THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Flame Whip

"Flame Whip..." Fang An furrowed his brow.

"Yes... That is the sacred weapon I forged from your father's power. But don’t use it too often, my grandson. Its power isn’t at its peak yet, because the demon energy of the fire element lord has not fully merged with your body.

The Flame Whip will become your signature weapon, aside from the Heaven Sword given by your mother. But remember, you must use it wisely. Follow the righteous path your parents once walked!" Qian Hui smiled and gently stroked Fang An’s white hair.

"Thank you for this gift, Grandmother."

Qian Hui then took out a book and handed it to Fang An. "In this book are several techniques you can learn. But to unlock the full power of the Flame Whip, you must find someone to help you complete it."

"Who, Grandma?" Fang An asked curiously.

"Once you’ve mastered the contents of this book, I will tell you. But I’ll say this much—he was very close to your parents," she replied.

After a deep breath, Qian Hui took her leave. The queen of the Genie Kingdom atop Mount Xuebaoding vanished from the young man’s view.

Unknowingly, the five men carrying Fang An’s body had reached a grand palace. They quickly brought him to the healing chamber to treat his internal wounds.

"Soldier, quickly summon the royal physician!" commanded the man in elegant clothes as they laid Fang An’s body on a bed.

"Yes, Master." One soldier left the room at once.

"The rest of you, stand guard outside. Don’t let anyone enter! I’m going to change clothes," the man added.

"Yes, Master Tang Fei!" the four others responded in unison.

As the door shut, the temperature inside the room gradually rose. Something unsettling began happening to Fang An’s body. His fair skin reddened like a boiled shrimp. Soon, dark smoke seeped from every pore.

The process didn’t last long. Once the putrid smoke stopped emerging, Fang An’s body returned to normal.

The white-haired young man slowly opened his eyes, puzzled. What he saw now was entirely different from his last memory.

"Where am I...?" he whispered.

Fang An sat up on the edge of the bed. He felt something bulky beneath his clothes, around his abdomen. Reaching inside, he pulled out the book Qian Hui had given him.

His brow furrowed deeply. His eyebrows nearly merged. "A book...?" he muttered, suddenly recalling the beautiful woman he had just met in his dream.

"So it wasn’t a dream," he whispered again.

He flipped through the pages, one after another. Before he could finish reading, footsteps echoed from beyond the door. Quickly, he hid the book beneath his robe and lay down again, pretending to still be unconscious—to figure out where he was.

A soldier and an elderly man who looked like a physician entered the room hurriedly. The old man carried a medium-sized wooden box.

"Tend to him quickly, Sung Yang! Master Tang Fei doesn’t want anything to happen to him."

The old man named Sung Yang nodded and approached Fang An. He took Fang An’s wrist and checked his pulse.

Suddenly, Sung Yang’s expression changed. He didn’t sense any internal injury as the soldier had claimed.

Moments later, Tang Fei entered the room after changing clothes.

"How is he?"

"Forgive me, Master Tang Fei. But he appears to be perfectly fine. No internal injuries or illnesses," Sung Yang replied.

"Are you sure?"

"I would never lie, Master. If he had internal ailments as reported, I would have found them."

"What about poison?" Tang Fei’s brow furrowed.

"None, either. His body is completely healthy," Sung Yang concluded.

Tang Fei was right to feel confused. He had heard it himself from Lung Wei that her poison had already taken hold of the young man’s body.

Unable to find an answer, Fang An sat up on the bed.

Tang Fei and the physician flinched in surprise. They had thought the young warrior was still unconscious.

"You’re awake, young warrior!" Tang Fei said joyfully.

Fang An smiled at him, then looked around the room with a furrowed brow.

"Just call me Fang An, Uncle. And... where am I now?"

"You are in the royal palace of the Shang Dynasty, Fang An. Since you’ve recovered, come with me! I’ll show you your room." Tang Fei walked over to a table, retrieving Fang An’s sword and cloth bundle.

"I brought your belongings along," he added as he handed them over.

Fang An got off the bed after receiving his sword and the bundle of clothes. He followed Tang Fei confidently.

They arrived at a chamber, entered, and sat on chairs facing each other.

"First of all, thank you for what you did. If you hadn’t come to help, I might not be alive right now," Tang Fei began.

"It was just a small favor, Uncle. No need to make a fuss," Fang An replied with a smile.

"Small favor? You nearly lost your life to save mine. It’s only right I give you a great reward for that!"

"No need, Uncle. I don’t want any reward. But, if I may, I’d like to stay here for a few days?"

Tang Fei looked slightly disappointed that Fang An refused the reward, but he smiled again upon hearing Fang An’s request to stay at the palace.

"You’re welcome here for as long as you wish, Fang An. If you want, I’ll even ask His Majesty Emperor Li Wei to grant you a position here at the palace."

Fang An shook his head gently. "I don’t think I can accept that, Uncle. I prefer to live as an ordinary man," he answered.

Tang Fei smiled thinly, unsure how to convince Fang An to remain in the palace.

The next day, Fang An asked Tang Fei where the soldiers trained. He wanted to study the techniques in the book Qian Hui had given him. He needed a quiet and spacious place, away from prying eyes.

"Don’t train with the soldiers. There’s another place—quiet and wide enough for your practice. I’ll have a guard posted to make sure no one disturbs you," Tang Fei offered.

Fang An nodded. The two of them walked toward the designated location.

It was Fang An’s first time in the palace, and he was amazed by the grandeur of the architecture and the luxurious interior—by ancient standards. Carved wooden statues and various elegant artworks adorned the halls, clearly displaying the owner's taste for high culture.

Elsewhere in the palace, Princess Xian Lie and her two handmaidens were relaxing and laughing in a spacious garden.

Suddenly, Princess Xian Lie fell silent and stared into the distance. For a moment, she thought she saw a familiar figure walk past and disappear.

"What’s the matter, Your Highness?" one of the handmaidens asked.

"Didn’t you see two people walking over there just now?" Princess Xian Lie pointed.

"We didn’t see anyone, Your Highness," one replied.

"Perhaps you were mistaken," said the other.

"Was I…?" Princess Xian Lie wondered. Her gaze remained fixed on the spot where she thought she saw Fang An walking with someone.

Meanwhile, Fang An and Tang Fei had reached a walled open area, not too wide but secluded. Tang Fei left after assigning a guard to stand watch at the door.

After watching Tang Fei disappear behind the door, Fang An took out the book hidden in his robe.

He still found it hard to believe that a dream encounter could manifest in reality. But then he remembered his father once said—within the world of martial warriors, spiritual and supernatural encounters could often become real. The spiritual world was indeed real; it simply existed in another realm.

Inside the book were three techniques, all centered around the Flame Whip:

Demon-Slaying Flame Whip

Infernal Core Whip

Flaming Sword Whip