As the sun climbed high in the sky, beating down relentlessly, Deming felt his body growing lighter, a profound weakness washing over him. He looked down at his left chest; his white robe was no longer soaked with new blood, the crimson stain that once bled through now dry and stiff. Though he still felt pain, at least he knew that for now, his wound was no longer bleeding.
The group arrived at an abandoned small village, its silence heavy with disuse. The village seemed to have been unoccupied for many years, left to crumble. Some houses had fallen completely to the ground, reduced to rubble, while others were still standing but in very poor condition, their roofs caved in and walls crumbling.
Yue Lei rushed forward, his youthful energy tireless. "Second Senior Brother, we found a house that is still intact!" He pointed to the right, his arm outstretched.
Yang Bao looked in the direction Yue Lei was pointing and saw a very old house, clearly in better condition than the others, its structure surprisingly sound. Yang Bao looked at Deming, his face etched with concern. "Let's go rest at that house for the night. You need to get off your feet." He then looked at Yue Lei. "Ah Lei, take a few juniors with you and see if you can find us something to eat tonight, and some firewood."
"Alright," Yue Lei said, nodding briskly. He looked at his juniors. "You two come with me," he instructed, selecting two of the younger hunters.
The hunters went out, their forms disappearing into the desolate village, looking for food and firewood, while Yang Bao and Deming walked slowly towards the old house, seeking shelter. Yang Bao then helped Deming carefully to a corner of the main room, letting Deming sit down gently, easing him onto the dusty floor. He immediately began to examine Deming's wound, his touch gentle and skilled.
Deming looked at Yang Bao, whose face, though youthful, appeared older and wiser than the other juniors. A question, a desperate need for truth, gnawed at him. He wanted to know if what Guozhao Zhiqiang had said was true, if there truly was a "city in the cloud" that wasn't a cruel trick. He had confirmed with Tam Qiu that there was no such city in the literal sense. After hesitating for a long time, his voice a soft, trembling whisper, he finally said, "Brother Yang, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Brother Deming," Yang Bao replied, his voice kind, sensing Deming's fragility.
"Is there a city in the clouds?" Deming asked, his gaze fixed on Yang Bao, a desperate hope in his eyes.
Yang Bao shook his head slightly, a gentle, sympathetic smile touching his lips. He had guessed that Guozhao Zhiqiang might have told Deming about their Peach Blossom Mountain home, romanticizing it. He smiled gently. "There is no 'city in the cloud' in reality, Brother Deming, but Cloud City is our home, our sect. Senior Brother once mentioned that every morning when he practices swords on the mountain peak, Cloud City will be surrounded by thick, beautiful fog, making it seem as if it's floating." He chuckled softly, a fond memory. "He said Cloud City looks like a city in the cloud, like a dream."
"Is there a goddess living there?" Deming asked, his voice even softer, recalling the man's promise.
Yang Bao laughed loudly, a booming, genuine sound that filled the quiet house. "Ha…Ha…Ha… Goddess? Ha…Ha…Ha…" he repeated, amusement clear in his voice.
Deming was confused by Yang Bao's sudden, unbridled laughter, a cold dread twisting in his gut. "What's so funny?" he asked, a hint of desperation in his tone.
Yang Bao looked at Deming with a kind smile, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "Did you hear that story from Senior Brother, Deming?" he asked gently.
Deming sighed, a long, weary sound. "He once told me that there is a city in the clouds, and the goddess who lives there will always welcome people with open arms, a haven for lost souls."
Yang Bao smiled lightly, a profound understanding in his eyes. "Brother Deming, I think you've misunderstood our Senior Brother's meaning. My Senior Brother loves our Shimu, like a mother and respects her like a goddess, a benevolent deity. The place where we live, Cloud City, is our home, and our Shimu is truly the best, most welcoming person in the world. She embodies that 'goddess' he spoke of." He sighed deeply, his voice tinged with a deep love for his sect. "You know, those juniors that are with us are orphans, many of them just like you. Our Masters and Shimu brought them back one by one, took them in, nurtured them. Take myself as an example. I used to work as a waiter at Cloud City Dragon Inn. My biggest dream was to become a hunter, but because of my leg deformity, no clan or sector wanted me. The first woman to smile at me, to see beyond my flaws, was Shimu. She was the first woman to not look down upon me, to truly care. I believe you have met Tam Qiu, Tam Liang, and Tam Kun already."
Deming sighed, a different kind of sigh now, a nascent understanding dawning. "Yes, Sister Ah Qiu and the two brothers are very nice people."
"They were from Tam Village," Yang Bao said, continuing the story of their found family. "We rescued them and brought them back. Those who came to our sector without a surname were named Guozhao, as a symbol of our shared family. We call ourselves Guozhao Hunters." He looked at Deming, a gentle invitation in his eyes. "Do you want to know our Senior Brother's surname?"
"What's his surname name?" Deming asked, intrigued, sensing a deeper connection.
"Guozhao," Yang Bao replied, his voice filled with quiet pride.
"Is he an orphan too?" Deming asked, a flicker of shared experience in his voice.
"Senior Brother was named by our First Master, Master Guo. From the time he can remember, everyone has called him 'black boy,' a cruel nickname. He was a person without a name, without a family. Our First Master named him Guozhao Zhiqiang, giving him identity and belonging. Senior Brother doesn't talk much, it's true. It's difficult for other juniors to get close to him because of his reserved nature. But this doesn't mean that they are afraid of him. On the contrary, he is a very softhearted person, deeply empathetic. Especially when it involves you, Brother Deming."
"Me?" Deming questioned, his voice filled with disbelief, unable to fathom such care for himself.
Yang Bao looked directly at Deming, his gaze sincere. "I remember when he sent Lady Lim's ahses and Junjie back to Waterfall City from Ocean City nine years ago, his free spirit was completely broken, shattered by grief. I was there. He was so drunk and weak he couldn't even stand up straight. I overheard him and Shimu talking in his room. He asked Shimu what he did wrong, why his love was unreturned. He said he did everything, he gave his all, but you didn't choose him. 'If you can't fulfill it, why make a promise?' he asked, his voice raw with pain. He cried in Shimu's arms, truly cried, until he fell asleep from exhaustion. You know, when he was beaten to death during his training, he didn't shed a single tear, but when it comes to you, when his heart was broken, he collapsed like a child in Shimu's arms." Yang Bao sighed, a profound sadness in his eyes. "And then, when we were in Tam Village, Second and Third Masters almost killed him because he blocked their attack from hurting you. I knew then, Brother Deming, that Senior Brother must like you very, very much, more than words can say." He concluded, his voice soft with understanding, "Brother Deming, when Senior Brother said that there is a city in the cloud, and the goddess will always welcome you with open arms, what he really means is that in Cloud City, our home, our Shimu will always welcome you with open arms, just as she has welcomed all of us."
Deming looked at Yang Bao, whose face glowed with genuine understanding of Guozhao Zhiqiang. He couldn't help feeling a little angry, a pang of jealousy. He didn't know Guozhao Zhiqiang had such a person who understood him to this degree, a confidant, and why, then, did Guozhao Zhiqiang choose him, a stranger, to share his intimacy with? Also, Deming was a little confused by Yang Bao's small speech, because he had never been to Tam Village. Two days ago was the very first time he had stepped out of the dungeon.
"You really know him," Deming said, his voice tinged with both awe and a lingering resentment.
Yang Bao sighed, a knowing look in his eyes, and sat beside Deming, settling in. "Of course, we've known each other since he was fourteen and I was seventeen. We grew up together." He smiled gently at Deming. "Senior Brother is the most upright, honorable person among us, truly principled."
"Has he lied to you?" Deming asked, a direct, challenging question, his experience with deceit making him suspicious.
Yang Bao looked at Deming, his expression firm. "Senior Brothers don't lie, Brother Deming. We strictly abide by our principles and strictly prohibit lying. When you meet Senior Brother, you can ask him what the punishment is for lying."
"Is there a penalty for lying?" Deming inquired, his voice filled with a morbid curiosity.
"Yes, Senior Brother enforces rules and punishments without exception," Yang Bao confirmed, his voice serious.
Weici whispered inside Deming's ear, her tiny voice a conspiratorial murmur, "Um... I think he's lying."
Yang Bao smiled, a knowing glint in his eye, at the little fairy hidden somewhere in Deming's sleeve. He suddenly said, his voice light, as if speaking to the air, "Little sister, it's not good to eavesdrop on others." He then handed Deming an apple. "You can come out, little sister. You're safe."
Weici was shocked, her tiny voice filled with disbelief. "You can hear me?" she asked, her voice squeaking.
"Yes, I can," Yang Bao replied, his smile unwavering.
Weici hesitated, debating whether to reveal herself to a hunter, a natural enemy. After a period of internal determination, she decided not to reveal herself fully, remaining hidden. "You are hunters. Hunters kill fairies. I will not come out," she stated, her voice tiny but firm.
"We kill all those who do evil, regardless of their origin, be they human, demon, or fairy," Yang Bao stated, his voice principled and clear. "We protect the innocent."
Yue Lei walked into the house, triumphantly carrying three pheasants, their feathers ruffled. "Second Senior Brother, a family wants to seek shelter with us tonight," he announced. Yue Lei dropped the three dead pheasants on the ground, a practical offering.
"Let them," Yang Bao said, nodding his permission.
Yue Lei stood up, walked four steps, then stopped, and said, his voice firm, "If you want to stay with us tonight, be good and eat like everyone else, without complaint." Yue Lei then walked out of the house, preparing the campsite.
"Is he talking about you or me?" Weici murmured from Deming's sleeve, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"I don't know," Deming said, a faint smile touching his lips, amused by her question.
Two young people, a woman, a small child, and an old man, their faces weary from travel, walked into the abandoned house, seeking refuge. They sat quietly on the other side of the house, keeping their distance. Yang Bao glanced at the family; it seemed they had been traveling for some time, their clothes dusty and worn. Yang Bao and Yue Lei walked to the other side of the room and generously gave some food to the family, offering comfort and sustenance.
At dusk, the first hint of morning light appearing, the unsettling sound of windows and doors opening and closing could be heard everywhere in the village, a chorus of creaks and slams. Then, the terrifying voice of a terrible, screaming woman could be heard, a sound that chilled them to the bone.
"Shit..." Yue Lei cursed, his face pale, realizing the danger.
Lee Nianzu said, his voice sharp with admonishment, "Ah Lei, pay attention to your language!"
"I'm sorry," Yue Lei replied, his eyes wide.
Yang Bao looked at Lee Nianzu, his expression grave. "Set up a barrier around the house, quickly!"
Lee Nianzu looked at Yang Bao, a question in his eyes. "What about her?" he asked, referring to Weici, sensing the imminent threat.
Yang Bao looked at Deming, then, his voice light but firm, addressed Weici's hidden form. "Little sister, come out, if you don't come out, you will be burned alive. We are going to used our protection talisman."
"What?!" Weici said madly, her tiny voice filled with outrage. The little black ant, with a frantic leap, jumped off Deming's left ear. When she jumped down, she transformed instantly into a beautiful, fierce girl in black, her eyes blazing. "You want to burn me?! How dare you?!" she shrieked at Yang Bao.
Yang Bao looked at Lee Nianzu, his voice now firm, overriding Weici's protests. "Nianzu, set up a barrier, now!" he commanded.
When the hunters walked out of the house, preparing for battle, Lee Nianzu threw a talisman into the house. A golden magic cage, shimmering with protective energy, immediately appeared, floating in the air, covering the whole house, trapping everyone inside.
Yang Bao looked at Weici, his expression grim. "Stay inside, little sister, you will burn to death if you don't, because you are a fairy, and that is a fire demon."
Weici looked at Yang Bao, her face filled with dissatisfaction, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. "Hey," she challenged, "will your Senior Brother be burned to death if he stays inside the barricade? He's not human either!"
Yue Lei smirked, a hint of amusement even in the face of danger. "Never. Why do you ask, fairy?"
A powerful gust of wind passed by, swirling dust and debris, and a woman in a vibrant red dress, her form ethereal and menacing, flew up, standing gracefully on the crumbling dirt wall of the village, looking down at the small group of hunters standing outside the small old house, ready for battle. The woman in red smiled, a chilling, predatory expression, at the hunters.