The Hunt Continue

Ping'an, her face grim with determination, walked swiftly to the side of the towering stone pillar where Fang Weimin was held hostage, and with her left hand, slammed into it. A spider-web of cracks instantly spread across the ancient stone.

"Let him go!" Ping'an demanded, her voice sharp with command, her eyes blazing at Qingyu.

"Okay," Qingyu countered, a cruel smirk twisting her lips, "but you'll be my hostage instead."

Suddenly, a shimmering arrow shot from behind Qingyu, a swift, unexpected projectile. As Qingyu instinctively turned to deflect it, Ping'an seized the split-second opportunity, sending her whip lashing out, wrapping it tightly around Qingyu's hand that held Fang Weimin. Qingyu, momentarily off-balance, flipped up, using her momentum, and landed with unsettling grace directly onto the magic arrow string, her weight momentarily bending the spiritual energy.

Fang Yaoting and Guozhao Zhiqiang, their movements fluid and synchronized, flew along the vibrating string, launching a dual attack on Qingyu. Meanwhile, Yang Bao, relieved, ran immediately to Fang Weimin, who had been dropped when Qingyu deflected the arrow. Fang Weimin's neck had a clean, shallow cut, but his life wasn't in danger.

"Third Master, he's fine, just a small scratch!" Yang Bao exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.

Guozhao Zhiqiang swung his sword in a low, swift arc at Qingyu's feet. She leaped back, quick as a viper, avoiding the blow, and Fang Yaoting's sword, swinging from above, grazed Qingyu's hand as she moved.

Qingyu landed with a small, bleeding cut on her left hand, and a single drop of blood dripped from Fang Yaoting's blade. She looked down at the bleeding wound, her eyes narrowing, and with a surge of anger, sent three thick, thorny vines shooting from the ground toward Ping'an and the Tam brothers.

Ping'an quickly drew back her whip, expertly pushing Tam Liang and Tam Kun out of the vines' path. Qingyu's vine, however, wrapped itself tightly onto Ping'an's waist.

Qingyu flew down with terrifying speed and, with a vicious tug, pulled Ping'an violently towards her, taking her captive once more. Her vines then rose from the ground, their sharp tips ominously poised at Ping'an's neck.

"Let go of her!" Guo Baiyu demanded, his voice resonating with cold fury, his patience utterly spent.

"Back away or Syaoran dies!" Qingyu threatened, her voice a triumphant snarl, the vines pressing deeper into Ping'an's throat.

"She's not Syaoran," Guo Baiyu corrected, his voice firm, refusing the deception.

Qingyu smiled, a cruel, satisfied glint in her eyes. "Syaoran," she purred, dragging Ping'an closer, "let's explore The Soul Cave." She then flew swiftly, dragging Ping'an along, deeper into the heart of Peach Blossom Valley, heading towards the forbidden cave.

Guo Baiyu looked at the Tam brothers, his face grim but resolute. "Ah Liang, Ah Kun, ring the bell!" he commanded.

Zhao Renshu and Guo Baiyu, their faces etched with desperate urgency, quickly ran after Ping'an and Qingyu.

Fang Yaoting looked at his disciples, his voice sharp with command. "Prepare all the spiritual pouches we have! We'll need them!"

Qingyu and Ping'an landed right in front of the ominous Soul Cave, its dark maw beckoning. Qingyu looked coldly at Shan, who stood as its eternal guardian. "Old Spirit," she snarled, "open the cave!"

"I swear to protect this cave," Shan declared, his ghostly form unwavering, his voice filled with ancient resolve. "As long as I'm still standing here, I won't open it!"

"Open it, or she'll die!" Qingyu snarled, pressing the vines deeper into Ping'an's neck, a thin trickle of blood appearing.

"She's not my master," Shan replied, his voice firm, refusing to yield to coercion. "I only obey my master."

Guo Baiyu, having just arrived, stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Ping'an. "Let go of her," he commanded Qingyu, his voice dangerously low.

Qingyu turned, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "It turns out the master has arrived." She looked at Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Order the old spirit to open the cave, otherwise..." She pointed her vine-fingers at Ping'an's neck, pressing harder. "She dies."

Ping'an, her eyes filled with desperate warning, shook her head at Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu, silently pleading with them not to comply.

Qingyu's vine-fingertips prodded deeper into Ping'an's neck, and a more noticeable stream of blood dripped onto the ground, a chilling sign of her imminent demise.

"Lao Shan, open the cave!" Zhao Renshu screamed at Shan, his voice raw with panic, unable to bear Ping'an's pain.

"Renshu, her intention is very clear," Shan said, his gaze fixed on Zhao Renshu, his voice cold, logical, even in the face of death. "She wants to release the souls inside this cave. These souls that have been locked here for many years are powerful and filled with hatred towards the living. Do you really want to put these souls back into this world?"

Qingyu's rattan fingers prodded even deeper into Ping'an's neck, her life teetering on the brink.

"I, your master, command you to open the cave, now!" Zhao Renshu declared madly, his voice rising in desperation, overriding all logic for Ping'an's sake.

"Shan, open the cave," Guo Baiyu urged, his voice heavy with resignation, seeing no other choice.

Zhao Renshu, his face contorted with anguish, summoned a magic whip, its glowing form ready to strike Shan.

"Renshu, don't do it!" Ping'an cried, her voice choked by the pressure on her throat.

Guo Baiyu looked at Shan, a silent plea in his eyes. "Open the cave, Shan."

Zhao Renshu lowered the magic whip, poised to strike Shan. Shan shook his head, a gesture of mournful acceptance, and the ancient door to the Soul Cave slowly, grindingly, slid open. Thousands of glowing pouches, shimmering with contained energy, hung everywhere inside the cave, each holding a trapped soul.

Zhao Renshu shook his hand, and the magic rope he had conjured disappeared, his fury temporarily sated. "The door has opened, now let her go," he demanded of Qingyu.

Qingyu smiled, a triumphant, malicious grin spreading across her face. "I have Syaoran in my hand. Do you really think I'll let Syaoran go?" She took a step back, pulling Ping'an with her, deeper into the cave. As she crossed the threshold, she suddenly screamed in excruciating pain, a piercing, unearthly sound. Two intricate magic binding circle formations, glowing with ancient power, appeared: one on the top of the cave's entrance and the other on the ground, trapping her. The top magic binding circle began to close in rapidly on Qingyu, constricting her. She shrieked, "NO!" a raw cry of dawning horror.

"What's the matter?" Zhao Renshu asked, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"Ten years ago, Master Baiyu foresaw such a thing would happen," Shan explained, his voice flat, but with a hint of pride in his old master. "He secretly drew the magic binding circle on the top of the cave and the ground."

Zhao Renshu turned to Guo Baiyu, a wide, sheepish grin spreading across his face, scratching his chin with his left thumb. "Hey... why didn't I think of that?"

"You're wasting your brain sleeping," Shan quipped, a rare moment of dry humor directed at his longtime friend.

Zhao Renshu glanced viciously at Shan, a playful threat in his eyes. He turned back to Qingyu, a triumphant gleam in his gaze. "It looks like you're in a trap. Let her go now."

Qingyu's body began to glow with an ominous, internal heat, her form slowly burning, consuming itself. "If I'm going to be nothing but a soulless sin," she snarled, defiance in her voice even as she burned, "then so be it." She summoned a dagger in her right hand and, with a final act of spite, plunged it into her own throat. She on her own blood, her eyes fixed on Ping'an. "Syaoran... you will... die... with me," she rasped, and fell to her knees.

Thousands of blinding beams of light, the escaping fragments of her soul and power, escaped from Qingyu's rapidly disintegrating body.

"She's going to explode!" Guo Baiyu warned, his voice sharp with urgency.

Ping'an, reacting instantly, threw her whip at Zhao Renshu. Zhao Renshu, moving with lightning speed, yanked Ping'an out of the magic binding circle and into his arms, pulling her to safety just as Guo Baiyu conjured a massive dirt wall, blocking the open cave entrance.

Qingyu's body exploded violently inside the magic binding circle, the force contained but still devastating. Thousands of the destructive light beams destroyed many of the hanging pouches inside the cave, and the countless souls that were locked inside, now free, rushed through the cave entrance, a terrifying torrent. The many escaped souls, a swirling vortex of energy, burst through Guo Baiyu's earthen wall, shattering it.

The Guozhao Hunters, realizing the new threat, rushed forward, frantically trying to capture as many souls as possible, before they could escape into the world.

A shining, pure pearl, glowing with ethereal light, floated gently into Ping'an's right palm. She instinctively closed her palms around it, and then, with a flash of light, Jiutian Xuannü stood before her, serene and otherworldly. The pearl floated from Ping'an's hand to Jiutian Xuannü's right hand, its light fading into hers.

Jiutian Xuannü smiled, a serene, almost knowing expression, at Ping'an. "Your sword will guard the Demon Gate, as per the bargain," she said, her voice soft. "You no longer have the power of the sword to protect you. I wish you a smooth hunt retrieving the escaped souls." And with that, she vanished as swiftly as she appeared.

When Ping'an became fully aware of her surroundings again, she saw the masters and students desperately trying to capture as many souls as possible, a chaotic, futile struggle. She remembered, with a sudden flash of insight, that she carried ten unused spiritual pouches with her. With renewed purpose, she tossed her pouches into the air and recited the ancient Soul Catcher spell. Her ten pouches, imbued with magic, chased after ten specific souls, and with a gentle whoosh, captured ten spirits, containing them.

"Masters, no more pouches!" Tam Liang shouted, his voice hoarse with effort, his own supply exhausted.

"Can they be destroyed?" Tam Kun asked, desperate for a solution.

"No," Guo Baiyu replied, his voice grim. "If you destroy them, they'll become very powerful, vengeful souls. Once a powerful soul possesses a person, it's very difficult to destroy it. If we destroy it, the person possessed by the soul will also be destroyed with it. It's best to keep them calm and slowly suppress their grievances."

"There's nothing we can do now," Zhao Renshu frowned, his shoulders slumping in weary defeat as hundreds of souls spiraled into the sky.

The souls, shimmering trails of light, hovered momentarily over the blossoming trees of Peach Blossom Valley, then dispersed into the vast summer sky, and the only thing the Guozhao Hunters could do was watch, helpless, as hundreds of souls escaped from Peach Blossom Valley, scattering into the world.

In the early morning of the next day, as the summer sun rose, casting a warm golden glow, Guo Baiyu, Zhao Renshu, and Ping'an, Fang Yaoting, Lee Dachin, and ten groups of hunters stood at the crossroads, a silent farewell.

Fang Yaoting looked at his disciples, his voice firm, filled with expectation. "Remember your duty as a hunter," he said, entrusting them with their new path.

Guo Baiyu smiled at his disciples, his gaze warm with pride. "You're not just any hunters. You're Guozhao Hunters. You must abide by the principles of Guozhao Sector and always remember why you became a hunter – to protect the weak and the innocent."

"When encountering difficulties beyond your abilities, summon Zhiqiang," Zhao Renshu instructed, his voice serious, providing a last, critical piece of advice.

"Yes, Masters!" the Guozhao Hunters replied in unison, their voices ringing with respect and readiness.

"You can go now," Guo Baiyu said, a final, gentle dismissal. "Everyone should consider carefully before taking action."

The Guozhao Hunters nodded to their masters, a silent acknowledgment of the weight of their words, and as the sun shone on their young faces, they walked down the road, along the top of the mountain, their journey beginning.

The group of thirteen disciples Fang Yaoting, Lee Dachin, and the remaining Guozhao Hunters walked towards Guo Baiyu, Zhao Renshu, Ping'an and watched their junior classmates descend the mountain paths, a new generation embarking on their quest.

"Here are your bags," Xiao Mei said, her voice soft, handing over their provisions.

Zhao Renshu smiled at the thirteen disciples, a wide, genuine grin. "You thirteen are our best. Help Third Master here," he entrusted them with their important role.

"If everything goes according to plan," Guo Baiyu said, a hint of hope in his voice, "we'll see you in Peace Town in four months."

"You guys help Third Master teach your juniors," Ping'an added, her voice gentle, emphasizing their mentorship.

The thirteen disciples, stood beside Lee Dachin and Fang Yaoting, waved to the three Guozhao Hunters, a final, poignant farewell. The three Guozhao Hunters then walked down the mountain, taking a different, solitary path from their disciples, their own hunt about to begin.

Four days later, the lovers rested in an abandoned, decaying temple, its silence a stark contrast to their recent adventures. Zhao Renshu was expertly roasting two chickens over a small fire, the savory aroma filling the air. He looked at Ping'an, a soft, nostalgic smile playing on his lips, and began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Ping'an smiled at him, a fond amusement in her eyes.

Zhao Renshu flirted with his eyes, a mischievous twinkle. "Nineteen years ago, when I was roasting chickens in a deserted temple, I met a young beautiful sixteen years young lady who rushed in from the door and refused to travel far and wide with me."

"But you continued to stalk her with the idea, and in the end, she followed you," Ping'an retorted playfully, her laughter soft and warm.

Suddenly, Shan appeared beside Zhao Renshu, his ghostly form shimmering, and said coldly, "Renshu."

"What is it, Shan?" Zhao Renshu asked, continuing to expertly roast the two chickens, unfazed.

"One thousand coins, Dong Village. One day's walk from here," Shan reported, his voice flat, delivering the mission details.

"Okay," Zhao Renshu replied, his focus already shifting.

Shan then vanished, leaving only the scent of roasted chicken.

"Eat and sleep well," Guo Baiyu advised, his voice calm, "because the sun will begin to set when we reach Dong Village tomorrow."

The next day, as the sun, a fiery orb, was about to set upon the red and orange horizon, casting long, dramatic shadows, the three Guozhao Hunters finally reached Dong Village, their destination.

Zhao Renshu put his hands on his waist, a triumphant posture, surveying the scene. "I guess the village below is Dong Village."

"Let's go find a place to rest first," Guo Baiyu suggested, ever practical.

Zhao Renshu turned, a mischievous grin on his face. "I'm in charge of ordering."

Guo Baiyu calmly said, a hint of a smile on his lips, "You order, and you pay."

Zhao Renshu smiled at Guo Baiyu, a playful challenge in his eyes. "Okay, if you don't help me pay for the food, you can't eat."

Ping'an shook her head, a deeply amused smile on her face, enjoying their familiar banter, and started walking down the hill. Guo Baiyu, with a fond sigh, followed her.

"Hey, wait for me!" Zhao Renshu shouted, a mock protest in his voice. "What kind of family are you two, leaving your loved ones behind so heartlessly?!"

"If you don't want to be left behind, hurry up," Guo Baiyu called back, a laugh in his voice.

Zhao Renshu quickly caught up with Ping'an and Guo Baiyu, falling into their familiar rhythm. The two men immediately began to quarrel good-naturedly about who was in charge of ordering food, their voices filled with playful bickering. Ping'an chuckled, her heart full, enjoying the everyday normalcy of their arguments.

Guo Baiyu looked at Ping'an, a question in his eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Yeah, what's so funny?" Zhao Renshu echoed, feigning confusion.

Ping'an smiled at her husbands, her gaze filled with profound love and contentment. "If you two were one person," she mused, her voice soft, "it would be perfect."

As the summer sun melted into the horizon, painting the sky with fiery hues, Ping'an looked at her husbands, who were looking at each other, smiling and shaking their heads, a silent, loving communication passing between them. She then turned, and with a purposeful stride, walked in front of her husbands, leading the way.

Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu, their smiles warm, hurriedly followed behind their beloved wife, walking towards Dong Village.

The three hunters knew in their hearts that from their first hunt in their early twenties until now, their wandering life, with the sky as their roof and the ground as their bed, was never short of excitement. Now in their early forties, with hair half-grey, they embraced each new dawn, knowing another exciting adventure, another hunt, awaited them.