THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Providing Assistance

"Who else knows about this news?" asked Zhao Jian.

"Queen Qian Hui, Grandpa," replied Zhao Wen.

"The queen of the spirits atop Mount Xuebaoding?"

"That's right, Grandpa. She is now guiding Fang An and has given him a scroll containing terrifying techniques. Qian Hui said she infused the essence of Fang Yun's power into Fang An's body."

Zhao Jian stroked the long white beard growing from his chin. He tried to digest the story Zhao Wen had just told him. For some reason, he felt something was off in his mind.

"I will go and meet Queen Qian Hui. I need to ask her what truly happened to Fang Yun."

"Fang Yun’s immortality is also gone, Grandpa," Zhao Wen added.

Zhao Jian let out a long, heavy sigh. "I know. That power is what made him immortal. If it’s gone, then so is his immortality."

“How is Brother Fang Yun now, Brother? Don’t you want to go see him?” asked Yu Lan, sharing his concern.

“According to Fang An, Fang Yun is doing well. But without his power, I pity him… living with his disability. Fortunately, Mei has mastered powerful martial arts,” replied Zhao Wen, sipping the water from the glass on the table.

“Oh yes, I’ve been planning to visit Fang Yun soon. You and the children will come along too.”

“Really?” Yu Lan’s mouth hung open wide. She couldn’t believe she would soon meet her adopted brother again after nearly twenty years apart.

Zhao Wen smiled and nodded.

---

Back to Fang An, who was at the foot of Mount Tianmen. The young man curled up, hugging his knees with his eyes closed. It seemed the campfire he had made could not keep away the biting cold of Mount Tianmen’s base.

Unable to bear the bone-chilling temperature any longer, Fang An opened his eyes and sat cross-legged. He folded his arms in front of his chest, channeling his inner energy throughout his body to warm himself.

But suddenly, a faint explosion echoed in his ears. Fang An closed his eyes again to sharpen his hearing, trying to locate the source of the sound.

Two more explosions followed. Fang An stood and dashed swiftly toward the direction he had pinpointed.

His steps halted instantly when he saw a man locked in combat with three massive, inhuman figures.

In the darkness of night, the battle raged fiercely. The man’s sword, glowing with a bright white light, swung wildly to fend off the flurry of spiked maces aiming for his body.

Though physically much smaller, the man’s power matched the strength of the three giants attacking him.

"Watch out!" Fang An shouted, seeing one of the monstrous beings sneaking up from behind. Another figure had appeared and was attacking the man from the rear.

The man ducked down just in time, dodging the blow aimed at his head.

The eyes of the four hulking creatures turned toward Fang An, who had just shouted the warning.

"Looks like we have another meal tonight," one of them said in a language Fang An couldn’t understand.

“Capture that human!” he barked.

Two of the massive creatures turned their attention to Fang An. They stomped forward, each step rumbling the earth.

“Surrender, human!” one of them said as he stopped six paces in front of Fang An. He licked his lips as he eyed Fang An’s strong, solid build. The creature raised its spiked mace and pointed it at the young man.

“What are you saying? I don’t understand your language!” Fang An replied.

“Don’t talk so much. Let’s just catch him and feast tonight,” said another to his companion.

Fang An shook his head. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t comprehend what they were saying.

Without further words, the two monstrous beings charged at Fang An with their heavy maces.

A tree behind Fang An cracked and fell after being struck by a missed blow. Fang An had leapt to the side just a fraction of a second before the weapon would have hit him.

“So you want to play rough!” Fang An assumed a firm stance, then darted forward and delivered a strong punch straight to one of the creatures’ chests.

Fang An staggered. His blow had no effect at all. It felt as though he had struck something impossibly hard and dense.

He leapt back just as the creature swung its mace again in retaliation.

"Grrrrgh!" a deep growl of frustration came from the creature. Its second attack had also failed to connect.

“How is his body that strong?” Fang An questioned inwardly.

His curiosity drove him to strike again. He unleashed a series of rapid punches, all landing cleanly—but the monster only laughed, letting its body be hit.

"Keep going, foolish human. You think those strikes can hurt me?" the monster mocked in its own tongue.

A sudden slash came fast and fierce. Fang An barely had time to block it with both arms.

The blow sent him skidding backward more than ten paces. His forearms ached as he rubbed them, grimacing from the pain.

He hadn’t expected the creature’s physical strength to be that overwhelming—so much that even with his inner energy, he was still forced back.

Thundering footsteps echoed again as the two beasts rushed at Fang An. The tremors from their steps shook the ground beneath them.

Fang An didn’t hesitate. He drew the Sky Sword from his back and parried the incoming strike.

Boom!

The explosion wasn’t deafening, but in the silence of the night, it carried far.

One of the monsters was hurled backward several meters. Its spiked mace flew out of its grasp and vanished into the dark.

A stream of curses in a foreign tongue spilled from the creature’s mouth. It scrambled to its feet, frantically searching for its lost weapon.

Fury and rage twisted across its face. Its nostrils flared, emitting thick smoke. It approached a nearby tree—large and sturdy—then yanked it from the ground, roots and all.

Fang An shivered at the display of brute strength. He didn’t know what species these things belonged to, but he was sure they weren’t from the human realm.

“Die!” shouted the other monster, swinging its mace violently.

Fang An flipped sideways to dodge, then retaliated with a swift strike aimed at the creature’s neck.

While powerful, the beast was much slower than Fang An. His slash landed precisely at the back of the neck—nearly severing it.

Arrrrghh!

Fang An leapt aside again as the tree was hurled toward him by the remaining monster.

The beast roared upon seeing its comrade lifeless. Its rage burned as it stared at Fang An standing several steps away.

It bared its sharp teeth in a menacing grin. Then it picked up its fallen ally’s mace and charged toward Fang An with vengeance in its eyes.

Elsewhere, the man who was fighting against two other strange creatures had begun to apply significant pressure. Although he had yet to inflict any wounds on their bodies, he managed to cause a large, deep crack to form along one of his opponent’s maces.