Episode Seven: White Dragon


Chapter XXXIII

Oracle, Part One

The splash swallows us down to the surface. The current became bland as a broom sweeping through the wreckage ship. All of our supplies to venture ourselves through woods and river have vanquished from the crimson light.

Foams swirl over my cheek. My robe billows and black pants swirl, opening my eyes and no grapple to my right paw. Oh, NO! I think terribly. Revolving around the river, the flames above the surface enlighten gently to a dimmer.

Nonetheless, you could not be able to look clearly in underwater. However, you'll become terrified and in trouble to swim below, and-

I crawl up to the surface, gasping and panting loudly as the current impacts over my neck. "MEI MEI!" I shout, swimming my neck back and forth. The blast from the ship ahead bursts into crimson sparkles loudly. I take a deep breath and subside under the surface. Down the path when explosion muffles above, avoiding any contacts of bandits from anywhere in this dark woods, piled with torches and lanterns from bank sides. Whirling across the breeze of foams as my robe and pants levitate. A shadowy image of agitating garments behind the fire floats.

A pink form under the scorch from the vessel that sinks. I swim to the current's breeze as my robe waves on my back, nearly bursting my air from the throat, the panda struggles. Mei Mei blows her foams in her mouth, swinging both arms around the troubling panda. She raises her eyes to me, and I snatch her left paw with a billowing sleeve.

Pressing my finger to my mouth while embracing the panda's left arm, Mei Mei nods as we guide through the current's right side. The sinking vessel with the blaze lurches forward, around us shades darker to a navy blue with surrounding foams. We escape the surface, inhaling loudly as our ears catch shattering bamboos including bandits' yell.

"Spread out! Search them in the woods!" one bandit screeches roughly. The river pushes to one side we search path near the levee. A brown branch that connects with large roots on the edge of the surface, we quietly swim forward without splashing noises. Mei Mei presses her mouth from a loud cough.

The red torch summons near from many wood trees ahead of us. A black hawk with yellow eyes who carries the light peeks into branches next to the river as the bandit can sight many flames. I gesture Mei Mei to let us submerge, taking a deep breath silently, then our heads dive into the surface. Her robe fills some air in her sleeves; I caress her soft silk to trap the air without soaring. Both Mei Mei and I grasp the dark brown root, embracing it when fire above us lightens closer. My feet raise slowly, pressing my palms to the branch; Mei Mei shifts my feet with her left paw. The muffling voice from the surface vibrates.

The torch glimmers the surface's mirror. "Have you found any warriors on the river?" one bandit in muffling tone insists.

"No. There's nothing here," the hawk replies in dull. "Come on, diverge many scouts to General Bear's army. MOVE!"

The scorch enters to the darkness. I point the surface to Mei Mei as she immediately nods. Our heads break the surface as we look at the light that shuts in the shadow by large logs with trees. Bandit voices march ahead, and forward likely. Their words and torches over the woods are gone. I glimpse Mei Mei as she embraces my left arm, no matter how she disciplines her fear being on the surface that her whole neck and jaw sinks like a float. I palm her sleeve that has filled with big foam.

"Are you alright?" I inquire. Mei Mei nods slowly with her pressing mouth. She enfolds my right arm when I hold on the large root under the surface. "You're going to be okay."

Mei Mei's mouth collapses into the surface. Her voice summons a bubble; I snatch her by helping her arise from sinking. Her garments robe becomes heavy I ponder worriedly. "Where are the others?" asks Mei Mei perturbed, glimpsing the woods behind me. "The Five? The wolves?"

"I don't know. The Company may be hiding in the woods somewhere," I say, revolving my head toward the surface of the levee. One flow to Mei Mei's side, there is a small loch lake. It's surface paints in navy and dark green floating leaves. "There's a small lake swamp dead ahead. Let's swim."

We crawl across the circle-like swamp lake as our heads swim there. As I use swimming lessons for my cub-hood years, I breaststroke forward, spitting green paint of water from my mouth. I check behind as Mei Mei struggles her crawling arms and her head flattens under the surface my paw snatches her whole arm she lifted.

She is not an excellent swimmer; her robe may be part of a substance that submerges and have a hard time floating above the water if you ever wear heavy garments. Once sinking underneath and swim out of the depths, we togetherly crawl near the side of the bank, as our necks and jaw immerse, then my robe billows behind my head. Mei Mei clenches the substantial brown root, climbing up to the grass.

Soft water surges behind the loch. I glance at the surface; no small vibrate. The noise of water could be the river that carries its tone and pushing the current. Nothing except foams touches my fur. Mei Mei murmurs my name, revolving my head back as the panda extends her right arm near my personal space.

A large palm on my right foot claws and grips as teeth. I scream with a grimace, dragging and swallowing my whole body down to the surface.

"XING!" Mei Mei muffles her scream. I sink under the water, shifting my body unsteadily I glimpse below the foams. The roaring gorilla bursts his air, thrusting his fist on my chest, then lurching back and I hammer my back head to some dark rock. The gorilla bandit snatches my chest, pushing me to the structure as my mind dizzies; smothering my neck and grasping his wrist to shatter. He swings his left fist, hammering my jaw and tossing me to another rock behind him with another sudden impact. Sinking, and pulling down beneath the surface of an orange figure with yellow robe swims downward, clawing the gorilla's head beside the red clouds that come from my head.

Darkness sinks my vision.


My body falls into the void, swallowing the surface. The blue beneath me sparkles with foams across my whiskers and furry cheeks. Everywhere goes colder than the snow's tear, my eyes blur with emptiness sea with crystal bubbles floating and crawling above the shattered surface. A feminine howl echoes across within breeze of blues, and I peer a blue peahen bathing in a pink robe that billows with air, caressing my cheek from her feathers.

My robe soars, my sleeves swell once I reach to peahen. Xia's dream is real, my adoptive mother's healing home under the Earth: No wars, no pain, no plotting, and no bandits. Xia smirks as her embrace guides me in an underwater realm, seeking benevolent gray and white dolphins in gold armor soar through our surroundings with calls of a smile.

"Mom," I call her releasing foams from my throat. "This… is perfect."

She seeks my smile that melts her heart below our chests. Xia touches my cheek, as her feathers mop under, and into my chest. I stroke her billow sleeve, and she twinkles where my breast softens with a warm of the foams. Finally, I embark to falter my body as I no longer crawl to the surface; Xia's grin comforts my eyes that shut into eternal peace. My body thrusts I collapse from the highest height to the ground; my mother glances into a pure white star and explodes, landing within my eyes, and my chest climbs into a sudden awake from a peaceful dream.


I inhale thunderously, expelling loads of water that filled my lungs and throat. "Breathe!" Lotus shrieks. She wobbles my body with her paw as I roll to the grass below me. Multiple voices of the Company march nearby. They must have perceived about me drowned underwater from that gorilla, who dragged me and hammered my head with his large palm.

Once my cough bursts any wasteful water to clear my lung, Lotus rises me when bending my knees, clasping my whole body like the bear's strength suppressing your back. Lotus shatters her tears. "Oh, my God!"

"Lotus…" I falter my muffling voice. I return her fluffy body with a grasp. Lotus weakly chuckles with her tears; I sense her grin within my love's seed. Behind her, Tigress stands as my aunt immersed with yellow hanfu and black trousers, wobbling her smile and nodding with eyes closed. Branches sweep with leaves nearby. Peeking over the logs, Lao approaches rapidly. "Brother!" My brother bounds the branch. Lao blurts his eyes and beak, landing his breast with his feathers. "Oh, my…! You almost scared me to death!"

"Xing's fine, Lao," My aunt pacifies him. "Let him breathe for a while. Look after the gorilla with wolves."

"That gorilla is refusing to give up," Viper says, motioning her body across the branch above Tigress. "I will help these wolves. Come on, Lao."

Lao informs our sister to watch my back, as he infiltrates branches filled with shadowy, green branches. "Come on, let's make fire for us," Crane says, pointing his feathers toward the woods as he offered twin pandas next to him. I glimpse to Tigress as she rose her eyes and shut her eyes serenely. Perceiving Tigress's gesture represents I am safe, especially how I slightly recalled the yellow form attacked gorilla bandit before I drowned. Lotus buzzes her throat, tapping her paw on my back she continues embracing my whole body.

Where is Mei Mei? I thought anxiously. "Mei Mei? Where is she?" I demand.

"She's alright. Mei Mei is with Peng and Mei Ling closer to the fire camp," Tigress replies to me calmly. "You saved her."


A half-hour later, the fire's breeze infiltrates and eradicates any soak over my clothing, including my fur. Tigress beside me positions behind the bamboo tree. My aunt bends her arms in front of her chest. Gladly, the moon above trees dazzles as its light touches all dark woods ahead, especially to Company's surroundings. Lotus sprawls to the ground beside me. I stroke her fluffy fur next to her ears; Lotus smirks with her eyes closed.

There is nothing to have a sheet to surround my body to stay warm. The north blows the wind as the snail. The cold breeze trembles my body. You quiver as you cross your arms while soaking, sinking your head while the fire in front blows its warming breeze. The vessel was the Company's sanctuary or a small base for us to occupy as by traveling toward northwest to proceed our quests.

"I believe scout bandits got their attention, they are heading to Master Bear's army," I say, softly trembling my arms before demanding my aunt. "Do we still have a map of Yinxing Mountain?"

"We have," Tigress answers, crossing her arms while flattening her back on the brown log. "Fei is still using it. The map nearly absorbed near the river; however, the X mark currently located behind the mountain, but the entrance has been soak with ink."

"Are you cold, Auntie?" I ask. "The northern wind is slowly blowing."

"No, Xing," she replied, strolling and sitting next to me near the fire. She crosses her knees after. "The cold water does not bother me. Even if the water absorbs my fur or my clothing."

My paws draw closer to the fire. Its warmth breeze enters my sleeves as flowing through my body. "That gorilla bandit pulled me down to the pond," I say with dust tone, crossing my arms closer to fire, peering the glare of light that shaped into crystals. "Before that happened, Mei Mei and I catapulted to the river when the blast swarmed. I nearly lost her in underwater, which was similar to my brother almost drowned in a river. When we approached the side of the river's pond quietly from scouts searching us as I helped Mei Mei out, I went dragged under the water."

Tigress listens. The rest of Company members realize trouble comes and arrives without hesitating. I glimpse to her amber eyes. "Our vessel had food, weapons, tea, and belongings," I say regularly.

"I know," Tigress realizes. No anger, or frown, my aunt suppresses her feelings. As if she resembles a circumstance we feel harder to search our way without vessel ride, we all shall walk on our feet toward the road without considering terribly. "Peng and Mei Ling have plenty of bottles to let us sip some water. We will have to share water wisely."

I turn my head to her. "How many bottles?" I inquire.

My aunt gives a thought. "Three," Tigress answers.

Three? I think shockingly. That is not enough bottles to fill our stomachs! "If there are only three bottles to sip water, then how far can we reach the mountain while the Company is in thirst heavily?" I insist without eyes clenching.

"As long as we drink water a little, the better to take our time last longer over these woods," Tigress advises. "Do not go thirst heavily while journeying into places where every terrain is dangerous. Even on the loneliest path, you travel somewhere you have never been there, is a risk uncommon. Without water to sip, you will not persist."

She is an adoptive father's daughter who sounds like Shifu. I think sagaciously. Tigress stands as if she managed the warming breeze from the fire, staring hard at the light of the moon, including the woods. "The mountain is about thirty miles. It takes a day travel by roaming, depending on how wolves handle gorilla prisoner," my aunt ponders.

Many branches from the upper left side of the fire pit have moved. The snake crawls beside the dead branches. "You are cold. Let me cover you," Viper beams lightly. She-reptile swirls her body beside the fire, slithering across my back and into— HOOF! A she-reptile compresses my belly and my neck firmly. Her skin warms my clothing, then my fur. Viper! I think while stifling; Viper loosens her body that may notice I am having trouble of breathing shortly. "Better?" asks Viper contended.

"Thanks," I credit in squeaking tone. Next, my bones crack from my back. "Oh… That feels good."

"That is for suffocating my prey," she grins. Are you kidding—?! "Don't worry, big guy. I won't bite."

Next, to the enormous tree log where Viper's trail spawns behind, the bird strolls as his eyes brighten from the light of the crystal fires in front of us. Crane tugs his feathers beside his body. "The map is a little wet," he apprises Tigress. "And the X mark including a location of Yinxing Mountain is still there."

"That is good to know, Crane," Tigress closes her eyes shortly with a nod. "How is Mei Ling?"

"She's fine, with wolves questioning the gorilla," the bird replies. Crane gently preens his feathers to this right wing. "How are you, Xing?"

"Squeezing to death, here," I jester; Viper triggers her body, pinching my chest I speak in high pitch. "And Viper is preying me."


I ascend to the short hill across three logs. Viper, Crane, and Tigress perch themselves in front of the fire next to Lotus. My sister while laying on the ground could not rest on the left of cold side, she merely comforts the cozy on her right. Above the trees I peer large branches where other limbs come from another front, the hawk rests with his feathers tug. Fei scrutinizes the map of Yinxing Mountain, wherever the Company journeys, we follow him. The brown bird watches me strolling next to the sloping hill.

The light from the bottom of the slope after ascending dazzles gently. Three pandas sit around their fire camp; Sum wields the bandage to his paws, he wraps around to his brother's wound on Dim's right arm near his shoulder. Right beside to the twins, I peer a she-panda trembling her body when sitting in front of the fire, walking near to attractive panda, her humming tone vibrates. "Mei Mei," I approach the she-panda.

Mei Mei rises her ears. She turns. "Xing," she-panda calls me smoothly. "You are okay."

"So are you," I say, strolling closer to the firepit, and perching next to Mei Mei. My paws distinguish the fire breeze as it flows within my arms and through a front of my body. "How is your right arm, Dim?"

"Still burns," Dim replies in soft grunt. "Luckily, Sum found this alcohol and bandages can help. I'll be okay."

Mei Mei slowly trembles as her fur rises. "Are you cold, my lady?" I inquire.

"A little… My robe's all muddied and soaked," Mei Mei falters. "My garments were heavier and nearly submerged."

"Aye. To me, I am used to it," I say candidly. Once peering into the light, a screeching sound within my head appears, the Nine's remedy who screamed in echoes of horror in my ears. Staring at the fire longer, my brother coughed from the splashing water. A sense of memory I close my eyes brought a scene as Lotus, Hong and I ran near the river in years ago, I nearly lost sighted Lao under the river.

Straightforwardly, Lao's shout is indistinguishable to Mei Mei's trembling body she once pulled my arm away from the water's current before the blast. One of my immoral dreams were not able to seek my brother on the surface near the lake at Xia's wooden house about two miles away from there. That nightmare was no longer disturbing to Lao. As for Mei Mei I nearly lost sight of her on the river, virtually mounted my concern of dreadfulness.

I blink my eyes as my head shakes; Mei Mei's elbow benevolently caresses my shoulder. "You seem having thought of something," she says. "Are you okay?"

Three pandas peer to me, perceiving I was daydreaming in front of the fire I could not ignore my thoughts. "To be honest with you three, I have preoccupied that the river reflected me of my brother drowning."

"Really?" staggered Mei Mei in a gentle voice.

"While Lotus and I headed to my grandmother's room to greet cobra Fǎnshè from Master Viper's temple," I contemplate while glimpsing the brightness fire, "our bunny companion Hong shouted to us that Lao collapsed into the river after bridge went fallen, and rotted. Lao was heading to her mother's cabin after sparring with Hong. A moment after we arrived at the river as Lao couldn't swim above the surface, the crocodile under the river dragged my brother out of there.

"Zhao, who saved Lao from drowning in the river, he was not involved to any bandits claiming to their swampland just outside of Prosper Valley about seven miles from there. Zhao quitted to some gangs who offered him to slay one of the villagers near my grandmother's partner farm in Tánhuáng. Lao gave many blessings to him for a thousand times, as we provided him a new home to Shui Palace, by becoming Ferocious title until our bull companion from pirate's island became the ninth member of Wing Chun community.

"My grandmother and I created a faction 'Fellowship of the Nine' to swore the valley and Ming's bloodline to defend people from ruthless bandits, and terrorism toward villagers. I became 'Leader' to guide through plans, and perceive circumstances to prevent. My brother became 'Clever' as Lao smartly combines his strength to hit the enemies' open spot. My sister became 'Dancer' to—"

"Dancer?" Mei Mei inquiries in astounding. "Like a sash dancer?"

"Lotus adores sashes," I add. "Her eyes bizarrely dazzled when she touched the blue silk sash on the table in my grandmother's room, in which attracted my sister and swung the stick as the sash soared. My sister uses a sash stick as an advantage to hurl blades, and confuse enemies."

"Your sister seems extraordinary," Mei Mei says. "She will be interesting to join the Pandiva clan if Lotus likes to."

Lotus will stop her heart if she interests Mei Mei's Pandiva clan. I think cordially.

"Mei Mei. I didn't know you are afraid of swimming," I say.

"I do, Xing," she says, tugging her mouth gently and paling her blue eyes than the moon. Mei Mei could not clench her eyes, or her mouth harder; she glimpses the fire I contemplate her. "It's not like I am frightening the water, but felt the water freezing over my feet like almost as ice, and after the blast, it hurled as raging fireworks. Pandas adore sea. To me, I am in fear of it. Since I was a cub around five, maybe seven, I spent strolling with my girlfriends at the frozen lake in Secret Panda village as we searched blossoms, sunflowers, and daisies.

"One boy who accidentally lost control to his arrow kite, it dashed right on the lake that froze as hard as the grassland you could see the water beneath the white ground. I handed many flowers over to my best friend before heading to the frozen lake without rushing. While I went closer to reach the boy's kite, the ground went shattered as someone whispered to its throat wobbling. I knew something was not right to saunter over the lake. Once I snatched the boy's kite, and glimpsed to the boy and my girlfriends…"

"You fell," I discern revealable.

"The ice swallowed me into the surface," Mei Mei adds. "The current swirled my body and my garment billowed as the wind, and I banged the ice as the surface could not shred. Then someone came above the glass current, taller than my mother. He ripped the thick surface and dragged me out of the frozen water. I peered to that single father who had lost his child five years earlier, he gathered a dry towel and wrapped it around to me when my mother from her house arrived. I never forget his jade eyes, and green vest cloak he endlessly smiled upon his face."

"Who was the panda saved you?" I ask her.

"A single father who reunited his son at Noodle Restaurant," she answers.

Li. I think Po's dad. One, hard-working panda I recalled him sweeping the broom on the floor, as I paid another visit to Mr. Ping's restaurant about third time to guzzle secret ingredient noodles I crave it to swallow in my throat. Li's smile brought his people melting their hearts, especially Po he came to the door with Mr. Ping. "I'll buy you a new robe after this quest," I apprise her; She rings and rises her ears to me. "I have someone who can make the finest garments like yours."

"You will buy a new robe for me?" she beams silvery.

"Yeah," I nod. "My sow teacher, who is a great painter and built farms to harvest food supplies at the Prosper Valley, she creates large clothes around the size of bull to rabbit, even a panda she has dreamt to sew Dragon Warrior's outfit one day."

Mei Mei smirks, bending her head and raising her eyes. "Aww. That is very kind to you, Xing. I have more of my robes like this at the Valley of Peace," Mei Mei endears, patting her heart. "This robe is my personal favorite. I cannot let it go."

"You are still beautiful," one of the twins says. Dim stands from the ground after Sum wrapped bandages around his brother's arm. "Whether being soaked, dirty or not, you are the same, Mei Mei."

Just then, wolves growl across the trees. Not a thunderous, or echoing that carries many voices through the shades that bandits could get attention. "We are about thirty miles north to head Yingxing Mountain. Tomorrow, we'll be reaching there in time around next night," I inform, standing from the dirt with soft grass. I press my paw to Mei Mei's shoulder. "Stay next to the fire, hopefully, dry yourself with your robe on."

"Xing."

Her voice stroke my ears in such plain I was able to turn into the shade. Gazing back to her blue eyes, I return and reply Mei Mei. "Yes?"

Mei Mei rises and hugs my whole body. Her arms wrapped my back with enormous sleeves like I am her pillow (or a log). "Thank you. Thank you for saving my life from the river I nearly drowned," she grins with her eyes become dawn. "I desire to let you know I pulled you out first, and Tigress revived you after that gorilla ambushed and drowned you."

I nod with a melting simper. Mei Mei and I grasp ourselves again. Too tender how she is grateful and a gift Mei Mei is remarkable. Caressing to her silk behind Mei Mei, I sense her bless tone over my ear.

We release ourselves; Mei Mei and twins rise her eyes, they peer to the branches. The one-eyed commander strolls without heavy footsteps. The wolf boss concluded. "I am sorry to interrupt," the one-eyed Commander intervenes, carrying a red bow and brown quiver he peers to me. "I found your bow and quiver before the vessel submerged, Xing."

I lost track my weapons. I reflect. "With respect, Commander. The bow and quiver are yours," I say. "The oddest part was I precise hit at every bandit's chest and their feet."

"You are the accurate sharpshooter than my lieutenants," the wolf boss adds throaty. "Lee and Lin trained their skills of shooting for years. And you, on the other hand, practiced at least four days earlier. If I may like to inquire, kid, have you ever trained shooting tactics on behalf of your Wing Chun community?"

Good question. I think again. "My grandmother sometimes practiced me using bow and arrows, Commander," I answer, rubbing my paws closer to the fire. "To be honest, Zhong, I couldn't remember who instructed me in my cub years."

"Perhaps you do know skills, but could not recall to someone who educated you very well," Zhong ponders. He tosses the red arrow I snatch it quickly. Then a quiver with pointy arrows. "Walk with me, Xing. You will need these to interrogate my former ally he used to work with my brother."

Was the gorilla your ally? I think, as my eyes sharply rise. One of Lord Shen's gorillas? The commander steps and up and over the log behind him. I stand to follow as Zhong turns to wait for my presence and three pandas peer. Mei Mei bends her head, and I nod her back.


I cross the downslope hill as the grass sings from the breeze, kissing my feet and the wind blows chilly. Peng and Mei Ling peer two wolves stand in front of the gorilla, interrogating him as the wolf twins tightened the bandit's palms around the tree behind his back. Zhong beside me points my brother to the brown log; Lao spots me and saunters. "Brother," Lao convenes, stepping in front of me. "You seem alright."

"Yeah. I just got hammered and hooked with your pandiva girlfriend," I jester.

Mei Ling gasps, wordless as her eyes rise. "Wait. Really?" Peng surprised confusingly. "She is your… you know, love?"

"I do not remember," Lao bluffs.

I suppress my chuckle. "Let's not talk about that. We should interrogate the gorilla with wolves."

Just as we focus without humoring over the woods, we stand beside the downslope as two wolves upright in front of the bandit. The twin wolves wrapped the gorilla's fists with 8-point acupressure cuffs behind the giant log. The gorilla grunts, he wobbles his arms and tenderly growls. "How many of you are there at Yingxing Mountain, gorilla?" Lin insists the gorilla, pointing his dagger to bandit's neck.

"Go ask Huoju, he'll tell you how many are there, you mutt!" the gorilla insults him.

Lee flickers the arrow from his quiver, he draws the arrow on his bow, pointing directly to the gorilla's right eye. "Another word of mutt, you'll regret losing your tongue!"

"Lee! Draw your bow and arrow away from him!" Commander shouts to my left.

Lee surrenders his bow and arrow, slowly dropping without letting his weapons go to the ground. The one-eyed Commander strolls as he clasped his paws behind; the gorilla shocks with his mouth wide open and his eyes brighten as the fire. "Boss? Wolf Boss? Is it you?" the gorilla stammers astoundingly. "I knew you are a traitor, Commander! Shen could have dart you another eye!"

"Who said anything about the traitor?" Zhong forces his throat to the gorilla. Lee and Lin stand back from both warriors reunited. "You swore to your former peacock master to guard him behind during the fight. And what did you and your colleague do?"

The gorilla reflects as he stammers in a broken tone. He did not answer. "You both fled, and Lord Shen would have disappointed you." Zhong shakes his head.

The gorilla scoffs wickedly. "Why would Shen ever disappointed me?" He demands ruthlessly, wobbling his body as the pressure cuffs hurt his wrists. "You obeyed your lord, and you disobeyed his direct order!"

"You are too blind what you recall cruel obey, where Shen ordered me to slaughter masters where my brothers and sisters stood there!" the one-eyed Commander argues. "Tell me, Gāng. If he commands you to shoot, would you fire your people trying to defend their warlord from masters?"

The gorilla nearly opens his mouth. He had thoughts to reply to Zhong's insist. The Five once spoke along the Dragon Warrior to the Nine about the bay where wolves mantle cannons on their ships with Lord Shen. Po added that he saw the weapon pointed directly not just him and the masters, but to peacock's men careless. The gorilla closes his mouth. Wordless he continues to glimpse Zhong's tensing right eye. "That is what you would refuse," the one-eyed commander adds. "Shen's an unlikable father's son, who murdered not just plenty of panda villagers, but to my clanmates, they were my family.

"You will guide the Company to the secret entrance of Yinxing Mountain," Zhong steps forward ahead of the gorilla. "You will bring us to Huoju's plans where it is hidden, and free the Dragon Warrior. Refusing to do so —"

A shrieking blade darts to the log above the gorilla's head. "WHAT THE—?!" the gorilla snaps.

I turn. She-wolf shows her teeth aggressive. "He dies!" Lotus snarls. "Any attempt to con us by journeying in a wrong direction, planning to attack, or trapping us to your companions, you die! And if you flee from us, you die!

"Lotus! You pilfered my feather knives in my sleeves?! Are you completely mad?!" Lao insists loudly.

"Not directly, brother!" Lotus clenches her teeth. "For the record, he will speak, and I will hurt him strangling my Xing!"

"Lotus—!" her father embarks.

Lotus thrusts a feather knife. The blade shrieks into such high pitched breeze, penetrating directly to gorilla's tip of his left ear. Flick! "MY EAR!" Gāng yowls, flailing his body as the cuffs snarl his wrists roughly. She-wolf virtually surges another feather knife to her paw; I meddle ahead of her as the gorilla does a shrill cry. "ALRIGHT! Okay! I beg you! Don't kill me!"

Lotus stumbles her arm she wields Lao's feather knife. Hesitating into such tremulous to her body, she shakes her head. "You kill this gorilla, we will never find the Dragon Warrior, and Huoju's plans," I warn her unruffled, palming ahead of Lotus. She finally closes her eyes regretful, yielding the feather blade without a second thought to thrust it. She quivers her mouth; I approach her with a grasp.

A sharp sound of wind hovers down forth beside trees nearby from the sky. Pandas holler to someone. Peng and Mei Ling next to the gray log that stands bigger, Tigress, Viper, and Crane shift their heads where pandas call, saying messenger. "Go check the Company," I tell Lao. "Let me know what is going on from the messenger."

Lao assembles with Peng and Mei Ling while following three of the Furious Five to the fire camp where messenger landed beside the pandas. Lotus eradicates her quivering body I sense her strength familiarly to Tigress. She glimpsed with dazzle eyes with a single saltiness tear.

"Huoju is inviting many recruits for around fifty in every twelve hours," Gāng shatters hurriedly; Lotus dries her tears with her paw, glimpsing our heads to gorilla while wolves apprehend him in a vigilant glance. "It is like bringing all gangs who hate kung fu, and that Ox guy seduces every single person to convince that he will redeem China everywhere, making thousands of followers!"

"How many are you all there?" the wolf boss insists.

"A thousand from outside, and more than ten thousand inside the mountain! I swear!" Gāng wobbles his whole head.

"This gorilla makes a trap," Lotus sternly says. "He lies, I will kill him myself after claiming Huoju's plans."

Lao's voice hollers over leaves. "No. We need him," I shift my ears down. "Let's head to the fire camp, and see what is that messenger doing here meeting with the Company."

"Wait! Wait! There's more!" Gāng shouts. Lotus and I peer back rapidly to him. "The bear who is closer to Huoju and kind of a Will of Prince of Darkness, she brought her men to travel, and ambush where they must find a person who talks about every person's past and must remain to focus the future on what lies ahead —"

The gorilla stammers; our brother again calls loudly I squint my eyes. "What are you talking about?" I demand confusingly.

"Where is that bear heading, gorilla?!" Zhong rushes to him in front, insisting the gorilla solemnly.

"I don't know!" Gāng overlooks, he shivers his head quickly without stopping. "I only hear most of the bandits planning to attack someplace where the bear will snatch someone who is much important!"

Much important? Who?! I think anxiously. "Think harder! What place can you describe?! Where is she attacking with her men at?! WHERE?!" Zhong intimidates; wolves point their weapons while one-eyed Commander wields his maul.

"Very expensive palace! High ridge place! Heavily guarded protecting somebody in duty! That's all I KNOW!"

Mei Mei shatters her scream very loud. I bound into the branches, leaping across trees and landing near the fire camp. She-panda howls into shatter beside the twins pandas they grasp her with pouring tears. What is happening?! Viper vibrates her mouth; the Company except wolves glimpse my arrival into contrition; Crane flails his wings, grabbing his hat and placing it on his chest with a trembling head; Tigress drops an opening scroll, it collapses silently to the ground. My aunt looks on my agitating, and wobbling face my heart skips while a dark gray goose in a yellow and black robe next to her closes his eyes in misery.

"They attacked our home."