I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 111: Chapter 52: What to Seek (Part 2)

’There’s just one thing. The city’s fall was too convenient, too sudden, too abrupt. It’s as if... as if it was all arranged just for me...’

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Jiang Ping’an suddenly recalled Fang Rui going out last night. In that instant, his intuition screamed at him: The fall of the city had something to do with Fang Rui!

Of course, this ’absurd’ notion lasted only a moment before he shot it down.

’I must be going crazy!’

Jiang Ping’an patted his forehead. ’How could this possibly be Brother Fang’s doing? He’s just an ordinary Martial Artist—Eighth Grade, or Seventh Grade at the absolute most. How could he possibly influence the entire city’s situation?’

Still, no matter what, he believed that getting on good terms with Fang Rui was one of the best decisions he had ever made.

Just then—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A frantic knocking sounded from outside the door. ”Old Jiang?!”

...

’The city really fell?!’

Fang Rui muttered to himself, listening to the huge commotion outside. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and cast aside the intoxicating feeling of power—of being the master strategist who could destroy empires with a word and win battles from a thousand miles away. He pushed the sense of absolute control to the back of his mind and forced himself to be calm.

’Arrogance and complacency are unacceptable. Caution, humility, and self-reflection—that is the path to a long and quiet life.’

’Besides, Changshan City was already teetering on the brink of collapse, and the Xia Family might have already been planning to surrender it... It’s impossible to know how much of a role I truly played in all this...’

’But no matter what, it’s done. The Lin Family is most likely finished... It’s just,’

Fang Rui sighed. ’The most chaotic time has now arrived!’

In the past, with the Taiping Bandits and the city’s factions locked in a stalemate, the people lived in constant misery—a prolonged agony. Now that the Xia Family had surrendered the city, the most chaotic period had arrived, but things would get better afterward... a short, sharp pain...

And though it’s said that a short, sharp pain is better than a prolonged one...

’But I still, to some extent, made that choice for all the people in this city!’

Fang Rui suppressed his guilt and hardened his heart. ’In this world, everyone is struggling to survive. You either fight your way to the top, or you get swept away by the tides of the era...’

At that moment, he thought of his neighbors from Willow Alley: Uncle Changlin and Uncle Man Tang, dragged onto the city walls. Uncle Zao Hua, Uncle Fu Quan, and Uncle White Stone, who had fled the city only to be, in all likelihood, captured by the Taiping Bandits and used as human shields to storm the walls...

’Compared to those who are helpless, who never know when the wind will shift or which way it will blow... I’d rather seize the initiative and control my own destiny...’

’Those who understand me will know my sorrow, and those who don’t will ask what I seek. I just want to live. I just want to take my family and friends and live a good life!’

If he had to do it all over again, Fang Rui wouldn’t hesitate. He would make the same choice.

”Brother Rui!”

Just then, the Third Lady emerged.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family also came out of her room at about the same time.

”Brother!”

”Brother Ah Rui!”

Even the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, were woken by the noise and came outside, holding hands.

”You’re all awake?”

Fang Rui turned and smiled warmly. ”It’s all right. Didn’t I tell you this might happen? The city has fallen, and that’s that. I’ll keep you all safe...”

...

Just as Fang Rui had expected, Changshan County Town descended into its most chaotic hour.

The city’s ruffians, thugs, and petty thieves formed gangs, swarming out like locusts. They brazenly smashed down doors, committing rape, pillage, and plunder.

For them, this moment of ultimate chaos was the ultimate opportunity. A grand Taotie feast was laid out, and they were all too eager to take their seats...

It wasn’t just ordinary families, either. The flames of chaos burned higher and higher, eventually reaching the doors of the wealthy.

Ambitious, unattached Martial Artists who had been waiting for days also made their move, baring their fangs like starving tigers descending from the mountains...

Pawnshops, money-lenders, and some of the less powerful wealthy families... all were their targets!

Even the Lin and Xia Families, the two most powerful clans in Changshan County Town, were not immune. Some foolhardy freelance Martial Artists tried to break in, but it wasn’t long before their corpses were unceremoniously tossed back into the street...

Without the city walls, it was true that the two great families were no match for the Taiping Bandits. Suppressing the freelance Martial Artists within the city, however, was still well within their power.

Of course, at a time like this, even powerful clans like the Lin and Xia Families could only focus on self-preservation, protecting their own compounds and nothing more.

Aside from these few, heavily-defended exceptions, the rest of Changshan City was pure chaos.

The streets were filled with people running for their lives, with screams, with robbery... and with those who, overcome by the sheer violent madness of it all, began setting fires...

From high above, the whole of Changshan City was a tapestry of leaping flames scattered like stars, each one eating away at the blackness of night. Blood and fire, red and black, a surging tide sweeping across the city on a wave of screams and cries...

Dropping the perspective lower, one could see that within the light of every fire, countless ghastly faces and twisted shadows danced...

It was like Hell had come to the Mortal World.

...

Sweet Water Well Alley, at the Fang Family courtyard.

Perhaps because their resentment had been simmering for so long, the local thugs who had been intimidated by Fang Rui’s reputation days earlier chose this moment of peak chaos to get their own back. A group of more than a dozen men gathered of their own accord.

”Hey, you in there! Get the hell out!” A loud BANG as someone kicked the door.

”The punk who lives here... surname’s Fang, right? Heard you’re a real tough guy! Come on out and let us ’big shots’ get a look at you!” The voice was dripping with gangster swagger.

”An Entry Grade Martial Artist? Bah! That ain’t worth shit! And look at you now, hiding in your shell like a coward!” This taunt came from a place of pure jealousy.

”That’s right, a coward hiding in his shell... HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

”I’m gonna count to ten! If you don’t open this door, we’re torching the place!”

...

”Mother, Third Sister, take Ling’Er and Nannan inside... Don’t worry. It’s nothing. This will be over soon.”

Fang Rui watched as Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, the Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan went back into the house. The smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by an icy expression.