more-than-a-dragon-warrior Chapter 3, a 17776 fanfic

Chapter 36: Encounter

[Tai Lung's POV]

I went towards the wall surrounding the Palace of Peacocks, or better known as the Towers of Sacred Flames because it was the place where fireworks were made.

The walls were tall and thick enough that it instil a feeling, that I was tiny compared to the mighty walls and Palace.

I headed straight to the main entrance gate and I was immediately ordered to stop by the goats and deer guarding the gate.

I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I saw their skinny frames void of muscles and their half-assed weapons.

"Stop right there!" One of the guards yelled at me but I chose to ignore his order and continued walking towards the gate.

"I said stop!" He yelled and he was the first to charge at me. I dodged his incoming spear swiftly and with a single touch, I attacked his nerve and he fell paralysed on the ground.

"He is attacking the Palace! Stop him!" The others called out and all of the guards which were a dozen or so charged at me.

I resisted the urge to tell them my ancestors ate their ancestors and I swiftly put them down with a single nerve attack, one by one.

They were only slightly stronger than the average civilian. It truly baffles me why they were appointed as the guards but I guess a bunch of kung-fu masters living in the Palace did not really need guards.

After I took them all down, I slowly walked up the wide steps and stood before the mighty gate. I gazed at it with a smile, before I put a hand forward to touch the gate.

"Open sesame." I whispered before pulling back my arm and slamming a chi-infused punch right at the centre of the gate.

The hinges of the gate exploded violently before the mighty gate collapsed. As it hit the ground, a loud crashing sound was heard and the shockwave stirred up a cloud of dust.

I strode in with confidence worthy of the strongest. I looked around he open area and immediately noted down the other guards present there.

I scanned the surroundings and made sure there was nothing that could threaten me before my eyes finally fell on the ruler of the City.

Master Thundering Rhino.

He was much bigger and more mature than I remembered. He had a Warhammer on one hand and I also saw the battle scars which his clothes could not hide.

He was stronger than before, astonishingly stronger. That put a smile on my face.

I took off the hood of my cloak and revealed myself to the world. The other masters did not seem to recognize me except Master Rhino.

"Tai Lung." He named me and I heard the others gasp as they finally caught on who I was.

I let the information sink in their mind before I spoke with a smile towards Master Rhino. "I heard you were talking a lot again. They called you the strongest living master so I wanted to see it for myself if you had grown to deserve such title."

I saw Master Rhino completely freeze on his spot when I said that. I smiled, he seemed to draw a parallel between the past and the present, just like I did.

He was having a PSTD episode and I couldn't help but have nostalgia.

But then everything stills.

My fur stood on end as my instincts honed through years of training screamed at me. My vision turned black as a gigantic mountain of a Rhinocersous loomed over me.

His red eyes looked at a corpse as they shone with the colour of his Chi.

They looked at me.

I wasted no time and put my hand up to catch the incoming swing of his Warhammer. My hand made contact with the head of his Warhammer and that was when I finally realized just how much power was slamming down at me.

The force was enough to pulverize a mountain.

My Chi erupted out of my body and my eyes shone with brilliance as I entered the state of inner peace in that single instance.

I did not need movement or focus. After all my training, I could enter the state of inner peace in a heartbeat.

I caught the head of his Warhammer and instead of trying to push back the force, I accepted it in my body and allowed it to flow through my muscles.

Shaori the Ultimate Defence.

By relaxing my muscles to the very limit, I made it something akin to liquid as I felt the force flow through my body.

Normally, the body made of flesh and bones had a limit on how much force it could absorb or redirect. But with the miracle achieved through inner peace, I was able to let the force pass through my body and let it exit under my feet.

It was a mix between Shaori and the concept of Internal Destruction where you can make the force behind your attack skip through armour. Only this time I made my body into that armour.

The violent force behind Master Rhino's attack exploded under my feet, leaving my body unscratched as in a show of absolute mastery over body and force, I had redirected the force of his swing to the ground.

Whoooosh*

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The earth beneath my feet was forced to bear the full weight of the attack and it was left completely devastated.

"That was a nice hit, of course, unless you were aiming for me." I said the phrase I often use to taunt my opponent in the past as I stopped his attack.

I had completely caught Master Rhino's attack but I couldn't help but sweat a bit. That was such a frightening show of power and the force behind that swing was so much that I couldn't even redirect it back at him like I wanted to and had to immediately let it out on the ground.

That was just how strong he was.

If I had not trained 10 months before this, the fight between us might be close. He was almost as strong as Wubao in berserk mode.

And imagine, that much strength in the hands of a master of Kung Fu with a clear head. That was truly an exciting thought.

Master Rhino pushed himself away from me and landed near his students. He looked at me with a shocked face but there was a smile of amusement on his face.

A smile that quickly turned into a laugh.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

I scoffed and started chuckling too while looking at him. The guy was so shocked that he started laughing.

"Of course, of course." He said, wiping away the tears in his eyes due to laughter, "You are Tai Lung after all. Only you would be able to use his time of imprisonment to attain inner peace."

'So that was what he found funny.' I thought to myself, also noting his impeccable observation. He was able to tell how I was stopped his attack in an instant.

"For a moment, I believed you would stagnate after 20 years in prison and I would have been the superior warrior by a long shot." Master Rhino said and hit the ground with the butt of his Warhammer.

"As long as I am not dead, I will always come back stronger." I said with a smirk. He shook his head and his chuckles slowly died down before he got serious again.

"So Tai Lung." He said, "What is a criminal like you doing in my city."

I felt my eyebrow twitch when he called me a criminal. I took out the letter of the Jade Palace from my drawstring bag before throwing it at Master Rhino.

He caught it and opened the scroll before reading the letter inside.

It was a letter written by the master of the Jade Palace himself. The letter stated that the Jade Palace took back their declaration of me being a criminal.

The Jade Palace was the one who braided me as a criminal, and since they took back their claim, I was now innocent.

"As you can see in the letter, I am no longer a criminal." I said and he shifted his gaze from the letter to look at me. "And I am on a journey to seek out warriors to challenge, just like the old days."

He stayed silent for a while before looking at the letter again. In the end, he sighed, "It seemed Shifu had grown soft for his son."

That comment would've cost him his horn if it was me right after breaking out of Prison.

"So you have come to challenge me." He said and threw the letter back at me. I caught it before swiftly putting it back into my bag.

"I would be more than happy to accept your challenge. I have more than a few reasons to fight you as well." He said and hit the ground with the end of his Warhammer again.

"However, as you are the guest of the City you will be treated as such. You may rest for the day and we will have the match tomorrow." He said with a small bow.

That was how people with real strength were treated in this world. Although Master Rhino truly hated me and believed me to be a criminal, he also respected my strength as a Warrior.

And he had just learned that I was an enlightened one who had attained inner peace. That was undeniably superior to him as someone who had not attained such a state.

Even in the whole of China, those who attain inner peace can be counted on one hand. That's the reason why he was acting as polite and respectful as he could.

"Sounds good to me. I shall allow you a one-day delay until I defeat you for a second time." I said and I saw his eyes twitch.

"I might've admitted I was not as superior to you as I thought I would be, but that does not imply I am not stronger." He said, "I have grown much in the past 20 years. This won't go like last time."

"Your words would be put to the test soon." I said and I blurred from my place before I appeared in front of him.

Speed had always been one of my strong points so even without using Flash Steps, I was too fast for the naked eye. The only reason Mantis appeared faster than me was because of his small size.

The other onlooker's eyes widened when they saw me instantly appear in front of Master Rhino. He was very tall, standing at more than 12 feet but I stared directly in the eye.

"Very well then." He said and it was agreed that we would have a duel tomorrow. I could not wait to test my new techniques on his behemoth of a body. I was sure he would be able to take a hit.

After that, he guided me towards the top of the steps and he ordered his students to resume their training.

We stood side by side as we watched his students spar with each other. He asked me about my opinion on his students and how they compare to the Furious Five.

Of course, I made sure to praise the Furious Five and I boast of their talent like any proud senior would. He also asked me about the Dragon Warrior and the rumours around the fight we had.

After seeing my current power with his own eyes, he found it hard to believe that a newly appointed Dragon Warriro could match me.

Of course, I made sure to clear the misunderstanding and I also told him how the Dragon warrior held the greatest potential I had ever seen, surpassing even the likes of me.

"Even more talented than you? He must be truly an extraordinary warrior if he can make you admit that." Rhino commented in surprise.

I shook my head, "Talent can only get you so far."

"You of all people should know that it takes more than talent to reach where we are. Po is still young, he still doesn't even know who he is." I said and Master Rhino nodded.

I stayed talking with Master Rhino and watching his students spar for a while before I decided it was enough and I took my leave.

I went around the City once more and this time I visited the East District of the City which was more reserved for the actual citizens of Gongmen city.

I went around their market, curiously looking everywhere and enjoying the busy city instead of the peaceful village for a change

But as I was walking around the common market of the city, I was suddenly halted by a voice when I passed by a small bridge.

"Tai Lung."

I turned around cautiously as the person called me by my name. I was wearing my cloak and no one was supposed to know me.

That was when I met an old goat who sat under the shade of the small bridge. She laid a cloth before her where she was displaying small trinkets which I assumed she was selling.

I did a double-take when I saw her.

"Soothsayer." I called her and she smiled.

[Image]

It's a new month so if you want to join my , it's the best time to do so!

Support me in my writing and read 15 chapters ahead. There are 5 and 10 dollar tiers.

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 37: A prophecy

[Tai Lung]

"Soothsayer." I called her and she smiled.

She was sitting under the small bridge and she looked like an ordinary old goat. But she was nothing but ordinary, she used to be the trusted advisor of the Royal Peacocks and as her name suggests, she was a soothsayer, someone who could foresee the future.

I quickly scanned the surroundings to see if there were guards secretly protecting an important figure like her and also to see if we attracted any attention by calling out each other's names.

"You look splendid my boy." She said with a fond smile.

"And you look like you could die of old age any moment." I turned back to her and replied. Her true age was unknown but she was the advisor for the Royal Peacocks since the beginning. She held that position for many generations but now that the Peacocks were all gone, she no longer held such position.

It could be said that she was one of the main reasons why Gongmen City was as grand as it is now. It was through her ability to foresee the future and advice.

"Oh shush you." She said, "I have lived a long life. But I am sure I would outlive you, and your son, and your grandson. And your grandson's grandson."

"Sounds like a lonely life ahead of you."

"It is."

"You should've proposed to Oogway while he was alive." I said and she was taken aback. She coughed in embarrassment and red found her cheeks.

She always had a thing for Oogway. I realized that when I was young and we all went to Gongemn City for the coming age of their prince Shen.

It was an unspoken secret, to be honest. She was so different whenever she was around Oogway after all.

"Don't bring up such things to an old lady." She said and tried to keep cool.

"You had hundreds of years, I don't know how you fumbled so badly." I teased her. It was nice to see her so thrown off while I knew without a double she wanted to act wise and mysterious.

"Well, Oogway always valued his peace. And a wife seemed like a complete opposite to his desire and belief." She said sadly. "Hopefully, he is now truly resting in eternal peace."

I smiled at that. I knew he was not at peace and he must be busy fighting Kai right about now. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at that thought.

"I am sure he is."

"So.." She drawls and looked up and down at me, "What brings you to Gongmen City? Last time you said you hated the city due to the constant fireworks."

I was no stranger to Gongmen City since we often visited it while I was a student under Shifu. It was a big City and they always admired Kung Fu masters, therefore it was kinda like a place of congregation for Kung Fu masters.

This way, the city was favored by masters and in times of need, would be more than happy to help the city fend off invaders. So if you are a master worth your title, you would naturally like the city.

It was kind of ironic how Shen in the second movie made a weapon that was meant to end Kung Fu. He resented his parents and beliefs so in a petty way, it was the reason why he hated Kung Fu and it's masters.

"After years of imprisonment, I thought it would be a good idea to travel around and see the changes." I said, "And naturally I had to visit here first when I heard the city had gone under the rule of Master Thundering Rhino and the Kung Fu council."

"Your thoughts?"

"It's insufferable as ever." I said. My senses were constantly overloaded due to the scent, noise and the bright fireworks that frequently exploded in the sky. They were annoying and put me on edge.

It was not just Gongmen City in specific either, I never really liked big cities and would prefer a quiet village instead.

Soothsayer smiled, "I see. Well, at least the city is in good condition. The Kung Fu council had exceeded my expectations in how they are ruling the city."

We went silent after that and I looked at the mundane trinkets she was selling. But amongst them, the bowl of prophecy caught my eyes. Was she really selling that?

"Soothsayer. Would you mind looking at my future?" I asked curiously. I had a feeling that it won't work on me or at least it won't tell the truth since I was an anomaly.

But I really wanted to try it. The Royal Peacocks forbade her from telling the future to anyone else while she worked as their advisor but now that she was not bound by such position, I reckoned she should be able to look at mine.

"I don't do that anymore." She said, "After what my last prophecy had let to, I had refrained from looking at the future again."

She must be talking about Shen who went crazy due to the prophecy and ended up committing a genocide. He thought he was saving himself from the prophecy by killing off the Pandas but his own action to prevent it had sealed his fate.

Like Oogway used to say, 'A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it'. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

She must be blaming herself for all the deaths of the Pandas and for giving the prince a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I can understand how she no longer wanted to tell the future-

"Although I shall make an exception for you." She said, cutting off my thought.

"Really?"

"Yes, I am curious. You are not supposed to be here." She said with a glint in her eyes, "And I cannot see even a little into your future or what you might do. I see nothing."

I remember in the movies that she had the ability to see the future of anyone she looked at. At least a few seconds into the future.

This was not explicitly stated but it was shown in how she was seemingly one step ahead whenever she dealt with someone.

"But what do you mean I am not supposed to be here?" I asked although I knew exactly what she meant by that.

"I might not have talked about it but I have seen your future." She said, "This was not supposed to happen, you were meant for something else."

"You changed your own future. Something I thought only Oogway and the Dragon Warrior were able to do." She said thoughtfully.

"So yes, I shall look into your future." She said and put out her hand, "Give me your hand."

I put my hand on top of hers and I thought she was going to read my handprints but she plucked out my fur instead.

"Ouch."

She was not done as she quickly clipped off my claw with a cutter. I was quick to pull my hand away as I stared in disbelief at my claw which was chipped off.

My claws were supposed to be tougher than metal, capable of cutting through iron with ease.

"How did you-" My words were cut off when I turned to look at her but she was no longer there. I immediately felt her presence behind me as I winced in pain when I saw her pluck the fur from my tail.

"Hey!" I said and grabbed my tail away from her.

She came back to her position and put everything in her bowl. She threw in a few other items which I did not know, before she finished off by throwing gunpowder in there.

The gunpowder exploded and her eyes went white. Thick white smoke was released as they gathered to form an image.

"I see." She said while humming and her eyes were completely white, "I see."

I could feel how her Chi and the Chi of the world were doing something. I was not able to sense exactly what was happening but I knew something was happening.

I watched in rapt attention as the smoke turned into different colours to form something. It was soon revealed to be a snow leopard.

It was me.

"A warrior unlike anything the world had ever seen." She said while she continued humming.

"With a heart that could not decide black or white. Not a villain yet far from a hero, draped in the shades of grey." She said and the smoke highlighted my grey fur.

"The path you walk shall not lead to glory as you wish. Your quest for validation, a failure." She said as the snow leopard in the smoke knelt down in defeat

"For Destiny is not kind to those who defy her. The Universe worked to right the accident." She said and continued humming. There were beads of sweat on her face as she tried to look further.

"History remembers a villain you never wished to be. Your legacy and ambition died at the hands of someone whose's was forgotten." She said and the snow leopard in the smoke was suddenly destroyed by a green light.

...

She continued humming and tired to see further and more detail but she failed. In the end, her eyes returned to normal and the smoke disappeared.

She was breathing heavily and she seemed shaken by what she saw.

Her shaky eyes locked on mine as we stared at each other. I took in the information and the prophecy for a few seconds before I smiled.

"The future does not look good for me does it." I chuckled. Soothsayer shook her head at that, the future was not bright for me.

"Did I at least get a smoking hot snow leopard as a girlfriend?" I asked jokingly but surprisingly she nodded.

"You can say that." She said.

Damn.

"Although it is weird, I could not see a concrete future for you. I can only tell the present and the failure of your ambition. Not how or when. I can't even see the person who defeated you." She said thoughtfully, "This is way above my power."

"Well, thanks for the prophecy. I will keep it in mind." I said and threw her a couple of silver coins.

"I will leave you then." I said and quickly went away from her. I might act calm and unaffected but I was completely shaken inside.

Not in a bad way though. I did not despair as I was an anomaly, I could change anything. I have done it before and Shootsayer said it herself, she couldn't see it clearly.

But to think that I would be defeated in the hands of Kai. To be honest, if I was to ever be defeated it would be him.

He was not only powerful but he could steal other people's Chi and that can make him more powerful. And to even face him you need to be a master of Chi, something which I was far from being able to achieve currently.

If things happened like canon, I knew he would return in a few years. Would I be able to become strong enough to face him?

I don't know.

'Damn it.' I thought to myself as I made a beeline to the first district of Gongmen City.

I went to an inn and booked a room for a night. I immediately went into my room and mediated to process my thoughts better.

Maybe it would've been better if I had not asked for the prophecy at all because even though I knew it was not certain.

It affected me.

"Inner Peace." I said and spent the rest of the night in that position.

[IMAGE]

Read 15 chapters ahead and support me by joining the patteon.

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 38: To be strong and weak

[Tai Lung's POV]

I stood on the roof of the Tower of the Sacred Flames as I looked at the city below. The tower was ten stories high and was the tallest structure in all of Gongmen City. It was visible even miles away.

Although I was so high up, my eyes were easily able to observe the people below. Specifically at the Kung Fu Council who were waiting for me at the arena outside the palace.

There were more people than yesterday as this was an official duel, and many people wanted to witness it. Other than the normal guards stationed around and the nobles, I saw six masters there.

Master Rhino, Master Ox, Master Croc, the Gazelle whom I thought was a prostitute but was actually also a master from what I saw and heard, Master Elephant and finally Soothsayer were also there.

I looked down at how the guards were stationed and carefully checked if there was something fishy going on. I knew it was unlikely but it was always better to be cautious, for all I knew Shen could suddenly appear during our fight.

After seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary, I let out a sigh.

It would be wrong to say that I was as enthusiastic as I was yesterday. The future that Soothsayer described had left much for me to think about.

It made me question the path I was walking and the plans that I had made. It also left me with yet another realization that I was still not strong enough for the upcoming threat.

Kai.

The warrior who was going to defeat me according to what Soothsayer had described. If I could not grow strong enough to face him, nothing I did right now would matter.

If it was Kai in his base, I had no doubt that I could defeat even a dozen of him as I am right now. But Kai's real strength was in the Chi that he stole.

Not to mention the fact that I would need to master Chi just so I could face him without having my own Chi stolen, he was an almost impossible opponent to defeat.

The guy would've stolen Oogway's Chi even before he came back to the mortal realm. Coupled with the fact that he stole other master's Chi and that he was a Spirit Warrior who could never get exhausted, I did not like my chances against him.

I need more power.

I chuckled at that thought. 40 years and I was still chasing after power. The reasons have changed but the pursuit remains the same.

"One step at a time." I said and looked at the vast infinite horizon.

"And what better first step than beating the leader of the Kung Fu Council?" I said and leapt down from the roof of the tower.

My body sliced through the frigid morning air and I descended towards the arena like a falling star. I flipped in the air to slow down my momentum before I landed in front of Master Rhino with a small shockwave.

"I was afraid you'd never come." Master Rhino said with a smirk and I got up to my feet while slapping the imaginary dust from my fur.

"I have never seen someone so eager to lose." I said before cupping my fist and giving the Master Rhino a bow of respect.

Although I was stronger than him, I must show respect as the challenger. He was the one doing me a favor by accepting my challenge when he did not stand to gain anything.

He nods back at me in acknowledgement.

I looked around at the observers and took a closer look at them. My eyes lingered on Master Elephant and his robust physique. He stood around 20 feet tall and my senses told me that he was more of a building than an animal.

"Did you gain a few pounds while I was away master Elephant?" I asked with a smile to which the grumpy elephant scoffed.

"I am not the young bull I used to be Tai Lung. I would've taken you on if Master Rhino was not already doing it."

"Sure you were." I smiled. The last time we fought he could not even catch me due to our difference in speed.

On another note, I never expected him to join the Kung Fu Council. I thought he was all about a strong bull not needing a group or backing. But I guess he had grown as he said.

My eyes shifted again and fell on the gazelle with the alluring smile. She seemed equally shocked and amused to learn my identity. I was no longer wearing my cloak so everyone could see who I was.

"I thought you were someone who works horizontally." I said, choosing a more respectable word since I now knew she was not only a master but a member of the Kung Fu Council.

"Oh honey, sorry to burst your bubble but I don't do that. But if you beg me I might consider it." She said with a coy smile.

I deadpanned at her which only caused her to giggle.

"So.." Master Rhino drawls while he roved his robe to reveal his bare torso. His body was filled with iron-like muscles ready to explode into action.

"Shall we start?"

I turned to look at him and with a smile, I agreed. "I am ready when you are."

He twirled his signature weapon - the Warhammer - before he planted the bottom of the hammer on the ground. "Do you have your weapon?"

My claws came out of my fingers and they cut the air like sharp blades.

"Always."

Master Rhino fixed his posture and got into a stance. He grabbed his hammer and aimed the head at me.

I cracked my neck and in the next breath, Master Rhino shot towards me at a speed illogical for his size.

His huge body caused a disturbance in the air as he planted his feet on the ground when he was in front of me. Then in a perfect straight line, his hammer flew towards me.

Since it was coming at me in a straight line, my eyes could not tell the distance it covered. It felt like it was not moving towards me even, but I knew better.

I side-stepped to my left and let the hammer fly past me. The air exploded and a small hurricane was formed due to the sheer force behind a single attack.

He grabbed his hammer and pivot on his heel and swung it at me. I dodged it again by ducking down. The strong wind produced by his swing ruffled my fur.

He quickly spun around and swung his Warhammer overhead. The weapon descended on me and this time, it seemed even stronger.

But with a simple twist of my body, I dodged the attack and stepped forward. I was so close to him that he had no way of attacking me anymore with his long weapon. I was in an awkward position for him to strike.

"Don't tell me that's all you can do." I said, my tone unamused as my eyes pierced his. He had gotten stronger for sure but that was it.

His Kung Fu remained the same and as someone who already learned his style of Kung Fu as well, he was predictable.

He was predictable and slow.

"Why don't you find out!" He yelled and threw back his head before he tried to headbutt me.

I was shorter than him so it was not difficult to lower my stance and I delivered a Chi-infused punch right at his abdomen which made him slide backwards.

I massaged my fist afterwards. At least his defence was as impressive as ever. That hide of his was probably tougher than any armour.

SWOOOSH!~*

A swift gale blew my fur as Master Rhino suddenly appeared behind me. His speed was drastically faster this time and it almost caught me off guard.

I moved away as quick as possible and turned my body to look at him. I immediately noticed the change he went through.

His muscles had expanded and he appeared bigger than before. Not only that but there was smoke coming out of his nostrils.

'What the...' My thoughts were cut off as he spun around and followed after me. He swung his Warhammer at me but strangely enough, it would not have hit me even if I did not move.

His weapon swung past me in a gust of whirlwind and he spun again, this time his weapon came towards me with more strength and power than before.

He continued coming after me, swing after swing as I dodged everything with increasing difficulty.

Because he was getting faster and stronger.

'I see.' I thought to myself with a smile as I dodged his hammer which nearly blew my entire torso off. One hit and I was sure my body would explode into a pulp of flesh.

Master Rhino spun his huge body around again, never allowing the force behind his swing to disperse. He was continuously gathering momentum and the more he attacked, the stronger he became.

That way, even if he missed, his movement made his next attack more powerful. He was a master of his weapon as he used the weight of his hammer to balance his body weight. And in a harmonious way, he found a way to use both of that weight to create more force.

FWOOOSH!*

His attacks became increasingly dangerous so I threw a powerful kick at him. My foot slammed against his body but instead of damaging him, I nearly broke my ankle as his body was spinning with such force that my attack simply became a way to increase his momentum.

It was an interesting technique.

"Hyaaaaah!" He screamed out before he brought his hammer on top of his head and swung it down with such force that I felt the attack before it even landed. The air itself slammed down on me and my knees flexed to resist the sheer pressure.

I realized then that even if I were to use Shaori or other techniques, I wouldn't be able to come out unscratched. I would have to turn my body into vibranium to deal with that attack.

So the only way to deal with it was to dodge again. But I couldn't let his swings get stronger or gather more momentum so I came up with a solution.

I used flash steps to appear by his side in an instant. I saw his eyes visibly widen at my new display of speed.

His Hammer swung down beside me and the air itself seemed to wrap around his weapon. I used my leg to control the trajectory of his hammer and instead of letting him gather momentum again, I guided his weapon to smash the ground.

...

A good idea on paper.

But that might've been a mistake.

BOOOOOM!*

The ground could not bear the force it was met with and the arena caved in and waves of force rippled out as if we were in the middle of an ocean.

The arena was made of compact concert to make sure that it was able to withstand fights between two masters but at the moment, it might as well be a normal ground.

The earth opened up, unable to hold the force while also reflecting as much force as it could. That pushed me off my feet as I was tossed in the air.

"Oh."

That was his plan all along.

I saw a victorious smile on Master Rhino as he threw his giant head up to slam at me. As I was in the air, the only thing I could do was move out of the way of his pointy horn and I felt my body being thrown up in the sky.

I did backflips in the air before I landed on the ground. But I was not granted a moment of respite as I felt an earthquake. Master Rhino was charging at me with his head down.

I could dodge with Flash steps.

But I didn't.

I threw a smirk on my face and I pulled my arms back. When Master Rhino was about to slam at me, I threw a punch infused with Chi at his charging figure.

But this one was different from a normal Chi infused punch.

Blackflash.

It was a technique that allowed you to increase your power 2.5 times and distort space if you time your attack 0.000001 seconds with cursed energy.

I did the same thing but with the use of Chi. It was a little different than the original blackflash but with a few modifications, I could acquire the same result.

"Thundercalp!' I called out the name of the technique inspired by blackflash as the space distorted and blue lighting erupted from my fist.

My attack slammed against Master Rhino's horn as we pushed each other back in a battle of force. There was an explosion of energy as a small hurricane materialized in our clash.

The ground beneath our feet cracked like glass as we pushed each other for a moment of eternity. In the end, I was the one who lost as I was swept off my feet and slid back.

Master Rhino stood up and shook his head. He was feeling dizzy and disoriented so I took that as an advantage to attack.

I used flash steps and appeared before him. I was so fast that I was able to stand half a second in front of him before he noticed me in his disoriented state.

That was all I needed.

"Internal Destruction." I said and threw a punch right at his chest. It did not matter how tough his hide was or what armour he was wearing.

My attack went past all his defences and exploded inside his body. He immediately grabbed his chest and fell on his knee. Blood spilled from his nose and mouth as his eyes shook.

I did not give him mercy as I kneed him on his face. The attack did no real damage but it shook the brain inside his skull.

My smile went wider as I grabbed his giant horn with both hands. Then I spun around and used all of my muscles to pull at him.

I was not strong enough to lift him up. Even after strengthening my muscles with Chi, I was not strong enough to throw his heavy body around.

But I had other solutions.

My nostrils opened up to the limit as I sucked in huge amounts of air. A small vortex formed near my nose as I breathed in.

Snow leopards lived in high altitudes and in cold temperatures where oxygen was scarce. Therefore they had powerful lungs and a large chest cavity to gather as much oxygen as possible.

It might seem like a random fact to some but if you know how to utilize that special biology, you can use it as an advantage.

And with all of my knowledge in Kung Fu and fighting techniques, I knew exactly how to utilize my special biology.

'Sun Breating!' I said in my mind as I used inner peace to create the miracle necessary to execute this technique of a different world.

My eyes shone bright yellow and my veins popped out visibly due to the rush of oxygen. Then in a feat of strength beyond my capability, I pulled Master Rhino's body and threw him over my shoulder like a ragdoll.

BADOOOM!*

His body crashed into the arena with a loud explosion as his body left a permanent mark on the platform specifically made to be durable.

If this was in the city, it would've been enough to collapse towers and buildings. Luckily the arena was designed to accommodate fights so even if this was the most intense fight I had in a while, we did not cause much destruction.

I stood up and stepped back from Master Rhino's unconscious body while I looked at my own hands.

That's it?

Was that really what the leader of the famous Kung Fu Council had to offer? Master Rhino was stronger than Wubao, possessing the same strength if not more than the bear but also a clear mind while wielding such strength.

But I have also grown stronger.

With my new mastery over inner peace and the plethora of techniques I recreated and copied from different worlds, my total combat power had increased dramatically

Even only flash steps had increased my already ridiculous speed tenfold.

At that moment, I was left to contemplate how one could be so strong yet weak. I looked around and the audience all had looks of disbelief.

I made beating Master Rhino look easy.

From the nobles of the City, the guards, Soothsayer and the masters of the Kung Fu Council. They all looked at me with a different light. A mix of horror and amazement.

In their eyes, I saw fear.

I couldn't help but start chuckling in the shocked silence. I did not know what I was feeling at the moment, maybe I found it funny how I was this strong yet it wouldn't be enough for the future.

I stopped chuckling and turned my attention to somewhere else. My eyes skipped past everything else as I focused on the figure perching on top of the wall far away.

A white peacock in a hood.

Shen.

He was also looking at the fight. I noticed him while I was looking down from the top of the tower but I did not know it was Shen.

He immediately ran away when he realized that I noticed him.

"The duel has been concluded. The winner is Tai Lung!" Master Elephant declared with a solemn face.

Master Rhino's body twitched and he struggled to get up. His students soon gathered around him and tried to help him up.

They glared at me as they helped their master. As if this was not a conceptual duel.

I ignored them and instead made my way towards the wall where I saw Shen. But by the time I was there, he was already long gone.

But I saw a single White feather on the ground.

I took it and quickly put it in my pocket.

[IMAGE]

Author : Although Tai Lung's narration hyped up Master Rhino and said he was one of the strongest at least, he was not that powerful in the world. He was killed by the cannon of Shen when Po and even Tigress could survive it so he was definitely not the strongest living master.

Long ass chapter deserves a stone. 3459 words!

...

It's a new month so consider joining my . It supports me in my writing and you would be able to read 15 chapters ahead.

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 39: Lord Shen's POV

[3rd POV]

Tai Lung.

It was a name that was equally respected and feared throughout China 20 years ago. Especially if you were a Kung Fu practitioner, the name would strike both awe and horror in your heart.

The first and the only person to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu written by Oogway.

The greatest prodigy the world had ever seen and the best student of the Legendary Master Shifu.

Kung Fu masters used to call him 'The Arbiter of Humility' because he would come to put you in your place if you became too loud-mouthed about your achievements. In front of him, your achievements, your ego, and your talents were nothing.

It was said that his strength could match that of a hundred master. His mere presence alone could force hostile kingdoms to make peace between themselves and criminals would hope to never be big enough to catch his attention.

For a moment everyone believed that he was the warrior of prophecy, the legendary Dragon Warrior.

But that all changed when Tai Lung got into a dispute with Master Oogway. He was denied the title of the Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung did not take it well.

In the end, he was declared to have darkness in his heart and branded as a criminal by Oogway.

An unexpected end to the greatest warrior of the generation. One that was said to only be second to Oogway himself.

20 years passed and Tai Lung and his fame slowly died down. His legend and stories became mere nostalgia at the back of all the masters he had defeated.

He was remembered for all the wrong reasons. No one remembered his great achievements of bringing peace to the land, protecting China against invaders, subduing infamous criminals who cultivated chaos or making huge innovations in the art of Kung Fu.

Maybe people did not remember him for all of these achievements becausehe had never done them in his own name but in the name of the Dragon Warrior, the Jade Palace or Master Oogway.

In the end, Tai Lung was only remembered for his evil, his crime, and his audacity to go against the creator of Kung Fu.

Everyone thought that was the end of Tai Lung, the epilogue of a tragic story.

Imprisoned for 20 years, history had nearly forgotten about its greatest genius. But after two decades of silence, he had returned.

And just as you would expect from the warrior who was famous a long time ago, he brought a storm along with him.

The complete destruction of Chorh-Gom prison which was the work of different Kingdoms combined to hold Tai Lung forever.

The destruction of Mielin City and the murder of Wubao the mighty bear. This caused a chaotic shift in the trade of China.

Finally, Tai Lung fought with the real Dragon Warrior and even the warrior of prophecy was only strong enough for Tai Lung to respect him and show him mercy.

After that, nothing else was heard from him for 10 months. Some rumours suspect that Master Shifu and the Dragon Warrior worked together to keep Tai Lung at bay and forbade him from leaving the Jade Palace to protect the world.

So when Tai Lung was suddenly seen in Gongmen City and when he boldly challenged Master Rhino, Lord Shen had to come and see for himself.

It was not hard for him to get the news as there were plenty of people who thought he should be the rightful ruler amongst the guards, so he got the news the moment it happened.

Tai Lung was a variable he had not taken into account in his plan. He always thought that the imprisonment was the end of Tai Lung and that the warrior would never come back to disturb him.

But now that that was proven otherwise, Lord Shen had to see it for himself and make a change in his plan.

Lord Shen had known Tai Lung since he was a mere child. They used to visit Gongment City frequently, and the Sacred Tower arena was often used for duels between masters. Duels which included Tai Lung most of the time and with him winning always.

There would be no one better than him who knows the danger and the power Tai Lung holds in his hands.

It was what drove Lord Shen to develop destructive ways to use gunpowder instead of just using it for fireworks.

He knew he would never be able to be as powerful as Tai Lung. Therefore, he created his cannons so that he would be able to match the power that Tai Lung holds.

Or should we say to match the power of Kung Fu? Well that was the same thing in Lord Shen's mind, Tai Lung was Kung Fu, the pinnacle of what the art had to offer.

Lord Shen sneaked into the City and went to the Ancestral Palace of Peacocks, his rightful home. He hid on top of the wall and observed the upcoming duel and how everything went.

For all he knew, Tai Lung could go on a rampage as he did in Mielin City. Lord Shen would never allow such disasters to fall on his city.

After a little bit of waiting, the match between Tai Lung and Master Rhino started. Lord Shen must've expected Tai Lung to get weaker or remain the same strength since he was imprisoned for a long time because he was absolutely shocked by what Tai Lung displayed during the fight.

Not only had Tai Lung became more powerful as if he had not been imprisoned for two decades, but he had also achieved inner peace.

And now, Lord Shen had to assign a whole new threat level to the snow leopard. The strength he displayed in the duel was enough to realize he could ruin everything for Lord Shen.

After the end of the match, Shen had to run away from the place because Tai Lung had noticed him. He cursed under his breath and made his way out of the city as soon as possible.

After that, he went to their camp near the City where his follower wolves were camping and around a couple dozen of his cannons were stationed.

The Kung Fu Council had not found their camp because the place they were in was the farmland and house owned by a respected noble of Gongmen City who believed that as the rightful heir, Lord Shen was supposed to be the ruler.

Most of the nobles in Gongmen City and at least a quarter of citizens still believed that Lord Shen should be the ruler of the City and not the outsiders from the Kung Fu Council.

His greatest crime, the massacre of the Panda Village was a huge stain on his reputation but in the end, the Pandas were just a random village and not even part of Gongmen City. Therefore, many of the noble's houses and the people could excuse it as the mistake of a young prince caused by the prophecy.

Lord Shen went inside the camp and after taking his mind off by giving new orders to the wolves, he retreated to his cabin where he lay deep in thought.

A new variable had appeared and Lord Shen needed to change his plans. Even Tai Lung would not stop him from taking back what is rightfully his.

Maybe it was just his paranoia but while the was planning on how to deal with Tai Lung, the words of Soothsayer came into his mind.

"A peacock is defeated by a warrior of black and white."

Lord Shen gritted his beak and shook off the thought. It should not be the Pandas that the prophecy mentioned right? Not Tai Lung.

Tai Lung was grey and black.

But that thought affirmed the threat of Tai Lung in his mind and he knew that for his plan to succeed and for his vision to become a reality.

He needed to somehow deal with Tai Lung.

A tall task. But one Shen must accomplish to bring back the glory of the Peacock.

[IMAGE]

Author : A slight AU you could say is that the support Lord Shen got from the City. It never really made sense to me how he can enter the city easily and even get a huge ass canon inside the palace. It would make sense this way.

Smaller chapter than usual so I have a goal. 4k stones and get extra chapter.

Vote!

Chapter 40: Plan backfired!

[Tai Lung's POV]

A true appreciation for life's richness begins at the table, where the love for food transcends mere sustenance.

So as I savored the meaty goodness of the fish in front of me, I made sure I was appreciating life at its fullest.

It might be because I was a cat or it might be due to my love for meat in my past life, maybe even both but my love for fish had transcended all realms.

My love for fish was only next to my love for Kung Fu.

"Marvellous job Chef Li." I said and put a spoonful of the fish soup in my mouth. I had different kinds of fish dishes on the table ranging from fried, curry and soup.

Mr Li was the chef of the restaurant and an obese Cheetah who looked exactly like Officer Clawhauser from Zootopia.

He nodded at my words with a wry smile, that must've been at least the seventh time I had complimented him and without regret too. His dish was the best, rivalling the likes of Mr Peng.

It was truly a wonder how he was not a popular chef in the city. This world truly did not know how to treat its talents and gems.

It had already been two days since my duel with Master Rhino and his defeat had also been spread amongst everyone in the city. Therefore I was not even wearing my cloak anymore and showed my face to the world.

Other than the gaze filled with fear and the citizens always running away on sight, there was no problem for me showing my face. I was no longer an official criminal after all.

But the fact that the restaurant was completely empty when it usually has at least one or two customers any time of the day would tell you how the people perceive me.

Danger.

I don't think with my history and strength, people were ever not going to see me as a threat. The fact that I won against Master Rhino was also not something that bode well with anyone.

It's a clear show that thier protecror was helpless in front of me and would not be able to stop me if push comes to shove. This caused my past stories to be brought up again too.

People were a bad judge.

Although I wanted to say how much I didn't care about what the mass NPC thought or said about me, I couldn't.

Because to some extent, I cared.

If an immediate threat like Shen were to appear suddenly and attack the City, I would go out of my way to protect it. That shows at least to certain level, I cared about the people and the innocents.

So no matter how much I tried to deny it, I know some part of me cared about what they said and thought of me.

I try to not let them get to my head though.

'The path you walk shall not lead to glory as you wish. Your quest for validation, a failure. History remembers a villain you never wished to be. Destiny is not kind to those who defy her'

Fucking old goat's prophecy. I knew it was never a good idea to indulge in these things.

I put a huge chunk of fish in my mouth and I grumbled in my seat. We'll see who is more stubborn, me or destiny.

"I knew I would find you here." I heard a voice from behind and the person quickly took a seat beside me on the counter.

"Master Gazelle." I said and acknowledged her presence.

"You don't have to be polite with me Tai Lung. You can call me Gazelle, it's fine." She said alluringly. There was always a teasing nature in whatever she did, which I have come to learn was because of her Kung Fu.

Although I said I have learned and mastered all forms of Kung Fu, there were certain skills I could not master due to my size, gender or species.

Longmei Quan, the Kung Fu Gazelle had mastered was one of them. So it would not be wrong to say that I respected her more than other ordinary masters due to her kung fu which even I could not learn.

"So Gazelle, what brings you here? Last time I noticed you were not too fond of fish." I asked while eating my food.

"Nothing in particular, I just wanted to see you~" She said and I gave her a side-eye.

"And ask if you were going to stay in the city tonight again? If so, I have much better hotels than the one you are staying." She said and before I could speak, she continued.

"I know you have no interest in those things but it's really just a luxurious hotel. And maybe a 'massage' if you desire, how about it? I will even let you stay for free, as long as you give me permission to advertise my hotel by saying Tai Lung once stayed here." She said and let out pleasant giggles.

I did not answer her immediately and instead took the time to slowly eat my food which was nearly finished. I let the silence stretch between us as I analysed the different layers behind her words.

"They want me gone soon huh?" I said and looked her in the eye. I saw her freeze up briefly before she relaxed with a sigh.

Although it might seem like she just wanted to form connection with me and truly wants me to stay in her hotel, I knew otherwise.

She was a member of the Kung Fu council, it was just a way of trying to monitor me and her question was also just a way to ask when I was going to leave without making it obvious.

"Yes." She admitted that people indeed wanted me to leave. "The nobles are on edge and the Kung Fu Council is considering if they should send more members to Gongmen City or if they should remain as they are to not provoke you."

"They think they can force me to leave?"

"It's for safety." She corrected, "The people are afraid Tai Lung, and they need assurance."

I admit I did not have the best history with my alleged rampage in the Valley of Peace and Mielin City but this kind of fear was not warranted.

"And the nobles?"

"You are scaring off business with your presence Tai Lung. If you don't leave soon I am afraid they would be forced to take action to protect their source of wealth." She said and I couldn't help but growl.

She flinched back and reached for the dagger on her back. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to at least fight back if I were to kill her in anger.

After a few seconds. I stopped and got up from my seat.

"You don't have to worry about me. I was planning on leaving today." I said. If they did not welcome me even after I was stripped of my criminal identity, there was nothing I could do about it.

It was their city.

And I knew better than anyone how my presence had affected the City. Everything changed after my identity was revealed. Even Mr Li had lost all his other customer ever since I ate at his restaurant.

"Here you go, Mr Li. Thank you for the meal as always." I said and tossed a huge string of coins to make up for all the customers I scared away.

Then without any more words, I put on my cloak and left the restaurant.

I did not stop there as I immediately made my way to the gate of the city. I also noticed how much fewer people were in the first district of Gongmen City.

Traders and travellers had avoided the city due to my presence. It made me feel frustrated that they had such irrational and illogical fear of me.

There was a lump on my thorat when I saw people quickly making way for me. Was it sadness?

I quickly went out of the city and I did not stop until I was decently far away. After that, I stopped walking and stood still on the road leading to the city.

I went into thought as I contemplated my situation. It was not fair, I will admit that but life was not fair.

'Destiny is not kind to those who defy her. History remembers a villain.' The voice of Soothsayer echoed in my mind.

It was Oogway and the universe will bullshit that the world still perceived me like this. It would take quite a lot of time until the public changed their opinion of me.

But I had the Dragon Warrior and the Jade Palace by my side so that would help in changing their opinion of me, right?

I stood there for some time and watched the city and the beautiful Pearl Lake from afar. I could see how the Lake got its name as under the morning sun, the water seemed to glitter like precious pearls.

Finally, an idea came to mind as I took out the white peacock feather from my pocket. I took a sniff and remembered its scent before putting it away again.

Then I held my nose high and searched for the scent in the air. Snow Leopards had a great sense of smell and could smell their prey from miles away.

But even with my nose, it was hard to pinpoint the smell. The City was close so there were many scents mixed in the air and the thick smell of gunpowder did not help.

I entered inner peace and used my Chi to fuel a miracle. My sense of smell heightened and finally, I could tell where the smell was coming from.

I could track it.

I smiled when I realised that Shen was close by.

"People would stop seeing me like a villain after doing some good things and saving the world right?" I asked myself and started sprinting towards the source of the smell.

[3rd POV]

"What do you mean he left the city?" Lord Shen asked the messenger duck in surprise.

"It is true Lord Shen. I saw him leaving Gongmen not too long ago and I have come to tell about you instantly, just like you asked." The messenger said with a bow.

"Huh." Lord Shen scoffed in disbelief.

He was the one who had been spreading bad rumours about Tai Lung and initiating chaos and fear amongst the citizens.

With more than half the nobles and many citizens by his side, it was not a hard thing to achieve. He also stationed his wolves on the road to Gongmen City and spread the rumours of Tai Lung, the person deemed evil by Oogway himself so that they would avoid the city.

Lord Shen even ordered his soldiers to rob them if they didn't listen. He could always use more money and metal after all.

He was doing all of this in hopes that the Kung Fu Council will take action against Tai Lung. It would be best for him if two of his enemies fight each other, right?

And even if the Kung Fu Council failed, Lord Shen could act as the City's saviour and help in bringing down Tai Lung with his cannons. That would surely make more people want him back on the throne.

But who would've guessed that Tai Lung would leave the city so soon? Lord Shen reckoned Tai Lung would at least stay in the city even if it was just for his pride alone.

Yet it was not bad news for Shen. If Tai Lung left the City, that means he would be able to carry out his plans like normal. There will no longer be a variable in his plan.

"You can leave." Lord Shen ordered the messenger and reclined back on his chair.

He rested in his chair calmly and went over his plan in his mind again. But his moment of peace was disturbed when a wolf soldier barged into his room with wide eyes full of fear and a ragged breath.

"Lord SHEN!"

"We are being attacked!"

His plan might just have fired back at him.

[IMAGE]

Author : Goal not reached no extra chapter. Well, less work for me.

Join my to read 15 chapters ahead.

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 41: Who is the better villain?

[Tai Lung's POV]

Who would've thought that Lord Shen and his minions would be camping out in such an obvious location and that too so close to the city?

"Interesting." I said and looked around at the cultivated farmland that spread out as far as the eye could see. They were growing rice, pulses, potatoes, beans etc and right at the center of the fields were huge buildings raging from storage, houses and greenhouses.

But the Gorilla and wolf guards patrolling the surroundings told me that these buildings were not used as they were supposed to be. Something bigger and more serious than simple grains and farm tools were housed inside these buildingd.

I took in the scent of gunpowder and iron coming from the buildings and I could already guess what was inside.

"But how can Shen get himself such a great and obvious hideout?" I asked myself. The whole thing was too convenient. The fact that it was near the main road so that cannons could be easily transported, the way it was on a farm where the soldiers could get sufficient rations, the location which was close to the city but at the same time very well hidden from everyone else.

It was too good to be true. The whole thing told me that there was a deeper plot to it.

I could stand here and think about it or I could go attack the guards and ask them directly. After a few seconds of contemplation, the choice became obvious.

"Violence it is." I said with an evil smile before I approached the place guarded by patrolling wolves and Gorillas.

I quickly walked through the dirt road leading to the center and it did not take long for the guards to notice me.

"Hey! You! Did you not see the sign! Get out of here!" A giant gorilla came up to me with two other wolf soldiers.

I did indeed see the sign that says it was the private property of Zhang Wi, the patriarch of the Wi noble house but I was pretty sure Lord Shen and his goons were not of the Wi house.

"Are you deaf beggar? I said LEAVE!" The Gorilla seemed to have a short temper as he came up to me quickly. I swiftly took down my hood and he stopped on his track.

"Are you sure you want to do this monkey?" I asked and all three of them were rooted on the spot. I smiled in satisfaction, the only time I liked being feared.

Like everything in life, being feared has its good and bad sides.

Not long after, one of the wolves turned around and sprinted towards the building, possibly to inform the others of my presence.

I did not say anything and let the wolf run away from me. Then I continued walking towards the building and even when I walked pass the two remaining guards, they did not do anything.

But when I walked past them and my back was turned against them, they thought they could launch a surprise attack ay me.

"Haaaaa!" The wolf soldier swiped his sword at me from behind. Idiot, screaming out loud destroys the whole purpose of a surprise attack.

But I could understand, it must've taken a lot of courage to even attack me from behind. He could not be blamed for screaming out to calm his nerves and to push down his fears.

I quickly turned around and chomped down on the incoming swords that was aiming for the back of my neck. My canines clamped down on the steel and easily broke it into pieces.

Then in one effortless motion, I kicked his knee and it immediately overextended and bent the wrong way. When you are afraid and put everything behind an attack, your muscles tensed up and you become unaware of where you even put your body weight.

This time, the wolf put all of his weight on one leg to spin and swing as hard as he could. A big mistake as a small pressure caused him to break his limb.

crack!*

He let out a shrill of pain like a kicked puppy before he quickly fell on the ground. His gorilla friend swung his giant arms at me in a hook.

Gorillas were born with powerful torsos and their arms were one of the strongest pairs in all of the animal kingdom. So a casual swing of the Gorilla held enough strength to make a whistling sound as it whipped towards me.

It was nothing compared to the likes of Master Rhino though.

I weaved past the hook and delivered an uppercut to his chin that shook his brain and immediately made his body limp. I did not stop there as I hugged his huge arms and tugged as hard as I could.

I smiled madly before I pivoted on my heels and spun around. The gorilla's huge body obeyed my action and I spun around six times, gathering momentum before I let go and threw him towards the building.

His huge body flew in the air, sailing across more than 50 meters I'm the sky before he crashed into the building like an asteroid and a huge explosion followed.

BOOOOOM!*

When you think about it, it's quite tragic that Shen was about to face me instead of the inexperienced Po as he was supposed to.

But I guess he was going to lose either way so it didn't really matter.

"Let's see who is the better villain." I said with an amused smile before I cracked my neck. Then with a roar, I tore off my cloak and sprint towards the destroyed building on all fours.

The guards inside immediately got alerted and when they saw me running towards them, they visibly shook in their place before they got courage in their numbers.

"An attacker! Protect the base!" One of the wolves said and they all started charging at me. My eyes flashed and I counted 67 of them.

It was said that the strength of the wolf was the pack, so they were braver and far more stronger when they attacked me together.

They were nothing but pests to me though, as I easily took them out when they were close to me. It was almost like they were running to their own death as they approached me with an adrenaline-filled body.

I never stopped running as I easily cleared them out. Their bodies flew and crashed against each other and one hit from me was enough to put them out.

I dodged two arrows shot my way and I ran in a zig-zag to avoid more shots. Three wolves swung their sword from different directions and I quickly spun around and swept them off their feet. Then before they hit the ground, I hit their nerves and they fell paralyzed on the ground.

I continued my approach. I was an unstoppable force which the wolves could never hope to slow down even for a second.

Finally, when their numbers were dwindled, I grabbed one by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The house they were hiding in was only a few meters in front of me.

"How long have you been staying here?" I asked and waited for two seconds. But the wolf was only struggling and growling, he was not interested in answering my question.

So I slammed him on the ground while ducking under a sword that was aiming to chop off my head. Then I caught the attacker by the throat and did the same as I did before and lift him off the ground.

"Is the house of Wi supporting you or are you blackmailing him?" I asked and the wolf answered this time.

"He-he He is on Lord Shen's side! He gave us-!" The wolf died in my hand before he could finish as a blade shaped like a feather lodged itself at the back of his skull.

My ears picked up the sound of feathers fluttering in the wind and my nose finally caught the scent it was always tracking.

I threw the corpse of the wolf to the side and locked eyes with the White Peacock that had finally come out to confront me.

"Tai Lung." Shen greeted me as he landed elegantly on the ground. His eyes held the seed of insanity but the spark of cunning and intelligence in them was what caught my attention.

"Shen." I said and his eyes scrunched up at my casual way of addressing him. He was used to being called Lord Shen or Prince Shen all his life, I think I was the only one who used to and still called him Shen.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit." He asked me in a measured tone. A normal person might not notice it but I instantly picked up his long words and slow speaking.

He was buying time.

I looked behind him and I could see the Gorillas slowly bringing out the cannons and they adjusted it to point at me through the wall of the house.

'So that's why only the wolves came to intercept me.'

If he wanted to buy time, I could let him.

"Oh, I thought I'd visit before leaving the city. You seemed to be in a hurry the last time we met so we did not have a proper reunion." I said with a smile on my face as I confidently folded my arms.

"Tell me, do you still cry when the maids forget to put warm water in your bathtub?" I asked and I saw his eyes twitch. We were old acquaintances who knew each other even during our childhood so I was aware of these things.

He acted more flabbergasted and upset than he actually was to buy time. He was a great actor as I saw him choke on my words and his eyes turned angry.

"Y-You insolent cat! Do you want me to tell this to Shifu? You will cry again if Daddy dearest scolds you." He snapped back at me and I choked on my own breath.

I coughed a couple of times to shrug off my embarrassment before I said, "I did not cry. I was just teary."

"Sure you were." He drawls and turned back to look at his canons. When he saw that his weapons were ready, a crazy smile appeared on his face.

"But this would make daddy cry for sure!" He said and leapt back. His wings spread out as he floated backwards and he landed on one of his cannons.

The gorillas pushed the cannons and they destroyed the wall. Finally, six dragon-shaped cannons appeared and aimed towards me.

I stayed in my place and my arms remained folded. A confident smile that borderlined sadistic was on my face.

"heh"

"FIRE!"

[IMAGE]

Author : New week so a chance to get extra chapter.

I will post a new chapter the moment we reach 1000 stones! And of course this challenge lasts for 24 hours.

Good luck guys.

Homework for readers : Tai Lung can throw a huge gorilla 50 meters away in this chapter while he can't lift Master Rhino in thier duel without the sun breathing?

I wonder how? and why?

[Submit Homework here]

Chapter 42: Plan backfired (2)

[Tai Lung's POV]

"FIRE!"

B-TOOM!*

Six dragon-shaped cannons exploded consecutively, spewing fire followed by searing orbs made out of metal.

The cannon balls flew at me, slicing through the air and leaving a wave of heat and shockwave in their path.

Not a single thing was spared and they shot out so violently that everything which came in contact with them was destroyed.

I entered inner peace and the destruction-shaped spheres, slowed down to a crawl from my perspective. If a newly awakened Po with inner peace could deal with this, I was overqualified for it.

I unfolded my arms and relaxed my muscles to imitate waves as I got ready to face the cannons. Multiple balls of metal shot toward me and without an once of fear, I reached out my hand to intercept the first one.

An action of a madman.

My Chi became water that flows along my body and my muscles also relaxed to become flexible like liquid. So that when the ball reached my hand, I was able to control the trajectory and force behind it.

The ball of metal that shot toward me at the speed of 300 miles per hour became a normal sphere in my hands as I spun around to control it. My hands shone with brilliance and I left a trail of white light when I moved my hands.

Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.

It was not a unique concept to me. To use the power of your opponent, and to fight force with finesse instead of fighting force with force.

To flow like water, to be extremely adaptable but to also have the capacity to crash. It was a concept I was more than familiar with.

So it was not hard for me to recreate.

I spun around and threw the cannonball back at the cannon which shot it. An explosion destroyed the weapon of fire and steel.

I did the same thing to the four other cannons with their own ammunition that followed.

I moved with the elegance of water but when necessary, I crashed like a waterfall. My hands became a blur of white as each stroke of my arms redirected and controlled the violent force behind the cannonballs.

The Gorillas that handled the weapons were knocked out due to the forceful shockwaves as their own weapon had turned against them.

I used a different approach for the last shot though as I twirled my hand around the flying metal. Then I used my hand to redirect all of its force into its rotation. (Shaolin Soccer Style)

I put the ball on top of one of my fingers and let it spin there like a basketball. I looked at my work with a smile before I turned my eyes towards Shen.

His eyes were wide and in absolute disbelief. The weapons which he had created to destroy Kung Fu was easily dealt with by Kung Fu.

I scoffed and continued making the cannonball spin on my finger, "Was that really it? Do you think that would be enough to stop me?"

"That's Impossible." Shen muttered in disbelief.

I tossed the spinning cannonball in the air and caught it with the finger on my other hand. I slapped it to make the ball spin faster.

"Yeah. But remarkable people like me can achieve the impossible." I said with a smile. "Although if we can do it, it shouldn't really be called impossible. It's impossible to do the impossible."

Huh, shower thoughts.

Shen was rooted in his place for a long time before he gritted his beak and turned around to leave. He abandoned everything since he knew survival was his main goal now.

'Oh no you don't!' I thought to myself before taking a step forward and I planted my feet on the ground, causing cracks to form.

There was this one sport in my past life where it was basically just throwing a ball at each other and batting. It was just a sport but many generations of athletes had dedicated their lives to refining the act of throwing a ball until the technique became unrivalled.

Kung Fu was not only limited to combat or martial arts.

A true Kung Fu master knows that 'Everything is Kung Fu'.

I used my knowledge of that sport to execute the perfect throw as the cannon exploded out and broke the sound barrier before it returned right where it came from.

The action caused a huge explosion as a consequence and the cannon exploded. The fire and heat soon caused the other gunpowder in the house to catch on fire as another wave of explosion erupted.

A shockwave strong enough that it could uproot trees descended on the earth and I crouched down to not be blown away. The giant explosion swallowed everything in its vicinity and the earth experienced its first man-made calamity.

The explosion of a bomb.

BOOOOOOOOOM!*

I slowly rose amongst the smoke and dust caused by the explosion. The searing air of the aftermath hit my fur and the charred earth burned my foot.

The thick smoke blocked my view so I spun around and used the Crane-style Kung Fu to disperse the smoke. I whipped my arms like wings and with a roar, a shockwave erupted from me and cleared all the smoke and derbies.

My ears were constantly ringing due to the loud explosion and I felt disoriented. Maybe it was not such a good idea to do that after all.

I looked around and the bodies of the wolf soldiers and gorillas greeted me. I rubbed my eyes and I quickly scanned the surroundings in search of Shen but I did not see a single white feather.

My nose twitched as I tried to find Shen's scent but I was unable to. Even using inner peace did not help as the smell of burnt objects and gunpowder numbed my sense of smell. It would require more than a small miracle to be able to track Shen right now.

I let out a sigh and kicked a pebble. Did I just let him get away while trying to stop him? Maybe I should have just thrown the cannonball at him.

But Shen was a master of Hing Kung, a style that can make him weightless and allow him to fly. The same Kung Fu Shifu specialize in and I was afraid he would use the momentum of the cannon to simple fly away with his weightlessness.

"No use crying over spilt milk." I said to myself. It's not like it would be useful to track him again after this. Technically, Shen was not a criminal as his punishment for massacring the Panda Village was being banished.

So if I did not catch him red-handed like I had the chance to do just now, it would be a useless endeavour to go after him.

Imagine being merely banished for committing a village size genocide. But I was left to be imprisoned for life in a cave, alone and paralyzed for a much weaker case.

Must be nice to be a Prince and to be so harmless.

Just kidding. I was kind of proud that even Oogway himself saw me as such a threat that I needed to be put away for life. If it was ten years or a small punishment, I would've definitely come back for vengeance and I would be too powerful to be stopped.

"The plan to get a good reputation by saving the city proves to be unsuccessful." I said to myself in a sad tone before my voice quickly gained back its vigour, "Moving on!"

I walked back to the path that I came from and picked up my bag before flinging it on my shoulder. Then I continued my journey.

But a question popped into my mind. Where should I go?

I could go South from here and head towards Dali in the Yunnan Province which was said to be the current home of Master Tiger - another old foe by the way - or I could continue West and head to the Nanzhao Kingdom where a new Master had risen while I was in prison.

He was in the same generation as Wubao and he called himself Mighty Eagle rather than a master.

'I hope he is not the Mighty Eagle that comes to mind' I thought to myself. That would be rather disappointing.

In one of the scrolls written by Oogway near the end of Oogway's life, Mighty Eagle and his newfound Kung Fu style were mentioned.

Oogway describes him as a giant eagle with a heart for Justice and a deep obsession with freedom.

That is not the important part though as Oogway stated that he was one of the most powerful masters he had ever seen. Mighty Eagle had the strength to cut down mountains with a flap of his wings.

It would definitely be interesting to meet the youngster.

In the end, I could not decide which one I should go to so I picked up a stick from the road and let it balance with my finger. Then I let it go and the stick fell down, the place where he pointed was where I would be going.

"Hmmm." I hummed when I saw the direction the stick was pointing. It was neither south nor west but the east.

"What is in the east?" I said to myself and pondered for a while before a certain Chameleon popped into my mind.

Juniper City was on the East Coast of China. I could go there and visit Juniper City as I have never been there before. That was a place for criminals and since no worthy foes were there, I was never interested in that place.

I have no desire to fight the Chameleon either because I did not consider her a real Kung Fu master. She was a thief and cheap copycat.

But it would be nice to beat her up. It could be a way to reclaim my honour for what happened to me in the fourth movie.

Which by the way, did not exist according to many fans including myself in my past life.

"So East it is." I said with a smile and was about to head East.

But before I could even prepare, I felt a sudden shift of air from behind. My ears were still ringing and my other sense had been messed up by the explosion so someone managed to nearly sneak up from behind.

Fortunately, after mastering inner peace and becoming one with the world so frequently, I could sense the world around me in more ways than just the physical senses.

I immediately entered inner peace and I did not even have to let my Chi out as the miracle I needed was within my own body.

I did the opposite of when I used Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and I let my muscles tensed up to the limit. I stopped my blood flow and heartbeat as my muscles bulged out and became solid in my body.

'Tekkai!'

The super defence.

Clang!*

The sound of steel hitting steel resounded through the place as my body shot forward like a ragdoll. I managed to avoid any damage but the force behind whatever hit me was enough to send me flying for nearly a hundred meters.

I spread out my arm and flipped in the air to stop my momentum before I landed on the ground. Then I turned back, my yellow eyes skipped the distance and locked onto the one who dared sneak up on me.

A deep growl that shook the surrounding air rolled off my throat. The vibration sent a heavy threat in the air like waves.

"Master Rhino!"

[IMAGE]

Author : If it was not obvious after the appearance of Wubao, this is an AU now.

But rest assured as I am never going to introduce a ridiculously overpowered Master that can fight on equal footing with the current Tai Lung.

I desire stones.

Join my to read 15 chapters ahead.

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 43: The audacity of the weak

[Tai Lung's POV]

I have lived two lives and I was already more than 40 years old in just one of my lives. So you could imagine, the amounts of idiots and stupid people I have come across.

Yet I have never seen such an idiot like the Rhino in front of me.

'Who the fuck comes out of the hospital bed to attack the same person who put them on said hospital bed? That too only after 2 days.'

"Master Rhino." I said, my voice barely held together by a single string of calm and understanding.

To be attacked on the back by someone I respected and acknowledged was something I would normally never tolerate. But since the guy was full of badges and wore a gown that showed he ran here from bed without even preparing for a fight, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

He had no chance of defeating me - even though that was also true if he was in perfect condition - so I could understand why he wanted to take every advantage he could get no matter how cowardly.

"Was the beating I gave you two days ago not enough? What is the meaning of this?" I asked him in a deep threatening voice. The last part came out more like a growl than words.

"I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT!? " Rhinos yelled out, loud and angry "What is the meaning of this! I thought you came in peace and only wanted a duel!"

"I might not be able to fight right now but I will not take this kind of disrespect lying down Tai Lung!" Master Rhino said and blew out steam from his nose. His eyes were red with unattended anger.

"To have my subjects come crying helpless! ATTACKED by the same person I told them was not a mindless evil villain. To have the person I ALLOWED into my city and WELCOMED as a guest, backstab me while I am unable to protect my people." He roared in rage.

I grit my teeth and reeled in my anger so that I could think things through calmly. Two fires will never make anything but destruction so I had to be the calm one here.

The place Lord Shen used as his hideout was the farm of a noble house Wi of Gongmen city. The wolf I asked about could not finish answering me but from what I heard, it seemed the Wi noble house was supporting Shen.

That means technically, I was attacking the land of the Wi clan. I was attacking his subjects like he said, I was in the wrong.

Damn it they set me up. Or should I say I set myself up?

And the Wi family will probably never admit that they were helping Shen, the banished prince. They must've alerted Master Rhino the moment I attacked and told him that I was destroying their land.

"You have crossed the line, Tai Lung! Your own strength has deluded you and stripped you of all your dignity." Master Rhino spat out angrily, "You BETRAYED me?!"

"Master Oogway was right about you."

There were a few things that can anger me at this point in my life. I have achieved inner peace and I have accepted myself as I am. But that did not mean I was immune to anger and frustration.

The truth is, I have emotions and feelings too.

What was it that he said, I betrayed him?

"What fucking line did I cross!" I yelled back at him, baring my fangs. Who the hell does he think he is?

Allowed me in his city? Welcomed me as a guest? Did he really think he was doing a good thing and being generous when he did these things?

Does he really feel betrayed that after showing me all this goodwill, I attacked his lands?

The audacity.

What goodwill?

He acts like he had a choice!

"You weakling!" I called him out just as he was. How could he act like he was doing good and being kind when he was so weak?!

The truth is, to be good and kind requires strength

If I went to his city and he decided that he did not want to allow me in his city, can he really stop me?

If he did not welcome me as a guest and asked me to leave, can he bear my anger and make me leave?

He can't. Because he is weak and I am strong.

So he did not have a choice in the matter. He allowed me into his city and he welcomed me as a guest because he had no choice, not because he was good or being kind. He was just weak.

If he was stronger than me. If he could stop me from entering his city and if he could bear my anger and force me to leave easily without any real lost on his part.

Then that will be goodwill. That will be being kind.

The weak cannot be kind to the strong.

It takes strength to be good.

"I did not cross any line and I did not get any goodwill from you, Rhino. Because you are weak, don't think being weak is the same as being good." I said.

And what was this about, being welcomed into the city and being allowed? Even if he truly did it out of his own free will, his words were just words.

How the citizen treats me and how they act towards me could not have been further from his claims. I could literally feel how I was unwanted and how I was rejected while I stayed there.

He told his subjects to nit worry about me and that I was not an evil villain? How nice if him but it was POINTLESS! His words were nothing but hot air and vibration.

And to come here, speaking all of this crap to me and even dare to say Oogway was right about me?

'I'll show him' I made a promise in my heart.

Now one might wonder, if he was weak and he had no choice but to welcome me into the city, how did he dare to come at me now?

Isn't he weak? Shouldn't he be acting kind and forgive me if you are so strong?

The answer lies in the people that were already surrounding me. My senses were dulled at the moment but I could still feel them. They stuck out like a sore thumb.

Their intention was clear, they wanted to take me down.

Then they finally revealed themselves. Master Ox, Master Croc, Master Elephant, Master Gazelle and there were two new members too.

The reason why he dared came to me now was because his subordinates from the Kung Fu Council had finally came to the city. When he thought he had enough people to take me down, that's when his kindness and goodwill ended.

'I hate the weak.'

The two new members were, Master Lizard and the so-called Monkey King, Master Sage.

"You think you all can take me down!" I yelled and looked at each and every one of them in the eyes.

"Don't you want to check the ruin first? See if there are remains of a weapon, or if the unconscious soldiers were working under someone else? Do you not want to hear my explanation first?" I asked them.

"You can explain yourself in the supreme court of Gongmen City." Monkey King, the sage of the West said to me. He was probably the strongest enemy right now.

I know him, I have fought him and defeated him in the past before. But he was younger than anyone else I fought against and had great potential. It seemed he was in his prime right now and full of strength.

"So be it!" I said and lowered my body in a stance. I entered inner peace as I felt my mind calm down and my anger receded. I finally had a clear mind again, sharper than ever before and it was ready to fight.

My emotions were controlled now but my intent was still strong. So I let my intent flow out as my will be pressed down on everyone surrounding me.

It was not conquerors Haki but it was close.

Their body tensed up and I started growling at them. My deep voice reverberated out in a threatening vibration that strike fear to those who hear it.

They feel it. They were weak and I was strong.

None of them were predators. They were all prey.

"Come." I declared like the superior I was. To call someone to attack was done by teachers to their students or seniors to their juniors.

It means that since they were so much stronger, they allowed the weaker to attack first.

I did the same.

"Arrogant like always." Monkey King said and they all charged at me.

[Plenty of images of the masters! Must see]

Join my to read 15 chapters ahead : Emmanuel_Capricorn.

Stones

Chapter 44: Despair

[Tai Lung's POV]

Monkey King was known as the Sage of the West because at one point during my time in prison, there was a war in the West and the Monkey King was an active player.

He made a name for himself as a ruthless and bloodthirsty demon of a warrior but that was until he got enlightenment. He attained Inner Peace and tranquillity and after that, he single-handled ended the war in the West Province.

After he attained Inner Peace, he sought out harmony and peace instead of chaos and war. He earned the title Sage of the West due to his endeavour.

But that warrior known to pursue peace more than anything else leapt at me. He flipped in the sky and descended towards me like a shooting star.

That was not just words either. He was literally glowing yellow and his body cut straight towards me.

Inner Peace, the ability to create miracles and achieve the impossible.

He had it too. He was one of the few who had attained inner peace and by far the youngest Master to achieve it.

His body was bathed in yellow energy as he whizzed past me. I twisted my body in an incredible show of acrobatics and dodge his kick.

Boom!*

His kick was strong enough that it caused an explosion when it hit the ground. It seems he had mastered a way to enhance his whole body using his Chi through inner peace.

He was enhanced to an impossible level. That was his miracle.

'What a waste.' I thought to myself when I saw the straightforward use of inner peace. It just goes to show how an ability could be so different in power depending on the user.

Let's show him how to truly utilize the ability of Inner Peace.

I crouch down and focused my mind on my next action as all of the other masters had finally reached me. They attacked me from different angles and directions, all at the same time to make sure I was defeated.

They did not have the luxury of holding back against me.

I continued crouching down and my eyes remained shut until the very last moment. When I opened my eyes they were glowing bright yellow and the world stilled.

The concept behind Shunpo was getting from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. I have mastered this technique and the concept behind it to such a degree that I could use it in my attacks.

Hitting targets A and B in the quickest and shortest way possible. My Chi reacted to the miracles I desired and I felt a huge chunk of my Chi being used for the impossible feat.

Due to my huge reserves, I never noticed my Chi draining but this time I could feel a dent in there. I was pushing the limit of a small miracle.

My body became a flash as I kicked Master Croc and Master Lizard under their jaws. I was too quick that the world hadn't even realized it yet. Then I moved like a flash towards the others who had attacked me.

I gave an uppercut to Master Ox and I hit Master Elephant right in the abdomen as hard as I could, with my infused Chi in my attacks.

After that, I went back to my place and crouched back down. There were five phantoms of my image attacking them all at the same time as time resumed.

The world finally caught up to my actions and reality shook in confusion. It shows six images of me.

Whoosh!*

POW!* x4

Four attacks but it sounded like one. I seemingly remained in place as they were all thrown back due to my attack.

A small and satisfied smile tug my lips when I locked eyes with the Monkey King. This was how to do it.

This is what achieving the impossible looks like.

My eyes caught a gasp coming from the side and I saw Gazelle looking at the display with a shocked face. She was the only one wise enough to not attack me as she had the ability to tell how strong someone was.

Other than me, she was the only one who knew they did not stand a chance.

'Smart girl.'

I turned my focus back on the Monkey King but he was gone. I used my senses to figure out where he went and my ears picked up a disturbance in the wind.

'Above!'

I looked up to see Monkey King Flying down at me. His whole body had dimmed down a bit but the palm of his hand was glowing brightly even in the morning sun.

"Arrogant Cat! Take this!" He screamed and pushed his palm toward me.

My instincts screamed at me so I used flash steps to move away immediately. Right after that, a heavy force pushed down on the place I stood before, leaving a gigantic hand mark 20 feet long and 10 feet wide.

SHOOOOOOOOO!*

BOOOOOOOM!*

The earth was left to be forever traumatized. It was forced to bear the consequences of the Monkey who missed.

I did not see the attack but I knew exactly when and where it was coming. I stood at the very edge of the handprint as the force barely caught my fur.

He landed on the ground with a frustrated face as his surprise attack did not do anything. I tilted my head at him.

"Arrogant?" I asked and using Shunpo, I was behind him in one single stride.

"Did you forget, who I am?" I asked and he turned around and threw a hook which I easily caught with my hand. His Chi which was covering his body fought against mine but my Chi proved to be heavier and stronger.

'So he is using the Chi covering his body as an armour too. Then he focused his Chi on his palm before throwing out that devastating attack.' I analysed it quickly.

The way he used his Chi reminded me of the way Hunters used Nen from Hunter x Hunter.

I watched in rapt attention as his Chi flowed around his body and focused on the arm I just caught and one of his legs. His Chi was glowing so it was visible to everyone how his arm and leg became brighter while the rest dimmed.

I could tell what he was trying to do.

He planted his shining leg on the ground and then he flung me off my feet. His strength was surprising for his build as I was thrown away like a pillow

It was truly interesting. I have been so focused on what I could achieve with my Chi that I forgot to take into account what my Chi can do by itself.

I should really look into it afterwards.

I planted my feet on the ground and I also used my claws to slide to a stop. Then the five masters were on me again, Master Ox charged at me like the bull he was and Master Lizard possessed wings on his feet as he moved around in a blur.

My main disadvantage here was their number. So I figured I should reduce that number quickly.

I dodged a kick from Master Lizard and we exchanged fast speed attacks for a few seconds. Our attacks became a competition of speed as our arms seemed to multiply to twelve.

I growled and put more strength behind my attacks but before I could overwhelm him, I had to leap back and dodge Master Ox's charge.

The ground shook with every step he took and he quickly turned around and came at me again. I dodged a flying sword thrown by my Master Croc while exchanging attacks with Master Lizard before everyone retreated from me.

A shadow loomed over Mr and I looked up just in time to see the gigantic body of Master Elephant falling down on me. His sheer weight and size made it seem like he was coming at me slowly but he covered the distance rather quickly.

They should've learned by now that I was too fast to be caught by something like this but they tried it again anyway. I moved away from my place as Master Elephant crashed in my previous position.

THA-DOOOM!*

A defeating explosion materialized and it was followed by a quake of the earth. I was thrown off my feet due to the tremor and the intense shockwave that followed forced me to protect my face from flying sticks and pebbles.

It was a way to get my feet off the ground, similar to what Master Rhino did in our fight. Master Ox's immediately slammed on my body before my feet could touch the ground.

Like master like student. Master Rhino must be proud.

I roared at Master Ox as he continued slamming his head against my body, taking me somewhere far away. He spun his whole body and my arm got stuck between his long horns as it got twisted along with his body.

He was going to break my arm.

"Not today." I said and my arm started glowing white. My fur stood up as if caught on electricity and I pumped a shit ton of Chi on my arm for enhancement.

An enhancement beyond normal. It was something I copied from Monkey King moments ago.

I whipped my arm and my newfound strength was even more impressive than I thought as I broke Master Ox's horn instantly.

Crack!*

"YAHHHHHH!" He screamed in pain and I couldn't help but smile a huge smile. I caught the broken horn which was a couple of feet long and curved, before I stabbed his back.

He let out a pained roar before he stopped moving and feel down limply as he should. I stabbed him right at his nerve point so he was out for good.

The fight almost reminded me of my sparring with the Furious Five but the only difference was that these people did not know how to work as a team like my students.

Master Lizard with his speed was the first to reach me again. His body was flexible and fast so it was difficult to attack his nerves.

He threw a punch towards me, expecting a similar exchange as before but this time I used my claw and swiped at his body. Four cuts appeared on his torso and blood spilt out instantly.

I could turn him into minced meat but I didn't.

He stayed suspended in shock and I used that time to hit two of his nerve points.

That was two down, three more to get.

"Tai Lung!" Monkey King yelled at me, "Don't kill them! Let's talk things out!"

I dropped Master Lizard's body to the side and I stepped on Master Ox's head while I looked at the remaining three in amusement. Master Elephant was not suited for a fast-paced battle or teamwork fight.

He was stronger individually or in a war.

Master Croc was known for his impenetrable scales so his style of Kung Fu relied mostly on tanking his opponent's attack and counterattacking. When left to fight someone of my calibre as a team, he did not know what to do

The only remaining threat was Monkey King but he knew he couldn't win. I could tell from his eyes that he was shocked to see me using his technique just now too.

They can't win and they realized that now.

Which was why they wanted to talk instead of fighting. When they were not sure of winning, they instantly cowered again.

But this time, I did not want to talk.

"You can talk in the spirit realm!" I said and returned his words before I blurred towards them.

I left several after-images and threw a punch which Monkey King was barley able to dodge. He gritted his teeth under the weight of my strength and his feet got planted on a broken ground.

Their once confident face was now washed with despair.

[IMAGE]

Read 15 chapters ahead and support the author in his writing by joining the .

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 45: To the East

[Tai Lung's POV]

Although I said I could copy his technique, it was not quite the same. It was a cheap imitation I did by letting out my Chi around the body parts I wanted enhanced.

On the other hand, Monkey King seemed to be able to control his Chi even when it was outside his body. Which I could also do but barely as my Chi did not obey me when they were outside my body.

I can control my Chi however I wanted if it was inside my body but after leaving my body, I could barely give directions to them. The most I could do was not let them leak out and control how they snuggled up to my body.

But Monkey King was able to control it as simply as controlling one of his limbs. It was baffling to me how he was able to do it so easily. With his mastery, he was basically a pseudo-master of Chi.

I should definitely look into it in the future.

But for now, I continued pushing my leg down on the Monkey King as he used both of his forearms to block my hammer kick.

The earth beneath his feet slowly creaked under the weight of my strength as his forearms glowed brighter and brighter. He let out a scream as he resisted my power.

The fur on my legs was also glowing ominously. I may not be able to let my Chi flow from one part of my body to the other but I could simply conjure it in the place I wanted enhancement.

The ground continued cracking like glass before it finally gave out. It yielded under the weight of my raw strength and Chi as the ground sank down.

BOOOM!*

"Heh." I smirked and I continued adding more pressure. The Monkey King was the same height as me but right now he was on his knee and barely resisting to not get crushed.

Then I finally released our lock and I spun around. As I said before, I could not move my Chi from one place to another but there were many ways to overcome that weakness.

I planted my enhanced feet on the ground and generated my power from there. The ground opened up under me as my body carried the force until it came to my other leg.

Then I kicked the Monkey King on his chest with my unenhanced leg. But with my technique, it held the same strength as the enhanced one.

His ribs caved in and his eyes nearly popped out of his socket. The force behind my kick sent him flying, his body skipped on the solid ground like a rock skipping on water.

He disappeared out of sight and out of the fight.

A shadow loomed over me and I dodged the slow-moving fist of Master Elephant as he destroyed the ground. I spun three times in the air, gathering insane amounts of momentum before I kicked his face with my enhanced leg.

My kick sent one of his tusks flying away as I broke it like a toothpick. His body went limp and he fell face first on the ground.

I was so much faster han him yet at the same time, I could deliver more powerful blows than him. He never stood a chance.

THUP!*

"So it's only you guys left." I asked while turning towards the last remaining people. Master Rhino was way over at the back, barely visible from view at this point as there was a lot of throwing each other around during the fight.

Gazelle the cunning girl was by the side, quickly making sure the people I defeated were not dead and giving them first aid.

Then there was Master Croc who was clueless on what to do next.

"You're quite incompetent are you?" I asked in amusement and the Croc gulped. I blurred from my position and came in front of him.

He reacted immediately and he spun around, showing me his back and his impressive scales which were said to be impenetrable.

"Thunderclap." I said and reality became distorted when my fist met his back. A crack of lighting erupted from my fist when I hit him and his scales were not able to take it.

I broke through the so-called impenetrable scales and I left a bloody fist mark on his back. He arched while letting out a silent scream before he fell face-first on the ground.

I did not stop there as I disappeared from my place again and stood in front of Gazelle. Before she could fight back, I easily attacked her nerve points and left her paralysed.

She fell to the ground.

"There, all done." I said before looking into the distance where Master Rhino was standing, completely helpless. He was still injured and with internal injuries at that, so he was completely completely incapable of fighting.

I used Shunpo to cover the distance in only a few steps and appeared in front of him. He was spooked but before he could do anything, I grabbed him by the horn and spun around with him.

Then I flung him into the air, throwing him with every ounce of strength I could gather. His body sailed across the sky and I used Shunpo to return back to my position.

I stood there and waited for a few seconds until I heard a scream from above. And then Master Rhino fell right before my feet.

I looked at his pathetic self for a moment and sneered. When he tried to push himself up, I grabbed him by the back of his neck and pushed him back on the ground.

I crouch down and whispered in his ears.

"Look at this." I said and showed him the destroyed road and the surroundings. The broken trees and the devastated earth were proof of our battle.

And on that broken ground were his students and comrades. The Monkey King was nowhere to be found though as he passed out and his body was sent flying quite far away with my kick.

'I'll show him' the promise I made before the fight rang in my mind.

"Look at it!" I yelled and forced him to look at his situation, at his reality. I showed him his weakness.

I could kill them all. I wouldn't lose a single thing by killing all of them. It will have no affect on my reputation as I was already considered evil anyway.

I could not be declared a criminal because although they were rulers of Gongemen city, it was only because they inherited it by chance after the death of the last Peacock ruler. Plus Gongmen City was just a city in the end, it did not have enough influence to brand someone a criminal to the whole of China.

There will be no chaos or war as Lord Shen will simply return and rule over the City with ease again. There is no power vacuum to be left by killing them so no civillain would suffer.

They were members of the Kung Fu Council, a band of warriors so their death in battle was something no one would make a fuzz about.

I have nothing to lose.

I could kill them all.

But I wouldn't because I am kind.

I would spare their lives simply because I was good.

"This is strength." I said to him, loud and clear.

It requires strength to be good. You need the power to be kind.

I left them alive not because it was convenient to me, or because I had no choice.

I spared them just because I was good.

It was my goodwill.

Something he claimed he had showed me by allowing me and welcoming me to his city.

But in reality, he could never show me goodwill because he was weak.

How dare he accuse me of betraying him.

"Imprint this moment in your mind and make sure there is humility in every step you take from now onwards." I said and let him go.

I stood up and looked at the battle ground for a final time before I disappeared from thier eyes.I left them to despair by themselves.

I used Shunpo to return to the place where I was first attacked and picked up my bag before I continued my journey.

To the East.

The East Coast was very far from here and located at the edge of China. So I will simply make that my final destination and visit other cities and kingdoms along the way.

I stopped using Shunpo and I bent down after a while.

"That battle actually took quite a toll on me." I said and heaved a sigh. My body was tired and I was running low on my Chi.

When I said I was running low on Chi, I meant my original white Chi. My natural reserves before I got the memories of my past life.

There was still the blue Chi deep inside of me, unused and completely full. I was accustomed to using my white Chi and since it was in the outer later, I always used it first.

I was not very comfortable with using my blue Chi as it was so deep inside my body and it felt foreign. But I have tested it before and I could still use it in an emergency.

So in turth, I nearly used up half of my Chi.

Which was still a bit concerning since it was a huge amount. My white Chi alone was probably the biggest in the world other the Po as the amount of Chi you have and your strength are directly connected.

And even before I got my blue Chi, I was already the strongest. So not only did I already possess the biggest amount of Chi other than the cheat Po, but that was doubled after I gained memories of my past life.

But I wouldn't let my huge reserves get into my head. What just happened was unacceptable, I need to get better at using my techniques so that I would waste less Chi after executing them.

I probably shouldn't use the enhancement that I copied from Monkey King again either, that waste a shit ton of Chi.

I need to learn to be more efficient.

And with such thoughts running in my head, I continued walking along the wide road. The first leg of my journey had officially to an end.

I wonder what other events awaits me.

[IMAGE]

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 46: Aftermath

[3rd POV]

Master Rhino remained on the ground even after Tai Lung had disappeared from sight. He sighed and shook his head while he digested what Tai Lung had said and done to him.

"The guy does not hold back does he?" He said to himself while chuckling. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground and got back to his feet.

Maybe he needed that humbling. He had indeed gotten prideful of his own achievements and position in the passing years. That'd happen to anyone when you are the leader of the Kung Fu Council where the greatest masters in China worked under you and also have the greatest city under your rule.

All of these had almost made him forget the ultimate truth of this world. That is individual strength reigned supreme.

His influence, his rule and his prestige were nothing in front of overwhelming strength. The fact that Tai Lung had just walked all over his pride and got away scot-free was proof of this.

He went to the other masters one by one and checked on their condition. They were all fine, no one was on death's door although some were beaten pretty badly.

He undid the nerve attacks Tai Lung had left behind but even after they were free, no one moved. They prefer remaining on the ground for a while, sulking in their defeat.

Master Rhino laughed, "You better get used to it now that he's back."

He found it funny that once Tai Lung terrorised his generation and now he is back, after 20 years and still looking not a day old, to terrorize the new generation.

"You almost sound happy to have him back." A voice came from behind Master Rhino and when he looked back, he saw the Monkey King.

He was also battered up pretty badly, but Master Rhino had seen him in worse states before.

"You chose to come back right when it's all over?" Master Rhino asked while raising his brow. His voice held a hidden amusement as if he was continuously holding back from laughing at Monkey King's current state.

"What do you want me to do? Come back to the guy that just sent me flying a mile with just a kick? No thank you, I was waiting for him to leave." Monkey King admitted with a smile.

Master Rhino shook his head, "You should've come back sooner. He was giving me the Tai Lung treatment and you missed it."

Monkey King paused and his eyes opened wide like a saucer, "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. He told me to make sure there is humility in every step I take from now one."He said and the Monkey King started laughing.

He even started making monkey noises while slapping his knee. He wiped a tear from his eye, "You might be the only master in China who gets the Tai Lung treatment not just once but TWICE!"

"How can someone be so unlucky?" Monkey King asked with his laughter slowly dying down. "But I guess it was needed, you were getting pretty cocky."

It was true indeed. Master Rhino's ego was hurt when he lost that badly to Tai Lung and he believed that Tai Lung won purely because he somehow attained inner peace.

So when Monkey King, who also attained inner peace finally came to Gongmen City, he thought together they would definitely be able to take Tai Lung down for good.

But there was also his anger at Tai Lung for attacking the land of his citizens. Yet it was true that if Monkey King was not here, he would not have gone after Tai Lung.

"Don't act innocent, you also called him arrogant." Master Rhino rebuked.

Monkey King sheepishly scratched his cheek, "I did, didn't I? I didn't think I would be beaten that badly in the beginning too. In fact, I thought I had a chance after achieving inner peace."

"Guess I was wrong."

"By a mile." Master Rhino added while smiling at the double meaning.

"It was your idea."

"Which you immediately agreed with because you think you can beat him."

"How long has it been since he broke out of prison?" Monkey King asked after thinking about it for a while. To be beaten so thoroughly was something he never thought was possible considering how much he had grown.

"About a year."

"I see." He did not see. "Wait, a year?!"

"A little less." Master Rhino said.

"Then that means he was always that much stronger than us. I have attained inner peace and although it gave you more enhancement and the ability to do the impossible, it is nothing much. Especially if you only had time to get used to it for a year." Monkey King said. "What a monster." He added.

"What do they feed him in prison?" Master Rhino questioned, "Do you think I should go to prison too? Try my luck in attaining inner peace or something?"

"I think its just a Tai Lung thing rather than due to his imprisonment." Monkey King said as his eyes wandered around and observed his fallen comrades.

"The others..."

"They are fine." Master Rhino said, "Strangely enough he left everyone with their life and with no permanent injuries. Of course except Ox, Tai Lung broke his horn."

"That's a minor thing. It won't affect his fighting power much other than the need to get used to his imbalance. He can make a sword or other weapons with his horn." Monkey King said while stroking his beard. He seemed a bit confused and deep in thought.

"Why did he spare us? Showing mercy is not like him, especially to those who so blatantly crossed him."

"He thinks he is good by doing so." Master Rhino said, "I think his desire to be the Dragon Warrior did not fully die down. He still wants to be the hero from what I can tell."

Monkey King scoffed, "That's funny."

"it is. You'd expect someone who attained inner peace to be more aware of their true nature. He is not the type at all, in fact, none of us are." Master Rhino said.

"Well, inner peace is simply about accepting yourself and being at peace with whatever you have happened to you in your life or what you have done. The journey of self-discovery is never-ending. The road continues on until the end of your life." Monkey King said, "Take today for example, I never knew I was this helpless against someone else."

Master Rhino thought about that for a while and in the end, just remained silent. It was good that Tai Lung at least still wanted to be the hero. It was good for everyone who came across him and the world itself.

He had never missed the old tortoise more than he did at the moment. Someone needed to keep Tai Lung in check.

At least he hoped the new Dragon Warrior would get strong enough to equal Tai Lung. If anyone had a chance, it was the warrior selected by Oogway himself.

Finally, his soldiers reached the battlefield and he ordered them to take the fallen masters back to the city while he went towards the farmland of the Wi house to check what exactly happened.

He did not find anything suspicious of course, as the fight provided enough time for Lord Shen and the Wi family to clear out any evidence.

In the end, they said that the explosion was caused by the fireworks they kept at the storage which were meant to be used for celebrating the Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated in the first moon after Chinese New year and its significant to farmers because it marks the beginning of spring and the start of farming activities like planting seeds and ploughing.

Master Rhino believed that as it seems reasonable. And he had no reason to trust Tai Lung's words more than his own citizens.

In the end, he just chalked it up to a way for Tai Lung to vent his anger like he did in Mielin City. He had heard Tai Lung was not welcomed well into his city and left in a rather foul mood right after Gazelle talked to him.

He needed to do something. At least he needed to spread words about Tai Lung's strength to everyone. The old tales needed to be retold.

He'd rather not have anyone mess with Tai Lung and piss him off at the moment.

And he needed to talk with other kingdoms as well. They need to make a plan on how to neutralize Tai Lung I case he went on a rampage again and the Dragon Warriro was still too green to stop him.

They didn't have Oogway anymore so they have to find a way.

To Master Rhino, it was only a matter of time until Tai Lung turns evil and go on a rampage again. He did not believe for a moment that he was good because even Oogway said so.

Tai Lung wanted to be hero? Like the Dragon Warrior and Oogway?

What a joke.

[IMAGE]

If you like what I write, support me and read 15 chapters ahead on my .

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 47: News spread

[3rd POV[

"Zhang Wi, report." Shen ordered his subordinate while he was busy tending to his injuries and broken feathers.

He was currently at the house of Wi in Gongmen city because where is a better place to hide than plain sight? The place was the main hall of the Wi house and other than the patriarch of the Wi clan, there was no one else as Shen wanted to be alone to think at the moment.

"We've managed to clear the place of all evidence while the fight was taking place Lord Shen and Master Rhino also did not suspect a thing. The Kung Fu Council had also returned to the city with most of them injured but no one received a fatal or permanent injury." Zhang Wi, the sheep reported diligently.

He was a traditional man who believed that the Peacocks were the true rulers of Gongemn City. It did not matter to him if the heir was evil or not, to him it was all an important part of destiny to shape the future of the city.

To let outsiders rule the city which his ancestors, under the kindness of the royal peacock, had built was completely unacceptable. There was also the fact that the current rulers were warriors with no business sense or scholar's wisdom, so they were not bringing profit to the city.

He thought that not only was he doing the right thing by helping Shen, but his action would also help his clan to become more powerful and influential when Shen inevitably returned to his throne.

"They manage to fight off Tai Lung?" Shen asked in utter surprise.

"No, quite the opposite Lord Shen. Tai Lung easily defeated them all but left them alive."Zhang Wi answered.

Shen opened his mouth to speak but words got stuck in his throat as a million thoughts crossed his mind. Tai Lung left them all alive? And he didn't cause any injury?

The first thing that came to mind was why he spared them. But on second thought, it made sense. Tai Lung did not kill any of his soldiers directly either.

It seems he needed to re-evaluate Tai Lung's nature and morals a bit. So he is someone who is not opposed to killing but would rather spare a life if he could. Or was it a mere show of his strength?

Because it was obvious truth that it was easier to kill a person than defeat them. So Tai Lung sparing his opponent could be a way for him to show off his power. He seemed like the type of guy to do so.

That also caused another concern for Shen and the main reason why he was so shocked. Tai Lung was able to take on six significant members of the Kung Fu Council and that too while limiting himself to no killing or inflicting vital injuries.

That'd mean that he should be able to take on double that if he went for the kill. Even more, if the battle was in his favour.

That put him in another threshold of power.

"A single person with the power that rivals a kingdom," Shen muttered to himself in disbelief. If Master Rhino could slay 10000 serpents alone, if the Furious Five could defeat entire armies, then definitely Tai Lung held the power of an entire kingdom in his hand.

Shen shook his head to throw away the useless thoughts. He could think about Tai Lung later, but now he needs to focus on more important matters.

"Then what of the Kung Fu Council?"

"From what I have heard Lord Shen, Master Lizard and the Monkey King are planning to leave Gongmen City soon to warn their respective kingdom which they protect. Master Ox and Croc were in bad condition and would take months to fully recover." Zhang Wi reported and as he talked more, there was a glint in his eyes.

"Master Rhino, like you already know is still injured." He said, "So what shall we do Lord Shen?"

Shen revealed a cunning smile, "A question Zhang Wi, do you still have the cannon I asked you to smuggle inside the city in case of emergency?"

"Of course, Lord Shen."

"Then call the Boss Wolf and order him to send the pack to the city immediately. We strike them when they are weak so report to me immediately after the Monkey King and Master Lizard leave." Shen ordered as he reclined back on his seat again.

This could be advantageous to him. He had suffered loss in his confrontation with Tai Lung but the same guy provided him with the perfect scenario for him to take back the city.

But he must not be hasty.

He will tread carefully from now on and consider Tai Lung a walking calamity rather than an enemy. A calamity which could potentially spell his doom or a force of destruction he could direct at his enemies.

A double-edged blade.

A grin tugged on the beak of the ever-cunning bird. He believed that it was not always the strongest that won the war but the one with a plan.

He has a plan.

[3rd POV]

(The Jade Palace)

"Tai Lung went into Gongmen City and came to Master Rhino where he issued a challenge. The ruler of the City and the founder of the Kung Fu Council agreed. The duel was held the next day and the result was an easy victory for the infamous Warrior Tai Lung." Shifu read the message scroll with great attention as Po and the Furious Five listened to everything in rapt attention.

"That's not all. Two days later, Tai Lung left the City but due to provocation by the citizens, he went on a rampage and destroyed the farm of the Wi noble house. The Kung Fu Council immediately reacted and six people confronted Tai Lung, they were ; Master Croc, Master Ox, Master Gazelle, Master Lizard, Master Rhino and the sage of the West, Monkey King." Shifu paused and everyone held their breath.

Not just six masters but they were the toughest bunch in the Kung Fu Council and that includes the Monkey King who was often compared to Oogway himself!

"The result of this conflict: an overwhelming victory from Tai Lung. Not only were they not able to catch the criminal but they were left alive by Tai Lung to spread his powers and strength. This is a message to all of the masters and Kingdoms of China, the warrior Tai Lung is back and with this action, he declares himself to still be as powerful as he was in the past. The Kung Fu Council had issued a red warning, do not engage or provoke the warrior. If an unavoidable conflict arises between any party and Tai Lung, they are requested to inform the Kung Fu Council immediately." Shifu put down his scroll and with faraway eyes, he said, "Issued by the Kung Fu Council of China."

There was a pause, a moment of absolute silence between everyone as they processed the news. That was until Po spoke out, "I can't believe it, Senior Tai Lung..."

"IS SO FUCKING COOL!" He yelled out and raised his hands. The silence was completely broken as everyone cheered.

Tigress folded her arms and nodded with a proud smile like a younger sibling proud of his older brother. 'Just as expected,' her face seemed to say.

Master Shifu also had a smile on his face as he read the message again and again. Of course, what was written on the scroll was a little different than what he read out. The real message was much meaner towards his son and seem to want to spread bad rumors about him.

But Shifu saw through it and simply relayed the unbiased information to his students. What did the scroll mean by saying 'Tai Lung brutally mauled Master Ox by breaking his horn and stabbing him in the back to try and cripple him'?

If his son truly wanted to cripple someone, the message will say he did and not just try to do so. And if they mentioned Master Ox in specific, that means that it was the gravest injury Tai Lung inflicted. And Shifu thought they were rather lucky and Tai Lung was merciful to let them off that easy after being wrongly accused.

Yes, Master Shifu did not believe for a second that his son simply attacked the farm due to his anger. His son had attained inner peace and he himself had seen it, Tai Lung was no longer the type to be controlled by his anger.

There must be an explanation.

He had complete faith in his son.

Shifu couldn't help but get annoyed at how the message seemed to make an excuse for the Kung Fu Council's loss against Tai Lung by saying stuff like how Master Ox and Master Crco couldn't eat for two days since their teacher was injured and how Master Lizard and the Monkey King were exhausted from the journey where they encounter bandits so they were not in full power blah blah blah.

But the message was still meant to warn the others. Yet how could anyone take it seriously if the message claims that Tai Lung won by chance and the Kung Fu Council could take him down anytime?

So they did that by making Tai Lung out to be like some evil warrior with mental health issues who can go berserk anytime. That way, the Kung Fu Council save face but still conveys the dangers of Tai Lung to others.

Instead of making Tai Lung out to be a powerful beast, which everyone should be careful around. They describe him like a spiteful insect with deadly poison which they should avoid.

In the end, both actions got the same result, people being careful around or avoiding Tai Lung. Yet the other saved their face, so naturally they would choose to save their face.

If they simply revealed that Tai Lung was strong enough to take on all of them and told the truth that the Kung Fu Council did no have enough power to control Tai Lung, then there would be no need to badmouth his son. That kind of strength would naturally demand respect and wariness from everyone.

But alas, such a prestigious organisation would never do something like that. They had pride and a reputation to maintain. Shifu after attaining inner peace found it all so vain, if you can't be proud of your truth, that's not even pride but arrogance.

The truth was that Tai Lung was strong enough to completely turn China upside down at this point. If the kingdoms unite against him and launch an allied attack and tired him out, that's the only way Tai Lung can be defeated.

But surely Tai Lung won't fight against kingdoms right? Right?

Whatever. Too much thinking in life was not good, he should enjoy the moment. He was happy to see his son so strong and was proud after all. And that calls for...

"A celebration! Let us celebrate the victory of your elder brother!" Master Shifu said and everyone cheered.

[Wholesome image]

Author : Were you lost dear readers, not seeing your favorite books updated on Saturday? Just like me

Worry not cause I AM HERE! With and update!

As they day, better late than never!

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Reas 15 chapters ahead

Chapter 48: Inevitable

[Tai Lung's POV]

{2 months later)

It has been a year since I broke out of prison now and I was still in the middle of my journey towards the East Coast of China.

It should have taken me a week at most with my new movement technique and speed but sometimes, it was the journey and not the destination that you desired.

I have continued my training and used the many bandits and criminals I encountered as training dummies. I have also looked into the nature of Chi itself and how Monkey King supposedly used his Chi to enhance himself and even do the palm attack.

My conclusion was that Chi was an energy that could be shaped however the wielder wanted to. It seems to respond highly to the imagination/visualisation, will and belief of the user.

In my training to be more efficient in my use of Chi, I have found that if you have great imagination/visualisation, will and belief then the cost of Chi to execute a technique is a lot less.

That gave me a whole new perspective on how I saw Chi and it really solidifies the name I give. 'The fuel of miracles.'

You can increase your visualisation/imagination by meditating, your 'will' by hard training and you can strengthen your belief by knowing the concepts behind the technique or giving logic to what you are doing. If you lack one of these things, the techniques can still be achieved by compensating with a lot of Chi.

But if you were great in all of these three aspects, you can execute techniques easier and with a lot less Chi. These three things make it easier to create miracles and to achieve the impossible.

From this, you can see why Chi could be so different depending on the nature and character of the user.

It gave me a new perspective on the teaching of the Dragon Scroll which was, you do not need a secret ingredient. To make something special you just need to believe that it is special.

Belief was one of the things that made a huge difference when using Chi. For example, if you see someone execute a technique before, you will have an easier time believing in yourself to be able to learn that technique.

Or if you have a scroll that explains the concept and logic behind the Kung Fu or technique you are trying to learn, it becomes a lot easier to believe. Or in my case, have the knowledge that it exists in other worlds and saw characters execute it before.

This also helped in the visualisation and imagination part. But the tricky one was having the sufficient 'will.'

I assume that if there were two injured people in front of you and one of them was someone you love and truly wanted to heal while the other was an enemy and someone you hate, you would have an easier time healing the person you love as you truly had the will and intent to heal said person while you might need a lot of Chi to heal an enemy.

I did not know how much these things affect the usage of Chi exactly but I knew it had an effect. Chi seems to be a highly flexible energy and power system than initially expected.

This would explain how Po was able to use the Wuxi finger hold, something thought to be a legend and what masters used to scare their students. Po was enlightened that you just need to believe that something is special to make it special so he had belief. He also had a shit ton of Chi and the will to put the movie Tai Lung away for good.

There was no description of how the Wuxi finger hold work exactly other than that it was lethal. So Po must've visualized or at least wanted to imprison the movie Tai Lung again to a place he could never escape from. Thus the technique materialized as a way to banish someone to the spirit realm.

At least these were the theories I have come up with. It was hard to learn more than that in such a short time without any materials to help me. I did not have thousands of years to study it like Oogway did.

The danmed tortoise, he could've at least left some writings about it.

Other than the new things I have learned, nothing much happened while I was travelling. The few masters I came across all rejected my challenge to a duel for some reason so what else could I do? Attack them anyway?

The rumours about what happened in Gongmen had also spread and like always, the people like to make up their own stories. I have been hiding my identity with my cloak so I did not notice much of the reaction they had towards me but I was not worried.

My reputation could not get worse than it already was. I was done trying to prove anything else or try to get a good reputation by my actions. The last time I did that backfired on me so I learned from my mistake.

They could talk about me however they want. The reason why I cared in the first place was because of my desire to surpass the legacy of Oogway which wouldn't be possible without being accepted and worshipped by the people.

But I have come to realize that it was a futile effort.

'The path you walk shall not lead to glory as you wish. Your quest for validation, a failure.'

'For Destiny is not kind to those who defy her. The Universe worked to right the accident.'

'History remembers a villain you never wished to be. Your legacy and ambition died at the hands of someone whose's was forgotten.'

The prophecy Soothsayer had told me came to my mind. At first, I thought I would achieve what I wanted by staying close to Po and saving the world every time in his place. By doing that, I thought I would be plundering his future legacy and his fame.

But I was wrong, Po would be the one taking all of my credit instead. I was not like Po or like Oogway, I was me.

So I stopped trying to walk the path to glory and I just walked my own path.

Isn't that funny? I was trying to be something I was not and I was not even aware of it. I was not the hero who saved the world from evil. I was not the pacifist whom people would come to respect.

I was something else.

I am Tai Lung.

If I want to leave a legacy and create a mark that history will remember, I will leave the legacy of Tai Lung and not just that of the hero or something I was not.

You see? It's all about the journey. I got my character development while I was on a journey to Juniper City.

There was just something magical about travelling that you end up finding yourself before you find your destination.

I was currently in the Kingdom of Wu which was the most significant kingdom in the East. The Kingdom thrived due to its access to the ocean which gave them control over the waterway of cargo and ships.

This was the kingdom that supplied most of the foreign items in China. The famous Juniper City was also under the Kingdom of Wu. Another noteworthy fact was that it was also the birthplace of the infamous criminals, the Wu Sisters.

I walked around one of the cities under the Kingdom of Wu and there was no reaction from the people as I hid my face under a hood.

I made my way towards the market to eavesdrop on some gossip and news while also trying out the foods they have here.

I have been avoiding the cities while I was travelling because as I said before, I was not very fond of cities. But you need go to a city once in a while to keep up with the news and rumours.

I entered the marketplace and I focused on my hearing. But I was not prepared for the news I heard from the people.

...

[3rd POV]

"Master Rhino is dead." Shifu declared after reading the message scroll.

"What!" Po and the Furious Five who were all summoned by Shifu screamed in shock.

"You mean Master Thundering Rhino? The son of the legendary Master Flying Rhino?" Po asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"The Slayer of the Ten Thousand Serpents in the Valley of Woe?"

"Yes." Shifu confirmed and Tigress immediately came forward with a solemn face.

"Was it Tai Lung?" She asked the question that have been on everyone's mind. If someone killed Master Thundering Rhino then the only one capable should be Tai Lung.

"I thought so at first too but no. It was Lord Shen, the banished prince had returned." Shifu said as he started walking down the steps of the Jade Palace and went towards the gate while deep in thought.

His students followed him, "How? I thought Master Rhino's horn defence was impervious to any technique. Except for Tai Lung's of course." Crane asked.

"It was no technique, it was a weapon. One that breathes fire and spits metal. Lord Shen had created a weapon of destruction while he was banished and the Wi family helped him sneak the weapon into the city to kill Master Rhino while he was injured." Shifu said.

'That must be why my son attacked the Wi farm outside the city. He had seen through their ploy and tried to stop it, but they didn't listen.' Shifu immediately made the connection.

In the end, his faith in his son proves to be true. Tai Lung did not attack mindlessly but there was a reason. He was trying to stop the disaster but they were too blind and foolish to see it.

"So what are we going to do?" Po asked in a sullen tone.

That was the question in everyone's mind. They were not supposed to do anything as it was different from the canon.

In the movie, Lord Shen declared war against the whole of Kung Fu itself, claiming the weapons he created to be the end of Kung Fu. The Jade Palace had a deep connection with Kung Fu so it was natural for Shifu to order his students to destroy the weapon that threatened them.

But this time, Lord Shen did not declare war against Kung Fu because of Tai Lung. He also knew his weapons were inferior to the true might of Kung Fu from his confrontation with Tai Lung.

So there was no reason for them to interfere. It could be said that Lord Shen was just reclaiming his throne and from what the message implies, he even has the support of the noble houses.

The Jade Palace had no reason to interfere. As mentioned before, the Jade Palace was neutral with no support for any Kingdom or Politics.

But Shifu felt that they should interfere. It was almost like the Universe was urging him to make a move, to complete a destiny. After attaining Inner Peace, he had such gut feelings as if the Universe was speaking to him.

Something bad was going to happen and he could already guess what it was.

"I am going to send you all on a mission. You go to Gongmen City and observe how Lord Shen is treating the people and gather any information you can about this weapon." Shifu said.

Of course, the Jade palace did not have any political inclination, but they were always on the side of the people.

"Are you sure Master? I don't think we should interfere in such things." Tigress said. Shifu raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was the truth or if she did not want to help the City that discriminated against Tai Lung.

"Yes, I have known Lord Shen since he was a kid. He was always ambitious and he will not stop after he reclaimed his throne." Shifu said and touched his beard thoughtfully.

"There will be a war. With his new weapons, Lord Shen will seek to conquer the whole of China." Shifu said.

War was nothing new in this day and age. Although minor, there was always an ongoing war between kingdoms and the Furious Five have even participated in some. As long as the kingdoms followed the Codes of War, there was no reason to intervene.

Of course, a Great War was a different matter where the Codes of War have been totally abandoned. There have been no such wars in over a century and the Great War that was about to break out two decades ago was stopped by Tai Lung.

"You will enter the City normally and request a meeting with Lord Shen. When you are inside, you will accomplish your mission of gathering information while also giving a letter I will be sending to Lord Shen." Shifu said with a nod. Then he turned around and went back to the Jade Palace to write a letter.

It was an official letter by the Jade Palace that would congratulate him on regaining the throne and also an advice/warning from the Master of the Jade Palace to Lord Shen. It will remind Lord Shen to not take hasty action and to respect the Code of Wars in the process of realising his ambition.

Even if Shifu did not have the gut feeling, it was natural to send the letter as Gongmen had always been a city for Kung Fu masters. So they need to be in good relationship with the rulers.

But of course, things would not be simple as Lord Shen would definitely want to kill Po after learning he was a Panda and the Dragon Warrior to boot.

He will never allow the one destined to defeat him to live.

But they did not know that so Shifu sent his students on their way to Gongmen City. They were to observe the condition of the people under the new ruler, get information about this weapon and give the letter to Lord Shen.

[IMAGE]

Author : It is indeed canon that there was no such thing as Wuxi finger hold until Po used it.

May I be so bold as to request stones?

Join my and read 15 chapters ahead!

: Emmanuel_Capricorn

Chapter 49: Flashsteps

[Tai Lung's POV]

"After Master Rhino's death, the people of the city said that Lord Shen-* * * * ! * * * * *?"

I did a double take and almost choked on my own saliva after hearing that.

What in the Oogway's anus were they saying? Master Thundering Rhino is dead?

"Hey." I went to a stall that sold spices from India and asked the shopkeeper, "What are those guys saying? Something about Master Rhino's death?"

The shopkeeper was a dog so he could also hear the conversation taking place many feet away. He looked at me with a bored face and nodded, "Yes? They are talking about the death of Master Thundering Rhino. It was quite a shock even for me when I first heard it."

"When did this happen?"

"A couple of weeks ago. Mate, don't tell me you only heard of this just now! Where have you been living? Are you some village kid?" The dog said while chuckling as I left the shop after tossing a single coin at him.

So it was true. Master Thundering Rhino is dead and the plot for the second movie is finally starting.

I felt a small sense of loss in my heart. Although I did not like Master Rhino at all, he was a fellow warrior and a great master of Kung Fu.

Amongst the masses, the ones who had attained the strength he did were few. And a warrior like him were fewer so it was a great loss for the world. He was currently in his prime too.

But the main question in my head was why this was happening. Why did Shen attack now? I thought for sure it would take more time for the second movie to start and if we consider my interference with Shen, it should've even been delayed further.

Yet it was already happening. The question remained on my mind as I tried to make sense of what had happened.

'Is it my fault?' I thought to myself while I walked out of the city. 'Did Lord Shen move his plan forward due to my actions? If it was two weeks ago, then he must've taken advantage of the Kung Fu Council's weakness to reclaim his throne.'

"That must be it." I said to myself and I started sprinting towards West when I was out of the city.

I should've known.

Now things have become complicated. The first image that came to my mind when I realized the second movie had truly started was my students and my sister, completely broken, at the mercy of Lord Shen.

My mind played the image of the innocent Po being blasted away by a cannon and the image of my sister pushing Po away and bearing the full destruction of the cannon.

They were so close to death and defeat in the movie. But now that I have changed things, I couldn't be at peace leaving them at the whims of fate.

Who knows what could happen? I know the Dragon Warrior would somehow pull a victory but at what cost this time? The last stand Po did in the movies wouldn't work anymore because Shen had seen me do it.

Po, Tigress, Mantis, Monkey, Viper and Crane. They were my juniors and the few people in this world who didn't see me as an evil monster.

I need to be there, right now.

"Come on!" I screamed and ran on all fours. My speed was a blur as I sprinted back to where I came from, Gongmen City.

But I was already two weeks late. The journey between Gongmen and the Jade Palace was a week and I managed to cover the distance in five days.

Considering the news of Master Rhino's death took two days to reach the Jade Palace and for Master Shigu to send them all on a mission, I was already a few days late.

I have to reach Gongmen City as soon as possible.

"Flash steps." I said before I closed my eyes and entered inner peace.

Flashsteps or Shunpo that I have recreated was from the anime Bleach. It was a movement technique with combat in mind so it was not that great to cover huge distances quickly.

But there was also another movement technique that goes by the same name but from a different anime called UQ Holder.

The concept behind this specific flash steps was to grab the world with your feet. The main character had to train using his feet for months before pulling off this move.

But I did not need such things as I was a snow leopard. I could use my front and back limbs with almost equal dexterity. And the master of Flash Steps who taught the MC was a werewolf, so I had an advantage in my body.

I have been trying to recreate this unique Flash Steps before since it gave you the ability to walk in the air.

But so far, I have not seen results.

Yet that couldn't work this time. I need to do it, for all I know my students could be captured and in the hands of a psychotic bird.

Another movement technique called Air Walk/Geppo from the world of One Piece came to my mind as I used both of them as a reference to learn more about UQ holder flash steps.

Catch the ground.

Grab the earth.

Catch yourself the moment your feet touch the world, and control the friction so that your movements do not kick up even a speck of dust.

Focus on the vectors.

I also used Hing Kung to learn more about flashsteps and after running for a while, I opened my eyes with a new light in them.

'Grab the world with your feet.'

I did.

I kicked off the ground and before my momentum ended, I kicked the air and grabbed the world itself.

My feet found a solid foothold as I grabbed the world and I kicked myself up again.

Then again, and again and again until I was a blur faster than any bird could ever hope to fly. I continued kicking the air and I ran in the sky.

I easily moved across the landscape that way.

With my new speed, I was travelling in record time.

"Don't worry juniors, senior brother is coming." I joked with a smile to ease my beating heart as I shot across the sky of China.

[Image]

Author (Two weeks ago) : I use both my computers and phone to write. Mostly I write on my computer and then proof read on my phone.

An accident happen and the more half of the chapter which was 3rd POV of the Furious Five got lost.

It's too late now for me to rewrite so here. Sorry for the short chapter

...

So that's what happened when I wrote this chapter but I will give you guys a chance to get extra chapter.

The moment we reach 1000 stones the extra chapter is yours.

Chapter 50: A new possibility

[3rd POV]

"How are the prisoners? Do they like the food?" Lord Shen asked as he sat upon the throne of the peacocks in the Tower of Sacred Flames.

"I think so, my lord. They finished half of what they were served." Boss Wolf said while bowing respectfully towards Shen.

"Half? Do you think half is enough? Do they not like the food?" Shen said with a thoughtful look, "Find another chef, it is possible that they do not like the current one."

"Yes, Lord Shen."

"And what of their accommodation?"

"The prisoners are currently staying in one of the best inns of the City, reserved for the wealthy and located at the heart of the City so any attempt at escape would be met with failure."

"Good, good." Shen nodded in satisfaction, "And what of the Panda? Is he still alive?"

"The Panda lives my lord." Boss Wolf said and Shen released a breath that he did not even know he was holding. He felt like a mountain had been lifted off his shoulder.

"And?"

"Soothsayer found him with her foresight and she is taking care of him. He fell into the river after being shot by the cannon and it carried him outside of the City. They are currently in the old village of the Pandas." Boss Wolf said.

The fact that the Panda was in the place where he was born caused a bit of concern for Shen. But he calmed down by telling himself that there was nothing much the Panda could do alone and the injuries he got would take at least a few days to heal.

"You may leave now. Keep an eye on the prisoners and make sure they are not harmed, especially the Tiger." Shen said with a wave of his wing.

"As you command Lord Shen." Saying so, the Boss Wolf left the throne room.

Lord Shen, the rightful ruler of Gongmen City reclined back on his throne. There were four strong Gorillas who stayed around to protect him at all times but they stood still and silent like a statue. So there was silence in which Shen could gather his thoughts.

A person without context would find the previous conversation extremely weird. They were talking about prisoners but Shen was treating them like his royal guests, asking if they ate well and if they had the best accommodation.

It was not always like this. When they first came into the City, Shen saw the Dragon Warrior who also happened to be a Panda and his first thought was 'They are enemy'.

The warrior destined to defeat him also happened to be the Dragon Warrior. You couldn't fault Shen for trying to complete his work 20 years ago.

He ordered his soldiers to seize and capture them. They claimed they came in peace but there could never be peace, Shen was sure of that.

A great conflict ensued. The Furious Five and Po proved to be a stronger adversary than he could have ever imagine. They took out many of his men and went into hiding for a few days.

They even tried to free the prisoners, Master Ox and Croc to help them defeat Shen but in the end, it was all for naught. With his cunning and by manipulating Po, Shen was able to capture them and he even sent the Dragon Warrior away with a cannon shot.

He took in the Furious Five as prisoners and as is in the Code Of War, Shen did not kill or torture them but in return, the Furious Five also answered any of his questions.

Lord Shen had learned many things from the prisoners. Most of which he wished he had known beforehand.

They really did come in peace and even brought a letter from the Jade Palace which Shen discarded with a wave as the Jade Palace did not hold much influence or power after Oogway's death.

But the most important pieces of information he learned, which he wished he knew before hand was the fact that they were students of not just the legendary Master Shifu, but a student of Tai Lung as well.

This would explain why they could take out so many of his soldiers easily and why they were stronger than expected.

But that was not the worst part, the next thing he learned that made him pale was the fact that the Panda was supposedly Tai Lung's favourite student and Tigress was Tai Lung's younger sister.

Lord Shen could only curse at the universe and try his best to mend his mistakes. He made sure the prisoners were treated well and he sent out his men to search for the Panda immediately.

If it was not obvious already, Shen was doing all this because he did not want to get on the bad side of Tai Lung.

As he said before, Tai Lung was a walking calamity. Something that could either end him or become a force of destruction he could aim at his enemies.

Lord Shen was smart and confident enough to declare war against the whole of China but he was also smart enough to not mess with Tai Lung.

Tai Lung was the only person that could stop him. He was Lord Shen's kryptonite as the weapons he was so proud of did not work on the snow leopard.

Lord Shen also picked up the letter from the Jade Palace he discarded at first and read it carefully before sending a reply letter to accept the kind gesture.

It was because Tai Lung had a close relationship with the Jade Palace and considered it his home apparently. Shen should have deduced that already, the rumours about the Dragon Warrior and Shifu keeping him there were absolute lies.

No one could hold or suppress Tai Lung like that, he stayed in the Jade Palace for 10 months because he liked it there and considered it his home.

"Such a trouble." Shen said to himself. He was both annoyed and awed at the fact that one person could put a complete stop in his plans.

It was like having Oogway himself all over again. He waited so many years for that tortoise to pass and now Tai Lung had appeared.

He needs to think of something quick.

(A few days later)

"You are afraid." Soothsayer commented as she watched Shen pace back and forth in the throne room.

Po had already learned about his past and attained inner peace. But unlike the movie, he did not have to go and save the Furious Five, instead he was just put in the same inn as them and held as a prisoner there.

Now Soothsayer stayed with Shen in the Thone room as his trusted advisor. Soothsayer had a duty to always serve under the royal Peacock family, it was a promise made long ago and one she was determined to keep.

No matter how she felt about the current Lord she was serving, he was the last descendant of the Peacock and she had to serve him dutifully.

And she also felt responsible and guilty as the one who raised Lord Shen. It was also her prophecy that drove the prince to commit such atrocities in the first place.

He was her creation.

So she stayed with him in hopes of fixing things. Or even if she can't, she would complete her duty as an advisor.

"Me? Afraid?" Shen paused and asked with wide eyes. "What a great observation you have, truly worthy of being called Soothsayer."

"I didn't realize I was afraid. It's not like I was feeling it from the pit of my stomach and it made me unable to even sit still." He hissed towards Soothsayer sarcastically.

"I don't see why you are so afraid of Tai Lung when the warrior destined to defeat you is right in your city."

"The Panda is not a threat." Lord Shen declared, "At least not yet."

"And even if he were to defeat me, that would be it. He is gullible and soft-hearted." He said and locked eyes with Soothsayer.

"Tai Lung would tear me apart." He whispered, "And he has the power to do so."

Individual power. That was Shen's weakness, unlike Tai Lung whose weakness was huge armies that would eventually tire him out.

Lord Shen tore his eyes away and continued pacing back and forth with a solemn expression on his face.

Soothsayer released a sigh. She did not like seeing the one she served be in such a distress. She felt the need to help Shen in some way, no matter how little.

A memory clicked in her mind, "I've actually had an encounter with young Tai Lung when he came to the city."

"You did?" Shen stopped and looked at her with focused eyes. He sensed something important coming.

"Yes. And I-" She hesitated for a moment before the sense of duty won out, "I looked into his future and gave him a prophecy."

With a flutter of his wings, the wind in the room turned into a small hurricane as Shen appeared in front of Soothsayer. His eyes were red and they held seeds of insanity.

"Tell me." He demanded. He thought that if she looked into his future, she might know the outcome of the confrontation that was about to take place.

He did not even question why she broke her promise and used her gift on people outside of the royal family. He had more pressing matters occupying his mind.

"I was not able to look into his future properly, I only saw brittle glimpses of it. But the prophecy goes something like this." Soothsayer said calmly.

"A warrior unlike anything the world had ever seen."

"With a heart that could not decide black or white. Not a villain yet far from a hero, draped in the shades of grey."

"The path he walks shall not lead to glory as he wishes. His quest for validation, a failure."

"For Destiny is not kind to those who defy her. The Universe worked to right the accident."

"History remembers a villain he never wished to be. His legacy and ambition died at the hands of someone whose's was forgotten."

There was a long silence as Shen took his time to process her words and analysed each and every sentence she had uttered.

He slowly moved out of her face and turned around before heading towards the balcony of the Tower with slow steps.

Although they did not give any direct information, he could break apart the different layers of meaning behind the sentences of the prophecy.

Something clicked in his mind and he felt like he knew Tai Lung more than he ever did before. A sense of weird comraderie bubbled in his heart.

Shen had constantly been thinking of ways he could put Tai Lung down or how he could use him but he had not come up with an answer so far.

But right now, a new possibility came into his mind.

What about an ally?

[IMAGE! ]