The next morning, Guo Baiyu and Ping'an sat at the table. Guo Baiyu was reading a herbal medicine book, and Ping'an was writing in her journal. Zhao Renshu was still sleeping soundly. If it weren't after ten o'clock in the morning, Zhao Renshu would not budge out of bed.
Ping'an stretched out her arms. Her stretch also pulled the scar tissue on her chest, causing her to grunt in pain.
"How is the pain?" Guo Baiyu asked, putting down his book.
"The wound has healed, but it hurts a bit when I stretch," Ping'an admitted.
Guo Baiyu put down the book and walked towards Ping'an. He gently took off her robe and checked the wound. The wound healing medicine from the Healer of Immortal Valley worked remarkably well. Normal drugs would take months to achieve such healing. He fixed her robe nicely back in place. Ping'an wrapped her arms around his thighs and held him close. He placed his right hand behind Ping'an's head and moved her head closer to his lower abdomen, offering comfort.
"Unpleasant memories will not last forever," Guo Baiyu murmured, lowering his head to kiss her forehead. "Let's only build good memories from now on, okay?"
Ping'an nodded a couple of times, accepting his comfort.
Zhao Renshu finally rolled over, stretched his body luxuriously, and yawned loudly. He said, "You two lovebirds need to respect others when they are asleep." He slowly stood up and sat on the edge of the bed.
"If we bother you too much, you can have your own room," Guo Baiyu teased, a glint in his eye. "There are plenty empty rooms."
"Getting my own room is like asking me to stab my sword into your back," Zhao Renshu retorted, his eyes still closed. "What are you two doing holding each other like that?"
"I'm just consoling my wife," Guo Baiyu replied.
"About?" Zhao Renshu prompted, finally opening his eyes.
"If you got up early, you would know," Guo Baiyu said evasively.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Renshu asked, his concern piqued.
"Nothing," Ping'an quickly intervened, not wanting him to worry.
The loud knocks at the door interrupted the lovers' morning conversations. Zhao Renshu walked to the door and opened it. Guo Longtong rushed in, his face panicked.
"Baiyu, you have to save me!" Guo Longtong pleaded. He quickly closed the door behind him. "Don't tell anyone I am here!"
"What's wrong with you?" Zhao Renshu asked, bewildered by his friend's distress.
"Lulu, Lulu is back!" Guo Longtong exclaimed, walking over and standing behind Guo Baiyu, seeking refuge.
"Who is Lulu?" Zhao Renshu asked, confused.
"His fiancée since birth," Guo Baiyu supplied, sighing.
"Yao Lulu is an evil woman! She has no manners whatsoever!" Guo Longtong protested, exasperated.
Just then, the door was kicked open hard, and the two door frames swung violently to both sides.
"Guo Longtong!" Yao Lulu shouted, her voice sharp and commanding.
Zhao Renshu frowned. "Fuck... I don't need this shit in the morning," he muttered, scratching his head.
Yao Lulu walked into the room with two stern guards on each side of her. Yao Lulu came face to face with Guo Baiyu. Guo Longtong slowly peeked from behind Guo Baiyu's back.
"Good morning, Lulu," Guo Longtong mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Who are you?" Yao Lulu demanded, pointing at Guo Baiyu, then glancing briefly at Zhao Renshu and Ping'an, dismissing them.
"Guozhao Baiyu," Guo Baiyu replied calmly.
"Baiyu....Baiyu...You must be the famous son of the Guo," she smiled, approaching Guo Baiyu. She went over and stood next to Guo Baiyu, then held his right hand, completely ignoring Guo Longtong. "Hey, I admire you very much. You are so handsome and perfect." She gave Guo Baiyu a big, admiring smile.
Guo Baiyu pulled his hand away. "Miss Yao, I am not that Guo Baiyu you are referring to."
"You are not? Hey, that is even better!" Yao Lulu exclaimed, seemingly pleased. "I won't have to deal with Wu Xiangmei. Let's go meet my father because I want to revoke the marriage engagement between my father and his father." She stared pointedly at Guo Longtong. "I will never marry such a pathetic, weak man. My ideal husband would be someone like Guo Baiyu, the famous Hunter Zhao Renshu, the Tiger General Lim Peizhi, or the famous swordsman Fang Yaoting." She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply, lost in her daydreaming. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and pointed at Guo Longtong again, "Not a weak, pathetic man who can't even defend himself from a rat's attack!"
Zhao Renshu burst out laughing so hard that he had stomach cramps, clutching his side.
"Miss Yao, I am a married man," Guo Baiyu stated, trying to bring her back to reality.
"What? Who?" Yao Lulu asked, bewildered.
"This is my wife," Guo Baiyu said, pointing at Ping'an.
"Do you have a child with her?" Yao Lulu immediately asked, a shrewd glint in her eyes.
"Having a child with her or not doesn't concern you. Get the hell out of our room," Zhao Renshu snapped, his amusement quickly turning to anger.
"It does," Yao Lulu insisted, undeterred. "Without a child, there is no string attached between him and his wife."
"Baiyu, you need to burn half of your face," Zhao Renshu muttered, reaching for a talisman.
"There is no need. Please leave," Guo Baiyu said, trying to de-escalate.
Guo Longtong, seeing his chance, made a dash for the door.
"Grab him!" Yao Lulu commanded. The two guards reached out to grab Guo Longtong, but their grabs were stopped by Huang Hongse, who appeared suddenly, blocking their path. "Who the hell are you?" Yao Lulu demanded.
"Who the hell are you too?" Huang Hongse retorted coldly, meeting Yao Lulu's fierce gaze.
"How dare you talk to me like that? I am the daughter of Master Yao!" Yao Lulu shrieked.
"Never heard of him," Huang Hongse said coldly, rolling her eyes.
Yao Lulu's mouth widened in shock. "How dare you insult my father?" She clenched her fists, shaking with fury.
Huang Hongse just rolled her eyes at Yao Lulu again, completely unimpressed.
"I will teach you to respect the Yao!" Yao Lulu lunged at Huang Hongse.
The two guards she had brought with her also attacked Huang Hongse. Huang Hongse pushed Guo Longtong aside, sending him towards Zhao Renshu. She blocked the attacks, taking the fight out of the room and into the hallway, then down the open stairs to the main dining hall. She was halfway down the stairs when she flipped over the left rail, landing gracefully on one of the tables down in the main dining hall. The three newly arrived attackers (Yao Lulu and her two guards) followed her down and continued attacking her Guo Longtong ran down the stairs, worried.
"Hongse, be careful!" Guo Longtong shouted.
"Don't come any closer!" Huang Hongse warned him.
One of the guards kicked a chair at Huang Hongse. Huang Hongse dodged the chair, and it flew straight toward Lee Dachin, who innocently appeared in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lee Dachin was carrying a tray containing a bowl of medicine. Lee Dachin stumbled back into Fang Yaoting. Fang Yaoting blocked the incoming chair with his left arm, but the hot medicine from the bowl splashed on Lee Dachin's delicate upper chest.
Fang Yaoting quickly moved Lee Dachin's robe aside. He saw the delicate white skin had burned and turned red. Fang Yaoting was very angry with the two unknown men who had attacked Lee Dachin.
Fang Yaoting gently stroked Lee Dachin's face. "Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Lee Dachin could only nod, tears welling in his eyes.
Fang Yaoting unsheathed his sword and headed straight toward the guard who had kicked the chair. He attacked maliciously, showing no mercy, his movements fueled by cold fury.
The other guard saw the attacks and sprinted over to help his friend, leaving Yao Lulu to fight Huang Hongse alone.
Fang Yaoting began slashing zigzag across the guard's body. He spun his leg on the floor as the two guards jumped up, dodging the kick, but he had already swung his sword towards the guard who kicked the chair, striking his left calf. The guard fell to the ground, screaming, and couldn't stand up.
Yao Lulu sent out two needles at Fang Yaoting, but Fang Yaoting easily blocked the needles with his sword. Then he pointed his sword at the neck of the injured guard, ready to deliver a killing blow.
Lee Dachin, worried that Fang Yaoting would kill the guard, called out, "Childe Fang, stop!" He walked towards Fang Yaoting, his face pale. "I'm fine now." Lee Dachin saw the blood dripping from Fang Yaoting's sword onto the guard's neck.
Yao Lulu escaped Huang Hongse's attack and rushed to her injured guard. She pointed her finger at Fang Yaoting, her face contorted in rage. She shouted, "How dare you hurt my personal guard?"
Fang Yaoting looked at Yao Lulu with bloodshot eyes, his fury still simmering. He said angrily, "How dare he hurt Dachin?"
"You will pay for this," Yao Lulu threatened.
"If you dare come here again, I won't show mercy," Fang Yaoting warned, his voice low and menacing.
Lee Dachin handed the scabbard to Fang Yaoting, and he sheathed his sword, the blade sliding in with a soft whisper. Fang Yaoting then picked up Lee Dachin and carried him upstairs. He walked past the lovers' room, just in time as they were stepping out of their room, having heard the commotion.
"Dachin, what happened?" Ping'an asked, her eyes wide with concern.
"Sorry, Ping'an, I dropped your medicine," Lee Dachin whispered softly, embarrassed.
"He got burned," Fang Yaoting supplied, his voice still tight with anger.
"Put him in your room and I will take a look," Guo Baiyu instructed, already turning back to his room to pick up his medicine box.
"I can still walk," Lee Dachin whispered softly, still trying to be polite.
Fang Yaoting ignored him and walked directly toward Fang Yaoting's room.
After a while, the lovers walked into Fang Yaoting's room. He had gently placed Lee Dachin on the bed.
"Where is the burn?" Guo Baiyu asked, assessing the situation.
"On his chest," Fang Yaoting replied, pointing.
"Childe Lee, please take off your robe," Guo Baiyu instructed.
Lee Dachin shyly untied his robe and lowered it to his waist, revealing the reddened skin.
Guo Baiyu checked him, and Fang Yaoting sat beside Lee Dachin, holding his hand, offering comfort and support.
"If this hurts, squeeze my hand, or let us know," Fang Yaoting said softly to Lee Dachin.
Lee Dachin nodded, his eyes fixed on Guo Baiyu.
"Childe Lee, this will sting," Guo Baiyu warned, "but this medicine works very well."
"I can guarantee it," Zhao Renshu chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "I saw it with my own eyes because back in Immortal Valley, Baiyu was hit by six arrows. With this medicine, it only took him two days to recover. Ping'an was also another living proof." He smiled at Lee Dachin.
"Renshu, you should be a salesperson," Lee Dachin smiled, a faint blush on his face despite the pain.
"I was thinking," Zhao Renshu admitted, "but Baiyu refused to help."
Guo Baiyu applied the medicine to the burned skin and carefully wrapped Lee Dachin's injured chest.
"He feels very warm," Fang Yaoting observed, stroking Lee Dachin's forehead.
"It is normal for him to have a fever," Guo Baiyu explained. "Please make sure you are with him, just in case he reacts to the medicine."
"What happened?" Zhao Renshu asked Fang Yaoting, his face serious.
"I'm not sure. We just came out of the kitchen, and three people attacked us," Fang Yaoting recounted.
"Three people? A woman and two men?" Zhao Renshu asked, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Yes," Fang Yaoting confirmed.
"Damn it," Zhao Renshu muttered, recognizing Yao Lulu's signature move.
"I'm sorry, Dachin, you got hurt," Ping'an said softly, her heart aching for him.
"This is an accident. It cannot be prevented," Lee Dachin said bravely, trying to reassure them.
"We are leaving now. You two have a rest," Guo Baiyu said, getting up. "If anything happens, come get us immediately."
"Thank you," Fang Yaoting said, his gaze grateful.
"That's what friends are for," Guo Baiyu replied simply.
The lovers walked out of the room, and Guo Baiyu closed the door softly behind them.