Spring arrived in the Tianshan mountain ranges, painting the peaks in vibrant colors. The warm sun cast brilliant rays of light, and the air filled with the fresh aroma of blooming flowers and budding trees.
Within the Tianshan Sect, a flurry of activity was underway. Disciples bustled about, greeting guests who had traveled from all corners of the martial arts world to celebrate the new leader. Due to the sheer number of guests from various sects and clans, the festivities were held in the open-air training arena.
Three hundred guests gathered, laughing and drinking as they greeted old friends and new acquaintances. Many of these sects and clans would not have the chance to meet otherwise. The arena erupted in cheers and applause as Fu Yuanjun took his place in the leader's seat, officially beginning the celebration.
A group of four sat at a small table tucked in a corner near the main entrance: a middle-aged man, a younger man, and two women. The younger, petite woman glanced toward the door and froze. An elderly Taoist, with a shock of white hair and a long, white beard, stood among the young, bustling crowd, looking a bit out of place.
She immediately stood. "Xiurong, what are you doing?" the middle-aged man, her father, asked.
Yuan Xiurong looked at him and gestured toward the Taoist. "Father, that old Taoist is standing among the young people. I want to offer him my seat."
"Then go ahead," Yuan Zixin said to his daughter with a gentle smile.
Yuan Xiurong walked up to the old Taoist. "Qianbei," she said politely, "please have a seat at our table. You are a senior; you should not have to stand."
The old Taoist looked at Yuan Xiurong and smiled. "Thank you for your kindness." He then gestured to the young Taoist beside him, who guided him to the table. The elder Taoist sat in Yuan Xiurong's vacated seat, and she moved to stand behind her father.
Seeing this, the young man sitting next to Yuan Zixin immediately stood up.
"Xiurong, you sit here," he said, offering her his seat. "I'm a man; I can stand."
Yuan Xiurong smiled warmly at the young man. "Thank you, Rao ge." She then sat down next to her father. She poured a cup of water and offered it to the old Taoist. "Qianbei, please drink some water." After that, she poured another cup and handed it to the young Taoist. "Here, shixiong."
Yuan Zixin chuckled, leaning over to the young Taoist. "Don't mind her. She's always like this, kind to everyone except me." He laughed. The young Taoist thanked Yuan Xiurong and took the cup from her hand.
Meanwhile, many members of the Tianshan Sect were far from cheerful. Loyal to Suo Baojing and Peng Boqin, they did not share the same enthusiasm as the guests.
Wen Xiaosi rose to his feet, a furious scowl on his face. "I will not acknowledge Er shixiong as our next leader! We all know that the leader seat should belong to Dongmei meimei!"
Elder Tong's voice thundered across the arena. "The leader seat will never belong to Suo Dongmei!"
"But we don't think so!" Wen Xiaosi shot back.
Fu Yuanjun held up a hand, silencing the crowd. He looked at Wen Xiaosi with cold, unwavering eyes. "Do you not think I am qualified? My father was the first disciple of Yi Shifu. By title, I am more suitable than her."
Fu Yuanjun's expression remained steady. "I may not have the skill yet, but I am willing to learn. I will learn from all ten elders if I have to."
"If everyone insists on you being our leader, then I won't accept you," Wen Xiaosi declared, his voice ringing with finality. "From today, I will no longer be a disciple of Tianshan."
"Everyone has their own opinions," Fu Yuanjun replied calmly, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I cannot force you to stay when you no longer wish to be here."
Wen Xiaosi and ten others started walking toward the main door, their departure a silent protest that echoed the disappointment of those left behind. Suddenly, Wen Xiaosi flew backward, landing in front of Fu Yuanjun in a heap, blood spilling from his lips. Cao Wenyan, who had just flown past the main entrance, landed beside the injured man and plunged his sword into Wen Xiaosi's abdomen.
"Leader Fu," Cao Wenyan sighed, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Why are you so soft-hearted? You've just won the title of Tianshan leader; you need to kill the chicken to warn the monkey."
Fu Yuanjun's expression was grim as he looked at the newcomer. "Cao gongzi, why did you have to kill him? People have different opinions."
Cao Wenyan let out a derisive snort. "Oh, I forgot this is the Tianshan Sect and not the Beijixing Sect." He gave Fu Yuanjun a mocking smirk.
Li Kongbai rose to his feet, his voice cutting through the tension. "We, the six sects and four clans, have no connection with the Beijixing Sect. What is the occasion that brings Young Master Cao here today?"
"I apologize for being here without an invitation," Cao Wenyan replied with feigned humility. "My father feels a little sad that we didn't receive one." He then looked directly at Fu Yuanjun. "Leader Fu, my father has always been a fair person. He hopes you will succeed. He also wants you to know that if you stay away from the Beijixing Sect, then we will stay away from you."
Nun Chingmei, her voice filled with a cold accusation, said, "This is more like a threat than a word of congratulation."
"Say whatever you want," Cao Wenyan replied with a dismissive shrug.
Elder Tong's voice was sharp with indignation. "You just killed one of our disciples. We dare not accept your lord's 'kind words'."
Cao Wenyan's eyes scanned the crowd. "As far as I know, this person has already left your sect. Does anyone here want to deny that?" He paused, a smirk playing on his lips when no one spoke. "No one? Then that means he is no longer a member of your sect."
Yong Gui stepped forward, his voice a calm counterpoint to the rising tension. "Cao gongzi, what exactly are you seeking today?"
"Like I said, I'm just here to congratulate Leader Fu," Cao Wenyan replied. He looked at the representatives of the six sects and four clans before turning on his heel and to the front entrance of the courtyard
The Tianshan disciples who had started to leave with Wen Xiaosi rushed back in, surrounding Cao Wenyan. A disciple pointed his sword at Cao Wenyan and said, "Do you think you can escape after killing our shixiong?"
From the main entrance, a figure approached: Cao Fengge. He walked slowly with the Five-colors mice walking behind him; his hands tucked into his sleeves. He stopped a few paces away and, in a low voice, asked, "Who here wants to be an enemy of this old man?"
Behind Yuan Zixin, the young man gripped his sword so tightly that the scabbard began to split. Yuan Zixin quickly grabbed the young man's wrist, looked up at him, and shook his head, a silent command to stand down.
"Your time is not today," Yuan Zixin said quietly to the young man.
A disciple, his face red with fury, shouted at Cao Fengge, "We're going to avenge our shixiong's death!"
Cao Fengge's hands emerged from his sleeves. Five small, red threads shot out toward five disciples. The threads wrapped around their necks. The five men felt nothing more than a tingling sensation before they dropped to the floor, dead.
"Father," Yong Taihua said, his eyes wide. "He's as fast as Mu Dishi."
Yong Gui shook his head, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. "Taihua, you should call him shizun. Currently, if Mu Dishi claim to be second, no one will dare claim to be first. So, what does that tell you?"
Biting down hard on his lip, Yong Taihua's eyes widened with a new understanding. "It means," he said, the words filled with a fierce pride and unwavering conviction, "that Shizun is still the best." He looked at his father, a new question forming in his mind. "Father," he asked, his voice filled with a hushed awe, "who else could possibly be on par with Chief Cao?"
Yong Gui's expression turned grave, and he spoke in a low, solemn voice. "Cao Fengge's skill is on par with that of the House of Gu's leader."
"The House of Gu?" Yong Taihua repeated, his mind racing. "Father, do you mean Chief Gu? How?"
"Thirty years ago, the four most terrifying martial artists were Mu Jiaolong, Gu Tingfang, Cao Fengge, and Kuo Jinsong," Yong Gui explained. "Among them, Mu Jiaolong had the upper hand, thanks to the Killer String Manual. It's a pity he never completed it."
"But my shizun did," Yong Taihua said, a proud note in his voice.
As if on cue, Cao Fengge sent another five red threads flying toward the remaining Tianshan disciples. Fu Yuanjun unsheathed his sword and leaped forward, intercepting the threads just as a single, shining guzheng string flew directly at Cao Fengge's back.
"Father!" Cao Wenyan yelled.
Cao Fengge spun around, his red threads a lethal blur as they flew toward the main entrance. Four poison needles, hidden within their wake, followed. But a single, shining guzheng string appeared from nowhere, slicing through the air with a faint whisper. The threads snapped, and the poison needles, now deflected with lethal speed, shot straight back at their owner. Cao Fengge had to quickly twist his body to avoid being pierced by his own deadly weapons.
Everyone turned to look at the entrance, a collective murmur of "Mu Dishi" spreading through the training ground.
When Cao Wenyan saw him, he smiled brilliantly. He walked forward to greet him. "It's you," he said. "Mu Dishi, I didn't know I would see you here today."
Ma Jingguo scoffed, a look of pure contempt on his face. "Keep your little smile to yourself."
Cao Fengge's expression hardened. "Mu Dishi, I thought I had made myself clear."
Mu Dishi didn't answer. He simply rolled his eyes, a gesture of profound disinterest, and walked past them toward Fu Yuanjun and Elder Tong.
Ma Jingguo stepped forward, positioning himself squarely in front of Cao Fengge. "You can pick a fight with any other clan or sect you want," he said, his voice firm. "My xiao shushu couldn't care less. But Tianshan is an exception."
"Why?" Cao Wenyan asked, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.
Ma Jingguo's grin widened into a triumphant smirk. "Because my xiao shushu said that if anyone wants to hurt Fu Yuanjun, they must go through him first."
Fu Yuanjun walked to Mu Dishi; his expression filled with deep gratitude. "Mu ge, thank you," he said.
Ma Jingguo looked back at Cao Wenyan, a mocking gleam in his eyes. "Did you hear that? Do you hear how Chief Fu addresses my xiao shushu? Mu ge... what does that tell you?"
A muscle in Cao Fengge's jaw twitched. His earlier confidence was completely gone. "This is simply a misunderstanding," he said, the words a strained attempt to save face. "We came to congratulate the new leader of Tianshan. We will be leaving now." He turned and walked swiftly toward the front entrance, the Five-colors mice still standing behind him, a silent testament to his retreat.
Cao Wenyan ignored Ma Jingguo completely and walked directly to Mu Dishi. He gave him a tight, forced smile. "Mu gongzi, I apologize for this misunderstanding," he said, his voice a strained whisper. "Since you are so fond of Tianshan, I promise not to disturb anyone here again." He offered a quick, shallow bow. "I am leaving now. You have a good day." Without another word, he spun on his heel and rushed to follow his father out the front entrance.
With a silent gesture, Mu Dishi reached inside his robe, pulled out a manual, and handed it to Fu Yuanjun.
Fu Yuanjun's eyes widened as he glanced at the manual's cover. "The Spirit Sword Manual?" he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "But... shifu said it was lost forever."
"The original may be lost," Mu Dishi said calmly, a note of quiet reverence in his voice. "My mother wrote this one, but it does not belong to the Mu Clan. Therefore, we dare not practice it. It should be returned to you."
Elder Tong's eyes were filled with emotion. "Dishi, you are a part of Tianshan. You can practice it."
Mu Dishi shook his head. "This violates our family rule and the rules of the martial world. We must leave now." He stepped closer to Fu Yuanjun, whispering something in his ear. Fu Yuanjun nodded in understanding.
Fu Yuanjun then spoke aloud, his voice full of sincere gratitude. "Mu ge, please stay and eat with us before you leave."
Mu Dishi's response was a polite but absolute refusal. "No, I am afraid we cannot stay. My purpose here was to return this to its rightful home, nothing more."
With that, he turned and, without another word, began to walk away.
Ma Jingguo quickly followed Mu Dishi out of the Tianshan Sect. Once they were outside, Ma Jingguo caught up and asked, "What was that all about? Why does that person like you so much?"
Mu Dishi didn't break his stride. "I don't know," he said flatly. "Why don't you ask him?"
"I don't think I have to," Ma Jingguo replied with a confident smirk. "I think he secretly fell in love with you."
Mu Dishi stopped and glared at him, then resumed walking even faster. "No one else cares about those things but you," he retorted, his voice tinged with anger.
"Good," Ma Jingguo said, his smile turning possessive. "Because I don't want anyone to touch you except me."
Mu Dishi's eyes flashed with fury. He turned and stormed away, picking up his pace to a near-run.
"Xiao shushu! Wait for me!" Ma Jingguo called out, chasing after him. "I haven't fully recovered yet! Don't be mad at me!" he yelled again, his voice echoing through the mountains. "Xiao shushu, I'm sorry!"