Chapter 112: The Final Dawn

"Look, isn't that the Prince Consort, Ming Tian?"

"It really is!"

"Grab him! Our families will be saved!"

"..."

As the burly men of the resistance organization surged out and caught sight of Ming Tian, they were filled with collective rage. Their excited faces were etched with a desperate hunger for him.

Ming Tian felt a surge of anxiety. The numbers were too high. Didn't the intelligence report say each charge would only involve twenty-odd people? If it were twenty, he might have barely managed. But right now, there were forty or fifty people—how was he supposed to fight this?

His own side had only a dozen or so, most of them wounded, and their individual combat prowess couldn't match the enemy's. If a real fight broke out, his dozen men would be slaughtered in less than a minute.

Should he run?

Damn it!

Cursing under his breath, Ming Tian realized the situation was dire. The soldiers wouldn't pause for even half a second because of his anxiety; their eyes were bloodshot, staring at him as if he were the man who had killed their fathers. No doubt the Masked Man had promised to release their families if they killed him! How stupid—as if that monster would ever let their families go!

"Kill Ming Tian!"

"Take his head! Save our families!"

With frantic shouts, the forty or fifty men charged like rabid dogs.

"Brother Ming Tian, run!" An Luo drew his blade and blocked the path in front of Ming Tian. It was clear he was prepared to die here to protect him.

Damn it! Damn it all! Was Yin Chan not ready yet?

Facing the charging giants, Ming Tian felt things spiraling out of control. Flee? Where could he flee? His physical stamina could never outrun so many strong men. This wasn't a movie where the hero was guaranteed to outpace his enemies.

"An Luo, you leave. Find a way to protect Xin Zhu and get her out of Yangzhou!" With a shove, Ming Tian pushed An Luo aside and stood in front of him instead.

"Brother Ming Tian, you are the Prince Consort. If you die here..."

"Didn't you hear me tell you to leave?!"

He raised his sleeve-darts and fired three in succession. The leading man was struck down instantly, only to be trampled into a pulp by those following behind. These men had completely lost their minds for the sake of their families!

"But..." An Luo hesitated, looking at Ming Tian’s sacrificial resolve. "If you die, what will happen to the Princess? As your bodyguard, how can I abandon you and run?"

With a shout, An Luo charged headlong into the fray, joining the dozen or so members of the Chaos Rippers as they clashed with the enemy line.

"Argh!" In his berserk state, An Luo unleashed power beyond the norm, his movements fluid as he wielded Yin Chan’s carbon-steel blade. But these soldiers were no pushovers. In just one exchange, nearly half of the Chaos Rippers were dead. The slaughter was overwhelmingly one-sided. Even with An Luo’s strength, which could hold off an army, he couldn't contend with so many foes. As his men fell one by one, the number of enemies surrounding An Luo grew, and he soon fell into a desperate struggle.

"Ugh..." An Luo let out a pained groan.

Since he had known him, this was the first time Ming Tian had seen the big oaf injured. A blade had carved a massive, bloody zipper across his back. Though it wasn't deep, the wound was terrifying.

"An Luo!!!" Seeing the foolhardy giant charge into the enemy line, Ming Tian’s eyes turned red with panic. Firing his sleeve-darts in rapid succession and utilizing his unique fighting style, Ming Tian plunged into the crowd as well.

Cui Jue, watching from the side, realized the battle was lost, but faced with the valor of An Luo and Ming Tian, he couldn't bring himself to retreat. "These two idiots, have they gone mad?" he roared, hacking off an enemy's head.

"Brother Ming Tian, look out!"

A flurry of blades descended, leaving Ming Tian with nowhere to dodge. For someone of his build, every single one of those strikes was fatal! In that split second, An Luo stepped forward and shoved Ming Tian aside.

*Slash.*

Almost simultaneously, a wound as large as the one on his back was carved into his chest. Then came his shoulders, his legs, his waist, his arms. Faced with overwhelming numbers and superior combat strength, An Luo was covered in scars. Yet, no matter the situation, whenever Ming Tian was threatened, he would recklessly throw his body in the way to take the killing blow.

Blood stained his powerful frame. The dozens of wounds were gruesome.

"Brother Ming Tian!" Perhaps realizing he had reached his limit, An Luo grabbed Ming Tian by the collar and hoisted him up.

"Hey... what are you doing?" Ming Tian realized his intent. The man meant to throw him out of the encirclement. He had the strength to do it, but if he did...

"An Luo, put me down! An Luo!!!"

As he roared, two blades pierced him from behind. With the sickening sound of flesh being torn, the blades drove through An Luo’s lower back and exited his abdomen.

An Luo coughed blood directly onto Ming Tian’s face.

"An Luo, put me down! Put me down, do you hear me? That’s an order!"

Watching this, Ming Tian felt like he was going insane. That was his brother! He beat frantically at An Luo's sturdy arms, but how could his strength compare to the giant's? The arms remained as immovable as stone.

"Brother Ming Tian, tell the Princess... your subordinate was incompetent... I can no longer serve her or Prince Xiao... *cough*."

He coughed up more blood, his face turning deathly pale, yet a faint smile remained. "And... tell Miss Yin Chan... in my next life... I'll make sure to be reborn... a bit more handsome..."

"What are you saying? You... you motherf***er... why don't you tell her yourself?!!!"

His frantic roar finally broke the limits that the gods had set for him.

"Brother Ming Tian... knowing you... was truly... a blessing."

That was the last thing An Luo ever said.

In the next second, Ming Tian felt the wind rush past his ears as the scenery blurred backward. He hit the ground with a thud. Forgetting his own pain, he scrambled to his feet, watching as the crowd swarmed the brother who had lived and died by his side.

His heart stopped beating in that instant.

"An Luo!!!!!!!!!"

Anyone, please, anyone—save him!

Stupid God, are you there? I’ve never asked you for anything in my life! If you’re there, I’m begging you, appear one more time! Save An Luo, take my life as the price if you have to, I beg you... save An Luo!!!!!!!!

With a desperate, soul-crushing wish, the veins on Ming Tian’s forehead bulged as hot tears streamed down his face. In this moment, he offered his most sincere plea.

And to his surprise, this prayer was answered!

*Whoosh.*

Accompanied by a ringing in his ears, time seemed to stand still. In his peripheral vision, he saw an arrow whistle past his ear, flying from behind into the crowd. A small canister of fire was bound to the shaft, the trailing flames searing his skin.

"Ming Tian! Get down!" A familiar voice rang out from behind him.

Ming Tian obeyed instantly. A rain of arrows poured over his head, showering the crowd in a continuous barrage.

*Is this... Yin Chan’s Divine Machine Arrows?*