Chapter Six - Close Encounter
"Hey Gan Ning, can I sit with you?"
Gan Ning looked up to see Xiao Qiao's bright and cheerful looking face looking down at him as she held on two large meat buns. He was sitting under a tree to relaxed his mind while munching on a meat bun.
"Sure, whatever" he mumbled.
"Hey!" she pouted, "Cheer up, you're the vicious pirate GAN NING, it should be a small matter for you." She took a bite on the meat bun on her right hand.
He smiled weakly.
"I just haven't been feeling too good today."
"Right...the whole Sun Ce thing huh? He sure is an asshole for doing that."
"I know. I mean, what's the big idea? He said he wasn't even going to show up."
"Well, if it's any consolation everyone thinks he's a huge jerk in that incident and aren't mad at you at all."
He looked back down at his half eaten meat bun. Usually he could eat at least three but he just wasn't hungry.
"Um, you wanna go and train? It might take your mind off anything that's bugging you."
"Yeah" Gan Ning looked across to the lively girl, "It could help."
They stood up and pack up their remaining food. After a short walk towards the training area in silence Xiao Qiao spoke again.
"You know, Pei Lin isn't mad at you for turning her down."
Gan Ning looked down at the floor. Last night Pei Lin had asked him if it was a mistake that they'd split up. This morning he'd spoken to Pei Lin again and had told her he couldn't get back together with her. He was too stressed out and didn't want to get her mixed up in it. She'd looked sad as she walked away and this news from Xiao Qiao was comforting and annoying. How did everyone in Wu know everything about his personal life?
"She understands that your current position is a lot of work and all."
There was a long silence.
"I heard what happened with Sun Jian. You have to go for intensive training for the next 49 days? That's pretty harsh considering you were just standing up for yourself."
Gan Ning had also spoken to Sun Jian today after Sun Ce's appointment. Sun Jian had told him that he knew he was only defending himself but he had to punish him somehow for retaliating. After all, these actions are not tolerable in the Wu camp.
After getting no response from Gan Ning she decided to give up. They finally reached the training area, a forest filled with wild animals. Xiao Qiao took out her weapon, a pair of beautiful but deadly large fans.
"Come on, let's go to the waterfall area and spar!"
Gan Ning half-heartedly tightened his chest armour, held on his blade and scanned the area.
"All right, let's go."
***********************
After hours of trekking through the forest and sparring with Xiao Qiao, Gan Ning considered calling it a day. After all, she is very energetic and proved to be quite a bit of a challenge. The sparring was good to let out his tension though.
"Look!" Xiao Qiao yelled.
There was a loud rustling and in front of them a huge white tiger appeared.
"Fuck! They're a lot bigger than I thought they'd be!" Xiao Qiao exclaimed as she waved her fans in the air in front of her.
Gan Ning got into his fighting stance, ready to defend with his blade. Xiao Qiao was right; these tigers were bigger than he'd imagined them. He'd never fought one before but remembered Lu Xun saying that using a tiger amulet gives you a big advantage when facing a white tiger.
He watched Xiao Qiao hit the large creature, causing it to become even more annoyed. It swayed its head to the side then turned to Gan Ning, advancing slowly.
"Oh fuck..." was the last thing Gan Ning remembered saying before the creature turned quickly, its paw hitting him hard and throwing him several metres away.
After a short moment of blackness he heard Xiao Qiao scream and he groggily got up to his feet. The small girl had been bitten in the leg and the blood was making a pool around her, spreading across the ground rapidly.
"Oh fuck, oh god...help me Gan Ning...." she whispered, shock taking over.
Gan Ning puts on a tiger amulet, an aura of strength illuminating from it to his body. He jumped swiftly and slashed the huge beast. It immediately closed its eyes. He was not known as a coward and wasn't going to quit. He watched as Xiao Qiao fell to her knees, holding her leg tightly.
"Oh fuck, it hurts Gan Ning..."
Gan Ning quickly rushed over.
"It's okay, one moment."
He patched some medicinal herbs on her, the fast healing herbs partially restoring the condition of her leg.
"Are you all right now?"
"I've been better, I don't think I can stand though," she said, trying to get up but falling back down miserably.
Xiao Qiao was sat on the ground, exhausted from the fight and the loss of blood. Without a second thought Gan Ning walked over and picked the small girl up in his arms.
"Gan Ning...I..."
"Sssh. It's fine. I'm going to get you back to Da Qiao to help you, she will be able to heal the wound on your leg. Afterall, your sister is the best doctor in Wu's camp."
Xiao Qiao smiled slightly then closed her eyes as the former pirate carried her out of the jungle.
*************************
Gan Ning didn't notice the full extent of his injuries until he arrived with Xiao Qiao. As he placed her down on the bed he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He had to steady himself against it.
"Gan Ning? What's wrong?" asked Da Qiao, looking up from Xiao Qiao's leg for a brief moment.
"It's...my chest."
Da Qiao stood up and walked over to Gan Ning.
"Take off your armour for a moment Gan Ning."
He did as he was told and looked down. His chest was badly bruised. Da Qiao prodded his chest until Gan Ning winced.
"Yep. I think you've bruised a few ribs. I'll give you a few potions to use at regular intervals, which should get rid of the pain and begin to repair your chest. I also recommend that you wear this padded vest. It will restrict your movement but stop you from causing further damage."
Gan Ning looked over to the vest. It was brown and could easily fit under his armour, thank god. At least no one would see it. It was pretty ugly.
"Thank you Da Qiao," he said as he slowly took off his armour, replacing it with the vest and pulling his a chest plate over it.
He leaned over the bed to where Xiao Qiao was sleeping, tired out from their recent encounter with the white tiger.
"How's her leg? It was bleeding pretty bad."
"It'll be fine, she just needs to rest a while. She'll probably have a small scar or two though. If it wasn't for you putting those herbs on her she'd be dead by now. Thank you very much Gan Ning, you saved my sister's life."
Gan Ning smiled weakly but shivered at that thought.
"I was helping out a friend, I was doing what felt right."
Da Qiao smiled. She remembered Gan Ning when he came to see her; always getting cuts and scrapes from being in fights.
"You were very brave. If I were you I'd go back to your room and rest. I've not seen many people who have fought a white tiger and come back with injuries as small as these, or at all."
Gan Ning smiled then winced, the pain in his chest filling his mind once again.
"Will do, I don't think I can do much else anyway. Please take care of Xiao Qiao."
Da Qiao nodded.
He waved weakly then walked out of the room. His only thoughts on getting into his nice warm bed.
"Hey Gan Ning, can I sit with you?"
Gan Ning looked up to see Xiao Qiao's bright and cheerful looking face looking down at him as she held on two large meat buns. He was sitting under a tree to relaxed his mind while munching on a meat bun.
"Sure, whatever" he mumbled.
"Hey!" she pouted, "Cheer up, you're the vicious pirate GAN NING, it should be a small matter for you." She took a bite on the meat bun on her right hand.
He smiled weakly.
"I just haven't been feeling too good today."
"Right...the whole Sun Ce thing huh? He sure is an asshole for doing that."
"I know. I mean, what's the big idea? He said he wasn't even going to show up."
"Well, if it's any consolation everyone thinks he's a huge jerk in that incident and aren't mad at you at all."
He looked back down at his half eaten meat bun. Usually he could eat at least three but he just wasn't hungry.
"Um, you wanna go and train? It might take your mind off anything that's bugging you."
"Yeah" Gan Ning looked across to the lively girl, "It could help."
They stood up and pack up their remaining food. After a short walk towards the training area in silence Xiao Qiao spoke again.
"You know, Pei Lin isn't mad at you for turning her down."
Gan Ning looked down at the floor. Last night Pei Lin had asked him if it was a mistake that they'd split up. This morning he'd spoken to Pei Lin again and had told her he couldn't get back together with her. He was too stressed out and didn't want to get her mixed up in it. She'd looked sad as she walked away and this news from Xiao Qiao was comforting and annoying. How did everyone in Wu know everything about his personal life?
"She understands that your current position is a lot of work and all."
There was a long silence.
"I heard what happened with Sun Jian. You have to go for intensive training for the next 49 days? That's pretty harsh considering you were just standing up for yourself."
Gan Ning had also spoken to Sun Jian today after Sun Ce's appointment. Sun Jian had told him that he knew he was only defending himself but he had to punish him somehow for retaliating. After all, these actions are not tolerable in the Wu camp.
After getting no response from Gan Ning she decided to give up. They finally reached the training area, a forest filled with wild animals. Xiao Qiao took out her weapon, a pair of beautiful but deadly large fans.
"Come on, let's go to the waterfall area and spar!"
Gan Ning half-heartedly tightened his chest armour, held on his blade and scanned the area.
"All right, let's go."
***********************
After hours of trekking through the forest and sparring with Xiao Qiao, Gan Ning considered calling it a day. After all, she is very energetic and proved to be quite a bit of a challenge. The sparring was good to let out his tension though.
"Look!" Xiao Qiao yelled.
There was a loud rustling and in front of them a huge white tiger appeared.
"Fuck! They're a lot bigger than I thought they'd be!" Xiao Qiao exclaimed as she waved her fans in the air in front of her.
Gan Ning got into his fighting stance, ready to defend with his blade. Xiao Qiao was right; these tigers were bigger than he'd imagined them. He'd never fought one before but remembered Lu Xun saying that using a tiger amulet gives you a big advantage when facing a white tiger.
He watched Xiao Qiao hit the large creature, causing it to become even more annoyed. It swayed its head to the side then turned to Gan Ning, advancing slowly.
"Oh fuck..." was the last thing Gan Ning remembered saying before the creature turned quickly, its paw hitting him hard and throwing him several metres away.
After a short moment of blackness he heard Xiao Qiao scream and he groggily got up to his feet. The small girl had been bitten in the leg and the blood was making a pool around her, spreading across the ground rapidly.
"Oh fuck, oh god...help me Gan Ning...." she whispered, shock taking over.
Gan Ning puts on a tiger amulet, an aura of strength illuminating from it to his body. He jumped swiftly and slashed the huge beast. It immediately closed its eyes. He was not known as a coward and wasn't going to quit. He watched as Xiao Qiao fell to her knees, holding her leg tightly.
"Oh fuck, it hurts Gan Ning..."
Gan Ning quickly rushed over.
"It's okay, one moment."
He patched some medicinal herbs on her, the fast healing herbs partially restoring the condition of her leg.
"Are you all right now?"
"I've been better, I don't think I can stand though," she said, trying to get up but falling back down miserably.
Xiao Qiao was sat on the ground, exhausted from the fight and the loss of blood. Without a second thought Gan Ning walked over and picked the small girl up in his arms.
"Gan Ning...I..."
"Sssh. It's fine. I'm going to get you back to Da Qiao to help you, she will be able to heal the wound on your leg. Afterall, your sister is the best doctor in Wu's camp."
Xiao Qiao smiled slightly then closed her eyes as the former pirate carried her out of the jungle.
*************************
Gan Ning didn't notice the full extent of his injuries until he arrived with Xiao Qiao. As he placed her down on the bed he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He had to steady himself against it.
"Gan Ning? What's wrong?" asked Da Qiao, looking up from Xiao Qiao's leg for a brief moment.
"It's...my chest."
Da Qiao stood up and walked over to Gan Ning.
"Take off your armour for a moment Gan Ning."
He did as he was told and looked down. His chest was badly bruised. Da Qiao prodded his chest until Gan Ning winced.
"Yep. I think you've bruised a few ribs. I'll give you a few potions to use at regular intervals, which should get rid of the pain and begin to repair your chest. I also recommend that you wear this padded vest. It will restrict your movement but stop you from causing further damage."
Gan Ning looked over to the vest. It was brown and could easily fit under his armour, thank god. At least no one would see it. It was pretty ugly.
"Thank you Da Qiao," he said as he slowly took off his armour, replacing it with the vest and pulling his a chest plate over it.
He leaned over the bed to where Xiao Qiao was sleeping, tired out from their recent encounter with the white tiger.
"How's her leg? It was bleeding pretty bad."
"It'll be fine, she just needs to rest a while. She'll probably have a small scar or two though. If it wasn't for you putting those herbs on her she'd be dead by now. Thank you very much Gan Ning, you saved my sister's life."
Gan Ning smiled weakly but shivered at that thought.
"I was helping out a friend, I was doing what felt right."
Da Qiao smiled. She remembered Gan Ning when he came to see her; always getting cuts and scrapes from being in fights.
"You were very brave. If I were you I'd go back to your room and rest. I've not seen many people who have fought a white tiger and come back with injuries as small as these, or at all."
Gan Ning smiled then winced, the pain in his chest filling his mind once again.
"Will do, I don't think I can do much else anyway. Please take care of Xiao Qiao."
Da Qiao nodded.
He waved weakly then walked out of the room. His only thoughts on getting into his nice warm bed.