The night wind rushed past, making the hem of the hidden figure's robes flutter wildly against the dark silhouette of the tree. Slowly, deliberately, the person emerged from the shadows and stepped out into the stark moonlight. With each measured stride, their feet crushed the dry leaves underfoot, sending sharp, echoing sounds cutting through the otherwise silent night.
When the moon shone on the person walking towards Wang Biming, it was no other than the current Tianshan chief, Fu Yuanjun. He deliberately walked to stand right beside Wang Biming and turned to look at him.
He smiled, his voice casual. "Wang gongzi, is that Mu Dishi?"
Wang Biming refused to meet his eyes, his gaze still fixed on the direction in which Mu Dishi had disappeared. "Why do you still ask this question when you see it with your own eyes?"
Fu Yuanjun's smile vanished. His heart sank. "How can Mu Dishi still be alive?"
"I saved him. Is there any problem?" Wang Biming's voice was flat, daring him to object.
"Not at all, but Wang gongzi…" Fu Yuanjun looked pointedly at him. "Saving Mu Dishi may be your biggest mistake. I suggest you kill him."
Wang Biming replied with chilling indifference. "If you dare touch a single strand of Dishi's hair, you can say goodbye to your dream of becoming the supreme chief of the martial arts world. The moment you want to hurt Dishi, I am sure there are many secrets between the four households that many martial artists in the martial arts circle want to hear—especially our stories."
Fu Yuanjun giggled foolishly. "Are you threatening me?"
"You can interpret it however you want. You stay away from Dishi. I don't like to repeat myself. You also know Dishi is a very important person to me. Is this too much to ask?"
Fu Yuanjun scoffed. "You sound as if I want to kill Mu ge? The problem with Mu ge is that everyone agrees for me to kill him, but who would have known that Mu ge had survived the seven-colors pill until now." He clapped his hands three times. "The Mu healer skills are undeniable."
Wang Biming finally turned, meeting his gaze with a cold challenge. "Fu gongzi, if you want to kill Dishi using poison, then it's in vain. Dishi has been soaked in medicine since he was a child, and he is very proficient in medicine, so your ordinary poison will not hurt him. Go back and tell the people who want to kill Dishi that… if they want to kill him, don't come with cheap tricks; they should come with great fighting skills."
Fu Yuanjun smiled, accepting the new information. "I will remember that. If it weren't for you, Mu ge would have died a long time ago."
"I haven't settled the score with you yet," Wang Biming reminded him.
Fu Yuanjun rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Let's settle that score some other day. I have to attend the four households' conference."
"Fu gongzi, a piece of advice," Wang Biming offered.
"I am all ears."
Wang Biming's tone was sharp. "Don't wear too many layers of skin on your face, because if one-layer peels, the rest will peel too."
Fu Yuanjun's smile was dismissive. "Wang gongzi, thank you for your advice. See you at the four households' conference."
Miao Mingzhu walked out from the side, frowning. "What a sneaky bastard?"
"Indeed, you are a sneaky bastard." Ma Jingguo's cold voice came from behind Miao Mingzhu and Wang Biming.
Wang Biming and Miao Mingzhu spun around to see Ma Jingguo, panting as though he had been running all night, staring at them with a lethal, chilling intent to kill.
Ma Jingguo demanded, his voice tight with impatience. "Where is xiao shushu?"
Wang Biming smiled, a new rival in his sight. "I don't know anyone named xiao shushu, but if you are asking if my Dishi is here, then my answer is no."
"Your Dishi..." Ma Jingguo chuckled chillingly, the sound devoid of humor. "He was never yours. Not then, and especially not now." He stared fixedly at Wang Biming and Miao Mingzhu. "So, this Wen da ge is my xiao shushu, right?" He clenched his fists, prepared to kill Wang Biming where he stood.
Wang Biming mocked him with a gentle smile. "Little nephew, you shouldn't talk to your elders like this. You should be more respectful."
Ma Jingguo gritted his teeth, his temper snapping. "I am very firm about this: you better pray that I am dead, otherwise, I will make your life a living hell."
Miao Mingzhu nervously clutched Wang Biming's sleeve and whispered, "Da shixiong, stop angering him more. He practices the Devil Fists Manual past level five, and by the way he is unable to control his anger, it shows that the Devil Fists have begun messing with his mind."
Wang Biming ignored her desperate warning. He smirked at Ma Jingguo, his voice dripping with mockery. "I remember it clearly, but nephew, if you want to kill me, come and do it yourself. Don't send your puppy to chase me."
Ma Jingguo smiled, a dangerous, cold flash in his eyes. "Very well, I am here to kill you myself now."
Ma Jingguo shot forward, throwing a massive punch directly at Wang Biming. Wang Biming countered with his own Devil Fist, but Ma Jingguo's internal strength was leagued beyond his. The sheer power of Ma Jingguo's blow made Wang Biming slide back thirty yards. Wang Biming immediately vomited a mouthful of blood.
Wang Biming wiped the blood from his mouth, struggling to keep his composure. "My nephew, I haven't seen you for many months. Your internal strength is much stronger than before."
Ma Jingguo flew toward Wang Biming again. Miao Mingzhu knew another punch would kill him. She urgently fired four needles at Ma Jingguo, forcing him to evade the attack.
Miao Mingzhu pleaded with him. "You should thank da shixiong for giving you the second chance to see Mu Dishi again!"
Ma Jingguo paused, confused. "What do you mean?"
Miao Mingzhu revealed the truth in a harsh torrent. "If it wasn't for da shixiong who risked his life to save Mu Dishi, do you think that useless dog Suo Dongmei could have chased us across Central Plains so easily?" She rushed back to check Wang Biming. "A life for a life. You love Mu Dishi very much. So, what do you want to give da shixiong for saving the person you love most?"
Ma Jingguo's heart thrummed with the confirmation. "Fine, a life for a life. If you tell me the answer to my question."
Miao Mingzhu smiled, sealing the pact. "Yes, Wen da ge is indeed Mu Dishi!" Her voice was laced with malicious triumph. "It's a pity that he watched you mess around with other men. My da shixiong gave you a chance to reconcile with Mu Dishi, and again, you blew it." She and Wang Biming began to walk away into the darkness. "Ma Jingguo, remember your words, a life for a life."
Ignoring the pain, the betrayal, and the warning, Ma Jingguo rushed toward the small house, his heart pounding with the exhilarating knowledge that the person he had mourned for a year was still alive. When he arrived, the house was dark. He looked at the table and saw that the abundant meal he had lovingly prepared earlier had been eaten.
He stood there, staring at the table and then at the door, and began to wait patiently for Mu Dishi to come home, just as he had done so many times inside their cave, clinging to the hope that had just been miraculously returned to him.