Rescue Mission

Everything happens so fast.

They prepare some costume for both teams. The beggar sect does not want this mission to be associated with them. Some of the riot teams wear keeps the beggar outfit, but all of the sneak team members wearing some dark attire and a mask.

The riot starts right after Liu Ka Xing change his outfit, next thing he knows they are jumping up the roof. Waiting for the patrolling guards and sneaking behind them. The mansion is huge, without the map given before it will take all night to find the girl they looking for.

With the map though, it happens so fast.

They found her. The two elite beggars quickly knock up a few guards and taking their key. The thing is, there is only Lu Lin in that room. Lu Shen is captured at the jail and Lu Lin refuses to go without her father.

Again, it was so fast.

Liu Ka Xing not sure of what happened. He saw a glimpse of how glad Lu Lin's face when she was rescued. Another thing is, it seems that she is glad when she sees Li Han among her rescuers.

"Calm down, it's me."

Liu Ka Xing can't be sure, if it is what Li Han said as he opens his mask when he releases her and it feels like she is almost hugging him after. He doesn't have the time to ponder around about it, as they already on their way to Lu Shen's jail.

Lu Lin knows where he is and the map they have, has mark to show where the jail area is. This jail area however has more guards and harder to sneak into. This time Li Han gives each member a target, guards to be knocked out. Liu Ka Xing and one of the beggars take care the front guard, while Hai Zhen and another beggar take care the patrols that scouts the area. It is impossible not to meet any patrol in the jail area.

Li Han and Lu Lin will sneak into the jail while it they take care of the guards. Liu Ka Xing follows them inside while Hai Zhen guards upfront. Li Han and Lu Lin are very fast and agile, they quickly dispatch a few guards inside. These guards are not a very good martial artist, as long as they fast enough these guards are not going to able to resist them.

Lu Shen is not in good condition when they found him. He is injured really bad, he even unable to walk as of now. This is a new problem for them, it is hard enough to sneak out of here for them. Now they have to carry a man while doing that.

They almost get to outside when a scream heard, followed by others soon enough. Either they found the subdued guards or they just regain their consciousness.

"Run for it!" Li Han gives his order.

No more sneaking around, they just have to run as fast as they can. Without have to carry Lu Shen, they might be able to just get rid of their outfit and mingle with the crowd. A few guards try to hold them back, but easily knocked out.

It is then Liu Ka Xing sees a man with metal gloves. If it is the Iron Hand then he has to run away. As he waits for Li Han's instruction, Liu Ka Xing starts to look around. There is only Hai Zhen behind him, Li Han and the others are nowhere to be seen. He has been abandoned and immediately realizes, he has to run away.

Gan Li is accompanied with three of his goons and each of them are skilled. Liu Ka Xing and Hai Zhen try to runaway but they are not fast enough. Gan Li throw a rock at them, which hit Hai Zhen on his leg. Liu Ka Xing stop his run to help him, but a second halt means they already surrounded by Gan Li and his goons.

Seeing the odds are not good for him, Liu Ka Xing starts to calculating his chance of getting out of there. Fighting four people at once is worse than fighting one at a time, at this moment he tries to roll the dice and challenge the Iron Hand to a duel.

"You challenge me to duel. Some people really cannot tell the difference of heaven and earth, let me show it to you then. For this fight you all can be the judge. Not only you shall not interfere, but you have to see that I will only use my right hand to defeat this blind young man."

How arrogant this guy is, Liu Ka Xing now confident he can win this fight. He just has to worry if this guy will break his promise when he lost. The next thing in his mind is what weapon he supposes to use. He has his sword in his belt and a staff that was given to all five of them. They never meant to kill in this mission, that is why everybody is armed with a staff. Staff also the main weapon of the beggar sect, so they are also proficient in using that. Liu Ka Xing does not familiar with a staff, but has been trained to use a spear very hard after he lose to Lu Lin and finds the style can be easily used with a staff.

In the end he chooses to use his staff instead. He won't kill anyone if it not needed. Only when his opponent back down on his promise than he can draw his sword to provide more surprise.

Element of surprise is always important in any fight. Liu Ka Xing been told of this many time by a lot of his mentors. That is why he start the fight with a fake move. Against someone as famous as Gan Li, Liu Ka Xing doesn't dare to look down on him even if he just using one hand.

Liu Ka Xing starts his movement by swinging his staff from above, just like how a staff usually used. As his opponents try to parry it, he pulls off midway and change it into a thrust. This thrust is a typical spear movement that he familiar with. It was fast and precise.

Hit!

Liu Ka Xing almost scream as he thinks it will be finish so fast, but he is wrong.

Gan Li is even faster than him. Liu Ka Xing's fake move able to surprise him a little bit, but he is quickly realized what happened and let his reflex take over. A moment before the staff hit, he moves his hand to grab the staff completely stops it. It is easier if he can use his left hand to parry, but he is confident he will be able to stop that attack. Far bigger and stronger than his opponent, his grip able to stop the momentum created by the thrust using all of Liu Ka Xing's might.

Liu Ka Xing tries his best to pull his staff back, but it doesn't budge. He has predicted that his opponent is stronger him, but not this far. His power not only come from both of his hand but all of his body. Against his opponent's one hand, he cannot make his staff move even a little bit.

Next Gan Li pulls the staff hard, snatching it from Liu Ka Xing immediately. Liu Ka Xing has to let it go otherwise his whole body will pulled away with it. There is no other choice, he immediately draws his sword and starts to use everything he knows to mount his offense.

This offense shocked Gan Li once again. It is not the skill, but the quality of the sword. His gloves made by solid metal, thick and strong, it can break a thin sword or bend it at least. This time not only the green sword is undamaged, it scratches his gloves once it makes contact with it.

However, the strength of the sword doesn't represent the strength of the swordsman. Once the contact is made, the sword parried away and Gan Li quick to closing in to Liu Ka Xing. Weapons are used to lengthen the reach of its user, as the distance closed it, the gloves user such as Gan Li gain the advantage.

Realizing the danger Liu Ka Xing raise his left hand to defends, but Gan Li already predicts it. He is not there to deliver the punch to his body, instead he grabs Liu Ka Xing's hand and pulls him just like he pulled the staff earlier.

Liu Ka Xing can let go the staff, but he can't depart with his hand, so his body got pulled right away. If the fist of this ridiculous powerful hand meets his body or head, the fight will be over at once. Liu Ka Xing forces his sword hand to attack from the outside, only to find Gan Li has release his left hand and now grabs his right hand. A little twist and his sword fall to the ground, without it the fight is already decided.

In a split-second Gan Li change his target once again. His right hand now grips Liu Ka Xing's neck and lift him above the ground.

"I am stronger and faster than you are. My skill also more profound and I also have far more experience than you. Really, what make you think you can defeat me. There is nothing you have can be compared against me." After he said that, Gan Li throw Liu Ka Xing away to the ground.

Liu Ka Xing spits out blood as some of his bones are broken after he hit the ground. While it hurts, his confidence is broken even worse, it is completely shattered. He never felt as helpless as this time, his opponent completely right. There is nothing he can do to win against this guy.

"You still have a long way to go kid, here take back your sword and go home."

Gan Li casually tosses the sword back to Liu Ka Xing as he speaks.

It is not only Liu Ka Xing that surprised when he received his sword back. Even Gan Li's friends are surprised by it. Why would he do that. He should just capture him back to the Fu family to get some rewards.

"Why?" It is still Liu Ka Xing who finally asks the question.

"I recognize that sword and who owns it. By your skin and your way of talking, I know you didn't born poor. Nothing good can come from making enemies with your father."

"Do not get my father involves here, I am here do not have anything to do with him."

Hai Zhen really wants to close Liu Ka Xing's mouth, to stop him endangering both of them, but it looks like he doesn't need to. Their opponents already turn their back on them and move away.

Hai Zhen slightly heard Gan Li explaining to his friend of his decision. Saying like how the Fu family was big, but they are known as a big supporter of the Bai family. When the Bai family fallen, the Fu family's strength falls with it. Right now, they should be careful not to anger other big families, since their backer might not be able to protect them anymore.

Their next destination is definitely the Beggar Sect's hideout, but they have to hide themselves first. The Fu family has making search parties all over the town, and their injuries might make them suspected. They are now the kidnappers to the Fu young master's bride to be, wanted dead or alive.

Both of them cannot hide their anger when they see Li Han at the next day. He left them behind.

They are the one who paid them, how can they just left letting them die. And now he just there smiling, doesn't show any guilt at all.

"Welcome my friend, I am glad you are alright. I am so…" Li Han does not able to finish his sentence, before Liu Ka Xing cut him off.

"You left us! How can you just leave us behind?" Liu Ka Xing can't hide his anger

"You can't blame us, you should have run faster." Li Han refused to be blamed.

"Run? How can I know when should have run?"

"How? Didn't we agree before? The Iron Hand is too dangerous, he is on our top list to evade. We should run as soon as we see him."

"I never met before. How can I know it was him?" It is true they already agree to that, but Liu Ka Xing still think they will be given some heads up when the time arrived.

"Who else are going to wear a metal gloves that big in the middle of the night. I never saw him before as well, none of have, but we have common sense."

Li Han has a point, they should know it. It was their lack of real-life experience that make them late to react, and maybe half of it was their arrogance. They doubt that Gan Li is that strong and they have no chance to beat him. After their fight, they know it is true. They truly have no chance whatsoever, so it is hard to debate Li Han right now.

"All right, forget about it. Where is she? I do not see her since I arrived."

Liu Ka Xing doesn't need to mention who is "her". She is the reason all of this happen. The reason they come here and looking for the beggar sect in the first place. The reason they break up the Fu mansion and the reason they get beaten up so bad.

"She left the town this morning." Li Han casually answered the question.

"Left?" Liu Ka Xing not expected that answer, he already did so much to meet her again. "How can they just go like that? You should tell them to wait"

Left behind. Again. They just left behind by both the person they paid and the person they saved. It doesn't feel right. It feels so hurt, almost as bad as Gan Li's beating.

"I'm sorry man, I told them to wait. It just that her feelings for you doesn't as …" Li Han stop a while before continuing his sentence "deep as yours to her. I can't just lock them here after I just release her from the Fu mansion."

"Where did they went?"

"I don't know friend, they didn't tell me. Listen, just forget about her. I said before, she doesn't feel the same way as you are."

Saying to forget it is easy, doing it is another level difficulty. As they leave the place Liu Ka Xing is quite all the way. Hai Zhen tries his best to console him, but nothing works. He doesn't even know why he did it, he knows it useless before he even tried.