Author's Note: Um... Hi people... Heh heh... Okay, I know its been a REALLY long time. I am incredibly sorry about that. A lot of things happened at once in my life so I kind of had to deal with that, on top of that, this chapter took me so long to figure out. Specifically pacing wise. Luckily, I managed to figure it out and now you lot can have a nice, chunky chapter. And trust me, there will be quite a few reveals here as well as some action! Now, after a month's wait (again sorry), let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (KFP 4 has me concerned, ngl)

Enjoy!

Zhongcheng's Nefarious Plot

A mass of distorted scales lurks under the murky depths of the yellow river, slicing through the water at a frantic pace. They hurry in the hopes that none of their foes have had the bright idea of following them, some of the soldiers at the rear glancing behind them to be safe. With each glance, nothing makes itself known. Yet they hurry still, taking heed of their commander's warning to never let their guard down.

Unfortunately, their awareness proves to be useless as two ruby telescopes peer through the waves, keeping track of their targets whilst shooting across rooftops. Zhonglei keeps his sights focused on the retreating alligators, a concentrated scowl indented on his features as he lets his instincts guide his path. Yet, despite his body's intense concentration, his mind is barraged by a storm of questions yearning to be answered. The fact that he has wasted so much manpower for a simple distraction. The fact that no alarm has been raised at the emperor's palace. The fact that he had planned for them to retreat rather than claim victory. Zhongcheng is up to something, that much is certain. But what? Ruby irises widen as they keep sight of the retreating army down below, the elite guard's previous account of events punching through his mental storm cloud.

Some of them were our men, but… different.

Even the poor leopard had been confused as he said it, but for Zhonglei, that confusion now turns into concern. He couldn't mean it like that… could he? Concern wells into fear. I know Kai did that to the masters, or something like that, but… how could Zhongcheng manage that? Fear contorts itself into a new resolve. Now is not the time to keep swarming himself with questions, not when he might have the chance to get those answers now. He can't let that slip away. Although, if his suspicions are correct about the missing imperial soldiers, then he fears just what answers he may get from this admittedly ballsy tactic.

Regaining his mental focus, the golden tiger pays closer attention to the gargantuan shadow underneath the river. His eyes narrow as the shadow starts to fade, its form drifting down as he keeps moving forward. Within seconds, the mass of scales dissipates completely, forcing him to skid to a halt as his claws scar the moist, rocky ground. He darts his head around the docks, only seeing pedestrian buildings and docking points for boats. The only thing of note is a somewhat weathered hut several buildings down, but considering the city's age, it isn't out of the ordinary. Finding himself befuddled once more, Zhonglei looks down into the river again, confirming that even with his enhanced sight he can no longer see the alligator army. They've gone even deeper, but to where? Perhaps this is meant to bait anyone following them into an ambush. Maybe they will resurface once they think the coast is clear. Or perhaps the path is too deep for another species to follow. With such little time on his paws, there is only one way to find out.

Getting onto all fours, he pushes himself into the water. His entrance may as well be silent, the little break in the river's flow being unnoticeable to any of the soldiers deep below. He wades his way down the river's depths, mentally thanking his parents for blessing him with big lungs. As he descends further down, his eyes are forced to adjust to the growing darkness, slowly but surely purging whatever sunlight that tries to brighten its obsidian depths. Though his fur stands on end and his skin endlessly shivers at the freezing winter chill injected in the river, Zhonglei continues down, swearing that he can see several tails swinging side to side. He pushes once more to find the retreating army shifting direction, all of them collectively heading into a cavern submerged in the yellow river's merciless clutches. A cavern that the Zhanshi chief meets with a hollow, mournful recognition.

With new questions and worries floating through his mind, Zhonglei tails the alligators, careful not to get too close. He's come this far, no sense to ruin it all now. Even if part of him can't help but to reminisce of what this vast expanse of rock and water used to be. As they swim on, ruby irises find themselves drawn to shredded clothes and fabrics practically tainting the riverbed… or cavern bed. Mounds of crumbled boulders, shattered statues, and obliterated wood litter the lower end of the cavern. Yet, to the Zhanshi chief's surprise, something else outnumbers this aged rubble to a frightening extent. Broken bones, dismantled skeletons, shattered skulls; almost an entire village's worth of skeletal remains bury the rubble in its deathly white visage. Where?... Who…? What are they doing here? He remembers what had happened here, what had been destroyed, who had managed to escape. So, how can there be so many bodies? Yet again, another detail that doesn't add up. He pushes this aside for now as he mourns the memory of this cavern. A place once filled with life, now a desolate haven for the unforgiving sea. Now home to a heartless, treacherous tyrant. Zhongcheng's men ignore the fragments of a long-forgotten devastation, the details of which they know little of, as they ascend the vast cavern.

Of course. They have to resurface soon. A grateful realisation ripples though the Zhanshi chief's head, his lungs pleading for even a brief gasp of air as they freeze in the river's unrelenting grasp. As the mass of scales continues upwards, Zhonglei follows on with a bit of struggle until his eyes notice more of the soldier's features becoming clear. A crimson light pours into the waters once more, tempting the oxygen deprived tiger with the promise of land. But he ignores this insidious temptress, noticing the sight of other bodies idly floating high above. Some of Zhongcheng's men are still here. If he follows them straight up, then he is dead for sure. But if he stays within the waters… well, his lungs aren't that big. Ruby irises dart around at lightning-fast speed until they just about notice a narrow tunnel off to the left side. Instead of being draped in an ominous red glow, it is shrouded in darkness. Yet something within the golden tiger tells him this isn't a dead end. In fact, it might be something more sinister… The skeletons. There's no other explanation for their random appearance, and no other reason needed for him to frantically ascend up its path, making sure to remain out of sight of those oblivious alligators.

Whilst Zhonglei infiltrates Zhongcheng's base, Tigress manages to swiftly duck under the wolf's attempted punch, forcing her to block Gongjiang's kick aimed at her legs. She elbows him in the gut before catching Zhongcheng's foot as he attempts to kick her in the face. Keeping his leg in her grip, she attempts to sweep his leg only for the wolf to lift it up and land kick right on her nose, throwing her to the ground right as he lands back first. Although dazed, the tiger master rolls away from the bison's attempt to stomp on her and kicks up from the ground a few seconds after Zhongcheng. A few precious seconds that allow him to land a chi-powered palm to her chest, shooting her into the bison behind her. He manages to get her into a chokehold with one arm as he punches her right kidney with his other, forcing a grunt of pain out of her.

With each strike eating away at her already dwindling stamina, Tigress realises their strategy. And within moments she knows how to counter it, assuming there aren't more dirty tricks up their sleeve. Space, that is all she needs to end this quickly and considering Gongjiang's strength, she prays she'll have enough chi to spare. Imbuing her right arm with chi, she elbows her captor in the gut, forcing his grip to loosen ever so slightly. As she elbows him again and again, Zhongcheng rushes over to kick her in the abdominals, making her raise her legs up to block and deflect his strikes before responding with a front kick to his snout. This ushers a hiss of pain from the wolf, her kick breaking his nose as she elbows Gongjiang two more times, the sheer power of her strikes forcing him to let go at last. As soon as she is freed, she throws out a double palm strike at the reeling bison's chest.

Boom!

A golden shockwave engulfs the centre of the catwalk, making it shudder as the bison is sent flying backwards, a mixture of blood and spit spluttering out from his mouth. Seeing him flop down the other end of the catwalk, clearly weakened, Tigress darts her head over to the wolf commander, now able to fully take in the deceitful coward's appearance.

Pitch black armour coats his entire body, silencing the pale brightness of his white fur. Amber irises threaten to melt the obsidian metal as a crimson eye stares back at her from his shoulder pauldron. Alongside the fallen lord's symbol are the wolf's own dark blue eyes, glaring at her as blood drips from his broken nostril. Yet it is not in anger, but an intense focus. Strangely enough, a smirk lines his features, befuddling the tiger until a metallic scent makes itself known to her. It is only now that Tigress puts her paw up to her nose, pulling back to see the crimson substance staring back at her. An eye for an eye, or in this case a nose. The feline and canine put their paws on their own noses, mirroring each other as they reposition them with a rancid crackle. They both instinctually grimace at this before getting back into their stances, picking out and countering each other's projected tactics as they stare each other down.

After several moments, Zhongcheng charges forward and unleashes a barrage of punches and kicks, forcing Tigress on the defensive. With each rapid strike of his, she responds with a block or deflect, the tiger master noticing his fists begin to unclench into chops and soon devolve to strong pokes. A strange tactic she concludes until his proposed target becomes obvious. Her eyes, he's trying to blind her. Dirty tricks from a dishonourable coward. Fire sears her body as she catches his paw, twisting it into a one-armed arm-lock before punching him in the side.

To her surprise, he takes these punches with gritted teeth and catches her free arm with his, taking her with him as he falls backwards and throws her behind him with a push from his leg. She gets up quickly but not quick enough to anticipate the wolf throwing a smoke bomb at her.

Pfffff.

Within seconds Tigress' vision is completely engulfed in grey and her airways begin to burn, begging for the rancid plumes to dissipate. She waves her arms through the thick cloud strangling her lungs only for it to mock her as it forces her into a coughing fit. Her ears twitch as the sound of rapid footsteps bangs along the wooden catwalk, making her take up the inner peace stance once more. A black demon with glowing blue eyes shoots through the smoke, his index finger shimmering that same insidious blue as he aims for her forehead. But Tigress' remaining sense guide her true as she effortlessly deflects his arm away from her. She can hear Zhongcheng's furious growl, but can't see his cracked demon mask, her eyes remaining closed to minimise whatever damage the smoke could do. Blue chi slices through the thick cloud of smoke multiple times but are thwarted by her fine tuned instinct. She attacks back with a kick to his shin, forcing the masked wolf to buckle as she follows up with a chi-infused palm strike straight to his face.

Bam!

A golden flash ripples off her strike, blasting away the smoky shroud and flinging Zhongcheng farther down the catwalk, shattering his demon mask into miniscule fragments. In spite of the feline warrior's powerful attack, he manages to reorient himself midair and land on his feet as Tigress pounces towards him with her leg reeled back. She attempts a flying roundhouse kick, but the wolf is able to block it in time. They trade blows once more, the two combatants so focused on each other that neither of them notices Gongjiang get up and onto all fours, a putrid glare infecting his orange eyes.

With each punch and kick blocked or deflect, Tigress gets closer to a harrowing realisation. Her breath is getting heavier, her attacks are coming out slower, even her form is beginning to slump. Her copious chi usage is eating away at her body, and she can immediately tell from Zhongcheng's eyes that he knows this too. She either has to end this now or push him away enough to retreat. Imbuing chi into her fist once more, she attempts to punch him in the chest only for her fist to glide over the wolf's shoulder. Before she can draw her arm back, Zhongcheng grabs it and turns himself around before throwing her to the floor in front of him. Midway through his throw, he shares a glance with Gongjiang, a plan forming between them. He releases his grip on her arm and goes on the offensive right as she picks herself up off the catwalk. A few of his strikes are blocked, but it is clear to the wolf that her strength is waning. Now is his chance. After parrying a palm strike aimed for his cheek, he kicks the tiger master in the shin, forcing her to stumble off balance. With grit teeth, she attempts this attack again only for him to duck down and punch her in the back of the knee, making her focus on her balance again as he thrusts his elbow up.

Wham!

Tigress' head snaps upward as his elbow hits her square on the chin, leaving her neck completely exposed. Zhongcheng doesn't waste a second to aim a palm thrust right at her jugular, forcing her into a coughing fit. A wicked smile on his face, the commander nods to his bison brother as the tiger master tries her best to focus on the battle despite her airway pleading for a moment's rest. No rest is given however, as Tigress attempts a sluggish haymaker that Zhongcheng rolls under with ease. Hearing the pounding footsteps of Gongjiang approaching, he grabs his opponent by the tail and pulls her over to the charging bison.

Bam!

Choking out a gasp of pain, Tigress is tackled onto the catwalk face first, her aching jugular stopping her from even attempting to retaliate. Unfortunately, the bison straddled on her back gives her no time to recover.

Slam!

His ferocious punch threatens to crack the back of her skull as her face is smashed into the catwalk, wounding the wood on impact. Hearing a groan of exhaustion exit the tiger master's maw, Gongjaing looks to his brother who nods with a sickening glow in his eyes. Now given the signal, the bison puts her in a one-armed choke hold once more, but this time he restrains her arms behind her with his free hoof and pins her legs to the ground with his knee. Amber irises widen in panic as her tired body makes a pathetic attempt to struggle in his grasp, only for the bison's hold to tighten. She doesn't even notice the splinters digging into her cheeks or thin stream of blood flowing down her bruised bottom lip, only the horrid eyes of Zhongcheng fill her sight. Now, she's completely immobilised and left to the non-existent mercy of that wretched wolf.

Or so it would seem if it were not for a pair of jade eyes that have managed to sneak in peeks of their battle. A panda hatching a plan in his head the moment the bison had picked himself up off the catwalk again. Po dodges the Wu-sisters' bladed wheels, managing to keep himself unscathed aside from a few cuts and purple bruises. He pushes all three leopards back with a roundhouse kick before darting his eyes back to his tiger, noticing her strikes lose their strength as she practically moves in slow motion. And not in the romantic way. Meanwhile, Gongjiang readies himself on all fours, eyes vengeful and deadly. As strong as Tigress may be, even she won't be able to last much longer against them. A speeding talon quickly yanks him out of his thoughts as he only just manages to deflect Crane's attack, the bird circling around to try again. High up in the air… High enough to reach the catwalk…

Oh yeah, prepare for the panda cannon, Zhongcheng.

A cheeky smile adorns the dragon warrior's face before the Wu-sisters force him to duck and weave through their continuous, swift slashes. His attention remains centred on the brainwashed bird, trying his best to stay prepared for his next attack. However, the relentless snow leopards certainly don't make this easy, their onslaught barely being held back by his attempts to keep them away. Yet, in spite of their ferocious attacks, Po notices a strange distinction in where their strikes are placed. None of their blades are aimed at his throat or face. In fact, all three of them keep trying to hit him in non-lethal spots. Why does it feel weirder that they're not trying to kill me? Damnit, focus Po!

He brushes that minute detail aside as his eyes meet with Crane's hollow irises, his talon's ready to strike. "Mantis!" Po yells out as he catches Wan's attempt at a roundhouse kick, trips up her remaining leg and chucks her at her elder sisters, "I'm loading the panda cannon!" Wing is knocked down as Su-Wu slides under her hurtling sister, resuming her offense whilst Crane shoots closer to his target.

Hearing his friend's ridiculous code phrase, Mantis jumps over his brainwashed buddy's sweeping leg and kicks him away. He darts his eyes around the warehouse until he watches his tiger sister get tackled onto the catwalk. Hazel irises narrow at the sight, the impulsive insect immediately understanding Po's plan. "I'll light the fuse!" He calls out right as his best buddy dashes forward and trades blows with him again.

Bladed wheels glide across Po's fur as he ducks and weaves past Su-Wu's heated attacks, his eyes still planted on the approaching bird. She attempts a downward slash at his leg only for the panda to jump back, seemingly leaving himself open for the snow leopard to throw one of her bladed wheels at his chest. To her frustration, he catches it with ease and attacks back, forcing her on the defensive as Crane raises his talons to attack. A move that Po notices instantly. Their blades clang together as Su-Wu blocks her opponent's haphazard strikes, clearly unaccustomed to her weapon. It takes little effort for her to disarm him, yet the panda manages to surprise her by grabbing the arm that just disarmed him and tripping her up before punching her to the ground. Her back slams against the floor, winding her for long enough so Po can swerve his face away from Crane's talon strike and grab onto his outstretched leg.

As planned, the brainwashed bird lifts Po up into the air, trying his best to kick him off with his free talon. Each strike of his is blocked by the dragon warrior's free arm, resulting in a cacophony of bruises laced with deep cuts embedding themselves on his forearm. They fly higher and higher up, nearing the warehouse's ceiling as Po looks over to the catwalk. Jade eyes narrow at the sight of Gongjiang putting Tigress in a choke hold, a vengeful scowl forming as a blow glow emanates from the wolf facing her. No! I won't let you get her too! A determined fury carves itself into his face as he yells out, "Mantis!" Hazel and Jade irises meet, the two already knowing what he'll say next. "Light it up!"

He lets go.

A cocky grin slinks onto Zhongcheng's face as he channels his chi into his paw, unaware that the captive tiger is doing the very same to the back of her skull. Though a plan forms in her head and her face remains as still as stone, a chill of fear ripples through her mind as the wolf reels his arm back. She just needs a distraction, something, anythi-

Kaboom!

Both her captors turn their attention towards the shockwave tearing at the air at the other side of the warehouse, letting down their guard long enough for her to lean her head forward and then thrust it back.

Wham!

Flowing blood accentuates the howl of agony blasting out of Gongjiang's maw as Tigress smacks the back of her head straight onto his mouth and nose, emitting a small golden explosion. He backs away involuntarily, holding his face in his hooves as more broken teeth clatter onto the catwalk. As soon as this happens, Zhongcheng thrusts his paw forward but its too late. She catches his glowing paw in hers and responds with a high kick to his jaw, sending him back along the catwalk. Amber eyes turn back to the injured bison only to see a black and white blur throttle into him at full speed, their legs outstretched to meet with his jaw.

Bam!

Po's double kick sends the poor bison crashing through the railing, making Tigress wince at the damage done to the general's face. That kick alone is a broken jaw for sure. Whilst Gongjiang plummets to the ground below, the dragon warrior lands in front of his exhausted tiger, concern laden in his eyes. "Are you okay?" He places a gentle paw on her cheek, bringing out a tired, affectionate smile from her.

"I am, thanks to you." Within moments she can feels her chi reserves begin to replenish as her panda shares some of his. Her smile widens slightly as she caresses his paw. A silent message of thanks that he graciously accepts with an equally relieved grin. But the battle isn't over yet. Their light expressions are slapped off their faces by Zhongcheng's unimpressed scoff. In an instant, they turn to face him in their stances only for him to greet them with an arrogant smirk and folded arms. Despite their confusion, the warrior couple keeps their wits about them, wary of whatever it is the conniving wolf has planned for them.

Amidst this decisive battle, Zhonglei's head bursts out of a short yet deep puddle's surface, desperately gasping for air as he digs his claws into the rocky ground. Minutes of swimming felt like hours, the cavern's unrelenting blackness suffocating him as much as the water itself. He still pants as he feels the air finally filling up his lungs, thankful that he hadn't drowned completely.

Pulling himself out of the puddle, his ruby irises pierce through the thick layer of shadows that dance around this place. Voices can be heard yet they are muffled by the rocky walls, their words incomprehensible. In spite of his sensitive eyes, everything within this… room continues to hide in darkness. A mixture of scents fills his nostrils. The usual manky stench of a flooded cavern, the phantom ashes of snuffed torches, and… decayed, lifeless bodies. He grimaces at this, feeling the disgusting tang of rotten flesh staining his tongue. Squinting his eyes, he just about makes out the outline of an unlit torch on a nearby wall and takes careful steps towards it, pleading that this horrid smell is just his mind playing tricks on him.

Crunch!

Ruby eyes widen, a bone cracking beneath him. No, that might not be a bone, it could be a stick or something… right? Denial takes hold of his mind despite his heart knowing the truth. His former friend, his former brother, is as merciless as they come. The skeletons mounted at the bottom of the riverbed would be replicated without hesitation. After taking a few more measured steps, he reaches his paw out and places it on the wall, making sure to gain his bearings before unsheathing his claws on his free paw. He strikes them against the wall near the torch, sparks twinkling onto the wooden handle until he strikes it a fifth time, banishing the shadows as a modest flame finally ignites atop the torch.

Turning back around, his stomach twists and mangles itself at the sight of a wiry antelope lying on the floor, lifeless as their skin and flesh tears away at itself. His eyes dart to the corpse's femur, snapped in half by his own footsteps, yet they do not settle on it. Instead, they find themselves drawn to the antelope's eyes. Hollow and pale, yet he can pick out something frozen within. Something embedded into their pungent, sickly blue hue. Fear. Just like the victims in the hospitals and, if that elite guard is right, just like the soldiers invading the warehouse.

A haunting premonition wells within his body as his gaze penetrates the remaining shadows huddled farther down this surprisingly vast room. A room that gains an uncanny familiarity now that it's lit up. What is this place? He doesn't bother questioning his own pool of memories, knowing that whatever Zhongcheng has turned this room into will only disturb those waters in its garishness. He only hopes that his premonition is wrong. He only hopes that they haven't fallen into his trap.

Taking measured steps in this persisting darkness, Zhonglei holds the torch outward as his eyes pick out the silhouettes hiding in the darkness, remaining unsure of their exact shape. He lights another torch propped up on the wall, ruby irises narrowing at the sight before him. Medallions, emblems, and the signature weapons of foes long forgotten. Foes that the golden tiger had a paw in defeating. A sickened grimace wrings his face as he recognises the insignia for the Yinying assassins, mocking him for his failure. Ripping his eyes away from it, he continues down the room for a few steps before turning a corner to see the room continue down a long hall.

Recognition flares across his face as continues further down. This room used to be a secret entrance for the Zhanshi clan as well as a room used to ambush any trespassers. Lighting up another torch, his realisation adds onto another. That place the alligators were swimming up to used to be the highest point of this cavern. And now, its Zhongcheng's base of operations. His thoughts are held up as his eyes identify more items revealed by the torch's auburn glow. Weapons, both imperial and not, are hung up beside the torch. Perhaps Zhoncheng's spares. But this isn't what draws his attention. On the opposite wall lies a modest wooden chair tucked under a desk. Seven scrolls lie upon it, all bearing the emperor's insignia. Placing his torch to one side, he picks up one of the scrolls and unfurls it only for his eyes to widen in horror.

The dragon warrior – Po Ping.

He immediately puts it aside and grabs another.

Grandmaster of Jade Palace – Shifu.

Ruby irises pick out scribbles of notes jotted down alongside the master's description. Zhongcheng's observations of his 'nerve technique', his 'guilty conscience'. 'Tai Lung is no longer a threat.' Just how long has Zhongcheng been keeping track of them? Another question pollutes the tiger's mind further. Had the emperor played into the wolf's paws by summoning the Jade palace masters? He pushes this aside for now as he grabs another scroll.

Master of the tiger style – Tigress.

His eyes scan through the scroll, skipping past the plethora of 'unknown' facts about her until his eyes stop upon Zhongcheng's notes. 'Coupled with the dragon warrior', 'Honour bound', 'Enigma'. He has half a mind to scoff at his former brother's obsessive scribbles until his ruby orbs fall upon a symbol with a question mark beside it.

Seven vertical and horizontal lines passing through each other, a flame in its centre.

What? His horror deepens at the sight of it. That, that can't be right. He places the scroll down before picking the torch back up and marching over to the end of the room, lighting up the final wall bound torch to reveal a desk littered with scrolls, scribbled maps, and journals. Once again putting the torch aside, Zhonglei scours through the contents of his desk. His eyes glide across the copious journal entries, repulsed by the wolf's experiments.

"Another corpse to add to the pile. I understand now how Nuba had managed her abilities. Now if only I could find a way to shape them, to manifest them into something less… instant. I only hope I can find it soon. Even an incompetent moron would notice the number of beggars suddenly disappearing from the streets."

Shock embeds Zhonglei's irises as he reads on, now understanding just how he had managed to get so powerful. He took advantage of the poorer side of the city, of using people who 'wouldn't be missed'. They should've stopped this; they should've kept him from ending the lives of so many.

"Finally, after nearly a whole year's worth of efforts, I've managed to embed myself into a person's mind. I could see it. Their fears made manifest. I could see their terror pouring out of them. But what's more, I could see them desperately begging for a way out. A way out that will lead them into my clutches. I'll need to test this for a few more months, but if everything goes the way I've hoped, then the time for invasion will finally begin."

Zhonglei reads more of these entries, realising just how this power works. "Chi… Not even the great flying rhino mastered that… How did he manage to do this?" Whispering this to himself, he continues to look through the wolf commander's writing, noticing the Zhanshi symbol drawn in more detail on an open scroll.

"Upon moving our forces into this dreaded place, one of our troops have managed to uncover this strange medallion alongside a few skeletons lying at the bottom of the river. Perhaps a small village used to be settled here. Whatever the reason, I'll keep this symbol close. Something tells me that this is far from a coincidence."

Medallion? No, that can't be right. I left no trace… Oh no… His memories begin to pour back into his mind. Groups of tigers desperately running around as waves of the yellow river began to flood the cavern. Him leading his people through a secret tunnel that lead to their new home and shortly destroying it so the flood couldn't reach them. His shock when he realised his trusted medallion had gone missing in the chaos.

Thinking it destroyed, he had the blacksmith craft him a new one. Only now, does he realise how foolish a mistake that was.

"It seems I was right for keeping this thing. After overhearing Fuhuo's deranged plan, I decided to ask him a few questions. And though his answers were useful, they only leave more questions. Apparently, this is the symbol associated with a clan of warrior tigers known as 'the Zhanshi clan'. From what I understand this 'Nuba' he is so infatuated with was a part of them. So clearly, they had once settled here. But judging by how little skeletons remain, they must have managed to escape. If so, then where are they hiding now? If this is where so many tigers have remained hidden, then perhaps this explains master Tigress' enigmatic history. And if this is truly the case, and not some maddened ramblings from a sick raven, then is Zhonglei a part of them too?"

No, no, no. This can't be happening. He can't possibly know about us. It's not true. Panic begins to spread through his body as he rummages through the drawers of the desk, taking out bits of paper, quills and ink until his eyes set themselves upon a single haunting sight. His old medallion at the bottom of the drawer. He focuses his sights back on the scroll, the ink of its final entry nowhere near as faded as the others.

"It seems my suspicions were correct. Zhonglei has shown his face once again, and not a single imperial crest was on him. That coward is still working with the emperor, only in secret. Those drunken ramblings of his all the way back then was a truth guised as a lie. They must be close. They have to be. No matter. I have come too far in my plan to have them stand in my way. Although, this does bring an interesting question. If both him and master Tigress are from the same clan, are they related in some way?"

Ruby irises sharpen into daggers, an involuntary growl exiting his maw at the very thought of his niece being used to get to him. Of course, that coward would stoop so low. He shakes off this rancid rage, reminding himself of why he has come here. Zhongcheng's plan. He looks through the mountains of scrolls and journals left unread, but they offer little more information. All that remains for him to decipher are the two maps left underneath it all. A map of the forbidden city and a map of the emperor's palace.

How did he get these? There must be someone inside the palace supplying him information, but who? That question will have to wait. Arrows and scribbles litter the map of the forbidden city, a set of them occupying each position that has been attacked tonight. How long has the wolf planned this out? How long has he known about the warehouse? More information pointing to a potential traitor within their ranks, but he must stay focused. He puts these battle notations aside and brings the map of the palace to the forefront, noticing more battle formations being planned out. However, a certain annotation catches him by surprise.

'Kung fu masters at the frontline.'

For a brief moment, confusion occupies his mind until he shifts his gaze around the now lit room. The seven scrolls pilfered from the palace archives, his chi experiments, the missing imperial soldiers now fighting for him, splitting up his forces rather than attacking all at once. His ruby irises engulf his eyes as everything clicks into place. Zhongcheng doesn't want the kung fu masters dead, he wants them to serve as his own soldiers. To use their power as his own. I have to get out of here. They need to retreat before its too late! Now realising just what danger the jade palace masters are in, Zhonglei looks around the room to find some sort of way out. There's no chance in hell that he'll be able to escape through the river again. It doesn't take long for his sight to settle on a hallway to his right, revealing a set of stairs leading to a stone wall. Good to see some things have stayed the same.

He rushes up the steps, taking out his own medallion in preparation for the mechanism that unlocks the door. As he reaches the top, he allows himself to smile at the sight of the indents in the wall. They still match. Unfortunately, this door doesn't open silently. He knows that for certain. The second he twists this medallion; he'll have to battle his way out. Taking a deep breath, he slots the medallion in and twists it.

Rumble!

The rock wall slides upwards, shaking the entire room as it does so.

"Hey! Someone's in the boss' room!" As this declaration echoes from the other side of the cavern, Zhonglei pulls out his bo-staff, praying that he'll be able to reach them in time.

Well, this looks like quite a sticky situation. Let's hope things don't get more crazy... Ah, who am I kidding, it will. Just a fair warning... let's just say some of you might hate me for the next chapter... I won't specify as to what will happen. Just know that things are only going to escalate from here on out. Anyway, hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, hope you're still enjoying the story after waiting for so long, and until next time (It will be sooner I promise) :)