I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 140: Chapter 62: The Sun

The sky above was starless and moonless, shrouding heaven and earth in a vast, profound darkness. The night wind howled, making the windows rattle as fat raindrops drummed against them.

It was a stormy night.

Inside the room, a single lamp cast a meager light.

”Third Sister?” Fang Rui asked, gently opening the door.

”Brother Rui, are you hungry? I’ve made you some porridge,” Third Lady said, her voice a low whisper.

”Uh, I am a little hungry. Third Sister, your timing is perfect!”

Fang Rui hadn’t yet started recovering his Power, so he wasn’t really hungry, but he wasn’t so tactless as to say so. Having a late-night snack first and recovering his Power afterward would work just as well.

The two of them tiptoed to the kitchen.

Fang Rui was still carrying a stack of secret manuals. Once in the kitchen, he sat before the stove, tearing them up one by one and tossing them into the fire, watching them turn to ash.

”All done!” Third Lady ladled out the medicinal porridge and brought it over.

Fang Rui was still wondering how to explain the books he was burning. When he turned to look at Third Lady, however, he found that she was just holding the porridge and looking at him, completely oblivious to anything else.

’That expression... How could he describe it? Her eyes were luminous, and they saw only him.’

Meeting Third Lady’s gaze, Fang Rui could feel the deep love and adoration in those clear, limpid eyes—an affection so profound it felt like it could melt a man’s heart.

’No wonder they say a beautiful woman’s embrace is a hero’s tomb. When you meet a good woman—the right person—even the hardest steel will become pliant.’

Fang Rui’s heart overflowed with affection. He took the bowl, but instead of eating, he set it down on the countertop. Following his heart’s desire, he stepped forward and pressed his lips to Third Lady’s cherry-like mouth.

A moment later, Third Lady was panting, her limpid eyes fluttering and glistening like a clear autumn lake.

Fang Rui held Third Lady close, inhaling her fragrance, a scent like orchids and musk, and whispered in her ear, ”Third Sister, I want to see your Jade Pendant...”

...

While Fang Rui and Third Lady were lost in their tender moment—

「The Xia Family Estate.」

In the main hall, the Old Master of the Xia Family sat high in the seat of honor. Below him stood the descendants from the family’s various branches. The atmosphere was oppressive, the air heavy.

”Eldest,” the Old Master of the Xia Family began, his voice grave, ”the three brothers, Jing Yun, Jing Feng, and Jing Shuang. What did the forensic doctor’s examination reveal? Was their killer the same person who killed Chong Jihu, the Tiger Gang’s Leader, and Duan Lang, the Wild Wolf Gang’s Leader, last night?”

It had to be said: Fang Rui’s killing of the three Sixth Grade Martial Artist triplets was an extremely painful blow to the entire Xia Family.

In truth, had it been any other three Sixth Grade Martial Artists, the Xia Family would still have felt the loss, but not this acutely. No, these triplets were different.

They had been born into the Xia household as servants, so their loyalty was guaranteed. They had even been granted the Xia surname. The Xia Family had even planned to help the three of them advance to the Fifth Grade. At that level, if they attacked in concert, it was highly likely they could have tied down an ordinary Fourth Grade Martial Artist for a short time.

They were meant to be a trump card!

But with their deaths, the plan was over before it even began—stillborn.

The head of the first branch dared not delay and immediately replied, ”The forensic doctor’s autopsy report said the killer’s Swordsmanship is exquisite. Based on his years of experience, he estimates the culprit is a middle-aged man who lives a dangerous life—a member of the Fierce Bandits or an assassin...”

”I think that’s right. Nothing else would explain the killer’s Refined and Masterful Swordsmanship. However, he’s probably not the same person who killed Chong Jihu and Duan Lang last night. Those two were beaten to death with bare fists...”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t need to. There were no fools present.

Surely the person who killed Chong Jihu, the Tiger Gang’s Leader, and Duan Lang, the Wild Wolf Gang’s Leader, couldn’t have developed a Refined and Masterful Saber Technique in a single day, could he?

Did he hide it when facing Chong Jihu and Duan Lang? That didn’t make sense either. There was no need.

This meant that these two Fifth Grade Martial Artists were almost certainly two different people!

Of course, the label ”Fierce Bandits” alone wasn’t enough for anyone to connect the killer to the Taiping Bandits. After all, the Fifth Grade Martial Artists among the Taiping Bandits were all well-known individuals. Last night, they had been fighting alongside the Xia Family’s own Fifth Grade Martial Artists to wipe out the Lin Family’s Fifth Grade Martial Artists, giving them a solid alibi.

”Excellent! Just excellent!”

The Old Master of the Xia Family shot to his feet, his jet-black, dragon-headed cane striking the ground and shattering a large section of the wooden floor. ”First, there was the scheme with the wooden plank to take out my family’s Middle Grade Martial Artists! Now, two Fifth Grade fighters have popped out of nowhere! Is Changshan City some kind of phoenix nest? Why are all these ghouls and goblins crawling out of the woodwork?!”

”And you! On a normal day, don’t you all fancy yourselves so clever? So good at your internal squabbles? So how is it that so many experts can suddenly appear, and you’re all completely clueless? What good are any of you?!”

”Is Changshan City still our Xia Family’s Changshan City?!”

Faced with the Old Master’s tirade, the crowd all lowered their heads, silent as winter cicadas.

In truth, the Old Master’s rage wasn’t just because of this incident. A larger part of it stemmed from the Xia Family’s recent frustrations.

He had originally thought that after surrendering the city to the Taiping Bandits and suppressing the Lin Family, the Xia Family would become the sole power in all of Changshan City.

But to his surprise, it was a case of solving one problem only for another to arise. After the Taiping Bandits entered the city, they had seized control of all of Changshan City in just a few short days, squeezing the Xia Family’s influence until it was even less than before.

It was precisely because of this feeling of discontent that Lin Xiong’s final, desperate counterattack before his death was borne by Zuo Boyang, a Fourth Grade Martial Artist from the Rebel Army. This was likely no coincidence.

The Old Master of the Xia Family was old and cunning. He had subtly guided the situation, leading Zuo Boyang into a trap so cleverly that the man couldn’t even complain. He might even have to thank them for ”saving” him...

In short, the relationship between the Xia Family and the Taiping Bandits in Changshan City—especially after the annihilation of the Lin Family—was now extremely delicate.