Volume Three: Deng Wa
Chapter XXXII
Lanmei Inn
Chen Xing wrapped his grandmother's brown hooded cloak on him, sprinting with the three Jade Palace members, Monkey, Tigress, and her leopard brother, Tai Lung. In certain areas occupied with unfamiliar strangers gazing at newcomers and bandits hunting for a valuable reward, his aunt Tigress advised her nephew to disguise from those revealing the panda's chosen one. Around afternoon's tangerine and brown sky swimming with rusty leaves that passed by the four on long paths, they arrived at a small fortress with a fire sigil banner that lingered across the two bayous, bypassing into the thick forest from observers. On the outer wall, a wolf in scathe armor with charcoal wrappings and a flame shield gauntlet darted his black ears and sniffed in the air, the wind gushing with small registers of rustling foliages. The wolf bandit grumbled his sharp breath, giving his cinnamon eyes a short glimpse toward trees as the chilly north wind wobbled branches.
The dusk tinged decay orange while the quartet warriors trotted on fours, racing toward the rim of a narrow and dry soil road. Monkey bounded on thick branches toward the highest of one of the landscape trees, speculating one small village. Ten buildings and a one-story apartment lay farther. They entered the small town on the soil path, filled with random villagers sauntering in different directions they led while quartet warriors observed throughout the lanes. In the lead ahead of the two, once a speck of rustling dry red foliages swimming beside their feet, Tigress found her langur companion on the bakery building's curved tile, who leaped to the street from the roof's crest.
Monkey arrived in front of his striped feline companion. "There's no bandits, Tigress. This village is clear."
Nodding to Monkey, Tigress led onward on the four section roads, which specks of dry and rust foliages swarmed away, only six villagers of antelopes in random directions sauntering. "Wukong is about the next day to arrive there. We'll need to reside in the apartment."
The quartet sauntered onward, appearing at a two-story apartment complex with thirteen light blue lanterns hanging underneath each platform — the front building layered strokes of blueberry fruit paintings, Lanmei Inn in soft black strokes. The quartet sauntered into Lanmei Inn's door, finding a sheep in light cobalt fleece garment, who gaped at newcomers.
"Oh! Hello there, visitors," the manager cleared her throat, her hooves straightening her chest. "Welcome to Lanmei Inn. How can I help you?"
"Hello. Is there a chamber for four of us, madam?" Monkey asked.
"Of course. How many days will you like to rent one room?"
"Two nights and one day," Tigress answered.
The sheep clapped her hands. "Wonderful. The lease will be twenty yuans per night and the other twenty per day."
Monkey was the first to open the chamber's oak door, which intricate squares followed by thorns and blueberries. Into the archway, Chen Xing unwrapped and folded his grandmother's cloak on the dry clay counter before matching a small aquamarine stick on the candle beside the kitchen station. Tai Lung and Tigress entered one room with four mats (two in line and the other in cross on the opposite side), browsing toward the living room and the kitchen.
"Monkey, gather small portions of groceries. Tai Lung and I will be in the apartment complex, staying with Xing," Tigress urged him. "Find one bag of rice for my nephew."
Monkey mounted on the Inn clay tiles as he swam his head while towering his lengthy tail, scanning for the small store nearby. At first, the first section toward the southeast crept with cart stands of fruits; the second toward the thin alleyway, rats within the bakery store wrapped a stack of bean buns in a rabbit's basket and waved goodbye to their customer, who left the shop. Before reaching for other tiles closing by to his right, Monkey surveyed the front store that appeared with five rice bags (20 chins each). The next, as he landed toward there and watched both roads, a child sow next to the bakery store carried one basket of fresh bean buns, handing over her mother's hoof.
"One bag of rice, sir," Monkey raised one finger to the food store owner (a dow). He owed seven yuans (a mild spice of butter and chili included) to her and strolled out with a new rice bag, laying it over his neck shoulder. He continued surveying four complex paths, which seemed only yesterday to remember villagers he had bothered before. By thanking the Grandmaster who sought compassion in him dearly, Monkey bore mobility to his four hands, the gift of pacing, the gift of trickery, the gift of comedy. While observing for a few stores to purchase small foods for this night and tomorrow, light giggles across the street made him glance at the children.
"Look at our kites going higher!"
The two geese brothers of seven and eight wrapped their strings as the wind with rustling foliages glided, thrusting two kites in the air. The young had a gold dragon with pale fu manchu beards slithering underneath its chest, while the other was a crimson diamond shape with yellow ribbons tail. With a calming wind sizzling and ribbons flickering, Monkey broke his grin, reminiscing the young of himself grasping the string and controlling his red dragon kite in the cobalt sky. His warm heart pulsed freely, and standing beside him was his older brother in a dark emerald vest, patting his back.
In crimson qipao dress with gold dragon scathes near the house's wooden door, their mother simpered, watching two of her sons giggle. She had a round head with a lotus bloom on her right ear and strawberry lips. With grace sauntering to her sons, Monkey's mother applauded as the red dragon kite soared onward and beyond, its lengthy body slithering.
It was ironic to his brother's name, who would have encouraged helping the brother and their mother into vastness than poor efforts. Despite how he was the culprit being a thief, the last thing Wukong attempted to break into their own home at night after escaping jail, Monkey and his brother watched their mother's heart into fragments, the storm griefing tears.
I miss you, Mom.
Monkey's smile once faded as the children's parents cheered their sons, watching the night's sky. He returned to Lanmei Inn on time, offering his help with Chen Xing before the Nine's Leader gathered a medium-sized iron pot with clear water, starting a fire in the kitchen. Boiling the water and softening the rice while stirring with a wooden spoon within, the tiger gathered four bowls while asking the three to have butter and chili flavor — the three preferred butter for the time being. In the dining room, Chen Xing was the only one eating his butter and chili rice, his stomach ravenously craving more flavors and his burning lips reaching for cold water.
"Your cooking experience is such spirit," Tai Lung worded. "Are you likely the youngest chef Master Ming taught you?"
"She's more talented than I am," Chen Xing pleased.
"Can I try that chili powder, Xing?" Monkey pointed the powder across the table. "I can't see how you ever get several coughs and some burns in your throat?"
"Oh, make yourself useful, Master Monkey," he gestured his open palm. "Have some water with you."
Monkey repeated shaking the spice, sprinkling with dark red-orange on his rice. Blending in the bowl with a pair of chopsticks until his food now colored ruby pepper, the golden langur seized a large portion and gorged a whole. For a moment, Chen Xing gazed with surprising anticipation to see his colleague swell his cheek and consume the rest before—
The golden langur broadened his eyes and hacked, drawing all felines their attention to him as Chen Xing suppressed his chortle. With urgency, Monkey clenched a large mug, guzzling cold water. "By the GODS!" he panted. "How do you breathe with this seasoning?!"
The Great Dragon chuckled. "How invulnerable you are," Tai Lung glimmered his golden eyes at the tiger. "What is your secret to fulfilling your strength, Xing?"
The Nine's Leader smirked. "Eating a hot pepper rice."
Monkey burst his laugh. "Want to know a secret about the strength I learned?" Monkey drew his head close. "It's sugar!"
Chen Xing snickered with the langur and followed the leopard's humming chuckles. The only silence from the dining room was the striped feline who concentrated on eating her plate of white rice and radishes, which Tigress favored on listening rather than speaking. Reminding their chuckles, and later Monkey, who kept guffawing, had Tigress in the Barrack's dining room with her adoptive father, eating the Dragon Warrior's pasta noodles. With rare opportunity to see Shifu, who laughed with optimism at her, was something to fill her delights. A noodle string attached to her muzzle after Tigress sipped her soup, not entirely worse to suppress her aggression.
The next topic followed her in traditions of both Wing Chun and Kung Fu activities, which were straightforward to sharing tips and tricks for each student's progression. After their dinner, as Monkey and Tigress observed within the living room, Chen Xing deflected his bare paws on Tai Lung's fists, which their limbs adapted on circular motions with slow paces. At the same time, teaching the leopard and langur to bridge their limbs of Chi Sao, Tigress brought her nephew into her Kung Fu style: precision, discipline, and control. To Xing, creating numerous elements by adapting strengths with Wing Chun and Kung Fu combinations influenced him.
Claws extend, deflect arm, strike.
Tigress speculated that her nephew's arms contacted her forearm once Xing began diverging his limb and striking his claw onward. The Nine's Leader managed to counter hers, mirroring the next and the other with basic counter and attack. Upon the next strategy, maintaining his crouching stance, he followed his aunt's agile form, the focus on thrusting, counter-attack palms, and strength.
"That's enough training for today, nephew. After retrieving one scroll from Wukong, we'll work on your stance," Tigress commented. "It's a work in progress, focusing on improvements you shall need."
Kai was right about that one. He spotted my firm stance initially.
Chen Xing beckoned his nod to her, who was patting his shoulder. "Save your energy for tomorrow, Xing. Get some sleep."
The night loomed with prosperous embers of midnight blue, crossing bridges with aqua aura among these stars as Tigress looked at while beckoning her slight grin on a goza mat. Indeed, she had a little sleep, which was not exactly a pleasant dream, experiencing non-stop training by bashing wooden dummies and bits of fallen leaf foliages in the air with acrobatic leaps. One of her teachers found her gifted talent so satisfying. And the other one, well, not expected while being a stubborn parent.
Steady! Control! Chin up!
CONTROL!
Neglecting dirty reflections about her adoptive father in her adolescent years, Tigress surveyed her amber eyes on warriors resting on their mats. Tai Lung curled inward, and Monkey lay flat, mumbling one whisper as she caught his words — Dragon kite. One of the goza mats was only a crumpled cover. She led to the door and checked on her nephew sitting on the chair outside. Xing's expectations filled marvels observing the scenery.
In a crimson sleeveless qipao, Tigress approached the Nine's Leader. "Exquisite sky," her silky voice emerged next to Xing. "How long have you been outside, Xing?"
"Not long enough, Tigress. I needed some air after I woke up," he crossed his ankle on his knee, clasping his fingers with relaxation.
"Was it a nightmare?"
"It's a good dream. Lotus didn't stop eating my grandmother's cookies in our chambers, and I am the only one who finished the rest before her, which made Master Monkey much jealous."
Tigress hummed, revealing a slight smile after chuckling under her throat. "Has your scar been healing well?"
"As always," Xing blinked his silver eyes, bobbing. He tapped his index under his throat. "I can barely see your neck healing normally. The last time was quite darker."
"Hmm. Mine's getting better," the feline with amber eyes broke her slight grin while massaging her throat, which a fading gray no longer appeared. "How are your brother and mother been doing in Gongmen City?"
"They missed me well," Chen Xing simpered. "Lao and Xia strongly wish to see Lotus and Nana for my next return. Bao-Gorilla, Fanshe, and Hong crave to come over. There must always be the Nine of Prosper Valley to look after the people."
Scrutinizing the feline's expression with nonchalance posture, Tigress moved closer to her nephew, her back slanting against the structure next to the opening window. "Xing. What is holding you?"
Chen Xing perched his gaze toward the edge of the eastern horizon, where the cobalt clouds swam underneath the Guilin mountains. "Returning to Gongmen City to see my peafowl family is not a big deal, Auntie," he sank his paws into his pockets. "What truly concerns me more was. . . I don't know. Upon roads to walk on in Gongmen before arriving at my brother's tower, complications from the battle disturbed my presence."
Tigress hummed her gentle throat. "Po had his issue of returning to Gongmen City before. He shared his experience with our teacher and us, knowing that the Dragon Warrior went through complexities for a while since Po defeated Shen," she clarified, crossing her limbs on her chest. "We then recovered a while to leave thoughts behind, months."
The smell of powder and blazing heat of molten crept into her before watching her closest companion on the wooden bridge platform. Each time, preventing her from glimpsing at a blinding white trail of crimson sparks screaming its launch stung her more.
"You still despise Po's student?" Xing questioned her, somehow not as curious but coherent to her face.
How will I answer this? Tigress made her question dubious, which she attempted to execute her complicated thoughts on worse enemies. By far, the worst had one of her companions almost murdered, which drove her into vulnerability.
"I may not tell you why I must remain my behavior from him," Tigress said with logical reflection, dodging her dilemma from the peacock. "Shen fulfills his wish to remain at Jade Palace for redeeming his path to peace, as the Emperor of China put the peacock's position with the Dragon Warrior."
I heard about the Emperor's vote last time.
The Nine's Leader remained his regard on his aunt, whose head turned and readied her gaze to Chen Xing. "Know this, Xing. Not every criminal deserves a second chance. Witnesses' stories will always be true, regarding each evil who wants to escape the past from wrongdoing."
Undoubtedly, the Nine encountered those who had no guilt. The boar clan leader from Hajin Province proved his worth by despising every weak, conquering one city to control what many bandits could receive endless supplies into war: armamentarium.
"I was on the same boat on what you said, Tigress," Xing said. "Initially, Lotus, my brother, and I were inspirational about the Great War, admiring warlords like Generals Oogway and Kai."
The Nine's Leader sat up straight, stroking his rough paws. "At a first glimpse, the best one was my student, who did terrible causes, the only way to win battles had enemies closer. Not only that strategy but questioned those who were married, those who were loyal to the Emperor's archenemy. Kai demanded every prisoner before he slaughtered them all, showed no remorse."
Xing beckoned his head with disappointment. "That was when I spent in my grandmother's room before Lord Shen's invasion. I didn't believe what Kai attempted until Nana spoke about him and shared her words in the Grandmaster's voice. After I lost my respect to the one who was a total badass, I had no heart to share Lotus because my sister has a strong affection for my student. She does not even care what General Kai did."
Tigress lifted her brows. "You must have been disappointed in the one you favored," she determined with a calm voice.
"Not many warlords have hearts, but what they fought for was not only to rule but to end wars," Chen Xing crossed his arms. "A whisperer from Hajin Province, I knew, was a veteran, served under Emperor Huangse, Huangdi's father. A buffalo soldier and I had a rough start but managed to stop Boar Clan Leader's invasion. A few words from him, I remember, were always haunting to me ever since and have always been true to my ordinary eyes. Sometimes heroes could do bad things for a good reason. There's no peace when there's war. There's no war when there's peace."
"An endless cycle," Tigress worded, which her nephew closed his eyes, had him reflecting the buffalo villager's square chin, eyes of dawn, and downward curved steel horns. Eight battles made me a coward, cat. But the ninth one will have your first victory. The commander's harsh voice reverberated, swimming the tiger further into the resonance of rupturing catapults, the people's cheers naming ennead young warriors who prevented the next war.
Tigress's amber eyes enlightened, drawing her head close. "Is Kai's aggression still bothering you?"
The Nine's Leader read Tigress's head well, sensing care. "My student wishes me not to help him furthermore. Despite that I am being supportive in front of Kai, whatever the best reason to free himself from chains trapping the past, he's always delusional," Xing clarified, shaking his head. "I do not know what drives him angry the most: mentioning his brother, the change, or maybe the hostility on me?"
"Possibly the fear of change, including the mention of the Grandmaster," Tigress nodded. "Has your student ever antagonized you?"
"Not once or many times," Xing stood in front of the balcony, his forearms leaning on the metal railing. "By speaking of change, the world does not carry my student's legacy, as he achieved more prominent and horrendous things. There were always faults when Kai won battles and the debates, forcing his enemies to surrender."
The Nine's Leader began observing the child rabbit, who scurried to her father while giggling. She tittered as the brown rabbit in a teal robe carried his child in his arm. "Many fell before the Emperor's General. Kai was the Mightiest Warrior, Tigress, more than anything," he expressed. "I wanted my student to reflect on the missing painting. Meditation has been done, and I believe he still has to swim further."
The feline joined aside, crossing her arms on the railing. "Indeed. The look into your eyes, nephew, you support him," Tigress proved.
"Since I grew up with my brother and sister contemplating Nana's Great War story, the way I used to admire Kai, now I do," he spoke true, glancing at his aunt. "Whether he likes it or not, I will do my best to keep Grandmaster Oogway's promise."
Reflecting the silver moon's peek behind the shredding cloud, Tigress used to sit on the flat promontory ridge beside the Peach Tree, that beyond the horizon glistened crimson and dawn strokes. No matter how prospering to watch the dying sunset, knowing the days of her life with talent, she always had someone beside her in solitude — her tortoise grandfather.
"There's one thing I've been considering, Tigress," Xing offered, had Tigress regard her nephew. "The three of us, I mean, the three tigers have in common within the separation of our kind, truly wished if there's more of us out there somewhere, hiding from revealing themselves from going extinct. Our families may be disappeared, but there's always one piece that fits home."
Chen Xing turned to the feline. "Ming and I are currently the last Chens. Maybe you have a different family name on my grandmother's sister's side, and my Nana learns her story more than my own," the Nine's Leader enunciated, which brought his aunt level her fixation on him with thoughtful. "Know that you are always part of a Chen family. The choice is up to you, Auntie. Perhaps someday, when the Year of Tiger commences, praying to the Gods that our people reveal themselves, we can come home again."
Two striped felines embraced with full; Tigress's arms were firm and followed Xing's, recovering what was lost after in solitude. Not as always been a hugger as Po did an awkward embrace since the peacock lord's fall. "Get some sleep, Xing," she patted his shoulder. "I will watch."
After reaching for the bedroom, reverberations of shrilling stones and upbeat female drones whispered within the chokuto's sheath, drawing two tigers' attention. Chen Xing went for the counter and slightly opened the cover; the bottom sword pulsated the warrior's name of General Kai's wife in soft rose and cobalt with hissings. "What is it, nephew?" asked Tigress.
The Nine's Leader fixed his stone eyes on her. "Wugu. She will observe throughout the night."
Chen Xing's aunt clasped her paws on her stomach. "I may have some advice, Xing. If you wish to know how to guide your student's course, this hint might help."
"What can I do?"
"Maintain your connection with Kai," she suggested. "There's nothing wrong with how you treat him well with admiration. The only solution is what he will choose to be, nephew."
Accepting her advice with a slight nod, Xing patted his weapon as the sword's female voice whispered his name. They lay on their goza mats before the enchanting spirit of the Mightiest Warrior's wife from Heaven's Wrath watched on guard.
November 17, 1210
Upon the ridge of the main road, the four trekked on fours with incredible velocity. The quartet clarified to Lanmei Inn's owner that they would return around the afternoon and pay their rental fee in full the following day. Halfway into the thin forest, Tai Lung punctured the tree's heart as he located a small piece of bamboo and sealed it within the hole. Glinting cold freshwater trickled, and in each turn, the quartet drank plenty and onward to the next ridge's curving route. They reached for the next narrow after barging through thick trees to avoid suspicious eyes.
Ascending further on, which ahead laid a high plateau across with narrow pikes, Tigress checked the boundary's rim that stood two stone pailou entrances on east and west roads. And further broadened with several complex buildings with multi-colored gray and black roof tiles. The three, catching up to Tigress, including Xing, whose grandmother's cloak undulating in the breeze behind him, speculated on the city with marvel.
The city of Wukong.