Chapter 100 - 47: Tragic Sight (2)

Chapter 100: Chapter 47: Tragic Sight (2)

In all honesty, there wasn’t much for them to gain—just a little pocket money. After all, what did the common folk have that was worth robbing?

It was less about profit and more about venting their own violent urges.

"You have a point, Brother Jiang. They’re just a bunch of cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. What is there to gain from the common folk? The real prize is in the hands of the great families!"

Fang Rui disdained bullying the weak. Besides, he had no interest in the paltry scraps held by the common people, so he would never stoop to their level.

He even sneered at them with contempt.

"Indeed. The great families in the city are the ones who are truly rolling in it! But for now, their power hasn’t been diminished much. Even those with ambitions wouldn’t dare make a reckless move... otherwise, it would be suicide!"

Jiang Ping’an saw the situation clearly. "The way I see it, the smarter players will probably wait until after the city falls. Only then will they swoop in to pick the bones clean and reap the rewards!"

"Will you make a move then, Brother Fang?"

"You must be joking, Brother Jiang. Someone like me is too small to be fighting over scraps with those powerful figures."

Fang Rui shook his head. "In times like these, it’s better to be cautious. Survival is all that matters."

’The main reason is that aside from Tribulation Points, there’s nothing I’m really desperate for right now.’

"Haha, you always like to play down your strengths!"

Jiang Ping’an laughed and pointed at Fang Rui, then dropped the subject.

’Brother Jiang is a perceptive man. He’s probably seen something and guesses I’m an Eighth or Seventh Grade Martial Artist. Of course, even he wouldn’t dare to imagine I’m a Middle Grade Martial Artist...’

Fang Rui mused to himself, then waved his hand. "Enough about that. Brother Jiang, do you have any news about the situation outside the city?"

"I know a little."

Jiang Ping’an nodded gravely. "This morning, the Taiping Bandits first launched a surprise attack with a wave of their experts, but they were repelled by the combined forces of the two great families, other prominent households, and the official Martial Artists..."

"After that, the Taiping Bandits forced the refugees they’d captured to storm the walls like a swarm of ants... The situation is a stalemate, and it’s a bloody scene!"

This was the kind of news he could only get because he had business to attend to outside and had a few connections.

"Is that so?"

Fang Rui frowned. "So they’ve truly clashed. Now that the city’s forces have spilled the blood of the Taiping Bandits, this won’t end easily."

"If the city falls, I’m afraid Li Xuantong will let his army run rampant and slaughter at will. If his losses are too great and the siege drags on, I wouldn’t be surprised if he just burns the city to the ground, creating a new wave of refugees to swell his ranks!"

"To be even more pessimistic, a full-blown massacre isn’t out of the question..."

Unleashing the bandit army, giving them free rein to kill; or burning Changshan City to create more refugees.

He wasn’t afraid of those possibilities. What he feared was... a massacre.

Against an organized army of that scale, even as a Middle Grade Martial Artist, he couldn’t face them head-on. He could protect himself at best, but Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the Third Lady... he feared for them.

"Hm? You really think things through, Brother Fang!"

A chill went down Jiang Ping’an’s spine. "But letting the bandit army loose, giving them free rein with their blades, or more ruthlessly, burning Changshan City to the ground—that should be the limit..."

"Of course, even if either of those things happens, it won’t be easy for any of us."

"As for a massacre?"

He frowned. "Given the Taiping Bandits’ level of discipline, I doubt they could pull it off. Forcing them to do it would be a difficult, thankless task that would incite fierce resistance and likely cause heavy losses for their own army. Li Xuantong is a smart man; he wouldn’t be so blinded by greed as to make such a foolish move."

"That’s true. I was thinking the same thing."

Fang Rui relaxed slightly. "I believe the key to defending the city lies with the Lin and Xia Families. But if the situation gets dire, there’s no guarantee they won’t have a change of heart..."

For the great families, defending the city and waiting for the Government Soldiers to arrive was obviously the best option. But if the Taiping Bandits broke through the city walls before the soldiers got here, their entire clans would likely be annihilated.

The alternative was to collude with the Taiping Bandits and surrender the city, but that would also be a painful sacrifice.

In short, they were caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Indeed. But small fries like us can’t influence the decisions of those two great families. There’s nothing we can do but leave it to fate..."

Jiang Ping’an sighed. "I’ve dealt with those great families over the years, and I know their type... They seem polite and refined, but they’re arrogant to the core. If you don’t have the strength or status to match theirs, you might not even get to see them, let alone have them listen to your opinions..."

It’s the same in any era. Even the most enlightened nobles who are willing to be courteous to men of talent still require you to actually *be* a man of talent.

"True."

Fang Rui recalled his meeting with Third Young Master Lin. The man hadn’t been spoiled or overbearing, but the arrogance in his bones was impossible to hide.

’If my true strength were revealed, I could probably interact with a great family like that on equal footing. That’s the foundation, the leverage needed to influence the situation.’

’The key to defending the city lies with the Lin and Xia Families, and the key to breaking this deadlock also lies with them. There might be some room to maneuver there...’

’No, what am I thinking about this for? It’s none of my business. The Taiping Bandits are the ones who should be worried. What if this drags on until the Government Soldiers arrive...’

Fang Rui shook his head, casting the thoughts aside, and began to eat, grabbing large portions of the dishes.

Speaking of which, Jiang Ping’an wasn’t holding back at all. He used his chopsticks to grab big pieces of cured meat, chewing with gusto until his mouth was glistening with grease.

—Of course, this was also proof of how close their relationship had become. For people like them, being overly polite meant they didn’t yet consider you a true friend.

"You’re quick, Brother Jiang!"

"You’re not slow yourself, Brother Fang!"

"Haha!"

Amid their playful competition, the food seemed to grow even more fragrant. The two men’s laughter mingled with the light filtering through the dappled willow leaves, shimmering together like scattered pieces of gold.

...

After lunch, Jiang Ping’an left in a hurry to resume his patrol duty on the streets.

Sister-in-law Jiang, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya remained behind.

「In the afternoon.」

The chaos in the city continued. The air was filled with a cacophony of curses, cries, the sounds of smashing and looting, and the faint shouts of battle from the direction of the city gate.

The courtyard where Fang Rui was staying remained largely peaceful.

Why "largely"?

Because in the middle of the afternoon, two more groups of thugs had shown up, one after the other. Fang Rui broke their arms and legs and tossed them back outside.

After that, it was completely quiet.

A scare without the danger... actually, to be precise, it wasn’t even a scare.

Just as Fang Rui and Jiang Ping’an had discussed, the ones causing trouble right now were mostly local thugs. The common people were the ones suffering, while the city’s great families and other powerful households remained largely untouched.

Fang Rui sat in the main hall of the front courtyard, reading a medical text.

In the back courtyard, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, the Third Lady, and Sister-in-law Jiang were doing needlework and chatting idly. The children—Nannan, Fang Ling, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya—were playing nearby.

The afternoon passed by in a flash.

...

In the evening, Jiang Ping’an returned to Fang Rui’s courtyard to pick up Sister-in-law Jiang, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya.

He didn’t have to continue patrolling the streets at night, as his shift had ended. It seemed the Lord County Magistrate wasn’t trying to work his men to death, after all.

Over at Fang Rui’s place, after dinner, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the Third Lady brought up the idea of returning to Willow Alley.

"Brother Rui," Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family began, "the food stores here at the Third Lady’s place are mostly wheat bran. There isn’t much Sorghum Flour, and almost no cornmeal. Why don’t we make a trip back to Willow Alley and bring over some more of our finer grains, like the cornmeal and Sorghum Flour?"

"Auntie is right," the Third Lady added. "We left in such a hurry last night, there were a lot of little things we didn’t have time to grab. If we go back now, we can bring everything at once..."

"Alright, let’s all go together."

After a moment’s thought, Fang Rui agreed.

He had considered leaving Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, the Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan at Jiang Ping’an’s house and asking him to look after them.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

—Jiang Ping’an’s skills were decent, but only for an ordinary person. He wasn’t even an Entry Grade Martial Artist. Even with a Waist Saber in hand, his strength was limited.

If anything were to happen, it would be too late for regrets.

That’s why he’d rather go through the trouble of taking Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the Third Lady with him.

...