14 Deus Ex Machina

The three horses coming are covered in weird chains, as well as the riders. The chains are used to hold a wooden barrel behind their back. With that distinctive looks no wonder Mu Rong can recognized them from far away.

The three riders do not care about Mu Rong, they keep closing in from the opposite side of Mu Rong, cutting off their retreat path.

"Get over here! Hurry up! Run!"

They keep hearing one of the riders shouting. It was barely audible from far away, but as they get closer Liu Kaxing can hear some of the words clearly. The shouting is enough to make them turn their head at them.

Li Han! It is Li Han with two other beggars from that night.

Liu Kaxing think hard whether they should they follow him or not? But Lu Lin is more decisive. She immediately run towards Li Han, so there is nothing else he can do but to follow her.

Mu Rong and friends wondering as to why their marks suddenly run towards the other party. Perhaps they just want to deal with weaker opponents first, hoping for a miraculous breakthrough.

The three riders releasing their barrels and dangling it wrapped in chains. Mu Rong understands what it means and fuming with anger. They want to finish it quickly, faster than they are.

"Little brats, your boss not even here and you dare to challenge me!" Mu Rong cannot wait any longer and starts charging forwards.

They throw the barrels as expected, but what Mu Rong didn't expect is that they don't throw it at their target, instead they throw it at him and his friends. Mu Rong knows how dangerous those barrels. Had it known they will be at the receiving end of it, he will try to avoid it as best as he can, not to charge at it instead.

"Run!"

By that time, it was already too late. One of his companions doesn't know about the barrel and attack it right on. Just as his sword touches it, the barrel explodes right away, followed by the other two.

Mu Rong was the farthest away, and have enough skill to avoid fatal injuries. While two of his companions thrown away by the explosion, and the one attacked the barrel doesn't need to be mentioned.

"Run to the inn! We will hold them back here!" Li Han draws his staff before giving the order, ready to face the anger of Mu Rong.

Li Kaxing has seen the other two beggar's skill, but he only catches a glimpse of Li Han's before. Beggar Sect's skill are made from three parts of skill sets. Knocking on the Heaven, the Earth and Hell.

Each of the techniques are complicated and ingenious, but what makes it scary is the fact that each of them can be seamlessly intertwined with the other two. With enough creativity the skills will become extremely unpredictable, making it one of the hardest skills to figured out in the martial world.

Li Han might not be as strong and refined as the other two beggars with him, but his skill is the most complicated out of them all. He is also extremely fast with his movement.

"What are you doing? Chase them! I will deal with these brats myself. Who are you guys anyway? You are using Mo Ji's trick, but Beggar Sect's technique." Mu Rong still confident, that he can deal with three of them himself.

"You two, help them out! I will buy as much time as I can." The two beggars hesitate for a moment, but eventually follow up Li Han's order.

Liu Kaxing worried for Li Han's sake for a moment there. No matter how good he is, he still is not a match for Mu Rong alone. But he is not at the situation to worry about others. After running away, all of them just realize how bad their condition was.

Hu Gang barely can walk, as his left thigh got slashed deep during the fight. Hai Zhen got few cuts in his back, while Liu Kaxing itself bleeds all over his body. Nothing deep, but he lost a lot of blood, and very tired. Lu Lin has the best condition out of them, but she has to help his father running.

The two beggars might be a level below Mu Rong's companions, but they come in fresh against two injured people. As of now both of them have the best situation.

It is close, the inn supposes to be close. But their feet get heavier for each step they take, and more blood leaked out every time they breath. In their desperation the arrival of another chaser is the last thing they expect.

This time it is more than more than a dozen people arrives, and more are still to come. The most stand out person out of them is a man riding a horse similar to what Li Han rides before. It just this guy is huge, his body is at least twice of Li Han's. Riding a bigger horse and bigger barrel made of metal. His figure making drown out their hopes, but other people start the attack before him.

Five people charge at them, two spears, two with a sword and one with a sabre. This people are not at the level of Mu Rong and his companions, but at this point they barely have the will to fight anymore.

Once again, it is Li Han and his friends come at the right time to help them. The two of them able to defeat their opponents and help Li Han to escape from Mu Rong. Li Han come with injuries all over his body, his condition's hardly better than them. Nevertheless, his eyes still full of determination, and he fight just as ferocious as before.

The three of them able to match their five opponents, but they are not the only one chasing them. A small wooden ball suddenly shot out at them. Their experience before make them realize its danger, it is a smaller version of the wooden barrels used earlier.

Mo Ji continue throwing the small barrels that explode whenever it touches something. His aims are precise and powerful. It is impossible for the three of them to fight under Mo Ji's harassment. Soon enough their injuries piling up, whether it comes from the people fighting against them or the explosion caused by Mo Ji.

They got enough of it and one of them chooses to change his target and attack Mo Ji instead. Of course, Mo Ji is not an easy opponent. He was not become an expert just by throwing barrels. Mo Ji wrapped his left hand with chains and block the staff coming to him easily.

Before his attacker can do anything, Mo Ji does a weird movement with his mouth, and suddenly his mouth blowing a huge flame towards his opponent. The beggar flip backwards to avoid the flame, but Mo Ji is not giving him any time to rest.

This time the chain in his right-hand grinds towards the ground, engulfing it in fire right before it flies to his opponent. The beggar able to block it at the last moment, but the fire distracting him for a second. When he regains his composure back, a small barrel already heading towards him. It is too late for him to dodge it. The best he can do is to turn his body, letting the barrel to hit his back instead of his chest.

The initial impact is bad enough, but when it does explode, the pain is beyond his wildest imagination. The fire scorching his skin and flesh, and the wooden shrapnel's pricking his flesh into his bone. An inhuman scream then echoed throughout the field.

"Brother!" The other beggar desperately bursting out to come in aid.

"Protect him, but do not engage the big guy!"

Out of the five guys attacking them, two already knocked out and the others injured. Li Han despite his disadvantage was able to get the upper hand. The same cannot be said to Liu Ka Xing and friends.

While five of the attackers and Mo Ji keeps them busy, the others moving towards their real target. Hai Zhen already unconscious somewhere and Hu Gang is not in a condition where he can fight anymore. Lu Lin's spear has been broken in half and now two huge guys are grappling her to submission.

"Ungrateful bitch! I pity you, so I want to elevate your status by marrying you. Yet, you try to run away and embarrass me." Fu Manqing comes forward now, when nobody poses any more danger to him.

Liu Kaxing barely hears what Fu Manqing said to her. All he knows he gets a spit on the face as a return, and Fu Manqing paying it back with slap to her face.

"You like to play rough, aren't you? I can play rough." Fu Manqing's words sounds cold and full of evil aura in it.

Liu Kaxing already given up hope, when Mo Ji thrown Li Han's body near him. His condition is no better than himself. Nobody can fight any longer, he has failed to save her. Mu Rong arrivals along with other chasers that keep coming in just salt added into his wound.

"Make sure to bring her and her father alive! I will make her pay. The moment she run from my mansion her life already ended. From now on I will give her the taste of hell, so she will always remember it. Just kill the rest of them!" Fu Manqing turns back after giving his order.

Mo Ji moves forward to supervise the execution, while few other grunts are ready finish the order given. Killing their opponents in a fight is a common thing, but executing people who already lose bring them no pleasure as martial artists. Even then, an order is an order and they personally have no problem to kill.

Liu Kaxing was the last one to stop fighting, so he stays at the very front and become the very first target.

"It's nothing personal kid, I will make it quick." A man arrives in front of him raising his sabre up.

Liu Kaxing panickily looking for his sword or whatever weapon he can find. Even if he has to die, he has to die fighting. He grabs something hard like a rock and prepare to make a strike, but his hand betrays him. His muscle sore and his joints stiff, even his bone aches as he moves his hand. He will not make it in time and he know it.

Splash!

Blood splattered all over Liu Kaxing's face. It's not his rock arrived first nor the sabre. A spear has thrown and pierced the guy in front of him.

"Protect the young master!"

Liu Kaxing barely understand what happens when a shout heard. Soon after people starts flooding in the scene.

The executioners stop what they are going to do to deal with these new assailants. The people they are going to execute are no getting away, but these assailants pose a lot of dangers, so it is clear which one they have to deal with first.

These new assailants are experts in martial arts, each of them can easily defeat the executioners sent. Mo Ji charges at once ready to level the playing field, his chains lit up and slashes forward. The one meets him is a man as large as him, not as fat but taller and full of muscle on every inch of his body.

Mo Ji's chain meet with the spear from his assailant. The huge man technically swipes his spear to deflect the chain, then moves into full power stab.

Mo Ji raises his left hand that covered with the chain to block it and prepare his right hand to counterattack again. As the spear comes closer, he realizes something is no right. His plan is not going to work because the spear comes with more power than he thought before.

Mo Ji might not be most agile fighter, but he always confident in his strength. Not this time though, he knows he cannot stop the spear with his left hand alone. He quickly rolls the chain in his right hand and brought it to support his left.

The spearman suddenly changes his moves at the last second. The thrust stops and the spear suddenly spin upwards and strikes down against Mo Ji's crosses hands. The power of a full swing is much stronger than a stab. The spear easily splits apart both hands away, creating an opening in Mo Ji's side.

The spearman doesn't waste his chances. A spin turns his offenses back to a stab, right into Mo Ji's body while both of his hands spread open. The spear hits and snaps the chain covering Mo Ji's body, it then goes right through his chest.

All the spearman's moves are perfectly executed. From flicking the chain, breaking the defense and the final step. Everything is direct, efficient, with excellent technique and out of this world strength. In five seconds, he kills one of the expert's other people scared off.

Most people will choose to aim carefully and avoid to hit the chain. It will reduce a little bit of speed and power, but directly pierce the body. The spearman however chooses a full power and speed attack. As long as it hits the opponent, he is confident nothing can withstand his attack.

Out of a hundred people ten of them will choose to aim, and for the rest of them that is the only option, as they are surely won't be able to pierce through the chain.

The spear has burst through Mo Ji's chest into his back. At his last breath, Mo Ji gives a slight smile and pulls one of the chains connected to the barrel at his back.

At once both parties realize the danger looming from the barrel. They immediately jump back to save themselves, ceasing the battle for a while.

The spearman act is the very target of Mo Ji's final attack, and thus at the most dangerous situation. He acts fast to pull his spears then shoved Mo Ji's leg, lifting him up to the air. Next, he swings his spears to smash the airborne body. This time the spearman spins his body along with his spear, giving extra power to it.

The smash is strong enough to throw the body away, before it explodes midair. The explosion far exceeded the one Li Han did before. Even those already run away are caught on it, either against the fire or the projectiles from the explosion.

The spearman stood where he is and spins the spear in front of him. The spins create winds strong enough to cast away the fire and the spears itself repels the shrapnel. With all the others been move back he is now standing at the center of the crowds. Looking almighty like a God amongst men.