43 The audacity of the weak

[Tai Lung's POV]

I have lived two lives and I was already more than 40 years old in just one of my lives. So you could imagine, the amounts of idiots and stupid people I have come across.

Yet I have never seen such an idiot like the Rhino in front of me.

'Who the fuck comes out of the hospital bed to attack the same person who put them on said hospital bed? That too only after 2 days.'

"Master Rhino." I said, my voice barely held together by a single string of calm and understanding.

To be attacked on the back by someone I respected and acknowledged was something I would normally never tolerate. But since the guy was full of badges and wore a gown that showed he ran here from bed without even preparing for a fight, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

He had no chance of defeating me - even though that was also true if he was in perfect condition - so I could understand why he wanted to take every advantage he could get no matter how cowardly.

"Was the beating I gave you two days ago not enough? What is the meaning of this?" I asked him in a deep threatening voice. The last part came out more like a growl than words.

"I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT!!!?? " Rhinos yelled out, loud and angry "What is the meaning of this!! I thought you came in peace and only wanted a duel!!"

"I might not be able to fight right now but I will not take this kind of disrespect lying down Tai Lung!!!" Master Rhino said and blew out steam from his nose. His eyes were red with unattended anger.

"To have my subjects come crying helpless!! ATTACKED by the same person I told them was not a mindless evil villain. To have the person I ALLOWED into my city and WELCOMED as a guest, backstab me while I am unable to protect my people." He roared in rage.

I grit my teeth and reeled in my anger so that I could think things through calmly. Two fires will never make anything but destruction so I had to be the calm one here.

The place Lord Shen used as his hideout was the farm of a noble house Wi of Gongmen city. The wolf I asked about could not finish answering me but from what I heard, it seemed the Wi noble house was supporting Shen.

That means technically, I was attacking the land of the Wi clan. I was attacking his subjects like he said, I was in the wrong.

Damn it they set me up. Or should I say I set myself up?

And the Wi family will probably never admit that they were helping Shen, the banished prince. They must've alerted Master Rhino the moment I attacked and told him that I was destroying their land.

"You have crossed the line, Tai Lung!! Your own strength has deluded you and stripped you of all your dignity." Master Rhino spat out angrily, "You BETRAYED me?!!!"

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"Master Oogway was right about you."

There were a few things that can anger me at this point in my life. I have achieved inner peace and I have accepted myself as I am. But that did not mean I was immune to anger and frustration.

The truth is, I have emotions and feelings too.

What was it that he said, I betrayed him?

"What fucking line did I cross!!!" I yelled back at him, baring my fangs. Who the hell does he think he is?

Allowed me in his city? Welcomed me as a guest? Did he really think he was doing a good thing and being generous when he did these things?

Does he really feel betrayed that after showing me all this goodwill, I attacked his lands?

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The audacity.

What goodwill?

He acts like he had a choice!!

"You weakling!!" I called him out just as he was. How could he act like he was doing good and being kind when he was so weak?!

The truth is, to be good and kind requires strength

If I went to his city and he decided that he did not want to allow me in his city, can he really stop me?

If he did not welcome me as a guest and asked me to leave, can he bear my anger and make me leave?

He can't. Because he is weak and I am strong.

So he did not have a choice in the matter. He allowed me into his city and he welcomed me as a guest because he had no choice, not because he was good or being kind. He was just weak.

If he was stronger than me. If he could stop me from entering his city and if he could bear my anger and force me to leave easily without any real lost on his part.

Then that will be goodwill. That will be being kind.

The weak cannot be kind to the strong.

It takes strength to be good.

"I did not cross any line and I did not get any goodwill from you, Rhino. Because you are weak, don't think being weak is the same as being good." I said.

And what was this about, being welcomed into the city and being allowed? Even if he truly did it out of his own free will, his words were just words.

How the citizen treats me and how they act towards me could not have been further from his claims. I could literally feel how I was unwanted and how I was rejected while I stayed there.

He told his subjects to nit worry about me and that I was not an evil villain? How nice if him but it was POINTLESS!! His words were nothing but hot air and vibration.

And to come here, speaking all of this crap to me and even dare to say Oogway was right about me?

'I'll show him' I made a promise in my heart.

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Now one might wonder, if he was weak and he had no choice but to welcome me into the city, how did he dare to come at me now?

Isn't he weak? Shouldn't he be acting kind and forgive me if you are so strong?

The answer lies in the people that were already surrounding me. My senses were dulled at the moment but I could still feel them. They stuck out like a sore thumb.

Their intention was clear, they wanted to take me down.

Then they finally revealed themselves. Master Ox, Master Croc, Master Elephant, Master Gazelle and there were two new members too.

The reason why he dared came to me now was because his subordinates from the Kung Fu Council had finally came to the city. When he thought he had enough people to take me down, that's when his kindness and goodwill ended.

'I hate the weak.'

The two new members were, Master Lizard and the so-called Monkey King, Master Sage.

"You think you all can take me down!!" I yelled and looked at each and every one of them in the eyes.

"Don't you want to check the ruin first? See if there are remains of a weapon, or if the unconscious soldiers were working under someone else? Do you not want to hear my explanation first?" I asked them.

"You can explain yourself in the supreme court of Gongmen City." Monkey King, the sage of the West said to me. He was probably the strongest enemy right now.

I know him, I have fought him and defeated him in the past before. But he was younger than anyone else I fought against and had great potential. It seemed he was in his prime right now and full of strength.

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"So be it!" I said and lowered my body in a stance. I entered inner peace as I felt my mind calm down and my anger receded. I finally had a clear mind again, sharper than ever before and it was ready to fight.

My emotions were controlled now but my intent was still strong. So I let my intent flow out as my will be pressed down on everyone surrounding me.

It was not conquerors Haki but it was close.

Their body tensed up and I started growling at them. My deep voice reverberated out in a threatening vibration that strike fear to those who hear it.

They feel it. They were weak and I was strong.

None of them were predators. They were all prey.

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"Come." I declared like the superior I was. To call someone to attack was done by teachers to their students or seniors to their juniors.

It means that since they were so much stronger, they allowed the weaker to attack first.

I did the same.

"Arrogant like always." Monkey King said and they all charged at me.

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[Plenty of images of the masters!! Must see]

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