catch-all for shang qinghua.

[selfimmolates]

Comments

[nosediving]

The point is to change the numbers in the direction that are favorable to each of us. Those deaths are just an excuse to hold the trials in the first place . . . In that respect, we haven't been doing too well.

[selfimmolates]

Well, it's too inconsistent in the first few weeks. No matter how many followers you might have in the beginning, you could easily lose them all by the end.

... Anyway, there's something I wanted to ask you.

[nosediving]

What is it?

[selfimmolates]

... Since we're not using it for anything anyway, I want the other scroll. If you give me it, I'll owe you a favour. Anything, within reason.

[nosediving]

. . . If it's you, I know the scrolls won't go to waste. What's within reason?

[selfimmolates]

Don't ask me to kill or harm another participant unless you have a really good reason for it. I won't defect, and I can't get anyone else to defect—namely because I'm not great at it.

So not things like that.

[nosediving]

[what's left!]

Those are reasonable boundaries. I understand.

[digging through his robes, he pulls out the scroll and offers it to ray.]

Here. I don't know what your plan is, but I'm sure you'll put it to good use.

[selfimmolates]

[holy cow that was easier than he thought it'd be

but he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he'll take it.]

Thanks.

[nosediving]

[first of all, arguing greedily with a twelve-year-old is not dignified.

second of all, he really had no use for the scroll unless he was going to get attacked, and that wouldn't help him. he'd still be dead in the end.]

I don't have a request at this exact moment. Is it all right if I take that favor another time?

[selfimmolates]

I'd appreciate it if you didn't spring it up on me at the worst possible moment, but yeah, go ahead. I wasn't expecting you to have something in mind right now.