Stealth was harder in a group than doing it alone. Specially if one member of the group carried a chattering armour!
After Shiren finally managed it to open the lock of that entry in the wall, he cautiously opened it and took a look inside. The city was transformed as they already saw it from outside. It was slightly raining so the ground was more slippery than usual what was not in Shiren's personal favour but he surely could handle it with a bath after this.
Sounds of the fight, which found place in the main entry of the city, were hearable and luckily took the attention of many of the local villagers. Or guards. Shiren wasn´t aware where now the differences were. Was this still a village or now a stronghold?
Just as he opened the door he was close to be seen from a guard so he turned back and closed the door quickly.
Trough the keyhole he saw that antelope, who was carrying clothes in black and white, looking to the door but luckily it was not suspecting anything. As short as it looked away Shiren again started to open the door but closed it again as that antelope turned his head around quickly and was looking again.
It looked away again and the door was slightly opened again and closed again as it again was under the antelope´s watch.
Nearly simultaneously the view gone away and the door opened again. Than the antelope looked again to the door which was closed one moment after that. Frowning the antelope came to watch this door which opened and closed lightly as Shiren tried to close her for real but didn´t wangle to close the jamming door. As he again watched trough the keyhole the antelope was gone. He waited a moment and opened the door jerkily but he didn´t managed to open her completely because something was behind her and made an unwell and stub sound and something fell to the ground.
Shiren put his head down and took a look around the door and saw that antelope finished on the ground.
Xing and Huyuan confused watched Shiren playing with that door all the time but they came in as well as Shiren winked them inside the village.
Huyuan closed the door with a heavy jolt and followed Xing and Shiren on the streets.
"Now you two are real experts when it comes to stealth.", Xing mentioned quietly.
Shiren slithered very near by the ground with his head paying attention to the environment.
Xing, cowered and silent, followed him with a short distance and after her with a bit of clangs was Huyuan looking specially behind them. "Do you think the streets are the best way to sneak in this?", he asked.
Shiren simply answered: "No."
As he was sure nobody was near by them he explained: "Maybe it´s just because from up there...", and he pointed to the direction to the centre of the city: "they can see everything on the top. That´s why we are down here. Just get your rocket ready and be quiet.", he spoke and turned away.
"Hewehehwewewe...", Huyuan mumbled as he again followed the group.
After a while someone asked: "What was that?", as Huyuan finished crossing a road and a monkey turned to them. Near by him sat a bear on a bench and asked as the little group sat shocked behind some baskets: "What was what?"
"Didn´t you hear that?", the monkey asked and looked around nervously.
The bear did not wake up from his sleep and asked: "Did I hear what? The rain?"
"No…", the monkey went around and sough: "something like clanging."
The bear managed to open his eyes and chuckled: "Clanging? Yes, you know out there is a fight.", the bear answered relaxed while the monkey were fraughtly.
"No! Right here. Or rather there." He looked down the street.
"You´re tired, I guess but I´ll take a look."
The bear stood up, went to the crossover and looked to all directions. One of the baskets was somehow upside down between other baskets but it was not conspicuously.
The brown baskets in a shadow of a house between brown boards looked very similar and the bear did not pay attention to this basked specificity. There were tons of baskets in many different sizes.
He looked to the monkey and said: "Everything is fine." Then he again looked that way down but before he did that three baskets stopped moving on the rim of this road. He again looked to the monkey and he took a look for himself. Again that baskets stopped moving right before he looked at them. He looked confusedly but went back with the bear: "Common and take a sleep. I´ll watching for you."
On the next crossover a goose stood with his back on the street Shiren was using.
One than another baskets crossed that field upside down. First an equable basket, than a hobbling and than a loud basket which stumble and fell to the ground. With it´s drive the basked tipping once more and tilted for one second while making a loud chattering.
The goose turned around and saw that lonely basked on the middle of the street. Huyuan made no sound and was not in view for the goose. It looked around, wondered and turned around again. Shiren and Xing quickly carried the basked away.
As the goose was looking again the street was empty once more. It perplexedly wondered about it and looked on the bottle it was carrying and then sniffed on it.
Shiren and Xing carried that basked over a bend and threw Huyuan out of it who tumbled out of it. He smirked and took a thumb up. Xing rolled with her eyes and Shiren already went on their way.
He looked around the next corner, grabbed the still walking Xing and put her back to their cover.
Then he winked with his head to that direction he was looking at and all three looked around the corner.
Then all three looked at the gate.
Their goal.
"Okay, I´m guessing playtime is over now?", Huyuan whispered and got two views with big interrogation marks on their faces. He looked between them and turned back.
"Now how do we get in there?", Xing asked: "This is an open area and there are two guards. I suppose they will close the gate immediately when they see us."
"Let me think shortly.", Shiren answered and looked around the area. There was that wall with two guards, both antelopes in white robes with black rims, before the gate, carrying no weapons. So they had to be Kung Fu warriors.
Shiren's way leaded at few houses but they were put together so there was no alternative way.
Sadly it were just walls with windows. A big area was right before the gate. No chance to get in there unseen.
He took his time though he said he will think shortly.
They only got one try.
"Well, I think they will only close it if they see a thread, wouldn´t they?", Huyuan asked smilingly.
Xing immediately shook her head: "No. Please. No. Everything but one idea of yours."
"What does that mean?", Shiren asked: "I mean, he is allowed to speak it out at least."
Huyuan grinned: "Watch and learn."
Then he turned up and went the way very casually. Xing wanted to stop him but Shrien put her back. He was curious to see what Huyuan planned to do and did not want Xing to be seen.
Huyuan was very peacefully, though carrying an heavy armour. The guards did not alarm anything. They just looked at Huyuan and said: "Hey there! Stop!", as they walked to him. He put his hands up a bit and said: "Ease guys. Nothing dangerous here. I´m just trying to go in there and close the gate so no one can go in any more.", he simply talked to them. The guards starred at him prepared for a fight but still confused.
He cockled: "Really? Man, you guys really must grow easy. Like I do. Look at me, speaking to you guys normally as hell and giving my friends an opportunity to do an ambush on you. What´s wrong with that? I mean-"
"What in the name of china do you want? Who are you?", one guard asked.
"Me?", he asked and Shiren wasn´t sure what Huyuan wanted to archive than playing with the time.
Shiren looked up the wall and to a window. "Common.", he said to Xing as Huyuan was talking on: "Well, yes sure. No, apparently I´m from the alliance. But now comes the punch line: I´m actually a merc of a very rich rabbit family. You can call me Huyu if you want. But Huyuan is fine."
One of the guards stepped to him and said: "I did not get that joke but you are now our prisoner."
Huyuan sighed: "Yeah, what did I thought as I walked into you? I mean you surely will do alarm now your guys to close it, right? Ah yeah! Now I remember! The punch line!"
He immediately tried to grab that guard but he parried his grab. But because of the fact Huyuan was just stronger, he pushed him into his friend and run to the gate with that loud shattering he would be able to been hear everywhere he passed the door and while the guards stood up again and run to him the gate closed. The strong and heavy grid fell down to the ground with a lout detonation.
Huyuan looked around and saw Shiren and Xing on the hand gear for the gate and one fallen sheep.
He winked with his eye. "I knew you would be able manage to do the rest."
"You had no idea what you did, right?", Shiren asked him.
"Nah, all according to plan.", he answered cheery.
"So you didn´t.", Xing agreed with Shiren and nodded.
"Hey! At least we are here now, okay? Let´s rush to the others! Those guards which just left will warn everyone or find another path leading to here. We got no time to waste, right?"
Shiren laughed easy and chuckled: "You smart fox. Now. Let´s go."
Finding the others weren't hard. Shiren, Xing and Huyuan run up the stairs and found Yong, Lao and Huan already waiting for them. Some more guards were laying on the ground and Yong and Huan already took dices out and played a game under a roof while Lao laid behind them and relaxed. As Huyuan came up the stairs to that platform Yong looked up and pushed Lao. "Hey, look who is finally here!" She stood up and helped Lao to get up as well while Huan was taking back the dices.
"Now, no explanations.", Yong insisted: "Just put down the firework and let the party begin. We don´t have much time."
Huyuan took out the firework and begun to prepare it. Just as he begun to set the fire on, some one spoke to them. It was Peng, coming down the stairs threes other guards and also two Ladies of Shade. One of them way apparently Song, Shiren guessed.
"You´re very persistent.", he said and just as he said that the fire was already set on the rocket and Huyuan was paying his attention to Peng as he spoke and did not realize he was changing the angle of the rocket he was still holding. "Huh?", he wondered and just after that the rocket was starting to fly and he startled hardly as this thing flew out of his hand and right to Peng who dodged on the last moment and everyone was looking after that rocket, flying up the stairs, right into a house, out of it´s window and into the sky where it exploded. Everyone looked at that firework for few moments.
"What in the… a rocket?", Song wondered loudly and looked at Huyuan.
"You are celebrating too early, don´t you think?", Peng asked and turned back to the group.
"Eh… actually we aren´t celebrating.", Huyuan tried to explain but Lao took the word:
"This were a signal. A signal we are here behind the gates and so the other can leave your city now. Or rather your fortress, just if you want to know. Now, by the way, I´m very curious how you managed to change that village that quickly. Any kind of unexplored Kung Fu mastery?"
"It´s not your businesses.", Peng answered sharply and stepped forward: "Now we shall got this behind us quickly. I´m still no fan of fighting but you already know that is an excuse."
"Riight.", Yong prepared for a battle: "Away with the formalities."
"Or...", Huan proposed: "You can just surrender right here right now and we won´t have any battle at all. You know we are scared having a knife in our back suddenly so we just want to avoid that."
Peng answered: "I can understand you but I won´t let this happen. We are friends of the Ladies of Shade. If you want them down you need to strike us down as well."
Huan sighed but silenced.
"Okay. Time so show us what a potter is made of!", Shiren said and begun the battle with saying that.
He regretted that situation nearly in the next moment where he and Peng were fighting.
Peng was quick and just everything what could be named as perfect. He saw Shiren´s punches, dodged or parried and countered, kept on the pressure and fought with Shiren which was falling back as good as he possibly was able to. Trying to dodge Peng´s attacks but the ground was way to wet from the rain as Shiren would had been able to trust the ground. He was slithering when he did not want to. Using this technique of grandmaster Viper was no option. He was much under pressure and wasn't even able to focus on Peng. Shiren defended himself with everything he found under that roof Yong and Huan were playing underneath. Small baskets, some sticks and even fruits he threw on Peng´s face.
As Peng got Shiren on his neck and put him down to the ground while staying on his leg he asked: "Who are you, calling yourself a warrior? This was anticlimacticly!" Just as he wanted to finish Shiren something kicked him away. It was Huan. "Get up, Shiren!" Shiren nodded thankfully and went up as quick as he could but Huan and Peng were already on a battle. Those two were very quickly and fragile Shiren wasn´t aware who was winning or leading the battle. They both seemed pretty strong and that was the moment Shiren saw Huan´s real potential.
Peng was a very hard enemy Shiren had no chance against but Huan is taking him in a battle eye on eye.
Then Shiren turned around quickly to see to Huan´s previous enemy. As he counted the enemies, they were six. So everybody should have one foe now. He wasn't sure how much time passed as he was fighting Peng since it felt like minutes. Shiren quickly moved forward to help where his help is needed. In fact he wasn't able to help Huan in his fight. Shiren did not want to hit him accidentally.
Leo was taking a fight with a tiger and moved above him, spun in the air and tried to hit his enemy efficiently.
Xing and Huyuan fought together against one guard, another leopard and Song while Yong was just able to finish her enemy, the second Lady of shade but was interrupted by another guard, a gorilla. The enemy which Huan threw to rescue Shiren.
So he run to her and punched the gorilla from behind but sadly the Lady of Shade was already up again.
Yong striated above her face and focussed on her enemy again: "Better late than never. But seriously, Shiren, one second more!"
"I´ll try better next time!", he called as he attacked the gorilla which was less mobile than Peng was.
The stairs were in Shiren´s favour. He did not bother about them because it was simply like a hill for him and he mustn't keep balance when he switches sides.
Shiren didn't even need to try Inner Peace stuff to battle a gorilla. Though this one was very good at fighting. He did not give Shiren any chance to get to close to him to climb up on him or anything like that.
This foe was not comparable with any heavy enemy Shiren ever faced.
He always seem to know what Shiren was going to try, he always dodged Shiren´s attacks but luckily his slow attacks weren't able to harm Shiren.
Shiren reacted fast enough to keep that fight up but he did not get any significant damage done.
Inner Peace was pretty useful and stuff but sadly it won´t help in the offensive.
As Jil used Inner Peace she used the water or other projectiles. Unluckily this gorilla was no easy projectile!
This guy was a master in Kung Fu. That could had been the only solution why he was that skilled and careful. As Shiren had to move backwards he tried to move up the stairs. Having a little bit the high ground about a big enemy was advantageously.
But as he took his first steps back the gorilla made more and more pressure with his fists and legs.
It turned out moving up the stairs wasn't a good idea since the stairs were wet and Shiren once slumped and was unable to move as he saw the next one punch. Though it did not look like a punch. More like… like this technique Jil was educating mulish students with.
The last time she used it was one day before they moved out. And it was not a well feeling at all.
It was a shocking move.
The nerve attack.
Shiren tried to dodge and squinted but as the attack should hit him nothing happened.
"DO SOMETHING!", Yong called at him while holding the arm of the gorilla. Shiren nodded with hectic and made his way on his enemy where he was able to do the maximum damage he could do while Yong was holding him off.
He tried what he was good at and what surely would work like it always did on large enemies.
The Crippling Shoulder Nip. A nip on the right nerves on the shoulder and the enemy should be palsied for few minutes.
He was inpatient but he took his time to find the right place and just as he hear Yong giving up the fight he found and hit the right place.
The gorilla fell down at the stairs and Shiren jumped off from him and looked at Yong who was holding her left shoulder and laid on a wall near by the stairs.
Immediately he run to her: "Are you alright?", he asked and she, unwell, winked him away: "I can't fight with that but I can take it. Just go and help the others. They need you more than me now!"
She refused Shiren´s help but hesitantly he nodded and went back while making sure, Yong was seeking a place to rest outside of the current battle.
He was not able to see Lao or Huan but he saw Huyuan helping Xing to stay on her legs while defending her against Song.
Shiren saw his opportunity to attack her from the back and help Huyuan.
He, as quiet as he could, sneaked to Song and started to ambush her from behind but as soon as he managed to actually hit her he hear someone near by him and sadly it was Peng`s voice: "Hey!", he called. And as Shiren turned around to look at him he just saw his face and after that he saw his fist punching his chest.
It was a special attack and not just any punch. It felt like the time was slowing down for a moment as the attack found it´s target and a golden ring arose and grew up like rings in the water while Shiren was pushed away. He flew in the air and landed ruggedly on an edge of the stairs.
He squinted his eyes heavily from the hurt, furled himself and compressed his choppers.
He hear steps coming at him and opened his eyes a little bit and saw Peng graping his neck.
Shiren was powerless and if not even Huan was able to defeat him he saw no way doing so himself. The situation was dire and his whole body hurt.
But Peng hesitated. He firstly looked at Shiren and seemed to think how he should finish him now but he started to look around.
At the next moment someone or something went between them and put Peng away from Shiren.
He was not able to see what was rescuing him and just after some winks he managed to see Hao, his aunt staying right before him with her full attention to Peng: "Don't dare putting your paws on my boys!", she was speaking to him with an excitement Shiren never saw from her. She was on fire.
Behind Peng a spear landed and stuck on the ground. Jil landed from a fly and grabbed her spear while looking sharply on Peng. "You would doing great to put down your might. We already secured the city."