Bloody Hunt Under the Afterglow of Sunset

The thick, blood-like sunset struggled to paint its last streak of orange across the undulating treeline of the Sunset Mountains, unable to pierce the dark kingdom woven from ancient trees and coiling vines below. The air was thick with the rusty tang of blood, the scent of damp, decaying earth, and a heart-stopping musk from beastly glands.

The battlefield was this sparsely lit clearing in the woods.

The recent skirmish with the Shadowless Leopard pack had been a hellish spectacle. Though the fierce combat had temporarily ceased, it left behind a scene of devastation and heavy panting. The six agile, ferocious shadow killers met different fates.

In the center of the clearing, the most robust Shadowless Leopard was tightly bound by several layers of tough, oil-soaked rope netting, like a giant moth caught in a spider's web. Every struggle caused the ropes to dig deeper into its sleek black fur, emitting a grating squeak. Its leopard eyes burned with rage and humiliation, a low, suppressed growl rumbling in its throat. Its claws clawed futilely at the restraints, only to be more deeply ensnared. Beneath it, crushed bushes and moss were stained a dark red.

Not far away, another smaller Shadowless Leopard lay on its side, lifeless. A gaping, bone-deep wound ran diagonally from its shoulder blade to its belly, its insides faintly visible. Viscous blood still gushed out, forming a small, steaming pool. Its eyes, once gleaming with a cold, green light, stared blankly at the darkening sky, frozen in the agony and unwillingness of its final moments.

A third was bound like a zongzi with coarse hemp rope, several terrified men struggling to hold down its twitching body. The ropes dug deep into its flesh, leaving clear indentations. This leopard seemed to have injured its spine, its hind legs dragging uselessly, but its front limbs still scrabbled frantically at the ground, gouging deep trenches. It whimpered and cried intermittently, a sound laced with pain and anger, its piercing cries echoing through the now-silent woods, adding to the grim scene.

However, the price of victory was equally shocking. Almost everyone in the hunting party was wounded and disheveled. A burly man clutched his bleeding, torn arm, leaning against a giant tree, his face pale from blood loss, large beads of sweat mixed with blood trickling down. Another youth's outer thigh was ripped open by claws in three bone-deep gashes. The makeshift bandages were quickly soaked through, and he gritted his teeth, his body trembling slightly from the intense pain. Another had a bloody, mangled shoulder, as if a piece of flesh had been torn away. His companions were hastily dusting it with hemostatic powder, each touch eliciting a sharp intake of breath and a suppressed groan.

Besides the smell of blood, the air was thick with the stench of sweat, fear, and the relief of survival. Heavy breaths rose and fell, interspersed with the pained moans of the injured and curses at their wounds. The men leaned on each other wearily, their eyes still holding the shock of the fierce battle, warily scanning the surrounding dark forest, as if new claws might spring from the shadows at any moment.

Amidst this brutal scene, the leader, the largest and most deeply colored, glossy Shadowless Leopard, witnessing the miserable state of its companions—especially the one bound by ropes, emitting desperate cries—its green eyes erupted with bone-deep hatred and a hint of... human-like unwillingness. It suddenly raised its head and let out a deafening roar, filled with grief and resolute defiance, drowning out the miserable whimpers of its subordinate. Then, its powerful hind legs unleashed astonishing strength, its massive body transforming into a black lightning bolt that merged with the shadows!

It didn't charge in a straight line. Instead, it cunningly utilized the complex terrain of the forest—gnarled roots, fallen decaying wood, and dense fern thickets for cover. Its form flickered in and out of the dappled light, moving so fast it left only blurry afterimages on the retina. It skillfully dodged the swords and ropes the men tried to intercept. With a few dazzling twists and turns, it ghosted through the encirclement and plunged into the unfathomable thicket at the edge of the clearing, which looked like the maw of a great beast. Accompanied by the rustling of violently shaking branches, that shadow, representing immense value and potential threat, quickly vanished into the even deeper hinterland of the Sunset Mountains.

"It's gone! The Head Leopard is gone!" someone roared with frustration, his voice laced with annoyance and a hint of undisguised fear.

After a brief, dead silence, Zhao Si's slightly sharp, highly provocative voice broke the quiet. He pushed away the companion supporting him, staggered a step to the center of the clearing, and stared intently at Yan Xiao Liu, his face a mixture of greed and feigned anxiety. "Sixth Brother! Did you see clearly? That leader beast is no ordinary wild animal! Its speed, its strength, its cunning, and that indescribable ferocity... I'd bet my head, it's a first-order demon beast! A real demon beast!"

He gestured excitedly with his arms, pointing at the three prey on the ground, nearly spitting on Yan Xiao Liu's face. "Look, look at these! Are they worth as much as it is combined? The pelt, bones, and inner core of a first-order demon beast... How many spirit stones can it fetch on the black market? Enough for the brothers to live freely for how long? Moreover," Zhao Si deliberately lowered his voice, but it was clearly heard by the core figures around him, "it was hit squarely in the lower back by you! I saw it clearly! When it darted into the woods, its left hind leg was dragging noticeably! It's seriously injured! Blood is still dripping! If we chase now, we'll definitely catch it! Opportunity knocks but once, Sixth Brother!"

Zhao Si's gaze swept over the groaning, injured companions, a flicker of imperceptible coldness in his eyes before shifting to a more eager expression. "Sixth Brother, don't worry! Let the injured brothers stay here, look after each other, guard these three beasts. As for us..." He paused, his gaze precisely landing on Ye Yun, Li San, and Wang Wu. "...you, Brother Ye, and Brother Li San, Brother Wang Wu, the five of us with good legs and strong skills will go chase! That's enough! The beast is injured, it can't run far!"

Li San and Wang Wu, who were named, looked up almost simultaneously. A strange smile spread across Li San's scarred face, revealing yellow teeth. His eyes were sharp as a falcon's, and he nodded slowly, uttering only one word: "Chase." His voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable certainty.

Beside him, Wang Wu appeared more sinister. He slowly wiped his long, narrow saber with a blood-stained cloth, its blade reflecting a cold glint in the residual twilight. Hearing Zhao Si's words, he stopped and raised his eyelids, a wickedly charming curve forming on his lips. His gaze, like poisoned hooks, briefly swept over Ye Yun's face before he turned to Yan Xiao Liu, his low voice, with a metallic friction, echoing his agreement. "Old Fourth is right. It's the perfect time to set off. Any later, the scent of blood might attract something else, or it might recover and burrow deep into the old forest, and then it will truly be 'shadowless'." He emphasized the words "shadowless" deliberately, with an unspeakable allure and danger.

Yan Xiao Liu frowned, his chiseled face etched with struggle. He looked at his brothers groaning in pain on the ground, at the bone-deep wounds on their bodies. The sense of responsibility as a leader weighed heavily on him. The risk of pursuing an injured first-order demon beast into the unknown depths of the Sunset Mountains was too great. What if something else went wrong...

However, the immense profit Zhao Si described, and the resolute, almost attainable certainty of Li San and Wang Wu, grew like wild grass in his heart. A first-order demon beast! That was a fortune to be stumbled upon by chance! Enough to change the fate of everyone in their small team! And it was indeed injured... Yan Xiao Liu's gaze involuntarily drifted to the thicket where the Head Leopard had disappeared. He could still vaguely see a few drops of fresh blood on the broad leaves, glinting a dark red in the twilight. The temptation was too great for a martial artist who lived by the sword, constantly striving to climb higher.

He took a deep breath, the air mixed with the scent of blood and decaying leaves seeming to give him the strength to decide. The hesitation in his eyes was finally replaced by a fierce resolve. He suddenly waved his hand, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "Good! We'll do as Old Fourth says! The injured brothers will rest here, look after each other, guard the prey, and stay alert! Zhao Si, Ye Yun, Brother Li San, Brother Wang Wu, follow me! Let's chase!"

Ye Yun had been standing silently a little further away, observing everything with a cold eye. His handsome face was expressionless, but his deep eyes clearly reflected Zhao Si's incitement, the wicked agreement of Li San and Wang Wu, and Yan Xiao Liu's final struggle, overwhelmed by greed and wishful thinking. When he heard Yan Xiao Liu finally make the decision, the undisguised elation in Zhao Si's eyes, and the knowing, malicious glance exchanged between Li San and Wang Wu, Ye Yun sneered inwardly:

"Is the fox's tail finally about to be completely revealed?"

He subtly tightened his grip on his saber's hilt, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. The cold touch from his palm instantly calmed his turbulent thoughts. The subtle probing they had endured along the way and their undisguised instigation now clearly indicated that their target was not just the injured Head Leopard. They likely wanted more, and something far more dangerous.

"Very well," Ye Yun mused inwardly, a long-dormant power slowly awakening in the depths of his dantian, bringing a warm current. "Let me see what their plan is. With my strength... as long as I'm careful, I might even be able to turn the tables, or even... snatch a prize from the fire!"

He didn't say another word, merely nodded silently and stepped forward, following behind Yan Xiao Liu and Zhao Si. Li San and Wang Wu moved like two silent shadows, one on each side, tacitly positioning themselves at the rear of the group.

The five-person team, without any unnecessary chatter, quickly and silently pushed through the dense thicket, its branches and leaves disturbed by the Head Leopard. Following the intermittent dark red bloodstains on the ground, like guiding talismans, and the lingering unique scent of the powerful predator in the air, they plunged into the even deeper, more treacherous, light-devouring depths of the Sunset Mountains forest.