This was the first time Qin Fang had walked the streets of True Martial County since his severe illness.
Night had just fallen, but the streets of True Martial were lively... not with the hustle and bustle of prosperity, but with the sounds of crying from many directions, the sight of white cloths wrapped around heads, and the endless drone of chanting and percussion.
Qin Fang, walking behind Elder Wu, froze for a moment. But then, he immediately understood what was happening.
He frowned as he looked around. While not every household was displaying white signs of mourning, at least one in every three to five families was holding a funeral.
It was clear the riot that day had been no small affair.
The wails were miserable and filled with sorrow.
He could even see traces of destruction in some places, lending the street a bleak and grim atmosphere.
"The day the refugees rioted, many people were killed."
Elder Wu's voice sounded from ahead.
Qin Fang was silent.
'It's just as I had imagined... Once refugees riot, they're bound to be vicious.'
'Once all the negative emotions they've bottled up are unleashed, there's no cruel act they aren't capable of.'
"If your status as a refugee is discovered, these people will likely kill you before the Government Office even has a chance to arrest you."
Elder Wu said calmly.
Qin Fang remained silent.
He had to admit... Elder Wu was right.
This era was a society of acquaintances. Two villages might fight to the death over a single well, let alone a feud involving life and death like this one.
They wouldn't care if he knew the perpetrators or if he had participated in the riot.
They would only say... the murderers were refugees, and so was he.
That would make him one of them.
As for whether he was innocent or not?
...Who would care?
Fortunately, Zhang Hao hadn't been exaggerating. Elder Wu's status in True Martial was indeed somewhat transcendent.
Along the way, many people saw Elder Wu and greeted him politely.
Elder Wu would respond with a cold nod, and they didn't seem to mind.
Some even tried to invite Elder Wu in for a drink.
But Elder Wu, of course, refused them all with a faint wave of his hand.
During this time, quite a few people also noticed Qin Fang behind Elder Wu.
Upon seeing him, many of them paused, their expressions tinged with confusion, and they couldn't help but stare a little longer.
...It was just that Qin Fang's current appearance was too eye-catching.
He was over 1.8 meters tall, yet rail-thin. His appearance made suspicion flicker in many people's eyes.
They were clearly suspicious of Qin Fang's identity.
However, since Qin Fang was with Elder Wu, they didn't say anything despite their doubts.
A chill went down Qin Fang's spine. 'Elder Wu was right.'
'With the way I look, as soon as I step outside and someone sees me, they'll immediately identify me as a refugee.'
He hadn't known before that the riot that day had such severe consequences.
If he had known, his plans would have probably had to change.
Otherwise... if he were identified as a refugee, it was debatable whether they would even report him to the authorities.
He might even have been beaten to death on the spot by these victims!
For instance, Qin Fang could now clearly feel that after their initial shock, the gazes of some people were filled with hostility and anger.
They were clearly associating him with the rioting refugees.
Qin Fang was speechless in this situation.
Fortunately, with Elder Wu present, these people didn't do anything out of line. The two of them twisted and turned through the streets until they reached a quiet alley.
He followed Elder Wu into the alley, and they finally stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard. Elder Wu took a key from his robes, unlocked the gate, and went inside.
Qin Fang followed.
He looked around curiously. The courtyard wasn't large, about five meters square, with a dilapidated, tile-roofed house at the far end, now pitch-black inside.
"This was my former residence. It's been vacant for a long time. You can stay here for now."
Elder Wu turned to look at Qin Fang, his voice calm. "Try not to go out usually. Focus on getting your strength back... at least until people can't recognize you as a refugee at a glance... I'll bring you some food tomorrow."
"But as for your business with the Iron Tiger Gang, I won't get involved. Handle it yourself. I won't interfere."
"As for the matter of your identity... the Government Office Entrance is in chaos right now, so they probably won't conduct a census anytime soon. As for the future... we'll see."
The disaster relief grain burned, the refugees in revolt... either one of these was a matter big enough to reach the heavens.
The current chaos in the True Martial Government Office was easy to imagine.
Upon hearing this, Qin Fang let out a soft breath and bowed deeply to Elder Wu. "Thank you for your help, Elder Wu... Qin Fang will remember this kindness."
Elder Wu waved his hand. "I don't expect anything in return. It's just... never mind. Let's leave it at that. Go take a look inside the house and tidy up a bit. I'll be back tomorrow."
After speaking, Elder Wu handed the lock to Qin Fang and turned to leave.
Qin Fang saw him to the gate and watched until he was out of sight before closing the courtyard gate, sliding the bolt, and letting out a long sigh...
His eyes flickered.
He had thought Elder Wu wouldn't help him, but he never expected this twist of fate.
In truth, he had no idea why Elder Wu had helped him...
But now was obviously not the time to dwell on it.
At least for him, the current outcome was a good one.
He had a temporary place to stay. Although the fundamental problem hadn't been solved, he had at least bought himself some time.
And right now... what he lacked most was time.
After taking a deep breath, he walked toward the tile-roofed house.
CREAK. He pushed open the wooden door. The inside was as dilapidated as he'd expected, with almost no furniture. It was completely bare. The roof was broken in some places, and shattered tiles littered the floor.
But on his long journey as a refugee, what kind of hardship hadn't Qin Fang encountered?
This was already quite good.
He started to work, wanting to clean up the house a bit.
But by the time he had cleared a space barely large enough to rest in, he was already covered in sweat, his hands and feet trembling from exhaustion.
He gasped for breath, his face pale.
Qin Fang knew his body was still too weak.
In the end, he could only shake his head in resignation. He would deal with the rest of the mess tomorrow during the day.
Gasping for air, he sat on the floor in the corner he had cleaned, and it took a long while before he recovered.
'The most important thing now is to first nurse my body back to health.'
'Second... I need to increase my Combat Power.'
Combat Power was incredibly important in this World.
Because when danger came, there were no police officers to protect him.
He could only rely on himself.
'My Dagger skill may be at Minor Achievement, but a Dagger's killing power is still limited...'
A Dagger was a short-range Weapon that required close-quarters combat. With his body being so weak right now, he would undoubtedly be at a great disadvantage in a close-range confrontation. A single touch or blow could be fatal.
Even if his Dagger skill were perfected, its killing power would be limited.
He had chosen the Dagger before because it was easy to carry, and besides, everyone was a refugee. How much stronger could one be than another?
But things were different now. He had to make a change.
He needed to switch to a Skill that was highly lethal, even if his body was a bit weak...
Qin Fang fell into deep thought.
And then, a certain type of Weapon surfaced in his mind...
Hidden Weapons.
In the world of wuxia, Hidden Weapons had always been the quintessential weapon for the weak to defeat the strong.
But mastering them was no easy task.
'But I have the proficiency panel... I should be able to master them, right?'
He looked at the panel before him, which only displayed a pathetic 'Dagger (Minor Achievement)'.
Finally, he made his decision.
'Hidden Weapons it is!'
'When Elder Wu comes tomorrow, I'll ask him if he can find me some Hidden Weapons,' he thought.
Gradually, exhaustion washed over him. He curled up in the clean area he had cleared out, and soon, he fell into a deep sleep.