The morning sun poured into the main dining hall, illuminating Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu as they ate breakfast. Both men were quietly observing the other customers when the front doors swung open, and three figures entered: a handsome man flanked by two beautiful women.
The moment he saw them, Bazar Batu flinched, his body tensing with a look of pure panic.
"What's wrong?" Kuo Lok asked, noticing the sudden change in his friend.
Bazar Batu clutched his stomach; his face contorted in a clumsy display of pain. "Lok ge ge, my stomach hurts. Stay here and wait for me." Without another word, he scrambled toward the back of the inn, disappearing behind a curtain. From his hiding spot, he peeked through a small gap, his eyes scanning the new arrivals. He shook his head, a look of profound regret on his face.
"I'm sorry, Lok ge ge," he whispered to himself. "I have to get the hell out of here." With that, he slipped out the back door and vanished.
The man and the two women took a table right next to Kuo Lok's. A waiter approached to take their order, but the man didn't seem to notice. He slammed his hand on the table twice, the sound echoing through the hall.
"They told me he was here!" he said, his voice a low, seething growl.
Li Jia poured a cup of tea for the man. "Lao gong," she said gently, "don't be upset. He's still young."
Li Jie, the other woman, nodded. "Jiejie is right. We'll find him and drag him back. If you're still angry, you can punish him according to the family rules."
Suddenly, the man, Bazar Bataar, slammed his fist on the table again. "What is so bad about Lady Yan?" he demanded fiercely.
"Lao gong," Li Jie said, looking at Bazar Bataar with a determined expression. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small drawing of teen. "I'll go around the inn and see if anyone has seen him."
She began to circle the dining hall, showing the picture to the patrons one by one. She approached Kuo Lok's table; her eyes filled with a desperate hope. "Gongzi," she asked, holding the drawing out, "have you seen this young teen?"
Kuo Lok looked at the picture. "He looks like Batu," he said simply.
The name caused both Li Jia and Bazar Bataar to turn. Their eyes locked on Kuo Lok, and in one fluid motion, they rose from their table and walked over to him.
"Where is he?" Bazar Bataar demanded, his voice a low growl.
Kuo Lok looked up at the man, his face a mask of honest confusion. "I think you've misunderstood," he said. "The person I know is a young lady."
Bazar Bataar was beyond furious. The thought of his brother running around in a lady's disguise was a humiliating insult. In a fit of white-hot rage, he slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it into splinters. "Where is he?" he roared, the force of his anger silencing the entire dining hall.
Kuo Lok looked at him, unfazed by the outburst. "I've told you," he said calmly, "the Batu I know isn't the person you're looking for. The Batu I know is a young lady."
Li Jia took hold of her husband's arm, her voice low and steady. "Lao gong, please calm down. We're in public."
Li Jie then stepped forward, her expression softening. "Xiao ge ge," she asked, using a gentle tone, "where is the Batu you know?"
"She had a stomachache," Kuo Lok replied, pointing toward the back of the inn. "She—"
Before he could finish, Bazar Bataar and his two wives rushed toward the back of the inn. As they passed a bewildered waiter, Li Jie quickly showed him the picture of Bazar Batu.
The waiter, his eyes wide with fear, gestured toward the splintered back door. "He left through there, not long ago."
"You little bastard, I'll kill you...," Bazar Bataar growled, his voice a low, venomous curse.
"He's not here," Li Jia said sharply, pulling her husband's arm. "Let's go back to the draft bank."
Li Jie handed the waiter a gleaming silver ingot. "This is for the broken table," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
The three of them exited the inn through the back door and strode purposefully into the crowded street, a family unit united in their relentless pursuit.
It was late. A quiet, late-night glow illuminated Bazar Batu as he sat at a small vendor stall, eating a bowl of noodles. He was at the very same table where he had met the stranger two years ago.
When he had first seen his brother and two sister-in-laws, he knew he couldn't stay. He had slipped away to the family's local draft bank, withdrew a significant amount of money, and left town. Now that he had cash in hand, he told himself, he no longer needed to rely on the big, simple-minded man.
As he ate, he noticed two men sitting at a table in front of him.
"Thank you for waiting," one of the men said.
"No problem," the other man replied, and the two continued to eat and chat happily. Their casual conversation was a backdrop to Bazar Batu's troubled thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about Kuo Lok. Had the big idiot left? Or was he still waiting at the inn?
He tried to reason with himself. A full day has passed. No one in their right mind would wait for a stranger. But a small, persistent voice in his heart told him to go back and see. He finally gave in and began to walk.
When he reached the inn, he saw it. A familiar, large back was sitting on the same stool, exactly where he had left it. "Big dummy," he scoffed to himself, but the word was tinged with relief and genuine affection. He walked over and stood quietly beside Kuo Lok.
Kuo Lok looked up, his eyes dull with fatigue. "You're back," he said simply.
Bazar Batu looked at the untouched, cold dish on the table, the same one from hours ago. He sighed, sinking onto the stool beside Kuo Lok. "What are you still doing here?"
"Waiting for you," Kuo Lok replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Bazar Batu felt a lump form in his throat. "If I hadn't come back," he asked, his voice soft, "would you have just kept waiting?"
"You told me to stay and wait for you," Kuo Lok said.
A wave of emotion washed over Bazar Batu. "Lok ge ge," he said, his voice trembling slightly, "you don't have to."
Kuo Lok gently interrupted him. "The food is cold," he said, looking at the untouched meal. "Do you want to order new food?"
Bazar Batu's face broke into a wide, genuine smile. "Okay," he said. "Let's order new dishes."
When the waiter brought out the fresh, hot food, Bazar Batu immediately took a piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it in Kuo Lok's bowl, a silent gesture of gratitude.
"There was a man and two women looking for someone with your name and a face similar to yours," Kuo Lok said, his voice calm and matter of fact.
"Where did they go?" Bazar Batu asked quickly.
"They were looking for a young man, but I told them that you were a woman," Kuo Lok explained simply. "I told them they must have been mistaken."
A genuine smile broke across Bazar Batu's face. "Really?" he said, a note of satisfaction in his voice.
"They went to the back of the inn," Kuo Lok continued, "and they haven't come back since this morning."
A wave of shame washed over Bazar Batu. He had been so quick to manipulate Kuo Lok, yet Kuo Lok's simple, honest nature had saved him without a second thought. "Lok ge ge," he said, his voice soft, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Kuo Lok asked, looking at him with gentle confusion.
"For making you waste a whole day sitting here waiting," Bazar Batu said.
"It's alright," Kuo Lok replied, taking a sip of his tea. "We can eat and leave tomorrow."
Bazar Batu looked at Kuo Lok, a wave of profound emotion washing over him. He thought to himself, indeed, I've met a big dummy, but for the first time in my life, I feel safe standing next to someone. I don't have any real friends, only my brother. Meeting this big dummy is a true gift from heaven.
He looked at Kuo Lok, his expression serious. "Lok ge ge," he said, holding up three fingers. "I know that in the past I've lied to you and used you for my own gain. But from now on, I won't lie to you or use you for my personal gain again." He lowered his hand and took a deep breath. "As a sign of that, I'm going to tell you two things about myself. It's true that I am actually a..."
A man flew through the air, his body a broken doll as he crashed onto an empty table, splintering it to pieces. He coughed, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor. As he struggled to his feet, ten solemn Himalayan monks entered the room.
The lead monk, Lama Dawa, folded his hands together and sighed deeply. "Amitabha..." he said, his voice full of weary regret. "Please, return the sheepskin to us."
The injured man gave a bitter laugh. "You damn lamas claim to have no attachment," he spat, "yet you travel all this way for the Mu treasure map!"
"Benefactor," Lama Dawa replied, his expression unchanging, "this map brings out the ugliest in men. We will safeguard it in our monastery to prevent any further bloodshed."
The man's eyes blazed with defiance. "This is a matter for the Central Plains martial artists," he countered. "There is no need for lamas from Tibet to travel so far for a map that does not concern them."
"My ten juniors are prime examples," Lama Dawa said with a note of sorrow in his voice. "They have become blind because of that map."
The injured man gave a short, bitter laugh. "This is a dog-eat-dog world," he said, spitting blood. "The one who is more capable deserves the map."
Just then, a cool voice emerged from the front door. "Your words are absolutely correct." Miao Mingzhu stood in the doorway, a chilling smile on her face. Her gaze swept over the scene and landed on the table where Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu were sitting. "Well, if it isn't Lok shixiong of Jinfeng Sect," she said, her voice dripping with cruel amusement. "We meet again."
Bazar Batu leaned in and whispered to Kuo Lok. "It seems you and she are destined to meet each other."
The injured man gave a strained laugh. "Demon woman," he rasped, "you should know exactly where you are."
"Of course, I know where I am," Miao Mingzhu replied, her voice filled with arrogant amusement. Her gaze fell upon him, as sharp and piercing as a blade. "Give it to me."
Just then, the doors of the inn opened, and Fu Yuanjun walked in, followed by the ten elders of Tianshan.
A placid smile appeared on Fu Yuanjun's face. "Miao guniang," he said, his voice calm and smooth, "the Tianshan and Yueguang Sect have no connection. I am simply curious as to what it is you think our disciple should hand over."