The silence of the inn felt heavy as Ma Jingguo lay pinned to the mattress, his gaze fixed on the shadows dancing across the ceiling. Every minute felt like an hour while he waited for the cold, leaden weight in his limbs to dissolve. When feeling finally sparked in his fingertips, it was like waking from a dream. He forced himself up, his heart racing with a singular need to find Mu Dishi. He threw open the door, only to stop short—Mu Dishi was already there, walking down the dim hallway toward him like a silent ghost.
"You're supposed to be resting," Mu Dishi said, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet room.
"I was worried about you," Ma Jingguo admitted, watching him closely. "Where did you go?"
Mu Dishi didn't answer immediately. He moved into the room with his usual fluid grace and placed a steaming bowl of plain rice congee on the table before taking a seat. Ma Jingguo closed the door, shutting out the rest of the world, and sat across from him. He picked up the spoon, the simple warmth of the meal soothing the last lingering tremors from the poison.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo said, a soft, playful smile tugging at his lips. "Do you ever wonder why I'm so madly in love with you?"
Mu Dishi kept his eyes on his own bowl. "Why?"
"It's because of things like this," Ma Jingguo replied, gesturing to the congee. "A bowl of rice, a bowl of medicine... it's the way you care when you think I'm not looking." He took a few more spoonfuls, feeling the comfort settle in his stomach. "By the way, where should we go next?"
"Wherever you like," Mu Dishi said simply.
Ma Jingguo leaned forward. "Then... do you want to stay here until spring?"
Mu Dishi finally looked up. "Why stay until the thaw?"
"It's getting cold," Ma Jingguo explained softly. "The snow will be here soon, and I don't want you traveling through the mountain passes in the dead of winter. It's too harsh."
"Whatever," Mu Dishi replied. The word was his usual shield, but this time, it carried a quiet note of surrender.
"Staying at the inn will get expensive," Ma Jingguo continued, his mind already spinning with plans. "Maybe we should look for a small house to rent. Or even buy?"
"Whatever," Mu Dishi said again, this time with a look of total trust.
An hour later, they headed down to the dining hall. When they spotted Wang Niu, the helpful waiter, Ma Jingguo caught his attention with a friendly wave.
"Brother Wang! We really enjoyed the sights you recommended. Thank you."
"No problem at all," Wang Niu replied with a grin. "I'm glad they lived up to the hype."
"Actually, we're looking for something a bit more permanent," Ma Jingguo said. "Do you know of a place we could rent or buy? Something quiet, a bit outside of town?"
Wang Niu scratched his chin. "Well, I actually own a small place about a thirty-minute walk from here. I don't stay there anymore since I live at the inn. To be honest, it's quite shabby—I can't even vouch for what state it's in."
"If you were to sell it, what would you ask?"
Wang Niu let out a startled, genuine laugh. "Are you joking? Who would want to buy a ruin like that?"
"I would," Ma Jingguo said.
As the waiter stammered, trying to explain how bad the condition might be, Mu Dishi reached into his inner robe. Without a word, he placed two large, shimmering gold ingots on the table.
"Is this enough?" he asked, his voice calm and terrifyingly direct.
Wang Niu's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He stared at the gold, unblinking; it was enough to build a small mansion, let alone buy a shack. A wide, stunned smile broke across his face. "Wait right here! I'll get the land deed!"
When he returned with the envelope, Ma Jingguo took charge of the formalities. He asked the innkeeper for paper and brush, carefully drafting the bill of sale.
"Can you read, Brother Wang?"
The waiter shook his head, still looking dazed by the gold.
"I'll read it for you then," Ma Jingguo said. "I, Wang Niu, agree to sell my home and land to the Mu family for the sum of two gold ingots. Witnessed by Innkeeper Lao of Tianshan."
The innkeeper, acting as a formal witness, signed and pressed his thumbprint to the paper, followed by Wang Niu.
"The sale is complete," Ma Jingguo announced, beaming. "Xiao shushu, if you please."
Mu Dishi slid the gold across the table, settled their remaining inn bill, and followed Ma Jingguo out into the crisp air. They walked for half an hour, leaving the bustle of the town behind.
The thirty-minute walk stretched into a trek that led them far beyond the last flickers of the town's lanterns. They followed a winding, overgrown path that dipped deep into a secluded valley, where the air grew noticeably colder and the silence more profound. Massive, jagged mountain ranges rose up on all sides like silent sentinels, their peaks already dusted with the first hints of winter frost.
There were no other chimneys smoking in the distance, no sounds of barking dogs or distant neighbors—just the two of them and the whistling wind. Finally, nestled against the base of a towering cliff, the property appeared.
It was... a disaster. The house was gray with age and choked by skeletal weeds that shivered in the mountain breeze. It looked less like a home and more like a ghost of the valley. When Ma Jingguo reached out to push the front gate open, it gave a long, agonizing creak that echoed off the surrounding peaks before the rusted hinges gave way entirely, sending one side of the gate crashing into the dirt with a heavy, hollow thud.
They stepped inside the yard. To the left was a stone well; next to it, two small, interconnected bedrooms. A cramped kitchen sat on the right, with a decent-sized shed tucked behind it. Dust and cobwebs covered every visible surface.
Ma Jingguo scratched his head, his face falling as he took in the rot. "When he said 'shabby,' I didn't think he meant 'collapsing.'"
Mu Dishi looked at the fallen gate, then at his partner, a hint of dry wit dancing in his eyes. "It's too late to return it now."
Ma Jingguo let out a short laugh and rolled up his sleeves. "No kidding. But don't worry, Xiao shushu. I'll fix it. I'll make it a home."
For the next two weeks, the valley echoed with the sound of Ma Jingguo's tireless labor. He spent his days scrubbing years of grime from the floorboards, patching the leaking roof, and rehinging the gate that had so unceremoniously collapsed upon their arrival. Mu Dishi, despite his refined nature, assisted where he could—his movements precise and efficient, even when performing the most mundane tasks. Slowly, the "ghost" of a house began to breathe again. The hearth was cleared of ash, the windows were polished until they caught the mountain light, and the scent of cedar and beeswax replaced the smell of decay.
By the following morning, the house had finally become a home. With the air growing sharper and the mountain peaks turning a stark, brilliant white, they knew their time was running out. Side by side, they made the long trek back into town, determined to stock up on enough grain, dried meats, and winter supplies to last them until the spring thaw finally reopened the world.
High above on the mountain pass, a group of figures blurred through the trees. Ten Yueguang Sect disciples were closing the gap, their pursuit relentless. Just as they neared the main road that led back toward the safety of town, Kuo Wenqian skidded to a halt. Her chest heaved with exhaustion, but her eyes remained sharp. She reached out and caught her junior's arm, pulling her back into the shadows of the treeline.
"You need to get to the Tianshan Sect as fast as you can," Kuo Wenqian commanded, her voice low and urgent. "Tell my father we've found the missing disciples—tell him Changchang and the others have fallen into a trap!"
"Shijie... what about you?" the junior sister asked, her voice trembling with fear as she looked at the approaching enemy.
"Don't worry about me," Kuo Wenqian said, her expression hardening with resolve. "I'll lead them away. Hide here until they've passed, then head for town. Do you understand?"
The junior nodded frantically, scrambling into a dense thicket of trees and undergrowth, vanishing from sight.
Seeing the Yueguang Sect disciples cresting the hill, Kuo Wenqian didn't hesitate. She sprinted toward the intersection on the right, her boots kicking up dust. She paused for a split second, long enough to make sure she was seen, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "This way! Catch me if you can!"
From her hiding spot, the junior watched with a racing heart as the pursuers took the bait. They changed course instantly, their shadows lengthening as they chased Kuo Wenqian down the mountain in the opposite direction—heading straight toward the isolated outskirts of the village.
The village air was crisp, and a pale sun offered little warmth as people moved through the market, their breath misting in the cold. Hawkers' calls were a low murmur against the general bustle of thick-cloaked figures. Ma Jingguo placed the last basket of winter vegetables on the wagon, then, with a playful grin, scooped Mu Dishi up like a small child and gently set him down atop the supplies.
Mu Dishi adjusted his robes, looking down from his perch. "Jingguo, why don't we simply buy a horse?"
"Horses are high-maintenance. Besides, I'm the one pushing—it's good exercise," Ma Jingguo said, already leaning into the handle and setting the wagon in motion.
"Then let me help you," Mu Dishi offered.
"I've got it," Ma Jingguo insisted, his voice firm but gentle.
Mu Dishi watched the back of his head for a moment before speaking again. "Why did you put 'Ma Dishi' on the land deed?"
"I don't want the world knowing exactly where you are, Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo explained softly. "A different name keeps the 'dogs' away."
When they finally arrived back at the valley, Mu Dishi hopped off the wagon and walked toward the shed to open the door. The moment the latch clicked, the air hissed. Two daggers flew at his head. With a blur of motion, Mu Dishi executed two rapid backflips, the blades thudding harmlessly into the wooden doorframe.
A woman in a tattered yellowish dress lunged from the shadows, her sword swinging wildly. Mu Dishi didn't hesitate; he sidestepped the blade and delivered a counterstrike so powerful it sent her spiraling backward. She hit the side of the shed with a sickening thud, coughing up a spray of blood. Before she could recover, Mu Dishi flicked his wrist, a single, shimmering guzheng string wrapping tightly around her throat.
"Wait! Don't kill her!" Ma Jingguo screamed, rushing over.
The woman looked up, her eyes wide with desperate recognition. "Ah... Chen?" she gasped.
Mu Dishi instantly recoiled, the deadly string vanishing back into his sleeve. Ma Jingguo knelt by her side. "Shijie! What happened to you?"
"We were ambushed by the Yueguang Sect," Kuo Wenqian rasped. "They took the others. I was the only one who broke free."
"Yueguang Sect?" Mu Dishi repeated, his voice trailing off into a cold realization.
"Xiao shushu, you know them?" Ma Jingguo asked.
"Unlce Long spoke of them," Mu Dishi said. "They are poison specialists from Tibet. They've tried for years to enter the Central Plains, but the six sects and five clans shunned them as heretics. In their spite, they became the enemy of all. They once approached the Mu Clan for an alliance, but Uncle Long refused them. He told them the Mu Clan existed to save lives, not to end them with venom."
As the explanation ended, Wenqian succumbed to her injuries, fainting in Ma Jingguo's arms. He carried her to the guest room and tended to her until she was stable. When he finally emerged, he found Mu Dishi sitting silently at the table.
Ma Jingguo sat opposite him, his expression more serious than Mu Dishi had ever seen it. "Xiao shushu, if the juniors have been captured by people like that, I have to save them."
Mu Dishi remained silent, his gaze unreadable.
"When I was at the Jinfeng Sect," Ma Jingguo continued softly, "they were my family. No one mistreated me. I cannot leave them to die."
"I'll help you," Mu Dishi said. The words were flat, but the resolution behind them was absolute.
Ma Jingguo's face broke into a radiant smile. "Thank you, Xiao shushu."
The mountain chill of the night slowly gave way to a soft, golden dawn filtering through the polished windows. Inside, the frantic energy of the ambush had been replaced by the scent of toasted grain and medicinal herbs. Thanks to Mu Dishi's expert care, Kuo Wenqian awoke not to pain, but to the steady rhythm of a house in motion. When she limped into the main room, she was met with a scene so domestic it felt like a dream: Mu Dishi sat in serene silence at the table, watching with an unreadable expression as Ma Jingguo bustled about, whistling softly as he laid out a steaming breakfast.
"Shijie! How are you feeling?" Ma Jingguo asked, rushing to her side.
"Better," she said, though her eyes lingered on Mu Dishi with a mix of awe and wariness.
"Eat first," Ma Jingguo insisted. "Then you can show us where the Yueguang Sect is hiding."
"I've already sent word to the Tianshan Sect and my father," Wenqian said.
"We can't wait," Ma Jingguo suggested. "We'll scout the location now."
The warmth of the congee was a fading memory the moment they stepped back into the valley. Under a leaden, oppressive sky, the trio moved in silence, the crunch of frost-covered leaves the only sound against the mountain's stillness. Wenqian led them to the crest of a secluded hill, where she dropped into a low crouch. Below them, a hidden compound sat like a spider in its web.
"An elderly woman lured us here," Wenqian whispered, her breath hitching as she pointed toward the narrow, winding path. "She cried for help, claiming her son was dying. She was nothing but a plant—a lure to draw us into their jaws."
"This is just a branch office," Mu Dishi noted, his eyes scanning the perimeter. "Not the main headquarters."
Two patrolling guards approached their position, pausing near the treeline to relieve themselves. With a flick of his fingers, Mu Dishi sent two golden needles whistling through the air. They struck the backs of the guards' heads with surgical precision. The two men collapsed instantly, caught in a state of undress, motionless on the forest floor.
"Shijie, go back to the house and wait for your reinforcements," Ma Jingguo instructed.
Wenqian nodded, knowing she was too weak to help, and slipped away into the brush. Ma Jingguo turned to his partner. "Xiao shushu, we should change into their clothes to blend in."
Mu Dishi looked at the guards' dirt-stained, urine-spattered trousers with visible disgust. "I am not wearing those," he said, his voice dropping an octave.
"I—fair point," Ma Jingguo chuckled. "How about you just shed your outer robe? It'll make you look less like a scholar."
"Fine," Mu Dishi conceded.
They moved like ghosts toward a large outbuilding where a wooden cage held six haggard prisoners. Four guards stood watch, but they were no match for the duo's synchronized strike. Within seconds, the guards were unconscious.
"Get out! Go, now!" Ma Jingguo urged, wrenching the cage door open.
The prisoners scrambled out, but a junior from the Jinfeng Sect grabbed Ma Jingguo's arm. "Shixiong! The others... they took the women somewhere else!"
"Who exactly?" Ma Jingguo asked, his heart sinking.
"Changchang Shijie," the junior cried. "As soon as they realized she was the Master's daughter, they separated her from us."
Ma Jingguo's jaw tightened. "Go down the hill toward the outskirts. Wenqian Shijie is waiting at a house there. Go!"
As the survivors vanished into the trees, Ma Jingguo turned back toward the main compound, his eyes narrowed. He had a sister to find.
Mu Dishi and Ma Jingguo stepped into the backyard, but the silence of the courtyard was a trap. In an instant, twenty men emerged from the shadows, flanking them on all sides. As the guards lunged, four small, vibrant green snakes were flung through the air like living arrows. Without breaking his stride, Mu Dishi's hand blurred; four golden needles whistled through the air, pinning the snakes to the wooden pillars behind them in mid-flight.
The attackers recoiled, pressing themselves back against the stone walls. Perched cross-legged atop the high perimeter wall was a woman dressed in striking black and red silks, her chest adorned with a heavy, ornate silver necklace that glinted in the dim light.
She looked down at the dead vipers and pouted playfully. "Those were my favorites. You really ought to pay me back for them."
"Using venomous snakes for a sneak attack is a coward's tactic," Ma Jingguo retorted, stepping in front of Mu Dishi. "Who are you?"
The woman's smile widened, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Miao Mingzhu. I lead the Central Plains branch of the Yueguang Sect." She tilted her head, studying them. "I certainly hope you two aren't Jinfeng disciples."
"And if we are?" Ma Jingguo challenged.
"Kuo Jingsong wounded our Great Leader fifteen years ago," Miao Mingzhu said, her voice dropping into a cold, jagged edge. "He has never fully recovered from that humiliation. We made a vow: any Jinfeng disciple we cross will be broken and shamed before they are granted the mercy of death."
"If you want to fight, then fight," Mu Dishi interrupted, his voice like cracking ice. "We have no need for your history."
"Tsk, tsk... such a handsome face, yet such a short temper," Miao Mingzhu mocked. She brought two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp, piercing whistle.
The ground groaned. Without warning, the stone pavement beneath Ma Jingguo's feet buckled and split wide. He plummeted into a yawning black void.
"Jingguo!" Mu Dishi's voice cracked—a raw, frantic sound he had never let slip before. He lunged toward the opening, but the heavy concrete slab slammed shut with a bone-jarring thud, sealing as if it had never been broken.
Mu Dishi stood over the seam in the stone, his breath coming in shallow, jagged hitches. When he looked up at Miao Mingzhu, the "scholar" was gone. In his place stood a demon, his eyes burning with a killing intent so thick it seemed to darken the air. "Where is he?"
"Oh, he's not going anywhere," Miao Mingzhu said, leaning back with a cruel smirk.
"Open it," Mu Dishi commanded, his voice a low, vibrating growl that made the guards' hands tremble on their hilts.
"Defeat me, and perhaps I'll consider it," she taunted.
"Very well," Mu Dishi whispered, the air around him beginning to hum with internal energy. "Then you can die."
"Capture him!" Miao Mingzhu screamed, her playfulness vanishing. "Take the handsome one alive!"
Inside the tunnel, the world was a blur of freezing dampness and absolute pitch. Ma Jingguo felt himself sliding down a steep, winding chute, his heart hammering against his ribs. His mind raced through the horrors that might be waiting: a pit of vipers? Boiling vats of poison? A forest of rusted spikes?
Just as his lungs began to burn from the frantic descent, a glimmer of torchlight appeared ahead. He tumbled out of the mouth of the tunnel, rolling across a hard stone floor and coming to a stop in the center of a cramped, dimly lit dungeon.