By now, the patrons of the inn had instinctively scattered, leaving the center of the main hall empty. They huddled against the walls, their eyes wide with fear and anticipation of the fight about to unfold. Hidden among them, Bazar Batu grabbed Kuo Lok's sleeve.
"Lok ge ge," he whispered, a thrill of excitement in his voice. "Let's stay and watch."
The injured man on the ground scrambled to his feet, a pained look on his face. He limped quickly to Fu Yuanjun's side, relief flooding his expression. "Chief Fu," he said, bowing his head in greeting.
Miao Mingzhu turned slowly, a chilling smile on her face. "Chief Fu," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Why is it that everywhere I go, you always follow me? If you like me so much, why don't you just ask for my hand in marriage?"
"Miao guniang," Fu Yuanjun replied politely, "it's simply that you keep stirring up trouble in Tianshan. If you were to leave, you wouldn't see me anymore."
From across the room, Bazar Batu gently nudged Kuo Lok's shoulder with his own. He leaned in and whispered, "Are they flirting or just mocking each other?"
Kuo Lok shook his head, a simple, honest expression on his face. "I don't know."
Miao Mingzhu turned from Fu Yuanjun and looked directly at the ten lamas. "Since we are here for the same reason," she announced, her voice calm and firm, "we should work together and take the sheepskin from Tianshan."
"Benefactor," Lama Dawa replied, his voice calm. "If you are willing to cooperate, this monk will accept your offer. However, should you have any intention of stealing from us, this monk will not go easy."
Miao Mingzhu's gaze shifted from the monks to Kuo Lok. "What about you, Kuo Lok of the Jinfeng Sect?" she asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Kuo Lok flinched under her stare, his simple nature unprepared for such a direct challenge. He stammered, "I... I..."
Before he could finish, Bazar Batu interrupted, his voice firm. "Lok ge ge will definitely not help you."
Miao Mingzhu's face hardened. "Then don't get in my way." Without a moment's hesitation, she flicked her wrist, and two small, green snakes flew through the air, their fangs aimed directly at Fu Yuanjun.
Fu Yuanjun drew his sword in a flash of silver, effortlessly slicing Miao Mingzhu's two green snakes in half. He then lunged forward; his blade aimed directly at her.
Seeing the two halves of the snakes writhing on the ground, Bazar Batu instinctively tightened his grip on Kuo Lok's arm.
Kuo Lok looked down at the trembling hand holding him. "Are you afraid of snakes?" he asked quietly.
"I hate them," Bazar Batu replied, his voice a tight whisper.
Seeing that Miao Mingzhu had already engaged a fierce battle with Fu Yuanjun, the ten Tibetan lamas flew over towards the ten elders of Tianshan, and they began to fight.
Miao Mingzhu spun in a flash of motion, her two daggers a blur of light. The blades twisted at her wrists, the sound of them rattling like broken glass on the floor, as she lunged at Fu Yuanjun.
Her attack was a feint. Her right foot arced forward in a high, graceful kick aimed at his head. Fu Yuanjun reacted instantly, blocking her foot with his hand and grabbing her ankle. But Miao Mingzhu was too quick; she used her left foot to send a swift kick toward his abdomen. To avoid the blow, he released her leg and quickly stepped back, barely avoiding her strike.
During the chaos of the fight, the injured Tianshan disciple saw his chance. He took a few quiet steps toward the front entrance, hoping to slip away unnoticed. But his escape didn't go unseen.
Bazar Batu's eyes, sharp and quick, caught the man's furtive movement. He pointed at the disciple, who was now just a few steps from freedom, and yelled, "Lok ge ge, stop that man!"
Kuo Lok with is fast agility move swiftly through the middle of the fight to the front entrance; he grabbed the injured Tianshan disciple's back collar.
"You can't leave just yet," Kuo Lok said.
"Please Da xia, let me go," the disciple pleaded. "I'm a no body."
Bazar Batu scurried through the crowded inn, carefully navigating around the unfolding fight. He avoided the chaotic center, not daring to take the same path Kuo Lok had. He reached the front entrance, where Kuo Lok had cornered the Tianshan disciple, and quickly reached into his inner robe. He pulled out a small powder box, grabbed a handful of the white powder, and threw it directly into the injured man's face.
"Hand it over or die," Bazar Batu said, his voice as cold as ice.
The injured Tianshan disciple, his face defiant, scoffed. "I am not scared."
Bazar Batu simply tilted his head and gave a quiet command. "Lok ge ge, hit the pulse point under his left arm."
Kuo Lok struck with a precise, quick motion, and the disciple grunted in agony, a gasp of pain escaping his lips.
"I didn't lie," Bazar Batu said, a chilling satisfaction in his voice.
Defeated and in pain, the disciple slowly reached into his right boot. He pulled out a small piece of old sheepskin and reluctantly handed it to Bazar Batu.
The injured Tianshan disciple, "The antidote."
Bazar Batu pulled out the familiar lipstick box and carefully applied a small amount of the red substance to the injured man's lips. "To completely cure the poison, you must not wash your face for three days," he instructed calmly. "After that, you'll be fine. Do you understand?" He secretly giggled inside.
The Tianshan disciple, defeated, simply nodded.
Bazar Batu gestured to Kuo Lok. "Lok ge ge, let him go. He's useless now."
Kuo Lok released the man, who scrambled to his feet and ran out of the inn, disappearing into the crowded street without a second glance.
Kuo Lok looked over Bazar Batu's shoulder at the small piece of old sheepskin in his hand. He could see faint drawings and mysterious markings on it. "What is that, Batu?" he asked.
"I don't know," Bazar Batu said, his curiosity piqued. He unrolled the old sheepskin and examined it. It was a crude map, with faded drawings and strange markings, a distinct outline of a mountain etched into the surface.
Then, a memory flashed in his mind, a sudden realization of a larger puzzle. "Lok ge ge," he said, his voice full of dawning clarity. "I think this must be what they're fighting for. Do you remember the man who died in the roadside teahouse?"
"The one who was killed?" Kuo Lok asked.
"That's him," Bazar Batu replied. "He also had one, but with different markings."
Kuo Lok's face filled with simple confusion. "How do you know?"
A wave of guilt washed over Bazar Batu. He lowered his gaze and confessed softly, "I... I picked up a piece of it."
Kuo Lok, "Oh."
Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu watched the frenzied fight unfold in the inn. Bazar Batu chuckled, a low, cynical sound. "Look, Lok ge ge, for this piece of old sheepskin, these people are willing to fight to the death."
"The lama was correct," Kuo Lok said, his voice calm and firm. "It is better to lock it away to avoid more bloodshed."
"Why?" Bazar Batu countered, a note of mischief in his voice. "It was never his to begin with. We could keep it and give it to the rightful owner, or we could..."
"There is no 'or'," Kuo Lok interrupted, his tone unyielding. "Taking something that doesn't belong to you goes against the very morals of a true martial artist."
Bazar Batu sighed, a faint smile on his lips. He shook his head in fond exasperation. "Aiyo, I was just kidding," he said, holding up his hands. "I understand the concept."
Miao Mingzhu and Lama Dawa were a whirlwind of relentless fury, their combined attacks a storm of blades and fists that Fu Yuanjun could barely withstand. He was on the defensive, his sword movements desperate, a single man fighting a battle he could not win.
"Stop fighting!" Bazar Batu shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The man already left!"
The words caused Fu Yuanjun to falter. He turned his head toward Bazar Batu and Kuo Lok, a flash of confusion in his eyes. "What? He left?"
That one moment of distraction was all Miao Mingzhu needed. She seized the opportunity, striking Fu Yuanjun hard in the chest. He flew backward from the force of her blow, his body a helpless doll that slammed onto the ground before Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face a mask of pain.
Then, Lama Dawa flew through the air, his hand raised to deliver a final, merciless strike to Fu Yuanjun where he lay defeated on the floor.
Kuo Lok stepped in front of Fu Yuanjun, his hand raised. He unleashed a powerful Dragon Palm strike that Lama Dawa was not prepared for. The force sent the monk reeling, flipping backward twice before he stumbled back into the other lamas, a gasp of shock rippling through the group.
"Dragon Palm Strike!" Elder Tong exclaimed, his eyes wide with recognition.
Fu Yuanjun coughed, a trail of blood on his chin, and slowly pushed himself to his feet. "What is your relationship with Kuo shifu?" he demanded, his voice strained.
"He is my father," Kuo Lok replied simply.
The ten elders of Tianshan closed ranks around Fu Yuanjun, their gazes now fixed on Kuo Lok. Elder Tong knelt beside Fu Yuanjun. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm alright," Fu Yuanjun replied, his gaze now fixed on Kuo Lok. "Are you with them?" he asked, his voice sharp with suspicion.
Bazar Batu immediately stepped forward, his face flushed with indignation. "That's an insult! He just saved your life. How could he possibly be helping them?"
Fu Yuanjun's eyes narrowed. "She seemed to know him well."
Bazar Batu was about to retort, "Which eyes of yours did you see that Lok ge ge knows her?"
Kuo Lok placed a hand on Bazar Batu's arm, a calming gesture. "Batu," he said softly. Then he looked at Fu Yuanjun and replied with simple honesty, "I don't know her. I just saw her a few days ago."
"I believe this young man," Elder Tong said, his voice carrying the weight of his conviction, "Kuo shifu's son would not associate with people from the Yueguang Sect."
Kuo Lok turned to Bazar Batu, his expression serious. "Batu," he said softly, "give it to him." He reached for the old sheepskin, but Bazar Batu held on tightly, his knuckles white.
"Batu, it's not yours," Kuo Lok said, his voice gentle but firm. "We shouldn't take things that don't belong to us."
Bazar Batu scowled, his reluctance clear. Slowly, painfully, he loosened his grip, and the map was released. Kuo Lok then walked over and handed the old sheepskin to Fu Yuanjun.
"Your disciple gave this to us before he left," he said simply.
Fu Yuanjun took the old sheepskin from Kuo Lok and offered a short, grateful nod. He then turned to face Miao Mingzhu and Lama Dawa, his expression hardening. "This sheepskin is a treasure of the Mu family," he declared, his voice firm and authoritative. "It belongs to Mu Dishi and no one else."
Miao Mingzhu's hand slowly went to the bracelet on her wrist. A tiny, ornate "flower hat" popped open with a soft click, revealing a hidden compartment. She smiled, a cold, unsettling twist of her lips. "I last met Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo," she said. "He told me he didn't want this treasure map."
Fu Yuanjun's face flushed with anger. "I don't believe you," he retorted, his voice full of hot indignation. "Mu ge would never say that to you. This belongs to his family, and he would never abandon it."
"He exchanges it, to save his beloved Ma Jingguo," Miao Mingzhu said, her smile turning cruel. "But..."
Suddenly, Bazar Batu swayed, his legs giving out beneath him. He fell forward, collapsing onto Kuo Lok's shoulder. Kuo Lok instinctively wrapped his arms around him, holding him securely. Moments later, one by one, the ten lamas and the ten elders of Tianshan fell to the ground. They quickly sat cross-legged, their faces pale as they attempted to circulate their inner energy to fight off the mysterious poison. Fu Yuanjun also sank to his knees; his body wracked with tremors.
With a cold grace, Miao Mingzhu strode through the paralyzed figures. She knelt beside Fu Yuanjun, took the old sheepskin from his limp hand, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her inner robe.
Miao Mingzhu gave a cold, triumphant smile. "Even if you have the map," she told Fu Yuanjun, her voice a chilling whisper, "you can't open the treasure cave without the key. And Mu Dishi was happy to give me the key."
She then turned and knelt, leaning in close to Kuo Lok. She took his chin in her hand, tilting his face toward hers, and placed a deliberate kiss on his right cheek.
With a final, condescending smile, she rose to her feet. "I don't want to leave a bad impression on you," she said, her voice dripping with amusement, "so I won't kill anyone today. I will see you next time, Kuo Lok from Jinfeng Sect."
She then walked out of the inn, calling back over her shoulder, "Don't waste your inner energy. The poison will disappear within ten hours."