The Huang Family’s beef, the Ji Family’s Qianqiu Drunk... and to top it all off, his master’s wife’s cooking.

Tonight’s dinner was especially sumptuous.

His senior brother was a drunkard. The moment he saw the two large, full jars of Qianqiu Drunk, his eyes lit up, and he boisterously demanded that his master give him at least ten jin.

His master paid him no mind, simply taking the wine from his young disciple. He savored a sip, and a hint of softness appeared on his wrinkled, perennially stern face.

His master’s wife kept piling food onto Qin Fang’s plate, insisting that he had gotten thinner since he’d been away and that he had to eat more. Qin Fang chuckled happily, accepting everything and stuffing it all into his mouth.

Seeing that his master was ignoring him, his senior brother stopped trying to get a rise out of him and began to pour and drink by himself, perfectly content.

The dinner was harmonious and warm.

As the sky grew dark, Qin Fang knew it was time for him to leave.

His master’s wife held his hand, unwilling to let go. She began to scold his master, saying he didn’t even care about his own disciple being out in the world alone.

His master rolled his eyes several times but was too lazy to argue with her.

In the end, he only said to Qin Fang, "It’s probably not very safe outside the city right now. You’re out there alone, so be careful."

But no matter how reluctant they were to part, he still had to leave.

Qin Fang urged the two of them to take care of themselves and not to worry about him. Finally, with his master’s wife wiping tears from her eyes, he left with his senior brother.

When they reached the city gate, they saw Monkey, who was already waiting there.

His senior brother had already made the arrangements, and the three of them passed through the city gate together.

His senior brother once again reminded Qin Fang to be careful.

Qin Fang didn’t find it tiresome in the least and respectfully acknowledged his words.

Under Zhou Xing’s watchful gaze, Qin Fang and Monkey began their journey home.

"Sir, aren’t we taking a boat back?"

Monkey was taken aback when Qin Fang said they would take the mountain path.

Qin Fang just shook his head...

Speed had been of the essence on their way here, but now that Wang Hu had been dealt with, he naturally wouldn’t take any more risks.

Especially after the terrifying transformation Wang Hu had undergone the day before... It made him all the more wary of the Demon in the river.

This thing could live as a parasite inside a human body, apparently without the host even noticing... Qin Fang felt that until the river Demon was dealt with for good, it was best for him to stay as far away from the Shui Du as possible.

But...

’Was it really a Demon?’

As Qin Fang walked along the mountain path, his mind was preoccupied with this question.

There were many things others didn’t know, but which he had stumbled upon by a strange twist of fate.

For example, many people knew nothing of the dealings between Huichun Hall and the Four Seas Gang, but he had, by chance, heard about it from his senior brother.

That was why, during the incident in Pingze, he had found it very strange when he heard the rumor that the herbs the Four Seas Gang used to lure the Treasure Fish had been supplied by Huichun Hall.

...He didn’t believe his senior brother would speak without reason.

It might seem like a small question, but if there was a problem right from the start, then many of the things that happened afterward were worthy of suspicion.

For example... Wang Hu’s death.

For example... ’Did Cao Zhen really die too?’

And for another example...

’This whole affair, was it truly a Demon-wrought disaster...’

’Or...’

’A man-made one?’

Qin Fang considered many possibilities, but his thoughts remained a tangled mess. He felt there was something he couldn’t quite grasp, and he failed to reach any useful conclusions.

「The night passed in a blur.」

Qin Fang and Monkey returned to Fishermen’s.

Qin Fang first went to Xu Meng’s home. Just as he reached the gate, he heard the yipping and whining of a puppy from the courtyard, followed by the sound of scratching at the door.

A smile touched Qin Fang’s lips.

Before he could speak, the courtyard gate swung open, and Xu Meng appeared in the doorway.

Then Xile bounded out, running in circles around Qin Fang’s feet.

"You little rascal! The moment your master shows up, you forget all about me? And after I treated you to such a feast of fish and meat yesterday!"

Xu Meng chided Xile with a laugh before looking up at Qin Fang. "From the looks of it, Brother Qin... I take it you got what you came for?"

Qin Fang crouched down to pat Xile’s head. The puppy shook with delight, rubbing its head furiously against Qin Fang’s hand. "Yes, you could say it was a success," Qin Fang said. "But something happened that I think you should know about, Brother Xu."

"What is it?" Xu Meng asked, looking at Qin Fang in confusion.

Qin Fang immediately told Xu Meng about how Wang Hu had exploded and how a Demon had emerged from within his body.

Xu Meng gasped in shock!

’...A man died, and a Demon crawled out of his body?!’

’Although it seemed like nothing came of it in the end, since the Demon died too...’

’...that’s still absolutely terrifying!’

"Brother Qin, you mean..." Xu Meng’s voice trembled.

Qin Fang said, "So, Brother Xu, you need to be careful. That Demon may have parasitic abilities. From what I observed, it didn’t seem to have a major effect on its host, but I didn’t have much time to observe Wang Hu. There might have been daily signs that I missed. You interact with a lot of people, and many of them are fishermen who have been in the river a lot recently, searching for the Treasure Fish. You should pay attention to them. If anyone shows any abnormal changes... then you need to be on your guard."

Xu Meng nodded, his expression grave. "I understand..."

"Alright, that’s all then. Thank you for looking after Xile, Brother Xu. I’ll head back now."

With that, Qin Fang scooped up Xile, said his farewells, and left.

Xu Meng watched him go, his brow deeply furrowed.

A moment later, he suddenly felt thirsty. He frowned, walked back into the courtyard, and took several large gulps of water.

’Parasitic... abnormal...’

He put down the water ladle, pondering the potential ramifications of this news.

There was no way to keep it a secret. The incident was too bizarre, and too many people in True Martial County had witnessed it. It wouldn’t be long before word spread like wildfire.

Many of those people frequented the market, and some were even gang members. They would all spread the story.