The relentless current snatched Bazar Batu away, tossing him like a rag doll. Not far off, he spotted a door panel, and, with a desperate lunge, he grabbed hold of it and pulled himself on top.
From his makeshift raft, he looked around at the chaos. He saw the lifeless bodies of the dead, heard the desperate screams of those still trying to get out of the churning water, and watched as others were swept away. When he looked up at the cliff, all that remained of the pagoda was a burning, skeletal first floor. The rest of the structure was being carried downstream, piece by piece, by the powerful river.
Bazar Batu scanned the churning water, his panic growing with each passing face that wasn't Kuo Lok. With a shout of frustration, he yelled, "Lok ge ge! Lok ge ge!"
"Don't let go of my hand!" a voice cried out from nearby. It was Chen Dandan.
He looked and saw her, her siblings holding on to her in a desperate chain, their lives dependent on the single grip of Yan Zhanjin's hand, which was still clinging to a rock at the edge of the river.
Yan Zhanjin's face was strained. "Dandan…I can't hold it anymore…My hand is slipping…"
Bazar Batu saw Yan Zhanjin grasping the rock tightly with his left hand while his right hand held a desperate grip on Chen Dandan's hand.
"Dandan…grab my hand!" Bazar Batu called out, reaching his hand toward them from his floating door panel. "Yan-xiong, hold on tight!"
Yan Zhanjin watched as Bazar Batu slowly floated closer. In a final gasp of strength, he held on until Bazar Batu's hand made contact with Chen Dandan's. At that exact moment, his own hand could no longer hold the weight. His grip on the rock slipped, and he and Dandan were swept toward the door panel. But the powerful river current was too strong. He helplessly missed Bazar Batu's hand and was dragged away by the churning water.
Chen Dandan shrieked in horror, "Shixiong!"
Bazar Batu noticed the current whipping into a frenzy. They were being dragged downstream, heading straight for what must be a waterfall or a dangerous rapid. If they went over, he thought, it might be the end. If the water below wasn't deep enough, or was filled with too many rocks, they would definitely be killed.
Just as he was about to give up hope, a vine streaked through the air and landed right in front of him. Bazar Batu caught it.
From the riverbank, Yan Zhanjin called out, "Catch!"
Bazar Batu looked to the side and saw that Yan Zhanjin had a firm grip on the other end of the vine. Bazar Batu clutched the vine tightly and looked at Chen Dandan. "Dandan, hold my waist!" he said.
Bazar Batu and Chen Dandan were hauled toward the riverbank. There, Yong Taihua reached out, pulling Chen Dandan safely out of the water before reaching back to drag Bazar Batu onto solid ground as well.
Bazar Batu looked out at the river, a restless feeling in his heart. He didn't believe Kuo Lok was one of the people swept away by the current, but his heart was far from at ease. He turned to the three people he just helped save—Yong Taihua, Yan Zhanjin, and Chen Dandan—and asked, "Why are you three here?"
"We were locked on the second floor of the pagoda," Yong Taihua answered.
Bazar Batu's eyes widened. "People were locked inside. What about the third floor?"
"We don't know," Yong Taihua replied.
"Why would the Yueguang Sect want to hold so many young disciples inside the pagoda?" Bazar Batu said, more to himself than to them.
"They said they were going to send us to Shaolin," Yong Taihua said.
Yan Zhanjin added, "As for me and Dandan, we don't know anything more. We were just following the Sword Village group to Shaolin, but we got caught with everyone else."
Chen Dandan glared at the burning pagoda. "It's all Miao Mingzhu's fault. She poisoned us."
"Let's just leave here first," Yong Taihua urged.
Bazar Batu nodded. "The three of you should go on. I'm still looking for Lok ge ge."
Yan Zhanjin asked, "That big idiot is with you?"
Bazar Batu turned to him, his eyes flaring. "He has a name, it's Kuo Lok!"
"Then we will wait for him," Yan Zhanjin replied. "If he floats by, we can help him."
The four of them waited on the riverbank until there were no more bodies or debris floating past.
Finally, Yong Taihua spoke. "No more dead bodies or debris floating by. Let's go."
Chen Dandan smiled at Bazar Batu. "This is a good thing," she said. "The fact that we didn't see him means he's already gotten out of the river and found a safe place."
Yan Zhanjin looked around, his voice weary but firm. "Let's go find some shelter."
With a heavy heart, Bazar Batu cast one last look at the churning river, then reluctantly followed his friends away from the bank.
Meanwhile, on the cliff, Mu Dishi surveyed the scene below. He saw the bodies of many young people, but he didn't see Ma Jingguo, Yong Taihua, or Yong Caixia among them. He turned to walk away, but Wang Biming grabbed his hand. Mu Dishi snatched his hand away.
"Dishi, listen to me," Wang Biming pleaded.
Mu Dishi looked at him coldly. "You lied to me. Long da ye has been dead for a long time."
Wang Biming's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know that?"
"I've confirmed it myself," Mu Dishi replied.
"How?" Wang Biming demanded.
Mu Dishi answered, his voice devoid of warmth. "Chief Yong showed me. Monk Hao is buried right next to Long da ye."
"They just said that to confuse you," Wang Biming insisted.
"Long da ye was your shifu," Mu Dishi said, his gaze chillingly cold. "You must know his left hand has six fingers." He took a step back. "The Biming I knew before would never lie to me. I'm not sure if I know you anymore."
"The Dishi I know only loves me and no one else!" Wang Biming said angrily.
Mu Dishi turned away and began to leave the scene. The three people he was looking for were not among the dead, so his help was not needed here.
Wang Biming quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving," Mu Dishi replied, his voice flat. "My two students aren't here."
"Why?" Wang Biming pleaded, his voice cracking. "Why choose him?"
Mu Dishi looked at him, his gaze unblinking. "He told me that he would love me a hundred times more than you."
"Dishi, no one will love you more than me," Wang Biming insisted, desperation in his voice.
"I believed him," Mu Dishi replied firmly.
"Why?" Wang Biming asked, puzzled.
Mu Dishi's voice was chillingly simple. "Because he will never lie to me."
"Are you sure about that?" Wang Biming pleaded.
"I'm sure," Mu Dishi stated, his voice final. "I believe his trust in me is at the same degree as my trust in him."
"You believe him," Wang Biming said bitterly, "that he and Kuo Changchang did nothing wrong inside that trap room?"
"How did you know about that?" Mu Dishi asked, surprise in his voice.
"Everyone knows," Wang Biming snapped. "But I still don't believe that someone like him will ever love you more than I do."
Mu Dishi rolled his eyes, his gaze turning to ice. "Believe what you want to believe." He turned and continued to walk away.
Wang Biming bellowed, "Let's bet!"
Mu Dishi stopped and slowly turned to face him. Wang Biming's eyes were desperate. "There's a village nearby. We'll wait for him there. If he shows up and runs back to you, then I lose. But if he has someone else with him, then you lose."
Mu Dishi rolled his eyes. "I don't have to bet with you."
"This is in your best interest," Wang Biming said, his voice dropping to a cunning whisper. "If you lose, all you have to do is tell me how you were able to complete the 'Killer String Manual' when no one else could."
Mu Dishi's gaze hardened. "What if you lose?"
Wang Biming let out a weary sigh. "I will accept your decision, and I will never bother you again."
Mu Dishi paused, considering the offer. His ultimate goal was to live a peaceful life, far away from the chaos of the martial world. Agreeing to this bet was a tempting gamble—a way to definitively settle the matter and ensure he would never have to defend Ma Jingguo to Wang Biming again. With a sigh of his own, he agreed.
"Fine," he said, turning and walking away.
Inside a tavern, Mu Dishi and Wang Biming sat at a corner table, ignored by the weary faces of the survivors who began to arrive. These disciples from various clans and sects, not recognizing the two men, simply sought refuge from the night.
As soon as Yong Caixia saw Wang Biming, her eyes flared with pure hatred.
"Caixia, now is not the time," Kuo Wenqian whispered urgently, pulling her away.
Just as dusk settled, Bazar Batu, Yong Taihua, Yan Zhanjin, and Chen Dandan appeared. When Bazar Batu saw Kuo Lok, a wave of relief washed over him. He cried out in joy, rushed into the tavern, and embraced his friend tightly.
Yong Taihua walked to Mu Dishi and greeted him with a respectful bow.
Mu Dishi nodded. "I came here to save you, but when I arrived, the pagoda had already burned to the ground."
"Thank you, shizun, for worrying about me and Caixia," Yong Taihua replied with a polite smile.
Mu Dishi's expression was solemn. "Since the two of you are safe, I will leave tomorrow morning with you both for Sword Village." He noticed that Yong Taihua's hands were clenched tightly into fists. Mu Dishi's gaze sharpened. "Taihua, with your skills, you won't be able to defeat Biming."
Yong Taihua muttered, "I know, shizun. We will wait for you tomorrow," and quietly returned to his table.
Meanwhile, Bazar Batu's eyes filled with tears of relief as he embraced Kuo Lok. "Lok ge ge, I thought you were dead!" he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Kuo Lok simply shook his head. "How many times have I told you?"
Bazar Batu cut him off, a weak smile on his face. "A man would rather shed blood than tears. You've told me that many times." He looked over Kuo Lok's shoulder, his eyes falling on Mu Dishi and Wang Biming in a distant corner. Just then, Ma Jingguo and Zhu Suyin entered through the main entrance. Bazar Batu's smile vanished. He leaned in and whispered to Kuo Lok, "Here comes trouble."
As Ma Jingguo and Zhu Suyin walked into the inn, Ma Jingguo's gaze landed on Mu Dishi. He deliberately reached out, took Zhu Suyin's right hand in his, and the two walked to the table directly next to Mu Dishi and Wang Biming, sitting down with a calculated casualness.
Wang Biming's eyes were fixed on Mu Dishi's expressionless face. He knew that Mu Dishi was a master of self-control, a man who never showed emotion to reveal his thoughts. But Wang Biming also knew the message Ma Jingguo's actions conveyed: a final and decisive statement that he was no longer interested in Mu Dishi. And Mu Dishi, for his part, understood the message perfectly.
Wang Biming smiled faintly as he poured Mu Dishi more tea. "It seems you have to keep your promise."
Mu Dishi looked at him, his expression unreadable. "I understand."
At the next table, Ma Jingguo couldn't help but overhear the hushed conversation. The words "promise" and "understand" stirred a deep curiosity within him. He desperately wanted to know what Mu Dishi had agreed to.
Just then, a waiter approached their table. "What can I get you?"
Zhu Suyin told the waiter, "We'd like two rooms and two plates of food."
Ma Jingguo cast a subtle glance at Mu Dishi, but Mu Dishi didn't flinch. He calmly and elegantly chewed his food, completely unreadable. The sight of it stirred a profound and stifled hurt inside Ma Jingguo. He felt that he, not Wang Biming, should be the one sitting across from Mu Dishi.
Wang Biming noticed Ma Jingguo's stare. With a small, taunting smile, he picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks and placed them in Mu Dishi's bowl. "Dishi, eat more vegetables," he said, "since you love them so much."
At that, the chopsticks in Ma Jingguo's hand suddenly snapped into four pieces. Without a word, he looked back at the waiter. "We'll only need one room," he said, his voice hard.
Wang Biming looked at Mu Dishi, a glint of triumph in his eyes. "Dishi, should we also sleep in the same room?"
Mu Dishi didn't look up from his meal. "Whatever," he replied, continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.
Ma Jingguo was boiling with a murderous rage. He wanted to leap across the tables and cut off Wang Biming's head. The way Mu Dishi and Wang Biming were carrying on, talking shamelessly about sharing a room, was more than he could bear. A searing, ghostly image of Mu Dishi undressing for Wang Biming flashed in his mind.
He could no longer control the anger that was a tempest in his already wounded heart. He stood up, slammed his fist onto the table with a roar, and bellowed, "Wang Biming!"
Wang Biming turned to face Ma Jingguo, a mocking smile on his lips. "Don't forget," he taunted, "you can't defeat me."
With that, he picked up some vegetables and placed them in Mu Dishi's bowl.
Ma Jingguo stood there, his body rigid, staring with unadulterated fury at the two of them.
After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms. As Mu Dishi watched, Ma Jingguo and Zhu Suyin walked hand-in-hand toward their room and entered, pulling the door shut behind them.
Mu Dishi remained standing in the hallway, his gaze fixed on the paper window. He saw the ghostly shadows of the couple. He watched as Ma Jingguo tenderly took off Zhu Suyin's robe, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her forehead. Then, with a soft exhale, Ma Jingguo blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness.
From behind him, a voice spoke, chillingly close. "You lost. Come back to me," Wang Biming said.
"When I practiced the Killer Strings, the dark energy inside the manual made me lose my concentration," Mu Dishi explained. "So I had Jingguo play flute melodies while I trained. The music's calming effect helped me focus. You could try this method—it might help with your Devil Fist progress."
He walked past Wang Biming, offering a final warning. "Biming, as an old classmate, I still suggest you stop practicing the Devil Fist."
"Dishi," Wang Biming pleaded, "are you truly not coming back with me?"
"Of all people, you should know me best," Mu Dishi replied. "You don't need to try and convince me anymore."
Without another word, he continued walking, his figure disappearing into the night. Wang Biming remained motionless, watching him go until he was gone.