The early morning air before the Mo Clan Manor buzzed with anticipation. Though the sun had barely crested the horizon, the celebration for Chief Mo's birthday was already stirring. Mu Dishi stood apart from the growing crowd, a silent, solitary figure. A steady stream of martial artists approached the manor gates, their voices carrying on the crisp air. Loud greetings, cheerful laughter, and back-slapping filled the space outside. "Brother Li! Good to see you!" "Happy Birthday to Chief Mo!" they called out, their jubilant voices weaving together into a lively chorus. From within the grand manor walls, faint echoes of festive music and a muffled celebratory din drifted out, a stark contrast to Mu Dishi's quiet watch.
The greeter at the door asked, his smile polite but firm, "Do you have an invitation?"
Mu Dishi replied, his voice flat, "No."
The greeter said, his tone becoming less welcoming, "You will not be allowed to go in if you don't have an invitation."
Mu Dishi said, a hint of cold confidence in his voice, "Send a message to your boss for me. He will definitely see me."
The greeter asked, hesitantly, "What is it?"
Mu Dishi whispered something to the door greeter, and the door greeter ran inside. A moment later, the door greeter came back and led Mu Dishi into an open area with twenty big, round red-cloth tables. Mu Dishi was surprised when he saw the other three dogs there. He was thinking today he would only get the Mo dog, but it turned out that the Shui dog," Wen dog, and Leung dog were there as well. He smiled with happiness, and his hands started itching.
Mo Jing Seng said, his voice booming, "This young man, you say you have news about the treasure map. Last time I heard about that map, it seemed like the Ma couple had it, but they disappeared."
Mu Dishi replied, simply, "They died."
Wen Xing Fu asked, leaning forward, "Did you kill them?"
Mu Dishi replied, a dismissive wave of his hand, "I wanted to, but sadly, they were lucky they didn't end up in my hands."
Leung Yat Sen asked, his eyes narrowed, "Who killed them?"
Mu Dishi said, a cold glint in his eye, "They killed themselves the moment they held the treasure map in their hands."
Wen Xing Fu asked, suspiciously, "How do we know you have the map?"
Mu Dishi took the sheepskin from inside his inner robe and threw it onto the round table. The four clan leaders looked at each other. Many martial artists there also saw the treasure map.
"That is the treasure map!"
"I think it was gone."
"Impossible."
"The Ma couple really did have it after all."
The martial artists in the backyard chattered, making their way towards the big table to look at the treasure map.
Mu Dishi said, his voice cutting through the noise, "Do any of you four want the map?" He looked at the four dogs.
Mu Dishi knew that these four dogs were fakers. They wanted the map so much he could see it in their doggie eyes. Even the sweat on their foreheads and the itching of their hands towards the map indicated that they wanted it badly, but they pretended to be gentlemen in front of others, and no one dared to make the first move.
Mu Dishi sighed, a look of mock disappointment on his face, "Since no one wanted it, then I'll take it back." He grabbed the sheepskin from the table, rolled it up, and tucked it back inside his robe.
Mo Jing Seng said, forcing a smile, "This young man, today is my birthday; would you kindly wait until after the birthday party so we could negotiate the price?"
Mu Dishi said with a blank expression, his voice emotionless, "I am afraid the price is too high, and you can't afford it."
Mo Ehuang said, stepping forward angrily, "Don't act too arrogant in front of my father."
Mo Jing Seng said, waving a hand dismissively, "Huang'er..."
Mu Dishi smirked, his eyes filled with contempt, "Mo dog, Wen dog, Shui Dog, and Leung Dog." He looked expressionless at the four clans' leaders. His voice dropped to a chilling tone. "Each of you stab yourselves seventy-one times, then slit your own throats, or I will do it for you."
Wen Xing Fu angrily stood up. His face was red. "What do you say?" He clenched his teeth together.
Mu Dishi said, his voice cold and calm, "One stab for one life; it's a fair trade."
Shui Laquan asked, his eyes narrowing, "Do you think we will do as you say?"
Mu Dishi replied, a dangerous glint in his eye, "I remembered I once told you dogs that if I returned back to Central Plains, your time was up."
The four Clan Leaders looked up at Mu Dishi.
Shui Laquan asked, his voice tight, "Who are you?"
Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice resonating, "Shooting Down The Dragon."
The four clans' leaders stood up and stared at Mu Dishi. They uttered unpleasantly, their voices strained, "You..."
Mu Dishi said, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, "I am here only for these four dogs. If anyone doesn't want to die, then stay away. Unless you choose to fight alongside these four dogs..." He looked around. His voice was a clear warning. "Then you will die alongside them."
The four clans' leaders ordered their disciples to stay back.
Mu Dishi said, his voice dripping with disdain, "You can choose to come one by one, or all of you can strike at the same time, just like back then. No matter how much a dog tries to change, a dog will always stay as a dog. You lost back then, and you will lose today, but today... you will lose more than just the duel."
Mo Jing Seng said, his voice strained, "We are righteous clans. We will not gang up on just one young man."
Mu Dishi laughed out loud.
Shui Laquan asked, angrily, "What are you laughing at?"
Mu Dishi said, his laughter fading into coldness, "I am sure if you fought one on one, there is no way you dogs would ever defeat Mu Jiao Long."
The four Clan Leaders muttered, their faces grim, "Mu Jiao Long..."
The martial artists and guests who were invited to Mo Jing Seng's birthday muttered all around in the back courtyard.
"The entire Mu Clan was destroyed ten years ago."
"They must have done some unforgettable deeds to be completely wiped out."
"The reason for their annihilation was unknown."
Mo Jing Seng asked, his voice tight with suspicion, "Who are you? How do you know Mu Jiao Long?"
Mu Dishi replied, his eyes fixed on Mo Jing Seng, "Mo dog, how could you forget me that easily." He stared right into Mo Jing Seng's eyes. He said coldly, his voice a low, dangerous whisper, "You once said, 'Eliminate the root to avoid revenge'."
The four clans' leaders' faces turned pale instantly. They looked at each other, shock widening their eyes as they stared at Mu Dishi. The sound of the rain made the memory of that night flood back – the night they had believed they killed him back then, and yet he was now standing right in front of them.
As rain fell down, washing away the blood on his face, the fifteen-year-old Mu Dishi slowly walked away from the Ma Clan. He had lost a lot of his inner energy dueling with Kuo Jin Song and was severely injured internally. As he approached the intersection, four men were waiting for him.
Mu Dishi asked, his voice defiant despite his injuries, "What are you four losers doing here?"
Wen Xing Fu smiled, a cruel glint in his eye, "Waiting for you."
Shui Laquan said, impatiently, "No more chatting. Hand over the treasure map."
Mo Jing Seng said, his voice condescending, "Young boy, give us the Mu treasure map, and we will let you live."
Mu Dishi said, coughing slightly, "Ma Shufen and his wife had it."
Shui Xing Fu said, his tone disbelieving, "The couple stated you never gave it to them. Hand it over, or your life ends here."
Mu Dishi coughed and scoffed. His eyes flashed with anger. "Opportunists... Be a real man and fight with me like Kuo Jin Song."
Wen Xing Fu said, feigning agreement, "Okay." He threw some white powder onto Mu Dishi's face, blinding his eyes.
Leung Yat Sen said, coldly, "Kill him first, and we will search him after he is dead. If he died, then blame it on Kuo Jin Song."
Mo Jing Seng smiled and said, "Eliminate the root to avoid revenge."
The four Clan Leaders started attacking Mu Dishi. After several moves, Mo Jing Seng hit Mu Dishi hard on his left chest, sending him toward the cliff. Mu Dishi landed on the ground and vomited blood.
Mo Jing Seng walked closer and kicked Mu Dishi again in the stomach, sending him another twenty feet away. Mu Dishi was grunting in pain as he was slowly getting up, using his sword to support him.
Mo Jing Seng said, his voice demanding, "Give us the map."
Mu Dishi laughed, a ragged, blood-filled sound, "Ha...Ha...Ha. You're going to kill me anyway. I will never give you the map." He coughed a mouthful of blood. His voice grew stronger, laced with contempt. "You lost to Long da ye... You can't win against me in a fair duel, so you four dogs took this opportunity when I was internally badly injured by Kuo Jin Song to face me." He shouted, his voice raw, "Cowardly dogs! No matter what, a dog will always stay as a dog; it doesn't matter if it wears a golden crown."
Mo Jing Seng was so angry at Mu Dishi for calling them "dogs." He shouted in anger, his face contorted, "You little bastard." He kicked Mu Dishi hard with his right leg. His powerful kick sent Mu Dishi over the cliff.
As the memory faded away, the four clan leaders stared at Mu Dishi. They had fought Mu Dishi in the past, when he was fifteen years old, and they lost. Ten years later, Mu Dishi was a grown man, and his internal energy and power would be stronger, and so was his golden cord. Fighting with Mu Dishi one on one, they would never win.
Returning to the present confrontation, they nodded at each other, unsheathed their swords, then struck at Mu Dishi at once.
Mu Dishi put on his black soft metal gloves and sent a single sharp, shiny string toward Mo Jing Seng. The sharp, shiny string wrapped tightly onto Mo Jing Seng's right hand, and he flew straight at him. When he was close enough, he unsheathed his dagger from his waist with his left hand. He jumped over Mo Jing Seng, pulling Mo Jing Seng's right hand that was holding his sword back. He used his dagger and started stabbing Jing Seng's right arm, then his back, and then his sides. He flew forward and continued stabbing Mo Jing Seng. His aggressive attacks made Wen Xing Fu step back. He then grabbed the end of the guzheng string with both of his hands and pulled hard, cutting Mo Jing Seng's hand off. He kicked Mo Jing Seng hard using his right leg, sending the dying Mo Jing Seng smashing into a table, lying dying and bleeding all over the cement floor.
Shui Laquan lunged toward Mu Dishi, but he blocked his attacks with his guzheng string. He flipped, twisting into the air, and tied the guzheng string on Shui Laquan's right hand. He flew backward toward Wen Xing Fu, sheathed his daggers, and unsheathed Honglei from his waist. He swung Honglei toward Wen Xing Fu, and Honglei cut both of Wen Xing Fu's eyes. Wen Xing Fu screamed in pain as blood gushed out from his eyes. He swung Honglei around, cut off Shui Laquan's right hand, and then he sliced Shui Laquan. Shui Laquan dropped onto both of his knees while bleeding profusely on the cement floor.
Wen Xing Fu screamed in pain, cursing, his voice raw with agony, "Mu Dishi! You will not win against everyone!"
Mu Dishi replied, his voice chillingly calm, "I only came for those who owed me."
Mu Dishi swung Honglei around toward Wen Xing Fu and started slicing him as well. In a matter of minutes, Wen Xing Fu dropped dead on the cement floor, he turned around and pointed Honglei at Leung Yat Sen.
Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice a death sentence, "You want to stab yourself, or should I do it for you?"
The gathered martial artists and guests did not dare to step forward to help Leung Yat Sen.
Whispers spread through the crowd. "This is between the five of them. We should not get involved."
Mu Dishi was laughing hard inside. They were a "whole bunch of hypocrites," using "righteous" as an excuse, because helping Leung Yat Sen had nothing to gain from.
Since Leung Yat Sen did not make a move, Mu Dishi decided to make the first move. He swung Honglei toward Leung Yat Sen. Leung Yat Sen bridged backward to avoid Honglei, but he had already sent his guzheng string, which wrapped around Leung Yat Sen's neck. He did a forward flip and landed on top of Leung Yat Sen's abdomen. He used Honglei and started stabbing Leung Yat Sen all over. A moment later, Leung Yat Sen lay dead in a pool of blood.
Mo Ehuang shouted, her voice filled with grief and rage, "Everyone, kill him! Avenge my father's death!"
Twenty Mo disciples rushed toward Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi sheathed Honglei back into his leather belt on his waist, then he took out two golden bells. He pulled the two golden bells apart; a single sharp, shiny guzheng string appeared. Using his inner energy, he held the two golden bells at waist level. He grabbed the guzheng string back and stared at the twenty Mo disciples. When they were close enough toward him, he released his hand from the guzheng string, and it sent out a powerful energy wave toward the twenty Mo disciples, killing them all instantly.
Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice carrying across the now silent courtyard, "I've already told everyone: I am seeking only for those who had owed me. If you don't want to end up like them, stay away." He took his golden bells, tied them back onto his belt sash, and removed his gloves, tucking them inside his inner shirt. He turned around towards the front door and walked out of the Mo Manor unharmed.