SWORD OF FLAME

Black Flame

After ensuring the two chests were tightly secured on the horse’s back, Fang Yun paused before speaking to Qiang Mo.

“I’m thinking of burning down those houses so they can’t be used as a base again. What do you think?”

“It seems you’re starting to make decisions on your own now, Fang Yun,” Qiang Mo replied.

“Alright. I’ll need your help.”

Fang Yun quickly led his horse away from the robbers’ village. After tying the horse to a wooden post near the entrance gate, he drew the Sea of Fire sword and dashed to the farthest house.

Multiple times, Fang Yun slashed with his sword, setting each house in the robbers’ camp ablaze with the fiery bursts that erupted from the blade.

A massive fire broke out. The dark night was lit by a blazing red glow. Fang Yun, now beside his horse, exited the hideout of the Panther Fang bandits.

He led the horse through the forest, retracing his steps to the road where he had first scouted the hideout.

“Why are you just leading the horse? Why not ride it?” Qiang Mo asked mid-journey, clearly baffled.

“Hehehe… I forgot that I don’t know how to ride,” Fang Yun chuckled.

“Oh, great… What kind of warrior am I stuck with?! Why do I have to follow a crazy swordsman like you?” Qiang Mo grumbled. “You look like a fool, walking a horse you can’t even ride.”

Fang Yun chuckled internally at the new nickname Qiang Mo had given him. Staying alert to his surroundings, the young man continued until he reached the main road beyond the Forbidden Forest.

Meanwhile, the robbers who had split into three groups to search for Fang Yun were shocked to see the bright glow in the sky, the source clearly from their hideout.

Without a second thought, all of them dashed back toward their secret base.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the hideout, the Panther Fang robbers went weak in the knees, seeing their proud base consumed in roaring flames.

One of the robbers cautiously approached a figure lying near the entrance gate. Moments later, he screamed, “Our leader is dead…! Chief Yi Oeng is dead!”

Hearing the cry, nearly all the bandits gathered around the lifeless body of their leader.

A mix of grief and relief filled their expressions. Sad because their home had burned, but secretly pleased that their cruel leader was finally gone.

Meanwhile, Fang Yun continued guiding his horse until he reached a crossroad. He turned left, hoping to find the nearest village. His body was exhausted from the recent conflict. He longed to find an inn—or at least somewhere to rest and recover.

“There is still much you must learn, Fang Yun. Later, I’ll teach you how to make the Sea of Fire’s techniques even more powerful,” said Qiang Mo.

“But you’ll need to make a blood pact with me,” he added.

“A blood pact again… I told you, I don’t want to be your master!” Fang Yun replied.

“That’s not the point. It’s not about becoming my master—it’s about unlocking my full power. Without the pact, I’ll always be a low-level artifact in your hands,” Qiang Mo explained.

“So that’s how it is?”

“That’s how it must be. Do you remember what Master Fei Hung said about gathering the three other artifacts? You won’t be able to obtain them if you remain this weak. You can’t rely on the Flame God’s inner strength forever—it’s a last resort. The techniques in the manual you carry also demand immense energy.”

“Why didn’t Grandpa tell me this before?”

“Because your grandfather didn’t understand. I served Master Xiao Tian for a long time. I know well how heavy the burden is to become the successor of the Flame God Warrior.”

Fang Yun stopped and leaned against a large tree after tying his horse. He decided to rest there until morning.

“Alright, Qiang Mo. Let’s do the blood pact. What do I need to do now?” Fang Yun asked.

“Drip your blood onto the blade of the Sea of Fire and let it react.”

Fang Yun frowned. “How do I draw blood?”

“Open your horse’s mouth, stick your finger in its teeth, and punch its head. It’ll bite you!”

“My finger would get bitten off, Qiang Mo!!!”

“You’re asking me something so trivial?! I regret following a foolish, crazy, broken swordsman like you,” Qiang Mo huffed.

“Hehehe… you get mad so easily, Qiang Mo. You sound like an old woman!”

“Whatever!”

Still chuckling, Fang Yun bit the tip of his pinky and let a few drops of blood fall onto the blade of the Sea of Fire.

Moments later, the blade responded. A black flame burst from its edge, flaring fiercely. Fang Yun had to pull it away from his face due to the intense heat.

Then, the black flame seeped into his body, causing him to tremble violently.

“Don’t resist! Let the Black Flame flow through you.”

Fang Yun sat cross-legged and focused his mind. He felt a sensation similar to when he trained his inner energy with Fei Hung.

For a while, his body convulsed before he collapsed onto his back—though not unconscious, just utterly drained after the black flame surged through every part of him.

“Now sleep. Rest until morning. Tomorrow, I’ll explain what the Black Flame really is.”

---

Fang Yun slept for nearly three hours from sheer exhaustion. He awoke when the warmth of the rising sun kissed his face.

He stretched both arms wide and yawned like a hippopotamus opening its mouth.

“Such a beautiful morning,” he muttered softly before rising and approaching his horse still tied to the tree.

He decided he would learn to ride once he reached the next village. He figured if he tried to teach himself without proper technique, he might break his bones falling off.

The well-built young man continued leading his horse along the road.

Along the way, people passing by gave him strange looks, but Fang Yun ignored them. He didn’t care about the stares of people who thought he looked odd.

Eventually, he reached a fairly large village. He read the writing on the entrance gate:

‘Village of Qiān zhú’

Fang Yun chuckled at the village’s name, which he found odd—because he didn’t see a single bamboo tree growing there, despite the name meaning “a thousand bamboos.”