Sacred Protector

My name is Zhu Zi, and I am a bamboo… of a male variety? Does bamboo even have gender? I hope they do. I hope I meet a female bamboo one day and have a daughter bamboo as well as a son bamboo.

Zhu Zi… that's a Chinese-sounding name for sure. Unfortunately, I am not from China.

I was actually an American in my past life, and my name was Tristan Gale. But, it seems that the current world is closer to that of old china, so the man I keep talking about gave me this name.

Zhu Zi.

I heard Chinese names usually have meanings to them. I wonder what Zhu Zi means.

I hope its something awesome like 'Heavenly Fighter', or 'Demon Destroyer'. Or maybe something that describes how tall and handsome I am.

Or maybe a name that goes to show how brave and kind-hearted of a person I am.

Those were all the features I would say I had in my past life. Tall and handsome. Yes, I was definitely tall.

Now that I've died and reincarnated, I don't think I can show my handsome face anymore. How unfortunate.

At least, I am still tall. I could be taller if only that damn panda didn't keep on eating me. What the hell is, even so, tasty about me?

Ever since I got hit by a truck and got reincarnated here, I can feel the panda eating me every single day. I could have reached the sky by now if the panda hadn't eaten me every day.

Reincarnated after getting hit by a truck. That is what must have happened to me as well right? I mean, that's how everyone reincarnates, according to those stories I read.

Since I can't really remember, I am going to believe that I, Tristan… uhh no, Zhu Zi was hit by a truck and reincarnated here.

Sigh. I look around to see hundreds of other bamboos just like me. They are almost all bigger than me.

We don't grow in a clump, but rather in a forest with equal space between us all, but only I am the one that stands out because of how short I am.

Which makes me question even more… why did the panda not jump to the other trees in the surrounding and only keep on eating me.

Hoho, am I that tasty? Alright then, eat on. Not like it hurts me.

TOK TOK TOK

Hmm, what's that noise? I can hear something striking against something else in a uniform rhythm.

This… I think I know what this is. I started feeling fear again. This has happened to me one time from what I can remember. While I can't feel pain, the awkward feeling of not having your height is something incredibly bad.

Yes, the woodcutters are here, even at the night.

"Did you see that? They are here because you made so much noise while breaking through 3 days ago," I shouted at the panda. Or at least I think I did? I tried.

I don't have a mouth, so my voice likely never reached it. Still, I can hear the panda groan up there. I wonder if it heard me somehow.

Dammit, not that it would help me. Those men are coming to cut me most likely. That panda made a lot of noise, and these men will once again make me short.

I don't like being short. I've been short all my l— I mean, I'm so used to being tall that I don't like it when I get short. It feels weird.

3 men of similar thin and lean shapes appear not far from me. One of the held an axe in his hand, and another one held a sickle.

The last one held a torch that was already lit, lighting the surrounding bamboos in bright orange color.

Ahh… I hope that man doesn't bring the fire here. My plant-like instinct is telling me that fire is a bad idea.

Brother please, I'm a bamboo. I'm scared of fire you know.

TOK

I can feel my non-existing heart sink to the bottom with fear when the first man hit the bamboo about 3 bamboos over.

I can see their faces so clearly now, their vicious-looking eyes, eying my thin and light body. I can't even think of what horrifying things they will do to me when they get to me.

After finishing the bamboos in the area, the men walk up to me. I start getting more scared.

"Hey now, don't do anything stupid now, okay?" I say, but I don't think they can hear me really.

"Oi Panda! Come down and help me. Just jump on them with your fat body. I'm sure you will crush all 3 of them at once if you do so."

Yeah, the panda is not listening to me. Today is the day I… get short. I won't die. At least, not by simply being cut, no.

If they burn me? That should do it. If they pull me out of the ground… that would also maybe do it.

But cutting me, definitely not. Now that I think about it, getting cut won't really hurt me at all.

Instead, it will help. It will help me get this damn panda off of me. Yes. Come and cut me. My body is ready.

The men moded towards me with their weapons ready. Here it comes. I am about to get cut. I know. But I'm sure it won't hurt, so I'm fine.

Come. Cut me. And get this damn panda off of me.

The men finally got close to me and suddenly… threw away their weapons before bowing down to me.

"What?" I can't help but say out loud. This is not what I was expecting. I was expecting them to cut me. Why are they prostrating before me?

"Juniors greet Sacred Protector!" the men shouted.

Huh? What was that? A Sacred Protector? That sounds like someone who protects others. But my are they prostrating before me.

GASP! No way. Am I their Sacred Protector?