I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 104: Chapter 49: Night Raid

”A night raid by the Taiping Bandits?!”

Fang Rui sat up with a start. Listening to the shouts and sounds of battle coming from the direction of the city gates, his brow furrowed. He glanced at the two little girls sleeping soundly beside him, then threw on some clothes and quietly left the room.

Once in the courtyard, the sounds from the city gates were even clearer. The din of battle was incessant, mixed with the noise of smashing and looting from other directions and the faint glow of fire in the distance.

’Given the quality of their soldiers and issues like night blindness, it’s unlikely the Taiping Bandits would launch a full-scale assault at night. It’s more likely a surprise attack by a small group of Martial Artists... There must be inside help, too. Only a coordinated attack from both inside and out could possibly breach the city walls...’

’But from the sounds of fighting, they must have been discovered by the city’s defenders. They’re probably clashing right now!’

’The Taiping Bandits haven’t given up, though. The response from their spies inside the city is proof of that. They’re trying to cause chaos, rally the common folk, and are even resorting to arson...’

Fang Rui stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the city gates and rapidly making judgments based on the available information.

CREAK!

Just then, there was a stir from the house. Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady had woken up as well.

”Mother, Third Sister, you’re awake too?” Fang Rui asked.

”With all this noise, how could we not be?”

”That’s right, the sounds of fighting are so loud, it’s terrifying... Brother Rui, do you think... do you think the city will fall tonight?”

Even though Fang Rui had explained to them that they needn’t fear even if the city fell, it was one thing to say it and another to experience it. As the crisis unfolded, it was impossible not to feel anxious and tense.

”Tonight, it probably won’t fall.”

Fang Rui shook his head. ”A night raid relies on surprise and stealth... but from the sound of it, the Taiping Bandits’ movements were discovered, and they’ve engaged with the city’s defenders...”

”And even in the unlikely event the city does fall, you have nothing to worry about... Mother, Third Sister, go back to sleep. I’ll keep watch out here. Everything will be fine.”

Seeing their hesitation, he added, ”Staying up late is bad for your health. It can even give you wrinkles and make you age faster...”

”Auntie, since Brother Rui says so, let’s go back inside!”

”Alright.”

The expressions of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady changed, and they quickly went back into the house.

Regardless of age or status, vanity is a universal trait, and the two were genuinely frightened by Fang Rui’s words... Of course, what was more important was their trust in Fang Rui. As long as he was there, they felt at ease.

They had just gone inside.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A sudden knock came from the outer gate, accompanied by Jiang Ping’an’s voice. ”Brother Fang?!”

Fang Rui opened the door. ”Brother Jiang?!”

”...The Taiping Bandits launched a night raid but have been temporarily held back by the city’s defenders. The fighting is at the gates now... The County Magistrate has ordered all of us chief constables and governmental officers to mobilize immediately, to patrol the streets and suppress any lawlessness, and to prevent the Taiping spies from gathering crowds and causing trouble... I wasn’t at ease leaving my family at home, so I’ve brought your sister-in-law and my two boys over. I have to trouble you to look after them...”

Behind Jiang Ping’an stood Sister-in-law Jiang and the two little ones: Niu Dun and Xiaodouya.

”Don’t worry, Brother Jiang!” Fang Rui readily agreed.

Jiang Ping’an had arrived in a hurry and left just as quickly.

”We’re so sorry to trouble you, Fang Rui!”

Sister-in-law Jiang’s face was filled with embarrassment for having imposed. ”I told him there was no need, that everything would probably be fine, but Old Jiang is so stubborn. He insisted we come over, and he even woke up the children...”

YAWN!

Behind her, Niu Dun and Xiaodouya were nodding off, their little heads bobbing.

”Sister-in-law Jiang, what are you saying? There’s no need to speak of trouble between our families. Besides, I think Brother Jiang was right... Sister-in-law, in times as chaotic as these, it’s better to be cautious.”

Fang Rui looked at the two little ones. ”The little guys look exhausted... Why don’t you take them to get some more sleep, Sister-in-law? I have spare rooms...”

”Now that you’re here, don’t worry about safety. I’ll keep an eye on things outside. Nothing will happen.”

This courtyard had a total of four rooms. Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady occupied one, Fang Rui, Nannan, and Fang Ling were in another, leaving two empty. Giving one to Sister-in-law Jiang, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya was no problem at all.

After settling in Sister-in-law Jiang and her two children, Fang Rui returned to his room.

He lay on the bed and feigned sleep, but he devoted most of his attention to the situation outside.

—On a chaotic night like this, there was always a chance some ruffian might try to break in.

Outside the window, the chaotic noises seemed to grow louder, continuing for a long time without end.

Suddenly, Fang Rui’s ear twitched. He heard an unusual commotion right here in Sweet Water Well Alley, about two or three courtyards away. It sounded like intruders.

’That family... was their surname Zheng, or Lu? Whatever, I don’t know them... Best to just sweep the snow from my own doorstep.’ He sighed internally and didn’t get up to interfere.

’A thousand people, a thousand faces. The human heart can be as treacherous as a Ghost. In this world, families who understand reason and appreciate kindness are a minority... If I help rashly, they might not be grateful, and if I get dragged into their mess, it would just be disgusting...’

The Fang Family had no roots in Sweet Water Well Alley, and Fang Rui knew nothing about that family. Rather than meddling, it was better to do nothing.

Soon, screams and sobs rang out, accompanied by loud cries for help. Unlike the distant sounds from before, these were extremely close.

But there was no movement from the surrounding houses.

’Was that family ill-behaved and thoroughly disliked? Or is everyone just sweeping the snow from their own doorsteps, not wanting to bother with the frost on their neighbors’ roofs? Are they unwilling to get involved? Or just too afraid?’

Fang Rui wondered.

Either way, he wouldn’t interfere. In the former case, helping them would be a classic ”Farmer and the Viper” situation. As for the latter, if even their own neighbors were like that, how could anyone criticize him, a stranger, for doing the same?

After a moment, the sounds began to fade.

”Hm?!”

Just then, Fang Rui felt the two little girls tossing and turning frequently in the bed. He turned to his side and, in the dim light, met two pairs of wide, shining eyes.

”Big Brother!”

”Brother Ah Rui!”

He didn’t know when the two little girls had woken up.

”What is it? Did the noise outside wake you?” Fang Rui asked in a low voice.

”Yes, Big Brother!”

”Nannan too. It’s so loud. Someone was yelling, and someone was crying... I can’t sleep!”

”It’s just bad people making trouble. But... don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you,” Fang Rui said softly.

”Mhm, Big Brother, I’m not afraid!”

Fang Ling rolled over and wrapped her arms around Fang Rui’s neck. ”Big Brother is the Sun Monkey. Even if I get captured by a Demon, Big Brother will come and save me.”

”There are some Demons that even the Sun Monkey can’t defeat...” Nannan whispered from the side.

Fang Ling: ...

The little girl froze for a moment, seemingly wondering, ’Then what would we do?!’

”Haha, Nannan, you underestimate me. I’m not that mischievous monkey, jumping all over the place. I’m more like... the Tathagata Buddha!”

Fang Rui chuckled, amused by the children’s whimsical train of thought, and made a rare joke.

What he didn’t say was...

In reality, unlike in the stories, when a Demon captured Tang Sanzang, they wouldn’t dilly-dally for half a day waiting for Sun Monkey to come to the rescue... Villains don’t give long-winded speeches while waiting for the hero to make a comeback at the last second...

This was a game with no restarts... The best method was to anticipate the enemy, to see the grand pattern in the smallest details, and to extinguish danger before it could even sprout.

From that perspective, Fang Rui really was like the ’Tathagata Buddha,’ striving to keep everything under his control.

”Brother Ah Rui,”

Nannan asked again, ”I heard my mommy say that most of the people fighting outside the city can’t get enough to eat, that they’re really pitiful... Why do they want to attack us?”

”Because they’re bad guys!” Fang Ling answered first.

”Bad guys?!”

Fang Rui smiled. ”Those people... you can’t exactly say they’re bad. Of course, they’re not good people either... If you really had to say, they’re a group of pitiful people!”

”Much of the time, in this world, good and bad aren’t so black and white, not so clearly defined...”

The two little girls didn’t really understand this, looking confused.

”Alright, enough of that,”

Fang Rui tapped Fang Ling on the head, lifted her out of his arms, and laid her flat on the bed. ”How about I tell you a story instead!”

”Yay! Yay!”

”Brother Ah Rui, your stories are so good. I love listening to them too!”

And so.

Amidst the sounds of battle from the city gates, amidst the screams and sobs from outside the window, amidst the whimpering of the night wind...

Fang Rui’s gentle voice slowly rose, unhurried and serene.

...

About half an hour later.

As sleepiness once again overcame them and the two little girls grew drowsy, Fang Rui’s storytelling suddenly paused.

The reason?

The sounds of battle from the city gates, along with the other chaotic noises, were gradually fading, growing quieter.

’The Taiping Bandits’ night raid must have failed. They’re retreating,’ Fang Rui thought.

Sure enough, not long after Fang Ling and Nannan had drifted back to sleep,

a knock came from the outer gate. Jiang Ping’an was back.

”...The gate is secure... Our superiors ordered us governmental officers and chief constables to dismiss and rest... More detailed information will probably have to wait until tomorrow...”

Jiang Ping’an exchanged a few hasty words with Fang Rui, then took his leave, taking Sister-in-law Jiang, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya with him.

By now, it was around 5:00 AM. Since it was summer, with long days and short nights, the eastern sky was already turning a pale white.

”A false alarm... Oh well, a good chance to go back and catch a few more winks...”

Fang Rui sighed, stretched, and went back inside.

...

That day, everyone in the Fang family woke up late. They didn’t have breakfast until mid-morning.

Around noon, Jiang Ping’an came over for a visit.

From him, Fang Rui learned the details of the Taiping Bandits’ raid the previous night.

Just as he had predicted, last night... no, to be precise, in the early hours of this morning, a small group of the Taiping Bandits’ Martial Artists launched a surprise attack, aided by spies who had infiltrated the city... However, they were unfortunately discovered by a patrol... To support the raid, the spies lurking in the city made a major move, even starting a fire, but it was fortunately extinguished...

The final result: the Taiping Bandits were repelled, but the city’s defenders also suffered considerable losses.

’Just as I thought. The ancient sieges I read about in the history books of my past life... unless a prominent family opened the gates from within, a stalemate lasting ten days or even half a month was completely normal...’ Fang Rui thought to himself.

”Also, a tragedy occurred right here in Sweet Water Well Alley. It was the Zheng Family, not far from you. The head of the Zheng Family was brutally killed, and his wife and daughter...”

”Then again, his family was not well-liked. He was always making trouble, picking fights whether he was right or wrong. None of the neighbors wanted anything to do with him... Last night, not a single person spoke up to help...”

”Of course, it might not have been any different for another family... With things like this, unless it happens to you, who knows what they’d do?!”

As Jiang Ping’an said this, he was overcome with relief. He gratefully gripped Fang Rui’s wrist. ”Thank goodness I was cautious and had your sister-in-law and the kids come here. Otherwise...”

Thinking about it filled him with lingering fear.

Sister-in-law Jiang, too, was terrified when she heard the news this morning. She no longer said things like ’we shouldn’t have gone’ or ’we were just troubling them for no reason.’

’So that tragedy must have been the commotion I heard this morning... No wonder they were crying for help so loudly, and not a single person came to their aid...’

Fang Rui thought to himself, then waved his hand. ”It was nothing. In the future, Brother Jiang, whenever you go out, feel free to bring them here... I’ll be sure to look after Sister-in-law Jiang, and my nephew and niece, for you.”

”Brother Fang, you’re a true friend!”

Jiang Ping’an chatted for a few more minutes, then got up to leave.

He had to go on patrol in the afternoon, so he needed to go home early for lunch.

He saw Jiang Ping’an out and closed the door.

The sounds of crying from a neighbor not far away, the clamor from outside—all were shut out, as if by a Barrier, separating two different worlds.

Fang Rui turned and went back to the rear courtyard.

Under the bright sun, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady sat beneath a large willow tree, doing needlework. Dappled light draped over them like the radiance of the moon and stars.

Nannan and Fang Ling, the two little girls, were squatting nearby, using pebbles to play some sort of game on a grid drawn in the dirt.

Seeing Fang Rui approach, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family turned her head and asked, ”Brother Rui, are you hungry? Should Third Sister and I go make lunch?”

”We ate late this morning, so I’m not hungry. Let’s wait a while for lunch!”

”I’m not hungry either...”

”Auntie, if no one’s hungry, let’s wait a while longer!” Third Lady said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The gentle charm of that fleeting moment was like a water lily swaying in the wind.

Just then.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing the leaves of the willow tree to tremble and rustle, reflecting the light like countless silvery-white fish scales, shimmering softly and faintly.

The breeze was gentle, and the moment was perfect.

...