’...This is undoubtedly very dangerous!’

If they could send an Anjin expert after him... they could arrange for even more experts to deal with his senior brother and master.

As for the matter of his senior sister being a Huajin Powerhouse...

Qin Fang didn’t think that would intimidate this group in the slightest.

...If they were truly afraid, they wouldn’t be doing any of this. ’Are there really so few Huajin masters in True Martial County?’

Besides, his senior sister wasn’t even in True Martial. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Therefore, Qin Fang couldn’t allow a potential threat that might expose his senior brother and the others to danger.

Monkey was willing to listen, and he trusted that Monkey would obey and head to True Martial.

But Xu Meng...

Qin Fang had never fully trusted him.

Although the man hadn’t shown any suspicious behavior... perhaps it was because they hadn’t known each other long, or for some other reason.

Whatever the case, his intuition told him not to trust the man.

He needed to leave now, and Xu Meng, as the Gang Leader of the Fish Dragon Gang—the gang responsible for Fishermen’s affairs—was too big of a target. He had already been marked...

The visit from that Shopkeeper Lin of Ganlu Hall was a clear signal.

Qin Fang wasn’t sure if Shopkeeper Lin had already gotten information from Xu Meng about his connection to his senior brother... but he figured it probably hadn’t happened that quickly.

’...Since my senior brother recommended Xu Meng to look after me, he probably wouldn’t betray us so quickly.’

But that was likely just a matter of time.

Threats, bribes...

As long as Xu Meng was alive, this hidden danger would always exist.

Qin Fang’s expression was complicated.

To be fair, while Xu Meng was a liability, he had taken good care of Qin Fang during his time here, granting almost every request.

But then the image of his senior brother’s smile, his master’s back, and his master’s wife’s kind gaze floated through his mind...

He closed his eyes. A long moment later, he opened them, his gaze filled with resolve.

He strode to the door and first peeked through the crack. He saw Xu Meng under the eaves, gulping down water.

...The people from Ganlu Hall had left.

Qin Fang took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

Xu Meng looked up and asked.

"It’s me."

Qin Fang replied.

"Brother Qin?"

Xu Meng’s eyes lit up. He hurried out into the rain and opened the courtyard gate to see Qin Fang standing outside, wearing a straw cloak and a conical hat.

This attire clearly took Xu Meng aback for a moment.

But then he noticed the blood near Qin Fang’s ear. He froze, his expression turning to one of alarm. He quickly asked, "Brother Qin, you’re hurt?! What happened?"

"It’s nothing, just a minor injury."

Qin Fang replied.

But Xu Meng quickly grabbed him. "Come in, come in! How did this happen?"

He pulled Qin Fang into the house as he spoke.

Seeing Xu Meng’s seemingly genuine anxiety, a complex emotion flickered in Qin Fang’s eyes.

"Have a seat. I’ll go get you some medicine."

After leading Qin Fang into the room, Xu Meng went to rummage through his chests and cabinets, looking for medicine for him.

Qin Fang said nothing.

A moment later, Xu Meng came out with a medicine box, frowning. "The blood is coming from your ear... Is it an internal injury?"

Qin Fang was silent for a moment before finally saying, "My eardrum probably ruptured."

Hearing this, Xu Meng breathed a sigh of relief. "If it’s just a ruptured eardrum, it’s not a huge deal. I was afraid it was bleeding from your brain... I have some medicine here. Let me treat it for you first."

As he spoke, he took off Qin Fang’s conical hat and began to carefully examine his ear.

A gentle tug on his ear sent a tearing pain through it, causing Qin Fang’s brow to furrow slightly.

He remained silent and didn’t resist. Xu Meng observed it carefully for a while and said in a low voice, "It really is ruptured... How did this happen?"

"It was shattered by a sound," Qin Fang replied calmly after a moment of thought.

"A sound?" Xu Meng was baffled. ’It destroyed an eardrum?’

But he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he sifted through the medicine box for a moment, selected a Porcelain Bottle, and picked it up. "I don’t have any medicine specifically for ears, but this Golden Sore Medicine is good for stopping bleeding and promoting tissue growth. I imagine it’ll be useful..."

At this point, he suddenly froze and smacked himself on the head. "Look at this stupid brain of mine! There are medicine shops in the market right now! Brother Qin, you wait here. I’ll go to Ganlu Hall and get a professional Physician to take a look at you..."

He said this and urgently started to head out.

"My injury is related to Ganlu Hall."

With just that one sentence, Qin Fang stopped Xu Meng in his tracks. He turned back, his eyes wide with shock. "This... The people from Ganlu Hall did this to you?!"

Qin Fang nodded slightly, watching Xu Meng.

Xu Meng was stunned at first, but then fury blazed in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "No wonder that man surnamed Lin came by today, beating around the bush and asking about some Expert in Hidden Weapons. He even asked if I knew you or your background... So they were already targeting you?! He came to me to dig for information?!"

Hearing this, a glint flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes. "And did you tell him anything, Brother Xu?"

Xu Meng immediately frowned. "Brother Xu here might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’ve been around long enough to know what to say and what not to say. I changed the subject."

"Brother Qin, what exactly happened?"

Xu Meng asked with a deep frown, "How did you... get into a confrontation with people from Ganlu Hall?"

Qin Fang thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Monkey came to find me today. He said someone was asking around about me..."

Qin Fang slowly recounted the day’s events.

At first, Xu Meng listened intently. But when Qin Fang mentioned that after he killed the Cyan Wolf Gang’s Gang Leader, the man transformed into a monster just like Wang Hu, his expression changed drastically.

But Qin Fang didn’t stop, continuing to describe what happened next.

For instance, that the injuries he sustained were caused by that monster.

And that after returning, the first place he came was here, where he then saw the people from Ganlu Hall.

And also...

"...I don’t know who was behind that monster, but I suspect it’s related to Ganlu Hall. What you just said, Brother Xu, has further confirmed my suspicions."

"...If they weren’t working together, why would someone from Ganlu Hall think to ask you about an Expert in Hidden Weapons?"

Qin Fang’s expression was calm, but Xu Meng’s face gradually grew pale.

"Brother Xu, I’m not really worried about myself. After all, I’m alone and can go anywhere. They might not be able to find me. But..."

Qin Fang paused here.

Xu Meng numbly finished the thought, "...But Master Zhou... he’s too big a target. He can’t escape..."

Qin Fang sighed softly, his gaze on Xu Meng complex. "So, please, Brother Xu, tell me... what should I do?"