The mayor's mansion was very large, built into the side of the mountain. Ten vigilant guards stood at the front door. Ping'an and Zhao Renshu waited patiently, while Guo Baiyu engaged in polite conversation with the door greeter.
After a short while, Lim Peizhi walked out the front door to meet the lovers, his expression composed. He led them into the main guest hall. The room was exquisitely decorated with an abundance of vibrant flowers and lush plants. A long, red carpet stretched from the grand entrance to the mayor's ornate throne, a symbol of authority.
The lovers sat in the plush guest chairs, which were themselves beautifully carved and decorated.
"Can I ask why you want to see me today?" Lim Peizhi asked, his voice smooth and direct.
"I wanted to see you before we left Waterfall City," Guo Baiyu replied, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Lim Peizhi smirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Oh."
"I came with a confession," Guo Baiyu stated, his gaze unwavering.
Lim Peizhi smiled, a charming, almost seductive expression. "Speak freely. In Waterfall City, no one has a higher status than the other."
Guo Baiyu stood up and walked closer to Lim Peizhi, his movements deliberate. "Childe Lim," he began, his voice dropping to a soft, almost intimate tone, "I am in love with you." The ten maids in the guest hall, who had been silently attending, looked at each other in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock. "Since I met you in the fighting arena for the first time, you have captured my heart."
Lim Peizhi smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Oh, I thought you were here today to talk about my little sister."
"I am here for you, not for her," Guo Baiyu countered, returning Lim Peizhi's smile, a subtle invitation in his gaze. "I think I always have problems. I want to be as normal as everyone else. I want to be fixed."
The spirit possessing Lim Peizhi looked Guo Baiyu up and down, his excitement palpable. He couldn't believe it. The perfect vessel he had dreamed of had just walked directly to him. He felt the immense spiritual power emanating from this man. He tasted the pure, vital energy flowing around this incredibly handsome man. The man had fair and smooth facial skin, a slender neck, and long, black hair. The soul instantly fell deeply in love with this beautiful vessel. He had lived for five hundred years, and no vessel was as perfect as the one standing in front of him. This was the ultimate, perfect vessel.
Lim Peizhi moved closer to Guo Baiyu, close enough so that Guo Baiyu could feel his breath caress Guo Baiyu's ear. He placed his right hand on Guo Baiyu's left shoulder, stroking Guo Baiyu's shoulder down to his hand, then held Guo Baiyu's hand tightly, their fingers intertwining.
"I love it," Lim Peizhi whispered into Guo Baiyu's right ear, his voice husky. "I love your perfect, beautiful body. All you have to do is say 'yes,' and I will solve the problem for you." He gave Guo Baiyu a quick, suggestive peck on his right earlobe.
At that exact moment, Mayor Lim, Madam Lim, and Lim Yuehai walked in. Lim Yuehai's eyes widened in horror; she couldn't believe her brother was so intimately close to her beloved Guo Baiyu.
"Peizhi, what are you doing?" Lim Yuehai cried out, aghast.
Lim Peizhi completely embraced Guo Baiyu in his arms, his gaze fixed defiantly on Lim Yuehai's shocked face.
Every member of the Lim household gasped. Madam Lim, overwhelmed, fainted directly into Mayor Lim's arms.
"Call the doctor quickly!" Mayor Lim commanded frantically.
"Lim Peizhi," Lim Yuehai shouted angrily, her voice trembling, "I even told you that I like this man! Why do you always take what I want?! I won't let you take this man away from me this time!"
Lim Peizhi smiled, a cruel satisfaction in his eyes. "This man wants me, not you. Piss off."
"Father!" Lim Yuehai screamed, appealing to her father.
"Peizhi, I always let you do whatever you want," Mayor Lim said, his voice strained, "but this time I won't!"
Lim Peizhi ignored his family's protests and whispered to Guo Baiyu again, his voice low and urgent, "If you want to solve the problem, then say yes."
Guo Baiyu nodded almost imperceptibly. Lim Peizhi held Guo Baiyu's chin with his right hand and kissed him deeply on the lips.
Madam Lim, regaining consciousness at that precise moment, opened her eyes to witness her dear son kissing a man, and the poor woman fainted a second time, collapsing again into her husband's arms.
As Lim Peizhi's lips still touched his, Guo Baiyu placed a talisman on Lim Peizhi's back and softly whispered, "Be gone."
Lim Peizhi screamed in sudden, agonizing pain. A dark shadow ripped itself from Lim Peizhi's body, pulled outward. The shadow tried to repossess Lim Peizhi's body, but it could not re-enter, blocked by an unseen force.
Guo Baiyu pushed Lim Peizhi's now limp body to the nearby servants. Then, a blazing fire magic circle instantly appeared on the floor, directly beneath and encompassing the dark shadow, trapping it inside. The shadow screamed loudly, a piercing, disembodied shriek. The maids shrieked as well and ran hysterically towards the door.
"Liar!" the shadow screamed angrily in pain; its voice filled with impotent rage.
"He didn't lie," Zhao Renshu retorted, a triumphant smirk on his face. "He didn't say 'yes'."
Mayor Lim knelt beside his beloved son, cradling him. "Peizhi... Peizhi, wake up," he pleaded.
The shadow struggled frantically to escape the magic circle but was unsuccessful. Just then, ten thick, sharp vines burst through the main door, rushing towards the group.
Ping'an, with a mental command, sent her three swords slicing through all the vines, severing them mid-air.
At the same time, Qingyu suddenly appeared, a malevolent smile on her face. She sent another vine out, which wrapped around one of the maid's waist. Qingyu and the struggling maid flew through the air, landing next to the magic binding circle where the shadow was trapped.
"Are you a virgin?" Qingyu smiled, her voice chillingly sweet.
The frightened maid, trembling, managed to reply, "Yes."
"Oh, that's too bad," Qingyu smiled, her tone devoid of sympathy.
She pointed a slender finger to the maid's left neck, and then her finger turned into a sharp, long vine, which pierced the maid's left neck and was seen poking out the side of her right neck. The vine circled back, forming a sharp hook around the maid's spine. Qingyu pulled her hand forward with a sickening jerk. This action tore the maid's throat in half.
The maid's head leaned back grotesquely, blood gushing out, and the torrent of vital energy destroyed the binding magic circle holding the shadow. Qingyu and the freed shadow then disappeared in a puff of dark mist.
Guo Baiyu turned to Mayor Lim, who was still cradling his son. "Help him sit up," he instructed calmly.
The servants helped their young master sit upright, then stepped back nervously.
Guo Baiyu placed a talisman on Lim Peizhi's back, one in the middle of Lim Peizhi's chest, and then one directly on the middle of his forehead. He closed his eyes, put his hands together, and began to recite a cleansing spell. A bright, white magic circle appeared where Lim Peizhi was sitting, radiating pure energy. After Guo Baiyu stopped chanting, he snapped his fingers.
Lim Peizhi's eyes fluttered open, then the talismans began to evaporate into shimmering smoke. After the talismans completely evaporated, Lim Peizhi closed his eyes again and fell to the ground, now truly unconscious. The servants quickly helped their young master up.
"Take him to his room," Mayor Lim ordered the servants, his voice strained. He turned to the Guozhao Hunters, his expression filled with concern. "Guozhao Hunters, will my son be alright?"
"Once he has had enough rest, he should be fine," Guo Baiyu reassured him.
"Guozhao Hunters, please stay here for the night," Mayor Lim pleaded.
"You are so kind, but we will return to the inn because someone agreed..." Zhao Renshu began to decline, a mischievous glint in his eye, about the promise Ping'an had made earlier.
The sound of Guo Baiyu clearing his throat loudly stopped Zhao Renshu mid-sentence.
"What should we do if they decide to come back for revenge?" Mayor Lim pressed, his voice full of fear. "We will be in danger, and if you stay here, the servants will be at ease."
"We will stay overnight," Guo Baiyu conceded, his decision made.
Zhao Renshu gave him a dirty look, whispering with his teeth clenched together, "You were supposed to back me up!"
Guo Baiyu shook his head at Zhao Renshu, then turned to Mayor Lim. "Mayor Lim, I also have something to discuss with you."
"Let's move to another room," Mayor Lim suggested, his gaze flicking to the dead maid and the bloodstains. "I can't concentrate while the dead body and blood are still here." He turned to his maids. "Bring us some wine and desserts in the small family room." He then looked at Guo Baiyu. "This way, hunters."
The family living room was a little smaller than the main guest hall, offering a more intimate setting. The lovers and Mayor Lim sat at the round table. The maids brought the desserts and wine.
"Mayor Lim," Guo Baiyu began, "I would like to ask you to hold an eating competition."
"We didn't have anything like this before," Mayor Lim said, surprised.
"We believe that another bad spirit is still roaming your city and possessing your citizens," Ping'an interjected, explaining their reasoning.
"The reason why we know that Childe Lim was possessed is because we saw him with two other evil spirits last night," Guo Baiyu added. "One is the woman who saved the shadow spirit just now. The other is not here."
"Why is it helpful to participate in an eating competition?" Mayor Lim asked, still confused.
"We believe that another spirit is obsessed with food," Guo Baiyu explained.
"I will announce it tomorrow," Mayor Lim promised, understanding dawning.
"The winning prize doesn't have to be high," Guo Baiyu stated.
"Is one hundred gold ingots enough?" Mayor Lim offered.
"Make sure the food is delicious," Guo Baiyu emphasized. "If the food is delicious, we should be able to lure him out."
"I have the maids prepare rooms for you," Mayor Lim said, then looked at the hunters with renewed gratitude. "How did Peizhi get possessed?"
"We don't know," Guo Baiyu replied. "It's better to ask him yourself once he recovers."
A young maid walked in. "Master Lim, the rooms are ready," she announced.
"Let's rest now," Mayor Lim said. "At dinner, the maid will come to get you. Feel free to go anywhere you like."
"Follow me this way," the young maid instructed, leading them.
The lovers followed the young maid to their room, and after the maid left the room, they sat at the small table inside their room.
Guo Baiyu said, "We now know that we are dealing with more than one criminal, it's better to prepare ourselves for anything that is unexpected." He looked up at Zhao Renshu and Ping'an. "If we must fight this criminal, let's make sure that we fight them as far away from the city as possible to avoid civilian casualties."
Zhao Renshu's expression was a daunting mix of feelings, and he shook his head with a smirk. He said, "What you just said is something that is next to impossible. We don't know where the criminals will attack or how. Zero casualties are impossible."
Guo Baiyu then said, "Then, we minimize the casualties to as minimum as possible."