What rules the fate of mankind in this world?
Some invisible being or a law, like the Hand of God hovering over the world?
At least, it is true that man has no control even over his own will...
Why am I saying this?
"Turn out your pockets, bastard!"
Because I ran into some idiots again...
No, I understand everything, but at what point did the mass dumbing down of the Chinese population happen? It's OBVIOUS that I'm not just some traveler, but a damn martial arts master, so why the hell do these cretins come at me THEMSELVES?
Again, Tai Lung hardly saw the "outside world," constantly training, but... It's a well-known fact—ordinary people CANNOT defeat masters in a fair fight! The current power, army, society itself is built on this! And only because of their general peacefulness there is no total dictatorship and slavery!
But no, as soon as I stepped out into the big world, first a wolf and a jackal, and now, a hodgepodge team of a rooster, a boar, and some insect looking more like a fish...
"What, scared?" cheerfully continued the rooster acting as the negotiator. "Well, excellent, stand still, we'll shake out your valuables and you can scram."
While the joyful rooster approached me, I didn't just stand silently, waiting for the moment to sink my teeth into the obstacle in my path, oh no! I was thinking!
I'll always have time to kill these idiots, but how will that help me?
I mean, my reputation is an incredibly strong butcher, ready to walk over heads and dirty hands in blood for his goal...
Yes, I kill far from civilians, but all sorts of rabble that only multiplies the suffering of ordinary residents, but... What if I play by the rules instead?
In this world, Kung Fu masters, at least from the Jade Palace, very often try not to kill bandits, but only cripple and hand them over to the authorities of the nearest city—this is the path laid down by Oogway many years ago, and I stand out very strongly against the background of "true" masters, which doesn't add points to me in the eyes of others "following the path in harmony with Heaven" at all.
It costs me nothing to beat up these three and continue the journey with them on my back, to later hand them over in the nearest city, just a small town very close—not far from the Thread of Hope—one of the few bridges allowing passage across a huge abyss called "Dragon's Gorge."
"You're lucky," I say, finally making a decision, after which the approached rooster collapses to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "You will live." A jerk, and the rooster's comrades, who didn't even have time to get scared, settle on the bare ground in exactly the same way.
Tying them up was easy—experience tying up disabled wolves and a couple of tips from Xue on "tying" people helped. I didn't become a shibari master, but I can now tie a criminal securely enough so he can't get out himself without much trouble.
I hung the resulting sack of three idiot friends on my back and, like a real Father Frost (or Santa Claus, if you're one of those) from a horror movie, continued my journey.
The local nature did not cease to amaze me—a small road along which I ran divided the forest into two parts, and they differed radically. I don't know if it's because this road is one of the oldest not just in this province, but in all of China, or something else, but the forest was very clearly divided—on the right, I was accompanied by a pine forest, consisting entirely of pines, spruces, and firs. In my past life, I lived in an area with similar trees and recognized them immediately. On the left were deciduous trees—maples, oaks, and poplars...
I highly doubt someone takes care of this forest and specifically uproots trees of the "wrong kind," so I have no explanation for such an unusual phenomenon, except maybe some Chi techniques? But which ones and why? In general, only questions...
Be that as it may, I managed to get to the city of Yun-Tai (which translated as "Cloud Terrace") from Wei-Jin in literally 16 hours, as by evening I already saw the city itself. It differed very strongly from Wei-Jin for the worse, most likely due to the fact that the aforementioned city was something like the administrative center of the entire Jin province, hence the name, while this small town was an ordinary province living off agriculture and servicing the handful of travelers who decided to cross the gorge rather than bypass it along the highway.
Here stood sturdy wooden houses in classic style—dark beams, light walls, tiled roofs curved upwards at the ends. It was evident they were built not very long ago and not haphazardly: everything was straight, fitted, nothing skewed.
The streets were narrow but clean. Wooden shops were shuttered, but by the smell of rice and fried vegetables, it was clear—the owners were somewhere inside, preparing dinner. Red lanterns had already begun to be lit for the evening, and the town looked rather calmly dozing, not semi-abandoned as I thought.
On the right side, terraced fields turning into forest were visible. On the left—a huge abyss fenced off by a dense wooden parapet: after all, this is not a village, but a place where travelers walk, and the locals very prudently took care in advance so no one accidentally stepped down.
In the center stood a small pagoda—something like a local administration. Nearby—a small market under a wooden canopy, now almost empty, only a couple of merchants were putting away goods. Everything looked calm and organized: the town lived moderately but confidently.
People, of course, stared at me. No wonder—a rare traveler comes here running, and with three bound bandits on his back at that, but no one shouted or fussed. Here they are clearly used to masters and all sorts of strange situations that happen on the road to the Thread of Hope.
Ignoring the flashing frightened glances, I began to approach the city, namely—the pagoda. In theory, criminals are handed over to the guard, not the city head, but... What does a guard building look like? Here, unlike my homeland from my past life, signs saying which department the building belongs to do not hang everywhere. Well, or I just didn't notice the local guard post, that's also an option.
However, having already approached the entrance itself, I was stopped by two bear men in white robes with guan-dao in their hands. They didn't point their spears at me, but glanced very suspiciously.
"Welcome to the city of Yun-Tai, glorious master?" one of them uttered, as if with a question at the end.
There! The man correctly assessed that an ordinary person doesn't look like a half-naked jock without things, traveling around China... Well, and my unconscious burden on the shoulder also clearly helped him, but still.
"Glad to meet you," I nod. "I would like to hand over these bandits to you. Attacked me on the way here, can you take them?"
"Of course, respected master," the second nodded. "However, for the protocol, we are obliged to inspect your master's tablet..."
"Master's tablet?" I asked, immediately biting my tongue. It seems all Kung Fu masters have this tablet, but I simply haven't heard of it, and this is already very suspicious.
"It is also called a license tablet," the same guard began to explain. "All wandering masters authorized to administer justice wear a token issued by the Jade Palace or the Heavenly Imperial Court. The Jade Palace has a jade tablet, and the Heavenly Imperial Court has gold or silver. Just the other day a mistress master passed here," he nodded respectfully, "and she presented her token... Wait, do you really not have it?"
Both bears squinted, gripping their spears tighter.
"And then how are we to know that you are not just a stronger bandit who decided to get rid of competitors?" the first spoke again, and now there was not a drop of respect in his voice. Yeah...
Yeah, what bad luck is this?
Something related to these very tablets scratched at my consciousness but couldn't form. I definitely heard something about them even before Chorh-Gom, but nothing concrete, and I was caught on this ignorance...
Well, generally I could kill them and leave further, forgetting about the "good path," a couple of seconds is enough for me to break the necks of these "fighters," however... I'm not a bloodthirsty killing machine, as a certain "Wise Kind Turtle" presents me to the public, and why should I do such a thing to poor servicemen? Because I am an extremely suspicious type, and they are attentive while performing their duties protecting civilians?
Pfft, not even funny.
On the other hand, attempts to explain won't be understood here—the mentality, albeit not like in China of the same period from my past life, is still far from the softest...
Silently, I raise my hand and concentrate Chi around my palm, after which I release it outside the body, forming a small glowing translucent ball.
"No tablet, but I have ears, paws, and a tail. Hope this is enough?" I dissipate the Chi ball, which ate up a good tenth of my total reserve, and shift my gaze to the stunned bears.
"M-m-master, who has known Chi!" bleated the previously cheeky guard. Now there was fear on his face, and his eyes darted about, as if trying to find where to run. "I-I-apologize for this misunderstanding! We will accept the prisoners immediately!"
"Good," I nod, dumping my burden on the ground. "By the way, could you tell me how exactly to get these tablets? And why the Imperial Court has different ones?"
"Ahem, yes, yes, of course!" the nervous guard nodded. "They are received either from a teacher after passing the final test and becoming a master, or, if the teacher died or cannot conduct the test, then after demonstrating one's abilities to a commission of recognized masters."
"You know a lot about this," I look at the man in surprise.
"Well... I dreamed of becoming a Kung Fu master myself before, but... Didn't work out," he awkwardly looked away, scratching the back of his head.
"His girlfriend got knocked up, so he got a job in the guard," another guard gave up his comrade. It would seem—why tell such a thing about a comrade to the first person you meet? Because they are real friends, or at least comrades. Saying this information, the man hinted in passing that his friend has a family and children, and masters try not to touch such people.
Surprisingly smart guys, especially in contrast to the idiots demanding money from ME...
"And what about materials?" I clarify, nodding.
"The Jade Palace issues only tablets created from pure jade, and the Heavenly Imperial Court has a division—free masters, after passing the test, receive a silver tablet, and masters serving the palace or the imperial family—a gold one. There is no special difference between them all, as far as I know, but you can immediately understand where the master is from... Well, and their approaches often differ..."
"Well then, thanks for the information," I smile. "By the way, am I not entitled to a reward for catching bandits?"
"Ahem, yes, yes, of course, respected master!" the guard who was a Kung Fu fan nodded like a bobblehead. "Please, allow my comrade to escort the bandits to the outpost, and you and I will go to the city lord's residence so he can give you the reward."
"Good," I agree, after which the remaining guard called someone and, throwing three idiot robbers over his shoulder, puffing, dragged them somewhere, and we went to that very small pagoda which I immediately noticed.
"Are you planning to cross the Thread of Hope after this?" the bear inquires and catching my surprised look clarifies: "Masters only come to us for this, so I assumed."
"Yes, I need to get to the Valley of Peace," I'm not afraid to tell him the truth—what will he do? Even if everyone here finds out that I am that very Tai Lung, nothing will change for me.
"I'm afraid there is a period of strong winds there now," the guard continued. "Today was especially dangerous—bridges were literally twisted from side to side and tangled. Some sections even suffered, and restoring them took a lot of effort and time. And it's getting dark now, so I would advise you to spend the night here and go about your business in the morning—that way you don't risk falling into the gorge."
"Good, thanks for the warning," I thank the guard.
Finally, we find ourselves in the residence of the local lord.
As I thought, that very pagoda in the center of the city served as the residence. Inside was clean and... how to say it? Functional. In general, without Wei-Jin excesses. Here it smelled not of expensive incense, but of sandalwood and old scrolls. The guards at the entrance—the same bears as at the gate, seeing my escort's gesture, silently bowed their heads, letting us through.
The bear guard led me into the main hall.
"Lord Yun, a Kung Fu master to see you, arrived to cross the Thread of Hope. He delivered bandits who attacked him near the Divided Forest."
From behind a carved screen came not a corpulent boar, but something completely opposite. An old, grey ferret in a simple but good-quality robe. He moved slowly, leaning on a staff, but his eyes were incredibly lively and clear, without any signs of dementia. He looked at me, then at the guard, and smiled softly.
"Thank you, Bao. You may go."
The bear bowed and left. Lord Yun turned to me.
"I welcome you, master. My guards have already reported your arrival and... your strength." He nodded at a pouch of coins on the table. "Here is your reward for catching the bandits. The city of Yun-Tai thanks you for your service." I silently took the pouch. "Bao said you are heading to the 'Thread of Hope'," the ferret continued. "I would like to warn you that the wind in the gorge tonight will be so strong it might tear the ropes. You risk your life." He pointed to the door. "Stay in my residence. In the morning the wind will weaken, and you can continue your journey."
I shook my head.
"Thank you for the offer, Lord Yun, but I prefer to stay among common people."
The ferret lord looked at me with curiosity.
"It is rare for Kung Fu masters to refuse hospitality. Well, as you wish, but how should I write in the city book the name of the one who cleared our road of criminal scum?"
I froze for a second... Why not?
"Tai Lung."
The air in the room seemed to freeze. The city lord's eyes widened, and he gripped his staff for a moment so hard his knuckles turned white. I saw fear flicker in his wise eyes, but a second later he was calm again. The ferret slowly, very slowly, nodded without taking his eyes off me.
"...Very well. The city of Yun-Tai thanks... Master Tai Lung... for help with the bandits. I hope you find what you seek in the Valley of Peace."
"Thank you." I chuckled and, without saying another word, turned and walked out of the pagoda.
With the money received, I rented a room in the nearest tea house of the city without problems. The owner, seeing gold, didn't even ask my name.
Why did I decide not to stay in the city lord's residence? Just because I was interested in seeing the life of ordinary people, and I decided that observing from the window of an ordinary tea house is better than from a huge pagoda.
Entering my apartments, I sat by the window, ordering dinner straight to the room. Reflections gave me no peace.
Here, by the way, is the reason why Kung Fu masters don't value money at all. It's too easy to get. Catch a couple of bandits—here's a reward, and if there's no money, any city lord, like this ferret, will feed, shelter, and clothe you for free if needed—simply out of respect for the path of Kung Fu (or out of fear of strength). Money in this world is a tool for those who don't possess this very strength.
I spent this night without closing my eyes. I sat in meditation, looking at the stars. Here they were incredibly bright and seemingly too big compared to those I remembered from my past life. I put in order not only the body but also the mind. The rage that spilled out in the forest subsided, allowing me to coldly assess my words and actions again, as well as the prospects to which these words and actions might lead.
In the morning, fresh and full of strength, I went downstairs.
At the exit of the tea house, two already familiar bear guards were waiting for me. The one who was a Kung Fu fan looked excited.
"Master!" he began as soon as I approached. "We must thank you!"
"I already received the reward," I replied evenly.
"No, not for that!" the second hastily inserted. "Those bandits you brought... They were on drugs!"
I frowned. Well, at least that explained why they were such crazy idiots, but why am I being thanked for detaining drug addicts?
"They are from the 'Bitter Root' gang," the guard continued, his eyes burning. "Local drug dealers! They attacked you because they were out of it, but when they sobered up in the cell, they were so scared they gave up everything! They showed us where the gang hides their drug fields in the mountains! We couldn't find them for decades!"
I nodded. Well, "playing by the rules" brought unexpected fruits.
"Happy for you. Good luck," I threw and headed toward the city exit. I could have intervened myself, but... I spent too much time. Cannot delay anymore.
I had almost left the city when a many-voiced shout stopped me from behind.
"Thank you, Master Tai Lung! Good luck in your endeavors!"
I didn't turn around. Only stopped for a moment and nodded, accepting their words.
It seems the whole city already knew who I was and... They didn't see a monster. They saw a master who solved their problem.
Nice to be a savior, not a destroyer...