The echoing laughter of Zan Huanming rang in the ears of those who were far and near. As he looked upon the ground and saw the death of his enemies, his heart was filled with happiness and dark satisfaction.
But that was not the same with Ji Chujiu. His heart was torn apart when he looked at the dead people around him; his eyes fixed in horror on his master, Jia Jin. He looked at his sword; it was heavily stained with blood.
One of the men who had survived the slaughter pointed his sword at Ji Chujiu and shouted angrily, "You, ungrateful student, joined the Demon Clan and killed your master!"
Ji Chujiu's face turned to horror, and he shook his head vehemently. He looked at the bodies, then back at his master. "I didn't kill my shifu," he stated, his voice ringing with shock.
Another person shouted at him, pointing to the gruesome evidence, "Look at your sword!"
Ji Chujiu turned his full attention to Zan Huanming. "Did you use music to order me to kill?" he demanded.
Zan Huanming replied, cold and straightforward, "Yes."
Ji Chujiu grabbed Zan Huanming's hand. "Are you out of your mind?"
Zan Huanming pulled his hand away, his expression chillingly clear. "No, my thinking is as clear as always." He looked out at the remaining terrified people in the arena. "These people," he said, pointing at them, "are liars who claimed to be righteous, but the skin on their face is nothing but a thin layer of masks. Their so-called Sunset campaign killed everyone that I know. I just did what they did to Sunset Sector."
Ji Chujiu raised his voice, pain twisting his features. "By using me and falsely befriended me?"
Zan Huanming insisted, his face earnest. "I made friends with you because of our love for music."
"I always thought you were my confidant," Ji Chujiu murmured, the despair in his voice evident.
Zan Huanming walked to Ji Chujiu's side, placing himself between his friend and the hostile crowd. "I'm still am." He turned to face everyone, his voice regaining its lethal authority. "Whoever wants to hurt Chujiu you need to think twice. If you dare strike, I'm going to kill you all."
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his Achilles tendons. He crumpled, falling into Ji Chujiu's arms. He looked up at his friend, a look of profound, agonizing betrayal on his face. "You… why?"
Ji Chujiu held him close, his voice thick with a twisted form of love. "Huangming, you are a very important person to me. I don't want to see you hold on to so much hatred. Only in this way can I protect you and not be ashamed of my actions because now you are a disabled man." He stroked Zan Huanming's face. "Don't be afraid, I will always be with you."
Ji Chujiu then picked up the crippled Zan Huanming, and the two men flew away from the temple grounds.
The two men were still flying away when Zan Huanming shouted angrily, "Release the arrows!"
Zan Huanming and Ji Chujiu managed to reach a cave where they hid for seven days. Within those seven days, Zan Huanming did not speak a single word to Ji Chujiu, the silence a heavy punishment for the betrayal.
On the eighth day, Zan Huanming finally spoke, looking at Ji Chujiu. "I want some wine. Go get me some wine."
"You stay here, I will buy you some," Ji Chujiu said immediately.
Zan Huanming's voice was sharp and laced with bitterness. "You don't need to ask me to stay here. You have cut my tendons, and I can't go anywhere even if I want to."
Ji Chujiu felt hurt when he heard Zan Huanming's words. He gently picked up Zan Huanming and leaned him against the cave wall. He said, "I will be back."
Ji Chujiu walked to the village and sat at a table, waiting for his food and wine. He couldn't help but overhear two martial artists sitting at the adjacent table, loudly discussing the recent events.
Man one spat out the words: "That rebellious bastard Ji Chujiu. He killed his shifu, the man who raised him since he was a child."
Man two chuckled. "I heard that Zan Huanming bewitched him." He laughed again, a cynical sound. "Who would have thought that Ji Chujiu would fall in love with a man?"
Man one leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you see how passionate they were at Shaolin? They hugged each other and were willing to die for each other."
Man two laughed coarsely. "Perhaps Zan Huanming is better than any woman in bed."
The two men exchanged lewd smiles and continued to gossip about the sensational tragedy, unaware that their subject was sitting just a few feet away.
Ji Chujiu grabbed his food and wine and walked back. He knew these people didn't understand. The love between Zan Huanming and him was beyond those people's understanding.
Back in the cave, he saw that Zan Huanming was still leaning against the wall, but he found that Zan Huanming's lips were slightly purple. He rushed to Zan Huanming's side.
Ji Chujiu passed his internal energy into Zan Huanming. After a while, Zan Huanming opened his eyes.
Zan Huanming said weakly, "Chujiu, don't waste your energy anymore."
"What did you do?" Ji Chujiu demanded, his voice frantic.
Zan Huanming smiled sadly. "I took some poison while you were away." He looked at Ji Chujiu with regret. "I'm sorry to put you in this situation. I know that the Sunset Sector was extinct a few years ago. I never intended to involve you in my revenge."
Ji Chujiu said softly, "I am not angry with you."
Zan Huanming spoke slowly, his voice weak. "After I died, you cut off my head and walked back to your sector. Tell them that you killed me to avenge your shifu. Those so-called martial artists will forgive you. You can go back to where you used to be." He laughed weakly. "My one regret is my time with you is too short. In the end, I only regret not seizing the opportunity, the relationship I was afraid of having, and I waited too long to make the decision."
Ji Chujiu smiled through his own pain. "I don't regret anything. I don't regret knowing you. For you, who is my soulmate."
Tears welled in Zan Huanming's eyes as he quoted:
I'm going to try to speak the word that my heart wants you to know
I want to see your face reaction when the music began to roll.
Nobody else understand my thoughts and touch my soul like you can
No one can melt my heart like you do simply by plucking those silver strings.
Ji Chujiu sat beside Zan Huanming and held him in his arm. He wiped away the tears from the corner of Zan Huanming's eyes and he quoted:
I spent my days wandering and waiting for you
As we travel down the path to the unknown, I toast to you
Let us stop often on this unknown path and plucking ours strings
To accompany lonely souls who travel without their soulmate.
Zan Huanming stretched out his hand to take a pill from his belt and put it in Ji Chujiu's hand. He smiled gently and said, "Let us accompany the lonely soul together."
Zan Huanming died in the arms of Ji Chujiu.
Ji Chujiu took the pill and placed Zan Huanming's head on his thigh. His left hand held Zan Huanming's right hand. He lowered his head and kissed Zan Huanming's forehead. He smiled, his heartbreak tempered by resolve, and said, "In life we accompany each other, in death there will be no difference."
Kuo Ju ended her story, her gaze softening as she looked at Ma Jingguo. "They are not martial arts masters, but two music lovers who made friends with music and poetry." She looked at him sternly. "If you're going to spend your days mourning for Mu Dishi, it's better to take advantage of this time to improve your skills by shifting your thoughts to something else. Jinfeng Sector has the original Devil Fist Manual."
"Shimu wants me to practice the Devil Fist?" Ma Jingguo asked, shocked.
"Yes," Kuo Ju affirmed.
"Why?"
Kuo Ju explained her reasoning clearly. "First, you will be able to protect Jinfeng Sector. Secondly, if Mu Dishi somehow achieved death like you said, he will not use Killer Strings on you."
Ma Jingguo's eyes filled with a new, dark light. "Shimu, I am willing."
"Very well, come with me."
Ma Jingguo followed Kuo Ju to the back seclusion hill. He knew his current skills were poor, so this was a great opportunity for him to improve. He believed that when he walked out of seclusion, he would be a different person, finally able to stand equal to Mu Dishi. His final, desperate thought hardened into a frightening resolve: He would get Mu Dishi, take Mu Dishi back to be his, and locked Mu Dishi away.