Chapter 38 The Last Meal

Ma Jingguo woke up early the next morning, but Mu Dishi was not beside him. He saw that the door was open. He sat on the edge of the bed, put on his boots, and Mu Dishi walked in with a tray of food. Mu Dishi smiled at him.

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "Good morning xiao shushu."

Mu Dishi said, "Jingguo, I made congee, but bear the brunt." He handed Ma Jingguo a bowl of burnt congee.

Ma Jingguo smiled and took the rice congee from Mu Dishi's hand. He said, "Burnt or not. I eat everything xiao shushu cooked." He blew the congee and started to eat. He stared at Mu Dishi who did not eat the burnt congee. "Xiao shushu, I'm going to eat. After eating, I'll cook for you."

Mu Dishi looked at Ma Jingguo and smiled with tears, "Jinggou, I'm sorry. I…"

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "What's wrong xiao shushu?" He looked up at Mu Dishi and he saw Wang Biming walking into the bamboo shed. Ma Jingguo's face turned dark. "Wang Biming."

Wang Biming looked at Ma Jingguo and then at Mu Dishi. He said, "Dishi, we are waiting for you."

Ma Jingguo stood up, but his body was weak. He looked at Mu Dishi and asked madly, "Why?"

Mu Dishi didn't answered.

Ma Jingguo screamed, "Why? Answer me?"

Mu Dishi still refused to answer. Mu Dishi turned to Wang Biming and said, "I will come out immediately. I just have a few words for him."

Wang Biming walked out of the room.

Just when Mu Dishi put Ma Jingguo down on the bed. Ma Jingguo looked at Mu Dishi with a pair of hateful eyes.

When Mu Dishi reached out for the blanket, Ma Jingguo said angrily, "Don't touch me."

Mu Dishi pulled the blanket over Ma Jingguo. He stroke Ma Jingguo's face and said, "Jingguo, I'm sorry, I have to leave you. I know you are always afraid of me leaving you, but this time is different. You forget me and continue your life. Don't follow me, because I don't want to kill you with Wang Biming and Wang Zedong." He kissed Ma Jinggou's hand. "I...I will never be your enemy. Not then, not now, nor in the future."

Ma Jinggou's tears slid down the corner of his eyes. He pleaded, "Xiao shushu, don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Stay with me... We will leave the martial arts world and live in the cave. I promised you that I will not complain about leaving that cave. I will obey every order you make...All I ask is don't leave me. "

Mu Dishi said, "I'm sorry."

Ma Jingguo pleaded, "We have not travel down the Yangtze river as you promised."

Mu Dishi said, "If you follow me, I will kill you with Wang Zedong and Wang Biming. I don't want to kill you. Do you understand?"

Ma Jingguo shouted wildly, "No! I don't understand. I don't understand." He looked at Mu Dishi. "Xiao shushu, please let me go with you."

Mu Dishi smiled at Ma Jingguo and said, "Jingguo…this time, don't follow me. The treasure cave is full of dangerous at every corner you turn. If they want to enter the treasure cave so much, then let them be add to the cave collection corpse." He took Ma Jingguo's hand and kissed it. "Please forgive me and forget me. Miss Zu will take care of you from now on."

Ma Jingguo's lips began to tremble with anger. He said angrily, "If you don't love me, don't push me to others." Suddenly he was very angry, knowing that Mu Dishi would leave him again for Wang Biming. "I'm not something you can throw away when you don't want it."

Mu Dishi lowered his head to Ma Jingguo and said, "You are not an item...you are my soul mate." He kissed Ma Jingguo's lips. "Jingguo, I'm sorry, I can't keep my promise to you. I can't travel the Yangtze river with you." He stuffed a pill into Ma Jingguo's mouth.

After a while, Ma Jingguo felt his eyes heavier and heavier. He exhausted his last strength and said, "Mu Dishi, you hurt me many times, and I forgive you every time, but this time, if you walk out that door with Wang Biming, I will never forgive you. Every single pain you and him inflicted on me… I will return it back to you two ten times worse than what you two did to me. I will…" He tried to open his eyes again many times, but he couldn't do it. Then darkness enveloped him. The last thing he heard was Mu Dishing saying 'Goodnight my love'.

Mu Dishi pulled the quilt and covered Ma Jinggou. He smiled and said, "From now on, there won't be me for you to hate anymore. Goodnight, my love." He took the jade hairpin from under Ma Jingguo's pillow and pinned the hairpin to his hair. He got up and walked to the door. He turned around and looked at Ma Jingguo who was sleeping on the bed. Then he went out and closed the bamboo door.

Yong Taihua greeted Mu Dishi, "Shizun."

Mu Dishi said, "Taihua, remember no one is to allow to go near him. He will wake up in seven days."

Yong Taihua, "I understand. Shizun, be careful."

Mu Dishi and Yong Taihua walked to Mu Village with Wang Biming. When they arrived at Mu Village, there where many martial artists standing beside Cao Fengge and Wang Zedong.

Cao Wenyan looked at Mu Dishi and said, "Mu gongzi, thank you for keeping your promise."

Mu Dishi replied, "Among these people, I strongly recommend that you stay."

Cao Wenyan said, "Thank you for your concern, but I have already made up my mind."

Mu Dishi looked at him and said, "Whatever, I won't stop you if you want to die."

Yan Zhanjin walked up to Mu Dishi and asked, "Where is Ma-xiong?"

Mu Dishi said, "He is not coming."

Yan Zhanjin said, "That's not right... He is very anxious about you, why didn't he come to such a big expedition. You killed him?"

Mu Dishi did not answer.

Cao Wenyan asked, "Yan Yisheng, are you not coming?"

Yan Zhanjin smiled and said, "I will only become a burden for you. I decided to stay in Sword Village."

Mu Dishi looked at Yong Taihua and said, "Taihua, make sure he doesn't go near the bamboo shed."

Yong Taihua nodded.

With the morning sun behind theirs back, the group of martial artists headed up north towards the Mu treasure cave.