POV Tai Lung
The fight was brutal…
To be honest, I underestimated the old man. Even though I was holding back, trying not to reduce my teacher to atoms, I still didn't expect such agility from him. Shifu moved like water, using my own strength against me, and at one point, he even seized the initiative. Had I relaxed for even a second, succumbed to my predator instincts and forgotten about control, I might have paid dearly for it.
God, what a fool I am. I was just lecturing him about restraint and self-control, yet I let my emotions take over and nearly lost to an opponent who doesn't even master Chi, relying solely on the old school and cunning. It was a sobering reminder: power without mind is nothing. Look at the Tai Lung from the movie—strong as hell, leveling buildings and crushing cliffs, yet he was carried out feet first. And who took him down? A common panda!
I slowly straightened up, pulling back my fist, which was still smoking from the concentrated energy.
Shifu, pinned against the wall, was breathing heavily. He looked up at me, and in his eyes I read not the fear of death, but… disbelief. He still couldn't believe that I had stopped—that I, the "Monster of Chorh-Gom," held his life in my hands and chose not to kill him.
I opened my mouth to say something, but…
The massive doors, which had slammed shut from the shockwave during our battle, suddenly burst open again with a crash.
Standing on the threshold was…
A winded fat guy. A large fellow in a white apron stained with flour, with disheveled black hair and characteristic round ears that gave away his panda lineage.
"Wait… wait, just a second… Whew…" he exhaled, doubling over and trying to catch his breath.
I scanned the "Dragon Warrior." Well… On the plus side, he wasn't as fat as he could have been. More like solid, or even stocky. On the minus side… I'll keep quiet—the list would be too long.
"Po?" Shifu asked in surprise, clutching the side where one of my blows had landed. He tried to straighten up, preserving what remained of his dignity. "What are you doing here? I told you to evacuate the villagers!"
"Whew, whew, wheeeew…" the panda continued to huff, finally straightening up and wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Master, I had almost started! Honestly! I was already packing my figurines… I mean, my most important things! But then the Furious Five arrived; they burst into the kitchen, grabbed me, and forced me to cook, so I couldn't fulfill your request!"
"The Furious Five?!?" Shifu twitched, shifting his gaze from the panda to me, then back to the panda.
In the old master's eyes, there was such a mix of relief and shame that I felt almost awkward. He was certain I had killed them, which was why he fought me to the death to avenge them and stop me. And they… were forcing the poor panda to cook. Strange, I thought they had eaten well enough on the road…
It was hard not to wear a smug expression, but I managed.
"They are… alive?" Shifu whispered.
"Uh, yeah," the panda nodded in confusion, looking around. "Why wouldn't they be? They're sitting there with their bowls right now. Wait, Master…" The big guy suddenly started to catch on. His eyes widened. "Did you send me to lead the villagers away because you thought the Five were killed?!? And you stayed behind to hold off Tai Lung alone?.."
The fat guy's look changed; now it held not only shock, but an immeasurable respect that sent a phantom pain through my heart… It reminded me too much of myself in my youth. I used to fanboy over Shifu exactly like that, looking at my adoptive father in the same way, ready to hang on his every word.
"I…" Shifu began, faltering. He looked at me, and his gaze no longer held hatred, but confusion multiplied by some ancient pain. "Thank you for sparing them, Tai Lung."
"Don't mention it," I shrugged, trying to look indifferent. "They're decent kids. A bit naive, overly soft, but there's potential."
I spoke calmly, but inside, everything was burning—partly from impatience and the desire to finally get the scroll.
"Um, Master Tai Lung?" the panda caught my attention again, taking a cautious step forward. "Maybe… we could just calm down and talk? I happen to have some noodles just ready. Fresh! Hot! Maybe you'd be interested in trying the best noodles in the entire province? With my father's secret ingredient!"
I looked at the fat guy skeptically, arching a brow.
"You seriously plan to buy me off with some noodles?" my voice was full of sarcasm. "I came for the title of Dragon Warrior. As you can see, even your master couldn't defeat me, so just give me the scroll, and maybe I won't destroy everything here."
"How about some noodles first?" Po persisted, his voice full of genuine hope. "You know, we eat, we talk… Decisions are made much better on a full stomach!"
I only smirked.
Look, I'm not against negotiations, but I highly doubt he'll just hand over the title himself. In the movie, he was a fan, a dreamer, and only the title allowed him to truly start living instead of just existing. How did he put it? "I experience pain during training, but I won't give up, because my whole past life caused me pain every day," something like that.
"And you think you can bribe me with food? Me?"
At that moment, the panda, like a magician, pulled a deep bowl filled to the brim with steaming broth and noodles from behind his back with a deft movement.
The scent hit my nose instantly.
It wasn't just the smell of food; it was an aroma worthy of a feast in the Emperor's palace! The rich essence of beef broth simmered over a low fire with roots and herbs, the heat of Sichuan pepper, the freshness of green onions, the spice of star anise…
My stomach, which I had ignored for the past few days, cramped in a spasm, demanding immediate satisfaction, and my mouth filled with saliva.
I didn't even notice myself moving.
A heartbeat—and I'm standing right next to the panda. He gave a startled yelp but didn't drop the bowl. Another heartbeat, and I snatch it from his hands.
The first sip of broth was like the Big Bang—warmth spread through my body, reaching the very tips of my fingers. The taste was perfect! Balanced and deep. The noodles were springy, the meat literally melted in my mouth. It was better than anything I had eaten in my entire life!
I ate, paying no mind to Shifu, the panda, or the rain that had stopped. I just enjoyed the moment I had been deprived of for twenty years.
"Fine," I muttered with my mouth full, feeling the anger and tension recede, dissolving into satiety. "We can take a lunch break…"
"And I have even more at home!" Po exclaimed happily, seeing that his plan had worked. "We cooked a lot! A whole vat! So, shall we go?"
I looked at the empty bowl in my hands, then at Shifu, who was still standing by the wall looking completely bewildered, and then back at the panda, who was beaming like a polished copper basin.
"…Let's go," I said, hardly believing I had sold out for noodles. But damn it, they were worth it! "Wait," I frowned, remembering something. "Where did you get this bowl from? Your hands were empty…"
Po froze, then dropped into some ridiculous, crooked stance and put on a mysterious face.
"It's my Kung Fu magic… Sha-haaa…" He made a pass with his hands, imitating something mystical.
Noticing the dumbfounded stares from Shifu and me, he deflated, straightened up, awkwardly scratched the back of his head, and looked away.
"Well, uh… It's a secret, basically. It was in my apron pocket. Let's go, hurry!"
With that, the fat guy awkwardly scurried toward the exit of the training courtyard…
Shifu and I exchanged looks, and this time, in the old master's eyes, I saw for the first time in a long while not pain, but a spark of his old, cranky humor.
I huffed, and we followed the panda.
Mr. Ping—an elderly man with stunted wings behind his back—turned out to be a quite lively and energetic old fellow in a noodle-cap. He fussed over his son in an amusing way, while Po only embarrassedly brushed off the attention, asking his father to stop "embarrassing him in front of the Furious Five."
There were definitely geese somewhere in Ping's lineage, but he apparently couldn't fly, either due to old age or some other reason. This happens sometimes, mostly affecting those with birds in their ancestry—disproportionately small wings are noticeable immediately, unlike ears, tails, or claws.
The panda's father reminded me of my grandfather from my past life—he was tougher on the outside, but he also showed his care for my sister and me in such a funny way…
Anyway, it doesn't matter…
The fat panda's home was a small, cozy establishment with an open courtyard decorated with lanterns. Waiting for us at the tables were the culprits of Shifu's and my battle in their full roster: the stern Tigress, the cunning Monkey, the sweet Viper, the nervous Crane, and the smirking Mantis. And they were sitting there, slurping noodles, looking thoroughly pleased with themselves!
"Alright," I flopped into a chair, pushing aside Monkey's empty bowl. "Explain to me why the hell you didn't go to Shifu. You said you were going to 'prepare for the meeting.'"
"Well… we were preparing," Wu Kong shrugged innocently, twirling noodles onto his chopsticks. "Meeting with the best noodles in the world!"
"We just forgot to warn Master Shifu," Viper added hastily, seeing me start to simmer. "We were in such a hurry to find Po and explain the plan that…"
"That you decided the Master would figure it out himself?" Shifu interrupted, entering the courtyard. He had managed to tidy himself up, but he was still limping. "I nearly died of a heart attack thinking you were killed!"
The Five bowed their heads in unison, guiltily staring at their bowls.
"Well, at least it worked," Tigress muttered, giving me a skeptical look. "Tai Lung is sitting peacefully and eating, instead of starting a massacre in the streets or tearing down the Palace."
"Hey!" I protested, taking a bowl of noodles from a scurrying Mr. Ping. "I didn't tear down the Palace! We just… had a slight disagreement. Because of you guys, by the way."
Mr. Ping was racing between tables like a hurricane. He had managed to kick out all the customers, running around and shouting that it was a "Closed event with the Furious Five and the legendary Master Shifu," yet somehow managed to blab about it to the entire street, so a crowd of onlookers was already gathering at the entrance.
The panda emerged from the kitchen, balancing a tray with a mountain of rice cakes. He looked utterly ridiculous because, to keep the cakes from falling, he had to balance and walk forward at the same time, making his gait resemble a drunkard's dance.
It couldn't last long—the panda ran out of luck and tripped over a bundle left by some customer. The tray flew up, and the rice cakes scattered in a fan.
"Oh no!" Crane exclaimed.
But the fat guy didn't lose his head. Arching his back, he performed a graceful pirouette, catching a falling sauce dish with his foot and tossing it back up without spilling a drop. He snatched the tray with his other hand and, spinning around, gathered all the cakes back directly in mid-air.
The whole company, except for Shifu who only rolled his eyes, stared at him with open mouths.
"Uh…" The panda froze in a clumsy pose, holding the tray on one finger. "Well, I did say I was training all this time to defeat… uh, Tai Lung, yeah…"
"Impressive," I admitted honestly, popping another piece of pork into my mouth. "For a cook."
The fat guy broke into a wide smile and set the tray on the table.
"We were lucky the broth was already ready!" he chattered happily, sitting down next to me. The Five tensed up, but I didn't even twitch an ear. I'm not an animal to snap without reason. "Dad had been simmering it since morning for the shop. If not for that, the cooking would have taken hours, and who knows if we would have managed to stop you before you… well…" He trailed off, catching my gaze. "No offense, you get it," he added quickly.
I huffed, looking down into my bowl. The noodles were doing their job—it was impossible to stay mad at this good-natured oaf.
When the meal was finished and even Wu Kong had backed away from the table, clutching his belly, the fat guy suddenly became serious.
"Tai Lung," he said, looking me in the eye. "We need to talk. In private."
Silence fell over the table. Hmm, is he actually deciding to challenge me?
"Po, are you sure?" Viper asked worriedly.
"Po, what if something happens?" Crane cut in, starting to stand up. "Let us stay and cover you, there's no need to risk it!"
"No," the panda replied firmly. "This is important. For both me and him."
I looked at the guy. There wasn't a hint of fear in his eyes, only resolve and a bit of regret.
"Fine," I nodded, standing up. "Lead the way, panda."
We left the noodle shop and headed back up toward the Jade Palace. We walked in silence until we reached the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom standing on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the entire Valley. The sunset was painting the sky in gold and purple.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Po asked, looking into the distance.
"Beautiful," I agreed. "But we aren't here to admire the view. You wanted to talk, didn't you?"
The panda sighed, then reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a scroll…
The very one—the Dragon Scroll!
The golden handles glinted dully in the rays of the setting sun.
"You know," he began, turning the scroll in his hands. "All my life I dreamed of being someone else. Someone bigger than just a noodle-maker. I listened to stories about incredible Kung Fu masters and dreamed of becoming one of them. I was a fan of the Five and the Jade Palace… When Master Oogway was choosing the Dragon Warrior, I really wanted to see it with my own eyes. I knew I didn't have a chance—I was just a fat loser panda—but I wanted to at least see them with my own eyes. And then… Master Oogway chose me… At first, I didn't believe my luck, but when I realized what was happening, I thought everything would change—I'd become a hero, everyone would respect me, and finally, the life I'd dreamed of would begin…" He looked at me. "And then… the 'training' started. Master Shifu beat me all day long; he wanted to drive me out so I would give up the chance myself… Only he didn't know that my life brought me much greater pain every day…" Having said that, he held the scroll out to me. "If… if you need the title of Dragon Warrior that badly, then I'm giving it to you."
I froze, staring at the offered artifact.
My dream! My life's goal! There it was, within arm's reach—I just had to take it!
"You… are giving it to me?" I asked hoarsely, staring at the scroll in fascination. "Just like that?"
"Not just like that," Po smiled, a little sadly. "Yeah, I'll be a simple noodle-maker again. Maybe it's for the best—I do love to cook… Но I'll be glad that I could protect my friends and convince you to give up your revenge… Even if I'm giving up my dream, at least my comrades and all the residents of the Valley of Peace will be safe…"
I slowly reached out and took the scroll. It was warm and seemed to emit some unknown power.
The panda turned away, looking sadly at the sunset, as a single tear ran down his cheek.
He had made his decision—he sacrificed his dream for the sake of peace and the safety of the entire population of the Valley.
I stood there, clutching the scroll and feeling the power I thought was hidden inside it. But looking at the broad back of this "simple noodle-maker," who turned out to be wiser and more noble than any master I had ever known… I suddenly hesitated.
I was torn between the desire to take the title, to prove to everyone—to Shifu, to Oogway—that I was worthy, and the sudden, piercing realization that this clumsy, funny panda… was truly worthy of more than the fate life had been pushing him toward all this time…
I looked at the scroll. Then at the panda…
And finally, I made the final decision that would perhaps define my destiny…