Volume Three: Deng Wa

Chapter XXXV

Inferno

"There's that mortal bastard!" the mountain sheep snapped. "GET HIM!"

Two clouded leopards stormed their acrobatic jumps as Tai Lung and Tigress intervened in their leaps, their swift kicks darting their faces. Two bandits crashed on structures before the giant bovine trotted with heavy hooves; Monkey mounted on the bookshelf and hammered his fist on Takin's muzzle, disorienting the might with dizziness.

Argali made his way to the middle with his growl, throwing round punches at the tiger; the Nine's Leader pivoted the scroll shell with deflection, two gold knots thrashing his armpits and clenching hooves. Chen Xing countered the bandit's feet by kicking as he booted Argali's legs, again having the bandit snarl in pain. The sheep launched his hooves before clenching other scrolls from swinging, and the tiger repeated his vortex spin, revolving him to a crash with a thud.

Tai Lung collided with most kicks from the clouded leopard, whose feet launched high spins. Tigress maintained her deflection arms on the other feline's straight blows enabling the bandit to pound her head; while moving side by side, she spun her foot to his ankles before he fell, letting Tigress aggress and buffet his head. Monkey planted one palm at a time while gyrating his body from Takin's brute fists battering down. Short quakes occurred from woods snapping under their feet once Argali stepped up with haste against Xing into the twelfth passage.

Argali deepened his coarse scream as he unsheathed his dagger; Chen Xing shoved the scroll shell behind him, readying his Chi Sao limbs as soon as the bandit commenced his stab attacks. Xing parried with his fists, which collided with Argali's forearms while moving back, despite the narrowing passage. With few attempts gaining onward, the tiger propelled his swift palm block on his wrist and fist strike to the muzzle, staggering the bandit.

Fast disarm from Xing's paw shoving Argali's dagger to the ground next to the scroll shell, the Nine's Leader performed knife palm and the other on his throat and upper neck, suppressing his air. Argali attempted to snatch and hurl the stone tablets against him as Xing countered while rolling forward.

Left engaging to the two felines of amber and clouded leopard, Tigress maneuvered agile blocks on a small feline's punches plunging to her chest. After being booted from her double kicks, the bandit, whose scarred muzzle that mauled toward his jaw, gave claw marks on the wooden structure, snapping at her as he stormed to her again. After a hiss, Tigress immediately remained in her wide stance; the bandit bounded with his fist launching, and she wavered her whole body to the side. Her fists bashed him back into the shoji frame, crashing him outside.

"GET THE BOY!"

Argali coughed his scream as soon as Tai Lung chased the other across top bookshelves, whose gauntlets and chest armor of fire sigil leaped toward the thirteenth platform. When he widened his silver eyes, Chen Xing almost lost sight of the bandit above. Behind the clouded leopard's tail jerked him, whimpering his bellow, and Tai Lung heaved the bandit in the air toward the top of the tenth bookshelf. As the Great Dragon went for the second clouded feline, the leopard bandit hurled his jabs on armpits and stomach, which Tai Lung executed with his bare paws on forearms.

Tigress partnered with Monkey on time when Takin stormed his large limbs to langur beside the front two passages of the first and second bookshelves. She flanked the bovine to the side by unleashing three kicks at him. One was on his leg, the second on the ribcage, and the third pummeled to his round neckline, causing him to project his weight toward the wooden structure. While disoriented by a powerful foot strike, Takin glimpsed on his left arm, which briefly felt under the heat of orange silks; he tugged and threw the torcher across the entry. Intense heat beside the three grew with hissing flames.

"NO, TAKIN! Dammit!" Argali cursed at his companion before forcing his harsh coughs. The fire lit bright and folded twice, roaring dark black strokes above the flame.

"Might as well you cook with us here or jombie with us outside. You choose," Takin snouted.

"Neither," Tigress and Monkey rejected, propelling themselves to the bovine as he charged back in full force.

Small fragments of fire broadened before they slowly crept its growth near the entrance; these souls had several seconds to find their way to escape, and this route was no way out. Tai Lung kept engaging against the clouded leopard on the eleventh bookshelf, whose claws whipped to his sides, attempting to slash his fur. As truly sustainable against endless counts of wounds in fighting, the Great Dragon caught one wrist and distorted the weak point, unable for the bandit to resist his cry in pain. The thirteenth passage had Chen Xing and Argali contend on paw-to-hoof collides; the tiger aimed for the sheep's feet wherever which ones led to the front while deflecting and attacking two arms. One leg heaved ahead, advancing Xing to grasp his leg and guard his whole right arm against the other.

The Nine's Leader strived his firm thrust on Argali, tumbling him in the air. His colleague's war cries thundered with hearings of lethal affrays, and so the other, he breathed in fright before the scorching fire arose. Oh, no. Amidst the ripping sheets of angry flames, a bovine specter of cherry eyes with a scarred muzzle stood might. Master your fear. Master your fear! Shaking his apprehension from staring at the fire too long, Xing followed Tai Lung's roar above and spotted him. Tumbling down with a nimble speed to his spin, the Great Dragon rammed a terrifying leopard, and the whole floor ripped large fragments to a hollow.

"TAI LUNG!" Tigress roared. Several bookshelves slammed against themselves on both sides, which had Xing quickly reacted by turning away, leaping next to the scroll shell and Argali's knife. The thirteenth passage slammed shut, the heat escaping into the hollow.

Two leopards of snow and cloud collapsed on silver chandeliers next to the Library's fourth floor; Tai Lung fastened his grip on the hanging chandelier once the bandit braced the other, tumbling on the fourth platform. "Tigress, get down here!"

"MOVE!" Tigress uttered as Monkey brought his vortex spin in the air and struck Takin's head with double fists, collapsing him near Argali, whose foot was caught by the bookshelf's prominent weight, threatening his ankle's flesh.

Once two warriors escaped, Chen Xing quickly grabbed the bag, seized the scroll, and dove with Monkey. Argali sobbed. "My foot, Takin! HELP ME!" He twisted his head at the other leopard outside, who was hollering when a blockade of fire puffed its billowing black smoke. "Those idiots are down there with the boy! Help your big brother out!"

Master Bingwen gesticulated his hooves at librarians and chroniclers of lambs, pigs, deer, and rabbits on the main floor. Thunderous rumbles and cracks above them followed had the buffalo glanced up and found two felines crashing on multiple chandeliers. The clouded leopard was the last to seize and swing, but the ceiling pulverized, with the inertia glide catapulting him to the third floor. The fifth floor's hollow billowed a harsh black smoke out.

No! He gaped, and many librarians burst their frightfulness.

"That's enough grabbing! The Library is under attack!" Master Bingwen uttered at a few fleeing crowds as they reached the exit. "Leave the city!"

Tai Lung swung on one chandelier and the next as Tigress and Monkey escaped, leaping on hanging candles toward the third floor. Chen Xing tumbled straight down as his grandmother's cape flowed rapidly, unable to reach for one of the closest chandeliers. Almost had the next one, a haste figure tackled the tiger, dropping the scroll shell. Xing deepened his holler while clenching the bag.

"Xing!" Tigress hollered and saw a scroll dropping down. "Monkey!"

Monkey leaped on hanging candle arms and had his foot reached for the scroll as he heard Chen Xing's roar with the clouded leopard bandit.

Xing and the bandit crashed on the fourth platform's floor, the bag collapsing behind the tiger; the clouded leopard thrashed his paws toward the tiger's head. Xing flickered his forearms before other blows nearly impacted his jaw. His paw swept the leopard's ankle, which had him wobble his balance, tumbling him toward the front of the painting structure. The Nine's Leader paced his stance after his opponent faced him.

"I stand still if I were you, bastard!" the leopard bandit beckoned his grimacing look at the tiger, who extended his cape and readied his Chi Sao. "That room was ours before you buffoons entered without our permission. We asked that librarian buffoon first, and he agreed that these scrolls belonged to us. You have something that belongs to me."

"My trousers," Chen Xing grunted.

The leopard bandit harshened his chuckles, extending his sharp claws. "Nice mouth. I hear this mystery warrior who mounts on roof tiles and rips people's trousers all day. One of my own is a victim, and that langur has no idea how one of my own refused to stop crying in front of the people."

"How did you find me here?" the tiger demanded.

"My big friend saw you in front of the map guider. That warrior with silver eyes and the scar is like the one in a wanted report but dressed up in a brown cloak," the leopard bandit pointed. "You gonna dress up with that lovely skirt, boy?"

"Might as well dress up like girls. You should too."

"Screw you," the leopard bandit snapped. "I know just the way to satisfy the Clan. Not only to rip your friend's trousers off, but your eyes are much more delicious than juicy noodles I can eat."

"You and your friends can still walk away from this—"

"Shut up, whiskers!"

The bandit stormed across the passage with bare teeth, but a fast gray trail went above him first. Tai Lung roared at the leopard after shooting his double kick and a straight blow to him. For a moment, two bandits from the fifth floor's hollow plunged their dive, their limbs reaching for one of the large chandeliers as they shrieked. As they attempted to swing one, their clouded leopard companion rose from the wooden floor and gave his green eyes a broad glance at the other, who quivered his low growl.

No.

The leopard bandit met Prince Huoju's warriors within Yinxing Summit, who had been summoned from the Spirit Realm. During the days after the Prince of Darkness captured Po, the leopard bandit with green eyes named Donghai sauntered through the igneous ridge with his comrades in wraps and armor. They visited Prince Huoju's heroes of the so-called "Real Dragon Warrior" and the "Lord of Gongmen," who promised to reclaim what they had lost: one to restore pride and title and the second to conquer his city.

Donghai and his companions were swarmed with intense blazes in the forest, chopping trees with axes. Despite being annoyed by the water buffalo's scheme, who refused to stop talking as "Lord of the Moon," Donghai walked with his brother across the sea of angry fires behind them. The last thing he remembered was the snow leopard and the peacock who knelt before Prince Huoju, Mingling, and the three Wu Sisters amidst the meadow.

Shaking off his muzzle while disoriented, the leopard Donghai grumbled his soft growl as Tigress and Monkey sprinted behind Chen Xing and readied their fighting stances. A striped feline and langur, whose lengthy tail clasped Bingwen's green scroll, paid attention to their surroundings before Takin and Argali shouted at their leopard companion, swinging on silver chandeliers. Two bandits landed ahead of two warriors, readying a knife and fists.

"If you want the boy, Donghai, you will go through me first," Tai Lung stood against the clouded leopard.

"Get out of my way, traitor," Donghai grimaced.

"Turn that boy to us who murdered Prince Huoju," Takin thundered his stomp. His clenched fist hammered his chest twice. "Long live the Prince of Darkness!"

"Long live the Prince!" Argali and Donghai followed their motions to their chest armors.

Tigress motioned her character style in front of Takin before Monkey spiraled his defensive stance, eying on Argali's knife. Where is the fourth? Chen Xing glared at all three bandits once the leopard bandit grumbled.

"Thousands of my mates across villages and cities want him. Dead or alive," Donghai glittered his green eyes, standing against Tai Lung, who made his body posture an alpha while spreading his limbs and backing him off. "Whether you like it or not, this new Great War has started since Gongmen Battle. All because of the mortal bastard who robbed Huoju's glory, we give orders from one who was loyal to the Prince of Darkness. She craves to search for bones that hiss within the soul, whose white dragon is the abomination."

Tai Lung pressured his short growl, giving Donghai a grimacing smile. Chen Xing was near the bookshelf on one of the scrolls wrapped firm and well, which had Donghai resume his talk. "A simple way to end this war, Tai Lung, is you turn in that boy to us, so the Bride of Darkness and more than a hundred thousand men can eat the rest of his flesh and bones. You lose, we win, and everything returns to normal again."

"Ever wonder there's another who will surge the country with Jade Warriors?" Monkey asked, remaining his hands onward.

"That deer freak and his statues are no match against the Clan. That's out of the problem," Argali wavered his other hoof.

"It is a problem."

Chen Xing sharpened his glance at Argali, whose eyes widened at him.

"What breathes air?" the tiger insisted, glaring at four bandits. "I'm certain the rest of us here and many sentient beings are mortals ourselves. What's unpleasant enough is that you bandits wear the symbol of loathsomeness —" he pointed to Argali's chest sigil, "— the mark of stupidity."

"How DARE this weasel stands up to us?!" Argali grimaced. "The Fire Clan presents the generation of power and purity."

"Your subjective thought defining purity and power is by hanging corpses, the scorching fire burning life, the people fearing lack of justice from the corrupted dynasty," the tiger criticized the bandit. "All those thoughts you contemplated from those you followed hate, filled with deceptions."

"Is that a mind game you are playing, BOY?" the giant's voice grumbled.

The Nine's Leader met Takin's brown eyes once his heart streamed harsh thumps. "Mind game or not, Huoju's Commander has been poisoning you long enough," Chen Xing said. "Killing me will not end your tale well. In the end, this satisfaction of yours will be unpleasant."

"Then I will take that risk, one way or another," Argali promised.

A soft slip on the bookshelf made Xing's black ear flicker once rather than turning to the counter. "The fourth one is above me, is he?"

On the top shelf crept a small leopard, whose eyes of aqua-emerald glazed. "LONG LIVE THE PRINCE!" Donghai's brother sprang above the tiger, and Xing rolled to the side from him; three warriors commenced advancing on three bandits as Donghai's brother landed his foot against the platform, forcing his fists on Xing.

Tai Lung countered most of Donghai's straight fists with the combination of his large arms linking against the other, swiveling arms apart before plunging his fast fists toward ribcages. Tigress maintained her pose once dodging one way and the next from Takin's hook punches; Monkey darted his feet one and the next when Argali drove his knife forward several times. Making his way to the bamboo pole he found, Monkey engaged the mountain sheep ahead, who shoved his downward horns to the left in defense, storming to langur.

"Tear that boy apart, Lei!" Donghai raged while blocking Tai Lung's knees that propelled near his jaw. Donghai's brother, Lei, extended his claws before swinging his limbs at Xing. The Nine's Leader drove his tan sao block and fist to the jaw, repeatedly mirroring the next; he hammered his heel kicks on Lei's leg joints, dropping him to his knee level after Lei crashed his back on a bookshelf. After his distortion of grumbling in pain, Donghai's brother glared at Xing, who shook his head.

Harsh smoke above the ceiling slithered, following downpours of embers when fire sizzled nearby. As Tigress elbowed Takin's ribcages at the corner before she spun her foot under his feet, flying him in the air, Lei lunged his body after roaring, driving Chen Xing's paws. The Nine's Leader motioned his jum sao, knife palm upper chest, and a heavy blow to his stomach; he clenched and pivoted his cloak twice on Lei's face, beginning to disorient the bandit's sense. While he was dazzling from his eyes that were irritating, a volley of fast blows assaulted his muzzle; after a short grumble, Lei rounded his arm, which Xing grasped a whole, flipping the bandit on the floor.

"Lei!"

Donghai screamed after Chen Xing propelled his fist to Lei's head, becoming motionless. As this affray lingered from Tigress shoving her limbs and foot by tripping Takin toward the banister railing and Monkey parrying Argali's knife, ebony smokes crept above, the silk fire flooding with hisses. Seizing the cloth bag, Chen Xing made for the run as his aunt advised him to flee toward the stairs; Monkey had flickered his tail by throwing Bingwen's scroll to the tiger right on time.

Allowing to prevent the clouded leopard after his sister's nephew, Tai Lung had elbowed Donghai's arm joints, whose bones shattered, making him bellow. The Great Dragon flung his combination of heel and front kicks and spiraled his round foot toward his jaw. Out of balance, Donghai slammed his head onto the memoir structure and thudded.

"Donghai!" Lei stiffened his shout once Tigress engaged Argali after the mountain sheep rammed his horns against Monkey. Without hesitation flickering her tail while positioning her defensive pose against the bandit, Tigress combined flows of her paw to hoof bridges, her elbows thrashing his muzzle with a stun. Tigress clenched and hurled his whole body in the air after heaving his downward horn; she propelled her vigorous kick to his chest, flying him down toward chandeliers. He screamed to his crashes.

"Tigress, move!"

She glimpsed with haste behind as Tai Lung and Monkey stormed toward her; the ceiling unleashed raging fire upon rumble cracks of wood, beginning to collapse as two clouded leopard bandits intensified their shrieks. Without that time to pull them out, all three warriors rushed their leaps near the stairs, hitting the floor behind their cover. The fire underneath the ceiling, bellowing ruptures of wood support, tumbled down, silencing two clouded leopards after screaming.

"Don't stop, Xing! Get out!"

Only looking forward after Tigress's shout, Chen Xing sprinted toward the main floor as he heard agonizing screams, the wood ruptures tumbling. He bound his grandmother's cape into a large sack that sealed Bingwen's scroll and Sun Tzu's book in a bag. Most of the fifth floor's ceiling began to plunge, debris of charcoal black and fire raining above him. "Shit!" the tiger attempted his leap forward right before the impact collided behind him — billowing mists from the waste blanketed behind the tiger when he covered his head. Coughing out of the smoke after the collapse, Xing sprinted across the main hall toward Bingwen's podium desk—

Takin stormed his roar from the tiger's right side and tackled him, having Xing drop his wrapped cape that flew toward the door. The tiger wrestled the bandit's tight grips, which both hooves tried to clasp his throat. Blocking Takin's fists repeatedly hammering near his head, Xing whipped his knife palm under the giant's throat, suppressing his breaths when Takin hacked. Xing spun his feet and thrashed upon the bandit's jaw, driving him away.

Restoring his airway while gasping, Takin heaved Bingwen's table, flinging at the tiger; Xing quickly bowled to the side when the podium ruptured with side panel shelves. Just as the tiger rose hastily, the giant reached for him first with his left hoof propelling under Xing's throat toward the bookshelf corner, smothering him with full force.

Gaging his air, the tiger hammered his forearm with most attempts, which did not have enough potential to diverge. Takin extended his other hoof toward Xing's chokuto sword that glossed silver and white pulses. This one is mine! Having Takin's strength to unsheathe the blade, Heaven's Wrath fastened in the sheath. A chime metal hisses darted a silver bolt toward his left grip, lacerating his wrist. Growling in horror and pain, Takin recoiled his limb before the Nine's Leader overloaded the harsh air in his lungs, wheezing while coughing. Takin snapped and pressured his cut that gushed blood from his hoof.

"YOU BASTARD!" Takin stormed toward him.

The librarian rushed and grasped his leading hoof's pressure point, swiveling his arm back with a rush from going forward. "RUN, child!" Combining his defensive Tai Chi stance, Master Bingwen rounded his open hooves over random steers before shaping a circle once Takin engaged against the buffalo. Forcing his straight fists with fury at him without stopping, Takin curved his arms as Bingwen shoved each arm to his outer side, his palms developing hard thrusts against the bandit's muscle tissues.

Chen Xing puffed out his harsh coughs, returning his breaths to normal while watching the buffalo deflect Takin's straight fist and hammer his opened hoof onto his jaw. Filling in bewilderment, the tiger examined his chokuto sword; a whiff of blade darted near his ear as the tiger ducked his head before glimpsing at the black smoke. Out of the shrouds emerged Argali, whose hooves spun his throwing knives, hurling one dagger at a time at him again.

"Xing, we're coming!"

Xing heard his aunt behind the harsh black smoke, sprinting toward his wrapped cape and out of the Library entrance. Takin was knocked out cold from Bingwen's arms pivoting. Argali went for the buffalo's back legs, slashed deep, and plunged into his upper shoulder. Out toward the platform stairs, Xing's sword escalated sharp clangs with Wugu's bolden voice.

DOWN!

Argali's dagger whizzed above his head as the tiger did so, making Xing rotate back and throw his cape behind. Angry fires breathed out on the Library's fourth and third floor, worming towards columns and onto the next platform. "Coward! Fight me!" the mountain sheep hastened toward him with his wavy dagger.

Xing maintained his Chi Sao stance by retreating his feet twice once the blade swirled near his stomach and head. The third plunge had Xing cornered and darted his heel kick on Argali's side knee and ribcage. Advancing toward the bandit enough brought Xing to counter his forearm and battered his jaw; with rotation punches to sufficient accuracy, he thwacked his muzzle thrice, allowing the bandit to stumble and fall to the platform. Argali readied his knife before the tiger nearly pinned him.

Argali started booting his foot to Xing's upper knee, forcing him back while standing. Searching one way to stop the bandit from going on a rampage, the tiger planted his foot behind the other when Argali rounded his knife twice, wrestling Xing's firm grip. Argali's downward horns rammed his head before he shoved him together, rolling on the cobblestone stairs. Xing towered against the bandit, whose grip struggled with his wavy knife's aim at his left eye, grappling their wrists while grunting.

Tiring, the bandit spilled his curse at the boy, resisting his strength against him. Again, he exploded his yell, darting his blade; Xing prepped with that opportunity by propelling his paws to his hoof, disarming his—

The knife crackled one's chest and stopped them both.

Xing's paws rested on Argali's forearm, and the grip with his knife pierced into the mountain goat's heart, opening his mouth. No. His knife! By the Gods! Only horror that combed with remorse, he rested his silver eyes on Argali, whose ruptured breaths hacked, the edge of his lips streaming his gore. Whose brown eyes fastening at the boy dilated. "Murderer. . ." Argali's grip and his head flattened, motionless.

The world around the Nine's Leader silenced roads and the fire behind him. Backing away as far as he could, Xing sensed his paws trembling; the last moment of hearing a dying word was having him sink his elbow over Wang's throat, smothering him with defeat. An instant grumble from his student's voice crept into his head.

Have you anticipated your opponents, those who refused to surrender? Even with their stupidities killed them off?

Rarely!

The word "rarely" no longer mattered to him.

Screaming muffles stormed next to the tiger as the back of his spine surged to ice. Tigress had shaken his shoulders when Xing snapped out his stare, reaching for the bamboo scroll and wooden book. Right on time, while wrapping his cloak again, the tiger handed his cape to Monkey, whose tail was firmly bound to the knot; the quartet dashed on fours into public areas and toward the main eastern road, the last remaining citizens of Wukong. The last thing Xing turned back was the librarian carrying Takin's arm over his neck, who departed from the Library, and the fire devoured Bingwen's temple.

Beyond the ridge where the four warriors stood before, the endless line of citizens evacuated with luggage in several carriages, sauntering onward to the south of Wukong outskirts. Monkey made his way to his feline colleague beside the fruit and vegetable carriage, unable to hand Chen Ming's wrapped cloak to his paw while the Nine's Leader gazed at the city. Emerald mists flooded half of Wukong City, with the scorching fire from the Library leaving the black smoke trail into the misty gray cloud. Small jade dots swimming under the white stream bashed into pagodas and throughout several towers, surging a march of Jade Warriors upon main roads.

What have I done?

Chen Xing rotated his paw and quivered, reflecting Argali's dilated eyes. He had been flawless at disarming most of the opponent's weapons in hand-to-hand combats during his Wing Chun training. Even though demilitarizing the wielder's weapon was risky, the possibility of his rivals slashing and plunging his flesh.

By the Gods. What did I do wrong?

"Kid? Are you alright?" Monkey reached out beside his colleague.

Unmasking his remorse, the Nine's Leader stared at the city. "I killed the bandit."

Tai Lung came to Tigress's nephew. "Argali was going to kill you, Xing. And you made your choice."

"Not here. We'll talk later," Tigress interfered with Chen Xing. She palmed on her nephew's shoulder. "Let's head back to the Inn, and we'll go home the next day."

A distant echo amplified one's shout as Xing flickered his ears, sharpening his silver eyes at the Library in destruction.

Beyond the crawling ebony from the scorching fire, two eyes of emerald glittered, followed by rattling chains before the red deer collided with his landing from his long leap. Pitching the right blade and dicing every building structure and the other slicing the road, Wang jerked his full height after yanking his links. Iron Antlers loudened his roar, whose eyes registering every stone's view, glared at several boundaries. Jade Warrior infantries rampaged in each structure, and avian fighters plunged into roofs.

"Seize those weaklings! Kill those who fight back!" Wang snapped, skimming his head toward Wukong's outer rim boundaries.

The four warriors departed and joined Wukong citizens on the narrow road, trekking to the south. Unable to silence his former competitor's haunting shouts, Xing clouded his reflection, thronging his boil stream in his veins.

One day and I swear to you, Wang, I will get you out of the madness. You have my word.

Author's Note:

— The rule has always been strict when a top principle code is not to kill. This new level of complication has come to Chen Xing after attempting to "disarm Argali's knife, when even in this life and death situation, however, turns to a reverse card. An experienced fighter did elaborate about any soldiers who refused to surrender.

— Here's a little fact if you all know the history. The idea of burning libraries reminded me of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt during Julius Cesar's Civil War.

— Good thing the mysterious enemy has prevailed; now it's time to head home to the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy this chapter so far!