บท 52: The accident escalates

[Tai Lung's POV]

"I have a proposal for you." He said and stood just at the right distance. He was close enough so that we can see eye to eye yet he was just out of my reach.

The balcony was also open and right behind him. It was to be his escape route if things went south and I attacked him.

I raised an eyebrow, "A proposal?"

"I sure hope it has nothing to do with ordering me around in exchange for my students' release." I said with a humourless chuckle.

"Oh I won't even think of such things~" He said with a smile, "People say I am crazy but I am not that crazy."

"So then, what is this proposal that you speak of?" I asked in an impassive voice without hints.

Shen let the silence stretch as he stared me straight in the eye. He was trying to show his utmost honestly and sincerity in what he was about to say next.

He'd have to do more than that to even pique my interest though.

And he did.

He took a step to the side and started walking around me. With each step he took he came closer to my reach and each step took him further and further away from his escape.

Now that piqued my interest. Maybe what he was about to propose was more than just one of his cunning ploys.

"I want an alliance." He said and I paused.

Out of all the things I expected, this was not one of them. I half expected him to ask me not to interfere with his business or give me a threat.

But an alliance? Now that's something I did not expect.

"An alliance between me and Gongmen City?" I asked. It was not rare to see an alliance between a powerful master and a city.

The Monkey King of the West was an example. He formed an alliance with a Kingdom and became their guardian and in exchange, he held a high status there and got any resources he wanted.

"No." Shen said and stopped pacing around me. "I want an alliance between you and me."

That sentence had a whole different meaning behind it although they might feel similar. It means that even if he stopped being the ruler of Gongemn City, we would remain an ally.

Naturally, I laughed.

I could understand if he wanted an alliance between me and the city but between him and me? The audacity baffles me.

Being in an alliance requires both parties to benefit from each other or share similar interests.

I wonder, what could he possibly give me? What would I benefit from working with him?

"Why would I even want that?" I asked in genuine curiosity.

He gave me a small smile before he started pacing around me again. I turned my head and focused on him as he said, "Because that way, we both would be able to achieve what we want."

"We?" I asked, "You think I want to start a meaningless war just because of your delusion of conquering China?"

"You want a legacy." Shen said and changed direction. He started walking up to me ever so slowly as I stayed silent.

"You want glory, you want to be remembered until the end of times." Shen said with wide insane eyes. "You want a legacy that surpasses even the likes of Oogway, the person who locked you up and denied you what was rightfully yours."

"You want to be....." He drawls and stops in front of me. His eyes pierced through mine and looked into my soul.

"More than a Dragon Warrior."

...

My eyebrow relaxed as I looked at the bird in front of me. I did not know how but he was somehow able to tell me exactly what I desired.

To be the strongest and to leave a mark in the annals of history as the greatest, surpassing the likes of Oggway himself.

I can't be the Dragon Warrior. The Universe rejected me. Destiny betrayed me.

So I wanted to be more.

"I know that because we are not so different," Shen said and slowly walked backwards away from me.

"I wanted to surpass my great ancestors and have the whole of China by myself. I wanted to bring glory to the royal Peacocks and I wanted more power than any Kings ever had." He said and raised his wings.

"But destiny won't allow me. My parents betrayed me, hated me and I was burdened with a self-fulfilling prophecy that I have fought against ever since." He said, "Yet I keep on fighting and I will continue chasing after that dream. If it eventually leads to my demise, then so be it."

"I would die trying." He said.

He was a lot more different than what I expected. He was not the psychotic delusional bird shown in the movies. In fact, he was more like what he became by the end of the movie. The bird who accepted his own demise.

The one who clings to his ambition to the very end.

"You said that conquering China was only a delusion of mine." He said, "But it won't be a delusion if I have you by my side."

He was awfully humble when he said that sentence. Shen in the movie thought he was unstoppable but after I showed him otherwise, he changed his arrogant and haughty behaviour. At least when it came to me.

"Become my ally. With your help, I would be able to conquer China and in return, I will give you the legacy and glory you always wanted."

"With your strength and kung fu, coupled with my intelligence and weapons, we would be unstoppable. I will finally have the control and power I always wanted and you will have the legacy you desired." He said.

"Together, we can both achieve our ambition." He finished off his speech with a smile.

Now silence filled the room as I took in his words. I thought about it carefully and if I was being honest, it was not a bad idea.

'The path you walk shall not lead to glory as you wish. Your quest for validation, a failure.' Soothsayer's prophecy rang in my mind.

I realized then that I was trying to follow in Oogway and Po's footsteps to achieve what I wanted. I was walking down a path not made on my own.

I promised myself that if I was to be remembered, I would be remembered as what I truly am. Tai Lung.

Not a hero, not a saint and not even the strongest. They will remember me as Tai Lung.

I planned to stay close to Po and save the world when any threat arises. That way, I thought the people would accept me and remember me. I thought I would leave a legacy like that.

But that path would only end with failure.

On the other hand, what Shen proposed was a very attractive path. If I worked with him, I would have weapons and armies by my side. I wouldn't have to worry about armies which can overwhelm me and defeat me.

Not only that, the best place to grow stronger was by fighting. What better chance to fight than in wars? If I wanted to get strong enough to defeat Kai before he returns, it was only right that I take a path that could make me stronger.

"So, you believe I will be able to achieve my ambition by conquering China with you." I asked and Shen smiled.

He asked me one question that immediately caught my attention and directed my mind to uncharted territory.

"Why stop there?"

"I have never said this out loud before because people were already calling me crazy for wanting to conquer China but the truth is..." He said and opened his wings to show his majesty.

"I want to conquer the world." He said and his pupils dilated, burning with madness.

He was even crazier than I thought.

But what an interesting idea. I can't help but like the idea of conquering the world. The names of great figures from my past life came to mind.

Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napolean Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Cyrus etc. All of them were great conquerors who wanted to rule over the world.

History never forget their names even if they failed to truly conquer the world.

If I were to do the same, surely I would leave a legacy that surpassed Oogways whose influence stretched only to the landscape of China.

To try and conquer the world. I have never even thought of that before because it was an impossible feat to achieve alone no matter how strong I became.

Even if I could become strong enough to defeat kingdoms, governing that much territory was not an easy feat. It would require a royalty who was taught from a young age and with the necessary education.

I would also never be able to sit around and rule a kingdom. I was made to fight, not to govern.

But with Shen. it became a possibility. I did not have to worry about all the politics or governing, I could just take territories and put him as the ruler to manage it.

I turned on my heel and slowly walked towards the balcony while I was busy in thought. I could see the sky darkening and storm clouds were rolling in the sky.

*Ka-Chang!*

A flash of light cracked between the clouds and a deafening thunder shook the sky. I stood at the balcony and the intense gale blew on my fur, foretelling a storm.

The universe was in distress.

"So, what do you think?" Shen asked as he slowly approached me from behind. "If you need more time to think then you can have all the time you want."

He finally stood by my side and I gave him a side eye.

I don't need time.

"I accept your proposal. It seems Interesting."

The sky rumbled and lighting struck the world. The universe cried as two villains once wronged by fate and destiny decided to join forces.

The Universe could not right the wrongs.

The accident escalates.

It was not just China this time, the World was not prepared for the storm that is approaching.

...

[WALLPAPER IMAGE]

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Author : Now that this whole thing came to a conclusion, I am going to take a break.

I say a break but it's only until I stockpile enough chapters on patreon again. Storms had been constant where I live and electricity are out most of the time so I could not write properly.

I will return by the next week at most so no worries.

PS : A moment of silence to all those who commented that they drop the story because in the earlier chapters Tai Lung thought 'I should stay with Po and save the world to leave legacy'.

Thinking the thoughts of the MC matter when it truly came to important plot points. They do not know how to read first POV stories where information could be wrong or straight up unreliable since we are seeing the story through one characters eyes.

They should've let me cook.