This will be a final chapter, for now. Gray has plans to write a whole novel before going for a green light!
Now, back to Po's party!
- GrayZeppelin
10/18/2019
Volume One: A Visitor
Chapter VII
A Night to Remember, Part Two
"By the Gods, look at their faces!" Mantis surprised on Monkey's left shoulder, widening his eyes.
One-hundredth dumplings later, as Po lost count when Xing figured, both Dragon Warrior's cheeks swelled and so did to Big Fun, who held his small pie hole with a hundred dumplings in his swelling cheeks. The Dumpling Challenge began earlier after Po's twin cousin Dim announced the party. Po and his challenger, Big Fun, dug their mouths wide open while their paws (one pressed against and the other grasped) gathered more than two hundred dumplings. Many around the panda challengers cheered, and one of the pigs loudly whistled to his amazement.
"You got this, Po!" Crane next to the tiger supported.
"Get him, Big Fun!" One of the panda villagers encouraged.
The challenge was going rapid from the start, as both Po and Big Fun caught their bowls of five dumplings in each one. Now twenty dishes to their sides (as in a total of forty) towered to their heights. Most of the pandas have their records of eating most dumplings as if only one panda, Li Shan, got the highest record of one-hundred and three dumplings so far.
Holding his lips, which stretched all sides, Po glanced down and caught one bowl of five dumplings. "This challenge is entertaining!" one female villager of rabbit stunned, and the crowds roared their surprising moments. Xing, as Crane was the first who watched his tiger colleague, widened his whole mouth.
Wow! Xing had only thought without a single word.
"Is this your first time seeing this challenge, Xing?" Crane asked loudly.
"The first!" He finally answered, still watching the pandas pressure their lips closed as soon as both continued to swell their cheeks.
The Dragon Warrior hammered his fist. "Un-Hunthred-thee, thing funs!" Po muffled.
"That's my score!" Li lifted both fists in the air.
"Can he break your record, sir?" Wolf Boss asked beside Li Shan near Shifu and Mr. Ping, now amazed.
Li Shan laughed. "No way!" he shook.
"BIG FUN CAN'T HOLD IT!"
One of the twin pandas announced, gesturing the group. Big Fun shut his eyes hard, his cheeks and head trembling with light red. The swells shrunk, and within his mouth, many dumplings rushed under his throat, and Big Fun swallowed them all, grunting and thudding against the table.
"One hundred and two!" Sim and Dum counted.
Now the crowds inclined their exciting tones even loud. The Dragon Warrior grasped both dumplings. "HE'S GONNA DO IT!" Mantis shrieked.
"DO IT!" Tigress next to her nephew dared.
"He'll never get one hundred and five!" Crane flattened both feathers on both sides of his face.
"Is anyone got the highest record after one hundred and three?!" Viper gasped.
"No one hasn't!" A goose messenger Zeng ahead of the Furious Five answered.
The whole crowd was witnessing with silence, but Po's grunting voice. His thought was indeed timed to let the panda swallow many, but he could go further insanely to his second thought. I better get to it! Po slightly opened his struggling lips and darted both dumplings in without hesitation.
"One hundred and five!" Mantis announced, but now the people awed as their breaths stopped engulfing into their lungs. Po lifted and slammed the table, the bowl spinning backward it placed on top of his towering plates. His swallow was rougher, which his throat spread the swell and his belly. And the Dragon Warrior reached out the air.
"WE GOT A NEW RECORD!"
The horde of villagers and masters boomed their supportive acclaims after Monkey's announcement. Panting with rough exhaustion from whole dumplings after swallowing, Po grinned at many crowds before finally glanced at Tigress, who nodded with closing her eyes simultaneously. Beside her, her nephew kept his whole mouth open along with Crane, who did the same, but widened even more than Xing — their unbelievable expressions shared their thoughts of — By the Gods! — when meeting their eyes to themselves.
An hour went by to Po's party, going soft while Po had helped by his two dads, placing every table and chair to where they belong. Mantis pivoted as he hurled the bowls while Monkey above the restaurant caught them at each three (including one for his tail). Wolf Boss speaking Li Shan near the left entrance, was enlightened to keep in touch for him and the panda more instead of faults to blame. Chuckling, Li Shan and Zhong shook their paws with respective nods.
Moments later, both Tigress and Xing strolled down near the Jade Palace stairway as if the time they determined, soon to be late as usual after their discussion for the tiger returning to Jade Palace for further investigation by watching him discipline his thoughts, even while being this white dragon inside him. The Nine now rode on the Valley of Peace boatman toward the western river, and Masters of Jade Palace started back to Jade Palace.
Midnight
Tigress held both scent sticks close to the middle of the intricate rug after she lit twenty jade candles ahead of her. She had one last plan to attend her private meditation, as Shifu encouraged her to make a time of Oogway's spiritual presence. Many years had passed since the kung fu creator's farewell goodbye — Tigress would have thought of him more, despite when she saw her red panda father holding the grandmaster's wooden staff, saying to Po — Not anymore—, that was when she was late to say goodbye to Oogway.
Grandmaster's tone healed her in every way Tigress listened to him. Oogway was her close adoptive grandfather. As she was part of a young adult, the time of herself was genuine, even when she had terrible days, wanting to make Shifu proud, be like him.
No matter how hard you try, you'll never be Shifu. The question is: Will you be Tigress?
The Five alpha breathed in a while, her eyelids shut. "Inner Peace." Tigress soothed her tone, humming her throat.
Her right ear began twitching, making her a soft irritation. Tigress was also perceived by Master Shifu as he was sometimes disturbed to one of the messengers, whether good or terrible, to fill the reports. He was not always annoyed to hear them, as Tigress recalled once more. Instead of ears twitching more, Tigress let out her soothe inner peace tone she continued.
Her right ear wildly twitched, so as the flapping echoes were close enough somewhere behind Tigress. "Is anyone flapping wings in here?" Tigress demanded, not wanting to grow irritation.
Behind the sliding door was the Jade Palace messenger peeking to the side.
"Oh! I'm sorry to disturb you, Master Tigress," regretted Zeng, pressuring both eyes. "I didn't know you are meditating."
The feline grinned. "I'm almost done meditating, Zeng. You don't have to wait for me to finish the zen," Tigress stood up and headed to the sliding door. "Any good or bad news, if I may ask?" she inquired, both of her paws in front clasping.
"Yes," Zeng nodded. As the messenger gestured his index feather, he and Tigress craned. "I come here to let you know he is near." The goose murmured.
"He?" Tigress confused, drawing her head back a little. Only one thought of a word He closing toward Jade Palace, the feline's mind was beaming. "Yes. I know where he's going."
The doorway creaked in vibrant as if going quietly like raindrops. Between the gaps after the gate opened, the snow leopard entered the Hall of Heroes, relieving. At every step, the nostalgia struck his heart and mind he remembered of himself being in here. The monuments. Ancient artifacts. Hero banners which warriors fought for the lands of China. His seventh step toward the jade marble floor stopped him. He was at this position, this remembrance of how he could have (almost) became the Dragon Warrior.
Standing ahead of the Great Dragon were Oogway and Shifu smiling at him.
Tai Lung hardly sniffed that he could see this reflection. He had achieved in many ways, smirked at his masters. He made his father and grandfather proud. Even after his accomplishment, Tai's lips curled downward from Oogway, who turned away from his student. Why turning away from him? What did Tai Lung do wrong?
He would not ever watch the past that struck Tai Lung's heart painfully. This was ever going to hunt him in his life. He wanted to know of Oogway's regards, especially his red panda father, who helped him going across the bridge where his accomplishments have built his near victory. Before the Five and Dragon Warrior, they made loyalty, love, and bold. After his long sigh, all three he once has known crumbled into a million pieces of embers.
Tai Lung ambled toward the jade candles to the right. The old banner painting of an elderly tortoise master danced and spiraled the wooden staff, once known as the original creator of kung fu.
Tai knelt to himself, struggling on the dirt.
The beam was all the brightest cheese, almost the shining star than the sun. The ground soil was all normal: soft wet, and dry in between the two. The concrete at nowhere else sighted ahead of the leopard's chi eyes. His fur was drastically beaten, his muscles stiffened and sored from fighting. His throat burnt to a horrible growl Tai Lung wanted a rematch.
And where is he now? In this solitude place? His face was stunning than horror Tai broke his grin, yet in agony from the fall, from the stairs, from the— the panda's butt? He shook. The surroundings were warm. The yellow dimmed to a regular glimpse of this holy land Tai Lung inaudible gasped and wondered his head. The terrains floated. Abandoned temples flew with the rest of the territories, ancient and desolate ones.
The Great Dragon examined the dirt, which to him were real and unmistakable. The water ripples dazzled with pale and yellow. It was beautiful. How did the leopard come here in this prosperous realm and lonely lands? He thought Tai would be dead by now, by Wuxi Finger Hold. The panda didn't kill him. He banished the Great Dragon.
The leopard's fur once stroke by the warm chi that swam within his waving fur. Flowing on his chest, soaring among his neck and head, Tai Lung breathed in with a long gasp. Most of his fur returned to normal as many bruises yet dissipated, nothing to see dark and rough sides, including small fighting cuts. He naturally cured this relief with such an old-fashioned remedy, similar to a small glass sphere was filled with fire, and you placed it on your skin to swell the bruise and cast the pain away.
This relief was warm, and Tai Lung knelt, bridging both paws to the dirt. The yellow surroundings stopped swimming over him as he glanced up to where it was engulfing him. Ahead of the Great Dragon was the cherry blossom tree, the leaves rustling with many whispers to his name. The reptile's hand reached out to his left.
It was his grandmaster who refused the leopard by becoming the Dragon Warrior.
Gentle steps approached his left as well. These steps were subtle and soft to Tai Lung as too well and hard to forget.
"You are late."
Late? She must not have known how long I was griefing to my Wing Wu. Tai Lung shook, masking his aggression. He looked back to where the voice was natural with determination. Tigress held her breath, her chin posing at regular height. "Good evening to you too, Tigress," Tai Lung spoke, bending his muzzle.
"I didn't mean to be rude," she defended.
"I thought I could come here and pay my respects to Oogway."
The snow leopard glanced at the wooden pole. It perched ahead of the jade candles. "What caused his fate?" Tai Lung asked.
"He went away."
To her perspective was Shifu had told Tigress how their grandmaster's time prevailed, knowing his fate was no longer thriving to occupy Mortal Realm, despite many years of his journey passed on, thus his recognition.
The leopard's throat hummed. "Shifu didn't tell me how Oogway died," Tai Lung said, "I met the Grandmaster once in the Spirit Realm."
"You did?" Tigress inquired. Her tone was quite relaxed as she had to suppress her surprising thought.
"Oogway was at the Peace Tree he meditated, once knew my presence." Tai Lung began, staring at the monument painting of Oogway balancing his strength with the wooden pole beside the peach three. "While I was in deep agony after the panda defeated me, I couldn't bear to fight against the tortoise. His brown eyes were staring at me. He sensed the pain within me — how my master declined my right to claim the scroll. He mistakenly rejected my future."
"Everyone makes mistakes," the feline said. The snow leopard Tai Lung turned to his shoulder, which both of them lifted his dark gray fur simultaneously.
"His mistake became worse than everyone blaming Shifu and me." Tai Lung pointed out. Under his throat was echoing his growl. Tigress's tail was swift in small ways to both sides, and her left ear twitched as she separated her both paws, her pre-fighting stance locking.
"You have no concern of me how I visioned the success from Shifu, and I did," Tai Lung continued in troubled concern, palming his chest he strolled toward the feline. "He built my future that I would never let my master down. You started from the beginning to do things like a warrior. To follow the path, you must do every way to achieve challenging tasks, and all you do is listen to your teacher. As you did, however, it took years to heal bones that cracked, forging the accomplishments, built knowledge after reading almost a thousand scrolls and made you stronger from excruciating pains and sores from thousands of attacks and thousands of defenses against tactical models.
"You tested in front of the wise and general's eyes, to foresee you as the next worthy of becoming a warrior, you followed your master. As usual, after you have done something proud in front of your teacher—"
The Great Dragon hesitated, his thought almost clouded Tigress could read his agitated expression.
"Go on." Tigress supported further.
Tai Lung glanced back to her, dazzling his sunlight eyes. "— the high-rank lord or a master rejected your future." He explained, his tone ripping into depression. He kept his eyes look at the feline without turning away. "Do you know what it was like when you built your future and once made your family proud, but then destroyed your creation by some rude master who implored any sportsmen to fit and rejected you because of the excuse?"
Now his tone became fierce by mistakenly raising his storming voice.
"Tai—"
"Do YOU?"
The feline's heart was now hammering from the inside — Tigress could hardly share her sympathy; she would not want to reveal - I'm sorry - look. She might have contemplated Oogway's reason, but to only the grandmaster's explanation, he felt tenderness and shadows swarmed within his student's heart. "Oogway said his rejection caused everything," Tigress said with certainty. "He saw your heart, Tai. The last thing Oogway fancied was—" she glimpsed the leopard's heart and his eyes, "— you turning against him and Shifu."
"Of course he did," he shook. "What else is there inside me?"
"The fortunate son," Tigress answered.
Tai Lung always heard of his adoptive father's recognition, and so did to Tigress; she attended Shifu before the rhino guards sent Tai Lung to Chorh-Gom Prison. Relieving his sigh, Tai Lung ambled toward the moon pool, and Tigress followed next to him, including every move she would have to prevent his surprise attack.
"What did Shifu do to you while I was in the void?" he asked. "He replaced me."
"He treated me well. The only treatment Shifu raised me after you were gone, things were — difficult."
"What?" The Great Dragon stopped and turned to Tigress with a silent glare, his pupils shrinking. "Difficult? Now you are giving me attention, Tigress. You are telling me you and our father had difficulties? And why was that exactly?"
"You do not know how I feel after you were gone." Tigress locked on Tai Lung, her monotonous tone shattering into seriousness. "Since you were in Chorh-Gom, there was only one who I felt so loved. Every time Shifu looked at me, he forced me into hard work and did his missions."
The moon pool beside them both reflected its light ocean blue ripples, striking onto their garments and fur; Tigress pressed her lips. "I made every success for him for the sake of Oogway and Jade Palace. Shifu sometimes smirked at me when I finished training and defeated bandits. He always pushed me into difficult paths. Every mistake I've made to discipline, Shifu pushed my task harder than your training."
"He hurt you," Tai Lung discovered.
"Not when he could have turned back against me, Tai Lung," She snapped but refusing to reveal her mental weakness. "Shifu was never like that."
"He hurt you to get rid of every pain so you can become immobile and stronger," Tai Lung perceived, palming his chest. "So did I was hurt, and we both know Shifu made us turning to a weapon. He loved me. And Shifu closely adored you."
Her chest quivered as if the feline's throat softly growled. The leopard sensed the boldness rage. For many years, you are still angry. The leopard determined with a solemn glance. "Once in your life, do you always hated him? The way our father blindly treated you?"
Tigress held her stance, her tail swinging and ears flickering when Tai Lung ambled near her personal space. "Careful, now," Tigress silently snarled.
"I do feel what it's like not being loved! I had terrible days, even you had! Tell me I am wrong?!"
"Tai —"
"TELL ME!"
Tai Lung's fur bristled, to his facade, went irate after her thunderous shout. Both did train along with their teachers he and Tigress succeeded — the Great Dragon was once young and tall, and a young student from the Bao Gu was small and innocent. Sadly, neither of them had a better life; knowing the difficulties, they focused mostly on kung fu but rarely showed affection toward their masters (Oogway mainly supported both once more).
Being loved by their master was optimistic to Tai Lung, more affectionate than Tigress. She attended to accomplish such challenging goals harder, making Shifu sure if his adoptive might be the chosen Dragon Warrior (neither of them was). "You are not." Tigress finally soothed her growl down to her throat.
"Good evening, Masters."
An intelligent voice interrupted, and both warriors peeped, their jolt reactions now returning with a normal glance. The Nine's Messenger padded ahead of both Tigress and Tai Lung. "Pardon my presence. I did not mean to startle you both when I set foot in here, but you have left the palace doors open."
"Good evening," Tigress greeted. "Yes, we have finished this private discussion, so you are welcome."
"Forgive me, sir —?" Tai Lung asked, but Tigress filled the introduction.
"This is Kong, the Nine's Messenger from the Prosper Valley. My aunt's messenger."
Tai now noted to meet the Nine's Messenger and clasped both paws behind his back. Tigress grinned and stepped in front of Kong. "What brings you here, if I may ask?" she politely inquired.
"Your nephew sent me here to inform you and Masters of Jade Palace this urgent news from the Nine."
"What news?" Tigress and Tai Lung determined.
20 Minutes Earlier
A small cat junk sail trekked into the river, meeting the twilight moon (which reflected its gleam of the broken glass night) that slowly sunk toward the western horizon. Indeed, it was late, as Tigress's nephew thought of the time to return to Prosper Valley. The view was such ravishing to enjoy, but you were supposed to sense your surroundings whenever trouble could always approach.
"As soon as we come home, you will practice the Nine's Vow in the morning," the tiger said to Wolf Boss. He and the lupine perched in front of the small cat junk sail as both Nine students Fanshe and Bao behind them, sat near the mast. "The knowledge you will read, it takes about a few days to know the rest of phrases."
The lupine nodded. "What will I become, Xing?" Wolf Boss asked, his only-eye glancing at the tiger so wondering. "Is it going to be similar to your title, like my daughter's title?"
"Yes. You will get a spontaneous title, just as I found a word for you that will fit in."
"Like what?" Zhong interestingly inquired, smirking.
Xing knuckled the wolf's upper shoulder. "You'll see."
"Bao, cookies," The ape behind Wolf Boss and Xing hummed.
The cobra on Bao's forehead surrounding him chuckled. "Sure thing, Bao. We are almost home, big guy," the Nine's Venom promised.
"Does your gorilla student speak like that all the time, Xing?" Wolf Boss raised his eyebrow. His question was quite curious.
"Bao only calls his name, and speaks into one to three of any words," Xing clarified. "Fanshe here remembers him talking normally during Master Viper's second attack. Bao's uncle caged his nephew, and Fanshe set him free from bandits. Until all this fight went to chaos and a family problem thingy, his uncle heaved a giant log near a bank river, and whiplashed Bao's skull."
Wolf Boss cringed, palming his head behind him. "I cannot imagine how it hurts, but of course, I felt Shen's blades nearly pierced my lungs and heart."
"Worse than whiplash."
The moon above the horizon luminously stroked its crepuscular gray-blue light on their furs. The tiger deemed of the wolves as if Wolf Boss told the tale of how lupines howled - supposably calls of introduction, shares of howling signs depended on their tones, and they even while the moon was not among the heavens, Wolf Boss's bloodline followed the tree of many Whispering Warriors; they whispered while in the battle with Tenshu Army.
Zhong's daughter was part of her father's side, amazed to contemplate these Tenshu legends defeating against the Scarlet Moon demons. Before the Tournament, the trio of tiger, albino peacock, and wolf met a soothsayer from Gongmen City; she used to sense the flow of memories, describing their souls, aside from where the trio came from in China. Lotus had the blood of Tenshu. Lord Dongji had the essence of a royal bloodline from ancient peafowls, followed by his father and many ancestors, and Xing had a blessing to defeat dark souls, and here he was.
All of China witnessed the Dragon Warrior's newest successor, who eradicated the wrath of Prince of Darkness.
The tiger's mind drifted to some curiosity, seeking both a wolf and a peacock, connecting their friendship once again. On his other thought, while considering both warlords, they trekked back from northeast near a ten-mile hike of Mongolia to their home, neither of Shen and Wolf Boss had been in touch ever since both Dongji and Lady Xia fled.
"I would not like to ask you this: Zhong. Do you still blame Shen?"
The lupine glimpsed at a concerned tiger. "I'm not going to be a judge and be mean, sir. I want to know that you two are still close," Xing lifted his eyebrows.
He does have caring purposes. Zhong thought, looking down to fill his consideration. Reflecting the albino from a child so innocent to a sinister lord who Zhong watched him in horror, the one-eyed wolf nodded. "I do not punish him for the way he hurt me, almost killed his right-handed commander," he began, eying on Xing. "He couldn't control himself when the panda and his friends were coming straight at us near the Harbor. Shen was always menacing. A bit of ill-temper, he still had, hated somebody whispering behind his back. He only felt loved a little from his parents before his parents exiled us all."
"For this Shen, you are talking about him right now," Xing embarked logically, "he's progressing into good manners. Po's training him how not to intimidate the people, including the enemy. My aunt soon plans her training with my grandmother's adoptive son, to show him compassion and redeem Shifu's student for tearing his goal apart."
"The snow leopard guy, right?" Wolf Boss guessed, and the tiger nodded. "Hmm. Shen and I once mentioned that guy before since our exiled days. Shen made the shell device that could shut his whole movement, but only you have to breathe instead."
Xing heard the device before, as Po and the Five once shared Tai Lung (however it was forbidden to know in public but only private) that while in prison, the Great Dragon bent knees and whole body forward to the stone structure, with his back engulfed with a metal shell which had multiple shots, and both arms spread wide with metal links, attached with both enormous rocks.
Glimpsing at the moon sinking into the western horizon, Xing sighed to tiredness. "What is Lotus look like when you and my daughter were small?"
The tiger easily impressed by the wolf's question, mentioning his best friend Wolf Boss had a curious impression. He could see Xing pull his grin, his eyes meeting the breaking lights down the surface.
"When Ming and I first came to Bao Gu Orphanage," Xing began, now his tone was in between monotonous and emotional, "my grandmother searched one of the orphanages who my sow teacher witnessed a girl who dashed from the dirt road and asked the child where was she running from the woods. Many orphanages were startled at the small courtyard where they stood there. What they saw was the girl who my sow teacher brought her there. A lovely, lonely, alpha wolf. Ocean eyes. Sharp teeth. Brown qipao uniform. —"His paw rotated near his left cheek. "— And cheek scratches."
"Cheek scratches?" Wolf Boss widened. His voice was inclining with sharp and rough.
"The orphans that I discovered from the goat caretaker, they threw rocks at Lotus. Before they did, she wanted them to play with her," he continued. "Despite her teeth looked vicious as if not everyone went near her, orphans and caretakers retreated from her. She attacked some bullies who tried to break her arms about a week before Ming and I arrived there. While I was in the playground courtyard, as my Nana was speaking to the owner inside the room, I was brave to go near Lotus; she was angry at me, defending herself from anyone who tried to hurt her. Of course, I am not one of those mean children who would have done torment her like they have no life to see sympathy.
"She was sobbing and bent her head to her arms on the table," Xing spoke more like the past of his and hers were fortune and bright, repeated the history since yesterday he remembered most. "I dared myself to sit beside her, not noticing what Lotus could see me. I placed my left paw behind her back, stroking her fur. While most of the orphans approached, watched me stroking your daughter, her sobbing was all quiet.
"Lotus looked up to me beside her, with dawns that shone toward mine, I told her what my grandmother and I implored the caretaker as Lotus… embraced my whole body. Her licks brushed and poured all over my face for over a thousand times what she wanted to have desperately. Orphans and caretakers saw her outside is a monster. On the inside, depression and loneliness swallowed her. Both Ming and I discern what she needs in her life."
"Love," Wolf Boss answered.
"Love, Zhong."
Wolf Boss's lips spread more into a fortunate sight, humming his tender throat. "You and your grandmother raised her so well. I commemorate you as Lotus's brother-figure, staying close to my favorite daughter. Ha! You and Lotus have deep bonds, and your grandmother mentioned you both sleeping together."
Ming sees and hears everywhere. Xing nodded.
"Yeah. Your daughter loves resting beside me," the Nine's Leader answered, his paws clasping ahead of his belly. A wooden sign Welcome to Prosper Valley, the bamboo poles held one, and the other amid this bayou had passed. "When having sleeping issues, or a nightmare, Lotus comes to my bedroom and lays in front of my chest, her head meeting my warm heart."
"Do you love her?"
Zhong's unbreakable question struck the tiger hard. Xing's throat tightened back as this father's voice was half solemn and half kind. If starting to go awkward or a little frightened ahead of his or her father you meet, noticing you genuinely care to someone, would you need to be honest? You have to.
"I mean you and my daughter together," Zhong lightly repeated his question with a clear mind.
Seconds went by as the tiger had never felt of the wolf's voice, which flown with rime like a hammer, registered into the boy's heart and his whole spine. "With all of my heart, sir."
That was Xing's straightforward answer.
Although, Wolf Boss could determine the tiger loved one wolf. He had seen many wolves to his clan before, cherishing omegas. This was nothing wrong compare to his people; they, including him, cherished loved ones. "You are such honest for your good," Zhong beamed.
The Nine and Wolf Boss padded down to the cobblestone path after the boatman from the Valley of Peace sailed to where small junk boats parked — the boatman decided to rest well instead of sailing into the bayou. Ironically, it was best not to go alone in the dark.
Roaming near the palace doors, Xing heard Wolf Boss's nose sensing into the sky. "Wait," Wolf Boss patted the tiger's chest, his whole pupils shrinking. "This smell is different."
"The latch stayed open," Fanshe warned and pointed his tail to the lock, which one of its arms had opened, and the intricate wooden door of The Nine had opened slightly. Xing gestured his signal of prep-fighting Chin-stance and arms guarding forward, so the whole group did. The door creaked opened after entering the Fighting Square.
"Bao, Fanshe, check the corners and in Master Ming's room. Zhong, you follow me," Xing whispered.
Xing and Wolf Boss carefully treaded while their arms were guarding forward.
Obeying to the Nine's Leader as they told, both gorilla and cobra sneaked over the pathway into interior corridors where Master Ming occupied in the room, and so the Rice Restaurant they skulked before craning their heads to one side on each structure.
"What do you smell?"
"Revolting smell with wood, and something is stirring close," Wolf Boss silently growled. His nose followed the fresh trail into the grayish marble floor. The path stopped within the wooden yin-yang door with two dragons bounded to one. Xing and Wolf Boss nodded; the tiger armed his guard, and the wolf copied the movement. Quietly pushing the door open —
"Sūnzi!"
The murmuring voice was horror with tenderness feminine. It was the tiger's grandmother, jerking her grandson's whole wrist in, and Wolf Boss entered.
"Nana! What happened? Where are—?" Xing confused with his eyes brightening than the moonlight, but small steps to his left were rapid. The Nine's Doctor gasped.
"Thank the Gods! You guys are here!" The rabbit widened, her voice was solemn and unease, wanting to yell.
"Hong, what happened? Why was the entrance door outside left unlatched?"
"Xing—" Ming pressed her grandson's shoulder.
"Where is Lotus?"
Ming's other paw pressed her index against her soft lips. Flattening his demanding tone down, Xing followed Ming's command. "She's safe and inside her room, Xing. You need to regard this trouble right now." She whispered. The door beside them opened as both Bao and Fanshe entered into a glance of awareness.
For a moment, the group followed the Nine's Corridor, which one room only lid in there, with a giant shadow of a big yak sitting. "Gidahn is in your room, recovering a visitor. This visitor must not be disturbed."
"Who is the visitor?" Xing anxiously murmured. He swam his head. "Wait a minute. Is the Emperor here?"
"If he had thousands of guards outside defending the valley, my sūnzi," she glazed and slid her grandson's door open, "you wouldn't ask."
The question was not that stupid but was getting close to determine that Xing thought most of the Emperor's guards were special, dressed in long cloaks or eastern gold robes Huangdi called them as Emperor's Super Guards (only less than ten soldiers), vowed his/her life to protect Highness until the end of days.
This visitor's numb grunt was in, sounding rough and giant — Xing's heart was hammering; he could sense the veins within him, his lips biting back. He and Ming observed the room where the candle only glared to the yak farmer's left. Gidahn glanced at both tigers; nonetheless, this yak felt Xing's silent look, the tiger collapsed his whole jaw.
It was this visitor who came from one of his nightmares. It was this visitor who fought many battles in the Great War that Xing formerly admired the beast. A five-hundred-year-old warlord lay on Xing's bed.
Author's Note:
— Dun Dun DUUN! Now this will be a night to remember, Bilbo Baggins once said to Gandalf the Gray.
— Regarding this dumpling challenge, how you approve or disapprove, I would have put Po's dad to prove that his son will be worthy of beating Li Shan's record to 103 dumplings. One hundred and five aren't so bad to Po's new record after defeating the panda, all right!
— We know a little background of Lotus's childhood, as her ideal seems familiar to our Tigress friend. Both have ironic to anticipate their beginnings as neither of them wanted to be vicious creatures — the orphans and caretakers visioned them both as dangerous creatures.
— That will be now for this shocking moment! Thank you all for reading! Punch a follow/favorite if you are fond of this book! Review if you have a mind of my project! And wish me luck to finish the sequel from KFP hardcore fan!