The Last Victory

15. Visitors from the North

With quiet, heavy footsteps, Mr. Ping climbed up the stairs. But the roof room was boarded up. Timidly, he knocked on it.
"Po? Po-oo-o." But nobody answered. "Say something at least."
"Go away," came a muffled voice from behind the barricade, which caused Mr. Ping to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I made your favorite food for you."
"I'm not hungry," Po repelled.
Disappointed, Mr. Ping left again. When he went into the kitchen, his friends were entering the room.
"How is he?" Tigress asked.
Mr. Ping sighed. "Since he came back, he has locked himself in his room. I just can't get through to him. He doesn't eat anything, he doesn't speak. I don't know what else to do!"
"Maybe we should cheer him up a bit," Monkey suggested.
"And with what?" Crane asked.
"Oh, excuse me." In surprise, everyone turned to a pig that had come through the kitchen door. "But do these people belong to you?"
The pig pointed to the entrance of the restaurant. Everyone looked out of the window. Their mouths stayed open.
The gate and terrace were full of oxen. They wore thick skins and looked heavily armed. The five thought of a robbery and took a cautious fighting stance. But at the next moment, someone pushed his way through all the oxen.
"Did you find him or what?" The ox who appeared was covered with the most fur and seemed to be the leader of this army.
"King Wang?" Mr. Ping was so surprised that he simply jumped out through the kitchen window onto the terrace.
"Ah, not seen for over a year," Wang greeted him.
Mr. Ping bowed respectfully to the Hun King. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
King Wang scratched his head. "Well, that's a difficult thing... Where is the Dragon Warrior? I have to talk to him."
"Oh, he's right now..." Mr. Ping didn't know how to say it. "He's a little indisposed at the moment. He has to come to terms with something."

It was pitch dark in Po's room. He even locked the window. The panda was lying on his bed and didn't want to see anyone. His thoughts were so far away that he didn't even notice that someone was climbing up the wall outside and was tampering with the window. Suddenly, the window was pushed open and something heavy landed on the floor of the room.
Po was so scared that he screamed. In the end, both of them screamed. Then the panda realized that he was a kung fu fighter after all. Out of reflex he reached out and struck. The shadow in front of him fell against the wall, knocking over a few shelves.
Still excited, Po stood on his bed while the tall person in front of him straightened up. "Is that a Chinese kung fu rite?"
Po paused in surprise. "King Wang?"
"Dragon Warrior." Wang got up with difficulty, while Po had to sort his thoughts first. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I've come all the way to discuss an important matter."
"Really?" At that moment, Po's stomach spoke up. "Uh, maybe we should discuss that while dinner."

The others raised their heads when there was a loud crack above them. At the next moment, the wooden boards were torn from the attic and Po ran down the stairs. Closely followed by Wang.
His friends looked at him in surprise. "Po?"
"Hey guys! This is King Wang. He was there when Shen and I went to the castle..." He paused. Only now he seemed to realize what he said and immediately afterwards he put on a sad face again.
"What happened?" The king of the Huns asked.
Sadly, Po stroked the floor with his foot. "Oh, that's a screwed up, tricky story."

"Here you are, Po." With a warm smile, Mr. Ping placed a bowl on the table for his son. "You're just skin and bones." Then he turned to the soldiers. "My goodness, I've never had so many customers in one day."
Po sighed deeply. "Well, that's how it was." He stirred the bowl listlessly. He sat at a table with his friends and Wang while telling his story of suffering in Yin Yan.
"This is really very unfortunate," Wang said sympathetically.
"Yes, if we knew who did that at least." With that, the panda took the bowl and emptied it, while Monkey patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.
"But why are you here?" Mantis wanted to know from Wang.
"Oh yes!" Now it seemed to come back to Wang. "Xiang has broken out."
Po almost choked on the soup. "What?!"
"Along with a few of his manipulated soldiers. And the worst is," Wang continued, banging his fist on the table. "We heard about his escape a few weeks ago, and worse, he had broken out many months ago and nobody had noticed it."
"And now you are here because you suspect that he... Wait a minute." Po thought for a moment. "Why did you come here?"
King Wang smiled sheepishly. "Well, he was not found in his city. And Yin Yan is a corner further away than the Valley of Peace, and I wanted to make a little detour along the way. I also always wanted to see the place where the Dragon Warrior was born."
Po cleared his throat. "Well, actually I wasn't born here, just grew up. But what if Xiang could target Shen?"
"Don't worry," Wang waved with his hoof. "I've already sent a flight messenger to take a look. And besides, I have the feeling that I might even need the Dragon Warrior's help."
At that moment, like right on cue, an eagle landed on the roof of the restaurant.
"King Wang," he greeted.
"Wing-Xing?" Wang seemed to be surprised. "Back so soon?"
The eagle bowed. "I had to hurry because I have nothing good to say. The city, where you sent me, was attacked."
Everyone jumped up. "I beg your pardon?"
"What happened?" Wang wanted to know while Wing-Xing continued with his report. "Well, from what I've heard, it was through Xiang and his army."
Po sank on the chair, but immediately he jumped up again. "What about Shen and his family?!"
The eagle folded its wings. "He kidnapped some of them, and as far as I found out, Shen is after them."
Now Po was only interested in one question. "Where?"
"To a town named Gongmen City."