text: > Go down
  "Excuse me a moment," you say to Sun An, leaving him with a bow. Your students stop their conversation as you approach, and they quickly fall into rank behind you, starting the form at the beginning. As you move through the form with your students, all three of you moving in synch, you see that Sun An is watching you raptly.
  
  The form concludes, and you turn to your students to make sure they have no further questions. Both bow to you, looking slightly embarrassed to have been caught uncertain of their work, but grateful that you stopped to go over it with them. You return their bows with a shallow one of your own, then walk to join Sun An, who is still standing in the center of the courtyard.
  
  "Thank you for waiting," you say.
  
  "I enjoyed the chance to watch you work," Sun An says, returning your bow. He grins at you, and you are not entirely certain whether it is intended as friendly or fierce. "It gives me an advantage for our coming battle."
  
  How do you respond?
  
  A: I laugh it off. Watching me teach a low level form is not likely to give him insight into my higher level skills.
  B: I tell him he is welcome to the advantage. I would not wish for him to enter our competition unprepared.
  C: I suggest that, as an honorable man, he might like to even the odds by demonstrating a form of his own.
  
  > B.
  Sun An takes your defensive posture for hesitation, and his moves become flashier as his confidence increases. You can tell that his greatest weakness is his arrogance, and that despite this flaw, his confidence is well earned.
  
  And by watching him, you are certain that, with his fighting skills alone, he is better than you are. You will have to outwit him, overwhelm him with your chi, or simply outlast him in order to win. Or you must find a way to concede that he is the winner without losing face entirely.
  
  A: I want to keep Sun An at the edge of the platform and cause him to lose his balance.
  B: I continue on the defensive, determined to outlast him. When he tires, he will become sloppy, and I will make my move.
  C: I meet his eyes, drawing him into a fight of the minds; the rest of the battle will play out without further injury to our bodies and allow for an honorable surrender.
  
  > B.
  You make your way down to the outskirts of the foreign camp. You time your arrival to the hills below the monastery so that you can see the foreign army as dusk is falling. You and your company keep off of the road and travel through the bamboo forest that lies in the hills beneath the home of the Order. Gower's army looks nothing like the organized Imperial Army?instead, they are dressed in a variety of foreign clothing, with nothing resembling a uniform. There is very little that resembles armor, but then, you do not wear armor, either. What is distressing about their encampment is that you see a number of cannons and hand cannons?supplies that are commonly used by the Imperial Army, though of a different style.
  
  The Order of the Peach Tree, with their reliance on the physical and spiritual arts of battle, has nothing like cannons at the monastery.
  
  From within the shadows, you can see that the size of the army has not been exaggerated. Probably five hundred men are here; though that is a small force compared to the Imperial Army, the monks and students that live at the monastery would be facing odds of five to one. Even with the support you bring, the odds are bleak. One outright fight could be disastrous if the men are skilled at combat, especially given their likelihood of bringing those explosive weapons into play.
  
  A: I have seen what I want to see. From here we can cut over to the path that leads to the monastery without being noticed.
  B: I want to sabotage their camp.
  C: I am concerned about those cannons. I want to seek out Gower to negotiate.
  
  > B.
  You leap faster than the bullet fires, feeling it pass below you as you descend on your opponent. He raises his hand cannon at you in the air, but you are already on him, using your higher vantage point to execute Parting the Clouds?which rakes twice across his face before piercing the pressure point called the village rain, the notch right between the clavicles, with an Immortal Man strike. The strike drives him downward as your full body weight presses on top of him, and as he hits the ground, you feel your fingers crush his windpipe. The foreigners, who had begun to cheer when Fontaine shot, fall deadly silent. But Gower simply nods at you. "It seems I have underestimated you," he says. "We will abide by our agreement." He says something in the foreign tongue and you tense?but immediately, the foreigners turn away, heading back into their camp. Within hours, they have started a retreat, leaving the Order of the Peach Tree to once again decide its own fate.
  
  You are hailed as the hero of the hour, and it is clear your prestige has grown among the members of the Order. For your own sake, you are glad of the success you had in defending the monastery, and are relieved that another challenge is behind you.
  
  >Chapter Seven: The Imperial Challenge
  
  > Stats
  java.text.AttributedString@15b7986: 73% java.text.AttributedString@87816d: 56% java.text.AttributedString@422ede: 98% java.text.AttributedString@112f614: 61% java.text.AttributedString@1d9dc39: 87% java.text.AttributedString@93dcd: 68% java.text.AttributedString@b89838: 62%
  65% java.text.AttributedString@111a3ac vs. 35% java.text.AttributedString@110b053
  Name Zhuge Meili
  Style Zhuge
  Question How can the Empire return to Heaven's Favor?
  
  Your relationships: java.text.AttributedString@723d7c: 45% java.text.AttributedString@22c95b: 83% java.text.AttributedString@1d1acd3: 89% java.text.AttributedString@a981ca: 70% java.text.AttributedString@8814e9: Feng java.text.AttributedString@1503a3: 5
  
  >OK
  You leap faster than the bullet fires, feeling it pass below you as you descend on your opponent. He raises his hand cannon at you in the air, but you are already on him, using your higher vantage point to execute Parting the Clouds?which rakes twice across his face before piercing the pressure point called the village rain, the notch right between the clavicles, with an Immortal Man strike. The strike drives him downward as your full body weight presses on top of him, and as he hits the ground, you feel your fingers crush his windpipe. The foreigners, who had begun to cheer when Fontaine shot, fall deadly silent. But Gower simply nods at you. "It seems I have underestimated you," he says. "We will abide by our agreement." He says something in the foreign tongue and you tense?but immediately, the foreigners turn away, heading back into their camp. Within hours, they have started a retreat, leaving the Order of the Peach Tree to once again decide its own fate.
  
  You are hailed as the hero of the hour, and it is clear your prestige has grown among the members of the Order. For your own sake, you are glad of the success you had in defending the monastery, and are relieved that another challenge is behind you.
  
  >Chapter Seven: The Imperial Challenge
  After the conflict between the Order of the Peach Tree and the foreigners at the monastery, events seem to pass quickly. News of the foreigners is hard to avoid: more of their ships are landing in the fishing villages they took over to establish their own port. While their numbers increase, they are also making a clear attempt to insinuate themselves further into the Imperial Court. George Gower has taken up residence in Xiaonanhai, and the rumor is that he calls on the Emperor every day, trying to mold a space for himself as an Imperial advisor.
  
  Or, some whisper, as the man who will try to steal the Emperor's throne.
  
  But though tensions are high, the violence has slowed. The Blue Scarves Rebellion has continued with raids, hassling the foreigners at every opportunity, but there have been no large-scale battles. It is though everyone is holding their breath.
  
  What do you think the foreigners will do next?
  
  A: I am still not concerned with worldly affairs. At this point, if I weren't also seeking to detach myself from emotional reactions, I'd be annoyed with everyone pointing them out to me.
  B: Clearly, there is a reason behind their change in tactics. I analyze their locations to determine what outcome they may seek.
  C: They are saving their resources for a large fight. I make discreet inquiries into their weapon stores and the supply chain between Gower and his men.
  
  > B.
  You acquire a large map and start marking the rumored locations of the foreigners on it. They are densest at the shoreline, but while more are landing there, there is a trend from the shore northward, toward the capital, skirting the marshes when possible. It makes perfect sense now why the foreigners wanted control of the monastery: its location is directly in the path of the settlements the foreigners have been making over the past twenty years.
  
  But the presence of George Gower at the capital makes you suspect that he is not planning to lead an army against the Emperor. If anything, you see wisdom in the rumors that he hopes to gain power through influencing the Emperor, rather than replacing him. Given how the foreigners have treated the people they've displaced, Gower having the Imperial ear could be disastrous for the Middle Kingdom.
  
  >Next
  You get a clue into Gower's plans the spring after the attack on the monastery. It arrives in the form of a summons: sealed with blue wax impressed with the shape of a rampant lion, the bleached white paper is so stiff it crackles when it opens. The letter reads:
  
  "To Zhuge Meili:
  
  "Based on the reputation of your skill and honor, you have been selected to compete in a fighting exhibition for the entertainment of the glorious Emperor. The fight, which will take place in an arena now being constructed just south of the Imperial capital, will feature two warriors of my native country on horseback, wielding the weapons of our lands. You will fight alongside a captured rebel and traitor to the Middle Kingdom, Lu Jin, who will be released from the Imperial dungeons for the event. The outcome of the combat will settle a wager between myself and the Emperor as to which nation boasts superior fighters.
  
  "As a reward, the winners will be granted lands and a title by the crown, and, should it be relevant, receive a pardon for crimes against the Empire. More, however, the winners will have the prestige of having defended their country's honor.
  
  "An Imperial guard will be sent to accompany you.
  
  "Cheers,
  
  "George Gower"
  
  It looks as though you will be unable to simply decline participating in this competition. How do you react to this summons?
  
  A: Lu Jin, a prisoner? Of course we will fight?and win?to insure his freedom!
  B: This is our moment to prove the foreigners are unworthy. We will fight for the honor of the Middle Kingdom!
  C: This is sure to be a farce, with the game board aligned against us, but we will triumph regardless?by whatever means necessary.
  D: I have no interest in fighting in this competition. I will escape before the supposed honor guard arrives.
  
  > B.
  Part of the art is knowing when to fade and knowing when to strike?and knowing when to combine those two elements to launch a surprise attack. You keep drawing your opponent into your range, deflecting his blows and keeping him off balance. Eventually, he overextends himself, and his lunge sends him stumbling forward. You strike him on the back of his helmet as he falls, and when you check him to receive his surrender, you find that he is sleeping peacefully?though he will likely have quite the headache in the morning.
  
  Across the field, Lu Jin and his opponent are still locked in battle. You hurry across the field to join them.
  
  By the time you reach Lu Jin, both Lu Jin and his opponent are on the ground, locked in a sword fight. The foreign warrior is relying on his armor to protect him from Lu Jin's blows, and for the most part, this strategy works, with Lu Jin's hook swords skittering off the steel. But his strikes are slow, and Lu Jin, though wounded, is dancing out of the way of his strikes. When Lu Jin sees you approach, however, his strategy changes. He darts around behind the armored warrior and hooks both of the warrior's arms in his hook swords.
  
  "Now!" Lu Jin yells at you.
  
  A: I am tough enough that I can deliver a knockout blow from beneath the helmet, despite the armor between me and my foe's chin.
  B: I deliver a piercing blow with the jian's tip through the hole in the helmet, killing him.
  C: I gather my chi and throw the energy at him with a shout, momentarily paralyzing him.
  
  > B.
  The Dragon Sage's laugh shakes snow from the cave's roof, and sends it tumbling down outside the door. "Little monk," it chortles, "you have already returned the Middle Kingdom to the favor of Heaven! With every choice you have made, you have restored that balance. You have regained tianxia."
  
  The word the Dragon Sage uses?under heaven?means the entire world; you believe the Dragon Sage means that the world, in both physical and metaphysical aspects, has aligned to once again be a single entity.
  
  "But balance can always be tipped, and thus your job is far from over, little monk." The Dragon Sage places one of its huge tiger paws on your shoulder, and you feel each of the four eagle talons as they gently rest on your skin. "You are already the Imperial Champion, giving you a voice in the Imperial Court. What role best suits your future?"
  
  A: A respected scholar, whom even the Emperor seeks for advice.
  B: An Imperial advisor, whom the Emperor uses as primary counsel.
  C: A general in the Imperial Army, whom the Emperor relies upon for matters of state.
  D: A leader in the Order of the Peach Tree?who will build firmer ties to the Emperor.
  E: The Emperor. This dynasty nearly brought the Middle Kingdom to ruin; I will return us to glory.
  
  > B.
  The Dragon Sage nods, then breathes on you. You feel the divine energy wash over you, filling you with confidence and, you quickly realize, a sharper intellect and a greater insight. You realize that the Dragon Sage wants the Heavens and the Middle Kingdom to be aligned, and in asking this question and choosing this role, you are fulfilling its wishes as well. "The path before you will be a dangerous one," the Dragon Sage warns. "The Imperial Court is difficult to navigate even at the best of times. But your cleverness and your intuition will guide you, and the Emperor will come to rely on your judgment."
  
  You quickly realize the weight of this gift. You will be under the scrutiny of the most powerful members of the Imperial Court, and many will be looking for a way to remove you from the equation. It will not be an easy path, but you are prepared to walk it without fear.
  
  You bow deeply to the Dragon Sage, pressing your forehead to the ground, and when you rise, the dragon is already flying back into the heavens. But as you watch the sun glint off those carplike scales, you are filled with confidence. There will be balance, and you will serve as the conduit. And as you descend the mountain, you feel as though your place in tianxia?all the world under heaven?is exactly where it should be.
  
  The Dragon Sage has returned to the Heavens.
  
  If you had it to do all over again, what question would you ask?
  
  A: Play again.
  B: Play more games like this.
  C: Share this game with friends.
  
  > B.
  "Bolted, you say?" you respond. You can see some deep tracks in the mud where an ox might have charged off the road and into the woods. The trees are not terribly dense, but the terrain is uneven, and you could see how a woman without your training might be concerned about bandits or worse?particularly given the problems Kuei Xian has had in the past.
  
  "I'm afraid so," she answers. "I did start to go after him." She gestures down to her mud-caked boots and skirt. "My pack was too heavy to let me navigate the mud, and I didn't want to go too far into the woods. I wish I could be of use!" Suddenly, her face brightens. "I know! If you went after my ox, I could watch your pack for you. That way you wouldn't be weighed down!"
  
  A: What a thoughtful suggestion. I could manage the pack, but it would be kind to make her feel useful.
  B: It's kind?if a little suspicious?of her to offer, but I can manage my pack AND hers.
  C: Ah ha! She is a bandit! I want nothing more to do with this woman.
  
  "Look out!"
  
  The noise of battle is distracting, and it takes you almost too long to realize that the warning was shouted to you. An outlaw wearing a blue turban is charging toward you, his longspear leveled at your heart. What will you do?
  
  A: Stand firm, blocking the spear away at the last moment and slashing twin tiger claws across his face.
  B: Pounce toward him at the last moment, springing like a leopard, and bring an elbow down on his head.
  C: Dart off to the side, balancing on one leg like a crane before delivering a swift kick to his knee.
  D: Weave hypnotically in my stance, and when he strikes, I am no longer there; I launch a series of quick, snakelike strikes to the pressure points in his exposed rib cage.
  E: Make a series of flashy moves that draw his target toward my right side, then move to the left, delivering a reiken strike to the right side of his head as he passes by.
  F: Remain still, my hands low at the chi center of my body, and at the moment he would hit me, circle his spear away and shift myself away from the strike.