mouse

>>4020650
>>Relent your assault, allowing him the chance to land a few blows so you can end in a tie and preserve his face while seeming modest

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>>4020650
>Shift to the Whistling Hawk's Slitting Wind, a style well-suited to rapid takedowns, and claim victory like a hawk snatching a field mouse

He knew what he was getting into. Just don't hit him too hard yeah? And when/if we beat him he can teach us this style! Pic related!

>>4009043
Is this ISSTH based cultivation xianxia power fantasy? If so I'm in!

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>>4020672
>>4020967
>>4021244
You briefly consider allowing him the chance to end the match in a tie, then dismiss the thought. This is your first formal duel, how could you let it end in anything but a victory? Instead you jump back, swish your hooked dao with a flourish, and fling yourself back into He Yun, thrusting and slashing in a frenzied near-blur! Even if your technique isn't as refined as the village champion's, there's no way you can fail now!

>Roll 1d20+2 to defeat He Yun, Bo3 for luck
>(+2: Offensive Style)(+2: Style Specialty: Rapid 1v1 Takedowns)(-2: Skilled Opponent)

Rolled 6 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4021876

Rolled 10 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4021876

Rolled 19 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4021876

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>>4021877
>>4021884
>>4021920
Before, the village champion struggled to stand against your barrage but now that you've beaten down his defenses, it's time to break them! A trained martial artist would recognize that your attacks are amateurish, and for all their rapidity could be deflected or even countered once they understood the pattern but you aren't fighting a trained martial artist, you're fighting a rice farmer who's been taught to swing a stick. He Yun is a stalwart opponent that refuses to give in so easily but when he can't land a blow while you inflict another almost every other second, the outcome of the duel is a foregone conclusion. Finally, you press him back to the edge of the circle and by an unnoticeable fluke of the village center's stones, he stumbles onto his knee, barely able to bring his staff to block what would've been a finishing blow.

You are merciless and use the hook to its advantage, catching the side of the staff, forcefully yanking it from his sweaty grip and into your hand. A moment later you've wrenched the staff into your hold and flung it to the middle of the circle, the journey of a thousand leagues beyond He Yun now, and held the blade at his throat in a final gesture. The crowd stares in shock as the village champion bows his head, surrending in acknowledgement of your power. As you resheathe the hooked dao, the next thing you hear is the sound of dozens of cheering spectators, awed by the ferocity of your martial arts. You realize that you've won a duel, bringing your win-loss ratio to 1:0

>How do you feel about your victory?

>Triumphant, your heart swells with well-earned pride and now that you've had a taste of true victory, you thirst for more
>Content, you've overcome a great obstacle on your path and feel a sense of inner peace, as paradoxical as it might seem
>Scornful, it is a shame that this was the greatest champion the village could provide, you wanted a fierce challenge, not a quick beatdown

>How do you want to portray the victory?

>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided
>Pridefully, you defeated He Yun because you are on the path to becoming the mightiest cultivator the province has ever seen
>Humbly, you managed to beat He Yun through blind luck alone and are honored that one so strong and skilled would see fit to duel an unwashed traveler

>How soon do you want to resume your journey?

>Immediately, leave these villagers behind, you will see many more before your journey is done, let the illustrious legend of your journey's first step spread in your wake
>Tommorow, you intend to spend some yuan eating, drinking, and making merry in celebration of your success, maybe even telling some funny stories of your younger days
>In a Season, these villagers seem to be good people and the eastern forest can wait while you help them harvest, give He Yun a few pointers, and polish your skills

>>4022148
>Triumphant, your heart swells with well-earned pride and now that you've had a taste of true victory, you thirst for more

>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided

Tommorow, you intend to spend some yuan eating, drinking, and making merry in celebration of your success, maybe even telling some funny stories of your younger days

>>4022148
>>Content, you've overcome a great obstacle on your path and feel a sense of inner peace, as paradoxical as it might seem

>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided

>In a Season, these villagers seem to be good people and the eastern forest can wait while you help them harvest, give He Yun a few pointers, and polish your skills

We're in no rush.

>>4022148
>Content, you've overcome a great obstacle on your path and feel a sense of inner peace, as paradoxical as it might seem
>Humbly, you managed to beat He Yun through blind luck alone and are honored that one so strong and skilled would see fit to duel an unwashed traveler
>Tommorow, you intend to spend some yuan eating, drinking, and making merry in celebration of your success, maybe even telling some funny stories of your younger days

>>4022148
>Triumphant, your heart swells with well-earned pride and now that you've had a taste of true victory, you thirst for more
>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided
>Tommorow, you intend to spend some yuan eating, drinking, and making merry in celebration of your success, maybe even telling some funny stories of your younger days

>>4022148
>>Triumphant, your heart swells with well-earned pride and now that you've had a taste of true victory, you thirst for more


>>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided

>>Immediately, leave these villagers behind, you will see many more before your journey is done, let the illustrious legend of your journey's first step spread in your wake

>>4022148
>Content, you've overcome a great obstacle on your path and feel a sense of inner peace, as paradoxical as it might seem
>Honestly, you overcame He Yun because your skills were better and you knew how to use them, but it was far from one-sided
>Tommorow, you intend to spend some yuan eating, drinking, and making merry in celebration of your success, maybe even telling some funny stories of your younger days

Rolled 1 (1d2)

I'm not dead but real life has been busy. There's a tie between Triumphant and Content, I'll break that by rolling to see which and then start a second thread because this one is too old to bump.

>1- Triumphant
>2- Content

>>4027539
Redblooded shonen protagonist confirmed

>>4027542
let's not let it go to our heads

Good to see you back QM