From the entrance of the inn, Mayor Lim walked into the bustling restaurant. He went directly to the lovers' table, followed closely by his son, Lim Peizhi, and his daughter, Lim Yuehai.
"You must be the Guozhao Hunters?" Mayor Lim asked happily, his face alight with excitement.
"You must be mistaken," Zhao Renshu replied, equally cheerfully, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Impossible," Mayor Lim insisted, shaking his head. "The people said you conjured icicles. It's a special move of the Guozhao Hunters; I can't be mistaken!" He waved at the Huang sisters, who were seated nearby. "Miss Huang, please join us. I have something to discuss with you."
The mayor and his children led the group to a large, round dining table covered with a festive red cloth, laden with various kinds of food. The group settled around the dining table.
"I am very happy that the Guozhao Hunters visit my city," Mayor Lim began, beaming. "What are the Guozhao Hunters doing in Waterfall City?"
Zhao Renshu sighed dramatically. "Because of the thirty coins."
"You must be in great need of money," Huang Hongse mocked, a sneer on her face, "that's why you came all the way up here for thirty coins."
"If you have nothing good to say," Zhao Renshu retorted, his eyes narrowing, "please don't open your mouth. Last I checked no one at this table is asking for your advice."
Huang Hongse gritted her teeth at Zhao Renshu; her face contorted with a mad dog's fury.
Lim Peizhi shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I must agree with Miss Huang's opinion here. Nevertheless, can a respected hunter work for such a small amount of money?"
"It depends on who is seeking help," Zhao Renshu replied, his voice calm, giving nothing away.
"Oh...." Mayor Lim murmured, intrigued.
"Brother, you may not have heard of it," Lim Yuehai interjected, her voice gentle but firm. "Guozhao Hunters are not people who work to make money."
"Why do you say hunters instead of hunter?" Lim Peizhi asked, his curiosity piqued.
"This is because the Guozhao Hunters are not a single person, but a group of hunters," Lim Yuehai explained, a soft smile gracing her lips. "They work for what is right. I heard from travelers in Sunshine Town that the Guozhao Hunters helped release all the prisoners that were captured by some mountain bandits to be sold or traded as slaves and prostitutes. The town did not pay a single coin."
Guo Baiyu looked at Lim Yuehai, and she smiled, her two big dimples appearing on her face.
"The Guozhao Hunters also captured robbers pretending to be ghosts," Lim Yuehai continued, her gaze sweeping to Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu, then to Ping'an. "I also heard from travelers from Peace Town that they cleaned the forbidden forest and killed the giant demon creatures that had roamed the forest for more than fifty years."
Huang Hongse said indifferently, a dismissive wave of her hand. "Miss Lim, you certainly heard a lot of their stories. Have you checked that this is true? Sometimes people just make up stories. I have encountered plenty of pretenders."
"Miss Huang," Lim Yuehai replied, a hint of steel in her voice, "I'm not sure why you are very negative towards them." The two young ladies exchanged a few more pointed words.
When Ping'an glanced around the table, she noticed a very thin man sitting alone at a nearby table, constantly stuffing food into his mouth. The two men, Zhao Renshu and Guo Baiyu, looked at Ping'an, then followed her gaze.
"I believe just a while ago," Lim Yuehai said, turning back to the Guozhao Hunters, "when Childe Renshu used his talisman on you, you were unable to stop his attack."
"Well, let's stop," Mayor Lim interjected, sensing the rising tension. "I'm very happy that everyone came to visit our town."
From afar, an old man walked into the Inn, and the waiter at the entrance tried to prevent him from entering.
"I am here to meet someone," Old Fu insisted, his voice raspy.
"I'm sorry, sir," the waiter said, holding out a hand, "but our inn serves the finest food, and I don't think you can afford it. The person you are meeting is not in this inn."
"I was told that they are here," Old Fu countered, his eyes scanning the room.
"You can stay here, and I will ask," the waiter pleaded, trying to be accommodating. "Please don't make it difficult for me. My boss will cut my monthly salary. Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for the Guozhao Hunters," Old Fu stated clearly.
The waiter's eyes widened. "You are looking for the Guozhao Hunters?" he repeated, incredulous.
"Yes," Old Fu affirmed. "They are here because I called for their help."
"Don't be ridiculous," the waiter scoffed. "Why would the famous Guozhao Hunters meet you?"
The group at the main dining table continued to eat and chat, oblivious. Suddenly, Shan's cold, ethereal voice cut through the background noise, startling everyone.
"Renshu," Shan said expressionless, his voice flat.
Zhao Renshu slammed his chopsticks on the table hard. "Lao Shan!" he roared, already angered by Huang Hongse's mocking, and seeing Shan only fueled his fury. "How many times have I told you to stop popping up whenever you like?"
"Many times," Shan replied blankly, "but your client is here at the door." With that, Shan disappeared in front of everyone, vanishing into thin air.
Mayor Lim was taken aback, his mouth agape. "Wow. I can't believe that you are a real Guozhao Hunter!"
"Excuse us," Guo Baiyu said, rising gracefully from the table.
The lovers walked out the front door. They saw an old man, Old Fu, sitting dejectedly on the stairs outside the Inn.
"You must be Mr. Fu," Ping'an said, her voice gentle.
Old Fu raised his head, his eyes tired. "Are you a Guozhao Hunter?"
"We are Guozhao Hunters," Ping'an confirmed.
Old Fu stood up and wiped his dirty face with a trembling hand. "I'm sorry. I don't have much. I only have thirty coins." He handed the thirty coins, tied on a black string, to Ping'an.
"You keep this money temporarily," Ping'an said, pushing his hand back gently. "If the work is completed, you can pay later."
"Come back tomorrow morning, and we will go to your house," Guo Baiyu added.
"Yes," Old Fu agreed, his eyes shining with hope.
"Make sure you come no earlier than noon tomorrow," Zhao Renshu interjected, "Remember, no earlier than noon."
"Yes, I will remember that," Old Fu promised and quickly left his steps lighter.
"Why noon?" Ping'an asked Zhao Renshu.
"I don't like getting up early," Zhao Renshu replied, a playful smirk on his face.
The lovers then walked to the front register. The innkeeper was still diligently counting his money.
"How much is one big room per night?" Zhao Renshu asked.
The innkeeper looked at them in confusion. "One room?"
"Yes, one room," Zhao Renshu confirmed.
"Ten coins per night," the innkeeper stated.
"Okay, then we will take one room," Zhao Renshu decided.
"Name and how long do you plan to stay?" the innkeeper inquired.
"Three days," Guo Baiyu replied. "If we have to stay longer, can we extend it?"
"Yes, please give me a name," the innkeeper said.
Zhao Renshu stroked his chin with his thumb, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Shan.... Ah Bao."
Huang Hongse, who had been listening nearby, laughed from behind them. "Three people staying in one room, it may be a bit crowded! You should exchange inns! There are many inns on the street that only charge one coin per night!"
Zhao Renshu completely ignored her. "This is the money for three nights' accommodation," he said, handing the coins to the innkeeper.
"Waiter, bring these customers to their room," the innkeeper instructed.
"Renshu," Huang Hongse called out, her voice filled with disdain, "I don't believe in those fabricated stories!"
Lim Yuehai met them at the stairs. "I hope you three could be our guests tonight," she offered politely.
"No need," Zhao Renshu replied. "We are here on a mission, not vacationing."
"Thank you for your kindness. Good night, Lady Lim," Guo Baiyu said, offering a polite farewell.
Lim Yuehai and Huang Hongse watched the three people follow the waiter upstairs. Huang Hongse turned and looked at Lim Yuehai angrily.
As the three people followed the waiter, they noticed that the thin man from earlier was still eating at the table, and the waiter brought him even more food. The thin, slender man raised his head and met Ping'an's eyes. His lips moved slowly twice, as if speaking silently, then his hands pushed more food into his mouth.
The room was decent, not too big. On the left was a wooden bathtub with a screen panel, separating the bathing area from the living space. There was a small table in the middle of the room, and the four stools were short. The bed was decent, but not particularly large.
"Could we have one more pillow?" Guo Baiyu asked the waiter.
"Yes. I'll be back soon." The waiter left and closed the door.
Ping'an and Guo Baiyu were sitting at the table while Zhao Renshu was lying on the bed. Guo Baiyu poured a cup of water and handed it to Ping'an, but she was spacing out, her mind elsewhere.
"Ping'an. Ping'an." Guo Baiyu gently touched her right hand. "Ping'an, is something wrong?"
"That man," Ping'an murmured, her voice distant. "He said a few words to me. It was like pleading."
Zhao Renshu rolled over to sleep on his right side. "What do you think he said?" he asked, his voice muffled.
"I believe he said... 'help me'," Ping'an replied, looking at Guo Baiyu. "See if you can remember any details."
Guo Baiyu closed his eyes, focusing intensely on his memory. "We were at the entrance. The waiter took us to our table." His head turned slightly to the right, his eyes still closed, as he visualized the scene. "The skinny man had eaten six different foods on the table. There were three empty bowls on his left. Then, Mayor Lim and his family came in. When we walked to the table, the skinny man faced... Smiled at....."
Zhao Renshu sat up on the bed, intrigued. "Who was smiling at?"
Guo Baiyu focused very hard, recalling his memory with precision. "Lim... Peizhi." With his eyes still closed, he shook his head slowly. "Lim Peizhi smiled at him too." He opened his eyes, a thoughtful frown on his face. "They know each other. We may not deal with one criminal, but with two criminals."
"I know your memory is super good," Zhao Renshu questioned, "but are you sure?"
"I know I was right," Guo Baiyu insisted. "Think about it, Lim Peizhi is very arrogant and tricky."
"How can the young master of a mayor's family who was born with everything be possessed by the soul?" Zhao Renshu mused, skeptical.
"Sometimes wealth is not everything," Ping'an interjected, her voice soft but firm.
"It is the inner desire," Guo Baiyu added, a grim understanding in his voice.
A knock echoed on the door.
"Come in," Guo Baiyu called out.
"This is an extra pillow you asked for," the waiter said, entering.
"There is a young man eating in the main dining room," Guo Baiyu inquired. "Is that young man still there?"
"Yes," the waiter confirmed.
Guo Baiyu handed the waiter a small piece of silver. "If the young man who is eating at the table leaves, please tell us right away."
"Yes," the waiter agreed, his eyes widening at the silver. The waiter closed the door.
"What are we going to do now?" Zhao Renshu asked.
"We wait," Guo Baiyu replied calmly.
"Ah... I hate waiting," Zhao Renshu whined, sprawling back on the bed.
"Why use Ah Bao's name?" Guo Baiyu asked, changing the subject.
"I thought about it for a while," Zhao Renshu explained. "I plan to open a business in Cloud City."
"You will retire as a hunter and become a business owner?" Guo Baiyu teased.
"People die every day, right?" Zhao Renshu said, shrugging. "I can sell paper money, protection amulets, and candles, etc... And Ah Bao will take care of the shop."
"It is not easy to start a business," Guo Baiyu cautioned.
"You can run the business and just give me the profit money," Zhao Renshu proposed, a wide grin on his face.
Another knock on the door.
"Come in," Guo Baiyu called out again.
"Sir, that young man just left," the waiter announced, his voice a little breathless.
"Thank you," Guo Baiyu said, giving the waiter a little more silver. "Please close the door and don't disturb us. We are going to bed now. The most important thing is not to tell anyone what I just asked you to do."
The waiter nodded, his eyes wide with understanding, and closed the door.
"It's time to go," Zhao Renshu said, his voice now serious.