Volume Two: Eyes of Hate
Chapter XIII
Jade Palace Spar, Act One
I. Grotto
A growth from the Dragon Warrior's disciple progressed well. On every night within his room, he glanced at his parents' painting that they embraced themselves along with their albino son in the middle, and aside the picture was an elder goat in colorful robes who smiled and watched the peacock, gripping onto her root pole. Seeking their eyes, Lord Shen pondered if his care on all three he cherished made them satisfied. He was confident with fonds, pleased with his legacy to continue forward, thanks to the Emperor of China, who made Shen's son become the grandson of Peafowl Nobles.
His calming eyes scrutinized a single scroll from the ocean capsule he received from Zeng shortly. This color recognition by knowing the ancestors of his followed their purities and attributes. The scroll belonged to his son - a blue color, type of vividness, but unlucky to this nature as Shen indeed denied. His son's apparition, along with this lucky number "nine" while Shen reflected a Wing Chun group Fellowship of the Nine, was fundamental to last Lord Dongji's luck.
To Shen:
My confidence to be bonding with the swan's heritage is vivid, Father. Her side possesses harmonious gratitude, and so to her kind, they bestow our admiration for our family. Swans esteem my grandparents and me, as many people seek fortune and glory from my grandfather's ambition. I wish not to participate in their concerns to you as a disgraced peacock lord. Pardon my writing, as we both should look forward instead of envisioning dilemmas.
A swan lady and I grasp our words so you will someday arrive in Gongmen City, pay a visit while the presence of Lady's family lives at their home. Mother has plenty of doubts about seeing you later this month. I fear not having a family conflict, but it is to seek forward without persisting miseries behind us for my grandparents' purpose.
The insect's wings chimed in his room. "Good evening, Shen," A green insect entered the peacock's chamber.
"Mantis," Shen addressed him.
"I have words from Po that he will train with you at Dragon Grotto around midday tomorrow."
"Splendid."
Lord Shen hummed at once, rolling his son's letter and place in the scroll capsule. Mantis hopped onto Shen's bed. "Anyway, as I am a wordy person around Jade Palace, I always think of getting plenty of attention. In other words, most of us are likely to read our expressions and thoughts. So, wanting to be admirable talking to you, I like to ask: What were you reading?"
The peacock displayed his scroll message to the insect. "My son's letter."
"Lord Dongji of Gongmen City? He seems fancier than you. No offense."
The peacock gestured his feathers. "None taken," Shen's finality voice rumbled his rich tone.
"Your boy is sure happy to look after Gongmen City," the insect landed on Shen's desk, which a candle on a left-hand corner shimmered its sunset. "Not as I am a chronicler who reads a history of peafowls, but they do inherit their intelligence, spreading pure legacies well for centuries."
The peacock straightened his back. "Yes. This memoir of peafowls is quite ambiguous to discern how they inherited Eastern China. A lynx Emperor from two dynasties ago foresaw peafowls as fortune, and together, they built an ancient Undercity before Gongmen City exists."
"Really?" Mantis's inquiry to Shen's determination was wondrous to hear this ancient tale. The peacock kept his composure. "That's the one I have never heard of the story. Shame on me, by the way."
"No need to be a shame to yourself, Mantis. According to that term, it was nearly forgotten to decipher these antique Mandarin scrolls as my father's ancestors discovered them all."
Manifesting the insect's awe expression, Shen caught one of the Furious Five masters wander near his shoji door. Monkey cleared his throat and informed his dear insect brother that their nighttime passed. "Whoops. I better get some good sleep," Mantis sprang toward the door, glancing back to Shen. "I know this conversation was short, but it's good speaking with you, by the way. Good night, Shen."
"Good night, Mantis," The peacock nodded, and the insect waved.
Many chamber doors shut, and the peacock was the last one to close his. I will write my son's letter in the morning. Shen stashed his belongings where his items went and placed Lord Dongji's scroll beside his candles.
September 8, 1210
This midday shone its cloudy lights casting this fall breeze across the Qingling Mountains. Already followed to do so where the Dragon Warrior was, Lord Shen had wandered to the ridge side of gentle waterfalls, chanted flows into mists. Dragon Grotto was the peacock's preference, the only quiet grotto in solitude from disturbances that Shen disregarded for those who mentioned the mad peacock. A cave where you envision your complicated answers and life to dwell before you seek eternity.
Shen settled on a rug above the mossy rock where his crimson train leveled further from soft ripples behind him, musing one of the final teachings that Oogway passed down his gift to many of his students. And this gift unleashed your serenity from perturbation. Water from stony stalactite dropped, and the Dragon Warrior in his brown garment caught it. Waterdrop ran through the bear's limb and to the other, swimming his Tai Chi flow movements. Neither of your mentalities meddled while you were in inner peace.
The peacock's turn achieved a few attempts to repeat these flows before adapting to be flawless. Commencing at the bottom skill as a beginner may be a long journey toward a master. Tolerate one thing you shall need for the rest of your eternity: patience. Even Shen tried to obscure his tantrum behavior, and his mind endured within the void for roughly sixty years; a soft side was never too late.
A waterdrop plunged onto Shen's crests, and the peacock snarled under his throat. "Panda, I cannot do this."
"You got this, Shen. Patience is a virtue."
Shen flared his eyes. "How could I use patience when I had it, but inner peace never comes?"
"Because when your thought goes rough like wildfire, water will not settle flames further," Po answered, clasping his paws behind his back. "At first, you practiced well, Shen. Look, I know you have done this over a hundred times or even more. You see, I've had plenty of awesomeness attempts before, and most of us are different, earned it all."
Shen flexed his crest upward. "You hurled my cannonball, and though my thought on your achieving this inner peace of yours, it was breathtaking. And while this inner peace within me had happened so quick at my parents' Tower a few months earlier, I cast my creation away."
"It was an epic moment you told me!" Po gasped but nearly stumbled his balance as if his left foot plunged in the water. He chuckled while wobbling his saturated limb. "Have you even settled while meditating your tai chi flow?"
The peacock gasped, billowing his cheeks hard before he huffed with defeat. The panda's jade eyes grew wide. "Aw, come on! Did you know that my panda student Bao can catch a speck of rainfall, took a hundred attempts before his training was perfect?"
"Yes."
"And Lei Lei balanced her intensity after she meditated with Tigress outside of Student Barrack. Can you not see how she used her inner peace and struck her chi at iron ox's chest?"
"Of course, I noticed!" Shen's composure sank to fiery. While his feathers slapped his fronts, the peacock relaxed his tense breaths through his beak. The panda palmed Shen's back, and they strolled off to the cave's ridge. "I'm pushing this nonsense too hard."
"You'll get the hang of inner peace. No matter of any age like a child, young, adult, and old, they have their achievements toward success: nerves of steel, souls of platinum, and wisdom of persistence."
Strong wings flapped ahead of them as both Shen and Po sighted the goose messenger soar nearby. Zeng in golden robes saluted. "Master Po. Your colleague masters Xing and Lotus are near in the Valley of Peace."
"Excellent! They can test our skills and see students spar soon!"
"With this great news, however, they are bringing their students. General Kai, the Supreme Warlord of all China and the Nine's new member. Zhong of Houses Lang, Peafowl Nobles, and now Shui Palace has become the Nine's Commander."
"They have Zhong as their new member now? That's awesome!"
Beside Po, Shen hummed in surprise. "It appears my old companion vowed his life to my son's Wing Chun house."
"Wonderful!" the Dragon Warrior clenched his triumph gesture. "We shall bring some action figures in the arena, and many spar fights will be hardcore than ever!"
"Like never before," commented the peacock, whose head revolved.
"You see! Now we are on the same boat of awesomeness!" Po patted Shen's back. "Come on. Let's get back to Jade Palace and be ready for the training."
Sighed in relief from the panda's triumph deeds, Shen sauntered next to Po as the Jade Palace messenger Zeng flapped his wings, soaring toward the light gray mist that fiddled over stiff mountains. The peacock reminisced one of his father's artists who lightly soaked a white chart and painted every stroke of fading skies, ridges reaching for the heaven, and trees grasping the wind. His father, Lord Feng, echoed in his son's intellect.
Dragons were like spiritual beings throughout China, destined for — many Gods know — bear their elegant persistence. I perceived this story how this whole China created, one came from the stars, planted many natures, us born and educated to survive, and how to live in prosper. The dragon left his stream of clouds, enchanting the visions of a whole Mother nature that we thrive. The air we breathe is his lungs, that we are a gift to survive. The trees are the roots of our strength, bold enough to stand and share proportions to another.
An hour had swift as the peacock inside his chamber at the Student Barrack folded his silk sheet on his bamboo bed, glancing at other belongings that he stashed properly. Now that his thought reflected on a few histories, he interested in part taking his guide to the Jade Palace library, survey what could be astonished to him instead of listening to the panda's words across the hallway, announcing hardcore moments. When will he ever hold his tongue?
At the front desk, Shen unfolded one of the ancient scrolls from the library, which Grandmaster Shifu first handed the peacock three days earlier; Po shared the peacock's attention to Shifu with these mystical creatures. Aside from the metal dragon, Shen reckoned this loyalty and temper as he deemed his son's brother, chosen to cleanse every speck of darkness, reminiscing the stream of white clouds enter the shadow caves, vanquishing flesh and bones of evil.
The corridor swarmed with two cheers, racing down the corridor, and Shen's shoji door opened. A panda student in a fancy dawn qipao and lotus flower on her ear tittered her flowery tone. "Oops! Wrong room. I'll be right out, Bao!" she gestured to her companion.
Lei Lei cleared her throat after entering the chamber while Shen folded the ancient scroll. "I'm sorry, birdie. I didn't mean to bother your peaceful moments."
"It's fine. I can lead my way to the Jade Palace arena immediately."
"Have you seen my stripey?"
The peacock gulped, turning to Lei Lei. "I — I beg your pardon?"
"I mean Tigress."
He tugged his feathers in his long sleeves. "Your teacher is at the Training Hall, I believe, as I recall the pand- Po's words earlier at Masters Garden."
"Oh, okay. I should be there by now."
Lei Lei headed near the end of the sleeping corridor once Shen followed her. "You live here in Jade Palace, girl?"
"I am, Mi Lord," she said. Her complex head widened her eyes. "Oh, wait. My feline teacher once mentioned to you but not wanna be mean. She said you're not a lord anymore."
That female tiger has her spirit. Shen thought, humming after tugging his beak. "Your teacher is kind about me. I was once a lord."
"Then my peacock friend Lao is. He's my hero," her feet tapped against the hardwood floor.
"I believe so," the peacock agreed. "By the way, you are about to meet the class this morning by now?"
"Oh! Tigress is waiting!" Lei Lei sprang her feet, hurrying past the dining room. "And here's another," she turned to the peacock with thriving eyes. "My boyfriend Xing is bringing the Jade Slayer to the Jade Palace arena!"
"I am stunning about the yak's arrival as well," Shen determined, reaching for the wooden door as Lei Lei grasped the knob. "What do you consider of this Maker of Widows? Does his recognition title have in common for — something brutal — he had done?"
"Maybe a word widow has something to do with a lady who lost her husband? Grandma Panda said she had lost her grandson-in-law, who wedded to my mother. I was too young when he was killed, but she and my mom never talked about him," her ocean eyes had drawn to the hardwood floor, opening the door as Bao outside called her to catch up. "Anyway, about that 'recognition,' he's not what Kai used to be. You know, him being stronger than every master. So, without his supernatural abilities," Lei Lei's lips stretched to a mischievous grin to Shen, "I can beat him in a field with pandas!" Lei Lei reached both limbs higher and dashed toward the hills with Bao.
Shen huffed. Her idea appears to be having most of the flabby pandas take on this Jade Slayer.
Or so they thought of another greatest foe who scarred every panda's lives. . .
II. Spar Training
Four figures roamed at the main path in the Valley of Peace. One was awkward to look at his surroundings, full of wondrous gasps. Kai only pondered these villagers bow to the Nine and the Dragon Warrior's colleague who saved China. Passing through villagers, most of the pandas crowded the path behind the yak. The Mighty partly neglected on every panda they feared of his arrival; once the quartet waved at Mr. Ping and Li Shan before leading to the bridge, Kai eyed on his brother's temple, perching amongst steep mountains.
More than eight hundred steps later, Xing and Lotus nearly reached the front entrance of the Jade Palace arena. Wolf Boss and Kai followed. "Is this your first time seeing this temple, Kai?" Zhong asked.
"Only twice. The first was while in the Great War, Oogway and I built this temple with more help from our companions: Li Han, Zhanshi, and good soldiers I have known. Since my brothers and I collected fortunes from the collaborator who dealt with enemies beyond the north, we sold and received hundreds of thousands of yens; thus bounties, we turned a few bandits to the Emperor. Before Jade Palace to build, we funded the Emperor of China half of our yens, and he guided us with his builders to make a temple Oogway aspired."
"That's so cool to hear, Kai. I'm certain you are the co-creator of Jade Palace, right? I mean, you and the turtle guy are well-known for fonding green colors, like jade, or referring to jade warlords. Green is like healthy, my friend."
This dog is too friendly, and neither of my soldiers spoke with a stubborn general. The yak reflected. His former soldiers of those lupines had a good taste on their ruthless appetites on persistence, thus their talents of sensing individuals. A soldier of his was that known of his ally who gave the yak's life amidst battles; this wolf to Kai reminded him well. "So, what was the second time you were here?"
Kai caught his view on one of the garden masters to the left, in which a tortoise statue formed a kung fu flow with its pole. The yak's limbs yanked his clinging jade chains over the tortoise stone, spun with strong momentum as he put a smile on his face. "When I challenged Oogway's students. They were unworthy, and I never stood a chance to survey inside my brother's temple."
"Ha! Even though I faced them before, they were competitive than my own," Wolf Boss grinned. "These guys are so admirable. I envied the pack I've known would do the same, but Shen and I focused on intimidating people."
"You see, as a warlord," Kai embarked, "you propose your approach by persisting your way to treat enemies. As a leader or an acting commander, you always determine where those enemies diverge: some perform a blind move, and the others oppose your vulnerable path. Separating their whole army would lose their tenacities."
"That makes us two know battle strategies."
Wolf Boss was not wrong that Kai heard of the alpha wolf's perception. The mighty huffed his muzzle with a nod before the Arena's gate unlatched.
"Hey, you guys!" Po spread his limbs.
"Dragon Warrior," Xing addressed and knuckled the panda's fist; Lotus greeted Tigress with their paws courteously shaking.
"How are you, Lotus?"
"Looking fabulous so far, Master Tigress. How about you?" Lotus grinned her teeth.
"Same."
"Kitty!" Next to Tigress, Lei Lei scurried and tackled Xing.
"Oh! Hi, Lei Lei!" the tiger enfolded over her Lei Lei tittered. He heard soft buzzing chuckles ahead of him. Shifu approached.
"I see you have brought your students with you," the red panda grinned as he pinned his wooden pole. "Welcome to Jade Palace, Zhong."
Wolf Boss bowed to Shifu after Xing blessed Lei Lei's forehead. "Greetings, Master Shifu. It's my honor to meet you, sir."
After greeting each of Xing's students, Shifu's ocean eyes gleamed like ripple diamonds sighted one, enormous gray yak rotating his head, making Kai's mane slip onto his right shoulder. "Fluffy cat," the mighty introduced.
With that being obnoxious to a terrible start of introducing to one another at the time being, Kai glimpsed at his tiger master stepping ahead of Shifu. "Ahem. Pardon my student's attitude, Master," Xing apologized, walking away with Shifu toward the Arena's square. "It's been a long walk from here to my palace."
"Understandable. How is your grandmother, Xing?" Shifu simpered.
"She's very kind to see your presence."
The red panda chuckled. "Seeing Ming to my palace makes me smile once more."
"Agreed."
"I assume you have brought your student Kai to Jade Palace. And you and Lotus will be willing to guide the Mightiest Warrior a challenging path."
"Yes, Master. We'll make sure that Kai's posture won't insult you again."
The mighty trained his eyes on these crocodile models beside both Xing and Shifu, which started from left to right, were beginner levels to advance dummies. He assumed that only the young he perceived two pandas Bao and Lei Lei, would participate in their kung fu ranks between intermediate and advance. But these golden amber eyes shone from a warrior, whose limbs crossed and clouded fur bristling next to the albino peacock. Tai Lung and Kai locked their sharp eyes at themselves.
While there was no time to antagonize each other, Kai ignored and united with Lotus and Wolf Boss toward the left Arena square as if both Bao and Lei Lei popped their clenching fingers. Tai Lung withdrew the yak's distance after the leopard passed the Five over when Po and Tigress joined with Xing and Shifu amidst the Arena square. "I require my student's attention to most of the spar levels. He'll have to foresee discipline and admiration to one another. At this time, Po and Tigress can spar with me to determine the Mind of Metal's defense."
"Good. May we spar with Xing shortly, Master?" Po asked.
Shifu chuckled. "Of course."
Tigress leveled her head while clasping her paws behind her back. "I assume the Mind in your heart should discover us as. . . friendly warriors."
"It has to," Xing nodded to his aunt.
The Dragon Warrior pinned his yin-yang pole with two clinks. "Alright! Let the spar begin!"
The Furious Five began observing panda students bow with their respective glances. Po and Tigress nodded before waving their red flags. Lei Lei formed her tiger style of kung fu, and Bao swirled his limbs of panda mobilities. Bao lunged his high kick first.
Lei Lei skidded her side from one foot, hammering down, elbowing her arm toward Bao's ribcage. Palming against Bao's fists, lunging his combos of dragon limbs, Lei Lei pivoted his arm, bowling Bao to a takedown she hailed. Anticipating the girl's paws motioning of her tiger style, Bao clobbered his heel kick; Lei Lei at an instant swirl with her hands snatching his foot, her other foot struck near two inches of the boy's throat.
Momentarily, Monkey and Crane bowed first before the training began. The bird extending his wings, including his single limb balancing his stance, made his first move, soaring above his opponent as Monkey spun and fisted both of his feet. The avian dodged his angle, made his talons grasp Monkey's wrists, and hurl at the edge of the Jade Palace Arena.
The simian landed his limbs flipping and motioning his monk characteristic, peering at Crane's next move of diving to him. He leaped over the avian's conical hat and bowled back, trodding forward; Crane spread his wings after the bird turned quickly. Deflecting Monkey's palm battering straight and the other misdirecting the bird's angle, Crane blocked his wings, booting his talon -
Monkey diverged his limb against the avian's straight kick, and his hand clouted at his chest, leading Crane to skid his talon marks on the square.
"Pity."
The tiger chronicled the Collector's blunt snout. Kai bridged his limbs on his side waists. "There's no such thing as 'pity,' Kai," Xing said while Monkey and Crane clashed together. "If this opponent in the tournament had disqualified during the fighting, he or she might have lost their dignity."
The albino standing next to Viper about three seats down to Xing's right pressed his beak into agreeable determination, tugging feathers in his long sleeves. He and Wolf Boss anticipated both warriors at the Arena square mark their first encounter; Monkey and Crane relieved their stamina strengths. The Dragon Warrior behind the simian supported his nod to the bird.
Shifu, sipping his white mug of hot tea stroking his fruity throat, appeared his eyes toward one of the warriors watching the spar. With his heart still gripped from looking away so hurtful, chi orbs met one, maintaining his chin. Tai Lung could hardly perceive his adoptive father's sense of convening that he and a red panda would want to start over their tenderness, away from such disturbing. Each of them followed their tasks, but theirs were a bit too far to believe how Tai Lung had been stubborn to become a tremendous success under Oogway's virtue. The Dragon Scroll did not express to Tai Lung anymore as neither of the Five was the Dragon Warrior.
Too much power on envisioning the triumph might not be destined to go for his goals.
The next thing was when the Jade Palace Arena gates opened after Zeng soared to Po and Shifu, mentioned of another visitor arriving soon, the red panda's heart ravishingly eased his grin. He expected of his old feline sister he wished to spend more time with, as Oogway would have done the same. An elder tigress in light cobalt hanfu simpered at every soul. Streaming with his glacial spine, Tai Lung left his regard, Tigress reading his dismay posture.
The tiger left his peacock brother's scroll open before Monkey and Crane began sparring on another round as both masters Po and Tigress signaled their flag gestures. Upon these paintings of gray surroundings, red signs of a previous Emperor's sigil, and most of the mandarin paragraphs indicating these clarifications of this "hunger chi" from gloom absorbs, Xing scrutinized Li Han's letters. For a moment, his grandmother's companion clarified these illusions before, part of a word the tiger caught "ascendance." In each phase of the apparition, the darkness devours a soul of chi, not thoroughly similar to General Kai's power-hungry jade power absorbing every master's chi.
"Chasing your fantasies at once, Xing?"
This elegant voice came from the albino, whose head craned down close enough. Xing bore not to keep those "drawings secrets," which he needed for those who had to contemplate his illusions. "Not for a while at the moment," half of Xing's lips curled, looked at Shen, and to the scroll once more. "While Li Han's scrolls are crucial to comprehend these complexities, my trails become cold to lead."
Kai's ears caught the name of his old ally of his, a birdie peacock brother who brought a superior cleverness to his warlord brothers. The yak eyed on his shoulder to his master, scrutinizing Li Han's scroll. When did my birdie write down these scrolls of his? What exactly happened to Li Han and my kitten lieutenant? Knowing his peacock companion was into reading scrolls, including ancient times of previous dynasties, which Kai hardly passed on. Still, only one warlord on his side seemed to be intrigued; the Maker never mentioned Li Han's new dynamic writings after the Great War.
"Trails?" Shen repeated.
"I paint whenever I feel odd. This illusion happened to plenty of those who caught up with the spit of ebony. On a rare occasion, they can see any subject and place that might or might not happen, but I cannot determine what's real or not," Xing clarified. "I suspect any unexpected visions remain to lurk, for now, at least."
Not for long, Crane made his final encounter to his partner's palm bashes after Monkey sprang in the air. The avian rolled and pivoted his legs, spiraling and clobbered simian's jaw.
Author's Note:
— I've shortened this chapter's length to make other paragraphs go for another Act to bring my boy fight on the Dragon Warrior and Tigress in the next chapter. Act Two will be promising to bring two baddies to spar each other. Be wary for the next update around May!
— To make things clear, I figured that I use Shen to head for the Grotto to meditate with Po, not wanting to be similar to another book I fond of reading Lord Shen's redemption story. There will be better for our peacock lord to practice somewhere nice and peaceful.