He fell silent for a moment, then rose and walked over to Xu Meng’s body to take a look.

His eyes were wide, unable to rest in peace.

In the end, Qin Fang showed Xu Meng a final shred of respect... He didn’t loot the body or even search the house before leaving.

As he left, he closed the courtyard gate behind him.

After walking some distance, he ran into several members of the Fish Dragon Gang heading his way. They seemed to be on their way to Xu Meng’s house. Upon seeing Qin Fang, they hastily bowed in respect. "Master Qin."

Qin Fang nodded. He noticed Xiao Qi and Xiao Wu were among them and, after a moment’s silence, said, "Brother Xu is dead."

"Huh?"

The sudden declaration left the Fish Dragon Gang members completely stunned. They just stared blankly at Qin Fang.

Qin Fang said calmly, "Fishermen’s will likely be in chaos for a while. You should all... go your separate ways."

After saying this, he said no more and continued on his way.

The gang members were left dumbstruck by his words. They didn’t snap out of it until Qin Fang’s figure had disappeared from sight.

They exchanged bewildered glances.

Then, they sprinted to Xu Meng’s house. Pushing open the closed courtyard gate, they all gasped...

The first thing they saw was Xu Meng, lying by the doorway.

One of the gang members turned Xu Meng’s body over, revealing the bloody hole in his neck...

One man’s voice trembled. "It’s... It was Master Qin... But... but why? Why would Master Qin kill the boss?"

They were utterly baffled.

In their memory, the boss and Master Qin had been extremely close. The boss had often told them that to see Master Qin was to see him.

They even drank together frequently.

But now... Master Qin had killed the boss?!

They couldn’t understand it. Their eyes were vacant.

A glint appeared in Xiao Qi’s eyes. A moment later, he turned and walked away.

"Xiao Qi? Where are you going?"

One of the men, stunned for a second, noticed Xiao Qi leaving and quickly called out to him.

"Going home."

Xiao Qi’s calm voice replied.

Going home?

Only then did the others snap out of their stupor...

’That’s right, Master Qin just warned them... Fishermen’s is going to be in chaos for a while.’

’The boss was killed by Master Qin’s own hand. Something big must be happening!’

’Something huge!’

After exchanging one last glance, they quickly got to their feet and hurried away.

...

After leaving Xu Meng’s house, Qin Fang didn’t go straight to the docks. Instead, he went to the marketplace and, from a distance, watched Fisherman’s Ganlu Hall, which had recently opened and was still having its grand opening promotion.

Business was still booming. A long line snaked out the door, and the air was filled with a noisy din.

The customers were all common folk who had come for the market day. They were chatting idly, but the main topic of conversation was the Qi Blood Pill.

First, they discussed the effects of the Qi Blood Pill. One man would say his son had made huge progress since taking it. Another would claim his frail nephew had become strong and healthy after eating a Qi Blood Pill...

Second, they discussed business. They would buy Qi Blood Pills in Fisherman City for fifty wen, take them back to their villages, and sell them for sixty or seventy wen to other villagers who needed them, making a hefty profit...

Everyone was overjoyed, praising Ganlu Hall for its good deeds and for benefiting the common person...

Qin Fang simply watched, his expression calm, waiting patiently.

It was already afternoon, and night would soon fall. Fisherman City didn’t have a night market, so before long, the crowds in the marketplace thinned out, and Ganlu Hall grew quiet.

The clerks at Ganlu Hall, having been busy all day, were now tidying up. Shopkeeper Lin was behind the counter, settling the accounts, when footsteps suddenly rang out.

The shopkeeper looked up to see a figure in a straw cloak and bamboo hat walk in. He smiled and said, "What can I get for you, customer?"

The visitor’s bamboo hat obscured their face. A voice emerged from beneath the brim.

"I am Qin Fang."

The visitor spoke without preamble.

The sudden introduction made Shopkeeper Lin freeze for a second. His expression was puzzled. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "Er, this... customer Qin... is there something I can help you with?"

From under his bamboo hat, Qin Fang watched Shopkeeper Lin’s expression, not missing the slightest detail. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief.

’...He hasn’t heard my name.’

’In other words, Xu Meng hadn’t lied... He really hadn’t told Ganlu Hall anything about me or my senior brother.’

"I’m the Expert in Hidden Weapons you’ve been looking for."

At Qin Fang’s next words, Shopkeeper Lin’s expression instantly froze.

The clerks nearby instinctively stopped what they were doing.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Several dark streaks shot out. The clerks’ heads drooped, and they collapsed as if falling asleep, a bloody hole appearing on each of their foreheads.

Shopkeeper Lin suddenly exploded into motion, lunging at Qin Fang. His hands formed claws, swiping viciously at Qin Fang’s head.

The movement was so swift it seemed to carry the roar of wind and thunder!

’...The peak of Mingjin?’

As the thought crossed his mind, Qin Fang sidestepped with incredible agility. The instant his opponent lunged past, he slammed a fist into the man’s ribs.

The motion aggravated his own injuries, sending a sharp pain through his side.

As for Shopkeeper Lin, the force of the punch sent him stumbling backward. His face was deathly pale. He only stopped after retreating four or five meters, his back hitting the counter.

He couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a large mouthful of blood before collapsing to one knee.

He struggled to lift his head, his voice suddenly hoarse. "Anjin..."

Qin Fang remained where he stood, making no move to pursue. He looked at the shopkeeper. "May I ask why you were looking for me?"

Shopkeeper Lin’s breathing was ragged. He glared at Qin Fang but was unable to get back on his feet...

When Anjin fought Mingjin, a single strike was enough to render the Mingjin user incapable of further combat.

This was because Anjin was simply too insidious; it bored into the internal organs. Against an Anjin Martial Artist, the powerful Physique of a Mingjin expert was practically useless.

He glared maliciously at Qin Fang. "You have no idea who you’ve just crossed... Just you wait. Someone will come for you!"