I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 152: Chapter 66: High-Stakes Gamble

Blazing golden sunlight bathed the entirety of Changshan City, and the scattered, upturned eaves of its rooftops gleamed with specks of white light.

It was now morning.

But in the city, the doors of every household were shut tight. The streets were nearly deserted, save for the occasional patrolling figures of the Taiping Bandits’ governmental officers, making the city seem exceptionally empty and desolate.

An unnerving silence filled the air, broken only by the faint sound of crying drifting from some unknown place. It seemed both near and far, ethereal and sorrowful, chilling all who heard it to the bone.

This was Changshan City, shrouded under the shadow of the plague!

...

That morning, a governmental officer of the Taiping Bandits came by while distributing relief grain. He casually mentioned that over a thousand cases of plague had been discovered in the city, with a dozen or so in Willow Alley alone.

The situation was deteriorating rapidly!

’It’s spreading this fast?!’

Fang Rui’s heart skipped a beat.

Then, the Taiping Bandits’ governmental officer, Bailiff Wu, added, "Physician Fang, there’s another matter. Zhou Dashen from your alley... there is such a person, right? He reported to me that you were hoarding medicinal herbs and had the ability to treat the plague... But don’t worry, I’ve already dealt with him!"

Fang Rui had been allowed to keep a small amount of the medicinal herbs; this was something Bailiff Wu had permitted and fell within the unspoken rules—of course, it was just an unspoken rule.

For Zhou Dashen to report Fang Rui to Bailiff Wu was as good as reporting Bailiff Wu himself. It was like ramming one’s neck onto a blade—a death wish!

Besides, it wasn’t surprising that Fang Rui could cure a few individuals. With above-average Medical Skill and a bit of luck, it wasn’t a difficult feat.

However, Bailiff Wu also realized he might have misjudged Fang Rui’s Medical Skill. But since he was already mistaken, he decided to roll with it and do Fang Rui a favor in the process.

—in the current climate, befriending a Physician with decent Medical Skill was never a bad move!

’Zhou Dashen? Uncle Dashen’s family... It seems this is the fallout from the Da Muzi affair. But how did he find out?’

’Uncle Zao Hua is pretty tight-lipped, so it’s unlikely he leaked anything. He must have just happened to see it. But to report me? He dug his own grave!’

The Taiping Bandits’ governmental officers and constables in this area were all connected, forming a large network, and Fang Rui had done his fair share of greasing palms within it.

In other words, even if Zhou Dashen had reported him to a different governmental officer or constable, the outcome for such a "trivial matter" would have been exactly the same.

"Bailiff Wu, my thanks!"

Fang Rui didn’t ask how Bailiff Wu had "dealt with" the man, but since that was the word he used, it had surely been a clean job.

He took out some broken silver, an Insect-Repelling Medicine Pouch, a mask, and some Insect Repellent Powder as a reward, asking the bailiff to please let him know if any new information came to light.

"Say no more! Say no more!"

Bailiff Wu accepted the gifts and readily agreed. "It’s not just about news. If you’re ever short on supplies, Physician Fang, you can just tell me. I might not be able to help with much else, but I can certainly lend a hand in that department."

Seeing that Fang Rui was not only capable but also knew how to handle himself, Bailiff Wu became even more determined to stay on his good side and proactively offered his help.

"For now, my family has enough supplies. If I have need in the future, I will be sure to trouble you!"

If it had been any other family, one that complained about eating wheat bran and wanted Bailiff Wu to procure some scarce supplies, he might not have given them the time of day, even if they begged and paid a hefty price.

But for someone as valuable as Fang Rui, he didn’t even have to ask; people would proactively offer to help—even though the Fang Family wasn’t short on such things to begin with.

Reality was like that: for the rich, fate would make you richer; for the poor, fate would take the very last large coin from your pocket.

He watched Bailiff Wu leave.

Fang Rui disinfected the relief grain left outside the door with a special medicinal powder before bringing it inside.

...

Not long after Bailiff Wu had left.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Outside, amidst the striking of a gong, the voice of the Night Watchman suddenly rang out, relaying an edict from the Taiping Bandits: "The plague is rampant, and the situation in the city is dire! Everyone is to stay in their homes and not go outside! Violators will be..."

At the window.

Fang Rui watched everything unfold, his gaze somber. "The situation is so dire that it’s come to this? An iron fist is needed already?"

The Taiping Bandits had implemented some benevolent policies recently, but that didn’t mean they were harmless saints. After all, when they first took the city, all the remaining refugees had ’disappeared’!

Now that the situation in the city was dire and the need had arisen, the Taiping Bandits were naturally baring their fangs once more.

Of course, if the Great Yu Government Office were in charge, they probably would have resorted to an iron fist as well. They just might not have had the power to enforce it.

...

The Fang Family.

Originally, after learning that Fang Rui could treat infected patients, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady had been quite relieved.

But that morning, between the Night Watchman’s periodic announcements of the "Rebel Army’s orders" from outside and the faint sobbing that hung in the air, they could no longer feel at ease in such an oppressive environment.

Even the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, were affected by the tense atmosphere, playing their animal chess with distracted minds.

Throughout the morning, Fang Rui checked the pulses of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan every hour, diagnosing them to see if they were infected or in the incubation period.

Fortunately, perhaps because his thorough precautions had cut off the paths of transmission, all four of them remained safe and sound.

...

「After lunch.」

Bailiff Wu arrived again to deliver the latest news: several hundred new plague cases had been confirmed in the city that morning.

After seeing Bailiff Wu off,

a shadow fell over Fang Rui’s heart. ’In a fallen nest, no egg remains unbroken,’ he thought. ’If this continues, if the plague is allowed to spread on a large scale, can my family truly remain safe on our own?’

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