The room was still and quiet, a stark contrast to the turmoil boiling inside Yan Zhanjin's heart. His life and the life of his closest family member depended entirely on the well-being of the man lying on the bed.
After Yan Zhanjin finished examining Mu Dishi, he calmly wrote down a list of medicinal materials and handed it to one of the maids. He noticed that Cao Wenyan watched every move he made, his gaze especially sharp whenever he looked at Mu Dishi.
Once the maid was gone, Cao Wenyan carefully covered Mu Dishi with a blanket, then went and sat beside Yang Zhanjin.
"How is he?" Cao Wenyan asked, his impatience barely concealed.
Yan Zhanjin let out a slow breath. "He was seriously injured, and he needs someone to transfer their internal energy to heal his injuries. But you also know that Mu Dishi has many enemies." He sighed, the full weight of the political landscape settling in the air. "He is the number one enemy of the six sectors and four clans. His enemies would be happy to watch him die without lifting a finger to help him."
He paused, thinking aloud. "The only people I can think of that can help him are Monk Lin from Shaolin and Kuo Jing Song from Jinfeng Sect. These two masters have strong internal abilities and can use their internal qi to help repair Mu Dishi's injured meridians." Yan Zhanjin's shoulders slumped slightly. "I'm afraid, Shaolin will not help him."
With absolute determination, Cao Wenyan's brow furrowed deeply, his voice tight with resolve. "Whether Shaolin is willing or unwilling," he declared, "we will go to Shaolin."
Yan Zhanjin was taken aback by the sheer boldness, yet a part of him couldn't help but admire Cao Wenyan's single-mindedness. He shook his head slowly. "You think if you walked in with Mu Dishi, Shaolin would be happy to welcome you with open arms? What are you kidding?"
Cao Wenyan dismissed the alternative with a wave of his hand, his expression hardening with distaste. "You want me to go to Jinfeng Sect, and let Ma Jingguo see him? Forget it."
Yan Zhanjin sighed with a heavy heart, exasperated by Cao Wenyan's political obsession overriding medical sense. "Are you really going to risk that for the best chance to heal Mu Dishi? Kuo Shifu is the only person that I trust who will not harm Mu Dishi during the healing process."
Cao Wenyan fell silent, a troubled expression crossing his face. What Yan Zhanjin said made dangerous sense; a person undergoing the opening of all their meridians is at their most vulnerable stage, and a single act of sabotage could easily cripple or kill them.
Yan Zhanjin pressed his advantage, his voice taking on the authority of a physician fighting for a life. "Whether Ma ge is at Jinfeng Sect or not, this is the best option we have right now. Kuo Shifu has incredibly strong internal energy and is the most likely to help Mu Dishi. Crucially, Kuo Shifu is the only person that will not harm Mu Dishi during the healing process. I do not trust anyone more than him."
He leaned in slightly. "If Kuo Shifu uses his internal energy to help open up Mu Dishi's governing vessel and conception vessel, this will help him heal and save his martial skills. Mu Dishi suffered serious internal and external injuries. This is his best chance of surviving." He looked firmly at Cao Wenyan. "If you refuse, we can sit here and watch him die. Choose one."
Cao Wenyan thought through the political difficulty and then looked at Yan Zhanjin, still clearly unwilling to give in to the doctor's suggestion. "What about me?" he said. "I can use my internal energy to help him."
Yan Zhanjin shook his head, instantly rejecting the desperate offer. "Your internal energy is much lower than his. It will not do him any good but will hurt him more." He sighed, resigned to the current limitation. "The only thing I can do now is to use my golden needle to ease his pain temporally."
Yan Zhanjin and Cao Wenyan walked out of the bedroom and came to a small lounge area. The urgency of their situation was suddenly heightened when a guard rushed in.
"Young master," the guard gasped, "the former guard of the Gu Household, Zhu Mingyang, is here, and he demands Yan yisheng back!"
Cao Wenyan gave a satisfied snort. "He came just at the right time. Take him in." He immediately spun on Yan Zhanjin, the earlier pretense of cordiality evaporating. "Yan yisheng, I will trouble you to stay with me until Childe Mu is returned back to me."
Before the doctor could react, Cao Wenyan's hand shot out. He quickly grabbed Yan Zhanjin's throat and brutally pushed a pill into the doctor's mouth, forcing him to swallow it. Yan Zhanjin choked, the realization hitting him: he was now irrevocably bound to Cao Wenyan's fate.
Yan Zhanjin choked, grasping at his throat as the pill went down. He managed a strained cough. "What did you feed me?"
Cao Wenyan watched him, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Seven Colors Poison."
Yan Zhanjin's face sank into a mask of pure fury. "Is this how you treat your guest?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger.
Cao Wenyan remained silent, simply enjoying the power of the moment.
Approaching from the entrance were Zhu Mingyang and the ten guards he had gathered. Zhu Mingyang's icy focus was solely on Yan Zhanjin.
"Are you okay?" Zhu Mingyang asked, his voice sharp with concern.
Cao Wenyan stepped forward, acting as the manipulator. "He is not doing too well right now, but as long as you complete the task, I gave you and bring Mu Dishi back to me safely, he will be well soon."
Zhu Mingyang's eyes narrowed. "You do know that if I want to leave here with Zhanjin, neither you nor your men can stop me."
"Of course I know," Cao Wenyan replied, his arrogance unshakeable. "That is why I fed him the Seven Colors pill."
Zhu Mingyang scoffed, confident in his friend's skill. "It doesn't matter what you feed him. He is a doctor, and he can treat himself."
Yan Zhanjin looked at Zhu Mingyang, his expression now one of grim defeat. "I can't cure it."
Zhu Mingyang's face sank. "Why not?"
Yan Zhanjin explained the grim reality. "Because to be able to cure the poison, I have to know the exact order of the color was mixed first. Only the person who mixes the pill knows how to mix the antidote."
Cao Wenyan smiled broadly, a look of ultimate triumph. "And that person is me."
Zhu Mingyang's anger turned to icy, controlled fury. "What do you want?"
Cao Wenyan delivered the terms of the trade. "I want you to take Mu Dishi to Jinfeng Sect and have Kuo Jing Song use his internal energy to treat Mu Dishi. After he is cured, you will bring him back. Then you can take Yan Yisheng home." He leaned in, setting the deadly clock. "But... you have to hurry, because he only has fourteen days."
"Why not Monk Ling?" Yan Zhanjin asked, puzzled by the sudden shift from Shaolin.
Cao Wenyan gave a cold, cynical smile. "I changed my mind because you are not a monk, and your junior is not in Shaolin."
Yan Zhanjin let out a short, hollow laugh, the poison already beginning its work. "Childe Cao, I admire your despicable scheme."
"Thank you for the compliment," Cao Wenyan replied, his eyes full of victory.
The next day, Cao Wenyan personally helped settle Mu Dishi inside the horse-drawn carriage. He leaned in, a forced, solicitous smile playing on his lips. "Childe Mu, I'm sorry, but you will have to go to Jinfeng Sector." He placed a veiled white hat—a necessary disguise—beside the injured man. "If you don't want Ma Jingguo to see you, just wear it."
Mu Dishi opened his eyes and stared at Cao Wenyan for a few tense seconds, his gaze holding an inscrutable weariness and silent refusal. Then, he simply closed his eyes, offering no reply.
Cao Wenyan smiled, satisfied with the silent compliance. "I will come pick you up when Zhu Mingyang sends me the signal." He straightened up, walked out, and closed the heavy carriage drape.
Yan Zhanjin, his face etched with worry but his hands steady, quickly pressed a sealed paper into Zhu Mingyang's hand. "Mingyang, this letter is how to help Mu Dishi. After reading it, Kuo Shifu will know exactly what to do."
Zhu Mingyang took the letter, tucking it securely into his inner clothes. His eyes met Yan Zhanjin's, hard with the resolve of a man facing a deadline. "You wait for me. Within fourteen days, I will come back with Mu Dishi."
"Mingyang," Yan Zhanjin pleaded softly, remembering the guard's dangerous past and his own gentle nature. "You promise me, you will ask carefully, don't hurt anyone."
Zhu Mingyang nodded once, his face set with determination. He jumped into the driver's seat of the horse carriage and immediately drove the horses away, heading north with urgent speed.
Yan Zhanjin rushed forward, shouting after the quickly disappearing carriage, his voice strained with worry. "Mingyang... be careful!"
Cao Wenyan stepped up beside the doctor, a cynical smile curving his lips. "Do you truly know what kind of person Zhu Mingyang is?"
Yan Zhanjin looked at him, his faith unshakeable. "He is a good person."
Cao Wenyan laughed—a harsh, dismissive sound. "Zhu Mingyang is the most ferocious guard of the house of Gu. He belonged entirely to the heir of the Gu Household, Gu Yingjie. He killed many people during his time as a slave. He sold himself to the House of Gu and became Gu Yingjie's royal dog so they could avenge his mother's death. Do you know who he wants them to kill?"
Yan Zhanjin's voice trembled with a mixture of terror and disbelief. "Who?"
Cao Wenyan sneered, finding immense satisfaction in delivering the final blow. "His biological father." He held Yan Zhanjin's gaze, his eyes hard and challenging. "Now, do you still think he is a good person?" He offered one last, cruel smile, and without waiting for an answer, turned and walked back into the secluded house, leaving Yan Zhanjin utterly alone with the devastating truth.
Yan Zhanjin was left standing in the fading light, the revelation of Zhu Mingyang's dark, vengeful past crashing against the gentle, loyal friend he had known. The question of who Zhu Mingyang truly was—a good man or a ferocious killer—now haunted the doctor, a terrible weight added to his status as a hostage.
Two days later, the sound of hoofbeats ceased as Zhu Mingyang stopped the carriage outside the majestic gates of Jinfeng Sector. He announced his arrival to one of the door disciples with a curt, urgent explanation, then immediately returned to the carriage.
He carefully helped Mu Dishi sit up. The injured man was terribly weak but compliant. Zhu Mingyang took out the veiled white hat provided by Cao Wenyan and gently placed it on Mu Dishi's head, concealing his features entirely. With great effort, he hoisted the frail body onto his back.
Shouldering the burden, Zhu Mingyang followed the attendant disciple into the heart of the sect.
Upon entering the spacious Guest Hall, he saw two people seated before him. One was the revered master Kuo Jing Song, and beside him sat his wife, Kuo Ju, a woman of notable presence within the sect. Zhu Mingyang wasted no time on formalities. He handed the letter—Yan Zhanjin's crucial medical instructions—to the nearest disciple.
The disciple quickly handed the letter to Kuo Jing Song, who read it with a deepening frown. After finishing, both Kuo Ju and Kuo Jing Song exchanged a serious, significant glance before turning their attention back to Zhu Mingyang.
Kuo Ju, her expression authoritative, spoke first. "What is your relationship with Zhanjin?"
Zhu Mingyang's reply was simple and firm. "We are friends."
"Who is that man that my husband is supposed to help?" Kuo Ju pressed, gesturing slightly toward the heavily veiled figure on Zhu Mingyang's back.
Zhu Mingyang stood tall, his gaze unwavering. "I was told not to say anything about the injured person." He then launched the crucial, calculated warning. "The person who kidnapped Zhanjin said that he has fourteen days to live. If this injured person is not cured and returned by the fourteenth day, that person will kill Zhanjin, and will announce to the martial arts world that Chief Kuo is not the man he claims himself to be."
Kuo Ju sneered, the corner of her lips curving into a dissatisfied expression. She scoffed loudly. "This sounds more like a threat than a pleading. Why are you helping this person?"
Zhu Mingyang met her gaze, his expression grim. "Because he has Zhanjin. Zhanjin is poisoned by the Seven Colors pill."
The revelation instantly changed the mood. Kuo Jing Song walked quickly to Mu Dishi and carefully checked his pulse. He turned back to Zhu Mingyang, his face serious but calm. "I will try my best." He walked back to Kuo Ju. "I need three days to use my inner energy to heal this person and correct his inner chi flow. During this time, no one should disturb us. Once I start, I can't stop."
Kuo Ju nodded, her concern for her husband's safety clear. "I know. Don't worry."
Just then, the front doors burst open, and Chen Dandan rushed through. "Shimu... Shimu..." she called out, breathless, stopping right before Kuo Ju. "I heard that my Shixiong was captured. How is he?"
Zhu Mingyang turned slightly to face Chen Dandan. "He is all right now." He then turned back to Kuo Jing Song and Kuo Ju. "Chief Kuo, during the healing, I will protect you."
Kuo Ju, now fully accepting the arrangement, inclined her head. "As long as you are willing. I trust in your ability as a guard of the Gu Household."
Zhu Mingyang's expression tightened slightly. "I am no longer a guard of the Gu Household."
Chen Dandan rushed out of the Guest Hall and ran toward the back of Jinfeng Sect. She didn't slow until she reached a relatively remote area where few disciples practiced. Approaching the secluded cliff, she saw Ma Jingguo sitting right on the edge. She walked forward slowly and sank down beside him.
She wiped her tears, her voice shaky. "Ma shixiong." She looked at him; he had grown a full beard over the past few months, a visible sign of his endless mourning for Mu Dishi. "Can I have a drink?"
Ma Jingguo turned to Chen Dandan, his eyes dull with perpetual sorrow. "Xiao meimei, you shouldn't be drinking."
Chen Dandan's composure broke. "Ma Shixiong, my Shixiong was kidnapped, and they are using his life to force Shifu to heal an unknown man!" She felt fresh tears slowly fall. "My Shixiong is like a father and a mother to me. He is my only relative in this world."
Ma Jingguo sighed deeply, rubbing the golden bell he secretly held inside his left hand. "My xiao shushu was also my only relative before he died." His voice was heavy with desolate finality. "Now, I have no family."
"I want to find a way to save Shixiong," Chen Dandan insisted.
"If Shifu saves the injured man, then your Shixiong will be fine," Ma Jingguo said, offering the logical answer.
"What if they do not hold their end of the bargain and they kill my Shixiong?" she cried.
Ma Jingguo's eyes hardened with conviction. "I will help you avenge his death."
"It will be too late then!" Chen Dandan protested, frantic. "I don't want my Shixiong to die. I don't want to look at the sunset every day with grief, like you."
Ma Jingguo's face softened slightly. "My xiao shushu likes the color of the sunset." He looked directly at Chen Dandan. "When you figure out a plan to save your shixiong, let me know. I'll accompany you to bring your shixiong home."
"Are you going to change your mind?"
Ma Jingguo spoke with frightening clarity. "After Shifu heals the injured man, I will take him to exchange for your Shixiong. If he already kills your shixiong, I will kill the injured man. If the kidnapper is not happy with it, I will fight with him until one of us dies."
Chen Dandan gasped, understanding the underlying death wish. "Ma shixiong, don't fight with the kidnapper. Just kill the injured person and flee. I heard that the kidnapper is very skillful."
Ma Jingguo smiled, a deep, sorrowful smile. "The more skillful he is, the more I want to fight him."
"If you fight him, you will also be killed!"
"The sooner I die," Ma Jingguo replied quietly, looking out at the vast horizon, "the sooner I will get to see xiao shushu."