The Last Victory

16. On Shaky Ground

Gongmen City had been slow to recover from all the damage. Everything, except the Palace of Flames, was back to normal. Yet the palace had not been abandoned. The first few floors have been already back, if only half-finished. But the scaffolding was by no means habitable, which is why the kung fu masters, Master Storming Ox and Master Croc, preferred to move into the quarters next to the palace. Only now and then, they passed the large forecourt, where a big statue of Master Thundering Rhino adorned the square. Like this afternoon.
"Do you want to look at the statue all day?" Master Croc asked.
Master Ox snorted. "If I could throw someone into the Realm of Spirit with that, then yes."
His colleague sighed deeply. "You just can't forgive him."
"Can you do that?!" Master Ox snapped at him.
The crocodile ducked his head. "No, of course not. But with that, we can bring him back either."
With a snort, Master Ox turned away and looked up at the statue again. Master Croc was getting bored and turned to leave. "Well. I'll be in the quarter if you need me..."
He stopped abruptly. At first, he thought he was hallucinating and rubbed and screwed up his eyes several times. But what he saw at the entrance to the stairs, across the square took his breath almost away. Still gasping for air, he tapped Master Ox on the back.
Master Ox grunted angrily. "Bloody hell! If you want to go, then go!"
"But, but... but... but..."
Gradually, Master Ox was getting on the nerves of his friend's stuttering. "What is it?"
"There, there... over there."
Finally, the ox turned while the crocodile only pointed forward.
And now he noticed it, too. "What the...?"
On the stairs stood a figure, which was too familiar with them. However, something was different about her.
"Is that... or isn't he?" Master Croc stammered, still very confused.
"It's just a trick!"
Before Master Croc could stop him, Master Ox grabbed a large stone that was being used to rebuild the palace and hurled it at the figure who stood still a long way away from them. But the figure reacted with lightning speed.
With a grace, the peacock deflected the stony missile and hurled it back at the two kung fu masters. Both ducked their heads and the stone crashed into a part of the palace's scaffolding, which collapsed with a crash. They stared at the mishap with open mouths. Fortunately, nobody was working on the construction site at the moment.
Their eyes wandered back to the blue peacock, who was crouched and lurked with one wing on the ground. "Not very a nice way to show your hospitality."
From the voice, Master Ox could only guess that it wasn't Shen, which Master Croc only confirmed.
"It doesn't seem to be him. And I thought, he had colored himself."
"How did you go past the guards?" Master Ox snapped at the strange peacock. He didn't care what the intruder wanted, but he wasn't out of sorts with peacocks anyway.
"Who?" the blue peacock asked and got up. "Oh, them. They are taking a lunch break, I think. But you have a very rude behavior." He straightened his robe. "But whatever."
Then he continued to walk slowly towards the two masters. "I'm a little pushed for time, which is why I would like to ask you to surrender immediately and leave the city to me."
Master Ox thought he was not hearing right. "What shall we?!"
Master Croc was confused by this request. "Does that happen to us with every peacock that comes to us?"
But Master Ox turned into a raging bull and only showed his fist. "Make yourself scarce, or we will pluck your feathers!"
The blue peacock twisted his beak mockingly. "Tz, such a rude behavior, that would be too unworthy even for a garbage man."
The ox rushed angrily at him, but the blue peacock Xiang dodged him again and again skillfully and even fended him off.
"If I were you, I'd better surrender," Xiang demanded in a moment of standstill.
But Master Ox struck at him, the peacock evaded his blow, which elicited an angry hiss from the peacock.
"Tz, as you will."
He raised the wing. Only a few seconds passed. Suddenly, an explosion shook the air. The eyes of the two masters wandered into the distance, where houses collapsed in a cloud of smoke on the outermost edge of the city. A shout rose among the animals who were living there.
"As you can see," Xiang commented without regret. "I have already made preparations."
Master Ox and Master Croc watched in disbelief as Xiang stood in front of them as if nothing had happened.
"Your city is on shaky ground," the peacock scoffed. "My people have spent all the weeks putting gunpowder in the city. Everything below the city is covered with explosive powder."
The color in Master Croc's drained and he stared at the floor below, causing Xiang to smile coldly. "With every resistance I release another bomb. If you give in, I'll give the city enough time to evacuate and, maybe, I'll let you go."
Both looked at him speechless. Master Ox with more anger, Master Croc was shocked. Finally, they gave in.
A wicked, confident smile played over Xiang's beak. "Fine, I see we understand each other."
He gave another sign. But this time for his soldiers who had waited behind the walls and surrounded the masters.
"Take them away!" Xiang ordered coldly. "If they refuse or want to flee, don't hesitate to blow up the second blasting charge. And I don't care how many people live there."
Obediently, the black-clad oxen did what the peacock asked, while Guo placed himself next to Xiang. "It was easier than I thought."
The blue peacock smiled. "And it gets even easier. Now we just have to wait until the main guest arrives. Then we will give him a fitting reception."