Chen Wu does his best to clean his trench coat and reloads his pistol. After that, he approaches the group and nods to Sai Yun while the Paladin leaves through the secret tunnel.

Sai pauses briefly to admire the beauty of the land, a strange and peaceful counterpoint to his near brush with death. His reflection only lasts a breath, ending with a tiny prayer of Thanks.

"By the rabbit's love."

He then continues on the path, silent and cautious, checking behind after he counts to ten to see that his compatriots are in step.

Liu Xin follows Sai down the tunnel, holding his lantern aloft. When he makes it to the edge of the precipice, he pauses to look into the valley below.

"We need to keep moving, but we also need to figure out where we are going."

Hon Yin follows the others closely and pushes onwards past the illusory stonework, striding out onto the narrow path - and nearly straight over the edge. Throwing himself as far back into the wall as it will allow he glances nervously towards the drop. "A bit of warning would have been nice..." He begins edging his way down the path, keeping as far from the edge as humanly possible.

The walk down is not easy but it is undisturbed. The starlight is not bright but little is needed for the clear path. The cold cuts through the travelers' clothes, a reminder of the coming winter. The way down takes about two hours. As the path finally eases out onto the forest floor, the tree canopy darkens the night around them. The river ahead must be the Gold River, wide but languid, running to the heroes' left. That way must be East. To the West, the river climbs up the forested foothills of the mountains. At the least, that supply town that Hozi mentioned should be further down the river.

Chen Wu approaches the river and crouches besides it. He washes his face before turning back to his companions. "Do you guys think we're still being followed? Because, if not, I believe now is a good time to split that money and discuss what the hell we're going to do..."

"It would probably be best to reach the nearest town or village. It should be easier to hide ourselves from any pursuers if we are hidden in a crowd." Hon Yin glances back up the dirt road towards the exit of the tunnels.

Sai hears the owl and winces at the sound.

"I can't think that us being there when they attacked is a coincidence. If they knew the monks had secured couriers, then they can guess our next move is to is to gear up.

"I think we need to find a place to catch our breath, somewhere we can obsereve the town the monks suggested and that we can see if we're being followed."

Sai says, "So you can get your throat slit in the night? I'm not suggesting we go into the town, at least not until we know that it's a safe option. I'd prefer somewhere very populous that we could get lost in, truth be told. We're going to stand out."

Hon Yin frowns as he contemplates the situation, every so often glancing back towards the monastery. "Hmm. You know with affairs being as they are within the country right now a lone group of mercenaries might actually not be that unique a sight. In fact I'd be willing to bet the sight of sellswords is pretty common in the empire these days. Perhaps to the point no one would give it a second thought? Regardless the longer we linger here the worst our situation becomes. We should make for the village - we can scout it out when we arrive, see if it is safe to stay there and taken action as necessary."

With that Hon Yin begins making his way down the trail in the direction of the nearest settlement.

Chen Wu follows Hon Yin and starts pondering. "Did our pursuers even see us in our escape? They're probably searching in the dark..."

Sai follows as well and says, in a low voice, "I doubt it, though we didn't exactly have time to cover our tracks. If they find the room with the dead, they can likely figure out how recently the fight took place.

"If I was them, however, I wouldn't be as worried about finding us right away. If they're after the statue, and we have to assume they are, then they know where we're going and when we need to be there. That gives them an advantage I wish to every god they did not have."

"Which brings us to the next topic I want to talk about. Is this mission really worth the trouble? I mean, we already got a considerable amount of money in that chest, and if those guys really want this statue, maybe we can get a better price for it..." says Chen Wu while walking.

Sai asks, "It's worth it to me. Do what you want."

Hon Yin pauses and turns back to face Chen Wu. "I don't think you realize exactly how important this task is. This isn't a simple delivery - it is a pilgrimage. What we hold is no mere statuette but a symbol of the empires strength and tradition. There is no time when this will be more important then it is now. The emperor is dead, his seat nothing more than a trophy, his lands encroached upon by the Olgaeth - and through all of this his people suffer. Think of them when you ask 'is this worth the trouble' for it is they who will suffer the most in these turbulent times. If, by this small act, we can help bring some stability to their lives then yes it is worth our time."

He takes a few stops forward before looking back over his shoulder, a wry smile on his face as he pats the chest tucked beneath his arm. "Besides I'm the one who has your coin." He lets out a laugh and continues to walk.

"When I signed with this company, I thought I was joining a bunch of greedy mercenaries, not the new era of wannabe heroes..." Chen Wu's tone is so acid he could probably melt Hon Yin's armor with it. "Perhaps the poor people of Hoi Lan Fa are better now. I don't remember your beloved emperor doing much to make their lifes better. At least the dwarfs put their money where it should be: science and education." With those words, the sorcerer starts walking slower, until he's at the rear of the group.

Sai says, "I tried greed for a time. It got too expensive.

"I gave my word. If I sell that, no amount of coin will ransom it back. I don't care if you take your share and go, but if you want out, I suggest you wait until we can part ways without you knowing our course.

"If we are being followed, they might try to get our route out of you."