Ma Jingguo opened his eyes. He noticed that he was in a guest room in Shaolin Temple. His left shoulder was painfully throbbing. When he slowly sat up, he saw Kuo Changchang sitting at the table, her head resting on her arms as if she had fallen asleep while watching him. He sat on the edge of the bed, grunting in pain, his body aching.
Kuo Changchang stirred at the sound and looked up, her eyes widening slightly. "Ah Chen. You are awake now," she said, relief in her voice.
"Shijie..." Ma Jingguo murmured, his voice hoarse.
"I should call you Jingguo," Kuo Changchang said softly, standing and walking towards the bed.
"It doesn't matter what Shijie calls me," Ma Jingguo replied, his gaze distant. He thought for a moment, his brow furrowing, and then asked, his voice urgent, "Shijie, where is xiao shushu? Did he get away? Was he hurt?"
"He got away safely," Kuo Changchang confirmed, pouring a cup of tea. "The injured and the dead are those who wanted a piece of that treasure map." She walked toward the bed, offering him the tea. "That Mu Dishi sure knows how to kill people."
"What happened?" Ma Jingguo asked, taking the cup, his eyes still fixed on the doorway, eager to leave.
"He tore the Mu treasure map into five pieces and threw it at the clans and Sects," Kuo Changchang explained, her voice somber. "Many of those people died fighting for those five pieces of that map."
"If they don't have greed, they would not die," Ma Jingguo said, taking a sip of the tea. He stood up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and started walking to the door, his steps unsteady.
"Jingguo, where are you going?" Kuo Changchang asked, surprised by his haste.
"I need to find xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, pushing aside her question.
"Do you even know where he is?" Kuo Changchang asked, blocking his path gently.
"No, but..." Ma Jingguo began, determined.
"You will not be able to catch up with him," Kuo Changchang said gently. "He left three days ago."
"I was out for three days?" Ma Jingguo asked, shocked, the realization of the severity of his injury sinking in.
"Yes," Kuo Changchang confirmed, her expression sympathetic.
Ma Jingguo then returned to the bed and sat down heavily, the energy draining out of him. He looked at Kuo Changchang and said, his voice filled with gratitude, "Shijie, thank you for staying with me. I want to rest now. Shijie can go rest."
"You rest," Kuo Changchang said, understanding his need for solitude and his focus on finding Mu Dishi. "When you recover, we will go look for that shushu of yours."
Ma Jingguo nodded at Kuo Changchang, a small, tired smile on his face. He watched Kuo Changchang close the door behind her.
Two hours later, Ma Jingguo was still wide awake, his mind racing with thoughts of Mu Dishi. Despite the pain and exhaustion, he decided to go look for him. He would go to Sword Village first, hoping Yong Hao might know something. If Mu Dishi was not there, he would go to Tong Village. If those people had gotten pieces of the treasure map, they would surely be at the cave, trying to claim the treasure. He got dressed slowly, each movement sending a jolt of pain through his shoulder.
Meanwhile, at the Mu graveyard near Sword Village, Mu Dishi stood in front of the seventy-one graves, watching Yong Hao clean them with quiet dedication.
"Mu gongzi, where are you going after this?" Yong Hao asked, his voice gentle, not looking up from his task.
"I don't know," Mu Dishi said, his voice distant, his gaze fixed on the horizon, "but someone once told me that Jiangnan is very beautiful."
"Are you feeling better?" Yong Hao asked, sensing a subtle shift in his demeanor.
"I am done avenging for the death of my family," Mu Dishi said, a note of weary finality in his voice. "I do feel better."
Without another word, Mu Dishi turned and walked up the dirt road leading to Mu Village.
"Childe Mu must be careful," Yong Hao called after him, his voice filled with concern. "Since then, no one has gone up to Mu Village."
Mu Dishi didn't answer Yong Hao, his back straight, his steps firm as he walked up the dirt road that had outgrown grass, reclaiming the path. When he reached the front of the village, a wave of desolation washed over him. He saw some houses had collapsed, reduced to rubble. Some houses were still in good condition, but they were silent, empty, surrounded by wild grass and trees, nature slowly erasing the signs of life. He recalled the last time when he stood in front of Mu Village: the air was filled with laughter, the children ran around as the elders and the middle-aged people were busy with their daily lives, the sounds and smells of a vibrant community. Now, there was only silence and decay. He walked to his house. The once beautiful walls were broken, and nature had taken over, trees and vines growing onto the walls, weaving through the cracks. He opened the broken door and walked into the meeting hall.
The last time Mu Dishi was inside this meeting hall was to celebrate his fifteenth birthday, a day that now felt like a lifetime ago. When he stood at the front entrance, he recalled the last scene inside the meeting hall: his mother, father, younger sister, Long da ye, Wang Biming, and his seventeen cousins ate happily, their faces bright with joy, unaware of the horror that awaited them. He walked around the house, a ghost in his own home, and he came to his parents' bedroom. He walked inside his parents' room and saw a rotten crib, a heartbreaking reminder of the life that never had a chance to begin. He walked to the window, his gaze falling on Mu Mei's bed, still intact but covered in dust. He sat inside his parents' room for some time, lost in painful memories, before he got up and walked to the bamboo hut, where he had spent most of his days practicing swordsmanship with Mu Jiao Long and Wang Biming, the sounds of clashing steel and laughter echoing in his mind.
The bamboo hut was somehow still in good condition, a small pocket of preservation in the ruined village. He walked inside, started cleaning, removing the dust on the bed and the thin layer of dirt that had accumulated. When he was cleaning, it started to rain, a soft patter on the bamboo roof that soon grew heavier. After he finished cleaning, he sat at the bamboo table in the dark, the silence of the hut broken only by the rain.
As thunder roared loudly in the dark sky, lightning briefly illuminating the interior, Mu Dishi heard someone calling him.
Meanwhile, Ma Jingguo dragged himself from Shaolin to Sword Village, his injured shoulder aching with every step, his body growing weary. When he arrived at the Mu graveyard, it was almost dark, the falling rain already soaking him. He saw that Yong Hao was still cleaning a tombstone, illuminated by a flickering lantern.
"Senior Yong, how are you feeling?" Ma Jingguo asked, his voice strained, approaching the older man.
"I am better," Yong Hao replied, looking up, his expression one of weary peace. "How can I help you?"
"Senior Yong, I am looking for Mu Dishi," Ma Jingguo said, his voice urgent.
"Are you looking for him because you want to seek revenge?" Yong Hao asked, his gaze sharp, assessing the young man.
"No," Ma Jingguo said immediately, shaking his head.
Yong Hao looked Ma Jingguo up and down, taking in his injured state and determined expression. He turned around, resuming his cleaning, and said, his voice measured, "Since the last time we met, I have not seen him."
Ma Jingguo thought it was strange, sensing Yong Hao knew more than he was saying. He said, his voice pleading, "Senior Yong, I am not seeking revenge with Mu Dishi. I am not his enemy. If you know, please tell me where he is. I am worried about him."
"Young man, walk away and let Mu Dishi go," Yong Hao said, his voice gentle but firm, advising him against pursuing the matter.
Ma Jingguo went down on his knees in the mud and rain, the pain in his shoulder flaring. "Senior Yong, please tell me where he is," he begged, his voice thick with emotion. "I really need to see with my own eyes that he is truly safe."
"Why do you still insist that I know?" Yong Hao asked, looking at him with a sorrowful expression.
Ma Jingguo held back his tears, the rain mingling with the moisture in his eyes, and pleaded, his voice barely a whisper, "Because the first place he would come would be here. Please tell me..."
Yong Hao felt sorry for the young man, seeing the raw sincerity and deep concern in his eyes. He sighed softly and, pointing up the road towards the village, said, his voice low, "He went to Mu Village."
"Thank you, Senior Yong," Ma Jingguo said, relief flooding through him.
"Young man, why don't you wait until tomorrow?" Yong Hao urged, seeing the darkening sky and Ma Jingguo's condition. "It's getting dark soon, and also it seems like it's going to rain heavily."
Ma Jingguo waved at Yong Hao, already turning towards the village road. "I'm fine," he called back, his voice determined.
Ma Jingguo went up to Mu Village, the rain now pouring down, making the road slick and muddy. This was his first time here, so he had no idea where Mu Dishi might be. He looked inside each ruined house, calling out Mu Dishi's name, his voice growing hoarse. He noticed that some houses looked like people had been preparing to eat because there were bowls and chopsticks on the table, snapshots of lives brutally interrupted. Some houses were burnt down, maybe by those Sects and clans or by natural causes over the years.
After several hours of looking, soaking wet and shivering, he did not find Mu Dishi anywhere. He remembered Mu Dishi once told him that he and Long da ye had practiced swordsmanship in a secluded bamboo forest, but Ma he didn't know where the secluded bamboo forest was, so he kept walking and calling for Mu Dishi, hoping that if Mu Dishi was nearby, Mu Dishi would hear him over the rain and thunder.
After two hours of walking through the overgrown, ruined village, it started to rain heavily, the drops pounding down relentlessly. Ma Jingguo felt the pain in his left shoulder becoming more intense, a fiery ache spreading through his arm and chest, and his body started to shiver uncontrollably from the cold and exhaustion. But he bit down on his lip, forcing back a cry of pain, and continued calling for Mu Dishi. Then, fortunately, through the sheeting rain, he saw a small bamboo hut with no light, a dark shape against the gloom.
"Xiao shushu, are you in there?" Ma Jingguo called, his voice weak, approaching the bamboo hut cautiously. He knew that if Mu Dishi was not in there, he could at least spend the night inside, away from the storm, and then continue to look for Mu Dishi in the morning.
Then, the bamboo hut door opened a crack, and someone stood silhouetted in the doorway. Ma Jingguo's heart leaped. He ran closer to the person, stumbling in the mud, and when he got close enough, through the rain-streaked darkness, he saw that person was Mu Dishi, standing silent and still.
"Xiao shushu, I've finally found you!" Ma Jingguo said excitedly, relief and exhaustion flooding him, tears mingling with the rain on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Mu Dishi asked, his voice colder than the rain.
"I am looking for you," Ma Jingguo said, his voice trembling.
"Go away," Mu Dishi said coldly, his expression hidden in the dark. He closed the door on Ma Jingguo.
Ma Jingguo stood outside the bamboo hut in the pouring rain, stunned but remaining silent. He feared that if he spoke, if he pleaded again, Mu Dishi would leave him or drive him away permanently. He just stood there, letting the rain soak him to the bone.
Mu Dishi sat quietly inside the dark bamboo hut for two hours, listening to the relentless rain and the silence outside the door. He walked to the window and saw, to his surprise and perhaps frustration, that Ma Jingguo was still standing outside in the rain, a dark, unmoving figure. He had always known that Ma Jingguo was a very stubborn person. He sighed softly, walked back to the door, opened it, he walked back to the table, and sat down, his back to the entrance.
Ma Jingguo hesitated to walk inside, the open door an ambiguous invitation. He didn't know whether opening the door meant Mu Dishi would allow him to walk inside, or if Mu Dishi just wanted to watch him stand soaking in the rain, a test of his resolve. He decided to stand there for a moment, looking at Mu Dishi, who was sitting at the table, his back to the door.
"You can come in," Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice flat, breaking the tense silence.
Ma Jingguo smiled, a weak but genuine smile of relief, and slowly walked inside the bamboo hut, closing the door behind him, stepping out of the storm and into the quiet darkness with Mu Dishi.
"Did you bring any clothes?" Mu Dishi asked, not turning around.
Ma Jingguo tried his best to smile, shivering, and said, "Yes, but it's all wet now."
Mu Dishi didn't reply verbally. He took Wang Biming's old clothes and put them on the table. "You can use these for tonight," he said, his voice still cold, but the action one of clear care. He then walked to the bed and lay down, turning away from Ma Jingguo.
After Ma Jingguo, shivering, changed into the clothes Mu Dishi gave him, he found that the clothes where too large to be Mu Dishi's, he sat at the table, staring at Mu Dishi's back in the dark. He felt his body starting to feel very cold, the deep chill from being soaked to the bone setting in, and the pain in his shoulder became more intense, a burning throb. He began to tremble, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Mu Dishi, despite facing away, noticed that Ma Jingguo's breathing had changed – it was shallow and ragged, punctuated by shivers. He sat up on the bed and asked, his voice softer than before, a hint of concern breaking through, "Are you alright?"
Ma Jingguo's trembling voice broke, weak and shaky. "Xiao shushu, I am fine. Don't worry about me."
Mu Dishi didn't argue. He walked to the table and touched Ma Jingguo's forehead. Ma Jingguo was burning up with fever. He said coldly, masking his concern, "You have a fever."
Ma Jingguo's trembling voice said, trying to sound strong, "Xiao shushu, don't worry, I am fine. You can go rest."
Mu Dishi walked back to the bed and said, his voice quiet, an unexpected invitation, "You can sleep in the bed with me."
Ma Jingguo, numb with cold and pain but his heart swelling with warmth at the offer, slowly walked to the bed and lay next to Mu Dishi, shivering. He softly said, his voice barely a whisper, "Xiao shushu, this is like back then." He moved closer to Mu Dishi, seeking warmth and comfort.
Mu Dishi took the blanket and covered Ma Jingguo, pulling it snugly around him, and then held him to give him extra warmth, his arm around his shivering body.
Ma Jingguo said softly, his voice muffled against Mu Dishi's robe, his eyes closing with a sense of peace, "Xiao shushu, I always wanted to know how it feels in your arms. It feels so warm." He moved closer to Mu Dishi, tucking his head against his shoulder, and closed his eyes, the pain and cold receding slightly in the unexpected embrace.
After Mu Dishi held Ma Jingguo for some time, feeling the shivers gradually subside, Ma Jingguo fell asleep, his breathing evening out.
Early the next morning, when birds were chirping across the bamboo forest, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the hut, Ma Jingguo woke up inside Mu Dishi's arms. He looked up, and he saw Mu Dishi sleeping soundly, his face relaxed in sleep, the coldness of his waking hours gone. He looked at Mu Dishi's face and smiled, a tender, heartfelt expression. He stretched his head forward to Mu Dishi's face until his lips were close enough to touch Mu Dishi's pinkish lips. He could not resist the temptation inside him any longer, this long-held desire. He then gently kissed Mu Dishi's pinkish lips.
Mu Dishi's eyes snapped open, and he was shocked, instantly awake, to feel Ma Jingguo kiss him. His first instinct was to push Ma Jingguo away, but Ma Jingguo, with a sudden surge of emotion, deepened the kiss, sending his tongue inside Mu Dishi's mouth. Mu Dishi, reacting instinctively and perhaps in shock and discomfort, bit the tip of Ma Jingguo's tongue. He tasted Ma Jingguo's blood inside his mouth.
In pain, Ma Jingguo pulled away from Mu Dishi's lips, a small gasp escaping him, but his arms tightened around Mu Dishi, hugging him tightly, unwilling to let go.
"Xiao shushu, I'm sorry," Ma Jingguo said, his voice thick with pain and desperate sincerity. "Please don't chase me away. I've tried my best to resist."
Mu Dishi's inner energy surged, instinctively trying to suppress Ma Jingguo and break free from the embrace. But Ma Jingguo was taller than him, and his young body was also very strong, fueled by emotion and a desperate need to hold on. When Ma Jingguo hugged him tightly, with the force of his pent-up feelings, he was unable to pull himself away from Ma Jingguo without sending a strong energy force at him. The energy force required might badly injure Ma Jingguo internally or immediately kill him, a consequence he instinctively recoiled from.
"Let go of me," Mu Dishi said, his voice tight with suppressed emotion and physical restraint.
"Xiao shushu, you have to promise me that xiao shushu won't run away if I let go," Ma Jingguo said, his voice pleading, his grip still firm.
"Fine," Mu Dishi said, the single word heavy with reluctant agreement.
Ma Jingguo then slowly, reluctantly, let go of Mu Dishi and sat at the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on Mu Dishi's face, searching for a reaction.
Mu Dishi got up quickly, a sense of unease radiating from him, walked to the table, and sat on the bamboo stool, putting distance between them. He looked at Ma Jingguo, his phoenix eyes sharp and intense, and asked, his voice low, demanding an answer, "For how long?"
Ma Jingguo looked back at Mu Dishi, his heart pounding, and said softly, the confession finally spilling out, "Since the first year living with xiao shushu."