The Colorless Monk

Though they'd come to Five Spirit Mountains to hunt, neither carried firearms—prohibited in the reserve. Undeterred, Huo Xuan fashioned a spear from a two-meter-long branch, sharpening one end to a point.

His weeks on the African savannah had honed his understanding of wildlife and hunting techniques.

Crouched in the brush, they waited. Within minutes, a roe deer appeared—resembling a small stag, antlered and prized for its tender meat.

Lin Yue's breath hitched. She nudged Huo Xuan: Now?

He nodded, rising slowly to strike—when a leopard exploded from the foliage, pinning the deer with a throat clamp.

Lin Yue shrieked before clapping a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with terror.

Unfazed, Huo Xuan strode forward. He'd faced silverback gorillas, slain crocodiles, stood down lion prides, and stolen prey from cheetahs. A lone leopard didn't intimidate him.

The big cat arched its back, fur bristling as he advanced.

Huo Xuan's gaze turned glacial. He wouldn't yield this kill.

Just as the leopard released its grip to confront him, the lion cub burst from the undergrowth—jaws flecked with feathers from some unfortunate bird—and flanked the predator with a snarl.

Though startled by the unfamiliar creature, the leopard quickly regained its ferocity, hissing at the duo.

Huo Xuan planted his spear and drew a dagger, locking eyes with the cat—

—when suddenly, the leopard's ears twitched. It fled into the trees without a backward glance.

Why? Puzzled, Huo Xuan restrained the eager cub. The leopard's fighting spirit had been palpable—it shouldn't have retreated.

"Tiger!" Lin Yue screamed.

Whirling, Huo Xuan faced a two-meter-long Bengal tiger, its golden eyes boring into him.

Since when do tigers roam these mountains? This prime specimen looked formidable enough to make even him hesitate.

He stood his ground, every muscle coiled.

Beside him, the cub growled, claws digging into the earth as it mirrored his stance.

"Da Hua! You escaped again?" A boy's voice rang out.

A shaven-headed teenager in saffron robes emerged, smacking the tiger's head reproachfully. The beast rumbled but sat obediently.

The young monk clasped his hands. "Amitabha. Our apologies for startling you."

Huo Xuan, impressed by the boy's composure, asked, "You keep this tiger?"

"Master raised him," the boy admitted. "I'm Colorless. May I guide you to our temple?"

Intrigued by anyone who tamed tigers, Huo Xuan agreed. After retrieving the dead deer (no sense wasting meat), they followed Colorless across three mountain ridges—a journey eased by Huo Xuan carrying Lin Yue while she snacked on wild berries.

Colorless, age thirteen, had been raised on the mountain by his master, the Cloud Tiger Zen Master. His guileless chatter filled the hike.

"Master is hosting a guest," he warned as they reached the summit's lone temple—a weathered structure with no doors or idols. "Please wait while I announce you."

Moments later, he returned bewildered. "The guest... requests your presence."

Lin Yue tensed. "This feels wrong. Let's leave."

Curiosity overriding caution, Huo Xuan entered.

Inside, an ageless elder and a portly monk sat on grass mats. Behind them stood a girl in a qipao—perhaps eighteen, her ethereal beauty and piercing gaze locking onto Huo Xuan the instant he crossed the threshold.