Two days after the awful events that shattered the temple's peace, a somber quiet finally settled over the hillside. The deceased had been put to rest, and most of those who had come for the annual competition had returned to their sects.
While Bazar Batu and Kuo Lok's plan hadn't unfolded as they'd hoped, the outcome had, in some way, been for the best. On a quiet morning, the two friends sat inside a small pavilion on the hillside, enjoying the sunrise and the tranquil sound of water rushing downstream.
Over the past two days, Kuo Lok had noticed Bazar Batu's uncharacteristic quietness. A deep sigh escaped him as he asked, "Batu, are you not having fun?"
Bazar Batu simply looked at him and shook his head.
"What is on your mind?" Kuo Lok asked gently.
Bazar Batu's face fell into a sad frown. "I feel so sorry for Ma ge."
"How so?" Kuo Lok asked.
"Many years ago," Bazar Batu began, his voice low and somber, "I met Ma ge. When I heard his story, I knew he loved Mu Dishi very much." He looked at Kuo Lok, a quiet vulnerability in his eyes. "Lok ge ge, can two men really love each other? The kind of love where one would rather die than live without his partner?"
Kuo Lok gently rubbed Bazar Batu's head. "You are smarter than me," he said with a wry smile. "If you don't know the answer to that question, how would I?"
Bazar Batu's gaze held his, the question now deeply personal. "Lok ge ge, if one day I can no longer play with you, eat with you, or travel the martial arts world with you, will you miss me and feel sad?"
Kuo Lok simply nodded, a quiet and understanding affirmation. "Mm."
With a pensive sigh, Bazar Batu walked out of the pavilion. He looked at the rushing waterfall and said, "If someone loved me the way Ma ge loved Mu Dishi, I wouldn't care if they were a man or a woman. I would devote myself completely to them."
Kuo Lok walked up to him, his voice low. "Do you really mean it?"
Bazar Batu turned around and, without thinking, bumped into Kuo Lok's large chest. He frowned up at his friend. "Lok ge ge, you don't have to stand so close to me."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kuo Lok said, taking three steps back. "Is this far enough?"
Bazar Batu couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Kuo Lok looked at Bazar Batu, a nervous smile on his face. "Batu, I…I…"
"What about you?" Bazar Batu asked, his voice full of gentle curiosity.
Kuo Lok looked down shyly, then back at him. "I like you," he said.
"I already know," Bazar Batu replied, turning to look at the waterfall.
Kuo Lok took a deep breath. "I like you," he said slowly, "the way Ma-xiong likes Mu Dishi."
Bazar Batu smiled and turned to face him; a teasing looks in his eyes. "When did that happen? How come I didn't have a clue?"
Kuo Lok finally looked at Bazar Batu, a nervous confession on his face. "Since I kissed you for the first time," he said.
Bazar Batu gasped. "Really?"
Kuo Lok's gaze fell to his feet, his vulnerability plain. "Do you… do you like me?" he asked.
Bazar Batu, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, continued to tease him. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe it's just because Ma ge loves Mu Dishi so much that I feel like someone should love me that way, too. I'm going to go ask Ma ge to love me."
A flash of hurt crossed Kuo Lok's face, but he quickly composed himself. A fierce determination hardened his gaze. "Fine," he said. "Let's go ask him together."
Bazar Batu smiled and took a step closer. "Lok ge ge, are you angry?" he asked playfully.
"No," Kuo Lok said, turning his back on Bazar Batu.
With a playful smile, Bazar Batu jumped onto Kuo Lok's back. "Should we go back?" he asked.
Kuo Lok let out a resigned sigh. "If you want," he said.
"Then let's go back," Bazar Batu said happily. Kuo Lok began to walk, carrying him back toward the temple.
"Lok ge ge," Bazar Batu said, his voice soft, "I was joking a moment ago. I only regard him as a good brother." He leaned forward, gently kissing Kuo Lok's right cheek, and whispered in his ear, "Lok ge ge, I like you, too."
Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu arrived at the Shaolin Gate to find Yan Zhanjin and Chen Dandan waiting for them.
With a lighthearted grin, Bazar Batu joked, "I didn't know you two would come out to greet us in person."
Yan Zhanjin gave him a triumphant smirk. "Joke's on you," he said. "Your brother and your two sister-in-laws are here."
Bazar Batu's playful expression vanished. "What?" he gasped. He frantically scanned the area. "This is not good." Grabbing Kuo Lok's hand, he urged, "Lok ge ge, let's get out of here before my brother sees me."
Bazar Bataar emerged from on top of the stairwell with Lee Jia and Lee Jie in tow. His voice rang out in a stern command. "Batu! Stop right there."
Bazar Batu slowly turned, a mix of surprise and relief on his face. "Ge," he said, "I thought you were dead."
Lee Jia's voice was sharp. "Batu, joking about death is not funny. Mother sent a letter saying that Father has fallen gravely ill and may not make it."
Bazar Batu's heart dropped. "Really?" he whispered.
"Yes," Lee Jie confirmed somberly. "We're going back home."
Bazar Batu's expression was torn between the duty he owed his family and the loyalty he felt for his friend. He looked sadly at his brother and sister-in-laws, then back at Kuo Lok.
Kuo Lok gave him a gentle, reassuring smile. "Go back and visit your parents," he said. "If you have any difficulties, you can find me at the Jinfeng Sect."
Bazar Batu nodded sadly, his decision made. He turned to his brother, a quiet resolve in his voice. "We are not leaving today."
"You…" Bazar Bataar began, his voice a low growl of frustration.
"Lao gong," Lee Jia said, feeling for Bazar Batu's plight. "Let him have one day to say a proper goodbye to his friends."
"That's right," Lee Jie added in a calm, reasoned voice. "Back home, Batu has no friends he can truly rely on. But look here—he's made great friends. If he ever runs away from home and comes back to the Central Plains, at least we won't have to worry so much about him."
After the discussion, Bazar Bataar was forced to agree with his wives. "One more day," he said firmly. "But mark my words, if you dare try to run away, I'll lock you up at home with a shackle that only I hold the key to. You can forget about ever leaving the house again."
"Alright, da ge," Bazar Batu responded with a tone of annoyance.
The next morning, at the Tian Dingfeng pier, Bazar Bataar and his two wives waited for Bazar Batu to say his final goodbyes to Kuo Lok, Yan Zhanjin, and Chen Dandan.
With a genuine smile, Chen Dandan said, "Batu, have a safe journey home."
Bazar Batu turned to Yan Zhanjin. "Yan-xiong, please keep an eye on Ma ge for me."
"Don't worry about us," Yan Zhanjin replied. "We've decided to join the Jinfeng Sect, and I promise I'll look after him."
Chen Dandan added with a quiet confidence, "We may be too old to become great martial artists, but our Wenqian jie jie said that we can learn a lot to protect ourselves in dangerous situations."
"That's good enough in my book," Bazar Batu said, a sincere look of approval on his face. "Good luck to both of you."
Chen Dandan looked at Kuo Lok with a meaningful glance. "We'll wait for you," she said. With that, she and Yan Zhanjin walked away.
Bazar Batu's voice was filled with sadness. "When I know my father is doing well, I'll come back to visit you."
"I understand," Kuo Lok said simply.
Bazar Batu gently touched his arm. "Lok ge ge, don't be sad. I promised." He looked at him intently. "Lower your head." When Kuo Lok complied, Bazar Batu kissed his forehead. "Even if my father is in poor health and forces me to marry, I will run back to you." He gave a brave smile before stepping into the boat.
Kuo Lok watched Bazar Batu wave to him from the boat, a wistful smile on his face. He followed the vessel with his eyes, walking along the riverbank as it sailed farther and farther from the dock.
When the boat was a distant speck and he could only make out Kuo Lok's small figure, Bazar Batu's voice carried across the water, a soaring cry: "Lok ge ge! I love you!"
Kuo Lok murmured softly to himself, "Batu, I love you." He stayed by the riverbank, not moving until the boat was completely out of sight.
When Kuo Lok returned to the street, he found Yan Zhanjin and Chen Dandan sitting at a table. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Yan Zhanjin.
Yan Zhanjin gave a disgusted grimace. "How can anyone eat these things?" he said, pushing a plate of stinky tofu away.
Chen Dandan looked at him with a playful taunt. "Don't you remember that Batu said he got smart from eating stinky tofu? You're always saying you want to be smarter, so you have to eat some."
Yan Zhanjin pinched his nose. "No, I refuse. It smells so bad—get it away from me!"
A sudden, heartfelt smile spread across Kuo Lok's face as he looked at them. He'd come to the Central Plains expecting to stay a few weeks with his mother before returning to his brother, never knowing he'd meet so many new people. With a quiet laugh, he reached for the plate.
"I'll eat it," Kuo Lok said.
Yan Zhanjin immediately pulled the plate back. "No way!" he declared. "You can't get any smarter! I'm already the smartest person among the three of us."
In a moment of simple joy, the three friends laughed and happily ate their stinky tofu together.