Chapter 42: Battle arena

Wen Wú Ting sighed on his side of the call with Wen Wú Ling as he slowly added,

"You know I can't divulge operational matters with you so don't even ask,"

"Operation your head!"

Wen Wú Ling exclaimed loudly and angrily at him before she continued,

"Who the hell is asking about your stupid and dumb operation!? Foxy sister! I'm talking about Foxy sister!"

" . . . "

Wen Wú Ting didn't waste any time, he told his sister what had happened.

"That bitch! . . Brother, you, you have to do something about her! What would you do if she starts seeing me as a threat to her and starts shooting at me!?"

"Haaa, the hero not only saved the damsel, they even got shot for their troubles! Tsk! Well done damsel! Well done. How could you not know she had been shot huh!? . . Where was your head!?"

" . . . "

Wen Wú Ting didn't know what to say, he could only sigh and wait for Qin Qianyu to message Wen Wú Ling back.

"I have to get back to work, as soon as she messages you let me know right away. Make sure you get her location and I'll head over and check up on her."

"Hey, Do you want me to hack into the city's surveillance systems?"

"I thought of that, but the way she moves, I don't think they would pick up anything."

"Mhm, Eldest brother . . if she dies, you're dead to me."

"Settle down, she'll be alright. I'm sure of it."

"She better damsel! Gah! Brother I really hate that damn woman!"

"Mhm, I know, me too,"

"Oh? . . Say . . Are perhaps interested in Foxy sister?"

" . . . "

"You are! . . You totally are!"

"Enough of that, call me as soon as you get news."

"Heh! Do you think you can win her over after she was just shot because of you!? Dreamer! You have to work hard eldest brother . . . just don't go overboard and creepy like your damn brother!"

"He's your brother too,"

"You know what? I liked you better when I thought you liked "cave diving" behind the ol oak and two boulders."

" . . . "

"This, haaa, that woman's analogy of simple terms is truly special."

Wen Wú Ting thought to himself. Suddenly a voice called out and Wen Wú Ting had to end the call and get back to work.

His mind however was still on Qin Qianyu and where she could possibly be.

Wen Wú Ling was in the same boat, she sent message after message but got no reply.

As minutes turned to hours, both the Wen siblings had no replies.

While the pair waited anxiously, Qin Qianyu was already at home, in bed, fast asleep.

She had no idea that the Wen siblings had been trying to contact her feverishly because she was shot. Her phone had lost power and she didn't even check it.

The next morning, Qin Qianyu got up showered and started off with her breathing exercises as per her routine.

She packed her bag and left for her morning jog before heading to the studio where she would be continuing her normal training session.

But before all of that,

"Saan! I have arms in need of cuddling!"

Qin Qianyu called out as she made her way through the studio. Saan ambled into a canter and threw himself at Qin Qianyu.

He pounce around her before standing on his hind legs, shadow boxing the air with his front paws.

Qin Qianyu would then follow suit and tap the tops of his paws while he tried to do the same.

Then the pair would cuddle before Qin Qianyu got stuck into her training for the morning.

Qin Qianyu noticed movement at Grandpa Wú's window. He quickly came down stairs and joined Qin Qianyu with her training.

Just before breakfast the pair had a sparring session. As the duo fought, it resembled a well choreographed dance, Grandpa Wú closed his eyes and recited while keeping pace,

"Fast, but soft, slow, but strong. Following is leading, guiding, let it flow like water. It can fall from the sky innocuously, it can carve through the toughest of rock aggressively. It is both life saving and life taking, it is you."

Soon Qin Qianyu was mirroring Grandpa Wú move for move, punch for punch, kick for kick, movement for movement, breath for breath.

"Nicely done. Go wash up we'll head out for breakfast."

"Phew, that worked up an appetite, don't forget your wallet, I'm starved."

"Hoho, it was indeed a good session, describe it to me,"

"Mhm, it felt good, like an energy was coursing through me. If my open palm strike was only a feather it could slice through metal, if I jumped, I'd float, it was surreal.

It was as Grandpa Wú surmised, he had sense changes and noticed that his disciple was at or nearing a benchmark in her training.

"Hehe, good, it means you've surpassed the beginning stages of the Art of Wú. We'll move onto the next stages in the coming days."

"Wow I'm so awesome!"

"Yes, yes, my disciple is truly awesome. So awesome that she smells like Saan's morning dump."

"Grandpa Wú, I think you're smelling your own upper lip."

" . . . "

"Hmph! Quickly go wash up or I'll leave you behind to eat Saan's leftovers."

"Hehe, yes, yes, oh Grandpa Wú,"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Don't forget to brush your teeth . . . and upper lip, Hahahaha!"

Qin Qianyu quipped as she made a beeline to her room to wash up.

The duo headed to a nearby cafe for breakfast and to continue their discussions about what Qin Qianyu had experienced to propel her skill levels to such a degree so early than he had predicted.

"Xiaoyu, be honest with me,"

"Hmm? What is it Grandpa Wú?"

"Have you been sneaking off and competing in the Battle arenas?"

"Huh!? I don't even know what that is?"

"Really?"

"Of course! What do I get out of lying to you?"

Qin Qianyu thought about it for awhile, the only fighting she's done lately was against the gang from last night.

"That must be it,"

Qin Qianyu thought to herself. Grandpa Wú then told her that he had noticed how she was not as close to reaching today's benchmark a few days ago which was why he suspected her of going to a Battle Arena.

Qin Qianyu nodded and pulled out her phone to show Grandpa Wú news of the raid done on the Evergreen Dragons.

"Ah, one moment, I need to recharge my phone battery."

Qin Qianyu started to fast charge her phone. All the tables in this cafe had built in wireless charging in them.

After a few minutes her phone started blowing up, all of it were frantic, sombre, and regretful messages from Xiaoling.

Confused by the bombardment, Qin Qianyu scrolled through them all and realised what had happened.

"So that's what that red mark on my shin was,"

Qin Qianyu had noticed the red mark when she showered prior to breakfast. She thought it was from her morning training as it looked like a whip mark.

She wouldn't have thought it was from being shot at with a bullet.

Qin Qianyu though how she wasn't shocked at the thought of being shot or shot at.

She wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"Don't tell me I'm turning into a battle maniac!?"

She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She quickly composed a message and sent it Xiaoling.

[Little bunny, thanks for all your messages. I'm fine, honest. And do tell the handsome wolf not to worry, I've had deeper cuts from my own bra strap than this little graze from someone else's bullet. Actually, I'd be questioning her shooting ability. It isn't all that great considering.]

[FOXY SISTER! YOU'RE ALIVE!]

[Foxy sister! You . . Are you really alright I know some good surgeons you don't have to act tough around me!]

[Little bunny I'm not lying, see,]

Qin Qianyu was wearing a dress, she lifted the hem a little high and took a snapshot of her long legs and sent it along with her message.

Wen Wú Ling was floored when she saw the picture of Qin Qianyu's long fair skinned legs, there wasn't a scratch on either of them.

[But brother said there was blood, he followed it till it stopped, he was adamant you were shot there and then!]

[Tsk! What kind of doctor would I even be if I couldn't even deal with such a small thing? Alright, as you can clearly see, I'm fine, so stop worrying.]

[Well that's true and also a relief. Alright Foxy sister. I'll also delete your legs least I drown myself in my own drool!]

[Hahaha, Silly Wabbit! Be good, and thanks for the concern, the both of you.]

Qin Qianyu smiled and ended her conversation with Xiaoling. She looked up from her phone to a disgruntled Grandpa Wú staring daggers back at her.

"Oh crap! That's right!"

Qin Qianyu had left Grandpa Wú hanging all this time. She was about to show him the news regarding everything about the Evergreen Dragons but was distracted by all of Xiaoling's Hextext messages.

"Oh crap!? . . That's right!? . . You!"

"You take photos of your legs and sent them to god knows who! . . All while wearing such a stupid smile! I swear, if it went any higher, the person receiving it would definitely see what you had for breakfast!"

"Huh!? . . I don't get . . Ohh! Filthy old man what are you thinking!?"

"Huh!? Filthy young girl! I'm not the one taking lewd photo's! What are YOU! thinking? Hmm?"

"Tsk! . . "

"TSK! Your damn head! I have half a mind to make Saan eat your damn phone!"

Luckily for them the cafe wasn't full, or the conversation between the two would definitely raise a few eyebrows.

Qin Qianyu rolled her eyes and done a quick search on the Evergreen Dragons.

Sure enough the news of the raid ADT and other law enforcement agencies topped the search rankings.

She handed her phone over to Grandpa Wú he frowned when he read it,

"Tsk! This guy is everywhere! Doesn't he have a home?"

Qin Qianyu understood who Grandpa Wú was talking about,

"The handsome wolf is just following through with what had happened at Jing Hospital. It's all connected. You see, those doctors that were scamming you, were also making drugs with the left over materials from the hospital and on selling it to the gang."

"He's just doing his job, and doing it well, so don't talk about him like that,"

Qin Qianyu added in his defence,

"Oh? . . Is that right?"

Grandpa Wú asked nonchalantly , yet, also questioningly.

Qin Qianyu cocked an eyebrow at him and changed the subject,

"So there you have it, I've never been to this battle arena let alone heard of it."

"Mhm, well you can start now if you like. It'll do you some good in furthering your training."

Grandpa Wú then started to inform her all about the goings on of the Battle Arena.

It had started near the end of the war. The invaders had set it up to prove ones mantle in the Art of fighting.

An arena set up to prove who had the better skill, the best martial arts and the greatest culture. The invaders were arrogant in this aspect.

Grandpa Wú sighed as he reminisced, Qin Qianyu saw a faint light in his eyes dim as he continued,

"The prize was your life and a small bag of rice or millet. If you lost, it was the opposite, you lost your life and much needed food for your family or loved ones."

"The invaders believed themselves unbeatable true warriors of the world. It was conqueror's verses the conquered."

"But that was then, nowadays, it's only a place where warriors from all over the world compete against each other for entertainment, for fame and riches, only a select few go to find some kind of enlightenment or make breakthroughs."

Qin Qianyu thought for a moment, it didn't seem like a bad idea. She could gamble as a spectator, fight as a competitor, and offer her medical services on the side to all those that are terribly injured.

Grandpa Wú told Qin Qianyu that there were at least 12 Battle Arenas all around the country.

"All of them are controlled by a family or entity in that area. Most of them are shams so don't even bother with them. I'll give you a list of the six really good ones and the top three in our country."

"Grandpa Wú is there one in the capital?"

"Mhm, there is but it's a sham, it's mainly filthy rich kids with even filthier minds all playing little emperor's and empress's. That battle arena only exist because of all the money those fools throw into it. The true meaning of the arena is totally lost to them, so I wouldn't bother with the kids. It isn't worth it."

"But what if I want their lunch money to buy an island?"

"Oh? My little thug . . ah, I mean, sure why not."

Qin Qianyu wasn't joking either, she really wanted to buy her own private island one day. She would bring Bai Saan there on holidays. Relax with her family, just to get away from the hustle and bustle of city living.

She often dreamt about it while she was with Song Zhaoge. She had even told him of her thoughts of buying an island for the two of them to escape from the world around them.

However, Qin Qianyu hadn't banked on Song Zhaoge being a City man through and through.

She recalled that a large amount of money went out of her account she shared with Song Zhaoge, oddly enough it was the exact same amount as the island she had been eyeing.

When she followed the money trail it was sent to that company selling the private island.

To say she wasn't excited that Song Zhaoge had purchased the island would be an understatement of the century.

However a few days after the discovery, Qin Qianyu ended up in hospital where she met her untimely death.

Qin Qianyu realised now that it wasn't that Song Zhaoge didn't like the island idea, he just didn't like the idea of it being him and her.

"So many ideas, I can gamble on myself and fight, that way I'll have the capital to start my mini empire, sponsor Tek Tech and their sensor as well as hire Zhang Mi to run my pharmacy. Then my parents could stop working and just have fun."

Qin Qianyu looked at Grandpa Wú with fire and assertiveness in her eyes.

"Grandpa Wú, what are your plans for tonight?"

"Hmm? What are . . "

"Ah, can you sign me up for a fight tonight? I wanna take, I mean, Make! some lunch money, hehehe!"