The stall owner looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to recall something, before shaking his head.

After lingering for a moment without buying anything, the trio moved on to the next stall.

Qin Fang’s eyes narrowed.

’It really does seem like they’re asking about me.’

"Master Qin, don’t you worry. I’ve already told the brothers not to say a word. As for these ordinary villagers, they don’t know anything about an Expert in Hidden Weapons... Only the owners of the permanent shops know that such an expert exists, but even they don’t know who it is."

A member of the Fish Dragon Gang whispered.

Hearing this, Qin Fang turned his head. The man was standing respectfully beside Xiao Qi.

Qin Fang nodded slightly. "What’s your name?"

The man’s eyes lit up, and he hurried to reply, "Master Qin, my name is Qin Yu! Everyone calls me Xiao Wu!"

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow. "I didn’t realize we shared a family name..."

"Heh heh." Xiao Wu chuckled, his eyes bright with excitement.

...These days, Qin Fang’s status and prestige within the Fish Dragon Gang were nothing to scoff at. In fact, it could be said that for a time, they had even surpassed Xu Meng’s.

It was just that he had no personal interest in gang affairs.

If he so desired, with a single call to arms, Xu Meng would likely find himself a general with no soldiers...

Oh, wait. That wasn’t right.

Xu Meng himself would be the first to raise his hand, insisting that Qin Fang take over as leader.

...After its recent losses, the Fish Dragon Gang had grown from a mere handful of members to over fifty with the recruitment of new blood—even more than they’d had before.

Nearly all of these new recruits knew of Qin Fang. The veteran members had drilled it into them, telling them to respect Qin Fang even more than their own leader.

Furthermore, Qin Fang had since deliberately used small favors and acts of kindness to win their loyalty, making them all extremely reverent toward him.

The disturbance in Fisherman City had happened at night, during the market’s quietest hours. By the time the villagers started trickling back in, the killers had been dealt with and the mess cleaned up... which was why the vast majority of people knew nothing about an Expert in Hidden Weapons.

However, the owners of the permanent shops who had dealt with the bodies that night certainly knew.

But their knowledge was limited to the fact that the Fish Dragon Gang had an Expert in Hidden Weapons; they didn’t know any specifics beyond that.

As he watched the trio, Qin Fang’s eyes narrowed, and he began to piece together the clues in his mind.

’...Who could possibly be looking for me?’

In the end, Qin Fang decided to just observe for now.

"You all go on and get back to your duties. I can keep an eye on things here myself... Thanks."

Qin Fang said to Monkey, Xiao Qi, Xiao Wu, and the others.

"You’re too kind, Master Qin... We’ll take our leave, then."

The men quickly shook their heads and departed.

Now that Master Qin himself was here, there was no need for them to continue the surveillance.

Qin Fang stood beneath a crude awning, watching the trio from a distance, a glint in his eyes.

The trio wandered through the market for nearly an hour before finally leaving and heading up a mountain path.

Qin Fang narrowed his eyes and followed from a safe distance.

Once they were on the path, he quickened his pace.

Now that he had just achieved Anjin and grasped entirely new techniques for applying his Strength, Qin Fang found that his speed and agility had increased tremendously.

He followed far behind them, deeper into the mountains.

After rounding a bend into a mountain hollow, Qin Fang suddenly stopped and strained his ears to listen.

"...We’ve made inquiries and can confirm it. There is indeed an Expert in Hidden Weapons in Fisherman City, and he uses Iron Nails. We don’t know who it is exactly, but it’s highly probable that they’re closely connected to the Fish Dragon Gang. They’re very likely one of its members."

He could hear them speaking.

’...Are the three of them reporting to someone?’

’Have I found their master?’

An idea struck Qin Fang. He glanced around, then suddenly sprang into motion, scaling the cliff face beside him. Using the tree branches, he swung himself forward until he had a clear view of the scene in the hollow below.

It was only then that he saw a thatched hut nestled in the hollow. Several people stood under its eaves, while the three figures in straw cloaks and hats stood respectfully before them in the rain.

Among them, a tall figure sat beneath the hut’s eaves.

He was a middle-aged man with a commanding presence. Upon hearing their report, his eyes glinted. He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Continue your inquiries. It would be best to find out exactly who it is... But be careful not to be followed."

"Yes, sir!"

The trio bowed to accept their orders and turned to leave.

Qin Fang’s eyes narrowed.

He reached into his clothes and pulled out several Iron Nails.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised his hand and let them fly.

WHOOSH!

A black streak instantly pierced the rain, heading straight for the middle-aged man seated in the hut.

The middle-aged man had been lost in thought, but at that exact moment, his head snapped up. Without a second thought, his body shot backward in retreat.

THUNK!

A small hole was instantly punched through the floorboards where he had been standing.

But at the same time, he let out a stifled grunt. His eyes widened as he looked down at his chest...

A bloody hole had appeared right over his heart!

He looked up, horrified... and saw a small hole in the hut’s roof.

...This nail had anticipated his dodge!

The sudden turn of events startled the other men standing in the hut.

"Who’s there?!"

they cried out in alarm.

But outside, there was only the misty curtain of rain. No one was visible.

A moment later, they received their answer.

But the answer was...

more Iron Nails!

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

A series of sharp cracks echoed out. Almost simultaneously, three or four men’s heads snapped back as their foreheads were pierced, and they collapsed into an eternal slumber.

...Rainy days were perfect for a long sleep.

In the blink of an eye, only one of the four or five standing men remained.

His face was ashen with terror, and he turned to flee.

But a moment later, he let out a piercing scream. A bloody hole appeared in his right knee, and another in the floorboards beneath it, sending him crashing to the ground.

He whipped his head around in terror, his gaze scanning the area before coming to a sudden halt.

From out of the misty rain, a masked figure emerged.

TAP. TAP.

Qin Fang stepped into the hut, his face now covered with a piece of rough cloth he had torn from his own clothes.

He first looked toward the middle-aged man who had been in charge.

The man was clearly an Anjin Martial Artist, for he had sensed the Iron Nail and begun to retreat even before it arrived.

However, Qin Fang had prior experience assassinating an Anjin Martial Artist. To ensure success, even without knowing the man’s specific level of Cultivation, he had instinctively thrown three nails and anticipated the man’s reaction, even predicting his line of retreat...

As it turned out, his prediction had been spot on.

...The man was indeed an Anjin practitioner and had reacted instantly.

Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t dodge the nail meant to intercept him.

...An Iron Nail, propelled using Anjin, possessed incredible Penetration Power. It had pierced the man’s heart in an instant.

Yet when Qin Fang looked over, the man was somehow still alive. He lay on the ground, clutching his chest with a blood-soaked right hand, his breathing shallow and rapid.

Even now, he stared at the approaching Qin Fang with a look of pure hatred.

"It seems you were looking for me?"

Qin Fang inquired politely, "May I ask what for?"