The young Taoist helped the old one into the main dining hall. Seeing the new arrivals and with the sudden lull in their performance, the group had no choice but to return to their table and sit down. Outside, the first drops of rain began to fall, pattering softly against the windows. Moments later, a thunderous roar filled the air, rattling the inn and echoing in the ears of all those trapped inside.
The waiter stood beside the innkeeper. Leaning close, he whispered through clenched teeth, "They are not part of our plan."
The innkeeper, who had been coerced into this scheme, whispered back just as quietly, "Then since they're not part of it, don't drug them."
The waiter nodded. Though he sought a clan leader title, he was not a man of evil heart. He turned and walked back to the table. "Should I tell the chef to cook some dishes for you?" he asked. "Or are you going to stick with plain buns?"
"We'll stick with plain buns," Bazar Batu said.
The waiter then walked over to the table where the two Taoists were sitting. "What can I get you?" he asked.
The younger Taoist spoke up. "How much is a bowl of plain noodles?" he asked.
The waiter's eyes flickered to the innkeeper, who stood behind the counter. The innkeeper subtly raised three fingers. The waiter turned back to the Taoist and said, "Three liangs."
The young Taoist reached into his sleeve, pulled out an old money bag, and counted out six liangs. He handed the money to the waiter.
"Two bowls of noodles coming right up," the waitier said with a small smile. He then poured a cup of tea and handed it to the old Taoist.
Moments later, the waiter returned with two steaming bowls of noodles, which the two Taoists began to eat.
Just as a thunderous roar and a flash of lightning shook the inn, the front door burst open. The wind and rain swept into the dining hall, followed by a man in white clothes, Zhu Mingyang, and ten guards. Zhu Mingyang guided the man in white to a table and sat him down. The ten guards then surrounded them, taking their seats around the table.
The man in white looked at Zhu Mingyang. "Mingyang, how far do we have left?" he asked, his voice weary.
"Half a day," Zhu Mingyang replied.
Just as the words left his mouth, ten new people burst into the inn and quickly closed all the doors behind them. Their swords were already drawn, their glinting tips all pointed directly at the man in white. The innkeeper then approached, a malicious grin on his face.
"Mu Dishi," the innkeeper yelled, "leave your life here!"
One of the guards surrounding the man in white looked at the innkeeper and demanded, "Who are you?"
The innkeeper grinned. "Someone wants Mu Dishi dead," he said.
Bazar Batu leaned in close to Kuo Lok. "They might not know who Mu Dishi is," he whispered. "They could be mistaken and think the blind man is him."
Suddenly, everyone in the main dining hall stood up, their weapons drawn and pointed at the man in white and Zhu Mingyang.
Zhu Mingyang rose to his feet, facing the hostile crowd. His right hand rested on the hilt of his Dao sword. "You don't want to cause trouble for him," he said, his voice cold and menacing. "Those who dare to seek trouble for him die very ugly deaths." He then slowly began to pull his sword from the scabbard on his back.
As Zhu Mingyang drew his Dao sword, the thunderous rain outside was overshadowed by the piercing shriek of steel on steel. The ten guards around him drew their own blades in unison, their movements quick and practiced as they formed a defensive circle around the man in white.
With a blur of motion, Zhu Mingyang charged toward the ten men blocking the front door. In just a few swift, brutal moves, he cut down every single one of them. As the men fell, the ten guards and the man in white quickly moved to stand beside him.
"Kill Mu Dishi!" the innkeeper screamed.
The twelve fake customers in the inn rushed toward the front door. Before they were even close, twenty silver leaves flew from the hand of the man in white. The leaves struck the men's chests with a deadly force, sending them sprawling to the floor.
The man in white smiled faintly. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I'm not Mu Dishi."
Bazar Batu leaned into Kuo Lok and whispered, "Who is he? Is he really blind, or is he just pretending?"
"I don't know," Kuo Lok replied quietly. "Should we ask?"
"No need," Bazar Bataar interjected. "If my guess is correct, he is from the Gu family."
"The Gu family?" Bazar Batu asked, his voice filled with confusion. "Who?"
"People you don't know and shouldn't mess with," Bazar Bataar replied.
"Why?" Bazar Batu asked.
"Keep quiet," Bazar Bataar commanded.
The innkeeper's face turned dark with fury and defeat. The uninjured and injured men with him slowly began to retreat to the other side of the inn. Just then, the door swung open, and two new figures stepped inside. A woman and another man in white entered, followed by two men dressed in black, holding umbrellas over their heads. Each of the men in black carried the same kind of sword as Zhu Mingyang.
Gu Jingjing stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the inn. "Who dares to cause trouble here?" she demanded. She then turned to the man in white beside her, her voice dropping to a disappointed murmur. "I don't know what's so special about you that father sees."
Gu Xiaowen looked at the crowd, his voice cutting through the tension. "If you want to hit a dog, you should first know who the dog's owner is," he warned.
The innkeeper's voice was filled with a mix of defiance and confusion. "We are here to kill Mu Dishi," he said. "This has nothing to do with the people of the Gu family."
A smirk played on Gu Jingjing's lips. "Who said he is Mu Dishi?" she replied.
The innkeeper's eyes darted nervously between Gu Jingjing and the man in white. "Mo Ehuang said that Mu Dishi would be here," he stammered. "Anyone who brings her his head will be made the next Mo Clan Cheif." He pointed a shaking finger at the blind man. "He fits Mu Dishi's description."
Gu Jingjing scoffed. "I have heard of Mu Dishi's grand name," she said with a dismissive wave. "I'd like to meet him someday."
The innkeeper's bravado crumbled. "We know where we are," he said, stepping back. "We dare not cause trouble."
"You must be tired of living," Gu Xiaowen sneered, "to pick a fight with a blind man."
The innkeeper's eyes darted between the two men. "Who the hell are you," he demanded, his voice trembling, "if you're not Mu Dishi?"
Gu Xiaowen's sneer widened. "Mingyang, why don't you tell him who you are?"
A gasp escaped the innkeeper's lips. "Zhu... Mingyang..." he whispered. All of the fake customers and staff in the inn nervously swallowed their saliva.
"If you know Zhu Mingyang," Gu Xiaowen continued, "then you should also know who the man standing beside him is."
The innkeeper's face was pale with fear. "Are you Zhu Mingyang?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes," Zhu Mingyang replied.
The fake innkeeper and his fake guests all fell to their knees before Zhu Mingyang, Gu Xiaowen, and Gu Jingjing.
"We're so sorry, we were wrong!" the innkeeper stammered, his voice filled with fear. "We thought you were Mu Dishi! Please forgive us!"
Bazar Batu stood and walked up to the kneeling man. "I'm Bazar Batu," he said. He then looked at the blind man in white. "We were here with our friends earlier, and when we came back, these people had already taken over the inn."
The blind man's head tilted slightly toward Bazar Batu. "We've met before," he said, his voice soft. "I recognize your voice. You took a hit for me." He then turned to Zhu Mingyang. "Mingyang."
"Where are they?" Zhu Mingyang demanded.
"The workers are tied up in the wooden shed behind the kitchen," the innkeeper replied, his voice still trembling. "The people were taken away by Miao Mingzhu from the Yueguang Sect."
"Where did they go?" Zhu Mingyang pressed.
"We truly don't know," the innkeeper stammered. "Mo Ehuang was also taken by the people of the Yueguang Sect. We were only supposed to wait for Mu Dishi here." He looked up at Zhu Mingyang and then quickly down again. "I heard they went to a seven-story pagoda by the river cliff near here."
Bazar Batu watched as the blind man placed his right arm on Zhu Mingyang's left. Zhu Mingyang opened an umbrella and led the blind man out into the heavy rain. Bazar Batu noticed the two other men did the same for the two new people in white, then turned to the kneeling men.
"Get up," he said, his voice firm. "And disappear before I change my mind. If you don't, I'm going to have Lok ge ge hit you with his Heavenly Dragon Palm Strike."
The innkeeper's eyes widened in fear and recognition. "Heavenly Dragon Palm Strike?" he whispered. "Does this mean he's Kuo Heng?"
"He is not Kuo Heng!" Bazar Batu yelled at the kneeling men. "Kuo Lok! His name is Kuo Lok!"
The innkeeper looked up, still puzzled. "Who is Kuo Lok?" he asked.
Bazar Batu just gestured at them impatiently. "Get lost before I lose my temper," he shouted.
With that, the men scrambled to their feet and rushed out the door. They had no desire to stay any longer, especially after learning the true identities of the people they thought were easy targets.
Bazar Batu rushed back to the table. "Lok ge ge," he said, his voice laced with confusion. "Why don't these people know who you are?"
"Many people don't know who I am," Kuo Lok replied simply.
"Who is this Kuo Heng, anyway?" Bazar Batu asked, a defiant glint in his eye. "If I see him, I'll fight him."
"Don't fight him," Kuo Lok said.
"Why not?"
"Because you will lose, miserably," Kuo Lok replied, his voice flat and honest.
"Then you fight him on my behalf," Bazar Batu said.
"I will not fight him," Kuo Lok said.
"Why not?" Bazar Batu asked.
"He is my older brother," Kuo Lok replied simply.
"Is he better than you?" Bazar Batu asked.
"There are many people who are better than me," Kuo Lok said. "You saw it yourself. That Zhu Mingyang is strong. Back at the tavern, I was wounded by Mu Dishi."
Bazar Batu smiled. "Lok ge ge, to me, you're the best."
Bazar Bataar cleared his throat loudly. "Let's go release the workers and the innkeeper," he said. He then took his wives by the hand and led them out of the kitchen.
Bazar Batu looked outside and saw the heavy rain. Brave as he was, he still had a taste for luxury, and there was no way he was going to leave and get drenched.
"It seems we'll have to wait until the rain stops to find the missing people," he said. As he spoke, he suddenly realized they weren't alone. Besides the unconscious assassins, the masters, and the guards, they had completely forgotten about the two Taoists.
He looked over at their table. The young and old Taoists were still calmly eating their noodles. Bazar Batu couldn't help but wonder. How are they so calm when there are injured people and deadly flying leaves all around them? He turned to Kuo Lok. "How can those two Taoists stay so calm?" he asked.