The misdeeds that were constantly occurring in the underworld were not affected at all, even after the disappearance of two of the bandits. In fact, no one cared if something bad happened to the one next to them, after all, everyone was there to satisfy their own greed.

There were all possible species. From rabbits, pigs, geese, oxen, antelopes, crocodiles, snakes, among others, and even small mantises. Each of them had a deplorable appearance, combined with the marks and scars of their previous confrontations. Mercenaries, bandits, pirates and criminals of the lowest ilk flooded the passages of the small underground refuge. And among all of them, two cats walked avoiding any physical contact. They wore rags and useless armor and with an unpleasant odor coming from their clothes.

Tai Lung led the way, his huge frame making everyone move out of his way. Except for some mercenary ox or rhino enjoying some game of intimidation. But Tai Lung's murderous glare was enough to make even the largest bow their heads and continue on their way. And just behind him, walking head down less than a meter apart, was a very grumpy Tigress.

The smell was something that really irritated her, to the point of looking with murderous intent at any unsuspecting vandal who even tried to give her a mediocre compliment. But her eyes full of rage made her swallow her words immediately.

The two cats walked for a while making an impromptu boxwood of the area, taking each of the alleys and passageways that ran through the refuge. Sometimes they argued verbally with some other reckless or drunken bandit, but nothing got worse. Sometimes they even loaded a couple of boxes. Everything to be able to blend in perfectly with its environment. And finally, they stopped in a corner of the shelter to talk.

Tai Lung: - This is crazy. There are hundreds if not thousands of them. What are we supposed to do? -

Tigress: - I don't know. But we must think of something. I did not cover myself with sh... with that in vain. - She said with a rather notorious tone given his irritation.

Tai Lung: - Shhh. You are crazy? Do you want them to discover us? - Whisper.

Tigress: - Of course not, but how come you can't smell anything? Doesn't your muzzle affect you? -

Tai Lung: - Well. My sense of smell has never been so good. Besides, I suppose that so much time in the mines destroyed my sense completely. Also, it seems that for those who live down here, the smell is normal. Your delicious floral scent would stand out like the full moon in the night sky. - He whispered in her ear.

Tigress: - Only you can be so loquacious in a situation like this. - She said with flushed ears. - I can only think about getting out of here and taking a bath. But let's put that aside. Now we have to see how to destroy the opium. -

Tai Lung: - Do you know where it is? -

Tigress: - Even with my nose saturated, I could catch the smell near one of the structures in the center of the shelter. That damn smell will never leave my head. -

Tai Lung: - Then it must be there. - He said something thoughtful.

Tigress: - Do you have any idea where it could be? -

Tai Lung: - I think so. If I remember correctly, in that area there was a kind of warehouse through which all the tracks passed. Apparently from there they transport them on mine wagons from one point to another. Also the area was very protected so it must not be a coincidence. -

Tigress: - If it's correct... We must figure out how to get rid of all the cargo without being seen. Exposing ourselves down here will be suicide. -

The two cats began to use every neuron trying to devise a plan to achieve their mission. While charging the site head-on wasn't very sensible, trying to infiltrate it wouldn't be easy either. The wooden and bamboo walls of the warehouse reached to the stone ceiling of the cavern, and the premises were closely guarded. Despite hundreds of mercenaries and bandits roaming the area, the warehouse stood out for being guarded only by wolves, whom Tigress immediately recognized as members of Shen's former army.

Several minutes passed without an idea occurring to any of them. The stress produced by the situation was even beginning to take its toll on the two cats. Tigress, who was really affected, raised her head to try to clear her mind and calm down a bit, but an unexpected light blinded her for a few seconds.

Right in the direction where she had looked, there was a small bronze skylight that hung from the wall by a rope. While her mind wandered a bit, she looked around looking at each of the light sources that illuminated the interior of the cavern. They were all skylights and oil lamps, distributed in hundreds throughout the area. It was then that Tigress had a reckless idea.

Tigress: - Tai... I have an idea. - She looked at him with sure eyes, which gave the snow leopard a small shudder.

Several minutes passed since the conversation, and Tai Lung and Tigress went their separate ways, but there was no trace of them. It was as if they had vanished without a trace. Then, an altered voice echoed in a part of the chamber.

????: - Hey! You! Return that! -

????: - Hey! Return that right now! - Another voice was heard on another side of the underground chamber.

????: - What are you doing!? - Another scream was added.

????: - Come back here, you bastard! - And another one.

Dozens of voices added to the complaints that resounded through the cavern while darkness took over some sectors of the place. The bewilderment of everyone was present, trying to find out what was happening. One by one, the light bulbs were disappearing, leaving everyone in the dark, causing chaos in the voices with less courage, while they saw a couple of flashes of light move at full speed from one place to another.

Bandit Leader: - What's happening!? - An imposing figure was peeking out from inside the opium warehouse covered by a hood.

Bandit: - We don't know sir! Nobody knows what's going on! -

Suddenly, two flashes of light caught the vision of the bandit leader. Quick as lightning, two strange silhouettes advanced on different paths followed by a fiery light, but heading towards their position. Suddenly, both silhouettes came together right in the middle and quickly headed for the warehouse.

Tigress: - NOW! - Her voice shook the place with force.

Before anyone could even know what was happening, dozens of lanterns and oil lamps were thrown by Tai Lung and Tigress, who ran through the alleys with great agility collecting as many of them as possible. The small jars filled with oil flew over the bandits' heads and landed inside the warehouse, spilling the flammable oil within.

With unearthly ferocity, the flames spread rapidly through the warehouse before the bandits even had time to search for water to douse the flames. The wooden and bamboo structures burned rapidly, holding a death grip on those who were hiding in the chamber. Panic, desperation and the survival instinct hit the minds of those present hard, who did everything possible to flee to the nearest exit.

Bandit: - Sr... cof... cof... We must run... cof... cof... immediately. - He yelled at his leader.

The bandit leader turned around angrily. His bright yellow eyes showed uncontrollable hatred and his mouth made a terrifying hiss. His murderous intent was looking for the culprits of such a disaster with anger, but to his misfortune, those who caused the fire were no longer there. With no other choice, the bandit leader had to run for his life, as flames engulfed every corner of the chamber.

What the bandit leader did not know was that Tigress and Tai Lung had automatically fled after starting the fire. Guided by the snow leopard, and pursued by the light of the flames that rose behind them, the two cats ran with all their might, trying not to trip over the railway tracks. But behind their backs, the huge mob of mercenaries and bandits fleeing in terror were hot on their heels.

Tigress: - They are reaching us. -

Tai Lung: - Keep running. No matter what... don't stop. -

Despite the leopard's words, Tigress couldn't run any faster. Not even the teacher herself had noticed, but in her desperate retreat, Tigress's right leg had received a cut on the thigh due to a sharp wooden spike. It was only as the adrenaline began to ebb from his body that the injury began to wreak havoc on his mobility. But to her misfortune, a false step caused Tigress to trip over one of the sleepers on the track, collapsing on the rocky ground.

Tai Lung: - Tigress! - He exclaimed after turning around and seeing his partner on the floor.

The snow leopard rushed to check on his companion, but when he saw the wound on her leg he knew that the situation had become complicated. Unable to walk properly, he knew there was no time to think much about his situation. While he could carry her, it was only a matter of time before the huge mob caught up with them. And if that happened, both of them would be crushed without even having a chance. So he made a desperate decision.

Tai Lung rose to his feet, taking a deep breath to regain some of his strength. Tigress could only look surprised, but the pain in her leg did not allow her to think clearly. And it was then, that Tai Lung "opened a lock on his body" that he intended to keep sealed for the rest of his life.

A mighty leap from the leopard dented the stone floor, and with all its might it kicked the cavern ceiling into a deep crack. Quickly, the rift began to spread, branching out through the length and breadth of the underground tunnels. Tai Lung landed on the ground, taking Tigress with his hands without her being able to react and began to run towards the exit. And in her state of shock, the teacher could not help but look in horror at what was happening behind then.

The roof of the cavern began to collapse, sending huge chunks of rock crashing down on the mob fleeing the burning inferno behind them. The screams of those whose bones were crushed by the enormous rocks sowed chaos among the minds, until a strong sinkhole caused the roof to collapse in its entirety. Covering the exit, and locking up dozens of bandits in his stone coffin.

Tigress: - NO! -

The teacher cried out in shock, watching over Tai Lung's shoulder as the ceiling collapsed behind then. The cries of despair from those who couldn't escape their fate tore at his heart, eventually drowned out by the rumbling of the rocks below. The landslide was spreading rapidly, and it was only a matter of time before it caught up with them.

Tai Lung turned sharply in the chamber where the different tunnels connected, and after several seconds of constant tension, they managed to escape from the underground before the ceiling collapsed on them. A devastating cloud of dust rose from the underground, covering the small abandoned cabin. Tai Lung had to do a violent leap to avoid being crushed, sending both the leopard and Tigress spinning several times in the snow outside.

It took a few seconds for Tai Lung to recover. Dust clouded his vision, complemented by a daze that clouded the rest of his senses and a dry sound that hit his ears hard. He looked up a bit and could see Tigress, who was lying on the ground hunched over on her knees.

The snow leopard hastened to crawl over to where she was. Desperate, he started calling her name while waving her around. Luckily, Tigress was alive, but a deep cry was audible to Tai Lung's ears.

Tai Lung: - It's ok. It's ok. Everything's fine. We are already safe. - He tried to calm her down.

Tigress: - How could you? - He whispered slightly.

Puzzled by the question, Tai Lung stepped back a bit allowing Tigress to raise her torso as she looked at him with tears falling from her eyes. Tai Lung did not know what was happening, much less understood his beloved's reaction.

Tai Lung: - Tigress. What is happening...? -

Tigress: - How could you!? - She yelled upset as she struggled to stand up.

Tai Lung: - My love. I don't... -

Tigress: - Don't call me that. -

Tai Lung: - My love... Please... Tell me what... -

Tigress: - Don't call me that! - She yelled still with teary eyes, leaving Tai Lung speechless and with a deep pain in his chest. - You killed them... You killed them all... I thought you had changed... I thought you were different. -

Tai Lung: - Tigress. I can explain... - He was trying to get a little closer to her.

Tigress: - Stay away! - Tigress was obviously beside herself. - I thought you had changed... I thought... - He said with a despondent voice.

Tai Lung: - But Tigress... -

Tigress: - Don't call me... Don't look for me... Don't wait for me... -

Tigress turned around, leaving Tai Lung with a huge pain in his chest. He knew what he had done, and the sensation he felt at that moment seemed to tear his heart from her chest. The snow leopard could only stay under the curtain of dust while his beloved backed away from him in terror. Watching how her silhouette faded into the distance.