After a long day of watching over the prisoners, making sure that they didn't cause trouble for the law officers per Guo Baiyu's instruction, Guozhao Zhiqiang decided to return to his masters. When he was near his masters' bedroom, he met Mayor Du and Doctor Chen.
Mayor Du greeted him with a warm smile, "Young Hunter, where are your masters?"
"They are inside," Guozhao Zhiqiang replied.
Guozhao Zhiqiang, Mayor Du, and Doctor Chen walked into the room. Guozhao Zhiqiang put the warm water basin on the table, setting up for Guo Baiyu's treatment.
"This is Doctor Chen," Mayor Du said to Guo Baiyu, "he will help to treat your wound."
Doctor Chen put down his medicine box and said, "Let me look at your arm."
Doctor Chen rolled up Guo Baiyu's left sleeve. He carefully washed the wound with hot water. He then applied ointment on the wound and wrapped Guo Baiyu's forearm securely with bandages.
"Don't get it wet for the next three days," Doctor Chen advised. He looked at Mayor Du, assuring him. "He will recover just fine."
"Thank you," Guo Baiyu replied.
"Pardon me, I will go to examine other injured citizens," Doctor Chen said, excusing himself.
"I'll take you," Mayor Du said. Mayor Du looked at Guo Baiyu. "Rest well. I'm hosting a dinner party for everyone tonight."
Mayor Du and Doctor Chen walked out, leaving the three Guozhao Hunters and Zhiqiang alone.
Zhao Renshu began to peel an apple. "Hey, boy, what's wrong with your face? Try this." He threw an apple to Guozhao Zhiqiang. "The apples from the Immortal Valley are the best."
Guozhao Zhiqiang grabbed the apple and sat opposite his masters and his Shimu. He took a bite, then asked, "If I am not human, then what am I?"
"You are family," Ping'an said softly, offering comfort.
"No matter where your beginning began, it only matters which path you choose to walk in life," Guo Baiyu added, his voice gentle.
"Kid, think about it," Zhao Renshu said, a smirk on his face. "You saved the entire city from being destroyed. Do you think a regular human can do that?"
"It's just... Why am I here and not with my kind?" Guozhao Zhiqiang pressed, a deep sadness in his voice.
"Sometimes the truth is not always pleasant," Guo Baiyu said, looking at his disciple, understanding his pain. "But if you really want to know, we will not stop you from seeking the truth."
Zhao Renshu took a bite of his apple, and he said, "You are not ready to venture the land by yourself. If you want to go, you will need more practice. Do you understand?"
"I think he is ready," Lim Peizhi said, walking in with the Huang sisters and Guo Longtong. "Yaoting should have been here. Where is he?"
Guo Longtong walked over and checked Guo Baiyu's self-harming arm, concern on his face.
"His mother is sick, so Dachin went to visit her with him," Ping'an explained.
"Baiyu, what are you thinking?" Guo Longtong lectured Guo Baiyu, shaking his head. "You know better than anyone that those pirates can drown you with their saliva!"
"It was the best choice at that time," Guo Baiyu replied, unrepentant.
"Next time, have Renshu do it," Guo Longtong suggested, nodding towards Zhao Renshu.
Guo Baiyu smiled. "Such a thing cannot be forced."
Two weeks later, inside the backyard of the Du Residence, Mayor Du hosted a grand dinner to thank the hunters and celebrate the city's victory. The group of friends, Lim Yuehai, and Du Aiguo sat together at a lively table.
"Excuse me," Lim Yuehai said, slightly embarrassed, clutching her stomach. "I need to go to the bathroom." Two maids helped her, and they left the table.
"I bet she is giving birth to twins," Lim Peizhi chuckled.
"How do you know?" Du Aiguo asked, surprised.
"My mother told me that when she was pregnant with us, her belly looked like two big watermelons," Lim Peizhi laughed. "She can't even stand up. She urinates every hour."
Everyone at the table laughed, imagining the scene.
Ping'an looked at Zhao Renshu, who had drunk too much. She said, "Renshu, don't drink too much."
"Fine," Zhao Renshu frowned. He stretched his hand over. "Here, Baiyu, drink it for me."
Ping'an grabbed the bowl of wine from Zhao Renshu's hand. "He just took medicine," she reminded him.
"Fine," Zhao Renshu grumbled. He tried to get the bowl back, but he accidentally knocked the bowl off Ping'an's hand, spilling some wine. "I'm sorry. Baiyu, give her your handkerchief."
"No need. I'm going to wash," Ping'an said, unfazed. She stood up and walked out of the banquet, heading towards the facilities.
Zhao Renshu looked around the table; everyone glared at him awkwardly. He said, "Hey, don't look at me like that. I said I'm sorry." He looked at the people sitting at the table and shook his head, annoyed by their judgment.
"Drinking too much is not good for your health," Guo Baiyu said, gently lecturing him. "Do you remember the last time you were drunk?"
"I don't remember," Zhao Renshu said, then his eyes lit up. "But I remembered the last time when you were drunk!"
"I want to know what happened to him the last time he was drunk!" Guo Longtong said excitedly, leaning forward.
"Um...well..." Zhao Renshu hesitated, looking awkwardly at Guo Baiyu. "You don't want to know." He shook his head.
"I really want to know!" Guo Longtong insisted.
"He took..." Zhao Renshu began, eager to spill the beans.
"Watch your language," Guo Baiyu interrupted Zhao Renshu, his voice sharp.
"What? What did he take?" Guo Longtong pressed, confused.
"Umm... He tried to eat a peach's seed," Zhao Renshu improvised quickly, "but like I said, we were both drunk, so I don't really remember anything except that he was silly."
As Ping'an turned around the corner after washing her hands, she saw Lim Yuehai standing there, calling out for her two maids who were lying on the ground unconscious. A dark shadow stood behind Lim Yuehai, pointing a knife at her back. Ping'an's instincts flared. She took out her whip, wrapped the whip around the assassin's right hand, and then pulled the whip to the far right, yanking the knife away. The assassin, agile and swift, did a butterfly kick, and Ping'an flew towards the assassin's chest with a triple forward kick. The assassin blocked Ping'an's kicks, and Ping'an's kicks caused the assassin to back further away from Lim Yuehai, creating a crucial distance. The assassin and Ping'an were now testing each other's inner strength. Ping'an noticed that the assassin had two shadows, an unnatural phenomenon.
The assassin grabbed Ping'an's whip and yanked Ping'an forward with great internal force, trying to pull her off balance. As Ping'an was pulled forward, the assassin dropped the knife from its right hand and grabbed another knife with its left hand, aiming directly at Ping'an's throat.
One of Ping'an's hidden swords summoned itself, striking the assassin in the side. The assassin flipped back twice and landed on its feet, momentarily disoriented. The assassin then released a knife directly towards Lim Yuehai, a desperate attempt to kill her. Ping'an turned around halfway and sent a paper talisman to slightly change the knife's direction. The knife was less than an inch from Lim Yuehai's neck, cutting some of her hair as the knife flew past her, barely missing. The assassin took the opportunity to quickly unwrap Ping'an's whip from its hand and fled into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.
Ping'an quickly rushed to check on Lim Yuehai. She asked worriedly, "Are you hurt?"
Lim Yuehai, still in shock, shook her head, unable to speak.
Ping'an walked over and checked the maids. The two maids were dead. Their necks were broken, and their chi energy was drained before they died. Ping'an truly believed that one of the seven criminals was here, responsible for this horrific act.
"Let's go back," Ping'an said, her voice grim. She then sneezed, a sudden, familiar sneeze.