THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Providing Aid

His steps halted when he saw a man fending off nearly fifty soldiers in uniform. Not far from the battle, a horse-drawn carriage was surrounded by a dozen other soldiers.

Suddenly, three women's screams echoed from inside the carriage.

"Help... Help...!"

"Silence!" one of the soldiers barked.

Fang An had already made up his mind. The women in that carriage had to be rescued first.

He quickly grabbed a dry branch the size of a thumb lying nearby. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the carriage to save the women inside.

In one swift motion, Fang An struck multiple soldiers with the branch in his hand. Despite it being only a brittle stick, each slash sent the soldiers sprawling, groaning in pain.

The other soldiers were stunned by Fang An’s sudden arrival and immediate attack.

"Who are you? Don’t interfere in this matter!" one of them shouted.

"I should be the one asking you that. This area is still within the territory of the Shang Dynasty. Who gave you permission to enter another kingdom’s land? I don’t care which kingdom you're from—what matters is, none of you will leave here alive after crossing this border!"

The soldiers looked at each other. Only then did they realize they had crossed into the Shang Dynasty. As for the young man, they suspected he was one of the outer border guards.

"Don’t be afraid! We outnumber him—kill him!" one soldier shouted to rally the others.

Fang An smiled with a chilling grin. In the blink of an eye, he lunged forward, swinging the branch at anyone nearby.

Bugh! Bugh!

The soft sound belied the force behind the strikes. Fang An’s blows shattered bones, sending the unlucky soldiers screaming and writhing on the ground.

One by one, Fang An incapacitated the soldiers—some badly wounded, others killed instantly. He approached the tightly shut carriage, where only a small window remained open.

Inside, he saw three women huddled together, terrified.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. Who are those soldiers?"

"Please, sir, help my husband first," replied a middle-aged woman flanked by two younger girls.

Fang An glanced at the ongoing battle. An older man was struggling to fend off the relentless attacks of dozens of soldiers. His body was bruised and bloodied, his clothes stained with fresh wounds.

Fang An picked up a sword lying nearby and, without hesitation, leapt into the fray to help the man—who was, in fact, Wang Yihan.

In only a few moves, four soldiers lay dead, their entrails spilling across the earth.

But Fang An didn’t stop. His movements grew faster, his attacks more savage—far beyond the perception of the remaining Ying Dynasty soldiers. Their formation crumbled. One after another fell to his strikes, unable to stop him.

Fang An didn’t care whom he was helping. All he knew was that he had to protect the sovereignty of the Shang Dynasty from soldiers of another kingdom who dared trespass.

"Don't worry, Uncle. I'm here to help!" Fang An shouted as he neared Wang Yihan.

Wang Yihan turned to see who had come to his aid. In that moment of distraction, a sharp spear hurtled toward his abdomen. Fortunately, Fang An reacted swiftly, deflecting the weapon from its path.

"Stay alert, Uncle!" Fang An warned.

Wang Yihan was shocked at the young man's speed. In just two strokes, two or three Ying Dynasty soldiers had fallen in gruesome fashion. Even with his experience as the Supreme Commander of the Ying Dynasty, he couldn’t match that kind of speed.

Moreover, Wang Yihan was puzzled. He had never heard that the Shang Dynasty had a warrior of such caliber.

More than forty soldiers had fallen by Fang An’s hand. Wang Yihan hadn’t even needed to move—every enemy that approached him was slain before they could strike. Fang An had deliberately protected him, aware that the old man's bleeding wounds were worsening.

The remaining twelve soldiers of the Ying Dynasty retreated in fear. To them, it was as if they had encountered a ghost in broad daylight—or perhaps even the god of death himself.

"If you’re thinking of running away, forget it. I won't let you leave alive!"

Fang An spread his arms wide, eyes sharp, staring down the frightened soldiers who began to flee. Within seconds, he raised his arms forward and slowly pulled them back.

A strange and unnatural force suddenly drew the soldiers back. Though they struggled, the power gripping them was beyond anything human.

What Fang An had unleashed was one of the mystical techniques in the second form of the Flame Whip Manual, known as the Net of Eternal Fire (Jala Api Abadi).

Wang Yihan couldn’t stop his eyes from widening. A feat that only a peerless warrior could perform was unfolding before him. The twelve soldiers were dragged forcefully across the dirt, their heels leaving deep trails.

Once gathered, red threads poured from Fang An’s open mouth—hundreds of them forming a blazing net that engulfed the soldiers and reduced them to ashes within seconds.

Fang An himself was in awe of what he had just done. Still, he could feel a heavy toll—his internal energy was significantly depleted. He suspected it was because he had not yet mastered the third form or completed all the techniques in the Flame Whip Manual.

As instructed by Qian Hui, once he mastered the third form, he would have to meet someone to perfect the technique.

Fang An’s eyes stared blankly at the mound of ashes before him.

Letting out a deep breath, he turned and walked toward Wang Yihan, who was still in shock from what he had witnessed.

Fang An pressed his hand to the older man’s shoulder, transferring internal energy to stop the bleeding. After a moment, he pulled his hand away.

"You’re safe now, Uncle. You may continue your journey."

"Thank you for your help, Warrior," Wang Yihan said, still in awe of Fang An’s power.

"Please don’t tell anyone what you just saw. I have to go now," Fang An replied.

Before Wang Yihan could respond, the young man with white hair vanished from sight.

"What a truly humble warrior," Wang Yihan muttered, shaking his head slowly.

Fang An had his reasons for leaving abruptly. He needed rest—Net of Eternal Fire had drained much of his energy.

---

Days passed quickly. After a week of travel, Wang Yihan finally arrived at the palace of the Shang Dynasty.

His arrival, without the robes of his Supreme Commander title and without a single escort from the Ying Dynasty, raised questions among the Shang Dynasty guards who recognized his face.

Upon hearing of his distant cousin’s arrival from one of the guards, Emperor Li Wei quickly made his way to the grand hall to greet Wang Yihan.