[Tai Lung's POV]
I flew above Gongmen City and carefully observed it from afar.
Just like you would expect a city which was about to be invaded to react, they were doing it. The city was in absolute chaos.
While the city itself was eerily quiet with the citizens locking themselves up in their houses, waiting for the disaster to pass by some miracle, the exit gate of the city was packed as many people wanted to leave the City.
Both were an understandable reaction to the impending battle. While the citizens were going to be unharmed in the upcoming conflict, if the Codes of War were followed, their new rulers would more likely than not demand war tax from them.
This was especially likely for Gongmen city which was the home of many rich animals from all over China. And the fact that trad had stopped in the city was a huge turn off to most resident, so these people wanted to move out of the city as quickly as possible.
I ignored the city itself and made my way to the army barracks which was stationed a little far away from the city.
When I finally reached there, I stopped using my Chi and fell to the ground like an asteroid.
*BOOOM!!*
I crashed into the earth as my feet were planted deep into the ground. But I showed no reaction and I easily stepped out of the crater.
The army quickly came out of the camps with their weapons, ready to kill any invader but they stilled on their spot when they saw me.
I took a look around the barracks and immediately noticed the sober mood of the place. A soldier's barracks should be lively like a tavern as there were none who were more appreciative of life and every day than soldiers who walked with death each day.
But the barracks which I stood at was the opposite of what you would expect. It felt more like a hospital or a graveyard, with the ghosts of negative feelings haunting the place.
"Why are you guys so quiet? Are you all scared?" I asked the wolves with a small smile on my face.
The majority of the army who were left in Gongemen City were directly under Lord Shen and me. They were also the ones whom I spent a week training, so they were the closest soldiers to me.
I let my Chi erupt out and started affecting the environment. It was like a drop of rain falling on a pond and creating small waves that spread out everywhere.
My will pressed down on the surroundings and even if they didn't see me, everyone in the vicinity was told of my presence.
It was not one of threat but a reassuring one. They had nearly been forced to a fate where they would fight an impossible battle they would never win, so their dull mood and eerie barracks was understandable.
But that stops now.
"Be not afraid," I said, my voice infused with Chi was carried by the wind to every ear.
"Your General is here."
..
..
"WUAAAAAAA!!!!!"
"LORD TAI LUNG!!!!"
The soldiers all came out and erupted into cheers, their previously dull eyes now held a spark of hope.
They must've heard of my tales even from Gongmen City so seeing me was a huge relief in their heart. These were the times when reputation became a vital weapon.
Because with only my presence and a few words, I was able to turn their situation, their reality upside down and boost their morale.
Turn despair into hope, fear into courage, and anxiety into excitement.
The first battle in a war takes place in the heart of the soldiers.
And that was won.
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[Tai Lung's POV]
It took me only a few hours to reach Gongmen City from the Jade Palace which means I had around three days to prepare for the enemy to reach us.
I gathered all of the soldiers in the barracks and gave them a short speech to boost their morale before telling them to get ready to march East.
We will meet the enemy beyond the Pearl Lake.
After I was done, I went to the city and with the help of some of the noble houses there, I was able to calm down the people from panicking too much.
With my reputation, it was not hard for them to believe that I would be able to protect them and defeat the army. The Supreme General was here, they told themselves.
But many people still insisted on leaving the city. Trade had also stopped for a while now and the economy of the city was quickly plummeting.
"Is this what you want?" I asked while I ate the fish dish before me. I was in Mr. Li's restaurant again and Officer Chaucer lookalike chef was also there with me. He did not know how to react to the situation.
"I thought that with all the things the city has done for you, at least you would have the honour and not go this far." I said to Gazelle who was lying on the ground, paralysed from her neck down.
She owned almost all of the brothels and male entertainment in Gongmen City so when Shen took over the city, he decided to let her stay and operate under him.
She was always more independent than she was with the Kung Fu Council, so we decided to let her stay in the city as her value outweighed her annoyance. It was similar to how we kept Master Ox and Croc alive and fighting for us.
Not only were they useful, they were a link to our enemy. As Sun Tzu said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
"I-I didn't do anything." She spat out in a voice still full of defiance.
"Do you take me for a fool, Gazelle?" I asked and used my feet to prop up her chin.
"Look at me." I told her and she did. Her eyes started shaking and her paralysed body trembled.
Like it was mentioned before, she had the innate ability to observe a person's strength. It was almost like how prey could differentiate predators from the rest.
She already said I was the strongest person she had ever seen last time, but now that I had gotten stronger again and also learned to control my chi properly, I wonder what she saw.
"Say that again while looking at me."
..
..
..
She couldn't.
"I'm curious. You have everything to gain if you work with us so why did you decide to make yourself an enemy? I thought you were not even that close with the Kung Fu Council." I asked. She was born and lived in Gongmen City and the reason she even associated with the Kung Fu Council in the first place was because they became rulers of the city.
So it was a genuine question why she decided to still work with them.
"Go to hell." She grits her teeth.
Wow, I felt some hate in her voice.
"Is it personal then? Don't tell me you were secretly in love with Master Rhino and you now want to avenge him or something." I said with a laugh and her reaction made me feel like that might be true.
Or was it just her acting? Choosing to make this the truth to avoid telling the real reason.
"The whore, falls in love with the ruler of the city but she never even had the courage to show her feelings because she feels unworthy. She never allows herself to be touched by him because she thinks she will taint him and believes that her love for him is special and not lust. But then Shen killed him before she even confessed blah blah blah." Sounds like a really shitty novel.
I continued to entertain her for a bit more minutes before my plate finally became empty. And with my fish gone, so was my pleasant mood.
I grabbed Gazelle by her horns and threw her across the restaurant. She crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, she immediately coughed out blood.
I pushed her head down on the ground and used my claws to cut the floor infornt of her.
"Now here is what we are going to do.." I said, " You are going to tell me everything that I want to know. Starting with how strong the alliance between the three kingdoms are, how many soldiers are marching towards the city and how many masters are coming with them."
She glared at me. I always thought she was someone clever but maybe hatred had made her dumb.
But the glare will quickly turn into one of submission soon.
To know your enemy was half the battle won.
Luckily, there was a literally walking meat of information under me. As the result of this battle would dictate the fate of everything, I cannot take any chances.
I will not lose.
.
.
.
[IMAGE]
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Author : Finally, I have returned!!! We will be back to daily updates for sure until the end of this arc.
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500 stones and extra chapter as well.
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[Tai Lung's POV]
200 thousand soldiers.
Now that is not a funny number.
That was probably the whole military might of two entire kingdoms. The reason why there were so many foot soldiers was mostly because of Tang which was located in the centre of China.
The Jade Palace was there so central China was the most peaceful part of China. Therefore they had more infantry compared to other kingdoms since there was no constant war where they could lose soldiers, but in return, their soldiers were less experienced.
But they should not be underestimated.
It was an incredibly reckless move to dispatch 200 thousand-strong warriors to take over one city, even if they expected me to protect said city.
Nay, reckless was not enough, it was a straight-up insane move.
So what could they possibly achieve with 200 thousand soldiers? That number was so staggering that it would be more inconvenient rather than helpful.
Instead, it would even be better to dispatch 50 thousand soldiers in waves rather than 200 thousand soldiers at once.
Unless....
Their main objective was not to take over the land but something else. A task that requires 200 thousand soldiers attacking at once rather than your typical war.
..
..
"Heh." A crazed smile split my face.
Their main objective was not to take over the city and launch an attack on Shu from there. No, it was never about the unmoving territory which they could conquer anytime.
Their true target was the walking kingdom
Me.
The main goal of the three allied kingdoms was not to take over Gongmen City.
It was to kill me.
"Hahahahahaha!!" My laughter spread throughout the restaurant and silenced every other sound. Gazelle was unconscious beside my feet as I had knocked her out after I learned everything I wanted.
But that was not all. 200 thousand soldiers was not enough to kill me. Although I would NEVER do it, fleeing after fighting with everything I had was a possible reaction.
So they sent Mighty Eagle and other Kung Fu masters with them.
Among all of the names Gazelle had given me, four of them stood out.
----
1. Master White Tiger, aka the Greatest Warrior - The strongest warrior in all of Dali and he was an old rival of Tai Lung, one he had already humbled in the past.
2. Master Yuchao Wang, aka the Turtle Monk - The strongest warrior and guardian of the Tang kingdom. He was one of the few students of Oogway himself and was said to be related to the creator of Kung Fu. His age is unknown.
3. Mighty Eagle, aka Vanquisher of Armies or King of the Sky - He is the strongest warrior of Nanzhao and a guardian. He was equal if not more powerful than the Monkey King himself.
4. Master Sloth, aka the Brain of the Kung Fu Council - He was known for his intelligence rather than his strength. He is said to be the smartest commander in all of China.
---
These people would be the final nail to the coffin in defeating me. With Mighty Eagle there, running away also became impossible even if I could fly.
They really were going all out. They knew the main backbone was me and they knew Lord Shen was someone they could deal with easily if I was gone.
After learning exactly what enemy was marching my way, I realised it was a poorly hidden challenge towards me.
"They dared." I said as my eyes showed a threatening yellow.
I wonder, do they really believe they can kill me with this?
I admit, I would have stood no chance if it was before I mastered Chi but now it was different. I had a chance to not only come out alive but absolutely demolish them.
But even then, it won't be easy.
it was a challenge, an obstacle before me and I was certain I would come out stronger than ever on the other side.
So what else can I do as the strongest warrior except,
Accept the challenge.
I ordered the soldiers to take Gazelle and put her in prison while I went towards the Tower of Sacred Flames to prepare.
The plan was still the same, me and the 2 thousand soldiers under me would be fighting against the allied kingdom.
And we won't be shy and play defensive either, we would march towards them and meet them head-on like equals. I realized that it was no longer about protecting the city after learning their true motives.
It would be all about kill or be killed.
They wanted to kill me huh, I hope they took a page from Wubao and came prepared to meet the same fate.
..
..
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[3rd POV]
"We're moving too slow." the Turtle monk said, "And that should say something coming from a turtle."
"Relax~ He won't go anywhere. He has nowhere to hide and he is not one to run either." Master White Tiger said with a carefree yawn.
They were both standing at the peak of a tall mountain. It was early in the morning and the clouds had come down from the sky so nothing below or behind them could be seen.
But as they stood at the very peak of a mountain, the place was brightly lit up by the morning sun already.
"it's not the possibility of Tai Lung running away that bothers me so, It's the fact that we are giving him time to prepare for us."
"Pftt, so what? You afraid that it would cost us more soldiers than we thought?" Master White Tiger scoffed. He only receives a side eye from the Turtle Monk.
"...."
"...."
"He cannot win." Master White Tiger said after a long stretch of silence.
"Why not?"
He thinned his lips before he answered in a solemn voice, "Because that would make him invincible. And no one is invincible in this world, not even Master Oogway."
...
"Okay." the Turtle Monk nodded before turning away.
They stood on top of the mountain for some time, basking in the morning sun until Master White Tiger's ears twitched.
He turned his head to look behind him and then something flashed above them. The speed at which the thing moved was so fast that it was not visible to the eye.
It was almost like a phantom.
But the proof of its existence came long after it had passed. A violent whirlwind came to life as it blew a shockwave everywhere. The clouds below them quickly dispersed due to the raid change in wind.
After the clouds were gone, the ground below was finally revealed.
A nigh infinite amount of soldiers stretched until the eye could see. They were like ants in an anthill as their presence disrupts the very balance of nature itself.
200 thousand soldiers were slowly marching towards Gongmen under the morning sun.
"Two more days." Master Whtie Tiger mutters as he looks down at the army.
At long last, he will finally be able to slay Tai Lung.
"Let us go, we cannot leave everything to Master Sloth after all." Turtle Monk said before he leapt into the air and fell towards the army below.
The enemy draws near.
.
.
.
[IMPORTANT IMAGE OF TURTLE MONK]
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Author : Give me stones because I am giving you double chapter.
Double update!!
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