Flames soared, air currents surged, and light exploded. Shattered limbs burst apart in all directions, splattering blood and fragments. At this time, the army also had simple fire lances. The Ordnance Bureau could occasionally produce some strange firearms, but no one, neither Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao, nor Fan Zhong, had ever seen anything like this that could explode at a distance. For most of the Green Forest figures and even the constables in the crowd, their first reaction was to regard this thing as Taoist magic or even sorcery.

But in reality, if the people present could calm down and look, the effect caused by this cannonball in the crowd was not very strong. One person who bore the brunt of it had half of his body blown to pieces, but those next to him were at most injured or blown away. More people were knocked to the ground by the sudden change in air current. In terms of results alone, the salvo of more than twenty powerful crossbows had killed two people just now, and this cannon, after being perfectly fired into the crowd, did not achieve an ideal effect.

It was already late at night, however, and the huge sound exploded, echoing in the night sky. How many people could remain rational under such a momentum? Even though the participants were all experts who had experienced many things, they reacted only after a slight hesitation. By this time, the second elm cannon barrel had already been set up.

Figures were in chaos. Lin Echan and others fought their way towards Fang Baihua, Deng Yuanjue, and others at the fork in the road. Monk Tunyun and several experts rushing towards Ning Yi sprinted with force, trying to kill their way to the front from a slightly sideways position. On the hillside beside the road, Tie Tianying reined in his wildly turning warhorse and shouted loudly.

"Ning Liheng, you're crazy! When this matter is over, I will impeach you! Do you know who is backing them, whose people they are? You are incorrigibly foolish!"

Ning Yi stood up from the other side, the torches behind him turning his front into a huge shadow. The second cannon sounded at this time, flames shooting out half a zhang. Monk Tunyun and others had not yet rushed to the front. They avoided the most central direction of the muzzle, but this shot was different from the previous one. In the flames, countless iron filings, fragments, lead pellets, and caltrops poured out like a storm.

Seemingly out of a subconscious alertness from an expert, Tunyun pulled a person next to him to shield himself, and then his entire body was blown away. Blood spread, and the front of the mountain road rattled as if it were raining. The fork in the road was also affected, but those scattered things had no lethality at that distance.

Only five or six people rushing towards that side were affected by the power of this cannon. The person Tunyun grabbed casually had countless iron filings and lead pellets embedded in his body and was almost blown into a sieve. After falling to the ground, he reacted with vague pains coming from all over his body. He had an iron kasaya protecting him, but his hands, feet, and forehead were still grazed by several fragments.

Monk Tunyun was one of the first few to recognize Ning Yi. He had been humiliated in Shandong and had always wanted to take revenge, so he rushed over here with all his might. But at this time, Ning Yi stood there, treating these experts who had rushed over and been scattered as if he hadn't seen them. As he stood up, the sound of the cannon rang out, and after the blood splattered, his voice resounded again in the night sky.

"Good! The Mani Sect starts an uprising, bewitching people, and high-ranking families often participate in it. I told you about this a few days ago. Now you've thought it through. Who is assisting these evil people behind the scenes, Constable Tie, say it out loud!"

"You..."

Tie Tianying pointed at Ning Yi, his eyes almost bursting. At this time, how could he dare to reveal the forces behind Sikong Nan? Zong Feixiao and Fan Zhong had already spurred their horses and led their men to encircle the end of the mountain road. The members of the Secret Intelligence Division behind Ning Yi strung their crossbows, then set up the third cannon and fired it. This cannon was another long-range shell.

The earthen cannon, made by hollowing out elm wood and binding it with iron rings, was Ning Yi's focus of secret research in the past six months. The technical content required for this kind of earthen cannon was not high. During the Anti-Japanese War in later generations, Deng Gong used it during the Baise Uprising, and some anti-Japanese mountainous areas also used it. It was a combination of slightly higher basic knowledge and backward productivity.

However, after all, it was not a standardized piece of equipment. Even after trying for several months, although the shells could be fired, there were still various unpredictable accidents and dangers. If a large amount of gunpowder was filled, it was very likely to cause a burst barrel. On the other hand, filling the ammunition was actually not easy. Usually, someone with experience had to carefully check and load it, which made on-site loading a very troublesome thing.

Ning Yi was unwilling to use this not-so-reliable weapon unless the situation was critical. He only brought out eight elm cannons this time. After firing, it was difficult to reload after the sparks remained. But at this time, with one cannon after another, after only firing for the fourth time, the mountain road was completely chaotic and was cut into two sections.

Ning Yi had not been famous in the Jianghu for a long time. Coupled with the fact that news was blocked in this era, not many people really knew his details. When the first cannon was fired, someone was already asking who this was, and then someone mentioned the name, the origin of the Heart Demon, the destruction of Liangshan, and the bloodiness of tens of thousands of people dying at his hands. There was an uproar in the crowd.

In the Jianghu, one's name could be wrong, but one's nickname would never be wrong. This man had tens of thousands of lives on his hands. Whether it was a conspiracy or taking advantage of the situation, being able to have the nickname "Heart Demon" meant he was definitely not easy to mess with.

No one could figure out how they had provoked such a fiendish star at this time.

Lin Echan and others chased the enemy from the fork in the road to the distant mountains and forests. The Mani Sect members and Green Forest figures who were cut off in the rear began to detour from the surrounding area. Some also wanted to kill Ning Yi, but in the midst of the fighting, Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao, and others had already rushed to Ning Yi's side, confronting each other with hundreds of people on one side and twenty on the other.

"Ning Yi, you are so unwise today, you will definitely regret it in the future!"

"You are the ones who are unwise! The Mani Sect bewitches people's hearts with all kinds of tricks. You actually believe in such evil people. You are simply short-sighted and foolish!"

"We are using these people. How do you know it's not expedient? Now we are about to succeed completely, and you dare to intervene! Ning Liheng, since you hate the Mani Sect so much, why only attack Sikong Nan's side! How do you explain this?"

"Foolish! At this time, one side is weak and the other is strong. I naturally support the weak and attack the strong in order to make them both lose! I also want to ask you. Escorting Fang Qifo to the capital is your mission. Now, why was he rescued? Your layout is terrible, and you don't know what's important! Extremely foolish!"

"My Ministry of Justice's work will not allow your Secret Intelligence Division to interfere!"

"It's best if you don't—but I will definitely inform Prime Minister Qin of your crime of letting go of the Mani Sect!"

The situation of pursuit and escape had become chaotic. Ning Yi and others then chased after them, arguing with Tie Tianying and others as they chased. Some Mani Sect members originally wanted to attack Ning Yi, but the members of the Secret Intelligence Division walked together with the constables of the Ministry of Justice. Seeing the other party coming, they immediately shot arrows. When the other party attacked, it was inevitable that they would affect the people of the Ministry of Justice. The small friction between the two sides immediately made the situation sensitive. At this time, the two sides who had originally cooperated temporarily finally became unable to be trusted anymore.

With scattered lights, when they chased to a mountainside, Ning Yi ordered his men to set up a cannon again. He pointed at Wang Nantuo below and shouted, "Blast those bastards to death!" Wang Nantuo looked towards this side, cursed, and dodged to the side. A cannonball hit the ground there, but this time it didn't hurt anyone.

Also at this time, shouts rang out, and a zen staff fell to the ground. It was Deng Yuanjue who had been simultaneously blocking Lin Echan and Sikong Nan, and was finally punched in the brain and stabbed in the stomach, falling on the road. Xigua and others wanted to save him, but finally didn't make it in time.

By this time, Chen Fan, Xigua, and Fang Baihua had all been pushed to the edge by injuries and fatigue. No matter how Ning Yi intervened and disrupted the situation, their side was still at an absolute disadvantage. The mountains at night were deep and dark, and the flames spread behind them. The pursuit all the way was almost endless. While Xigua was wielding her saber with all her might, she occasionally saw that figure in the distance.

It had been a long time since she had seen that man. She had secretly anticipated the scene when they met many times, but when it really happened, it was just a fleeting glance across tens of zhang. At this time, the man nicknamed Heart Demon was running there. He was disrupting the formation of the Mani Sect's rear, making everything chaotic. He was still full of momentum and unrestrained madness, making everyone unable to see through his mind. But she could understand in her heart that this man was trying his best to make the situation better.

She remembered that more than a year ago, the confrontation and beginning in the explosive firelight in Hangzhou seemed to be in this kind of situation.

But in the Jianghu, sometimes, one can only do one's best. You can't see the road ahead, and you can't estimate what's behind you. She didn't care about these things in the past, and tried to forget about it as much as possible, but at this moment, the girl with bandages wrapped around her head and her body filled with fatigue and pain, really wanted to stop all this so that she could get close to the past and say a few words to him.

But after a moment, a faint turning point appeared before her eyes.

The hillside extended upwards, and at the place where it extended out at the very top, an old suspension bridge appeared before her eyes.

In the chaos, the first few people among the fleeing crowd had already pounced towards the bridge. The man carrying Fang Qifo was also about to run towards the suspension bridge when he was suddenly pulled by Fang Qifo. "Ahu, we are here! Stop!"

The man carrying him was named Zhuo Hu, in his thirties, and was also Fang Qifo's closest confidant. He hesitated slightly and said, "But..."

"I have my own plans! Chen Fan!"

Chen Fan ran over and said, "Master, please cross the bridge quickly..."

"Don't worry about me. I have a plan. You go over first and hold the bridgehead, ready to cut the bridge at any time!"

At this time, when Fang Qifo spoke, he finally regained some energy. Chen Fan also knew that although the suspension bridge could be used, someone had to be responsible on both sides, otherwise if his people crossed halfway and the other party cut off this end, everyone on it would die. He ran towards the suspension bridge. Lin Echan and others also chased up from behind, fighting with Fang Baihua and other interceptors.

Flames suddenly attacked, exploding in the night sky. Several Mani Sect experts were affected and blown away, and one of Fang Baihua's men was also caught in it. Lin Echan turned his head to look and saw that on one side of the hillside, Ning Liheng had dismounted and was directing his men to line up several strange cannons towards this side. The mountainous area connected to the suspension bridge was already beginning to narrow. If the other party fired several shells together, it was obvious that they wanted to wipe out everyone in one fell swoop.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Echan's eyes swept across everyone around him. He was also a genius with amazing talent. In a flash of thought, he suddenly shouted, "Go! Go around!" and led everyone to the other side of the hillside.

Although the mountain here seemed high, there were deep ravines and rivers below. However, by detouring from the side, the water was neither deep nor rapid at this time, and it was still possible to detour to the other side. Lin Echan knew that as soon as he left, Zong Feixiao and others would definitely rush up. No matter how crazy the Heart Demon was, he wouldn't randomly bombard the people of the Ministry of Justice. If the other party lost some people at the suspension bridge, and he detoured around, there would only be a few people left to deal with. Although he thought clearly, the feeling of suffocation in his heart at that moment was really difficult to express.

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Echan and others made way, the constables and soldiers began to rush up. Zong Feixiao shouted at Ning Yi, "If you dare to mess around, I'll kill you!"

In front of the suspension bridge over there, Fang Qifo said to Zhuo Hu, "This is it, Ahu, put me down and go quickly."

Zhuo Hu reacted in an instant. At this time, there were still several zhang away from the suspension bridge. He turned around and was about to run over. Behind him, Fang Qifo raised his left hand without much hesitation, and a dagger approached Zhuo Hu's throat, slashing quickly.

"I'm sorry..."

Chen Fan and others looked over from there. Zhuo Hu had just started to run when suddenly, blood spurted out. His body rolled forward. Fang Qifo also fell to the ground and rolled. This sudden change almost attracted everyone's attention. Most people didn't understand what had happened. Fang Qifo struggled to sit up halfway and raised his left hand that could still move towards Chen Fan. There was a dagger in his left hand.

"Go." The last voice of this grandmaster-level expert echoed in the night sky, "Walk on your own in the future!"

Below the hillside on the side, Sikong Nan and Lin Echan turned their heads. Fang Baihua and others, who were still preparing to engage the enemy a few zhang away, turned their heads. Xigua and others, who had run onto the suspension bridge, turned their heads. In the distant mountains and forests, a hidden figure also frowned suddenly. It was Wang Yin.

"Don't come over!" Fang Qifo put the dagger against his throat. The last words he said were, "I'll kill myself if you come over!"

The constables rushing up not far away hesitated for a short moment, and Zong Feixiao, Tie Tianying, and others also hesitated for a moment. All the way north, they had been trying their best to protect Fang Qifo from dying so that he could be tried in the capital. If Fang Qifo died here, the matter would be serious, no matter how big or small. Time and mountain wind seemed to freeze for a moment on such a hillside. A figure approached Fang Qifo from the side.

Zhu Biao's spear protected the figure's surroundings, and crossbow arrows were also being shot accurately. The figure walked to Fang Qifo's side and raised his knife in the moonlight.

"So much hesitation—"

Blood flew into the night sky. Fang Qifo's head was originally scanning the surrounding mountains, fields, and crowds. At this moment, he even turned to the side, his eyes clear. When the battle blade cut through his neck, it also knocked away the dagger that was held against it. The scholar stood there holding the head, his eyes swept across the crowd next to him, the crowd below, and also swept across the suspension bridge, the crowd of the Badao Camp, Liu Xigua, and Chen Fan. His eyes and tone were as indifferent as frost.

Then the corpse fell, and he looked at the head. In the distance, Lin Echan opened his mouth. Below, anger surged in the eyes of Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao, and others. Not far away, Fang Baihua had already raised his spear and was about to kill towards this side, but the sorrowful and resentful cry had not yet been uttered. Chen Fan clenched his fists and took two steps over there, but his mind was blank.

"Ha... Ah—"

On the suspension bridge not far away, the girl suddenly bent over and let out a heartbreaking, sour, and piercing cry. What was contained in it was perhaps not only the grief over Fang Qifo's death, but also many complex emotions that perhaps only the two of them could understand. At this moment, it resounded through the night sky...

Time shone on the past, and then shone on the present. Ning Yi turned around with the head in his hand, his indifferent gaze no longer looking over there...