Friends in need are friends indeed, but it's hardly romantic to rush to a friend's aid only to become a burden, a useless teammate. Yet, as Ning Yi stood on the streets of Anping County, the woman shielding him from the gazes of the crowd, he knew he'd become just that – a pathetic figure.

If everything had gone according to plan, he and the twenty-odd others would have retreated into the inn, weathering the initial attack, allowing the seeds they had sown to sprout. Yao Wuliu and the people of Anping County wouldn't have had to gamble their lives, and Chen Jinxia, if given a choice, would have preferred not to antagonize the authorities. After tonight, the two hundred-plus men following them would arrive, gathering in Anping, effectively creating a force capable of standing against these heroes.

However, Hong Ti's appearance and injury tipped the scales heavily in the other direction, giving the Liangshan bandits and Lin Qi's family a shot in the arm. Even those who were undecided, those with grudges against the government and ties to Liangshan, would now consider whether to kill them on the spot, making a name for themselves in the jianghu. Even if the authorities and the army pursued them, they could simply lie low for a while, and once things cooled down, they could emerge as heroes once more.

A suffocating silence descended for a moment. Zhu Biao and the others reformed their ranks, and whispers, laced with chilling malice, rippled through the crowd. Ning Yi leaned against Hong Ti's back, his hand instinctively tightening, realizing it was inappropriate, but he couldn't afford to care at that moment.

"The horses are on the other side of the wall, we need to escape..."

He stowed away the firelock in his right hand, gesturing towards Qi Xinhan and the others. They hadn't had much time to coordinate, and Ning Yi wasn't sure if they would understand his signals. But after a moment's hesitation, Hong Ti nodded. Ning Yi suddenly leaped, grabbing the wall beside him, and vaulted over it into the empty courtyard behind the inn. Hong Ti followed suit, flipping over the wall. At the same moment, a roar of killing intent erupted outside, washing over them like a tidal wave!

Sensing the shift in the situation, Ning Yi reacted with remarkable speed. His decisive action shattered the fragile restraint holding the crowd together. The cry of "Kill!" burst forth. Monk Tunyun lunged forward, only to have Zhu Biao's steel spear whistling towards him. Tunyun deflected it with his palms, using the momentum to slam into Lu Wenhu. On the street, Shi Jin, Lin Chong, and others surged forward, joined by Lin Qi's family, disciples, and some greenwoodsmen, only to be blocked briefly by the people of Du Long Gang.

Monk Tunyun was the fastest, reaching the wall in an instant. He took two steps as if climbing a ladder, his robes fluttering as Lu Hong Ti's figure rose up on the other side of the wall, her sword aimed straight at Tunyun's brow.

Her figure leaped up, the sword thrust out with a deadly, silent precision that was both simple and devastating. Tunyun had no time to defend himself; the killing intent was already upon him. Fortunately, he could still move his feet. He kicked off the wall, sending himself flying backward.

Some greenwoodsmen were rushing forward on the road below, two of whom were struck in the face by Tunyun's sleeves. Tunyun himself crashed into the muddy water headfirst, looking utterly pathetic. Known as "Lone Wanderer of Ten Thousand Li," he had many enemies and was ruthlessly vicious. As he fell, losing his balance, he refused to allow anyone behind him. The two greenwoodsmen suffered innocently, flying backward, their faces a mixture of tears, blood, and mud, already badly injured.

Yao Wuliu, meanwhile, slammed a punch into Han Li, grabbing a Liangshan man rushing past and smashing him to the ground. "Stop fighting! All of you stop!" he roared. Chen Jinxia, who had previously leaned slightly towards Ning Yi's side, now frowned, his eyes fixed on the scene with a fierce expression. He was clearly unhappy about losing his authority, but he was also reassessing the entire situation, wavering in his decision.

The sound of horses whinnied from inside the inn's courtyard. A second wave of men surged towards the wall, but before they could even poke their heads over, a red-tasseled spear flashed out, piercing the first man's forehead. Then a second, and a third, fell backward. The wall facing the street was less than two zhang high, and with Lu Hong Ti's skill, holding a spear inside, no one could possibly climb over.

Monk Tunyun struggled to his feet from the mud, shouting, "Guard the back!" When he climbed back onto the wall, he saw dozens of horses being released from the stables into the courtyard, galloping towards the back gate. Lu Hong Ti, already far away, suddenly turned around, throwing the red-tasseled spear from her hand. It whistled through the air. Tunyun, still airborne, his cassock swirling wildly, shattered the spear into pieces. He landed back in the muddy water on the street, roaring, "They're getting away!"

Lin Chong, Shi Jin, and the greenwoodsmen surged towards different routes, attempting to encircle them. The alleys behind the inn were likely not unguarded, but with horses leading the way, they probably couldn't stop a master like Lu Hong Ti for long. On this side, Zhu Biao and the others frantically tried to block more pursuers, shouting, "Don't let them escape!" Yao Wuliu also tried to separate the two sides, roaring, "Stop fighting!" As Han Li frantically ordered the Fire Fist Gang's disciples to kill the demons, Yao Wuliu charged towards Han Li, "Are you crazy!"

The two men exchanged a punch. Han Li stumbled back a few steps, a strange smile on his face, clenching his fists and opening his hands. "I'm not crazy, Yao Wuliu, you have a big family and a big business, right? You think I don't know she's been having an affair with you? This is a good opportunity, I don't care anymore. Yao Wuliu, may your whole family die! I'll settle the score with you!"

Han Li's latter words were spoken through gritted teeth, though not loudly. Yao Wuliu's face showed initial bewilderment, followed by a surge of rage. "You son of a bitch, I... Very well, I'll settle both old and new scores with you today!"

As Han Li threw a punch, Yao Wuliu slammed his arm down. The two gang leaders began to fight, and seeing their leaders clashing, the members of the two gangs on the long street also started fighting, turning the scene into chaos. Chen Jinxia, reacting belatedly, never expected the two men to turn on each other at this moment. He rushed over, "Stop fighting, you two!"

Chen Jinxia, known as "Iron Fist," was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, though he did not draw the nine-ringed broadsword on his back. Yao Wuliu practiced Iron Wire Fist, and since Han Li was from the Fire Fist Gang, he naturally practiced fist techniques as well. In an instant, the three men were engaged in a chaotic fight, and the disciples of the two gangs on the long street broke into a fierce melee, turning the scene into utter chaos.

Ning Yi and Lu Hong Ti, riding a single horse, burst out of the back alleys. Anyone who tried to block them was either pushed aside by the galloping horse, or knocked away or killed by Lu Hong Ti. As they passed a dark alleyway, Lu Hong Ti grabbed Ning Yi and jumped off the horse, rolling into the alley. Then, they followed the dark path onwards.

"Will your companions be alright?" Lu Hong Ti asked, turning her head to look at him as they ran.

Ning Yi shook his head. "There are always people who value their lives in the city. As long as they stay in the inn or somewhere safe, they shouldn't be completely wiped out, as long as we survive... Is your injury alright?"

"It's nothing," the woman simply replied.

The large-scale search of the city closed in on the alleys. The area was filled with jianghu figures, and Ning Yi was not skilled in stealth. On one occasion, they alerted pursuers, and Lu Hong Ti killed two men, leading him to flee. Then, there was another close call with an ambush. Soon after, on the eastern city wall of Anping County, the two jumped into the small river outside the wall, climbed out on the opposite bank, and ran into the distant darkness. After that, torches emerged from the city in patches, spreading across the mountains and fields...

***************

Perhaps because of the rain, the night sky was clear and bright, with a full moon hanging over the rolling hills and fields. Two figures ran through the forests and foothills, occasionally crossing valleys and streams.

It must have been past midnight, the moon high in the sky, when Ning Yi and Hong Ti finally stopped in a small gully. Before this, the two had been running for nearly two hours, and they could still occasionally see the light of the pursuing torches. They found a small cave in the gully, or rather, a recess in the rock face, relatively dry and providing some shelter from the wind and rain. Ning Yi was panting, unwilling to get up after sitting down. He just smiled and said to Lu Hong Ti, "I'm sorry."

Lu Hong Ti stood not far away, smiling at him. After a moment, she said, "I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly..." Soon after, she came over to Ning Yi, sat down, and hugged her knees.

In fact, after jumping into the small river and running all the way here, their clothes were still mostly wet. After the heavy rain, the autumn night was already showing its chill, and Ning Yi, who had been spitting blood earlier, felt a slight chill.

The two had parted ways in Jiangning, thinking they would not see each other again for a long time. Now, they had suddenly met again, and these things had happened. For a moment, they didn't know what to say. Soon after, Lu Hong Ti said, "They may still be coming after us." Ning Yi knew that was possible. "For now, they can only chase us. In a few days, they will choose to escape." After discussing it for a few sentences, although they felt that they had not yet escaped the danger, the night was still silent, the night clear, and the two sitting in the small mountain cave, looking at the moonlit sky outside the cave, finally found a relatively familiar feeling. Ning Yi was naturally optimistic in his personality, and said, "My... clothes are all wet, I need to take them off to dry them. You..."

Hong Ti nodded, "Okay."

The two were still running for their lives, so they couldn't make a fire. Ning Yi took off his outer clothes and hung them on a branch at the entrance of the cave. Soon after, Hong Ti also said, "Don't turn around yet." She took off her outer garment and handed it to Ning Yi, letting Ning Yi hang it up. Then, she opened the small bundle that was tied tightly in front of her, found two changes of clothes, and put on a shirt that had not been completely soaked.

After pacifying Liangshan, he had come all the way here, never expecting that the first thing he would encounter would be like this. But after all, Hong Ti was safe, and he had temporarily escaped danger. He used to think of the jianghu, calling himself the Blood Hand Human Butcher, finding it interesting and enjoying himself. Now, it seemed that he was really trapped in the jianghu. Thinking about it like this, he couldn't help but laugh.

A few pieces of clothes were hung at the entrance of the cave, and the cave looked like a small room with curtains hanging. Ning Yi was shirtless, wearing only shorts. He didn't mind, but he didn't want to get too close to Hong Ti, ruining her reputation. After sitting down, Hong Ti asked him about the situation in Liangshan, and Ning Yi smiled and began to tell her everything in detail...

It was as if they were in Jiangning, or a continuation of the Thousand and One Nights stories in the Mountain God Temple outside Jiangning City. The quiet whispers of the two people who had just escaped danger echoed in the small haven in the mountains. In the more vast wilderness, there was a hint of agitation in the tranquility. The long howling of wolves startled the night, and black shadows wearing wide cassocks crossed the rain-soaked leaves and branches. Lin Chong, Shi Jin, and others swept and searched in uncertain directions. In the moonlight, the night was still long...

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