Chapter 45: The Phantom Hunter

When Wang Kun learned that Japanese troops had reappeared nearby, he once again transformed into the “Ghost Hunter” that very night. By dawn, nearly ten thousand Japanese soldiers had all been killed with a single shot to the head. Just like last time, the troops stationed at these outposts never even saw their attacker before they met their end.

As the days passed, the village where Yingzi lived gradually returned to long-lost peace and tranquility. During this period, the area within a hundred kilometers became a veritable death zone for Japanese soldiers. Any who ventured in would not survive a day before meeting their fate. Wang Kun had already hunted down tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers in this way.

Around this time, the wounded American pilot had nearly recovered from his injuries. It was then that Xia Tian approached Yingzi one day and said, “Yingzi, we’re preparing to escort the American pilot to Yudu. You should come with us. The Japanese haven’t occupied that city. You’ll be able to start a new life there.”

Yingzi was clearly moved by the offer. Seeing her hesitation, Xia Tian made the decision for her. “Enough, Yingzi. Don’t waver. Pack your things. We’ll leave tonight,” she said, understanding that Yingzi didn’t want the villagers to know about her departure. If her in-laws found out, they would surely try to stop her, perhaps even resort to harsh words. At that time, many people still clung to old social norms, and a woman remarrying would be looked down upon.

That night, Xia Tian quietly left the village with Yingzi and her daughter Niuniu. Once they had left the village, they saw Li Yang waiting for them in a military truck. “Yingzi, Niuniu, you two sit in the front,” Xia Tian said, ushering them into the cab. She climbed into the back, where the American pilot was already waiting.

Later that afternoon, as Wang Kun drove the truck, they encountered a Japanese checkpoint. Without hesitation, Wang Kun floored the accelerator, sending the truck hurtling towards the barrier. As the Japanese soldiers prepared to open fire, Xia Tian, manning a machine gun on the roof, cut them down before they could react. The truck smashed through the checkpoint. Though the Japanese managed to fire a few shots, Wang Kun deflected the bullets with his psychic power.

The truck then sped along the rough roads, moving at a speed unprecedented for vehicles of the era. Were it not for Wang Kun’s psychic control, the truck would have fallen apart long ago at such a pace.

Over the next two days, Wang Kun braved one Japanese checkpoint after another in a series of perilous maneuvers before finally escaping the occupied zone. Once they were safely out, Xia Tian found an opportunity to part ways with the American pilot, telling Yingzi that they had handed him over to the authorities.

Within a few days, Wang Kun and Yingzi arrived in the city of Yizhou. With gold bars taken from raids along the way, Wang Kun purchased a modest residence in the city, and they settled in.

As time passed, Wang Kun deliberately drew closer to Yingzi. Their relationship became increasingly intimate, though Yingzi’s status as a widow meant she still held back. Wang Kun understood he would have three years in this world—enough time, as it happened, to see the end of the Second World War.

Three months after settling in Yizhou, Yingzi began to notice changes in herself. Her skin had become smoother, and her strength had greatly increased—a water-filled bucket in the kitchen now felt weightless in her hands. One night, as Wang Kun explained the cause of these changes, their relationship naturally progressed to true intimacy.

From that day on, Wang Kun became Niuniu’s stepfather. Yingzi no longer dressed in coarse, practical clothes, but under Xia Tian’s guidance, learned to wear cheongsams and adorn herself, taking on the appearance of a lady from a wealthy family.

Having unlocked this final achievement, Wang Kun found his days increasingly comfortable. He still occasionally went out at night to practice his throwing knife skills on unsuspecting Japanese soldiers. With his speed and ability to teleport, all of China was open to him. Every so often, a region’s Japanese garrison would be mysteriously slaughtered overnight.

Among the Japanese, Wang Kun became known as the “Ghost Assassin,” for no matter how heavily guarded they were, none survived his visits. The victims never saw even a shadow of their attacker before death claimed them.

Thanks to Wang Kun’s sporadic but devastating assaults, the Japanese command began to withdraw their main forces northward. Over the course of a single year, more than 150,000 Japanese soldiers fell to Wang Kun’s hunts. As Japan shifted its focus to the Pacific theater and lost tens of thousands of elite troops, they could no longer control their former territories and were forced to withdraw north.

Yet Wang Kun did not relent. As before, he ventured out every few nights, each time claiming thousands more Japanese lives. Eventually, the Japanese were so terrorized that they decided to abandon China altogether and focus their efforts against the Americans.

Seeing that the Japanese had retreated from China in fear, Wang Kun did not give chase. He knew that, according to history, Japan would surrender within a year under the threat of two American atomic bombs.

In Yizhou, as Wang Kun’s time in this world drew short, he began making preparations for his departure, ensuring that Liu Yingzi would have enough assets to live in comfort. Although Yingzi now possessed the strength of a high-ranking general, making it easy for her to earn money, Wang Kun knew that her kindhearted nature would never allow her to rob the rich to help the poor.

After several days arranging ample wealth for her, Wang Kun quietly spent his final month in this world. When the month ended, he returned to Mingyue Community in the world of Swallowed Star.

During these three years, Xia Tian, who had accompanied Wang Kun, spent most of her time cultivating. After nearly three years, she was only a step away from reaching the planetary level—a feat she achieved through her own steady efforts, unlike Wang Kun who relied on rare treasures and external means. Wang Kun possessed the Moya Crystal, which could grant instant breakthroughs, but strength gained by such methods was vastly inferior to that earned through diligent cultivation.

Xia Tian, gifted as she was, chose self-cultivation over relying on magical treasures. As for Wang Kun, he did not train at all during his three years in this world, knowing his own talent was far too poor to yield meaningful results.

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