The Mayor of the Valley of Peace

9. Deleted Scene: Master Shen vs. Tai Lung

9. Deleted Scene: Master Shen vs. Tai Lung
(after Po realized what the empty scroll means)

Location: Outside of the village

The caravan of the villagers moved mournfully across the fields of their homeland. An unpleasant wind was blowing and the sky was also darkening, as if it wanted to cause a disaster.
By now the Furious Five had notified all the farmers and were making their way to a safe place. Crane flew ahead of them with a lantern in his talons. Tigress stayed further back and made sure that no one was lost during the hike. But then she heard an excited voice behind her.
"Has anyone seen the mayor?!"
In surprise, Tigress turned and saw Mr. Wugu pacing excitedly. When he saw the female warrior, he immediately ran towards her. "Have you seen Master Shen?"
"Isn't he with you?" Tigress asked in confusion.
Mr. Wugu sighed. "I was hoping he would be with you. He is nowhere to be found. All I know is that his lance sword is gone and a couple of his weapons are missing from his wagon."

Location: On the outskirts of the village

Lightning flashed over the village. But that couldn't frighten the white master. As solid as a rock, the white peacock stood in front of the entrance to the village, his lance sword in his right wing, and stared straight ahead.
He only showed a movement on his face when he noticed a movement on the horizon. A shadow that stormed the village at breakneck speed formed itself more and more into a shape that the peacock still had in gloomy memory.
He blinked hard. Pictures from the past reappeared before him. But he managed to dispel them before the snow leopard came to a standstill shortly before the outskirts.
Peacock and leopard stared at each other with piercing eyes.
Then the leopard rose from his four-legged position and stood on his hind legs.
"Where's the Dragon Warrior?" the leopard growled with a smile on his face. "Is he hiding behind you?"
Master Shen took a deep breath. "If you want to walk through this village, you have to pass me first."
Tai Lung shrugged an eyebrow dismissively. "Oh really? Fine. If you feel able to do so."
But that was not a comment out of concern, but rather out of mockery and derision.
The white master felt the pain in his leg again, but he ignored it as best he could and held his sword in attack position.
In the next second, Tai Lung lunged at him. Master Shen swung himself into the air on his lance sword, avoiding the leopard's attack. But Tai Lung knew the master's approach in battle and pushed the lance, on which the master was leaning, aside with full force. Using the leopard's thrust, Shen swung his wings in the air and sailed briefly over the ground. In a lightning-fast turn, he returned and caught his sword again.
Tai Lung had stopped and laughed. "Not bad for someone who can barely stand on his own feet," he scoffed.
Master Shen gasped heavily when he finally got back on his feet. He hadn't used so much strength in 20 years. But this cheerful situation only lasted a few seconds. Immediately, the leopard raced towards the peacock again. The master threw a couple of knives at him that he had hidden under his plumage. But Tai Lung dodged them skillfully, with incredible speed. He even managed to deflect two of the sharp projectiles and fired them back at the peacock. The peacock whirled his sword like a wheel in a circle to protect himself from the incoming missiles. The knives ricocheted off the sword, but the leopard seized the seconds of the distraction and raced on towards him.
Again the peacock swung away on the sword. He held his lance sword in one foot as he flapped his wings vigorously and rose into the air. A few meters in the air, he plunged himself down again. With his sword ahead.
But in the same millisecond, Tai Lung jumped to the side, used a wall as a vertical springboard and threw himself horizontally against the peacock at a slight incline, so that he hit him hard from the side instead of from below. This blow stunned the master for a short time, but immediately he found his balance again. When the leopard launched another attack on him, he swung a rope out of his robe and managed to wrap it around the leopard's arms. But he didn't let go of the rope fast enough. Just a millisecond too late and the leopard pulled the rope. Hurled by the pulling force, the peacock flew uncontrollably towards the leopard. With the last of his strength, the peacock tried to protect himself from the impending collision by holding his sword in front of him.
But Tai Lung knocked it aside. He barely touched the metal surface of the dangerous instrument, and this gave him space for his aim. Mercilessly, he hit the white master's leg.
With a cry of pain, the peacock slammed to the ground and lay there, breathing heavily.
With satisfaction, Tai Lung looked at his opponent lying on the ground, who was writhing in pain on the floor.
"I have to admit, you haven't lost your fighting spirit," Tai Lung remarked appreciatively.
With difficulty and trembling, the peacock stood up again and pierced the leopard with evil eyes.
"If you want to go through this village," he gasped. "Then you have to kill me first!"
Tai Lung let out a dark growl. With one skillful leap, he threw himself at the peacock. The master tried to fend him off with blows, but the leopard was extremely stronger than him. The leopard brutally grabbed the white peacock by the neck and pressed him on the stone pavement.
"If it is your dearest wish," Tai Lung snapped spitefully. "Then I don't want to stand in the way of your will."
In vain, Master Shen tried to free his neck from the leopard's pressing paws. When that didn't work, he grabbed a dagger to injure his opponent to such an extent that he could no longer fight.
But Tai Lung noticed the dagger immediately in the next light flash of the thunderstorm. With a menacing growl, he grabbed it and split it in two.
But before he could strike the next blow, a blow hit him on the head, which threw him to the side. This attack came so unexpectedly for the leopard that he was unable to counterattack in the short term. But he immediately got back on his feet and in the next moment a tigress hissed at him.
Both big cats faced each other in a warlike manner.
"Wasn't that enough for you?" Tai Lung growled in annoyance. "Just as well. I still have enough time for a game with children."
But Tigress wasn't looking for a fight. She jumped over him and ran away. In surprise, the leopard looked after her. But then it dawned on him. Angrily, he watched how the other five of the Furious Five had taken the opportunity to get the peacock out of harm's way.
Tai Lung stared after those who ran away, hissing and furious.
"Cowards," he cursed. But then he shrugged. "All right. I'm looking for a more venerable opponent."
His gaze wandered up to the Jade Palace on the mountain, which looked at him in the thunderstorm like a gesture of welcome.

"Are you all right, Master Shen?" Monkey asked in worry. The peacock was completely exhausted from the fight.
"Tai Lung has to... be stopped...," the master gasped with difficulty.
Tigress looked down at him pityingly. Then she leaned down to him. "Master Shifu will compete against him."
Master Shen looked up in shock. "He won't survive that!"
Tigress lowered her gaze. "It was his decision." She stood up. "Come on. We have to get away from here."
"We'll help you," Monkey offered with Crane and together they helped the peacock to get up.
"Oogway," thought the peacock in silence. "How could you be so wrong?"