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Market
Jul 8, 2006 20:51:33 GMT -5
Post by Keeper on Jul 8, 2006 20:51:33 GMT -5
Here is the market
0/5000
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 8, 2006 0:19:21 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 8, 2006 0:19:21 GMT -5
Twenty Dead Men
"Stop Thief!"
It was a cry that was all too common in the marketplace of Xu Chang where Kyong Ryong and his father elected to perform their first service to the Zhao Empire. Not even bothering to chase said thief, Ryong took aim and hurtled his axe after the offending criminal, and smiled as the weapon bit into the back of the coward, sending him crashing to the ground. His accomplace, not wanting to incur a similar fate, and taking some comfort in the fact that Ryong no longer had any weapons to throw at him, made good his escape... or would have if Kyong Dao had not lept from behind one of the tents and completed the trap they had prepared for the two men. Unlike his son though, Kyong Dao did not kill, instead, the warchief tackled the young man, sending him down hard but preserving him all the same.
As Ryong went to join his father, he heard a whimper as the thief he had attacked struggled to crawl away. Ripping his axe out of the man, Ryong gave him a look of pure disgust.
"Not even worth taking a trophy from," he spat at the thief as he bough his booted foot down hard on the neck of the wretch, crushing it and settling the issue.
When he rejoined his father, Dao was in the middle of interrogating the survivor of their strategy.
"Do you know who I am?"
The thief said nothing, simply glaring daos at them.
"I do not enjoy repeating myself: do you know who I am?"
The man muttered something under his breath, and Ryong caught the word barbarian at the end of it. Dao reacted instantly, delivering a fast strike into the mid-section of the fellow, knocking the wind out of him.
"I think you gave the correct answer, but you sounded a bit out of breath, so I thought I would help you a bit," he replied casually as he released the thief, who dropped to his knees and struggled to draw air in, his every breath a deep, greedy, heaving noise.
"You are part of a larger group of thieves, are you not? Rumors have it that you have been terrorizing the markets. This is a direct threat to the interests of the Zhao Empire. Where are your allies?" Ryong stated finally, after giving the man a few beats to regain himself a bit. The thief sat on his haunches and looked down at an invisible spot on the ground.
Dao grabbed his right arm and used it to wrench the thug up to his feet, twisting him so that he could see the younger Shanyue, a gesture that was none-too-comfortable, something that the thief made known quickly.
"You should learn to address the people that speak to you, particularly when they are your lords. Among the Shanyue, we would have taken your arm off already for your thefts, but I am willing to be merciful, call it a moment of weakness. I will allow you to answer him, and even let you keep your limb if you do."
So saying he relelased the arm of his prey, allowing the thief to stand on his own two feet again, but kept a hand rested on his shoulder. Faced with such a dilemma, their victim spoke, detailing an abandoned warehouse in the southern end of the market district. Quietly marshalling the city guard, Dao and Ryong arranged them into a series of ambushes all about the warehouse and then stormed it, shouting and bellowing Shanyue warcrys as they beset upon the remaining thieves. Of the eighteen there, three remained behind to fight, while the other fifteen scurried to escape, running into the various pockets of city guards who struck at them from behind nearby warehouses and around alley corners. The three that remained were unprepared and put up a minimal resistence, falling quickly to the two Shanyue as they struggled to improvise weapons out of table legs and chairs.
*********
After the task was completed, the two Shanyue returned to the market and joined the patrols, lending their experience and menace to the cause, an irony considering that it was offten the other way around, and as they patrolled, the market continued to grow. The additional security, despite being somewhat exotic, still fufilled its role of encouraging money to come forward. Though he was by no means a politician, Kyong Dao took the time to confer with the merchants and ministers in the market as well, learning from them even as he offered suggestions.
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Market
Aug 8, 2006 0:22:14 GMT -5
Post by Emperor Shao on Aug 8, 2006 0:22:14 GMT -5
70+84 roleplay bonus.
154/5000
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 8, 2006 16:48:52 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 8, 2006 16:48:52 GMT -5
A Test
The market at Xu Chang was still in its infancy. With a lord in the palace, the denizens of the city had a sense of purpose, and the supplementing of the city guard with soldiers from the armies of its masters bolstered the sense of security they felt. Such security was necessary for the marketplace to continue growing, and while there was a slow but steady influx of merchants into the city by the day, Kyong Dao had determined that his personal participation in the growing of the market would further stimulate it.
The second day saw slightly less trouble then the first, as the violent capture and deaths of the band of twenty thieves was still fresh upon the minds of both the merchants and the less legally inclined. Still, when one needs to eat, common sense can be eroded, and Kyong Dao was quick to suggest to his son that it would be a good idea to assist the city guard in both designing and walking out patrol routes. He was needed in assisting the ministers with the creation and selling of usable lots in the market place for new tents and shops.
Though it was, to him, an overly boring process, the ministers assured him that he possessed the potential to become quite adept at it. Under normal circumstances, such a remark would have earned the offender a considerable beating, but Dao simply forced himself to remember that these men served the Empire he was aligned with, and violence would not reflect well on them. As long as he continued to hone is martial skills, it made no difference how they perceived him.
********
"My lord, we have finished our patrol, nothing out of the ordinary to report."
Kyong Ryong nodded quietly in acknowledgment as he traced his finger along the map of the patrol routes for the marketplace, looking for ways to shorten the distance that certain patrols had to cover by keeping them within certain areas and allowing other patrols to fill in the gaps. Though not completely hopeless, it was a highly inefficient system, with different groups of guards covering large areas that could be portioned off, especially considering the ample number of guards the city employed. It was hardly surprising actually, considering that Xu Chang was one of the few cities in China that produced silk, one of its most valuable luxuries by far.
"If only we had leave to make it ours..."
"My lord?"
Turning, Kyong Ryong flashed the man a quick, reassuring smile.
"Nothing, just pondering. Any word from my father?"
"Actually my lord, yes. Lord Kyong Dao has left the city with his contingent of barbarian mercenaries. I believe he was heading north."
Not even bothering to ask why he was not informed earlier, Ryong pushed past the guard and rushed to the gates of the city. Borrowing a mount, he tore out of the entrance and raced down the road north, expecting to find his father at the head of the hundred Qiang horse raiders they had recruited. Instead, a caravan greeted him. Long and winding, it twisted down the road off into the distance, tracking a long stream of dust into the sky as it went. At first, it seemed the few horsemen that rode as escorts were painfully undermanned for the task, but upon closer inspection, Kyong Ryong noted that they were Qiang mercenaries, most likely his fathers.
Nodding in greeting to those who looked his way, Ryong sided up next to one of them and asked him in a low voice, what they were doing.
"This is a caravan carrying silks from the outlying villages and towns to the city for trade. Lord Kyong Dao thought it best to offer his services as an escort, and so we were told to follow him."
"I see, and where is my father now?"
The Qiang looked about conspiratorially, and then whispered.
"He caught wind that there would be an ambush, and decided to send a few of us along to act as an escort, giving the illusion that we are weak and undermanned, while he and the rest of the unit ambushes the ambushers."
No sooner had he finished, then a small band of men appeared in the middle of the road. Most sported crude weapons and a few men in the back of the mass held peasant bows. At the rear of the army, atop a horse, was a man who carried the scars of a warrior, or perhaps a bandit, Ryong could not be certain.
"We know what you are escorting," he called, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Dismount from your horses and throw down your weapons and we may yet allow you to live."
As he stared at the man, Ryong caught sight of motion behind him. His father and the rest of the mercenaries were riding hard, looking to strike at the enemy from behind. Kyong Dao and his men were in a wedge formation, with Dao at the head, and in just a few moments would be crashing into their targets.
"Bold words coming from a man who has to hide behind his soldiers!" Ryong replied, inserting some of his own arrogance into the exchange. "You could not possibly be the leader of these men, you have the countenance of a woman and the courage of a child."
The man fumed visibly, and Ryong wondered if he would actually come forward and challenge him to a duel in order to settle the matter, but instead, the bandit motioned for his few archers to draw their bows.
It was just the amount of time Dao needed, and the bandit had no time to get out of the way.
The man screamed as the spear-point of the halberd pierced his back, knocking him from his horse. Dao moved his weapon with the momentum of the falling victim, driving him into the ground as his calvary surged around him, plowing into the bandit ranks and cutting them down before they could respond.
*********
When it was all over, Dao joined his son in leading the caravan back to Xu Chang. Though a small gesture, it was one that would, with any luck, serve to show the desire of Zhao to serve its vassals, and a little extra silk in the market never hurt anyone...
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 9, 2006 11:06:08 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 9, 2006 11:06:08 GMT -5
(Need to get an evaluation on that last rp post as well)
*works* + 70
154 + 70 = 224
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Market
Aug 10, 2006 0:30:41 GMT -5
Post by Emperor Shao on Aug 10, 2006 0:30:41 GMT -5
+91 for Kyong Dao's market post.
224+70+91=
385/5000
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 10, 2006 1:48:30 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 10, 2006 1:48:30 GMT -5
Nan who?
"Lord Kyong Dao, there is a caravan from the far South here this day."
"Indeed? And just why should this of concern to me?"
The minister seemed taken aback by the reply, and Kyong Dao could just imagine him fiddling with his robes or stuttering about for the few beats he was silent.
"Well they are Nanman, barbarians and I-"
The reply bought the head of the Warchief around, and he focused a dark, feral glare at the man, relishing the discomfort he saw in the eyes of the other.
"Barbarians just like me? I think I like them already, I wonder if maybe they know how to fight... yeah, might be interesting to see."
He had heard of the arrival long before the sniveling minister had informed him. The caravan was stopping at Xu Chang before continuing north to Ye and several other cities, bringing rare and exotic goods from the mysterious Nan Zhong providence. It was said that Nanman warriors were great fighters, taming wild beasts the likes of which outsiders had never seen, riding them into battle, scaring friend and foe alike.
It sounded like fun.
"You halt! Cease your flight and I will spare you!"
Hearing what sounded like another guard calling out a theft, Dao sighed, returning to reality from his daydream of trampling Chinese with a giant beast. Not even bothering to turn, he wielded his halberd and turned with a horizontal slash that would decapitate the thief, who was dashing right by him at that moment. The fool saw the swing and halted in his tracks, obviously caught unprepared for such a sudden attack.
And then something interesting happened. Rather then cutting into the neck of the attacker, Dao felt his halberd strike hard against something, and a beat later, he saw just what it was. A man with dark skin suggesting southern origin had swung at the same time, and now their pole-arms locked together right where the thief had been. Said thief, to his credit, had the good sense to duck, and now looked up at both of them with terror in his eyes. He had been saved by the flimsiest chance, and he knew it.
Still, it was chance that was on his side, and the fellow made good his escape with Dao and the Nanman in tow. Though the thief was clearly a good runner, the two men caught up with him, eventually running alongside him, in a parallel line, tearing down the streets of Xu Chang. Kyong Dao struck at him first, thrusting the spike at the top of his halberd at the young man, who somehow managed to twist away from it. Not finding purchase in the flesh of its intended victim, the spike rushed towards the Nanman, who angrily batted it aside, cursing in his own tongue. As Kyong Dao fought to maintain his balance, the Nanman struck, a horizontal swipe with his guandao that the thief ducked, forcing Kyong Dao to do the same as the blade of the pole-arm raced for his head.
And so it was, for a good few minutes, the three of them ran side by side, Kyong Dao and the Nanman alternating attacks directed at the thief that he either dodged or ducked, forcing the other on the opposite side to do the same. In hindsight, Kyong Dao wondered if perhaps such a scene could be seen as comic, though he was frankly in no laughing mood. He wanted to end the running gag, and so, shifting his halberd in his hands, he lashed out at the legs of the thief with the shaft of his weapon... ironically at the same instant in which the Nanman did the same thing with his.
This time though, chance was on their side, and the thief went down hard, dropping his sack of valuables and crashing to the ground in a heap. Before Kyong Dao could reach down and grab him, he was shoved by the Nanman, a gesture that he was not expecting, a gesture that sent him back into a booth. Standing, he rushed the Nanman, who responded with an advance of his own, followed by an overhead chop that Kyong Dao brought his halberd up in a horizontal block even as he continued to step towards the Nanman.
The two men attempted to body check eachother, and when that gesture proved fruitless, each lashed out with a foot, delivering a kick to the mid-section of the other that knocked them back on their flanks. Standing they commenced a session of strikes and blows, with neither emerging as the dominant duelist as their weapons crashed against eachother over and over.
The thief took the opportunity to run, although he got only a few steps before Kyong Ryong fell upon him, subduing him and handing his unconscious form over to the guards, who accepted their charge with disappointment, since they were far more interested in the fight that had broken out.
Threatening to make them a part of round two if they did not leave, Kyong Ryong watched as his father and the Nanman virtually mirrored their actions, the similarities of their attacks causing most to dissipate against eachother, and when the weapons were finally struck from their hands, they resorted to fisticuffs, exchanging brutal blows to the head and body. Ryong winced as his father caught the Nanman in the nose with a hook that slapped his head back. And yet, even as blood poured out of his wound, the Nanman rabbit punched Kyong Dao in the chest, sending him staggering backwards.
The fight finally ended after a few beats of grappling, during which time they both finally collapsed, their energy spent. Not wanting the situation to get any worse, Kyong Ryong ordered the crowd to disperse, hoping that such an incident would not cause problems with the visiting caravan.
*******
Several hours later, both Kyong Dao and the Nanman returned to the marketplace after some rest. The earlier tension had long melted away, and Ryong noted that his father seemed to be genuinely enjoying speaking of the fight they had been in as he rapidly moved his hands about in a crude recreation of the event.
For his own part, the Nanman seemed unphased, and gladly accepted a drink with his sparring partner.
"Had to stop thief, he had stolen valuables from the head of the caravan. Such actions are without honor."
"Aye, no argument from me there," Dao replied as he downed another cup. "Among my people, thieves are not tolerated either."
"You are not Chinese?"
That remark earned the Nanman a snort from Dao, who shook his head.
"I am Shanyue. Came here for the money and the honor, but so far all that we have done is hunt petty thieves. Was nice to find a real challenge here for a change."
"I will drink to that."
The two of them continued to converse into the night, speaking of their people, of their battles. Though he had a few skirmishes he could have spoken of, Ryong felt out of place. He was still largely untested, particularly when compared to his father.
Perhaps one day, such things would be different.
********
"We have decided to stay on a few days more. With such a worthy opponent here, I could not leave without challenging you again."
Kyong Dao nodded and gripped the forearm of the Nanman, a gesture, he was happy to note, the Nanman understood.
"Indeed, it has been some time since I have had such a good fight. Perhaps you would be willing to spar with my son as well? He is in need of instruction, and I have confidence in his potential."
"I do not see why not. Oh, my name is Nabun Atman"
"I am Kyong Dao, and this is my son, Ryong..."
For the next few days, the southern caravan remained in the city, just as Atman had promised, and the two Daos sparred with him and his escort guards regularly, showing a respect that transcended mere words and formalities, a bond through battle. Atman even joined them in their patrols, and proved to have a fairly good understanding about organizing marketplaces. He alternated between patrolling with Kyong Ryong and planning out the growth of the market with Kyong Dao.
Before he left, Atman, in addition to promising that he would return with another caravan in the future, also suggested that Kyong Dao look into hiring some Nanman mercenaries, a suggestion that Dao was only too happy to take into consideration.
"Excellent. I know of a good man who I will make sure to send along. Like you, he seeks to test himself against the conflicts, and I think you will find him a decent opponent as well."
"Then I will look forward to future battles, and future friendship. May the wind guide you swiftly."
"You as well."
Another forearm clasp and they parted ways, leaving the market of Xu Chang to absorb the changes and the profits it had made from the visit of the Nanman caravans.
*Works*
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Market
Aug 10, 2006 1:56:38 GMT -5
Post by Emperor Shao on Aug 10, 2006 1:56:38 GMT -5
Meh stopping thieves and fighting enemies doesn't necessarily make the market bustle that much. Whatever though, that was still a good post.
+93 roleplay bonus.
385+93+70
Kyong Dao's charm +2
548/5000
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 11, 2006 1:56:06 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 11, 2006 1:56:06 GMT -5
Manual Labor
"Father, is there something besides joining the patrols for us? Not that I am adverse to it, I merely wonder if perhaps we are allowing our talents to go to waste?"
It was something that Dao had been thinking on for some time to be honest, though short of creating trouble themselves, there was little going on that required them to do anything other then just patrol and work with the ministers.
"It is what we must do, content yourself with that for the meantime."
"Yes father."
"My lords, perhaps you would be willing to lend us your aid on something."
"Yes of course. That is, after all, why we are here," Dao replied, heaving a visible sigh. This had better be interesting, something involving bandits, killing, or bandits and killing. Maybe bandit killing?
"There is a caravan of merchants that just arrived from the Wu Yue and are raising many complaints to our ministers and threatening to leave."
"Then let them leave," Kyong Ryong replied, literally biting out ever word as he spoke it. "My sword arm goes to waste on the sniveling of merchants!"
"Patience Ryong. We will go see them then, though I doubt that we will be able to help them, or the situation."
"My lords?"
"We are not... well liked in Wu Yue."
***********
The scent of southern fish caught in their nostrils well before they arrived on the scene. It was a refreshing walk down memory lane, and Dao resolved that he would be sure to sample some of it. The caravan from Wu Yue was larger then the one from Nanzhong had been, and Kyong Dao saw many of the finest products from his homeland on display: tea from Jian Ye, pottery from Chai Sang, fish from Wu and Jian An. It was glorious, a friendly sight amidst a sea of Central Plains stupidity.
"For the last time, we will not make the trip under such conditions ever again, particularly if you persist in this manner. In all my years of traveling this country, I have never seen such disrespect.
Standing at the head of the caravan, a rather angry little man was busy picking a fight with the head overseer of the market. It would have been comical, if the little fellow did not have the look of a man out for blood.
"Indeed, such a display of disrespect is most unbecoming of a merchant eager to sell his wares in a city. I would have thought that you would be a bit more... courteous."
The merchant whirled to face him, a rebuke on his lips, and then, as soon as he saw Dao and Ryong, they could almost hear him swallowing it back down.
"Shanyue! How could you let them in your city?!"
Laughing, Dao dismissed the overseer, who bowed and departed silently.
"They have let me in their city because I am one of the lords of this city," he replied calmly, watching the merchant pale at the news. For anyone who knew of them, the idea of a Shanyue in charge of anything was a nightmare. This, of course, made it all the more humorous.
"Then perhaps you will listen to us, since your underlings seem to have forgotten how to!"
"You will not speak of these men in that way again," he snapped, his voice dripping with venom. "Speak, or I will take great personal pleasure in tossing you out of this city from atop the walls.
For a long moment, the man was silent, fear playing over his face as he worked his mouth in an effort to see that it still functioned.[/i]
"...We wanted to inform you that your roads have fallen into disrepair. Perhaps it is due to the rains? In any event, it makes it very difficult for travel. If you were to repair them, it would make the journey to your city much less... inconvenient."
He wanted to toy with the man for a bit longer, but something told him that any more and he would lose him.
"Very well, I will see what we can do."
***********
Assembling his men, as well as a number of the laborers that normally assisted in maintaining the city, Kyong Dao set to the task of repairing and restoring the roads. Though he was loathe to acknowledge a merchant from Yang, the man had spoken truthfully enough. The roads that were not reinforced with stone had either turned to mud or washed away in the heavy rainfall, and even the roads built of stone fared no better, chipped and broken.
It was a mundane, soul-deadening task to lay his halberd aside and take up the pick and the spade, but if having a well-kept road system would encourage trade, it was a small price to pay. The addition of his own soldiers made the duty go faster, with only his Qiang mercenary calvary acting as security, patrolling the nearby fields and offering to escort caravans traveling to the city.
While Ryong and his portion of the labor worked on restoring the damaged stone roads, Kyong Dao and his corps worked to rebuild and create new dirt roads. Eventually, these would be given proper stone foundations, but first, they needed to be prepared. The process was simple, the dirt was mounded so as to create a run off for rain water on either side of the road. Later, stone would be added to reinforce the dirt, since the stone would preserve the integrity of the roads for a longer period of time.
A break in the monotony of the task occurred when they encountered a trade wagon that had run off the road and fallen on its side in the mud. The merchant who owned it was trapped beneath it and none to happy about that. Dao and Ryong undertook the task of moving the wagon gladly.
The merchant, while in the process of thanking them, mentioned that a series of rocks had cluttered on the road, which was one of the reasons why he was forced off of it. Ordering his men to continue with the road work, Kyong Dao took his son and ten Shanyue further down the road in question and proceeded to move the collection of rocks, which ranged in size from smaller chunks to a rather large boulder that took considerable effort to finally roll to the side.
***********
At the end of the day, the two Kyongs and their men returned to the city with sore muscles and a sense of accomplishment. Though there would be much more work needed, they had, at the least, managed to repair the rain damage and restore the dirt roads. At another time they would continue their efforts to lay stone down.
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Market
Aug 11, 2006 2:54:09 GMT -5
Post by Emperor Shao on Aug 11, 2006 2:54:09 GMT -5
Repairing the roads huh? +94
714/5000
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Market
Aug 11, 2006 19:52:03 GMT -5
Post by Lyle on Aug 11, 2006 19:52:03 GMT -5
Well Done Rob! Hahaha.. *waits to collect 1300 gold..*
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 12, 2006 2:12:52 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 12, 2006 2:12:52 GMT -5
*works*
+ 72
Market 714 + 72 = 786/5000
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Kyong Dao
Potential Ronin
Shanyue Warchief
Posts: 28
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Market
Aug 12, 2006 19:32:06 GMT -5
Post by Kyong Dao on Aug 12, 2006 19:32:06 GMT -5
*works*
786 + 72 = 858/5000
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Market
Aug 13, 2006 2:23:54 GMT -5
Post by Keeper on Aug 13, 2006 2:23:54 GMT -5
+4 charm for Kyong Dao.
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Market
Aug 26, 2006 15:59:49 GMT -5
Post by Kong Fa Xu on Aug 26, 2006 15:59:49 GMT -5
+200 Chang An victory bonus = 1058/5000
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