Everyone turned to the welcoming gate as a man in his thirties walked in. The guests and families continued eating, and many, including Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo, didn't pay him much attention.
Liu Fu greeted the man, "Yes, Xiu'er, bring this young man a bowl and chopsticks."
Liu Xiu gave the man a bowl and chopsticks. He smiled, "What's your name, pretty lady?"
Liu Xiu offered a shy smile. "Liu Xiu," she answered, then returned to the tables.
The man sat alone, quietly eating the noodles he'd scooped from the giant wok. A short while later, Liu Xiu moved through the crowd with a tray of tea, offering some to Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo. Ma Jingguo took two cups.
"Xiao shushu, want another bowl?" Ma Jingguo asked.
Mu Dishi shook his head. "I'm getting a second," Ma Jingguo announced, rising from the bench.
"Whatever," Mu Dishi said, still absorbed in the scene around them.
Ma Jingguo felt a sense of relief when he saw that he wasn't the only one wanting more. Many families and guests were also going back for seconds. He quickly filled his bowl and returned to Mu Dishi.
"Why did you get so much? Are you going to finish it?" Mu Dishi asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Ma Jingguo smiled. "I'm happy sitting here eating with all these friendly people. Xiao shushu, is this your first time experiencing this?"
Mu Dishi simply hummed in response.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, his voice gentle and encouraging, "you don't have to be so reserved. Open your heart. Not everyone is like the three sects and five clans. Look at these people—they welcomed us with open arms." He took a couple of bites of his noodles. "I truly believe there are more good people in this world than bad."
Mu Dishi pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve. "You have oil on the corner of your mouth," he said, holding it out.
"Then you wipe it for me," Ma Jingguo said, grinning.
"No. Do it yourself," Mu Dishi replied.
"How can I?" Ma Jingguo gestured with his hands, one holding his bowl and the other his chopsticks.
Mu Dishi shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. He took the handkerchief back and gently wiped the corner of Ma Jingguo's mouth himself. He then folded the cloth neatly and tucked it back inside his robe.
Ma Jingguo's smiles widened. "Xiao shushu, I'm very happy."
"You're happy because someone fed you free noodles?" Mu Dishi teased.
"I'm happy that this is the first time you've been so kind to me in front of other people," Ma Jingguo replied, his smile genuine.
"I told you I'd try," Mu Dishi said softly.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, his voice full of warmth. He lifted his chopsticks, offering a mouthful of noodles. "I'll feed you."
Mu Dishi pushed the bowl away. "Stop eating. Throw it away."
Without warning, the happy mood shattered. Around them, guests and families began to drop their bowls and chopsticks, a cascade of clattering noises. Ma Jingguo's hands started to tremble violently, and his own bowl and chopsticks fell to the ground. He felt his entire body go weak, unable to move.
"Jingguo," Mu Dishi said, his voice sharp with alarm.
"Xiao shushu, I have no strength left," Ma Jingguo whispered, a look of confusion on his face.
"You've been poisoned," Mu Dishi stated, his tone suddenly cold and serious.
"What?" Ma Jingguo gasped, the full weight of the words sinking in.
A wave of panicked chatter swept through the crowd. "What happened to us? We don't have any strength," people cried out.
Among the fifty or so people gathered, only twelve were unaffected. The young man who had just arrived rose from his seat and walked to the center of the clearing. He smirked at the poisoned crowd. "Congratulations to those who went for seconds," he announced with a cruel laugh. "Each of you has been poisoned. And now, everyone here is being robbed."
The twelve unpoisoned individuals were Mu Dishi, two grooms, Liu Fu, four brides, five elderly women, and Liu Xiu.
The grooms who are not poison decides to take matters into their own hands. The two of them stood up and trying to immobilize the young man down, but they were severely wounded and injured by the young man.
"Who are you? Why did you poison us?" Liu Fu demanded.
The young man shoved the elder to the ground and sent a firework signal into the sky. Liu Xiu ran to her grandfather's side, helping him up. "Grandfather, are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Moments later, twenty armed men rushed into the open area. One of them called out, "Leader Hu!"
"So many pretty people here," a man named Chen Bai said, his eyes scanning the crowd. He walked around, stopping in front of Mu Dishi. "Eh... you're not bad. I've never seen such a handsome and beautiful man like you." He licked his lips.
From his position on the ground, Ma Jingguo spoke, his voice weak but his words filled with a fierce threat. "Don't you dare touch him. I'll kill you if you touch a single strand of his hair."
Chen Bai laughed at the empty threat and turned to the young leader. "Hu Gang, can I have him?"
"You dummy!" Hu Gang snapped, his voice tight with frustration. "How many times have I told you not to use my full name when we're robbing people?"
"Sorry... Leader Hu," Chen Bai said sheepishly. "But can I have him?"
Hu Gang sighed, a look of weary exasperation on his face. "You have eight wives and six husbands. How many more do you need?"
"Leader Hu," Chen Bai insisted, pointing at Mu Dishi. "Look at him. He is so beautiful. If you let me have him, I'll get rid of all those wives and husbands."
Hu Gang sighed again. "Do whatever you want."
A man from the group piped up. "Leader Hu, since the co-leader gets to choose, can we also choose?"
"Those who want a wife can pick one," Hu Gang announced.
Chen Bai turned to the rest of the men. "What the hell are you waiting for? Go inside and take what's valuable!"
The nineteen men fanned out, going from house to house. They emerged with armfuls of clothes and valuables, which they piled in the open area.
Chen Bai slowly walked back to Mu Dishi, a predatory smile on his face. "Don't worry, pretty one," he said. "Once we're home, I'll ask Leader Hu to give you the antidote."
The nineteen men gathered before Hu Gang, and one of them spoke. "Leader Hu, these are all the valuable items we found inside the houses."
Chen Bai strode over to Liu Fu and Liu Xiu. Grabbing Liu Fu by the collar, he pressed the tip of his sword against the old man's neck. "Everyone listens up!" he yelled. "I'll count to five. If nobody tells me where your secret money is hidden, I'll kill him first. Then I'll kill one person at a time until I get a satisfactory answer." He kicked the back of Liu Fu's knee, forcing the old man to his knees.
Seeing the kind old man held hostage, Mu Dishi's blood vessels pulsed on his neck. His breathing became heavy as he clenched his hands into tight fists.
"One," Chen Bai counted.
Mu Dishi's eyes slammed shut, and he was back in the meeting hall on that horrifying night. He watched helplessly as his family was killed before his eyes, their throats slit one by one.
"Two," Chen Bai called out.
Ma Jingguo watched in helpless terror as Mu Dishi's entire body began to tremble. He was too weak, too powerless. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull Mu Dishi into his arms.
"We're farmers! We don't have money!" Liu Fu pleaded, his voice thick with fear. "Everything we have is right here!"
Chen Bai struck the back of Liu Fu's right shoulder, and the old man cried out in pain.
"Please, don't hit my grandfather!" Liu Xiu sobbed.
Mu Dishi rose to his feet, a cold fury in his voice. "How dare you?" he snarled. His eyes, now burning with rage, saw not a simple robbery but a horrific reenactment. He imagined this was how the elders of his village were killed—how those "bastard dogs" had tortured them for the treasure map. The thought fueled his rage, and his killing intent swelled.
"Beautiful, what do you say?" Chen Bai said, his voice deceptively soft.
"How dare you take what doesn't belong to you?" Mu Dishi's voice was low and cold.
"So, we can live happily in luxury," Chen Bai replied with a smirk.
"You dogs," Mu Dishi said, the words dripping with anger.
Hu Gang's face contorted in rage. "What did you say?" he demanded.
Ma Jingguo knew the term "dog" was Mu Dishi's final judgment. It meant he was ready to kill, and anyone who got in his way would die horribly. Ma Jingguo hadn't seen him take on the four clan leaders, but he had witnessed the gruesome deaths of the four sect leaders at Mu Dishi's hand.
"You dogs," Mu Dishi said, his voice cold and devoid of all emotion. "Slit your own throats or I'll do it for you."
Hu Gang snickered. "Bai ge, your husband isn't behaving. I won't let you have this one."
"Why?" Chen Bai asked, his voice filled with urgency.
"What good is a dead man to you?" Hu Gang retorted.
"Could you just wound him?" Chen Bai pleaded.
"I'll cut off his hands and feet," Hu Gang replied with a shrug.
"That's fine with me, just as long as you don't touch his face."
Hu Gang laughed. "You all heard co-leader Chen. Don't touch the face!"
Ma Jingguo could only shake his head in disbelief. Great leaders and masters had fallen before Mu Dishi, yet these fools thought they stood a chance? No wonder Mu Dishi called them dogs—they were so stupid and ignorant they had no idea they had just unleashed a bloodthirsty demon.
"What are you going to do to us, scholar boy?" one of them laughed.
Ma Jingguo's thoughts screamed in his head: Are you stupid? He's going to tear you apart, stab you profusely, and then slit your throat. That's what he's going to do to you.
The five men, laughing and giggling, charged toward Mu Dishi. He stared at them with cold, unwavering eyes as he slipped a black metal glove onto his hand. Then, with a flash of incredible speed, he shot toward them. He unsheathed Honglei from his belt, and in a matter of seconds, five throats were slit. The men didn't even have time to register what had happened before their bodies dropped lifeless to the ground.
Mu Dishi's left hand shot out, seizing Chen Bai's sword and twisting it, the force sending the man stumbling back into the other bandits. Mu Dishi followed with a high kick aimed at Chen Bai's neck, but Chen Bai blocked it with his scabbard. Mu Dishi then swung his Honglei, but Chen Bai dodged it with a circular motion of his head.
In the next moment, Mu Dishi shifted his blade, slicing it directly at Chen Bai's right hand. Honglei severed his hand at the wrist. Mu Dishi then used the hilt of his sword to strike Chen Bai's right shoulder. The powerful blow sent Chen Bai flying forty feet through the air, where he landed in a heap, vomiting a mouthful of blood and with a fractured clavicle.
Mu Dishi let go of Chen Bai's now twisted and useless sword. He looked at the other bandits, his eyes burning with fury, and flicked the blood from his blade.
Two bandits rushed to Chen Bai, trying to tend to his wound.
Mu Dishi looked at them, his voice a cold whisper. "I hate people who point their finger at me."
Hu Gang studied Mu Dishi. "You are not an ordinary scholar," he said.
"Kill yourself, or I will do it," Mu Dishi replied, his voice still icy.
Hu Gang turned to the wounded Chen Bai. "Bai ge, do you still want him?"
"Kill him!" Chen Bai screamed in agony.
Hu Gang and the remaining men closed in, surrounding Mu Dishi.
Ma Jingguo's heart hammered in his chest, a frantic rhythm that threatened to burst from his ribs. He knew Mu Dishi was invincible, but he was still terrified. The same helplessness he felt at Shaolin was back, but this time, he was of no use at all.
"Xiao shushu, be careful!" Ma Jingguo called out, his voice weak.
Mu Dishi sheathed his sword and, to everyone's surprise, pulled out two golden bells.
A bandit started to laugh. "You know you can't beat us, so you've decided to dance for us with those bells?" His comment sent the other bandits into a fit of laughter.
Mu Dishi's gaze was cold as he looked at the laughing bandits. "If you're not going to make a move," he said, "then I will."
With a single somersault, he broke free from the circle. Four thin guzheng strings shot out from his hands, burying themselves in the chest and abdomen of the first man who charged. Mu Dishi pulled, tearing the man apart as guts and blood sprayed everywhere.
The remaining men recoiled, fear in their eyes. Mu Dishi advanced, his steps fierce and unwavering. "Kill yourselves," he repeated, a cold command.
Hu Gang, the leader, lunged forward, but his skills were no match for Mu Dishi's. In less than ten moves, Mu Dishi delivered a series of crushing blows, sending Hu Gang flying into the pile of stolen goods.
"Leader Hu," Chen Bai screamed in a panic. "Let's make a run for it!" He looked at the remaining men. "Grab whatever you can and get out of here!"
The men scrambled to grab what they could. Two of them helped Hu Gang to his feet, and they all made a mad dash for the gate. Mu Dishi watched them flee. He pulled his golden bells apart, controlling them with his internal energy. His right middle finger and thumb gripped the thin golden string stretched between them, and he pulled it back taut.
"Together in Hell!" Ma Jingguo cried out, struggling to stand. "Xiao shushu, you can't use that! It'll kill everyone!"
Mu Dishi's expression was cold and unyielding. "Watch and learn," he said.
He released the golden string with a loud whoosh. A powerful, unseen ray shot out, slicing everything in its path in two—including the fleeing men and the welcoming gate. The gate fell to the ground with a loud thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Mu Dishi emerged from the settling dust, completely unharmed.
"Young hero, thank you for saving my life," Liu Fu said, bowing deeply.
"Don't mention it," Mu Dishi replied.
"What about the poison?" Ma Jingguo asked, his voice weak.
"It will clear on its own in two hours," Mu Dishi said.
"You all heard the young hero!" Liu Fu called out to the villagers. "Everything will be fine! The poison will clear itself in two hours!"
Mu Dishi walked over to Ma Jingguo. "I'll carry you back to the inn."
"But I'm very heavy," Ma Jingguo said, his eyes wide.
"I know," Mu Dishi replied, a small smile on his face. "I'll let you know when I get tired."
Ma Jingguo happily climbed onto Mu Dishi's back. He felt a profound sense of relief. Though some had died, they were all villains, and no innocent people had been harmed. But what made him truly happy was this simple act of kindness—the first time Mu Dishi had openly treated him with such care.
"How do you know I'm heavy?" Ma Jingguo teased.
"Because when you're on top of me..." Mu Dishi began, a hint of a smile in his voice, before cutting himself off. "...Ma Jingguo."
Ma Jingguo chuckled softly. "Don't drop me," he said, kissing Mu Dishi's right temple. "I'll try to brace myself as much as possible from now on."
As they walked, Ma Jingguo whispered in Mu Dishi's ear. "Xiao shushu, I'm so happy today."
"I don't see how this situation could possibly be happy," Mu Dishi replied.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo whispered, "have I told you before that I really, really like you?"
"You did," Mu Dishi replied. "At the bamboo forest."
"Wait!" Liu Xiu called out. Mu Dishi turned, and they saw her running toward them.
"Please, tell us your names?" she asked, out of breath.
"Just call us Mu ge and Ma ge," Ma Jingguo said with a smile. "Xiao shushu, let's go."
Liu Xiu watched as the two men disappeared into the distance.