Bat Manlou, a name that every person with ill intent in Fallen Leaves city trembled fearfully at the mere mention of.

A vigilante that prowled the city day and night looking for unsuspecting criminals, troublemakers, corrupt officials and sinister young masters. His unfathomable stealth techniques kept him well hidden from the prying eyes of ancestor level characters and his immense strength and mysterious tactics allowed him to escape numerous dangerous situations.

He was easily identifiable from his clothes as he wore a black robe with black leather gloves and boots and a black cape which hung from his back. The mask that hid his face was made from black wood and carved into the shape of a bat.

No one knows his where he came from. Some say he was the child of a rich merchant who saw his parents killed by a thief on the way back home from the local play, others say he was abandoned in the wilderness then found and raised by a pack of grey mist bats.

No matter the origins of this strange man, there was one thing for certain.. he will not stand for injustice!

...

It was the beginning of the day. The morning birds were chirping and the clouds parted for the rising sun.

Bat Manlou appeared from the shadow of a nearby tree. His silhouette was cloaked in darkness with only his shining grey eyes standing out. At night time, he would be an invisible ghost but in the daytime he stood out like a sore thumb.

He inspected the courtyard with narrowed eyes. Loose stones covered the pathways and a overgrown bodhi tree lay in the center of the courtyard.

"Give it up Yun Zhulin you vile harpy! Release the child at once!!" His deep gruff voice resounded throughout an abandoned courtyard surrounded by several wooden buildings.

"Ohoho!" A laughter came from the one of the buildings, the sliding door opened and a bulbous woman walked out. Her steps caused the ground to shake. "Heh..to think such a small city has such an eccentric character as you."

As soon as Bat Manlou saw the woman, he gasped in fright as his eyes became watery. Her appearance was truly too hideous, so much so that it had become a weapon itself.

"You're too late Bat Manlou." Yun Zhulin sighed. "He was a good little sport but in the end..failed to satiate me, not like my Little Lee." Once she mentioned the mysterious "Little Lee" her fat body shook as her thick eyelashes fluttered in emotion, tears left her beady eyes that were hidden between the folds of her facial fat.

Her sickly sweet voice made Bat Manlou flinch.

"It's so sad that Little Lee ran away and left me behind! He left our child behind too!" Yun Zhulin lamented as more tears rolled down her fat cheeks. "I had to leave my little boy back home so I could go find his irresponsible father!"

"What does that got to do with kidnapping children and tormenting them?" Bat Manlou replied with anger in his voice.

"Tormenting?" Yun Zhulin shook her head and giggled coquettishly. "I'm just teaching them a little about the birds and the bees, there's no torment at all. Ever since little lee "attacked" me, he awakened my immense desires." She peered at Bat Manlou which made him a little uncomfortable. "You see, no man had ever seen me as a woman. They saw me as an ugly freak to be avoided. Little lee was the first who treated me as a normal person, never judging me for my appearance.. ahn..he was so cute when he was young but as he grew older; he became more distant."

As Yun Zhulin reminisce her past memories she continued. "I was scared that he would leave me alone...that is until that day where he poured all his love into me." She wrapped her arms around herself and spun from side to side in glee.

"I felt what it was like to be a real woman, to be wanted!" Yun Zhulin cried out in happiness but then her expression became sullen. "But Little Lee.. he had disappeared shortly after. He left me with these budding womanly desires! I almost can't stand it!" Her eyes became bloodshot.

"These cute little boys are helpful in curbing those desires..at least until I find Little Lee again.. " Yun Zhulin's eyes sparkled. "When I do, I'll force him to take up his duties as a father and-" She licked her thick lips. "A husband."

Bat Manlou shivered at the thought, a deep pity for this "Little Lee" filled his heart. "I can see why you ran away boy...make sure to stay hidden otherwise a fate worse than death awaits you."

"Where is the boy?" Bat Manlou asked demandingly as he glared at the peerlessly ugly woman.

"The cutie? He's just behind me." Yun Zhulin smiled as she stepped to the side. The sliding door she was blocking with her huge figure was revealed and inside, in the dark was a naked boy sitting on the ground. He rocked back and forth with dead, lifeless eyes.

Bat Manlou growled furiously as he pointed at the woman. "You despicable..." He took a deep breath. "Your reputation proceeds you...Rafflesia Demoness.." A name she had gotten herself from the many cities she had terrorized.

He positioned himself in a battle ready stance as his eyes locked onto Yun Zhulin. "I will mete out justice upon you, prepare yourself for death!"

"You want to play Bat Manlou?" Yun Zhulin's eyes danced playfully. "Witness me!" She opened her robe up revealing her naked body to Bat Manlou.

"Gahhhhhh!" Bat Manlou covered his face as blood began to drip from his eyes. With his eyes closed he shouted loudly in a deep resentful voice. "Shameless!!"

What Bat Manlou had just scene would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Although I'd like to stay and chat, I've got someone to find..ta ta."

He heard Yun Zhulin's voice traveling further and further away until it disappeared.

Opening his eyes, he saw no trace at all of Yun Zhulin. "Dammit!"

Bat Manlou looked around and let out a sigh of regret. He whispered under a forlorn tone. "She escaped, it's likely she's already left the city..I pity the souls who cross her path."

He walked into the building and stopped next to the boy. The smelled like the stench of vile body odor. Unknown liquids covered the floor and the boy.

"Boy." Bat Manlou stretched out his hand and touched the boy's shoulder.

"No-no! Please! No more!" The young boy cried out in fear.

Bat Manlou knocked the boy out and lifted him up onto his shoulder.

"I'll take you home." He muttered as he disappeared into black smoke.

...

After dropping the boy off at his home in the middle district, Bat Manlou was on his way home.

Like always he took the shortcut through the city's park, Ju garden.

Bat Manlou was lost in thought as he flew through the various blossom trees at blinding speeds.

"Apart from that abominable woman, it's been quiet lately. I haven't seen any trace of Joker Xue nor Mistress Poison Vine.. they must be planning something devious!" Bat Manlou nodded his head as he thought. "No matter what heinous plots they devise, I'll stop them all."

"Huh?" Bat Manlou muttered in surprise. He stopped in mid air and looked around cautiously.

He sensed an immense killing intent but it wasn't directed at him but somewhere else.

As he inspected the area he located the target of the killing intent. A girl who was standing beside a young golden haired boy behind a tree.

He landed and then hid behind a nearby tree, his figure became indistinct and shadowy as he pondered. "Who is targeting that girl?"

"Whoever they are, their intentions are clear." His eyes glowed with determination. "No innocent shall be hurt under my watch!"

As the two children left down the path, Bat Manlou vanished into a puff of smoke.

He followed the children closely while keeping watch on the surroundings, but he saw no sign of the owner of the killing intent.

When the children met a strange homeless man laid on a bench, Bat Manlou scanned him with his divine sense but discovered nothing out of the ordinary. "He doesn't seem to be the one.. "

Eventually they came upon the cliff outlook overseeing the black orchid valley below. Bat Manlou had kept a close eye on the children but nothing had happened yet that would cause him to make a move.

"The killing intent has been fluctuating wildly ever since the two children began chatting, what are they talking about?" Bat Manlou listened intently and heard talk of arranged marriage and casual banter.

"Hmm.. nothing too out of the ordinary, maybe the owner of the killing intent is against this arranged marriage?" Bat Manlou stroked his mask in thought.

Suddenly a powerful wind blew against the children, specifically the girl. The little girl was no match for the hurricane winds and was immediately pushed against the cliff rail, she was close to falling off the cliff!

"Oh no!" Bat Manlou shouted inwardly, as he prepared to make a move the golden haired boy quickly grabbed the girl at lightning fast speeds and held her tightly, preventing her from tumbling off the cliff.

"Not bad." Bat Manlou whispered in praise. "That boy's movements were far too fast for an ordinary child.. he must already have begun his body tempering." He speculated in thought.

He immediately turned his direction to the location of the wind and discovered the owner of the killing intent! It was a veiled figure hiding behind a nearby empty pavilion.

"Found you!" Bat Manlou stealthily moved towards the veiled figure and entered a blind spot. He observed the figure and noticed that it was a woman from the curves and outline of her body. She wore an expensive yellow robe decorated with flowers and birds, a white veil covered her face.

The mysterious woman was gripping the pavilion's support with her hand, her fingers clenched tightly as they dug deeply into the wooden pole.

"Tsk! My little boy saved her.. is he already under her spell? I should've known she was a little vixen from the start.. " The woman muttered under an angry breath.

Bat Manlou frowned as he thought. "What the hell is she talking about?"

After the golden haired child comforted the young girl, she muttered something which caused the veiled woman to crush the wooden pole in fury. It fell over and made a thump when it hit the ground.

"My wind what? You-you little.." The woman's bloodshot eyes glared venomously at the girl as she left with the golden haired boy.

"Watch yourself girl.. you never know when you may trip, fall and find yourself decapitated.." The veiled woman spat.

"That's enough! I don't know what grudge you have with her but you should never raise your blade against an innocent child!" Bat Manlou said solemnly as he revealed himself.

"Innocent? Nonsense!" The veiled woman scoffed. "She's a succubus that's trying to steal my son away and I won't tolerate such a thing!" She retorted.

"Steal?" Bat Manlou uttered confusedly. "How could she steal her son away? Is she one of those overprotective mothers?" He thought.

The woman turned around and looked at Bat Manlou, she nodded. "That's right, I'd never allow my husband to be taken away.. not again."

"What? Husband!?" Bat Manlou cried out in alarm. "How could that golden haired child be her husband and son at the same time?" He shook his head in disbelief.

The veiled woman smiled as she fondly recalled. "Yes, last night we shared a lovers embrace.. " Her body quivered as she thought about those intense moments.

"After the death of my husband I felt empty, when I was blessed with a son from the heavens I felt happy again but.. " She sighed. "Something was always missing.. it wasn't until my son returned to where he was born that I figured out what that was. For the first time in many years I felt complete. "

Bat Manlou gagged as he held his mouth with a scrunched brow. "Mother and son doing that!? Immoral! Insane!"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "I won't let some brat take him away.. never."

After a small coughing fit, Bat Manlou managed to regain his composure. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked in bafflement.

The veiled woman fiddled with a ring on her finger as she replied nonchalantly. "Oh I don't know, doesn't matter though as you'll be dead soon!" Her eyes locked onto him as her body began to radiate an unfathomable power.

Bat Manlou gasped as he sensed her power, his eyes almost popping out in shock. He shouldn't be able to but because his unique cultivation technique, he could.

"Nova realm!?" He screamed in fright.

"Oh? Someone in this small city capable of sensing my cultivation level...how curious." She muttered as she eyed him up.

"Shit!" Bat Manlou immediately activated his forbidden escape technique. He groaned in pain as torrents of his blood essence was sacrificed in an instant.

He went from a rather muscular healthy individual to a withered, pale atrophied man in seconds. Space distorted around him as he vanished into pale smoke.

"What!?" The veiled woman's eyes inspected the area like searchlights but she couldn't locate the strange man with the bat mask. "I even locked the surrounding space..his cultivation technique is truly mysterious."

"Humph! He better hide like a turtle otherwise I'll send him to an early grave." She snorted before fading away in a gust of blossom leaves.

Several miles away in a forest, a pale fog appeared several meters off the ground. A skinny figure cloaked in black robes fell out from the fog and landed on to the ground with a thud.

Bat Manlou coughed out blood, his eyes were filled with a lingering fear. "Damn.. why am I encountering all the crazy women today!?" He cursed weakly.

He sighed before rising to his feet, he cracked his neck and muttered. "I need a vacation."

...

The sun had begun to set on Falling Leaves city, a young boy in tattered clothing walked down an empty street.

Sun Xi was returning home towards his shack in the lower district, in his hand was a small pouch containing one hundred gold coins.

After working tireless at his job for several months cleaning the various paths in Ju Garden, he had earned himself a hefty sum of money.

Sun Xi held the bag of coins tightly, afraid that he might drop it. "With this, I'll be able to buy a cultivation technique from the store in the middle district," His young eyes gleamed with determination. "And then when I'm strong enough.. I'll have my revenge!"

"Hey boy!" A voice came from the side of the road.

Sun Xi stopped and turned his head. As his eyes came upon the owner of the voice, he saw an old beggar laying lazily on a bench with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. With his other hand he beckoned towards Sun Xi with a smile showing his three wobbly teeth. "Come boy, I've got something good to offer."

Sun Xi looked vigilantly at the strange beggar. He held his coins closely as he said. "W-what do you want?"

"How would like to buy a godly cultivation technique?" The old man's eyes gleamed as he observed Sun Xi with interest.