THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

A Second Chance

“Damn it!” cursed Commander Lu Han inwardly. He tried his best to dodge Fang An’s swift attack. But no matter how hard he tried, his speed was still far below that of the young man.

“Aaaargh!” A loud scream escaped Commander Lu Han’s mouth. His howl of pain tore through the silence of the night like a wolf’s cry.

The middle-aged man collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach where the pain surged intensely. A deep frown appeared on his face the moment he realized his life had not yet slipped away.

A few steps away, Fang An stood still, watching the man he had just knocked down. He had deliberately spared Commander Lu Han’s life—he had another plan in mind.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” asked Lu Han. He was genuinely curious about what the young man was planning. He had no doubt that Fang An could have ended his life as easily as flipping his palm.

“If I let vengeance cloud my judgment and killed you, I’d be no different than the two of you. I can still think clearly about the future of the Shang Dynasty,” Fang An replied calmly.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I’m giving you a second chance. If you're willing to change and make up for your mistakes, I won’t say a word to His Majesty about what you've done. But you must swear your loyalty and rid yourself of ambition.”

Commander Lu Han furrowed his brows. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Such a priceless pardon had just been offered to him by the very person he had wronged.

“Am I hearing this right?” Lu Han stood up. “Why would you forgive me for something so grave?”

“I already told you—what I’m doing is for the sake of the Shang Dynasty. Stop asking too many questions or I might change my mind.”

“I’m sorry. But how will you make sure His Majesty doesn’t find out about my betrayal?” A mix of confusion, surprise, and relief stirred in Commander Lu Han’s heart.

“You just need to keep quiet and pretend you know nothing about what happened here. Leave the rest to me. I guarantee no one will know but me,” said Fang An, casting his eyes around the area.

Commander Lu Han lowered his head. He dared not ask anything more—not even pleasantries to lighten the mood.

“Do you know the leader of the Death Demon Organization—the one who abandoned you?”

Lu Han looked up, slightly startled by the question. But he understood that Fang An must have a plan if he was asking about it.

“His name is Feng Shu. He once served in the royal palace, but one day he suddenly resigned, and before long, he had founded the Death Demon Organization.”

“Do you know where he lives besides his base?” Fang An pressed further.

Commander Lu Han nodded.

“The day after tomorrow, you’ll take me to see him. I have something I want to discuss with him.”

“About what?” Lu Han raised both eyebrows in shock.

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Not long after, around two hundred palace soldiers led by Tang Fei arrived at the scene. Seeing Fang An standing beside Commander Lu Han, Tang Fei frowned immediately. Curiosity and questions clouded his mind.

“Fang An, wasn’t he—”

“Relax, Uncle. It turns out the real traitor was Prime Minister Shen Wei. I just saved Commander Lu Han from the Death Demon Organization’s base.” Fang An pointed to the nearby building.

Tang Fei scratched his head, still puzzled by what had just occurred. The intelligence from the royal spies indicated that the mastermind behind the assassination attempt was Commander Lu Han and Shen Wei.

“So the spies’ report wasn’t completely accurate, Uncle. Their goal was to lure me here to kill me. Commander Lu Han was also deceived by Shen Wei,” Fang An explained.

“Then those spies…”

“They were working for Shen Wei. But don’t worry, I’ve taken care of them,” Fang An said, cutting off any further questions.

Commander Lu Han remained silent throughout the conversation, shocked by Fang An’s clever plan that had ultimately saved his life.

Fang An summoned a few soldiers and ordered them to retrieve Shen Wei’s corpse. He also instructed them to remove the bodies of the Death Demon Organization members to prevent any future outbreaks of disease.

The night passed swiftly. Before long, dawn broke, and the sun bathed the earth that had been cloaked in darkness.

Fang An, Tang Fei, and Commander Lu Han were in the royal hall, waiting for Emperor Li Wei to arrive so they could report what had happened the night before—as well as to discuss the upcoming tournament less than three months away.

The death of Shen Wei was also a pressing topic, especially concerning who would be fit to replace him.

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The Next Day…

As planned, Fang An and Commander Lu Han left the capital. Their destination: Feng Shu’s residence, far from the royal city. According to Commander Lu Han, it would take at least a full day of horseback riding to get there.

As night approached, Commander Lu Han decided to rest at an inn in a village they passed. With half a day still left to reach their destination, continuing the journey in the dark was too risky.

That night, Lu Han once again asked why Fang An had chosen to forgive him. His mistake had been far too severe to deserve mercy.

But as before, Fang An’s answer was the same: everything he did was for the sake of the Shang Dynasty. Though unsatisfied, Lu Han didn’t press further. He trusted that Fang An would explain everything when the time was right.

The next morning, they resumed their journey. By midday, they arrived at a small house at the foot of Mount Xuebaoding.