'What other reason could there be?'
The refugees had left, reducing True Martial County's troubles, but Qin Fang's were far from over.
The threat from the Iron Tiger Gang was real, hanging over his head like a sword.
If Wang Long and his men had died in the refugee riots, everything would be fine.
But if they were still alive…
They would, one hundred percent, come looking for him.
After all, to them, he was a source of an 'unknown amount of gold leaves'!
Given the greed of Wang Long and his men, they would never let him go.
Naturally, Qin Fang had to prepare in advance. At the very least, he needed to know what he was up against.
Qin Fang didn't explain his reasons in detail, only saying that he'd heard about it from Old Wu.
The simple-minded Zhang Hao didn't overthink it. He had been chatting with Qin Fang frequently and had come to see him as a friend.
"The Iron Tiger Gang is a small gang in True Martial County. They've organized eighty or ninety of the county's ruffians and hooligans. I hear they often cause trouble in the villages and towns below, and they even started some so-called Fishermen's Gang to constantly harass the fishermen."
As Zhang Hao spoke of them, his eyes showed a mix of disgust and fear.
"The Gang Leader's name is Wang Hu. I hear he's a registered Martial Artist with a formidable Anjin Cultivation. He's considered a major figure in the county. They also say he has connections at the Government Office... so even though they do all sorts of evil, as long as the victims don't bring their complaints to the Government Office Entrance, the Officials there couldn't care less."
Zhang Hao said, shaking his head.
Qin Fang latched onto a key detail.
"Anjin?"
Zhang Hao stared blankly for a moment before explaining, "You've never practiced Martial Arts, have you? Anyone who has knows about Mingjin, Anjin, and Huajin. They're Realms in the cultivation of Martial Arts."
"I'm not too clear on the specifics since I haven't started practicing Martial Arts myself. I only know about these Realms from what I've heard. But I do know how powerful an Anjin expert is."
He made a circle with his arms to indicate the size. "A tree this thick... an Anjin Martial Artist can just tap it lightly, looking like they didn't use any strength at all, and punch a huge hole right through it! It's terrifying!"
Qin Fang's pupils contracted at his words.
'That powerful?'
Based on his gesture, the tree he was describing had to be at least twenty centimeters in diameter!
'Piercing it with a light, effortless palm strike?'
'What kind of Penetration Power and destructive force would that require?'
'The Martial Arts of this World... can actually do that?'
'Is this a movie?'
Seeing Qin Fang's disbelief, Zhang Hao's eyes widened. "It's true! I saw it with my own two eyes! Our Huichun Hall's Commander Wu demonstrated it for us once. I was right there! The tree is still in the back courtyard. If you don't believe me, I can take you to see it!"
Hearing him speak with such conviction, Qin Fang was inclined to believe him.
His mind began to race…
'It seems the Martial Arts of this World... are truly astonishing!'
"So what's your Cultivation level?"
Qin Fang asked Zhang Hao out of curiosity.
Zhang Hao paused, then scratched his head in embarrassment. "I haven't officially started my cultivation yet either..."
Seeing Qin Fang's surprise, he quickly added, "But it'll be soon! We Huichun Hall disciples can train right here. Once you get into the Inner Hall, you can learn Martial Arts, and it only costs thirty silver... If an outsider wanted to learn Martial Arts at our Huichun Hall, we wouldn't even take them!"
"Don't think that just because Huichun Hall isn't a dojo, we're weak. In terms of strength, our Martial Arts Apprentices are no worse than those from the True Martial Dojo!"
He said with a proud look on his face, "I'm saving up now. It won't be long before I have enough, and then I can officially start practicing Martial Arts!"
As he said this, the anticipation in his eyes grew even stronger.
It was clear he was incredibly eager to learn Martial Arts.
Qin Fang's eyes flickered.
'Mingjin, Anjin, Huajin…'
'It sounds amazing.'
'I wonder if my Golden Finger can help me with cultivation?'
'But... it should be helpful, right?'
'After all, there's the example of the Dagger Skill.'
"Do you know Wang Long?"
Qin Fang temporarily suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and asked another question.
"Wang Long? Of course, I know him. He's Wang Hu's older brother. That guy throws his weight around True Martial County, riding his brother's coattails... He's the absolute worst!"
At the mention of Wang Long, Zhang Hao's face immediately twisted in disgust.
But Qin Fang's heart sank.
'Wang Hu's older brother?'
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, "Do you know if... anything happened to the Iron Tiger Gang during the refugee riots?"
Zhang Hao scoffed, "Happen to them? Hmph, what could possibly happen to them? Those thugs bully the weak and fear the strong. They're a public menace, but they're notoriously slippery! The day the trouble started, they vanished without a trace, who knows where they hid. But now that the refugees have retreated... they'll probably crawl back out."
Zhang Hao clearly had no love for the Iron Tiger Gang.
His words made Qin Fang's heart sink to the very bottom.
'Looks like... I'll have to face them after all.'
The two chatted for a few more minutes. Soon, someone called for Zhang Hao. He answered and left the room.
That evening, Old Wu came to check on Qin Fang's wounds again. He nodded and said, "The wound has mostly healed. It's fine for it to get wet now. You must be uncomfortable like this, go and get yourself cleaned up today. Once you're clean, I'll come back to apply your medicine."
"I can bathe?" Qin Fang's eyes lit up instantly.
Heaven knows how uncomfortable he'd been.
He hadn't bathed in months!
His entire body felt sticky!
Things had been stable for a while, but he couldn't bathe because of his injury. Now that Old Wu had finally given him the go-ahead, he couldn't wait.
"Yes, and change your clothes. I happen to have a spare set here."
Old Wu took out a set of clean clothes he had prepared and handed them to Qin Fang.
Qin Fang froze. He stared at Old Wu, stunned for a long moment, before letting out a breath and bowing respectfully. "Thank you, Elder Wu. I have no words to express my gratitude."
Old Wu waved his hand. "Enough of that. Go on. Come back for your medicine once you're clean."
Qin Fang left, clutching the clothes.
He hadn't left the room in all these days, but he had been out into the courtyard before.
He knew there was a well in this courtyard.
A small area by the well was cordoned off with a coarse cloth screen, likely a designated bathing spot. Qin Fang stepped inside, stripped off his clothes, and began to draw water for his bath.
SPLASH!
As the water cascaded from his head to his feet, black rivulets immediately formed on the ground... a testament to just how filthy he had become.
A casual scrub of his skin produced a large, greasy ball of black grime...
Qin Fang himself couldn't bear to look.
And there wasn't even any soap...
Fortunately, while there was no soap, there were jugs of soapbean water and rice water sitting in the corner.
A warmth spread through Qin Fang's chest. He knew Old Wu had most likely prepared these for him in advance.
'Old Wu seems so cold and distant, but he's really a kind-hearted old man…'
Qin Fang's heart filled with complex emotions.
After so long on the road as a refugee, he had grown utterly disillusioned with humanity. But now, it seemed he was once again witnessing human kindness…
'It just goes to show how complex the world is.'
After a moment of silence, Qin Fang sighed, pushed the thoughts aside, and continued scrubbing the stubborn filth from his body.
The bath took a full hour.
When he emerged... Qin Fang was almost a different person.
The disheveled, grimy figure was gone. After being washed with the soapbean and rice water, his hair was soft and smooth once more. He had originally planned to shave off all the matted locks.
Since he was able to wash it clean, it saved him the trouble…
Men in this world all wore their hair long. Since he was here now, he didn't want to stand out too much.
His long hair, still damp, was casually gathered at the back of his head and secured with a wooden pin.
'This was, of course, a skill that came with the body's original owner…'
Only a few strands of hair were left to hang casually across his forehead.
With his hair no longer obscuring his face, his true features were finally revealed.
Sharp, sword-like brows, pupils as dark as lacquer, a high-bridged nose, and thin lips. His features gave off a keen, sharp impression.
The layers of filth had previously hidden his handsome features.
Now, a corner of that veil had been lifted.
However, his body was still painfully thin. When he'd taken off his clothes earlier, he could clearly see his ribs protruding from his chest.
His emaciated state, so thin he was almost unrecognizable, made his cheekbones jut out sharply from his fleshless face, severely detracting from his looks.
Furthermore, prolonged exposure to the scorching sun had left his skin severely burned. It was a purplish-black color and peeling in many places, diminishing his appearance even more.
But with some nourishment, once he regained some weight and his skin recovered... he believed his former handsome appearance would return.
He had also changed his clothes. Although they were still just coarse-spun garments and nothing special, they were clean—a world of difference from his previous rags.
When the freshly cleaned Qin Fang appeared before Old Wu, even the old man was stunned for a moment.
Then he nodded. He looked much more presentable now.
"Lie down. Time to change the medicine."
Qin Fang nodded without a word and lay down on the bed…
Old Wu began to change his medicine.