Outside Yong Hao's room, in a small courtyard, Ma Jingguo, Kuo Changchang, Yong Taihua, and Yong Caixia sat quietly, waiting for Yong Gui to come out of Yong Hao's bedroom. After two hours, Yong Gui finally stepped out.
Yong Taihua stood up and looked at Yong Gui. He asked, his voice tight with concern, "Father, how is Hao da ye?"
"He is fine," Yong Gui replied, his voice weary. He went to the small table and sat with the four youth.
Yong Taihua said madly, hitting his fist hard onto the table, "Next time when I see that Mu Dishi... I will avenge Hao da ye!"
Yong Gui said, his voice firm, forbidding him, "I forbid you to seek revenge."
"Why, father?" Yong Taihua asked, his face twisted with frustration.
Yong Gui replied, his gaze steady, "Your da ye forbade anyone to seek revenge for him. He accepts it willingly, and you should too."
Yong Taihua said, his jaw clenched, "I will not let anyone hurt Hao da ye and get away with it..."
Yong Gui said, sighing, "And that is exactly what Mu Dishi is doing. You are angry because Mu Dishi has taken your uncle's arm. Mu Dishi lost seventy-one of his family members. He witnessed their throats being slit in front of him one by one and watched while they took their last breath. He had already told you he came for those who owe him a debt." He sighed again. "Mu Dishi easily defeated the five Clan Leaders, Mo, Shui, Wen, Leung, and Ma, at the age of fifteen." He looked at Kuo Changchang. "He fought against your father. It took your father three thousand moves to finally defeat the fifteen-year-old Mu Dishi."
Yong Caixia asked, her voice hushed with awe and fear, "Father, who can defeat him now?"
Yong Gui replied, his voice grave, "Not a lot of people can defeat him now. Maybe Kuo shifu might be able to defeat Mu Dishi again, but now Mu Dishi is stronger than ten years ago. If he duels with Kuo shifu again, it might end up in a draw. It's hard to predict who will be the winner." He sipped his tea. "Good thing that the Ma Clan is no longer here."
Ma Jingguo asked, leaning forward, his heart pounding, "How come?"
Yong Gui replied, his voice somber, "The Ma might suffer a more miserable death than the four clans. Your da ye was right: 'what you did is what you get in return'." He looked at the four youth. "Back then, the reason was unclear, but according to the rumors, the Ma clan felt so bad for what had happened in Mu village, so Ma Shufen somehow became the sworn brother of Mu Dishi. The four clans, shifu and Madame Kuo, and I were there to celebrate the Ma second child's full moon celebration. Everyone was enjoying themselves."
Kuo Changchang asked, her brow furrowed with confusion, "Wait... since the four clans participated in the killing of Mu village, how come Mu Dishi didn't seek revenge?"
Yong Gui replied, "That is still unknown. I believe the only person who can answer that question will be Mu Dishi himself."
Ma Jingguo asked, his voice sharp with urgency, "What happened next?" He really wanted to know, because this was about his parents.
Yong Gui continued, his voice dropping slightly as he recounted the memory, "Everyone was in the guest hall with many other guests, but for an unknown reason, Ma Shufen had asked Mu Dishi to go get Madame Ma and the one-month-old baby girl. Shortly after Mu Dishi had left, Madame Ma came running into the main guest hall, disoriented, and her clothes were in disarray."
Lin Daiyu screamed, her voice shrill with panic and feigned grief, "Shufen... that evil person killed our baby girl! He tried to... he tried to..." She sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her husband.
Ma Shufen said angrily, his face contorted with fury, "That monster! How could he do this?" Ma Shufen was angry, and he ran to the bedroom, his mind consumed by the horrific accusation.
When the four clans, Kuo Jin Song and Kuo Ju, Yong Gui, and Lin Daiyu reached the bedroom chamber, they stopped dead. Ma Shufen was already lying down, vomiting a mouthful of blood on the front step. The young Mu Dishi stepped out of the bedroom, his expression confused.
Mu Dishi said, his voice puzzled, "You went above and beyond just for a useless sheepskin." He looked at Lin Daiyu coldly, his confusion turning to suspicion. "Give it back to me."
Lin Daiyu asked, her eyes wide with accusation, "What are you talking about?"
Mu Dishi said, his voice hardening, "Give me back my map."
Lin Daiyu replied, her voice trembling, "I don't know what you are talking about."
Ma Shufen slowly got up and walked toward the four clans, Kuo Jin Song, Kuo Ju, and Yong Gui, spitting blood onto the ground. He vomited some more blood before he could say, his voice raw with pain and betrayal, "I took pity on you, that's why I became sworn brothers with you, but today you look down on me. You killed my daughter and molested my wife." He used his sword and cut a handful of his own hair, the symbolic act sharp and deliberate. "From now on," he declared, his voice ringing with bitter finality, "we are no longer brothers but sworn enemies."
"You are truly evil!" Mo Jing Seng shouted, pointing his finger at Mu Dishi, his face twisted with feigned outrage. "How dare you do all this?"
Mu Dishi was confused, his eyes widening in disbelief. "I have not done any of what everyone here is accusing me."
Shui Laquan said, his voice harsh, "Do you think we believe you? We saw it with our own eyes."
Mo Jing Seng said, his voice accusatory, "You kill a defenseless child!"
Mu Dishi said angrily, his confusion replaced by a cold, burning fury, "Hypocrites! You four dogs helped kill seventy-one defenseless villagers! How many babies' blood smeared your swords?" The four clans' faces darkened at the reminder. Mu Dishi laughed, a chilling, humorless sound. "I see what is going on. Today," he declared, his voice slicing through the air, "I will kill you dogs to avenge my families' deaths!" He unsheathed his sword, the steel glinting, and pointed his sword at Yong Gui, Kuo Jin Song, and Kuo Ju. "This has nothing to do with the three of you. Stay away." Mu Dishi pointed his sword at the five clans (Mo, Shui, Wen, Leung, and Ma). "You all can come at once," he challenged, his voice laced with contempt, "or fight me one at a time."
Mu Dishi flew toward the five clans and began attacking them with blinding speed.
"This young man is a dragon among men," Kuo Ju said, his voice filled with awe.
"The five clans are no match for him," Kuo Jin Song said, his expression serious.
"In ten years' time," Kuo Ju said, a note of grim prophecy in his voice, "it will be hard for anyone to defeat him."
Ma Shufen and Mo Jing Seng kicked at Mu Dishi, but Mu Dishi blocked their kicks with his left arm, sending him several steps backward. The five men launched at Mu Dishi at the same time. Mu Dishi sent out five guzheng strings at the men, and the guzheng strings pierced through their right shoulders with gruesome precision.
Mu Dishi dragged the five leaders toward him. Mu Dishi flipped his sword and prepared to slit their throats. Kuo Jin Song used his internal energy from his right hand, pulling a small rock from the ground, and sent the rock with a powerful force, cutting Mu Dishi's strings just in time.
Mu Dishi said, his voice sharp with warning, "I've told you to stay away."
Kuo Ju said, his voice calm, offering advice, "Young man, you should not hold so much hatred inside. If you keep walking by the riverside, your shoes will eventually get wet. Poor temperament control could damage your vital acupoints."
Mu Dishi scoffed, a cold sound, "I will not be damaged by any of you."
Kuo Jin Song said, stepping forward, his presence imposing, "I will not let you kill them in front of me."
Mu Dishi said, his voice dripping with scorn, "Such a righteous person. Every one of you is a hypocrite, nothing more than a whole bunch of DOGS...!" He charged angrily at Kuo Jin Song, his sword a blur.
It was a fight between a dragon and a tiger, a whirlwind of steel and powerful strikes. After three thousand attacks were unleashed, Kuo Jin Song struck Mu Dishi three times with his devastating Dragon Palms Strikes. Kuo Jin Song's strikes sent the young man crashing onto the four steps before the bedroom chamber. Mu Dishi vomited a mouthful of blood, the coppery taste filling his mouth.
Mu Dishi laughed out loud as he was lying on the steps, a ragged, defiant sound. "Ha...ha...ha...ha... Kill me, or I will kill every single one of you!"
Mo Jing Seng said, stepping forward, his sword drawn, "I will fulfill your wish for you."
He stabbed his sword at Mu Dishi, but his sword was blocked by Kuo Jin Song's hand.
Kuo Jin Song said, his voice firm, preventing the killing blow, "Chief Mo, I've said it already. I do not wish for anyone to die in front of me. Young man, you lost to me. Today, I will not let anyone kill you in front of me, but within ten years, you cannot set foot in Central Plains or the Martial Arts World."
Mu Dishi coughed and wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes burning with defiance. "You dogs enjoy your ten years while you still can. Everyone who owed me a debt will have to pay me back." He slowly stood up, every movement a struggle, but his will unbroken. "The day I return to Central Plains," he vowed, his voice cold and chilling, "would be the end of your doggies' lives." He looked at them coldly, his gaze promising retribution, and slowly left the Ma residence as the rain scattered in the late evening sky.
Yong Gui said, his voice heavy with reflection, "That was the last time I saw him. At that time, he had not mastered the Killer String Manual. If he returns to Central Plains, then it must mean he has mastered the Killer String Manual. I've heard from your da ye that 'Together in Hell' once it is released, it will send out a powerful ray, and everything on its path will be destroyed, including the person who released it. Those three hundred people who went to Mu Jiao Long's house had no chance of escape once Mu Jiao Long released that string. The four Clan Leaders and three Sects' leaders were badly injured internally, and they are still suffering from its effects nowadays. Their symptoms can't be cured since they killed every single one of the most educated and knowledgeable people of medicine."
The door to Yong Hao's bedroom swung open, and the doctor and his medical student walked out. Yong Gui walked to the doctor, his expression anxious.
"How is he?" Yong Gui asked.
The Doctor replied, his tone professional, "Monk Hao lost a lot of blood, but he is out of danger right now. I'll give him some medicine to help with pain and boost his red blood cells."
Yong Gui said, "I'll send someone with you to pick up the medicine."
The Doctor said, "I'll take my leave."
Yong Gui said, "Thank you."
"I'll show you the way out, doctor," Yong Caixia said, stepping forward. She led the doctor and his medical student away from Yong Hao's bedroom.
Yong Gui sighed deeply, the sound weighted with the events of the day. "What an unfortunate day." He turned to Ma Jingguo and Kuo Changchang. "I am so sorry that the two of you had to see this."
Ma Jingguo asked, his voice low, wrestling with uncertainty, "Senior Yong, do you think Mu gongzi killed the Ma baby girl?"
Yong Gui replied, his voice careful, "I don't see it with my own eyes, so I cannot validate it, but according to Mu Dishi's personality, he would not kill anyone who doesn't owe him a debt."
Yong Taihua asked, his voice still laced with anger but practical, "Father, where do you think Mu Dishi will go next?"
Ma Jingguo replied, his gaze distant, a sense of dread settling upon him, "He will go to Shaolin. In ten days, it will be the annual competition among the sectors and clans. All of his enemies will be there."
Yong Gui said, nodding slowly, "Ah Chen is right. By now, the rumors of the Mu treasure map might have already spread throughout the Martial Arts World, and there will be many clans and sectors who want that treasure map."
Ma Jingguo asked, his voice filled with weary confusion, "Even if it's full of treasure and gold, they are not the owner of it. Anyone who touched that map ended up dead. Why do people still seek it?"
Yong Gui said, his voice gentle, "Ah Chen, if everyone thinks like you, there would never be tragedy like Mu Village." He looked at the three youths, his expression turning serious. "Let's get ready, we are going to Shaolin."
Ma Jingguo asked, his voice laced with foreboding, "Does that mean that there will be more people there wanting to kill Mu Dishi?"
Kuo Changchang said, her voice grim, "If he has the treasure map, everyone who goes to Shaolin would be his enemy."
Yong Taihua said, his voice tight, focusing on their specific enemies, "Don't forget about the four Clans. Their disciples will be there to seek revenge for their leaders' deaths."
Kuo Changchang said, her voice low, acknowledging the reality, "No matter how strong Mu Dishi might be, He will not be able to defeat all of those people."
Ma Jingguo said, his voice quiet, stating the grim truth, "The two of you mean he is walking into his death."
Yong Taihua said, a harsh edge to his voice, "If he dares to walk up to Shaolin, It will be the end of him."
Yong Gui sighed, a sound of weary acceptance. "Knowing Mu Dishi," he said, "he will not let this opportunity go because all of his enemies will be there."