Chapter 27 — The Exploding Sun and The Crippled Hunter
The Trap of Safety
The heavy iron gates of Meng City stood open. The guards leaned against the stone walls, blowing into their hands to keep warm, ignoring the people passing by.
Long Tan stood in the archway. His feet felt heavy, like they were made of lead.
Behind him was safety. The Yan Trading House had high walls and private guards. The inns had hot soup and warm beds. Every instinct in his body screamed at him: Turn around. Hide.
But as he looked at the warm lights of the city, a cold image flashed in his mind.
He imagined tomorrow morning.
He saw Zhou Cang kicking down the wooden door of his home in the village.
He saw Su Lan screaming as rough hands grabbed her hair.
He saw a knife pressed against Little San's small throat.
He imagined Zhou Ming standing at the city gate, shouting: "Come out, Long Tan! Trade your life for theirs!"
Long Tan's blood turned to ice. The warmth of the city suddenly felt like a cage.
"I cannot hide," he whispered to the wind. "If I hide, they hunt my family. I must be the bait."
He adjusted the heavy straps of the crate on his back. He pulled his straw hat low over his eyes.
He didn't turn left toward the village.
He turned right, toward the desolate, wind-swept Black Rock Gorge.
He walked into the darkness, leading the wolves away from his den.
The Power Gap
Two miles from the city, the road narrowed. Jagged black cliffs rose up on both sides, blocking out the sun. The snow here was deep and untouched.
Long Tan stopped walking. The silence was too heavy. Even the birds had stopped singing.
"You picked a good grave, Peasant."
Three figures stepped out from the shadows of the rocks.
On the right stood Zhou Cang. He had removed his disguise. Now he wore black iron armor and held a long, sharp sword.
[Zhou Cang: 550 Jin Strength]
On the left was a standard guard, holding a long spear with a cruel metal tip.
[Guard A: 300 Jin Strength]
But the real threat stood in the center.
It was the Personal Bodyguard from the Tea House. A giant of a man, encased in full heavy plate armor. He wore a steel face mask that hid his expression. In his hand, he dragged a massive steel mace that plowed a furrow in the snow.
[The Black Guard: 700 Jin Strength]
Long Tan's heart hammered against his ribs.
Zhou Cang is strong, but I can match him. But that Black Guard...
He is 100 Jin stronger than me. He has full armor. He has a heavy weapon.
If I fight them fairly, I will die in ten moves.
The Act of the Fool
The Black Guard stepped forward. Crunch. Crunch. His heavy boots broke the frozen ground.
"Young Master Zhou is impatient," the giant's voice boomed from behind the mask. "Hand over the recipe."
Long Tan stumbled backward. He let his legs give out, falling into the snow.
He made his jaw tremble. He widened his eyes until he looked like a terrified rabbit.
"Wait! Wait!" Long Tan screamed, his voice cracking. He crawled backward on his hands and knees. "Don't kill me! Please! I surrender!"
He frantically ripped the money pouch from his shirt and threw it into the snow between them.
Clink.
"Take the silver! Take the recipe! Just let me go back to my wife!"
Zhou Cang laughed from the side, a cruel, mocking sound. "Look at him. A dog barking for his life. Pathetic."
The Black Guard didn't laugh. He was arrogant. He was a 700 Jin master; why would he fear a crying peasant?
He walked over, looming above Long Tan like a tower. He lowered his heavy mace, reaching out his left hand.
"Give me the paper. Now."
Long Tan trembled violently. He reached into his pocket, his head bowed low, hiding his face.
"It... it is right here..."
The Exploding Head
Long Tan looked up.
The tears were gone. The fear was gone.
In their place was the cold, dead stare of a predator.
[Technique: Sun Burst]
[Output: 100% - Critical Overload]
He didn't try to stand. He didn't draw a weapon.
From his kneeling position, Long Tan punched upward.
Inside his right arm, the energy detonated. The muscles swelled, ripping his sleeve apart. The skin turned a terrifying, glowing red. Steam hissed from his pores.
Strength: 600 Jin \rightarrow 1,200 Jin.
The Black Guard saw the red glow. His eyes widened behind the mask. "You—"
BOOM!
It sounded like a cannon firing.
Long Tan's glowing fist connected squarely with the Black Guard's steel helmet.
The sound was sickening—wet and crunchy, like a sledgehammer hitting a watermelon.
The heavy iron helmet didn't just dent. It crumpled inward.
The 700 Jin Master's head didn't just break... it exploded.
Blood, bone, and brain matter sprayed out of the neck hole like a red fountain.
The giant body stood upright for a second, twitching, and then collapsed.
THUD.
The Backlash
"ARGH!"
Long Tan rolled away through the snow, screaming in agony.
The cost was terrible.
His right arm was destroyed. The skin had split open from shoulder to wrist, revealing raw meat. The muscles were purple and spasming uncontrollably. Smoke rose from the charred flesh.
It hung at his side, useless dead weight.
Silence filled the gorge.
Zhou Cang (550 Jin) and Guard A (300 Jin) stared at the headless corpse of their strongest fighter. They were frozen in shock.
"He... he killed the Elite Guard..." Guard A stammered, his face pale. "One punch..."
But Zhou Cang was cunning. He looked at the corpse, then his eyes snapped to Long Tan.
He saw the ruined arm. He saw the blood dripping.
"Wait!" Zhou Cang shouted, pointing his sword. "Look at his arm! He used a suicide technique! He is crippled!"
Zhou Cang's fear turned into a savage grin.
"He has one arm left! He is bleeding! Kill him now!"
The Desperate Struggle
Zhou Cang and Guard A charged together.
Long Tan forced himself to stand. The world was spinning.
He was in trouble.
Zhou Cang had 550 Jin—almost equal to Long Tan's base strength.
Guard A had 300 Jin.
Long Tan had only his left arm (600 Jin), and the pain from his right side was blinding him.
"Die!"
Guard A thrust his spear toward Long Tan's gut.
Zhou Cang swung his sword at Long Tan's neck.
Long Tan couldn't block. If he blocked one, the other would kill him.
He closed his eyes for a split second.
[Sun-Moon Breath: Sensing Mode]
He ignored the pain. He felt the shift in the wind. He felt the heat of their bodies.
Sensing...
He twisted his waist.
The spear grazed his ribs, tearing his coat. Rip.
The sword cut his thigh. Slash.
Blood sprayed into the snow, but he didn't fall.
He focused on the weak link.
Guard A pulled his spear back for another stab.
Long Tan stepped in.
He grabbed the spear shaft with his good left hand.
"Come here!"
He yanked the spear. Guard A stumbled forward, off balance.
Long Tan didn't punch. He used his forehead.
CRACK.
A brutal headbutt.
Guard A's nose shattered. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped into the snow, unconscious.
The Final Duel
Now, it was just the Wolf and the Hunter.
Zhou Cang (550 Jin) vs Long Tan (600 Jin, one-armed, injured).
"You are tough," Zhou Cang growled, circling to Long Tan's injured right side. "But you are bleeding out. I just have to wait."
Zhou Cang attacked with skill. He didn't rush. He used a flowing sword style, aiming for Long Tan's legs.
Clang! Clang!
Long Tan picked up the fallen guard's spear with his left hand to parry. But fighting with his off-hand was clumsy.
Zhou Cang was pushing him back, step by step.
I can't win a long fight, Long Tan realized. My blood is draining. I need to trick him.
Long Tan stepped back and let his foot slip on a patch of ice. He stumbled, his chest exposed.
Zhou Cang's eyes lit up with greed. "Got you!"
He raised his sword high for a killing blow overhead.
He committed his weight forward.
Long Tan dropped the spear.
His left hand plunged into the snow—directly into the gory mess of the Black Guard's remains.
He grabbed a handful of bloody slush and dirt.
He threw it upward.
Splat.
The red sludge hit Zhou Cang directly in the eyes.
"Argh! My eyes!"
Zhou Cang flinched, blinded for a second.
Long Tan roared.
He lunged forward.
He drove his left fist straight into Zhou Cang's throat.
600 Jin Strike.
Crunch.
Zhou Cang dropped his sword. He clutched his crushed windpipe, making horrible gargling noises.
He fell to his knees, staring at Long Tan with wide, disbelief-filled eyes.
Then, he fell face-first into the snow.
Silence
Long Tan collapsed, sitting in the red snow.
His right arm was burning like fire. His leg was bleeding. His ribs ached.
"Haa... haa..."
He looked around at the three bodies.
"700 Jin... 550 Jin... 300 Jin..."
He whispered to the cold air.
"I killed them all."
He forced himself to stand up.
He had to clean this up.
And he needed to get home to his Vital Soil
Herb before he passed out from blood loss.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE AUTHOR 📢
I have officially applied for a Contract! 📝
This is a huge week for this book. To get approved by the editors, they look at one main stat: Collections (Adding to Library).
If you have enjoyed Long Tan's journey so far—from the starving hunter to the man who just blew up a 700 Jin master—I have one small favor to ask:
👉 PLEASE ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR LIBRARY! 📚 And also power stone
Your support in the next 7 days will decide if I get the contract and can write this story for the long term.
Let's get Long Tan to the top!
Thank you for reading! ❤️