Hello there!
Well, well. It's been a while. Allow me to introduce our little presentation here…
My name is Starless Echoes, and this is Redwall4ever22, and we're here to be tonight's entertainment…
(Disclaimer: there is some slight language present in this chapter)
On with the show!
Viper's Village - Hours After The Murder of Grandmaster Viper
The wind whipped across the small mountain village with a bitter chill. A few of the inhabitants of the village made their way across the dark streets, lanterns within their coils or paws or hooves, making their way to their neighbors' houses. They moved swiftly, as if there was something in the heavy darkness of the streets that frightened them.
By now, it was the talk of the village. The Great Grandmaster Viper. A true hero.
After he had been discovered unresponsive by his wife and children, Viper and her sisters had gone to the village doctor as quickly as possible and brought him back. But there was nothing he could do. He had been dead for nearly an hour. Miàn had known it. That was why she did not weep when the doctor looked up at her and softly shook her head.
Viper, Hua, and Tian, however, had not shared their mother's expectations. While they all three slithered through an indifferent night - Viper in terrible pain the entire way - there was the wavering glimmer of hope deep within each of them.
So when the doctor - another snake only slightly younger than Jiǎohuá who had known him for all of his life - gave the dreaded shaking of his head, they could not help but break down. They took comfort in each other's coils, all four of them tangled up in a mass of green scales, until Tigress scooped them all up and cried with them.
What happened after that was a little blurry for the family. The doctor, a snake named Wu, being the only clear-minded one at the moment, took charge of the situation. He left the ladies to mourn and went to acquire the assistance of two larger animals who could help him in removing the body. He woke up two of his acquaintances, one pig and one goose, and brought them back to the house. They removed the body on a small stretcher from the doctor's office and took it to the mortuary.
Then, Dr. Wu accompanied the five ladies over to the homes of the people who were hosting Mr. Ping and Li Shan. Meanwhile, the sight of Jiǎohuá's body being carried along the street - while going unnoticed for quite some time, as it was night - was eventually spotted and word immediately began to spread. It started within the household, and then there were some who put on a small coat and went outside to tell their friends and neighbors.
At the moment, all of them were inside the home of the couple who were hosting Mr. Ping and Li Shan. Lei Lei's grandmother brought her grandchild and herself over as soon as they heard the news, and the group had met in the kitchen of the house. People who had discovered what had happened came intermittently, knocking on the door and offering their condolences to Miàn and her daughters.
After a few hours, when it had become around three or four in the morning, they had all decided to return to their own home, bringing Mr. Ping, Li Shan, Lei Lei, and her grandmother with them. Viper, her sisters, and her mother all slept together in one room, Lei Lei and her grandma in another, Tigress in another, and Mr. Ping and Li Shan in the living room.
Viper and her family did not require beds, as they slept coiled up on the floor, so they offered to accompany Tigress in her room, but she had to decline the offer, as she had no intentions of sleeping.
She currently sat at the edge of her bed, near the window. The crescent moon was hanging in the sky over her view, and she could make out the faint shadows of the village before her. The homes and shops seemed to waver just between the point of being a part of the landscape and being part of the background. It was much too dark to tell if they were real at all.
One amber eye gazed out at the world painted by her window, and one milky white one appeared to gaze in the same direction, but did not see anything. The scar left from where that goat had sliced her eye with a knife still remained, traveling a short distance on her cheek and on her forehead, but it was healing well, and the fur on her face helped to hide it. Nevertheless, it was still visible, and it would always remain visible.
Tigress didn't even notice it, but, as she sat, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her palms rubbing each other, she was gently rocking herself back and forth. She knew the Sun would rise soon, but sleep wasn't in her mind's vocabulary at the moment.
The feline's mind was still reeling from the shock of it all. Of course, it wasn't as if the possibility of death was completely unexpected - after all, Viper had said it herself that her father only had so much time left in this world - yet, no matter the situation, death always seems unbearable.
All this death.
It was all she could think about. First Master Croc. Then Po. Then her father and brothers. And now yet another family member. Why? Where had it all gone wrong? There she had been, living some of the happiest times of her life. She had everything she had ever wanted. And then, in an instant, it was all gone.
But, in Tigress' mind, the worst part was not that they had died.
It was that she had lived.
If only she could have perished in the sudden flames that took her family in that terrible instant, then she could be with them, right now, in the Spirit Realm. She was sure that Po would have prepared a grand feast for them all, a supper like no other.
She knew it was selfish to think in this way. There were still people who needed to be taken care of. The people of the Valley. Po's dads.
Lei Lei.
At the thought of her name, Tigress suddenly inhaled very sharply, and for a moment, sat up straight. With the tragedy that had just occurred, she had completely forgotten about the promise she made to the child's grandmother. She was to become her caretaker. No… her mother.
The thought of children made Tigress look down at her stomach. She gently placed her paw over it and softly rubbed the area. Of course, it had only been nearly a month since her and Po's… midnight meeting had taken place, so there wasn't any noticeable growth in the area just yet, but she knew it was coming.
How would she do it? Only a month ago, she had her husband, her father, and her family. They would all be there to help her children grow and learn.
And now, there was only her to show Lei Lei and her unborn child a world that Tigress herself could not see very much hope in.
A great deal had transpired within Tigress' mind within the last few hours, as she sat there staring out into the village that had once been the home of Grandmaster Viper.
Over these past few weeks, her mind had become enveloped with a sort of numbness that prevented her from seeing everything, from understanding everything. Oh, of course, she felt great sorrow at times, sobbing to herself many nights, but, for the most part, the numbness held the pain at bay.
But, the numbness did something of far more importance. It checked her sorrow and kept it centered on Po and her family.
With the death of Jiǎohuá, that numbness began to weaken. For the entire time that she had been mourning the loss of her family, she had never really allowed her mind to drift to all of its implications. She did not allow herself to think about who was responsible for those deaths, and what course of action she should take when she and Viper returned to the Valley.
There were still many questions to be answered. Where had the weapon come from? Who had made the decision to kill them? And… who was that goat who murdered Po?
Tigress had not thought of him since the wedding, at least, not at any length. She knew in the bottom of her heart what would happen if she thought about him for too long. But, tonight, she thought about him.
Despite her mind keeping thoughts of him at bay, now that she chose to remember him, she realized that she knew exactly what he looked like. The feline was not entirely sure how she knew this - after all, she had only seen a glimpse of him as he fled the crowd after attempting to shoot her. Tigress assumed that her mind captured his face while she had flown into a mindless rage.
But, that was another thing… Why did he try to specifically shoot her? And why did he flee afterward? Why not shoot the others? Besides, there was a period where she had stood in confusion after Po had dived in front of her. He could have shot her then. Why did he not?
Regardless of his strange behaviors, Tigress could only hold the image of his face for so long before she felt something creep upon her.
It was as if the childhood monster that all the children at the orphanage made her out to be really did, in fact, exist somewhere deep down. It had never really been let out, but it was there.
Perhaps those children created it themselves. As if the suggestion of its existence made it real for Tigress. All those times they called her those names, maybe there really was a part of her who was worthy of them.
That part of her stirred from its slumber at the memory of the goat's face. And, because of what he did to her husband, Tigress had begun to believe that she might just let that part of her do its work upon him. It had never really been set free before, but Tigress' limits were beginning to be pushed with great force.
And this goat had crossed a line. A very distinctive line. It could not go with consequence.
Tigress did not notice, but, as she thought of him, her fists balled up and her pupils - well, the one that still functioned, anyway - narrowed. She had a strong feeling that their fates were not entirely separate, and that they would cross paths once more.
And when that happened, she would -
Creeeeeeek!
Tigress's concentration was broken at the creaking of the door. She turned to look, and saw, with the door slightly opened, there was a small face near the bottom of the floor.
Lei Lei.
Whatever anger had been building instantly dissipated, and she immediately softened her gaze. She cracked a soft smile, but it quickly disappeared when she saw the panda cub's red eyes and cheeks streaked with tears.
It was instinctual to ask "what was wrong," but that would have been a rather stupid question, for Tigress knew exactly what was wrong.
And she could not make it better.
As her mind was once again reminded of the recent tragedy, Tigress held out her arms to the panda cup, who responded by waddling forward, reaching out with her own paws. When she reached Tigress' spot by the edge of her bed, the feline gently grasped the child underneath her arms and lifted her up. Supporting her bottom with her left forearm and using her right paw to lovingly rub the back of her head, Lei Lei buried her face into Tigress' shoulder and began quietly sobbing.
Tigress wanted desperately to say something comforting: to tell the cub that everything was alright.
But she could not. Everything was certainly not alright, and, from the looks of it, life wasn't getting any easier any time soon. Truth be told, tears were building in the feline's own eyes, and she feared that opening her mouth might let them loose.
As Lei Lei continued to sob, Tigress suddenly realized something.
This girl was more than just some child who liked her. She was soon to be her guardian. Her caretaker. Her mother. It would be her duty to show her the ways of the world and how to navigate it all on her own.
Eventually, Tigress leaned back in her bed and rested her head upon the pillow - even though there was no hope for sleep - but continued to cradle the girl in her arms.
The entire situation reminded Tigress of something that had happened before. Something she had told Lei Lei.
Yes, now Tigress remembered. She had made a promise to the cub. It was while she had been in the hospital bed and Li Shan had come with her to visit. Yes…
She had promised Lei Lei that she would always protect her. That she would never let anyone hurt her.
As her thoughts shifted between the people who had killed her family and the girl she was holding in her arms, Tigress found herself unknowingly grasping the sobbing child even tighter, as if she could somehow, in this very moment, keep her safe if only she held her tightly enough. It was as if she never let go of Lei Lei, then no one would ever be able to take her away.
Yes, Tigress remembered the promise she had made.
It was a promise she intended to fulfill.
Viper's Village
It was a cold room.
Not freezing, by any means. But certainly not warm.
It was also dark. Only the orange glow of candles from the room next door seeped from underneath the doorway. With the faint light, one might see a shape at the center of the room. It was a table, with a slight layer of padding on top of it. If one could have stayed in the room for a little while, their eyes might have adjusted and they might have made out a covered mass on top of the table.
There was once a village that had only one protector that could stand up for them. A young viper. Inheriting his father's legacy as protector, he swiftly embraced his role and did what he had to do to keep his people safe from those who would harm them.
For years and years and years he did this.
The great, the legendary, the mythical Grandmaster Viper. Yet where was he now?
Underneath the covers on top of the table. In a dark, cold, room.
Eventually, the glow from the other side of the door grew, and a pair of slow and heavy footsteps were heard, and the doorknob turned to the side with a click!
The door swung open, and the light of a lantern lit the room. With a loud creak, the door swung open and a middle-aged sheep walked in, lantern in hoof. The sheep looked very tired, as if he had just been woken up - which he had. His expression was quite sour, as the news of the death had taken a blow upon him. He hadn't known Jiǎohuá personally, but everyone in the village deeply respected him.
Following close behind was Dr. Wu.
The light from the lantern flooded the dark room, revealing many cabinets around the walls and a wooden counter upon which to work. There were bits of sawed-off wood strewn about that were remnants of the coffin-making process.
The sheep, a mortician whose name was Zhen, placed the lantern upon one of the counters, placed his hooves upon his hips, and sighed.
"Such a shame. He was such a kind person."
"Yes… indeed he was," Wu replied. "From what I heard, his death must have been painless."
Zhen shuffled forward, as if afraid of the body underneath the blanket upon the table. Eventually, he reached out and lifted the veil, gazing upon the peaceful expression that Grandmaster Viper had been wearing when he departed from this world.
"I never knew he was sick," Zhen added. Slowly, he placed the blanket down.
Wu didn't reply immediately. After a short pause, he looked up at the sheep and said -
"I don't think he was."
"Oh. So what do you think happened to him, then?"
"Hmm. I do not know. I would assume that his heart failed him after all these years."
"You assume?" Zhen asked, squinting.
Once again, the doctor paused, thoughts flying by in his head.
"But he was a warrior," the mortician added. "I figured a heart like his would be strong."
"My thoughts exactly…" Wu answered. "Although he was greatly advanced in years. It had to give out sooner or later."
The two shared an uncomfortable silence as the sheep squinted at the snake out of the corner of his eye.
"How come you don't sound sure?" he asked.
"Hmm. I do not know, friend," Wu answered. "I just…"
Zhen walked around the table and opened up one of the cabinets, slowly pulling out his tools.
"Well, if you're going to do something, I suggest you do it soon. I'll get my measurements and get to building the coffin. I'm sure his family would appreciate the funeral before he starts decomposing."
"Yes, of course…" Wu muttered, his mind clearly not in his mouth nor in the moment. Eventually, he came to a conclusion.
"Please leave the body on the table. I'll return soon with some of my instruments."
Duan Jing's Bandit Camp
It was a rather chilly day in the bamboo forest. The clouds trudged through the sky, preventing the Sun from warming the land.
A regular day for the typical bandit in Duan Jing's bandit camp consisted of cleaning, cooking, eating, drinking, gambling, losing, fighting, drinking some more, eating again, and then going to sleep so that they might wake up and repeat the process.
But for a particular ram in the midst of this purposeless squalor, the day was a bit different.
Qian's recent days mostly consisted of wandering around and worrying. As day after day passed, he became more and more concerned that he had made the wrong choice.
Everything had been going just fine, he thought to himself. Everything was running smoothly. The bandits came into his shop, they bought trinkets that wouldn't help them defeat the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five, they would get their asses handed to them, and then they'd come back to buy more useless trinkets. He lived in the comfort of his large house by the lake, and life was going well.
"And then I made this deal and fucked everything up," he glumly thought to himself as he meandered about the camp, eyes carelessly glancing at the scenes of drinking and gambling around him.
"Now I live in the middle of no-fucking-where in a shitty tent and no hope of ever leaving."
It was safe to say that Qian was beginning to think that making that contraption may have been a bit of a mistake.
In the beginning, he had had the hopes that Duan Jing and the rest of the clan would swarm the Valley of Peace while they had the chance. Now, no one really ever had the false hope that they were going to be able to stay in control there forever; if by some miracle, they really did manage to conquer the Valley, then it would have only been a matter of time until they irked the Imperial Army and they were sent to crush them. At that point, they would have retreated, but not before making off with a horde of riches.
But, no.
They had to wait for permission, which took enough time so that some new masters could arrive and block the approval they needed.
Without additional men and weapons, Jing's clan simply didn't have enough manpower to conquer the Valley. A raid was one thing, but a takeover was another. They simply had to have help in order to pull this off.
If they received no aid, then the whole ordeal would be for nothing. The weapon, Master Croc, the wedding, everything.
At first, Qian had hoped that he could simply make more firearms and then the bandits could use them to take over, but that hope became quickly dashed.
During the days leading up to the wedding, the ram had been busy crafting more of his glorious creations. He had completed about six or seven more until that leopardess and her son had grown suspicious and came after him. At that point, he and the bandits cleaned out the shop and moved everything to the camp.
However, most of the gunpowder had been used in the explosions that collapsed the buildings that killed Shifu and most of the Furious Five. In addition, he needed the heat from his furnace if he was going to make the ammunition that the firearms used. Without more gunpowder - which Duan Jing had unsuccessfully sent missions of his men out to find - and more importantly, without the proper tools to make ammunition, using the firearms as a weapon was not an option.
Since this had been Qian's primary function as a member of the bandit clan, he was now mostly left without any real role. Fortunately, Dung Jing had decided to take him in as one of his advisors. If he hadn't, he would be fairly obsolete among the gang of ruffians he found himself in.
With all of this in mind, Qian slowly walked his way to Jing's tent. As he approached, the two guards at the entrance looked up. At the sight of Qian, they reached out and opened up the flaps, asking no questions and giving no greetings.
The ram stepped in and adjusted his eyes to the dark environment.
Some light was provided by several lanterns that hung down from various points of the wooden frame holding up the Chieftain's large tent. They illuminated the luxurious rugs on the ground and the bamboo meeting table in the center of the space.
Dung Jing currently sat alone at the head of his table. His elbows were resting on the table as his eyes emptily gazed down upon a map. In one of his claws, he rested his chin, and in the other, he gripped a large dagger, serrated on one edge, which he continuously fiddled with.
"What is it?" he gruffly asked, until his eyes glanced up and he recognized his visitor. "Oh, it's just you, Qian."
"Yes, my Chief," the ram answered, bowing his head.
"Well, what do you want?"
Qian paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. He cautiously stepped forward and said -
"Chief… I hope you'll forgive my asking, but… what exactly are we doing? I know it's not my place, but-"
He was cut off as Jing motioned his snout to the chair at his side and his deep-voiced boomed out -
"Sit down."
The ram quickly followed the command.
As he sat down, the crocodile heaved a heavy sigh and stabbed the dagger into the table, pinning the map in place.
"Qian, I'mma be honest with you. You've been mighty helpful to me and the Clan, so I think you deserve it. So, you know how's there multiple clans out there scattered throughout the rest of China?"
The ram nodded.
"Well… this one is not exactly one of the biggest ones. Or the richest ones. Or the strongest ones."
Jing could see how Qian scrunched his face up at these words and chuckled.
"Yeah, I know. We ain't got a lot going for us. I mean, we're not that bad. We're right there with all the other average clans. But if we really want a chance at taking the Valley of Peace under siege, we're gonna need help from the Nation. Without it… well, then this whole thing will have been a huge waste of time."
Qian nodded, already fairly aware of most of this.
"So… what can we do? Didn't the head of the Nation already deny you - us, help?"
Duan Jing heaved a sigh, but he reached out with his claw and pulled the knife back out of the table, continuing to fiddle with it.
"Yeah, she did, but it's not over yet. The head of each Clan always gets together for a meeting each year, and the next one's just in about a week and a half from now. In fact, I'll probably leave sometime tomorrow. Anyways, during the meeting, we're allowed to ask for aid from the other Clan heads and talk about anything that involves the Nation's collective pool of resources."
"But didn't -" Qian was about to say, but Jing cut him off.
" - Yeah, yeah, she denied us. But if I can get enough of the Clan heads to vote in my favor, then we can overrule her decision."
"Oh."
Suddenly, Qian felt a flash of hope flicker inside of him. Perhaps this hadn't been a mistake after all.
"So how many votes do we need to overrule the decision?"
"Two-thirds. There're forty-two clans right now who are a part of the Nation."
"So twenty-eight votes?" Qian asked.
Leaning back in his seat and folding his claws on his lap, Duan Jing answered -
"I'm so glad you can do basic arithmetic."
Qian froze for a brief second, unexpectant of the sudden sarcasm of his new employer. At least, until Jing chuckled and waved his claw.
"Ah, don't worry, I'm just messing with you."
The ram did fairly well to hide it, but he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
"But yeah, twenty-eight votes. Now, we do have a major player on our side. Chieftain Mingzhi. His clan rivals Chieftess Zuìzhōng in size and power, and it's a well-known fact among us clan heads that the two of them do not like each other. In many cases, he will oppose any decision she makes just out of spite for her. He'll probably vote in our favor for this very reason, and his word carries a lot of sway with the others."
"More than half?"
"Hmm, well, you see, he's definitely got more of a silver tongue than she does. Her thing is more intimidation and brute force. Now, don't get me wrong, she's way smarter than I am, and she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve… a lot more than I do, that's a fact."
The crocodile snorted at this last bit before continuing.
"But if they go head to head in a battle of words, Mingzhi's gonna come out on top. So… yeah. That's our big hope. If enough of them agree with us, then we'll get access to additional men and more weapons."
"I see…" Qian pursed his lips and let his eyes fall down upon the map that rested on the table. "What's that?"
Jing lowered his gaze to the map and blinked, as if he himself had just seen it for the first time.
"Oh, this old thing? Map of the Valley of Peace. Especially custom-made to show us the value of each area in a raid… and also how long it should have taken the Furious Five to get there." As the crocodile said this last part, he couldn't help but crack a smile. "But I guess we don't have to worry ourselves about that part anymore, hmm?"
The two of them leaned back in their chairs and let that statement sink in. After a few moments, Qian finally asked -
"So what about this new group the Valley brought in?"
Duan Jing leaned forward once more and placed his elbow on the table, allowing his chin to rest in his open claw.
He stared forward blankly, until eventually shrugging.
"Don't know. I know they brought some kids and some other masters. That's about it."
Grasping for straws in an attempt to get the croc's mind moving, Qian asked him -
"Well, what about that kid that attacked up in my shop? You handled him just fine. Surely we don't have to worry if those other kids are on his skill level, right?"
Much to Qian's disappointment, the crocodile gave a tight smile and shook his head.
"No… not that one. I know him. His name's Peng, and he's the nephew of that bastard, Tai Lung. I caught the little shit off guard that one time in the shop, but he'll be more prepared next time around."
The ram processed the Chieftain's words for a few moments.
"You've fought him before?"
"Me? No, no. But our previous Chieftain did. Yeah… good ole' Temutai. I was his right-hand man while he ruled over us. I can't remember what he did, but whatever it was, it pissed that kid off. I didn't see it myself, but what I heard was that he was a gnat's ass away from decapitating the son of a bitch, all while the Dragon Warrior tried to hold him off… So yeah, if the other kids he brought with him are like him, then we're in for a real fun fuckin' time."
"Oh…" was all Qian could say. "So… what happened to Temutai?"
For once, Duan Jing cracked an actual smile.
"Oh, well, I got tired of being his assistant."
"And?"
"So, I challenged him for the right to lead the Clan. You see, in this little group, the rules are simple. You can yield, which means you surrender the position, or you accept, in which case you fight 'till one of you's alive and the other one's dead. Declining or ignoring the challenge isn't an option."
The crocodile paused, and Qian gulped as he put the pieces together.
"So you won?"
Once again donning that smile of his and showing off his rows of really, really, sharp teeth, Duan Jing lifted up the dagger to the side of his face and let it gleam in the light of the lanterns that hung upon the ceiling. Only now did Qian appreciate how large it was and how deadly it looked.
"I gutted the bastard right where he stood. He's buried around these woods somewhere."
As the large crocodile loomed over the ram, Qian felt the sudden urge to leave.
"Yes, well," he began, scooting his chair back, "I think I'll go and find something useful to do with myself."
Duan Jing didn't quite pick up on Qian's fear, and happily leaned back in his seat, propping his feet up on the table and examining the dagger in his claws with much contentment, as it reminded him of what must have been pleasant memories.
"Alright, then. Don't be a stranger."
Qian didn't hear all of that last bit, because he was already out of the tent by then.
The ram stumbled for a few steps until he accidentally bumped into someone who was evidently larger than him. He kept on walking, not even turning his head to hear someone grumble -
"Hey, watch it."
Finally, out of sight from the Chieftain's tent, Qian came to a tree which he stopped at and leaned his body on. Taking in deep breaths, the ram attempted - in vain - to calm himself down.
"He's not messing around, Qian," the ram told himself. "If you get caught with your little back-door dealing, I'm afraid he won't take very kindly to it."
The thought of back-door dealing triggered another thought within the ram's mind. When was his reward coming? After all, he had written down that Shao had arrived, and that he probably still had the weapon. He had described exactly what Shao was like. Had it not proved useful information? After all, it only took Shao about two weeks to be sent away. Where had they sent him?
As his heart rate began to increase, Qian tried to steady his nerves.
"Calm down, calm down. Just… let's take this one step at a time."
Yes, a good idea, he thought. Just how had he come to be in this mess?
As he turned around and began heading back to his tent, he replayed the scene in his head.
Qian, Duan Jing, and the rest of his advisors sat around the table just as Chieftain Mingzhi stood up and took his leave. Jing had already introduced Qian to him, and the meeting was now over. As Jing fell into conversation with his other advisors, the ram found the topics out of his field, and so he had stood up and exited the tent.
He had made it around five steps until someone bumped into him and a gruff voice whispered into his ear -
"The creek. Ten minutes."
Qian snapped his head up to look as the person who had bumped him marched away. He looked, and he saw the back of the lion. Mingzhi's bodyguard. He quickly joined his master, who, when Qian turned to look, had been eyeing the ram from the corner of his vision. As soon as they made eye contact, the porcupine turned away and headed back the way they had come.
Scratching his head, Qian turned to look around, but no one else seemed to have seen the odd exchange. He continued to watch as the bandit leader and his bodyguard slowly walked off into the distance. They did not turn to look back, and Qian noted that the path they were taking was not near the creek that Jing's clan often used to bathe and wash their clothes in.
The ram had had no real reason to follow the orders of the lion who had bumped into him, as he was surrounded by Jing's men, who, in their blind obedience, probably would have defended him if things turned violent since he was the one to help them finally get rid of the exceedingly pesky Furious Five.
But, at the time, Qian was still oozing with the arrogance of his achievement, and thought to himself -
"Ah, what the hell?"
So, casually turning around, he decided to head to the creek and see what was in store. Perhaps the porcupine wanted to talk with him some more about his creation.
And so, Qian had made his way to the creek, slowly and erratically, in an attempt to make sure he wasn't being followed. No one seemed to notice his disappearance - not that they usually ever did.
Eventually, the ram made his way to the designated place. He reached the edge of the creek and looked about.
There was no one.
After a few more seconds of aimlessly looking about, Qian heard a soft whistle. He turned to look at the source, and saw the one-eyed lion once again off in the distance. The lion motioned for him to come over, and then he sunk back into the shrubbery, out of sight.
A little confused over the whole situation, Qian made his way over to the spot he had seen. When he reached the area where the lion had stood, a paw shot out from the shrubbery and snatched the cloth shirt he had on, dragging him inside the veil of leaves.
"Hey!" the ram had protested, but he stopped making all traces of noise the instant he glanced up.
Right in front of him stood the lion, who was holding a really sharp-looking dagger right at the ram's throat.
Qian froze in place as his eyes scanned the area. He appeared to be in some sort of tiny clearing: a pocket of space surrounded by trees with low branches or bushes on every side. The space was made even smaller by the four rather unpleasant-looking gentlemen on each side. There was the lion in front of him, a wolf in the back, a rhino on one side, and the largest buffalo Qian had ever seen on the other. Each of them was bare-back, and all of them sported nasty-looking scars, and two wore eyepatches.
They did not look like Duan Jing's thugs. They were different. These were more than street criminals. The people in front of Qian were killers, and it was quite obvious.
In between the ring of these individuals, there was a fallen log. On top of it, the aged porcupine casually sat, both his paws atop his cane. His eyes lit up at the sight of the ram's arrival.
"Oh, there you are!" he gently whispered. His voice sounded like that of a friendly old grandpa, but it paid no heed to the people that surrounded him, nor the fact that his "guest" had a knife to his throat. "How pleasant of you to join us! I was truly hoping I might get to continue conversing with yourself."
Qian, exceedingly eager to not have his throat slit, said nothing, and did nothing. Only his grapefruit-sized eyes could move between each bandit as he stood still.
Chieftain Mingzhi rolled his eyes.
"Oh, calm down, Jingwei, can't you see you're scaring the poor gentlemen?"
Instantly, the dagger was retracted, and the lion took a step back.
"Why don't you take a seat, my boy?" the porcupine cheerfully offered.
Still frozen in terror, Qian did not move.
Fairly soon, with Mingzhi's smile still on his face, his eyes shifted to his servant. Immediately, the bison took a step forward, placed his heavy paw on Qian's shoulder, and shoved him to the ground.
As the ram picked himself off of the grass and scrambled into a seated position, the porcupine chuckled.
"Ah, there we go. That's better. Now - "
Finally gaining control of his motor functions, Qian's cowardice spilled out.
" - I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll do whatever you want, just let me - "
He was cut short when one of the bodyguards - he wasn't even sure which one - smacked him across the face. When Qian turned his head back to look at the Chieftain, he was still smiling, unnerving the ram even more.
Mingzhi leaned forward as if he had a secret to tell.
"Boy, let me tell you something. I think we should work out a little code, just between us, no? You see, when I'm speaking, you don't speak. If I'm not speaking, you don't speak. You only speak when I prompt you. If you can't follow the code, then one of my boys here will have to correct you. Understand?"
Slowly, Qian nodded his head.
"Ah, good. Now then, I'd love to hear more about you, my boy, but I'm afraid we're a bit short on time. Now, I was examing you while we were both in Jing's tent, and I think I picked up a few things about your… personality."
The ram was still much too afraid to respond… and also he didn't want to get hit in the face again.
"And, I've had my boys do a bit of digging, and, of course, I have rather large ears, and I've learned a few things about you. It seems it was the prospect of money that drew you to this latest enterprise, was it not?"
Still in the mindset that he shouldn't speak, Qian said nothing. Fortunately, Mingzhi was feeling merciful, because instead of letting him get hit again, he repeated a little louder -
"Was it not?"
Picking up the cue, the ram eagerly nodded his head.
"Oh, don't be frightened, my boy. I need an honest answer. I'd hate to take a course of action based on false assumptions."
Qian nodded again.
The porcupine just rolled his eyes.
"Oh, again with the nodding. Speak, boy!"
"Yes, sir - I mean, yes, Chief."
"Yes, what!?"
"Yes, I was attracted to this job after Jing offered me a lot of money."
Upon hearing his, Mingzhi cracked a smile. "Ahh… that's what I thought. But, there's something wrong with that, isn't there? Dear old Jing hasn't delivered on his promises, has he?"
Not needing to be prompted a second time, Qian cautiously shook his head.
"No."
Nodding, Mingzhi's smile grew ever wider.
"That's what I thought. So, I have a little proposition - "
" - Shh!" the wolf suddenly interrupted.
Everyone went silent, and sure enough, footsteps could be heard approaching their location.
Hope flooded through Qian: the hope that he could squirm his way out of this situation without having to sell his soul, but the hope must have shown just a little too much on his face, because the lion silently stepped forward once more and pressed the cold steel of his dagger on Qian's throat.
"Don't even think about it," he said with the motion of his lips.
Qian was obedient to the threat upon his life, and did not make a single sound.
The group stood in complete silence as the footsteps grew nearer. As they approached, a pair of voices followed, and it became evident that it was two of Duan Jing's bandits that had come by to drink from the creek.
The two of them chattered on, reached the creek, drank from it, and went on their way.
As their footsteps faded into the distance, the wolf eventually nodded.
The lion drew his knife once again away from Qian's throat, and the ram released the breath he had been holding.
"Ah," Mingzhi chirped, evidently quite pleased. "I'm glad nothing happened there. It would have been quite unfortunate had things turned messy."
Qian gulped at the porcupine's uttering of the word "messy." He talked about it like having two of Duan Jing's men killed right in front of him was only a mild inconvenience.
"Anyway," he continued, "Where were we? Ah, yes. I was just about to say that I have a proposition for you, my boy."
Once again, the ram gulped in fear, none too eager to learn what sort of trouble he had just dug himself into.
"As you well know, these are tumultuous times." Mingzhi paused and chuckled at this. "Well, I suppose you would know. You helped make it so. Anyway, with all the chaos that's happened here in the Valley of Peace, it would really be nice to have an extra pair of eyes and ears out here. You understand what I'm saying, boy?"
Finally beginning to do just that, Qian nodded for what felt like the hundredth time.
"So, here's my proposition. I would like you to write down any notable events that happen both here in this camp and in the Valley of Peace on a piece of parchment. In exactly one week from now, and once a week from this point onwards, you are to bring that piece of parchment to this very spot and tack it to one of these trees. One of my messengers will stop by and pick it up soon enough. And, in exchange for your services, every time you provide me with useful information, I will provide you with what Duan Jing cannot."
Mingzhi turned his head and asked the wolf -
"Do you have it?"
The wolf pulled a bag from around his back and handed it to his master. Mingzhi opened it up and showed Qian the contents.
Pure gold coins.
Even though fear was the primary emotion running through the ram's veins at the moment, his tendency of greed made itself known once more. His eyes shined with the reflection of the Sun's light off of the golden coins.
Then, Mingzhi closed the bag.
"Of course, you will have to earn your reward, first. If you do tell me something useful, my messenger will leave your reward here in this place where you left the parchment. So… what do you say?"
Pushed forth by his greed - and quite honestly not wanting to see the porcupine's reaction if he refused - Qian took in a deep breath and nodded for one final time.
"Alright. I'll do it." He put his hoof forth, and Mingzhi happily shook it.
"Ah, how wonderful!" He began to stand up as he said this, leaning heavily on his cane. "Well, I suppose this will conclude our little meaning. Come on, my boys!"
Mingzhi's bodyguards began to silently file out of the tiny clearing one by one. As they did so, the porcupine followed, but his head was still turned about so he could speak to Qian just a bit longer.
"Oh, that reminds me, there's something I wanted to show you. Come over here for just a moment."
Reluctantly, and very much wanting to be in a place where the porcupine wasn't, Qian picked himself up and shuffled out of the small clearing and next to the bandit chief.
As he approached, he could see that Mingzhi was not looking at him. His side was pointed at the ram, and his face was gazing upwards.
He gestured with his cane to the spot he was looking at. "Did you know those poor devils?"
Qian looked up and was hit with a sudden wave of fear. He gave a startled jump backward.
There, hanging from a thick tree branch, were two bodies. Ropes had been tied around their necks, and it was evident that an execution had taken place here. But, even though their bodies had begun to rot - evident by the flies that had flown around them and the smell emanating from the area - Qian still recognized them.
"So that's what happened to the guys who let that snow leopardess and her son escape."
Mingzhi simply laughed at the sight as he continued to look.
"Well, my boy, it seems as if dear old Jing has made his stance clear on large mistakes. I would advise you to not follow in their footsteps."
As he turned to leave, Qian could only continue to stare at the hanging bodies and contemplate whether or not a similar fate awaited him.
Mingzhi threw one last comment as he was leaving with his bodyguards.
"I feel like nothing but good things will come of our partnership. Oh, we live in exciting times, don't we? Ta ta!"
By now, Qian was back at his tent, lying on his cot as he finished playing the scene in his mind.
"Calm down, calm down," the ram told himself. After all, what had he expected Duan Jing to be: a nice guy? His men consistently bought weapons of war - well, more like toys of war - from his own shop. He knew damn well what they were like. Now, of course, they may not have been quite as rough as Mingzhi's crew, but they were still just a touch too rough for the ram's liking.
It was very simple. He was stuck in a deal between both Clan leaders. He had to serve Duan Jing now that he had condemned himself in the public eye, but he also had to secretly send messages to Chieftain Mingzhi. If he had to choose an enemy, it certainly would have been the crocodile. After his brief meeting with the porcupine, Qian knew that his wrath would come quicker and with much more force than the crocodile's. In addition, the crocodile was easier to fool.
So, all the ram could do was stand up and continue to balance himself on the tightrope he had thrown himself upon.
There weren't many other choices.
The Jade Palace
The afternoon Sun hung heavily in the sky, attempting to fight off the pull of the horizon. The wind gently blew through the trees, beginning to blow their leaves right off as autumn began to descend upon the Valley of Peace.
Upon the top of the Ten Thousand Steps, on the courtyard in front of the Training Hall, a bit of a spectacle met the eye.
On one side, the four students stood, side by side, each of their paws, hooves, or wings folded behind their back as they stood up straight with their gaze fixed forward. Each was outfitted with garments fit for training. One could see on their face the slight bags underneath their eyes, indicating their slight lack of sleep, but their youth allowed them to power through it better than most.
Opposing them were the three masters. Like the students, they too stood straight, paws folded behind them, facing forward.
There was complete silence as the two groups faced off against each other.
Soon, a pair of heavy footsteps broke the silence as they approached. It was Master Ox, who came to stop just before reaching the groups. The kung-fu master held a bamboo staff in each hoof. He looked to the students upon his left, and then to the masters upon his right. Meanwhile, over in the corner, the Soothsayer stood, also eager to witness the training of both parties.
The stillness continued its reign for a few more seconds, until, suddenly, Master Ox tossed one of the staffs over to Master Sudu, who snatched it out of the air and immediately assumed a fighting stance, leading with her left side as she used both paws to grip the staff and point it at her opponents.
Immediately, Peng, Liliang, Yongqi, and Xingxing assumed their own stances, and the other two masters retreated.
Then, it began.
Peng lunged forward first, leaning down to the ground and using his front paws to launch himself at the African leopardess and swing his fist at her. Sudu parried his blow with the staff and used the opposite end to smack him across the gut.
The fight didn't progress much further when Yongqi flew over Peng's head and swooped down to strike the leopardess. Sudu dodged his attack and continued to dual with Peng's quick blows, dodging and blocking most of them.
Peng then did a front flip into the air, spinning so that his foot would come down on Sudu, hard. At the same time, Yongqi utilized his wings as he remained in the air and prepared himself for another attack.
As the both of them approached her, Sudu lightly tossed her staff into the air, caught Peng's foot as it came close to striking her, and threw him to the side. As soon as she did this, she snatched the staff out of the air and swung it downwards, striking Yongqi across the back just as he reached her, sending him crashing to the ground.
Meanwhile, Xingxing and Liliang shared a nervous look at the leopardess' impressive move. Even more worrisome was the fact that she hadn't really been attacking.
Peng was back on his feet in an instant, though, and he sprinted back into the fight on all fours. He jumped up and reared his foot back as he prepared another kick. Sudu seemed prepared to block it with her staff once more, but Yongqi suddenly flew into her view as he jumped up and used his brief moment of suspension in the air to strike with his wings.
Sudu instinctively defended against his blows, but it allowed Peng's attack to connect with the leopardess' side.
As Sudu recoiled from the blow, a slight gasp was heard from Liliang and Xingxing. Yongqi and Peng paused too, as they looked at each other with delight.
"Congratulations," Ox's booming voice rang out with a good bit of sarcasm. The students turned to look over at him, where he was sitting on the stair that led to the Hall of Heroes. "You landed a hit. Now land some more."
Master Sudu came rushing back in, and she was no longer on the defensive. Attacks with her staff, mixed with strikes from her fists and feet alike, came out with lightning speed and deadly accuracy.
She was fast enough to alternate her attacks between Peng and Yongqi, and everyone could feel the intensity of the training match rise as she put more and more pressure upon the students.
Then, to add to the mix, Ox suddenly tossed the other staff in his hoof over to Liliang.
Losing no time, the boar instantly lifted her knee and snapped the staff into two, unequal halves. As she and the chow dog approached the fight, she tossed the smaller end of the broken staff to Xingxing, who caught it and gripped it in one paw.
To match them, Master Jingshen joined the fight, stepping in to fight against the two new opponents. Of course, both of them were familiar with the snow fox's friendly nature, and they were caught off guard when she immediately took the offensive.
She was very mobile, using her agility to dodge blows and quickly counter-attack. She leaped up into the air, pouncing upon Xingxing, who raised her arms up to defend against the blow. Jingshen kicked the chow dog, sending her stumbling backward, and used the momentum from the blow to leap up and strike the boar, who lifted her own arms in order to defend.
Before Jingshen could even hit the ground, her leg was kicked out from underneath her and she fell down to the ground, flat on her back.
Liliang briefly berated herself for not even thinking of the possibility that Sudu might also attack her.
Meanwhile, Xingxing surged forward and began to attack Jingshen, but it quickly became evident that she was outmatched and could not land a solid blow.
Over on the side, Peng and Yongqi continued to battle with Sudu. The leopardess' biggest strength was easily her speed, as she continued to press forward with a flurry of attacks. However, Peng began to pick up on some of the patterns of her attacks as well as some of her preferences in certain moments.
The snow leopard hopped to the side, forcing Sudu to have to deal with one opponent on each side.
Zhanzi used her brief moment of hesitation to take flight once more. It grabbed Sudu's attention for a moment before he turned and swooped down upon Master Jingshen, just like she had taken her opportunity to sweep Liliang's leg.
As Liliang and Xingxing were still struggling with Jingshen, as they had yet to form a strategy of their own, Yongqi swooped down and kicked the arctic fox in the back. She stumbled forward from the unexpected blow, and Xingxing instantly jumped on the opportunity to gain the offensive.
Meanwhile, Peng and Sudu briefly circled the other before engaging again in combat. Sudu lunged out with her fist, but Peng shot up his own paw just in time to block the blow, and used his other one to grab her fist before she could snatch it back and use it to balance herself as she threw another punch at him.
The strategy worked, as her next blow missed him, and he tightly gripped Sudu's arm as he threw her behind him, jumping up and landing a kick on her back as she was forced behind him.
As soon as the leopardess stumbled away from him, the hairs on the back of Peng's head stood up. He trusted his instincts and immediately ducked down just in time to avoid getting kicked in the back of the head as Master Zhanzi flew over his head.
Just as he landed, heavy footsteps shook the ground as Liliang came storming along to Peng's aid, attempting to prevent him from being outnumbered. She surrendered her half of the broken staff, tossing it to Peng as Zhanzi and Sudu prepared themselves for another attack.
"They don't believe in going easy, do they?" Liliang muttered.
Peng sympathized with the boar, but also understood the current situation. "There's no time for easy."
To prove his point, the two masters now surged forward.
Sudu gave up on her staff, throwing it forward at Liliang, who was caught off guard and was struck by it. The leopardess took advantage of the brief half-second of the boar's surprise and lunged at her with a flying kick, which the boar barely blocked. Meanwhile, Peng decided to take charge of his fight with Zhanzi, so he came out as the aggressor with the rabbit master.
Meanwhile, Yongqi and Xingxing were just starting to turn the tide on Jingshen. Because the snow fox fought so low to the ground, it almost completely nullified the goose's advantage of flight. He eventually learned that he would have to fight on the ground in order to help the chow get an advantage over her.
Now the two of them were both swinging furiously, unleashing all they had in a flurry of punches and kicks. Jingshen was blocking nearly all of them, but between the two of them, she was kept on her toes and was forced to back up in order to prevent a solid blow from being landed on her.
Just as the chaos seemed to reach its peak, a sharp whistle suddenly blew out over the combatants. Immediately, everyone stopped fighting and scrambled back into the positions they had lined up in when the fight had started: the masters on one side and the students on the other.
Master Ox stood up from his seated position on the stairs, and slowly walked forward to get a better look at those under his training.
Each of the students' eyes was glued onto the legendary master, eager to hear his evaluation of them. Of course, they had been schooled by the masters, but that was to be expected. They much desired to learn what they should start improving on.
But all Ox said was -
"Hmmph."
And then he lowered his head and charged straight for the masters, uttering a battle cry all the way.
They were caught off guard, and only Zhanzi and Jingshen were able to evade his charge. Sudu braced herself for impact and was swept off her feet as Ox charged through her, carrying her along. He skidded to a stop and sent the leopardess flying across the courtyard.
The students watched with wide eyes as the fight unfolded in front of them, each slightly unsure if they should join in or not.
Meanwhile, Ox turned around as Zhanzi and Jingshen both rushed forward to attack. The snow fox charged straight forward while the rabbit moved around the Ox in order to flank him.
As the ox and snow fox began exchanging blows, it soon became evident that both were skilled, but that Ox had the edge over her. Zhanzi leaped into battle and soon began making attacks of his own, but Ox was able to handle their attacks, blocking and dodging all while still throwing out his own attacks.
Soon, Sudu came flying back into battle, and all three masters began attacking Master Ox. He was forced to assume a more defensive fighting style, but he still held his ground.
"Think we should help them?" Xingxing asked the others.
After a brief pause of deliberation, and after Ox connected a blow on Master Zhanzi, resulting in him flying backward, Yongqi answered -
"Yeah."
The students all rushed forward to help defeat Master Ox. Peng and Liliang surged straight ahead while Yongqi took the skies and Xingxing went around to the side. As soon as they arrived, Sudu and Jingshen briefly retreated, catching their breaths for a moment.
Liliang - the only one large enough to take on Ox head-to-head and not allow his size and strength to bully his opponent - took on the experienced master head-on, unleashing her attacks upon him. He defended himself with ease, but her intention was not to land a blow, but rather to take up his field of vision and his focus.
She was successful, and he did not see Peng disappear behind him, so he was caught off-guard when he felt a kick sting his back. He stumbled forward, and Liliang kicked his leg out from under him, gripped his arm and leg just as he fell, and swung him around her body, letting him go, which caused him to fly a short distance forward.
Ox fell with a surprising amount of grace for someone of his girth, rolling just as he hit the ground and springing back up again.
Instantly, Yongqi was near his face, attacking with his feet as he kept himself propelled in the air with his wings, trying to dodge Ox's attempts to swat him away. Xingxing attempted to attack him down low, but he saw her out of the corner of his eye and landed a kick, which she raised her arms up just in time to block, but the force of the blow still knocked her backward.
Then, Sudu sprinted up behind Ox and fell into a slide just before she reached him, giving the back of his knee a solid kick. His leg buckled, and he fell upon his knee. Before he could get back up, he saw Zhanzi furiously hopping his way toward him. He leaped up, reared back his foot, and lashed out, successfully landing the kick on Ox's face.
The blow was strong enough to knock the ox flat on his back. Everyone scrambled up to him, prepared for more, but Master Ox did not immediately give up.
"Oh," he muttered. Slowly, he sat up, nodding his head. "That was a good session. You all performed better than I expected. I'm proud of you all."
Everyone paused, looking around. Then, one by one, each of them panting and sweating profusely, lowered their fighting stance. Liliang reached out her paw to Ox, who took it and stood up.
Ox placed his fist on his hoof and bowed his head, and everyone did likewise in return.
"That will be all for today."
Everyone looked at each other again, but each of them was still trying to catch their breath, so no one said anything.
Eventually, Yongqi interrupted the silence.
"Can we get something to drink?
Somewhere On The Road
Well, this was a familiar spot.
The pale goat rubbed his eyes and looked around. He was back.
The building. He had only been in it for a handful of seconds, but it was forever embedded in his memory.
He looked to his right and his left, where the hallway stretched out on either side of him. As if he could stop what had happened, he rushed to one of the doors in front of him and opened it, revealing an empty room inside. But there, across the room, was what he most desired.
A window to the Valley Square. He scrambled over to it, slamming his hooves into the shutters, sending them flying open. Then, he peered his head out and saw the scene beneath him.
A massive crowd was gathered in the Square, and their attention was centered upon a single spot. He followed their gaze and saw what would normally be a heartwarming sight: a marriage.
But, this was a very special marriage. One between Po Ping, the Dragon Warrior, and Master Tigress.
Their paws were clasped in each other's, and it seemed as if Shifu, who was conducting the ceremony, was near the end of his words.
Desperately, Shao scanned the crowd for the evilest person he knew.
Unfortunately, he found him. There, in the middle of the crowd, he could make out his own face, staring intently at the wedding scene before him with deadly thoughts. Then, the goat raised his paw, holding a strange-looking object in his hoof.
Shao's head snapped back to Po and Tigress. He opened his mouth, and tried to shout out -
"Get down! Get down before it's too late!"
But no sound came out of his mouth.
BAM!
Shao couldn't help but shut his eyes at the terrible sound. After what seemed like an eternity, he willed his eyelids to part and witness his own sin.
There, beneath him, lay Po, dying in Tigress' arms. Shao slammed his hooves against the window seal, screaming, but still, no sound was heard.
Then, Po's body went limp, and he could see Tigress' head drop in despair. He could feel his own spirit, everything he had ever done or stood for wither away as Po died.
Suddenly, Tigress' head began to slowly move upwards, until she was staring dead at Shao. Her teeth were bared and her pupils were nothing but slits. Before the goat could react, she roared out and leaped into the air.
Somehow, her jump covered the distance between the platform she had been standing on and the lower parts of the building. Unsheathing her claws, Tigress was able to crawl up the walls of the building, heading right for Shao.
The goat instinctively backed away from the window, but he could not bring himself to tear his eyes away from it.
It only took a few seconds for Tigress' paw to come slamming on the window seal, gripping it with such force that it horribly groaned under the pressure and began to crack. Suddenly, her face was in view, and she was thrusting her body forward and into the room. She collapsed to the floor and then began to rise on all fours.
Even though the terrifying sight lay before him, all Shao could think about was how this was the very thing he had been trying to prevent. And he had been the one to cause it.
But as Tigress snapped her head back up at her prey, all the goat saw was the same monster from his nightmares.
So much pain, so much death. And all for what?
"No," Shao thought to himself. "It can't all be wasted. I have to end this madness."
Tempered with a sudden resolve, Shao shouted out in a battle cry - which, for the first time, he could hear - and sprinted at Tigress as fast as he could. The savage animal hadn't expected to get attacked first, so the goat's momentum triumphed over her superior weight and strength as he crashed into her and they both went plunging out of the window.
For the briefest of moments, time seemed to freeze for the goat. Just as the two of them began to fall, locked in an unwinnable battle, Shao looked out at the world and saw the horizon. It somehow seemed so peaceful… so unaware and blissfully ignorant of all that happened upon the world.
Then, as soon as it started, it was over, and Shao and Tigress began to fall. But, somehow, they did not hit the street below. They continued to plunge down into the sunless depths below.
Tigress, having time to recover from the shock of his attack, broke free of his grip. She lashed out with her open claw and slashed the goat across the face. Shao screamed in pain, clutching the spot where she had dug into his flesh. The two separated a little as they both fell, the passing air violently whipping by them, but they soon were brought closer together.
Shao gave a desperate kick with his foot in an attempt to stave off Tigress, who he knew was impossible for him to defeat. It landed, and more space was achieved.
As the two of them began to spin and flip out of control, Shao could begin to make out some sort of ground rapidly approaching. It was a broken, burnt, tattered land that awaited them. Suddenly, he was in Tigress' grip once more, who was clutching him in her arms as if she only wanted to make sure that he would never escape.
The two of them plunged downwards head-first, and the goat's eyes widened as he saw the animal that had him in its grasp. Tigress opened her maw, ready to tear his throat out, but she was not fast enough, as the ground made contact with the both of them first. Shao wasn't sure, but he was pretty sure he was screaming as he hit the ground.
Viper's Village
"So, umm… what exactly are you doing here, doc?" Zhen asked the snake as he reached for the vial with his tail.
"Only the thought of a fool," the doctor cryptically answered, leaving the mortician even more confused than before. "There's nothing strange about Grandmaster Viper's death, but something about it… I don't know. It doesn't sit well with me."
As he spoke, with his tail, the snake deftly handled the vial that contained a sample of the old master's blood, poured it into another vial that was resting upon a small rack, and set it down. Dr. Wu then picked up a cap and sealed the mixed vial, which he then picked up and gently mixed by shaking it a little bit.
"So, what are we looking for?" the mortician asked.
"The color of the mixture. If it remains red, then it will seem as if the gods have truly judged that his time here was over."
"And if isn't red?"
The snake did not answer. Instead, he set the vial back upon the rack and waited.
The two continued to stare at the vial, but nothing happened.
Eventually, the snake sighed, a hint of content somewhere within it. While Zhen remained by the vial, he slithered over to the table and lifted himself up so he could look down upon it. With his tail, he lifted the blanket covering Jiǎohuá's body.
"Goodbye, old friend," he whispered to it. He continued to gaze upon the wizened face of the master.
"Um, doc?" Zhen asked.
"Yes?" Dr. Wu answered, still looking at the body.
"It's not red anymore."
"What?" The snake whipped his head around and let the blanket fall upon Jiǎohuá for the last time. His gaze shot over to the vial, which, just as the mortician had said, was no longer red.
The doctor's eyes went wide, and Zhen grew quite nervous over his reaction.
"What does it mean?" he asked.
Dr. Wu continued to stare at the sample.
"Poison."
Ahh, it's good to be back!
Keep being awesome!