The loud crashing sound of Yong Taihua hitting the wall drew every eye to the doorway of the dilapidated temple. Standing there was Cao Wenyan, his figure rigid with fury, staring at Yong Taihua as if he wanted to tear him apart and pull out his heart.
Cao Yanmei stood up, her body trembling, and threw herself into Cao Wenyan's arms. She sobbed uncontrollably. "Da ge..."
Cao Wenyan's eyes, still hatefully locked on Yong Taihua, gently patted the back of his sister's head. He exhaled sharply; his voice laced with protective anger. "It's okay, brother is here. No one can bully you."
Walking into the old temple behind him were the Red Mice, Black Mice, and Green Mice, his personal guards.
Yong Taihua slowly got up, his chest aching, realizing his mistake. He knew that Cao Wenyan must have just heard the news about him and Cao Yanmei, and he willingly accepted the initial punch as deserved punishment.
Yong Caixia quickly rushed to help her brother, her eyes wide with worry. "Da ge, are you alright?"
Yong Taihua coughed, managing to say, "I'm fine."
Cao Wenyan, ignoring the siblings, looked at Rao Zhengsheng with cold disdain. "What kind of da ge are you, Rao Zhengsheng, to let this happen to her?!"
Rao Zhengsheng replied, his tone weary. "Cao gongzi, we were fighting against the people from Seventy-Two Islands and were separated."
Cao Wenyan shouted, his voice echoing in the temple. "The excuses are not good enough!"
Yongzheng turned to Xue Horan, his voice low and protective. "Stand behind me and don't look at his face."
Rao Zhengsheng tried to appeal to reason. "Chief Cao, I know how you feel, because I have felt that way before. Yanmei is not someone else, but my family. She is also my meimei, but once the rice is cooked, there is nothing we can do. Besides, Yong gongzi has already said that he will be responsible for his actions."
Cao Wenyan pointed a rigid finger at Yong Taihua. "Yong Taihua, within a month, I'd better receive your invitation to hold a wedding in Sword Village. If not, I will personally destroy Sword Village!"
Cao Yanmei, still in her brother's arms, cried out weakly. "Da ge... but I don't want to marry him..."
Cao Wenyan sighed, his expression softening with pity for his sister. "Yanmei, even if you don't want to marry him, this incident has already spread. If you refuse, it will be you they talk about, not him." He wiped away her tear with a gentle thumb. "Be good and listen to me, huh..."
"Ge..." Cao Yanmei sobbed, burying her face deeper into Cao Wenyan's chest.
Yong Taihua, though still weak, stood straighter, his voice strong with determination. "Cao gongzi, after I rescue shizun from that evil demon Ma, I will go back to Sword Village and prepare everything. I am a man of my word, and I will be responsible for my actions."
Cao Wenyan's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face. "Mu gongzi... what happened to him?"
Yong Taihua, shamefaced, said, "I don't know."
Cao Wenyan gave a chilling warning. "I'll give you three months. After three months, if you don't fulfill your promise, I will kill you." He then looked past Yongzheng and caught sight of Xue Horan standing behind him. He turned his attention to the Red Mice. "I want to know how Mu gongzi is doing."
Red Mice nodded, his expression serious. "I'll go and see." He took Green Mice and quickly left the temple.
It was very late when Red Mice finally returned. He walked up to Cao Wenyan and reported his unsettling discovery in the Sunset Sect. After hearing the report, Cao Wenyan's face went white with fury. He jumped up abruptly and rushed toward the door.
Red Mice quickly grabbed Cao Wenyan's arm, his grip firm. "Gongzi, you can't go unprepared!" he urged.
Cao Wenyan struggled, his voice tight with desperation. "I can't just leave Mu gongzi in the hands of that devil like this!"
Red Mice maintained his hold, trying to inject logic into the chief's rage. "We don't know what is waiting for us in the Sunset Sect. No one really has a clear map of the area. You will be killed if you enter blindly without a good plan!"
Bazar Batu stood up, volunteering immediately. "I will go."
Yan Zhanjin looked at him incredulously. "Batu... this is not a children's play!"
Bazar Batu met his gaze evenly. "I know." He glanced around the crowded, small, old temple. "Except for me, none of you can remember the layout of the Sunset Sect."
Yong Taihua offered a practical alternative. "You can show us a detailed map of Mu's treasure cave. I have no doubt about your photographic memory."
Kuo Lok immediately stepped forward. "I will accompany you."
Bazar Batu smiled, shaking his head. "No. If you follow me, Ma ge will be suspicious." His eyes glinted with mischief. "I know Ma ge will not hurt me."
Yan Zhanjin voiced his skepticism. "He will have doubts if you go without Ah Lok."
Bazar Batu waved the concern away with confidence. "He will doubt it anyway. Don't worry, I have my own way to alleviate his doubts."
In the ice-cold cell of the Sunset Sect, Mu Dishi was alone, leaning heavily against the damp wall with his eyes closed. He heard Yuan Chaomei's soft footsteps coming from the stairwell. The steps stopped directly in front of him. He opened his eyes as Yuan Chaomei set down a basket. She carefully placed the plates onto the floor.
Yuan Chaomei spoke softly, her expression sympathetic. "Mu gongzi, please don't harbor any resentment towards the Chief." She handed the chopsticks to Mu Dishi.
Mu Dishi was reluctant to take the utensils, maintaining his dignity. However, he looked down at the plates on the ground and saw that they were all his favorite dishes. The small gesture of kindness and thoughtfulness finally broke his resistance, and he took the chopsticks from Yuan Chaomei.
Yuan Chaomei poured him a cup of tea, and with a voice tinged with deep melancholy, said, "Mu gongzi, as an outsider, I envy you." She handed the cup of tea to Mu Dishi. "To be honest, the Chief doesn't have much time left to live. This is why he promised to find the murderer of Chen guniang within two years—because the time left for him is exactly the same."
She looked at Mu Dishi, who was still calmly chewing his food, as if her chilling words didn't affect him at all. "If the last four acupoints are not released, then Right-Guard Zan's powerful internal qi flowing in the Chief's body will backfire and start to destroy his weaker energy." Her voice dropped to a grave whisper. "If this happens, the Chief's meridians will be completely destroyed, and internal bleeding will be severe. He will feel excruciated pain—the pain is like a thousand needles piercing his body at once. The pain will continue until his death."
Mu Dishi offered no reply, continuing to eat.
Yuan Chaomei pressed on, revealing the depth of Ma Jingguo's devotion. "Unless someone unlocks the last four acupoints for him, and transfers all their internal energy to the Chief." She stood up, looking down at Mu Dishi with a sad, knowing gaze. "But, who would do that for him? As a martial artist, internal energy is very important. No martial artist is willing to do that for another, and transfer all of his accumulated internal energy to another martial artist, because after he does it, his eight extraordinary meridians will be permanently destroyed, and his internal energy will never be restored to its original state."
She walked to the top of the stairs, looking back at the eating Mu Dishi. "Mu gongzi, among all the martial artists I know, only the Chief will do this for you. His white hair depicts my stupid theory most clearly."
Mu Dishi finally put down his chopsticks. "Yuan guniang, can you help me get out of here?"
Yuan Chaomei's expression turned to one of profound regret. "Mu gongzi, I'm deeply sorry, I can't help you." With that, she walked up the stairs and disappeared.
Early in the morning, on the foggy mountain road, Bazar Batu and Kuo Lok stood together at the foot of Sunset Mountain. Kuo Lok watched anxiously as Bazar Batu began to walk up the narrow, mist-shrouded mountain road.
Kuo Lok shouted, a genuine tremor of concern in his voice. "Batu..."
Bazar Batu turned around and smiled reassuringly, waving at Kuo Lok. He shouted back, his voice cheerful. "Lok gege... go back. I'll be fine!"
Kuo Lok knew arguing was useless, so he simply shouted back, his expression resolute. "I am waiting for you here."
Bazar Batu shook his head slightly, smiled to himself, and walked into the dense mist. After walking for a long time, he reached the tall iron gate. The entrance to the Sunset area was built strategically between two high mountains. As he approached, an arrow shot directly in front of him, narrowly missing his foot.
A man shouted harshly from the watchtower above. "No matter who you are. Turn around and walk away!"
Bazar Batu shouted back, his voice confident and clear. "I am a good xiongdi of your Chief. Tell him that Batu has come to visit him!"
After waiting for a long, silent moment, the iron gate suddenly opened, and Ma Jingguo himself stepped out to meet Bazar Batu.
Ma Jingguo smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Bazar Batu smiled back easily. "I have come to see you."
Ma Jingguo's smile lessened slightly. "Why did you choose this time to visit?"
Bazar Batu expertly spun the story he'd prepared. "I tagged along with the many martial artists who came to help the villagers. Everyone is urging me to see if, when they attack Seventy-Two Islands, will Ma ge attack them from the rear."
Ma Jingguo chuckled. "Why would I do that? We have agreed that Sunset Sect is the Fifth Household of Central Plains."
Bazar Batu pressed his point, feigning relief. "That's what Chief Yong said. Well, I am here. It seems that you are not in a hurry to bring your men down to destroy them, so I will go back and tell them the good news."
Ma Jingguo offered the invitation. "You have arrived. Have lunch with me before you go back."
Bazar Batu looked slightly hesitant. "Are you sure?"
Ma Jingguo's eyes narrowed slightly, testing him. "Are you worried?"
Bazar Batu played the innocent friend. "I don't want you to think that I'm here as a spy for the six sects."
Ma Jingguo's smile returned, cold and powerful. "If you are a friend, you can come anytime, but if you are a foe, you will not be able to pass the main entrance."
Bazar Batu affirmed his loyalty. "I will always be a friend."
Ma Jingguo and Bazar Batu turned and walked into the gate, and the heavy iron structure slowly closed behind them.