Mark of the Multiversal Pretender

A few hours before Shifu meets with Leo, the former escorts his students back to the Jade Palace.

"I don't want this happening again. Return to your respective rooms and await your punishments tomorrow." Master Shifu strictly said, making the Furious Five bow their heads down and respond in unison.

"Yes, Master!"

While the Furious Five were retreating back to their rooms, Master Shifu then called out to his favourite student, Tigress.

"Tigress."

"Yes, Master?" Tigress gulped her saliva down hard and faced her master again.

"I'm disappointed in you. It looks to me like Monkey and Mantis are influencing you to learn to lie to your master." As Master Shifu finished his sentence, Tigress turned downcast.

Master Shifu spoke no more and watched Tigress's departing back.

[Shifu.]

"Master?" Master Shifu was stunned at first upon hearing his master's voice in his head before recovering.

"Is there something you need, master?" Master Shifu then respectfully replied.

[Come to the usual spot. I have something to talk to you about.]

"Yes, Master! I'm on my way!" Without hesitation, Master Shifu disappeared from his position. His figure blurred across several corners and turns, even passing by several duck guards that were on night duty.

*Swooosh!*

"....Did you feel that?" One of the duck guards asked his fellow guards.

"Just a gust of wind, newbie. Nothing to feel tense about. It usually occurs around here sometimes at night."

"I-I see. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Anyways, where were we? Oh right, tell me more about that female duck you met this morning, you said you she was a beast in what again?"

***

"Master! I have arrived!" Master Shifu was breathing heavily as he called out to his master.

Beside the huge peach tree, a shell of a turtle was sitting on a small stick standing on the ground, seemingly balanced and almost defying science.

"What do you need from me, Master?" Master Shifu bowed his head and asked with respect in his tone.

"I heard about what your students did." Master Oogway then slowly revealed his limbs and finally his head, which turns out he was upside down on the stick.

"Of course, Master. I'll punish them severely for what they did. Leaving the premises of the Jade Palace and going off on their own is against our rules." Master Shifu silently cursed his students for not only defying his rules but also for causing him trouble.

"I'm not talking about what they did, I'm talking about who they met in that noodle shop." Master Oogway calmly spoke, like a breeze in a calm sea.

"Who they met? Master, are you talking about that waiter?" Master Shifu confusedly asked. Not knowing what was going on inside his master's mind.

"Yes, that 'waiter'. Maybe you should go down and meet him." Although Master Oogway's words were very simple and direct, Master Shifu can sense a hidden meaning inside.

"Are you suggesting.....I apologize to that waiter on my student's behalf?" Master Shifu seemed hesitant, his pride not letting him apologize to a simple waiter. As a great master known throughout china, he has a reputation to keep and apologizing to a nobody might destroy his reputation.

"I didn't say that. It's your words, not mine. You can go now, Shifu." Master Oogway chuckled, before turning around after stating his last sentence.

"I...." As much as Master Shifu wanted to refute him and say something, but unfortunately, Master Oogway went back to his usual meditating posture.

"....I'll do what you ask, Master. Just because you said so." Although Master Shifu has agreed to apologize but in order to soothe his prideful heart, he decided to put it on Master Oogway telling him to do it out of his respect towards him.

"Oh I'm sure you will, Shifu." Master Oogway replied, maintaining the calm smile on his face.

***

"Here's your noodles." Snapped out of his stupor, Master Shifu was hit with a hot steam coming out from the bowl in front of him.

"Thank you...." Master Shifu then proceeded to scoop a soup from the noodles and take a sip.

'This....tastes good. I guess they're not lying after all.' Master Shifu chuckled to himself and continued eating his noodles.

After Master Shifu finished his bowl of noodles, he sighed in relief. He never expected to eat such a good meal in a small part of the Valley.

"The noodles were good. Thank you for the meal."

Standing in front of him were Leo and Mr. Ping, who were both having smiles on their faces.

"Thank you, Master Shifu. Now that'll be 25 taels." Just as Mr. Ping expressed his gratitude for Master Shifu's praise, his next words stunned not only Master Shifu but also Leo.

"I'm sorry, what?" Master Shifu cleaned his large ears and asked for a repeat. As a great Master known throughout china, almost everyone in the Valley worships him and thanks him for protecting the Valley of Peace. Hence, he never experienced paying for something as the citizens of the Valley would always give him what they're selling without any cost.

So how come the noodle shop owner in front of him would ask for payment?

"I said, that will be 25 taels. Oh! Your students also didn't pay for their meal earlier, I would also like to add that, so it'll be 150 taels overall." Mr. Ping, oblivious to Master Shifu's intentions, repeated the words without any word.

Even Leo was holding back his laugh upon seeing the flabbergasted look on Master Shifu's face, his left eye even twitching a little bit from time to time.

"....Here." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Master Shifu robotically snatched 150 taels somewhere inside his long loose sleeves before placing it on the table, soon after that, he didn't say anything anymore and turned around to walk out of the noodle shop.

"Thank you very much, customer! Please visit us again!" Waving his feathered arms, Mr. Ping watched the back of Master Shifu until he blended in with the darkness of the street.

"....uhh Mr. Ping?" Leo, who was beside him spoke with uncertainty.

"Yes, Leo?" Mr. Ping responded without looking back at him.

"You know we just served the great Master Shifu our noodles, right?"

"Yes, yes we have. Isn't that great?" Mr. Ping's expression turned into excitement.

"I don't think it's that great anymore since you asked him to pay for his meal." Leo scratched his cheek with a wry smile. He wanted to break this duck's head and take a look at his brain.

"Isn't that a normal thing to do after eating in our noodle shop? Just go and close the shop, Leo. I'll finish washing the dishes." Without waiting for Leo's response, Mr. Ping was already marching back to the kitchen, leaving a bewildered but amazed Leo alone outside.

'I'm not gonna lie but I think Mr. Ping can be a cool goose sometimes.' Leo remarked inside his mind before shaking his head.

'I better close the front gate before any more customers walk in.'

***

Standing on a tree branch, Master Shifu's face was twitching upon hearing their conversation.

Why does it feel like his status as a great master is equal to nothing in front of that noodle shop owner?

'It doesn't matter. At least I achieved what Master Oogway asked me to do here.' Master Shifu sighed in defeat before flashing away from his position.

A few seconds later, he was back in his personal quarters.

As Master Shifu was preparing to meditate, his meeting with Leo flashed by in his head.

When he said that he said that he owed him one earlier, he was expecting for an autograph or something in return however, he never expected that Leo would ask him to train him in the wag of Kung Fu.

***

"What?"

"I said. I hope you can train me in Kung Fu. I love Kung Fu, you know?" Leo then imitated a Kung Fu stance and started punching the air, much to Master Shifu's unimpressed expression.

"I know. Everyone loves Kung Fu, sorry I didn't get your name."

"Leo....just Leo." Leo was about to introduce his full name but knowing his last name, he decided against it.

His surname is really weird and he's thinking of changing it if he has the chance. After all, who would want to have Skinwalker as their surname?

"Well, Leo. I'm sorry to tell you this but I don't think you're suited to become a Kung Fu Master." Dropping these words, Leo was a bit heartbroken but still insisted.

"I just asked you to guide me in Kung Fu. It doesn't have to turn me into a Kung Fu Master." Leo embarrassingly repeated, he felt as if Master Shifu's words were critizicing his potential in Kung Fu.

'So Kung Fu Masters aren't all that almighty when it comes to seeing 'potentials' in people like those cultivators in Chinese novels.' Leo made a note to himself.

"....If so, then that's fine. But don't blame me when you feel like dying in training. I don't show mercy to anyone when it comes to training." Master Shifu strictly said with stern eyes.

"I understand." Leo seriously nodded his head, matching the level of Master Shifu's attitude.

"Good. Then meet me in the Jade Palace by tomorrow morning." Master Shifu continued.

And just like that, Leo was about to finish another Quest and if possible, a secret Quest.

Only bountiful rewards await him tomorrow morning.

'It's not that hard, right? I mean, I watched the movies and saw how he trained Po. It wasn't that hard from what it looks.' Unknown to Leo, he is bound to experience more than just training tomorrow.

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[Next Chapter: Ch. 13 - The Great Pretender's road to Kung Fu]