Flames rose, air currents surged, and light exploded. Limbs exploded in all directions as blood and debris flew everywhere. At this time, the army had simple flintlock rifles, and the production bureau would occasionally produce some strange firearms. However, no one, be it Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao, or Fan Zhong, had ever seen something like this that could explode from a distance. For most of the people in the crowd, including the constables, their first reaction was to treat this thing as a Taoist technique or even a demonic art.
In reality, however, if the crowd could calm down and look at it, the effect of this artillery shell in the crowd was not very strong. The person who bore the brunt of the blast had half his body blown to pieces, but the people beside him were at most injured or sent flying. Most of them fell to the ground due to the sudden change in the air currents. Just based on the result alone, the volley of over twenty crossbows had killed two people. Even though this artillery shell had been perfectly fired into the crowd, the effect was not ideal.
However, it was already late at night. The huge explosion reverberated through the night sky. How many people could maintain their rationality under such a commotion? Even though the participants were all experts and had experienced many things, they only reacted after a slight hesitation. At this time, a second elm barrel had been set up.
The crowd was in chaos. Lin Eechan and the others were doing their best to kill Fang Baihua, Deng Yuanjue, and the others on the other side of the road. Swallowing Cloud and a few experts who were charging towards Ning Yi sprinted, trying to kill their way to the front from the side. On a hill beside the road, Tie Tianying reined in his horse and shouted.
"Ning Liheng, you're crazy! After this is over, I'll definitely report you! Do you know who's their guarantor? Do you know who they are? You're so stupid … "
Ning Yi stood up from the side. The torches behind him cast a huge shadow in front of him. The second artillery shell boomed, and the flames rushed out for a distance of half a zhang. Swallowing Cloud and the others had not arrived yet. They avoided the center of the muzzle, but this time it was different from the previous artillery shell. Within the flames, countless iron filings, shards, lead particles, and iron caltrops flew out in all directions.
As if an expert had subconsciously sensed this, Tunyun pulled up a person beside him and used him as a shield. Then, his entire body was sent flying. Fresh blood spread out, and the mountain path in front of them crashed down as if it was raining. The crossroads had also been affected, but the scattered fragments had already lost their lethality at this distance.
Only the five or six people who were rushing towards the other side were affected by the power of the cannon. The body of the person Tun Yun had grabbed had been hit by countless metal shards and lead particles. He had been blasted into a sieve. After he fell to the ground, he felt a dull pain coming from various parts of his body. He was protected by the metal kasaya, but his hands, feet, and forehead were still grazed by a few shards.
Swallowing Cloud was one of the first few to recognize Ning Yi. When he was humiliated in Shandong, he had always wanted to take revenge. That was why he rushed here with all his might. However, at this moment, Ning Yi stood there, acting as if he did not see these experts who had rushed over and then been blasted away. As he stood up, the cannon boomed and blood splattered. Then, his voice rang out in the night sky again.
"Good! The Manichaeism revolts and bewitches the hearts of the people. There are often powerful families involved. I told you about this a few days ago. Now, think carefully about who is helping these demons. Constable Tie, say it out loud! "
"You …"
Tie Tianying pointed at Ning Yi and cried out in anger. At this moment, he did not dare to reveal the power behind Sikong Nan. Zong Feixiao and Fan Zhong had already led their men to the end of the mountain path. The members of the Office of Secret Investigations behind Ning Yi loaded their crossbows and set up the third cannon. They fired it. This cannon was another long-range artillery shell.
After hollowing out the elm wood, it was made from iron rings. This was the main weapon that Ning Yi had been secretly researching for the past half a year. This type of artillery did not require a lot of technology. During the War of Resistance, Duke Deng had used it when he led the Baise Uprising. It was also used in some mountainous areas during the War of Resistance. It was a combination of basic knowledge and backward production.
However, it was not a standard equipment. Even after a few months of experimentation, the artillery shell could still be fired. There were still all kinds of unpredictable accidents and dangers. If a large amount of gunpowder was used, it was very likely that it would explode. On the other hand, it was not easy to fill the ammunition. Usually, experienced people had to carefully check and reload the ammunition. This made it very troublesome to reload the ammunition on the spot.
This was not a very reliable weapon. If not for the fact that the situation was troublesome, Ning Yi would not be willing to use it. He had only brought eight elm cannons with him. After firing, there would be sparks left, making it difficult to reload. However, at this moment, he fired one cannon after another. After the fourth shot, the mountain path was completely chaotic. The front and back had been cut in half.
Ning Yi had not been famous in the Jianghu for a long time. Coupled with the lack of information in this era, there were not many people who really knew about him. When the first shot was fired, there were already people talking about who this person was. Then, there were people talking about this name, the origin of the Inner Demon, the destruction of Liangshan, and the blood of tens of thousands of people who died in his hands. The crowd was in an uproar.
In the Jianghu, names could be wrong, but nicknames could never be wrong. This person had killed tens of thousands of people. Whether it was a conspiracy or an excuse, with the nickname of the Inner Demon, he was definitely not someone to be trifled with. They could not figure out how they had offended such a malefic person at this time.
Lin Buchan and the others chased the enemy through the fork into the forest in the distance. The Mani Sect members and people of the Greenwood Sect who were trapped in the rear began to circle around them. Some of them also wanted to kill Ning Yi. However, during the battle, Tie Tianying, Zong Fei Xiao, and the others had also rushed to Ning Yi's side. A few hundred people on one side and twenty on the other.
"Ning Yi, you are unwise today. You will definitely regret it in the future!"
"You are the ones who are unwise! The Mani Sect deceives people's minds and has many tricks up their sleeves. You actually believe in this kind of demon. You are so short-sighted and stupid! "
"You know it is not expedient for us to use these people. Now that we are about to achieve our goal, you actually dare to interfere! Ning Liheng, since you hate the Mani Sect so much, why did you only attack Sikong Nan's side! How do you explain this — "
"Stupid! At this time, one side is weak and the other side is strong. Naturally, I supported the weak and fought the strong. That is how I caused both sides to suffer! Actually, I still want to ask you. Escorting Fang Qifo to the capital is your mission. Why is he being rescued now? Your plan is terrible and you do not know what is important! Extremely stupid! "
"The Ministry of Justice does not allow the Office of Secret Investigation to criticize us!"
"It is best if you don't — — but I will definitely report to Prime Minister Qin for letting the Mani Sect go!"
The situation had already become chaotic. Ning Yi and the others also chased after them. As they chased, they quarreled with Tie Tianying and the others. A portion of the Mani Sect originally wanted to attack Ning Yi and the others, but the people of the Office of Secret Investigation and the constables of the Ministry of Justice were together. When they saw the other side coming, they immediately shot arrows. When the other side attacked, it was inevitable that the people of the Ministry of Justice would be affected. The small conflict between the two sides immediately caused the situation to become sensitive. At this moment, the two sides that were originally temporarily working together could no longer be trusted.
Sparks flew. When they reached the middle of a mountain, Ning Yi placed a cannon under his hand. He pointed at Wang Nantuo and shouted, "Blow up those bastards!" Wang Nantuo looked over and cursed before dodging to the side. A cannon landed on the ground, but this time, no one was hurt.
At this moment, there was a cry and the monk staff fell to the ground. It was Deng Yuanjue who was blocking Lin Eechan and Sikong Nan at the same time. Finally, he was punched in the head and stabbed in the stomach, causing him to fall on the ground. Watermelon and the others wanted to save him, but they didn't make it in time.
At this moment, Chen Fan, Watermelon, and Fang Baihua were all on the brink of exhaustion due to their injuries. No matter how Ning Yi interfered, they were still at an absolute disadvantage. In the deep foothills of the night, sparks spread behind them. The pursuit seemed endless. As Watermelon fought with all her might, she would occasionally see the figure in the distance.
It was a man she hadn't seen for a long time. She had secretly looked forward to the scene of the two sides meeting many times. However, when it really happened, what welcomed her was only a hurried glance from a distance of a few dozen feet. At this moment, the man with the nickname of Heart Demon was running over there. He disrupted the formation of the Mani Sect's retreat, causing everything to become chaotic. He was still full of vigor and wanton, causing everyone to be unable to see through his thoughts. But in her heart, she could understand that this man was doing his best to try to make the situation better.
She remembered that more than a year ago, the confrontation between the two sides in the explosion in Hangzhou seemed to be the same situation.
But in Jianghu, sometimes you could only try your best. You couldn't see the road in front of you, and you couldn't estimate the situation behind you. She didn't care about these things in the past, and she tried to make herself forget about it. But in front of her, the girl with a bandage on her head and her body full of fatigue and pain really wanted to make everything stop, so that she could get close to him and say a few words to him.
But after a moment, a glimmer of hope appeared in front of her.
The hillside extended upwards, and at the top of the hill, an old suspension bridge appeared in front of her.
In the chaos, the first few people among the fleeing people had already rushed to the other side of the bridge. The man carrying Fang Qifo was also about to run to the suspension bridge when he was suddenly pulled by Fang Qifo, "Ah Hu, we are over here! Stop! "
The man carrying him was called Zhuo Hu. He was in his thirties and was also the closest confidant of Fang Qifo. He hesitated slightly and said, "But …"
"I have my own plan! Chen Fan! "
Chen Fan rushed over and said, "Master, quickly cross the bridge …"
"Don't worry about me. I have a plan. You go over there and guard the bridgehead. Be ready to break the bridge at any time!"
At this time, Fang Qifo finally regained some of his spirit when he spoke. Chen Fan also knew that although the suspension bridge could be used, there must be people on both sides to guard it. Otherwise, when the people on his side crossed the bridge, the enemy would break the bridge, and everyone on the bridge would die. He ran all the way to the suspension bridge. Behind him, Lin Eechan and the others also caught up and fought with Fang Baihua and the others who tried to stop him.
Fire suddenly struck and exploded in the night sky. Several masters of the Mani Sect were affected and thrown into the air, including one of Fang Baihua's men. Lin Eechan turned his head and saw that on the hillside, Ning Liheng had already dismounted and ordered the people to line up a few strange cannons. The mountain that was connected to the suspension bridge had already started to narrow. If the enemy fired a few cannons at them at the same time, it was obvious that they were going to kill everyone in one fell swoop.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Eechan's gaze swept across everyone around him. He was also a talented genius. With a thought, he suddenly shouted, "Go! Go around! "He led the people to the other side of the hillside.
Although this side of the hillside looked high and there was a deep river below, they could still go around the other side. The river was not deep and it was not urgent. Lin Eechan knew that once he left, Zong Feixiao and the others would definitely rush over. No matter how crazy the demon was, it would not attack the people of the Ministry of Justice. The enemy had lost a portion of their forces at the drawbridge. If he went around, he would only be left with a few people to deal with. Although he had thought it through, the grievance in his heart was indescribable.
Sure enough, as soon as Lin Eechan and the others stepped aside, the constables started to rush up. Zong Feixiao shouted at Ning Yi, "If you dare to do anything, I will kill you!"
In front of the suspension bridge, Fang Qifo said to Zhuo Hu, "This is it. Ah Hu, put me down and let's go."
Zhuo Hu reacted instantly. He was still a few feet away from the suspension bridge. He turned around and was about to run over. Fang Qifo behind him raised his left hand without hesitation. A dagger came close to Zhuo Hu's throat and slit it.
"I'm sorry …"
Only when Chen Fan and the others looked over did Zhuo Hu start to run. Suddenly, blood spurted out of his mouth as his body rolled forward. Fang Qifo also fell and rolled on the ground. This sudden change almost attracted everyone's attention. Most people still did not understand what was going on. Fang Qifo struggled to sit up and raised his left hand that could still move toward Chen Fan. There was a dagger in his left hand.
"Go." The last words of this Grandmaster echoed in the night sky. "Go by yourself in the future!"
At the foot of the hill, Sikong Nan and Lin Eechan turned their heads. Fang Baihua and the others, who were still preparing to fight the enemy, turned their heads. Watermelon and the others who ran up the suspension bridge also turned their heads. In the forest far away, a hidden figure suddenly frowned. It was Wang Yin.
"Don't come over!" Fang Qifo put the dagger to his throat and said, "If you come over, I will kill myself!"
The constables who rushed up not far away hesitated for a short moment. Zong Feixiao, Tie Tianying and the others also hesitated for a moment. They had been trying their best to protect Fang Qifo from death all the way to the north so that he could go to the capital for trial. If Fang Qifo died here, it would be a big deal. Time and the mountain wind seemed to freeze on such a hillside. For a moment, a figure approached Fang Qifo from the side.
Zhu Biao's spear was around the figure, and the crossbow arrows were shot accurately. The figure walked to Fang Qifo's side and waved his blade under the moonlight.
"Wishy-Washy —"
Blood flew up into the night sky. Fang Qifo's head, which was still sweeping around the mountains and the crowd, turned to the side at this moment. His eyes were clear. When the saber cut across his neck, it also knocked away the dagger that was pressed against it. The scholar stood there with the head in his hand. His eyes swept across the crowd next to him, the crowd below, the suspension bridge, the people of the Tyrant's Blade Camp, Liu Watermelon, and Chen Fan. His eyes and tone were as cold as ice.
Then, the corpse fell. He raised the head and took a look. In the distance, Lin Eechan opened his mouth. Below, Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao and the others were filled with anger. Not far away, Fang Baihua was already rushing over with his spear. Chen Fan clenched his fist and took two steps forward. However, his mind was blank.
"Ha … Ah —"
On the suspension bridge not far away, the girl suddenly arched her body and let out a heart-wrenching, sorrowful, and heart-wrenching cry. Perhaps it contained not only the grief of Fang Qifo's death, but also a lot of complicated emotions that only the two of them could understand. At this moment, it resounded through the night sky …
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