The villains fled, heedless even when they fell and bloodied their heads, cursing their parents for not giving them two more legs. Fear, that most primal emotion, became the sole force driving their escape.
Yet amid utter chaos, there were always a few desperadoes whose hot blood clouded their minds. Three men who seemed somewhat stronger were instead roused to ferocity.
They roared, multicolored flames of Dou Qi rising from their bodies, and lunged at the lone figure from three directions in a triangular formation! To their minds, that "fire poker" might be immensely powerful, but as long as they closed in, as long as they kept him from firing again, victory would surely be theirs!
One of them was the fastest. Yellow light flashed beneath his feet as he unleashed an earth-element Dou Technique, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Empowered by Dou Qi, the cleaver in his hand traced a vicious arc of light straight toward Xiao Yi's face. The other two followed close behind, cutting off his escape to either side.
Facing this three-pronged assault, Xiao Yi's expression remained utterly unruffled. He did not even look at the two enemies flanking him, merely watching the Dou Zhe charging him head-on. He released his rifle, letting it hang against his chest by its sling. At the same time, his right hand darted toward his waist like lightning.
Just as the blade gleaming with Dou Qi was about to touch his forehead, Xiao Yi moved. His right hand had already closed around a much larger revolver, its muzzle lifting slightly.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Three thunderous reports merged into one, deeper than the earlier shots, erupting in rapid succession! The deafening roar almost seemed powerful enough to snuff out the bonfire.
The savage grin had yet to