I've made major changes to this chapter on this day 8/23/2021. You'll see no more confusing moments, which I know most of y'all have been thinking that Mr. Ping and Li Shan should have notified my characters about the Emperor and Masters of Jade Palace coming to their homeland. So, this will be promising to bring in a guest first and then mine. Chapter 10 begins with a work in progress.
GrayZeppelin
Episode 2: Brothers for Life ( 6 - 11 )
Chapter IX
Noodles and Tofu
I. (XII) Tofu
Ten Minutes Earlier
The Dragon Warrior's father, Li Shan, finished sweeping with his broom more than a hundred times near the restaurant's archway, starting from one area near the kitchen's dash and the end. After once called by the goose, he entered Mr. Ping's kitchen, bearing the iron pot, and placed it on the grill, lightly hissed with orange embers. "There you go, Mr. Ping."
"Thank you, Li," Mr. Ping grinned, happily clapping his wings on his chest. "Now, take a broom and clear some dust off my restaurant."
Li Shan peeped at the restaurant's cobblestone floor while arching his brow. "I cleaned the floor like thrice."
"Oh. Well, give more sweeps again. More customers are always on the march to here, expecting to see no dust clouds merging on their feet."
Ping and Li Shan saw pandas Dim and Sum saunter near the archway. One of the twins spoke out. "We'll be heading to Grandma Panda's house, Mr. Ping. We'll be back for an hour."
After giving their heads to nod on both pandas after the twins departed on the road, Li's side belly wrung. "Ow!"
The goose's chest flared with cold. "Li, are you alright?"
Li armed on the wooden dash, grunting a little while massaging his love belly. "Just my muscle cramp."
"Here, take a seat."
Mr. Ping supported him and let Li sit on the oversized chair. While taking deep breaths to relieve, Li stretched his body to one side and the other. "I'm sorry, Li. I pushed you too hard on that one," Mr. Ping regretted.
"It's okay. I can go further. I need a break for a few minutes."
"Let me help you with that."
Mr. Ping palmed on Li's love belly, his feathers humming its golden light. The pain spiked in his muscle, which was severely strained, and became lesser. Each subject's chi was worth relieving — each pulse from the goose's light swam through various muscle tissues, reverberating strokes and veins. Li Shan breathed in and out. "I'm good now, Mr. Ping. Thank you."
The goose withdrew his wing. "We should have taken a ride with our son. Close this restaurant for a day."
"We need to keep your restaurant going," Li Shan advised. "At least you expect to pay your last rental fee two months from now?"
"Oh, yes. I must have forgotten about that one," Mr. Ping pondered, flattening his feathers under his beak. For a moment, he inspected Li before voices from the archway entered. Customers were entering, and the goose pardoned Po's dad. "Rest here, Li. I'll take care of my customers."
One by one, Mr. Ping poured his soup into one bowl, each relishing different tastes with pasta flavors to blend, as the goose put vegetables. Li Shan decided to keep moving forward, ensuring he could save time falling behind. He began to send a large tray with Ping's noodles, passing over dining tables toward villagers. A few newcomers (the deer and one bovine) inspected several pictures of the Masters of Jade Palace. One sweeper, which presented "The Dragon Warrior's Mop," had not only the two but citizens ponder Po, who used to work there. Interestingly enough, they persisted in defining the legacy of Mr. Ping's history and the adoptive son saving China.
Just then, a traveler in a hooded gray cotton cloak was infiltrating from the archway, swimming his head on planted ropes with colorful lanterns hanging above subjects. Mr. Ping peered at a visitor coming through, and Li Shan turned as if the elder panda glimpsed the mysterious visitor with a clouded tail, who observed paintings and banners of the Dragon Warrior. The goose readied for his note before the guest strolled close to the dash. "Hello, Mr. Ping," the traveler addressed, glinting his dawning eyes. "I like to have spice noodles and green tea. Make some extra sauce on the side."
Mr. Ping wrote a script to recall a list of the customer's food. "Okay. Is there anything you like to add, son?" Mr. Ping asked.
The traveler shook. "No. That will be it for today, sir," the traveler said. "And Mr. Ping, have you seen your son Po? I sent a message to him last night, letting him know I will meet him here."
"Are you a friend of Po's?"
"Yes," the traveler nodded.
"I'm afraid you missed him a while ago. He's heading to Prosper Valley with the Furious Five and the Emperor," Mr. Ping notified the traveler. "Who are you?"
A hooded figure dismantled his traveling cape, wrapped in a full circle. Mr. Ping encroached his cold breath under his long throat, perceiving the familiar guest who was easily recognizable in true colors of gold circle patches on the feline's gray fur. A snow leopard, full-grown to the Dragon Warrior's height, had the exact facial recognition of Tai Lung. The visitor wore a brown, studded belt and a pair of lime trousers.
"Peng!" Mr. Ping gasped. "Wow, you've grown!"
Peng chuckled dearly as Mr. Ping rushed out of the kitchen door. "I'm just too tall around Po's height."
The goose simpered. "Look at you! Po and the Furious Five will see your new shape!" he embraced the young leopard. "It's good to see you, Peng!"
"It's good to see you too, Mr. Ping," Peng grinned, stroking the goose's back while hugging him.
"Come sit here," the goose offered Peng a seat at the second table. "I'll serve you your sustenance right away. I like for you to introduce my son's father, Li Shan. And Li, this is one of our son's companions, Peng."
The old panda removed his bamboo hat with a genuine smile. "Wow, you must be my son's great friend!" Li Shan shook Peng's paw. "I am Li Shan, Po's father."
"It's my honor to meet you, sir," the snow leopard introduced.
The snow leopard and the panda sat on their seats. Li Shan began speaking with the clouded feline when Peng put his wrapped cloak on the other chair beside him. "My son once spoke about you before. The one who challenged Temutai's nephew at a peaceful square and kung fu club, you created a faction. That's an incredible tale."
"Yeah," Peng nodded. "I created a Kung Fu club with my wife, Lian, to invite students to improve their knowledge of growth and fighting. Master Shifu accepts my permission to fulfill my faction across China, wherever I roam with my great love. Many masters use martial arts talents to defend villages and cities from bandits. I do for the club by presenting my wife and me to teach every villager to train Kung Fu to treat others respectfully. And by enabling to gain more students and villagers to learn, they can protect themselves."
"That is amazing," Li Shan was impressed. "I wish I could have seen everything."
"What's your story, Mister?"
That's a better start to tell him a tale. Li Shan nodded.
The tiger and peacock rode on a wooden junk, which trekked on the rippling blue stream toward the Valley of Peace. Lao sought steep-sided green trees and gentle wind that whispered with hissing foliage swarming among the mast and the river. The peacock knew he could embrace a boatman to see Valley of Peace with his brother Xing. The brothers observed the pink foliage from a Sacred Peach Tree above from the left, blossoms floating over their surroundings. Each leaf scented with peaches made Lao and Chen Xing break their grin, the peacock closing his eyes.
"These blossoms are from that tree over there?" Xing asked, lifting his arms a little.
"Ah. Impressive," the goose boatman who lived in the Valley of Peace simpered, remarking on the blooms that he recognized the meaning of the gentle breeze around them. "The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom senses your presence. These foliages have called upon you, Masters Xing and Lao. He who planted his peach tree above the ridge near the Jade Palace sees purities in you."
"A tree?"
The goose chuckled. "Grandmaster Oogway."
The tiger gaped. "Oogway planted his peach tree? How many years?"
"Many moons, my dear fellow."
The Nine's Leader motioned his paws on blossoms, which glinted light roses upon him and his peacock brother, who continued to meditate in front of the small vessel. One of his paws hued foliages a speck of silver and returned its color, having Chen Xing break his grin again. No wonder how Lao and I are unique. But is anyone more distinctive than me? One of the Furious Five?
Just then, the wooden boat nearly reached a famous village in a Valley of Peace, only streaming across the side of the river. The Nine preferred to start sauntering near the eastern road to enter the Valley. Xing was amazed at the look of a village everywhere on this streaming water, and a boatman oddly peered at their blue clothes. The blossoms and flowers floated through Xing and Lao's surroundings as the boatman glided his ride near a bridge.
"So, you two people are from Master Ming's Shui Palace?" the boatman asked dearly.
"Yes," Xing answered. "Both my brother and I come from the Prosper Valley. Our village is much pleasant. Great people, neighbors, the finest silk clothing, and my grandmother's rice restaurant. My people love Master Ming's special ingredient."
"Sounds like a better place to visit," the goose interested. "Have you both tried Mr. Ping's Dragon Warrior noodles here?"
"My brother and I haven't before but will be willing to give the first taste," Xing said. "My grandmother's neighbor talked about that restaurant not long ago. According to her belief, she said noodles from Valley of Peace are actually 'awesome.'" Xing regarded a taste. Taste that his grandmother's neighbor from the clothing shop, an excellent friend of Master Ming, a former critic, had eaten various foods across China. Mrs. Yan described the flavor of butter and chopped vegetables that watered inside her mouth, sensing hot spices that spiked on her tongue and swallowed with a hot stream under her throat.
"Mr. Ping cooks very well. He is a chef expert cooking noodles and tofu," the boatman elucidated both warriors of the Nine to reason them and head Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu. "Give yourselves two a try. Perhaps one of these days, you'll be his customers who will always like to come and eat his famous noodles along with the Dragon Warrior."
"Wonderful," Xing nodded to the goose. "My brother and I are hungry right now, and we'll have a drink there at no time," he tapped his paws to his belly.
Oh, brother. You haven't stopped thinking about that food.
The peacock student offered a small chuckle while meditating when only a small wave of blossoms swam away on lustering ripples, his beak sensing several wafts that lurked across the Valley. Only a moment to contemplate Chen Xing's first tries for the past few minutes, his feline brother pardoned. "Lao, what do you think?"
Lao rose his crests, breathing in and out from his peace of mind, opening his eyes. "Certainly," the peacock nodded to his brother. "My feathers snarled like a bull. Sustenance is highly recommendable than speaking noodles."
Sustenance. Sure. Xing thought I went bending his eyebrows up and the other down. "Can you sing me a song about food?"
The peacock billowed his cheeks after bursting his chortle, his stomach beckoning a short growl. The tiger broke his grin but could not barricade his laugh under his breath. "By the Gods! Your stomach's been listening!"
The tiger's belly rumbled, making Chen Xing gasp, and his peacock brother menacingly stared at him.
"Oh, you were saying?"
The brothers guffawed.
The audience strolled through sculptures of Oogway and legendary warriors inside the Hall of Nine and Ancestors. Chen Ming had only the opportunity to have more time, perceive her grandson and her clever student arrive here in time to participate in a demonstration in front of the Emperor. This was the only first time her grandson was late, but never when he and the Nine had always arrived on time during missions and meetings. Chen Ming regarded two students behind schedule, like today or in a previous private tournament for the Nine's contest. Her thoughts were interrupted as if plenty of guests leveled ponders, observing the battle with halberds with billowing red banners behind her featuring Generals Oogway and Kai bounding off the cliff above thousands of black spears. Ming continued to converse with a whole audience, elucidating Oogway's first staff, including a double-blade replica belonging to a previous owner from his yak brother.
Po and the Furious Five watched the Nine link their arm bridges with circular motions outside Fighting Square, practicing Chi Sao. The cobra Fanshe clarified to Bao while a gorilla practiced with young gray yak and blue Ox to form a circle whenever they comprehended the reptile's details. Water is your companion; the mind is like water. The Nine's Dancer Lotus sauntered on a Fighting Square as she stopped before the wooden dummy, embarking on her horse stance; she pressed her paw to one of the dummy's arms. By being in the center, Lotus bashed the front five times, bong sao (swing arm), impacting with a front kick, following bong sao combinations, and rapid straight punches.
Ooh! Aggressive and lovely!
Po inspected a female wolf with wondrous, perceiving the warrior's strength but easily distracted by Lotus's looks. Next, the panda pondered the Nine's wooden dummy, which his red panda master clarified about the close-range encounters, mainly using models to enhance Wing Chun blocks. Immediately, the Five sought an elder tigress near the Nine's Quarter and finished a legendary sculpture history tour with the Emperor and Shifu, having several guests to express and contemplate ancient stories. Chen Ming ordered seven of her students to stroll out of Fighting Square once the demonstration went near. The Nine's Pirate Shou trembled his head, clasping his hooves after the Nine's Master volunteered him first for the only list of lower sash ranks to highest.
The Nine's Defender, Niu, keeping his posture to a greater substantial, examined the gallery of unfamiliar visitors in garments over the middle of the Emperor's seat, next to Masters of Jade Palace the way he quickly recognized them. Down further next to the gallery, partaking Emperor's guards in gold armor, unveiled a bovine with red eyes in a gray council robe, whose smile made the young ox draw his cold breath under his throat.
Dad? The son of Master Storming Ox inaudibly gasped.
Ming passed by the bovine master toward the bottom middle of the gallery, meeting the Masters of Jade Palace. Shifu stroked his long beard, reflecting on one of the Nine interestingly.
"We are intrigued by all of your students, my dear sister," the red panda regarded. "A student of yours who wields butterfly swords is familiar to Oogway's brother-in-arms."
Chen Ming hummed with surprise, glancing at the Nine's Pirate. "Shou is one of the Nine's substantial students, Shifu. He is an expert swordsman who can educate his brothers and sisters wielding swords. Shou was a pirate, followed by his father and the rest by the end of the Great War before them. My student was marooned to the sea when he discovered his father became wealthy when looting treasures across the ocean and beaches. Shou once informed that his father went poisoned after ravenously seeing gold. And one of the worst parts is a family tree that Shou never know the generation of his ancestors."
His ancestors?
Shifu reflected and turned with his perplexing head. "What do you mean by that, Ming?" asked Shifu.
"Shou's greatest legacy of great-grandparents was unique. . ." Ming reflected on Shou's memory. The elder tigress used to seek anyone's future and the past in which Ming foresaw the yak's parents. In the heart of the pirate yak's ship manifested one of the oldest paintings of other yak ancestors. The feline discovered Shou's childhood, which surveyed dark halls within the hull, followed by every yak ancestor wielding their weapon of choice. Browsing toward the last picture near the captain's bridge led a double spear weapon in the lime-blue sky, bore by a familiar character with long horns and a brown mane in battle armor. "One of Shou's ancestors was the supreme warlord who fought alongside our master."
Very interesting.
Shifu recalled this haunting figure behind a surrounding jade at dusk, blessed with the orange horizon and smaragdine clouds thrived — knowing such horrors to see Kai spiraling jade knives who opposed his students across the Master Garden. A spirit warrior yanked these links that your heart was dragging your chest, drawing too close to the vibrant sun, until you felt nothing, vortexing your chi to his servant and jade zombies.
He wobbled his head into reality, hardly ignoring the sense of the jade slayer wreaking havoc on the side of the Jade Palace, which the beast hurled his former brother's statue. "Does your student know?" asked Shifu.
Chen Ming closed her lips with concern. "No. He hasn't. I looked into his memories of his family. On what I saw unexpectedly from Shou's bloodline is too emotional."
The red panda nodded and scanned the Fighting Square. "I see."
Just then, Kong notified Ming that the demonstration was about to begin. The Emperor sat on a giant gold chair with two great guards Storming Ox, including a gray impala. Shifu wished Ming good luck on every student's demonstration, and Ming had no other option but to let the Nine's Pirate Shou commence his butterfly sword persistence.
The Nine's Dancer swam her head to the left, envisioning the whereabouts of his two brothers, but focused her fighting style as the people within the gallery chanted their applauses. Hurry, guys.
The drums rolled from farmer pigs; the Nine's Pirate stepped on a square using butterfly swords. Kong was keen to give a short glimpse of the Nine's Master, who began to beckon her nod. Now her signal was the time for the goose to fly. The Nine's Messenger sprang and soared over Shui Palace tiles and beyond.
Standing amidst the square, Shou offered his respective bow to Emperor Huangdi, commencing the demonstration. Chen Ming uttered to her student. "Shou. Show the Emperor your experience of Baat Jam Do."
Baat Jam Do presents close-range knives combat as "eight-cut swords," known as "butterfly swords." Easy enough, the Nine's Pirate thought.
The junk sail disembarked near the Valley of Peace's dock. The boatman flung the rope knot onward the pole, leaning his boat toward the side. Once the junk finally parked, the two students went to the riverbank, observing the eastern Guilin Mountains, which thrived with light velvet green specks, houses, and apartments lying ahead. Two students filled their minds with such spirits about this land of peace in such familiar to their homeland, pondering one temple that perched among steep ridges, which glinted with emerald, red, and gold above white streaks of clouds.
"That appears to be astonishing," Lao hummed interestingly. "This Valley mentions peace, something similar to our village being prosperous. Would you agree, brother?"
"Oh, yes. Very interesting," the tiger agreed.
Two students offered the goose boatman some yuans and tips, to which he brought his great smile once more. "Thank you so much, you two. It means so much more."
"Aye. Thanks for the ride, sir. Take good care," Chen Xing waved him goodbye.
"You too!"
The two students embarked, strolling on the west road, onward to the entrance of the Valley of Peace, which the cobblestone path ahead swarmed with cherishing villagers walking randomly. Moving carts with various tools and sustenance roamed, crackling their metal wheels. Curious enough to wander across the Valley of Peace, mentioning several goods and deeds, but knowing one place where they could start a story where Chen Ming wanted her grandson to meet one who raised someone special.
Chen Xing and Lao ambled onward the long path that apartment complexes with merchandise stood firm, merging with children of geese, pigs, antelopes, and pandas. Several shop signs appeared while only leading straight down the western road, passing grocery shops wafted with fruits, bread, and teas. Giggles and wonderers swarmed over the two travelers, amusing great smiles as this village offered prospering friendliness to strange guests in cobalt silk robes. The two were not strangers, as one of the runt pandas with a cherry blossom ear giggled. "Fluffy kitty!"
The Nine's Leader chuckled. "So adorable."
Other children across the cobblestone street ran toward them but were left with six pandas behind. Their mothers revealed their faces, which Lao caught their widening glances, and he reminisced of his mother's wary face. "They are afraid of me," regarded the Nine's Cleverness. "Have they ever spotted someone who was more fearful?"
"Remember what our grandmother said, brother. The past remains to be staying behind. It would be best if you continue forward," advised Chen Xing.
You're right, brother.
The pathway continued to fill pedestrians walking in their direction, heading to Mrs. Chow's gift shop, Tea House, their homes, and many more. A few beckoned with half of the grins, and the other half stared in puzzlement at the two who were new, simply recognizing the familiar tiger with dawning red and black stripes, and beside the tiger, well, only the peacock's train was blue. Lao ignored some of the pandas' stares from the red balcony as the two warriors adapted their focus to the children's giggles, unable to stop smiling.
Lao felt his chest stiff and crests rising as if the pandas murmured their voices a little loud. It was awkward when a few pandas foresaw him with a familiar character to the other peacock. "Relax, Lao," Xing calmed him. "They're just curious about us. We're their neighborhood townsfolk."
Lao flickered his crests as whispers thrived behind him. "Even curious to see those who had a history before, they might wonder if someone who looks like me."
"Nay. What does your heart tell you?"
Lao kept his thought swimming while the two nearly reached Mrs. Chow's gift shop, where the store's board creaked, and within the sow's store, merged with blossom flowers and silk sheets with ribbons. "I am not a monster," Lao said.
One of the small pandas with green pants gaped. "WHOA! What kind of a panda are you?" the boy rolled around with children of pigs, deer, and geese sprinting around Xing and Lao's surroundings.
"My panda brother is my best friend," Xing introduced the peacock to the child with a jester spirit, making Lao billow his cheek.
Several children giggled but had called from their parents, who pardoned two warriors to give their new visitors a space. "I think happiness is such a thrill, after all," lightly grinned Lao.
"I told you," the tiger knuckled Lao's shoulder.
The two of Nine smiled at a peaceful living land of great neighborhood folks in Valley of Peace as they strode through a long path. In Lao's mind, he considered liking to place a visit to any rental apartments, including Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu, just up ahead, about a block away. Lao's neck and head are curved. Just then, a group of the Pandiva clan in silk hanfu garments of green, purple, and light blue embarked to flirt their figures, wobbling their hips side by side while covering half their faces with colorful paper fans. Their main sister in red-rose robes with sky-blue sash surveyed the two, signaling her eyelashes.
"Looks like someone's attractive to you," Xing pointed.
"Preposterous!" Lao disagreed softly.
"Oh, come on. This woman looks fabulous. She's asking for a date."
"Nonsense!" he flagged his wings down.
Mei Mei ambled while flirting with the tiger and peacock's trail. She hummed, hastily rotating her sash stick over the peacock's body, dragging him before her. "Brother?!"
"Oh. How charming you are," Mei Mei craned her head toward Lao's beak, her cherry fragrance wafting his beak. "I know what you are thinking."
"What?" Lao stammered.
"To settle your mood with a fluffy kitten, this will overpower your thoughts wildly, honey."
"No, please!"
Panda ladies offered hums with chuckles in front of their fans, witnessing Mei Mei spiral her sash, which made Lao spin in a wild manner. About more than seven times, Lao wobbled his dizzy head, almost tumbling his talons as he balanced his stance. Chen Xing gestured his paw at Mei Mei's, gently kissing her fingers. Mei Mei revealed her genuine grin. "Oh. Handsome warrior. Thanks for the blessing, Kitty."
"You look marvelous, my lady," the tiger simpered.
"A little help here, Xing!" Lao rotated his head while leaning elsewhere, but his feline brother got to him first, relieving him to walk forward. "What an obnoxious astonishment!"
The tiger chuckled. "You'll live," Xing patted his back and began to walk near the streaming bridge.
For a moment, they stayed within the heart of the Valley's road, sharing their views of the phenomenal scenery with a lengthy stairway toward the top ridge of the Jade Palace. In time, while recovering his head from near-nausea, the peacock glanced to his right and discovered the top of the archway's board, displaying a gold dragon with a red scroll, written with black ink strokes "Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu." In between the title were familiar icons of yin-yang and spiral clouds. Standing amidst paintings was the panda in a black and white uniform with a straw hat and a billowing gold cloak in the air.
II. (XIII) Visitors in Blue
"Who was the guy you were looking for, Peng?" asked Li Shan with his thoughtful idea.
Peng finished devouring his noodles and placed his chopsticks in the bowl. "My uncle. He was Shifu's student who wanted to become the Dragon Warrior, but Oogway sought to his heart that a title did not fit him. Darkness was within him, made my uncle grief mad, almost sabotaged half of the Valley."
Li Shan had given thoughts on the young leopard when a soft wind gave bamboo tones cling. Peng wished not to speak his uncle's name publicly, and many had heard this tale long since the village's tragedy happened. Li Shan's son Po rarely mentioned the Great Dragon to his dad; they only had to speak privately instead of letting the wind carry voices elsewhere. "I think I've heard of this guy before; not too crazy about your uncle," said Li.
"Yeah, so have I," nodded the young leopard. "I wanted some answers from villagers before I had to speak with Po to know the truth about what my uncle went through."
"I see."
Mr. Ping in the kitchen kept dicing garlic, lettuce, and carrots using his sharpened chef knife before sweeping the rest into the iron bowl. Several whispers and public tones in the restaurant deafened, letting Peng, including Mr. Ping, follow customers' glances at the archway's entrance. His whole back swirled with ice. "Curious. I've never seen these two warriors before."
"What is it?"
Li Shan turned his head to the entry. For the first time, knowing that the old panda wished never to see one who nearly took everything away from him, he spotted one of the two guests in a voluminous cobalt robe, the exact pose of the bird's beak, but those eyes and train were not equivalent. No. That cannot be him. He quietly stammered his breath. He recognized a name that brought loyalty and compassion. Lord Feng?
Villagers sitting at tables while eating their meals began to inspect newcomers, who gazed at decorated lanterns above, and several posters of the Masters of Jade Palace on both structures. The tiger and peacock kept their heads roaming on familiar objects, avoiding most eyes from villagers, who were whispering. "Looks like this restaurant is the right place. What do you think, brother?" Chen Xing asked the bird.
"It's luxurious," Lao perceived.
Chen Xing suppressed his laugh. "You don't see gold and reflective structures here, eh?"
Amazingly astounded, the peacock scrutinized the object that sparked his thought. "The Dragon Warrior's mop. How thoughtful."
The tiger drew closer to gaze at the Furious Five paintings, starting one and the next. One interest that Chen Xing always wished to fly in his dream was the avian with a straw hat. Crane balanced his firm stance with his single foot, the other darting a high kick to the sky. The insect soared on the vast above spiral clouds Xing could sense the insect chirping his wings. Relatively small, yet deadly to combat the bug. A serpent with a ribbon sash danced her fluidity breaks, built swift turns, which the cloth wrapped around the gorilla bandit in shiny silver armor. Monkey lept into the spike round's hole. The last picture made him silently breathe in, drawing his head close to the only striped feline in a red sleeveless hanfu with a lotus flower.
By the Gods. Her face — Her face reminds me of my mom.
"You okay, brother?"
Lao behind him asked with heart care. He only sought the tiger breaking his short grin with a nod. "Yeah. Let's order food. Shall we?"
"You'll likely see the Furious Five on day one, brother. You'll see."
"I know. I wish that I have so many questions. And you know who Nana and I get to see her."
The Nine embarked to greet visitors who spread murmurs over them, wondrously expressing the uniform fashions they never recognized the blue, which the hue presented optimism and growth. Li Shan merely dodged his concern to mask his solemn mentality but gave a welcoming posture to the two warriors instead. "Ni hao," greeted the tiger to the panda, and both Li and Peng offered them a nod.
The leopard drew his head close to Po's dad after the Nine stood before the kitchen's dash. "Are you okay, Mister?" whispered Peng. "You must have seen a ghost or something."
Li cleared his throat. "I knew one who I befriended before. Just had a blast from the past."
Mr. Ping finished blending noodles in the iron pot, meeting two warriors in front as Lao and Chen Xing relished the smell of pasta flavor wafting closer. "Welcome to Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu, my newest customers. What elegant robes you have!" the goose remarked, bearing his notebook and a small black paintbrush. "How can I help you serve?"
"I like to have two tofu buns," Xing read on a menu beside Mr. Ping as the goose wrote a script, "two large dumplings and two old spice noodles. I like to have an extra sauce for my buddy on one of the two noodles. Lao, do you want some sauce on a side?"
"On a side," Lao informed.
"And two green teas," Xing added. "That will be the end of our checklist."
Mr. Ping finished writing a list and gazed at the tiger with curiosity.
"Excuse me, sir. You look like one of the Furious Five. I've heard Master Tigress has been looking for tigers throughout her life. Are you related to her?"
And both Ming and I have been.
"Maybe?" Xing guessed. "I don't think Master Tigress is related to me, but she reminds me of someone I knew. She's my motivation."
"Hmm. You both look like students to me. What kind of concept are you two learning?" Mr. Ping grinned, brightening his eyes.
The Nine's Leader grinned. "We study Wing Chun. It's a unique fighting experience of martial arts, compared to Kung Fu, which my brother and I also study."
"Oh? Wing Chun? My son's intrigued about that concept; the same goes for his father here, too."
"Our class is far superior to learning simple to mastery strategies by training on physical contact within close quarters," Lao expressed. "The palace welcomes any subject to learn Wing Chun. Two nine of us, we call ourselves Fellowship of the Nine. The Prosper Valley's guardians."
Li Shan was sipping his hot tea, and the water submerged his throat, making him cough. "Whoa! Let me help you, Li," the leopard offered the panda some support, patting Li's back thrice.
"So, who are you, my new customers?" Mr. Ping asked the two.
"I am Chen Xing, sir. The Nine's Leader," the tiger beckoned the goose's wing, simpering. "And this is my closest best friend, my peacock brother Lao. The Nine's Brilliance."
The peacock shook Mr. Ping with gratitude. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister—"
"Ping. Mr. Ping. It's nice to meet you two, Chen Xing and Lao."
"Pardon me, you guys," the two followed the leopard's voice to their right. "Did you say you are from the Prosper Valley?"
The tiger regarded the leopard's yellow eyes with perception. "Yes. The Valley of Peace's neighborhood townsfolk."
Li Shan cleared some of his harsh coughs. "Po. My son is with the Furious Five. They are heading down to your village."
Xing's stomach was wrung, sensing his back clasp with rime. He and his peacock brother turned to themselves with profound surprise with haste. "Brother? Those masters are coming to visit Shui Palace!"
"We didn't know they were heading to the village," Chen Xing shook.
The bell gonged. The villagers raised their ears and head, recognizing the warning bell's chimes. Lao and Xing had only known their village's bell when their home was under siege. They dazzled their eyes to themselves as if they never saw the situation of Valley of Peace. One gray goose in a green robe soared down from the sky and announced all villagers. Peng and many villagers apprehended the warning bell as a goose villager shrieked after landing.
"Help! Crocodile bandits are attacking the Valley!" terrified goose villager.
"Where are they?" asked Peng after the snow leopard removed and placed his cape on the chair.
"Near a block from my clothing store!" the villager answered. "Fung and his gangs are attacking!"
"Let's get to your store," Li Shan pointed when he joined Peng. "We'll stop them."
Both Li and Peng sprinted out of Mr. Ping's noodle restaurant. Chen Xing felt his stomach rumble, and he stroked his belly. "Sorry. It looks like I'll eat later."
"Let's go," Lao bobbed his head once. He and his brother pardoned Mr. Ping and ran out of the archway and through the cobblestone road, following Li Shan and Peng. Terrifying villagers scattered in alleys, some Pandiva clans merging toward the west.
Crocodile bandits stole plenty of metal and yuans near a villager's clothing store. Their leader shouted at them as they barged into any stores across, rupturing the properties with their weapons before looting villagers' money. Not aware of their surroundings, the crocodiles could hear feet sprinting nearby, and their leader in red trousers glared at the two.
"Fung!" the snow leopard Peng shouted the crocodile leader.
Crocodiles turned, and Fung flashed his eyes, unveiling his grim look. "You again," Fung pointed, waving a signal command at them. "Let's dance right at them, guys!"
"I have to leak!" One of the bandits excused.
Widening his eyes momentarily, Fung snapped. "NOOO!" he clenched and threw his helmet on the floor. He wore it again. "There's no time! Attack!"
The fight shook the whole block. Peng spiraled a kick above as two bandits repelled; Li Shan swept his broom to plenty of bandits' legs. Peng bashed some who went closer to the snow leopard, clobbering triple kicks. Next, a Pandiva founder arrived, smashing the bandit's cheek with a nun-chuck. Reptile gangs surrounded all three villagers; Peng continued brawling with most dragon swirl punches and kicks with a leopard style of Kung Fu. A crocodile bandit wielding a blade almost plunged Li Shan while Mei Mei disarmed a sword from him. Fung managed to strike Peng's body with his spike tail and hit Li Shan's front chest. The old panda crashed on the floor and struggled, and a feather blade drew through the crocodile's black dagger.
Xing united with Mei Mei and thumped a dagger bandit with a one-inch punch — Lao vortexed feather blades toward the bandit's dagger. Most of the bandits tripped over from the impact. Fung thrived his stunning eyes of never before seen two students who arrived on time.
"NO! Not stripes again!" Fung grimaced while directing the two of Nine. His eyes darted to the peacock of the cobalt train. "Shit. You cannot be that guy from Gongmen City!"
"Mind your voice, and surrender!" the peacock defied.
Fung gesticulated his fist. "GET THEM!"
Peng, Mei Mei, and Li Shan continued to advance with the two; Xing was invincible once most bandits mainly attacked the feline and peacock. Xing deflected several sucker punches with hundreds of Chi Sao blocks — Bong Sao, knife-palm strike onto their throats, and Lao parried feather blades on daggers, which two reptiles swirled toward the bird. Sidekick, bong sao with knuckle strike, and palm hit towards crocodile's cheek. Peng struck through gangs surrounding the snow leopard, and Lao spun his train to every bandit after Peng leaped forward; most bandits who tried to attack the snow leopard tripped over.
Lao forcefully engaged plenty of reptiles, thrashing his kicks, repelling with wings, and fiercely slitting the bandit's dagger. Peng diverted several limb swings and one tail nearly slashing his head; the leopard ducked, plunging fast blows on his chest incredibly, and the fourth blow of his high kick uppercutted Fung in the air. Lao drew his rope dart from his robe and snatched Fung in mid-air.
"Get down!" Lao yanked Fung down to the road, instantly wrecking his front body with a harsh thud.
Three bandits stood still as if their perplexing thoughts climbed: Either fallback or continue fighting. At first, Lao expected their withdrawal, only to spare themselves instead. They briefly looked at themselves and went for the peacock. Lao deflected their weapons which tried to plunge him; he collided with a fierce three possible picks against one by one: front kick, sidekick, and Jon fan.
Peng observed two students he had not seen before except in a noodle restaurant after Lao defeated the three remaining bandits. Mei Mei gazed at Xing and Lao with an attractive look while steadily handing a nun-chuck.
"You guys are impressive!" Peng unveiled his priceless look, widening his eyes. "Who are you two?"
"I'm Chen Xing," identified the tiger, pointing to the peacock before looking at Fung. "And my peacock brother Lao. We are from Prosper Valley, your greatest neighborhood townsfolk."
"Greetings," Lao greeted the snow leopard, turning to Li Shan. "Are you alright, sir?"
The voice from the young peacock made Li Shan reflect the Lord of Gongmen with blue feathers and a train dressed with hues of the ocean and red lines. Li Shan nodded to Lao. "I am alright. Thank you."
Xing gripped Fung's chest armor. "What's your big hurry here in the Valley of Peace? Who are you?" Xing demanded.
"Tigress, you got Fu Manchu beard? Are you secretly a guy?"
Chen Xing rumbled his throat. "I'm not the one who you think she is," the tiger shook his head.
"HELP!"
All heads turned to the black pig villager who dashed from the alleyway across North while squealing. "The Boar bandits are robbing my Tea House!"
"Are they friends of yours barging into Tea House?"
"All my boys want is rob too poor to feed the — No, to feed the gang."
"Not today," Xing released Fung's chest armor as Chen Xing and Lao scanned frightened villagers at the next intersection, scampering away. "Where's the Tea House at?" Xing inquired the leopard.
"I know the place," Peng answered him. "I'll show you guys to the Tea restaurant. I can sense heavy resistance from Boar bandits."
"Mei Mei and I will handle these crocodiles," Li Shan pointed to the small block section. "You three will go there with my twin nephews. They are nearby near a streamside, living with Grandma Panda."
"We'll find them," said Peng, then told Xing and Lao to lead the snow leopard from behind. "Follow me!"
The peacock, tiger, and snow leopard sprinted through the northern complex paths after dispersing Mei Mei and Li Shan behind struggling crocodiles. Mei Mei heard a whimper beside her as Fung raised his knee and head. She ultimately battered her nun-chuck to his head. Whack!
"I'm in love. . ." Fung spun his neck as the bright rainbow revolved above his head, glimpsing over Mei Mei, and flattened to the dirt.
Author's Note:
Peng returns! Did you expect that mysterious traveler? How awesome did I put Peng in there? And I desire him to put Peng as the main supporting character in my story! What about my yak character Shou from the Nine? Are you aware of the yak's ancestor? What do you think of this chapter?
