The battle for the last bao may have seemed like an awkward silence, but to Torako and Kyang, it was a clash of wills. Each of them tugged as much as they dared without either slipping or causing the bao to rupture. It was a delicate balance that they had to maintain. Kyang's eyes drilled into Torako's as Kyang, in turn, saw the fires of a waking demon flaring in hers. One of Kyang's eyes began to narrow maniacally, trying to hold her nerve. The bao was so strained that it was beginning to elongate, but it did not break.

The clash ended with Torako letting go first, and suddenly. Kyang's mind and body reeled as if she was in a tug-of-war with an opponent that had disappeared into thin air. She came to her senses to find herself leaning back in her seat, at the very edge of her balance. The bao was still in her chopsticks, held by her hand. Her hand, however, had recoiled and extended as far up and away from Torako's reach as possible.

Kyang cast quick glances at everyone with wide eyes and an exaggerated frown, and then slowly shrank back into her original posture, retracting her extended hand in the process. "Ahem...huh, er," Kyang forced a smile to try and play off the incident. "Thanks...Torako..." she said with a nervous stare at Torako as she slowly and carefully devoured the bao. She had the strange feeling that she had started a shadow war with the girl and that comeuppance was in her future.

By the time Kyang had finished her mouthful, everyone had put forth their input into their approach. "So," she paused to swallow, "We either have Liu and Torako go out as bait while we follow them, or we go and find a noble and scare them into telling us something they might know?" Kyang tapped her finger on her lips and hummed in contemplation, "Well, if we go around scaring people, Liu and Torako can't be seen to be involved, otherwise the bandits might be warned of them. I'm more inclined to just go out and bait them now rather than alienate people with guards who might be innocent. Then again, the information we get could be pivotal."

A few more seconds passed before Kyang made her decision. "My vote is with using the bait and cutting them up, but I could be convinced otherwise. Liu? How do you think events will transpire if we kick in a noble's door and threaten them? Also, Xin? Are you sure you want to anger the locals like that? What is everyone else's vote?"