I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 234: Chapter 95: Drastic Change (Part 3)

At night, the garden was a blaze of light, illuminating the exquisite scenery. It shone like a dazzling pearl, bright enough to rival the moon in the sky.

But on this very night—

From a hidden chamber in the garden’s center, an illusory, date-sized flower would occasionally drift out. The flower was grayish-green and nearly transparent, giving off an ethereal and sinister aura.

Most of these flowers dissipated into nothingness after floating a short distance.

Only a few of the illusory flowers would come into contact with the servants of Nanshan Garden. These servants would drop dead in an instant, a crimson, fleshy flower sprouting from their foreheads while a bizarre smile remained frozen on their faces.

...

”Chief, another missing person case!” Li Dadan announced as he entered.

”Just leave the file.”

Fang Rui pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a surge of irritation.

As the head of a Branch Office of the Divine Capture Bureau, he was keenly aware of the city’s shifting atmosphere. It felt as if a dark undercurrent had suddenly begun to surge, making everything treacherous and unpredictable.

Most importantly, the change had been completely unforeseen, catching everyone off guard.

BOOM!

Outside the window, thunder cracked and lightning split the sky. Dark clouds loomed low as a gale suddenly erupted.

”Sigh!”

Fang Rui stood at the window, listening to the howling wind, and let out a sudden sigh. ”A storm is brewing.”

「Not long after.」

ROAR!

Outside, a torrential downpour began, with none of the gentle persistence of a spring shower.

...

Through the downpour, Fang Rui took a carriage back to the Fang Mansion.

He had been too busy at the Government Office to get away. Forget leaving early as usual; even a slacker like him had to start working overtime.

By this time, the two girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, were already home. Dinner was even mostly ready, kept warm in the kitchen, waiting for Fang Rui to return so they could all eat together.

During dinner, Fang Rui mentioned the infants and children who had gone missing in the city, then asked the two girls, ”Ling’er, Nannan, how about you two take some time off from the academy for a while?”

”Oh?!”

Fang Ling looked up. ”Brother, do we really have to take time off?”

”If we’re out for too long, we’ll fall behind,” Nannan muttered softly.

Clearly, the two girls weren’t keen on the idea.

They used to hate the idea of school, but they had since discovered that being surrounded by friends with so many playmates was, in some ways, more fun than staying home. Now, they were reluctant to miss it.

”Listen to the grown-ups.” Third Lady shot them a look, and Fang Ling and Nannan instantly bowed their heads obediently.

”That’s right! Your safety is the most important thing. You need to take this seriously,” Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family said gravely.

Having spent so much time with Fang Rui, both Third Lady and Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had picked up his cautious nature.

”Mother, Third Sister, it might not be that dire. The girls’ academy is a special case; the culprits might not dare target it. Most importantly...”

Fang Rui paused. ”If Ling’er and Nannan really want to keep going, I’ll make sure they are well-protected.”

’The Killing Bat is ugly, and the girls can’t stand it, but they can take the Jade Snake. And there are the Black King Bees, paired with my specially made powder.

’Add the Phoenix-tailed Swallow to the mix, and even a Fifth Grade Martial Artist could be killed in an instant if caught off guard in an ambush.

’Plus, I can dispatch a few constables to keep an eye on things.

’What’s that? Abusing my authority for personal matters?

’That sounds so crass. A better way to put it is: ”Laying a trap for official business, and bravely using bait to lure out the criminals.”’

’With Exotic Beasts, constables, and other measures, they’ll have layers of protection. I can be almost certain nothing will go wrong,’ Fang Rui thought.

After dinner, he returned to his room.

Standing before the window, Fang Rui gazed out at the downpour for a long while. A thought suddenly struck him. ’Perhaps it’s time to break through to Second Grade!’

At this thought, he gently closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the point of light in the upper-left corner of his vision. A panel lit up like starlight.

...