But that was in a sneak attack.

If it came to a real, open fight... even against someone like Ma the Second, the outcome would be uncertain.

Those with power should help the world, while the powerless should focus on themselves.

And right now, Qin Fang was very much ’powerless’.

"Let’s go."

Qin Fang had no intention of getting involved, and Monkey certainly wasn’t going to. The two of them skirted around some particularly rowdy areas where a few small shops were located. ’They probably won’t be able to open for business tomorrow. People will likely die tonight.’

A short while later, the two arrived near Cao Zhen’s home.

But with just one glance, both of them frowned.

After a moment, Monkey said with a sigh, "Looks like someone beat us to it..."

The courtyard gate was wide open, and a great fire raged within.

The place was completely deserted.

There were many bodies on the ground, but their clothes had been torn open. They had clearly been looted...

Qin Fang felt a little helpless too.

There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t be in two places at once.

People had even rushed over to Wang Hu’s place after the infighting.

It was no surprise that Cao Zhen’s home hadn’t been spared.

Then, Qin Fang said, "Let’s go."

"Where to?"

Monkey asked, snapping back to his senses from his regretful gaze at Cao Zhen’s house.

"Back to Fishermen’s."

"We’re leaving now?"

"Yes. Pingze is a mess right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen, so there’s no reason for us to stay."

They had come to Pingze to kill Wang Hu.

In the end, Qin Fang hadn’t even laid eyes on the man... but he’d heard he was already dead.

’I’ll just assume he’s dead,’ Qin Fang thought. ’After all, I have no way to confirm it right now.’

He had also made a fortune, far exceeding his expectations.

’So... what’s the point of staying in Pingze as it descends into chaos?’

Although Qin Fang was no saint, he had no intention of preying on Ordinary People during the turmoil.

The crucial point was... the inexplicable destruction of the Four Seas Gang and the Iron Tiger Gang, which had somehow even implicated Huichun Hall...

He didn’t care what happened to Huichun Hall.

But he was worried his master would be affected.

That was why he had to go back. He needed to find a way to contact his master or senior brother and ask about the situation.

’Speaking of Huichun Hall... that woman has probably left Pingze by now, right?’

A glint flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes.

The reason he knew she was from Huichun Hall was that he had seen her when he went to the Huichun Hall in Pingze to buy Qi Blood Pills.

She had been reviewing the ledgers at the time and hadn’t noticed him.

But he had remembered her...

And Qin Fang had bought thirty Qi Blood Pills in one go. Even for Huichun Hall, Qi Blood Pills were a precious commodity. A market town like Pingze wouldn’t typically have a large stock.

...The thirty pills Qin Fang bought had nearly wiped out their entire inventory.

The Shopkeeper of the Pingze Huichun Hall had even treated him with great hospitality... ’I wonder what happened to that Shopkeeper.’

As he was thinking, Qin Fang’s brow furrowed again. He realized something was off.

’...The Iron Tiger Gang members who showed up at Wang Hu’s house today included only two Mingjin Martial Artists, Ma the Second and Zhang Cheng...’

’So Huichun Hall has no security in Pingze? They didn’t even station a single Mingjin Martial Artist here?’

’Huichun Hall’s strength is not to be underestimated. They have at least three Anjin Martial Artists, and according to Zhang Hao, they also train their own Martial Arts Apprentices. For an important branch like the one in Pingze, it would be logical to station one or two Mingjin Martial Artists here, wouldn’t it?’

’If that’s the case... how was that woman being hunted by a group from the Iron Tiger Gang that clearly had no Mingjin Martial Artists with them?’

’...Where were Huichun Hall’s Mingjin Martial Artists?’

Qin Fang frowned, unable to figure it out.

But after a moment, he could only shake his head...

He had too little information to analyze anything.

Besides...

’Forget it. It has nothing to do with me anyway.’

"Let’s go."

He let out a soft breath, stopped overthinking, and called out to Monkey.

Monkey quickly responded. The two turned and set off on the mountain path back to Fishermen’s.

...The Iron Tiger Gang and the Four Seas Gang had been wiped out by a Demon. Naturally, they couldn’t risk traveling by water.

Even though the water route would have been much more comfortable.

Soon, they left the noisy and chaotic Pingze City behind and headed into the mountains.

The mountain path was difficult to travel. It was now February, and the melting snow had made the road wet and slippery.

It was even harder to walk at night.

But this was nothing for Qin Fang. With his martial prowess, his feet were as steady as nails, rooted to the ground. Even this slippery mountain path was no challenge for him.

For Monkey, however, it was quite difficult... His feet kept slipping, making progress slow.

Seeing Qin Fang’s effortless pace, Monkey was filled with envy. ’It’s great to be skilled!’

’...But I’ve earned a lot of money following Master Qin recently. Maybe I can find a martial arts school and start training?’ he thought.

He didn’t plan on asking his boss or Qin Fang to teach him Martial Arts. He knew his place. Martial Cultivation was no simple matter, and martial techniques were not passed on lightly.

If he didn’t ask, he was a dear little brother, a trusted subordinate.

If he did ask, the best outcome would be for them to agree.

But what if they refused...

Their relationship would be fractured.

It would be impossible to be as close as they were now.

Monkey knew the score.

And so, after a night of travel, they had only crossed two mountains by dawn.

It wasn’t until noon that they finally made it back to Fisherman City.

Coming down the mountain, Monkey let out a long breath. "These mountain paths at night are no place for people... It’s even harder now that the snow is melting... When will this Demon infestation ever be dealt with?"

He sighed helplessly.

As long as the Demon threat remained, few people dared to go down to the river.

Those searching for the Treasure Fish were taking a gamble, but that was because the reward was enormous. An Ordinary Person who found a single Treasure Fish could become a Martial Artist! Who would care about a little danger that might not even come their way?

...In your own world, you’re the main character. Until disaster strikes, no one thinks they’ll be the unlucky one.

But for those who simply wanted to travel... the risk was too great.

Choosing the water route just for a bit of comfort... what if they ran into a Demon?

Different goals led to different assessments of risk.

Qin Fang and Monkey were just traveling, with no urgent business, so they naturally wouldn’t take the risk.

They passed through the market. It was about the same as when they had left—there were people, but it was relatively deserted...

Most likely, the news about the Treasure Fish hadn’t spread here yet...

Otherwise, there would probably be quite a few fishermen willing to risk it all.

After all, it was a chance to defy fate and change one’s destiny. Who wouldn’t want to seize that?

"Master Qin, are you going straight home, or should we find my boss first?" Monkey asked Qin Fang.

Qin Fang said, "I’ll go home and rest up first. I’ll look for your boss later."

Qin Fang needed to find Xu Meng.

He needed Xu Meng’s help to contact his senior brother or master and ask about the situation in the county seat.

At the very least, he had to tell them what had happened...

...The rumors spreading from Pingze City were extremely damaging to Huichun Hall.

After all, everyone was troubled by the Demon infestation. And this time, members of the Four Seas Gang were claiming that their method for catching the Treasure Fish had been taught to them by someone from Huichun Hall.

But instead of luring the Treasure Fish, they had attracted a Demon.

So, the question was...

Would people start saying that Huichun Hall was the one who lured the Demon to the River Surface?

If that blame was successfully pinned on Huichun Hall, then this century-old pharmacy... would be in huge trouble.

Whether Huichun Hall was in big trouble or not, Qin Fang didn’t care.

But he did care if his master... would be affected.