Lying on the bed with nothing to do, Ma Jingguo stared at the ceiling, waiting for Mu Dishi to return. After an hour, he finally felt his strength come back. He got up and went to look for Mu Dishi. As he stepped out of the room, he saw Mu Dishi walking toward him.
"You're supposed to be resting," Mu Dishi said.
"I was worried about you. Where did you go?"
Mu Dishi didn't answer. He walked into the room, placed a bowl of plain rice congee on the table, and sat down. Ma Jingguo closed the door, sat across from him, and smiled. He picked up the congee and began to eat.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, a smile on his face, "do you ever wonder why I'm so madly in love with you?"
"Why?" Mu Dishi asked, his eyes on the bowl.
"It's because of the bowl of rice congee and the bowl of medicine," Ma Jingguo replied. He took two spoonfuls of the congee, the warm rice a comfort in his stomach. "Oh, right, where should we go next?"
"Wherever you like."
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, looking at him, "do you want to stay here until spring?"
"Why do you want to stay here until spring?" Mu Dishi asked.
"It's getting cold," Ma Jingguo explained. "Soon there will be snow, and I don't want you to travel in the winter."
"Whatever," Mu Dishi replied, his usual neutral response now carrying a hint of quiet acquiescence.
"Staying here costs more money," Ma Jingguo continued. "Should we look around to see if there's a house to rent or buy?"
"Whatever," Mu Dishi said again, the word now a sign of his trust and willingness to follow Ma Jingguo's lead.
As Ma Jingguo and Mu Dishi headed down the stairs to the dining hall, they saw the same waiter from before.
"Waiter," Ma Jingguo said with a smile, "we really enjoyed all the places you told us about. Thank you."
"No problem," the waiter, Wang Niu, replied. "I'm glad you liked them."
"Do you know of a place we could rent or buy?" Ma Jingguo asked. "We're looking for something a bit outside of town."
"I have a small, shabby house about a thirty-minute walk from here," Wang Niu replied. "I don't even stay there anymore since I work at the inn, so I can't vouch for the condition."
"If you were to sell it, how much would you ask?"
Wang Niu laughed, a genuine, bewildered sound. "Are you kidding? Who would want to buy that?"
"Me," Ma Jingguo replied simply.
"But I don't even know the condition of the house," Wang Niu said, still bewildered.
Mu Dishi reached into his inner robe and took out two large gold ingots. "Is this enough?" he asked, his voice calm and direct.
Wang Niu's eyes widened, staring at the gold without blinking. Two ingots were enough to build him an entirely new house. A wide, joyful smile spread across his face. "Wait just a moment," he said. "I'll go get the land deed."
A few moments later, Wang Niu returned with an envelope. He handed it to Ma Jingguo. "Here are the deeds for the land and the house."
Ma Jingguo took the envelope and walked with Wang Niu to the counter. He asked the innkeeper for a piece of paper, then wrote something down. Turning back to Wang Niu, he asked, "Are you able to read?"
Wang Niu shook his head.
"Okay, I'll read it for you," Ma Jingguo said, taking the paper. He read it aloud: "I, Wang Niu, agree to sell my home and land to Ma Dishi for the amount of two gold ingots. Innkeeper Lao of Tianshan is the witness."
He handed the letter to the innkeeper, who could read. "Everything is legitimate," the innkeeper confirmed. He signed his name and pressed his thumbprint onto the paper. The waiter, Wang Niu, did the same.
"The sale is complete then," Ma Jingguo said with a smile. "Xiao shushu, pay the man."
Mu Dishi handed the two gold ingots to Wang Niu, settling the payment for the house and land. He also took care of their inn bill. With everything finalized, Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo walked out of the inn.
Ma Jingguo and Mu Dishi walked out of town and found the house after a thirty-minute walk. The place was old and dirty, clearly abandoned for years. Ma Jingguo pushed the front gate open; it gave a loud squeak, and one side of the gate fell to the ground when it was halfway open. The two men stepped inside.
The house had a water well on the left side, with two connected bedrooms next to it. A small kitchen was on the right, and behind it was a decent-sized shed.
Ma Jingguo scratched his head, a look of dismay on his face. "When the waiter said it was shabby, I didn't think he meant this shabby."
"It's too late to return it now," Mu Dishi said, a hint of his dry wit.
"No kidding," Ma Jingguo replied. "Don't worry, I'll fix it."
For two weeks, they worked tirelessly, repairing and cleaning the house. The following day, with their home a much more livable space, they walked into town to stock up on food and supplies for the coming winter.
As they ran down the mountain pass, with ten Yueguang Sect disciples hot on their heels, Kuo Wenqian suddenly stopped just as they were nearing the main road that would take them back to town. She grabbed her junior's hand, holding him back.
"You need to get to the Tianshan Sect as fast as you can," Kuo Wenqian said, her voice urgent. "Tell my father that we've found the missing disciples and that Changchang and the others have fallen into a trap."
"Shijie, what about you?" the frightened female junior asked.
"Don't worry about me," Kuo Wenqian said. "I'll lead them away. You go hide until they're all gone, then head back to town. Understand?"
The junior nodded, quickly hiding herself behind a thick clump of bushes dense with trees.
Seeing the ten Yueguang Sect disciples closing in, Kuo Wenqian ran to the intersection on the right. She looked back and yelled, "This way!"
The junior watched as the Yueguang Sect disciples changed course, chasing Kuo Wenqian down the mountain in the opposite direction, toward the outskirts of the village.
The air was crisp, and a pale sun offered little warmth as people moved through the market, their breath misting in the cold. Hawkers' calls were a low murmur against the general bustle of thick-cloaked figures. Ma Jingguo placed the last basket of vegetables on the wagon. He then scooped Mu Dishi up like a small child and gently set him down on the wagon.
Mu Dishi, sitting on the wagon, asked, "Jingguo, why don't we buy a horse?"
"Horses are hard to take care of. I'll just push," Ma Jingguo said, continuing to push the wagon.
"Why don't you let me help you?" Mu Dishi offered.
"I can do it," Ma Jingguo insisted, his voice firm but gentle.
"Why did you put 'Ma Dishi' on the land deed?" Mu Dishi then asked.
"I don't want people to know you're here, xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo explained.
As the two men arrived home, Mu Dishi got off the wagon and walked to the shed to open the door for Ma Jingguo. The moment he did, two daggers flew at him. A woman in a yellowish dress then lunged at him with a sword. Mu Dishi dodged the daggers with two quick backflips and counterattacked the woman. She was less skilled and weaker than him and was sent flying backward, hitting the side of the shed and vomiting blood. Without hesitation, Mu Dishi sent out a single guzheng string and wrapped it around her neck.
Ma Jingguo rushed over to Mu Dishi. When he got there, he saw that the injured woman was Kuo Wenqian. He panicked, worried that Mu Dishi would use the guzheng string to cut off her head. "Wait... don't kill her!" he shouted.
Kuo Wenqian looked up, her eyes wide. "Ah Chen," she gasped.
Mu Dishi immediately removed the guzheng string from her neck. Ma Jingguo hurried to her side. "Shijie, what happened to you?" he asked.
"We were attacked by Yueguang Sect," she replied. "They captured many of us. I was lucky to escape."
"Yueguang Sect?" Mu Dishi repeated, a hint of recognition in his voice.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, "do you know this sect?"
"Long da ye once told me," Mu Dishi said, "that Yueguang Sect specializes in making poisons. They originated in Tibet and have tried many times to join the Central Plains martial world, but the six sects and five clans were biased against them because they study poisons. They refused to acknowledge their existence in Central Plains. In their anger, they established their own sect and declared themselves enemies of the six sects and five clans. Yueguang Sect once offered to join forces with the Mu Clan, but Long da ye refused. He told them the Mu Clan's mission was to save lives, not take them."
As he spoke, Kuo Wenqian passed out in Ma Jingguo's arms. Ma Jingguo carried her to the guest room and laid her on the bed. He closed the door and found Mu Dishi still sitting at the dining table.
Ma Jingguo went directly to Mu Dishi and sat opposite him at the table. He looked at Mu Dishi, his expression serious. "Xiao shushu, if the juniors and the others were captured by Yueguang Sect, I have to save them."
Mu Dishi didn't respond.
"When I was at the Jinfeng Sect," Ma Jingguo continued softly, "everyone treated me well. None of the seniors or juniors mistreated me. I have to save them."
"I'll help you," Mu Dishi said, his voice flat but resolute.
Ma Jingguo's face broke into a smile. "Thank you, xiao shushu."
The next day, Kuo Wenqian's condition was much improved, thanks to Mu Dishi's advanced medical skills. She walked out of the guest room and into the main house. There, she saw Mu Dishi sitting patiently at a table while Ma Jingguo, holding a tray in his left hand, placed food on the table with his right.
"Shijie," Ma Jingguo said, hurrying over to her. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm better," she replied.
"Let's have breakfast," Ma Jingguo said, "and then Shijie can show us the way to Yueguang Sect."
"I've already sent an urgent message to Tianshan Sect and my father," Kuo Wenqian replied.
"Let's just go scout the place first," Ma Jingguo suggested.
After breakfast, Kuo Wenqian led Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo to a secluded hill. "We were held captive over there," she said, pointing to a path. "An elderly woman lured us here to save her son, but she turned out to be a disciple of Yueguang Sect."
"This isn't the main Yueguang Sect," Mu Dishi said. "This is just one of their branches."
Just then, two patrolling men walked toward them. As the men stopped to relieve themselves, Mu Dishi flicked two golden needles at the back of their heads. The two men immediately collapsed, butt-naked, onto the ground.
"Shijie," Ma Jingguo said, "go back and wait for Tianshan Sect."
Kuo Wenqian nodded and hurried away.
Ma Jingguo turned to Mu Dishi. "Xiao shushu, let's change our clothes."
Mu Dishi looked at the two men's pants, stained with urine and dirt. "I'm not wearing their clothes," he said, his voice cold.
"I didn't mean that," Ma Jingguo replied. "How about you just remove your outer robe?"
"Fine," Mu Dishi agreed.
Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo approached a large house. They saw a wooden cage holding six prisoners, guarded by four men. Moving swiftly and silently, they knocked out all four guards.
"Get out of here now!" Ma Jingguo urged the prisoners.
The six men, from various sects, rushed out of the cage. One of the Jinfeng Sect juniors spoke up, "Shixiong, our other shijie are being held somewhere else!"
"Which Shijie?" Ma Jingguo asked.
"Changchang Shijie," the Jinfeng Sect junior replied.
"Changchang Shijie is here?"
"We don't know where they took her," the Jinfeng Sect female junior said. "As soon as they found out Changchang Shijie was our master's daughter, they separated us."
"Go down the hill toward the outskirts of town," Ma Jingguo instructed. "There's a house there. Wenqian Shijie is there. I'll save Changchang Shijie."
The two Jinfeng Sect juniors quickly followed the other four men, disappearing down the path.
Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo walked into the backyard, where they were immediately surrounded by twenty people. As the men lunged forward, four small green snakes flew through the air towards them. Mu Dishi quickly flicked out four golden needles, killing the snakes in mid-flight.
The twenty men retreated, pressing themselves against the wall. A woman dressed in a black and red outfit, wearing a large silver necklace, sat cross-legged on top of the wall.
She smiled down at them. "Pay me back my snakes," she said.
"Using poison snakes for a sneak attack is shameful," Ma Jingguo retorted. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled. "Miao Mingzhu, Central Plains branch leader from Yueguang Sect." She then looked at Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo. "I hope you two are not Jinfeng Sect disciples."
"What does it matter to you if we are or not?" Ma Jingguo asked.
"Kuo Jing Song injured our leader fifteen years ago," Miao Mingzhu said, a cold edge to her voice. "He still hasn't fully recovered. Our leader was humiliated by him, and if we meet a disciple of the Jinfeng Sect, we will humiliate them before we kill them."
"If you want to fight, then fight," Mu Dishi said, his voice cold. "No need for the story."
"Tsk... Tsk... Such a handsome man with a very short temper," Miao Mingzhu said with a smile. She then let out a quick, sharp whistle.
Suddenly, the cement pavement beneath Ma Jingguo's feet split open. He disappeared into the darkness of the hole below.
"Jingguo!" Mu Dishi yelled, his voice laced with a raw panic he had not shown before. He rushed toward the trapdoor, but by the time he got there, the concrete had already sealed shut. "Where is he?" Mu Dishi demanded, his gaze fixed on Miao Mingzhu, his eyes now burning with a familiar, dangerous fire.
"He's not going anywhere," Miao Mingzhu said with a cruel smile.
"Open the door," Mu Dishi demanded, his voice a low growl.
"Defeat me if you want to save him," she taunted.
"Very good," Mu Dishi replied, his eyes burning with fury. "Then you can die."
"Capture the handsome man!" Miao Mingzhu yelled. The twenty men lunged at Mu Dishi, swords drawn.
It was too dark for Ma Jingguo to see a thing. He felt like he was sliding forever, wondering what awaited him at the end of the dark, downward sloping tunnel. A room full of snakes? A pot of boiling medicine? A pit of spikes, or a hundred shooting arrows? Then, he saw a faint light up ahead. He tumbled out of the tunnel, rolling onto the ground inside a small dungeon.