THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Supporting the Shang Dynasty

Wang Yihan, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, respectfully bowed as the ruler of the Shang Dynasty entered the grand hall. All four wore warm smiles, radiating joy after a long separation.

“My brother, Wang Yihan. When did you arrive? Why didn’t you inform me beforehand that you were coming to the palace with your wife and daughters?” Emperor Li Wei looked at Wang Yihan with curiosity. Something seemed different about his distant cousin.

“Where is your ceremonial uniform as the Supreme Commander of the Ying Dynasty? Why are you not wearing it?” Emperor Li Wei pressed further.

Wang Yihan offered a wry smile at the question—one that touched upon his past. Yet, to leave an emperor’s question unanswered was an insult, especially when Emperor Li Wei was still family.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty... If I may be honest, I am no longer the Supreme Commander. My service and counsel are no longer valued there. Emperor Zhu Feng...” Wang Yihan paused, finding it hard to speak about the troubling situation to come.

“What about Emperor Zhu Feng? Has he dismissed you?” The wrinkles on Emperor Li Wei’s forehead deepened. Now in his twilight years, the emperor was clearly surprised by Wang Yihan’s answer.

In terms of age, his cousin was about ten years younger than him—still very capable of serving as Supreme Commander. It was puzzling, given how well the emperor understood the military structure of a dynasty.

“I was not dismissed, Your Majesty. I resigned from the post of Supreme Commander,” Wang Yihan said softly, his calm face lowering toward the floor.

Emperor Li Wei raised both eyebrows. He still did not fully understand the situation. Wang Yihan’s explanation seemed ambiguous.

“Wait a moment, Wang Yihan... You said earlier that your service was no longer needed, yet now you say you resigned. Which is it?”

Wang Yihan struggled to find an excuse. Though the Ying Dynasty was his homeland, he could not abide a ruler who lacked humanity. He was willing to go against his native land if it meant doing what was best for the dynasty and its people.

“Both are true, Your Majesty. Emperor Zhu Feng has plans to expand his territory—and the first dynasty he seeks to conquer is the Shang Dynasty.”

“What!?” Emperor Li Wei stood up in shock. “Are you serious, Wang Yihan?”

Wang Yihan shook his head. “Why would I lie to Your Majesty? I tried everything to dissuade Emperor Zhu Feng, but his ambition knows no bounds. In the end, I chose to resign from my post.”

“Zhu Feng, that scoundrel! I even attended his coronation! And now he dares to threaten my dynasty!” Emperor Li Wei clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in both anger and disbelief.

“Then why have you come here? Was it to warn me of Emperor Zhu Feng’s plans?”

“In truth, I had no such plan at first, Your Majesty. The Ying Dynasty is my birthplace, where I’ve served for decades—I would never consider betrayal. But my loyalty changed when Emperor Zhu Feng sent spies to watch me,” Wang Yihan replied. The elderly man took a deep breath, recalling how he and his family were ambushed at the foot of a hill.

“In the end, Emperor Zhu Feng ordered dozens of soldiers to kill me. Fortunately, someone saved the four of us,” he added.

“Someone saved you?” Emperor Li Wei furrowed his brow.

“Yes, Your Majesty. But after defeating all the soldiers, that person disappeared without a word.” Wang Yihan purposely did not reveal Fang An’s identity, bound by a promise to the young man.

“Then you and your family should stay here! Serve this dynasty—I will appoint you to a high position.”

“I must respectfully decline, Your Majesty. I have chosen to distance myself from a life full of intrigue and politics.”

Emperor Li Wei looked disappointed by Wang Yihan’s answer. He truly wanted his distant cousin to serve the Shang Dynasty. Wang Yihan’s 20+ years of experience as Supreme Commander would have been a tremendous asset.

But the emperor would not force him. A man who serves without heart and conviction would be of no use. Still, the emperor had another plan for Wang Yihan after the coming war against the Ying Dynasty.

“Oh, do you know when the Ying Dynasty army will arrive?”

“To the best of my memory, they set out about three weeks ago, Your Majesty,” Wang Yihan answered.

“What...?” Emperor Li Wei raised his voice. The shock was too great. By his estimate, the enemy forces would reach the capital in just over a month. At least he could breathe a little easier, knowing there was still time to prepare.

“I need your help in mapping their forces, Wang Yihan. You must know how many soldiers the Ying Dynasty has and what their strengths are,” the emperor requested.

Wang Yihan didn’t answer immediately. He glanced at his wife and daughters, seeking their approval.

“Your Majesty is my husband’s cousin, and Emperor Zhu Feng has clearly dishonored all the years of service my husband gave to the Ying Dynasty. It is only right that he now supports you in opposing Emperor Zhu Feng. There is an old saying: a great dynasty honors its heroes. Let go of your nationalism for the Ying Dynasty—its ruler has already failed to respect you,” said Yu Lan, Wang Yihan’s wife.

“Very well, Yu Lan... I’ll follow your reasoning. I will help Your Majesty in the fight against Emperor Zhu Feng,” Wang Yihan agreed.

Emperor Li Wei smiled and immediately summoned a guard. He ordered guest chambers to be prepared for Wang Yihan’s wife and daughters, and called for all court officials to assemble.

Moments later, the officials were gathered in the grand hall. Emperor Li Wei stood and explained why he had summoned them.

Understandably, all present were enraged by Emperor Zhu Feng’s treatment of Wang Yihan and his plans to attack the Shang Dynasty.

During that critical meeting, Wang Yihan played a key role in mapping the enemy’s military strength, strategies, and weaknesses. As the former Supreme Commander and highest-ranking general of the Ying Dynasty, he understood every detail of their military operations.

“The total number of soldiers in the Ying Dynasty’s army is 30,000, divided into several regiments: 5,000 archers, 10,000 flank troops, and 10,000 heavy infantry. However, their formations can change depending on battlefield conditions,” Wang Yihan explained in detail.

“At present, we have a total of 40,000 troops. But the issue is, our outer provinces won’t be able to reinforce us in time. The capital currently has about 20,000 soldiers. If nearby provinces send reinforcements, we might reach 25,000,” Lu Han added.

---

Meanwhile, Fang An continued training to master the third technique of the Flame Whip Manual, which proved far more complex than the previous two. Yet the young man was undeterred. He kept pushing forward, knowing he was close—only the final part remained.

Four days passed.

A massive explosion echoed from Fang An’s training ground. Flames shot high into the sky, billowing thick clouds of smoke.

Amid the haze, Fang An stood firm, a flaming energy sword in his hand. The heat radiating from it was intense. His hair had grown longer and now blazed like fire itself.

Had there been trees or structures nearby, they would have been reduced to ash in seconds.

On that day, Fang An fully mastered all three techniques in the Flame Whip Manual. A broad, satisfied smile spread across his lips.

After resting for a day, Fang An decided it was time to return to the Shang Dynasty palace.

The five-day journey felt like nothing. His joy at mastering the Flame Whip techniques washed away any weariness from his body.