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You hold your hand out to a single beam of sunlight and touch it. Immediately, you can feel it running down your fingertips and up your arm into your heart to feed into this new feeling within you. You were still physically exhausted, and you can feel the aches of the climb settling in but now your mind was clear and unburdened. You had spent quite a few hours up in the canopy and now the sun was starting to come down. Feeling your throat starting to close from the dryness, you spend a bit wandering around to find some kind of source of water. Though not much, you do find a small stream where you can freshen up.

With the day coming to an end, there was only so much you could do before you had to face the darkness once more.

>What do you do?
>Continue to focus the sun's energy within you. You'll need as much as you can get for tonight.
>Try and find Little Fan and take his place. Hopefully he has been able to keep the soul mass distracted.
>Work on making a small fire. Even if you now posses the power to ward off the forest's evil, it'd be nice to have an external source of light to help.
>Write in.

Congratulations anons. We inadvertently created Hamon. Oops.

>>5821540
>Continue to focus the sun's energy within you. You'll need as much as you can get for tonight.

>>5821540
>Continue to focus the sun's energy within you. You'll need as much as you can get for tonight.

>>5821540
>Work on making a small fire. Even if you now posses the power to ward off the forest's evil, it'd be nice to have an external source of light to help.

>>5821540
I see this as an absolute win.
One more step towards the peak of immortals, though I'd prefer to never reach there until the epilogue.

>Focus the suns energy on us.

I want to help Fan, but he shouldn't really tire.

>>5822205
>>5822144
>>5822133
We'll store more of the sun's power. Writing.

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You take another drink and proceed to sit at the base of a beam of sunlight. With night so close at hand, it would be best to meditate in the forest rather than spend more time up in the trees. You return to the task of learning how to refine your methods of this new process and wait. An hour or so passes by when you feel a breeze blow over you. Soon enough you sense something coming your way.

"It's coming!" The small spirit shouts. It darts around you and seems to coil around your shoulders though it seems...fainter for some reason. "Are you ready? We have to go." It repeats before absentmindedly adding, "Did you talk with my uncle? You seem different." You stand up but don't say anything as waves of unease and wrongness crash upon you only to dissipate immediately after. The new power within you provides shelter and walls you away from whatever effects you used to suffer at night. Once again, you hear the screams and shouts of dismay as the mass of broken bodies begins to approach giving you the queue to run.

You turn around and dash between the trees, pushing yourself just has hard as you did the night before. With your mind now clear of interference, all you had to do was fight your own physical weaknesses and that was something you learned to do long ago. Ducking under some low hanging branches, you vault over a set of large roots and behind the trunk of the trees. All you could do was use the sounds of wailing to guide you as it the mass of souls made no footsteps despite it's broken and disjointed limbs. The game of hunter and the hunted had begun but you also begin to notice something as well. Trails would rarely lead to new areas before looping back into the path of the monster. It felt like every so often, you would break free from the souls' grasp and manage to avoid falling into it's power of redirection something that you had never been able to do so previously. Could this be another effect of this new power within you?

"It's getting closer." The little spirit says. "Are you tired? What do we do?"

>What do you do?
>Continue running. You can keep going and there's no need to try and risk yourself by testing new things.
>Try and completely break free from the monster's influence. If you can roam the forest freely then it would make evading it much easier.
>Try and hide your presence for a bit. Now that your mind is clear form the evil influence, maybe you can make yourself harder to sense.
>Write in.

>>5822552
>Try and completely break free from the monster's influence. If you can roam the forest freely then it would make evading it much easier.

>>5822552
>Only physically tired little Fan, Are you alright? It's the second night now, just this one and the next to go.

Our boy's been run ragged. He is a very brave boy.

>Analyse when we break through the influence and what repeated conditions we can manage.
then
>Try and break free completely

I want to become harder to find, since I think that will relate to our mental state, but this is more active.

You can't let these brief moments of escape just pass you by. If you can figure out how to find them by your own volition then they will be another tool in your arsenal. "Just a bit." You whisper to the little spirit. "Don't worry about me and rest. We can't afford to make mistakes." You wait until you hear some of the screams fade a bit and bolt out of your hiding spot making as much noise as you could to catch it's attention once more. You do your best to run on autopilot as you try to focus on the brief moments where you manage to somehow get away and move in the direction you want to.

Try as you might, you can't really seem to discern any rhyme or reason for the occurrences. At least, there doesn't seem to be some kind of direction or methodology that you seem to be able to employ the consistently allows you to escape. Whatever it is doesn't seem to be tied to line of sight or some kind of cardinal direction. Elevation doesn't seem to be effect it either as you've tried leaping forward and sliding under branches. It occurs to you that perhaps it might not have to do with something physical at all. Given that everything you have experienced affected you mentally then perhaps this puzzle had a spiritual solution. You do the only thing you can think of while running and simply think about breaking free as you run. More and more you hone your focus on pushing away the soul mass's influence over you and your movements. You being to experience the feeling of something peeling away from you akin to pulling your foot free from thick mud. The fire that burned within you begins to dim and dwindle, trees begin to work against you once again, and the screams grow louder and louder.

Suddenly everything becomes very clear. All the sounds of the forest from the soft sounds of grass being stepped on to the swishing of the branches above you ring loudly in your ears. You come to a sudden stop and it feels like you suddenly stepped back into the real world. Trees no longer had a repeating and maze like pattern, the moon's light shines through, and you're aware of cool night wind chilling the sweat on your body. You feel emotionally drained once more and your head pounds again. It's only the last few embers of defiance that flickered within you, a result of spending those extra moments drawing in more of the sun's light into you, that kept the evil at bay. It's only the sounds of screaming that bring you back to the present situation and you begin to run once more.

This time the forest doesn't work against you. Every turn is consistent, each leap, each swing, each dash keeps the monster in the same place. Behind you and only behind you. It was almost comical how easy it was to keep away compared to the ordeal you had to deal with the other night and you would have even laughed had one of your legs not given out from under you. By now your breath is ragged and your heart feels like you'd going to simply burst inside your chest. Darkness tugs at the edges of your vision as your not only fight to keep your distance but to stay conscious as well.

It's only when you are reaching your limits that you somehow manage to catch the rays of sun starting to peek through the leaves once more. You had made it through another night. Rolling on your back, you can't help but bare an exhausted grin. You have found yet another tool at your disposal, albeit a rather costly one.

>What do you do during the day?
>Write in.

>>5826510
I want to go to sleep, but I dont think we will wake up in time for sunset.

So get something to drink, something to eat, then spend the time reassuring Fan and seeing if his glow is still damp.
If we did need to sleep. . We should do it immediately and ask fan to wake us with a spark or something. Some light suffocation or intense smell forces a body awake, its the principle behind smelling salts.

>>5826510
Go to the mixed-gender communal bathhouse and wash ourselves.

>>5826764
Support

>>5830297
Not right now Xin. Maybe when the party gets to the valley of peace.

>>5826764
>>5830305
Finding food and drink can be done. Do you want to try and sleep? You also burned a lot of your stored solar infused energy when breaking free from the soul mass's influence for the night as well.

Which do you want to try and do?

>>5831832
A quick nap on top of a tree could be alright.
It might even get us some more sun energy.

>>5831832
Use supreme balance abd take a nap on top of a tree, as high as we can go.

Have fan wake us up while we photosynthise the dusk.

Sleep. You needed it. Despite your tremendous fortitude, you were were already severely weakened by what you did to Ming and the last few days of strenuous exercise and mental stress were beginning to take their toll on you. It would be a greater risk to continue on like this than to gamble on a few hours of sleep and the day would be the best time to try and get some rest. "Alright, it's up to you now my friend." You say as you look up to the top of the nearest tree. "Just like yesterday, I need you to run interference but now I have another job for you to do. I need to rest but I do not know if I can wake up on my own. Once the sun starts to go down I need you to wake me up any way you can." You start to climb the tree. "I'll be up here when the evil's influence can't reach me."

"O-ok." The small spirit says. In truth, you didn't want to send them out as a decoy. They were still as injured as they were before but it was up to the two of you to get the job done. If either of you failed then everyone in the forest would probably follow suit. All you could do was place your faith in them.

"I believe in you." You say. "You can do this." The small spirit spins in place a few times before darting off into the darkness. If you didn't know any better, you would have guessed that they were psyching themselves up.

It takes you an hour or so before you finally make it to the top. You had to take several breaks to prevent yourself from falling as you often felt your limbs falter from exhaustion. Once at the top you take a deep breath and center yourself before balancing on the very tip of the tree. Your body rocks back and forth violently as the branch tries to buckle under your weight and fling your off but it slowly comes to a halt as you adjust your center of balance. You only close your eyes for a moment before you quickly go under and fall asleep.

Your sleep is completely dreamless which surprised you. You half expected nightmares of your friends and loved ones dead or some mix of strange situations based on your insecurities. It's only when you find yourself flipping through the air to land safely on the ground that you come to terms with your dreamless rest. The combination of the sleep and adrenaline coursing through your body makes you feel lighter than ever. "You wouldn't wake up so I had to do somethiiiiiiing!" Your little friend cries out. You're not sure how to feel about being flung to your possible death but you hope that this was one of the times the difference in culture between mortals and spirits was coming into play.

You quickly dust yourself off and nod. "It's alright." You say. "I did tell you to wake me up." You look around at the darkening forest. Even now, you can feel your mind struggling to fend off the coming anxiety. "I just need a few moments to get ready." The next few hours are a flurry of eating, drinking, and absorbing as much sun as you could before it was time to run again. Even with your rest and your preparation the third night was rough. Your body and mind were sharp from your quick rest and the sun that you had absorbed but it was only a temporary boost. By the middle of the night, you could already feel your energy levels declining once more and your mind was starting to rely more and more on the protection the sun's energy provided rather than your strength of will. You were hoping that you would naturally have gathered some of the sun's energy while you rested but perhaps you were in too deep a sleep to have done so. As such, you didn't have the reserves to attempt to pull free from the evil's influence this night and thus were forced to push yourself more physically to keep away.

Even so, by the time the dawn reaches you once more you still felt better than you had on the first night. Maybe even good enough to try and go for another night. You fall to the ground and lay on your back next to a stream and rest your muscles for a moment before simply rolling over and falling face first into the water. The cold water shocks your system awake and you get up to start drinking. If your father had seen you lay about like this you would have been scolded for at least a solid 10 minutes when you were younger but such was Xin Lan's influence and none could escape that bunny's corrupting laziness...or so you would say.

Once sated, you pull yourself to dry land and being to think. You had given Ming as much time as you had promised her. Surely by now she would be finished with the necessary preparations. But you had made the offer under different circumstances. With your new technique could it be possible to push further? Or were you simply staving off your inevitable capture by the monster?

>What do you do?
>Send your spirit friend to Ming and the others. Tell them you'll buy them the full 5 days. If you can rest once more and repeat what you did last night, you might be able to do it.
or
>Send Little Fan home. They need to rest and have done their part. Now it's time to set the trap and end this once and for all.
>Write in.

>>5834013
>Fan, Don't run interference today, All I need for you to do today is tell the others I'll buy them the full 5 days and then wake me up when the sun starts to go down.

The spirit knows we are here now. It's gotta be pissed by this point, so it'll keep coming at us. And with sleep, we can keep going.
Little Fan is injured, so he doesn't need to keep going to bait the monster. Just his presence alone is enough.

Good job little buddy, We're so proud of you.

>>5834013
>Send your spirit friend to Ming and the others. Tell them you'll buy them the full 5 days. If you can rest once more and repeat what you did last night, you might be able to do it.

>>5834013
>Send Little Fan home. They need to rest and have done their part. Now it's time to set the trap and end this once and for all.

You know, its taken me some time and introspection but I think I finally understand why Xin doesnt care much at all for the common folks.

They told us, straight and plain that they were not interesting, but to actually understand it, they exist with us on a plane of the magical overlaid on the map of the mundane. We interact sparingly with this mundane world and their lived experiences are so divergent that it is like a chinaman visiting aboriginal australia. What is there to relate them? Shared humanity and nothing else.

Kinda nice to know, now, that their affection for commoners will remain because it was never based on common understanding but instead on what a hero does.
We might have warped their framework a little but. . You know.

>>5837595
Nice explanation. It's come up a few times for TL as well where people need to bring up the fact that he and the crew are super human in terms of feats and abilities and thus their ideals don't pair well with that of the common person. Such as the big guy's idea of training overcoming talent is nice on paper but very very few have the resources, patience, or living situation to be able to peruse a life of a Kung Fu master/hero.

Xin's case is compounded with the fact that they were raised without emotion and for majority of their life people fell into simple categories. People that needed to die, people that were useful or people that were in the way. Now they're needing to learn how to deal with all these new emotions and it doesn't help, as you stated, that majority of their learning comes from interacting with living legends, prodigies and royalty. Even their own training was done without any emotional ties so to them remembering how they learned to do anything is akin to someone remembering how they learned to write. Probably very boring and uninteresting.

The only person who was able to pierce that veil of apathetic inner peace as they grew up was their sibling as seen by the fact that the little bun instinctively bound their soul to the land of the living instead of someone like their mother. Even their default persona is a reflection of Renshu when he was a younger, more rash person.


Funnily enough, you guys never did ask Renshu how he felt knowing he was murdered by his own little sister. Actually figured it'd be the first thing you'd ask. I guess other things kinda kept coming up.

Splashing some more water on your face, you face the little spirit. "I need you to go find Ming and the others. Tell them that they can have their 5 days to prepare. I can keep the monster busy until then. After that, just come back and wake me up like you did last night. You did good. We can handle it from here." You say before pausing for a moment. "Actually, just keep it simple. Ming's only just learning to talk to spirits and she says wind spirits are the hardest for her. Just make sure she understands she has 2 more days she can prepare."

"Ok! Two more days!" The little spirit says as they coil around before they, too, pause. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine." You say trying to sound casual as you stand up and roll your shoulders. "I've gotten my second wind. Besides, I made a promise to come back alive and I've been told that a hero never breaks a promise. So I suppose that this one time we'll need to stick to tradition." You feel a breeze pick up as you sense your small friend get worked up.

"Heroes...Yes! Right away!" They coil around a bit more and seem to explode into a puff of wind before you catch a glimpse of them darting way into the shadows. With your plan set in motion, you spend a few minutes doing light exercises to remain nimble. The last thing you needed was to cramp up from being abruptly woken up. Repeating your actions from the night before, you spend an hour gathering the sun within your before allowing yourself to fall asleep once more in an attempt to maximize your day. You didn't need to sleep all day, just long enough to alert for the night. Just like before, you're awoken right before nightfall and you take in as much of the sun as you can before it vanishes.

With your new routine, the following nights go as smoothly as the last. With a routine set and with the added protection of the sun within you, you spend these next nights baiting the soul mass. You allow it to get close, to nearly catch you, before slipping away and hiding. You're elusive but only so much as to get away from being caught. You're unsure if the evil behind you is cognizant enough to be angry or to even know what you're doing but you hope that this served as some kind of incentive or goading to keep it coming after you. At least, you hope that it kept it focused on you long enough that it wouldn't notice whatever trap Ming and the others had set up.

It was on the dawn of the 6th day that you had to make your decision. Go back to the others during the day or wait until the night to bring the monster along with you.

>What do you do?
>Head back to the others during the day. You can all regroup and decide how to proceed from there.
>Wait until night and lure the monster to the group. Everything should be ready by now.
>Write in.

>>5837758
>Return during the day.

Night doesnt really do anything apart from speed up our progress, as it immediately puts us into the scene with Ming and co banishing the spirit.
Talking beforehand, we can get an idea of how this is meant to go down.

>>5837758
>Head back to the others during the day. You can all regroup and decide how to proceed from there.

>>5837692
Truthfully I dont like thinking about it.

Fratricide is a terrible thing, and to have it done by the one person you care about and for? I think it is a good thing he has had such a long time to come to terms with it.

That kinda shit is best kept out of the way unless it is actively causing and issue, or they bring it up.
I'd rather Renshu remember the shopping trips and making a feast for his family, rather than his one sister slitting his throat.

As for xin, I remember best what we did when we tried to have fun. We tried cards, then did an increasingly more punishing martial arts spar in the trees.
Guess the love language there is "presene" and "touch" while Renshu is "service" if you will forhive the stray thought.

>>5840105
Speaking of memories. You did promise a bunch of kids you'd take them to the Jade Palace and you have your whole hometown to show Ming and Xin. There's gonna be some good memories there...and some embarassing ones that a certain bunny is going to try and pry free from the tight lips. So all in all, things are still going up for the group I would think.

>>5840316
Shame Renshu won't be able to be there

>>5840318
Then as Xin would say. We'll just need to bring him back with even bigger good news to make up for it.

>>5840499
Gonna be illegal when we do that

All the more fun

>>5840540
Exactly! As a comparison, what's more fun? Fireworks...or Illegal fireworks?

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Without a second thought you pull your compass from your pocket and begin to work your way back to your friends. Although you wanted to preserve energy you couldn't make it to them before nightfall if you paced yourself. The forests blur all around you pick up speed and you move as fast as you possibly could, faster than you ever had before thanks to your mental training. You dodge branches and leap over exposed roots and rocks as your subconscious detects and reacts faster than your conscious mind could. The only thing you had to do was steer yourself in the right direction according to the compass in your hand.

Your movement is so swift that you're only brought to a sudden stop when you reach a massive shift in mood. The forest suddenly goes supremely quiet and the air feels delicate and impossibly light. You instinctively hold your breath for a moment in fear simply breathing would break the delicate serenity that hung in the air. So calm and peaceful was this sensation that it felt as if all the exhaustion and stress you had accumulated from the last few days was slowly floating away. You look around in almost a daze when your finally see Ming meditating under a tree. Legs folded over each other, the delicate folding of her fingers betrayed how still and statuesque she looked. With her hood down, the thin rays of sun that washed over her face gave her an almost transcendent look. It was the here and now that she seemed to fully embody what you would think the Exarch of the Library would look like.

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You were so busy studying her that you almost failed to notice a small mask laid across her lap. It had long ears, clearly that of a rabbit's, and a myriad of strips along the cheeks and forehead. You were surprised at how well it was crafted given that she only had a few days to make it. You weren't sure if you had ever seen her practicing woodworking nor had you heard of her doing so. You make a motion to step towards her but you feel an almost imperceptible shift in the air. Your current condition betrays you and before you can even react you feel an arm slip under your adam's apple and a hand clasp over your mouth.

"Don't move." You hear Xin Lan whisper in your ear, their voice so quiet you can barely hear it. "She's finishing up and it's very delicate work she's doing." They shift slightly to look over your shoulder before continuing. "Take a step back. Quiet. Slowly." You slowly shift your center of gravity and follow Xin Lan's instructions working your way backwards as if you were attempting to sneak into the Empress's Palace itself. Once you broke free from the clearing, you feel the arm tighten around your throat momentarily before feeling a kiss on the back of your head and being released. "About time you showed up." Xin Lan says, still whispering as you turn around to see them and Tigress, who at the moment seemed to be meditating herself. "Ignore her. She's being boring like always." They say dismissively.

You relax and sit down next to a nearby tree. "What's going on?" You whisper back. Xin Lan takes the opportunity to jump on your lap and lay across it face up.

"Ming says she's channeling her Chi into the mask." They say as they settle in and rest their arms behind their head. "Supposedly, masks protect the exorcist by hiding their identity from the evil spirit. According to her, if a spirit recognizes the exorcist then it's another thing that ties them to the material world. Maybe because of a past friendship that wants to keep them here or even wanting to remain here for revenge. Not sure what she needs to make it magical for though."

"Why a rabbit though? I can guess the reasoning behind the motif though." You ask.

"Funnily enough, Ren's half the reason for it." Xin Lan says. "It's tradition to wear a mask of a different species. Makes it harder for the spirits to recognize you and possess you. The stripes and lines are apparently energy lines or something the body has for Chi. It's only coincidence that they match Stripes's lines." You stay quiet. With that information coupled with the rabbit's upbringing, you now wonder if there was something even more deliberate behind Renshu's linage. The strength of a Tiger with a rabbit's speed now seem far too crude a reason if the crows were the kind of people Xin Lan's mother would align herself with.

Not wanting your thoughts to linger on such things, you push them away and instead ask, "So...what do you think?"

"About Ren? Or Ming wearing his face as a tribute to her teacher?"

"No. How do you think this is all going to go down?" You ask. Xin Lan shrugs.

"I dunno. I've never...well not that I can remember...but I can't remember ever seeing anything like this. Ren's said I was perfect for this kind of magic stuff but he's never really taught me anything. Maybe he was trying to give me an out. If I knew any of this stuff I don't think the order would have let me do anything unsupervised. But I think Ming's got this in the bag. She seems to know what she's doing and if this is just from something she read offhandedly from a book? I'd hate to see any ghost go up against her if she was trained." They say with a grin. They go quiet for a moment. "The worst part is waiting. It's hard not being able to do anything and its the first time I met something I couldn't just stab away."

"We all have our place." You admit. "And this is Ming's. I guess we can think of this as a test of all her training."

"It's one hell of a test."

"Indeed..." The two of you remain quiet for a while. Part of you wanted to close your eyes and simply nod off knowing that there was nothing left for you to do and the other part of you didn't want just call it quits when things were still left undone.


>What do you do?
>Continue talking with Xin. You can rest while speaking now that you no longer had a whole night of running ahead of you. (What do you talk about?)
>Doze off. Xin and Tigress can wake you up if something comes up even if it means they have to throw you.
>Write in.

>>5840629
>Continue talking with Xin. You can rest while speaking now that you no longer had a whole night of running ahead of you. (What do you talk about?)
>When meet up with Renshu again, you could ask him to teach you. I'm sure that Ming would an extra pair of hands to help with rituals.
>How the people are holding up? Is everyone still up to the long trek ahead?

>>5840629
>ask xin if they could get you some food.

>Doze off. Xin and Tigress can wake you up if something comes up even if it means they have to throw you.

we need to recover as much strength as possible.

>>5840678
This

Resting is also preparation

>>5840678
Ill support on two caveats.

One is a joke "I thought a wife was meant to have dinner waiting when I got home.tch tch"

And the second is that Xin gets a cuddle while we sleep.
Mostly because it is adorable, secondly because we just had 5 nights of terror. We need some family time as well.

>>5840629
>Try to teach Xin what you learned over the past few nights. Maybe they'll be particularly adept at storing natural energy due to their empty nature?
I want to see Sun Xin.

>>5841394
Sun Bun. Never considered that. Creative.

>>5840678
>>5840753
>>5841069
We're resting and jumping headlong into danger by teasing the bun. Writing.

With the serene atmosphere and with nothing left to do but wait you can't help but stretch a bit an yawn. You think you can finally doze off without having to worry. But before that, you could really go for something to eat. You had only taken the bare minimum to eat while on the run to keep your load light. Some food would certainly help in recuperating or at least getting some more energy in you in case you were needed later. You quietly poke Xin Lan, who at this point had decided to start dozing off, between their ears. Their crimson eyes give you a look of annoyance as they bat away your hand. "You know..." You begin slowly. "You're always going off about how we're married but isn't a wife supposed to have a meal prepared when her husband get's home?"

Xin Lan gives you a pouting look before their face slowly changes to a dangerous smirk. With a stretch, they stand on your legs making them stand slightly above you before wrapping their arms around your neck. "I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking." They say as they sway their hips side to side. "But no husband of mine is going to be a messy as you. You're covered in dirt and grass stains. So...how about I make you a nice meal and after all this we can go find ourselves a nice hot bath all to ourselves. Then I'll show you how well I can clean every. single. inch. of. you." They say as they walk on hand up your arm and never breaking eye contact. A shiver runs down your spine and the familiar heat of your face burning up flares up.

"You know if we did that then your brother would never let us see the light of day if he found out." You stammer. Xin Lan's smirk grows into a grin.

"He can learn to share. Besides, it's finder's keepers and you found me first." They reply. "We all know you have a thing for bunnies so why not have two?" You quickly lift Xin Lan and set them next to you.

"Alright, enough of that. Can I just have some food please?" You asks. Xin Lan ruffles your ears and heads off to dig around the group's bags, tail wagging happily. You rub your cheeks in an attempt to make them stop burning or perhaps in an attempt to hide your face from Tigress. Xin Lan wanders back with some dried food and a flask of water before they promptly settle back into your lap, content that you have been punished adequately for interrupting their nap. You eat and drink quietly before leaning back against the tree and closing your eyes. Sleep comes quickly and before you know it, you've slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep.

----

"Should we wake him up?" Xin Lan asks as they stretch and reach over to poke Tai Lung's cheek. You gently push the bunny's hand away.

"I'm not sure. He's looks like he needs the sleep. He's been up for almost 2 weeks straight." You admit.

"Tired or not, he's of no use right now. He doesn't know what needs to be done to make the ritual go right." Tigress says.

"He's done more than you. Maybe you just feel threatened he'll do a better job than you." Xin Lan snaps back. You raise your hands up for silence.

"Enough. Either you two work together or I do this alone." You say sternly. Truthfully, you weren't entirely sure if you could pull this off alone but at the moment this was one of the few things you had to keep the two from ripping each other apart. "I already said this before but if I can't count on either of you then I'll send you back to camp to keep guard. I won't risk this going wrong because you can't get along." The two of them glare at one another but seem to relent.

"Fine." They both say before tensing up again. "So...Are we just letting him sleep then Ming?" Xin Lan asks again.

>What do you do?
>Wake Tai Lung up. Even if he can't help, you just feel at ease with him nearby.
>Let him sleep. Tai Lung's done his part and deserves his rest. Now it falls on you to end this all once and for all. For your people. For everyone.
>Write in.

>>5845642
>Wake Tai Lung up. Even if he can't help, you just feel at ease with him nearby.

>>5845642
>Wake him up

No. NO. You do NOT get to sleep through another of your friends defining moments. WAKE UP! Everything bad happens when you go to sleep. WAKE UP TL!

>>5845642
>Let him sleep. Tai Lung's done his part and deserves his rest. Now it falls on you to end this all once and for all. For your people. For everyone.

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>>5845670
>>5845643
Our boy is trying to sleep and get his well earned rest and anons are just like "NO! You have to watch Ming be cool!"

The big guy needs bunny hugs. Writing.

You awake with a gasp as you inhale some liquid and a sharp cold hits your face. "XIN! Not like that!" You hear Ming shout. You snort some water from your nose, wipe your eyes and open them to see Xin Lan on their tip toes with a flask of water over your head. They give you a smile and pat your head.

"Shaking you wasn't working so I decided something more drastic was in order." They say. "We really need to stop keeping you up for weeks on end." They admit. Ming puts her hand on her hips, ready to punish them in the only way she knew how. "B-but anyways! We're gonna start the ritual and Ming wanted you awake!" They stammer and run behind your back to hide.

"It's fine. I've had worse way to wake up." You admit as you stand up and flick your ears to dry them. "So what do we need to do then?" You ask as you take note of the growing night.

"Just keep watch." Xin Lan says. "Don't worry we got this part all covered. But it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes doesn't it?" You nod.

"Alright, lead the way then." You motion. Ming takes a moment to slip on her mask and some various objects that you are sure have some part in the ritual. You all make the short walk back to the area where you found Ming meditating but Xin Lan tugs at your shirt to get you to stop.

"This is where we stop." They say. "Only Ming is allowed in the grove."

"The more people that are with me the bigger the risk that the spirits will target you guys. I need you out of sight so it can focus on me." Ming explains. "It should be alright though. Everything has gone well so far. Tigress will be on the opposite end as well to make sure things go smoothly."

"Alright. I trust you." You say. "Let's put an end to this. Once and for all."

----


You could never get used to how minutes seemed to drag on for hours when you lay in wait for things to happen. Especially the dangerous ones. But you were trained for danger and despite all you had gone through with Ming, you don't think you could imagine what her thought process was. As far as you could see, she was standing stock still like someone who was caught be surprise. Could she be meditating? Perhaps going over whatever she had planned? Or was she panicking? You could do nothing but wait and watch. Soon the silence is broken by the same shrieks and wails that had plagued you the past week. You brace yourself for the imminent wave of fear and anxiety to wash over you but none came despite never getting the chance to empower yourself with the sun's power. Xin Lan seemed unfazed as well but not unsurprised. This could only mean that this was part of the plan and so you lay in wait once more.

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Eventually you see it, the mass of writhing souls making it's way directly towards Ming. The wails grow clearer and louder as it steps past the threshold of the sanctified grounds. It was almost as a veil was being ripped off from the spirits as their shifting and vanishing limbs become real. Dozens if not hundreds of broken and mangled arms and legs drag themselves towards Ming. Now unshrouded, you can see the flesh rotting and peeled. The myriad of faces both contorted in pain and fear but only barely visible and torn asunder. It's once soundless steps now ring out as bones crack and snap under the unnatural weight of it's malformed body. As it approaches, you can feel Xin Lan's hands tighten their grip on you.

Ming, however, stands completely still and unmoved by the sight. Instead she simply raises her hand in the air and shouts a clear, "NOW!" You feel Xin Lan move atop your shoulders and the sounds of dozens things cutting through the air ring out before each one ends with a dull thud as they hit the trees surrounding Ming. Dozens upon dozens of seals pin themselves on the trees and glow momentarily before the light seeps down the tree trunk and into the ground through the roots. Hundreds of symbols flash for a moment in the grass as if set on fire forming a circle and enveloping the spirit before constricting like chains, pinning it down. The monster struggles against these magical bonds and howls in what can only be described as unnatural pain. To your surprise, the monster still manages to move. It attempts to flee but as it reaches one of the trees with a seal it crashes against an invisible barrier.

It rolls around and continues to repeat the attempt before Ming draws the sword she borrowed along with a fan and the symbols glow once more and drag the beast back to it's center. You hear the chime of bells and as Ming raises her arm higher and one of her sleeves falls, you see them tied around her wrist. She takes a step to the side and you catch a glimpse of more tied to her ankles. She skips to the side and pivots. At first you think she had tripped or perhaps she was getting into striking range of the blade but you are surprised to see that she continues, sweeping the blade and fan around as if in some kind of dance. You look up to Xin Lan in hopes of some kind of explanation but they too are intensely focused on Ming's movements.

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Ming's movements are fluid, graceful. Every step is precise, every bend of the knee, every slash of the blade, every flap of the fan was delicate but made with purpose. Had this been a student practicing their form, someone under your tutelage, you would have no words that could measure up to the praise you would feel. This was not simply a ritual being preformed. This was an art on display. But it was not the fluidity of movement or it's precision that made your heart swell. No, these were all simply accents to the true source of your feelings. What you saw, what truly moved you, was what this all represented. Here was a girl, so very far from home, with no training beyond the vaguest notion of what to do putting her life on the line for an entire city.

She could have run away. She could had simply left after all that had happened in the Library. With nothing but goodwill and the urge to do good she stuck around. Perhaps her methods were questionable at the start but now you can see what everyone spoke about. The grace in her steps as if the very winds flowed through her. The determination on her face that betrayed no fear and inspired courage. The tears in her eyes that showed mercy. Here was not the girl who cried at her own helplessness. Before you stood the Exarch of the Sacred Library...and she was going to deliver her people from evil.

>What do you do?
>Focus your Chi on Ming. Try and feel what she feels. Understand what she is going through. You cannot bring yourself to interfere in Ming's ritual. Not because you fear the results but because you respect her too much to take this away from her.
>Take your eyes off of Ming and keep an eye on the seals. You might not be able to help with the ritual but you can make sure the security is tight. You have no doubt that Xin and Tigress have more seals ready incase things go wrong or one is damaged.
>Try and sense something out of the void of the soul mass. Perhaps it might give you more information on the attack on the Library. You're not sure what you'll see though. You've never tried to peer into someone who was actively resisting and hostile towards you.
>Write in.

>>5847596
>Take your eyes off of Ming and keep an eye on the seals. You might not be able to help with the ritual but you can make sure the security is tight. You have no doubt that Xin and Tigress have more seals ready incase things go wrong or one is damaged.

>>5847596
>Seals

I want to watch ming, but putting our Chi into the area will fuck with its preperations.

>>5847596
>Take your eyes off of Ming and keep an eye on the seals. You might not be able to help with the ritual but you can make sure the security is tight. You have no doubt that Xin and Tigress have more seals ready incase things go wrong or one is damaged.

>>5847678
>>5847774
>>5847828
Keeping watch. Writing.

You pull yourself away from Ming's work to focus on the seals that were sealing the best within the grove. Should they fail, you were unsure of what would happen. The grove itself seemed to be draining the monster of its power or at the very least it seemed to drag it into the material realm. Though you don't mind being set on guard or scouting duty, you're certainly not used to sitting back in the sidelines during a fight. You're always on the front, standing in the face of danger so everyone else doesn't have to. It was what you were raised to do, perhaps even what your people were bred to do if what Madam Web said was true. You weren't sure what you felt now that you were set aside to simply watch. It wasn't a sense of disrespect or incompetence you felt but worry.

Getting on task, you maintain a steady focus on the pinned seals. You weren't entirely sure what you were supposed to look for as you never saw how they worked around the camp. The fact that they had to be remade must have indicated that they at least wore down or it could mean that Ming only knew how to imbue them with Chi at their creation instead of being able to recharge items. However, you can see no signs of wear and you worry that attempting to sense their Chi would only serve to disturb the ritual. So you can't help but glance at Ming and the monster from time to time.

Ming continues her dance, slashing and waving her implements in the air but even as the monster writhes and begs as this ritual continues, you see no changes to indicate that there is any effect. Perhaps you expected chanting or prayer as with Bao's failed ritual. Maybe Ming was truly winging it and was only doing what she hoped would help. Doubt and worry seemed to leap unbidden into your mind but still you waited. It's nearing the end of your patience when it begins. Ming spins and swings her sword, now directed at the monster but still at a distance. The monster freezes in place as if struck and one of it's limbs seems to fall off. It slides cleanly off the body but as it hits the ground, you also see a body completely attached to it now severed and free from the mass. With a flick from the fan, the body seems to rise from the ground and with another slash it slowly fades from existence.

The beast screeches in pain and confusion as it thrashes about testing the limits of the snare made of symbols. Ming's face grows more focus as she continues her attack, cutting bodies free and sending them into the ether. The symbols begin to fade, their glow dimming dangerously, causing Ming to change her movements once more. She seems to wave her fan downwards and towards to the monster as if trying to use the wind currents to guide it towards the beast. Instead, you can see the seal glow momentarily then dim before aging rapidly and crumbling to dust making the bonds glow brightly once more. The dance continues and as more and more bodies are destroyed the beast begins to thrash more violently and thus requiring more seals to be burned in the process. More worrying was the fact that, you had not see Xin Lan nor Tigress attempting to replace them.

"She needs more of those talismans. Don't you have any more?" You ask.

Xin Lan pulls out a set of much smaller talismans from their pocket. "Y-yeah but it's only like 3 or so. Ming didn't make that many and they were more meant to be used so she could run away not to keep that thing contained. She said she'd signal for us to use them by leaping into the branches. I don't think she put much juice into these so she could put as much as she could for the initial volley."

>What do you do?
>Tell Xin to use them right now and replace the ones that were lost. Ming could still use them as she did the others if as a smaller power source.
>Tell Xin to use them to bind the monster in place. It could buy Ming enough breathing room to continue to cut away at the beast so the remaining seals can suffice. Although it means the escape plan goes out the window.
>Ask for the seals and get ready to run in and buy Ming time so she can escape. You can probably use them to get the monster's attention and run for another night or so. It shouldn't be too hard now that it's weaker.
>Sit and wait. All you can do now is have faith.
>Write in.

>>5850207
>Sit, wait but ask to examine one of the talismans. We know it is filled with Mings Chi, but maybe we can infuse it with our sunlight.
>Give a prayer. "Shenlong, Bao, Master of the wind, these were your faithful people and this is the spawn of your childrens misfortunes. Give but a sliver of aid and let the bindings hold."

The worse that can happen is nothing. But I trust Ming, so lets not interfere in what we dont know about. Once she leaps for the branches, we can make our own moves.

>>5850207
>Tell Xin to use them right now and replace the ones that were lost. Ming could still use them as she did the others if as a smaller power source.

>>5850207
>Ask for the seals and get ready to run in and buy Ming time so she can escape. You can probably use them to get the monster's attention and run for another night or so. It shouldn't be too hard now that it's weaker.

Looks like we got a three way tie, gents.

>>5851531
I will change >>5850278
To >>5850579

Bait we are.

The monster thrashes more violently than before and it's wails reach a crescendo as more and more of it's bodies are sundered from the whole. "HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE SAVE ME!" It screams in multiple voices at once making your ears ring from the sheer volume.

"Give me the seals." You say. Xin Lan seems to hesitate.

"Why?" They ask.

"I'll try and buy Ming some time if she needs it. At the rate things are going I don't know how long the seals are going to hold the monster in." You explain. "In it's weakened state, having it come after me should be much easier than before. I'll buy you guys some more time to prepare again." Xin Lan slowly pulls the seals close to their chest before pausing and then quietly handing them over to you. "Don't worry. I can handle this." You assure them. You return your gaze to the ritual.

As the minutes go by more and more of the seals burn away but Ming maintains her stoic composure and continues the ritual without hesitation. By now the soul mass is able to move more freely thanks to the weakened bindings and manages to crash into several trees as it tries to attack Ming. She deftly manages to avoid it but you can see clearly that the invisible barrier that held it in the clearing is weakening. The tree trunks crack from the impact and more and more often the monster manages to push a bit past the perimeter before being violently flung backwards by the barrier.

With this level of ferocity, the rest of the seals quickly burn through despite Ming moving quicker and cutting faster. The sheen of sweat glistens on her brow from the exertion but she continues to power through. The final seals fades away and the glowing bonds there struggling to subdue the beast finally give away. With what looks like 5 different bodies left, it thrashes for a few moments as it struggles to decide what it can use to support itself but it doesn't take long for it to bend some broken arms and legs in place to stand up. Ming swings the old sword around and brings it to bear against the monster now devoid of any kind of protection.

>What do you do?
>Use the talismans and try to get Ming away or lure the beast away as you planned. Perhaps in this form you might even be able to physically push it away.
>Try and signal Tigress to use her half of the seals with you. Ming hasn't given the signal yet but if she sees the seals being used she might get the hint to run away. You can take it from there.
>Fight your instincts and wait. There must be a reason Ming hasn't signaled a retreat. Maybe she thinks she can continue and finish.
>Write in.

>>5856263
>Wait.

She is the expert, and there are only five souls left. With a city of hundreds and an army of thousands, 5 souls left.
She can finish this if we give her time, but if she leaps, we resume the plan.

>>5856263
She made the plan. We have to trust her on it.

>Fight your instincts and wait. There must be a reason Ming hasn't signaled a retreat. Maybe she thinks she can continue and finish.

>>5856338
>>5857446
tough week this week. We're waiting on Ming. Writing.

Against all your instincts, you wait just a bit longer. Ming dodges to one side and deftly swing her sword as she does a suture. Another body falls to the ground, legless, and attempts to crawl away before it is blown away into nothing. A loud crack rings out and a nearby tree falls from the impact. One of the monster's limbs hangs limply from it's tendons now clearly snapped in two and useless. If it could feel pain, it doesn't react to it as it continues to swing the broken limb like a whip and threatening to have it tear off from the sheer force of the swing.

At this point you're unsure if the beast was attempting to flee or it was attempting to kill Ming but perhaps it was somewhere in the middle. It fights with a desperation of someone backed into a corner with no other option but to fight. It was mostly true, you wouldn't doubt that at this point Ming would probably chase after it to try and finish it off and given it's current state, it was probably more dangerous than it was when it was whole.

The last three bodies are cut away and banished leaving a trembling mangled one behind. It bears deep gashes along her sides and legs each carved by a weapon not of this country. She drags herself across the floor on emaciated arms leaving a dark streak on the ground that slowly fades away after a few seconds. Upon seeing Ming, she trembles violently and weakly tries to escape. "Please...someone..." She mewls pathetically on torn vocal cords. "someone help..." Ming kneels next to they dying specter of the woman and gently strokes her caked hair.

"It's ok." Ming murmurs. "It'll be alright. It's time to move on and go back to those who love you. You'll be in a better place. I promise. The pain will all be gone soon." She sweeps her warm across the body as if it cover it in her sleeve and it vanishes as it passed by leaving you all alone in the grove. Ming quietly stands up and drops the swords before removing the mask and the veil of stoicism along with it. She wipes the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffles. "There. It's over." She says quietly. Somehow you expected to the sun to be up by now. For it's light to simply banish the darkness and perhaps offer some kind of peace of mind but no such thing happens. You all remain in the dark with only the notion of this being all over to bring your comfort. But you're too tired for that and as all three of you approach Ming, she takes a step forward before her legs give out from underneath her.

That gives you enough incentive to push the exhaustion aside and run. "I'm alright. I'm just...I'm just tired." Ming says, raising her hands and getting back up on shaky legs. "I can't pass out yet. If the people seem you carry me back unconscious then they'll surely panic."

"So it's over then? Like really over? There isn't like a dozen of those other things out there?" Xin Lan asks, hopping off of your back.

"If there was any more then we'd probably have seen or heard of them since Tai Lung was holding this one's attention." Ming replies as she leans against a tree. "We really did do it." She says.

"We? I didn't do anything. This was all you." Xin Lan counters. "Pretty sure the big guy would agree."

"Well I did something. I think I should get credit." You tease lightly. "But Xin is right. This is your plan and your victory. You deserve the credit."

"That and we managed to keep the forest intact. Pretty sure if had fought the thing head on then the forest would be a lot thinner than it is now. So I see it as a win. Usually we leave a bigger mess than this." Xin Lan admits and goes quiet for a moment before adding quietly. "Sure doesn't feel like a win though."

>What do you say?
>Say that it shouldn't. While the monster was a threat to everyone around it, it wasn't your enemy. Just another victim of your enemies.
>Say that this isn't that kind of victory. You should celebrate not because you bested some beast but because you saved the lives of the living and the souls of the dead.
>Say that sometimes there's no clear right or wrong. You feel that times are going to cause such things to happen more often.
>Write in.

>>5859514
>"It doesn't feel like it, but it is Xin. These people are free to return to their ancestors and no traveller will suffer coming through the woods now. As sad as the tale, the ending at least is peace."

Lets get back to camp. We have a week of sleep to catch up on, and then there is travel.
Maybe check that tigress isnt injured or otherwise malised, for which I expect a curt answer, and then let it be

>>5859636
This more or less

"It might not feel like it, but it is Xin. We've helped the spirits find some semblance of peace and the woods are no longer a threat to anyone. We can help the people of the library leave and find a new home. As sad as all this is, at the ending is peace." You start to gather a bit of kindling. "But it's still late and we'd all be better off resting for the night. It won't do for the hero to arrive half asleep to announce their victory."

"I'm fine. Really." Ming insists.

"You really think I'm going to pass up the chance to make you sit still after all the times you made me do so when our roles were reverse?" You ask. "Not a chance. Time for a sit down." You pick up Ming and set her down next to the nearest tree before putting Xin Lan in her arms. "There we go. Now let me just build a fire and we can have some left overs."

"Ooh. He got you good. Maybe next time you should let the big guy be stupid and make bad decisions on a tired mind." Xin Lan says as they pull Ming's hood over her head and then shift to relax in her arms. You simply shake your head and laugh before returning to your task. It might take you all a while to get rested but at this point, you wouldn't mind if the night took as long as it liked to pass on.

---

It had been quite some time since you heard the cheering and celebration of a crowd. It might have been a little over two years since you stopped the Triads so long ago in your journey or perhaps it might just have been a bit over a single one. Time was rather difficult to keep track of with so much of it having gone by regardless of you being awake or not. Thought it was a bit strange that the cheering was not centered around you this time, it was a pleasant change of pace. You were not one for being surrounded and lauded at preferring the company of those close to you than those who merely celebrated your actions. Not to mention that it was Ming who did all the heavy lifting and after being at your side for so long, you felt that she more than deserved her time in the limelight.

Although there was not enough for a celebration feast the people of the Library more than made up for it with rousing songs and merriment. After all, experience has taught you that even the simplest of meals can seem like an Emperor's feast when it was seasoned with new found freedom and happiness. Even Tigress could not maintain her surliness for long as the children rushed to her side to partake in games and storytelling. They were, of course, too young to truly understand what was going on but the happiness and joy in the air was infectious and so they simply went along with it all. Several attempts at trying to pack up the carts were made but the idea was ultimately abandoned. As much as they wanted to leave the forest, they simply couldn't do so without thanking their savior and that line was already quite long. So items lay strewn about near the carts, ready to be picked up some other time.

You and Xin Lan, being rather solitary people at heart, end up on the roof of the temple hidden away among the many large branches and leaves. Ming could find you if she really needed you and should something go awry then you'd be just a leap away to help. "Look at em. Just a few hours ago, you'd think the whole city was ready to lay down and just die." Xin Lan says as they hang upside down from a nearby branch and cast their gaze out into the crowd.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." You muse as you take a sip of juice. "Or maybe you're a bit grumpy that you're not the center of attention today?"

"Please. If I wanted to be the center of attention then I already would be. After all, I'm perfect and everyone knows it." They swing out from their position and land daintily on their feet. "Don't you ever wonder what's the point?" They ask.

"You mean besides it being the right thing?"

"Like when do we stop? We save a city here, stop some bandits there. Maybe we'll even stop a whole war from happening. Didn't you want to go find some sacred pools or something? What if something else keeps coming up and we just keep putting it off? When do we get a break to just...live?" Xin Lan points out.

>What do you say?
>Write in.

>>5862777
>"In the quiet minutes Xin. When things happen, our help is needed and I am glad to give it to them. And when the time between crisis is long or short, thats we can enjoy our own peace.
>I don't think retirement suits us. But maybe. . I don't know, We've talked about a nice house by a waterfall. When the war is ended, We can go and camp outside a small town, and spend a few weeks just relaxing with eachother. Maybe buy some food from nearby for Ren to cook, we can play some cards and clean out a few gamblers, then spend the coin on drinks and maybe a gift or two. Trouble can't find us if we just ait outside a town and relax can it?"

>>5862777
Life comes in waves. That said, we can stop when we want to. We were having a nice life at the library. Nothing's stopping us from living that kind of life again

Have you guys seen the new trailer for Kung Fu Panda 4?

Because damn, I didn't expect to see our favorite MC there.

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>>5864265
Wait what? No way. I didn't know that. Now I gotta check it out.

>>5864270
Tell us your thoughts

>>5864286
It's pretty good trailer. Sadly I think the Tai Lung reveal is just hype bait. Looks like he's disintegrated soon after and he's solidified as the franchise's punching bag (Think he got turned into a jade thing off screen in KFP 3). Clearly biased, but it would have been cool to see him team up with Po and get some semblance of redemption. I could be wrong though!

Did like that the big bad's transformations still had a scale pattern to them and they're not gonna pull the whole "disguise as the hero to turn the people against him" plot.

Honestly, I'd be up for watching it. I think the movie is gonna try and focus more on Po taking an actual leadership position rather than someone people rally behind during an emergency. Our round friend is gonna have actual responsibilities beyond kicking ass.

Also violent bunnies? Coincidence? Definitely.

"In the quiet moments Xin. When things happen, our help is needed and I am glad to give it. The moments between crises. When we're traveling or just enjoying a small meal in some run down eatery. It might just be me becoming an old man but I think the smaller quiet moments of respite are the sweeter ones." You set down your drink and lean against the tree trunk. "I don't think retirement suits us. But... I suppose we can always find a way to settle down. We can find a nice quiet place to build a home. We had a nice life at the library. I suppose nothing would stop us from living that kind of life again. We could always live near a village, find some gamblers to clean out then buy supplies for Ren to make us a meal with."

Xin Lan snorts. "Great. From a war hero to a traveling gambler. That's a travesty if I ever heard one. One of those sad tales you hear from drunk vagabonds. I feel like we deserve at least something better." They sit next to you and rest their head on your leg before stretching out to relax.

"Like what? A palace? Maybe we're marched down the streets of the capital in a big parade?" You ask with amusement.

"Well I guess the Empress could give us at least that. Maybe let us run the country for a while."

"Into the ground perhaps." You counter. "Like I said, I don't see us as the settling down types. Plenty of things to see and do. You know...there is a whole world out there. Other countries to visit. Other people to see and fighting styles to learn." You pause. "Plenty of food for use to try out as well. Get your brother to make for us."

"Ehh...you were loosing me there until the food bit. I guess if people don't want us here, then we can go look for trouble else where. Somewhere we're appreciated properly." Xin Lan looks into your eyes. "What about your old man? If we do just...leave. Go and explore other parts of the world. We might never see him again."

"I don't know. We could always come back but...I guess there will be a time where he'll no longer be there to return to." You admit. "Perhaps...perhaps it would be best if we were to say our final goodbyes before we ventured off into the unknown and allow the fact we'll never see one another again to settle. Might just be best if we do never return to save ourselves the pain of parting once more." You grab your drink and take a deep swig of the juice. You and Xin Lan remain quiet for a very long time.

"Why travel? You never brought this up before." They finally ask.

"Actually I just thought of the idea right now as a joke but now that we actually talked about it. It doesn't seem like such a bad idea. For us at least. We never did belong here. An assassin with no nation and a Kung Fu master of a dying species. Where else but the road do we belong?"

"What about Ming?"

"She can't come with us." You reply quickly. Xin Lan turns to give you a quizzical look. "Look at her. These are her people for better or for worse. Ignoring that she has family in China. We're already dragging her off to some war in a country we've never been to. If we somehow manage to get her back alive...I think it'd be best if she can finally do what she wants to do here. Where she's safe. She'll have more than a life time of danger once we're done and if anyone deserves a good ending. It's her."

"You really think she'll buy that?" Xin Lan asks derisively.

"...no. I don't think she would. I think she'd follow us regardless but I still think she should be able to spend the rest of her life with her loved ones."

"That's is us."

"The ones that don't constantly put her in danger." You correct yourself.

"It's too late for that. You've fed her curiosity. Showed her what life is beyond that little medicine shop in the city. Just look at her now. She's doing what very few people can even imagine doing. You said it yourself. She's a leader of a city now. You think she can really just stop and try to go back to that humdrum life? Like it or not, you've changed her irrevocably. And I think she sees it for the better. If anyone thinks those little quiet moments are the sweetest. It's her."

You sigh. "I'm...proud of her. I don't think as much as anyone I've ever met. She's the best of us Xin and it seems the higher she flies the more worried I become. I guess I just can't stop seeing her as that poor civilian we dragged into our mess those years ago."

"I think you're the best of us. I think all of us do." Xin Lan counters. "Whenever things go south we turn to you. Whenever danger shows itself you stand in front of it for us...whenever someone needs redeeming you give them that chance..."

You try to pretend to stretch to rub the stinging out of your eyes. "Then we'll just have to disagree." You say gently with a smile.

>What do you do now?
>Wait out the celebration. You think you can use more of this quiet little moment.
>Go and join Ming. She could use her friends with her.
>Grab Xin and go for a walk. Now that the forest is safe, you can do a bit of scouting. No rest for the weary.
>Write in.

>>5864367
>Go and join Ming. She could use her friends with her.

>Also violent bunnies? Coincidence? Definitely.
so pessimistic i for one like to think one of the three to for anons her is a movie executive working for universal studios. also notice how we didn't see any of the 4 in the trailer? my bet is that they couldn't get the actors back so they won't play a major roll... maybe the get got by the chameleon

>>5864398
I'm actually Jack Black

>>5864398
Yeah I did notice the lack of the Five. Not sure what the story is for that. Could be that they did get absorbed. Chameleon did say she wanted the greatest Kung Fu masters to absorb.

>>5864367
>Support >>5864398

I admit that at times this quest is just my idle thoughts of a found family being good to eachother.
Its comfortable.

As for the trailer. . . Not really sold on it. Tai Lung is gonna be bait, the premise is kinda weak and the addition of another film after the third. . . Kinda sucks not gonna lie. Arc done, there is only so much material to elevate and they only elevated it well once. The shift away from the slightly heavy tone and topics of two is kinda an overcorrection in my view anyway.

>>5864570
>>5864398
Gonna go find Ming. Writing.

>>5864570
I do have to agree. After the third film things felt kinda wrapped up pretty well. Po found his family and achieved full dragon warrior status. Not particularly sure what else they can do and the idea of him becoming like a spiritual leader feels like something that should have been done before the third film.

>>5864398
Well if one of the anons is taking my ideas for a new film I'd like some royalties. Or at the very least some large plushies of Po, The Five, Shifu, Ming and the Buns.

You spend a few more moments in silence before getting up. "We should get back to the celebrations. Ming would never forgive us if we left her to fend for herself." Xin Lan stretches and lets out a yawn.

"Well, you did say whenever anyone is in trouble we'd be there to help. Best if we steal her away from the crowds for a while. She probably wants a few more days worth of sleep." They say, downing the rest of your drink and tossing the cup behind them. You pick up both the rabbit and the cup before leaping down behind the temple and away from the crowd. You swing by to cooking area to return the cup and find it surprisingly empty. People come and go to grab a cup or return one but it seems like most of the eating and drinking has been relegated to the front of the temple where everyone had gathered. The only person that seemed to be making themselves busy was Amala who seemed to be cooking something.

"You seem rather busy. Aren't you going to celebrate with everyone else?" You ask as you put away the cup along with the rest.

"Oh! Mr. Tai Lung!" She says in surprise. Her eyes are tinged with red indicating she had been crying recently. You hope that they were tears of happiness but you decide not to ask about it. No sense in upsetting her during a time everyone should be celebrating. "I've just been baking a bit. The Lady Exarch says we can spare some extra food for today and I thought I'd make some sweet bread for the children. Miss Tigress is taking care of them right now so I figured it'd be the best time." Amala grabs a bowl and scoops up a spoonful of mixture. "Here! Have a taste. I'll set aside some for you two if you like it." She says. Xin Lan lets out a giddy giggle.

"Don't mind if I do!" They say, opening their mouth as wide as it would go. Amala expertly guides the food into Xin Lan's mouth leaving them to chew happily. "Now don't go asking the big guy for help. He's a terrible cook. Actually better just give me his helping." You let out a snort and grab a nearby spoon to help yourself. As advertised, the mixture is indeed sweet but there is a bit of tanginess to it as you find there are small bits of apple mixed in. You're not sure how well apple would bake but you certainly you've liked apple pastries before so you think it should be fine.

"It's really good but don't feel obligated to save some for us regardless of what my little glutton here says. The kids can use something to cheer them up. If you need some more fruit just come find us and we'll head out to get you some more. Just make sure to leave room for when we get to the Valley of Peace. I think I remember promising you and your siblings that I'd take you to my favorite noodle place and then we'd head over to the palace after you all get settled." You place a hand on her shoulder. "Your brother would be very proud of you Amala. Things are going to get better now that we can leave. I promise." You give her a smile and leave her to her business.

Only a few steps after turning the corner, you run into the foreman of the construction operation you started. Cheeks slightly tinged red, you can tell from the smell of his breath that someone must had have some alcohol stashed away that has now been opened. "Hey, if it isn't the man of the hour." He says while holding back a burp. "We got all the carts up and ready to leave. Think it'll be a rough trip?"

"Still thinking of work? You know you're supposed to be celebrating, right?" Xin Lan points out. "Might need a bit more drink in you."

"HA! With this watered down stuff? Nah, leave it for lightweights. The sooner we can get a move on the sooner we can get some real drink in me. I figure we'll start moving and finishing the packing tomorrow. So if we're going to make adjustments we better do it before then. Just give the word and I'll wrangle some of the boys together." He says with a large grin.

You shake your head. "No I think we'll be just fine. If there's any obstacles on the way, Xin and I will handle them. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy yourself. The next celebration might not be until we arrive at the Valley and then...well we'll need your expertise if we're to build or find homes for everyone. I guess that's something we'll need to figure out when we get there though." You say. The man let's out another laugh.

"So what you're saying is that theres gonna be work for us when we arrive? Good, good. When a craftsman can't ply his trade it kills the soul. Just knowing we can continue to practice our art is enough for us." He says. "I guess I can go and see how much of that light stuff I can get in me. I'll see you two later." The foreman salutes and quickly disappears into the crowd.

"The man's drunk." Xin Lan says with a grin. "Can we go get some?"

"And make you a bigger menace? I think I'll pass. I'll see if the palace has some wine when we get there. We used to get gifted some every so often despite saying no. If my father hasn't thrown it away and his training methods haven't changed there should be plenty stored." You laugh and place Xin Lan on your shoulders. They immediately wrap their arms around your face.

"Ooh. Regal wine. Alright it's a promise then. I'll never leave you alone if you forget."

"You never leave me alone to begin with. Now come on. Let's find Ming." You push through the crowd as you attempt to get to the temple entrance. The crowd is like an ocean with it's ebbs and flows, growing thinner and thicker as you push through. Eventually, you managed to break through and find Ming surrounded by the Brotherhood at a table. Despite what seemed to be their best attempts, even they couldn't resist the atmosphere and were chatting happily amongst themselves. Ming for her part was sitting stock still and looking very dignified as someone of her position should. Seemed like your training had paid off but despite that, you could see her nodding slightly off underneath her hood.

>What do you do?
>Make up a lie and say something needs Ming's attention. Get her away from the crowd.
>Walk up to the table and simply take Ming with you. A little bit of kidnapping wouldn't hurt anyone. Would annoy the Brotherhood but then again, you tend to have that effect on authority figures.
>Tell the Brotherhood you're taking Ming to get some sleep. She'll need the energy for the traveling everyone is going to be doing and it wouldn't do to have her be exhausted if decisions needed to be made.
>Write in.

>>5864758
>Take ming with us.

I've in mind that we can just do a batman or we can walk up to the table, bodily lift her out of the chair and walk off eith her under arm. And I'm not sure which is better and which is funnier.

>>5864758
>Walk up to the table and simply take Ming with you. A little bit of kidnapping wouldn't hurt anyone. Would annoy the Brotherhood but then again, you tend to have that effect on authority figures.

>>5865202
>>5864875
Anons like picking up Ming. Writing.

Without saying a word, you walk up to the table. "Is there something we can help you with?" Dawa asks, although to her credit she was trying to hold back her curtness. You remain silent and simply walk over to Ming's side and lift her under your arm. She lets out a surprised yelp and braces against your back instinctively to not fall out of your grip. "What are you doing?!" You hear Dawa shout and dropping any fake goodwill. Xin Lan giggles and swings their leg over to sit backwards on your shoulder.

"Sorry but the princess needs her sleep! Besides, we found her first so you guys are just gonna have to wait your turn." They stick out their tongue and fall over backwards to hang from their legs and be face to face with a flustered Ming. "Besides, I bet you were bored with all that leader talk anyways."

"You know, you two could have just asked me to come with you." Ming says as she tries to keep her hood from completely covering her face and failing to look somewhat dignified as you carried her around like a misbehaving child.

"Where's the fun in that?" You ask with amusement.

"I swear. Xin is such a bad influence on all of you." Ming huffs.

"You mean I'm the best influence and you love me. I make sure you don't go all boring on us and besides, you were totally snuggling me when we were sleeping on the table last week." Xin Lan says with a big grin. Ming gives them a shove by they simply swing side to side rather than fall off.

"Says the bunny that's always burying their face in a certain someone's chest every night. I don't think you've used a real bed in months." Ming retorts.

"The big guy's chest is nice and fluffy and I'll never leave him ever again. You're just grumpy because you need to go to bed."

"Xin's right. We probably don't have much to relax until we reach the Valley of Peace. We'll have to travel quickly if we want to avoid attention. Especially if we're moving an entire city's worth of people. No doubt there's gonna be more to deal with on the road so we better rest up as much as we can now." You say as you begin to part through the crowd outside who were all now looking at the three of you.

>Where do you go?
>Go to your cart at the edge of the clearing. It should be far enough away to get some peace and quiet.
>Leap up on to the rooftop. It was quiet up there and no one is going to want to climb up there just to disturb you.
>Head deeper into the forest. It'll be nice just it to be the three of you for the night now that the night won't attempt to murder you.
>Write in.

>>5865439
>Rooftops.

Yeah, we arent going to get many fond words from the Brotherhood. But i think this is a first occassion where I really dont care about retaining their support.

>>5865439
>Leap up on to the rooftop. It was quiet up there and no one is going to want to climb up there just to disturb you.
other than tigress and i doubt she would come up her

>>5865618
>>5865811
To the rooftops it is. Writing.

With a single leap, you soar over the crowd and land at the edge of the rootop. You hear the cheering and shouting of the crowd behind you as they assume you're preforming some kind of act for the celebrations. As soon as you're out of sight the cheering dies down somewhat as people return to socializing and you head in deeper to the center of the roof and the twisting branches of the tree.

All the sound around you becomes muffled as you settle down between the tree trunks which formed a nice little shelter. There was something relaxing about the damped sounds of people celebrating. It was a nice reminder that everything was safe but distant enough that you could call this space your own. You finally put Ming down and Xin Lan hops off your shoulder as the three of you stretch and almost instinctively go through your old routines of preparing to go to sleep while traveling. "It'd be nice if we could have a fire up here." Xin Lan says while shuffling around a few broken roof tiles to clear out a space to nap.

Ming sits down and smooths out her robes underneath her legs. "The trees provide enough shelter that the wind won't bother us. And we'll be up early enough that the cold won't be a problem either." She assures.

"But the warmth..." They protest.

"Funny. I figured you'd use this as an excuse to try and share body warmth." You joke. Xin Lan's eyes light up.

"You're right! Ming! Hold me! Don't let go!" They announce as they leap into Ming's arms and hug her tight. "Don't worry. Tai Lung has approved of our love too. All three of us can be married happily." Although you can't see her face, you can almost feel her eyes rolling. She pulls down her hood and plants a kiss between the bunny's ears.

"I'm sorry Xin but our love is forbidden. It just can't be. You saw what happened back in the village when we met An Bo's mother. Bunnies and cats can't be together. It's immoral and besides...I'm already taken. By your brother! He's already proposed to me and held my hand as well!" She bemoans in mock despair.

"Impossible! Ren would never do that to me! He loves me too much!" Xin Lan places their hands on Ming's cheeks. "We'll run away together! You, me, and the big guy! We'll go somewhere that'll accept our love and then we'll start a family together."

"Don't I get a say in this?" You ask while trying to process the melodrama going on before you.

"No!" Ming and Xin Lan shout in unison before breaking down into giggles.

"I making a note to keep Renshu away from the two of you when we find him again." You mutter.

"Ooooh! Are you gonna sweep him off his feet and take him away from us? Take him off to your secret favorite spots so the two of you can share meaningful glances before the two of you kiss under the moonlight?" Xin Lan teases as they continue to hug Ming tightly, their tail wagging wildly. "You know I bet he'd like that. You have big strong arms he likes. Has he ever told you he likes how big your hands are? Because he does~!"

"N-no. The last thing I need is need is all three of you like this. Some of us need to keep the group grounded." You stammer. You cough as you try to hide the blush rising in your cheeks.

"You know...if you let him, he'd really loosen up. He was quite the womanizer when I was little. I'm sure he'd love to devote all that pent up energy on you. Just imagine it. 20+ years of self restraint and discipline just waiting to be unleashed and it can alllll be for you~" Xin Lan continues as they get comfortable in Ming's arms. "Then again...You've been training since you were little right? That's like 40 years right there." Their grin grows even wider. "I think we should give the two of them a city's wide bearth if they both decide to finally just cut loose. Might need to warn everyone too because it's not gonna be quiet. That poor poor bed."

"Alright Xin that's enough. If you keep this up I don't think Tai Lung's heart is going to last long enough for all of us to reunite." Ming says stifling her laughter. "But he's kinda right. I know you don't have much experience and Renshu is trying not to scare you back into your shell but...it might not hurt to...you know...talk about going a bit further?" She says as gently as possible though the cracks in her voice as she tries to keep a straight face didn't help.

"Not you too..." You groan and bury your face in your hands. You inhale deeply and draw upon all your training to keep it together. "Alright. That's enough out of you too. Either you all go to sleep or I'll have to start jabbing pressure points." You say sternly. Xin Lan and Ming remain unconvinced by your threats.

"You can't silence the truth big guy! You need to listen to your heart!" They sing. They yawn and stretch out once more before closing their eyes. "I think my work here is done. Time for me to clock out. Night guys." Ming follows suit and lays on her side.

"Goodnight." She echoes and she, too, falls asleep. You return their goodnights with a grunt and soon find that you were tensed up. Sighing, you lay on your back and look up into the night sky through the many branches. Try as you might, you couldn't seem to push out the thought of Renshu cutting loose. Not just cutting loose but, more importantly, just for you. Your thoughts stray back to that night months ago when he had teased you and offered to share the bed with you. He did seem like a different person, more eager and laidback. A wave of secondhand embarrassment washes over as you soon recall how you rebuffed him and the ensuing laughter from the spirits that followed him. If there wasn't something more pressing at the time would you have denied him? Probably but even now you couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if you had said yes.

You turn on your side and push those thoughts away. You had to get some sleep. Tomorrow, you would need to be at your best if you were going to help lead the city back to safety. No doubt you'd run more trouble and more importantly you needed to restore your balance of Chi. The only thing that was more dangerous than being tired was if you couldn't rely on Chi to protect everyone. Closing your eyes and finally drifting off, your last thoughts chide your for once again hiding behind work...and of how empty your mind felt without Renshu's thoughts brushing against yours...

---

>Somewhere far far away...

Steam rises from large pools of blood that flowed freely from the bodies that lay in the snow. Already, flakes of snow were landing atop them as the land itself was claiming the bodies as it's own. Slowly, inexorably, the land would take them and hide them forevermore. You look at the blood soaked blade in your hand. Even back home it was a strange weapon with it's curved purple edge and red guard. Here it was stranger still but in your hand it was as comfortable as a brush was in an artist's hand. You suppose that what you did could be considered art. No, despite everything you still considered this art. In your own twisted mind, you felt proud over your work. The kills were quick, precise...clean. But the experience was tainted by the faint feelings of disgust. As the rush of fighting fades from your body, the disgust grows. What would he think? How many times had you betrayed him?

You turn away unable to look at the bodies anymore. With a quick flick, the blood flies free from the weapon and you sheath it in one smooth stroke. [i]At least they died painlessly.[/i] You assure yourself. If you could not honor him with by staying your hand then at the very least you could prevent unnecessary suffering.

[red][i]That's right. Lie to yourself. You're murderer and you know it. Remember how you laughed when you tore my guards' throats out? You're a sick monster and you know it. There's no point in trying to hide it.[/i][/red] You hear an ethereal voice hiss in your ear.

"Maybe..." You mutter and close your eyes.

[red][i]You know he wouldn't want this. You could have just disarmed them or disabled them. You need to stop killing.[/i][/red] Another voice calls out.

"If I disarmed them they would have come back with reinforcements. If I broke them they'd have died in the snow regardless. This was the most humane..." You counter. A few more voices join the discourse threatening to deafen your mind and drown out the world around you.

"My friend." Another voice calls out from behind you, bringing you back to reality. You look up to see a large animal towering before you. A bear, fur as white as the snow and body marred by dozens if not hundreds of scars. You follow his gaze to the bodies behind you. Pain flashes in the man's eyes and he shakes his head though you are unsure if he is reprimanding you or if he is simply saddened by the situation. In a rough Chinese he speaks up, "More bodies...more deaths..."

"They had a choice Aleksandr. They always do. Return and never come back or press forward and die. I give them the choice and they decide." You say. "If they choose the latter then I can't only grant them the mercy of a painless death."

"This I know my friend." The large bear replies. "But a life is a life and I fear by the time this war is over...we may have taken too many."

"We both have stained our hands with the blood of others but only one of us ever did so unwillingly. It's better that I bear this burden alone. You and the others will be safe so long as I breathe. You no longer need to fight ever again." The bear studies you for a while and the flash of sadness comes across his eyes again.

"I'm sorry." He says. "I did not want anyone to hurt. I just wanted..."

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"I know." You cut him off. You didn't want to think about this any longer. This was war and people died. You just hope that the lives that were being saved outnumbered the lives you were taking. The feeling of shackles of immeasurable weight throb on your wrists and ankles. Memories of a darkened hall flash before you can shut them out. You know that this was going to be another sleepless night. Gods forgive him for what you were doing. It all felt like an endless void. The present you disgusted at who you were, the past you disgusted at who you are now and the conflict within you. Part of you hopes that you're never found again. You're not sure if you can face everyone again and you're sure that you don't deserve to see them again. All you can do is find comfort in that brief year of your life that gave you true happiness.

Aleksandr places a hand on your shoulder. "Come friend. You have been out here long enough. It's time to change guard shift."

"Yes...I suppose it is that time." You say numbly as you begin to move.

"Your friends...Do you really think they can stop them?" He asks.

"Yes. Mongolia will burn if that is what they wish. But knowing them they will do the impossible. Somehow they will save us all." You say. Aleksandr nods.

"I see...that is good. Then they will be able to see all the good you have done as well." He says as the two of you round a bend and stand at the edge of a valley. Even from this distance, you could see hundreds of Aleksandr's kind and of other species you were more familiar with. Men, women, and children living their lives hidden away and sheltered from the war raging down south...for now. As the two of you approach and a small squad of armed men walks past to take your place, you can see the anxiety and worry ease up slightly in the eyes of the citizens. They had lived to see another day, some more borrowed time before hell erupted and soldiers rained down upon them. But that would never happen. Not as long as you drew breath.

>Refugees of the Library Arc. End.

>>5867012
I gotta admit, it's pretty hype to see the polar bear idea from that retarded lil' omake i made get some action

I still don't know what possessed me to write that back then. It was also so long ago that I've forgotten 90% of the details.

>>5867114
Wouldn't blame you. This game has been running for over 4 years. Jesus christ. This was just a quest I took over on a whim. I watched the KFP 1 once or twice and thought the idea of some kind of villian redemption quest would be neat. Now look at us.

That being said, I have been mulling over something these last few months so I'll post it here. I've been debating taking a break. Nothing long just...maybe a month or so. Take some time to kind of detach for a moment and maybe reorganize. There's tons of stuff I'm starting to forget stuff like town names, npcs, even items we collected (although that's kinda moot as it was all kinda lost in the library attack).

Only thing I'm worried about is the game not coming back after that. Dunno if anons are willing to wait that long for the next thread or if interest will just become nonexistent. I'll need to set a concrete date otherwise I might never get back to this.

But ultimately, I wanna hear you guys' thoughts since you've stuck around for so long.

>>5867165
I take a month long break between my threads, so yeah man, go for it. Anons will wait.
They usually come back quicker if you post in the /qtg/ when you're about to come back. Like a day before to alert them, and then once more right when the thread goes up.

>>5867165
My advice is to take the time, but set a concrete date to return.

Intrest will remain, because it has sustained for 4 years. If you do need some rest though, have it my man, this isnt a job, its a hobby.

>>5867012
Oh Renshu. You poor soul.
We are gonna have some issues when we get up there but.

I dont think that this is a betrayal of his promise, not yet anyway. But it is a betrayal of our ideals, damned if it werent for our unending tolerance for our families failures. Fuck sake.
I want to chastise our beautiful boy but i know not how.

>>5867200 this

>>5867165
Take your break, watch the up coming Kung Fu Panda movie and come back when you feel like it.

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Alright gents, the quest will resume Jan 20. I could do Feb 20 for Chinese new years but that seems too far off. For now we leave TL on his journey home. Something about the prodigal son returning would have been apt but TL doesn't seem to fit that role. I suppose he was wasteful in the sense of his talent.

Even so it'll be a time skip of a few months I think given the size of the group.

As tradition, it's been another year and I have to thank you guys for continuing to vote and participating to keep this little hobby of ours alive. Have a safe holiday and new years!

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It seems like even when I take a break I just can't escape this game. Or at least Xin will never leave me.

>>5868337
Happy Holidays Luo
Lurk more than interact, but just letting you know the writing's appreciated and enjoyed

>>5871921
Happy holidays to you too anon. Thanks for the kind words! Glad your enjoying the quest and hope to see you back after the break.