The remaining members of the Sunset Sect, as well as the bewildered martial artists imprisoned in the cages, all turned their gazes fully onto Ma Jingguo and the masked warrior. The moment Ma Jingguo had casually, yet intensely, referred to his opponent as xiao shushu, the older martial artists instantly understood the masked man's true identity. The mystery was solved: the fearsome Chief of the Sunset Sect was facing Mu Dishi, the very man he was so desperately devoted to. This startling revelation also provided the clear, heartbreaking reason why the masked warrior had ignored all the other captives and focused solely on rescuing Yong Taihua and Elder Tong—the two men closest to him after his forced exile.
Mu Dishi offered Ma Jingguo no response. He simply rolled his eyes at the Chief Demon with a look of cold disdain and continued to drag Yong Taihua and Elder Tong forcefully toward the front entrance.
Si Meifeng was visibly taken aback. She turned to the people standing beside her for confirmation, disbelief etched on her face. "Is the Chief truly going to allow that man to simply drag those two prisoners away like that?"
Yao Hu shook his head in confusion. "What's the matter? This is the first time I have ever seen the Chief act this way."
Yuan Chaomei secretly let out a breath of profound relief. She was satisfied that Ma Jingguo had finally met Mu Dishi. "Let him be," she stated, a hint of deep understanding in her voice. "There are things in this world that are simply beyond our control."
Ma Jingguo, however, was already in motion. He chased after Mu Dishi with the wide-eyed, innocent urgency of a child chasing his mother. "Hey, talk to me!" Ma Jingguo shouted, the sound echoing off the stone walls. "Don't ignore me! Wait for me!"
Yong Taihua, who was still being dragged along, looked back in stunned doubt. "Shizun… shizun...?"
Elder Tong, equally shocked, managed to speak, "Dishi, you... you are not dead?"
"No," Mu Dishi replied, his voice flat and cold. He did not slow down, continuing to drag the two of them relentlessly toward the exit stairwell.
The air crackled with confusion and disbelief as the voices of the captured martial artists swelled, echoing off the stone walls of the mountain compound. They simply could not understand why the fearsome Demon Lord, who struck terror into the hearts of all, would chase after a person like a desperate husband trying to reconcile with his angry wife.
"What is going on?" one shouted.
"What happened to Demon Xin?" asked another.
"Did he lose his mind because he practiced the Devil Fist too much?" a third wondered.
The younger martial artists and the members of the Sunset Sector were equally bewildered by Ma Jingguo's childish, frantic behavior.
Ma Jingguo knew that if Mu Dishi truly wanted to leave, there was no power on the mountain that could stop him. He halted his pursuit and shouted, his voice ringing with a plea rather than a threat: "Xiao shushu, I will not stop you if you want to leave, but even if you save them, if you do not get the antidote, they will die within twelve hours!"
Inside his mind, Ma Jingguo was in agony: 'Xiao shushu, just turn around and walk to me. Let me hold you in my arms to make up for all the lost time we have been apart. Just turn around and walk back to these arms that long for you, every second of every day.' He then whispered a fervent prayer, "Mother help me... make xiao shushu come back to me."
Mu Dishi stopped abruptly at the stairwell and turned. He walked back toward Ma Jingguo with a desperate, hurried pace. He stretched out his hand. "The antidote," he commanded.
Ma Jingguo reached into his robe and pulled out a single white pill. "Take this, and stay with me," he offered, a joyful intensity in his eyes. "If you do, I will release all these useless people. As a bonus, I will provide them all with the antidote."
Yong Taihua rushed back, his face contorted in fury. He pointed an accusing finger at Ma Jingguo. "Demon Ma... you sneaky bastard!"
Mu Dishi ignored him. He reached up and swiftly pulled off the masked cloth. When everyone saw Mu Dishi's face, they gasped—a collective sound of recognition and astonishment.
Ma Jingguo's face broke into a look of overwhelming happiness. "Xiao shushu! It's really you."
Mu Dishi reached out, took the pill, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it immediately.
"Shizun!" Yong Taihua cried out.
"Take everyone and leave," Mu Dishi ordered coldly.
Yong Taihua glared venomously at Ma Jingguo. "Demon Ma, if you dare to hurt my shizun, I will kill you! I will burn your sector to ashes!"
"Drag this loudmouth out of here," Ma Jingguo said, his attention already elsewhere.
Two Sunset Sect members quickly rushed forward and dragged the struggling Yong Taihua away, and the other freed martial artists followed them down the stairs.
Yong Taihua's final shout echoed from the darkness below, "Shizun, wait for me! I will come to rescue you!"
Ma Jingguo, his heart overflowing, shouted back happily at Yong Taihua: "Yong Taihua, if you come back, I will kill Yan Zhanjin and destroy Sword Village!" He then quickly stretched out his arms and wrapped Mu Dishi tightly in a crushing embrace.
Mu Dishi snorted and tried to struggle. "Let go of me," he demanded angrily.
"No," Ma Jingguo insisted, his arms tightening. "Every time I let you go, you eventually leave me."
It was only then, as he clung to Mu Dishi, that he realized something was terribly wrong. Mu Dishi's left sleeve was strangely flat and empty. He instantly pushed Mu Dishi back and frantically reached out to feel the sleeve with his hands. "Xiao shushu, what happened to your left arm? Why is it an empty sleeve?"
Mu Dishi simply said, "Nothing happened."
Ma Jingguo's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a frightening intensity. He grabbed Mu Dishi's shoulders, his expression stern. "Answer me now!"
"Nothing..." Mu Dishi began, but was immediately interrupted by a harsh cough, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Ma Jingguo's face twisted with alarm. "What is the matter with you?" he asked, his voice now ragged with worry.
Mu Dishi's reply was barely a whisper. "It hurts."
Ma Jingguo instantly scooped Mu Dishi up into his arms and carried him toward the inner chambers. He looked over his shoulder at Yuan Chaomei. "Chaomei, follow me back." Ma Jingguo rushed Mu Dishi to his private bedroom.
Inside Ma Jingguo's opulent sleeping chamber, Mu Dishi lay pale on the massive bed while Ma Jingguo and Yuan Chaomei sat at a nearby table. Ma Jingguo wasted no time. "What happened to him?"
Yuan Chaomei explained the dire situation. "He was poisoned by the Seven Colors Pill, but he transferred the poison to his left arm. This is likely why he is still alive. It's also why he couldn't move his left arm; less movement meant the slower the poison spread. He has been using his internal energy to slowly force the poison out, little by little."
"Let me use my internal energy to force the poison out at once," Ma Jingguo offered immediately.
"That won't work, Chief," Yuan Chaomei said, shaking her head. "We cannot suddenly change the treatment methods. If we do, it will do more harm than good."
Ma Jingguo slammed his hand heavily on the table, the sound echoing through the room, his control snapping. "Fu Yuanjun..." he spat out.
Yuan Chaomei looked at Ma Jingguo. "Chief, even if Mu gongzi doesn't show it on his face, he is actually in a lot of pain right now."
Ma Jingguo slowly composed himself. "Chaomei, summon everyone for a meeting tomorrow morning. I have an announcement to make."
"Chief, are you leaving the Sunset Sect?" Yuan Chaomei asked, sensing a major shift.
"No, not yet," Ma Jingguo replied. "I just want to make a few things explicitly clear among the people in the Sunset Sect."
Yuan Chaomei asked, "Do you want to have dinner?"
Ma Jingguo shook his head, his focus entirely on the man lying on the bed.
"Alright," she said. She walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.
In the quiet hallway, Yuan Chaomei found Li Howin standing vigil in front of the bedroom door. She walked over to him. "Why are you still awake?"
Li Howin asked worriedly, "Is the Chief alright?"
"He is fine," Yuan Chaomei assured him.
Li Howin hesitated, then whispered, "I heard some members say that because the Chief practices the Devil Fists so much, the side effects will eventually make him unable to control his temper."
Yuan Chaomei smiled faintly. "Because he has finally met Mu gongzi, his temper will be well under control from now on, so don't worry about it. I think that in the future, there will be fewer episodes where he will be mad at anyone for no reason—if Mu gongzi does not suddenly decide to leave."
Li Howin lowered his gaze. "Yuan jiejie, are Mu gongzi and xiao shushu the same person?"
"Yes," Yuan Chaomei confirmed. She watched Li Howin anxiously bite his lip. "Li Didi, the Chief loves Mu gongzi a great deal and has admired him intensely since childhood. The Chief will not have eyes for any others." She looked him directly in the eye. "Do you understand?"
Li Howin nodded slowly. "I understand. I was sold to the Chief; I know I should not put myself higher than a slave."
"Perhaps this situation will be good for you," Yuan Chaomei suggested gently. "You can finally gain your freedom."
"How?" he asked, looking up sharply.
"If Mu gongzi gives you your freedom, the Chief has no say in the matter." She smiled at Li Howin. "I must prepare for tomorrow's meeting. Go and rest, and do not think too much."
Yuan Chaomei watched Li Howin slowly walk away, then sighed and shook her head. "Li Didi, do you not realize that love only has one winner, and you are not the winner here."