Ning Chen got to his feet and was about to ask when Feng Qizheng suddenly threw himself into a roll, and an arrow flew over where his head had been and buried itself in a tree.

Ning Chen's face changed at once, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Look out, all of you! Enemies!"

Gao Ziping and Chen Chong came charging out of the cave at the sound.

Yang Yongwang and the rest came running out too, hoes and sickles in their hands.

Feng Qizheng rolled up onto his feet and ran, tying his trousers as he went, and still found the breath to shout, "Run!"

Whip, whip, whip!!!

Arrow after arrow came in behind Feng Qizheng.

Feng Qizheng threw himself into a roll, came up clear of the arrows, got up and ran on forward, looking back as he went.

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes and looked. More than a dozen men in close-fitting black were hard after Feng Qizheng, and they moved fast.

Ning Chen said harshly, "Go!"

The word was out, his blade was drawn, and he was running, meaning to get Feng Qizheng out.

"Don't come over! Every damn one of them is first-rate... Leave me. Take them and run."

Feng Qizheng was shouting it.

Whip, whip, whip!!!

A dozen more arrows went at Feng Qizheng and drove him rolling along the ground.

The men behind him closed the distance fast.

"Yang Yongwang, take your people and run!"

Ning Chen shouted it. There was no chance he would leave Feng Qizheng behind.

Nor, naturally, would Gao Ziping or Chen Chong.

The three of them ran at Feng Qizheng.

As they came up, Ning Chen threw his hand out and several stones went out in streaks of cold light.

Clang, clang, clang!!!

The men hunting Feng Qizheng swung their blades and knocked the stones away with precision.

Ning Chen's eyes tightened. Feng Qizheng was right. These men really were first-rate.

Ning Chen watched the assassins come on, and his eyes went cold. "Kill them!"

The assassins had bows and crossbows. Run, and they would…