Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Phantom Dragon Street

“Be good. I’m heading out to deal with something important,” Fang Chen said.

“Big brother, we haven’t gone out together for many years now. I still remember how we used to sneak out together to buy candied hawthorns…” Fang Zhixue protested with tearful eyes.

Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Yu awkwardly looked away.

“Ah…” Now that I think about it, I haven’t been out with Zhixue for years. Fang Chen eventually relented with a nod. “All right, you may tag along, but you’ll have to listen to me. I have work to do.”

“Hooray! Let’s go!” Fang Zhixue’s tears immediately evaporated. She grabbed Fang Chen’s arm and merrily skipped around as if she had picked up ten gold taels.

Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Yu couldn’t believe how fast her expression changed.

“My apologies for that,” Fang Chen said.

“Of course not, of course not!” Yuan Zhuang hurriedly waved his hand.

War God Fang is surprisingly courteous, Yuan Yu thought.

As soon as the four of them stepped out of the Fang Manor, they saw Xu Ge waiting outside for them with a carriage.

Great Xia’s capital was divided into the inner city and the outer city, and the outer city consisted of thirty streets.

Their destination was the outer city’s Phantom Dragon Street. It was located near the suburbs, next to the east city gate, where Fang Canghai was now stationed.

“Young master, I’ll have to ask you to bear with the poor conditions at Phantom Dragon Street. That area hasn’t been peaceful recently. Why don’t Yuan Yu and I head down to investigate while you remain on the carriage?” Yuan Zhuang suggested.

As they approached Phantom Dragon Street, the surrounding buildings became increasingly decrepit, forming a stark contrast to the inner city’s prosperity. The civilians they met along the way wore tattered clothes, and their eyes looked glazed.

And we’re still in the capital. What about the civilians outside the capital? Fang Chen sighed.

He had once sworn to change this, only to realize it was more difficult than he thought. It was impossible to pull it off by himself. Even so, he had never once thought of giving up!

“I’m already here. Let’s go down together,” Fang Chen said with a smile. “You don’t have to worry about me. Do you take me to be a sheltered noble who has never seen dirt?”

Yuan Zhuang belatedly remembered that he was in the presence of the War God who had torn countless enemies apart. From poor camping conditions to a shortage of military rations, he had been through more difficulties than most people did in their lifetime. How could he be intimidated by this?

“Young master, we’re here,” Xu Ge’s voice echoed outside as the carriage stalled to a halt.

Fang Chen brought Fang Zhixue down the carriage, and Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Yu followed them.

Nearby civilians looked at them with curious eyes. It was rare for one to be dressed so dignified in Phantom Dragon Street. However, their eyes narrowed in wariness upon noticing Yuan Yu’s constable uniform, and they quickly averted their eyes and rushed off.

Before them was a tattered house. An ajar door hung limply on its hinge, unable to be shut.

“Big brother, what are we doing here?” Fang Zhixue asked.

“Lord Yuan is here to investigate a case. We’re here to take a look,” Fang Chen replied.

“Investigate a case?!” Fang Zhixue’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“Listen to my instructions and don’t move recklessly.” Fang Chen knocked her head.

He gestured to Yuan Zhuang to knock on the door. It would be rude of them to enter without the master’s permission even though the door was open.

“Who is it?” an old voice echoed, followed by a couple of coughs.

“Madam Wu! It’s me, Yuan Zhuang!” Yuan Zhuang shouted.

“Lord Yuan?! Quick, quick, come in! Pardon me not for getting up to welcome you. My body hasn’t been doing well recently.” The old woman’s voice conspicuously became more agitated.

The crowd entered the house. It was dark inside, and in its narrow space was a broken bed, a broken table, and a few broken chairs. The old woman lying on the broken bed was trying to get up with great difficulty.

Yuan Zhuang quickly rushed forward to support her.

The old woman grabbed Yuan Zhuang’s arm and asked with a quivering voice, “Lord Yuan, is there news about my son and my daughter?”

Her grayish-white eyes resembled Fang Chen’s. She was blind too.

Fang Zhi felt a lump in her throat.

“Well…” Yuan Zhuang looked a little awkward. The old woman still didn’t know that Supervisor Li Huafeng of the Court of Great Brilliance had already closed the case.

“Madam Wu, are you willing to report this case at the Court of Great Brilliance?” Fang Chen suddenly asked.

The old woman was taken aback. She had a lost look on her face as she said, “How do I report the case when I’m illiterate?”

“I can have someone write the case down for you and deliver it to the Court of Great Brilliance,” Fang Chen said.

Yuan Zhuang hesitantly glanced at Fang Chen. It won’t work. Supervisor Li Huafeng has already closed the case. It’ll only draw his ire if we report it again.

“The lord from the Court of Great Brilliance told me my son and daughter eloped after stealing the Vice Minister of Rites’ valuables? Who am I supposed to report?” the old woman grumbled.

“That’s true.” Fang Chen nodded. He looked around the room before turning to Yuan Zhuang. “Let’s go.”

Yuan Zhuang was startled. Did we come all the way here just for this?

However, Fang Chen had already walked out, so he quickly entrusted the old woman with a silver tael and bade farewell to her before hurriedly following suit. Outside, he saw Fang Chen whispering something to Xu Ge, and the latter nodded before taking his leave.

Yuan Yu discreetly tugged Yuan Zhuang’s sleeves and asked, “Cousin, why did we come here?”

“Shush,” Yuan Zhuang told her. He walked up to Fang Chen and asked with a suppressed tone, “War God Fang, are we returning now?”

“Didn’t you notice something amiss?” Fang Chen looked at the tattered house contemplatively.

“Amiss? What’s amiss about this house?” Yuan Zhuang asked.

“Big brother, that grandma is blind, right? She’s ill, and she doesn’t have her children to take care of her. How is she going to survive?” Fang Zhixue said worriedly.

Fang Chen nodded. “Indeed. It’s a wonder how she survived the last two years.”

“War God Fang?!” Yuan Zhuang was taken aback.

“Did you notice? That old woman was clean despite being dressed in rags. Algae was growing on the door, a sign that no one had entered or left the house for a long time,” Fang Chen said.

“Madam Wu is unwell, so she spends most of her time in bed…” Yuan Zhuang murmured.

“But someone has to deliver food to her, right? Her offspring aren’t by her side now. It would be hard for her to survive a winter without any relatives to look after her,” Fang Chen pointed out.

Yuan Zhuang was stunned. Indeed, something is amiss now that I think about it.

Just then, a group of ferocious-looking people suddenly headed in their way. They revealed vicious smiles when they saw Fang Chen’s group, and they began marching over.

“What a beautiful lady! Hehehe!” The leader of the group looked at Fang Zhixue and laughed eerily.