The meeting hall was a pressure cooker of tension, the air thick with angry words and veiled threats. Every group present was locked in a bitter verbal battle, their faces flushed with rage. Outside, the downpour had finally ceased, but inside, the storm raged on.
Yong Da looked at Yong Taihua. "Da shixiong," he said, his voice cold and flat, "there's no need to waste words on him."
Bazar Batu stood tall and defiant. His voice was unwavering as he addressed the furious crowd. "I am not afraid of any of you. I have done nothing wrong."
Without another word, Yong Da unsheathed his sword and lunged at Bazar Batu.
Kuo Lok stepped forward to block Yong Da's sword, but Kuo Wenqian was faster. With a quick, precise tap to his chest, she paralyzed him. He tried to move, but his body was completely unable to respond.
"Jiejie, release me!" Kuo Lok pleaded, his voice a strained whisper.
"No," Kuo Wenqian replied, her gaze firm.
Yong Da's sword sliced through the air and was met by a raised arm from Bazar Batu. Just as Bazar Batu blocked the attack, Yong Taihua flew over and delivered a powerful kick. Bazar Batu managed to block the kick with both arms, but the force of it sent him flying backward, crashing into the courtyard outside. Without hesitation, Yong Da charged after him.
Bazar Batu, with no other options, reached inside his robe and pulled out a single firework. He yanked the string, and it shot into the night sky, a streak of light against the pouring rain. High above, it exploded into a single, vibrant red butterfly.
Yong Da charged at him, and all Bazar Batu could do was back himself against the courtyard wall. At that exact moment, a man in black robes flew over the wall, his sword a flash of blinding light. The blazing sword light struck Yong Da with devastating force, sending him crashing through the guest meeting hall in a shower of splintered wood and flying tiles.
The people inside the guest hall were stunned. They all knew that Bazar Batu possessed little martial skill and that Yong Da could have easily captured him. The force of the counterattack was shocking. As if on cue, the entire crowd rushed out to investigate, leaving only Kuo Lok standing silently inside the ruined hall.
When the people got outside, they saw two women who had flown in and were now standing beside another man and Bazar Batu.
By now, Yong Gui's honorable guests had also arrived outside the meeting hall. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the corpse of Yong Hao, which lay motionless in the middle of the room. A tense silence fell over the crowd of over thirty people as they stared intently at the four figures.
"And you are?" Yong Gui asked, his voice cutting through the quiet.
"Bataar Bazar," the man said, clasping his hands in a formal greeting. "If he has done anything wrong, I apologize in advance." He looked at Bazar Batu with a cold, unforgiving expression. "Let's go home."
"If you three want to leave Sword Village, you are free to go," Yong Gui said, his voice firm. "But he must stay."
Bazar Bataar turned to Bazar Batu, his stare a clear accusation. "What have you done?"
"I haven't done anything," Bazar Batu replied, his voice defensive. "Some old man died, and they're blaming it on me!"
"Batu might like to play and joke around, but he would never kill anyone," Li Jie said, her voice firm with conviction.
"He killed my da ye!" Yong Taihua roared, his face twisted with rage.
Yong Da stood beside his da shixiong, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "No more talking to them."
Yong Taihua's eyes blazed. "Seven Star Formation!"
Drawing his twin swords, Yong Taihua sprinted ahead, with Yong Caixia and the other five disciples following in a single, coordinated unit. Yong Taihua's right sword swung forward, but Bazar Bataar moved to block it, with Li Jie right behind him.
"Batu, stay back!" Li Jia commanded, her voice urgent. She pushed Bazar Batu toward the wall and lunged forward, soaring over Bazar Bataar and Li Jie. The energy from her sword sent a powerful wave of force that knocked the last three Sword Village disciples back, sending them reeling.
She then swung her right leg in a swift kick aimed at the ankle of the disciple to Yong Taihua's right, but the disciple leaped into the air to avoid it. In a flash, Li Jia struck the mid-air disciple on the back with her scabbard, causing him to fall to the ground.
The combined power of the husband and wives had completely scattered the less-skilled disciples, leaving them in disarray and unable to assemble their Seven Star Formation.
Although the Seven Star Formation was said to be a brilliant design by Mu Dishi, it was useless in the hands of unskilled fighters. The Sword Village disciples' movements were clumsy and uncoordinated compared to the flawless, fluid skill of Bazar Bataar and his wives.
"Be careful!" Bazar Batu shouted back, watching helplessly.
Sprinting from behind Yong Gui, four more Sword Village disciples quickly took the place of their four fallen juniors. They unsheathe their swords they rushed forward and moved to separate Bazar Bataar's wives from him, seeking to break up their combined strength.
Bazar Bataar and his wives knew their combined strength was their greatest advantage. Seeing this, they fought desperately to move back toward one another.
But their desire to reunite was a tactical blunder. The moment they moved to join forces, the four new Sword Village disciples seized the opportunity, swiftly encircling the husband and wives and completing the Seven Star Formation.
He stood on the sidelines, his anxiety a knot in his stomach. He watched as his elder brother and his two sisters-in-law fought the seven disciples.
Bazar Batu watched nervously. "Da sao zi... watch out!" he cried out. "Xiao sao zi, be careful!"
Although Bazar Bataar and his wives were perfectly encircled, the Sword Village disciples were unable to defeat them. Trapped within the well-designed formation, the three Mongols were unable to escape. Neither side could gain the upper hand, and the two groups were locked in a tense stalemate.
Inside, standing alone with Yong Hao's corpse, the commotion outside the guest hall sent a shiver of unease down Kuo Lok's spine. The sounds of clashing swords and fierce shouts from the courtyard made his heart pound with frantic urgency.
"Jiejie, let me go!" he cried out, his voice a desperate plea.
Outside, Yong Da took his chance. Knowing the three highly skilled Mongols were busy with the Seven Stars Formation, he swung his sword at Bazar Batu. Bazar Batu was too slow to dodge, and the blade sliced across his upper left arm. Yong Da followed with a swift kick that sent Bazar Batu to the ground.
Inside, Kuo Lok heard Bazar Batu grunt in pain. He channeled his internal energy, guiding the power upward toward his upper back. With a surge of force, he released the acupoints his sister had sealed. He flew straight out of the hall and grabbed Yong Da's right hand just as he was about to land a killing blow.
At that exact moment, a dagger flew through the air, aimed directly at Kuo Lok's back. It was thrown by Mo Ehuang.
In a flash, Bazar Batu sprinted to his feet, a desperate cry of "Lok gege!" on his lips. He quickly moved to shield his friend, and Mo Ehuang's dagger struck him square on his left shoulder instead.
Kuo Lok yanked Yong Da's right hand backward, sending him tumbling through the air to land clumsily in front of the many martial artists. He then turned and caught Bazar Batu. "Batu..." he said, his voice laced with worry.
"Lok gege... I'm hurting," Bazar Batu said, grabbing his robe. "Go help my da ge and his wives."
"Alright," Kuo Lok replied, his voice a firm promise.
Kuo Lok stood, letting his internal energy flow to his palms. With a forceful push, he unleashed a powerful energy wave that struck the four martial artists surrounding Bazar Bataar and his wives, throwing them off balance and creating an opening. The three Mongols seized the opportunity and broke free from the Seven Star Formation.
Bazar Bataar looked at the assembled martial artists with a cold glare. "So," he said, his voice laced with contempt, "this is how Sword Village treats its guests?"
"No wonder Mu Dishi called you all dogs," Li Jie scoffed, her voice sharp and defiant.
Her words were met with a furious roar. "I will teach you a lesson!" a clan leader shouted, stepping forward from the crowd.
"Who dares?!" a harsh voice echoed from the side door. Su Li Jie strode out, and behind her followed the three other gentlemen of Huangshan.
Kuo Lok looked up, his eyes widening as he saw his four masters walking toward him. He quickly got up and bowed in deep respect.
Bazar Bataar, Li Jia, and Li Jie also greeted them, bowing and calling out, "Da shixiong!"
The husband and wives then looked at Yen Shoi Ming, greeting him with, "Er shixiong!"
Yen Shoi Ming smiled warmly at them in return.
The husband and wives then turned to Yang Ru. "Si shixiong," they greeted, and Yang Ru nodded in return. They looked to the last man. "Wu shixiong," they said, and Zhou Goutin replied with a warm smile, "Mei fu, Mei mei."
Finally, the last person to emerge from the side door was Li Kong Bai. The moment Li Jia and Li Jie saw him, they ran to his side, each holding onto one of his arms.
Li Kong Bai looked out at the silent, tense crowd, his gaze settling on the clan leader. His voice was cold, low, and full of menace. "Just a moment ago... who said they wanted to teach my daughters a lesson?"
A collective gasp of shock swept through the crowd, a silent acknowledgement of their monumental misjudgment.
"Chief Li," Yong Gui asked, his voice strained, "these two ladies are...?"
"Chief Yong," Li Kong Bai said, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "Li Jia and Li Jie are my daughters. And this," he said, turning to look at Bazar Bataar, "is my son-in-law, Bataar Bazar."
Zhou Goutin calmly walked over to Bazar Batu. He pulled out a handkerchief, carefully placing it over the hilt of the dagger before pulling it out of the wound. "To whom does this dagger belong?" he asked, his voice cold and steady.
"It's mine," Mo Ehuang replied, her tone defiant.
"Give him the antidote," Zhou Goutin commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Mo Ehuang, "I don't have it."
"You claim my brother-in-law is a killer?" Zhou Goutin said, his voice cold and steady. "I think the owner of this dagger is the true culprit."
"Benefactor Zhou," Monk Ling interjected, his voice serene. "Without evidence, we cannot blame the innocent."
Yan Ru scoffed, his face twisting with rage. "Innocent? Is she as innocent as the children who died alongside my san shixiong in Mu Village?"
Zhou Goutin raised the dagger for all to see. "This poison," he announced, "is from Yueguang Sect."
Li Kong Bai stepped forward, his eyes scanning the hall. "Chief Yong, Monk Hao and I have been good friends for many years. Tell me... where is he?"
"He killed my da ye!" Yong Taihua roared, his finger still pointed at Bazar Batu.
Li Kong Bai stepped past the crowd, peering inside the guest hall at the body of Yong Hao. He then turned to Bazar Batu, his gaze firm. "Did you kill him?" he asked.
"I didn't! Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Bazar Batu cried out in frustration.
"I was with him the entire time," Kuo Lok interjected calmly. "By the time we got back, Monk Hao was already lying motionless on the ground next to the pavilion."
Li Kong Bai's eyes narrowed. "When you got there, was he already dead?"
"No..." Bazar Batu began, his voice hoarse. "He said something like, 'He came back for revenge... He's back.'"
A wave of chattering swept through the crowd, a single name on everyone's lips: "Mu Dishi."
Yong Taihua's eyes blazed with fury as he pointed a trembling finger at Bazar Batu. "You shut up! How dare you slander my shizun?! If my shizun wanted Hao da ye dead, he would have killed him long ago. He wouldn't have waited until today!"
"Those were his words before he died," Bazar Batu insisted, his voice firm. "I don't know your da ye. I don't know Mu Dishi. I don't know what grudge they held against one another. Why would I frame someone I don't even know?"
"You met him a day ago with Ma Jinggou!" Yong Taihua shouted back, his voice filled with contempt. "Who will believe your nonsense? Stop your lying!"
"That man... he is Mu Dishi?" Bazar Batu asked, the realization finally dawning on him.
"I believe him," Kuo Lok said simply. "Because I was with him the entire time."
A warm smile spread across Bazar Batu's face. "Thank you, Lok ge ge," he said.
"You hold a grudge against Ma Jingguo," Yong Caixia accused, her voice sharp. "It's most likely that the two of you are framing them."
"Mu Dishi would not kill someone secretly," Yong Gui reasoned, his voice calm. "That is not his personality. If he wanted to kill someone, he would do it in the open."
"I agree with Chief Yong," Li Kong Bai added. "When Mu Dishi sought revenge back then, he walked to Shaolin alone, knowing the chance of his survival was slim. He is a man of honor, not one to hide in the shadows."
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a woman's high-pitched giggling and laughter, echoing from the rooftop. Everyone immediately turned and rushed to form a united front with the Huangshan Sect and the two Mongols.
Fu Yuanjun's eyes widened. "Miao Mingzhu…," he whispered, his voice laced with fear.
Miao Mingzhu sat calmly on the rooftop, basking in the morning light. She held a venomous green snake coiled in her right hand, admiring it with an affectionate gaze.
She then looked down at Kuo Lok and smiled, a chilling expression on her face. "Kuo Lok of the Jinfeng Sect. We meet again."