Volume Three: Deng Wa
Chapter XXXIII
Wukong Library
November 17, 1210
Monkey, Tigress, Tai Lung, and their striped feline colleague, Chen Xing, the Nine's Leader, trekked within one of the boundaries of a small city about a hundred miles northwest of the Prosper Valley, Wukong. A town that labored for public institutions had a monastery library using more than three thousand scrolls of knowledge and antique history. One temple owner instituted a kung fu class by Master Buffalo, who educated two of his exceptional students, the Buffalo Twins. They were the champions competing with other challengers in half of China. Only one of the bovines became the owner of their pagoda and Library.
Specks of silver clouds and charcoal cumulus merged, far brighter than yesterday. The Nine's Leader entered through the eastern pailou entrance, surveying the city's surroundings. Nothing has happened yet. Wang and his jombies are not here yet. That surprised him and the three, keeping Xing's wariness on any activity close to him or beyond the rim. The quartet reviewed numerous signboard signs across the cobblestone avenue and beyond complex paths, passing display carts.
"Wukong Library is around this town somewhere. Jombies has not touched Wukong yet," Tigress spoke to the three. "We're only here to find what Xing is searching scrolls about a person or a knife. Once we find them, we leave as fast as possible."
"This city is five miles broad and seven miles long across this path," Tai Lung pointed out. "This may be difficult to find the guider who has a map."
"This will not take long," Chen Xing said, his fingers pinning the hood's neck under his jaw. "Master Monkey, you're the observer who can search for the fancy building."
"My stomach is upsetting. I can manage."
"Climb on tiles," Tigress guided roofs with upward tiles ahead of them. "While you find the palace, we'll follow where you are going."
Monkey performed his acrobatic spins to his four palms, springing on the emerald and green supporting toward the first roof and the next toward the second awning. At first, a few crowds peeping at the newcomer whistled him with commemoration and awe; right on entering a long alleyway from citizens' speculation, Tigress, Tai Lung, and Chen Xing sauntered the uneven path stretched afar with hanging billows of garments and sheets above them and beyond. Passing through a small crowd was simple enough while their eyes guided on large news scrolls, just as the Nine's Leader caught on antlers with jade ambiance. Passing about plenty of stretches lingered with showering waters from twisted wet garments, smashing metals, children giggling, the aroma of cherry, and chilly autumn breeze whizzing.
Monkey was emerging on a thick rope, spinning across from one restaurant to another ahead of the three.
Master Monkey provided a sharp whistle to them and proceeded to the third-floor balcony, passing by decorative crimson lanterns and wooden carving windows. He mounted on the golden dragon's head and observed stone roads throughout the complex scenery, cloaked with a river of crowds blending their treks. The three felines traversed the public street before finding their companion, who leaped other rich-yellow tiles. Chen Xing had heard the news from the people reading a two-day-old article he read, which brought them anxiety. The three crossed into another route, a rectangular clearing with the less crowded area and prominent eight pagoda towers farther away. Three buildings were four stories of stone-white carvings, and five were six stories with bronze dragon carving shafts. However magnificent those towers were, but had no time to waste as Chen Xing hustled behind Tigress and Tai Lung.
The three felines approached the end path within the narrow alleyway that crossed two routes apart; standing before the road made Tai Lung's chi eyes dazzle.
"Here's the map all you need, newcomers!" a booming announcer crept on a few yards onward. A muscular yak with a white garment and gray trousers, whose horns curved upward and silver silk mane bun, handed several customers some parchments of Wukong map. "This town is enormous! Don't let yourself amble on lost tracks where you are heading!"
"There's the map. Now, we'll find the Library in no time," Tai Lung chuffed his coarse tone. After glimpsing his feline sister, the other advanced. Tigress's arm barricaded her nephew's chest, having Xing widen his stone eyes at her while Monkey's hand halted and guided their left turn.
"Wait," Tigress strolled on the wooden floor and sidled on a red column, peeping into the avenue. Harsh shouts thundered nearby, which forced a swarm of locals to flee to the other side. By squinting next to Tigress, and Tai Lung behind, Chen Xing drew his breath within his muzzle, finding scouts of two clouded leopards, one argali, and brawny Takin rambling.
What's not simple to receive the yak's map, scouts were bandits in wraps and scathe outfits, including their familiar inferno sigils on their chests.
"Fire Clan. Stay close to me, Xing," Tigress warned, gesturing her paw on hard-to-reach areas.
Monkey watched the three felines mount on sloping tiles as he dug behind the roof crest. Fire Clan scouts rummaged through piles of cabbage and grocery baskets; each collided with fragments, flipping several tables. A clouded leopard, whose round head with curving brows snapped his green eyes at the sow.
"Is that my soup you are cooking?" the bandit darted his sharp nail at the iron wok.
"No! That's my meal!" A sow cooker snapped, and an argali bandit sheathed his dagger and flung at her gold conical hat.
"Shut your mouth and go weep somewhere else, lady," the clouded leopard dug and poured noodles on the empty bowl. "Next time you yell back, my partner's blade will land in your brain, and I'll enjoy gouging your eyes out a thousand times."
Beside him, a little feline sheathed his wavy blade. "Would you like some of that? SCRAM!"
That let the poor gray sow yelp and run to the path with a group of fleeing crowds. A Mishmi takin bandit with a silky black muzzle plunged his silver knife at a baked potato, which had split in half while three of his own served themselves their noodles. He spotted a yak across the paved road before he could devour with chopped potatoes.
"Oi! May I see your—" Takin sauntered, but his third step propelled his right foot forward, tumbling his back with a loud yelp. A loud thud allowed his companions to turn, bringing awe and confused looks simultaneously.
"My back!" the giant grunted.
A banana skin rested beside the takin bandit's side belly. "What the hell?" the main leopard glared at the yak.
"Shit!"
Their argali stood and tripped, and the other banana skin was under his hoof, crashing his head on the table.
"Who's there?!" the clouded leopard snapped, drawing his wavy blade at where banana skins threw, squinting at complex structures and roof tiles.
The next, as the alpha burst his roar, a loud crack slammed to his side and then followed the other metal wok bashing his head once. Two clouded leopards collapsed on the sow's table, colliding to the pavement.
"Merry mother of Gods! You don't see that every day!" The yak guider widened, gesturing his hooves. The sow cooker attempted to flee with her second wok into the avenue before the clouded leopard growled, clenching his head with harsh grunts next to his companions.
The yak trained his cinnamon eyes on both structures and roofs, swimming his head elsewhere. A hooded figure stood up to the yak and purchased the map with several yuans. His yuan tips of gold and silver were worth value; gasping in awe and satisfaction, the yak guider raised his fist in the air, watching the guest's billowing brown cloak across the lane mount on the bamboo construction site. "I can go home now! Thank you, newcomer!"
Not for long, the three followed their langur companion through bounds after bounds, crossing on bronze tiles. Seeking a long building with the backyard's main ridge roof, Tigress guided her paw to Monkey, allowing the four to make their long, final jump across the next avenue section underneath them.
Chen Xing reached behind the ridge with the three, opening the map. "Where are we now?" Tai Lung asked.
"We're about seven city blocks from here after we fled from the guider," the Nine's Leader pinned their last location. The voluminous map indicated detailed roads and sections of building titles in various tints. "We are now—?"
"At the finest bank of the province!" Monkey pointed, finding the center of Wukong's financial institution. The name Yinhang appeared in front of the building's title, and the tiger saw the current site, which the bank's icon was the lime green coin with a square gap. Rummaging his finger on complex road patterns, Xing spotted the Library's scroll parchment index, tapping city blocks from their location to there.
"Library is about nineteen blocks from here, northside."
"Xing. The sky," Tigress watched as her nephew and the two followed her glance.
The Nine's Leader followed his aunt's glance at the northern rim, which nippy clouds descended from tower ridges. While all four took sharp eyes at the scene, the clouds emerged blotches with wings, soaring down to the south. Drawing closer to the whole city now introduced various beings of avians, and each wore from their sigils of all China.
Upon roads shushed from thousands of wings flapping above, and their cries uttered with only bad news. One avian on a flight above roof tiles as Tigress recognized the messenger, who Xing flooded in his lungs. A black swan dancer, Amy, hollered at all the horde of citizens. Beginning to observe several avenues that surged with panic civilians on the rush, the rim that nippy clouds shrouded soaked into rich emerald streams.
"Wang is on the march," Chen Xing widened.
"Let's move," Tigress guided, had the three follow the leader in advance, onward to the next jump.
About ten blocks, the four vaulted on each roof's crest almost halfway to the Library, sprinting through bronze tiles before a few geese messengers hollered more, raising public areas in intense frights. Without stopping as jade hues slithered around each foot to advance, they descended from the two-story apartment complex to the courtyard, spreading craggy green hills and bulk trees.
Dry and rustling foliages swept under thin branches, just as Chen Xing, Monkey, and Tai Lung followed Tigress on a garden bridge. Before they led themselves exiting the park, Tai Lung kept his view on most of the Wukong civilians hastening their walk where they followed the crowds' surge. Chen Xing remained his hood closed while crossing the north avenue with Tigress, entering on the side trail to the narrow pavement.
Around the following city block to the last, Monkey mounted on the third-story pavilion building, swinging on the twelfth pole to the roof tile's dragon scathes line. While towering his whole body with his lengthy tail, he surveyed the next quarter of the main road, and finally, ahead of his ocean eyes was the place they were searching for.
Standing on the flat surface with twenty-level stairs was the five-story palace with eight silver stone columns on the length side, three upward tile roofs, marble platforms, and the front deck's name Library Palace.
"There it is," Monkey simpered and blew his whistle at the three while gesturing.
A langur sauntered his way on fours toward the front's center, which led stairs to the upper-level platform. Among near him were plenty of civilians in intricate garments; departing from the Library's entrance, they obtained a handful of rolls of parchments. "Check out that statue, mom!" a tufted deer in rose and pink hanfu nudged her mother's gold robe sleeve, pointing at the left side as Monkey followed.
On the first platform rested a rickshaw. Towering on the transport emerged a stone sculpture of a muscular cattle, bridging one hoof under a jaw while in a sitting position. The cattle statue was mighty and athletic as the surface brushed with clean, not an inch of dust. Monkey surveyed close with the tufted deer child, who first extended her hoof upon the wrist. Loud, pacing rumble steps interfered, flinching the two and those close to them.
"NAAAAAOOOOO!"
An Anatolian black cattle in a voluminous velvet red and inner silk gold coat clenched his brace on his statue. "Be careful with a statue of mae!"
Monkey attempted to extend his hand near the stone's hood, and the cattle sprang his arms bracing to his own. "No! Not my auhhm! They're so delicate!"
"Geesh! What a narcissist!" the girl grimaced, stepping back to her mother.
"Aum not a narcissist! That's mah special gift to someone who I wan' her back! Frog took her away with his valet!"
"Monkey!" Tigress uttered.
Master Monkey snapped out of his clustering perplexity as he burst his suppressing giggle. Strange things appeared at other times during missions and on their duties patrolling the Valley of Peace, as he and his insect companion would have witnessed bizarre scenes, somewhat jokingly about them. Mantis would have started his mind on the odd person, either way!
The quartet passed through enormous columns and entered the Library's entrance. Aromas of biblichor, Earth, and wood stirred, which the leopard Tai Lung reminded of himself in Jade Palace Library, scrutinizing many scrolls of Kung Fu during his adolescent days. These smells were pleasant, and it was impossible to miss his memories of him and his adoptive parents. The four fixed their gaze on bookshelf sections to their sides; glistening silver chandeliers floated underneath floors and beyond the ceiling. Onward to the central lane, left an oak counter with a podium center. Behind the front desk featured a towering buffalo figure with round glasses in silver garbs with voluminous bell arms.
The librarian's cinnamon eyes illuminated with attentiveness, meeting the striped feline. "Master Tigress," a grumbling voice stirred to anticipation above his round throat. "You are far from home."
"Master Bingwen," Tigress greeted. "I have a proposition."
Bingwen took off his round glasses as he gaped on the second guest, whose clouded fur on his shoulders bristled. "You can't be — Tai Lung?"
The snow leopard droned his chuff. "Hello, Bingwen," Tai Lung delivered his slight smile. "It's been a long time."
"Last time we fought was with my twin brother and me to our tournament," the librarian recalled, thrilling such spirit as he chuckled. "It's an honorable contest."
The golden langur pinned his tail, leveling his body's height. "Pleasure to meet you, Master Bingwen."
"The honor is mine, Master Monkey," the librarian beckoned his nod with pleasure. What caught his attention was the figure's draped cloak beside Monkey. "And you are, sir?"
Monkey tapped his knuckle on his colleague's cape, which the tiger's face with a maul scar was slightly dim in his hood. Though, his silver eyes twinkled than the moonlight's glare. "I am Chen Xing, Master Bingwen."
The librarian filled his breath in his lungs.
"I see. The whole country still searches for the Dragon Warrior's chosen one after Second Gongmen Battle. Many souls praise the hero, while those loyal to hate are greedy to find him," Bingwen palmed his chest with brightness and understanding. "Come here, child. What is your purpose here?"
Chen Xing met the librarian in front of the podium. "May I, Master Bingwen?" his paw guided on the podium's accessory of a brush and a scroll paper. As the old master proceeded the guest to write, the Nine's Leader stroked his writing, revealing a forbidden character. The librarian's eyes grew wide.
"Oogway's blessings. I have not heard the name from the old times for many moons," Bingwen met all eight eyes. "What you are searching for has been under the Earth for more than millennium annuals, and it remains to be sealed from deciphering the nonexistent knife. Some say the weapon had repositioned into different blades that warriors could carry, but it never spoke to choose the disciple's puppet. A disciple who carries unfathomable power leads the wielder to corrupt and slay every sentient being."
Master Bingwen clasped his wrist behind his back, contemplating the reflection. "This ancient weapon may be gone, but an immorality spirit within China stirs, searching for prey. If I am not mistaken, my dear child, one who floods the country with his Jade Warriors, has been the specter's prey. Before the Iron Antlers were the eyes of a warrior who wanted every soul to remember the warlord from the Great War."
As the librarian's words were sharp and fruity, the leopard mirrored fragments of bitter chuckles within the Spirit Realm, bones shattered by the leopard's agonizing breaths, and the jade stone clawed his fur, silencing his cry. The eyes of might burst his wicked laughter. Quivering off the discomfort remembrance, Tai Lung relieved his breath before his black ears registered whispers across the main hall and bookshelf corners. Shoppers caught their glances on all five with wonder, and the librarian cleared his round throat, his hoof palm gesturing.
"Walk with me. Let me express this chronology away from here."
The palace designed these floors that formed from bottom to top started the latest bamboo books and historical news parchments to old-fashioned texts and scrolls from old dynasties. The quintet merged on the second floor, which piled parchments of an early Song Dynasty through this current year and beyond). The possibility of seeking histories a few months old made the Nine's Leader find an enormous painting of Gongmen City under siege. Charcoal black smokes billowed in the air, the sails of shield and fire emblems across the harbor unleashed catapults, and the black dragon soared with its scorching breath.
Second Gongmen Battle
The battle was unforgiven to the Nine's Leader, reminiscing the scorching streaks of fire burning the city. He browsed on the foam sphere of shadow webs and peach petals swirling, featuring the striped feline hero and his white dragon above him, and the ox warlord with glaring crimson eyes.
The past remains to be buried. It's time to move on.
Chen Xing continued his approach behind the four, onward to the third floor from round stairs.
The fourth floor featured five dynasties before Song. A massive painting taking from the hall's structure to the end lay a million strokes of hues, which had cast all eyes on catastrophic events through the end of a defeat. Standing before the realm was a temple with three Yin-Yang icon towers, introducing classes of the Magnificent's Kung Fu, Crouching Tiger's Wing Chun, and Almighty's Tai Chi. Continuing after the Desolation of Qing Temple with results of the hidden white dragon above the rubble, the quintet studied one war of Emperor Hawk's battle rickshaw across the sea of hyenas, spears with red ribbons, the wall of thirty-thousand soldiers piled bloodshed. The four warlords fell before the buffalo ruler in the throne room, later introducing the fifth member of Emperor Taiyang's original Mightiest Warriors.
Once they reached the middle of the passage, the librarian finally cleared his round throat as they watched the last moments of two generals who dashed into thousands of halberds before ridges poured black arrows.
Chen Xing's grandmother spoke to him in his chamber with her master's haunting words. One day, we were ambushed.
"Five hundred years ago," Master Bingwen began. "The two warlord generals named Oogway and Kai fled into the perilous adventure after their enemies ambushed them, resulting in the battle's lost with a unanimous decision. Far to the west, they met ancient monks who aided warlords with care. After two months of their recovery, the two warlords envisioned how panda monks taught them how to discipline, something far remarkable. One said this was the path to peace, while the other expressed otherwise. . . vengeance."
"Warlords sacrificing their titles were inevitable. The unknown cause of Oogway's brother remains a mystery. Despite the growth of hostility unleashing untangled chains unraveled, emerald eyes snared the brother. Nevertheless, the mighty warlord wished to bear more power all to himself. To understand the character's eyes, look harder."
Kai saw that what could be given could also be taken.
Oogway's ghastly words lingered in the Nine's Leader more, reflecting the last hour of two warlords in combat. The librarian reached for orange lanterns beside the metal railing, offering all four lights to each one before Bingwen grabbed his crimson lantern. They sauntered onto the final floor outside the platform as a flat plateau with tall ridges appeared along with hissing emerald clouds. Making their way to the yin-yang door, which iron chains bolted wrapping around the small shoji gate, Master Bingwen unlatched the lock with his hoof, his chi glinting a butterscotch light.
Rusty hinges on a shoji gate squeaked, the yin-yang door snarling its rumbles as the quintet entered the void room; the librarian executed the swift forms of his hand a circle balance, launching his chi across the dark sea. Bingwen's light zipped on a structure of five torchlights, flashing other ten.
"You find antique scrolls at all seventeen sections there. There lie thirty scrolls each ahead," the librarian guided his hoof. "A librarian before me placed the forbidden scroll somewhere in one of these sections, and that parchment has never been found since I was prohibited from reading first editions. Before she passed on, my chronicler teacher mentioned my father's scroll still inside."
Tai Lung presented a stolid posture. "How many scrolls Xing mentioned you the name, Bingwen?"
The bovine's cinnamon eyes flashed after he turned to the Great Dragon.
"Only one."
A/N:
— I sometimes put an easter egg on random chapters. Remember the Disney movie Around the World in 80 Days? Since I was writing (part-time), a Turkish character came to my mind to bring an unexpected cameo to a play, needing a sense of humor there. Impossible to stop loving Arnold Schwarzenegger's impression. Despite his brief appearance, I could not stop thinking about him!
— Bingwen: bright and cultivated.