Inside the small tavern, the ten men laughed at the young boy. Their laughter, cruel and mocking, filled the air inside the small tavern. The young boy looked at the ten men without fear, his pair of cold hazel eyes unwavering. He showed the men that he was not afraid of them, his defiance a silent challenge.
The ten men lunged at the young boy simultaneously. The young boy, calm despite the onslaught, took out the first paper talisman and chanted the spell that his nice-looking master (Guo Baiyu) had taught him. The paper talisman instantly turned into six sharp icicles, and they flew directly at the charging men. The first three men were hit, impaled, and bled badly, collapsing to the floor.
The two new hunters at their table, who had been observing, stood up abruptly. They both said at the same time, a note of awe in their voices, "Icicle Attack!"
"Told you, he is a fast learner," Zhao Renshu laughed, turning to Guo Baiyu, pleased with his new disciple's prowess.
Due to the young boy's sudden and devastating attack, the other seven men retreated a little, surprised and cautious. The team leader, however, sent two more men to attack the young boy first, hoping to overwhelm him. The first man grabbed the young boy's left hand and dragged him about four feet away, trying to isolate him.
Then, the little boy calmly patted the man's hand. "Go down," he commanded. The man's right hand suddenly lost all strength, and the man knelt on the floor, unable to move, his body frozen.
The man uttered, bewildered, "It's impossible... I... can't move."
The team leader, enraged by his men's paralysis, shouted, "What are you guys waiting for? Attack the tramp!"
Three of the remaining men quickly lunged at the young boy. He sent out the second talisman. Once again, six icicles rushed straight at the three men, and one man was immediately killed, impaled through the chest. The other two were severely injured, collapsing in pain. The young boy took out his last paper talisman and looked straight at the rest of the people with a pair of fearless, taunting eyes, daring them to continue.
"What did you tell him?" Zhao Renshu asked Guo Baiyu, impressed by the boy's composure.
"I told him that fear is people's weakness," Guo Baiyu replied, a faint smile on his face.
Master He noticed that his men were slowly retreating, unnerved by the boy's power. He snarled, "All of you! Attack the tramp!"
Master He's men, spurred by his command, charged at the young boy. Just as they did, hundreds of sharp icicles appeared, quickly pointed at Master He's men, freezing them in place. Everyone could see that Zhao Renshu now had a blue talisman floating on his right palm, emanating immense power. The young boy's mouth was wide open. He couldn't believe what he had witnessed, truly awestruck.
"Master He, our agreement does not consent that everyone can charge at once," Guo Baiyu said calmly, stepping forward, his voice firm.
"What are you? Some kind of monster?" Master He stammered, horrified.
"The only monster I see here is you," Zhao Renshu smiled, a cold, dangerous smile. He then burst out laughing, a contemptuous sound.
The man dressed in green and white came over, his face filled with awe. "I can't believe it; I actually witnessed it with my own eyes. You must be the famous hunter Zhao Renshu!"
The man dressed in red and white added, "Young man, you are lucky to be his disciple. Many people could only dream of being Zhao Renshu's disciple!"
The young boy, processing the implications, asked slowly, "Is he as famous as the Guozhao Hunters?"
Fang Yaoting suddenly laughed, a deep, satisfied sound, and walked from the other side of the tavern, approaching them. "You little rascal, don't you know? The Guozhao Hunters are standing in front of you!"
Master He and his men's faces turned pale with terror as they realized who they were facing. Fang Yaoting looked at Master He, then asked the man dressed in red and white, "What is the most famous quote the hunters said about Zhao Renshu, The Annihilator?"
"Those who have done evil," the man dressed in red and white recited, his voice respectful, "if they happen to meet Zhao Renshu, they will never live long enough to tell the story."
The young boy recalled the incident at the mountain trail, remembering how everyone was killed by his master, confirming the saying.
Zhao Renshu crushed the floating talisman in his palm, and all the hundreds of icicles immediately stabbed Master He and his servants. The blood dripped from the end of each icicle to the floor, forming dark pools. Twenty people died where they stood, instantly.
Guo Baiyu turned to Zhao Renshu, a frown on his face. "Look at all the mess here." He sighed. "You should have let them go out first."
"You didn't say anything when I was crushing the talisman," Zhao Renshu retorted, feigning innocence.
"Use common sense," Guo Baiyu deadpanned, shaking his head.
The tavern owner walked up, his face pale and shocked by the carnage. Fang Yaoting, however, calmly handed the owner a large gold ingot.
"Sir, please rest assured," the Tavern owner stammered, his eyes wide. "We will take care of the bodies."
Zhao Renshu put his arm around Ping'an's waist, and they walked ahead with Fang Yaoting to the dining table, resuming their meal as if nothing had happened.
Guo Baiyu looked at the boy and gave him a gentle smile. "We don't have all day standing there." He walked ahead, and the young boy, without hesitation, followed his new master.
Guo Baiyu and the young boy were the last two to come over to the table. The group continued eating their meal, a strange normalcy resuming.
The young boy looked at Guo Baiyu. This master of his had very fine, handsome features, and without even asking, this master must be very smart. He looked at Zhao Renshu. When he looked at Zhao Renshu, he remembered the terrifying image of his master standing in the rain, and within a few minutes, his master had killed all the bad guys.
"Hey kid, what's your name?" Zhao Renshu asked, his voice friendly.
"Do you want to be called black boy for life?" Guo Baiyu added, a gentle prompt.
"I don't have a name," the Young Boy replied, his voice quiet. "People have called me black boy since I could remember."
Guo Baiyu looked at the young boy more closely. The boy was about thirteen or fourteen years old. His complexion was darker than normal, a rich tan. His hair was silky black, hanging down to his waist.
"You don't know your date of birth either, am I correct?" Guo Baiyu asked, his voice soft.
The young boy shook his head.
"Just say that today is your birthday, today you turn fifteen years old," Guo Baiyu declared, a kind smile on his face. "Your name is Zhiqiang."
"Guozhao Zhiqiang," Zhao Renshu smiled and added, "the first disciple of the Guozhao Hunters!"
"This name suits you very much," Lee Dachin said, his eyes kind. "Zhiqiang, the will is strong. After everything, you are still unbreakable."
"From now on, don't let anyone call you by the color of your skin," Ping'an said, her voice firm and warm. "You have a name, your name is Guozhao Zhiqiang. From now on, your home is in Cloud City."
"Zhiqiang ge ge, happy birthday," Xiao Mei chirped, a sweet smile on her face.
"Thank you, Xiao meimei," Guozhao Zhiqiang replied, a faint smile on his lips.
"Eat before the food gets cold," Guo Baiyu said, gesturing to the dishes.
This was the first time in his life that he had a name and a surname. Guozhao Zhiqiang looked around the table, seeing that everyone was enjoying the food, a warm, familial scene. He put down his hand and pinched himself seven times, hard, until he was finally convinced that sitting here, enjoying dinner with his family, was not a dream.