Found You

That old man… I can see streaks of gray hair on his head. His beard is all but white. His face is wrinkled now, nothing like what it had been all those years ago.

Has he really done just this for the past many years? I can see the bamboo flutes beneath him. I don't remember seeing him enter the forest in the past few years. He must have gotten the bamboo from somewhere else.

You bastard! Don't you dare touch this old man. My anger rages once more at the thought of what this man had done to the young man that owned me.

He might not have been the best human being around here, but getting cut like that just for owning me, that young man definitely didn't deserve it.

I seethe with anger, but this man can't tell at all, can he? How could he? I'm just a flute, a piece of bamboo that has no capabilities of his own.

I'm just a damn piece of wood that can think.

"What did you say, sir?" the old man asks again. I can see him straining to look at this man's face. Has his eyesight gone bad already? Just how old has he become?

"Did you lose your hearing already, you old man? Or have you gone senile?" the man asked.

The old man in front of me is startled a little bit. "Sir, why do you disrespect me like that? What have I done for you to call me such things," the old man asked.

I… I am feeling happy that the old man is fighting back with his words but… I fear that he will die for this.

As expected, the blue-clothed man's face changes as an evil-looking grin appear on it.

"I can call you whatever I want, and you can't do anything to me," the blue-clothed man says. He then pulls out a spear and asks again as he points at the old man.

"Tell me where you found this bamboo, or I will kill you right here, right now."

Before I can even think of anything, a bunch of people gathers around the man with their swords drawn out.

There are 5 of them in total, and they wear similar-looking green cloth, almost as if they were wearing a uniform. Are they the policemen of this place?

"Get back from him, you bastard!" one of them cries out.

"How dare you point your spear at him," another one says.

"Do you not care for the la—"

Before another one could speak, all of them suddenly grow quiet. What's happening?

I hear a collective gasp as everyone falls down to the ground, kneeling in front of the blue-clothed man.

What is going on here? Why are they suddenly on the ground?

"Gold Core!" one of them shouts with a voice filled with horror. Gold core? Is that supposed to be a code or something?

"Hahahahahaha!" the man starts laughing maniacally. "Do you fleas think you can fight against me?"

He must be showing off his powers right now. The power that allowed him to toy with that young man he killed.

I feel even angrier now, looking at these people. The old man is so old and I can see him quivering.

I can't help but feel bad for him.

Old man, you don't have to hide any information. Just tell the man what he wants to know. The single piece of information you give him will result in his death.

For I am sure the panda will do anything to protect me. He has eaten me for free for so long. Now, it is time for him to pay the fee for it.

I don't know how strong the panda is yet, but I hope he can do what I need him to.

If he can't, then there is no point in him staying alive. I can't tell if this is my inner feelings, or just the anger in me speaking, but that is what I feel right now.

"In the bamboo forest!" the old man shouts out to my relief. "In that direction, there is a bamboo forest. I… I remember that green flute. I got it from the bamboo tree where the Sacred Protector lives in."

"Scared Protector?" the man asks with a weird look on his face.

Dammit! Is the old man going to tell him about the panda?

"Yes," the old man says.

"Hmm," the man says as if thinking about something. "Is it the giant one with the panda?" the man suddenly asks.

What? How does he know I have a panda with me? How does he know the sacred protector is a panda?

Also dammit! Now he knows about the panda, and I can't use him for a surprise attack anymore.

"Oi Panda! Get up. There is someone coming for me. Help me tear that man apart," I try speaking out loud. I try to shake the panda, make some vibrations, anything to let it know what was happening.

The blue-clothed man leaves the area in a single jump and flies away from the town. After a small patch of trees, he flies over the small village of the old man and reaches the bamboo forest.

I look at the bamboo forest, but I can not see myself. Where am I?

The man keeps flying for a long time. Is this how far I am from that village? Did that old man walk all the way there to get me?

Is that why no one comes here so often. I notice something in the distance that surprises me, but at the same time, I see a black and white patch on top of a bamboo.

On the other end, I can see the man flying towards me in his main body.

He lands in front of me, throwing out a gust of air all around me. Just how strong is he to land from the air, and not take single damage?

He looks at me with a grin and says, "Finally! I found you."