The martial artists in the training ground stared in stunned silence at the fearless Ma Jingguo.
At that moment, two figures stepped forward and quickly placed a magnificent chair at the entrance of the training ground. More men, all dressed in black, poured into the area and lined up behind Ma Jingguo, forming a menacing wall of support.
Whispers of recognition and fear began to sweep through the crowd:
One elder clan leader muttered, "Oh... it's the Yao brothers?"
Another voice hissed, "Number Ten, who assassinated master Ying and his family of twenty-five members."
A third voice trembled, "That Crazy Lee, the rapist."
Monk Ling finally stood and walked toward Ma Jingguo, his demeanor sorrowful. "Benefactor Ma, you are a disciple of Jinfeng Sector; why would you join the unorthodox clan?"
Ma Jingguo ignored the question, his eyes fixed on Kuo Ju. "Am I? Shimu…" He smiled, then corrected himself with cold sarcasm. "Not shimu, Kuo furen…"
Li Kong Bai intervened, trying to find reason. "It is understandable if you build the Ma Clan, but why is it Mu?"
Ma Jingguo made a quick motion with his hand, and a new figure, Mu Huidai, stepped forward to stand beside him. Ma Jingguo commanded, "Tell them who you are!"
Mu Huidai spoke, her voice carrying a terrifying, unnatural resonance. "I am Mu Huidai!"
The crowd buzzed again, recognizing the name.
"This is the woman we met in Shaolin!"
"Do you mean that Ma Jingguo is that person..."
Ma Jingguo cut through the confusion. "She is xiao shushu's disciple, so we have the right to come under the name of the Mu Clan!"
Yong Taihua stood up, trembling with furious indignation. "Ma Jingguo! You are a liar! Do you dare to slander my shizun's good name? Tell us your true purpose!"
Ma Jingguo's own rage flashed, his face contorting. "Yong Taihua, if you still remember that you are a disciple of my xiao shushu, shut up, otherwise—"
Yong Taihua stepped forward, challenging him. "Otherwise?"
Ma Jingguo's reply was deadly calm. "Otherwise... I will abolish you."
Yong Taihua was about to surge forward to strike Ma Jingguo, but Chen Dandan grabbed his arm, desperately shaking her head. "Taihua… don't." His father, Yong Gui, also shook his head, a silent command for restraint.
Fu Yuanjun looked at Ma Jingguo and smirked. He wasn't surprised by the man's survival or his new title as Sunset Sector leader, but he hadn't expected Ma Jingguo's sheer audacity to barge into the Heroes Conference. "If you come in the name of the Mu Clan, why do you bring so many criminals with you?"
Ma Jingguo glared at Fu Yuanjun, his teeth gritted in barely suppressed fury. "Fu Yuanjun, don't worry about not getting your share. Sooner or later, I will return that punch to you. Today, I am not here for you."
Num Chingmei looked at Ma Jingguo coldly. "Then why are you here today? Don't put the Mu on the table when you are not here for them."
Si Meifeng sighed dramatically. "Chief, I told you already, they are not stupid." She stretched out her hand expectantly to Ma Jingguo. "Pay up."
Ma Jingguo shook his head, a wry acknowledgment of his failed diversion. "You won this round, but next time, I will definitely win." He grudgingly placed one liang on Si Meifeng's palm.
Si Meifeng smiled, satisfied. "Alright..."
Ma Jingguo then announced his true purpose, his eyes sweeping the room. "Since you have seen through my little tricks, I am not here for any of you. Today I am here for Ji qianbei."
Kuo Jing Song frowned. "Ji qianbei died sixty-five years ago. You should know this; you used to be Jinfeng's disciple."
"I am here for his remains," Ma Jingguo stated simply.
Tang Jianyu cried out in outrage. "Ma Jingguo, digging up the coffin of Ji-xiong is unacceptable!"
Num Chingmei scoffed. "What right do you have? Do you think pathetic criminals can defeat us?"
Ma Jingguo smirked. "I'm afraid they will." He moved his hand, and two of his men dragged the battered Gu Xunsu and Gu Tianjian forward, shoving them onto the ground. "Ask them."
Gu Xiaowen rushed toward them. "Gugu, shushu!"
Gu Xunsu glared at Ma Jingguo. "If you want to kill us, don't talk too much nonsense."
Gu Tianjian, however, looked directly at his brother, Gu Tingfang, his voice laced with the truth of their defeat. "Ge, the Gu prison was destroyed by him." He shook his head. "Zan Huangming had killed many guards."
The name Zan Huangming ripped through the silence, creating a wave of shocked whispers among the martial artists.
"Zan Huangming?"
"He is back!"
"Zan Huangming, Killer Strings Master!"
"He is back!"
Two men carried Zan Huangming on a bamboo chair and placed him beside Ma Jingguo. Zan Huangming surveyed the multitude of martial artists. He looked directly at Gu Tingfang and spoke, his voice carrying the authority of a man facing death.
"I know how much time I have left and how to use it wisely. Today, I only come here for Chujiu. Anyone who has nothing to do with this matter, I suggest you stay away." He then focused his gaze on Kuo Jing Song. "I heard you are the son of the last chief after the loser Jia Jin. I had no problem defeating him back then, and fighting with you today will be no different. If you make way for us to pass, I will let the past go, but if you refuse, then our shoes will step on blood today. Your so-called hero conference will become a bloody conference!"
Num Chingmei remained defiant. "We are not afraid of you."
Ma Jingguo took out a fire-flare and held it aloft. "As soon as this lights up… hundreds of fire arrows will rain down onto Jinfeng Sect. You don't believe me?" He looked at Yuan Chaomei. "Chaomei!"
Yuan Chaomei instantly produced a signal flare, pulled the cord, and sent it soaring skyward. As soon as the flare burst, forty arrows shot directly into the training ground, burying themselves harmlessly, but chillingly, in the earth.
Kuo Ju knew instantly that refusal meant the massacre of their guests and the destruction of Jinfeng Sect. "What you want is to bring Ji qianbei with you?"
Ma Jingguo nodded. "Yes."
"Alright, you can have him," she conceded, her face pale but resolved. She turned to Kuo Jing Song. "Jing Song, let them pass."
Kuo Jing Song simply looked at Ma Jingguo. "You know where he was buried."
"Thank you," Ma Jingguo said, his victory secured.
Kuo Wenqian rushed to his mother, confused. "Mother, why did we let him in?"
Kuo Ju explained, her voice low. "Ji qianbei is a traitor of our clan, and he is not buried in the sect cemetery. If they want to take him away, so be it. Giving them one skeleton is better than all of us dying and the ruin of Jinfeng Sect."
Kuo Wenqian started to argue, "But mother—"
Kuo Jing Song placed a restraining hand on his daughter. "Wenqian, the Ah Chen of today is different from the Ah Chen that we knew when he was in Jinfeng Sect."
Fu Yuanjun spoke up, his smirk widening as he understood the tactical move. "Liu furen, Kuo qianbei's decision is correct. If she did not let Ma Jingguo have his way, who knows how many arrows would be shot at us."
Cao Wenyan murmured, impressed despite his fear. "He dared to come, knowing that we are all here. It shows that he was well prepared."
Gu Tianjian admitted to his brother. "Da ge, they destroyed the Gu prison cell."
Gu Tingfang looked at the surrounding enemies. "Prison cells can be rebuilt. Today, let us be lenient toward them because we are not prepared."
Kuo Changchang murmured sadly, watching Ma Jingguo. "How could such an ebullient person become this ruthless?" She sighed.
Kuo Ju, knowing the tragic truth of Ma Jingguo's transformation—a secret she kept—stated simply, "People often change because of their surroundings."
Yong Taihua looked at Chen Dandan. "What's wrong?"
Chen Dandan shook her head, terrified. "This is not the Ma ge I know."
Yong Taihua recalled a past conversation. "Remember what I said in Sword Village?" He looked at the terrifying men in black, who refused to move out of fear of the hidden archers. "If one day there is a very powerful martial artist seeking revenge, it's because these losers have pushed him too far. I'm not surprised at all."
Chen Dandan asked the burning question. "Could it be that these martial artists killed Mu ge?"
Yong Taihua nodded grimly. "With Ma Jingguo's attitude, there is no doubt."
Meanwhile, back at the Gu Manor, Si Pangfua rushed to the destroyed cell complex. She asked an injured guard, "Where is Er gongzi?"
The guard weakly replied, "He was taken away with the criminals, but when they ran away, he was not with them." Si Pangfua and ten guards rushed desperately into the cell.
Gu Gouliang was still immobilized, staring at a nearby Dao Sword, breathing heavily. He heard the cell doors opening one by one. He tried to scream, but his paralyzed muscles only allowed low, muffled cries. He heard Si Pangfua calling his name. Finally, his door swung open.
Si Pangfua flung the door wide, and all she heard was a horrific 'whoosh' rushing past her ears. Immediately afterward, she saw the sharp sword swinging quickly in front of her eyes. The blade cleanly struck Gu Gouliang's neck and then hit the brick wall with an incomparably crisp thwack. Gu Gouliang's body collapsed, separated from his head, which rolled sickeningly to the far right.
Si Pangfua screamed, recognizing the final, brutal act of revenge. "Liang'er!" She collapsed to the ground, crying hysterically. "My Liang'er! Ah…!"