Mu Dishi opened his eyes, returning to the quiet of the abandoned temple. Ma Jingguo was someone that it was hard for him to forget. He hated the entire Ma household, but Ma Jingguo was an exception. He closed his eyes, reminiscing about the past. A loud crashing sound had him open his eyes. He saw a young man come crashing down onto the cement floor, the young man lying there, grunting in pain and having difficulty getting into a sitting position.
Then a young lady rushed inside to help the young man. The young lady was wearing a light green outfit. The young man turned around and stared at Mu Dishi. The young man reached inside his inner robe and took out a small pouch. He threw the small pouch to Mu Dishi. The small pouch landed on Mu Dishi's lap as three well-dressed men rushed inside the temple.
Mu Dishi stared at the injured young man coldly as the three men walked inside the temple. Each man was dressed in different colors.
The man in red said, his voice harsh, "Young man, give us that pouch or don't blame us for picking on children."
The man in yellow reached his left hand toward Mu Dishi's lap. Mu Dishi used his right hand to grab the man in yellow's left wrist, twisted his hand hard, pulling him forward, and hit him directly in the neck. The man in yellow flew ten feet away, out cold on the floor.
The man in red attacked Mu Dishi's lower body using kicks. The man in blue attacked Mu Dishi's upper body using his hands. Mu Dishi, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, had no problem blocking the two men's attacks.
Kuo Changchang asked, her voice concerned, "Ah Chen, should we help him?"
Ah Chen said, a thoughtful look on his face, "Shijie, he looks pretty skillful. He can easily fight them."
Kuo Changchang asked, a hint of doubt in her tone, "Ah Chen, are you sure?"
Ah Chen replied, confidently, "Look at him, it doesn't seem that he needs our help. Those two men cannot even land a single hit on him."
The man in red, after hearing the two young people criticize their fighting skills, flew over and struck at the two young people. Before the man in red was even close to the two young people, he was being dragged back towards Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi flashed a single string at the four men, which knocked them back.
Kuo Changchang asked, her eyes wide, "What did he use?"
The two men knew they were no match for this young man, so they picked up their fallen brother and fled the scene.
Mu Dishi threw the pouch back at the young man.
Kuo Changchang said, his voice sincere, "Thank you, this shixiong."
Kuo Wenqian said, rushing over, "Meimei... Shidi... Are you two alright?"
Kuo Changchang replied, "Yes. The other two?"
Kuo Wenqian said, "We chased them away."
Mu Dishi saw three more females walked inside the temple. By the way they addressed each other and from the looks of their outfits, they were probably from the same sect. He knew they might be from one of the Seven Sects. A lot has changed in ten years. The old dogs had recruited new dogs. It's a good thing the old dogs recruited new dogs to replace them because soon the old dogs will be six feet under.
Kuo Changchang said, bowing slightly, "Thank you, this shixiong, for your help."
In Mu Dishi's mind, the Seven Sects and Five Clans were hypocrites. A whole bunch of hypocrites. In the martial arts world, most of these so-called righteous sects were hypocrites. When it comes to self-gain, they had no problem stabbing each other in the back. They set stupid rules for martial artists to follow, but they never followed them themselves. He couldn't label all of the sects and clans hypocrites because... well, for example, Shaolin Temple, Kunlun Sect, Huangshan Sect, and Emei Sect did not participate during the Shooting Down the Dragon campaign. Every time he thought or heard the phrase "Shooting Down the Dragon," he always laughed.
Few knew and many did not know that the Shooting Down the Dragon campaign was an annihilation of an entire village of innocent people, and their only crime was saving lives. Many martial artists who participated were saved by these innocent people countless times, but at the end, these so-called righteous martial artists had no problem pushing their swords into the stomach of the very people who had saved their lives or treated their wounds countless times.
Kuo Changchang felt awkward because Mu Dishi didn't answer her; instead he closed his eyes and continued to meditate. She walked back to the other side of the temple and sat down with Kuo Wenqian and her juniors.
Kuo Wenqian noticed that her juniors were staring at Mu Dishi, who sat silently cross-legged on the other side of the temple.
Ah Chen stared more than the others. He stared as if he blinked, Mu Dishi would disappear.
Kuo Wenqian cleared her throat and said, her voice gentle, "Ah Chen, it is not nice to stare."
Ah Chen got up and slowly walked to Mu Dishi. He placed two roasted sweet potatoes in front of Mu Dishi then walked back.
Mu Dishi opened his eyes; he saw two roasted sweet potatoes in front of him. Staring at the two sweet potatoes brought back some unforgettable memories of the past.
He recalled that on the second year when Ma Jingguo lived with him, as he entered the cave after he had finished meditating. He saw Ma Jingguo sleeping on the table with two sweet potatoes on a white ceramic plate. Lying beside Ma Jingguo was his jade flute and some music sheets.
He said, his voice a low murmur, "If you are tired, go sleep in your bed."
Ma Jingguo yawned and smiled with his big, puppy-innocent eyes. His voice was cheerful. "Xiao shushu, I am waiting for you. Sit." He got up and grabbed his left arm and sat him down. As Ma Jingguo was peeling one of the sweet potatoes, he said, "xiao shushu, we don't have any more food, so we have to eat this for dinner tonight." He gave him the peeled sweet potatoes. He looked hopeful. "Can we go to the market tomorrow? If not, we will have to eat potatoes and mangoes."
He replied, simply, "Okay."
Ma Jingguo smiled.
He said, "I am going to take a bath now."
Ma Jingguo asked, his voice helpful, "Xiao shushu, do you want me to wash your back for you?"
He said, flatly, "No." He stood up and walked toward the pond.
Ma Jingguo called out, his voice warm, "Xiao shushu, I'm right here if you need me."
He turned around and saw Ma Jingguo eating his sweet potatoes happily. Looking at Ma Jingguo's carefree attitude, Mu Dishi realized that Lin Daiyu was right, Ma Jingguo had that smile that can take people's pain and sadness away.
When the past memory passed, Mu Dishi looked across to the other side; the five young people were eating their sweet potatoes happily. He wondered if Ma Jingguo was still with him, he would be around the same age as these young people. He closed his eyes and continued to meditate.
Early the next morning, when the five young classmates woke up, Mu Dishi was already gone. Ah Chen looked across to where Mu Dishi sat last night, and the two sweet potatoes were still on the floor, remaining untouched.
Kuo Changchang asked, a little surprised, "Where is that shixiong gone?"
Ah Chen replied, shrugging, "Don't know. He doesn't like being around people."
A female junior asked, curiously, "How do you know?"
Ah Chen said, "By his personality."
Kuo Wenqian said, her voice urgent, "We must hurry up and bring that army seal back to Chang'an."
A female junior complained, grumbling, "If those five didn't keep chasing us, we wouldn't lose our horses."
Kuo Changchang said, trying to sound positive, "Walking is good. Let's think of it as we are practicing our lightness skills."
Ah Chen said, a hopeful note in his voice, "I wonder if we're going to meet that shixiong again."
Kuo Wenqian looked at her juniors and said, her voice decisive, "Let us separate. The rest of you go to Sword Village, and I will go to Chang'an alone."
Kuo Changchang said, concerned, "Take one of the juniors with you."
Kuo Wenqian shook her head and said, firmly, "No need. If I go by myself, they will think that you guys still have the army seal. They will follow you, not me."
Ah Chen said, grinning, "Shijie, that is a great idea. We will head to Sword Village and wait for you there."
Kuo Wenqian said, her tone serious, "Be careful."
Kuo Changchang sighed, her voice worried, "I wonder how da ge and ah lok are doing up North."
Kuo Wenqian said, reassuringly, "Don't worry. They will be back soon."
Inside a small tavern, Mu Dishi was drinking his tea when a group of young martial artists walked inside.
The innkeeper looked at the large group of people and said, apologetically, "I am so sorry, daxia, but we have run out of space to sit."
A junior stared at the innkeeper and then looked across the eating area. His eyes lit up. "Da shixiong, look," he said, pointing at Mu Dishi. "He sat by himself. Let's go ask if he will allow us to sit with him."
The group of five young martial artists went to Mu Dishi's table. The second brother greeted, his voice polite, "I am Fu Yuanjun from Tianshan Sect. Sorry to bother you, but there are no more seats left. Would you mind if we sit with you?"
Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice flat, "I don't like sitting with other people."
Li Shan said, his voice sharp, "My shidi asked you nicely."
Mu Dishi said coldly, his tone indifferent, "I answered him nicely."
Li Shan said, his voice rising, "Do you know we are from Tianshan Sect?"
Mu Dishi said, simply, "So."
Li Shan said, indignantly, "How dare you treat us like this?"
Mu Dishi said, a cruel smile forming on his lips, "If you are in a hurry, then stand and eat, or all of you can eat at the corner over there with those two." He pointed at two dogs eating at the corner.
Li Shan said, his face reddening, "How dare you compare us to dogs?" He pointed his finger at Mu Dishi's face.
Mu Dishi scoffed, his eyes cold, "In my eyes, people from Tianshan Sect are dogs. How is the old dog doing? Is the old dog still alive?"
Fu Yuanjun said, trying to be reasonable, "We are being very generous towards you. How dare you insult our sect leader?"
Suo Dongmei said, impatiently, "Er shixiong, why bother talking to him." She unsheathed her sword and struck at Mu Dishi.
Mu Dishi had no problem blocking the five young martial artists' attacks. The five young martial artists' swordsmanship was not good. By the way their sword moves, he could tell that the Leader of Tianshan Sect had not improved after ten years.
Out of all the five dogs, Mu Dishi hated Suo Baojing the most. He promised himself when he returned to the Central Plains, the first person he would kill would be Suo Baojing, but since his little dogs were here, the old dog Suo might not be home. He would have to kill dog Suo after he killed the Four Clan Leaders.
Mu Dishi caught Li Shan's hand, his grip like steel. "Where is Suo Baojing?"
Suo Dongmei replied, her voice trembling, "You are afraid of my father? He is already in Shaolin Temple."
Mu Dishi twisted Li Shan's hand around, grabbed the sword, flipped the sword over, and slit Li Shan's throat. He then threw the sword in his hand at one of the other juniors that rushed at him.
Fu Yuanjun and the rest flew towards Mu Dishi. He grabbed the chopsticks from the wooden holder and sent a handful of chopsticks flying, hitting the four charging people. The four injured Tianshan disciples were badly injured on the floor.
Mu Dishi said coldly, his voice low and dangerous, "I hated when people pointed their finger at me." He looked at the four injured people. His gaze was chilling. "Tell that dog Suo that his ten years' time is up. If he didn't want anyone else to die, then he must announce to the martial arts world his crimes. Then stab himself seventy-one times, but if he chose to bring his little dogs along with him.... I have no problem ending their dog lives."
He stood up, reached into his inner robe, put a small gold ingot on the table and walked out of the small tavern. He thought that sounded about right. Every two years they held that stupid competition for young martial artists to make a name for themselves. Many new sects and clans would also compete to see which sects or clans had better skills. He knew he didn't have to go look for them because in fifteen days, all of the dogs who owed him a debt would gather at Shaolin Temple.