As Yong Hao's funeral came to a close, servants began to remove the white decorations from around the Manor. Meanwhile, Yong Gui thanked the guests and bid them a somber farewell.
Once all the mourners had departed, only a few of Yong Gui's closest guests remained. Following Yong Hao's final wish, the honorable guests accompanied the Yong family to bury his body at Mu's grave.
The handful of guests who remained expressed their highest respect to Yong Hao. The only ones left were the leaders of the Six Sectors and Four Clans.
Slightly confused, Fu Yuanjun approached Yong Gui. "Leader Yong," he asked quietly, "why isn't Monk Hao being buried in the main Yong cemetery?"
Yong Gui's gaze fell on Yong Hao's tombstone. "Er shixiong wanted to be buried here," he explained. "He feared that once he passed away, we would neglect the Mu grave. So, by having his body buried here, we would be forced to continue taking care of the Mu grave as well."
Fu Yuanjun nodded slowly. "I see," he said, his voice filled with newfound respect. "This is his final testament."
"That headstone there belongs to Mu Jiao Long," Yong Gui said, pointing to the stone between Mu Yun's and Yong Hao's. "Er shixiong didn't write his name on it because he was worried that people would come to dig up the grave to find the 'Killer's Manual.' So, he decided not to name any of the tombstones, except for Mu Yun's. That was the marker to tell the location of Mu Jiao Long's grave."
Elder Tong let out a heavy sigh. "Monk Hao spent his entire life atoning for his wrongs against the Mu villagers," he said, frowning. "And now, he has died for that very same reason."
Lee Kong Bai sighed as well. "Once a mistake is made, it cannot be undone, especially when it involves the lives of innocent people. I feel such personal shame. If I hadn't believed Suo Bojing, Yingpei would still be alive."
"May Monk Hao's spirit ascend to heaven," Monk Ling said, looking at the others. "I will see everyone at Shaolin on the fifteenth of this month."
Bazar Batu turned to Kuo Lok, speaking in a quiet voice. "What happens on the fifteenth of this month?" he asked.
"It's the biennial competition for martial artists to exchange ideas and skills," Kuo Lok replied.
"Are you going to participate?" Bazar Batu asked.
"No," Kuo Lok said simply.
Since this would be his first time in the Central Plains, Bazar Batu wanted to go—not for the fame, but for the experience. He looked at Kuo Lok with wide, innocent eyes and gently held his arm.
With a hint of pleading in his voice, he said, "Well, even if you don't want to participate in the competition, will you at least take me there? I've never seen a fighting competition between Central Plains martial artists before."
Kuo Lok nodded slightly. "If you want to go, then we can go."
A wide smile lit up Bazar Batu's face. "Lok ge ge is the best man ever," he said, beaming.
"We will take our leave," Monk Ling announced, bowing. He then slowly walked down toward the four Shaolin disciples, and together, they departed from the grave site.
The rest of the group walked down the hill and began to say their goodbyes.
"Yong ge," Kuo Wenqian said. "Now that we know who killed Monk Hao, the mystery is gone. When we have the chance, we will apprehend the culprit."
Yong Taihua nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Wenqian."
Just then, Kuo Ju returned to the group after saying her farewells to Kuo Changchang. She wiped away her tears. "Wenqian," she said. "Take your juniors back home. Your father and I will go visit your grandfather first before we return."
Kuo Jin Song and Kuo Ju then climbed onto their horses and rode off.
Kuo Wenqian turned to Bazar Batu. "Bazar didi," she said. "Thank you for accompanying Lok'er. No meeting lasts forever. We can say our goodbyes here."
"Jiejie," Kuo Lok interjected. "I promised to take Batu to the Jinfeng Sect."
"What for?" Kuo Wenqian said, her eyes wide with surprise. "He's not a member of our sect."
"Batu just wants to take a look," Kuo Lok explained. "He's never been to the Jinfeng Sect and afterward, we're going to Shaolin. He's never been there either."
Bazar Batu smiled. "And believe me," he said, "this is all for experience purposes only. I promise I won't cause any trouble, Lui furen."
Kuo Wenqian's expression remained hard. "Do you have no home to return to?" she asked.
Seeing his wife about to get into a fight with a young man, Liu Hung smiled. He gently pulled Kuo Wenqian back from Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu, his touch calming.
"Furen," he said gently, "don't be angry. Batu promised to behave himself. Besides, if Ah Lok is to take him home, he is a guest, isn't he?"
Bazar Batu smiled and raised three fingers of his right hand in a solemn gesture. "Liu Furen," he swore, his voice laced with sincerity, "I will not cause any trouble or bring any problems to your good sect."
Seeing that her husband had vouched for Bazar Batu, Kuo Wenqian knew that further argument was pointless. She turned and stomped ahead, leaving the three men behind.
Liu Hung smiled faintly. "Her face may look terrifying, but she's very kind inside," he said before walking after his wife.
Bazar Batu turned to Kuo Lok, a confused expression on his face. "Does this mean she agreed or disagreed to me following you back?" he asked.
Kuo Lok gave him a warm smile. "It means she agreed," he said.
The ten Jinfeng disciples followed Liu Hung and Kuo Wenqian. Kuo Lok and Bazar Batu were the last two people in the group, walking a few steps behind.
Bazar Batu spoke in a low voice. "Your jiejie is as fierce as a tiger, but her husband is as calm as a monk," he said.
Kuo Lok turned to him, a slight smile on his face. "Do you still want to go to Jinfeng and Shaolin?" he asked.
"Of course I do," Bazar Batu replied.
Kuo Lok's smile widened. "Then please make sure my jiejie doesn't hear you say that," he said.
Bazar Batu's brow furrowed. "Alright... Hey, Lok ge ge, did you always know I was a man?" he asked quietly.
Kuo Lok nodded.
"How? When?" Bazar Batu pressed.
"Inside the temple," Kuo Lok replied. "After the breast-grabbing incident, I smelled a strong scent of oranges on your chest."
Bazar Batu smiled. "Wow... my Lok ge ge isn't as dull as I thought," he said. "I underestimated you."
Suddenly, Kuo Lok stopped. "We forgot Chen Dandan and Yan Zhanjin," he said.
Bazar Batu smiled faintly. "Lok ge ge," he said, "remember that we only promised to get them out of that place. That's it. No matter what they want to do next, it's their problem, not ours."
Kuo Lok said nothing. He simply grabbed Bazar Batu's right hand with his left and held it tightly. As the sun began to rise in the east, they continued to follow the Jinfeng disciples toward the road that will lead them back to Sword Village.
The next morning, as the sun's first rays broke through the horizon, Yong Gui quietly returned to the gravesite. He came alone, wishing to pay his respects to Yong Hao in peace. However, as he drew near, he froze. Standing before Yong Hao's freshly-dug grave was a figure he knew all too well. Mu Dishi, his hands clasped behind his back, was already there, his gaze fixed on the tombstone.
Yong Gui walked up to Mu Dishi. "Childe Mu," he said, his voice respectful, "I thought you and Wang Biming had left together."
Mu Dishi looked at him, his expression solemn. "Why bury him in this place?" he asked directly.
Yong Gui's gaze settled on Yong Hao's tombstone. "When he was still alive," he said, his voice soft, "he told me he wanted to be buried here with Leader Mu."
Mu Dishi's gaze shifted to the unmarked tombstones nearby. "You know which grave is Long da ye?" he asked.
"Yes," Yong Gui replied, pointing to the tombstone next to Mu Yun's. "This is Leader Mu's grave. Er shixiong didn't want to put a name on the tombstone out of fear that people would dig it up. So only Mu Yun's has a name, and it serves as a marker for Leader Mu's grave."
"How do you know this is the grave of Long da ye?" Mu Dishi asked, his voice sharp with skepticism. "After all, it was Yong Hao who buried him."
Yong Gui met his gaze, his voice low and solemn. "Many years ago, we captured a group of tomb raiders," he said. "Leader Mu's grave was one of the ones they had dug up. I helped to re-bury him. He had a duplicated left thumb."
Without another word, Mu Dishi slowly knelt in front of the unmarked tombstone. His voice was a quiet whisper as he said, "Yes. My da ye has a duplicated left thumb."
A shout echoed from the road. "Cheif Yong! Chief Yong!"
A disciple ran up to Yong Gui and Mu Dishi, his face pale and panicked. He gasped for breath before blurting out, "Da shixiong, meimei shijie, their eight classmates, and many other disciples from different clans and sects who were on their way to the Shaolin Heroes Conference... they've all disappeared without a trace!"
Yong Gui's face darkened with worry. "How?" he asked, his voice low.