Volume Two: Eyes of Hate
Chapter XXIII
Quill
Tai Lung pulled the boar's weapon away, proceeding to Mrs. Chow, whose hooves buried behind her head while sobbing for help. He knelt and soothed her; Masters and the Nine let their guards down. "Mrs. Chow?"
Tai Lung's paw palmed on the sow's shoulder. Being lifted halfway while sobbing, Mrs. Chow recoiled. "NO! Let go of me!"
The leopard managed to wrap his arms over her. The sow continued resisting turns poorly. "He won't hurt you anymore. Relax!" Tai Lung calmed her anger.
"You murderer! Please!" she held her teeth as Mrs. Chow's tears streamed on her cheeks. Tigress ahead of them came close, her aunt Ming dawdling beside. Three rhino guards gathered together, embarking their bare hands while kneeling toward the petrified culprit. Tai Lung hushed the sow with his chuffing sympathy.
Mrs. Chow wept, stopped clawing her hoof on the leopard's arms. "Why is everyone trying to kill me?"
At this time, the Nine's Master bent her knee and eyed on six rhino eyes signaling her quick nod, and Ming tapped her paws on five joints of Jianfeng's body. No longer petrified, the boar's continuous scream thickened, and guards thrust their hands on him. Motioning Jianfeng to lay his belly forward, the rhino guard pulled one hoof and the other in the pressure cuff, locking the boar's mobile jerks.
Tai Lung's striped feline sister knelt ahead of Mrs. Chow. "You're safe, Mrs. Chow," Tigress reassured the sow with a monotonous tone.
The poor boar close to the Nine's Leader shook from the slight reaction. While eyes closed in half, the boar bandit in ruptured armor crawled toward his wavy sword beside, and Chen Xing stepped on the side of the blade, sweeping it away. "Dammit!" the boar shook.
"Ahem. You don't need your sword to plunge anyone right now," Xing said.
By the time the bandit took time for his breath from wheezing as if the bridge of his muzzle clogged by the tiger's palm hits, he glanced up to Xing. His eyes radiated his cinnamon eyes. "WHOA!" he gasped, crawling back against the bamboo stand. Bananas and grapes dripped on the boar's shoulders. "Where the hell did he come from?!"
Entirely surprised in confusion ahead of the bandit, the tiger readied his fingers on chokuto's blue tsuka. His student Kai raised his one eye. "Did you frighten him, Little Kitten?"
My scar does frighten this bandit?
The green insect hopped on Chen Xing's shoulder. "Okay. Maybe that was just me in my honest opinion; my colleague's scar is simply—"
"That can't be you!"
Mantis stopped, but the Nine's Leader dazzled his stone eyes. "Who? Me?" Xing ambled to the frightening hog. "I don't think you and I ever—"
"STOP! HE'S STANDING BEHIND YOU! HUOJU!"
Kai witnessed his teacher Xing swim his head wildly, readying his chokuto, and so did he clenching the stick as many warriors checked their surroundings. Cold breaths twisted in Xing's throat, his readied paw trembling. Muttering under his voice, the tiger pondered this ghost, which haunted him not only in his dreams (commonly not every day to face the Prince of Darkness) but the fire within the dark forest shaping the bovine figure murmured names. His and his worthy opponent.
Not a sign of an evil Ox warlord with four limbs appeared; Xing bent his snarling teeth at the poor bandit with continuous distortion cry. "Is this some kind of—?"
"It's not a damn trick! The Prince is right next to you, boy!"
"The Ox princess is good as dead," Kai commented.
The tiger moderately drew his straight katana. Under the tsuka, the shining sword scintillated with bizarre hues of flickering snow white and silver. The boar crawled back against the bamboo stand once more, stammering his cries as he broadened his eyes above Xing's head.
Fading gray fabrics groomed on the face of Raging Ox. A scarred muzzle under his left eye bag blazed with dark crimson; the shadow clawed near the bandit's muzzle as the boar twitched his head away. "Illusion," Xing unsheathed his chokuto, the tap of his sword popping the boar's eyes to a revelation. The Prince of Darkness within the bandit's vision appeared no more. "Now you don't see him?"
Studdered while the boar bandit relieved his tightened breath from holding, a rhino guard leader beside the group announced. "Guards, cuff all twenty-nine boars. Bring three prison carriages."
The Nine's Leader fused his posture to boiling streams within his body; one rhino guard clasped and heaved one boar whose name Lim by his leader, still rocking his body from guards securing their good grips on him.
What did my worthy opponent do to him? That boar can see what I see?
"He's going to kill me," the boar twinged his eyes and head at once as one guard locked pressure cuffs behind the bandit's back. Xing clenched his neck armor and pulled his head near the tiger's wrinkled muzzle. Po hastened to his colleague after he called him.
"Listen to me. My worthy opponent will not kill you. I banished him. He's dead."
"Not to my ordinary eyes," the boar's eye pupils shrunk. "I know who you are — Slayer of Wugu and Huoju's Fear."
Xing's paw tightened further. The Dragon Warrior palmed his on the tiger's forearm and the other holding ahead of his chest. "Xing. He's not worth it. Let him go."
The boar bandit squinted his eyes, whimpering with red cheeks. For a moment, the flare within the tiger's face suppressed to nippy, submitting his fierce grip to a soft push; the rhino guard pulled the bandit away.
What's wrong with me?
Xing's current intention was to suppress emotions, even during and after fight scenarios. Undoubtfully mentioned his adversary and promised not to overthink disturbances after the Second Gongmen Battle. He weighted his mind on troubling manners.
"Are you alright?" Po asked his colleague caringly.
Cold shrouds in his lungs crawled into the tiger's throat, quivering his clenching jaw. "I need to walk it off," he started for the west road; the group gave Xing his space. Mantis hopped on Monkey's shoulder, both pondering of their colleague saunter away.
"I got him. You guys can help the guards," Po gestured and followed his tiger colleague.
Both Mr. Ping and Li Shan seeing the tiger warrior pace his walk gave little space, read their son's colleague's expression, which keened his eyes. Po loped to them once Xing entered Mr. Ping's Restaurant.
"Son?" Li Shan asked when Mr. Ping clasped his feathers.
"It's okay, Dads. Rhinos are arresting boars," Po moved closer to his goose father. "Dad, can you serve my colleague and me some peppermint tea?"
"Right away, son!" Mr. Ping bore his own feather and followed his panda son into the Restaurant; Li Shan examined both groups of Masters and the Nine help rhino guards, spread over courses, and seized boar bandits. Lotus and Kai glanced at themselves with slight ponders and a snow-white peacock beside them with his old lupine friend, sustaining to straighten the neck of his robe, peeped at the Dragon Warrior's father. Li looked away.
The Nine's Leader nudged his pinch in between his brows, leaning back against the structure next to the entrance. Mr. Ping passed on toward the kitchen's door, appearing the Dragon Warrior next to his tiger colleague, whose paw patted on the upper back. "You okay, buddy? Come sit by me."
Po aided his colleague to let the tiger sit down in front of the wooden table. Xing propped his elbows with clasping paws under his muzzle, the Dragon Warrior continuing to hold his behind the tiger's back.
"I don't like this, Po," Xing shook.
"What is, Xing?"
The tiger sighed. "Soulless bandits in the Spirit World called me a Mortal Bastard. The next few months after, I was known to be Slayer of Wugu from a few wolves in Weeping River who followed Lord Shen before. And now that boar described me as Huoju's Fear?" The tiger tightened his exhausted throat. "When have I ever showed to anyone's fear or the way every bandit wishes to see their so-called hero intimidate someone to bow his feet?"
Po buzzed his own throat. "Your mind is like ruptured water when your thoughts are difficult to clear. My dad is serving you tea for both of us. It helps too. First, eyes close, breathe in and out slowly."
The panda took his seat ahead of his colleague as his father Li Shan appeared near the entrance. "Like this," Po embarked to press his palms ahead of his chest; he inhaled his muzzle and relieved his long sigh. Grudging to do the same, part of meditation to ease agitation and frustration, Xing breathed in his nostril deep and let out his breath.
Breathe in. . .
Breathe out. . .
As plenty of times as both panda and tiger lessened their anxieties, Li Shan approached close to one side and simpered at his loving son. There you go, son. You taught well last time.
Po released his final sigh. "Better?"
Xing enhanced his own, freed his relief breath that drummed his tightened throat, which was no longer tense. "I feel awesome," he grinned.
"Excellent. Now, about the way you mention someone you disliked, he's no longer your problem anymore," Po reminded him. "I can see you have some issues not related to your student Kai just yet. So, tell me what's wrong, buddy."
Xing took time reflecting on his previous sentiment, which he and his aunt Tigress were common regarding issues of unveiling their rage. At this time, the Nine's Leader proved his fault. "My mind was off edge for a bit, Dragon Warrior. You can't go wrong about the long day ahead of us. It's quite obvious to discern bandits be offensive easily, and sometimes during the Nine's mission and sidequests to help people and handle incursions, some muggers vexed either of us."
"I too get offended, mostly," Po rolled his eyes matter of factly, "but that doesn't mean I hear about them all the time, but show them proof that they are wrong."
Li Shan pulled one wood chair from another table and sat next to them both. "Standing against one who has delusional perceptions aren't that easy. Earlier that time, Tigress's student Lei Lei faced plenty of adversaries from the tournament and handled one alpha who would have violently competed against her. Even then, after they had settlements, Lei Lei, including her rival, became friends."
The tiger nodded. "Some people becoming wicked while in jealousy, Li, they drink anyone's vulnerability just to be a tough one."
"Right? I mean, that happens to the rest of us," the Dragon Warrior agreed. "We had to put our feet down at impolite bandits, the same thing to each student who has no discipline, and then teach them to show some respect."
I wished to show that to my competitor, who despises me more than anyone he picked on for no good reason.
"Had the guy back there mentioned something inappropriate?" Po asked.
The tiger fiddled his fingers, eying on his colleague's emerald eyes. "Not rude, but. . . that bandit described me how I murdered the dragon in Gongmen City, but I didn't. Wugu did to herself, in her reincarnation form."
Li Shan pondered the tiger's honesty as if Po's dad indeed witnessed the fire that swarmed across the city; he and many pandas escorted with most of the masters retreated into the forest rim of Gongmen City. In one scene that ruptured the cloud like a waterfall, a mighty shadow figure with voluminous dark wings tumbled, and many, even Li Shan, exploded their cries at the dead dragon splashing into the harbor.
"I see," Po recalled. "Your grandmother told me, whenever you were resting in the chamber with Shen and Lady Xia, months ago. Later that night, before our third day residing in the Holy Flame Tower, I barely caught up some historic scrolls in the Library with Shifu. He and I scrutinized the rest of the Great War and found out that Wugu was one of the Mightiest Warriors."
"Kai's wife, and you-know-who's sister," Xing reminded his panda colleague.
"That, I'll let Masters and me stick with simple words, rather than naming the person who gave you. . . you know, your scar," Po beckoned his finger to his right crown for his colleague's face. "Shifu and I couldn't find any portrait of the name Wugu, so if you don't mind, buddy, you can fill in some epic looks from the warrior you once saw. What was she looked like?"
The tiger had only reminisced the beauty bovine in voluminous pink robes with an ocean sash waist, and her outer garment was a deep rose with intricate spirals - his glimpse happened so fast. He could barely see the eyes of dawn casting to him with greatness, admiration, encouragement, and sadness. Xing muttered once but continued that he lost his thought for a moment.
"Even though I met her while in a deep trance, not much, or ever been close personally if I would have got to speak with the lady more, Wugu's lovely, only her bovine form," Xing said. "Now, not wanting my words to keep confidential that you and Masters want to know most, my student bears his amber necklace. Kai always murmurs her name while sleeping in his room. The Nine hear her peaceful throbs every night."
Li Shan buzzed his fruity throat, and his son gaped. "Oh. I like to hear that!"
"You'll be amazed whenever you come to visit my palace at nightfall," the tiger insured.
At an instant as both pandas desired for questioning more, Mr. Ping went by in between Po and Li Shan, handed a single tray of both steam cups and a white teapot with faded blue mountains. "Here you go, Po, and my son's best customer. How are you feeling, Master Xing?"
"Wonderful now, Mr. Ping. Thanks," Xing simpered, pouring teapot in his cup.
The day lowered under the celestial as the sun touched the towering steep mountain and soon could drift among toward west. Long discussions thrilled as the Masters of Jade Palace and the Nine entered the Restaurant, now taking their break after they delivered all twenty-nine culprits into three prison carriages. Some of the rhino guards never offered any help from warriors, but their support was indeed forgiving even then.
Chen Xing went up from his chair he sat with his wolf sister and their bull student from the first table, meeting with his aunt Tigress ahead of Po. "You can talk to Jianfeng, Xing. Tigress will go with you," Po said.
Xing and his aunt Tigress left toward the circular archway. The Nine's Leader greeted Po's student, where he stood close while strolling toward the boulevard. "Shen," he nodded.
"Master Xing," Shen addressed his peacock son's feline brother.
"Quill. Ball."
Both felines approached the third carriage as Xing could hear the poor boar within the cage close. A correctional guardian, a rhino guard leader, peeped at two warriors stopping by after clasping his scarred wrist. "Sir. I have a request from the Masters of Jade Palace, and the Dragon Warrior attends the Nine's Leader, his soon-to-be successor, to ask some few questions to Jianfeng," Xing offered the rhino. The guard, glimpsing at Tigress, who was nodding at him, granted them to step further.
"Ball. Quill," the boar Lim stammered.
Jianfeng hued his whole head into dark red. "Would you snap out of it, Lim?"
"Jianfeng," the Nine's Leader called the boar clan leader.
The Boar Clan leader scoffed at once, revolting his stomach, a thirst to spit in front of two feline warriors. "What does the scarface want? You'll waste time."
The boar's breath that smelled like cheese made the Nine's Leader bend his muzzle. Xing adapted to his standard pose. "I have lots of time to speak, and you are the one to have moments left before Rhino guards will put you and your brothers away for a long time."
Jianfeng gently slapped his legs as chains that linked amidst the pressure cuffs clanged. "If this conversation has something to do with my conspiracy, about me and my clan collaborated with that big boy who had thousands and other kinds of vicious monsters, you're wrong."
"One of your own survived, who joined the 'big boy' army and massacred every path with blatant lies and evil schemes, twisting many bandits' perceptions. And your friend is here in front of you."
Lim clasped his head. "Oh, no. It's him again!" Lim staggered.
"Damn it, boy! Quit that racking!" Jianfeng went off.
The Nine's Leader sheathed and unsheathed his chokuto about a quarter, which glinted the sword with snow mandarin. Lim sighed once more as Jianfeng glared at Xing. "You should have seen the last of the big boy you're mentioning. Otherwise, your friend isn't the only one who can visualize various misconceptions as well."
Lim gaped at Xing, his eyelids pulling to the full. "Can you see him too? By the blessings! Those glossy ink stuff the Prince and his commander made drives people mad. I don't know how that happened to me."
Tigress's paws met her waistband. "Can you elaborate on which and who caused you to see?"
The poor bandit studdered for searching answers. "She, I mean, the loudmouth one with purple eyes scattered her glass of rice on my face. I was resting with my brothers near training battlegrounds after those guys captured the panda."
"How dare you said 'brothers?!'" Jianfeng spat with his face hueing deep red cheeks at Lim. "They're all dead, and where the hell were you—?"
Xing gestured his paw to a halt. "Let's not talk about that or mention the big boy in my presence," he eyed on Jianfeng, whose head quivered, clenching his teeth. "Have you ever recognized some masters and students who are missing?"
A small rhino guard beside both tigers bore one poster each, manifested these bandits plenty of masters throughout China - the buffalo with an iron ax, swan with extended wings soaring among heavens, and a Tibetan red deer in black robes. The last portrait after Xing's nemesis, Master Le's son, appeared the black leopard with crown jewels in green garments.
Jianfeng scoffed. "They are nothing for me to consider. Pity to them, and so should you."
"I care about them. Masters and the Nine do."
"Quill. Ball," Lim softened his rupturing voice.
Lim's illusion is pressuring. I know how he feels because I have been through rough while recovering in my chamber - itching within my eyes.
The correctional leader cleared his bold throat. "My apologies for interrupting you, Masters Xing and Tigress. Time is wasting."
"One moment," Xing's aunt Tigress said, drawing her figure close to the cage. "By any chance, have you ever contacted or mentioned Fung and his crocodile gangs?"
Lim continued clasping his head once the other boar next to him pleaded. "Jianfeng. Tell them."
Once fastened his muzzle while filling his breath under his lungs, Jianfeng lowered his cuff limbs, sighed in guilt. He strained his glaring eyes at both feline warriors, whose amber and stone eyes widen with urge solutions. "Those goons and us broke our relationship months ago, spoke of this cousin of theirs who was killed," Jianfeng retorted. "Why the hell should I care to know?"
Tigress unfastened her glance. "Many were slaughtered. Only two have been missing. They are names Gahri and Fung."
Lim hammered his iron cuff beside the cage. "Dammit, Jianfeng. We should have spent more time with them after their horrible loss! You loathe them!" The boar hardened his eyes shut, clenching his crown once more. "No! Not those quills again!"
"Shut up!"
The boar clan leader burst his yells as he repeatedly jerked his cuff, which links clanged wild, and his hog brothers spat at him, rocking the cage carrier side to side. Boisterous shouts deafened children's giggles that crossed over the road; the correctional rhino guard hammered his fist on the carrier, quieting culprits.
"We're done. You may go, sir," Xing beckoned his head to the rhino leader and walked away with his aunt.
One stroll close to Ping's Restaurant, Tigress and Xing lowered their heads in deliberation, behind them passed a single carriage as three rhinos with substantial strengths pulled front, other guards wielding their defensive blades and spears. Wooden wheels winced on hard soil and cobblestone.
Chuckles swarmed within the Restaurant as Xing and Tigress observed the albino peacock examine Missing Students and Masters next to the circular archway.
"I did my best as I could, Auntie. The Nine often searched for some clues to know of crocodile corpses, but no further details where to find them both," Xing sighed. "If I would have been close to either Fung or Gahri, I could be insane."
Tigress fiddled her fingers below her chin before replying to her nephew. "Po tried harder. He and you are on the same page to search for them. For now, there can only hope if there's a miracle for one of them alive."
"How is Mrs. Chow?" he motioned his head toward the Restaurant as Tigress followed his view.
The Dragon Warrior crouched ahead of his neighbor, who clasped her arms over her knees, sitting down the top-left corner. Po stroked her back while Mantis and the Nine's Doctor Hong stood beside him, checking her conditions.
"She's traumatized," Tigress replied. "Mantis and your physician Hong are recovering Mrs. Chow."
"And Tai Lung? How is he?"
"Tai remembers the dream still, quite uncommon to perceive Monkey and Mantis at Mr. Ping's noodle restaurant. Things that Tai Lung tried to explain are awkward."
Either awkward or worse, it's only a dream. It simply fades in the meantime after waking up.
The second carrier passed behind Xing as he moved away from the boulevard; rhino guards strolled, and the cage within, bandits murmured. One of the wooden wheels emitted soft shrieks. "Quill and ball," pondered the Nine's Leader.
"Sorry?" his aunt raised her eyebrow.
"No, I was reflecting on that boar who can see things too. Like me, I still do," Xing fiddled his silky black Manchu beard and met Tigress. "There's a reason why each scenery or any subject can be misleading in a plausible way, but only rare that one out of three hundred illustrations can be accurate. Quill has something to do with a single feather, or. . . a porcupine spine?"
Tigress swam her head to the right of a first-row table where both lupines chuckled with the Mightiest Warrior. Kai scratched his dark-brown mane behind his head. "You can mean—" Tigress began, but her nephew filled his elucidation while he clasped his wrist behind him.
"Jombies are long gone, as far as I know from the doe family who witnessed most of them but two shattered. I can't say who the two are, but if my student no longer wields his ebony energy anymore, Tigress, jombies are hopeless to him."
"That boar who sees what you see might have encountered Master Porcupine before," she pondered.
"You're right about that. I won't trust the boar's vision, neither the ball, which I cannot think of various objects to describe. So," Xing squinted while bobbing his head at Tigress, "I'm avoiding those for the time being."
Tigress nodded. "Are you hungry, Xing? I can buy you noodles from Mr. Ping."
Xing pulled half of his smirk. "Um. In a little while, but thanks, Auntie."
"I'll sit down with Tai Lung," she patted her nephew's shoulder before Tigress led toward the third-row table to the left, sitting with her reptile sister and leopard brother.
The Nine's Leader flickered his black ears from sharp emits of cries beside him. The third carriage wheeled slow and steady; multiple rhino guards with highly persistent figures locked their eyes on one boar, who dared not to stop cursing at one of his own. Any guard could have obtained better to separate Jianfeng from his brothers and leave Lim and others in the cage carrier in their peace of mind, rather than blowing steams with him.
The correctional behind the carriage uttered the boar clan leader to silence him, but Jianfeng rocked back and forth as if Lim hailed his distortion stammers. "NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Jianfeng snouted. "This kid needs help to stop blathering about those gods-forsaken quills! Can somebody please give him some medicine to sleep?!"
"At twenty miles will fetch a physician."
"Gods! Lim's getting on my nerves!"
For a moment, after giving a puzzlement look that quite stunned the tiger furthermore to Lim's condition, Xing pondered his words. Words that he dodged pressured the poor boar, something the tiger would have experienced the same exaggeration while fantasied on repeatable aspects. Maybe Lim's onto something? I stopped him from seeing my worthy opponent twice. A panic attack could be worse.
"That ignoramus appears to be quite insane, doesn't he?" Shen tugged both feathers in his voluminous sleeves. The peacock remained close to his son's feline brother.
"I think so," Xing cast his eyes away from the clamorous carrier. Twitched his black ears twice, which squinted his stone eyes, the tiger chronicled reverberations of faint whizzes. "That's funny?"
"Pardon?"
"Do my ears catch anything sharp, Shen?"
Shen inspected Xing's ears twitching, one and the other. "Possibly insect's wings flapping with your hearings?"
"Maybe—?"
A kitchen knife stabbed on the side of the table, and both Xing and Shen glimpsed at Mr. Ping, who glared at the Mightiest Warrior sitting ahead of Lotus and Wolf Boss. "Keep away from those dumplings! And stay away from my son!" Mr. Ping snapped, and he brought a large bowl of steaming noodles with his enchanting smile. "Have my noodles instead."
Kai snouted. "Such bravery. And I did not buy your—"
Po attempted to raise his paw. "I bought those noodles for you, Kai. I assume you are hungrier than I am."
Shen droned his long throat. "You meant Mr. Ping slicing his kitchen knife wildly? He improves at dicing a piece of dragon warrior dumpling."
"I wouldn't be messing with Po's dad if Mr. Ping goes rampage. I respect his courage, alright," Chen Xing commemorated the goose.
Just then, the third carriage, lifting on the edge of the bridge, staggered back and forth with outbursts of the boar clan arguing their leader. Jianfeng, the only loudest bandit than his brothers, bellowed at trauma Lim. "If you don't shut that tongue of yours about a wind whirring, I will kill you right now!"
"I take it back after I said a moment ago. Jianfeng is mad," Xing agreed to the peacock.
Indeed. Shen beckoned his nod.
Once the carriage stopped ahead of the other two vehicles as both Shen and Xing remained still, gazing, two panda villagers close to them strolled on the side. In a light violet dress and purple eyelashes, bearing a large basket ahead of her, the diva panda skidded to a halt; her child panda in the dark green garment and brown pants gaped. "Look, Mommy! There's an arrow lying next to the kitty!"
What? Xing bewildered.
Lim said true as if this fainting stirs of whirring now emerged somewhere close, yet far. Po and the others heard another, glimpsing in multiple directions where the sharp vibrates chronicled once more. For a moment, Kai stopped eating as the commotions swished familiar, briefly sighting the hues of pumpkin horizon painted to colorless, yet darkened with streaks of forbidding emerald. A flash of green made the Mighty glimpse on, and his feline teacher next to the former peacock lord, uncommonly gaping on his paw, was which the boar pronounced one word that haunted him in his eyes.
A quill. A brilliant piece of porcupine emerald quill. Its tip was bizarrely dazzled.
Mantis on Monkey's shoulder uttered. "Guys. Something's happening."
A sharp glass whirred past from one of the upward tiles, darted one rhino guard's neck. Farther close to Noodle Restaurant entrance, both Xing and Shen hearkened the cage coach; the guard who stood bottom left corner of the carriage screeched, his neck spreading its glossy green specks of stones from his head to his feet, submerging his throat's torment to glass foams. Many rhinos on the bridge yelped, boars began bellowing.
A rhino guard shifted to a jombie.
"What the—?"
At the same time, on the bridge, emerged an enormous bovine jombie who called Buffalo Striker Zhan, mauled his double pair axes against rhino guards, and another sharp green quill screeched its shredding glass. The tiger rapidly caught it near his left ear and swam his head toward where the archer was. A porcupine jombie on the second-story building was not alone next to him, who appeared to revolve over small wrists, reeling familiar blades that rattled. No. . .
The leading player who controlled jombies was Master Le's missing son.
Author's Note:
— We have another Jade Slayer in the game briefly mentioned in the last chapter of Volume One. We'll be concentrating on one minor antagonist at a time, but Mingling is one and only main antagonist throughout the book, so she will play a serious role on that one!
— A Harry Potter reference is hard to miss. Does anyone wish to go to Hogwarts in the alternate universe? Expelliarmus!
— Don't go anywhere. Three chapters are coming along to face their new foe next week in August, submitting Volume Two's climax to the end!