Resting his head on his left arm on the table, his eyes closed, Ma Jingguo waited, his right fingers gently tapping the stone table in front of the bamboo shed. He opened his eyes only when he could no longer smell the burning incense. He smirked, feeling that the leaders of the Six Sects and Four Households were too cowardly to meet him.
He decided that if they wouldn't come to him, he would go to them. But as he looked into the distance, he saw the leaders of the Six Sects, led by Yong Gui, finally approaching. Ma Jingguo rose and waited for them.
Yong Gui smiled warmly and greeted Ma Jingguo. "Chief Xin, Taihua mentioned that you wished to speak with the leaders of the Six Sects."
Ma Jingguo greeted Yong Gui. "I'm sorry to trouble you at this time, but since everyone is here, I think it's easier to talk to everyone at the same time."
Monk Ling asked, "Benefactor Xin, what do you want to talk about?"
"I know that each of you thinks that I killed Chen guniang and Lui gongzi," Ma Jingguo stated, "but I still stand by my words: I did not kill them. I know who killed them, but I just don't have any evidence to clear my name at the moment."
Tang Jianyu asked, "Chief Xin, can you tell us about your suspicions?"
Ma Jingguo shook his head. "I have understood over the years that I should never trust anyone except myself." He looked pointedly at the senior martial artists. "Even people who are close to you, like your shifu or shimu, can stab you from behind when you are at your most vulnerable moment."
Nun Chingmei snapped madly, "Perhaps if you walk the righteous path, you won't be what you are today."
Ma Jingguo smirked at her. "What exactly is the righteous path? Could you please explain?"
Wei Shuai answered, "He who doesn't kill. He who has no greed or wants to hurt others."
Ma Jingguo laughed loudly. After a while, his laughter stopped abruptly, and he looked at Wei Shuai coldly. "You mean those who follow the rules of the Six Sects, claiming to be righteous? If someone opposes the Six Sects, they will be labeled as demons... Am I right?"
No one answered.
Ma Jingguo continued his relentless critique. "How the Six Sects and Four Households turn an ordinary man into a devil, I can give you many examples. You don't have to look far, just take myself as an example." He surveyed the martial artists. "All I want is to live a peaceful life with xiao shushu. If everyone left us alone, there wouldn't be as many deaths in the Mu Treasure Cave as there are now. Moreover, if the Four Households of Central Plains weren't so greedy and intent on possessing other people's things, the annihilation of the chief of the Seven Sects seventy years ago would not have happened." Ma Jingguo laughed with bitter irony. "So, you see, every bad person the martial artists in Wulin face is caused by people who claim to be righteous. If I'm wrong, tell me..."
Monk Ling sighed, then asked, "So, what does Benefactor Xin want?"
"I want to prove my innocence," Ma Jingguo stated. "I want the Six Sectors and Four Households to leave the Sunset Sect alone. Today, I'm here for peace talks."
Wu Jianping countered, "If Chief Xin came for a peace talk, why are your men guarding our door?"
"It's just for precaution," Ma Jingguo said dismissively, "because I know some of you may not want to listen to what I have to say."
Wei Shuai persisted, "If you really want peace talks, why did you attack the Mangsha Sect?"
"On the contrary, it was Chief Wu who attacked one of our divisions first," Ma Jingguo corrected. "The destruction of a small branch has nothing to do with me, but you killed Wen Huifang." He looked at the martial artists coldly. "I am a decent and upright person... Think about it, my attitude is quite like Cao qianbei... You should be thankful that I didn't kill you in the end."
Tang Jianyu glanced at Ma Jingguo, and Yong Taihua's recent words quickly came to mind. The most vicious person in the martial arts world was indeed created by them. Seventy years ago it was Zan Huangming, nineteen years ago it was Mu Dishi, and now Ma Jingguo. He understood that two wrongs don't make a right. He had watched Ma Jingguo grow up since he was a teen. He now feared that if they continued to push Ma Jingguo, the fate of Wulin would be over.
Tang Jianyu broke the silence. "Everyone, I would like to give my opinion."
Yong Gui nodded. "Chief Tang, please speak freely."
Tang Jianyu addressed the assembly. "Among the people standing here, I am considered one of the elders. I have seen the rise and fall of many sects and clans, both orthodox and unorthodox. The words of Yong gongzi reminded me that because of our stubbornness, sometimes we pushed others too far, so far that people who were once orthodox become unorthodox."
Monk Ling softly offered, "Amitabha."
"I suggest that we forget everything in the past and leave those old footprints behind," Tang Jianyu proposed. "Let our younger generation learn from it, and don't continue to brainwash them with the old tradition of apartheid. Let us start new. Now that the Sunset Sect is as fearsome as the other Four Households, so let the Sunset Sect be the Fifth Household of Central Plain, just like Yuan Yu has always wanted."
Wu Jianping shouted in frustration, "Chief Tang, are you out of your mind?"
"No, that's my suggestion," Tang Jianyu calmly replied.
Monk Ling interjected, "Chief Xin, if we agree, would you leave Mangsha Sect and hand back the leader seat to Chief Wu?"
"Of course," Ma Jingguo agreed.
Nun Chingmei surprisingly conceded, "The Six Sects established the Four Households for the sake of peace in the Central Plains. One more is not bad."
Li Kong Bai added, "After all, I do believe that Chief Xin is not such a bad person."
"Give me a year to prove my innocence," Ma Jingguo proposed.
Yong Gui countered, "We will give you two years to prove your innocence, but the explanation must satisfy us. If you can't give us the answer within two years, what are you going to do?"
Ma Jingguo interrupted, his voice absolute, "I will commit suicide."
"Do everyone agree?" Monk Ling asked.
The Six Sect leaders nodded unanimously.
Ma Jingguo smirked. "I hope everyone will keep their promise."
Tang Jianyu stood up. "Since the meeting has concluded, Chief Xin, follow us to Sword Village, and we will announce it in front of everyone."
Ma Jingguo smirked. "Alright."
When Ma Jingguo arrived in Sword Village, the sight of him shocked the many martial artists and the Four Households gathered there.
Yong Gui commanded, "Bring a chair for Chief Xin and put it next to Chief Rao."
Gu Tingfang angrily asked, "Chief Yong, what does this mean?"
"Monk Ling and Leader Tang will address the issue shortly," Yong Gui said.
Ma Jingguo sat down opposite Fu Yuanjun, staring straight at him. The other martial artists in the conference hall noted Ma Jingguo's deliberate action.
Monk Ling announced, "The Six Sects unanimously believe that Sunset Sector should be the Fifth Household of Central Plains."
The martial artists in the hall began muttering loudly, their discussion from that morning—to ambush and kill Ma Jingguo—clashing violently with the sudden reconciliation.
Gu Tingfang stood up angrily. "This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"
Ma Jingguo smiled at Gu Tingfang. "What is so ridiculous about it? I think it's not as ridiculous as the Gu Household imprisoning my shifu for more than sixty years and imprisoning me for a year." He laughed. "Now, that is ridiculous."
"Ma Jingguo, you killed my daughter and my son... This beef, we will have to settle it sooner or later!" Gu Tingfang roared.
Ma Jingguo countered, "As far as I know, the person that killed your daughter was Chief Fu. Those who attended the wedding clearly saw how Chief Fu returned her attack." He smiled at Gu Tingfang. "As for your son, I didn't kill him. Your Household put the blame on Wen qianbei, leading to the destruction of Mangsha Sect. If I am willing to accept that Wen qianbei killed your son? We have already paid the price, because you demolished one of our divisions and killed Wen qianbei. So, why should we cause trouble when we are negotiating peace?"
Voices rose in agreement from the crowd:
"Yes, I was there, that's how things happened."
"This time, Demon Xin is not wrong."
Ma Jingguo smiled. "Chief Gu, have you heard? It seems that everyone agrees with what they saw that day."
Cao Wenyan looked at Ma Jingguo and asked, "Ma Jingguo, where is Mu gongzi?"
Ma Jingguo's smiles vanished. "Chief Cao, you should address me as Chief Xin. Also, regarding xiao shushu, you have nothing to do with him. Why do you always bother him?" He picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Tang Jianyu stood to conclude the argument. "The reason why the Six Sect chiefs decided to list Sunset Sect as one of the Households of Central Plains is because we don't want to repeat the same mistakes. I should thank Yong gongzi for his kind words. If we push someone too far, they will turn into an unorthodox sector." Most in the conference hall agreed with Tang Jianyu. "As for many of you, you have also seen that Chief Xin has not shown any malice to anyone for many years, but unfortunately, the conditions have indeed led him to the unorthodox side, but he has found his way back to the orthodox side. We should not turn him away."
A martial artist stepped forward to testify. "Chief Tang was right. In Shaolin, Mu Dishi was about to unleash his killer strings to kill us all, but it was Chief Xin who forced Mu Dishi's hand. If he didn't do this, we would have died long ago."
Monk Ling finalized the matter. "If everyone has no objections, then let Sunset Sect officially become the Fifth Household of Central Plains."
Ma Jingguo immediately spouted a mouthful of blood, and Wu Jianping instantly drew his sword and rushed toward Ma Jingguo.
Yong Gui shouted, "Chief Wu! Stop!"
Ma Jingguo grasped Wu Jianping's sword with his left hand and slammed a heavy fist into Wu Jianping's left chest, pressing him to the floor in front of Fu Yuanjun. Then, Gu Tingfang's silver leaves flew directly at Ma Jingguo. Ma Jingguo quickly flew back, landing by the door of the conference hall, where he quickly spit out more blood.
Ma Jingguo laughed, a wild, cold sound. He looked at the martial artists in the room. "Hypocrites... hahahaha. A bunch of hypocrites." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Now..." He sneered. "Prepare to die."