Liu glanced at the little 'bao fight' going on in the center of the table before letting out a little snicker, then shaking his head and turning to the more... Serious matters at hand. The fact that Kyang was incredibly eager to do this aside, willingly putting out someone as bait felt more like something to be done as a last resort than as a primary plan. Thinking about it like that, though... If the bandits figured out that the four of them were snooping about, and if they realized that they were planning to bait them, wouldn't they simply not fall for the bait?

"In regards to what we've got as options here... So far, you're making logical points here, Dai Xin." he said, nodding his head before sighing. "It's a shame, though, that nobody's been able to get a lick of information in regards to a lookout or someone of the sort. The suspects that statement would suggest are very influential people, and trying to interrogate them would be like a tiger defeating a dragon. So I'd recommend against that."

With that said, he turned to Kyang, who still seemed to be recoiling from the sudden shift in balance in regards to the bao from earlier.
"As for what I do know... Since it's the talk of the town, rumors get around quite easily. The bandits seem to be hoarding their ill-gotten gains, so offering to sell it might not be the best course of action. And for older bait-and-switch tactics... Well, let's just say that people come back missing a few things."

Stopping for a moment, Liu closed his eyes and began sifting through his memories. Who the rumors were from, how trustworthy they were, the proof thereafter...

"But most of the people who tackled the job weren't masters; more often than not, they were cocky students that thought they could take on the world. A lesson in humility, I assume, but they come back crippled for weeks, if not months. They seem to avoid the moderately experienced like the plague, which may prove to be a bit of a hassle."

Right, there was that. But the students had been so thoroughly rattled by the rumors and the results that none would dare try. Unless...

"Actually, I do have a plan in mind, now that I've thought about it a bit. I've still got my old training outfit back at home; if I can masquerade as one of those students and hunt around with Torako with you two tailing us, we might have a chance. Granted, that blade of yours might have to be held onto by either of our two peers, but it has a chance to work."

Turning to Torako and the rest for confirmation, Liu shrugged his shoulders and added a closing remark.

"Or would it be better to snoop around for info? Either way's got chances of backfiring on us real hard."