Chapter 181: Chapter 117: Abandoned Temple

’They’re clearly trying to set my senior brother up for a major fall.’

’...Do they want him dead?’

Qin Fang’s expression darkened.

’And my opponent is the City Gate Guard, in charge of all four gates... It looks like getting in and out of the city is going to be a problem from now on.’

’After all... they’re watching Monkey now.’

Qin Fang shot an icy glance toward the county seat, but said nothing more. Instead, he turned to Monkey. "This time I came..."

He had expected to see his senior brother and speak with him directly. He hadn’t counted on Monkey being the messenger, so he hadn’t prepared a letter. He could only recount the recent events and have Monkey pass on the message.

Monkey listened intently, trying to memorize everything. But the things Qin Fang spoke of were so horrifying that Monkey was left completely stunned.

The speculations about the Qi Blood Pills, in particular, sent a chill down his spine!

’...Thank goodness I listened. Master Qin told me to hold off on the Qi Blood Pills and wait and see, and I actually did it.’

’Otherwise... I might have turned into a raving lunatic at any moment, or had some monster burst out of my body!’

The mere thought made his blood run cold!

Qin Fang then asked about his master and his wife. Monkey quickly reported that the two elders were doing well. He added that his senior brother, worried they would be concerned about Qin Fang, had not told them anything.

Qin Fang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

’That was my thinking, too. It’s better if they don’t know.’

But then he gave a wry smile. ’In my last letter, I even suggested to my senior brother that, if possible, he should have our master contact our senior sister and go to the Prefecture City to live with her...’

’It seems my senior brother vetoed the idea before it even got to our master.’

’...It’s hard to leave one’s homeland.’

’They were born and raised here.’

’Unless it’s a last resort, it’s truly difficult to abandon everything and move to a completely new place.’

Qin Fang sighed. He understood that feeling all too well.

’...If I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have wanted to transmigrate either.’

His thoughts had drifted. Qin Fang exchanged a few more words with Monkey, but his brows knitted together in the end.

’Monkey is being watched now. Those constables from before were clearly after him.’

’If he goes back to deliver the message, those constables, having lost him once, won’t let him get out of the city so easily again.’

’No...’

’In fact, he’ll probably have trouble just getting back into the city!’

’...That man is fixated on my senior brother; he clearly has a grudge. He didn’t catch him in the act earlier, but with my senior brother immediately sending someone out of the city, the man is bound to suspect my senior brother is up to something.’

If Qin Fang were just an Ordinary Person, it wouldn’t be a big deal. The key, however, was that Qin Fang’s Identity was that of a refugee... which made things very complicated.

Because the refugees here had rebelled before!

’...Once my identity is exposed, if that man latches onto it, it would be all too easy to charge my senior brother with a crime like ’colluding with rebels’ or ’harboring seditious intent’.’

’That would be enough to get my senior brother killed.’

’I noticed they were following us and got Monkey away. We’re safe for now, but that man controls all four city gates. The moment Monkey tries to enter the city, he’ll be spotted.’

’Who knows what kind of trouble they’ll stir up then!’

At this thought, Qin Fang’s brow furrowed deeply.

’...That man’s presence is now a serious threat to my ability to communicate with my senior brother.’

"Master Qin?"

Qin Fang was silent for a long time, his expression shifting. Finally, a sharp, murderous glint appeared in his eyes, startling Monkey so much that he called out uneasily.

Qin Fang came back to his senses, his expression flickering. "It’s obvious now that my senior brother has an enemy watching him. They followed you all the way here. If you go back, I’m afraid they’ll catch you."

Monkey froze, his thoughts immediately jumping to the constables.

His brow furrowed tightly. "But if I don’t go back, you can’t get in... Master Zhou is still waiting for news. What should we do?"

Qin Fang thought for only a moment before saying, "Forget it. Don’t go back tonight. You can enter the city tomorrow during the day."

"There will be more people during the day. You’re a local with an Identity document; it’s not a crime for you to enter the city. What can they do?"

"But... Master Zhou will be worried, won’t he?" Monkey asked with some concern. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"It’s fine," Qin Fang said calmly. "My senior brother knows my Cultivation. If you don’t return, he should be able to guess what happened."

"Besides, the most he’ll do is worry for one night. He’s a Peak of Mingjin Martial Artist, for crying out loud. It’s not like he’s going to worry himself sick, is he?"

Hearing Qin Fang put it that way, Monkey didn’t know what to say. After a moment’s thought, he could only nod in agreement.

Where to go next became a problem. Qin Fang had expected to enter the city without a hitch, but he hadn’t anticipated these complications.

Now Monkey couldn’t go back either.

"I know a place not far from the city, an abandoned temple. Although it’s deserted, we can make do for one night," Monkey said suddenly after a moment of thought.

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

’...Actually, spending a night in the wilderness is no big deal. It’s just that it’s June, and the constant buzzing of mosquitos is annoying.’

Of course, it was just annoying.

These ordinary mosquitos couldn’t even bite through his skin now.

’...Especially not after I consumed that liquid and my body’s functions surged again.’

Seeing Qin Fang nod in agreement, Monkey said quickly, "Then let’s go. It’s right over there."

Qin Fang nodded, and the two left the barren patch of land, heading towards the abandoned temple Monkey had mentioned.

Before long, the faint outline of a temple in the mountain forest ahead appeared before Qin Fang’s eyes.

"It’s just ah—"

Monkey was about to say more.

But Qin Fang’s ears suddenly twitched. His brows furrowed sharply, and at the same time, he clapped a hand over Monkey’s mouth.