Ning Feng felt her sight growing dizzy and her mind fuzzy as she arrived at the quarters where she and the rest of Shrek were waiting. She stumbled into their rooms. Her legs were hurting and burning like they were on fire.
Sure enough, Tang San was already awake. Their Vice Captain often rose at the crack of dawn or even earlier, before anyone else, even the grandmaster. Especially since they had come here for the competition, his sleep was so light that even the smallest sound woke him up.
"Morning, Feng." He said and then turned around. The streaming cup of tea. A ritual they had come to share in the mornings, when the only ones away were immediately put away at seeing her.
"Feng." He rushed forward as she wobbled on her feet and cóllapsed into his arms. Carried by him, she was gently put to sit on a chair.
"M-my Legs." She croaked, and Tang San nodded when taking a closer look at them. He let out a hiss of worry.
"What the hell." He muttered and then started tending to her. Ning Feng let out a relieved sigh when the pain lessened as Tang San put an ointment on it. "What happened?" He asked her, and she shuddered.
"I w-was on my morning r-un." She explained. Since she did considerably more physical training than the others, she usually took a small tour in the morning on her own before joining the training with everyone else. "W-when I stumbled upon a-a meeting. M-more like I had a feeling I did not want them to see me. A man and a little girl. The girl...I don't remember her name or anything, but I do remember she is a member of Spirit Hall. I don't think it has to concern us, but they spoke about someone called Beccy." Ning Feng explained. "Anyway, I hid in an alley and they found me."
"Beccy?" Tang San said his hands were stilling. He said it in the exact same intonation as the girl did, the same unfamiliar accent in that word.
"Y-yes?" Ning Feng said, looking at Tang San. Now that the pain was gone, she had calmed her sight somewhat, and it was clearing up again. "Do y-you know t-them?" She asked him, and he nodded in response.
"Yes. I know them. You said a girl...do you remember maybe if she was called Lucilla, or Lucy?" He asked her, and Ning Feng tilted her head.
"I think....I-it might h-have been L-Lucy. I-I remember that name f-from somewhere. I-I found it pretty." Ning Feng told him, and something in Tang San's expression changed. There was suddenly a hardness and a coldness coming from him that she had not seen before. His usual gentle self was gone; he was like another person. No more of the one they called the gentleman left.
"I see," he said before returning to his usual self. Ning Feng needed a moment, had that been an illusion right now. This change in him, or had her eyes fooled her? "Be careful with those legs. Got it. With these injuries, you will be out of battles for the next week or so. Luckily, the weapon was very sharp and the cut extremely clean. You lost quite a share of blood; whoever gave you those patches might have saved your life."
She nodded, and then the undescribable expression on Xie Yue appeared in front of her inner eye. "X-Xie Yue." She then said. "B-Bandages."
Tang San is still in his movements. "You want to say Hu Lienas brother Xie Yue gave you those bandages?"
"Interesting." Tang San said and then turned to her. "Either way, you need peace and no running for the next few days; additionally, a proper medic should have a look at it. What I did was just first aid, for now."
She hummed in agreement when Dai Mubai walked into the room, dressed in his nightclothes, his blond hair sticking wildly in all directions, with a grumpy expression and a raspy voice, obviously asking, while he was still half asleep.
"Feng ran into an accident." Tang San said with a smile, and Ning Feng felt her head turning around.
That was not how she would have called this, but seeing Tang Sans' tight expression, she kept her mouth shut and nodded in agreement. He was the clan head after all.
"Now?" Dai Mubai said. "Damn, timing could not have been worse. What are we going to do for the final battles with you incapacitated?"
"y-You will b-be f-fine." She said and smiled. She had not been intended for the last three battles in any way. Ning Rong Rong would take her place. Her combat abilities had made her a target, and while they had exploited the fact that they could leave her largely unprotected against anyone with three rings until now, relying on her combat abilities and the surprise factor.
None of these were possibilities anymore; that cat was already out of the bag, so they would rely on a more traditional approach, supporting Spirit Master with Rong Rong.
"I know. Still, watch out for yourself, will you?" Dai Mubai grumbled. "We don't want you to get hurt."
"What are you saying, Mubai?" Tang San said. "When are the others going to be awake? We might have to change a few tactics up."
"Mhh." Mubai sounded surprised. "Should be up soon enough."