Red Talon Piercing The Darkness

Racing through the treetops, Hong Zhao activated his eagle vision and located the next team. When he found them, he passed them much like the first group. Setting up the trap with his qi balls, he once again held his position in the trees. As they moved closer, he saw one of the men's face grow more serious. He held up a hand and the entire party stopped.

"I see a large amount of condensed qi up ahead. It seems we have an ambush set up." The man said. "There are two balls formed of qi to either side of the path as well. With this said, our assailant is most likely nearby to activate the ability when we become close enough."

"Clever bastard." One man said as he began scanning the area around them.

Hong Zhao sighed. He knew it would be too easy if they fell for the same thing twice more. The odds were at least one to two men would have some sort of detection ability. If he didn't take care of this now, they might be able to make it back to camp and set up a strategy.

Almost as if reading his mind, the men became more vigilant as they backed up the way they came. Hong Zhao let out a small smirk as he pointed his finger at the man with the detection ability. He activated qi shot and a small beam of pure white qi left his finger.

Within a few seconds, the man crumpled to the ground. His eyes widened in disbelief before going dim. A white glow surrounded a gaping hole in his forehead before cooling. The men stopped in their tracks. Without anyone to tell them, they each leapt into the trees. Ten of them stayed and formed a wall within their area, while another one fled at top speed back towards the camp.

"Dammit." Hong Zhao swore as he activated devouring qi claws. As the pure white claws formed at the base of his knuckles, a red hue was visible from the qi it had already collected, giving it an ominous look. In front of the ten men stood a small black garbed figure with white claws with red mixed in. It was enough to make anyone nervous, yet they stood their ground.

Two men moved forward with their swords drawn. "No! Wait!" One of the few remaining called out, yet it was too late. Hong Zhao's face twisted into a sinister grin under his mask as he activated vortex thrust and disappeared in front of them. As their blades came down, they only hit air from where he was only a moment before. As they looked down in disbelief, the light faded from their eyes as their heads hit the forest floor. It was as if a ghost had just appeared and exacted justice on them, only to disappear again.

Hong Zhao jumped higher into his tree and angled himself perfectly before launching himself at the man who called out. In the darkness, one could only see the claws as they darted towards their target. In their eyes, he was the beam of light which had killed their first comrade. Before the man could block, Hong Zhao tore his way through his abdomen and took the spot the man had previously been standing. Before the sound of the body hitting the ground could be heard, he swung around and lopped off another man's head.

Leaping through trees and acting as a vengeful wraith, Hong Zhao dispatched one man after another until only the one who escaped remained. Using his eagle vision, Hong Zhao narrowed in on the fleeing figure and pointed a finger. Moments later, one more thump could be heard before the forest once again went quiet.

"They are not making this very difficult." Hong Zhao sighed as he grabbed the rings off of each man's fingers, after gathering his loot, he once again piled the bodies in an area off of the path. It had been slightly surprising that he had not seen any fierce beasts since he entered the forest. He would have thought such an aroma of blood and death would have aroused their apatite. Giving it no other thought, Hong Zhao went back into the tree line, yet before he could move, he felt something brush past his face.

"So you are the one picking off my men." A deep voice rang out. Though deep, it was also mixed with amusement. "I am impressed that you have been able to kill twenty four of them without making as much as a sound. Who exactly might you be?"

Hong Zhao froze for a moment. The voice had rung out, yes, but in his head. The man in question had condensed his words with qi and sent them to him. Something he knew only a disciple ranked cultivator would only be able to do. 'Zheng Guo sent these men?' Hong Zhao thought as his blood began to boil. "I am no one of consequence." He allowed his voice to surround the area, the opposite of what the man had done.

"A disciple ranked cultivator?" The man said with slight shock in his voice. Hong Zhao could hear a branch shifting some distance off. "The City Lord had suspicions that there was a high ranked cultivator that was not under his control. To think that he was right though."

"The City Lord will see me soon, that I can promise." Hong Zhao's words leaked malice as he remembered Li Wuhan's final stand in the attack of the lion. If it weren't for this City Lord, his friend would still be alive. He also thought of Rantori Village and how all the occupants were forced to leave, due to the threat the man posed them. A place that Hong Zhao had long since thought of as home.

"I can assure you, he will." The man laughed full heartedly. "Though it is up to you whether your head is attached to your body, or on a silver platter!" Hong Zhao felt a concussive force blow out from where he noticed the shifting in the branch. He activated vortex thrust and stepped back just in time to see an old man with a sword thrusted forward zoom past him. As he did, it was like slow motion as he turned his head to look at Hong Zhao. Before he passed, the black clad boy saw a grin on the old man's face before he disappeared once more.

"Very good, boy." The man's voice rang out from the trees. "Keep this up and make it fun for me, it has been far too long since I've been challenged!"