Zhao Renshu's eyes turned bloodshot as he watched the dirt mound standing before him. He couldn't believe that a moment ago, he had just watched the two people he loved the most buried alive under that earth. His eyes trembled, his teeth grinding angrily against each other, and with tears streaming down his cheek, he tried pulling his arm away, but his arm was held back tightly by Huang Hongse's hand.
"How long will you hold my arm?" Zhao Renshu said coldly, his voice raw, his eyes as red as blood.
Huang Hongse, seeing his agony, let go of Zhao Renshu's arm.
"Call back your flags," Zhao Renshu demanded, his voice trembling with fury. He looked at Huang Hongse angrily, his eyes still red as blood.
"Hunter Guozhao, don't be angry," Huang Yueliang interjected, her voice calm. "Hongse did this to save us all."
Huang Hongse looked at Zhao Renshu firmly. "I can't call back my flags. If I do this, the demon will sprint toward us with all his strength."
Zhao Renshu looked at Huang Hongse furiously. "Call back your flags, or I am going to destroy it. I am going to count to three. Three…."
"Hunter Guozhao, don't act unreasonably like this," Lim Peizhi urged, stepping forward.
"Two." Zhao Renshu conjured a red talisman, which floated ominously in the palm of his right hand.
"Oh no… that's the annihilation talisman!" one of the hunters called out, panting with fear.
In the Hunter World, they knew what an annihilation talisman could do. It meant that all objects in its path would be destroyed within a radius of three hundred meters.
Huang Hongse had no choice but to call back her flags. She looked at Zhao Renshu, her eyes narrowed. "So, you are the great hunter Zhao Renshu, titled the Annihilator, disciple of the late Master Zhao?"
Zhao Renshu completely ignored Huang Hongse. He walked to the place where his two family members were buried. He unsheathed his sword, but then began digging with both bare hands, discarding the sword. Huang Hongse stood beside him, protecting him from attacking spiders. His hands quickly began to bleed. The index fingernail of his right hand fell off, but he continued to dig relentlessly.
Huang Hongse couldn't watch it anymore. "Stop it!" she shouted at Zhao Renshu. "Get a hold of yourself! We are in the middle of a battle!"
As he dug, Zhao Renshu recalled all the cherished memories he shared with his two family members. He then realized that hot tears were dripping from his face onto the ground he desperately clawed at.
Meanwhile, buried beneath the debris, Guo Baiyu protected Ping'an from falling fragments. Inside Ping'an's heart, she prayed, "Jiutian Xuannü, please save us." She heard a faint voice in her mind, "Trust in your swords."
Ping'an tightly grasped Guo Baiyu's waist. She screamed, "HELP US!"
Suddenly, the three swords spun quickly around Ping'an and Guo Baiyu, creating a powerful force field shield to protect them from the falling debris. Ping'an then commanded one of her swords to drill a tunnel upwards.
The hunters and citizens panted heavily as a tunnel emerged from the dirt mound. They were ready to kill if another earth worm emerged. When the tunnel finally opened, Huang Yueliang, worried that it might be a worm, attacked the open tunnel with sound waves. But her sound waves were blocked by a sword.
Ping'an and Guo Baiyu emerged from the tunnel, completely unharmed, their clothes dusty but their resolve firm. When Ping'an saw the lifeless Zhao Renshu, who still knelt, digging a hole with his bare, bleeding hands, she smiled, a joyous relief washing over her.
"Renshu!" Ping'an shouted happily, running towards him.
Zhao Renshu turned to the right and saw that Ping'an and Guo Baiyu were not harmed. He quickly ran towards them. He picked Ping'an up from the ground, burying his face in her chest with overwhelming happiness. She lifted his face with both hands. She lowered her head and kissed his forehead tenderly.
"Are you crying?" Ping'an asked softly, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"No, there's dirt in my eyes," Zhao Renshu sniffed, turning his head away, trying to hide his raw emotion.
"Obviously, you are crying," Guo Baiyu stated calmly, a gentle smile on his face.
Zhao Renshu refused to admit that he was crying, afraid of losing face in front of all the onlookers. He resolutely said, "I am a man. I would rather die before I cry in front of these people."
"Alright, alright," Ping'an conceded, her smile widening. "You got dirt in your eyes."
Baoshi, having regained his strength, rushed into the dirt mound, then burst out, heading straight for the other hunters.
Zhao Renshu put Ping'an down.
Guo Baiyu swiftly shot two arrows directly into Baoshi's front shoulders, the arrows exiting through Baoshi's shoulder blades. Then, the two arrows transformed into two golden magic ropes. Guo Baiyu held the right rope, and Ping'an held the left rope. Baoshi, enraged, dragged Ping'an and Guo Baiyu, circling back towards the city wall.
When Guo Baiyu swayed to the left, Ping'an expertly flipped to the right, using their combined weight to slow Baoshi down. Ping'an then ordered her two swords to nail Baoshi's feet to the ground. Zhao Renshu unsheathed his sword and flew swiftly, cutting deeply into Baoshi's neck. The giant's body began to glow with blinding light beams.
"What the heck is going on?" Zhao Renshu exclaimed, astonished.
"It looks like it's going to explode," Guo Baiyu warned, his voice grim.
"This is bad!" Zhao Renshu shouted. He looked around frantically and saw Huang Hongse. "Hongse, use your flags!"
Huang Hongse, reacting without hesitation, threw her two flags up in the air and chanted a spell. Her two flags immediately became hundreds of small flags, surrounding the dying giant. The giant exploded, and the explosion's energy was so powerful that even the ground around them shook violently.
Ping'an saw a bright and shiny little pearl floating into her right hand. Then Ping'an saw Jiutian Xuannü walking towards her, appearing from nowhere.
"Now, you know how dangerous the souls you helped release five hundred years ago are," Jiutian Xuannü stated, her voice devoid of emotion.
Ping'an nodded, her expression somber.
"You have six more," Jiutian Xuannü said, a faint, challenging smile on her lips. "Good luck, Syaoran."
"Ping'an, Ping'an!" Guo Baiyu called out, pulling her back to reality.
Ping'an snapped back. She opened her right hand, but the pearl had vanished.
Zhao Renshu put one hand on Ping'an's forehead, checking her. He asked, "Are you feeling alright, dear?"
Ping'an smiled and nodded, reassuring him.
Zhao Renshu wiped the dirt from her face. He complained, "Baiyu, you need to invent a talisman that instantly washes one's face."
"You are the master of talisman invention, not me," Guo Baiyu retorted with a smirk.
Zhao Renshu looked at Guo Baiyu and grimaced playfully.
The spiders and worms, their leader gone, withdrew and vanished as quickly as they had appeared. Cheering heroes filled the streets, their shouts echoing.
"Thank you, everyone!" Lim Peizhi announced, his voice hoarse but triumphant. "I will make sure that today's victory is written into Waterfall City's history! Everyone, please rest. The soldiers and I will clear the streets. We will hold a celebration party within two days. Thank you for all your help! I hope all the hunters who abandoned their differences and helped us fight in this battle will stay until the end of the celebration party!"
Everyone on the street cheered loudly, a roar of triumph.
Lim Peizhi walked to his new friends, a respectful smile on his face. "I really hope that all of you will rest at my house tonight."
"In that case," Huang Yueliang smiled gracefully, "we will be willing to stay in your residence."
Lim Peizhi looked at the lovers, he lowered his head slightly, smiled, and thanked them.
From a distance, Mayor Lim called out, "Peizhi!"
Lim Peizhi waved to his father.
"All of the beloved hunters please go rest at my residence!" Mayor Lim boomed. "I asked the maids to prepare food and baths for everyone!"
Mayor Lim and Lim Peizhi led the group of hunters towards the mayor's residence.
Ping'an, Guo Baiyu, and Zhao Renshu looked at each other and shared a knowing smile, but they did not follow Lim Peizhi and Mayor Lim. They went in the opposite direction, returning to the inn.