Chapter 07 Equal Trade

Yong Taihua shouted, "Surrounding him with Seven Stars Formation."

Ten men included Yong Taihua surrounded Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi sent four guzheng strings at the first two disciples wrapped around their hands. Mu Dishi pulled them closer to him and he took the two swords from the two disciples' hands then he kicked the two disciples hard sending them away. The two disciples screamed in pain as blood gushing out from their clean-cut right wrists. On the ground beside Mu Dishi were the two disciples' hands.

Yong Taihua ran to his injured juniors as the others attacked Mu Dishi.

When Mu Dishi swung the two swords around colliding with Yong disciples' swords Ma Jingguo's heart tremble. Mu Dishi's movements was faster and smoother than before. He recalled Mu Dishi's words and teaching.

Mu Dishi, "When you fought an enemy both of your hands must be fast. You cannot hesitate with your moves because that will open an opportunity for you opponent to attack you. You right hand attacks while your left hand defends." He picked up a small branch and removed some leaves. "Attack me."

Ma Jingguo frowned, "It's not fair. You got a small stick, and my swords are sharp. You will not win."

Mu Dishi, "Winning is not determine by weapon. Come...Strike at me."

Ma Jingguo scoffed softly, "Here I come."

Ma Jingguo swung his swords at Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi flipped back and stood on top of Ma Jingguo's left sword. Ma Jingguo swung his sword at Mu Dishi's feet. He jumped up then hit Ma Jingguo's back hard sending Ma Jingguo forward as Mu Dishi landed handsomely on the ground unharmed.

Mu Dishi, "You put too much concentration on your opponent appearance. You should only concentrate on your moves and your opponent's movements."

Ma Jingguo smiled, "It can't be help because xiao shushu is my opponent. My opponent is not someone else."

Ma Jingguo charged at Mu Dishi again and this time Ma Jingguo flew toward Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi flipped over and hit Ma Jingguo's left leg sending him flat onto the ground.

Mu Dishi tossed the tree branch stick away. He said coldly, "You need to work on your agility. It's too slow. If you are against a stronger opponent, you will lose no matter how good your skill may be."

Ma Jingguo smiled at Mu Dishi, "Did I improve?" He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I've learned all the moves." He walked closer to Mu Dishi. "Xiao shushu, the sword's attack only have seven level?"

Mu Dishi, "As of now only seven level and seventy moves. If I think of more. I'll let you know."

Ma Jingguo got up dusting away the dirt on his clothes and said, "Xiao shushu there is no need to practicing that hard, no matter how good I become I can't leave this place and I will not have any other opponent other than you, also when it comes to fighting you...I surrender." He stabbed his two swords on the ground. He sat down under the mango tree beside Mu Dishi. He asked, "Xiao shushu, what is the name of this sword's attack?"

Mu Dishi, "I have not thought of one. Now is still nameless."

Ma Jingguo, "Nameless is perfect for it. I like that name a lot." He gave Mu Dishi a big smile. "Xiao shushu, can we name it Wuming."

Mu Dishi, "Whatever you like." He picked up a leaf and sent it up into the mango tree. Two mangoes dropped down. "Go pick up those two mangoes."

Ma Jingguo stood up, "That is such a waste of internal energy. Look at how I pick mango."

Ma Jingguo walked to the mango tree. He grabbed onto a tree branch and climbed up. He stood at one tree branch and picked two mangoes.

Ma Jingguo called out, "Xiao shushu catch." He threw two mangoes at Mu Dishi. Ma Jingguo scoffed and grabbed a handful of small three branch with mangoes. He jumped down and sat beside Mu Dishi. He peeled a Mango and gave it to Mu Dishi. He watched Mu Dishi chew the mango and some mango's juice smeared on Mu Dishi slightly pinkish lips.

Without looking at Ma Jingguo, Mu Dishi asked, "What are you looking at?"

Ma Jingguo, "I was wondering?"

Mu Dishi, "What?"

Ma Jingguo, "Xiao shushu, have you ever kissed someone before?"

Mu Dishi, "Yes."

Ma Jingguo felt his heart burned and ache. It was an unexplained feeling. He heard his shaken voice asked, "Who?"

Mu Dishi, "It doesn't concern you."

Ma Jingguo, "I just want to know how that person look like."

Mu Dishi, "Very cute and lovely especially when that person smile."

Ma Jingguo, "Xiao shushu, is that person's smile better than mine?"

Mu Dishi, "You don't need to compare it to yourself. That person died long ago."

Ma Jingguo, "That person is lucky to have someone like xiao shushu still yearning after so many years." He felt somewhat sad. He can't even compare to a dead person inside Mu Dishi's heart. How can he be more important than a dead person since he was the son of Mu Dishi's enemies? He looked at Mu Dishi handsome face eating his mango. He then asked, "Xiao shushu, have you ever been to Jiangnan?"

Mu Dishi, "No."

Ma Jingguo, "I always want to go to Jiangnan with xiao shushu. The two of us sitting on a boat while I play my flute and xiao shushu play the guzheng cruising the Yangtze River."

Mu Dishi, "You can go anytime you wish."

Ma Jingguo, "I don't want to go alone. I want to go with xiao shushu."

Mu Dishi, "You will have to wait a couple of months then."

Ma Jingguo smiled happily, "Xiao shushu, my fifteenth birthday, I want us to go down to Jiangnan."

Mu Dishi, "Mmm..."

Mu Dishi's sword skills was fast and flawless. When his right hand attacks his left hand defends and the Seven Stars Sword formation of Sword Village was no match for him. Five disciples kicked Mu Dishi's leg and tried to stab him at the waist. Mu Dishi jumped doing a single somersault in mid-air and send one of his swords down onto the ground. He stood at the tip of his right foot onto the sword hilt. He spun himself around on the sword hilt and slitting the five young disciples' eyes. He did a single backward somersault landing unharmed on the ground as another five disciples strikes at him, Mu Dishi dropped his sword on the ground and took out his black gloves and put it on.

Ma Jingguo knew very well what is about to be unleash when Mu Dishi put on his black metal gloves. Ma Jingguo called out, "Yong ge...stop attacking."

But it was already too late, ten guzheng strings already pierce through the first two disciples whose was closest to Mu Dish. Mu Dishi grabbed five guzheng strings on each hand and used his inner energy and splitting the two pierced disciples apart.

Kuo Changchang, "Too violent." She unsheathed her sword halfway, but Ma Jingguo pushed her sword back. "What are you doing?"

Ma Jingguo, "I don't want you to be split into half."

As soon as Ma Jingguo finished his sentence another disciple split into half.

Mu Dishi sharp guzheng stringers pierced a disciple's abdomen and another string wrapped itself tightly onto Yong Taihua's right arm.

Yong Caixia, "Ge..." She unsheathed her sword and about to launch at Mu Dishi, but Ma Jingguo stopped her.

Ma Jingguo, "You are no match for him."

Yong Hao shouted loudly for the back, "Mu gongzi. Please have mercy."

Mu Dishi kicked the injured disciple to Ma Jingguo, Kuo Changchang, and Yong Caixia. Yong Caixia bent down and helped the injured disciple up.

Yong Hao, "Mu gongzi, please have some mercy. Yong Taihua is the only offspring of the Yong. Please spare his right arm and his life."

Mu Dishi said coldly, "Yong dog, you finally decided to show up." Mu Dishi tightening his string that was around Yong Taihua's right arm.

Yong Hao pleaded, "Mu gongzi, I am the one that had done you wrong. I owe a debt to you. Not him." He took out a knife and began stabbing himself on the leg and counted out loud. "One. Two. Three. Four...." He continued stabbing himself.

Ma Jingguo cannot watch any longer and after the seventh knife stabs, he stopped Yong Hao, "Monk Hao, if you continue you will bleed to death." He took the knife away. He walked to Mu Dishi, and he said, "Xiao...Mu gongzi, Monk Hao is truly sorry for what he had done. Even if he was part of the campaign, but he had not killed a single person. He felt so bad for what he had done, he even destroyed his own internal energy and became a monk. He also gave proper burial for the villagers. He takes care of the seventy-one graves. I didn't mention all of these because I want to defend him. He is guilty of his crime, but he truly repent. People made mistake and later regret it. I am sure Mu gongzi had made mistake in the past. I, myself had made a mistake that I regret greatly and if I could return the time back to that moment, I will never open my mouth."

There were two things that Mu Dishi regret greatly. The night before his fifteenth birthday Wang Biming and him sat on a small hill watching the stars.

Wang Biming, "Dishi, what would you like for your birthday?"

Mu Dishi, "I don't know."

Wang Biming smiled at Mu Dishi. He moved from sitting beside Mu Dishi and sat behind Mu Dishi. He wrapped his arms around Mu Dishi's and held Mu Dishi's hands. He kissed Mu Dishi's right cheek, "Tell me. If you don't tell me, next year on my eighteenth birthday, I will not accept your present."

Mu Dishi, "I...I..."

Wang Biming picked Mu Dishi and seated Mu Dishi onto his crossed legs. He turned Mu Dishi halfway to him. He kissed Mu Dishi on the lips. After some time passed Wang Biming said softly, "I want my kiss return to me on my eighteenth birthday." He sniffed Mu Dishi"s hair, "Dishi, I love you."

Mu Dishi smiled, "I..."

After seeing Mu Dishi struggling with his word and unable to go past the word 'I', Wang Biming chuckled, "Ah...Dishi, with your shy thin face. I guess I will never hear you says you love me."

Mu Dishi regretted that he had never tell Wang Biming he loves him. Just as Zu Mingsheng was about to slit Wang Biming's throat, he even looked at Mu Dishi who was hidden behind the wall and smiled and told Mu Dishi he loves him.

Mu Dishi asked coldly, "You are still young, what regret do you have?"

Ma Jingguo, "I regretted that I open my mouth pleading to see the outside world and end up never able to return to the place that I belong to." Ma Jingguo went down on his knees.

Mu Dishi looked at the young man who kneeled down in front of him. It reminded him of when he chased the young Ma Jingguo out of the cave. He kneeled for the entire day begging for Mu Dishi to open the ten-thousand-pound stone door and promised to never speak of going to Jiangnan again. He regretted chasing Ma Jingguo away. He never really gives Ma Jingguo an explanation of why Ma Jingguo has to leave his side. If after he successfully seek revenge and survive, he will give Ma Jingguo an explanation because Ma Jingguo deserves one. This is his second regret.

Mu Dishi said coldly, "Yong dog, cut off your right arm. Equal trade."

With no hesitation Yong Hao grabbed Yong Caixia's sword and cut off his own right arm.

Yong Taihua screamed, "Da ye!" He turned madly facing Mu Dishi. "You..." He sent his inner power into his palm.

Yong Hao said weakly, "Hua'er no... Mu gongzi is right. Equal trade...an arm for an arm." He kneeled and kowtow. " Mu gongzi, please forgive this sinner."

Mu Dishi released Yong Taihua and Yong Taihua ran to the injured Yong Hao.

Mu Dishi said coldly, "When you meet the Mu in the netherworld, you can ask them for forgiveness." He turned and walked away. "Now, we don't owe each other."

Ma Jinggou called, "Xiao...Mu gongzi, where are you going?"

Mu Dishi didn't answer Ma Jingguo. He just walked away from the group toward Mu Village.

Kuo Changchang, "Ah Chen...What it is?"

Ma Jingguo, "I feel sorry for him. He doesn't have anyone beside him other than his shadow."

Kuo Changchang, "Let's go."

Ma Jingguo watched Mu Dishi and his shadow slowly disappears in a distance. He recalled his mother's last words to him 'Your shushu is a very pitiful person just like me. In this world, we don't have anyone who will be willing to stand beside us other than our shadows'. He murmured hurtfully, "Xiao shushu, sorry."

Kuo Changchang, "What?"

Ma Jingguo, "Nothing."

Mu Dishi stood in front of the Mu tombstones. The tombstones have no name other than Mu Yu. Mu Dishi didn't know which graves belong to his parents, his da ye, his Biming, and his mei mei.

The old were buried on the right. The young were buried on the middle and the children were buried on the left. They used to have names, but now they are named Mu gentleman, Mu lady, Mu boy, and Mu girl. Mu Dishi pays his respects to his family members, and he headed up North to Shaolin Sector.