Mu Dishi summoned the last dregs of his strength, his internal force blazing to sever the chains of the massive boulder. The huge stone groaned and rolled, slamming shut the trap door tunnel, sealing Fu Yuanjun and the assassins outside. Mu Dishi collapsed onto his knees, coughing up more blood, the final toll taken. He slowly managed to brace himself against the cold cave wall.
Closing his eyes, he strained to catch the faintest sound of Ma Jingguo. For a desperate, agonizing stretch of time, he heard nothing but the roar of the nearby waterfall. His vision swam, and his breath grew ragged and shallow.
Then, faint, distant, he heard the sound: Ma Jingguo calling him four times. The calls grew fainter each time, confirming Ma Jingguo was alive but being swept away, drifting downstream and to safety.
A serene realization washed over him. He recalled his youthful arrogance—telling Mu Jiao Long he'd never die for love—and his uncle's gentle retort that he simply hadn't found the right person yet. Now, alone and dying, the cold-hearted Mu Dishi finally understood Wang Changming's ultimate sacrifice. He whispered, closing his eyes in acceptance, "Uncle Long, I understand why Wang Changming rather died than betray you."
Suddenly, a tiny, warm hand squeezed his own. A child's voice—sweet and clear—called to him: "Da ge, it's time to go, get up."
Mu Dishi forced his eyes open, barely managing a breath, "Mei Mei."
A gentler, heartbreakingly familiar voice reached him. "Dishi…"
Tears welled up in Mu Dishi's eyes. "Mother… I miss you very much."
Mu Ai smiled softly. "If you miss us, open your eyes and let's go."
Mu Dishi slowly did so, and there they were: Mu Jiao Long, Mu Ai, Mu Lan, and Mu Mei, standing perfectly clear before him. They wore the cherished clothes of memory—his mother's beautiful yellow dress, his father's happy, smiling face. He remembered the simple, joyous sight of his sisters running around the guest hall. Tears slipped down his cheeks.
He looked at Mu Jiao Long, his voice full of final understanding. "Uncle Long, I now understand why Wang Changming didn't betray you, but chose to die."
Mu Ai approached, her touch impossibly soft as she stroked his face. "My shy Xiao Dishi has grown up to be so handsome."
Mu Mei was impatient. "Da ge, we are all waiting for you. Get up quickly."
Mu Lan echoed her: "Dishi, hurry up."
Mu Dishi wanted nothing more than to join them, but his broken body was an unbearable weight. He murmured weakly, "I can't get up."
Mu Jiao Long smiled, his expression warm and inviting. "Put out your hand, and I will pull you up."
Mu Dishi slowly stretched out his own hand. As soon to touch his uncle's hand, the familiar darkness and pain vanished. When Mu Jiao Long pulled him up, he was instantly standing in front of Mu Village. He saw the village vibrant and full of life, just as he remembered. Children laughed and ran, elders stood discussing their affairs. The powerful, peaceful atmosphere of family calmed his ravaged heart.
Mu Ai reached out her hand to her son. "Dishi, let's go home."
Mu Dishi smiled, a genuine, profound smile of peace, and took Mu Ai's hand. He began to walk with Mu Jiao Long, Mu Lan, Mu Ai, and Mu Mei toward the welcoming life of Mu Village.
Suddenly, a voice, raw and desperate, pierced the serene vision, "Xiao Shushu!"
Mu Dishi paused, turning away from his family. He saw Ma Jingguo standing alone in the distance, extending his injured right hand toward him.
Ma Jingguo approached, his face a mask of pleading anguish. "Xiao Shushu, are you leaving me again?"
Mu Dishi smiled at Ma Jingguo, his heart breaking one last time for seeing Ma Jingguo's face for one last time. "Jingguo…I... I am going home..."
Leaning against the cold, dark cave wall, his eyes closed, blood still dripping from his mouth, Mu Dishi's head slowly hung down. He felt the necessity to say Ma Jingguo's name one last time, though the strength was leaving him. "Jingguo..." More blood poured out, yet a final, serene smile touched his face. "Jing..."
Ma Jingguo hit the water at a terrifying speed, the impact feeling like his entire broken back had slammed into a concrete wall. The force dragged him instantly deep underwater. His mind blanked for a moment, and only the choking rush of water flooding his mouth and nose jolted him back to consciousness. He realized his dire situation and frantically swam upward toward the surface.
When his head broke the water, he gasped, coughing and spitting out water and blood. The metallic taste of his own blood filled his mouth, but he barely registered it. His only concern was Mu Dishi.
"Xiao Shushu!" he screamed, his voice hoarse.
The powerful river repeatedly swept him down, slamming his body onto a pile of unforgiving rocks. He fought desperately against the flowing current, but his severely injured body was no match for nature's speed. He scanned the turbulent water, frantically searching for any sign of Mu Dishi.
It was then he noticed what he was gripping: Mu Dishi's right metal glove. He quickly wrenched the glove onto his hand, just as the current crashed him violently against another rock. A searing, blinding pain shot through his right shoulder, and this time, his arm went completely limp, unusable.
When he managed to gather himself again, he shouted Mu Dishi's name, his voice raw with despair.
After what felt like an eternity, but was only a few minutes, Ma Jingguo found the river current growing even stronger, the churning water filled with more dangerous rocks. The flow slammed him onto one rock after another, shattering his resolve.
With a final, desperate surge, he managed to grab hold of a sharp rock by the river's edge. He clung to it, panting heavily, unable to muster the strength to pull his injured body out of the rushing river. As he hung there, gasping for air, he saw a pair of boots appear directly in front of him.
Before he could react, a man grabbed him, hauled his waterlogged, broken body out of the river, and roughly threw him onto the ground.
Ma Jingguo didn't even have time to breathe before a foot slammed onto his chest, making him cough up a mouthful of blood.
Wang Biming looked down at him; his face contorted with rage and grief. "I will kill you!"
Ma Jingguo's eyes were vacant and pleading. "Very well, kill me. Kill me!"
Wang Biming glanced down at the right metal glove clutched in Ma Jingguo's hand. "How did you get this? Where is Dishi?"
Ma Jingguo whimpered, repeating his death wish. "Kill me, I don't want to live anymore."
Wang Biming sneered, his own pain twisting into violence. "Fine, I will kill you."
But a cold, controlling voice cut in. Fu Yuanjun approached from the left. "Wang gongzi, it's too easy to kill him."
Gu Xiaowen followed closely behind. "I agree with Leader Fu's opinion," he said.
Ma Jingguo, driven by blind fury and betrayal, slowly got up and lunged at the traitor, Fu Yuanjun. "I'm going to kill you!" He screamed.
Immediately, a silver leaf flew past Fu Yuanjun's head and struck Ma Jingguo on his already shattered right shoulder. Gu Jinjing stepped into view. "I have a better idea for him," she said, smiling at Fu Yuanjun. "People who are tired of living can live in our dungeon. He practices the Devil Fist Manual, and I will use him to deal with the old man."
Gu Xiaowen turned to Wang Biming. "Wang gongzi, don't forget, our ancestor's agreement is still valid."
Gu Jinjing continued to outline her plan. "For so many years, the old man has only given us a glimpse of the Devil Fist Manual. No one is more suitable than him." She scanned the group, including Fu Yuanjun, Wang Biming, and Miao Mingzhu. "Unless one of you is willing to fight the old man?"
Suo Dongmei approached, nodding her agreement. "I agree with Jinjing Jiejie."
Ma Jingguo snorted in agony, his voice weak but filled with venom. "Every one of you better pray that I die. Otherwise, I will make you suffer so miserably you'll beg to die."
Fu Yuanjun smirked. "I will be waiting for your arrival in Tianshan." He delivered a brutal, precise hit to the back of Ma Jingguo's neck, dropping him instantly. Fu Yuanjun walked over to Wang Biming's side and patted his shoulder lightly. "Wang gongzi, don't be too sad. There are many more men who look better than Mu Dishi."
Down in the underground Gu prison cells, a solitary oil lamp cast flickering light into a small, dark dungeon room. Two guards dragged Ma Jingguo's limp body inside and quickly slammed the door shut behind them.
An old man inside the room let out a grating laugh. "Ha… ha… ha… ha… Although I am old, I can still kill you all. Don't underestimate me by giving me a dead man to fight with!"
He threw a chain across the room and used it to drag Ma Jingguo's body toward him. The old man turned Ma Jingguo over, and the injured man's heavy right hand fell on his thigh. He quickly checked Ma Jingguo's nose, noting that he was still breathing. He then carefully examined the wounds, noticing Ma Jingguo's left shoulder was dislocated. With a swift, painful movement, the old man adjusted the shoulder. The shock of the searing pain brought Ma Jingguo back to consciousness.
Ma Jingguo slowly pushed himself up. "Who are you?" he demanded weakly.
The old man countered with his own question. "Who are you?"
Ma Jingguo's eyes fixed on the man's hand, where he saw the familiar gleam of Mu Dishi's right metal glove. He glared furiously. "Give it back to me!"
The old man raised the glove tauntingly. "Come and get it if you want it."
"It's mine, give it back to me!"
Ma Jingguo rushed forward, but the old man met him with a heavy punch to his already shattered right shoulder, sending him stumbling back. He collapsed onto his knees, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, his fury turning to pleading agony.
"Please, give it back to me. This is the only thing left of my Xiao Shushu!"
The old man threw the black glove back to Ma Jingguo. His demeanor changed, his eyes keen. "Do you want revenge?"
Ma Jingguo accepted the offer instantly, his voice colder than the stone dungeon. "Yes... I want to kill them all."
The old man nodded. "If you want revenge, you have to promise me three things."
"Why would I do that?" Ma Jingguo challenged.
"I am the only person that can help you seek revenge," the old man stated with chilling certainty.
Ma Jingguo asked, "How?"
"Do you want to learn the right way of the Devil Fist, or do you want to stay in a daze?" The old man's smile was malicious. "Those bastards want to learn it so much, and I gave them what they deserve. I lied to them. The more they practice the Devil Fist, the quicker they will lose their mind." He looked at Ma Jingguo, his eyes sharp. "Don't be afraid. I will not ask you to commit suicide. I only ask you that after mastering the Devil Fist Manual, you must destroy the six sects, four clans, and the four households in the name of the Sunset Sector." He clenched his fist tightly. "Especially, the four households."
Ma Jingguo, captivated by the promise of vengeance, asked, "Who are the four households?"
The old man's breath was ragged with hatred. "Wang... Cao... Gu... Rao..." He gritted his old yellow teeth. "I want these four households' names to disappear from the martial arts world."
Ma Jingguo pressed on. "What about the second and third promises?"
The old man concluded. "You will be my successor and accept me as your Shifu."
Ma Jingguo didn't hesitate. "Even if you don't say so, I am going to destroy them." He immediately knelt down and performed the ritual kowtow three times. "Shifu, what is your name?"
The old man smiled triumphantly. "Zan Huangming, the right guard of Sunset Sect." He chuckled; his voice laced with pride and power. "My other name is, the Killer String Master."