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You are...

Chan Ming, prodigious Alchemist and genius. The last few days have been heavy on you. You've been under attack, afflicted by a deadly toxin, and been dealing with a less than stellar self esteem. Your two friends are either in jail or on the run and you're under the constant survailence of The Five. Granted, the room that you were provided was very luxurious but it simply felt...empty. Without Tai Lung being quiet in a corner or Xin Lan chatting away and noisily enjoying a meal, things just felt lifeless.

"...he's still a wanted man. Broke out and threatened everyone around him. Kill some of his jailers."

Mantis's words still ring in your head. He was right of course, Tai Lung did those things. Even he didn't deny them. But as long as you've known him, he had been a good person. Perhaps a bit rough around the edges and distant but he always came through and did what was best for everyone. Even now while facing his mortal enemies The Five. He was the one who decided to stand down and let them save you if Xin Lan was to be believed. You pick at your food absently.

"Chan Ming I don't know what else I can say other than that I am honored beyond words that you consider me your friend."

You sigh and stand up from your table only to throw yourself on the bed as you remember Tai Lung's last words before he was knocked out. He had broken out of his cell simply to hold you and apologize for his actions. To let you know that you meant something to him and were more than what you thought you were. You cover your face with a pillow. Why did everything have to be so difficult? You just wanted to travel and become better. But Mantis was right, Tai Lung and Xin were dangerous. The trail of bodies they left proved it. You didn't become an alchemist to have your friends hurt them. You became one to help people and learn more about alchemy.

"With us, you'll be safe. You can see the world and be part of helping China rather than just wandering and maybe helping those you find along the way. We'd be going to those who do need help not just stumbling across it." Mantis had promised and it was true. You never heard of people being crippled by The Five and certainly Tai Lung wasn't traveling around to save people. He only said that you would come across them on occasion. He never mentioned he would be the one hurting people too.

"People break themselves against us when they try to hurt those who can't fight back." He said when you brought it up and he was right. Not once did he or Xin raise a hand against somone who wasn't a threat. While their styles were brutal and unforgiving, they had only used them against those who wanted to harm innocent people. But that was the major issue. It was them. They were the ones who fought. They were the ones who saved the day and protected everyone. And you...all you could do was sit back and watch. But that was the thing. You shouldn't have to learn to fight. You shouldn't have to hurt to save people and at the same time...you wanted to. You wanted to learn so you could help.

Were your friends a bad influence? Was it better for you to join The Five? You cover your face with your pillow and growl into it with frustration. You couldn't decide. Throwing your pillow across the room, you hop off of your bed and find something to do.

>What do you want to do?
>Go find one of The Five. There's ussually 2 posted outside your door. Talk to them about something. Maybe ask them about their travels or current news.
>Take a page from Xin's book and try to evesdrop on the Five guarding your door. Maybe they'll let something slip they wouldn't tell you. Might even hear some news about the Kais.
>Speak to your bodyguards. Ask if you can go visit the temple. You want to see if Jin and the others are ok after the attack. Maybe practicing medicine will clear you mind.
>Write in.

>>4490364
>Sit at the door and listen, Xin would say he was just lonely but didn't want to bother them.

>>4490364
>Take a page from Xin's book and try to evesdrop on the Five guarding your door. Maybe they'll let something slip they wouldn't tell you. Might even hear some news about the Kais.

>>4490364
>Speak to your bodyguards. Ask if you can go visit the temple. You want to see if Jin and the others are ok after the attack. Maybe practicing medicine will clear you mind.

Maybe pause before reaching the door and spend some time on this >>4490371

Cats, curiosity and all.

>>4490371
>>4490378
>>4490392
Evesdropping. Maybe Xin is a bad influence. Or just best bunny boy/girl Writing.

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You fidget. You really shouldn't but you do kind of want to know what's gonig on. The Five were nice enough but they certainly weren't forthcoming with information. Maybe evesdropping just a tiny bit wouldn't hurt. You adjust your tunic a bit and crouch walk towards the door. You're unsure why you're crouching just that it seems like something sneaky even if the door prevents them from seeing you. You place your ear to the door and listen. Last you had checks, it was Viper and Mantis keeping guard.

"So have you found them yet?" You hear Viper ask. Mantis snorts.

"No. It's like they vanished off the face of the earth." He says. "No one's seen head or tail of whoever they were since the temple attack."

"Well it's not like they could just leave the city right?" Viper asks. "They were with Tai Lung and was willing to save him. So they must have been more than just traveling partners. Maybe cohorts?"

"Not like it gets any better." Mantis replies. "They're on some kind of rampage. Guards have been reporting random members of this Kai Family found unconcious all around the city. All of them strangled."

"Why would they do that?" She asks.

"I don't know but you should have seen the temple. It was a blood bath." Mantis says. "Maybe they just enjoy hurting people. Figures that's the kind of company Tai Lung would keep."

"Not the girl." Viper replies defensively. "She's a good person. She's just in with the wrong crowd. I don't think she was even aware who she was travelng with."

"She did." Mantis says. "And still followed them. I just don't think she's aware of how bad they are...honestly I think she's suffering from stockholm syndrome. She just doesn't want to face the truth." Viper sighs.

"I hope she comes with us. She seems like such a nice girl." She says. "I'm sure she could do better with us."

"I think anyone could do better than her current companions." Mantis says dryly. "Just look at where she is now. Being hunted down by some mob."

"About them..." Viper says. "Have you heard anything from Monkey?"

"Nothing we don't already know. They've gone quiet. We find some of their memebers but they all refuse to talk and those that do only tell us what we already know. They were just told to ransack the temple. The higher ups that would know refuse to speak. Tigress is getting on edge. She wants to leave."

"She knows we can't." Vipers says. "Not after this attempted assassination."

"She knows that but we have a wanted criminal in our hands, a ramapaging rabbit running amok in the city, and a triad trying to assassinate a religous leader." Mantis says sighing. "It's a mess."

"I wish Po were here." Viper says. "At least he'd know how to lighten things up."

"You mean by weighing himself down with food?" Mantis chuckles. "Remember when we got invited to an all you can eat party?"

You pull back and frown. Xin was running around attacking Kai members? That didn't sound like them. They were always adamant about leaving no traces of their presence. Maybe something was going on. Unfortunately, you hadn't seen them since the temple. They said they would be in touch...maybe something went wrong? You shake your head. Probably not the best time to think of worst case senarios. Right now you needed a plan.

>What do you do?
>Ask if you can visit the temple. You can check up on your patients and see if they know anything. At the very least it's some fresh air.
>Try and signal Xin somehow. If they were meant to get in touch then they must surely be keeping an eye on you. So maybe if you leave them a way to get ahold of you it could help.
>Ask The Five if they have a plan about dealing with the Kais. Maybe they might have something in mind?
>Write in.

>>4490453
>>Ask if you can visit the temple. You can check up on your patients and see if they know anything. At the very least it's some fresh air.
>>Try and signal Xin somehow. If they were meant to get in touch then they must surely be keeping an eye on you. So maybe if you leave them a way to get ahold of you it could help.

>>4490453
>Ask if we can go to the temple.
>Leave a note for xin, tell him to take it if he reads it so we know hes present.

If the price of paper is gone, hes here. Leave it underneath a table, somewhere the rabbit would notice as odd instantly

>>4490461
>>4490470
Asking to go to the temple. Leaving Xin a note. Writing.

>>4490453
>>Ask if you can visit the temple. You can check up on your patients and see if they know anything. At the very least it's some fresh air.
And an opportunity for Xin to approach, maybe. Or maybe for Kais to make a move... but we should be safe with the heroes around.

Hmm... how do you remove a mafia... maybe if you'd treat it as a disease with causes and symptoms...

>>4490453
>Ask if you can visit the temple. You can check up on your patients and see if they know anything. At the very least it's some fresh air.

>>4490470
I’m not sure about this. It seems like a good plan on paper (ba dum ts), but I’m hesitant to leave something that Tigress could find and use. If Xin is in a position to contact us he’ll have plenty of opportunities during our temple visit.

>>4490506
>>4490507
Ah missed you guys. Sorry about that. Thought I had updated all the posts. I'll count these votes.

>>4490509
They came after your post, chief.

You think. Leaving a note out in the open would obviously be a bad idea. The trick would be to leave it in a way that only Xin would want to check it out and not the five. Something that only Xin Lan would know from your travels. The question is what? You pace for a bit. You can't leave your bag, that wouldn't make sense if you wanted to go check up on the people at the temple. Maybe your mask? You might need it though and it wouldn't make sense to leave it here either. Your boots? You never go anywhere without them and only Xin would know that...but you don't really like walking without them. You frown at that notion. It was kind of silly. You look around until your eyes land on your gloves. That would do.

"I always wear gloves when treating people. I don't want my claws cutting into my patients by accident." You remember telling Xin Lan on the Gale Cutter once while they disguised themselves as your nurse. You pull your gloves out of your bag and leave them on the table. You quickly scawl a note saying:

Heading to temple.
Will stall for time.
See you there.

You fold the paper as flat as you can and stuff it in the gloves making sure that the paper rested withing the wrist area so as to not make the fingers of the glove look unnaturally stiff. With that done, you go open a window slightly and go knock on the door t o your room. It felt odd...almost as if you were the one in jail. The door opens and Viper stands at the door. "Is something wrong?" She asks politely. You try not to glance at the gloves on the table.

"No...I was just wondering if I could go to the temple." You say. "I want to see if everyone is ok. A lot of people were hurt in the attack and they don't have a healer last I was told. I feel like I should help. It was kind of my fault that the Kais attacked." You say shuffling nervously. You feel a bit bad. You weren't exactly lying but you certainly had ulterior motives. Viper looks at Mantis who nods.

"Sure." She says smiling. "Let's go. It'll be good to get some fresh air for a bit." You return the smile.

"That's great! Do you mind if we stop by the herb shop too? I'm kind of running low on some things." You admit.

"If it's along the way then I don't see why not." Viper says nodding. "Do you have all your things ready?"

"Yeah everything I need is already in my bag." You say. "Didn't really unpack to be honest."

"Then let's head out." Mantis replies. "I don't really want to head back home at night so we might as well get that soon." You nod and close the door behind as you step out. Mantis hops on your shoulder and Viper leads the way as the three of you head out.

---

It was about 2 or so hours later that you arrived to the temple.The atmosphere here was a lot more somber than usual. Despite there no longer being bodies and pools of blood around, several things were damaged and cracked. Vases, shrines, and plants were all in disarray and being put back into place. Temple staff were going around repairing what they could and offering as much prayer as they could to appease the Gods and spirits that may have been offended by the desecration done. Despite that, many still paused and stared at your group as you approached. It wasn't everyday that The Furious Five visted one's temple. You look around to try and find one of the Brotherhood. Perhaps they could help you at least get some distance between you and your two guards. Or at the very least give you some news. Things certainly weren't looking up when the first member you see is Guo. You try to restrain your disdain as you approach him to speak. "Hello Brother Guo." you say gingerly. Guo turns around in surprise to face you. Immediately you can see him do the same as you had done for his precense.

"Hello...Miss Ming." He says with a restrained composure.

"Do you know where I can find Brother Lan?" You ask. "I want to help with anyone who has been injured in the attack and I'd rather...not waste your time." You say. "You seem to be busy organizing everyone else." You can hear Mantis silently snort at that.

"Brother Lan is with the High Priest." Guo replies. "I'm not sure-"

"Oh that's lovely." You interrupt. "I've been meaning to check up on the High Priest's condition myself. Thank you for your time." You say as you quickly head deeper into the temple. Guo makes what seems to be a combination of choking and talking but you pay him no mind. The sooner you got away from him the better. You find the High Priest's room "guarded" by two monks. While they both look bored, they both try to stand at attention and look important as your group arrived. "I'm here to see Brother Lan and the High Priest. I was the one who treated them."

"Yeah...oh right! Yes, Brother Lan said you might come by sometime. He's right inside." They say and open the doors for you. The High Priest's room had been cleared out of your makeshift lab and a window had been left open to allow the soft ocean breeze flow in. Brother Lan was busy making sure the room was tidy when he notices you three enter.

"Miss Ming." He says bowing. "The Gods have graced us with your help once again. How can I assist?" He asks.

"I'm here to check up on the High Priest." You say gently motioning for Mantis to hop off which he does so and stands near the door. You set your bag down next to the bed and begin to check vitals.

"He seems to be doing better." Lan says. "I'm no healer but it sounds like his breathing is stronger and he no longer has a fever." You nod. He was right. The High Priest's vitals were stronger and stable.

"Has he woken up yet?" You ask. Lan shakes his head.

"No." He replies with slight disappointment. "There are times when he stirs and seems to awake but he only returns to slumber."

"It's a sign at least." You assure him. "He was hit the hardest with the vemon. At his age it will be slower for him to recover fully. The fact that he's trying to wake up is a good sign." You say checking his nose and gums. No blood anymore meaning he no longer bled. A good sign indeed. You quickly glance at Mantis and Viper. They seemed to be chatting with the monks outside but occasionally glanced at you. You needed to find a way to get away from them for a bit. Otherwise you might not be able to ask what you want around the temple nor would Xin have a chance to contact you.

>What do you do?
>Ask Brother Lan if he can get the two away from you. He's fairly high ranking and can probably come up with a reason to hold their attention for a while.
>Ask Mantis and Viper if they don't mind you helping repair the temple. If you're working around the place it might give you ample time to lose them in the work.
>Continue checking up on people around the temple's infrimary. Perhaps Xin can find a way to contact you. This is his specialty. Would certainly be alot easier on you.
>Write in.

>>4490565
>do you guys mind helping with the repairs?
>brother lan can you show me to the other injured people?

Play it off together, imply that the five would like to help and they have to refuse a monks earnest plea for help. A socially awkward move, it doesnt give them time to consider it as anything other than a person who likes helping people wanting to help people.

>>4490565
>Continue checking up on people around the temple's infrimary. Perhaps Xin can find a way to contact you. This is his specialty. Would certainly be alot easier on you.
Honestly leaving the spywork to the actual spy (and assassin) would be the best option, I think.

>>4490565
>Ask Mantis and Viper if they don't mind you helping repair the temple. If you're working around the place it might give you ample time to lose them in the work.

>>4490571
>>4490609
>>4490611
Ooh three way tie. Getting some time away from The Five is a tricky situation if you want to contact Xin or ask around the temple for more info on the Kais.

>>4490609
I'll support this to break the tie

>>4490609
>>4490698
Alright, continuing our work and hoping Xin can contact us. Writing.

You chew your lip and sigh. You couldn't really think of a good way to get away from Mantis and Viper. They would here to protect you and would probably be willing to split up among themselves to have at least one person with you. It would be best to trust Xin Lan in finding a way to contact you rather than play spy yourself. That is what he was good for. For now it would be best to stick to your own specialty, healing people.

"Something wrong?" Brother Lan asks when you sigh. You shake your head and give him a weak smile.

"No." You say. "I was just hoping things wouldn't have been so grim." You admit. Lan nods.

"Have faith." He says gently. "It is often during our darkest hours when we find the greatest strength. We will persevere and while we may wish it was not so, we will come out stronger because of it."

"You're strong Ming. After all this, you're still standing... Because you endured all of this..." You remember. "You're right Brother Lan." You say standing up. "Could you lead me to the infirmary? I would like to see if I can help those who were injured in the attack. And forgive me, but I never did ask how you and your brothers were doing." Lan smiles.

"You've already done so much Miss Ming but I can see it in your eyes that you won't take no for an answer." He says. "Truly we are blessed for having someone such as you to offer us succor. My brothers and I are doing fine. Your cure has saved us all." He stands and motions you to follow. Lan nods to the two monks at the door and they close it behind you and The Five as you four make your way down the halls. "Although we do our best, Brother Lei's disapperance has really been felt. That you offer your services is something we greatly appreciate. If there is anyway we can repay you, please do not hesistate to ask." You shake your head.

"It's...it's my job." You say. "I don't think I could see myself doing anything else. How bad are the injuries?" Lan gives you a sad look.

"Mostly minor broken bones such as fingers. Maybe some other things. Some deep cuts...it was Jin who came out of it the worst." He says shaking his head. "He is recovering thanks to the treatment you gave him." You try not to frown as you recall the condition in which Jin was left when you treated him. You did your best but all that was left to do was let him heal on his own.

"Is there no one else who can be a healer?" You ask. Brother Lan shakes his head.

"We only know basic healing. Brother Lei had a talent for it. While we offer medicine and treatment for travelers, never did we expect injuries to be like this." He admits. "Some of my brothers are currently reading up on scrolls in an attempted to learn more as we speak but this was Brother Lei's calling and we did not wish to deprive him of it." He explains as you turn the corner and enter the infirmary. It was full of bandaged monks, some asleep and others laying there talking. A few were walking around helping others eat their meals or drink water.

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In the dead center was a male rabbit, dressed in pure white, and playing a Guzheng. His fur was an ash grey and black stripes lined his face and tips of his ears. His movements were serene and delicate as he plucked the strings gently and played a rather relaxing if not slightly disquieting song. "Wu Renshu." Lan asks in surprise. "What are you doing here?" He asks.

The man looks up and opens their eyes, revealing them to be gentle yet somewhat distant. "Brother Lan..." He says quietly as if trying not to disturb those around him. "My apologies but I sensed the grief of this place and could not help but to try and assuage the energy here after helping treat some of the people here. If my presence is unwelcome..." Brother Lan shakes his head.

"No. I am merely surprised that a shaman such as you would wish to help us." He says. "I was under the impression that you were to leave this morning." Wu Renshu shakes their head gently.

"Not when the spirits wish me to remain here." He says. "I will offer my services whereever they are needed and go where the spirits wish me to go. If I am to be here then it must be so. If there is people in pain and spiritual turmoil then I will assist. Though I see you have guests. Please do not mind me." He says and continues to play his music. Lan nods and looks at you.

"I'm sorry." He says. "That is Shaman Renshu. He is a spiritualist and healer as you might have heard."

"Are you sure it's ok to have him here?" You ask. "He could be...you know..." To your surprise, Viper speaks.

"It's ok." She says. "Monkey saw him enter town. Came in from the mountain pass and spent a bit of time asking around for the temple. We even spoke to some of the people to confirm it. He was pretty patient and waited in our custody outside the temple." You nod.

"If don't mind. I'll just...get to work." You say. Viper nods and she goes to check up on a few of the other patients herself. Mantis returns to the doorway and Brother Lan excuses himself to attend to other duties.

>What do you do?
>Tend to the the awake patients. They're probably the least injured and by virtue of being awake can tell you how they're feeling.
>Tend to the unconcious patients. They can't tell you if something is wrong so it's best to check for yourself just in case. It's what saved the High Priest's life.
>Look for Jin. You want to see how he's doing.
>Write in.

>>4490773
>tend to the unconscious patients!

>>4490773
>Unconsious

>>4490773
See how Jin is doing, then move on to the unconscious

>>4490844
>>4490927
Checking up on uncounsious patients first. Writing.

Unconcious patients came first. While you trusted that the Brotherhood was doing thier best this time, it never hurt to double check. With no healer you assume that the best they could do was check for superficial injuries and with the patients unconcious, there was no way for them to tell you if something was wrong. You start your rounds with what looks like the least wounded patients so that you can more time on those that needed it. As you worked, the shaman continued to play their instrument. Even with his eyes closed, you can't help but feel like the man is tracking you. You almost jump and scratch the monk you were tending to when they speak once more. "Miss Viper." He says gently. Viper turns around looking just as suprised as you.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She asks. Renshu plucks at the strings a bit before speaking.

https://youtu.be/PWnhDvy5bXc

"You bear a heavy weight on your shoulders miss." He says. "As if a dark cloud hovers on your soul. Would it be something you would like to tell me about?" Viper gives the man an awkward smile.

"No...it's quite alright." She says. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"You are conflicted." He says. "A choice that must be made but not one you can make yourself. You feel responsible for it yet cannot do anything about. One that your 4 other companions can feel as well but they themselves cannot act on either. So all you can do is watch and hope that the correct one is made."

"I...I see." Viper says in what you think is the first time you saw one of The Five uncertain. "Well umm...I appreciate your concern but it's really none of your buisness." She says.

"Miss Viper. The spirits tell me many things. Things that I once would not have liked to know. But I have learned that this is my duty. Much like your friend behind me. I too must tend to the wounds of those around me. Though mine is of a spiritual sort. You doubt be because I am vague and I understand that. But I also sense in your energies that you do wish to speak to me about it if I am correct. I simply do not wish you speak out of turn and let those you do not wish to know be aware of what worries you." He says plucking his strings. "However I feel that I must reveal a detail to gain your confidence. You worry about this choice because it is not yours...but Miss Ming's to make." Viper visibly stiffens and you turn around just in time to avoid her gaze as she glances at you.

"Darkness hovers over your energy." He continues, "This choice is not the only thing that bothers you. I sense there is one more thing that lingers in your mind. However, I must apologize for I have overspoken. Should you or your companions wish to speak with me, I will be here. Tending to the wounded. Remember, that a worried heart leads to hasty decisions. I do not with for China's protectors to be overburdened." Viper can't help but make a nervous hissing sound as she slithers towards Mantis and begins to speak with him leaving you mostly alone with the patients and Renshu. You continue your rounds. Most of the unconcious patients are simply sleeping. Too much in pain to do much else. There are broken bones and fractures all over. The limbs are set and splinted so most of what you have to do is adjust them to a better area. You find several with fractured ribs and you wave over another monk to let them know not to those patients to move as much.

All throughout your rounds your hands feel awkward. Without your glovess, you feel a slight worry that you might cut the monks. It is a bit silly considering you have control over them but the worry is still there. It's almost as if he read your mind because Renshu speaks once more. "Miss Ming, may I have a word?"

>What do you do?
>Speak to Renshu. He's a bit unnerving but he seems to know things that The Five don't feel comfortable with him knowing. Plus he mentioned you. Maybe you can ask him about it? (What do you want to asking about?)
>Ignore the man. You kind of don't want your troubles spilled out for all to hear. Move on to the awake patients or look for Jin. The sooner you can finish here the sooner you don't have to be near him.
>Try and move closer to Viper and Mantis. Maybe you can catch snippets of what they're talking about at the doorway.
>Write in.

>>4491533
>Speak to him [What would you like?]
I think he's Xin

>>4491533
>Speak to him

>>4491537
I'm not sure... the priests recognized him, and though Xin might impersonate shaman, would they be able to fool someone with any notion of supernatural, given their condition?

>>4491580
Given the bunny was a master of stealth and disguise, yeah. I'd be willing to bet he could impersonate anyone that wasn't properly familiar.

Oh wait he's got his own picture....Never mind, I may just be paranoid.

Gonna make lunch be back in a bit.

Damn that was a big detour. Sorry about that guys.

>>4491537
>>4491570
Talk to the Shaman. Writing.

You steady yourself and face the shaman. "Yes?" You ask politely. Renshu gives one final pluck of his instrument and opens their eyes.

"It seems like you too struggle with your choices." He says standing up and slipping their hands into the opposite sleeve. "You are faced with a decision. A crossroads...but you cannot decide." You look down at the rabbit.

"Are you talking about the same decision you mentioned to Viper?" You ask cautiously. Renshu nods.

"The very same." He says. "You are split between both options and it troubles you." The man walks towards you and looks over one of the unconcious monks. "But...there is another more pressing issue that hangs on your head. One that you've yet to realize yourself."

You tilt your head, wary of pressing further, and ask, "What do you mean?"

Renshu glances at the infirmary. "You are one who eases the pain of those around you. You have dedicated your life to erasing disease and yet there is one that is still afflicting this very temple. Your decision has clouded your judgement Miss Ming. Should you not clear it then you may very well leave those under your care afflicted with something far worse."

"What?" You ask confused. "But I cured the poison. No one else is afflicted by it."

"The poison of that I speak is not one that dwells within the body." Renshu explains as he motions to everyone around him. "But is one that still affects everyone here. The poison of which I speak of is the one behind all of this damage. Both to the temple's inhabitants and itself."

"You mean the Kai Family." You find yourself whispering.

"Miss, if one simply treats the symptoms of a venom. What would happen?" Renshu asks quietly.

"The venom...it would kill the patient." You reply. "...and the Family would simply strike back." You say catching on. "We just halted the attack...theres nothing stopping them from trying again. If we just leave then nothing has changed." You look at Renshu. "But how do you know all this?" You ask. "What do I do?"

"I know by simply observing be it with my eyes or with the help of others." He says. "You have filled in the details. As for what you should do I cannot say. You are friends with The Five no? Would it be their duty to help? Or perhaps you should look to the other side of the crossroads. The decision is yours to make. However, like your patients, they rely on your intelligence. They may be aware of the situation but need a guiding hand. It is up to you to figure out how to guide them."

"I...I'm not a leader." You reply. "They won't listen to me."

"Leader or no." Renshu says. "Is all a state of mind. When you treat a patient, do you ask for permission? When you must do your duty, do you hope that they will listen? Those afflicting the city are a disease and this city must cured. But it's ailment is cunning and so must you be."

"I...I..." You stammer. You weren't a leader. You weren't some cunning warrior. Renshu was right. The Kai family would continue to harm the city unless taken care of. You had to find a way to stop them at the source or else they would continue to grow again. "I don't know what to do..." You say weakly. Renshu nods and turns to walk away.

"As I've told you. You must choose which side of the cross roads to pick. Find your path. But...if you need a place to start, checking one's equipment is always a good habit." He says picking up his instrument and walking out of the infrimary. You frown and watch the man leave, confused. Sighing, you decide to get back to your rounds. You could figure out what to do once you were done helping. You approach one of the injured monks.

"H-hey." They say through a swollen mouth. "Are you a medic too?" They ask. You nod.

"Yeah. I'm here to help now that Brother Lei isn't here." You explain. "Let me get you something for the swelling." You reach into your bag and your hands find resistance. You frown and open it wider to dig out whatever was obstructing the entrance...only to pull out your gloves. You quckly dig into them and pull a familiar scrap of paper out. Written in neat lettering are the words:

See you tonight.

>What do you do?
>Continue working. Best you wait patiently until nightfall. Don't want to alert The Five.
>Go ask Viper and Mantis if you can go back now. You want some time to prepare your room so no one evesdrops on you.
>Chase after Renshu. You really have some questions now. (What do you want to ask)
>Write in.

>>4492133
So they are in league?!

>Continue working, it will give us time to think.
>Ask mantis and viper what they plan to do to deal with the kais.

If they can do nothing or are unsure, nod. But then it's time to take things into our own hands.

>>4492144

+1

>>4492144
>>4492206
We need time to think. Asking the Five if they have a plan. Writing.

You stare at your gloves for a moment long before slipping them on. You felt more secure with your hands in them and you promptly return back to work. "You look like you have a broken jaw." You say. "You're gonna have to stick to liquids only. It'll be hard but I'll leave a list of herbs you can make into a drink that'll make sure you get everything you need." The monk tries to frown and winces in pain. "I know...I know...it's terrible but you can use it as an excuse to drink all the fruit juice and jams you want. It'll be our secret." You wink. "Normally, I'd ask you to chew on this root but..." You make an apologetic shrug. "You know...so we'll just mix this powder in your drink and it should help a little bit." You can some crushed seeds and pour a pinch of the powder into a cup of water. "Here take this. It tastes better with tea." The monk gags but manages to down the drink. You change the bandages on his arm and nod. "There we go. You should be fine now just take care of that jaw."

As you work, you glance over to Viper and Mantis. Viper nods towards the direction that Renshu had walked and Mantis quickly runs off in that direction. Viper slithers back into the room and sighs for a moment before checking checking up on the other monks. "Something wrong?" You ask Viper as you work your way to her. Viper looks up and shakes her head.

"Everything is fine." She says, a lie even to you. "Guess it's been a longer day than I thought."

You nod and work along side her. "Umm..." You don't really know how to phrase it. "So...what are you going to do about the Kai Family?" You ask having no real way to approach the topic. Viper looks at you surprised and smiles weakly.

"Oh...you don't need to worry about that. We're doing everything we can to find whoever was responsible." She says. "As soon as we're done, we'll take you back home ok?" You nod and try not to frown. Tai Lung and Xin never held back information from you when things were happening but then again it was excatly why you kept getting pulled into these kinds of things. The Five were trying to protect you, sure, but it didn't make it any less frustrating.

"But you do have a plan right?" You ask. "If the Kai family isn't stopped, they might come for revenge." You say. Viper nods.

"We know sweetie, we know." She says gently. "We just need a bit more time..."

---

The walk back to your room was quiet and uneasy. It seemed that Renshu's words had affected the two more than you expected. When you arrive Viper and Mantis bid their farewells before letting Tigress and Crane take watch. You eat in silence as you wait for Xin Lan and can't help but constantly look at the window waiting for them to appear. After a few hours of pacing, you finally just throw the window open and look outside to see if you can find your rabbit friend. You nearly jump out of your skin when you hear a quiet, "You know I'm not gonna climb in through the window right?"

You spin and find your friend standing infront of the now open dresser. You bite your lip in order not to call out their name as you run over to lift them up and hug them tightly. Xin Lan gingerly warps their arms around you and pats your back gently.

>What do you say?
>Ask them how they got in. It was impossible for you to miss their entrance.
>Ask where have they been. You haven't seen them in days.
>Ask if they know how Tai Lung is doing. The Five haven't let you see him since the last time you talked to him.
>Ask about the Kais. Maybe Xin has heard something. At the very least they won't keep you in the dark.
>Write in.

>>4492273
>>Ask if they know how Tai Lung is doing. The Five haven't let you see him since the last time you talked to him.
>>Ask about the Kais. Maybe Xin has heard something. At the very least they won't keep you in the dark.

>>4492273
>Ask if they know how Tai Lung is doing. The Five haven't let you see him since the last time you talked to him.
>Ask about the Kais. Maybe Xin has heard something. At the very least they won't keep you in the dark.

>>4492387
>ask about how tai lung is doing
>go find a nice noodle place to meet with xin

>>4492273
Are they okay? Hows Tia lung? What's up with the kais? The five think you've been leaving members of the family estranged around town, is that you sending a message?

>>4492273
>Ask how they and TL have been doing
>Ask about Renshu. Was that him? Or are they in league? Clearly he must have been physically nearby if he got the gloves back to us. Let's hope the five didn't notice the gloves or they will have known something is up.

>>4492625
Calling it now, Renshu is one of Xin's siblings.
Rabbits have a LOT of children, so Xin probably has a LOT of siblings.

>>4492319
>>4492387
>>4492500
Interrogate Xin Lan like some kind of Furious Five mole. Writing.

>>4492551
I counted this vote! Just didn't click it I guess.

You feel the pat become a firmer tap. "Ming...breathing..." Xin Lan says quietly. You set your friend down and take a step back.

"Liar. You're way stronger than me." You say sitting at the table. Xin Lan follows you and simply jumps on it and sits down.

"It's the principle of the thing." They say proudly. "I have a reputation to protect." You smirk.

"I thought your whole thing was that no one knew of you existence?" You point out. Xin Lan frowns at you.

"Hush you." They say crossing their arms. You pour them a drink which they take and sip as they keep an eye out. You let them drink in peace before you can't wait any longer begin asking questions.

"How's Tai Lung? Have you seen him?" You ask. "The Five won't let me see him."

"Oh I've been doing well myself." Xin Lan replies grumpily. "Couldn't be better." You roll your eyes.

"Xin, you're a super assassin. Of course you're going to be fine." You say. "But how are you?" You ask half sarcastically. Xin Lan gives you a big grin.

"Fine. Thanks for asking." They tease. "But TL could be better." They say drinking some more tea and snagging a cookie. "The Five have moved him deeper into the jail. I haven't had the chance to get in contact with him yet. That little stunt he did with you really put in him in hot water. Heard from one of the guards that they are using chains to keep him bound." The rabbit shrugs. "Not like it'll do anything." You look down.

"Sorry...that was my fault." You say and feel a crumb hit your head.

"No it wasn't." They say grabbing another cookie. "No one told him to do it and frankly he wouldn't blame you. Plus it's highly unlikely he regrets it. Like I said, the change in his jailing arrangements doesn't change a thing. Just makes it a bit harder to get to him, no big deal." You nod. You still couldn't help but feel bad about it. It was your fault after all. You and your stupid self esteem. "They do have two of the Five guarding him. Pretty dumb of them. At his skill level, they'd need at least 4 to have a chance. Unless the plan is to stall him for the others get there. Which then it might have some merit." Xin Lan pauses mid bite and quickly adds as he sees the expression you make, "Not that he'd try to escape. I'm sure he's content with playing nice for the time being."

"That's good to hear." You say uncomfortably. "But what about the Kais? Do you know anything? The Five won't even talk to me about it." Unfortunately Xin Lan shakes their had.

"I don't know much sorry. TL asked me to keep an eye on you. He thinks they might try and get to you now that two of us are basically out of action. Not true mind you. We both know the big guy would tear the city down to come get us if something went wrong...uhh bad choice of words." They quickly say. "What I do know is that they're scouting you. They send one or two people just to keep an eye on you. I don't know what they're planning but they clearly have a vested interest in you."

You nod. "I overheard one of The Five talking about it. They said guards have been seeing several members of the Kai Family found unconcious all around the city...that you?" You ask. Xin Lan nods and shoots you a grin.

"Is my little Ming evesdropping? We'll make an assassin out of you yet." They joke."But not all over the city. Just within a few blocks around here. If I ran around the whole city picking fights then I wouldn't have the time to keep an eye on you."

"But you have the time to set up an alternate identity?" You tease. Xin Lan gives you a curious look.

"How'd you know about that?" They ask slowly putting down the tea kettle. You shrug.

"Because I saw you?" You say. "I mean it makes sense now thinking back. I left you a note and my gloves end up in my bag. 'Renshu' knew about the Kais, about the Five asking me to...join them..." You slowly come to a stop as Xin Lan's expression gets darker and darker. "Xin?" You ask and they jump off the table and make their way to the window. "What's wrong?" You ask running after them.

"I need to talk to the big guy." They say. "We're in trouble...big trouble." You position yourself between Xin and the window.

"Tell me what's going on." You say. "Don't treat me like this." Xin Lan paces.

"...I set up that alias days ago. Right after TL told me to keep an eye on you. Just in case I needed to get into the temple."

"But Brother Lan said you arrived yesterday. You even spent some time in The Five's custody." You protest. "You just dyed your fur color right? And we spoke in the temple. You gave me my gloves back." Xin Lan shakes their head and paces more as they tap their foot on the ground.

"No...I put the gloves in your bag at the herb shop." They say. "Much easier to blend in the crowd, not be seen." They pause and look straight at you. "What did they tell you? What did they look like?" They demand.

"I...they...they were a male rabbit. Grey furred, black stripes." You say afraid. "Spoke calmly, serene. He was a bit unnerving. Even The Five felt uncomfortable around him. He told me...told me to find a way to stop the Kais. Said he spoke with spirits. I thought it was you...you said you had a white set of clothes to match your black ones." Xin Lan nods.

"Alright..." They whisper. "Ming. I really need to go. Stay with The Five at all times. They might live long enough for us to get back. I need to break out TL."

"What?!" You hiss. "Why? It's just a shaman. One whose identity you stole."

"Because that man is dead!" Xin Lan whispers back. "I killed him!"

>What do you say?
>Close the window and demand Xin Lan to explain. Everything. Threaten to call Tigress and Crane in if you have to.
>Let Xin Lan leave. This seems to be very important. Just tell them that they can't break Tai Lung out. Speak to him sure but if they break him out then it could ruin everything he was working towards. Whatever it was.
>Tell Xin Lan to calm down. Ask if you can tell the Five at least. Maybe they can help. Or maybe they can let the two of you speak with Tai Lung about it?
>Write in.

>>4492964
>Can I tell the five? Good luck

We only need one question. Then it's to keep track.
And good call on family Anon.

>>4492964
>Tell Xin Lan to calm down. Ask if you can tell the Five at least. Maybe they can help. Or maybe they can let the two of you speak with Tai Lung about it?

>>4492964
>Ask him to calm down. Whatever he thinks is happening will probably wait a few more minutes if it did until now, and you don't want to be completely oblivious. Tell him he's not alone anymore, and ignorance can lead to us working in each others' way.

>>4492979
Better answer, switching>>4492972 support to this

>>4492979
>>4492992
Taking these votes then. Writing.

"Xin." You say gently and kneeling down to be at their level. "It's gonna be ok. Just calm down. You're not alone anymore. You have me and Tai Lung as well as The Five. Even if you don't trust them, if we know what's going on we can act accordingly instead of accidentally getting in each other's way. Whatever you think is happening can probably wait a bit longer. Now...what's going on." Xin Lan paces a bit more and takes a deep breath.

"No..." Xin says. "This isn't something that can wait." They tug at their ears nervously. "But you're right...tell The Five they need to go see Tai Lung. Tell them I'm going to be there. Lie if you have to but you have to be there too. We're going to need you the most if things go really wrong."

"Xin...please." You beg. "I need to know what's going on. The more ignorant I am of the situation, the greater danger I'll be as well."

"Alright..." They sigh and rub their temples. "Renshu is the one who made The Tainted Rose. They're the only person I know in this city now that can make it."

"But he only just arrived." You say. "Do you think he made the first batch?" Xin Lan nods.

"Could be. Could that he's back to get paid or maybe he was called back by the Kais. We foiled their plan after all." Xin Lan clenches their fists. "Maybe..." They shake their head. "If he's here and can make more, then the city is in danger. Imagine Tainted Rose flooding the streets, innocent people getting poisoned. He'd do it if there was enough money involved and he wouldn't bat an eye." You shudder at that thought.

"No...imagine an entire temple flooded with it." You say. "But...the Kais wouldn't do that right? You said it's not their style."

"It's not...but we've pushed them against the wall. They're a cornered animal and found someone they can't push around with any of their ussual tactics. Who knows what they'll do in desperation." Xin Lan punches their palm. "And The Five being here is probably making it worse."

"But we know where he is." You say. "We can just go and stop him right?"

"No. He probably already knows we're all here." Xin Lan says. "Probably will figure out what we're planning soon enough. We need to act fast Ming. I need to go tell Tai Lung. The more people the better but if the Five aren't agreeable then just wait near them and we'll come get you."

You look at your friend confused. "Xin, who is this guy? I've never seen you like this." You ask. Xin Lan gives you a quiet look and looks away.

"That's...that's something I only want to tell you and the big guy. Alone." They say. "I don't want anyone else to know." With that they leap over your head and open the window behind you. "Stay safe Ming."

>What do you do?
>Stop Xin from going. Tell them that you two and the Five can go visit Tai Lung together.
>Let Xin Lan go. Tell him to hold back on breaking Tai Lung out of jail. You'll bring the Five to work together.
>Let Xin go and get the Five. Tell them what's going on and go to the temple to try and take Renshu by surprise.
>Try and sneak out with Xin. Go visit Tai Lung on your own.
>Write in.

>>4493035
>”you too”

>you’ll get the five to take you to tai lung
>we will need to work hard to convince them of urgency of this business, but it needs to be done.

I wonder what his game is, and how this ras al ghul is able to fool the clerics into having shaman powers. If it’s just weatherwaxing or if he managed to go around the “dead inside” thing. Maybe he changed, too? Better be ready for shit to go down though...

>>4493035
>Stop Xin from going. Tell them that you two and the Five can go visit Tai Lung together.

>>4493047
Supporting.
Tell them that Xin will be there and hes found the maker of the tainted rose.

>>4493047
>>4493056
Getting the Five together to visit Tai Lung. Writing.

"You too." You say as Xin Lan slips out and vanishes in the dark. You hurry to the door and throw it open. Tigress immediately goes to attention and Crane just looks at you in surprise. "What's wrong?" Tigress asks. You open your mouth and then realize you didn't know what you were going to say.

"Tai Lung." You say. "I...I want to go see him." Tigress shakes her head.

"No." She says with finality.

"I have to." You say. "You do too. It's important. We know who made the poison that nearly killed the High Priest." Tigress looks at you in surprise.

"Who?" She asks. You shake your head.

"I can tell you on the way but my friend knows more. The rabbit. They said we need to meet them at Tai Lung's cell." The two of the five look at each other.

"How do you know this?" Crane asks.

"They told me. They were in my room just right now." You say.

"What?!" Tigress growls at you. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Because they're my friend!" You shout raising your arms. "I don't want you to hurt them! That's not important! The city is in danger! The Kai Family might be getting their hands on a new batch of Tainted Rose soon if we don't hurry and we have to get the others. If we don't move then Renshu might learn what we're up to. The Kais might make their move!" Crane looks at you in disbelief.

"I'll go get the others and check on Tai Lung." He says. Tigress nods and stops you from following Crane.

"No. You're staying here." She says. "We'll go check this out. It could be a trap."

"It's not!" You say. "Why would they lie to me?"

Tigress face softens for a moment before she goes stern again. "To escape. Ming, these are bad people you've been traveling with. They've hurt people. Tai Lung especially. They might want to take advantage of your kindness to get what they want. Renshu is a traveling shaman. We've verified this."

"But it could be a lie as well!" You counter.

"Assuming that your rabbit friend wasn't lying to you." She says. "We'll go check it out. Make sure they're telling the truth. You don't need to worry and certianly don't need to throw yourself into danger." You open your mouth to argue but part of you agrees. You don't have to rush into danger anymore. Nonetheless there still was danger. The Five could handle it right? All you had to do was stay back and make the cure.

>What do you do?
>Lie to Tigress. Tell her that if she doesn't take you to Tai Lung, you'll refuse to make the cure. A cruel lie but it might get you what you want.
>Tell Tigress that you can make the cure. You're the only one who can and that means you need to be involved in all this. If you're just sitting around letting everyone else run around, they might miss something important. Especially if it comes to poisons.
>Lie. Say that Xin Lan threatened to break out Tai Lung if you weren't brought along. The last thing The Five would want is a breakout and it might be enough for them to bring you along. Heavily guarded perhaps but still along.
>Tell Tigress that you're used to danger. If she doesn't bring you along then you'll simply sneak out and do it yourself. You're not a child or some damsel in distress. You may not be able to fight or defend yourself but that doesn't make you dead weight.
>Write in.

>>4493111
>Act bold. Tell her that you're seeing Tai Lung, and although you won't try to fight, you won't be stopped either.
That's right, I'm proposing a ghandi-esque tactic. Yeah, we're gonna walk right the fuck up there. What are you going to do, beat me until I stop walking? We go where we wish, in peace and without stopping.

>>4493111
>tai lung can break out without help and you know it. They dont need me to escape, but I need to be there so that I dont miss anything about the poison. Now either take me with you or I'll come along anyway.

>>4493118
Start walking after we say it. We know the way and they will bend to our kitty wisdom or be left behind.

>>4493111
>Even if you are so completely blinded by your preconceptions, consider this - I can make the cure. That makes me a target. If you rush off to Tai now, you'll leave me vulnerable, or alternatively you are weakening your guard over Tai. In either way I am safer with all of you than I am left behind. You can cuff me if you think me so delusional. I trust you are good people. But... so are the people I came to know as my traveling companions. Just take me along. Even you must have seen that Tai is not the real, or at least only, threat here.

>>4493122
>>4493120

Supporting

>>4493116
>>4493118
>>4493122
>>4493127
I can combine all of these. Guess we're making a speech.

You look straight in Tigress's eyes and stand as straight at your tiny frame could be. You were done. "I'm going." You say. "I'm seeing Tai Lung whether you like it or not. I won't fight you but I'm not going to be stopped either. There's only one of you and at least 2 exits. Tai Lung can escape without help and you know it. He and Xin don't need me to escape. They need me there so I don't miss anything out on the poison."

Tigress looks down at you and for a moment you think she might yell at you but you continue, "Even if you're blinded by what you think might happen, think about this. I can make the cure. That means like it or not, I'm a target. Even if one of you stay behind, I'll be vulnerable. If more than one stay here, then your guard over Tai Lung is weaker. You're stuck in a zero sum game. You can't have both unless you do what I want. I'm safer with all 6 of you. Cuff me if you think I'm delusional." You sigh and shake your head. "I trust you guys are good people...but so are the people I call my friends. Even you have to admit that Tai Lung is not the real, or at least only, threat here." Tigress seems to be increadibly angry but you simply return to your room, grab your things, and start heading out through the door. Tigress doesn't make a move to stop you but instead quietly follows behind you.

"Are you always this insistent and willing to throw yourself in danger?" She asks stoicly as the two of you make your way downstairs. You look behind you and grin widely as you recall something one of your friends once told you.

"What can I say? I'm really stubborn."

>Before we continue. Who do you want to follow?
>Chan Ming.
>Tai Lung.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4493157
>Tigress seems to be increadibly angry
Does she ever not?

Anyway, I trust in your ability to do either justice
1 - Chan Ming
2 - Tai Lung

>>4493157
>Tai Lung.
Heh, ming standing up to trained martial artists is great

>>4493157
>Tai Lung.

Ming is truly best girl. Have to have a nerve of steel around constant danger.

>>4493169
>>4493170
>>4493182
Heading back to TL. Personally, I like to think this is a small character arc for kitty. Ming is compassionate and prone to self doubt but when you start messing with her patients. Well that's when she gets mad and her enemies will soon learn to fear the fact that she's very, very clever. But for now, she's learning to be self confident. Writing.

>>4493196
She reminds me of a scene from a film somewhere. A woman sits down across from a mob enforcer and chats to him very casually until his patience ends and he gets up to take her away by force.
She stops him and explains in excruciating detail how each and every one of his backups and failsafe to make the job run smooth and have been disabled after being unwittingly revealed. And then her husband I think it is shows up, thanks her for the directions on how to do it all quietly before he ices the enforcer.

She reminds me of that, level headed, very clever and far more dangerious than you would expect.

You are...

Chained up. But also Tai Lung. It had been hours since you last moved. Perhaps even a day. It was very hard to tell in complete darkness. The Five had painstakingly tied you down with heavy chains that you recognize as those that are used on boats. The large chains were warpped around your body, binding your legs in a kneel and to your chest so that you can't extend them. Your hands were tied behind your back in a similar fashion and the remainder of the chains were laced over your shoulders to weigh you down. While they ultimately did nothing to prevent you from escaping, they were of good craftsmanship and you didn't really want to make the situation worse by breaking them. Eating was rather difficult, as The Five had to feed you themselves. Each time you opened your mouth, they would jab the food in and none to gently. They were probably worried that you'd bite their hands off.

You yawn slightly, the only indication of the passage of time was your need to sleep. If it wasn't for that and the need to eat, you would have felt as if you were back in the spirit realm. You close your eyes and get ready to rest when you hear the door to your solitary confinement open. "Jeez. That's a bit overkill. Aren't those anchor chains?" You hear Xin Lan say as they leap up and open the door to your cell.

"What are you doing?" You ask looking at them.

"We need to get out." They say. "We have trouble. Big trouble. I already told Ming to bring the five here. If things are as we think they are, we're going to have to move fast." You give Xin Lan a look. They were anxious. Far more anxious than their persona normally was.

"What's going on?" You ask. "Is Ming alright? You need to slow down." Xin Lan throws the door open.

"We know who made The Tainted Rose." They say.

"Who?" You ask as the rabbit examins your chains.

"A man named Renshu. He showed up a day ago according to Ming. Normally that's one of my aliases...another personality." They explain. "Man they actually folded the metal onto itself. There's no lock."

"Wait...normally?"

"Yeah..." Xin Lan says quietly.

"Care to explain?"

"He's a man I killed." Xin Lan says. "He shouldn't be alive..." You look at Xin Lan. They held very little emotion in their eyes as they seemed to hold only a modicum of their personality at the moment. They pull at some of the chain links, slowly pulling them appart and trying to keep quiet.

"What makes him so dangerous?" You ask. "I've only seen you like this on the boat...are you afraid?" Xin Lan shakes their head.

"No. I don't feel fear." They say. "However their presence makes our current situation unviable. They are a dangerous man Tai Lung. He is the only man in this city that knows the ritual to make the Tainted Rose and he has no moral qualms over making enough poison to cover the entire city if he is paid enough. If we compare that senario with the fact that the Kai Family would currently feel pressured to get rid of us, the only opposition they cannot intimidate or overpower, then it stands logically that they will be willing to forgo whatever moral limits in order to accomplish that goal. As I mentioned to Chan Ming, their proverbial backs are to the wall." You feel the tightness around your wrists lessen and the chains grow slack.

>What do you say?
>Ask Xin how he knows Renshu. He can make Tainted Rose. Could only mean that he was part of Xin's old organization or affiliated with them. If he was supposed to be dead, perhaps he failed them?
>Ask Xin if they had a plan. Breaking out of jail to meet The Five of all people was increadibly contradictory. Was Renshu arriving some kind of sign that the Kais were on the move?
>Tell Xin to stop. The Five can arrive but you don't think that breaking out as they get here is a good idea. They might take it the wrong way.
>Ask if Ming was ok. She's was the one who said this Renshu arrived. That means she either saw him or met him. Were The Five not aware of this man being in the city?
>Write in.

>>4493239
>how do you know Renshu?

And how easily can we snap the chains? If it's with as much effort as the cells before then we can tell Xin not to bother and focus on talking. If it requires some genuine effort break free now.

>>4493239
>Ask Xin how he knows Renshu. He can make Tainted Rose. Could only mean that he was part of Xin's old organization or affiliated with them. If he was supposed to be dead, perhaps he failed them?

>>4493248
It's a bit more difficult than the the metal bars in the cells. Mostly because they've tried to take away all your leverage. Going with the wet paper analogy. It's be about as hard as ripping a phone book in half. Not impossible but you'll certainly make a show of it. You can certainly do it on your own. Xin is only going slow because they don't want the sound of the chains coming appart attracting attention. Otherwise, they'd easily break your free as well.

>>4493258
Then let xin weaken or outright remove it. Best we still keep some semblance of docile by staying seated.

>>4493248
>>4493254
Asking about Renshu. Writing.

"Just loosen the chains." You say. "Best I look like I'm still restrained when The Five get here."

"If that is your wish." Xin Lan says as they begin to pull at the chains and they begin to slacken a bit. As your friend works you ask,

"How do you know Renshu?" You ask. "Judging by the fact they know how to make Tainted Rose I'm guessing they used to work with you?" Xin Lan stays quiet. "You had to kill them because they failed somehow?"

"...Tai Lung..." Xin Lan says. "You are my friend...what you ask is something I've sworn to take to my grave. I do not know what trust truly is. Nor do I know what friendship is but I assume what I am going to tell you is what is known as the highest form of trust. Something I presume only real friends would tell each other...something I could not tell Chan Ming." You return the silence.

"If it is something that close to you then I will not press you on it. You're right. I am your friend and as your friend I trust that you will tell me when you feel the time is right." You reply.

"I will tell you because if I exercise this trust...then perhaps I will learn to feel it...and then perhaps we can be real friends." They say.

"We are real friends." You reply simply. Xin Lan doesn't respond as they work.

"Renshu...is my brother." Xin Lan says. "More importantly...he was my best friend." You don't say anything and the rabbit continues. "Or rather he was the closest thing to a best friend I had. I'm not truly certain. That is what he claimed. As far as I can remember, I have been unable to feel anything but Renshu has always countered that when I was a child that I could. Perhaps it was during my very early childhood. The time that is blurred by age and only lives on in the memories of others. As I've told you, I was bred to be the perfect assassin. Those that were deemed imperfect were disposed of. I am not sure what that criteria was. Renshu is of the previous generation than me. He is 10 years my senior and he was the last of my organization I slaughtered. The Hēishǒu imploded upon itself. Devoured by the spawn it created and I was one of those spawn. Renshu was the last one I faced before I fled and I drove my knife through his chest. He should not be alive. There was no reservation back then. I had no qualms over killing when we fought." Your friend sits infront of you and looks at you with his cold emotionless eyes. "But that is irrelavant. He is here and he is dangerous. I'm sorry my friend, but I must kill one last time."

>What do you say?
>Ask about Renshu's fighting style. If you know how he fights it could be easier to take them down.
>Tell Xin that they don't need to do this. They don't need to break their vow. Not after all this.
>Ask Xin if they would allow the Five to handle Renshu. They don't need to stain their hands with blood anymore.
>Write in.

>>4493361
>You dont need to break your Vow Xin. Not if you dont truly want to.
>Tell me about his style, we should know what we face.

Gonna make lunch. So I'll be back in a while.

>>4493370

+1

>>4493361
I do not doubt your recollection. But some time has passed. How certain you are of his motives? What do you make of what Ming told you of her encounter?
His ability to prepare the poison makes him suspect and is testament to threat he poses, but that alone is not enough to convict him... although my perception may be warped by my circumstance, I wouldn’t want to deny him a change of heart.

(I kinda regret not voting to get released, now we have to wait to hug the rabbit)

>>4493370
>>4493376
>>4493378
Taking these votes. We could give best rabbit boy/girl a hug but we're not sure if it would mean anything to them. But we can hope Writing.

"You don't need to break your vow Xin. Not if you truly don't want to." You say. You want to be able to comfort your friend. Though they can't express themselves as well as Ming, you know that they are conflicted with the situation. You wish you could hold them as you held Ming. Perhaps if not to comfort them, but to show them that they are not alone but you also know that Xin Lan had taken a risk by gathering everyone together. If you remove your chains now, then you wouldn't be able to put them back on and it could place all this in jeopardy. "I don't doubt your recollection." You say. "But some time has passed. How certain are you of his motives? What do you make of what Ming told you? His ability to prepare the poison makes him suspect and is testament to threat he poses, but that alone is not enough to convict him... although my perception may be warped by my circumstance, I wouldn’t want to deny him a change of heart."

Xin Lan continues to look at you. "Chan Ming's testimony only revealed that Renshu wishes to have the Kai family eliminated. Be it through the legal process or through brute force. It does not indicate they have altruistic intentions. Should he be the one behind the Tainted Rose's creation and use against the High Priest, following his advice would merely remove witnesses and people who can testitfy against him. That he has a change of heart is yet to be revealed though it would be foolish to assume he is not hiding behind a veil of good will to further his goals."

You sigh and nod. It would be best to trust Xin Lan with this. They were the one who knew Renshu best, however you would still hold out that there might be a nonlethal venue. "If we must fight, what is his style?"

"Renshu fights with a the forgien style of Aiki-jūjutsu." They say. "He does not strike but rather uses your own attacks as his. It employs various grapples and locks. By using your attacks as an opening he will simply stop you midstrike and use your momentum to attack your vital areas if not throw you. His perception is uncanny, however. Aided by his communication with spirits, he can see well beyond the normal fighter."

"He can speak with spirits as well?" You ask surprised. Xin Lan shrugs.

"It is what he claims. He seems to have an uncanny ability to perceive what most would like to keep hidden. It is why he prefers to disguise himself as a shaman because he very well may be one. To further complicate matters, he is a master of pressure points and chi strikes, well above your own. Where you are limited by your morality and the teachings of your masters, Renshu has spend years honing his techniques and using his opponents in experimenting without remorse. It goes without saying is trained in the same arts of assassination as me. Stealth, deception,infiltration and so on." You think. You've never heard of this style before and that posed a problem. While many Kung Fu styles practiced counters and throws, not being familiar with the specifics on how this forgein style countered or worked would be cumbersome. Your mind would try to imgaine the hundred of ways it could be done and slow you down. Even if by a fraction of a second, that could be deadly against an assassin. Especially one that is supposedly assisted by spirits.

>What do you say?
>Ask Xin if Renshu has anything you could use against him. Did he have a favorite move he liked to use that you could trick him into? Perhaps he was easily goaded into attacking? Anything that could help you even the odds.
>Tell Xin that in light of this information, fighting should be a last resort. Perhaps you are right and he is not here to cause harm and if you are wrong, then perhaps there might be a way to convince him to stop. Certainly he would hold no true loyalty to the Kai Family.
>Ask Xin more about their and Renshu's past. Maybe getting to now them might help ease Xin. Maybe it could help him reconnect with their emotions. Though you're not sure how much time you have left before the Five arrive.
>Write in.

>>4493525
>ask about any favoured moves he used.
>It is probably best not to fight him if we have any other resort.

God damn bunny ninjas. Dont make me use dragon style on you.

>>4493530
>God damn bunny ninjas.
And that was just the bunnies

>>4493525
>ask about any favoured moves he used.
>It is probably best not to fight him if we have any other resort.
>Ask how much money would it usually take for renshu to make the poison for clients & if they know why renshu would even take jobs for money like what's their motive to do so. Also ask how long does the poison usually takes to make? He did came yesterday if we're to believe the info of monkey so that's should be when they have started to make the poison
We need to come up with a plan hopefully with the five assistance so we can stop & expose the Kai family also renshu if they are assisting the kais
Such a troublesome situation we've find ourselves in fkin sigh

>>4493899
I'm confused as to why renshu would need more money in the first place unless he didnt get paid for the first poison if he did make which with xin info is which we're basing on that he is the one
With xin info ik that renshu doesnt give a fuck about others life so is he just doing it for fun or the money or what! Like is he a mercenary or is there something much deeper arghh i'm done thinking

>>4493899
>>4493907
Same person

>>4493525
We’ll need to examine our moves for possibility of getting them used against us. Aggressive style may not work well if we’re forced to fight them.

Additionally we should meditate and ask the spirits we can talk to what they think of the guy, if he’s a genuine article or not.

>thank Xin for sharing all this. We may attempt to resolve things without need for anyone dying but we will keep the forewarning in mind.
>does he have an idea how to get relevant information across to Five? Because they will be highly distrustful of anything we say even if we are completely earnest, and we can’t afford that with what Xin told us.
I’d let Xin deliver his intel in form he wants, though advise to minimize deception and lies. Renshu may, if things get there, reveal his relation to Xin himself, and create real risk Five will take his word over yours.

>>4493531
Xin Lan very much reminds me of a combination between Sai and Itachi.
Sai in that he has no emotions and has difficulty in purveying any kind of emotion often putting up a front instead.

While with Itachi he's and incredibly talented assassin and has apparently killed all but one member of his clan.

Also we were talking last thread on how many of the five Tai lung could take alone and it is canonical he could take on three of the five with little difficulty, I wonder how many Xin Lan can take alone considering his style is much less up-front.

Tai lung and Xin Lan together could take on all five without issue.

>>4493995
There is some issue, namely not wanting to kill them, but it's entirely possible.

>>4494134
That is the crux of it yes. The less lethal and brutal you ask them to fight, the less effective they become because their fighting style is solely based on killing their opponent or maiming them. They normally fight with their combat knives (Tiāntáng and Dìyù) and throwing daggers but they are just as poficient with unarmed attacks. Xin Lan is just not as accustomed to fighting to incapacitate as you are. That and while they are quite strong (They could bend the metal chains quite easily) they are nowhere near as a monster of raw strength as you. Their power lies in their speed and strength combined. Tai Lung prefers to get into his opponents face and beat them down with sheer strength, fighting multiple foes at once if he has to.

Xin Lan prefers a 1 on 1 fight while keeping other enemies at bay with throwing blades. Land a few decisive hits, leap away and engage another enemy they probably tagged with a throwing knife and basically bounce between foes to keep them disoriented. As you've seen in the temple assault, they much prefer to strike from the shadows and slowly wittle their opponents.

Being unaccustomed to fighting in a nonbrutal/nonlethal style is normally not a problem. You and Xin tend to fight opponents that are woefully underequiped or untrained compared to you but it is something they are working to mend. If Xin had to fight the five in his current state and asked not to murder or cripple The Five they could probably handle 2 at once.

>>4493995
If TL and XL get a bit more experience fighting alongside each other, then they could handle all five together. At this moment, The Furious Five have you both beat in working as a group. It's how they were raised to fight and their styles compliment one another.

>>4493530
>>4493899
>>4493928
Asking more about Renshu's fighting style and their motives. Wondering if Xin has a way to convey their information to the Five. Writing.

"Does he favor and particular moves?" You ask. "Perhaps something we can take advantage of?" Xin Lan shakes their head.

"They are 10 years my senior." They say. "10 more years of dedication to the killing arts, 10 more years of combat experience. Like you and I, we have no favored technique. It's not a trap we allow ourselves to fall into. Renshu will simply wait for you to attack. If you do not then you're simply allowing him to do as he pleases. If you do not attack then you are not stopping him from walking to his destination, from approaching his target and killing them. You must attack or you are merely an obstacle he can walk around. He will not fight you...but you cannot stop him. Renshu once called it the cruelest mercy. You will live should you not attempt to stop him however you will forever live with the guilt of inaction. Your death will be swift and painless, a reward for standing up for what you believed is right but it will ultimately be in vain. If there was one thing we can take advantage of...perhaps it will be we know which limb he would target. Because his style is based on grapples, locks, and Chi strikes that are used as a response to your attacks, then he must strike against the limb you attack with because it is the easiest and nearest target. He may appear to be slow and methodical but do not underestimate him. He is as fast as either of us. His assassination training has seen to that." Xin Lan sits closer to you. "Tai Lung, I believe that your skill is greater than his. Perhaps greater than any fighter I've ever seen. However...you are burdened by mercy and shackled by morality. It is why Chan Ming and I follow you and it is not something she would like you to shed. Renshu however is not burdened by such things."

You nod. "Thank you for the warning my friend. All of us will try to resolve this without bloodshed or death but your information has been invaluable. I know this must be difficult for you."

"It is not." Xin Lan replies. "It is merely the facts...however it would be a lie if I told you that I do not feel pain when thinking of your death."

You stay quiet. Again you wish you could simply pet your friend but cannot. Instead you ask, "How much money does Renshu usually ask for to make Tainted Rose for his clients? Why would he even take such jobs?"

"I do not know my brother's motives. Before the fall of our organization, we did not see Tainted Rose. It was our tool. We sold our services. Death and assassination. Perhaps that he no longer has a network to obtain assassination contracts, he now merely sells the tools of his trade. It would be the logical conclusion...though his so called "spirits" should have served as a viable alternative to find those who wish to buy an assassin's work. As for how much he would charge...I also do not know."

"How long does it take to make Tainted Rose?" You ask. "Renshu could have been here a while."

"He arrived yesterday." Xin Lan says. "Ming states that Monkey saw him arrive from the mountains. Renshu even spent time in their custody before residing in the temple...but you are right. Given his skills, he may have been here for longer."

"Wait! He was at the temple?" You think. "A water spirit once told me someone with malice was there the night of the poisoning."

"Then it may very well be him." Xin Lan replies. "As I've told you, the ritual to create the rose requires one to have pure intent to kill and the full willingness to use the plant for murder. There must be no hesitation or reservation. Otherwise the plant will not grow and Renshu was fully capable of maintaining such malice. Something I cannot do with my condition. His ability to weild sorcery was something I could no comprehend. The ritual itself takes several days. Perhaps 4 or 5." Xin Lan explains. "The Tainted Rose grows much faster than it's ordinary counterpart but its growth can be accelerated further if more than one sacrifice is used. The closer the bond is of the sacrifice to the intended target, the faster the plant will grow. However too close and the plant will gain the property of only being effective against the sacrifice's bond. The Kais will probably not have such a sacrifice to bleed dry. Not if they wish to use it against a large group of people. That will be our opening to confront Renshu and stop him."

"How are you going to convince The Five of that?" You ask. "They more than likely won't believe us."

"I do not care if they believe me or not." Xin Lan says and goes quiet for a moment. "...I will use their morality against them. They cannot afford to ignore such a possibility. Not when it could mean the possible death of innocents...however I will not tell them of the Tainted Rose's creation or of my relationship to my brother. Though he may reveal the latter in the end. All they need to know is that the Kai family as attempted an assassination via poison and now have the means to recreate the toxin. That Renshu is the only man capable of creating and his timely arrival after the Kais defeat is too convienient to ignore." You're about to say something but the sounds of footsteps echo off in the hallway. The Five are approaching.

>What do you say?
>Tell Xin that you trust their judgement. Their past is theirs alone and will be shared on their terms. You only hope that it will be enough that the Five do as Xin assumes.
>Ask Xin to try and convince the Five to release Ming to you. They are formidable fighters but they do not know Renshu like Xin does. You're not sure you want to rely on their sheer number vs Xin's experience to keep Ming safe.
>Try and Convince Xin to at least give the Five some extra information. If things go wrong, they could die...however you're unsure if Xin cares about their lives like they care for yours and Mings.
>Ask Xin that you do the talking. Perhaps they might listen to you on the off chance that they are more familiar with you. You could also hide Xin's past by simply saying Renshu is an associate that you worked with when you were "evil".
>Write in.

>Tell Xin you trust their judgement, allow them to share the insight they want on their terms. Anything we say will be likely regarded with suspicion anyway. All we can do is do as Xin says.
>Point out that you will not be using Five's morality against them. You will be using it in all our favours.
>It may appear to be a weakness that would stay your hand from delivering a decisive strike. But it offers a greater power than to just destroy an enemy, it can turn them into a friend.

One thing Five will definitely not want to do is to strike at Renshu preemptively. They won't even believe him to be a threat. But perhaps we can convince them to at least take some precautions in case we're right.

>>4494208
Support, but encourage them to tell him about his brothers fighting style.

>>4494208
>>4494247
Trusting Xin to do the talking. Perhaps the five will listen to him. Maybe if we give them information on Renshu's fighting style it might help.

"They're coming." You say. "I trust you to convince them. I'm afraid my word won't mean much. I'd reccomend that you at least tell them about Renshu's fighting style. It would help them if things goes bad. Remember, you're not using the Five's mortality against them. You're using it in everyone's favor and it may appear to be a weakness that would stay your hand from delivering a decisive strike. But it offers a greater power than to just destroy an enemy, it can turn them into a friend."

"I'm not sure how much Renshu would like to be friends big guy." Xin Lan says standing and dusting themselves off. You can hear voices in the distance.

"The cell door is unlocked!" You hear one of the five shout and the door is flung open as all of them rush in with Ming in tow.

"Took you long enough." Xin Lan says crossing their arms. "Hi Ming. Glad you convinced them to let you come." They say waving. Ming blushes a bit.

"Oh well..." She says embarassed. "I didn't really give them a choice..." She admits. You and Xin Lan share a look.

"To be honest, I don't think they could stand to Ming's might." Xin Lan teases.

"Enough games!" Tigress snaps. "You called us here for a reason. You said the city was in danger. Now talk." Xin Lan glares at Tigress.

"Well at least you're direct." They say. "But you're right. The city is in mortal danger. Unless you're particularly blind, there's been an attempted assassination against the High Priest with a deadly poison. One that nearly killed Ming, TL, and the entirety of the temple's brotherhood. Now the Kais are about to get another shipment of that poison because it's maker is right in this city. If we let them, the Kai Family can have enough poison to flood the city if they wanted to."

"They wouldn't." Tigress replies. "Not while we're around." Xin Lan rolls their eyes.

"Don't be dense. You're the exact reason why they'd do it." They shoot back. "Thanks to Ming here, their plan was stopped. Whatever it was. Thanks to me and TL here, their attack to stop Ming failed. They lost at least 30 members that day. They're getting desperate because they can't shove us around. You're really going to tell me that they'll play fair knowing that you and your lackeys are here?" Xin Lan taps their head. "Think for a second. They're not bandits. They're used to getting their way and they're slowly losing it because the two of us decided that we weren't going to handle this by the book and let the guards handle it. So when they shoved us, we pushed back harder and they have no where to run to. They found an opponent that they can't intimidate, beat into silence, or make disappear. So what are they going to do? They're going to pull out all stops. Because if they can't have the city then no one else can. Maybe they won't actually do it. Maybe they'll just use it to make threats and demand what they want." Xin Lan says.

"But that's not the question. The real question is, are you going to sit around glaring my man's pecs all day or are you going to actually listen to me and not risk everyone's lives?" They ask jerking their thumb at you. You give them an inquisitive look. "It's true..." They say nodding and looking at you. "She stares at your chest all day. I dunno why." You shake your head in disbelief.

Tigress clenches her fists and takes a step forward, you think you can see her face redden, but Monkey holds her back and says. "Alright. We'll listen. Just tell us what you know."

"Thought so." Xin Lan says. "The man you're looking for is Wu Renshu or Shaman Renshu. I'm assuming by the looks on your faces, you already know him."

"Yes, we know him but he's just a shaman and healer. We made sure he was clear." Monkey replies.

"Yeah...funny how disguises work like that." Xin Lan says. "The fact of the matter is Renshu is the only one in this city I know that can make the poison used by the Kai family. Either he's here to get payment for the first batch or he's been called back to make more. Neither is good news. We need to stop him before he makes more of the poison. Now the pois-"

"And how do you know all this?" Tigress asks. Xin Lan shoots her a look.

"That's irrelavant." Xin Lan replies. "But I know him and that should be more than enough for you."

"So we're just going to trust a man who broke in to the most dangerous man's cell just to talk?" She counters.

"It got you here didn't it?" Xin Lan says. "Otherwise you wouldn't have listened."

"And we're here to make sure that it isn't a trap not to hear you implicate a random shaman."

Xin Lan walks forward and out of your cell. They stand right infront of Tigress and look her dead in the eyes. "That's funny...you make it sound like you could stop us from escaping..." They say quietly as their cottontail wiggles. Clearly the situation was getting out of hand.

>What do you say?
>Tell Xin Lan to back down. They're letting their "emotions" get in their way and their association with you is making the five mistrust them. Clear up what you can with The Five.
>Look at Ming and ask her to say something. The Five trust her more than either the two of you.
>Tell both groups to stand down. Right now, neither of you can afford to let their preconceptions get in the way. There is a city in danger and that takes priority. The eight of you can still speak with Renshu without confronting him.
>Write in.

>>4494330
Both of you calm down. Tthe five is going to help stop him and we are going to work with them. Dont start tearing eachother apart before the danger is passed.

>>4494330
>thank you for agreeing to hear us out, regardless of motives.
>I understand why you are leery of trusting either of us. I don’t fault you for that given our history. But please, don’t let my past to deprive the people here of their future. I already have enough blood on my claws. Please, think back to circumstances you’ve found here when you came.
>Do not take Xin’s warning lightly. Keep your mind open. I know you’ve been wrong about people before. So have I.
>I will be ready to help when the time comes.

>>4494330
>Tell both groups to stand down. Right now, neither of you can afford to let their preconceptions get in the way. There is a city in danger and that takes priority. The eight of you can still speak with Renshu without confronting him.

I do have an idea (for later), but it'd require some trust from the five.
If Renshu truly is a Shaman, then it stands to reason that any place he frequents would have abnormal concentrations of spirits. Why? Because spirits just like being around people who can actually interact with them. Now, we know that Crane is sensitive to Wind spirits, and Ming is sensitive to spiritual shit in general. So if we have Crane take Ming up to the mountains, they could probably find his little hidey-hole up there that the's growing Tainted Rose in. And ming, being a smart cookie, could find a way to safely dispose of it (no offense crane). That would solve the issue with the poison, at the very least.

It'd be a hard sell though, because the five wouldn't want to be down one member with Tai Lung loose. Food for thought for later, if nothing else.

>>4494342
I think our best bet for now is to give the Five a forewarning so they actually have their eyes open and ears to the ground, while we can commune with the spirits and ask the ones we can actually talk to what they can tell us about the shaman. Xin should be avoiding capture at all costs so he has freedom to investigate. And Ming could experiment on the curative root.

>>4494334
>>4494338
>>4494342
Telling both groups to calm down. There's bigger things at stake. Writing.

"Both of you calm down!" You bark. Xin Lan raises their hands in the air and walks back next to you in your cell. "Listen, I thank you for agreeing to hear us out, regarless of motives. I understand that you are leery of trusting either of us and I don't fault you for that given our history. But please, don't let that deprive the people of their future. You are The Five. For whatever reason you came, it must have been to help the people. Don't take Xin's warning lightly. You've been wrong about people before and so have I. The Dragon Warrior being one of them. Underestimating the situation can cost us more than just me escaping or you embarassing yourselves implicating an innocent man. We've both seen that the Kai Family is willing to resort to violence to get their ways. We both know how dangerous an person can be when they slowly see their world crumble around them." Ming nods.

"Tai Lung is right." She says. "We can decide what to do about this..." She says motioning to your bound form. "...later. But right now we need all the help we can get. You guys can team up and figure things out. If we work as a group, then the Kais won't stand a chance. But if we spend our time arguing then we're just slowing each other down and if you spend all your time watching you backs then you won't be able to see the truth out there."

The Five look among each other and Viper speaks. "Ok. We'll hear you out." She says. "Tell us more." Xin Lan nods.

"Like I was saying. The poison needs a few days to be made and that's before it's probably turned to incense, assuming they'll even go that route. We can use that time for me and TL to go see Renshu and confront him while you-" One of the Five opens their mouth but Xin Lan stares them down before continuing. "While you try to interrogate some of the Kai Family. We need to find out what their end goal is before confronting their leaders."

"We can't just let Tai Lung out you know." Crane points out. "We can go talk to Renshu."

"He's already lied to you once." Xin Lan says. "I know how he opperates and given the chance, he can kill you all if he sees you getting in his way. I didn't call you here because I was afraid some random poison maker was in town. Renshu is a fully capable killer."

"Even more reason for us to go then." Tigress replies. "You can take one of us and work the streets. Tai Lung stays here."

"No dice, stripey." Xin Lan says. "TL and I have the best chance of taking Renshu down if he decides to not come quietly. You five are already figures of justice. He'll be well on his guard if you choose to confront him. I'm someone he's familiar with and Tai Lung doesn't have the best reputation, no offense. He'll have less chance of suspecting us if we're lucky and he doesn't already know what we're up to."

"We won't let you just wander around unguarded. You'll have one of us with you." Tigress counters. Ming speaks up, ever the voice of reason, and says,

"What do you mean by that Xin?"

Xin Lan looks at Ming. "He's not just faking being a shaman. Those spirits of his are real. At least they seem to be. His powers of perception are beyond anything I've ever seen. He knows things he shouldn't be able to at times. Feel things people try to hide."

"He's right." Viper says. "He seems to know more than he lets on...but even his vague remarks hit more on the mark than a simple guess could. I've felt it...it doesn't seem right." You clear your throat.

"I might have a suggestion." You say quietly. Everyone goes silent and looks at you. You look straight at Ming. "Ming. You plan this out." Ming looks shocked.

"Me? Why?! I'm not...I don't know." She stammers.

"Ming, you're a genius." You say. "And you're the only one here with no vested interest in either side. All you care about is saving the city. You're Xin and my friend but The Five also trust you and want to help you. Both of us want to see you safe so we'll listen to you. You're as much as a mediator as a person can be right now. I know you're smart enough to think of something." Ming looks at you and nods as she swallows before deciding.

>What is Ming's plan? (Time for her big brain moment and start her road of being a tactician)
>Go with Xin's plan. Tai Lung and Xin Lan can go and speak with Renshu while The Five work the streets. Not only do the two know how to work with each other, the Five have a reputation to protect as well. If they accost a random Shaman and are wrong it could harm the city's faith in them and make their work more difficult. The caveat being that both groups must rendezvous at a specific location and time to keep up good faith between both sides.
>Go with the Five's idea. Tai Lung and Xin Lan have to take a chaperone. It's awkward and cumbersome but it'll make both sides trust each other for now. Decide who goes where and does what.
>There are 8 of you. More than enough to divvy up tasks. Decide who does what and what party composisions are made. Now isn't the time to play favorites or care about preffered group ups. People need to do their jobs.
>Write in.

>>4494438
Tell tai and xin to trust us, they will hunt down the shaman and if he is indeed the killer, let out a roar. The five will interrogate the Kai.

When TL and xin have gone, send crane and mantis to follow them as backup, and to stay completely hidden until the shaman is up. They dont know about their shadows identity, so they cannot give it away. Xin will notice but not know their identities.

>>4494438
>Tai Lung and Xin confront the Kais with the false poison threat plan (detailed last thread) to get a confession. The five watch Renshu's movements under the guise of 'discretely trying to find where tai lung went', since the cover will be that tai lung escaped and the five want to rectify that without causing a scene. They can also use this as an opportunity to investigate the city for unusual movements, in case the assassin ISN'T Renshu, or any other pertinent details.

>>4494438
So Xin seems convinced that his bro is contractor to poison the city and has a theory its for the Kais. We can buy more time by denying him resources to prepare the poison. Consult Xin how to do this. Meanwhile someone should pursue Kai leadership, both to gather more intel on what specifically their goals are and, if applicable, or possible, to get them to withdraw from the contract or to find out what Renshu wants.

Ming doesn’t know about TL’s spiritual powers, so she won’t be able to factor them in, right?

>>4494475
She is aware that he can communicate with spirits but she doesn't know to what extent, how it works, or what exactly he perceives. Basically the equivalent of someone walking up to you at random and telling they can talk to spirits in real life. She knows he can sense chi as well but not what that means or what he can interpret. Tai Lung has sensed chi in front of her and has mentioned talking to spirits about the treasure found at sea.

>>4494475
>>4494490
Well...we could vote on if we want to give everyone a full rundown on Tai Lung's current spiritual capabilities, if we want? It'd show some trust in the Five at least, revealing our hand like that. Even if it could bite us in the ass later.

>>4494493
Sure, you can vote for that. Specifically it would be TL willingly giving up that information to help Ming plan than Ming asking for a rundown.

>>4494490
Well then asking TL about what spirits have to say about the shaman would be a valid source if intel for us, although one Five will be suspicious of.

So we got a few things to vote on or combine.
>>4494469
>>Tai Lung and Xin confront the Kais with the false poison threat plan (detailed last thread) to get a confession. The five watch Renshu's movements under the guise of 'discretely trying to find where tai lung went', since the cover will be that tai lung escaped and the five want to rectify that without causing a scene. They can also use this as an opportunity to investigate the city for unusual movements, in case the assassin ISN'T Renshu, or any other pertinent details.
>>4494475
>So Xin seems convinced that his bro is contractor to poison the city and has a theory its for the Kais. We can buy more time by denying him resources to prepare the poison. Consult Xin how to do this. Meanwhile someone should pursue Kai leadership, both to gather more intel on what specifically their goals are and, if applicable, or possible, to get them to withdraw from the contract or to find out what Renshu wants.
>>4494449
>Tell tai and xin to trust us, they will hunt down the shaman and if he is indeed the killer, let out a roar. The five will interrogate the Kai.
>When TL and xin have gone, send crane and mantis to follow them as backup, and to stay completely hidden until the shaman is up. They dont know about their shadows identity, so they cannot give it away. Xin will notice but not know their identities.

>>4494563
False poison is tempting, but we should really deal with the killer first.

>>4494584
There's no guarantee Renshu is the killer, and the Kai family's confession would tell us who is.

>>4494563
The problem is that Ming may be a genius but I don't think any of us are. So you may end up having to bullshit it.
or have Ming very disappointed in herself as people begin to drop dead by thousands around her

Meself, I feel we have way too little to go on. We have a dangerous assassin with means to cause great havoc but unknown (speculated) motives, and a mob that's getting short on thugs. It should be relatively simple to extract information on the mob leader and then simply walk in and take them in by force, but question is to what extent that would help, and what other contingencies need to be planned for. We don't really even know what the initial reason behind assassination attempt was - the high priest still hasn't delivered testimony. And right now may well be in danger of having been finished off since we're all in the dungeon together.

>>4494593
I wasn't expecting a batman level of plan. Just something to start off with and go from there. Expecting you to have every form of contigency planned if increadibly unfair and I wouldn't penalize you for not having one. I guess I did leave it too open for a consistent vote didn't I?

>>4494591
I'm more than willing to trust Xin, because even if he isn't THE killer, he is certainly a terrible threat. Or you would have me believe that there are so many coincidences lining up for a doppleganger of the very same deadly assassin to be in town while another being has the focus and spiritual know how to make the deadly root?

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>>4494597
...yes? Maybe?

Alright so here's what I'm going to do. We'll start with TL asking the spirits what they can tell about Renshu. Can he speak with spirits and does he seem like a threat? Then we'll go from there. That sound agreeable?

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>>4494597
I absolutely trust Xin that the guy is dangerous and capable of mass murder, but that doesn't mean he's the one who did it.
The same can be said about Tai Lung.

>>4494616
Yes.

>>4494620
He may not be the one who did it, but he needs to be taken out anyway. Best do it now before he could have a chance to cause more damage.

>>4494330
Hah Best Waifu likes macho men

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>>4494626
>He may not be the one who did it, but he needs to be taken out anyway
You can't condemn a man so casually. We need proof before we act against him. For all we know he could have turned over a leaf just like Xin did. It's entirely possible that he's not the void of emotions that Xin is, and that he actually has concern for the wellbeing of his brother. He used to tell Xin that he had emotion, which could have been a means to reassure him back then. Things may point towards him being the source of the Tainted Rose, and an assassin who's still in the game...but if he isn't, then we're taking out someone who doesn't deserve it.
And I would argue that you can't pick and choose when to be moral just because of how desperate the situation is. If Tai Lung wants to prove to the universe that he's changed, then he cannot fold to the pressure and take the easy way of attacking Renshu without clear proof.

>>4494643
I can condemn a man so casually actually, but that's beside the point.

You're right, in that we have no proof. But interrogating the man will yield this proof. I also though of a way to best his chi-strikes. Wearing soft pads then bamboo over our chi points. Our joints are left open, but hey.

>>4494663
I've noticed my argument has changed, and conceed.
I'll support the plan of the previous thread.

I mean, we could just roar at him then pin the guy while hes disorientated. I doubt in all his time hes ever faced a foe with a strong enough sound based attack to ever have a counter, or expect it.

>>4494663
The soft pads is a great idea, I'll admit. We should have ming suggest that to everyone.
Uh...except mantis I guess. He's too fucking small to wear them.
...And viper doesn't wear clothes, does she? Holy shit, Viper is a fucking nudist.

>>4494683
Yeah, he is.

But we need the soft pads to mitigate the impact over a wider area and the strong surface to prevent his finger pushing through the soft pads and apply the force precisely on the chi-points.
Hockey pads would serve us well here.

>>4494683
This got me to look into the furious five beyond what we see in the movies. Don't look if you don't want spoilers about their history.
Mantis was training to become a doctor at some point, and prior to that learned some trance shit.
Viper was born without fangs and was a ribbon dancer
Crane was a fucking janitor
Monkey was a petty thief/prankster turned comedian, and he has a brother in prison
Tigress was pretty much always a martial artist, which i think everyone knows.

>>4494711
>>4494711
I find it funny how the martial artist is the least likely to attain inner peace.

>>4494711
Po is an unreliable narrator in those stories. Crane was a janitor though and mantis was training to be a doctor. the rest, take with a pinch of salt.

"I can speak with spirits." You say. "I can ask them about Renshu. Perhaps they might provide insight." The five look at you in shock save for Crane who is somewhat surprised. Ming nods.

"Could you do that? If we know more about him then we can plan better." She asks. You nod and close your eyes. You take a breath and calm yourself as you reach out with your feelings. It's somewhat difficult to do in your current position but with enough time you manage to clear your thoughts. Unsurprisingly, you can sense Crane and their affinity for the wind. While not as imbued in elemental energy as someone like Bao or Shenlong, Crane holds a modicum ammount of it. Almost enough to pass off as a sprite but just not quite enough. Speaking of which, you sense a few of them dancing around just outside the prison. Being that they are the element you can speak the more clearly towards you contact them.

"My friends. I must ask a favor of you, little ones." You say. The sprites continue to float around and speak out happily.

"Brother Tai Lung!" They sing like the wind from an instrument. "A favor? You'll play with us later right?" They ask.

"I will listen to your stories later, my friends. Rest assured. But for now I would like it if you could try and speak to check someone out for me." The sprites seems a bit confused but agreeable.

"Us go and find another?" They ask.

"Yes. He is a man known as Renshu. Currently I think he is at the temple. I would like to know if he is a threat to me or my friends. Does he hold ill will? More importantly, he claims to be able to speak with spirits. Could you verify that?" The sprites seem rather put off. That didn't sound like fun or a game but they comply.

"Ok Brother Tai Lung. We'll go do that. But you promise to hear our stories? Will you tell us of your bird friend? He hears us but he doesn't talk back." They ask.

"I promise I will once my work is done." You say and the spirits float away in a small gust of wind soon leaving your reach. You open your eyes. "They've gone to go check out Renshu." You tell the others. "All we can do is wait."

A few minutes go by, and you can feel the wind flow through you. You reach out to them and they contact you. "What did you find out?" You ask. The sprites sing once more.

"Shaman Renshu plays wonderful music!" They say joyfully. "He makes the most wonderful noise!" You nod politely before asking again.

"Did you find anything about what I asked you? Does he harbor any ill will or malice?" You ask and the sprites reply unhappily.

"Shaman Renshu is sad." They say. "He is unhappy and so are his friends."

"His friends?" You ask.

"Yes..." They say sadly. "The other spirits. The ones of the dead. They are unhappy too. He won't say why he is unhappy."

"Could you talk to him?" You ask. The sprites grow lively once more.

"Yes!" They say and as if remember, add. "But he had a message for you!" You almost lose focus at that.

"What did he say?" You ask.

"He said, 'I see that I am not the only one who hears the voices of the spirits. Little ones, would you be so kind as to tell your friend to come visit me in person? It is rather rude to spy. We can discuss my feelings and motives when they arrive. I shall be waiting.' That's what he said! I think he wants to play!"

"Thank you, my friends. I will keep that in mind." You say. "Once this is all done, I will tell you some tales." The sprites float happily before leaving quickly to go follow a breeze. You open your eyes.

"What did they say?" Ming asks.

"He is aware when sprites spy on him and what they want to do." You say. "And according to them...he is very sad. Furthermore...he'd like to talk to me." The group look at you confused.

"Sad?" They ask. You nod.

"Yeah...sad. And so are the spirits of the dead that hang around him." Everyone looks at you then turns to Xin Lan. Xin Lan shrugs.

"Don't look me. I always figured he...well not lying exactly but I figured that he just could read minds or something. Or your soul? It's weird." They say. "More importantly, he knows someone is trying to figure him out. Was there anything else?" You shake your head.

"No, he took advantage of the fact wind sprites tend to get easily distracted. When he spoke to them, the sprites got excited to relay the message and returned I assume." You say.

"Well what do you we do now?" Xin Lan asks. "He now knows we have someone who can speak with spirits or at least someone in the city can and was spying on him. And we got nothing."

"Sad?" Ming repeats. "Could he have lied about that too?"

"I don't think so. That's his emotional state. Unless he can fake being truly sad emotionally and I think that's impossible. It's basically trying to fake feeling something within your very soul. Can you even feel true sadness without actually being sad at the same time?" Xin Lan shrugs.

>What do you do now?
>Go and talk to Renshu yourself. He did invite you to talk.
>Go speak with Renshu but bring Xin Lan with you. They are his family and might be able to help you in speaking with him.
>Go with one of the previously made plans.
>>Tai Lung and Xin confront the Kais with the false poison threat plan (detailed last thread) to get a confession. The five watch Renshu's movements under the guise of 'discretely trying to find where tai lung went', since the cover will be that tai lung escaped and the five want to rectify that without causing a scene. They can also use this as an opportunity to investigate the city for unusual movements, in case the assassin ISN'T Renshu, or any other pertinent details.
>>So Xin seems convinced that his bro is contractor to poison the city and has a theory its for the Kais. We can buy more time by denying him resources to prepare the poison. Consult Xin how to do this. Meanwhile someone should pursue Kai leadership, both to gather more intel on what specifically their goals are and, if applicable, or possible, to get them to withdraw from the contract or to find out what Renshu wants.
>>Tell tai and xin to trust us, they will hunt down the shaman and if he is indeed the killer, let out a roar. The five will interrogate the Kai. When TL and xin have gone, send crane and mantis to follow them as backup, and to stay completely hidden until the shaman is up. They dont know about their shadows identity, so they cannot give it away. Xin will notice but not know their identities.
>Write in.

The fake poison plan from the last thread

>I have a proposal, my friends.
With Tai Lung imprisoned, we can pretend that their attack - although thwarted by 'the five' - worked to intimidate everyone sufficiently enough to call a meeting with the Kais to ask for their demands in order to acquiesce to them. They get to the meeting place, pleasantries are exchanged in a formal fashion, before bam - we reveal that the pleasant smell in the room is in fact a certain kind of incense they should be acquainted with but with a few modifications to make it even harder to cure (it isn't, this is a lie to get them sweating, it's normal peach scented incense we'll be using). And we reveal that only we both know and have the 'cure', stored elsewhere for safety's sake, naturally. If they confess to everything, in signed form, they'll get the 'cure'.

>Harmless psychological tricks! Trust me, when it comes to a criminal family, you want hard evidence like a written confession to pin them for good. And it's ancient china so 'under duress' doesn't mean anything.

With that, I gotta go make lunch. Be back in a while.

>>4494733
>Send ming and Xin to deal with the kais using the poison plan.

>Send tai Lung to meet the shaman.

>>4494733
Sadness? Genuine sadness? That definitely changes things a bit...hmm...
>Go and talk to Renshu yourself. He did invite you to talk.
>Xin and Ming do the fake poison plan, with the 5 on standby nearby (but hidden) in case things go south.

Sorry guys gonna have to pause it here for today. Votes still open until tomorrow.

>>4494733
If TL has a shot at discerning the shaman’s motives, he should go to meet him. Alternatively, the Five can ask him to visit him In the dungeon.

It would be probably beneficial to have Xin there, but Ming is not aware of their personal stake... although she does know the knowledge shook them up so maybe she figures.

I don’t think the plan to threaten the family with poison is going to go well, especially if Xin is right about their willingness to bring the city down with them.
I’d say the priority regarding Kais would be finding their leadership, which could be done by interrogating captured thugs and analyzing their activity throughout the city. Examining behaviors of other stakeholders in the city for signs of corruption would also help. I figure Ming would try to identify and pinpoint cause of disease by symptoms. Also we still need to talk to the high priest.

I'll be around to run in about an hour or so. Looks like people want to do the poison plan and send Tai Lung to speak with Renshu. Do you want anyone to join TL?

>>4495165
Also dunno if anyone has read this yet.

>>4495165
As it is mate, we want to talk to the leadership. This is our "then the leaders will come and make their demands."
Once they have confessed we can take them in, due to the five being present. Without their leaders, they are not going to be a problem for a small time until the news filters down.
If their leadership DOESN'T turn up, then the plan is a bust anyway and needs adaption.

>>4495551
I don't think Tai going alone is a great idea.....Send Crane, he's a bro, they can talk to the shaman one on one but if shit hits the fan, Crane can step in.

Xin with Ming and 4 of the 5 on standbye. We need the priests to go in on this plan with us to make it convincing, I think.
TL to Reshu and crane on standby for him.

Ok, looks like we're going with the fake poison plan and sending TL to talk to Renshu. Sending Crane with him because he's bro and it probably puts the 5 at ease.

"Tai Lung, can you go talk to Renshu? See if you can figure out why he's here." Ming says.

"We never agreed to this." Tigress says. Ming shakes her head.

"Tai Lung is the only one who can speak with Renshu." She says. "He invited him to talk. If we send Xin or any one else then he'll be suspicious. The Five are too well known, so he'll be on his guard. Xin seems to have had past dealings with Renshu so that will give away the fact we have insider information. Tai Lung is someone he might only know by name and that's our advantage. No one would suspect him working with The Furious Five."

"I should still go." Xin Lan says. "I know him best. I can provide backup."

"Sorry Xin." Ming says. "But you're right. Sending Tai Lung alone wouldn't be the smartest idea." She faces the Five. ""Crane can go. You can fly and stay out of sight. If things go wrong, you can swoop in to help. Tai Lung is more than skilled enough to be able to hold off any opponent long enough for you to get there. That sound fair, Tigress?" She ask. Tigress huffs in frustration but says nothing. Ming nods and says, "Sounds like a plan then. Can you get the chains off of him please?"

"It's alright Ming." You say standing up from your kneeling position as easy as if you weren't bound. The Five look on is horror as the chains creak and groan as you tear them appart as easily as the rope that used to bind you. You rip the remaining chains off of your torso and drop them with a loud thud on the ground next to you. You sigh and stretch, rolling your neck and shoulders to get them used to moving once more. Xin Lan simply stands there and smiles smugly at the Five as you work out. "Let's go." You quietly tell Crane as you adjust your cloak and walk past the group. Crane nods quietly, still unable to find the words and shoots his friends a nervous glance before following you out the door. When you finally exit the jail house, the cool breeze of the ocean hits your face. You take a deep breath in before suddenly backflipping on to the roof of the building and long jumping to the next one and running to the temple. Though you can't see Crane, you assume he's flying high above you and following you.

---

By the time you arrive at the Temple it's the dead of night. All you can hear is the soft rustle of the leaves as you walk through the front entrance. Though you're unsure of where to look, you're guided by the sound of a Guzheng. You wander the halls following the melancholic tune as it floats through the wind. The music leads you to a small garden in the center of the temple. Sitting next to a pond you find the man playing the music. A grey furred rabbit with black stripes around his face and ears in a white tunic similar to Xin's outift. Though you know the man's relation to your friend, you find it hard to assume the two are related. The man seems to not take heed of your approach as they continue to play, serene and methodic. Even so, they greet you as you come close.

https://youtu.be/PWnhDvy5bXc

"It is quite late for a traveler to be wandering the roads of life." He says gently still not opening his eyes. "Though I apologize, I should not presume what buisness a friend of a Great Dragon is on." They say smiling and finally opening their eyes to look at you. Their eyes are serene and at peace and their smile warm and gently. It unnerves you how similar they are to Oogway's eyes and smile, especially for an assassin and especially for one who bears the constant aura of death around them. "If you permit me one more trespass...am I to assume you are the one who sent the sprites to spy on me?"

>What do you say?
>Admit that Renshu is right. You did send the sprites to spy on him. Say that you had heard he claimed to speak with spirits and you wanted to verify it.
>Don't answer and instead ask if they are Wu Renshu. Best to start this off by exchanging names instead of accusations.
>Play it off lightly and return his question with one of your own. Say that if it is strange for you to be traveling at night then so it would be for him to be playing music at this hour.
>Write in.

>>4495725
>Admit that Renshu is right. You did send the sprites to spy on him. Say that you had heard he claimed to speak with spirits and you wanted to verify it.

>>4495725
>Admit that Renshu is right. You did send the sprites to spy on him. Say that you had heard he claimed to speak with spirits and you wanted to verify it.
Lads, this is IMPORTANT. Right now we don’t know his name is Wu Renshu, the sprites only told us his name was Renshu. If we use his full name then we reveal that we have outside help from people who are familiar with him.

>>4495725
>Admit that he is right that you did. Ask if he can guess why we did so.

No lies at this point, but a testing jab at his powers of perception.

>>4495752
>>4495783
>>4495792
Admitting that Renshu is right. Writing.

You nod. "Yes, that was me." You say. "I had heard there was a man who could speak with spirits and I wanted to find out myself." You say. "The sprites said that 'Renshu played wonderful music'. I'm assuming that's you." Renshu bows his head.

"I'm humbled that the children of the wind think so highly of my music." He says. "I'm just a simple shaman who plays as a hobby. Not fit to even be considered a bard."

"The wind sprites often find enjoyment in thing that may seem simple to us mortals." You say. "But they do not lie. That they find your music wonderful is a testament to your skill." Renshu bows his head once more.

"You honor me." He says. "But as a friend of the wind, I trust that you would know them better than anyone else."

"You can tell who I am?" You ask already knowing why.

"Yes. As your small friends have indicated, I can speak with spirits. As such I can perceive things most people cannot. Namely, the mantle you bear. It is a powerful title. You should be proud to be given such an honor." He says. "And I am moreso that you have taken the time to speak to someone like me."

"You asked to speak with me and I haven't met anyone else who can talk to spirits. I must admit that curiosity got the better of me." You say. "If I must say, it is quite a rarity to meet another person who can speak with spirits and a coincidence that we both end up in the same city. May I ask what brings you to here?" Renshu seems to look beyond you. Even with their gentle eyes, it feels rather unnerving. Almost like they are staring into your soul despite them not focused on you.

"The spirits beckoned me here." He says. "Unfortunately, I am not as blessed as you. I cannot ignore their call and I go where they feel I am needed. While my will is my own, it is my duty to listen to them. They told me of a great sorrow here in the temple. And I seem to have arrived too late and just in time as it seems. I have done the best I could to soothe the wounds of those here but I'm afraid my true calling is to soothe the soul and mind. I have listened to the troubles of those around here and have done my best to set their minds at ease. But they are not the only ones who are troubled. The energy of this temple is unbalanced and darkened. Thus I have spent my time here attempting to remedy this as well." Renshu explains as he plays a different tune."I am afraid I am overstepping my boundries again and for that I ask that you forgive me. But...you too hold a great darkness in your heart. You bear the weight of deeds long done and actions long past. Sometimes it feels that though you carry it as best as you can that it will never pass. Especially recently. Would you like to speak about it, friend of the wind?" He asks.

>What do you say?
>Thank Renshu for his concern but say that you will pass. Ask him something in return.
>Ask Renshu about his duties. What does a shaman like him do?
>Tell Renshu about your problems? Perhaps he may offer wisdom. Tell him that you wish to help people but your past seems to prevent that. You wish to protect your friends but it seems like violence is the only way that works despite their disapproval.
>Ask Renshu if he knows about current events of the city. See how much he really knows.
>Write in.

>>4495884
>My burdens are my own, my weight should never be forgotten that I never feel the temptation to repeat. Instead we should speak of the now.
>Do you know about the current events of the city, the trouble afflicting the temple?

>>4495890
Supporting.

>>4495884
Tell him you’ve come to accept your burdens as something that cannot, should not be shed. That you’ve resolved to bear them and accept their weight as reminder to keep from creating more, in yourself and others, going forward. That you can share some of the experience and insight if Renshu wishes it, but do not want to force it upon him.

>>4495890
+1

>>4495890
>>4496272
>>4496427
>>4496798
Declining Renshu's offer for a listening ear and advice. Asking him about the city's troubles. Writing.

"My burdens are my own, my weight should never be forgotten that I never feel the temptation to repeat." You say. "I have come to accept that my burdens are something that cannot, and should not, be shed. I will bear them and accept their weight as a reminder to keep from creating more, in myself and in others." Renshu adjusts the strings on his instrument.

"A noble mindset and goal...as expected from one who carries the favor of the wind." He plucks the strings gently. "However...if you do not choose to open up about them. If you do not air your grievances then they will lie within you and fester. Those you wish to protect will be unaware and will be unable to help you. You are strong that much is true and I will not dissuade you from your path but take care that the weight you bear does not drown you in the river of life or that in your effort to not repeat your past that you lose your self in holding back the tide. I sense that you are at peace with youself and that is good. You are not afraid of who you once were or of what you will become but that does not preclude you from allowing others in on your troubles."

You nod slowly. "Thank you." You say. "But I would like to speak of the now if that is alright with you. Do you know about the current events of the city? Of the trouble afflicting the temple?"

Renshu closes his eyes. "Yes." He says sadly. "These are dark times indeed for this city. This Kai Family attacking this temple and sending their members as if they were some kind of army. The High Priest gone missing. I have spoken to the Brotherhood. They say that the current events have taken a toll on the High Priest and has become indisposed due to his old age. However they are greatly troubled and doubt looms in all of them. Though it is not my place to say nor it is to judge, I presume that they are not divuldging everything. But there is not much I can do, so I do what I can. Offer succor to those who need it. There are many here who are afraid and they speak of their worries. The more fortunate speak to me of idle things such as romantic interests or earning praise from their superiors. But there are those that worry that this is a omen. They say that the family has never acted like this before and a brazen attack such as this bodes ill." He looks at you. "But that is what I have heard while residing here in my short time here. Perhaps you know more?" He asks.

>What do you say?
>Tell Renshu that you know as much as they do.
>Tell Renshu that you heard a rumor that the Kais have been trying to speak to the High Priest before the attack. Maybe he heard something about that?
>Ask Renshu if he is aware that The Five is in the city. What does he think of that?
>Ask Renshu how long he plans to stay here. As he said, these seem to be dark days and the city is dangerous if the Kais are willing to attack a peaceful temple.
>Ask Renshu something else.
>Write in.

>>4496967
>Are you aware the five are here?
>Do you know about how the Kais, their meetings with the high priest?
>How long do you plan to stay?
>How much do you know about medicine and alchemy?

We should ask about the root in a minute.

>>4496967
Tell him about the “rumor” of Kais wishing to talk with the high priest, ask if he has any idea what such a family could wish from a priest aside from absolution
Ask him how long he intends to stay, if the family is so devoted to path of violence, things could be dangerous for him.


It might have been a mistake to deny him a sad story of our own. It would have opened a viable path to pry into his. Gotta find an alternative frame now...
>ask how he learned to commune with spirits

>>4496972
>>4496978
lots of questions. Writing.

"I know that The Five are here in the city." You say. "Did you know that?"

"Oh yes." He says in a calm enthusiasm. "As a matter of fact, I had the honor to speak with one of them. Master Viper to be exact. She was here earlier today tending to injured. They bring much hope to those around them. I can feel it in the energy of the room as they enter. They are a beacon to all of China. They seem to have a new member as well." Renshu says. You do your best to keep your heart from leaping in your chest when he mentioned Ming and you ask,

"Oh? How can they be The Five is there is 6 of them?" You half joke. "Or perhaps you have seen the Dragon Warrior?"

"I do not think their new companion was the Dragon Warrior, I'm afraid. Though I must admit, calling her a new member of The Five would be a bit of an overstatement. She simply seems to be a traveling companion. A healer to be exact." He says.

"What makes you say that?" You ask. "Looks can be deceiving. Especially for master marital artists."

"You are right. Master Mantis would be an example of that. However when it comes to their new companion The Five seem to be shouldering a weight. There is a decision to be made and they can only influence it. That decision ultimately rests on their new companion. It is this weight that seperates her from The Five and in my opinion excludes her from being an official member. They do not see her as one."

"That is odd." You say. "The Five ussually don't travel with people outside of their own group unless it's part of their job. Do you think this new girl has something to do with what's going on with the city?"

"I do not know but given how close they are to her, perhaps she is. I sense you might have theory about that?" He asks a bit amused.

"Well...I heard a rumor that the Kai family has been trying to speak with the High Priest days before the attack. I don't know why they would though though it's just a rumor of course. What could they Kai Family want? I doubt they want to confess their sins." Renshu continues to play and gives you another one of his serene smiles however there's an undertone of something else to it. It's the same smile Oogway or Shifu used to give you when you asked the right questions but...there's something else that you can't put your finger on it. It's not malice but it's certainly not friendly.

"Why indeed..." He says. "Perhaps they want something from within the temple? A valuable object perhaps?"

"I doubt it." You say thinking fast. You can't reveal that you know the High Priest was poisoned or that there is nothing of value here. "What would the Kai family want with scrolls or candles? I don't think the Brotherhood have anything that would be of value or some kind of hidden treasure." Renshu plays for a moment.

"Perhaps then it is not an object but a place." He says.

"You mean like the temple itself?" You ask. "Then why even try to talk to the High Priest?"

"As I've been told by the priests and monks here. The Kai Family has never been this violent. As the common assumption for crime families go, they tend to be more subtle. Perhaps they wished to come to some kind of agreement with the High Priest? Use of the temple for something and their silence in exchange for something?" He suggests. You nod. It made sense. The Kai Family could use the temple for whatever they wanted and because it was on the edge of town, not many people would notice. But why poison the High Priest? Besides revenge, getting rid of him meant that there would be no one in charge to have in their pocket. Unfrotunately you can't ask and play your hand. Renshu had you cornered on that front.

"That certainly is a possiblity. Which makes the temple less of a sanctuary than I hoped. How long do you plan on staying here?" You ask. "With what we disscussed in mind, things can get dangerous for you if you decide to stay and tend to everyone's wounds."

"I'm humbled that one of your title would worry about someone as unimportant as me." Renshu replies. "I will stay as long as the spirits wish for me to stay and do what I can to help. Should it become apperant that my work can no longer soothe the people here then I must make the decision to leave. As painful as it is. I thank you for your worry but I am accustomed to the dangers of travel. Though I sometimes travel with caravans, I most often travel alone."

"There are plenty of people in need of a healer." You say. "You must be well practiced in medicine if it's your life's calling." You say.

Renshu shakes his head. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a healer." He admits. "I can tend to superfical wounds. Cuts, bruises, and even a broken arm but for the more complicated injuries I am at a loss. Even making medicines are something I am not truly proficient in. As I've mentioned, my real calling is to soothe the spirit and mind."

"I must admit, I never heard of many Shamans. Where did you learn how to speak with spirits?" You ask. Renshu smiles once more, this time a regular one.

"One would say it's rather rude to pry into another's past after denying them your own." He says gently teasing you. "But this is a tale I've told many times and I do not mind telling it once more." Renshu sets his intrument aside. "I was not taught to speak with spirits. I was born with the gift. Though I suppose this was not always so. As a child, my gift was simply a toy. The sprits were my friends and companions. As young boy and a teenager, my ability was a curse. The spirits were a nuisance, never keeping quiet, never granting me solace in my own mind. I drank and tried to wash away my sorrows in alcohol. I fought against my elders and did what I could to rebel." He says and pauses for a moment. He closes his eyes as if in remembrance and finishes it. "And as an adult, it is a gift once more. Used to aid those around me."

You wait for him to continue but he does not, leaving you in silence.

>What do you say?
>Renshu seems to have neglected to mention a good portion of his story. Ask him what caused him to change. He certainly doesn't seem like a person who induldged in vices like alcohol and certainly not one who overdrank.
>Ask if he's heard about the Tainted Rose in his travels. Though he's said he's not much of a healer, so you doubt he'll give you any information.
>Ask about his travels. Where he's been before. Perhaps The Five might be able to tell you if any other incidents of poisonings have occured there.
>Write in.

>>4497197
>Renshu seems to have neglected to mention a good portion of his story. Ask him what caused him to change. He certainly doesn't seem like a person who induldged in vices like alcohol and certainly not one who overdrank.
>Ask if he's heard about the Tainted Rose in his travels. Though he's said he's not much of a healer, so you doubt he'll give you any information.

>>4497197
>Probe the depths of his spiritual knowledge. Ask him things about Eureka, and see if he knows anything about the disaster that nearly befell it.
Surely one such as him would have sensed spirits thinning out.

>>4497203
>>4497221
Supporting both of these.

>>4497203
>>4497221
>>4497226
Taking these. Writing.

>>4497197

>Fair's fair, offer him a story of your past

>Admit it's hard to imagine him as someone indulging, looking at him now

"What changed?" You ask gently. Renshu looks at you. "You didn't really say why you stopped seeing it as a curse. It's kind of hard imagining you as a drunkard." You say weakly. Renshu grabs his instrument and plucks at it once more. This time it's not music but rather just idle playing.

"...I found someone important." He says. "Someone who needed me sober. Someone who was more important than my petty greivences. So I made peace with what I was born with and in the end, I settled into my role as a Shaman. Now that I am alone, I devote my skills to those around me." You nod though you're unsure how much of his story was a lie to you. Though Renshu seems to be telling the truth, you know that he was an assassin and deception would have something he'd be increadibly skilled in.

"I see..." You say. "I assume you've traveled quite alot. In your travels, have you ever heard of something called the Tainted Rose?" Renshu gently shakes his head.

"I'm afraid not." He says. "Though it does remind me of a tarvern name." He gives you a teasing smile. "Perhaps you wish to affirm that I was indeed a drunkard?" He jokes. You cough and nod.

"Sorry." You lie. "I really can't imagine it."

"It is quite alright." He muses. "Not many do. Though I assume people can imagine that always hearing the whispers of the spirits can drive one to drink."

"Speaking of the spirits. Recently I noticed...a fading in the the elemental spirits. As if they were thinning out. Perhaps something had happened in Eureka." You muse.

"I'm afraid I am not blessed enough to be able to commune with the spirit realm." Renshu admits. "Although I did sense a change in the children of the elements. They seemed uneasey and worried but only for a few hours. Then they returned to their joyful demenor. I am afraid that I am not as attuned to the elements as a friend of the wind would be. I am more aligned with the spirits of those long departed." He says. You that at the very least, what he said was the truth. Judging by how time flowed in the spirit realm, if anyone would have noticed it on this end then it would only be for a small while compared to the days and months you spent searching for Kai.

"I see. Could you ask anyone recently passed? Maybe they would know." You ask testing them about Eureka. Renshu shakes their head.

"I'm afraid I cannot. Or rather, I cannot ask anyone who has moved on. Those that have gone to receive their judgement by Yanluo Wang are beyond my reach. I would assume that they do not reside with the elementals as they have not told me about those long departed. Though I admit my dealings with the children are limited. I wish to believe that those judge go to live with their ancestors as we're all told growing up. Perhaps with your closeness to the elements, that they might have told you what happened?"

>What do you say?
>Tell Renshu about Kai and how he wished to absorb all the chi in the spirit realm.
>Lie and say that you're not sure but you found it odd. When you asked the spirits they didn't say only that there was danger.
>Say that you can only guess as well but you've never spoken to anyone deceased so you cannot guess either way.
>Thank Renshu for inviting you to talk and excuse yourself. It is gettting quite late.
>Tell Renshu one of your stories. He as been open so far. It's only fair that you return the kindness. (what do you tell him?)
>Write in.

>>4497353
>My friend told me that you do indeed go to the ancestors if Wang judges you worthy.
>Tell him a story about our time in the spirit realm.
>Do you know much martial arts, it may keep you safe on the roads.
>You seem to know quite a lot about me with a glance, Do you know my name then?

Hmm....Maybe we can get him to expand on martial arts.

>>4497353
supporting
>>4497365

>>4497365
>>4497387
Telling Renshu we've actually been to the spirit realm and asking about his knowledge.Writing

"I have been told by a friend that you do indeed go to see your ancestors if Wang judges you worthy. I met them in my journey to the spirit realm." You admit. "It is a peaceful place. Full of floating islands over a sea of clouds. It seems to go on forever and journeying through them one loses track of time. I've met many spirits there and it is where I learned to speak with them though there is still much for me to learn."

"That is good to hear. Many people will be put at ease knowing that." Renshu says smiling although you can see something in their peaceful eyes. Sadness. Just as the sprites said. "I am glad to have met one so world traveled as you. Never in my life would I have thought to meet one who has traveled between both worlds. Truly you have lived an amazing life."

"But you travel as well." You say. "You are still young, there is plenty of time for adventure."

Renshu chuckles. "I wouldn't know. While I do travel, it is in service of others. While I welcome adventure, I am content with my life. Perhaps, it is for the stories I hear that I travel. The people I meet. Such as yourself."

"But you mentioned you weren't a bard. Yet you travel under the same pretenses as one." You tease. The rabbit let's out a light laugh.

"I would never presume to have the same skills as a master storyteller. I merely enjoy listening to stories, not recount them for coin." He says.

"Do you know much about martial arts? They may keep you safe on your travels. It sounds like your more of a jack of all trades on top of being a shaman." You ask. Renshu shakes their head.

"I'm afraid not." He says. "I prefer to not fight. The spirits keep me safe. Tell me of dangers and ill omens. I'm sure your wind friends have done the same for you."

"They have on occassion." You say. "Though they often complain that I tend not to listen." You chuckle. "I endevour to hear them as much as I can."

"Had I met you when I was younger, I'd envy your ability to be able to ignore them." Renshu says. "But you seem to be happy with your gift and for that I am glad. Speaking to spirits is a joy many will never know."

You look at Renshu. "You seem to know quite a lot about me at a glance. Do you know my name then?" Renshu looks down at his instrument and plays it properly once more.

"No." He says. "I do not. I can merely tell you what the spirits tell me and what I can read from your aura or Chi. Perhaps with more practice, I could tell everything about a person at a glance but that is not a gift that even I would want. Or perhaps I would...with such knowledge...would I be able to better help those in need? Would I be able to bear the responsibilty of that knowledge?" Renshu finally stands. "It is getting late and even I must rest. I bid you a good night, friend of the wind." He says making way to the temple halls.

>What do you do?
>Ask Renshu one last thing. (what do you ask?)
>Let him leave. You think you've gotten what you could out of him.
>Tell Renshu to be safe. The city is a dangerous place and you don't want him getting caught up in any unsavory buisness.
>Write in.

>>4497478
>Bid him good night, and wish him luck in mending wounded hearts

>>4497481
>Be safe, things can be quite dangerious.
>Fling a coin at him to test his reflexes with a delayed 'heads up'. "For the wisdom you've given me"

>>4497478
>Take a page out of Oogway's book. Bow, and tell him that it was your honor to meet a spiritual prodigy such as him.

>>4497488
>>4497489
>>4497501
Saying goodnight but we can't help but test the man just a tiny bit more. Writing.

"Good night Renshu. Be safe, things seem to be getting quite dangerous." You say bowing and adding. "It's been an honor to meet a spiritual prodigy such as you."

Renshu returns the bow. "I should be saying the same for you. I has been an honor meeting one such as yourself." With that he turns once more and walks away. You watch the man leave before silently pulling a coin out of your pocket before flinging it at the man. You barely have time to count to one before the rabbit's ear twitches and as you hurry up to shout, "Heads up" and keep up with your plan Renshu's hand has already snapped up in the air and caught the coin. His speed was blinding, almost as fast as Xin Lan if not as fast. Renshu turns to face you with a bemused smile on his face.

"Testing the spirits' ability to warn me of danger?" He muses gently. You shake your head.

"For the wisdom you've given me." You reply.

"I see." He say pocketing the money and walking away. "I do hope my wisdom serves you well...Tai Lung." He says as he steps into the shadows and vanishes.

---

You and Crane rush back to the jail house where the rest of the Five and your friends are. You're lead, not to your cell, but to a large confrence room. The rest of the Five are sitting around reading reports of some kind, Ming is dozing off hunched over the table, and Xin Lan is sitting on the table next to Ming's head completely motionless and with their eyes closed, meditating. The moment you step through the door, their ears twitch and they jump to their feet. "So? What did you learn?" They ask. Ming snorts and sits upright looking around with wide eyes.

"I wasn't asleep!" She shouts as some hair falls on her eyes. The rest of the Five simply look at her but Xin Lan continues to look at you.

>What do you say?
>Tell Xin Lan that Renshu knows your name at the very least. Everything else he told you was in line with their alias as a Shaman.
>Say you learned nothing about Renshu that you didn't already know from Xin Lan or would assume a wandering shaman to know. But Renshu did suggest that the Kai family would want the temple not for it's goods but as a location of illicit activity.
>Tell Xin Lan that Renshu is as good a liar as they are. He stuck to his story until the very end until you tested their reflexes. At that point it seemed like both of you were done playing the game of pretend though it didn't seem like Renshu was afraid or was aware that you knew their identity.
>Write in.

>>4497530
>Hes a fantastic liar, but his reflexes and knowledge of my name gave the game away at the end. He did have some insights into the Kais thought process.

Give them the overview of the situation.

>>4497530
>Tell Xin Lan that Renshu is as good a liar as they are. He stuck to his story until the very end until you tested their reflexes. At that point it seemed like both of you were done playing the game of pretend though it didn't seem like Renshu was afraid or was aware that you knew their identity.

>>4497541
>>4497546
Telling the group that Renshu had an idea of what's going on but gave you some insight on what the Kais want. Writing.

"He's a fantastic liar." You say before explaining the small test you did with the coin. "But his reflexes and knowledge of my name gave the game away at the end though...we both seemed to know what was going on. He was either unafraid or unaware that I knew who he was." Xin Lan nods.

"Yeah...that sounds like him." They say. "Although...why would he give himself away like that? That's not his style. He's not the flashy type." You shrug.

"I don't know but he did give me some insight on the Kais." You say. "It's not an item they want. It's the whole temple. If they have control of it, either directly or indirectly, then they have a hideout for any illegal contraband they could want. All they would have to do is pay a share of the profits to keep the temple silent. No guard would ever think of looking there." Ming yawns.

"So then the Kais trying to speak with the High Priest were attempting to convince him to go for the plot." She says. "Of course, he said no and so they tried to kill him."

"Probably hoping that the next guy in line would be more malleable or at least afraid enough to do as they wanted. Makes sense too. Having a leader in their pocket meant they now have deniablity and someone to take the fall." Xin Lan says. "Probably would have worked if we hadn't intervened."

"That doesn't make sense." Tigress says. "Why would someone in league with the Kais tell you their plan?"

"I don't know." Ming says. "He told me to dismantle the Kai family as well." Xin Lan taps their foot nervously.

"I don't like this." They say. "Renshu is playing us. Using us like peices and we're doing as he wants."

"We have no choice." Viper says. "If we don't then the Kais will continue to do as they please. Maybe he really does just want us to help the city."

"He did say the attack on the temple was an ill omen." You point out. "And his job is to heal people spiritually and mentally. Taking out the Kais would fall in line with what he would want." Xin Lan shakes his head.

"That wouldn't add up as to why he would make the poison in the first place. Remember there isn't anyone else we know who could make it. Why would he make a poison to assist the Kai family then go out of his way to stop them?" They ask.

"Or maybe he's not involved at all and you're simply wasting our time?" Tigress points out. Xin Lan glares at her.

"Shut it, stripes...number 2." They correct themselves as if catching themselves in a habit. "Maybe the Kais no longer pay him or are of no use to him. It would be more convient to have others take the Kais down than for him to go and do it..." Their voice trails off.

"But it's not his style?" You venture a guess. Xin Lan nods.

"Yeah...he'd do it himself." They mumble.

"Guys..." Ming yawns again. "We need to decide. Are we going to assume Renshu is involved in this or not? We can't go around doing both and maintain the same level of efficiency. It just gives us too many questions. Then we can decide how to handle the false poison plan."

>What do you say?
>Renshu is involved. He's the only one who can make the poison and is aware of what the Kais would want with the temple.
>Renshu has nothing to do with this. He wants the Kai family gone and is willing to help not only The Five and the person vaugely associated with them but also Tai Lung, a wanted criminal.
>Write in

>>4497614
>it’s late. Let’s reconvene in the morning after everyone’s had some time to sleep on it.
>Over the night, meditate to commune with spirits to see if any unusual entities other than the ones in our crew and renshu are in the city or its surrounding area. Someone with the constant killing intent needed to grow Tainted Rose would be easy to spot for them. Who knows, maybe they could even sense the rose itself with how it’s made?

>>4497614
I got a theory, he knew that in making the root, that somebody was going to come and cure the high priest using his unusual perceptions.

He somehow benefits from both success and defeat...perhaps having us tie up loose ends.

>>4497625
Getting rest and meditating. Writing.

"How about we get some sleep?" You say getting Ming's bag and handing it to her. "We can all reconvene in the morning after we've rested."

Crane nods. "Yeah, that's actually a good idea. Can't make good decisions while we're all exhausted." Tigress glares at you and you raise your hands.

"I know. I know. Back to my cage." You say. Xin Lan hops off the table and starts to follow out of the door.

"You'd think they'd learn by now." They say. "Ming, I'll join you in about an hour. I want to do some scouting first." They lightly punch your leg. "Sorry big guy, but I'd rather sleep in a high class inn than that dank box you call a cell." You grin and shake your head.

"So girl's night out then?" You tease. Xin Lan snorts.

"You know I'm a boy." They say.

"Funny. Remember you saying you were a girl." You shoot back with a grin.

"So what if I am? Girls can kick butt too you know." Xin Lan replies. The Five simply stay at the table utterly confused.

"And you're just ok with this?" Tigress asks Ming. "They don't even ask for permission." Ming giggles and shrugs.

"I mean...could I stop them? Besides they're my friends." She says. "They'd give up the only room available in town for me if it meant that I'd be safe." She yawns. "Just don't let them get away with sneaking food off your plate. That's when you have to say no." Tigress let's out a huff in frustration and The Five follow Ming out of the confrence room only to find the halls empty.

"Someone go check his cell." She sighs.

----

You sit at your cell meditating. Your mind and body scream for sleep but you push those aside for one last session. This time you weren't settling for sprites. You needed a full spirit. It takes you about an hour but soon you feel a the presence of one. You call out to it.

"Guardian of the wind. I have need of your aid." The wind spirit stops riding an air current and responds.

"Friend of my father, what aid can I provide?" It replies, it's voice as fluid as the breeze it rides.

"A great danger plagues this city." You say. "Though such things are of no concern for beings such as the elementals, I would ask of your aid to help me find the source of this. This danger threatens all within the city including a temple that provides an area of worship for your father and his siblings."

"If such a thing is true." The spirit replies. "Then I shall aid you. You bear the mantle of a true friend and I trust that your goals are noble. What is it you require of me?"

"I thank you my friend." You reply. "Within this city someone is producing a deadly venom known as the Tainted Rose. The ritual to make this vile flower requires killing intent without reservation. One must be willing to use this plant for the sole purpose to kill and without remorse. I would ask of you to find such an individual in this city. There is a man known as Renshu here as well. According to a friend of mine, he is capable of producing such malice. I would like you to ignore him and see if there is anyone else here who can harbor such intent."

"Such a task is of no problem for me. I shall return when I am done." The spirit says before vanishing. You finish your meditation and let the weight of your exhaustion fall on your body. Now that you didn't have chains binding you, you could at least lay on the ground properly. Closing your eyes, it doesn't take long before you drift off into a deep sleep.

---

You feel like you've only slept for a few mintues before you hear someone enter your cell room. Years of training have taught your body to wake up and get to your feet before your mind can realize what is going on. You see Tigress enter your view as opens your cell door. "Hurry up." She says tersely. "Ming won't start without you." Stretch and follow her. You feel out as quickly as you can but don't sense the wind spirit. You assume they are still on their task.

>What do you say?
>Ask her how her day has been. Might as well make some small talk while you head out.
>Ask if something is wrong. You think she seems a bit more agitated than ussual.
>Say nothing and follow her. You can ask questions once you're with everyone else.
>Write in.

>>4497723
>Ask if something is wrong. You think she seems a bit more agitated than usual.

>>4497723
>>Ask if something is wrong. You think she seems a bit more agitated than ussual.

>>4497723
>What's wrong?

>>4497723
>>Ask her how her day has been. Might as well make some small talk while you head out.
>>Ask if something is wrong. You think she seems a bit more agitated than ussual.

I say lets do both!

>>4497766
>>4497767
>>4497956
>>4498043
Talking to some people, best waifu, Tigress. Writing.

Figuring that if you're going to be working for The Five, a strange notion even for you, you might as well try and be amicable or at the very least cooperative. "How your day been so far?" You ask rather awkwardly in the silence.

"A lot better once this is all done with." She say. You frown though you should have expected that.

"You know...this would go a lot smoother if we could work together." You say. Tigress spins around and glares you.

"We are not working together. You are a wanted criminal and mass murderer that is only being allowed to assist us in this because your sociopathic rabbit friend or slave or whatever you see other people who are useful to you as has information we need." She growls jabbing her finger into your scar. "You're a danger to everyone around you Tai Lung. Wherever you go, you bring death and destruction with you. I don't know what Ming sees in you and frankly if I could I'd kill you right now but unlike you, some of us have morals. So why don't you keep quiet and do as your told before you find yet another way to shame my father even more?" She says turning around and leaving you confused. Her father? As far as you knew, you've never met another tiger in your travels. Furthermore, Tigress seems to be a bit more angry than ussual if that was to be believed.

Putting aside the her rant, you ask, "Something wrong? You're usually more restrained than this." Tigress shoots another glare at you over her shoulder and she clenches her fists as she tries to even her breathing.

"We found the missing priest." She says.

"I assume not in the condition either of us would like." You say.

"He's dead." Tigress replies. "Found gutted at the docks early this morning." You wince. You had hoped he'd turn up sooner or later but not like this. You try not to allow yourself to go in to the what ifs of whether or not you could have found him in time. You decide not to bring up the fact you knew they were missing. The two of you walk to the confrence room only to hear shouting. You and Tigress rush in to find a standoff between Xin Lan and the rest of The Five. Ming stands in a corner in shock.

"I'm telling you I didn't do it!" They shout holding their knives in a defensive position.

"You're our only suspect." Mantis shoots back.

"And the murderous Shaman in the temple isn't another suspect?" The rabbit shouts back.

"You mean the one that hasn't shown any signs of violent tendancies? The one that hasn't been running around strangling Kai members?" Viper responds.

"I prefer the term incapacitate." Xin Lan replies. "And frankly I was doing all of you a favor considering they were trying to spy on you! Maybe you haven't noticed but I don't get anything out of murdering random thugs!"

>What do you do?
>Step in between both groups. Tell them to calm down and explain what's going on.
>Get Ming out of the room. Ask her what happened. Xin Lan's persona might be a loud mouth but they wouldn't antagonize potential allies if it was determental to your group's goals.
>Go to Xin's side and ask them what's going on. Don't let The Five take them in.
>Write in.

>>4498249
>xin is innocent. I realise it’s impossible for me to get you to take me at my word, or theirs, but you already know we are not aligned with the family. We would gain nothing by killing the priest.

Could it have been Renshu? He probably has alibi of being under surveillance since entering the city. Xin, we have to consider there’s another person here that has ability to pull this stuff.
Have you searched priests things and chambers for clues?

>>4498249
>Reveal that you sent a spirit out last night specifically to search for killing intent, and that everything should make sense as soon as it returns. Until then, we cannot make the mistake of being at each other's throats.
They're acting like animals!

>>4498249
Supporting >>4498258 and tell Xin to put his knives down. The five wont do anything.

We do gain nothing by murdering he priest, especially as he was likely the one to poison the incense. Our stated aim of finding the culprit is not helped by murdering leads.

Also, tigress considers shifu her dad. That's sweet.

>>4498258
>>4498273
>>4498283
Backing up Xin and letting everyone know we have nothing to gain from the priest's death. Writing.

"Xin is innocent. I realise it’s impossible for me to get you to take me at my word, or theirs, but you already know we are not aligned with the family. We would gain nothing by killing the priest." You say walking up to the group. "Xin put your daggers away. The Five won't do anything." Xin Lan looks at you then at the Five then back at you be slowly lowering their hands, flourishing their knives and making them vanish. You look at The Five. "We don't gain anything from murdering the priest. Our goal is to find the culprit not murder all of our leads."

"You know for a fact they'll try to throw me in jail." Xin Lan grumbles. You pet their head and Ming sighs in relief before speaking.

"It's not the priest they were talking about." She says. "That couldn't have been Xin." You give Ming a questioning look.

"The work was completely amateur." Xin Lan says. "It'd be a complete embarassment if I even stooped as low as to fake cuts like those."

"Xin and I went with Mantis to check out the..." Ming makes an uncomfortable sound. "...body. The cuts were jagged and rough. Probably made with an old knife. The chips in old blades catch on the flesh and tear at it rather than splitting it neatly. Judging from the way the cut was made, Xin says the poor man was hanging when they did it. Mantis noticed several cuts on his arms and shoulders...there was a struggle. Judging from the way he was killed..." Ming squirms a bit.

"He was bled out." Xin Lan says giving you a look. You knew what that could mean. They raise their hands. "No stains. Even if I washed, that amount of blood would still tint my fur pink. Downsides of having a pure white coat." They say. "So no matter how much they'd like to pin it on me. I didn't do it."

"So then what was the argument about?" You ask.

"The guards came in few minutes earlier." Ming explains. "They found more bodies. Members of the Kai family. They were dead also but what baffled the guards is that there's no pattern on where they found them. There's just a handful of dead gang members all over the city."

"How did they die?" You ask. "Poison?"

"We don't know." Viper says. "We haven't had the chance to check because someone doesn't want to submit to custody." Xin Lan glares at her. "All that we know is that at least one has their neck broken. Others don't seem to have any injuries that the guards could find from a cursory glance." She says.

"Well, perhaps we might get another lead soon." You say. "I sent out a spirit to see if they can find anyone else who could be behind this. Someone with intense murderous intent. Until then we can't be at each other's throats. We're here to work together not pin crimes on one another."

"We can't just wait around." Tigress says. "We have a murderer on the loose now and our only lead is dead."

"Stripes...number 2," Xin Lan says correcting themselves again,"is right big guy. As much as I trust your witchcraft, we gotta be on the move. Longer we wait, the more time the Kais have to adapt to the situation." You nod begrudgingly. They were right. It would be best if you got to work while you waited.

"Could it have been Renshu?" You suggest.

"Not this again." Monkey replies.

"Well if it's not him then we have to consider there might have been another person who could pull this off. We also need to search the priest's things for clues. Now that he's gone that's the only way we can figure out their involvement."

"Then we best get moving." Xin Lan says. "What's the plan?"

>What do you do?
>Take Ming with you and go investigate the dead Kai members. You might find something that could help.
>Go with Xin and confront Renshu. Time for games is over. People are dying now.
>Go with one of the Five and begin interrogating Kai family members. If you want to continue with the fake poison plan, you need to figure out who their leaders are.
>Take someone else and search the Priest's quarters. See if you can find clues.
>Write in.

>>4498335
>Go with one of the Five and begin interrogating Kai family members. If you want to continue with the fake poison plan, you need to figure out who their leaders are.
sounds like the gutted priest was silenced by the kais. Dead kais aren't as important as dead civilians, unfortunately for them.

>>4498335
Ask some of the five to escort you to priest’s quarters and look for clues.
Ask Xin if the dead priest could have been used to make another batch of the poison, if so we need to get more cure pronto.
Actually, ask Ming when the priest died - could we have a doppelgänger at large?

You played among us recently, haven’t you, OP?

>>4498369
tigress is sus

>>4498369
It's a game I keep meaning to buy but keep forgetting to. Or is that just another one of my deceptions.
>>4498375
Definitely sus. Saw her straing at TL the entire time.

>>4498335
>Go an interrogate live kais. send Xin and one of the five to investigate where the body was found, if it was used to make more root then there should be very little blood on the docks, which xin should know what to look for. Ming go with the others to investigate the priests belongings and try and get the priests onboard with the plan.

Sound good?

>>4498383
seeing as this is combo of all the previous votes. I'll take them all. Writing.

"Tai Lung can go find out who the Kai's leader is." Ming says. "Xin, you and one of The Five can go back to checkout where the priest was found. See if you can find anything strange or maybe more clues as to where the murder took place." Ming gives Xin Lan a knowing look. "I'll go with the rest of The Five and search Brother Lei's things and hopefully get the rest of the Brotherhood on board with our plan."


"You know-" Tigress starts but Ming cuts her off.

"I very well know you don't want Tai Lung wandering around the city alone." She says firmly. "But the fact of the matter is that he's not one of you. He's not seen as a figure of authority and that gives him leniency in talking to the Kais. He's just known as the man who can take on the family alone and that is enough to get them talking. If any of you confront the Kais their first thought will be to not say anything incriminating. With Tai Lung, they're more than likely to talk in order to get away unscathed. Now...it seems that the man you're desperately trying to contain is the only reaonable one here." Ming crosses her arms. "We're here to help you guys and help people. If you're not going to be reasonable then we'll leave and do it on our own. Even if it means skirting the law and hiding." Xin Lan whistles.

"She's laying on you good." They say. "But she's right. If we have to be vigilantes to do it then we'll do it but we're gonna figure out what's going on." The Five look at the three of you and seem to back off for the moment.

"Go on." Ming tells you. "We'll catch you up with what we find when we regroup." You nod.

"Stay out of trouble." You tell Xin Lan. They stick out their tongue.

"I'm not the one in jail you know." They say. "Keep up Viper." Xin Lan adds as they leap out of a window out into the city. Viper lets out a surprised hiss and jumps out after them. You walk out of confrence room and head into the city. You expect someone to at least warn you to behave or something of the sort but no one does. You shield your eyes slightly as the full force of the sun hits them. You decide that before you go around roughing up thugs you should have some kind of plan.

>How do you want to go asking for info?
>Play the intimidator. Rough up Kai members and make a show of it. Maybe you can scare the information out of them.
>Goad the Kais. Taunt them into fighting you with the bait of you telling them everything you know. Once you win, make them keep their word and have them tell you everything.
>Play the double agent. Talk to Kais under the guise of wanting to join the winning side. Someone with your strength should intrigue them though your past actions will hinder your efforts as well.
>Write in.

>Write the questions you wish to ask and where you want to look for Kai members.

>>4498485

Reason with the thugs. Explain to them that as an outlaw criminal on the run you have little to gain by playing nice. You are simply trying to get even with people who interrupted your spiritual voyage with their bullshit, and that the family boss that is not present is less dangerous than a tiger that is very much right here.
Even if they get uppity maybe they will let slip something interesting in ways of taunting you back.

Also stop by the port to confirm if the ship crew is okay or maybe heard something interesting in the taverns. And warn them that shit is going down, and to triple check for stowaways if they decide to pull out.

>>4498500
Sure, let's do that. Maybe they know where the kais like to drink.

>>4498500
I gotta make lunch so I'll be back in a while. Votes open until then.

>>4498500
>>4498528
I'm back. Going to find the Gale Cutter crew and seeing if they can tell us anything about the Kais before going to interrogate thugs. Writing.

The common stereotype is that ne're-do-wells tend to hang out at the docks and edge of towns. Considering that the priest's body was found at the docks, perhaps there was some merit to it. More importnatly, the crew of the Gale Cutter was there so you decide that they deserved some kind of heads up. Things were looking pretty grim and if the pattern continued it would be best to warn them of the up coming danger. You make your way to where the ship was docked only to find it gone. It seems like Daiyu had the ship moved to a repair yard already. With that in mind, you head over to the tavern where you found Xin Lan a few nights ago and find a few of the crew members hanging around.

"Hey, it's Xuebao!" One shouts waving you over. "You here for a drink? Where's the girls?" You give them a polite nod and walk over to them.

"They got their hands full at the moment." You say. Though you want to warn them, you also don't want them letting things slip. Best to let Daiyu spread the information to her crew. "You know where the captain is?" You ask.

"Need another ride?" One asks. "Sorry mate but the ship's being repaired at the moment. If you wanna know when that'll be done, you can the captain at The Ivory Tower."

"Sounds pretty high class. Didn't figure her for the type." You admit. The crew members chuckle.

"Yeah but don't tell it to her face." They laugh. "Last man that did got throw off the pier. Captain don't spend much of her money on things so she saves it up for nice rooms on our longer stays."

"Makes sense to me." You reply and think for a moment. "Hey...you guys won't know anything about some group called the Kais would you?" The crew members tones shift almost immediately.

"I wouldn't be getting mixed with them, friend." One says. "They're trouble. Basically pirates by another name. Pretty sure you heard of the attack on the temple right?" You nod. "That was them. Bunch of punk kids trying to intimidate everyone."

"I over heard a couple of them." Another says. "Talking about a new boss or sumthin'. Bet it's some new kid who thinks they can muscle everything they want."

"Yeah..." You say. "Listen, things are going pretty bad right now. The Furious Five are here so that says something. You guys should keep your heads down in case the Kais get uppity. I wanted to tell the captain about it." One of the crew members looks at you as they sip their drink.

"You know somethin' we don't?" They ask before another jabs them with their elbow.

"Idiot. It's obvious." He hisses through their teeth. "Xuebao is working with The Five. Probably Ming and Xin too." The others look at you in awe.

"Whoa...didn't know they were taking new members. What's that like...The Furious 8 now?" Another says. "Leave it Xuebao to go from fighting ghosts to fighting along The Five. Yeah, we'll keep an ear out of ya. Just...can you get Viper's autograph for me?"

"Idiot. You think he's got time for that? He's already taking time off to warn us about this stuff. Don't worry Xuebao. We hear ya loud and clear. We'll keep out lips shut too." You nod.

"Thanks guys. I'll let the captain know what's going on so she can keep you guys informed." You say getting up before one of the crewmembers grabs your arm.

"Hey hold up." They say. "I dunno if it'll help but those Kai guys like to hang out at some bar. Think it's called The Blazing Dragon. I dunno...probably a good place for intel?" They finish uncertain. You shoot them a grin.

"Thanks for the heads up. Was wondering where I can find some of those guys." You say with a thumbs up. "I'll check it out later." You head out and go to The Ivory Tower. Just as you expect, it's a very high end inn. There is even carpeting instead of plain rugs on the floor. The woman running the front desk doesn't attempt to hide the look of disdain as she sees you. You're clearly not dressed for the occasion.

>What do you do?
>Ask for Daiyu by name. Perhaps the front desk lady might give you her room number.
>Pretend to be here on a delivery. Maybe you can get to the captain's room that way.
>Just wait a bit. Eventually Daiyu would have to come down.
>Try to sneak a glace at the ledger. If you know the room number you can simply sneak into it.
>Write in.

>>4498713
>Ask for Daiyu by name. Perhaps the front desk lady might give you her room number.

>>4498713
I have a bad feeling about this choice being offered at all. Maybe we should've sent Xin for this.

>Pretend to be a messenger from the shipyard. There's an unexpected fault that may be expensive to fix and we need to discuss price or procedure or something.

>>4498713
These are some quick fucking sailors, like jesus. They caught on near instantly.

>>4498734
Support this, for one "Captain Diayu"

>>4498734
>>4498747
Pretending to be a shipyard worker. Writing.

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You walk up to the deskworker. You didn't think it possible but her nose seems to wrinkle even more as you approach. "Can I help you?" She asks with thinly veiled irritation. You nod.

"I'm from the shipyard ma'am." You say keeping polite as possible. "I have a message of a Captain...Daiyu?" You say pretending to struggle to remember her name. "Boss said she'd be here."

"Well...you can leave the note here." The woman says. "I'll deliver it to her propmtly." You shake your head.

"Sorry ma'am but it's urgent. It's about her repairs. Something's come up and Boss sent me to come to disscuss prices and what she wants done. He needs the answer by today." You lie. "The rudder's attachment to the hull is misaligned and is threatening to snap-" You start but the woman interrupts you.

"I see..." She huffs. "Then I will go fetch the madam promptly. Don't touch anything!" She snaps. "We just had the furniture done and I don't want your paw prints all over them." She walks off, back straight and head held up high. You grunt and do your best to stand there comfortably. 10 minutes pass and you're fairly certain your lies work when you hear stomping coming down the stairs and someone scream, "That little bastard better still be around. I'll have his head! Misalignment...who do does he think he is?!" Daiyu comes storming down and you're take a bit by surprise when you see the captain wearing a tight dress.

"There he is madam." The desk woman says with a bit too much glee. Glee that comes crashing down when Daiyu sees you and calms down a bit.

"Oh. It's you." She grunts. "Alright then. Let's go to my room and discuss prices..." The desk worker looks horrified.

"B-but...madam..." She starts.

"I'm paying for the room aren't I?" Daiyu snaps. "If I want to invite a man to my chambers then it's my own buisness." She tosses a coin a the woman. "Here this will cover whatever your sensibilities require." You shoot an amused look at the poor woman and follow Daiyu to her room. You've never really been to what would be considered a high class inn but if you had to guess, this would be it. The room is a large open space with a king sized bed, four person table for meals, and large window over looking the city. Daiyu sits at a table and motions to a chair. "You better have a good reason for interrupting my time off Tai Lung." She says unamused when you close the door behind you. "My ship is not something you mess with even as a joke. You could have asked for me by name." You take a seat and cough.

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"Sorry but this was kind of important." You explain as Daiyu lifts a china cup to her lips and drinks daintily.

"This better be very important..." She says before pausing midsip. "Is Ming ok?" She asks. You open your mouth and then close it before immediately speaking so as to not raise the captain's blood pressure anymore.

"Yes. She is. Without holding anything back. We nearly died. Again." You say. Daiyu glowers at you but allows you to explain. "First night here we were asked to help the High Priest of the temple here. Not wanting to let a man die without giving him a chance, Ming and I went to help. Turns out he was poisoned and we breathed it in. We're cured, thanks to Ming." Daiyu nods.

"That's my girl." She says rather composed. "I'm assuming things have gotten worse?"

"As they usually do." You say. "The point of the matter is that we've angered the local crime family. The Kais. The Furious Five are involved now and we're working with them to sort this whole mess out. Add another possible assassin into the mix and we're up to our shoulders in trouble. Reason I'm here is to warn you. It seems like the Kai Family has gotten more violent that normal. I'm sure you've already heard of the attack of on the temple?" You ask. Daiyu nods.

"Nasty buisness." She says. "Was never much for religion myself. Not until now at least but attack a group of people who can't fight back is cowardice. On land or at seas, those kind of people are scum. So what does this have to do with me and my crew?"

"Nothing much." You admit. "Although there was a murder at the docks. I came here to warn you. The Kais may attempt to attack the docks or maybe even stowaway to escape. If you plan to leave here, I'd advise you to triple check for them. If any of your crew fall mysteriously ill or begin to bleed spontaneously from the nose or mouth, come see us immediately. Those are the visible symptoms of the poison and this poison is something even Ming though wasn't real."

"What about Ming?" Daiyu asks. "You know we'd take her on board if it meant her safety."

"I doubt she'd accept the offer." You say. "You know she'd never back down from helping someone."

"Yeah..." Daiyu says quietly as she drinks again. "That's why I like her...have you...?"

"I have." You say. "She's...been having a bit of a crisis of self esteem." You admit. "I let her know you fancy her but I don't know if she's registered it." Daiyu sighs heavily and looks away and out the window. She remains quiet before saying.

"I want to see her." She says. "When this is all over and before you leave. I want to see her." She stands up and goes to the window for a proper view of the city with her hands behind her back. "She's a good girl Tai Lung. She wants to help people. She likes the smell of mint and thinks learning new things is fun. I've already told you once but if you let anything happen to her. If you ruin her dreams. I will find you and strangle you myself. My feelings for her aside and even if they're not reciprocated, there aren't that many people like her in the world. Don't make the world darker by losing her."

"I'll hold you to it." You reply. "That's why she's in The Five's custody at the moment. There's more of them than me and I'm busy trying to sort this out before it gets worse. That's why I've come to warn you. You've helped me out when you didn't have to and I want to return the favor. The city is getting dangerous. You and your men are good people and I don't want you getting mixed up in this. Keep your distance from the Kais and stay indoors at night. Some of the Kais were found dead and we don't know if this is all part of this or some random murderer. You guys can take care of yourselves but this seems to be more than just the average killer."

Daiyu turns to face you and nods. "Alright. I'll let the boys know to keep out of trouble. Don't want any of them stumbling into something that'll get them killed. Anything else?" She asks.

"No. Just that. I don't want anyone trying to play the hero or assistant. Best to just leave it to The Five and me, as arrogant as it sounds." You say. Daiyu sits back down.

"I'll see to it that they don't." She says. "You're dismissed sailor." She says. You shoot her a grin and stand. "Oh and if you pull that stunt with my ship again...I'll throw you off the docks and make sure the water spirits keep you."

You try not to laugh and before you leave say, "Noted captain. Your ship is off the list."

>Where do you go now?
>Head to The Flaming Dragon. It's the Kai hangout spot. You'll definitely find them there though in great numbers you might have trouble interrogating them. People tend to be cocky in groups but theres also more people to question.
>Hit the streets. Find one Kai alone and talk to them. Better to isolate them so they can't have others to offer bravery. It'll take you longer however to find a few.
>Find a spot and wait. Eventually one of the Kais should walk by. Why look for them when they can come to you?
>Write in.

>You're interrogation tactic is this.
>Reason with the thugs. Explain to them that as an outlaw criminal on the run you have little to gain by playing nice. You are simply trying to get even with people who interrupted your spiritual voyage with their bullshit, and that the family boss that is not present is less dangerous than a tiger that is very much right here.
Even if they get uppity maybe they will let slip something interesting in ways of taunting you back.

>>4498854
>Head to The Flaming Dragon. It's the Kai hangout spot. You'll definitely find them there though in great numbers you might have trouble interrogating them. People tend to be cocky in groups but theres also more people to question.
We're likely to run into some people we already beat into submission, nursing their pride with cheap drinks. That'll lend credence to our words.

>>4498862
Support
Inb4 bear dude drinking from a straw because he can’t hold a cup anymore