Okay, in my defense, I wrote this over a year ago! I was tired of writing something I wasn't satisfied with and took a step back and continued this instead...enjoy? xD
Years ago the Valley of Peace was known to live to its name as it was one of the most peaceful valleys in all of China. Truly the Warriors of The Jade Palace kept the peace throughout the valley AND China. But unfortunately as peaceful as the valley was to the eyes of the world, The Valley of Peace was filled with bandits and assassins for a large part of the year. It truly was impossible to keep a valley free of crime with all these bandits running amok. The warriors sure were busy during the year but they did not mind. Protecting the Valley was a great honor they upheld. Unfortunately for the six warriors they were about to face their biggest challenge yet.
Down at the Valley, just a few mere hours after shops began to close down and the sun had gone down, two figures hid in the shadows watching out for their next victim.
"So, what's the plan, again?" asked a small wolf to the slightly bigger wolf in front of him.
"Do you ever listen to the plans, Xheng?" The large wolf rolled his eyes, annoyed at the smaller wolf. "It's like you are new to this sort of thing."
"You know I wouldn't be here if my life wouldn't have been at risk, Kang." Xheng argued. Xheng was quite a small wolf. Much smaller than the average wolf to be exact. He was a young wolf of perhaps seventeen years of age. His fur was a dark gray and he wore black pants with a black vest that unfortunately sported some splashes of red blood. Or it could have been some dry sauce from earlier. He wasn't quite sure anymore. "I wasn't the only one who is here just to save their own lives."
"Yeah well at least I pay attention to plans." Kang rolled his eyes again. Kang was a large wolf compared to Xheng. While Xheng was 5'8'', Kang stood at 6'9", making him the tallest of the gang. Kang was a wolf with gray and white fur and part of his left ear seemed as if it had been partially bitten off. He wore black pants with a black vest that most definitely sported some blood spatters all over.
"And by that you mean?"
"Ugh, just follow my lead." Kang scoffed. The two wolves moved through the alleys of the dark night, heading towards a shop that held the weapon they needed. They weren't the most experienced bandits of the gang but they were grateful that their fearless leader trusted them with such a task.
Upon arriving at the alleyway of the shop, they readied their weapons to attack the unsuspecting victim waiting inside. The owner of the shop was a mere older pig who exited his shop, holding a crate of trash and waste to be taken away the next morning.
Kang attacked the poor hog with a powerful kick to the groin, causing him to fall onto his knees in pain. Xheng joined in on the attack by kicking the pig's back, making him fall to the floor unconscious and possibly breaking his nose from the impact.
"Should we kill him?" Kang looked at the pig.
"Don't be ridiculous." Xheng slapped the back of Kang's head. "We're not here for him." Making sure that the old hog was really unconscious, they tossed him into the crate of trash and waste he had been carrying and set it aside so no one would find him while they committed their crime. Entering the shop the two of them found the assorted weapons and armor that the old hog made during the day. The furnace was still smoking from the fire that had been put out.
"Woah look at all this cool stuff." Kang ran up to one of the armor sets. "I would look great in this."
"Don't touch anything." Xheng growled at the young wolf. Kang frowned, disappointed he couldn't at least try it on. "We're only here for one thing."
"But wouldn't our leader want more of this cool stuff?" Kang asked. "It could be helpful for the mission."
"NO" Xheng grabbed Kang by the collar, lifting him off his feet. "Just find The Wei Li. That is all he wants." Xheng dropped Kang.
"Alright alright." Kang rolled his eyes, annoyed, before beginning to search throughout the shop.
"Grandpa, is everything alright?" The voice of a young female came from the stairs. The two looked at each other having forgotten how many of these shops doubled as homes as well. A young teenage pig came down the stairs calling for her grandfather once again. Xheng growled as he attacked the young teen, covering her mouth to keep her from screaming.
"Not a sound" Xheng spoke in a threatening tone, mortifying the poor girl. The poor girl looked at the wolf with nothing but fear in her eyes. He was much larger than her so even trying to escape was going to be pointless . "Make a sound and I assure you, neither you or that old hog will make it out alive." He growled. The young teen whimpered in fear, her eyes filling in tears as Xheng wasted no time in tying her up to a chair and tying a rag around her mouth to keep her from screaming. The two wolves headed back to the shop, keeping the door open of the back room to keep an eye on her.
"Why did you lie to her?" Kang asked in a rather sad tone.
"I didn't lie." Xheng whispered aggressively. "We are simply going to put her and that old man to sleep in a…non painful way." Even Xheng knew that was a lie.
Glancing the young teen, Kang could see she was crying, scared of what was going to happen to her now. He walked over to her and slowly kneeled in front of her. He could see her eyes were a bit red from the tears already. "I'm really sorry." He gently whispered as he pulled out a dagger from his back pocket. The young girl began to cry and whimper even harder. "But we really have no choice."
It was over an instant.
Just outside of the Valley of Peace stood a large bamboo forest. The forest that was there to serve as protection from any incoming intruders as it was easy to get lost without the perfect guidance. Unfortunately the forest also had the consequence that it was very easy for bandits to hide out from the masters of the palace.
One being Lin Quai. A group of bandits, raised from the moment they could walk to steal and murder their victims. The Lin Quai was not a group to mess with if you valued your life. For hundreds of years the Lin Quai has been a threat to China, taking the lives of thousands. Over the past five years, it had only gotten worse with the new leader that had been appointed. No one knew his name or face. They were only known as The Crimson Bear.
The Crimson Bear was known for having taken the lives of many creatures in just five years. They were surely making a nice long record for themselves. Whoever they truly were, The Emperor was determined to find the Lin Quai and put a stop to them and their fearless leader.
"Alright boys all or nothing." A strong male voice rang through the hideout of the Lin Quai as laughs and cheers followed. Being the most feared bandits and assassins in all of China had its perks. And it was thanks to The Crimson Bear. Or should they say…
Xiao Po Ping.
Or simply just Po or Boss to his gang. Po Ping was very proud of the work he had built up for the past five years. Ever since his father's passing, he had been put in charge of the Lin Quai along with his sister, Nayi, as his second in command.
Nayi was just as dangerous as him but she was well known to China. She had been caught once or twice by the Imperial Guards but they never held her long enough to actually make it to the prison. As dangerous as she was, she was also very smart. She knew how to keep her older brother unseen in China since they were kids. Unlike her, Po wasn't a wolf. Amongst his entire gang of thieves and assassins, Po Ping was another black and white, giant panda.
"Hey boss, how about another game?" The voice from earlier asked. Po sat at the other end of the game table with his tiles of Mahjong in front of him. He looked up at the wolf who sat a few feet across from him with menacing eyes.
"If you keep playing like you are, Xung Lee, you'll lose your take for the next robbery."
"Afraid you'll lose Boss?" Xung Lee replied in a snarky tone. Bad idea to say that to your ruthless boss.
"Alright." Po took out a pouch full of coins and placed it in the center. "Deal me in." Po looked at Xung Lee dead in the eyes. Other members of the gang decided to sit this one out and only watch from the sidelines. Xung Lee put in his pouch of coins as well before one of the wolves dealt the tiles to the two of them.
They both organized their tiles in the order they both wished to have before the game began. Xung Lee did not like the look his boss was giving him. With each move Po seemed to grow more and more confident and Xung Lee was sure his boss could have killed him with just a glare by now.
The sound of the hatch above suddenly alerted those who were keepin watch. They brought out their swords ready to attack those who dared break in.
"It's just us!" Kang's voice came from above. A groan was heard from Xheng before Kang came flying through the door and crashed onto the ground. Failing to stand up, Xheng tossed a bag of loot on top of Kang, whose breath was taken out of. Xheng landed beside him and chuckled.
"You're late." Po scolded with a glance at them. The two wolves quickly looked at their boss in fear. Letting the bag fall to the side, Kang stood up straight to look at him.
"Sorry boss." Kang apologized. "We ran into a problem."
"I can see that." Po looked at them fully. The two wolves were absolutely covered in blood. Their paws were stained in red and their faces splattered. He stood, walking over to the bag. "How many?"
"Just two sir." Xheng responded.
"Ages?"
"The oldest was probably in his Fifties sir." Xheng answered again.
"And the other?" Po looked at them again. The two wolves grew very nervous. They looked at each other with hesitation that didn't go unnoticed by Po.
"Your boss asked you a question." Nayi cut in, in a very threatening tone.
"The other was uh…" Kang bit his lip hesitating once again. "The other was fifthteen sir."
The silence that followed was loud. Po didn't say anything. He only looked at the two in the eyes that burned with some unspoken anger.
"What have I always said about killing anyone under the age of sixteen?" Po finally spoke. He knelt down by the bag of loot they had brought, making everyone in the room nervous. "Can anyone tell me?"
Even more silence.
"I have one." Po stood up, carrying something in his paw that no one could see. "It's just one simple rule!" He shouted, getting angrier that no one would say anything.
Finally a paw raised.
"Xi Chu!" Po chuckled half heartedly. Everyone could feel his anger. "Tell me what is my one simplistic rule." Xi Chu gulped as he slowly put his paw down, he was the smallest gray wolf in the gang and one of the younger ones.
"Never make them suffer?" Xi Chu answered in a nervous hushed tone.
"I'm sorry can you repeat that?" Po faced Kang and Xheng, making them even more uneasy.
"N-never make them suffer." Xi Chu said a little louder.
"Thank you!" Po's eyes didn't leave the two wolves. "Now, care to explain why you are covered in blood? Because one victim does not drench you in blood." Po revealed what he had gotten out of the bag to be a rather small knife. The Wei Li.
"Sir, she didn't suffer." Kang spoke rather quickly. Po's eyes grew in anger. He walked over to Kang, lifting up the blade to his neck.
"You know with one swift move I can kill you right now." Po threatened.
"She fought back sir!" Xheng admitted making Po look at him. "We slit her throat before she started to fight back. That's why there's so much blood." Po glared at him in anger, unsure whether to believe him or not. One look from Nayi convinced him to drop the topic….for now.
"If I learn something different when those bodies are discovered," Po pointed the deadly weapon towards them. "There will be major consequences. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" The two wolves responded a little more relaxed now but they could still feel the fear.
"Go wash up before I change my mind."
"Yes sir!" The two scurried off.
"Xung Lee!" Po called the young wolf. "Would you come here for a moment?" Xung Lee did as told and stood before him. "Do you know what this is?" Po showed him the blade.
"That's the Wei Li sir." Xung Lee began to get nervous.
"And do you know what the Wei Li can do?" Po's tone was beginning to scare the other wolves present. They began to back up from the two of them.
"It can cut straight through bone sir." Xung Lee responded.
"Good." Po smirked for a second before he frowned angrily. Next thing Xung Lee knew was that he was holding his paw in pain as Po had cut off half of ring finger. "Perhaps with one less finger, you'll know not to cheat against your boss." Po held up the finger he had cut off. Xung Lee tried not to scream as he held his paw. Nayi rushed over to him with a rag to cover the wound. Xung Lee had indeed taken advantage of the situation and tried to change Po's tiles while he dealt with Kang and Xheng. Xung Lee hadn't realized his boss had noticed. "Nayi, take care of his wound would you please?" Nayi only rolled her eyes at him before taking Xung Lee away. "The rest of you, organize this loot and get some rest. The next step begins tomorrow."
The gang of wolves quickly scurried to grab the loot bag before leaving to different parts of the hideout, leaving Po alone in the room.
Po sat down on a chair holding up the blade and finger in front of him. He smirked, thankful that the rumors had been true. The Li weapons were comin back and he was going to take full advantage of them.
This will get violent! Muahahaha!
Not really but it will not be light hearted at all