THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

The Tale of Qian Hui

Fang An did not stand idle. The young man with whitish hair did not try to dodge the attack but instead launched a strike of his own to counter his opponent’s assault.

The clash of two immense energies created a loud explosion, hurling four members of the Evil Mask Sect far away, unable to withstand the pressure generated.

Two of them writhed on the ground, their bodies blackened from the poison released by Lung Wei. The other two died instantly, their bodies mangled and torn apart.

Lung Wei herself was flung backward, while Fang An was only forced two steps back. His feet, firmly planted in the ground, prevented him from being thrown any farther.

Lung Wei’s body crashed hard to the ground, skidding until it struck a fairly large tree.

Though not seriously injured, Lung Wei was confused by what she had just witnessed. She stood up and stared at Fang An, who stood quite a distance from her.

“How is he still unharmed?” she muttered inwardly.

She saw the young man looking back at her sharply, with a faint smile that made her feel deeply insulted.

What Lung Wei saw wasn’t entirely as she assumed. Fang An could feel the effect of her poison beginning to take root in his body. His breathing became slightly labored, but he could still suppress it enough to continue fighting.

“I must defeat her quickly,” Fang An thought. He needed to kill Lung Wei before the poison spread further through his system. For now, he was still able to contain it, but if he took too long, the situation could easily turn against him.

However, he soon felt a bit of relief as he remembered the poison manual his father had given him, obtained long ago from the land of Walidwipa.

Once again, his father’s teachings proved invaluable. He was already applying the technique to contain the poison’s spread, planning to consult the manual later.

Though Fang An appeared calm, Lung Wei noticed a change in his expression. His face, once relaxed, was now slightly tense. She realized that her poison had indeed taken effect, albeit mildly. A faint smile formed on her lips.

“Keep moving, and the poison will spread faster through your body. Eventually, your blood vessels will rupture, and you’ll die a horrible death!” Lung Wei chuckled softly, then coughed up fresh blood from her lips.

“How about we end this battle now and both leave this place without further grudge?” she offered.

Fang An hesitated. This was the first time he had been poisoned, and his limited experience only heightened his fear.

“Seems like you’ve suffered some internal injuries as well, Lung Wei. Look at your staff—it’s almost useless now!” Fang An responded.

Lung Wei frowned and glanced at the staff in her hand.

“Damn it!” she cursed inwardly.

Her weapon, made of the finest metal, was now riddled with long cracks, especially where the two energies had clashed.

Both warriors were wounded, and they knew it. Yet, by rough calculation, the internal damage from the poison made Fang An’s condition more concerning.

He made a decision to gamble with time. He realized that waiting any longer would make it harder to control the poison inside him.

“Father, Mother… if I am fated to die today, then perhaps I’m not worthy to be the son of two great warriors,” he said in his heart.

Just like Fang Yun, who had unwavering resolve and no fear of death, Fang An shared the same spirit. The old saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” seemed apt in describing the likeness between father and son.

But if a child’s nature differs from their parents, then perhaps the saying doesn’t apply—perhaps the tree grew by the riverbank, and the apple was carried away by the current.

Fang An once again tried to suppress the poison using his inner energy. He slowed his heartbeat to keep his blood from pumping too fast.

“I cannot let you live any longer. Prepare yourself, Lung Wei!” Fang An pushed his feet into the ground and launched himself with blinding speed.

Lung Wei’s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn’t comprehend Fang An’s recklessness, choosing to gamble with death when she had already offered a peaceful way out.

Four meters from his target, Fang An leapt high into the air, spinning twice before slashing his sword downward.

“Die, wicked woman!”

Lung Wei sensed a massive force directed at her head. The Heaven Blade was within reach to end her life. She could only raise her staff and channel her remaining inner strength to block Fang An’s blow.

A loud explosion followed as the two energies collided. Dust billowed thick into the air, and the surrounding grass and small trees were uprooted and flung away.

The five men saved by Fang An had already taken shelter behind a large tree to avoid the impact of the duel. They knew death could come for them if they weren’t careful.

Fang An coughed and spat out thick, black blood. He remained standing just long enough to see Lung Wei’s body—shattered and unrecognizable—before he finally collapsed unconscious.

The five men rushed toward him. One of them checked his pulse.

“He’s still alive. We have to get him treated immediately!” he said aloud.

A tall, burly man lifted Fang An onto his back, and they ran toward the horses tethered some distance from the battlefield.

Meanwhile, within the realm of thought, Fang An found himself face-to-face with a beautiful woman wearing a crown—someone he had never seen in the real world. Unbeknownst to him, the woman was Qian Hui, adoptive mother of his father.

“Auntie… who are you?” Fang An asked.

“I am your father’s mother, Fang An. Don’t call me Auntie anymore,” Qian Hui replied warmly, her gentle smile making Fang An feel comforted.

Fang An nodded, though inwardly he felt that the beautiful woman before him hardly looked old enough to be called grandmother.

“I know poison is flowing through your veins right now, Fang An. But don’t worry—it’s only a minor toxin that won’t kill you. In fact, something is about to happen that will truly surprise you.”

Fang An furrowed his brow, still unable to comprehend her words.

“I can’t explain everything now, my dear grandson. But there is something you need to know about your future.”

“What is it?” Fang An asked.

“There is a flame blessing within you, Fang An. Just like your father had. But in your case, it is the very essence of all the powers your father once possessed.”

“But you said he gave up his powers to save my life,” Fang An interrupted.

“That’s true. But before he released his powers, I extracted their essence. After you were born, I placed it inside you.”

“But why did you do that? Won’t it harm Father?”

“Don’t worry, my dear. As long as you never tell anyone about this meeting, all will be well. I came to you in this mental realm so the secret would remain hidden. When the time comes, you’ll understand why I did it.”

“Alright, Grandmother. I promise to keep your message safe,” Fang An answered firmly.

“One more thing. You must’ve wondered why your hair is white, haven’t you?”

Fang An nodded. He had never received an explanation for the unusual color of his hair.

“Your hair is the result of the flame blessing inside you. I placed an ancient relic within it to aid your journey through the harsh martial world.”

“What relic, Grandmother?”

Qian Hui closed her eyes for a moment. “Focus your mind on your hair.”

Fang An obeyed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his white hair.

Suddenly, a transformation occurred. His hair, which once reached his shoulders, grew down past his waist. Even more astonishingly, the long hair burst into flames—but Fang An felt no heat at all.

“Now, hold your hair and see what happens,” Qian Hui instructed.

With slight fear, still keeping his eyes shut, Fang An gathered his burning hair in his hands and gripped it firmly.

“Open your eyes and see what you're holding.”

Fang An opened his eyes—and the shock on his face was instant.