Early the next morning, before the kind family was stirring, Ma Jingguo quietly made the bed. He knew he couldn't stay any longer; if the Gu Manor guards came looking for their escaped prisoner, he wouldn't risk putting this wonderful family in danger.
He did not return to the Jinfeng Sect. The revelation that Kuo Ju had deliberately intended to break his mind to avenge Kuo Changchang had been devastating. He accepted his own past faults, but he also swore a silent, unbreakable oath: this was the absolute last time he would endure anyone's abuse. From this day forward, anyone who dared to hurt him or those he loved would be met with ruthless, instant death.
The journey was long, taking him fourteen days to walk from Shizi Village to Mu Village. He went straight to the familiar bamboo shed. He threw open the door—everything inside was exactly as they had left it. He rushed to the back stream, thinking Mu Dishi might be fishing, but the stream was empty, and the fish traps lay untouched.
As he walked slowly back, he saw two Sword Villager disciples approaching.
The male disciple complained, "I don't understand why da shixiong wants us to clean Mu shizun's shed when he is away."
The female disciple hissed a warning. "Don't talk too much, if da shixiong knows, you'll be in trouble."
Ma Jingguo's heart seized. The words confirmed his worst fear: Mu Dishi had never come back since the cave incident. The horrifying idea that Mu Dishi might still be clinging to life on the cliff edge ripped through him. After the disciples left, he entered their shed, packed a few clothes, and took the small amount of money Mu Dishi had hidden under the bed. He left Mu Village, heading for the Mu Treasure Cave.
Six days later, Ma Jingguo stood beneath the rushing waterfall, spotting the small tunnel opening on the cliff side. He tightened the bag around his waist, secured a long hook rope, and began his desperate climb up the sheer rock.
Halfway up, his muscles screamed from the strain, but the determination in his heart was boundless; he would not surrender. He repeated a mantra to himself: Mu Dishi was within his reach. The thought alone sent a surge of energy through him, and he continued to climb, driven by hope.
After nearly two grueling hours, he pulled himself up and over the ledge and into the empty tunnel. He was instantly surrounded by scattered piles of bones, but only one pile held his eye. He walked slowly toward the small, neat pile of bones resting against the cave wall. Arrows surrounded the skeleton, and next to them lay a dirty black glove.
Ma Jingguo sank to his knees and picked up the single black glove, clutching it tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips trembling with an agonizing mix of pain and savage anger. Tears slipped from his closed eyes, and a soft, broken sob escaped him as his right cheek pressed against the rough material of the glove.
He forced his eyes open. He saw Honglie's sheath lying to the left of the skeleton and the blade was stained with rusted blood.
Ma Jingguo looked at the bones, his voice a raw, choked accusation. "Did you say we are going home, and you will listen to me from now on?" He ground his teeth in furious grief. The sight of the skeleton fueled an unbearable rage. "Say something!" he screamed, his voice echoing violently in the tunnel. "SAY SOMETHING!"
He continued screaming and shouting at the pile of bones on the ground, his voice the only sound that echoed back at him. He demanded answers, pleas, and a reason for the betrayal, but received only the cold, deafening silence of the empty tunnel. His anguished cries were swallowed by the vast, uncaring mountain, leaving him utterly alone with the stark, unbearable truth of his loss.
He continued screaming and shouting at the pile of bones on the ground, his voice the only sound that echoed back at him. Exhausted, he finally fell silent, collapsing to his knees before quickly recoiling to the other side of the wall, staring at the bones in horror. His lips trembled in silent sobs, his head shaking slightly in frantic denial.
His eyes drifted away from the pile of bone, landing on the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the vivid last image of Mu Dishi and himself before they were separated forever.
He turned back, accepting the terrifying truth: the pile of bones belonged to the one person he loved so deadly. He scrambled forward on his hands and knees and gently grabbed the skeleton's hand with both of his.
He cried softly, "Xiao shushu, you promised to go home when we leave here." He crept closer to the skeleton. "At this time of year, the mangoes around our house must be very sweet." He stretched out his arms and hugged the skeleton of Mu Dishi tightly. "Turn your skeleton back into flesh. From now on, I will listen to you." He held the bones to his chest. "The last time I hugged you, you felt so warm. This time I hug you, you are a pile of bones. Death can defeat my body, but not my soul. I will travel through eternity, just to hold your hand again. Xiao shushu…"
Ma Jingguo stayed pressed against the cold cave wall all night, the skeleton resting on his lap. He cried until his tears ran dry. The next evening, leaning against the cold stone, he took out his jade flute and began to play Mu Dishi's favorite melody. He watched the sun sink into the horizon, missing his beloved more than ever.
The sweet, painful melody of the flute echoed through the hollow tunnels, conjuring a swirl of past events and the voices of their shared history:
"I am fine now. You can go away. Today, is supposed to be your wedding day."
"Xiao shushu, in my opinion, I still believe wholeheartedly that you and I are perfect for each other."
"Kill yourself! I don't want your blood to dirty my hand."
"Xiao shushu, why do you always have to hurt me before you care for me?"
"Xiao shushu, I really really like you."
"Jingguo, I really really like you too."
Ma Jingguo slowly lowered his flute, looking down at the skull resting on his lap. His tears fell onto the cold bone as he whispered his final, aching tribute. "Xiao shushu, if I plant a blossom tree every time I missed you, I will wander my blossom garden forever."