Author's note: Big update now, with multiple stories being uploaded. The character Fenghuang is from the Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness TV series, from the episode Owl Be Back. Huli/Yuzhao is an OC, because I wanted to introduce a different 'seer' character to the soothsayer.

Chapter 10: Female Of The Species

A month later after Shen has returned to his lands.

Shen had never told anyone what had happened. That was a secret between him, the Soothsayer and his father. His father… what an interesting figure. It was obvious what Shen had inherited from him, but now any hope of reconciling with his family were gone. So be it. It was better not to have any regrets, and to move forwards, like he was doing now.

Shen warmed his hands over the heated box, hearing the winds outside howl and batter at his vehicle. The familiar pains in his talons were back, and again he thought about the person he was going to meet.

Once a simple peasant fox called Huli living near the mountains of Tibet, she had brought honour to her family thanks to her gift of prophecy, similar to the old goat's. After a while of merely helping her family's crops grow well, the old soothsayer had begun training her in the arts of mysticism and prophecy due to her need to help others. The Soothsayer had even considered making the young fox her successor, for she showed such promise. But nobody saw what happened next.

Her entire village was ravaged by some sort of eldritch virus. It came out of nowhere and infected the populace, killing them slowly and tortuously. Huli had to watch as her family and friends were mutilated and eradicated. The despair had reason to such an extent that when the virus attacked her she gripped it tight and brought it into her body willingly. Overpowering whatever was in there, she made it part of herself, and increased her gift of prophecy tenfold.

But no one is meant to see things for sure, to see destiny and more. She was driven mad, and ran screaming from the village, speaking of ravaged worlds and ruined lives, forever hating the soothsayer for not seeing the calamity that befell her village. Resigned to a cave in Tibet, she charged high prices for prophecy, and led a group of praying mantises who could kill anyone for the right price. The people called her Yuzhao, for her visions were terrible and frightening.

Outside, two gorillas effortlessly carried the suspended carriage, flanked by armoured wolves. In front of them was the wolf boss, the intense snow and winds reminding him of the panda extermination. Remembering, his empty eye socket throbbed painfully, a bit of blood trickling out. He refused to wear an eyepatch. Wolves didn't hide their weaknesses, they overcame them and continued on. For the pack. For his Lord. Unbeknownst to him, however, something flew overhead, hidden in the snowfall.

Two thumping noises and the convoy was dropped rudely. Shen scowled, hearing more sounds of things falling and opened the canopy. "What is going on? Can't any of you do your jobs right?" he yelled, and looked over the fallen bodies of his retinue. The Wolf Boss was swinging his hammer around wildly and diving to avoid a fast moving shape. A flash of wing and he also went down with a grunt. Something razor sharp opened up the material and Shen dived out as the entire thing fell to pieces.

From the sky. He rolled and swerved, knives out and thrown at key points. They fell to the floor in pieces, and he redirected a sharp slash that almost tore his face off. A flying combatant. He saw purple and dodged another move, only able to avoid and keep himself alive. The thing finally landed and did a complicated manoeuvre that ended in a spin. The Mongolian Fireball shot through the air, but Shen dived to the side. Only one flying thing had ever been fast enough to stop him and used that move. "Greetings again, Master Fenghuang."

The owl master dived down and landed this time, rubbing her sharp claws together. "Shen, darling, I thought I trained you better. You've stagnated in that high and mighty palace of yours" commented Fenghuang, wings at her side as Shen mirrored the move, blades in hand beneath his cloak.

"Is there a reason why you've attacked my retinue?" he demanded, taking in her stance and body shape for any surprise attacks. She'd taught him well.

"Well, I wanted to see if the rumours are true. Disgraced, banished and feared by all? How could I resist seeing my pupil be dragged along the same path as me. Also I was having tea with Yuzhao. On my way out, she mentioned you were coming. She's still waiting for you" beckoned the owl with a wing, pointing up a snow covered hill.

"I must be on my way. It was good to see you again, Fenghuang, but you are mistaken. I intend to reclaim my glory, and rule all of China, rather than run away and hide like you." A flash in the snow and she had her claws up against his neck.

"Face Oogway in battle, and then maybe you can pass judgement on me. She wants you alive, but make note. If I find out you wasted my efforts, I will be back, and I will kill you, past be damned" she threatened warningly, and shoved him back, launching herself into the air to return to her mountain. Shen looked up as she left, curious at this short reunion with one of this teachers. What she had said rung deep as well. He was banished, and disgraced. But soon that would be different.

He slapped the Wolf Boss back to consciousness, and after chastising him for being so weak ordered him to bring back the others. As he did so, he walked towards the direction Fenghuang had pointed. As he saw the cave entrance, another sharp appendage was pressed against his neck, and Shen sighed at the new arrival threatening to kill him. Women. Why were they always trying to prove their superiority? "I wish council with Lady Yuzhao. She is expecting me."

"Servants will wait outside" clicked Jianli the mantis greeted Shen at the mouth of her cave, the red light and extreme heat making him think of Hell. Jianli pushed Shen forwards into the cave entrance, following him in. The tortured fox looked at the peacock as he entered, smirking mischievously. Taking in her appearance, Shen realised her white coat must have been beautiful once, and lush as was normal for her race. However, now it was matted and dirty, patches of it having fallen off. A red cloak had been draped over her shoulders, and Jianli perched on the shoulder of her mistress, watching him warily.

"Welcome, Lord Shen. Did you like meeting your old friend again? Or did the goat send you with some sort of message?" spoke Yuzhao softly, warming her paws over the fire. A bowl of soup rested beside her, but she offered none to Shen. "Or perhaps you wish to kill me as you did Fengfu. Rest assured, I will be harder to kill than some fat tiger."

"That's not why I came. I came to you because I am sick of the soothsayer's vagueness. Her empty promises give me nothing, and she is wrong about everything. I asked her about my future, and all she was said was-"

"You would be defeated by a warrior of black and white, yes. I've seen similar things" explained Yuzhao, and Shen glared at her. "That is to say, I have seen what she has seen, although with more sense, obviously. She relies on teaching, and dispensing 'great wisdom' to people who come to her. Even as she taught me, it was not about being a seer, but instead using wisdom and insight to determine what to say. I wanted to see what would happen tomorrow, or next week. But that wasn't 'just' and 'proper'" ranted the fox angrily finished by extending each of her claws and pointing one at Shen.

"When I told Jianli here that you were coming, she wanted to kill you. I would not allow it, do you know why?" she leaned forwards with a sly grin. "I let you live because of what you did to the soothsayer. It was because of you she was put into ill repute, and it was thanks to her prediction you committed such genocide. Such lovely chaos and destruction, and death. You do not know it, but that was probably the worst moment of her life. Delicious" she whispered now, gratitude in all her voice.

"She feels regret, yes, but still blames me. Why? I was merely defending myself. I had to stop the pandas."

"Of course you did" replied Yuzhao mockingly and took out some powder Shen recognised from his time with the soothsayer. "So, Lord Shen. Tell me… what do you want to see?"

Will update really soon because this chapter was loooong so I split it into two chapters. Tell me what you think of Yuzhao, whether you think she fits the Kung Fu Panda verse or whatnot. And yes, Shen mentions a bit about 'women' in this one but you know him, he thinks he's superior to everyone, regardless of gender.