The lovers walked into the town, their horses following dutifully behind them. The street was bustling with people of all different origins across the land. The market was filled with diverse cultures, from the highest politician to the wandering hunter. The voices of the main city were a rich tapestry of different ethnicities speaking various languages.
As Guo Baiyu and Ping'an admired the city's vibrant diversity, Zhao Renshu, on the other hand, tirelessly asked everyone he met for directions to the central hall.
"Do you really need to make it a mission?" Guo Baiyu asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yes," Zhao Renshu replied, his chin set with determination.
"I don't even like white," Ping'an murmured, teasing him.
"Are you sure?" Zhao Renshu teased back, wrapping his left arm around her waist. "Last I checked, you love white." He kissed her on the cheek.
"When did I say that?" Ping'an laughed, genuinely confused.
Zhao Renshu pointed at Guo Baiyu. "Don't tell me you don't love this white jade?"
"I meant the color white," Ping'an clarified, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Look at his flawless white skin," Zhao Renshu declared. Just then, a man walked past him. He grabbed the man's arm. "Can you tell me where the clothing store in the central hall by the water fountain is?"
The man, clearly confused, looked from left to right. "You are in the middle of the central hall," he said, pointing to a water fountain as high as a house. "There are clothing stores everywhere. Just choose one. Don't waste my time." He pulled his arm away from Zhao Renshu with an irritated flick.
Zhao Renshu opened his mouth and murmured, more to himself than anyone, "She could have told me the name of the store."
"No shop is open until late evening," the man added before walking away.
Guo Baiyu chuckled softly at Zhao Renshu's disappointed expression.
"Why is that, sir?" Ping'an asked the departing man, curious.
"Today is a special day," the man replied. "The young master and young lady decided to have a public marriage."
Zhao Renshu stroked his chin with the thumb of his left hand. "Interesting," he mused.
"Let's go see," Ping'an suggested, her eyes wide with curiosity. "I have never seen anything like this before."
"Don't tell me you want another husband?" Zhao Renshu teased, a mock frown on his face.
"Nonsense!" Ping'an retorted, gently squeezing his left cheek. "Keeping a log about this matter would be a good thing. Don't say we didn't invite you."
"I want to wait for the shops to open," Zhao Renshu whined, "and besides, I don't need another wife."
Guo Baiyu held Ping'an's right hand. "You wait here then, we are going," he said, pulling her along.
"Hey, you two are really going to leave me here!" Zhao Renshu called out, exasperated. He dragged his horse and ran after them.
The lovers tied their horses outside the arena and walked in. The arena was packed with people of all ages. On the left side of the stage were four rows of chairs, ten chairs in each row, all fully seated. An older man walked onto the stage and stood in the middle.
The lovers walked towards the front row, and then Zhao Renshu suddenly ran into a familiar face.
"Sorry," Zhao Renshu mumbled, then looked up. It was the Huang sisters. He had bumped right into Huang Hongse's right shoulder. He chuckled. "Huh... What a small world?"
Huang Hongse looked at him with murderous eyes. "Don't stand too close to me, you might dirty my air." She rolled her eyes with open arrogance.
"You..." Zhao Renshu began, pointing his right index finger out, then nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye.
The old man on stage announced, "Citizens of Waterfall City, today is a special day! Our Young Master and Young Lady—" he pointed to the front-row seats where a handsome young man and beautiful young woman were seated "—it has been decided that they will have a public marriage! Any single ladies and gentlemen, no younger than sixteen or older than thirty-five years of age, are welcome to participate in this competition!"
All the citizens of Waterfall City cheered, their voices rising in excitement.
Two male servants walked onto the stage. One servant held a large scroll, the other slowly unrolled and opened it, revealing elegant calligraphy.
The paper read:
"Meet or part, live or die
Took an oath, swore our lives."
The old man continued, "As long as you correctly answer, regardless of virginity status, our young master will marry you. Gentlemen who can defeat our young master in battle will marry our young lady."
A young man, about twenty years old, bravely jumped onto the stage. "I will compete with the Young Master Lim!" He drew his sword, a glint of determination in his eyes.
An older man in the crowd shook his head. "He is a fool! Lim Peizhi is the best fighter in Waterfall City. What is he thinking?"
Another middle-aged man scoffed, "He will definitely lose."
A young teen asked, "Is he very that good?"
The older man replied, "If Lim Peizhi ranks second in Waterfall City, no one would dare to say they are number one."
The lovers looked at the group of people, listening to their conversation.
Ping'an looked at Guo Baiyu. "Baiyu, can you solve that poem?" she asked, a soft challenge in her eyes.
Guo Baiyu smiled at Ping'an, his eyes tender. "The last line is: 'Walk with you side by side, be your cane throughout your life, I will always be beside you, until hair are grey and our days are due.'" He smiled at Ping'an and held her hand.
Ping'an smiled back at him, her heart warmed. "Who wrote it?"
"I did," Guo Baiyu said, his voice soft, "back when I first met you."
"Wow, I need to start writing poems," Zhao Renshu exclaimed, giving Guo Baiyu a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed.
On stage, the young man who had challenged Lim Peizhi was kicked so hard that he flew across the stage and landed on the ground directly in front of the lovers' seats. Lim Peizhi jumped off the stage and walked confidently towards the area where Guo Baiyu had just recited the poem.
"Who answered this poem just now?" Lim Peizhi asked coldly, his gaze sweeping the crowd.
Lim Peizhi was a striking figure, six feet tall, with a slim, handsome build. A light brown mole, the size of a small pea, was located at the corner of his left eye towards his left temple, giving him a distinctive look.
Zhao Renshu pointed directly at Huang Hongse with his finger. "It's her," he giggled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I heard she answered this poem."
Lim Peizhi's gaze turned to Huang Hongse.
Huang Hongse, meanwhile, stared madly at Zhao Renshu, her eyes narrowed with pure fury.
"Jerk!" Huang Hongse unsheathed her sword and attacked Zhao Renshu without hesitation.
Zhao Renshu gently pushed Ping'an back into Guo Baiyu's safe embrace.
Lim Peizhi, catching a glimpse of Zhao Renshu, noticed the incredibly handsome Guo Baiyu behind him. He couldn't take his eyes away; he thought there should be no man more handsome than himself. He couldn't believe it.
Zhao Renshu, meanwhile, deftly dodged Huang Hongse's attacks and moved straight behind Lim Peizhi. Huang Hongse, still swinging wildly, inadvertently swung her sword at Lim Peizhi, and her attack was smoothly blocked by Lim Peizhi's quick reflexes.
"Peizhi, wait!" an old man called from the crowd.
"Uncle Huang," Lim Peizhi acknowledged respectfully.
"Peizhi, this is my sister's daughter, Huang Hongse," the old man, Huang Honghui, clarified.
"Your sword skill is not bad," Lim Peizhi commented to Huang Hongse, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Did you really answer the poem?"
"I will not answer such idiotic poem!" Huang Hongse scoffed, sheathing her sword with a flourish of disdain.
"Uncle Honghui," Huang Yueliang said, approaching the group.
Guo Baiyu walked calmly to the group, giving proper, respectful greetings to Huang Honghui and Lim Peizhi.
"I do apologize," Guo Baiyu said, his voice smooth and clear. "I am the one who answered this poem. Hearing such a soft tone, your spiritual power must be very strong."
"If you beat me," Lim Peizhi said, a challenging glint in his eyes, "you can marry my sister today." He pointed to a beautiful lady in a light green dress who was walking towards them. "My twin sister, Lim Yuehai."
"May I ask, do you know the title of the poem and who composed it?" Lim Yuehai asked, her voice soft and melodious.
"You and Me," Guo Baiyu replied, a gentle smile on his face. "It was composed by the late Childe Guo of the Guo family in Capital City."
Lim Yuehai smiled, two charming dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Can I quote another poem for you to guess?"
"I'm sorry, Miss," Guo Baiyu said, a polite refusal in his voice. "I am not qualified." He smiled apologetically at her.
"May I know your name?" Lim Yuehai pressed, her curiosity piqued.
"Guozhao Baiyu," Guo Baiyu replied.
Lim Yuehai smiled brightly, her dimples deepening. "Young Master Guozhao, you are very talented."
"Not at all," Guo Baiyu demurred. He looked at Zhao Renshu. "Renshu, let's go."
The lovers walked out of the arena, leaving the stunned crowd behind.
"Renshu!" Huang Hongse gritted her teeth frantically, her anger palpable.
"I have booked two rooms in the Star Inn for the two of you," Huang Honghui called out, offering accommodation.
The three Huangs also walked out of the arena, following them.
Lim Peizhi turned around and said, "Since the first poem was solved, bring out the second poem and continue!"
Sitting at a dining table in the Star Inn, the lovers waited for their food. Zhao Renshu poured himself a generous cup of wine.
Ping'an sighed. "If Guo Longtong were here," she mused, "he would definitely win the competition easily."
Zhao Renshu choked on his wine, sputtering and coughing severely.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he gasped, clearing his throat dramatically. "The only thing he can hold is his fan! No offense, but he can't even defend himself from a rat's attack! Do you see how strong that Young Master Lim's attack is?"
"You are the same," Huang Hongse said coldly from behind them as she walked past their table into the inn, "Why mock others?"
Zhao Renshu turned around and saw the arrogant Huang Hongse and the beautiful, placid Huang Yueliang, who remarkably resembled Guo Baiyu's calm demeanor.
Zhao Renshu pointedly ignored Huang Hongse. "Miss Huang," he said to Huang Yueliang, "which store did you buy that dress from?"
"The store next to the water fountain in central hall," Huang Yueliang replied.
Zhao Renshu frowned. "Miss, there are about fifteen stores there."
"I'm sorry," Huang Yueliang said, offering a small, apologetic smile. "I told you exactly how the maid told me."
"Ah... Thank you anyway," Zhao Renshu said, his irritation visible.
Huang Hongse, seized the opportunity to mock him. "No matter what color the firefly wears, it will never be as bright as a star." She rolled her eyes at Zhao Renshu, a clear disdain in her gaze.
"Hongse," Huang Yueliang murmured softly, a warning in her voice.
"We are talking about clothes... Why you..." Zhao Renshu sputtered, trying to understand Huang Hongse's sudden shift in topic.
Guo Baiyu, who had been quietly observing, suddenly stood up and looked straight at Huang Hongse, his polite demeanor replaced by a chilling intensity. "Even though the firefly is not as bright as a star," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "with its pure heart, it is more lovely and brighter than any star when they compare their light in the dark."
Guo Baiyu was a very handsome and polite gentleman, but when he was angry, he could be terrifying. He could send chills down someone's spine by just gazing at them, his eyes piercing and cold.
"Childe Guozhao, please calm down," Huang Yueliang apologized immediately, pulling Huang Hongse closer to her, sensing the immense power radiating from Guo Baiyu. "I do apologize. I apologize again." The two Huang sisters and their uncle quickly went upstairs, retreating from the escalating tension.
The last time Zhao Renshu had seen Guo Baiyu this angry was back in Peace Town, when he had punched Boss Xiong in the face. Now, he saw the same raw anger blazing in Guo Baiyu's eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" Zhao Renshu asked, genuinely puzzled by Guo Baiyu's outburst. "Why are you so angry?"
Guo Baiyu shook his head, refusing to elaborate.
"Stupid girl," Zhao Renshu muttered, sitting down and taking a sip of wine. "We talk about dresses, but she continues to talk about firefly and star."
"You are the stupid one," Guo Baiyu retorted, sitting back down, his gaze still intense.
"Baiyu, let it go," Ping'an said gently, putting her right hand on his right hand and squeezing it, a silent comfort.
Zhao Renshu was unhappy and asked maddeningly, "You call me stupid...?"
Guo Baiyu sighed. "Do you not understand her?"
"No... I don't understand what she is talking about," Zhao Renshu admitted, his brow furrowed.
"Think about it. That's why you are stupid." Guo Baiyu took a slow sip of tea, allowing the frustration to build in Zhao Renshu.
Zhao Renshu slowly scratched his chin with the fingertips of his left hand, muttering the phrase again. "Mm... no matter what color firefly wears, it will never be as bright as a star." Suddenly, a realization struck him. He stood up abruptly, his face contorted in anger and hovered straight towards Huang Hongse's last known location upstairs. He shouted angrily, his voice echoing, "Huang Hongse!"
"Renshu!" Ping'an cried out, alarmed.
Huang Hongse, startled by his shout, unsheathed her sword and attacked Zhao Renshu as he materialized before her.
Zhao Renshu did a single backflip in the air, narrowly avoiding the sword. As he landed gracefully on a nearby table, he sent out a talisman that immediately turned into ten shimmering icicles, heading straight towards the Huang sisters.
Huang Yueliang, quick-witted, conjured three guzheng strings from thin air and sent out a powerful sound wave that dissipated the icicles.
Zhao Renshu, undeterred, conjured another blue talisman, which floated on his palm as hundreds of razor-sharp icicles rapidly appeared, surrounding the Huang sisters and their uncle, trapping them.
The guests sitting by the stairs jumped up and backed away in alarm. The guests on the second floor stopped by the railing to look at the escalating confrontation. The guests in the main dining hall chattered endlessly, their voices a low hum of gossip and excitement.
Zhao Renshu was extremely angry, his teeth gritted. "Break the front, and the back will stab you. Break the back, and the front will stab you. Break both front and back, and the sides will stab you," he snarled, a chilling threat. Zhao Renshu's voice turned aggressively cold. "How dare you?!"
Everyone in the inn was amazed by the man's powerful display of talismans.
The Huang sisters didn't dare to make a move, only staring at each other, their faces pale. They noticed that every time Zhao Renshu closed his palm, the icicles approached them closer, the icy points gleaming ominously.
"Childe Guozhao, please," Huang Yueliang pleaded, turning to Guo Baiyu, her voice desperate.
"Renshu, enough," Guo Baiyu commanded, his voice firm, stepping forward.
Zhao Renshu jumped off the table and walked towards the Huang sisters, his anger still burning. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking directly into Huang Hongse's eyes. "Do you think you are better than anyone else?" He sneered, a cruel satisfaction in his voice. "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... I hate ugly women with beautiful faces."
"I hate two-faced people who pretend to be something they are not meant to be!" Huang Hongse provoked fiercely, her face contorted with rage.
"Hongse, stop it!" Huang Yueliang cried, pulling Huang Hongse closer to her, trying to de-escalate.
Ping'an walked to Zhao Renshu, and then she poked the floating talisman on his palm. As the talisman dissipated, so did the hundreds of icicles surrounding the Huang sisters and their uncle, vanishing as if they were never there. Ping'an whispered something in his left ear.
Zhao Renshu's expression immediately changed, and he smiled widely, "Really?"
Ping'an nodded. "Mm..."
The Huang sisters were utterly confused. He had been in a state of murderous rage, and then whatever Ping'an told him made him act as if nothing had happened, his fury vanishing in an instant.
The lovers returned to their table just in time as the waiter happened to deliver their food. The other guests also returned to their tables, the tension slowly dissipating.
"What did you say to him?" Guo Baiyu asked Ping'an, curious.
"Um...." Ping'an hedged, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"She said she will be on top tonight," Zhao Renshu said softly, leaning towards Guo Baiyu with a broad grin.
The two men laughed, a shared, joyful sound.
Upstairs, Huang Hongse looked down at them angrily. "I hate that man," she muttered.
Huang Yueliang followed her gaze, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I don't see it that way. I think you are in love with him."
Huang Hongse turned around and started walking up the stairs, her voice filled with indignant denial. "Nonsense!"
"The deepest the hate, the deepest the love," Huang Yueliang murmured, watching her cousin disappear.