Chapter 35 These Footsteps

Walking side by side on the monotonous dirt road, when the breeze blew, some dust swept across Ma Jingguo and Mu Dishi. Ma Jingguo held a white umbrella to block the evening sun.

The grass beside the dirt road has turned brown and yellow. The color of the trees on the mountain also began to change.

Ma Jingguo said, "Xiao shushu, shall we go home after this?"

Mu Dishi said, "Aren't you going to return to your sector?"

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I went home. I want to go home. As long as the six sectors don't bother me, I won't bother them."

Mu Dishi stopped and looked at Ma Jingguo. He said, "The martial arts circle is a strict community. Throughout history, they have never easily accepted any clan or sector. Nowadays, even if they do a better job in accepting it, in their opinion, Sunset Sector is an unorthodox sector. If your sector is labeled unorthodox, they will find the smallest problem to get rid of your sector."

Ma Jingguo smiled at Mu Dishi and said, "Xiao shushu, I already know this."

Mu Dishi said, "Playing with the martial artists in Central Plains is not like playing cat and mouse with…"

Ma Jingguo, "With…whom…?" He saw Mu Dishi's pale cheeks flushed slightly.

Mu Dishi lowered his head, "You already know who."

Ma Jingguo jokingly said, "Xiao shushu, I don't know who you are referring to if you don't finish your sentence."

Mu Dishi knew that Ma Jingguo was teasing him and turned around to leave, but Ma Jingguo's left hand pulled his face back. Ma Jingguo lowered his head and kissed Mu Dishi's lips.

Mu Dishi hurried push himself away. He said coldly, "We are not behind close door."

Ma Jingguo said, "I know, but Xiao Shushu, do you know that you are irresistible right now." He smiled. "I know that the martial arts world is a dangerous place, but I promised shifu that I will bring Sunset Sector back to the martial arts world, and I have completed half of it. I need to clear my name and reach an agreement with the main six sectors. After that is done, I want to return home." He looked into Mu Dishi's eyes. "Xiao shushu, would you let me accompany you home?"

Mu Dishi said, "Alright." He reached out and touched Ma Jingguo's right face, and then touched Ma Jingguo's chin. "Jingguo, your chin feels rough. When we get to the shed, I will shave it for you."

Ma Jingguo nodded. Ma Jingguo then asked, "Xiao shushu, you are much older than me. Why is your face so smooth and there is no sign of growing a beard? Why is that?"

Mu Dishi, "I don't know."

Ma Jingguo continued to tease Mu Dishi, "Even your body hair is so smooth and soft."

Mu Dishi said madly, "You shut your mouth." He walked ahead of Ma Jingguo.

Ma Jingguo quickly chased after Mu Dishi.

After walking for a long time, Ma Jingguo and Mu Dishi finally stopped in front of the Mu board stone overlooking at the Mu grave.

Mu Dishi stood there, staring at the slightly dirty grave. Mu Dishi recalled that every time Mu Dishi came to visit, Yong Hao would wipe the tombstone with one arm, and greets him with a warm smile. Since Yong Hao was gone, the Mu cemetery has been unattended. A bright tombstone has now turned slightly gray, and some tombstones are covered with moss.

After paying respect to Mu, Ma Jingguo looked at Mu Dishi's face without saying a word. He understood that even if Mu Dishi said he hated Yong Ho, deep down, Mu Dishi had already forgiven Yong Ho. He sighed and said, "Every time I come here... I always miss Ho qianbei's greetings and warm smiles." Ma Jingguo handed Mu Dishi the umbrella. "I will carry you on my back."

Mu Dishi said, "In order to save trouble, just gave me the antidote."

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "I will consider it, but not today."

Mu Dishi took the umbrella, climbed onto Ma Jingguo's back, and they started walking towards Mu Village. Mu Dishi asked, "Jingguo, you don't trust me, right?"

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "I trust you. I just…" He sighed. "I just don't trust myself."

Approaching the bamboo shed, Ma Jingguo said, "Xiao shushu, I'm thinking, can the footprints we walked through today erase the old footprints of yesterday?"

Mu Dishi said, "The new footprints will only deepen the old footprints underground, and the old footprints will never be erased."

Looking closer, Yong Taihua was sitting at the stone table outside the small bamboo shed waiting for them. Ma Jingguo walked to Yong Taihua and put down Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi sat on the stone bench, and Yong Taihua poured a cup of tea for Mu Dishi.

Yong Taihua, "Shizun, how have you been? Is Ma Jingguo treating you badly?"

Ma Jingguo sneered, "Yong Taihua didn't you see how I carry xiao shushu here on my back? I love xiao shushu very much, and I will never treat him bad. If your eyes can't see, then maybe you should stop seeing altogether."

Yong Taihua shouted in anger, "Demon Ma, why did you suddenly leave Mangsha and take your men to Sword Village?"

Ma Jingguo said, "Mangsha was built on the top of the mountain. Winter is coming. I don't want xiao shushu to catch a cold, so I decided to move my men nearby."

After drinking the tea, Mu Dishi put down the cup and asked, "What are you doing here Taihua?"

Yong Taihua said, "Shizun, there is a hero meeting how to get rid of Demon Ma."

Mu Dishi said, "What does everyone think?"

Yong Taihua said, "They agreed to join forces to defeat you." He sneered Ma Jingguo.

Mu Dishi said, "Jingguo tells him why we are here. I don't want to stay here any longer, if we don't have too."

Ma Jingguo looked at Yong Taihua and said, "Enough children talks. Gather the six sectors leaders here. Tell them that seeing me here is once in a lifetime opportunity. If they don't come, after tomorrow morning, everything they have will be burned to ashes. The once mighty six sectors and four households of Central Plains will be nothing more than a name in the history of Wulin."

Yong Taihua, "Do you think we will agree?"

Ma Jingguo said, "Your time is running out. I told my subordinates that if xiao shushu and I do not reach the inner city tomorrow morning, my subordinates can start attacking."

Yong Taihua quickly ran away from Ma Jingguo and Mu Dishi. Ma Jingguo picked Mu Dishi up and and walked into the bamboo shed. From the inside of the shed, Yong Taihua had dusted everything clean.

Ma Jingguo smiled and said, "Xiao shushu, your disciple is a very grateful disciple." He put Mu Dishi on the bed. "Xiao shushu rests here and wait for me. After I have talked with the old foxes, we can leave."

Ma Jingguo poured out a small pill and put it into Mu Dishi's mouth. He smiled at Mu Dishi. Mu Dishi then closed his eyes and he drifted to sleep. Ma Jingguo picked up Mu Dishi's right hand and kissed it. He murmured, "Xiao shushu, I'm sorry. I have been deceived many times. I don't trust you enough that you won't leave me the moment my eyes wandering away from you." He bowed his head and kissed Mu Dishi's cheek. Ma Jingguo walked out of the bamboo shed and sat on the table waiting for the leaders of six sectors, and the four households.

Wei Shuai, "What?" He stood up angrily. "Demon Xin have nerves to demand to meet us. He must be afraid to know that we are here to kill him."

Yong Taihua, "He said we are running out of time."

A Tianshan disciple rushed in. He shouted, "Leader Fu… leader Fu…"

Fu Yuanjun stood up. He asked, "What's the matter?"

The Tianshan disciple said, "Leader Fu, we just got the news that there are about four hundred members of Sunset Sector circles under the Tianshan Mountain."

Fu Yuanjun's face darken.

Huangshan disciple rushed in, "Leader Li, Huangshan has urgent news. You must go back now. Sunset Sector has surrounded Huangshan."

Yong Taihua muttered, "So this is what he meant by saying our time is running out."

When Wei Shui saw one of his disciples rushing in, he already knew what that disciple was going to say to him. He looked at the terrified disciple and said, "I already know."

Wu Jiangping said, "So, he came with Mu Dishi alone because he has already sent everyone to our sector."

Num Chingmei frantically said, "This is more like a force, rather than wanting to negotiate with us."

Yong Gui, "Let's go and meet him. I am also very interested in what he have to say."

Monk Ling, "He has surrounded all the main sectors, so we have no choice but to see Xin Taiyang."