Beware Of Chicken-Novel

Miantiao ignored the sass, as Bi De chuckled.

It was a quiet conviction, but one absolute.

They got to work with their brushes. Miantiao was surprisingly dexterous, even with his broken back, his coats of lacquer thin and even.

Miantiao’s eyes were lost to memory, his smile triumphant.

His eyes blazed with something ugly, before it faded. Miantiao sighed, and started layering on the lacquer again.

She was very good. Her fur was like captured moonlight. Her aura, graceful and refined.

She did not see the grimace on the snake’s face, turned as he was against the wood.

Yet the snake put on a satisfied face, as the day progressed. He was animated, wiggling around, and shouting commands at Yin, much to her delight. She performed each one without fail.

Bi De nodded, but he was troubled.

Bi De took a breath. He still didn’t know what was going on here.

Enough beating around the bush. He approached the snake, intent on confrontation.

Miantiao did not know why he did this to himself. Why he came back to the village every year, after searching the rest of the time for something, anything to improve his chances against the Demon.

But there were some things that needed to be done. This was the last way he could honour his Master.

The graves were covered in snow, but still visible. His body screamed at him to rest, but he could not. He could not sleep. Every moment was precious in his quest.

But it was a quest he knew he would fail. He was weak. He was still too weak. With his injuries, he was beginning to doubt he could ever be strong enough to slay the demon.

Hate began to gutter, as it mixed with despair. He had lived through the fire. And for what? The only thing he could say now is that perhaps the house falling on him would not hurt him as badly.

He pondered on his next course of action, as he prepared.

Slithering through snow was a monumental task, especially with his back as it was, but it was something he had long since mastered. He carefully dug away the snow, revealing the ground. He filled the braziers with wood. And as the longest night began, he honoured his Master’s dance.

The Qi was faint, as it always was. Barely there, swirling through the air. Miantiao danced and he mourned. He prayed to the heavens for a sign for something that would let him lay low his hated foe. The fires surged around him.

He set off immediately. It was a sign. The heavens had heard his prayers!

His body surged through the biting cold. Through the powdery snow, and over the hill. Until he found her, sitting in the snow by the stone pillar. Cold. Shaking. Near death from her wounds… and a dead wolf beside her, killed by her kicks. The others sported injuries.

Miantiao beheld a jewel. A bright, silver spark.

He drove the rest of the beasts off, and took her. He took her to the house, and warmed her by the fire.

She awoke the next day, frightened and weary.

Truly, the heavens had smiled upon him.

Miantiao pushed. He pushed and pushed this little spark, pushing it all he could, only mindful if it broke.

Every night, he told her of the wicked demon, and every night, she swore to help him slay it.

It was years. Years of travelling. Of training. Of forging his blade.

Of seeing her blossom like a star in the sky.

They worked in tandem. He offered his everything to the cause. They searched far and wide for power.

They came upon another awakened one. It guarded its patch of spirit grass jealously, and would not listen to his entreaties for a portion.

The rabbit smiled, and did as he bid, ever trusting of her Master. Miantiao tasted only bile. He was exactly as Sun Ken had been. Descending upon this place, and slaughtering those who resisted, all for his own aims.

He would pray for their souls when this was done, even as he stained both himself and Yin.

But he would kill Sun Ken.

They found the village. They found the trail. She was strong. And he was prepared to give her the opening she needed.

His heavens-sent champion would not fail him.

He felt as if he had gotten his back crushed all over again. The people cheering. The laughter. How they said the Demon-Slaying Orchid had proved victorious.

What had he done? What had it all been for?!

Yin… Yin looked just as devastated, but she recovered quickly, turning to him.

Miantiao didn’t know.

All he could feel was the emptiness.

Emptiness, and shame as Yin looked at him with such eyes.

The rooster frowned at the story.

Bi De’s eyes narrowed.

Miantiao laughed bitterly.

Miantiao let out a sigh. It did feel good, to finally tell another.

The rooster stared, stunned.

He froze, as the wind shifted, and he tasted an all too familiar taste.

Oh no.

There was rustling.

How embarrassing, to do this with Bi De here. Really, she was such a difficult child. The rooster pondered them with dispassionate eyes.

That was preposterous—!

The rooster left them, departing the village.

Miantiao sighed, and stroked her head again, but his heart was disturbed.

The slayer of Sun Ken was here. Here. Perhaps… perhaps the heavens still were looking out for him.

The rabbit’s eyes narrowed, but she let him speak.

Yin was still not convinced of Shifu's wager, but she had accepted it anyway. Bi De was strong, from all she heard of Sun Ken, and she could believe that maybe, he was stronger.

How dare he make her think he wanted to die. How dare he decide that he was bad for her. Stupid snake! Bastard of Bastards!

They waited for the rooster in the dawn light. Shifu was still quiet, but he had his air back. He was quiet, controlled, and ready. Ready like she hadn’t seen him in months. She could barely wait!

The rooster was silent, observing them both.

Finally, Shifu spoke.

The rooster sighed, as Shifu uncoiled, and she got into her stance.

His Qi raised around him. The light of the moon, in the middle of the day.

Everything she had trained for. Each bruise. Each day. Each moment with Shifu.

Was it wrong to be happy in this moment, while her Master was so sad?

The sun was so warm on her back, as she thought back to the dance she had been taught.

[Armor of the Sun]

Golden armor formed around her body, its sections wreathed in fire.

[Daybreak Rays]

The Rooster’s eyes widened at her speed. Like the sun cresting the horizon, and fully blazing it’s light over the world, she moved. Yet she was not fast enough. A wing rose to meet her.

Yin’s eyes narrowed as she was stopped dead. The rooster let out a huff, and started to spin in a mad, whirling dance. His wings lashed out like swords, as she ducked and weaved around the strikes. They were sharp. Full of the intent to cut, and she had to spend her Qi more than she thought to avoid being split open.

Yet she was undeterred. She struck again, flowing into a series of blows as she ripped and tore at the rooster. She could do this. She would win, and then Shifu would stop being an idiot!

And yet… this was merely buying time. This was merely the first act. Her Master, after all, was not quite as criplpled as he seemed.

And the area which he had occupied was empty.

[Twisssted View]

The Rooster’s eyes narrowed, as he noticed something amiss.

The air around them distorted, like light seen through imperfect glass.

A strike snuck through, and gauntlets slammed into the rooster’s side.

Yet at the last moment, he dodged. With a pulse of Qi, Shifu’s technique shattered. The rooster raised an eyebrow.

[Split Faces of the Half Moon]

They struck as one. Yin backpedaled, throwing herself out of the way out of the whirling dances, wings slicing through the air in ways that confounded the eye, momentum building as each blow led into the last.

[Shardsss of the Ssshattered Urn]

The ground suddenly erupted into a pit of spikes, forcing the roosters to jump, and Yin took the opening.

Her legs smashed into the silver rooster, discharging with an eruption of fire.

Shifu started to suddenly strike from the ground, erupting upwards with snapping teeth, or a blast of razor-edged glass fragments.

Everything narrowed. It was just the two of them as they once more slew one of the rooster’s shades.

The image of Bi De blurred into some demonic thing, with a massive sword. Even as Bi De’s movements became faster and faster, whirling and twisting with a grimace on his face.

But it was getting harder to keep up. Shifu had made jokes about her limitless stamina, yet she was getting pressed. She was failing. Even as Shifu added his strength, she could see the resignation on his face, as he knew that this would end in failure.

No. It would not end in failure.

Yin took a breath. She took a breath as Shifu taught her.

To feed the growing flame within.

A wing snuck through, hammering into her side. Shifu was tossed away, as he tried to wrap up the rooster, and hinder his movements.

Another rooster shattered.

All that was left was battle. All that was left were her memories of the dance.

In this storm of violence, she was at peace. In her mind, she performed not the violence, but the dance of the sun. Shifu was always happy when they talked about that dance.

A kick slammed into his sinuous body, as he guided her out of the way of it, even as he bit down on a leg with fangs made of hardened glass.

An opening.

[Rising Dawn]

Like the sun, she rose, slamming into Bi De, and carrying him into the sky. He seemed surprised, but there was a measure of respect in his gaze.

And then, she was struck. She slammed back down to the earth. It hurt. It hurt so much, but she was on her feet immediately.

The rooster had stopped acting like Sun Ken.

[Light of the Full Moon]

Day turned to night, as darkness covered the sky around Bi De— he was pulling the light out of the air, redirecting it into the silver disk that formed behind him.

[Twisssted View]

The distortion formed in the air.

A shield of Glass, against the Light of the Moon.

They rose, on streams of fire, to meet the heavens.

The shield was not enough. Shifu threw his body in front of her. Scales burned, and yet the snake laughed.

They were through, even as Shifu fell back to earth.

[Solar Ring]

It was a lethal strike. Everything she had left was put behind it.

[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]

The light of the sun met the light of the moon.

Yin let loose one final yell of effort.

But she could not break through.

Yin fell, landing on her feet.

She pulled herself together, ready for another exchange… when the rooster held out a wing.

The fight paused, even as her blood boiled with heat.

Yin jolted, her head whipping around to stare at her Master. His body twitched and wiggled, burned, and injured, but still alive even after facing the attack..

Bi De shrugged.

Shifu, charred and smoking, stared up at the heavens, with tears in his eyes.

Her heart hurt, to see him so happy that he would have died killing Sun Ken.

The snake and rabbit shared glances. An invisible conversation happened.

Bi De stroked his wattles, as he beheld them. An earnest wish. He bowed his head, accepting their request, as he once accepted Sister Ri Zu’s request.