The Murderer of Suzhou

[Belial]

Spike
"Please.. stay here. Let me fetch the lad." the old man commented before moving towards the household. Slipping inside, he closed the door behind him and silence came to reign across the farm gathering of houses. Would Yue Shang wait where he was or would he take action?

Meia
The following post is OOC. I thought I'd clarify on some things. When you approached the house, I described it with this.
"Not even the smell of a fire seemed to hint at anyone actually being in. "
I guess the wording could be a bit confusing, but, it was meant to imply no one was home e_e You're kinda wasting your time with the governor. You've tried to gather some facts and you've gathered quite a few, but, you may want to actually... get on the hunt like Spike and Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu [Fail roll is fail x_x At least ya didn't get attacked!]
The man who had spoke up was quick to return to his seat, but, his gaze remained upon both Mingli and his companion as they crossed the camp. At first glance, there wasn't so much as a hint of what was contained upon the other side of that trail. At first glance, it may of even been dismissed as a worthless lead. Yet, Mingli had found the earlier chipped lacquer. If anything, that chipped lacquer proved the carriage had come this way. Yet, by the time he had crossed the camp and reached its edge, he had found nothing to support his belief. Would he continue past the camp or attempt further investigation?

[Spike]

Spike
"Please.. stay here. Let me fetch the lad." the old man commented before moving towards the household. Slipping inside, he closed the door behind him and silence came to reign across the farm gathering of houses. Would Yue Shang wait where he was or would he take action?

Yue Shang couldn't help but feel like the man was playing him. Hardly the trusting type, he dismounted his horse and palmed a throwing knife. He approached the door and opened it a crack to peer inside.

((If he can see or hear something to give him a good idea what is going on inside from there, he will wait and see what information he can gather. If he can't get a good assessment of the situation, he will open the door the rest of the way and continue inside, ready for violence if it should come to it.))

Name: Yue Shang
Stats: 69-108-25-73-56
Skills: Gongshu II, Jianshu II, Qiangshu II, Charge, Delay, Challenge*
Items: Spear of Fuchai (+3 Might, Challenge*) Armor (+7 Might), Helmet (+7 Might), Text of the Two Worlds (+1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma), Sapphire Pendant (+3 Charisma), Throwing Knives, Horse (+1 Speed)

[Zhou Yu]

Zhou Yu [Fail roll is fail x_x At least ya didn't get attacked!]
The man who had spoke up was quick to return to his seat, but, his gaze remained upon both Mingli and his companion as they crossed the camp. At first glance, there wasn't so much as a hint of what was contained upon the other side of that trail. At first glance, it may of even been dismissed as a worthless lead. Yet, Mingli had found the earlier chipped lacquer. If anything, that chipped lacquer proved the carriage had come this way. Yet, by the time he had crossed the camp and reached its edge, he had found nothing to support his belief. Would he continue past the camp or attempt further investigation?

Mingli decided to go around the camp and come back at the path from a different direction. These guys were hiding the carriage and its contents. Had to be. He went into the woods and hoped he'd find something on his way back towards the path. He went far enough away from camp to be out of earshot he hoped as well as eyesight of the guards. He also walked carefully to avoid traps and kept an eye out for anyone else.

Name: Zhou Mingli
Stats: 49 - 56 -60 - 74 - 90
Skills: Artisan I, Diplomat II, Engineer I, Politician II, Poison II, Haste II
Items: Book of Shi(Jud +2), Exotic Robe(Cha +3), Jewelry(Cha +3)
Follower: Tie Shuo;76-55-69-72-36/Escort 1, Propagandist 2, Scribe 2

[Meia]

Another dead end. The two gave a collective sigh. Ding whispered, "Nothing here.. Let's head for the lake."

---------
Name: Ding Yi
Stats: 76-72-47-74-54
Skills: Civil Administrator II, Discipline II, Gongshu I, Military Administrator I, Propagandist I, Public Planner I, Sortie II, Wall I, Yueshu I
Items: None
Followers: Cong Ma; 73-72-50-57-59; Challenge II, Discipline II, Faze I, Politician I
Soldiers: None

[Belial]

Spike:
The house was all but silent as Yue Shang approached and for a moment the situation seemed to reek of a trap. His muscles tense, he slowly moved forward and approached the door. Easing it open, he stood there and waited. He waited for a hint of noise and then he caught it. The faintest sobbing from within that room and a discussion of hushed voices. He couldn't quite make out what they was saying, but, three men and a woman seemed to be talking.

Zhou Yu:
The camp quickly fell behind Zhou Mingli as he stalked along that road with Tie Shuo. While the pathway they had seen had seemed a dead end, the tenacious duo was seemingly set investigating it. Continuing along the road before they was out of eyesight, the duo cut off the road and into the swampy woods. It was a slow and noisy progression, yet, the duo did their best to remain silent as they crept along. Sucking mud and overhanging branches proved to be a difficult obstacle, yet, they continued onward...

Until finally, they nearly stumbled into harm's way. The swampy forest suddenly broke away and revealed that carriage. It had been pulled straight off of the main pathway and sunk into the mud where it laid partially submerged. The front of the carriage and its box had been consumed by vicious muck while the back of the wagon protruded slightly off of the ground. The runaway Li Zhao had likely parked the carriage for the night, hiding it off of the main road to avoid detection, only for its wheel to have sunk into the muddy and loose soil. Yet, time had drug it further and further into that muck. By year's end, the carriage would of likely been overgrown with vines and lost to nature.

The carriage's door laid ajar, yet, from where they stood they couldn't see within... Would they cross the foot of distance between themselves and the carriage?

Meia
Ding Yi and Cong Ma reach the lake! Hurray?

[Zhou Yu]

The camp quickly fell behind Zhou Mingli as he stalked along that road with Tie Shuo. While the pathway they had seen had seemed a dead end, the tenacious duo was seemingly set investigating it. Continuing along the road before they was out of eyesight, the duo cut off the road and into the swampy woods. It was a slow and noisy progression, yet, the duo did their best to remain silent as they crept along. Sucking mud and overhanging branches proved to be a difficult obstacle, yet, they continued onward...

Until finally, they nearly stumbled into harm's way. The swampy forest suddenly broke away and revealed that carriage. It had been pulled straight off of the main pathway and sunk into the mud where it laid partially submerged. The front of the carriage and its box had been consumed by vicious muck while the back of the wagon protruded slightly off of the ground. The runaway Li Zhao had likely parked the carriage for the night, hiding it off of the main road to avoid detection, only for its wheel to have sunk into the muddy and loose soil. Yet, time had drug it further and further into that muck. By year's end, the carriage would of likely been overgrown with vines and lost to nature.

The carriage's door laid ajar, yet, from where they stood they couldn't see within... Would they cross the foot of distance between themselves and the carriage?

Mingli wondered if the big man he had seen before would be lurking somewhere nearby and decided to investigate. If he didn't take a chance now he wouldn't get the chance again. He stepped carefully after looking around for trap indicators, looking out for guards or any other danger. He had Tie Shuo watch out for incoming problems while he investigated what hoped to be the last stop on this far too long journey. If anything were to be nearby he would make a run for it, praying like hell not to be shot in the butt as he ran.

Name: Zhou Mingli
Stats: 49 - 56 -60 - 74 - 90
Skills: Artisan I, Diplomat II, Engineer I, Politician II, Poison II, Haste II
Items: Book of Shi(Jud +2), Exotic Robe(Cha +3), Jewelry(Cha +3)
Follower: Tie Shuo;76-55-69-72-36/Escort 1, Propagandist 2, Scribe 2

[Spike]

Spike:
The house was all but silent as Yue Shang approached and for a moment the situation seemed to reek of a trap. His muscles tense, he slowly moved forward and approached the door. Easing it open, he stood there and waited. He waited for a hint of noise and then he caught it. The faintest sobbing from within that room and a discussion of hushed voices. He couldn't quite make out what they was saying, but, three men and a woman seemed to be talking.

There were all sorts of alarms going off in Yue Shang's head. Danger. But who was in the thick of it? Him? Or whoever was sobbing inside? He knew the safest action would be to remain outside and try to force the people inside to come out. But he couldn't wait. Every fiber of his being told him that something was wrong inside that house and someone was in trouble. Someone who needed his help. He could not turn his back from that. No hero could. Whatever threat existed within the walls of that dwelling, he would deal with it head-on.

With a throwing knife in his dominant hand and the Spear of Fuchai ready in the other, he crept inside, fully alert and ready to defend himself against an attack. Yue Shang had a feeling that his entire life, all of Zhao Ning's training, had led to this moment. In all likelihood...now was the time to be a hero or die trying.

Name: Yue Shang
Stats: 69-108-25-73-56
Skills: Gongshu II, Jianshu II, Qiangshu II, Charge, Delay, Challenge*
Items: Spear of Fuchai (+3 Might, Challenge*) Armor (+7 Might), Helmet (+7 Might), Text of the Two Worlds (+1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma), Sapphire Pendant (+3 Charisma), Throwing Knives, Horse (+1 Speed)

[Meia]

..And they use their senses to begin hunting..! ><
---------
Name: Ding Yi
Stats: 76-72-47-74-54
Skills: Civil Administrator II, Discipline II, Gongshu I, Military Administrator I, Propagandist I, Public Planner I, Sortie II, Wall I, Yueshu I
Items: None
Followers: Cong Ma; 73-72-50-57-59; Challenge II, Discipline II, Faze I, Politician I
Soldiers: None

[Belial]

Zhou Yu:
With fear within his heart, Zhou Mingli stood there. He pushed his every sense to its limit, listening for any noise of approach or anything odd. He strained his eyes against the darkness of the inside of that carriage, trying to see some hint of a trap. Yet, in the end, he did not see so much as a hint of danger and with a belief that the coast was clear he moved forward. With a knot of fear within his stomach, Zhou Mingli mounted that carriage and peered within. He gazed into the darkness of the carriage... and then he saw it.

Haphazardly turned over, the large chest laid within the carriage. It was a simple, yet, large and sturdy affair. Treated wood covering its inside while a simple bronze clasp kept the chest's lid in place. Yet, the box was seemingly jostled. Overturned with its lid upon the ground and pressed against the edge of the seat. Stretching forward, Mingli attempted to upright the affair. It was heavy. Yet, it would of been easy enough to carry alone. He could of likely bore it along the road with ease and it was that very fact which caused the knot of fear to tighten within his stomach. Turning the chest about, he brought its lid to face him and he found that clasp undone. A simple push of the lid and it fell backwards, revealing the box's contents... it was empty. The chest was empty. The bounty hunters must of taken it! Was it somewhere within their camp?...

Spike:
The door easily shifted underneath his weight and all to quickly did he push the hut open. The room was dark and the fireplace laid cold and ashy. The only light that came into the room was from the doorway and his form blocked the majority of it. Yet, despite the poor lighting, it was easy enough to see. The old woman and the two younger women stood at the edge of the room. The young and beautiful woman with the necklace sat upon the bed with the other women tending to her.

Yet, three men stood within that room. The old man with the halberd and two younger men in average clothing. All to quickly did the old man respond, however. He turned to face Yue Shang and he scowled as his fingers tightened upon the halberd, "I told ya to stay otuside! Get out!" the old man barked only for one of the younger men to reach out and grasp the old man by his shoulder. "Stop." the young man commented before stepping forward. "Sir, are you looking for Li Zhao and Lady Ning?" the young man questioned as his hand fell to his waistline.

Meia
The duo find themselves presented with several routes to progress along. Countless bounty hunters lined the lake's shore and could perhaps provide information, some bounty hunters had commandeered or rented boats to approach the lake's islands, while others had begun along the lake's northward road towards the Yangtze River. Which path would the duo progress along?

[Spike]

Spike:
The door easily shifted underneath his weight and all to quickly did he push the hut open. The room was dark and the fireplace laid cold and ashy. The only light that came into the room was from the doorway and his form blocked the majority of it. Yet, despite the poor lighting, it was easy enough to see. The old woman and the two younger women stood at the edge of the room. The young and beautiful woman with the necklace sat upon the bed with the other women tending to her.

Yet, three men stood within that room. The old man with the halberd and two younger men in average clothing. All to quickly did the old man respond, however. He turned to face Yue Shang and he scowled as his fingers tightened upon the halberd, "I told ya to stay otuside! Get out!" the old man barked only for one of the younger men to reach out and grasp the old man by his shoulder. "Stop." the young man commented before stepping forward. "Sir, are you looking for Li Zhao and Lady Ning?" the young man questioned as his hand fell to his waistline.

Yue Shang was completely taken aback by the fact that he was not currently embroiled in a fight to the death. Still, his body was tense and he couldn't relax. He was still like a cobra, coiled and ready to strike.

"Yes," he answered, glancing about him uneasily, "I am...among other things. What do you know of them?"

Name: Yue Shang
Stats: 69-108-25-73-56
Skills: Gongshu II, Jianshu II, Qiangshu II, Charge, Delay, Challenge*
Items: Spear of Fuchai (+3 Might, Challenge*) Armor (+7 Might), Helmet (+7 Might), Text of the Two Worlds (+1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma), Sapphire Pendant (+3 Charisma), Throwing Knives, Horse (+1 Speed)