Volume Three: Deng Wa

Chapter XXXI

The Toy

November 15, 1210

For the last two weeks, incidents became rough to Xing which he had to be hearing distant news across China. The Nine were concerned about their brother's lack of focus, despite figuring out when and where to capture his rival, Wang. The new Jade Slayer, who could not compete against the one and only Master of Pain, vowed vengeance as Chen Xing merely understood Wang's concept. The deer might be vulnerable if he would not be the same by using more chi from each subject. Moreover, the Nine's Leader studied his former opponent well; meeting the challenger was coarse for the first time. He witnessed how Iron Antlers did not expect his master's satisfaction, in which Master Le's phrase — No weakness, no mercy! — could have his son shattered Chen Xing's bones in half. Lu Disciples's teacher was sinister, as the Nine recalled him hurting his son once. In the Nine's Dining Room, browsing more than twenty scrolls of all martial arts monasteries in China, Chen Xing regarded most of the temples, all masters and students eying on every matter across China, partaking to stop the new Jade Slayer as possible. The north mattered one issue as General Bear and Emperor Huangdi's Resistance remained in the Great Wall, and there's only one who must defeat Huoju's Commander for good.

Worry the black bear later. Wang is my new focus.

Around the next hour, the yellow sun rested on the celestial horizon and later rose. At the Fighting Square, the Mightiest Warrior observed his teacher's sword stances; the tiger's feet were sometimes off-balance, but to regain his steps while swinging the chokuto, the straight katana. Kai had handled several blades, including one that made the same material of heaven blade from the falling star. His wife used her Heaven's Wrath, and she called her newest wielder, his feline teacher. As the former mastery of sword fighting, General Kai carefully speculated Chen Xing's fundamental forms of laceration attacks.

Hammer down, hammer down, swing left.

Crosses left and right, and hammer down.

Chen Xing maintained his stone stance, the focus of attack as General Kai studied his movement. Partaking to continue sensing throbs of autumn breeze billowing dead leaves in the air and on the Fighting Square platform, the Mightiest Warrior found his wolf teacher sauntering from the sidewalk of Shui Palace courtyard. Her sapphire qipao outfit seamed crimson ribbons on her back, her pink foliages of lily flower and green thorns included on her upper chest. With elegance and hyper-calm, the Nine's Dancer Lotus clasped her paws behind her back, positioning next to her behemoth student.

Lotus simpered with a broad smile, her sharp teeth unveiling. "Xing's getting better, isn't he?"

"Too rigid," Kai said.

After a lunch break, the next phase for General Kai to test his accuracy for his limbs, the Nine's Heaver and Leader put his new ironwood Wing Chun model toward the north of the Fighting Square. Its material was crafted with dark steel and fiber wood, three arms plugged at the center, and one large foot aimed toward the floor. The new design was for colossus individuals, having the exact height of Kai, the only tallest warrior so far.

The Mighty inspected his feline teacher's basic Chi Sao flows from his arms in front of the wooden dummy, combining his forearm toward the bottom arm, the other on either two upper limbs, and tapping the third last. For the right arm: Bottom, left, bottom. And for the left arm: Bottom, right, bottom. Maintaining his basic flows, Kai followed his teacher's guide on palming two main parts upward and downward, alternating block combos to each arm and the next. Swift bridges; palm and fist thrust; counter block pivots; knife palm and kick.

The night filled with a brunette atmosphere, the moon's silvery crescent mirror touching the Prosper Valley. General Kai and Chen Xing were the only two outside the Fighting Square, their swift limbs connecting Chi Sao. The tiger launched his circle punches on Kai, whose limbs were deflecting with more than five blocks. Other five ones made for the Mightiest Warrior to practice intermediate parries. The bull began to reminisce his old teacher's ways when Xing's ancestor Chen Wing developed flexibility, combined with complex Wing Chun forms. Little by his current teacher advancing, his quick arms setting in alternate deflections, Chen Xing exceeded circle punches toward the bull's chest; the final blow wobbled Kai's balance to his fourth's step retreating.

Half amazed and half solemn, the Mightiest Warrior ruptured his low chuckles, stroking his flaring upper chest. "You obtained yourself a mighty blow, Little Kitten. The rest of your punches tickle my ribcages, and they will not save you from fearless combatants."

"I suppose they are defeated when they get tickles with any laugher?" Chen Xing spread and clenched his paw's fingers. "Hmm. I think I'll win battles ten times over."

The Mightiest Warrior pointed his hoof. "That stance of yours was firm, but your arms are strong," Kai determined.

"It's an improvement. I'm getting there," Xing nodded while dusting sweats off from his tense wrists. He found geese messengers in midnight robes beside the courtyard's shaft. "Fetch us my outfit and my student's shorts, you two."

Later appearing two strolling from the bathroom house, the tiger robed with another pair of black trousers and gray kimono with blue trims, and the bull with patched shorts the Nine's Dancer gifted Kai. They assembled small and average wooden dummies beside the weapon stash beside the gallery. Once the giant grabbed the seventh sandbag, Kai glided his fixed stare at the round target stands farther down near the courtyard's bridge. Each bolt line plunged on inner black circles, five in each target marked at the yellow center.

"How come you use your bow and arrow at a young age, do not miss a single bolt on those targets?" Kai pondered.

Good question. Chen Xing wrapped his red Mongolian bow and a kit of twenty arrows with blue feathers. "Someone I knew made me the best archer, but I rarely use weapons in part times. When I pick a different weapon that I do not master yet, I'll be one for a few months or more. I may be a good learner, mysteriously have a gift to be the mastery of weapons, but I never have those who are experts using their weaponry."

Kai's eyes fixed on the chokuto that rested on the weapon stand before leaving the sandbag to the side. "Who taught you how to use the sword?"

"No one."

This nonchalance answer delivered the Mightiest Warrior an intriguing pose, uplifting his ocean eyes. The Nine's Leader continued. "I use a wooden sword for sparring the villager's sons as they used to be guards, never attended to carry metal swords. So, they decided to educate themselves, and I am their best swordsman."

A sword student without a sword teacher. Possibly self-taught on his way.

The tiger raised his left eye. "I was wondering," he turned to his student, whose hoof brushed off his upper shoulder's silky gray-brown mane. "You can teach the Nine your ways. A five-hundred-year-old General wields a double-halberd, matching the other army's moves the way they feared you. Not the killing parts."

Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "Only if you and the girl only know I did not spare soldiers' lives. If I taught the Nine about my ways," he stirred his head close to his teacher, "would you slaughter enemies? If you break the 'no killing' code?"

"The Nine have no intention on slaying criminals, Kai," he enunciated while stashing his bow and arrows next to the weapons counter and wooden models. "Weapons do not kill people, only those with uncontrollable thoughts who wield weaponry do."

I believe he's starting to become a rational student. Kai pondered.

The tiger began strolling toward his wooden model, inspecting the arms' rough edges. "The Nine have their courage, managing their abilities to adapt to what frightened them before they no longer fear challenging aspects," Kai watched his feline student turning to him. "A simple question of mine shall guide me to speculate your worse fears. What are you frightened of, Kai?"

"Being nonexistent," answered the Mightiest Warrior.

"Something that everyone ignored you while you were in command?" the Nine's Leader determined, resting his left arm on the dummy's limb. "Your recognition being a General for the Emperor's army to lead was the value. I assure you, Kai, those who remained dead with good titles have their legacies continue forward. Recognition leads you to your reputation, the good and the bad. While you find yourself what's right for the people, including those you cared for, courage and honor match you. One of your warlord brothers was always your support, and he made sure you allow his direction on strategies."

Kai snouted. "You could say this brother of mine had more brains than the brawn speculating the battles. This warlord, who I bore him across the deep undertow river, fighting against the blizzard snow, and up through the mountain for days, he caused our brotherhood, ripped me off of my existence: my recognition," he tapped his hoof on his chest.

"He had to banish you when you were —" Xing drifted his mind on the scroll painting of the tortoise and the bull in the skirmish. Echoes from the Magnificent's soothed his voice of water. Our battle shook the Earth.

The tiger continued. "When you were not yourself. After your brother sent you to the Spirit Realm, seeing you gone did hurt his heart."

Kai rotated his head with his neutral posture. "And how was he hurt throughout the years?" he inquired with concern.

The Nine's Leader clasped his paws behind his back. "Lord Li Han wasn't the only one who had thoughts of you; he wrote only mentions of his mighty friend who suffered difficulties," Xing clarified. "It's in his volume scrolls 'A Song of the Great War' I have been reading. The peacock lord faced so many burdens. Deep down, he and Oogway never wanted to persist in the shadows, reckoning of their brother. Li Han wrote every script until he passed on, the way your brothers wished to share their tales to write."

The bull's widening sight fixed. "That Oogway locked his tale in the chest and threw away a key, so none of every soul could recognize who I am. And look at me, now. Guess who's back from the Spirit Realm," Kai extended his arms wide open. "These mortals have thrown bricks at me for not recognizing the Supreme Warlord of all China. My history is buried, nonexistent. You thank that tortoise who betrayed me."

Chen Xing shook his head. "Betrayal is a bitter flavor. I do not feel it is to shatter in pieces from anyone who will sell me out; I'll never see one in a million years," he ensured. "On the contrary of deception, loyalty is always the mind of understanding, the heart of sensing admiration."

In front of the tiger, the bull's rumbling steps encroached. Kai towered and set his ocean eyes on Xing's; the Nine's Leader remained still from his student's invading gestures. "Perhaps if you do see one, can you even bear deception, the cost of your heart that one of your own who will backstab you and cast your soul to the world of forsakenness?"

Kai's forceful grumble was earnest, almost quivering the temple's clay tiles. Chen Xing began to open his lips.

"Keep your words to yourself, the one and true Dragon Warrior's next chosen one," Kai cut him off. His blood boiling raced from his chest to his head. "If you are that flabby bear's worthy, why don't you summon your metal beast and see the forgotten warlord in pain?!"

He has been in pain. I'm freeing him from his distress.

The former Jade Slayer gave out his harsh exhalation while roughly sinking his hooves from his muzzle. "My ranting is done. You should—"

"I rather not," the tiger boldly said.

The bull's eyes went grim. "Then you and the girl are wasting time redeeming me, Little Kitten. I do not deserve to be in the Mortal World where every soul never cares about the Beast of Vengeance. We're done talking."

Kai sauntered into the Nine's Quarter without turning back from his teacher and quietly slammed the door close. Lotus was in the meeting room alone when she put away her brother's Li Han scrolls in the tan bag. She left one for Chen Xing as she could lastly read and hear her student rush in the corridor. Immediately to glimpse Kai entering his chamber, Lotus wandered her eyes on her feline brother, who roamed next to three wooden dummies at the Fighting Square.

The tiger head cast downward to his feet. Oh, brother.

Within one of the corridors, which spread with midnight blue silk surroundings except for the room with only an orange candle, Lotus was in Kai's room (part of the Nine's Pirate chamber that will be a priority to him reside), stroking the bull's mane on his left shoulder. "Do you often do this?"

Lotus created his line of manes to ribbon knots, one string and the other. "I did to my bull colleague like more than ten times last year. Shou was a pirate."

"Who is this Shou?"

"He's kind of similar to you. Not exactly that he has the resilience like yours and is taller than my gorilla brother; he's expert with those swords the pirates dance with theirs. Like this."

The wolf manifested Kai in a strange pirate stance, her swift paw piercing front with deflections. "Shou is quite fast if you are agile enough to keep your feet dancing with your sword fighting stance."

Kai snouted with a soft harsh. I met those who what Little Puppy pictured them. They were ugly, and I am more vicious than their angry sea ships.

Lotus watched the bull bridge his palm on his cheek in weary. She approached Kai. "What was the purpose when you, you know, argued with my brother?" the Nine's Dancer asked. "You should know Xing went through some struggles for the past few weeks, Kai. Spilling beans with loathsomeness at my cookie, that's not encouraging him."

"Besides that, how will you and that boy ever save me from being buried in this existence?" the bull straightened his head and back. "How many more times do I have to say this to him and you? That dear maggot who stole my jade from me, he'll be dead soon as I was."

"That jade did something to you horrible, and I do not see what caused you to hate on the Grandmaster," Lotus sat on the goza mat, her paws embracing the Mighty's hard hooves he clasped. He rested his tired eyes on her. "Kai, listen to me. Let go of your past. It keeps opening your wounds, continuing you to swim in the ocean of remorse, blaming everything that drives you mad. Let me and Xing help you."

Her words begging their aid to their student were touching. Not the most annoying being to see her more encouraging than his feline teacher. Kai winced his eyes downward. "It's been too late for you both to save the great General," he disheartened. "Whatever you see the Mightiest Warrior who has a second chance, you found a warlord ghost who's been dead in the past."

The Mightiest Warrior cast his remorse glance to Lotus. "And he. . . is gone forever."

The Nine's Dancer pulled her paws from him. You don't mean that.

"Maybe I should be with my daddy more, while my cookie should spend more time with you. It's Master Ming's call."

"I would rather not."

Lotus hummed in disappointment. "I think I'm done supporting you enough. Maybe one more," the Nine's Dancer flickered his finger. "Don't close the door."

The Nine's Dancer went for the door and swam her head to the right, inspecting the room's small library across the corridor, which lingered with orange lantern light around structures inside. The scroll chamber's mahogany table stacked among scrolls, and onward the desk, the Nine's Leader browsed his paw on one curved ornament on a section, continuing to open and find another.

I do not know what Xing's doing, but I will grab his thing in his room.

Kai curdled his long sigh as he stroked his rough throat. His floppy ears registered fading steps. By the time he maintained his posture from boiling in his head, he had untied and placed his necklace on the counter beside him. Flustering thoughts of the two teachers interrupting him fogged, unable for him to neglect their voices while fiddling his string of braided mane on his left shoulder. Steps beside the shoji structure paced, and the Nine's Dancer marked her disapproving sight on him.

"I found something in my brother's room that will change your mind, despite not only a great warlord but being a scolding douche who decides not to care."

Lotus tugged her paw firmly in her pocket, bringing out the object that the bull caught a glimpse on those small horns. He sought that reflected of him through the volley of bloodshed arrows raining down on him and his few trusted soldiers. His throat now filled his air after seeing. . . the bull figure in scathe armor and a double halberd spear. The toy had plain horns without spikes.

"This is Xing's favorite toy, the best than every master in China," the wolf examined the wooden bull action figure. "You can baffle many times, but realize sooner than what can happen, me or Xing have our right to expel you," her eyes darted on Kai hard. "I rather not do it, nor my cookie can, because we promised to someone who sought you a second chance."

She tossed Chen Xing's toy to the Mighty. After inspecting the bull figure, Kai widened his eyes at her. "Don't tell my brother that I showed it to you," Lotus stepped away and shut the shoji door. She never meant to slam the door but gladly did not because her brothers and a sister stayed to sleep. Wolf Boss, her dad, waited for his daughter to come to his chamber beside Kai's room.

Dammit. Kai slapped his hoof on his muzzle.

The last room silently blew a yellow candle beside his chamber, the whole corridor swallowing pure midnight darkness. The Mightiest Warrior took a good, long look at one that he once was, who partaken within the shrouds of terrain, filled with vicious screams and volley of metals clinging while fighting elsewhere. Each stroke with stains of crimson, one of the screams was his, making his distortion sobs. As always been lightening his room with deep rose and pale with vibrant hues from Wugu singing, at this time, only his floppy ears registered a bold voice.

"How is that for being a relentless person, my love?"

Gods. Her voice.

The bovine ghost in a scarlet robe crouched her knee near him. "Someone has been into your inspiration. Not just the other who follows the wolf's dreams. Haven't we all ever brought justice against tyranny?"

"Leave me be," Kai growled with his whisper, his limbs clenching his legs, facing down. "You're not here."

Wugu droned her soothing voice. "You're too hard on yourself, Kai. One of our own in the universe has been a good listener, sent one message to the one who can harmonize with the forgotten warrior," the bovine lady patted Kai's side of his mane. "If you truly want this path. . . for the sake of our s—"

"Wugu. . ."

Kai darted his silent glare at Wugu, whose lips faded her saddening smile.

"Rest, my love," Wugu's soul blessed his forehead, tumbling Kai on the bed as his neck landed on the soft pillow. Her hoof stroked Kai's back and mane while singing her deep hums, silencing her husband's grief. She began to curl her body beside him and whispered her faint embers during her sleep.

At this time, his dream was somewhere else extraordinary but resolute in standing with high ranks and generals on the top of the mountain ridge with billowing banners of yellow and red, surveying the battle below. This fiftieth battle was his first time as the new General, knowingly part of the Supreme Warlord of all China, with his brothers Oogway, Lord Li Han, Lieutenant Zhanshi, and his beloved, Wugu. They were the original Mightiest Warriors.

Kai ordered one of his best archers, who was in charge of the archery army, to mark his signal across the echoing battlefield. At first, beacons were priorities to take on unpredictable scenarios, as enemies always determined your move. The first thought on his mind, his tortoise brother always convinced him to maintain their courses: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Around that time, they found the Fire Clan's high-rank soldier, and someone bolder and intimidating than Kai made him spill the beans. And the Mightiest Warrior yearned to search one of his own.

An archer in a dark green hooded cloak from the battle station's emerald banners of cross arrows and iron claws stepped in, positioning next to the torch and oil canister. The bowman inspected flags, which the winds pressured with streaks toward north and south; next to Kai, Wugu in deep rose and black scathe armor gave a long squint at the mysterious warrior, whose black and white stripes tail exposed under the billowing cape. Once banners flickered to the northeast, facing inward toward the battle, the archer dipped the bolt and scorched the front, drawing his bow as the soldier pulled the arrow.

The fire arrow launched in the sky and burst into flames.

Now Kai's reinforcements from the west interfered across the distant meadow, surrounding the enemy's sides and behind. This skirmish lasted more than half an hour, the winds carrying cries of victory. After two reinforcements, the Emperor's Army and the Mightiest Warriors did what no soul could have ended the battle for more than one to three days. At last, the archer turned to the Mightiest Warriors position, giving warlords respective nods at the unknown soldier. Those eyes — those eyes were—

November 16, 1210

The morning bell of Shui Palace chimed, escaping the Mightiest Warrior's trance into reality. After soft grunts, while Kai cleared his throat, the Nine launch their feet and open their shoji chamber doors. At this time, the Nine maintained their routines as their colleagues from Jade Palace offered them strategies.

That kitten dream is coming back again. Who was that archer? That soldier was my own.

Kai went to the Nine's Dining Room as jasmine flowers scent wafted nearby. He sipped his giant mug of green tea, the hot stream soothing his burnt throat. His eyes drifted away from someone who Kai was at fault for discouraging. Despite the former Beast of Vengeance receiving countless respects from his teachers, he threw them all to their faces. What have I done?

The Nine's Leader joined in the room with his student instead of watching Kai. Knowing his student was well bothersome, considering Kai's apology would not change the tiger's attention. Chen Xing drank half of his white cup of cobalt trees as his tea did fiddle a streak of hot tea under his throat. Refreshing his relief of sigh, he brushed off his eyes.

The Nine's Messenger tapped the structure thrice beside the Dining Room entry. "Here are these letters as you requested, Master Xing," Kong handed parchments to the tiger. "Only four news so far."

Kai kept his giant mug to his lips as the soft streak of fading white clouded in front of his eyes. His feline teacher read the first scroll of a long gold script, exhibiting the red deer in black robes and the yin-yang icon above antlers with the headline the bull could read.

The Emperor's Wisdom brought Master Le of Lu Monastery into custody, meeting the Shaolin Trial this week.

If Le's convicted, then his students are free from his wrongdoing. And no more conflicts between the Nine and them.

Chen Xing put the first headline aside, no longer interested in reading the article further. He scrutinized the second headline, same gold background, and fading black strokes of antelopes, the pagoda, and crimson notes.

Lu Monastery demolishes in under ruins. Former Lu Disciples search for new homes.

"All the students will lead to wherever they decide to go on their journey, Master Xing," enunciated Kong. "Most temples will review them to whether they accept former Lu Disciples or not."

"All dojos will. Master Le had been mistreating his students, Kong," said Xing. "They will no longer linger in his suffering."

The Nine's Leader began to read the third script, which delivered minor and ominous news.

Four libraries burned in destruction; Iron Antlers and Jade Warriors "Jombies" advance in berserk.

"Wang is creating chaos out there," the tiger shook his head. "Those libraries are critical for everything. Why would anyone want to destroy ancient histories and philosophies?"

"I cannot say for certain, Master Xing," fretted Kong, clasping his feathers. "It's quite alarming to hear the waste."

Xing's stone eyes lit and met the goose. "Could these texts be replaceable? What I meant was rewriting ancient scrolls?"

"That's possible, Master Xing. But once those old-fashioned texts are not recovered—"

"Then histories including copies of the originals will be lost," Chen Xing figured. "Many chroniclers are going to salvage antiques. Wang is looking for something. What does he want?"

Kai beckoned his sip with slight concerns to comprehend his teacher. The third and last was only a parchment the Mightiest Warrior wished to read further, depending on the condition of this news. Chen Xing straightened and examined the paper at first; instead, Kai motioned his head and found Lotus and Wolf Boss outside of the Fighting Square, and the Nine's Dancer summoned her flirt gestures, waving while grinning her teeth next to her father.

Strange girl. I don't think she's waving at me. Little Puppy is—

Kai followed Lotus's glance toward the Nine's Leader, whose stone eyes rested on his student, and Xing flipped the paper down, his ink writing on a blank parchment. After he did, the tiger planted the Nine's sigil above a soft blue wax on the scroll, Xing wrapped. "Fetch me Nana's cloak if you have a chance, Kong."

The Nine's Messenger accepted and went on, inviting another goose in the room. "Biyu," the tiger handed his message to her. "Send my letter to Master Shifu or the Dragon Warrior at Jade Palace. My request is in there."

"Right away, Master Xing."

A geese servant dug in her pouch and raced out toward the Fighting Square, soaring into the autumn morning. A little enough that the Mightiest Warrior gave a short glimpse to his feline teacher while chewing a large portion of a rice pie dumpling, Kai was fiddling his wife's necklace before Chen Xing stood from his chair and left to the corridor. I need to talk to him after training. I hurt Little Kitten enough.

Moments went further as the morning sun above the celestial clouds cast light brown and yellow to Shui Palace. The bovine motioned his lofty limbs on his wolf teacher's arms, circulating his and her movements of Chi Sao when the Nine outside were warming up their exercises next to them. At first, his lupine teacher's view motioned no grimace or smile upon Lotus. Each time, his hooves blocked while her paws attempted circle punches, maneuvering his arm bridges.

Lotus clutched Kai's wrist, pinning the pressure as his hoof went upward. "Gotcha. This grip will —" the Nine's Dancer heaved his whole arm and deflected her foot on his ankle, bowling Kai down the platform. "— put you down, and that's how my cookie reveals his love belly where I unleash my paws on him."

"Clever girl," her father Wolf Boss teemed his fruity voice with a compliment, crossing his limbs. "So you do know how to tackle giants? I tried so hard to put my former master to the ground. Master Ox has iron feet, alright."

"I miss his son's fluffy belly," she sighed with relief while supporting Kai's weight, letting him rise with a soft grunt. "My bovine brother Niu is more relaxing than my cookie."

Lotus began to survey Shui Palace's Barrack, finding Chen Ming from the entry, whose stone eyes gazed. "Excuse me for a moment, you guys. Hong will play you some blade tricks."

Lotus rambled on the side path beside Gorilla Bao and Fanshe, who were achieving exercises. She met Chen Ming, whose amber paws pinned on her stomach. "Nana? Where's my cookie?"

The Nine's Master handed a note to the wolf, whose gold-ring eyes dazzled, reading her brother's handwriting. "Xing has left, my dear," Master Ming said, fiddling her chest. "Your brother brought his company with him. He is with Masters Tigress and Monkey. So as another, who will be going with my niece."

The Nine's Dancer raised her eyebrows. "Where will they be going?"

"They are on a scout to find Wang," explained Chen Ming. "Jombies have been spotted in the northern outskirt of Wukong village. Xing will return a few days."

The Nine's Master, gifted on reading each warrior's face well, scrutinized the wolf's ears flattening, her eyes cast down to her feet as Lotus nodded. The elder feline lifted Lotus's triangle chin. "I know just the way to make you happy," Chen Ming simpered. "Let's teach Kai and your father together. You'll have the Nine's Master entertain your student with my tickling way."

With broad teeth smile, Lotus tittered as Chen Ming attempted to reach for her love belly, strolling to the Fighting Square. They found the bull and one-eyed wolf, whose expressions flooded with surprise and shyness.