Wanwan

Wanwan grew up in a secluded mountain abode and lived a carefree childhood. It was only after encountering Yu Zhong, the reincarnation of the Black Dragon, Yin, the current vessel of the Evil God Lieh, and the other Oriental Fighters who guard the Dragon Altar that she realized she had long been chosen by the Agile Tiger of the Four Immortals. Wanwan would find herself involved in events that would affect the past and future of the Cadia Riverlands. Can a young girl just venturing into the world bear the duty of protecting all of Cadia Riverlands? Despite everything she's experienced, Wanwan still has many questions and has decided to set out into the vast world to find her own truth. Many years ago, a stillborn infant was left in the mountains. The Spirit of the Agile Tiger, who was searching for a successor at the time, came upon the scene and felt sorrow for the child who was never given a chance. Thus, he ended his search and gave his power to give new life to the baby girl. As she inherited the power of an Oriental Fighter, marks appeared on her face and she grew a tiger's tail. And as if by fate, the master of the Tang Clan happened to be strolling through the forest and found the blessed child. He adopted her and named her Tang Wanwan. Thus, the mountains now had an extra noisy "little tiger." Under her adopted father's care, Wanwan grew into an exuberant girl. She loved to talk, as if trying to make up for not being able to greet the world when she was born. She was always chatting away, usually to herself, and bouncing around with her tail swaying in the wind. The mountains and forests became her playground. Sometimes she would shoot her arrows into the blue sky, imagining that she was flying towards the vast world beyond. But the arrows always fell back to the ground. Only the wind, which passed through the forest freely, noticed the disappointment in the girl's eyes, so it reached out as it passed to pat her on the head. But little did the wind know, before it could even pass, the girl's smile had already returned, brighter than ever. "It's okay," Wanwan thought, "I'll definitely see the world someday!" But before Wanwan could leave the mountains, someone barged in first. On that day, Wanwan found a severely injured stranger passed out in the mountains. When the man regained consciousness, he told Wanwan that his name was Yu Zhong. Finally, Wanwan had found someone to talk to! Then began the daily barrage of questions, although they were seldom answered. But when he spoke, his insight into the outside world reignited Wanwan's curiosity. This went on for a few years as Yu Zhong slowly recuperated, but one day he suddenly decided to leave. ''"Where are you going?"'' Wanwan asked. ''"The world."'' ''"I want to go too! Can I come?!"'' ''"There is nothing to see of the old world, for I will forge a new one."'' Wanwan didn't understand the meaning of those words but knew the answer. Before Yu Zhong departed, he gave her a Dragon Orb. ''"One day, this will lead you to me."'' The Dragon Orb was an enigmatic object that was always cold to the touch, as if it could never attain any warmth from Yu Zhong's presence. Before Wanwan could feel sad about her friend's departure, her father, who had been away for a long time, suddenly returned. He hurriedly had Wanwan pack her things and they left the mountains that night. ''"Are we running from something?"'' Wanwan wondered. Her father did not explain, and she did not ask. Wanwan just hid the Dragon Orb and followed along. She was excited to be able to see the things Yu Zhong had said for herself. They eventually arrived at the Floral Falls. Hidden by huge mechanisms, it was a utopia for those seeking refuge from the conflicts of the world. Here, Wanwan finally met someone her age; someone she could have a lively exchange with. And that person was Yin, a somewhat simple but righteous and passionate young man. Similar in age and upbringing, the pair became best friends and were almost inseparable. Often, when the adults were busy, they would sneak out of the valley to listen to stories about the happenings throughout the Cadia Riverlands. Yin was apprehensive about many things, but Wanwan could barely contain her excitement. Although the Floral Falls was also secluded from the world, it was a step closer than her abode in the mountains. And step by step, Wanwan believed she would finally see the world she had imagined as a child, the world Yu Zhong mentioned, and the world she and Yin talked about. Years passed. Rumors about the reincarnation of the Black Dragon began spreading throughout the Cadia Riverlands. At first, Wanwan thought it was just the latest gossip. But a few days later, she heard a familiar name among the rumors and felt unease in her heart. Just then, the Dragon Orb began to get hot, as if giving a warning or perhaps pointing to answers. Wanwan bid farewell to her father and Yin, and left to find Yu Zhong. With a new purpose in her step, Wanwan followed the news about the Black Dragon, and with the help of the Dragon Orb, eventually arrived at the Dragon Altar. Within, the new Oriental Fighters came together for the first time, but could not stop Yu Zhong from merging with the Black Dragon's power. Wanwan had unknowingly played a part in Yu Zhong's plan, bringing the Dragon Orb that allowed him to defeat the Evil God Lieh. As Yu Zhong and Luo Yi chased after Lieh, he gave one last glance back at Wanwan. A thousand questions came to her mind. ''—Come back... Did you know from the beginning that I was the Agile Tiger of the Oriental Fighters?'' ''—Did you lead me all this way just to obtain the Black Dragon's power?'' ''—I've traveled so far, but never even took a moment to see the world.'' ''—It's the duty of the Oriental Fighters to protect the Cadia Riverlands, but I never lived my life as an Oriental Fighter; all this time, I lived as Tang Wanwan.'' Countless questions tangled in her mind. Wanwan sat down where she was, buried her face in her hands, closed her eyes, and tried to sort through all the thoughts running through her mind. Her thoughts drifted with the wind, back to the forest where she was born, back to the cottage with Yu Zhong, back to the Floral Falls where she played with Yin, and onwards, all the way to the Dragon Altar and beyond... The girl took a deep breath and bounced to her feet. It was already dawn. She had been sitting there for a whole day and night. ''"Ahhh—I still don't get it!"'' ''"Oriental Fighters, Cadia Riverlands, the Black Dragons and Evil Gods... it's all too much!"'' ''"Whether I'm the Agile Tiger or an Oriental Fighter, I'm still Tang Wanwan! And I make my own decisions!"'' ''"Just you wait, Black Dragon—No, Yu Zhong! One day I will ask you in person about the truth of the dragon orb! Dragon Altar! I will return to tell everyone my decision!"'' The girl grabbed her crossbows, packed her things, and left the Dragon Altar. When Wanwan stepped out of the mountain gate, she raised her hand and shot an arrow into the sky. Carried by the wind, it flew higher and higher, beyond the mountains and into the great unknown.