The sky outside had gone completely dark. Tonight felt oppressive, with clouds hanging low overhead and a cold wind sweeping across the river in the Inner River Dock District. Not a single star shone in the sky, and the moonlight was nowhere to be seen.
At a secluded, somewhat dilapidated cargo warehouse by the inner river docks inside Gongmen City, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior—six in all, who had arrived in the city and caused quite a stir earlier that day—sat around a campfire. They silently stared at the flames and the charred lumps of dough, radishes, and assorted fruits and vegetables roasting over the fire.
Earlier that day, they had raided the prison in the Black Dragon District. Now, a large number of wolf soldiers were still searching house by house throughout the city for them. They had no choice but to lie low, abandon any thought of staying at an inn or in someone's home, and hide here for the night, making do as best they could.
"Hey, Monkey King, this looks done. Want some roasted dough?"
"No, I'm fine with fruit..."
"Little Dragon, what about you?"
"No! I don't want any either, thanks..."
"..."
"Ahem! Po, aren't you good at making noodle soup? Look around—we have dough, radishes, and greens. I can even use my pincers to chop them up for you. So why do we have to eat these hard lumps?"
Mantis held out the burnt, rock-hard lump of dough toward the Golden Monkey King and Little Dragon. After seeing them both firmly turn down his kind offer, he sighed and turned to ask Po, who was sitting quietly shoulder to shoulder with Tigress.
After all, they had come to Gongmen City for a difficult, high-intensity mission, and their master, Shifu the red panda,