CHAPTER 7
"Wolfie! I made father's favorite lotus cakes!" Gan Xin ran to the inside of the cottage with a plank of short hardwood in his hand. On top, it was three pieces of round cakes colored golden yellow. "Mother's taste better but it's my first try. I hope you like it too"
He passed them to Wolfie, in front of her mouth. She was sleeping on the table.
"Luckily you showed me the forest years ago. There's a lot of fruits and vegetables! We can make a lot of dishes" he shoved the cakes to his mouth, patting the wolf on her head gently as she continued sleeping against her front feet, calmly.
It's been two years since Gan Xin was kicked from Wei Zhuang. He learned how to survive the woods himself in the cottage he called a castle. The cottage was average in size bug enough for him and Wolfie. Gan Xin is fifteen now. He grew up with a nice mature clean face decorated with a charming smile. He grew quite tall as time passed and there would be nights when he started staring blankly on the floor thinking about the incidents while Wolfie would be sitting on him for comfort.
As Gan Xin was enjoying the sweet dessert and patting Wolfie with the other hand,
"Grr," The grinning of a pack of wolves lingered, sounding furious outside of the cottage. As soon as it hit the inside of the cottage, Wolfie raised her head. Her sharp ears stood upwards, scanning the area for assurance. She ran outside all of a sudden, startling Gan Xin away.
"WOLFIE!" He called, worried. He chased the wolf, witnessing the battle before him.
It was Wolfie who was silver in color and approximately twelve more wolves of the same color. They were twice bigger than Wolfie herself and their grinning was intimidating. Gan Xin's heart skipped a beat.
"GRR," Wolfie grinned back as a warning to the pack. However, she knew she had no chance against the pack but she was actually protecting Gan Xin from the pack of her tribe, The Silver Guardian.
Two years ago, Wolfie was sent to eliminate foreigners, Gan Xin. But instead, she turned away from the tribe and stayed with Gan Xin.
She was hunted since.
Gan Xin was startled by the view of the pack of more silver wolves. He had no idea what did they came for but by scanning the expressions of the wolves, he realized that they came with a bad intention.
"Wolfie, should I let them bite my leg like how you did the first time we met?" He joked, looking at Wolfie grinning. "They might turn friendly like you?"
"Gan Xin, don't act stupid" a feminine voice hit his mind. "They want more than our feet"
"Wolfie, you're a girl?" His jaw dropped, repeatedly blinking his eyes in disbelief and shock. "I can talk to wolves now?"
"Get these wolves away first, Gan Xin!" Wolfie instructed. Her tone of voice was squeaky but not high-pitched. She started attacking, biting, and scratching the leader, just in front of her. The leader's eyes reflect anger and excitement to finally find the disloyal follower of his tribe.
"Be safe, wolfie" Gan Xin joined, growing cascading poisonous plants from his knuckles. The floral strand circled the wolves fast enough to get the wolves tied together and fell to the ground by their shoulders.
"You messed with the wrong Gan Xin, wolves!" Arrogantly he passed his thumb to his nose, proud. He carved a smile, circling the tied wolves.
"Where's Wolfie?" He scanned the area around the stream of water. "WOLFIE!"
Once again he felt a hit of panic, not seeing Wolfie around the area. He fell into a deep silence, instead started running around for more detailed observation.
"GAN XIN!" Wolfie's voice echoed in his head. Her tone was husky and breathy. Instantly he rushed towards the forest where he usually gets his food supplies.
"WOLFIE!"
She was being dragged by the wolf leader by the neck. The leader was grinning on his way. Being old, he was also tired and couldn't hold the weight of wolfie, he walked fast instead of running. Wolfie was wet of blood from the but and the dripping saliva of the leader.
"You dare escape from the tribe, finally we found you," said the silver wolf leader. "If you failed your mission, you're supposed to return and report not stay with the enemy"
"I don't care"
The leader dragged her faster back to their lair. He thought Gan Xin as a human wouldn't be able to catch them anymore, he felt more assured, positive that he will report back to the tribe with the glorious news.
"WOLFIE!" Gan Xin called, shouting.
He pasted his palms on the dirt of the ground, crouching as a poisonous plant called nightshade with spiky poisonous thorns pullulate from his sharp knuckles. The plant circles Wolfie and the silver wolf leader.
"LET GO!" Gan Xin shouted, protective.
"You better stay out of this matter, young kid" the leader turned to him, still unaware of the nightshade sprouting towards him and Wolfie.
"I'm fifteen, you filthy!" Instantly he raised back in his feet.
The nightshade grew higher as it started to cover Wolfie and the wolf leader in a hemisphere bowl. "Wolfie, jump fast!"
Wolfie successfully jumped out of the plant with all of the energy she was left with. She fell in front of Gan Xin, fainted.
Immediately, he picked the wolf gently back into his arms. He couldn't stop running his fingers through her silver fur, petting the weak being.
"Wolfie, you can't leave me." He patted her silver fur. "You will accompany me getting revenge on the Crown Princess of Hei An Guang,"
"Gan Xin, you don't even remember her face" Wolfie replied, still fainting. She was still able to hear and send the voice message to him.
"Wolfie, don't worry" He continued walking, smiling.
At the same time in Wei Zhuang,
"GAN LUO YI! WHERE IS THE FOXGLOVE POISON CURE?" The queen burst into anger, throwing away the table in front of her.
The general was whipped once again by a spikey rope as he knelt. His lips were pale and there was scarring on his face.
"My Queen, I need more time," he begged, placing both of his palms on each other and bowing slightly downwards.
The long spikey whip passed through him again, harder that he fall to the floor on his stomach. He furrowed his eyebrows while his pupil was still stamped at the Queen.
"TIME?" She laughed physiologically. "IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS, YOU IDIOT! DO YOU EVEN HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE OF WEI ZHUANG DIED? THE NUMBERS DOUBLED WHEN THEY START TRANSFERRING POWERS TO THEIR LOVED ONES (that are affected)"
Her eyes enlarged in rage as she start breathing more rapidly.
"FENG AN XIN!" A deep matured voice calling the Queen by the name lingered around the large hall.
As soon as she heard the voice, the queen herself started kneeling without even bothering to look at the owner of the voice. General Gan Luo Yi and the ministers fell to their knees, bowing towards the entrance door.
"Welcome, Emperor and Empress of Da An to Wei Zhuang" together they all welcomed.
"Father, mother"
She labeled, peeking at the view of an old couple gloriously holding hands, making their way towards her.
The couple was wearing a fancy gold yellow outfit decorated with large supreme hair accessories.
"Your Wei Zhuang is in hot water but you still refuse to ask help from your parents, huh?" The father dissed, making his way to the queen's throne while the mother was helping Feng An Xin, the Queen to stand up.
"Feng An Xin my daughter, are you really that stupid?" The Empress asked, hitting her daughter at the arm soft.
The queen was out of words.
The Emperor shook his head in disappointment, sitting on her throne.
"If I knew this would happen, I should have let your older sis-"
"FATHER!" She shouted, angry. "Are you here to help Wei Zhuang or compare your one and only daughter with the dead?"
With a strict look on her face, she reminded the Emperor to let go of the past.
"YOU-" the Emperor burst out of outrage. "The only way out is to release General Gan Luo Yi's son!" He smacked the throne, enraged.
Gan Luo Yi had his eyes opened wide, shocked. He stood up in disbelief.
"My Emperor, how can my son Gan Xin help Wei Zhuang?" He asked, bowing with respect and curiosity.
"How can you still unknown of the solution? This is your wife, Gan Xie Le's idea" the Emperor smiled, revealing wrinkles on his face. The furious look of him instantly faded.
Gan Xie Le suddenly appeared with her elegant and feminine look, walking through the entrance door. Her husband on the other side was stunned with how properly dressed she was.
Ever since Gan Xin left, Gan Xie Le had been spending the night crying and longing for her son. She had never worn nice or proper cloth nor does she go out of Gan Xin's room at their manor.
"Gan Xie Le welcomed The Emperor to Wei Zhuang" she bowed, sweetly smiling.
"General Gan Luo Yi, your wife seems to be the only one in Wei Zhuang to have a brain" the Emperor praised, accompanied with a slight giggle of his. "Mrs. Xie Le, why don't you present us your solution?"
"But, can we pick up Gan Xin first?" She replied. Anxiety and fear decorated her delicate face.
Both Emperor and Empress smiled at each other as they nodded.
"GAN LUO YI, GO AND GET GAN XIN BACK HERE FROM THE MING YUN BRICK!" Gan Xie Le went for a hug with her husband, "Our Son is returning home"
Gan Luo Yi smiled, hugging his wife tighter, petting her on the hair.
"I'm sure he misses you" he started floating as his big and mighty yellow wings appeared.
"Gan Luo Yi thanks the Emperor of Da An" he bowed and instantly flew out of the castle and barrier of Wei Zhuang, straight to the Ming Yun Brick.
His journey through the sky and its cold breeze ended when he saw a small cottage covered with the foxglove plant. He smiled, excited, and landed in front of the small wooden door knowing Gan Xin will be there, ready to see him.
"GAN XIN!" He shouted as he saw the pack of wolves being tied together. "Did he tie these silver wolves?"
"GAN XIN!"
He shouted louder as his feet touched the ground and his mighty wings disappeared into gold dust blown by the wind.
Gan Xin was still on his way back to the cottage still with Wolfie on his arm.
"Wolfie, did you call me?" Gan Xin asked as soon as his father's call echoed around the forest.
"I'm a girl, Gan Xin. I don't sound like a man" Wolfie replied." But I heard it too"
"Is there a ghost here? Why didn't we notice it earlier?" He scanned the area It does look slightly dark and scary with the cold breeze from the woods.
"Let's go back before the sun fall" he rushed.
"Father?" His eyes were patched on his father figure and the disappearing large yellow wings.
Gan Luo Yi didn't notice Gan Xin. Not yet. Instead, he continued shouting louder.
"Attack that man in the count of three" One of the tied silver wolves instructed the other.
Gan Xin happened to hear the voice message that he started running towards his father. His long sword appeared on his palm as he grips on it tightly.
"One" the count started. The wolves were adjusting their position.
Gan Xin ran faster.
"Two"
"FATHER, BE CAREFUL!" He warned, shouting but was remained unnoticed.
"Three!" The wolves started running towards the General, breaking off the floral thread Gan Xin prepared just now.
"NO!" Successfully he appeared in front of Gan Luo Yi slaying the wolves with one hand while wolfie was still in his arm.
"Gan Xin!" His father was startled.
He ignored Gan Luo Yi as he moved his sword and continued slaying each of the silver wolves jumping towards them.
Blood was spilled and sprayed as each of the wolves fell to the floor of the dirt. They were just injured. Gan Xin couldn't bear killing Wolfie's tribe. It was never his intention.
Finally, the wolves were all fallen. Gan Xin's breathing was rapid as he turned to his back revealing his long-missed father with scars on his face.
Gan Luo Yi hugged his son before Gan Xin could react to his appearance.
"Father, who hurt you?" Gan Xin started crying, hugging his father tighter. "I missed you and mother"
"We missed you too, Xin'er" the father pat his head, soft. "Let's return, okay?"
Gan Xin nodded, smiling.
"XIN ER!" Gan Xie Le ran to her son, entering the hall.
He ran to her faster, smiling with tears of joy. His father was just beside him, holding the fainting Wolfie.
They finally hugged each other, full of warmth after years.
"Xin Er is here, mother," he said, comforting her crying mother.
"You shouldn't have a left mother in the first place"
Gan Luo Yi joined the hugging reunion, smiling in gratitude.
The Emperor and Empress smiled in happiness, holding each other hands.
The queen of Wei Zhuang on the other side had a bitter feeling at a corner of her heart. The generals and ministers of Wei Zhuang felt honored to have a view of the beautiful scenery.
"Gan Xin, you're so big now," his mother noticed, leading him to the Emperor and Empress.
"Thank you, the Emperor of Da An for allowing me to return to Wei Zhuang" Gan Xin bowed.
"Young man, it has been a trouble for you all these years" the Emperor smiled,
Gan Xin shook his head in denial, gripping Gan Xie Le's hands.
"We still need you to make a lot more foxglove plants" the Empress informed, breaking the harmonious carefree atmosphere.
Gan Xin's eyes were enlarged.
"What for?"
"To treat people who are affected by the foxglove poison. It's the only solution, right?" The Emperor wanted the confirmation. "Your mother told us that"
Gan Xin glimpsed at his mother, worried she might have given a false assumption to the Emperor.
"I made foxglove plant for the Crown Princess of Hei An Guang once but the King wanted to poison her at the first place" Gan Xin assumed. The assumption was sadly false.
The Emperor and the Queen plastered a look of disappointment to each other, seeing the end of the people of Wei Zhuang.
"But we can use the same concept" he suggested, anxious.
All of the members in the hall were relieved with a hint of surprise to hear another solution.
"But it's not a permanent solution, my Emperor"
"Let's hear it first"
"We shall use poison to fight poison. This evening, I somehow developed a new plant called nightshade to protect Wolfie" he glanced at the fainted silver wolf. "It's strong enough to neutralize the foxglove poison"
"Will it give any side effects?" The Queen asked, stepping a step forward. Her tone was concerned.
"It does. It will start consuming the internal organs slowly. But they won't feel any pain."
"How long do they have?" One of the ministers at the back questioned, out of curiosity.
"Three to four years. So I think this is the best solution while we find the cure for nightshade poison" Gan Xin tried convincing the Emperor and the Queen.
"Long enough for us to find the Jade Ring" Gan Luo Yi whispered to the Queen.
She nodded, agreed.
"What is Jade Ring?" Gan Xin questioned.
"He or she is a Wei Zhuang's royal bloodline. They have the ability to make jade pearls. It's the best for making both poison and medicines" the father explained.
"Then, we need to find a Jade Ring"
Determined, Gan Xin exchanged look with the Emperor.