The vast, echoing conference hall of the Mangsha Sect quickly emptied. Ma Jingguo watched his subordinates file out, his eyes lingering on the bitter, retreating form of Yuan Zixin. The heavy oak doors finally closed, sealing the silence within the cavernous hall.
Only six figures remained standing: Ma Jingguo, the outgoing Chief; the newly appointed Chief Yuan Chaomei; Right-Hand Guard Tong Keung; Left-Hand Guard Si Meifeng; and the two new sect masters, Yao Huo and Yao Hu. The five new tigers of the Sunset Sect stood in the dead center of the conquered territory, poised to plan their next move.
Ma Jingguo's Succession and Departure
"I want you all to know that after we come to terms with the Six Sects, I will leave the Sunset Sect with xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo announced.
Yao Hu immediately questioned the decision. "Why?"
Ma Jingguo explained, "At the beginning, I promised shifu that I would help him out of Gu prison and bring the Sunset Sect back into the martial arts world. I have fulfilled that promise. The five of you are my successors."
Tong Keung asked, "Is there any reason why the Chief suddenly decided to leave?"
"I have had no intention of staying here from the very beginning," Ma Jingguo stated. "I am still here now only because we are currently at war with the Six Sects and Four Households. You also might question why I chose Chaomei as my successor."
Yuan Chaomei admitted her confusion. "Chief, please explain. I am still confused about your decision."
Ma Jingguo elaborated, "I have been thinking deeply about Wen Jiayi's letter. She wrote that one of the Yuans betrayed the sect. I thought a lot and came to the conclusion that the reason behind the betrayal may have been because the succession of the Yuan chief was not passed down to a Yuan." The five subordinates nodded in solemn agreement. "To be honest, among the five of you, the leader seat is more suitable for Leader Tong, but I am afraid that if I hand over the position to him, what happened many years ago will simply repeat itself."
Tong Keung nodded in agreement with Ma Jingguo. "Chief, what you said is true. Over the years, this leader seat has been fought for, but now you return the leader seat back to someone surnamed Yuan, I believe that Sunset Sect will finally stop fighting for it."
Si Meifeng stepped forward, offering her assurance. "Chief, you can rest assured, no matter who is the chief after your departure, we—" She looked at the others, a vow in her eyes. "—we will give our full support to Chaomei."
Ma Jingguo smiled, satisfied. "That's good." He looked at his five remaining subordinates. "You all can leave now. I have something to do."
"Chief, where are you going now?" Yuan Chaomei asked.
"I am going to the market to buy some vegetables and tofu," Ma Jingguo replied simply. He then slowly walked out and disappeared through the main entrance.
Yao Huo watched him go, puzzled. "The Chief seems to be very considerate toward this Mu Dishi."
Tong Keung sighed. "Leader Yao, you may have been imprisoned for a long time, and you have never heard of Mu Dishi."
Yao Huo's interest was piqued. "Tell me," he urged excitedly.
"Mu Dishi is the only person who successfully completed the Killer Strings Manual other than Right-Hand Guard Zan," Tong Keung revealed.
Si Meifeng added her own insight. "Also, there are persistent rumors in the martial arts world that the Chief has a deep, personal affection for Mu Dishi." She frowned slightly. "No wonder the Chief fell for him. I also like him; even with his pale face, he is still incredibly handsome."
That evening, after returning from the market, Mu Dishi sat at a table illuminated by four lighted candles in a dark, secluded section of the Mangsha Sect. He watched Ma Jingguo, who was humming happily while cooking in the kitchen. Ma Jingguo would look up at Mu Dishi from time to time, as if checking to ensure Mu Dishi hadn't mysteriously disappeared.
Ma Jingguo placed the last dish on a plate, then grabbed the two prepared dishes and set them on the table in front of Mu Dishi. He returned to the kitchen, brought two bowls of rice, and initially sat down facing Mu Dishi, smiling.
Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "Xiao shushu, let's eat." He then tapped the top of the bowl twice with his chopsticks. "Oh, I forgot." He picked up his stool, moved it, and sat down directly beside Mu Dishi. He picked up a piece of tofu and brought it to Mu Dishi's mouth. "Here, xiao shushu, I know you like tofu."
Mu Dishi refused to open his mouth. "Xiao shushu, don't be stubborn," Ma Jingguo pleaded.
Mu Dishi still kept his mouth tightly closed. Ma Jingguo smiled knowingly. "Perhaps you don't like me feeding you this way." He stuffed the piece of tofu into his own mouth, pulled Mu Dishi's face closer, and kissed Mu Dishi. Using his tongue, he forcefully pushed the piece of tofu into Mu Dishi's mouth.
Mu Dishi did not speak but looked at Ma Jingguo with cold fury.
Ma Jingguo scoffed, unaffected. "Xiao shushu, I like those cold eyes looking at me." He put another piece of tofu into his own mouth.
Mu Dishi spoke coldly, "I can eat by myself, let me go."
Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "Alright." He reached out toward Mu Dishi's chest, then immediately withdrew his hand. He picked up the bowl of rice and moved the bowl of rice and the chopsticks toward Mu Dishi's mouth.
"I said I can eat it myself," Mu Dishi repeated.
Ma Jingguo replied, "I worked very hard to keep you. I don't want to risk you running away. What if I let you go and you leave me again?"
"I won't," Mu Dishi promised.
Ma Jingguo smiled cruelly. "Xiao shushu, you have abandoned me so many times, and now I just can't take your words seriously. I will feed you." Mu Dishi turned his face away, looking in another direction. "Xiao shushu, if you don't like me to feed you by hand, then I will feed you by mouth... choose one."
Facing the unwavering threat, Mu Dishi slowly opened his mouth, and Ma Jingguo began to feed him, piece by careful piece. After the two had eaten, Ma Jingguo picked Mu Dishi up and carried him into a small, secluded bamboo shed. He gently placed Mu Dishi on the bed and then began to undress himself.
"What are you doing?" Mu Dishi asked, his voice sharp with suspicion.
Ma Jingguo smiled, the candlelight glinting in his eyes. "Let's take a bath together."
"No," Mu Dishi declined in a cold voice.
Ignoring the refusal, Ma Jingguo completely took off his own clothes and then began to undress Mu Dishi. He watched as Mu Dishi blushed terribly. Even with his pale face, the flush across Mu Dishi's cheeks was vividly apparent. Once Mu Dishi was fully undressed, Ma Jingguo lifted him and carried him into the large bathtub.
Ma Jingguo sat down behind Mu Dishi and began gently washing his hair.
"Xiao shushu, why do you always resist my touch?" Ma Jingguo murmured. He wrapped his arms around Mu Dishi's waist and leaned his head against his back. "Let us cherish the moment we are together now, because we don't know how long this happiness will last." He kissed Mu Dishi's back.
"I have been chasing you all these years. I'm very tired," Ma Jingguo confessed. He held Mu Dishi tighter. "I don't know how many torn shoes I have worn. How many tears I have shed over the years. How many times have I told myself it is time to give up and stop chasing you because I am so exhausted, but every time..." His voice broke, thick with emotion. "Just because I wanted to see you again, I forced myself to get up, put on new shoes, and lied to myself that this time was different from the last time, and chased you again. Xiao shushu, please tell me, will our happiness last forever?"
Mu Dishi felt Ma Jingguo's warm tears streaming down his back. He knew that for all these years, he thought he was protecting Ma Jingguo, but he had been severely hurting him instead. There were countless logical reasons why Ma Jingguo didn't need to be with him, yet Ma Jingguo still consistently chose to be with him.
Mu Dishi spoke softly, "Jingguo…" He felt Ma Jingguo's embrace tighten around him. "Do you remember what I told you the last time we separated on that cliff?"
Ma Jingguo remembered the moment vividly: Mu Dishi had reached out, wiped away the tears from his eyes, wrapped his arms tightly around Ma Jingguo's waist, and buried his face in his chest. Mu Dishi had assured him that from that moment on, he would listen to Ma Jingguo, that he would never leave him, that he would not act alone, and that they would make all decisions together. He had also promised Ma Jingguo that he wanted to travel this vast land with him.
"How could I forget?" Ma Jingguo murmured.
"I meant what I said," Mu Dishi affirmed. "Even if you didn't feed me Lighter Than a Feather, and didn't block my acupuncture points, as long as you want me by your side, I will stay."
Ma Jingguo quickly released Mu Dishi's blocked acupuncture points, and Mu Dishi turned to face him. "Xiao shushu, it's not that I don't trust you, but I am doubting myself," Ma Jingguo said softly, his fear evident. "When everything is resolved, let's go home."
"Mm…" Mu Dishi agreed.
The door suddenly burst open, and Wang Biming was framed in the doorway, instantly shooting three daggers directly at Ma Jingguo. Ma Jingguo's reflexes were instantaneous: he quickly blocked Mu Dishi's acupuncture points again and grabbed a white cloth from a nearby wooden stand, swiftly wrapping it around his waist. Immediately afterward, seven red thread needles flew toward him, and Ma Jingguo grabbed a heavy screen panel, sending it flying toward Cao Wenyan, who had followed Wang Biming.
Wang Biming grabbed the sheets from the bed and rushed toward Mu Dishi. Just as Ma Jingguo prepared to fight him, Yong Taihua burst through the window, launching a sword attack that forced Ma Jingguo to create distance from Mu Dishi. Wang Biming hurriedly wrapped the white sheets around the immobilized Mu Dishi, picked him up, and rushed out the door.
"Wang Biming, put him down!" Ma Jingguo roared.
Yong Taihua lunged his sword from behind Ma Jingguo. Ma Jingguo caught Yong Taihua's sword with his bare hands, slammed his fist heavily into Yong Taihua's chest, and sent the man flying back out through the broken window.
Ma Jingguo rushed out of the room, charging after Wang Biming. He unleashed a powerful Devil Fist strike, aiming it squarely at Wang Biming's back. Wang Biming knew he couldn't dodge the blow. He hurled Mu Dishi toward Cao Wenyan. Cao Wenyan caught Mu Dishi, and the two of them flew over the wall separating the secluded courtyard from the main Mangsha Sect compound. Ma Jingguo screamed in anger and slammed his powerful Devil Fist directly into Wang Biming's back, knocking Wang Biming violently to the ground.
Ma Jingguo, naked save for the white cloth wrapped around his waist, bent down and seized Wang Biming's throat. He gritted his teeth, his rage absolute. "You are so annoying!"
Wang Biming gave a weak chuckle, blood flowing from the corners of his mouth. "As long as I am still breathing, I will be a thorn in your eyes," he managed to say, continuing to chuckle despite the pain.
A red thread needle flew out of the darkness and tightly wrapped around Ma Jingguo's right hand. As the needle prepared to stab him, Ma Jingguo threw Wang Biming to the ground and rapidly backed away. At the same moment, Miao Mingzhu flew over the wall and threw a cloud of white powder at Ma Jingguo. Miao Mingzhu grabbed Wang Biming and jumped back over the wall, disappearing into the night.
Ma Jingguo, shaking with fury, walked to the unconscious Yong Taihua. He looked down at him with pure hatred, gnashing his teeth. "Heaven has roads, but you choose not to walk them; hell has no road, yet you keep digging your way in. Yong Taihua! Give me back my xiao shushu or I will be forced to break my promise to Dandan..."