Midnight Hunt

Whoosh!

A sharp whistle came from far away and rapidly closed in on Zhang Biao.

Although Zhang Biao had drunk quite a bit and was feeling the alcohol, he was a genuine Bronze Skin Realm martial artist. Years of accumulated experience in slaughter had given him a keen instinct for danger.

Clang!

The instant he sensed danger approaching, Zhang Biao drew the broad saber at his waist and swung it backward, trying to block the arrow, while tilting his body forward to dodge.

Suddenly, a loud clang rang out.

The broad blade blocked the arrow hurtling toward him at high speed, but the tremendous force behind it numbed the web between his thumb and index finger, nearly making him lose his grip on the saber.

What immense force!

Zhang Biao was shocked. He knew he had been targeted by a heavy bowman.

A Bronze Skin Realm martial artist could temper his skin until it was as tough as cowhide, protecting against the invasion of cold, heat, and baleful energies, and making him unafraid of ordinary scrapes and cuts. But what he feared most were armor-piercing heavy bows and sharp arrows. Moreover, his opponent was hiding in the dark. The slightest mistake could cost him his life.

Thinking of this, Zhang Biao did not dare be careless in the slightest. He immediately shook the reins, urging his horse to speed up and trying to escape the danger zone as quickly as possible.

Whoosh!

Another sharp whistle rang out.

Arrows shot from a heavy bow traveled too fast. Almost the instant one heard the sound, the arrow would already be in front of them, making it extremely difficult to defend against. Thus, Zhang Biao bent low over the horse's back and galloped wildly while waving his saber haphazardly to defend himself.

However, this arrow was not aimed at him.

It shot straight toward the horse's head.

Splurt!

The arrow pierced through the horse's head horizontally, eliciting a miserable neigh. The next moment, the horse lost its balance and pitched forward onto the ground. Zhang Biao was also flung down by the powerful inertia. Fortunately, he was agile. He immediately rolled with the momentum, then rose beside a poplar as thick as a water barrel, shrinking straight behind the trunk without daring to move an inch.

To shoot the rider, first shoot the horse!

His opponent was an old hand.

The fear of death sobered Zhang Biao considerably. He kept scanning his surroundings from the corners of his eyes, but all he saw were shifting tree shadows and branches stirred by the wind. Aside from the occasional birdcall, there was no other movement.

The more this happened, the more panicked Zhang Biao became.

Gulp.

Zhang Biao cleared his throat and spoke first. "I'm Zhang Biao, a steward under Hall Master Wei Dian of White Feather Hall, Tiger Wolf Gate. May I ask your name?"

Xie An, standing among the brambles behind him, felt utterly speechless.

I'm already planning to take you down. Do you really think I'll announce my name?

With this much free time, I might as well think of more ways to kill you.

Xie An crept toward the poplar. When he had approached to roughly thirty meters, he found cover and stopped.

This distance was just right. It ensured that his arrows would have a considerable degree of accuracy.

If he went any closer, he would risk entering a range where Zhang Biao could engage him in close combat.

Although Xie An felt that his current strength and speed were more than enough to defeat Zhang Biao, he had never trained in actual combat techniques. Close-quarters fighting still carried risks.

He was old now and did not like taking risks. A guaranteed victory was what mattered most.

Thus, Xie An made no sound whatsoever, giving Zhang Biao no chance to locate him by listening.

At that moment, Zhang Biao spoke again.

"If I've offended you in some way, please tell me plainly. I'll compensate you twofold."

Xie An still did not answer.

He knew that Zhang Biao kept asking questions so that he could hear Xie An reply and determine his position.

Although thirty meters was relatively safe, Xie An was unwilling to shoulder even the slightest risk.

Hearing no answer, Zhang Biao continued coaxing him. "What's the point of this, sir? If we remain at a stalemate until dawn, someone will come, and your plan to kill me will fall through. Why don't you name your conditions? We can turn hostility into friendship, can't we?"

Xie An still did not answer.

Hold out until dawn?

You're thinking too much...

Without making the slightest sound, Xie An circled from behind the poplar to its side. He raised the heavy bow with his left hand, smoothly drew an arrow from the quiver on his back with his right, and nocked it on the bowstring. His right index finger pulled the bow to a full moon...

Whoosh!

An arrow thundered through the air.

Almost simultaneously, Xie An shifted positions and continued drawing and firing in rapid succession.

Clang!

Zhang Biao knocked aside the first arrow with his saber, and the web of his hand went numb again. Startled as well, he immediately circled the tree, changing position toward the opposite side from which the arrows were coming.

He did not leave the tree at once. Instead, he planned to circle around it with Xie An.

His extensive experience in the martial world showed that he was an old hand.

But the second arrow came rushing in right after.

Clang, clang, clang.

Each arrow was stronger than the last, and each was faster than the one before.

To assassinate this steward of White Feather Hall, Xie An had prepared a full forty arrows. He had even smeared snake venom on their tips. As long as one pierced Zhang Biao's skin, he would be finished.

Unfortunately, Zhang Biao's saber technique was truly formidable. Although he could not accurately determine the direction from which each arrow came, he swung his broad saber before him like an electric fan, causing Xie An considerable trouble for a time.

Xie An soon realized that brute force would not work. Besides, swinging the saber so frantically consumed tremendous stamina. It would be better to wait until Zhang Biao was exhausted, then shoot at the instant he stopped.

Thus, Xie An stopped firing. He merely drew the bow to a full moon, hiding in the darkness with an arrow nocked and ready to shoot.

At that moment, Xie An was like an old hunter, keeping his prey firmly in his sights.

The instant the prey grew tired and stopped swinging its blade would be the moment of its death.

When it came to patience, Xie An believed he was second to none.

Drawing the bow to a full moon consumed strength, but Xie An had practiced the Health Cultivation Technique for many years, giving him long, steady breath. Endurance was the one thing he had in abundance.

Perhaps Zhang Biao realized this as well. After swinging his electric fan for several minutes, he finally grew tired, and his speed slowed markedly. Panting, he said, "Sir, this is really unnecessary. I apologize. I was wrong. Please, just make a sound and let me go, will you?"

He did not even know how he had offended his opponent, yet he had taken the initiative to admit his fault and beg for mercy. This showed how terrified he had become inside, teetering on the verge of collapse.

Xie An knew that the prey was nearing the end of its road. He still said nothing, merely hiding in the darkness and staring fixedly at it.

In such an environment, silence and the unknown could bring Zhang Biao the greatest fear.

"Sir, I have five hundred taels at home. I'll give it all to you, all right?" Zhang Biao's electric fan spun slower and slower, and the terror in his heart grew ever stronger.

From the beginning of the standoff until now, he did not know who his opponent was, nor had he even seen him. Yet the more this was the case, the greater the fear his opponent inspired in Zhang Biao.

The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.

"Sir, I'll be honest with you. I have two thousand taels at home. I'll give it all to you, all right?"

"I also have a young concubine. She's as delicate and lovely as a flower, and she used to work at the House of Delights. She's first-rate in bed, enough to make a person feel like they're floating in the clouds. I'll offer her to you as well."

"I also have..."

As the electric fan spun more and more slowly, Zhang Biao knew that the hunter was about to strike and began trying every kind of inducement. Yet his opponent refused to make even the slightest sound. It completely shattered Zhang Biao's mental state.

He felt that all the experiences of the past ten years combined were less terrifying than the person before him.

He did not want money, nor did he want a woman...

Damn it!

In the end, Zhang Biao could no longer swing his saber. He had no idea which direction his opponent was hiding in, so he suddenly sprang out from beneath the poplar and shouted as he ran into the distance.

Just then—

Whoosh!

An arrow tore through the air. Exhausted to the limit, Zhang Biao could no longer defend himself. He suddenly felt a chill at the back of his head, and then his entire body toppled stiffly to the ground.

As he died, he still unwillingly tried to turn his head. At last, he saw someone walk out of the darkness. Before he could make out that person's features, his strength finally gave out, his vision went black... and he was gone.