Transcript
The Tales of Wudan
Original Stories
written by Andrew Tate, to pass on the lessons bestowed upon him by his father.
Master Poe.
The Story of the Jade Tiger
Thank you.
During my training atop Wudan, I heard whispers about the story of the Jade Tiger.
A story reserved for graduation of Wudan.
After 500 years of training, after 500 years of absolute obedience,
Poe himself would sit and recite the story for the worthy adepts.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I had once witnessed it from afar.
the mannerisms, the hand movements,
It would take one full day from sunrise to sunset.
The Jade Tiger contained the final lessons needed to make a mark upon the world.
The final study and instruction,
to be indestructible.
as was Poe himself.
the finishing education for a fully formed Wudan adept.
to begin a new life as a master.
The story was sacred.
and Master Po himself was the only person who knew it.
the other masters in the temple.
who once enjoyed a rendition.
had been commanded to forget the story of the Jade Tiger near instantly once it was told.
The lessons remained.
But as was their absolute obedience to Poe,
They had wiped the story itself from their memory.
It completed them.
yet they no longer knew it.
They could not tell it.
Only Master Poe could tell it.
in the coldest, darkest nights.
The wonder of what could possibly be told in the story of the Jade Tiger.
kept me warm.
Considering the harsh lessons, Master Poe,
would show to us
I found it interesting that the final,
and most difficult lessons
would be told
in a story.
over many hundreds of years,
Rumors of the power of the Jade Tiger leaked outside of the temple.
People of the town spoke of it.
The 500 years of work was uninteresting to them.
But the story... Many a drunken bandit dreamed of skipping the lifetime of dedication.
as a Wudan adept.
but to hear the story and gain Poe's powers.
Bravery and groups go hand in hand.
And one day a group of 100 heavily armed bandits arrived at Wudan gates.
as us adepts swept the courtyard.
Po calmly walked out to confront them.
Alone.
"Tell us the story of the Jade Tiger," they commanded.
The 100 bandits roared and waved their swords in the air.
A threat.
Thank you.
With his head perfectly still, Poe's eyes moved slowly from left to right.
considering the effort required to kill all single-handedly.
Then, he smiled.
Very well. It's been a while since I've enjoyed it myself.
Please.
Take a seat.
The bandits were surprised and relieved, as they expected a fight. But Poe was known as a man who does not lie.
and is too honorable to trick an opponent into a state of unreadiness.
Thank you.
The bandits sat cross-legged,
and like excited children, gave their full attention.
They were about to learn the secrets of Wu Don. And true to his word, Po began his rendition of the Jade Tiger.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We swept the already spotless floor from sunrise to sunset.
afraid to stop without Poe's command.
and watched in awe as he told 100 unworthy bandits,
Wudan's greatest secret.
I was angry. I couldn't believe it. What am I training for?
I swept the floor and stared into the field watching Poe's rendition. I could see the mannerisms.
the hand movements. As with every time before, exactly as the sun set, Po bowed. The story had been told. The secret had been told. I watched as the bandits stood up,
and began muttering,
trying to identify the lessons and what they had just heard.
scratching their heads.
confused, disappointed.
The crowd slowly grew louder and more angry.
Poe had not moved. Eventually a burly bandit drew his sword and pointed it at Poe's neck.
That story was Wudong's greatest secret?
I didn't learn anything!
I didn't feel anything.
You tricked us!
Tell us the real story!
Poe.
Unwavering with the blade against his throat, calmly replied, "I
I do not lie.
I told you the legend of the Jade Tiger.
The bandit scowled and pressed the sword's tip deeper into Poe's neck.
Why do Wudan adepts enslave themselves for 500 years to hear that?
Maybe I blinked at exactly the wrong time.
Or perhaps I was a little too far away to see Poe's arms move.
Although it seemed as if he remained perfectly still, I heard an audible gasp from the still-sitting bandits.
The burly bandit's sword was broken clean in two.
as he collapsed into a lifeless pile on the field.
in a final gracious act to an undeserving heathen,
Poe decided to answer his question.
Poe slowly...
leaned down and whispered in the ear of the corpse.
so they can understand
Such is the way of Wudan.