"Fuck, Boss, wait..."
...
All Fang Rui saw was the gang of thugs behind him scattering, running for their lives as if chased by dogs, tumbling over each other in a mad panic.
He didn’t bother to chase them.
It was as he’d thought before: these small-time thugs weren’t worth his time.
"Time to go."
Fang Rui strode forward, blood-stained machete in hand, and headed straight for Sweet Water Well Alley.
The fierce night wind rustled the Ge Cloth of his mask but couldn’t dispel the terrifying Evil Qi clinging to him. Both men and ghosts recoiled wherever he passed.
...
「Back at Sweet Water Well Alley.」
The machete was gone from Fang Rui’s hand—he’d found a place to hide it. The stench of blood on his clothes had mostly dissipated as well.
He rubbed his face, forcing a smile to soften his expression.
He went straight to the cellar and moved the huge boulder aside.
"Is everyone okay?" Fang Rui asked.
"We’re fine. With your fearsome reputation, Brother Fang, none of the local thugs dare to come here. How could anything happen?!"
Jiang Ping’an shook his head and smiled. Because he had to report for duty on the city walls the next day, he only chatted with Fang Rui for a moment before hastily taking his leave with Sister-in-law Jiang, Niu Dun, and Xiaodouya.
He went back inside with Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Nannan, and Fang Ling. Once the fire was lit, the room filled with the warmth and life of its occupants. Watching the four of them, all safe, Fang Rui’s gaze gradually softened.
After washing up, they all went to their own rooms.
Fang Rui still shared a room with Fang Ling and Nannan, telling them stories for a while to lull the two little girls to sleep.
After they were asleep, he lay with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling beams. He replayed the night’s events in his mind, running another Inference to confirm the potential impact of his actions.
’Tonight, I sent that wooden plank to the Xia Family... By carving the words with my Power, I revealed myself as a Middle Grade Martial Artist. That gives me the standing to negotiate! It’s the lever that will shift the balance of power!’
’If an ordinary person, or even an Eighth or Seventh Grade Martial Artist, had gone to the Xia Family with such a message, they would have paid it little heed. They would have just assumed it was a trick being played by a disposable pawn from another great family, or even from the Taiping Bandits.’
’But when a Middle Grade Martial Artist—a major figure with one foot already in the top echelons of Changshan County—speaks, his words carry a completely different weight.’
—Throughout all of Changshan County, the number of Middle Grade Martial Artists is limited and known. Every one of them is renowned. They can even engage with the great Lin and Xia Families on more or less equal terms.
’Even among the Taiping Bandits outside the city, such an individual would be a major leader. And every one of them is watched by spies from the city’s factions, making it practically impossible for them to sneak inside.’
’Therefore, when a previously unknown Middle Grade Martial Artist like me suddenly appears to deliver this message, it has a certain credibility, regardless of whether I have a grudge against the Lin Family or some other motive.’
’And if this news is true—that the Lin Family plans to surrender the city and let the Taiping Bandits in... after the bandit army enters, they’ll be looking for plunder. For the sake of making a grand gesture to win over others, they can’t very well touch the Lin Family. So, who will they go after?’
The answer is obvious: they’ll slaughter the fat pig, the Xia Family!
That is a consequence the Xia Family absolutely cannot bear.
’So, what will the Xia Family do once they receive my "warning"?’
’Fight the Lin Family to the death before the city walls are breached? Unlikely. Truth be told, the Xia Family is actually a bit weaker than the Lin Family.’
’The strongest combatants in both the Lin and Xia Families are only in the Middle Three Grades, though I don’t know if they’re Fifth Grade or Fourth... I’ve heard that the Xia Family’s old patriarch is much older, which puts them at a disadvantage... and that means they’re more likely to take a desperate gamble... That’s why I chose the Xia Family...’
’As I see it, the Xia Family’s most probable course of action is to make a preemptive move: surrender the city to the Taiping Bandits themselves and sell out the Lin Family in the process!’
This was a very real possibility!
’If I’m not mistaken, powerful families like the Lin and Xia have long been preparing their escape routes and already have some contact with the Taiping Bandits outside the walls...’
Of course, the Taiping Bandits outside the city are also divided into factions, so they might not even be in contact with the same group... Furthermore, information like this is kept top secret, so the Lin and Xia Families would have no idea about each other’s progress...
Fang Rui’s actions were like adding a powerful catalyst to the Xia Family’s dealings with the Taiping Bandits.
’If the Xia Family acts as I expect and surrenders the city... then when the Taiping Bandits enter, Brother Jiang won’t have to serve on the walls anymore. Unaffiliated Martial Artists like me will no longer need to worry about being press-ganged by the powerful families... I might even get news of my father...’
And even if things didn’t go as Fang Rui planned—even if the Xia Family didn’t believe his ’warning’—it would still plant a thorn of suspicion in their minds. When the situation deteriorated further, that suspicion was bound to erupt.
And what if the Xia Family showed the plank to the Lin Family to prove their loyalty?
The Xia Family wouldn’t do that unless they were fools.
And even if they did, would the Lin Family believe it? No. In fact, their suspicion of the Xia Family might grow even stronger, prompting them to take drastic action and make the rumor a reality themselves.
’It’s a dark forest. Once the chain of suspicion has begun, denial is useless. The inevitable result is the fall of one side.’
’Man proposes, heaven disposes. Lin Family, Xia Family... I’ve made my move. Now, let’s see how you respond.’
Fang Rui had lit the fuse and walked away. All that was left was to wait and watch events unfold.
Regardless of the outcome, it was a no-lose situation for him.
’The best part is... it’s all gain, no pain. Neither the Lin nor the Xia Family is any good. Both are on my list. The only question now is, which one will fall?’
’Most likely, the Lin Family will be the one to suffer...’
A look of anticipation flickered in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’Perhaps, before long, I’ll have the chance to settle the score with that Third Young Master Lin...’
As his thoughts raced, he found he was no longer sleepy. He sat up and began refining the Power he had consumed during the earlier fight.
「A short while later.」
His Power was restored to Perfection, but it came at a cost. Fang Rui’s face was pale, as though he were recovering from a serious illness, and his stomach began to RUMBLE loudly.
’Time to get something to eat.’
Fang Rui got out of bed, crept quietly out the door, and went to the kitchen. He started a fire to heat up some leftovers from that evening.