THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Time Distortion

Winds howled violently around the battlefield, swirling into a vortex that made the Genie King tremble with fear. He knew exactly who was about to appear—the same man who once made him wet himself in terror.

Thick clouds of dust were sucked into the growing tornado, which devoured everything in its path.

"Do you want me to destroy your kingdom, Sin Po?!" a thunderous voice echoed from the eye of the tornado.

Sin Po, the Genie King, shivered in fear. He never imagined the ruler of Mount Tianmen would return to his kingdom after such a long absence.

Meanwhile, Fang An watched the tornado with a deep frown. He couldn’t yet identify the voice coming from the spinning winds near where he stood.

Gradually, the whirlwind shrank before vanishing completely. Two familiar figures now stood at the center of where it had disappeared.

"Grandfather… Uncle…" he whispered, barely believing his eyes.

Zhao Wen approached Fang An. “Are you alright, Fang An?”

Fang An nodded, still uncertain whether the man before him was truly Zhao Wen.

“You’ve made a grave mistake, Sin Po! Do you even know who you just fought?” roared Zhao Jian, his sharp eyes blazing with a fury rarely seen.

“I… I apologize, Elder. Who exactly is that young man, and what is his relation to you?” Sin Po swallowed hard, his body trembling uncontrollably. He understood that Zhao Jian wasn’t bluffing—if the old man wanted to, he could obliterate the entire kingdom.

"Do you want to know who he is?"

Sin Po gave a slight nod.

“He’s the grandson of Qian Hui, ruler of Mount Xuebaoding. He is the son of Fang Yun, the Flame God Warrior. And he is the master of Yu Lian, the most powerful spirit beast who controls the black fire. Do you understand now what would’ve happened if you had harmed him?!”

Beads of sweat the size of corn kernels dripped from every pore on Sin Po’s body. The Genie King of Mount Tianmen was gripped by overwhelming fear. He never imagined such terrifying figures stood behind the young man—figures capable of destroying his palace in a single blow.

“Did you hear me, Sin Po?!” Zhao Jian barked.

“Forgive me, Elder. I’ve made a terrible mistake toward the young man,” Sin Po said, bowing his head.

"Fang An, come here," Zhao Jian called.

Fang An nodded. His flame-like hair had disappeared, reabsorbed into his body. With Zhao Wen at his side, he walked toward Zhao Jian.

“Now tell me, why did he and his troops attack you?”

Fang An recounted the entire event, including how his explanations had been ignored by the Genie soldiers of Mount Tianmen.

Zhao Jian nodded slowly.

“Now do you realize your mistake, Sin Po? Didn’t Fang An tell you he was lost in your kingdom? So why did you still try to kill him?” he scolded.

Sin Po fell silent. He realized his mistake was unforgivable.

Suddenly, a heavy blow landed on his solar plexus, forcing him to his knees and making him cough up foul black blood.

“Answer me if you still want to see the sunrise tomorrow!”

“I’m sorry, Elder. Truly, I didn’t know who the young man was…”

“Oh? So if he were just an ordinary human, you would’ve killed him anyway?” Zhao Jian interrupted.

Sin Po fell silent again, unable to respond. The laws he had established dictated that any intruder in his kingdom without permission be executed.

“No need to answer, Sin Po. If I hear of you killing another lost human in your domain, I will end your life and reduce your grand kingdom to ashes. As punishment for your transgressions, you and your people are henceforth banned indefinitely from entering the human realm or interacting with other Genie kingdoms.”

Sin Po looked up in disbelief. Such a punishment would isolate his kingdom entirely. But if he refused, he and everything he ruled would cease to exist.

“Very well, Elder. I accept the punishment you have given me,” he replied, still kneeling.

“Let’s return, Fang An. Your bride hasn’t stopped crying since you disappeared on your wedding day,” said Zhao Jian.

“But isn’t the wedding two days from now, Grandfather?” Fang An frowned in confusion. It felt like he had only been gone a few hours.

“There’s something you need to know, Fang An. One hour in the Genie realm equals one day in ours. You’ve been missing for three days now.”

Fang An’s eyes widened in shock. His mind flew to the woman who should’ve been celebrating their union at this very moment.

“Let’s return, then.”

“Take my hand,” Zhao Jian instructed.

With Zhao Wen and Fang An at his sides, Zhao Jian vanished from Sin Po’s sight.

The Genie King of Mount Tianmen exhaled in relief. He was still lucky Zhao Jian had appeared. Had Fang An died, Sin Po couldn’t begin to imagine the wrath of Qian Hui, whose terrifying power surpassed even Zhao Jian’s. Not to mention Fang Yun, the Flame God Warrior, feared even by the gods.

It didn’t take long for Zhao Jian to return with Zhao Wen and Fang An to the grand hall of the Shang Dynasty palace.

Yu Lan wept tears of joy at the sight of Fang An reappearing in the hall. She ran to him and embraced her groom tightly, no longer caring about the eyes of those witnessing their reunion.