Trinity
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
------
Disclaimer: I do not own any character in this fanfic unless otherwise stated. Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and all other characters are copyrighted to KEOI Productions and are used for fan reasons only. Please do not steal or alter this fic.
College is evil, but I will get this chapter in! HA! Right now I am living off of salted peanuts and Coke... COKE... I normally hate coke (as in Coca Cola), but it's an acquired taste it seems. Argh... I'll finish these fanfics... give me a few weeks. Or months...
------
Chapter Ten: Can't Let Go
------
'Meng, Meng, is that you? Come closer... so that I can see you...'
And of course, as he usually did, the young man obeyed his sister's wishes, breaking through the mental barrier that he had put in between himself and the real world. He hated this world, for every time he visited it, all he could see was the paleness of her skin and the fading life in her dark green eyes.
In all reality, she was dead.
The boy walked to her bedside, and there, he could see her smile on her dry, thin lips, as recognition shined in her dying eyes. 'Meng, it is you... oh Meng, you're alive...'
Of course he was alive! He was strong, after all... how could he not be after spending most of his life in the fields, working, or at her bedside, tending to her every needs? He said nothing, merely nodding and smiling to his ailing sister.
It would not be long before she died... and he knew this just by looking at her.
However, she denied it, as she tried so hard to sit up. Seeing her struggle, he was there in a heartbeat, holding her weak, fragile body within his dirty yet strong hands, and though he was a soldier now, he handled her with the gentlest of care. Though he knew she was to die soon, he only wished to make her last few moments worth it...
'Oh, what a strong man you've become... but you will always be my baby brother, Meng... always remember that, will you?'
Again, Lü Meng resorted to silence, merely nodding and helping her sit up in her bed, setting her up to where her weak back could lean up against the wall. He didn't need to speak anymore... all he needed to do was to be there, even as she tried to move her hands to embrace him. Catching them within his own, he just smiled, unable to do anything else.
'Oh Meng... you're a mess! Look at you... you're already growing a five o'clock shadow!' Her wandering hands found their way out of his strong hold, to grasp and caress that face of his. His smile faded, and he closed his eyes, as the life in her voice trickled like a dying creek. When would she finally go? 'So rugged now... so tense, so stressed... and your hair!'
Yes, his hair was a mess... he always knew that; everyone told him that. Yet, he did not care... how could he find the time to care, when all he thought about was losing her?
An odd smile found itself onto her face, as her small, weak fingers got lost in that hair of his, finding a way to untie the strap that was used to keep it up and letting his hair fall into place, barely touching his shoulders. Then she giggled, her old life finding its way back to her voice as she smiled, 'Let me do your hair... find the comb and I will do it now!'
And despite how odd that idea seemed, he did not refuse, biting his tongue to silence himself as he obeyed her last wish. He did not complain when she yanked too hard, nor did he wince at the pain he felt when she tried so hard to untangle his knots. All he did was sit there in his silence, to dread the day that when he came back, she would finally find her peace...
He was just waiting for the day to come... to know of his failure...
"Do you think Gan Ning is alright?"
Lü Meng nearly flung himself out of the chair by that small, timid voice, and he barely caught himself as he looked up at Lu Xun's wide, golden eyes. Instantly, the boy asked, then quickly apologized, "Sir, did I startle you?! I'm sorry!"
"It's alright... you caught me unaware, that's all..." Lü Meng gave a weak smile, brushing his hair back and realizing he had split some of his now cold tea all over the maps. Lu Xun was all over it, trying to clean the mess, even as the general shook his head, "Don't stress over it... I'll get make some more."
He could look into Lu Xun's averted eyes and see how hesitant he was, and he asked, as the boy seemed to ignore him and went right back to cleaning. "How's your wound?"
"It's fine, sir..." Lu Xun said quickly, as if he didn't want to talk about it. Finally, as he completely dried off the maps, the boy stood at attention. "Sir, Gan Ning didn't return yet, and I was just a bit concerned... I saw the flames over their camp, but there's no sign of him."
Now Lü Meng tried not to worry, though it seemed impossible. Where WAS that pirate? He could see how much it bothered Lu Xun, as he now tried to think of a way to comfort him. Gan Ning was reckless, not weak... he could take care of himself!
The tent flap moved aside to reveal the former pirate, and Lu Xun, as if forgetting his worries, greeted him cheerfully, "Gan Ning! I did not expect you to be back so soon..."
From the moment Gan Ning looked at him, Lu Xun could not only see the blood that stained his face, chest, and clothes, but his red eyes, usually bright, fierce, seemed dead. Not even a true smile rose on his features, as he merely nodded... something happened.
Lü Meng noticed the difference as well, as Lu Xun stepped aside to allow the former pirate to stand in front of Lü Meng's desk, "Gan Ning? Is something wrong?"
That was when they noticed the damp sack that laid at his waist, the dried blood stained upon his pants as he reached for it. To Lü Meng's surprised, his friend, literally, dumped the head upon the table, it rolling a bit before stopping, the still opened eyes gazing dead on, straight at Lü Meng. "I finished my task for tonight."
The silence... was too frightening.
"There... there's a human head on the table," Lu Xun babbled, knowing how ridiculous he sounded. His face noticeably paled, as he pointed a shaking finger at it. "Where... where did it come from?!"
To Lü Meng, this was nothing uncommon, really, as experience had hardened him up for such things. However, he gave an immediate order, looking past the head somehow and to Lu Xun. "Lu Xun, the horses need to be looked at. Go make sure that it is done correctly."
The boy nodded, shaking slightly as he headed out. Needless to say, it was the first time he had witnessed such an act, and Lü Meng addressed this, as Gan Ning did nothing. "Ning, what the hell were you thinking- what's the meaning of this?"
"I killed the pirates. All of them. This one almost got away; he wanted to be killed." Gan Ning simply answered, the coldness in his voice worrying his friend as he looked up at him. "I'm giving it to you to prove my loyalty to Wu, and to cut off all ties I once had with these heartless bastards."
Hearing Gan Ning say such a thing startled him, as Lü Meng looked down at the head, the sight more pleasant than the obvious lifelessness from his friend's face right now. Brushing his hair back again, he sighed, now only wondering what had caused this... why did Gan Ning doubt his loyalty?
"I see... why did you feel the need to do this thing? Has someone been questioning your loyalty?"
Finally, there seemed to be some sort of emotion that rose, and it was pain. "Myself."
Lü Meng's eyebrow rose, "Explain."
"You accepted me so easily, even after you saw what I did to Ling Cao... you were willing to forget that and put it behind you." Gan Ning explained, his crimson eyes narrowing as he glared down at the head. "Everyone was... but still, I am still called my former names... as if I still am that pirate I once was..."
"You cannot change your past, Ning..."
The look Gan Ning gave only deepened his concern, "This pirate was once my friend... they all were. But I had to kill them, to prove to everyone, to myself, that I am NOT that pirate, that scoundrel, that... that murderer."
Hearing such venom come from Gan Ning did not surprise him, but it was the pain that did. Lü Meng placed his hands on the man's shoulders, speaking softly, "Do you feel better?"
After a few seconds of silence, Gan Ning let out a pained sigh. "No..."
"Would you like me to tell you why?"
Gan Ning turned away, but he nodded, never the less.
"Ning... killing your old friends to prove your loyalty has, in its own way, convinced you that you can never truly be loyal. You tell yourself that, if it is this easy to kill old friends, then what is to keep you from turning on us? Is this not true?"
That seemed to strike his friend really deep, as the pain in his eyes increased for a second, before turning away to avoid his gaze. Yes, he knew exactly what he meant, and he only realized it until now. However, he made a reply, "But you're... you're nothing like them... you never killed for pleasure, have you?"
"No, but that does not put your heart at ease, does it?"
Hissing a breath, the former pirate responded. "No... no it doesn't..."
Lü Meng only smiled, "Don't worry Ning; it's perfectly normal for you to feel this way, to have these doubts. However, I know that you will never betray us. You have found your place here; you have found what you truly believe in. That is what will keep you fighting: your own sense of justice."
Now, there was remorse in his voice, and Lü Meng's concern never wavered as his friend ran a hand through his own hair, giving a pained sighed. "And where was my sense of justice back then, eh? Fine time for it to show up... damn it all..."
"Gan Ning... you have to conquer the demons of your past; we all do."
"Yeah... I know..." Gan Ning reached back, grabbing the head by the hair and heading towards the door, head hung in shame. "Fight the demons..."
But Lü Meng stopped him, speaking softly, "But... nowhere is it written that you have to conquer them alone."
He was brushed away, "I'd rather do it alone... I rather not share the pain. Besides, I'm a big boy..."
"As you wish then." Without an argument, Lü Meng watched his friend leave, and he let out a sigh, not liking the situation at all. He felt helpless, but it was something that the former pirate felt he had to do alone. He turned back to his bloody desk, to finish his work. "I just hope he can fight and win before Hua Seung attacks... would be horrible should something happen."
And he knew, deep in his heart, that Gan Ning wasn't the only one with self doubt... he wondered to himself, as he sat back down, unable to concentrate on the tea-stained maps. Did he get over his own demons by now?
------
"So... what's the damage?"
Sei Rong didn't even know where to begin, standing next to Hua Seung as pirates ran about willy-nilly to put out the flames. They stood before the burning camp, and Sei Rong was more surprised that the pirate captain wasn't fuming right now. Instead, the dark skinned man stood there, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, as if it was physically hurting him to hold his anger in.
"At least three camps have been consumed by the fire, and one camp was completely slaughtered." Sei Rong replied, not even wanting to think about the casualty list. He knew as well as Hua Seung of who was behind this, and he was appalled now, knowing that it was Gan Ning who slaughtered the men that were once part of his clan. He made no mention of this, as he looked at the bodies. "No sign of Gan Ning, but I assume that he will be returning to the main camp pretty soon... would you wish for me to send forces out to track him?"
Hua Seung spat, his overall apathetic reply frightening the old crippled even more now. "Why bother? That'll be a trap, just as everything else is... I don't like these Wu dogs! Too tricky."
"Sir, it is the only thing that they can rely on... they know good and well that they are no match for you in an all out battle."
Did Hua Seung know this? Most definitely... and that made him smile, as he kicked over the headless body of the unfortunate pirate. Sei Rong frowned, as the captain snickered, "But how much longer can they hold out?"
"Long enough until reinforcements arrive, it seems..." Sei Rong stated, making he pirate captain glare back at him, as he finally made a realization. "Surely you do not think that they would be the only force here, my lord... they'll stalling for time so that their main force can arrive."
"Aye... an' how long will that be?"
To that, the advisor shrugged, "Hard to say my lord... I've read that their capital is Jian Ye, and if they sent a request for reinforcements, then they should be here in at least a day or two..."
He was afraid to admit to that to his lord, knowing that it would have meant his head if his captain suspected that he was hiding this from him. However, when the man began to laugh, he trembled... this was not good at all. "My lord?"
"They're doomed!"
He was sure that this wasn't the first time he heard this, however, his own curiosity begged him to ask, "How so my lord?"
"Simple... they will be expecting reinforcements by tomorrow or the next day, correct?"
The advisor gave a hesitant nod, saying nothing and waiting for the man to continue. "They will not be alive by the time the reinforcements come in! Tell me, if we were to move in tonight and launch an all out attack, do you really think their reinforcements will be able to help?"
"Sir?! An attack tonight?! You said it yourself that it may very well be a trap!"
Hua Seung nodded, "Yes, but think about it... what are a few foot soldiers anyway? They may have set the traps, but will a few measly traps be enough to stop the Million Man Army when it is in motion? Their traps will fall, just as they will!"
Finally, it dawned on Sei Rong, as he rubbed his chin hesitantly. "So if we were to place all of our weakest forces in the front as a sacrifice, we would be able to make it through whatever traps they have set. Their traps are effective, but not a lot of time is put into them... they were making them as they went."
"EXACTLY! So that means that they will not have set traps in their path..."
"And if we send a force to wherever they are going, they will be trapped." Finished Sei Rong, an eerie smile lighting up his wrinkled features. He was simply amazed, even as the pirate captain began to laugh hysterically, despite the odd looks he received from the people around them. "And cornered mice will have no choice but to fight!"
"And then the mice will die!"
That was the plan... simple, but they both knew it would be effective. Sei Rong asked, trying to speak over the pirate captain's almost insane laughter. "What of the reinforcements?"
"What of them?"
"Do you think that they, too, will cause a threat?"
The pirate captain gave a nod, his dark eyes glistening. "Right, right... hm, maybe we should hold the three generals captive and force their lord to surrender... then in one fatal swoop, kill them all off. How's that for a plan?"
Though brutal, Sei Rong was too overjoyed that Hua Seung was finally starting to use his brain to care anymore, as he gave his approval. "Of course my lord! Most excellent... after killing their lord, you will have gained their land easily and it should not take you long to set up your stronghold! Most excellent work, my lord!"
"Why of COURSE it is!" Just as quick as the wind had changed, the pirate captain was back to his own self, his voice deadly as he shouted to his advisor and the rest of his men that were around him. "Now stop sucking up and get to work! I want to set out tonight, and you guys sitting here ain't gonna accomplish that! NOW GET TO WORK!"
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
And even as he bowed with the rest of the pirates, Sei Rong fought against his own conscious...
------
Gan Ning walked out, still troubled, still holding the head in his hands. He did not bother to place it back in the bag; what was the point now? He spat, looking at the head one last time before dropping it, using a mighty kick to send it flying over the edge of the cliff. He almost grinned, watching it spiral downwards... "Good riddance..."
"G-Gan Ning?"
In a split second, Gan Ning was facing Lu Xun, and he could see the horror written on his face. He cursed mentally... had Lu Xun just seen that? "Yeah kid?"
Those wide gold eyes told him all, and he whispered, "How... how could you do such a thing?"
Now, Gan Ning's eyes softened a bit, but his voice was firm, "Murderers like that deserve it... had I not killed them, they would have raped another village and slaughter more innocents."
"But... surely they deserve some compassion, as human beings. Their heads... shouldn't be kicked off of a cliff!" The boy was hurt, and Lü Meng's words haunted him, wondering now if the boy was doubting his friendship and loyalty. "That's... just inhumane!"
"Then what would you have wanted? A funeral service for the wicked at heart?"
Lu Xun's eyes flashed with anger, and Gan Ning swore he never saw that before, "You could have simply buried it! No one would ever have known."
And that only edged out an angered response from Gan Ning, "Who cares anyway? Look, I don't see why you can stand there and JUDGE me, when you know NOTHING of my hell with them, with myself! Don't you think I don't already KNOW of the evil in my own heart?!"
There was silence between the two, and Gan Ning could read Lu Xun's expressions in a split second. Horror was written there, the same horror that many innocents before had worn before they were sent to their deaths by his unwavering sword. Sorrow, and then, most of all, rage...
"Fine! Forget I ever said ANYTHING; bury yourself in your self-hatred and self-pity and allow it to destroy you! See if I care!"
Had those words come from Lu Xun? Gan Ning stood in shock, berating himself even more to see the young boy trembling with rage, preparing to storm off but doubling over in pain. In fear of his wound reopening, Gan Ning instantly went to his aid, only to be brushed off.
Lu Xun's voice was a hiss, but it was apparent he was barely keeping himself from sobbing, "I do not want to see you like this! I want my best friend back instead of this... monster that has taken his place! How can I comfort you if you do not allow me to?!"
"Look... I'm... I'm an idiot, okay? I guess I've been alone for so long that... I'm just not used to it, okay?"
"That's no excuse! Why push me away? You, who get so hurt whenever I do the same to you!" Lu Xun hissed, finally relieving the pain in his chest, thankful that the wound had not split right open. He kept his back turned from him, keeping his arms to himself. "In case you haven't noticed, you're not the only one with issues... everyone has issues... why do you think I'm even here at all?"
"Xun..."
The boy tensed, "If they caused you so much pain... why did you return to see them?"
"I... I had to..." Gan Ning replied sharply, to defend himself. However, it wasn't helping, not at all. He spoke softer this time, "I wanted to prove myself to be rid of them... to bring justice to all the wrongs I did when I was a part of them..."
"Did it work?"
Looking to the stars, he sighed, "I don't know... when I was your age, I was already seasoned in killing, you know. So... I don't think it was."
"When will you start to forgive yourself?" Lu Xun asked, all tension within him seemed to be gone now. He looked back at his troubled friend, tilting his head slightly. "You're the only one holding it against you..."
"How... how can everyone forgive me so easily?" The former pirate cried out, giving a huff and laying on his back, rather enjoying the feel of the grass. Somehow, it was soothing to him, and his voice softened. "Of course you can forgive me... you don't know what I did, do you?"
To his surprise, the boy laid beside him, resting his head on his bloodied arm, "It doesn't matter. I would forgive you... no matter what you did in the past."
They never realized they were being watched, and, nodding, Gan Ning finally smiled, "Heh... somehow those inner demons don't seem so scary anymore. They were right though... I HAVE grown soft."
Lu Xun smiled, "Is that such a bad thing?"
"If you look at it that way, then I guess so." Gan Ning shrugged, looking up at the stars and seeing a familiar sight. When he heard footsteps, he automatically knew it was Lü Meng, and the general leaned against the tree as he greeted him, "Hey... take a seat, grumpy bags. There's enough grass for the three of us."
"And I thought you wanted to be alone?"
As Lü Meng went to join them, the former pirate scoffed, "Hey, I'm allowed to change my mind, right? Besides, not like we'll get another moment ANYWAY, right?"
"Too true..." Lü Meng smiled, somehow getting comfortable with the armor he wore, as if he was ready for battle at any given moment. He looked over the cliff, not liking the enemy's camp fire in the distance. "They're getting antsy... and still no sign of reinforcements."
"Do you really think we'll receive any?"
They both looked at Lu Xun, as if to question that question, and he shrugged. "I mean, from the other kingdoms. Wei would not care in the lease, not after Chi Bi, and Shu's alliance with us never really was a good one, if you think about it."
"But surely they will realize that this enemy is just as much a threat to them as they are to us." Gan Ning stated, showing optimism. "They'll help! It's just taking them awhile to assemble the troops, that's all."
Lu Xun sighed, "I hope that you are right."
The three of them had their own doubts, though, no one was willing to express it. They couldn't... the troops were shaken up as it was, and they did not need to lower their morale anymore. Lü Meng sighed, almost not hearing the question that was directed towards him by Gan Ning, "I thought you had work to do..."
"Work... like what?"
The former pirate grinned, "Like getting out of this mess! You're the head of this outfit... what are we gonna do next, Chief Commander Lü Meng?!"
Lü Meng sighed, looking down at the camp and knitting his eyebrows in thought. Lu Xun had taken a glance at the maps to see that he was stumped, but he wasn't willing to admit it. And Lu Xun didn't wish to speak up, at least not right now. He wanted a moment of peace, just as much as the other two did. At least tonight, they could get peace...
Finally, Lü Meng answered, and he joined the other two, laying flat on his back and gazing up at the stars, his dark green eyes aloof almost. "I never really thought about it... we can't hold out for long, but our forces shouldn't be too far away. We'll move the troops out in an hour or so... no need to linger here anymore than we must."
"Sounds like a good plan to me!" Gan Ning replied with a grin, noticing his friend's gaze and wondering what got him down too. Unlike Lu Xun, though, he asked, "What's gotten to you?"
"Nothing new..." Lü Meng stated quickly, obviously not wanting to talk about it. His gaze, too, saw the three stars that were perfectly aligned with each other, but he did nothing but look at it, as he tried to get lost in his thoughts. It seemed impossible, and he gave a grunt, as Gan Ning yanked at his pony tail. "What?"
The former pirate's voice was firm, and Lu Xun could only stare in silence, as Gan Ning sighed, "You're so aloof, Meng... always wanting to separate the real you from us. You hardly complain about stuff that bothers you and let me do all the whining! Why, eh? You're human too... you're allowed to feel down and let us know why too!"
Lü Meng looked at him, and you could almost see the slight pain in Lü Meng's eyes, as he let out a long sigh before looking away. "It's my problem... so I should have to deal with it."
"So this is the same guy that told me not to fight my inner demons alone, eh?"
Now Lu Xun spoke up, his voice soft, "Everyone has problems, Lord Lü Meng... maybe... they're not meant to be dealt with alone."
Lü Meng could only sigh, and the other two could hear the slight pain edged in his voice, as he replied, "I did not have someone there before... and the only person I had has long since abandoned me. Perhaps that's why I'm so messed up..."
"Hey... if I tell you what happened... would you tell me your past?"
The general did not wish to answer, but his own curiosity got the better of him, as he nodded.
Gan Ning's red eyes glistened, but he did not back down from his own idea, as he pondered where to start. He gazed up at the stars, as the middle one shone brightly. "Well, I can't say much for my past that either one of you don't already know. I was raised as a pirate... you know the sort of thing... plundering, killing anyone that got in our way... it wasn't all that bad really."
"If it wasn't so bad..." Lü Meng let out another sigh, as he closed his tired eyes. "Why did you have so much hatred towards the ones you killed today?"
"I'm getting there... well, I was part of a group, before Hua Seung decided to try to run things. I couldn't stand the idiot, so, I left them, and just sort of wondered around on my own..." Gan Ning's voice trailed off, as he shrugged. "I didn't like living on land too much, but after awhile... things started making sense to me. I saw what manual labor was and the rewards of it... I finally realized how other people, the ones we stole our gold from, had their own money..."
Lu Xun asked aloud, "Is that what made you quit piracy?"
He looked as if he wanted to get off easy and end it there, however, he fought with his conscious, as he finally admitted, "No... you know me; too damn lazy for anything. I was considering it, though... but I wanted to give piracy one last chance, so... one day, when traveling from one city to another, I came across this old guy, carrying a heavy looking sack. Heh, stupid me thought it was gold, so, I moved in on him and held my sword at his throat."
"Did you kill him!?"
He quickly answered Lu Xun's question, "No... at least not then... usually that did the trick and most others would have dropped whatever they were carrying and ran when they saw a man with muscles and clad in clothes of the pirates... but not this man. He stood there, glared at me... and-"
"He started to berate you for what you were, right?" Lü Meng asked, starting to chuckle softly. "Sometimes people will do the oddest of things..."
"Yeah... well... he only spoke the truth... and I killed him for it." Remorse was ever so obvious in his voice, but he tried so hard to cover it, though neither of the other two could blame him at all. "I should've ran, but I guess my pride got the better of me... still, I should have let him go..."
Lu Xun spoke up, "Was that when you left piracy?"
"I wish... it was..."
He could see Lü Meng's expression through the corner of his eyes, as the former pirate forced the memories out in the open, with hope that the pain in his heart would eventually go away. "A week later, some kids started throwing rocks and me and screaming for their mother, screaming that a pirate was going to kill them too."
"Gan Ning..."
However, the man smiled, knocking off Lu Xun's hat and ruffling his light brown hair with a snicker, "Don't worry, I didn't even TALK to them! I couldn't... kids will be kids, so, I just took off and dropped piracy all together. Something about you children that can make a man change, you know!"
The boy smiled, and Lü Meng gave a nod, removing himself from the grass and standing to his feet, to look down on the scene of antsy pirates below them. Gan Ning called out to him, making sure his friend did not wonder off. "Eh, well, I fessed up. What about you?"
"What about me?" Lü Meng's voice was gruff, and he crossed his arms, keeping his back turned from his friends, to try to concentrate his attention to the more important matter of the pirate's movement. "My pains are nothing compared to yours... I doubt that anyone would be interested in them."
"Hey, you SAID you'd tell if I did!"
And Lu Xun, of course, backed up the former pirate, "You did, sir..."
"Who's side are you on?"
The boy backed down, as Gan Ning kicked some dirt at his friend, a grin plastered on his face. "Come on! Surely there is SOMETHING about you that makes you the way you're now..."
"And how am I right now? What if I never changed my entire life?"
"Bullshit!" Now the pirate seemed angered, and Lü Meng was stunned into silence as the man's strong grip tightened around the scruff of his neck. Lu Xun sat there, paralyzed, as the former pirate's fierce red eyes bore down into Lü Meng's own, making sure that the man was paying attention to him. "If you stayed this way your entire life, then why did Lord Sun Quan encourage you to being a scholar?! And if so, why are you acting like this right now?"
Lu Xun spoke up in Lü Meng's defense, trying to step in between the two. "If he really doesn't want to tell, then he shouldn't have to! Unhand him!"
However, Gan Ning did not release him, and instead, he ignored Lu Xun, as Lü Meng flinched at the viciousness of his voice. "I have the death of so many innocents on my head, so how can whatever you have hidden be worse than mine? Have you killed a few innocents and don't want to admit to it, too, Meng?"
"Gan Ning, release him!"
Finally, Lü Meng fought back, and Gan Ning could not help but gasp, as the general's strong fist drove itself into his gut, more to free himself from his grip than to cause any damage. It worked, as even the strong Pirate of the Silken sails was forced to remove himself from the position, to grasp his stomach as Lü Meng backed up, fist still curled and looking ready to clobber him to the ground. Lu Xun was at the former pirate's side in an instant, and he flinched at the pain hinted in Lü Meng's voice, as the man turned to walk away. "If it makes you happy, yes, I did kill an innocent... her death was enough."
Coughing up some blood, Gan Ning choked, "M-Meng, I didn't mean-"
"Get the troops ready to march... the pirates are on the move." Lü Meng retreated from their gaze, wasting no more time and leaving Lu Xun to try to help the former pirate to his feet. They could not seem him seething, berating himself for losing his cool, but the man tried to push the thought aside. How could he think of this... when the pirate's were moving in on them? "Damn Hua Seung... he's catching onto us..."
"Are you alright?"
Gan Ning could not ignore Lu Xun's concern, as he finally was able to breath again. "Yeah... I'll be fine... you go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute..."
"Alright..."
And the boy left, unable to make sense of anything at the moment. Gan Ning wiped away the blood and forced himself to his feet, grunting back the pain in his stomach as he wobbled towards the main camp again. He couldn't help but think of the pain in Lü Meng's words when he punched him, and even now, he could only wonder... what was that man hiding?