[Tai Lung]
After leaving the Jade Palace, I made my way down to the village with my cloak covering my body so that no villagers panicked or freaked out when they saw me.
It would be a lie to say that I did not care about what the NPCs thought of me since I was the guy who wanted to be the Dragon Warrior, a hero admired by everyone, so the unjust perspective people had of me was a great annoyance.
It was truly baffling how they forgot the countless times I had saved the village and protected the Valley in the past. 25 years ago, the Valley of Peace used to be under the protection of Tai Lung and I made sure to extinguish whatever or whoever was threatening it.
I went on countless missions under Shifu and Oogway's order and even with my own free will. I was sent to settle disputes between Kingdoms, I caught criminals, killed Masters who had turned evil and saved many lives.
I used to bring prosperity and peace to not just the Valley but to China as a whole. As the future Dragon Warrior, I thought it was my duty to do such things. To protect the people and to serve the land.
I take pride in that. My father took pride in that.
I used my strength and I used my influence for them. I was a tool, diligently doing a duty which was never meant to be mine.
Gladly too.
With pride.
No, I was not a tool, I was a fool.
"Would it be possible for me to tag along on the carriage? I heard you guys were going to Guangzhou." I asked the cow lady with ripped muscles.
My past human self would've called her mommy.
Jokes aside, her posture and foot placement told me that she was at least trained in Kung Fu and her eyes which constantly scanned her surrounding with a certain level of intent hints at experience in battle.
We were currently in the vegetable market of the Village of the Jade Palace and using my acute sense of hearing, I heard her discuss her travel plans with a rabbit from far away and I instantly approached them.
Guangzhou was a trading town located a few hundred miles away from the village. The road leading there was good and wide so it wouldn't take longer than a couple of days to reach there.
Gongmen City was further down the west from there and since the road leading to the city was busy and long, I planned to travel on foot from Guangzhou onwards.
But for the first part of the journey, it would be easier to tag along in a carriage. Guangzhou was the main trading place for the village as it had a little bit of everything and they would buy things at a much higher rate than other villages.
So many traders and businessmen travel back and forth from the village to Guangzhou.
"I am willing to pay a dozen bronze coins." I said to the cow who just kept looking at me. She must be curious to know what I looked like under the cloak.
Not gonna happen.
"Honey!!" She called and pushed the carriage slightly and a small rabbit peeked his head out.
"Yes?"
"This guy wanted to tag along, even said he was willing to pay a dozen coin." the cow said to the rabbit which I now assumed was her husband.
"There is no problem at all from my side. You are the one pulling the carriage dear so whatever you say." the rabbit said.
"You heard him, get in." the cow lady said and I tossed her a dozen bronze coins which she later used to buy carrots for snacks.
I went behind the carriage and there were only empty boxes, making plenty of space for me to sit. It seemed they were going to Guangzhou to buy and not sell.
I had to wait a few minutes before the rabbit finished arranging the boxes and we were off to our travel. The cow lady said we would reach Guangzhou in two days.
"Oh by the way, my name is Jiang Liu and my beautiful wife there is Chang'in." The rabbit man said, pointing at his wife who was pulling the carriage.
I did not return the polite gesture and simply nodded without introducing myself. The guy seemed to take no offence but I saw his wife clicking her tongue. It seemed she was the fiesty one, the typical marriage between a hot-tempered and a gentle soul.
I sat cross-legged at the back of the carriage and spent my time meditating. But as the journey continued and we left the village, there was silence which prompted Mr Jiang Liu to start a conversation with me.
"So, where will you be heading young lad? I don't assume you want to go to Gunagzhau since you have the bare necessity for travel." He asked me. Guangzhou was a trading town and most people go there to trade, it seemed I did not look the part.
"You'd be correct in your assumption. I am heading to Gongmen city."
"Oh, the land of fair ladies and fireworks. Do tell me which one you are aiming for?"
"It's for business," I replied.
The white rabbit scoffed, "Like hell I believe that!! No one goes to Gongmen city for business."
Gongmen City was the land of fireworks and entertainment. So if you are a traveller wishing to go there, people would assume you were there to enjoy life. It held the same reputation as Las Vegas would in the modern world.
"So you got a maiden of your own yet?"
"No."
"Plans on getting one soon?"
"No."
"Well, as a married man, I can tell you that you are losing out." The rabbit said and looked at his wife outside who was pulling the carriage.
"Really? I heard it's quite a hussle."
"Bah!! Nonsense. There are jokes around that but in truth, we can never be happier." He said with a smile.
"The world is cruel and lonely, you would be a damn lucky bastard to find a partner you can walk with. Someone to be with you every step of the way in this journey of life." He said to me, I could see the cow outside blushing as steam came out of her ears.
"I never thought of it that way." I said and looked at the odd couple. It was not rare to see other species marry each other or become partners. But as one might expect, they could never have kids together.
If they want kids, they either have to adopt or the husband - never the wife - hires a surrogate. But that was reserved for the rich.
That was why adoption was very popular. It was also why Po never found out he was adopted. In his eyes, it was not weird that his father was a goose because he saw many other kids with different species as parents.
Orphanage were a busy place with kids getting adopted all the time. Hence why Tigress was very pitiful to not get adopted as most adults were afraid of her strength.
Our journey went on as we had small talks. I was beginning to enjoy the conversation a little as Mr Jiang Liu proved to be a knowledgeable person.
He even told me about how he met his wife. Chang'in came to the village in hopes of getting into the Jade Palace as one of the students but she ended up in his arms instead.
She might not be a student of the Jade Palace in the end but she was trained in Kung Fu. Honestly, I noticed that quite early on.
"So you do not want to mess with her, or me for that matter. I may be small but my wife will fuck you up." he said with a laugh.
"It was because of her Kung Fu skills and strength that we never even bothered to hire bodyguards. She can take care of these lacklustre criminal all by herself." He said proudly.
"Strong, beautiful and kind. I really used up all of my luck by having her. Though the roads have been peaceful these passing months." He said, "I am glad since I never really like watching her fight although I knew she could take care of herself."
I smiled softly under my hood. I have been clearing the bandits and thieves camping in the Valley a lot so it was no wonder that there were lesser attacks.
Using inner peace to heighten my senses, it was not hard to locate the criminals camping in the forest of the Valley. I would use them to test my new techniques and take them out to help the Valley.
It was unacceptable that those criminals were disturbing my home. If it were in the past, no criminals would dare step into the Valley of Peace, fearing the wrath of Tai Lung.
Its always nice to see the positive result of the work you do, no matter what it was. People were happy and safe.
"I am glad to hear that." I said.
"Yeah. It has been a blessing for all of us travellers and traders. There had been no noteworthy robberies or ambushes. It had brought great prosperity to the Valley." He said with visible enthusiasm and a fond smile on his face.
I smiled too, a little proud and satisfied.
"It's really thanks to the Dragon Warrior. He has been doing a splendid job, just what you would expect from a warrior prophesied by Oogway himself. First, he dealt with Tai Lung and now he had brought peace in the Valley." He said.
"Yes, it is true. I have never seen roads as peaceful as the road of the valley these passing 10 months. It is truly a miracle that only the Dragon Warrior can achieve." His wife added from the front, still pulling the carriage.
"Oh..." I muttered and blinked. "I see."
" We are extremely lucky to have him." Mr Jiang said.
I got comfortable in my seat again, leaning against the inner wall of the carriage. I closed my eyes and meditated to get the wrong feeling off my chest.
The journey went smoother than expected and we reached the trading town of Guangzhou in two days.
I bid farewell to the two lovely couples and I made my way to Gongmen city. I did not follow the main road and cut through the difficult terrains and took a shortcut to Gongmen City.
But before reaching the city, I had to take a ferry to cross the Lake of Eternal Pearls or Pearl Lake. The road went around the lake but that would take an extra day.
But with the help of the ferry, I crossed the lake in a single night.
After nearly 5 days of travelling, I reached the metropolis city known as Gongmen city
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[IMAGE]
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IMPORTANT NOTE : So people are freaking out about the eggs. Consider them unfertilized eggs and other than straight up animal meat, they eat everything. Oh even fishes too.
I thought it'd be kind of obvious since you need eggs to make dough which is used for dumpling and even noodles.
And about the Tigress thing, she won't be the female lead. It was only natural that Tigess became the female lead and even I planned to have her but things didn't work out.
It didn't make sense for Tai Lung to see her romantically after his reconciliation with Shifu and he was busy training so romance should have been the furthest in his mind. So it was either he did not form connection with her at all or he sees her as a sister at the moment.
Female lead is still not decided but let's see, there are many snow leopard even the Wu sisters, the teammate of Master Shifu, and even the snow leopard in Crane's dojo. Even genderbend Peng, Tai Lung's niece.
But that will come later as I will focus the first two movie first. Romance will inbetween the second and third movie before Kai. And it will be a side plot than anything else.
This book is action and martail arts focused after all.
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And double Chapter to celebrate Easter Sunday!! 🥳🥳
Happy Easter everyone!!
[Tai Lung's POV]
Gongmen City was a metropolis, filled with many business opportunities and trades. However, the sheer amount of resorts and other entertainment establishments located in the city made it famous as the dream city in all of China.
The city was busier than even the likes of Mielin City. I looked around curiously at the epitome of prosperity and wealth of ancient China.
Gongmen City was an independent city which was under no empire or domination. Although it was just a city, they could compete with any other kingdom when it came to economy.
It was home to many of the wealthy people in China and it always held a deep connection with the Kung Fu Council, and before that, Master Flying Rhino.
The city was also surrounded by rocky mountains that made it difficult for an army to attack, coupled with the Kung Fu masters with whom they had a relation, no Kingdom or empire could threaten Gongmen city.
Their relationship with the Kung Fu master went so long back and deep that when the rulers of the city, the peacocks all died out, Gongmen city came under the Kung Fu Council.
The city was divided into different districts, there were districts for entertainment, trade, gambling, markets, living quarters of the soldiers/Kung Fu masters, the district where the rich lived, a district where the commoners lived, etc.
At the centre of the city was the ancestral palace of the Peacocks, a place where the current rulers of Gongmen City reside.
I just entered Gongmen City and I was in the traveller's district. The place was teeming with hotels, brothels, taverns and different restaurants that would give a much-needed rest to all of the travellers that came to the city.
It was the first district and one of the busiest districts too. It also acted as a port where you could hire ships and workers to transport cargo.
No one bats an eye towards me as I fit right into the crowd. It was not uncommon for people with hidden identities to visit the city. They could be nobles who wanted to enjoy life but did not want their reputation ruined, kings and even monks.
People knew to keep to their own business.
"Oh my~ You look like you can use a rest."
'Well, maybe not this one.'
I stopped and turned to the seductive Gazelle who had decided it was wise to approach me. She wore a skimpy red dress and from her appearance, you can say that she was extremely beautiful for this world standard.
I raised an eyebrow. Judging from her dress and from her beauty, she was a prostitute, and with a high rank too. Red was only reserved for the most exquisite girls after all.
The question was, why did someone like her approach me? Instead of seeking out customers, there must be males lining up to spend a night with her.
But here she was, in the streets and she approached me first.
"I'm sorry but I have no coins to spend the night with such a lovely lady." I said politely and walked past her.
I think it was my other life as a human affecting me, but I could no longer find the females in this world too attractive.
That did not mean I was not going to marry or have kids in the future, it just meant that if I was not emotionally attached to a girl, I did not desire to mate with a random female.
I find them beautiful, and I can appreciate them. But it lacked the lust that should be there.
The Gazelle who approached me could be said to be the top beauty in this world, but her invitation did not even phase me.
"Wait sir!! I did not say you need to pay." She said and came in front of me again. She smiled coyly and put her hand on my chest.
"You can have me without paying. Just promise to accept one favor I have in the future if we meet again." She said.
That made me pause.
I meet her eyes and I read her expression. Did she know who I was to want a favor from me?
In the end, I realised that she was just someone with the ability to tell the strength of a person. There were many different animals in this world and many of them had skill sets unique to them.
So it was not rare for a prey species of an animal to be able to tell the strength of someone with one glance. Like they were made to discern predators from the mass, they could tell apart the strong from the rest.
She must've noticed me and when she realized how absurdly strong I was, she must've thought I was some powerful master who came to the city while hiding my identity.
To own the favor of a Kung Fu master was priceless in this world ruled by strength. I suspect that this might not be the first time she approached a strong master.
I looked at her from top to bottom, she was tall and slender. But she had the right amount of fats where needed and she was very curvy.
There was also this alluring vibe around her, like the aura females had when they were ovulating or they were in heat.
"I'm not interested." I said and walked past her again. She just stayed rooted in her place, shocked that she was rejected.
As I was walking pass her, my ears caught a conversation taking place in front of the building opposite to me.
"We have fresh fish caught just this morning!! They are completely fresh and we serve it in the restaurant. 6 copper coin is a huge steal!!" The owner of the restaurant said to the incredulous sheep who was hesitant to dine in the restaurant.
I stopped.
Did they just say fish?
Meat?
"I'll take that!!" I said loudly while raising my hand. Everyone was looking at me and even the Gazelle I just rejected looked at me in shock.
"Wonderful!! Come on in sir!!" The owner said and I excitedly went into his shop under the stumped eyes of the Gazelle.
I don't need animal pussy.
I need meat.
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Wait, that sounds kinda-
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"This is peak." I said while stuffing my mouth with the masterfully cooked fish.
Fish was the only source of meat you can get in this world but even then, it was not a popular food. Especially if you didn't live near a lake, you will never eat fish in your life.
But here in Gongmen City which was located near the Pearl Lake, fish were plentiful. They did not export it though since fish spoil too quickly and the unpopularity made it unprofitable even if you know how to preserve it.
This restaurant was special since they served the best fish dishes. They did not have much customers but they always had loyal predator animal customers so they could keep the business going.
Right now, the restaurant was mostly empty with four leopards sitting at the other end of the restaurant being the only other customers.
I would've said it was perfect if not for the shameless Gazelle sitting beside me.
I gave her a side eye and noticed how she was choosing only the noodles and vegetable part of the dish and she pushed around the fish's meat with a disgusted expression.
I would've asked her what she was doing if I had not known she would answer with something like 'Can't I eat at the restaurant? Do you own the place?'
Let's ask her anyway.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean what am I doing? I am eating, can't I eat at the same restaurant as you?" She replied.
Called it.
"I meant what are you doing with your dish? Do you not like fish?" I asked.
"Yes, do you want it?"
Yes please.
"Sure, I am not repulsed with the idea of helping you." I said and she gave me all the fish meat from her food.
"Are you with the Kung Fu Council? Did you come early for the tournament?" She asked offhandedly.
I raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think that? In fact, what makes you think I am a Kung Fu master at all?"
She smiled, "I have this ability to tell how strong a person is. And with the time I had spent in Gongmen City, I have encountered many people, even famous warriors."
"Yet you are by far the strongest." She said and I smiled.
At least she was honest. If that is the case then I did not mind returning the gesture.
"I am not with the Kung Fu Council but I do have some business with them. It's why I came to the city in the first place." I said and her eyes sparkled.
"So, are you like a warrior or guardian of a kingdom?" She asked, oddly interested in me but I guess it couldn't be helped.
Either her pride was hurt due to my rejection and she wanted to shoot her shot again or she was curious about me and felt that it was nice to be treated normally once in a while.
"You could say that." Technically I was the guardian of the Valley and the Jade Palace.
"Though I am curious about what you said before. A tournament or something?" I asked, since she was so persistent in learning more about me, I could use her to gather some information.
"Oh the Gongmen Whushu competition! As you know, Gongmen and its citizens love entertainment so every three years, the city holds a fighting tournament with the participants being members of the Kung Fu Council. The members can even reach higher positions in the council if they do well in this tournament." She explained.
"Although you are three months too early."
That sounds interesting. I asked the Gazelle more about it and also got the information necessary for navigating the city. She was very helpful and in the end, I told her I would remember her name.
After eating my fill in the restaurant, I ventured deeper into the city and went sightseeing at the different districts.
The buildings of Gongmen City were grand and made of bricks and stones, unlike Mielin City where it was made of brittle wood and paper to prevent disasters from happening when the Grizzly clans went berserk.
I toured the great city for a while but eventually, I reached my final destination.
The ancestral Palace of the Peacocks.
The place where the Kung Fu Council currently resides. It was their main headquarters.
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[IMAGE : I know most of you would hit 🤭😏]
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Author : GIVE ME SOME STONES PLEASE!!!!
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