These talks are about to get real. Brace yourselves!

Together, Shifu led Mian a little ways away, but close enough to the point where he could keep his gaze and his hearing out in sign of danger, if there was any to be found.

Shifu could tell very clearly that Mian was a bit shy and nervous around him, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow for the poor child that had been dragged along by Lianzhong.

At least, it felt like that.

Shifu stopped nearby a little stream that ran tumbling down some rocks. The sound was almost…calming. It was a good place to have a talk, for the ambiance was peaceful but not too loud.

"So, your name is Mian, correct?"
"Yes." Mian dipped his head, but Shifu could see that he was starting to get a little nervous and started to shake.

Shifu let out a soft sigh and gently placed his arm around him softly, as if to comfort and reassure him that he wasn't here to harm him.

"Mian," Shifu spoke, gazing at the student through his brilliant blue gaze. "This may seem odd, but I want you to tell me about your master."

"My m-master?"
"That's right."
"Um.."

Mian was trembling even more now, and it seemed as if the stress had really gotten to him. Shifu wondered if the question he had asked was too harsh, and he inwardly hit himself in the face.

Come on, Shifu! He's not going to be comfortable when you talk too much like a straight-to-the-point master!

Mian's gaze just flickered, and he was finding it hard to find his voice after what Shifu had commanded.
Shifu let his gaze drop to the ground, and he wondered if the reason why he was nervous was that he was staring intently at him.

Mian managed to stammer out some words, but it was a jumbled mess to Shifu.

"Um ... .my master ... .um….I…."

Shifu wanted to literally facepalm himself, but he held it back and continued to try to get him to talk to him, literally.

"Please, child, I need to know," Shifu said, "I am entitled to know who is in my province, yes?"
Mian blinked, and that seemed to get his attention. "Y-your province?"
"Yes." Shifu nodded. "It is. A very vast one, indeed. I don't know everyone that's here, so any insight would be wonderful." Shifu planned to end his sentence there, but he continued. "Would you do me the kind favor of telling me about your master so I can know who he is?"

Mian blinked, and glanced downwards at the ground, reaching down and picking up a stone from the ground. With that, he extended it towards Shifu, who took it gently from him.

"Grandmaster…" Mian choked out, and Shifu could see tears forming in the student's eyes. "I can't tell you anything….my master forced me to-I can't.."

Shifu let out another sigh. "What do you mean he forced you?"
Mian blankly stared back at Shifu, as if he was petrified of answering this very question.

"I can't tell you…"
Shifu flicked an ear and placed a gentle hand on Mian's shoulder. "You can't tell me because he forced you, correct?"
Mian nodded.

Shifu yet again let out another sigh. He's hard to break. I have a very tight feeling that this master and student are not in the perfect balance.

"Let me ask you this question, then," Shifu leaned in closer to the student, who flinched away from him but kept his gaze on the grandmaster. "Do you trust him?"
Mian put his head to one side in response to Shifu's question, as if he was thinking, "Do I?"

"Um.."
"Do you?" Shifu asked again. "Do you trust him as a student should trust his master?"

Mian blinked back again, staring deeply into Shifu's blue gaze as he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"N-not really…"

"Not really?" Shifu pulled back and blinked, his ear flicking. Ah, I should have known. "And why don't you?" Before Ming could answer, Shifu spoke once more, "And I want you to tell me why."

Mian's breath became hoarse and he could feel his heart race. He was nervous. Shifu could tell.

"Come, child, I am here to help you." Shifu tried to comfort Mian, and for the moment, Mian's gaze softly faded until he bent his head down and let the tears flow down his face.

Shifu's gaze softened as well, feeling the student's pain of revealing something to someone you really don't know.

"Y-you're Po's master?" He smiled knowing that his student had come to be someone to trust. I'll speak with him later. Shifu made a mental note in his head to talk to him later. Not in disappointment, but rather, in pride.

"I am."
Mian blinked. "I can trust you?"
"Of course." Shifu nodded. Mian stepped a bit forward and came close enough to the grandmaster where they were almost touching. Shifu stepped back a little ways, putting distance between the two of them as they still were not completely aware of each other, like Po and himself were.

"I don't trust my master because…" Mian took a deep breath and calmed himself. Telling Shifu all of this could possibly get him in horrific trouble with his master. "Because we-we have a bad history."

"In what way?" Shifu put his head to one side.

"He-he doesn't really train me in anything, he just.." Mian wiped away his tears with his arm. "He just orders me to do something."

Shifu flicked an ear, waiting for the student to speak more, if he was going to.

"And then, if I don't do it…" Mian wiped his eyes again. "He'll beat on me."
Shifu blinked, and took a step back. He'll WHAT?
Of course, Shifu now pretty much understood why the young student had all the bruises and scars over him. Shifu flicked an ear, and shut his eyes tight, in agony for the child.

I don't care who you are, Shifu said, not any master has a right to treat a student like that.

"I see.." Shifu trailed off, letting his sight drift over the pain-driven student. Shifu flicked his ear in emotion. "Everything will be all right."

Mian glanced upwards at the grandmaster and seemingly cried even harder, which made Shifu even more protective of this child if he wasn't already.

If Mian was faking this kind of sorrow….then he must be a very good actor.

"Y-you won't tell him I said that?"

"Listen," Shifu stepped closer and protectingly touched the student on the shoulder. "You won't be harmed anymore. Don't worry."

"But-but-"
"It's okay," Shifu calmed, "It's much better that you told me," Shifu let out a soft sigh, thinking back to his own students. "You are safe with me."
Shifu, through his kind and comforting words, seemed to calm down the young student, for a time.

Although…Shifu himself had his doubts.

I'll speak to Lianzhong again. But, of course, he is his student and he does have rights.

Shifu thought for a moment.

Where are his parents?

Shifu shuddered, not with the soft wind blowing (but indeed that did play a part in it) but out of fear for the child, his own student, and the fear of the unknown.

Lianzhong had better give me an explanation.

Settling underneath the same tree where Shifu had left him before, Po stared blankly at Lianzhong who was basically still "meditating" ever since his student, Mian and Shifu had left to talk. Po was starting to get a little worried, since they had not been back for fairly a little while. It wasn't usually like Shifu to leave his students long , since they were still young and still needed his guidance (which they pretty much will always need his wisdom) and since Shifu's very protective of them because he loves them and since the whole "Tai Lung incident."

Po played with some of the grass beneath him as Lianzhong flickered open his gaze, placing it right upon the young student.

The middle-aged sheep released himself from his meditation and took a sigh, walking over to Po and gently dipping his head.

"Ah, the student of the great Grandmaster Shifu, is it?"

"I'm Po." Po said, blinking. That was quite a reference. "What….do you need?"
Lianzhong sighed, walking over and taking a seat beside him, landing on the ground with a thump and placing his arm around Po.
"You know, it's been a long time since I've been in Guangxi Province," Lianzhong admitted as Po just blinked at him. "Ever since Grandmaster Shifu took over, I've felt a definite change since the last time."
"Well.." Po thought for a moment about his next words. Choose them carefully, Po. "Well, um, Master Shifu's doing a wonderful job leading the palace. He's a great and loyal grandmaster."

Lianzhong snorted. "Hmph. Sounds like those words were beaten into you."

"It's true!" Po defended, staring Lianzhong straight in the gaze. "He's a great master, but that doesn't mean that he won't defend his homeland."

"Ah…" Lianzhong shook his head and stood up. "I remember my hometown."

Po inched a little ways away from Lianzhong, who was too close to him for comfort. Po felt the sheep's robe brush against his, and he tensed.

Please, Master Shifu, come back. Po pleaded, glancing at Lianzhong and lightly smiling so he wouldn't feel so suspicious. He's freaking me out.

Lianzhong smirked. "It's a real shame, you know," Lianzhong stood up and revealed a hidden knife he had underneath his robe. Po backed away and brushed himself up against the tree even further, his heart pounding.

"Your master didn't have to take me in so kindly," Lianzhong slid out the knife and now held it to his side.

"I was prepared to fight my way through him…"

Lianzhong smiled at Po rather evilly, and with a sharp gasp and a breath, Po inched further away. I must get out of here! I have to go warn Master Shifu!

"Uh, um….h-he was doing you a service…"

"A service?" Lianzhong sharply raised his voice and pointed the knife at him threateningly. He then shook his head and let out a psychotic laugh. "No, no, no, he was NOT doing me a service."

Po swallowed nervously as Lianzhong went on. The fierce sheep eventually shrugged.
"You know, maybe he did," Lianzhong stepped another step forward. "He brought me straight here to where I can really harm him."

Po backed away, now forgetting about the tree and backing towards the massive slab of stone.

"...and once I kill your master and my pathetic student, I will be able to control and go anywhere I want."

Po's heart raced faster than ever before. His breath was hoarser, and every muscle in his body tensed. He had to get to his master, and fast. Before either he would harm him or even Po himself. He also couldn't let Lianzhong harm Mian, for he was obviously after him as well.

Po leaped up, and took a risk, hoping that Lianzhong wouldn't kill him or shove the knife in his chest before he could run away and get some speed towards his master. Luckily enough, Po was able to slip away and race through the grasses, heading towards his master. He heard Lianzhong let out a ferocious yell that he had never really heard sheeps do, and he raced even further. Po didn't even look back as he raced through a little winded path through the forest and ended up falling down to his master and bowing to him.

"Master, Master, please-" Po begged, grasping his master's arm and pleading with him. "It's Lianzhong, he's…" Po tried to catch his breath, for he ran a short ways but he ran like he had hardly ever ran in his life. "He's probably coming, he wants to kill the both of you."

What? How can that be?

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