THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Surprised

"What for, Uncle?" asked Fang An. His gaze carried a deep question that echoed the doubt in his mind.

“Hahaha… Why are you acting like I’m going to trap you?” Tang Fei gently patted Fang An’s shoulder before continuing, “Come on, just follow me! His Majesty the Emperor isn’t a tiger who’s going to devour you.”

Still feeling uneasy, Fang An gave in and followed Tang Fei. He walked closely behind the confident strides of the palace advisor until they reached the door of a room.

The two guards stationed at the door immediately bowed in respect upon seeing Tang Fei’s arrival. The royal advisor smiled and nodded in response to their greeting.

“Wait here. I’ll go in for a moment,” said Tang Fei. The man in his fifties entered the room.

Fang An nodded and stepped closer to a chair not far from the door. To relieve the boredom and exhaustion battering his body and mind, he began whistling an aimless tune that could hurt the ears of anyone who heard it.

The two guards even closed their eyes in an attempt to block out Fang An’s off-key melody piercing through their eardrums. Never before had they heard such a tuneless whistle.

Tang Fei took quite a while inside. Fang An grew restless and wanted to leave. The fatigue and dried sweat made his body feel sticky and slightly smelly. All he could think about now was soaking in a tub of warm water filled with colorful flowers.

“Look at that young man, he seems crazy, smiling to himself like that!” whispered one of the guards to the other, eyeing Fang An, who was sitting comfortably, whistling off-tune with his eyes closed.

“Watch your mouth! He came here with Lord Tang Fei. If he reports you, you’ll be in serious trouble,” his partner warned him.

“He won’t hear what I said.”

Their conversation abruptly ended when Tang Fei stepped out of the room and walked toward Fang An.

“What took so long, Uncle? I almost fell asleep and dreamt of a monkey trying to talk to a human. Luckily the human came to his senses and didn’t respond to the monkey,” said Fang An.

Tang Fei furrowed his brows. He didn’t realize Fang An’s words were meant to mock the two guards at the door.

The guards, however, exchanged shocked glances. Their knees trembled, and sweat as big as frog eggs formed on their foreheads.

“I was waiting for His Majesty to change his clothes. He is now ready to meet you,” said Tang Fei.

Fang An stood up and followed Tang Fei. As he passed the two guards, he glanced at one of them and made a throat-slashing gesture with his finger.

The sound of swallowing echoed repeatedly from the guard’s throat. Fear of harsh punishment filled his mind. He never imagined that the young man he whispered about could actually hear him.

Fang An chuckled softly as he stepped inside. His eyes fell on an older man searching through a large wooden cabinet.

“Your Majesty, this is the young man I was referring to,” said Tang Fei respectfully.

Emperor Li Wei turned around. His eyes met Fang An’s directly.

“Fang An!” the Emperor exclaimed with a slightly raised voice.

“Your humble servant greets Your Majesty,” Fang An said, offering a half-hearted smile. He never imagined he would meet Emperor Li Wei again after leaving the sect.

Tang Fei was stunned, nodding his head in disbelief. He had planned to surprise the Emperor, but it turned out they already knew each other.

“Your Majesty knows Fang An?”

“Not only do I know him, I know his father very well,” replied Emperor Li Wei.

Fang An was a little stunned by the Emperor’s words. How could his father, who lived far away on Mount Xuebaoding, be known to the Emperor?

Tang Fei showed a similar reaction. His mind was flooded with questions about Fang An’s true identity.

“I cannot tell you who Fang An really is, because that’s a sacred trust,” continued Emperor Li Wei. “So don’t ask who his parents are. I’m sure you know them, too.”

Tang Fei grew more curious, but he didn’t dare press further. “Understood, Your Majesty.”

“You may leave now. I want to speak with Fang An privately.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.” Tang Fei bowed respectfully before leaving the room.

A big question haunted Tang Fei’s thoughts. He couldn’t shake off what the Emperor had said—that he knew Fang An’s father. But the more he tried to recall, the more he came up blank, remembering only people within the palace.

“Why didn’t you tell me Fang Yun is your father?” asked Emperor Li Wei. A faint smile never left the elderly man’s face, even though his body still appeared strong for someone around fifty.

“There’s no need for me to highlight who my parents are, Your Majesty,” Fang An replied. “Both my father and mother chose to withdraw from the martial world. It’s my duty to continue the path they left behind. But how did Your Majesty know my parents?”

“It’s a long story, Fang An. I knew your father before he married your mother. Just like you, he couldn’t tolerate injustice before his eyes. At that time, your father and your uncle Zhao Wen uncovered the corruption among officials in this very palace.”

“Uncle Zhao Wen? Why has my father never told me about his past?” asked Fang An.

The Emperor raised his eyebrows and let out a long breath. “Maybe he wanted you to grow up independently, Fang An. If Fang Yun told you all the people he knew, he was afraid you’d rely on those connections. By the way, where are your parents living now?”

“They’re living atop Mount Xuebaoding, Your Majesty. They said it’s much more peaceful there than here,” Fang An replied.

The Emperor closed his eyes briefly. In his mind, it was as if Fang Yun himself was speaking to him. Fang An’s manners and way of speaking reminded him so much of Fang Yun.

“Wait here for a moment and don’t go anywhere.”

Without waiting for a reply, Emperor Li Wei exited the room.

Moments later, the door slowly opened again. Emperor Li Wei entered the room, followed closely by Princess Xian Lie.