I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 214: Chapter 89: Pure Land

The next morning, the heavy snow that had fallen for days finally broke. The sky was a pristine, clear blue, and long-awaited sunlight spilled down, tinting the snow on the flying eaves and roof corners a soft pink in the dawn’s glow.

”What a beautiful start to the day!”

Fang Rui rose from bed, refreshed and full of vigor. He pushed open the window, letting the crisp, fresh air rush in.

Behind him, within the pink gauze bed-curtains, Liu Pan’er drifted back to sleep, utterly spent after a round of morning exercise, with a tear clinging to the corner of her eye.

He glanced back at the familiar face on the bed and felt a novel sense of wonder, as if a dream from a past life had finally come true.

He went out and instructed a young maid not to disturb them and to prepare some food.

He made his way to the central courtyard.

”Qing Yun, who upset you? Pouting so early in the morning, you could hang an oil bottle from that lip of yours. Come, help your master wash his face,” Fang Rui said with a laugh.

”Yes, Master!”

Qing Yun curtsied. Her lively, jet-black eyes darted about before she took the towel. Extending a delicate, slender hand, she gave Fang Rui’s face a vigorous scrub.

”PFFT!”

Fang Rui sputtered, blowing bubbles like a goldfish. ”Qing Yun, why are you using so much force? Are you washing my face or scrubbing a rag?”

”Hee hee!”

Qing Yun stuck out her tongue and, as if afraid Fang Rui would chase her, clutched her bottom and ran off.

’That girl... weaponizing her cuteness. Oh, well.’ Fang Rui shook his head with an amused smile, preparing to do it himself.

”Master, allow me,”

Bai Shao approached from the side, carrying a water kettle. She took over the half-finished task from Qing Yun and gently continued to help Fang Rui wash his face.

”You’re still the most considerate one, Bai Shao. That girl Qing Yun is just like a child—so mischievous.”

”Master, Qing Yun is just upset with herself for being beaten to the punch!” Bai Shao, ever so eloquent, chose this moment to explain on Qing Yun’s behalf, fearing Fang Rui might hold a grudge. Perhaps she even hoped to play matchmaker and help things along.

”So that’s how it is. That girl...”

Fang Rui shook his head and chuckled. ”When I get back tonight, we’ll see if I don’t give her a spanking!”

Just then, the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, came skipping over, the pigtails on their heads bobbing with every bounce.

”Brother, you big sleepyhead, you’re up so late!”

”Yeah! Yeah! We’ve already memorized a whole poem!”

”We wanted to come wake you up, but Mother wouldn’t let us and even scolded us...”

”That’s right! That’s right!”

...

For once, Fang Rui felt a rare blush creep across his face.

’He had been in the middle of his ’morning exercise’ earlier. Was that something they could just interrupt?’

During breakfast, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the Third Lady both looked perfectly normal, yet Fang Rui couldn’t shake the feeling that their gazes were a little off. ’Or maybe I just have a guilty conscience?’

He hastily finished his meal, took the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, and left in the carriage.

...

After dropping Fang Ling and Nannan off at the girls’ academy, he headed for the Government Office.

”Chief, we have a big problem!”

Before Fang Rui could even sit down for a cup of tea, Xun Buhe appeared with a grave expression. ”The Flower Thief we caught last night,” he reported, ”turns out to be Kang Huaifeng, a former Golden Seal Renowned Hunter from the neighboring Mansion. He suffered a severe injury in the line of duty that damaged his foundation, causing him to regress to the Sixth Grade...”

Within the Divine Capture Bureau, ranks below the Sixth Grade—such as governmental officers, constables, and Chief Constables—all wear a Copper Seal. Only upon reaching the Sixth Grade can one potentially become a Silver Seal Chief Constable. As for a Golden Seal Renowned Hunter, Fifth Grade strength is the absolute minimum requirement.

Above that is the Fourth Grade Jade Seal Divine Hunter.

And higher still?

That would be the Director of a Mansion’s Divine Capture Bureau, a position completely beyond the limits of a Chief Constable.

”A Golden Seal Renowned Hunter?! Old Gou, what’s the panic? The sky isn’t falling!”

Fang Rui was perfectly calm. ’So what if he was a former Golden Seal Renowned Hunter? What’s there to be afraid of?’

”No wonder he was never caught...”

he murmured, most of the questions in his mind instantly answered.

The man was a former Golden Seal Renowned Hunter with extensive investigation experience. How could an ordinary constable or Chief Constable possibly have captured him?

Besides, the case of a Flower Thief was... how to put it? Not a major crime, but not a minor one either. Alerting a Silver Seal Chief Constable was the most one could expect.

If it were reported further up the chain, the higher-ups would likely ignore it and blame their subordinates for being useless.

Seeing Fang Rui’s calm expression, Xun Buhe relaxed and continued with a sly grin, ”Later, for some unknown reason, this Kang Huaifeng had a complete change of heart, quit his post at the Divine Capture Bureau, and became a Flower Thief instead. He roamed across several Mansions without ever being caught...”

”If he hadn’t run into you, Chief, he’d probably still be at large! By the way, word of your swift and decisive actions last night has spread throughout all the young masters’ circles in the city. Your reputation has soared!”

Perhaps influenced by Niu Bajin, Xun Buhe had also taken a liking to flattery recently.

”It’s just an empty reputation.”

Fang Rui waved his hand dismissively, but his eyes locked onto Xun Buhe. ”This Kang Huaifeng... had a change of heart for some unknown reason? Old Gou, were you unable to interrogate it out of him? Or did you not want to?”

”Heh heh, you have a discerning eye, Chief. It’s just that... some secrets are things a humble man like me doesn’t dare to hear, let alone know! That kind of knowledge can get you killed.”

A wistful look appeared on Xun Buhe’s face. ”This Old Xun of yours just wants to live, to live a good, long life. So, it’s better to know less!”

”You old sly fox... Fine.”

Fang Rui cursed him with a laugh, waving his hand to show he wouldn’t press the matter. Instead, he rubbed his chin and suddenly asked an entirely different question, ”How did that Kang Huaifeng fool the Chunfeng Building? If I remember correctly, don’t the girls there perform an inspection? That takes some real skill!”

”Ahem!”

Xun Buhe felt as if he had choked. ’This is what the Chief is focused on?’

But, speaking of which...

His expression turned peculiar. ”That Kang Huaifeng practices a Secret Technique called Shrinking Eggs into the Belly. Do you... need it, Chief? I did manage to get the details of that technique out of him.”