The four had traveled through the night. The search for Yang Ru had been fruitless; after three days, the volunteer martial artists had canceled the operation and gone their separate ways.
It was almost dawn when the group saw a small teahouse on the side of the road. They decided to take a much-needed break before continuing their walk to Sword Village. While sitting and drinking tea, they saw the seven members of Sword Village—including the talkative Yan Zhanjin and Chen Dandan—entering the same teahouse.
Dong Lanying noted the strange coincidence. "It seems like they left right after us."
Rao Zhengsheng maintained a diplomatic posture. "They are members of Sword Village, and also, the road is free for anyone to travel. We are going to visit them, so let's play nice."
Xue Horan wasn't paying much attention to this issue, listening to Rao Zhengsheng and Dong Lanying talk back and forth about Sword Village. Suddenly, a familiar voice made him look back.
Yongzheng asked the waiter, in his usual calm tone, "How much is one bowl of noodle?"
The waiter replied, "One bowl of noodle is one liang."
Xue Horan watched Yongzheng take out a worn-out money bag, take out one liang, and hand it to the waiter. The waiter smiled at him. "Your bowl of noodles will be right out."
Sitting out in the late summer sun, Yongzheng remembered when he first met Xue Horan; their first meal together had also been noodle soup. He briefly wondered how Xue Horan had been doing. The waiter soon set his bowl of noodles in front of him. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
Rao Zhengsheng noticed Xue Horan's distracted gaze. "Horan, what's the matter?"
Xue Horan replied, his attention entirely on the Taoist. "Zhen Ge, Yongzheng sits over there."
Dong Lanying immediately suggested, "Would you like to invite him to our table? Anyway, he and his Shifu once rescued us from Cao Fengge."
Xue Horan turned to her, curious. "You haven't told me about this. How did Yongzheng save you?"
Dong Lanying explained the severity of the threat. "Although he looks like this, his internal skills are very strong. When Da Shixiong and I tried to kill Cao Fengge in Sword Village, we were no match for him because he had the five-colored Mice with him. Also, our skills weren't good at that time. Yongzheng and his master distracted Cao Fengge and gave us a chance to escape."
Xue Horan, grateful for his friend's past aid, insisted, "Then invite him to eat with us, because he also saved me many times." Rao Zhengsheng, who could not say no to Xue Horan, smiled and nodded.
Xue Horan quickly walked to the other side of the small teahouse and put his hand on Yongzheng's right shoulder. "Yongzheng."
Yongzheng looked up, seeing Xue Horan smiling down at him. He swallowed the noodles. "Horan, what are you doing here?"
Xue Horan, full of friendly enthusiasm, insisted, "Come and sit at our table." He stretched out his hand and grabbed Yongzheng's right wrist, beginning to drag him back to their table.
Yongzheng stopped, showing a rare moment of discomfort. "Horan, it's alright. I can sit at my table. There are only four stools."
Xue Horan found a simple solution. "We can sit on the same stool." He continued to pull Yongzheng's hand, bringing him to their table. Xue Horan let Yongzheng sit on his stool, and he proceeded to sit on the same stool as Rao Zhengsheng.
As more and more martial artists of different sects and clans arrived and sat down, the five young people—Rao Zhengsheng, Xue Horan, Dong Lanying, Yuan Xiurong, and Yongzheng—began to eat their respective meals. The teahouse buzzed with chatter.
The talk quickly turned to the recent tragedy on the mountain.
The first man said, his voice low, "I heard that Mu Dishi is not dead, and he still lives inside Mu Cave."
A woman quickly corrected him. "You heard it wrong, Mu Dishi is dead, but according to the local priest, the mountain is haunted. I don't doubt it at all."
The second man, curious, asked, "What do you mean?"
The woman looked at the two of them and lowered her voice further. "Too many martial artists have died in the Mu Treasure Cave. It's normal for their spirits to roam the cave at night."
Xue Horan turned to Rao Zhengsheng, the conversation finally breaking through his appetite. "Zhen Ge, who is this, Mu Dishi? Why do people say that I look like him?"
Rao Zhengsheng was cautious in his reply. "I only saw him once, many years ago. I didn't pay much attention to his looks, so I don't know if you two look alike."
Yuan Xiurong took the opportunity to display her knowledge, clearly and confidently educating Xue Horan. "Mu Dishi was the last survivor of the Mu Clan. He is the only person who has completed the 'Killer Strings Manual' besides Zan Huangming of the Sunsect Sect."
She continued her history lesson. "Many years ago, since the despairing of Zan Huangming, people thought the 'Killer Strings Manual' was lost forever, until Mu Jiao Long used it to earn his place in the martial arts world. Since the death of Mu Jiao Long, people thought the 'Killer Strings Manual' was lost once more, until Mu Dishi showed up in Central Plains and claimed the lives of members from the three sectors and four clans. The whereabouts of Mu Dishi is unknown, but everyone believes that he is dead after the incident inside the Mu Treasure Cave. No one has seen him."
Listening to Yuan Xiurong sharing her profound knowledge of the martial arts world, Xue Horan finally understood why Rao Zhengsheng insisted on having Yuan Xiurong by his side. Although Yuan Xiurong might be physically weak, she possessed a deep, valuable knowledge of the martial arts world's history and politics.
His thoughts immediately turned inward. He compared himself to her with bitter regret. He was a person who knew nothing about the martial arts world. All he knew how to do was cook, clean, wash clothes, and practice swordsmanship. For him, as far back as he could remember, he only ever wanted to be with Rao Zhengsheng and take care of him. So, instead of learning what the complex world of martial arts truly was, he had spent all his time practicing being a good housewife.
Now, he regretted it very much, believing he had wasted all those years practicing the wrong thing.
Rao Zhengsheng noticed that Xue Horan was only poking his noodles, deep in thought. He picked up two beef strips with his chopsticks and placed them into Xue Horan's bowl. He asked gently, "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
Xue Horan quickly composed himself, unwilling to reveal his self-doubt. "No, I like it. I'm thinking about what I should do to improve the taste, but I can't think of anything else." He framed his anxiety as a culinary critique.
Rao Zhengsheng smiled, playing along. "When we return to the Yuan Mansion, how about you cook us a meal? I really want to eat the food you cook."
Xue Horan's face brightened instantly. "Alright."
Rao Zhengsheng and Xue Horan talked as if they were the only two people in the whole roadside teahouse, their conversation an intimate bubble isolating them from the world.
From a distance, Yan Zhanjin watched the pair, then turned to Yong Taihua. "No matter how you look at it, that young man is very similar to Mu Dishi."
Yong Taihua remained skeptical. "I don't see any similarities."
Yong Caixia sided with Yan Zhanjin. "I agree with Yan Ge."
Chen Dandan questioned Yong Taihua's denial. "How come only you and Cao Gongzi said that he doesn't look like Mu Dishi, when everyone else agrees that he does look like Mu Dishi?"
Yong Taihua retorted, "I have the same question for everyone who thinks he looks like Shizun."
Yan Zhanjin decided to move on. "Alright, if we meet Ma-Ge, let's ask him." He then focused his intense gaze on Yong Taihua, as if he already knew a secret. "I always wanted to ask you..."
Yong Taihua prompted him. "What?"
Yan Zhanjin threw out a risky question. "You have a lot of respect for Mu Dishi; do you have a thing for him?"
Yong Taihua's face flushed with indignation. "Yan Zhanjin, watch your words! I would never have such thoughts about Shizun! I respect him highly." He looked at Yan Zhanjin, a rare vulnerability in his voice. "Even if I do, do you think Shizun will lay his eyes on me?"
Yan Zhanjin chuckled, realizing he had crossed the line. "Probably not." He quickly changed the topic. "I asked because you are not young anymore and you have not shown any signs of marriage."
Yong Caixia interjected, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Who said that?"
Yan Zhanjin looked at Yong Taihua, asking, "Who is the lucky girl?" His gaze then fell on Yong Caixia, who was subtly glancing at Chen Dandan. He put two and two together and choked heavily on his tea. "You... him... when?"
Chen Dandan blushed crimson, saying shyly, "I don't know."
Yan Zhanjin, recovering from the surprise, asked about the family approval. "What does Chief Yong think about your two?"
Yong Caixia proudly stated, "Father has no objection, other than urging Da Ge to quickly get married, because he very much wants to hold his grandchildren."
Yong Taihua, now amused, turned the tables on Yan Zhanjin. "Do you have any objections?"
Yan Zhanjin became deadly serious, reflecting his deep commitment to Chen Dandan's happiness. "As long as you are loyal to her, I don't but mark my words. If you cheat and marry a mistress, I will poison you to death!" He paused for dramatic effect. "No, I will poison everyone in Sword Village to death!" He pointed at Yong Caixia. "You are my witness."
Chen Dandan, now laughing, chided him playfully. "Da Shixiong, whatever happened to your motto 'my hands are here to save lives, not to take lives, no matter how evil the patient is'?" She looked at Yong Caixia and suggested mischievously, "Da Shixiong, how about you marry Caixia?"
Yan Zhanjin was aghast. "You must be crazy! I treat her like Taihua treats her. She is my other meimei."
Yong Caixia, enjoying the teasing, smiled and said, "When have I ever declined another Da Ge?"
Everyone at the table laughed and enjoyed the warm, convivial dinner.
Yan Zhanjin looked at the newly happy couple, but deep in his heart, he knew that no one could please his heart like Zhu Mingyang. He also accepted the painful fact that he had met Zhu Mingyang too late and that he would never feel the same way about anyone else. He frowned deeply and silently spoke in his heart, "Mingyang, how are you doing? Do you enjoy life happily with the one you love?"