As the Guozhao Hunter Sector was established, word spread throughout the land. The leaders of the Six Sectors worried that the Guozhao Sector would become the leader of all sectors, but year after year, the Guozhao Sector never participated in the annual competition of the Six Sectors. Four years after its establishment, the hunters still stayed in Cloud City.
When they went out hunting, they announced themselves as "Guozhao Hunters," not "Guozhao Sector." Since their establishment, people could easily identify a Guozhao Hunter by their red and white plain outfit, the subtle scent of peach blossom fragrance, and their well-maintained demeanor.
As Guozhao Zhiqiang and his party came back from hunting, they met Yang Bao and five medical students at the main entrance. The group of classmates walked into the training ground and saw a group of juniors being punished, doing horse-stance under the hot summer sun while reciting the Guozhao principles.
Yang Bao laughed lowly. "What did you guys do?"
Guozhao Zhaohui answered angrily. "We fought!"
Guozhao Bolin added, "If a certain someone doesn't show off, we won't be punished!"
"About what?" Tam Liang asked.
Guozhao Zhaohui, still angry, explained, "There's a hunter in town who said he's better than us."
Tam Kun chuckled. "So, you fought him?"
The two brothers Zhaohui and Bolin and the six juniors nodded in unison.
Fang Yaoting walked over. "Everyone, help wash the herbs," he instructed. He looked at the two brothers. "You two continue to do the horse stance." He then walked towards the other students who were practicing sword forms.
Yang Bao smiled at the brothers and shook his head. "Advice: the longer you two quarrel, the longer Third Master will let you do horse stance."
Tam Qiu smiled. "Hang in there, little brothers." She hurriedly followed Yang Bao.
The two brothers grimaced at each other, resigned.
Guo Baiyu, Zhao Renshu, and Ping'an sat in the Dragon Inn to celebrate their sixteenth anniversary. The waiter came to take their order. Zhao Renshu ordered all the meat dishes, and the waiter noted it down.
"Master Zhao, is there anything else?" the waiter asked politely.
Zhao Renshu looked puzzled. "Wait... wait... What do you call me?"
"Master Zhao," the waiter replied with a smile. He quickly left for the back kitchen.
"I'm not old enough to be called a master," Zhao Renshu grumbled.
Guo Baiyu shook his head. "You are the master of three hundred and twenty-four disciples. He is correct to call you master. 'Master' still sounds better than 'homeless man'." Guo Baiyu poured him a cup of tea. "Thinking about everything we have experienced together, I always thought that the three of us would grow old quietly in Peach Blossom Valley."
"Once you took back those twenty-four disciples," Zhao Renshu retorted, "I knew we weren't going to be living peacefully up here anymore."
"I'm glad you did it," Ping'an said. "If we get old and die, who will inherit Master Zhao's legacy?"
"After all," Zhao Renshu teased, "your journals are finally put to use, all thanks to Dachin."
A young man complained loudly from a nearby table, "What's so good about the Guozhao Sector anyway? It's their loss for not accepting me as a disciple!"
Another young man scoffed, "Yeah, our fathers are rich! Why worry about not getting into a famous sector? They might not be all that. They are not even one of the Six Main Sectors."
"No wonder they didn't get in," Zhao Renshu muttered to Guo Baiyu and Ping'an.
Xiao Mei walked into the Dragon Inn, looking for her two masters and her Shimu. The front door greeter told her that the Guozhao masters were upstairs. As she continued up the stairs, two young men and their four servants stopped her.
One of the young men said, "Hey, pretty lady. What's your name?"
Xiao Mei took three steps back and greeted him with a smile. "Xiao Mei," she replied calmly.
The young man said, "You are very beautiful; sit down and have a drink with us."
Xiao Mei calmly said, "Thank you for your invitation, but I must decline it. Drinking while on duty is forbidden and against The Guozhao Principles." She smiled at the young men. "Perhaps next time."
The young man stretched out his hand to touch Xiao Mei's face, but she backed away quickly, still maintaining her posture. The two rich young men and their four servants then approached Xiao Mei, undeterred.
Sitting upstairs, Ping'an, Guo Baiyu, and Zhao Renshu witnessed the incident unfolding below.
"Baiyu," Zhao Renshu admired, "you did a good job; you taught your medical students very well."
Then a young man dressed in green and white kicked one of the servants and pulled Xiao Mei behind him, stepping in to protect her.
The rich young man pointed to the green and white young man. "Who are you?! How dare you beat my servant?!"
Fu Pengfei smiled. "Fu Pengfei, Lotus Sector. How dare you insult this young lady in public? Do you know where you are?"
The rich young man shouted wildly, "I know, we are in Cloud City!"
Fu Pengfei smiled. "If that's the case, you should be careful when talking in public. Cloud City is the Guozhao Sector base. You have the guts to commit crime here?" He laughed and clapped his hands. "You two are bolder, braver than the Six Sectors combined. Even the Six Sectors don't even dare to commit crime here!" He laughed and continued clapping his hands, making a spectacle.
The two rich young men looked at each other, then rushed out, embarrassed and intimidated.
"Thank you, hunter from Lotus Sector," Xiao Mei said gratefully.
"No problem," Fu Pengfei replied.
"I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry," Xiao Mei said. "I will invite you to have tea next time." She ran upstairs quickly to her masters.
Zhao Renshu, having observed everything, said, "When they prevented us from killing those bandits, I didn't have much impression of their Sector. But they taught their disciples very well." He drank his wine. "Wait, drinking is forbidden? Who made these rules?"
"I did," Guo Baiyu admitted.
"Why?" Zhao Renshu questioned.
"As a hunter, you must have a clear mind while on duty," Guo Baiyu explained.
"As their master, I think you should follow these rules," Ping'an smiled, teasing Zhao Renshu.
Xiao Mei approached her masters, breathless. "Master, there is an uninvited guest at home!"
"Uninvited guest?" Guo Baiyu repeated, a frown on his face.
"Please don't let it be the Xiao sisters," Zhao Renshu prayed under his breath.
"If it's the Xiao sisters," Guo Baiyu mused, his expression turning serious, "then there must be something wrong with the Fairy Clans. Xiao Mei, tell Third Master to head home with Zhiqiang and Ah Bao."
She nodded and left immediately.