"The impact from the refugees was indeed significant. However, the area around True Martial is mostly inhabited by fishermen. When the refugees struck, the fishermen received warnings and hid out on the Chujiang River... The refugees, after all, were in an unfamiliar place and had no boats, so in the end, the casualties weren’t actually that severe."

Zhou Xing offered an explanation in response to Qin Fang’s question.

Then it dawned on Qin Fang...

’Right. Most fishermen have boats, and True Martial County relies on the Chujiang River to survive. Once they got the news, they evacuated to the river ahead of time. Even if the refugees stormed the countryside, they couldn’t pursue them onto the water without boats.’

’The fishermen’s boats gave them high mobility; they could have fought a guerrilla war against them...’

’It would be impossible to deal a truly fundamental and devastating blow to the people of True Martial.’

Of course, that was just the theory.

But it was certain that many people had still died in the process.

And the loss of property must have been immense as well.

...Qin Fang knew the refugee mentality all too well.

But there was still one thing Qin Fang didn’t understand...

’Others might not be aware, but he knew with certainty...’

’The refugees hadn’t rebelled on their own.’

’Rather, a Mysterious Power was guiding and forcing them to do so!’

’...what role did that power play in all this?’

’And what was their ultimate goal?’

And now, the refugee rebellion had been all but quelled.

Yet there hadn’t been any suspicious news about it...

But Qin Fang only entertained the thought for a moment, with no intention of voicing it.

’...Because this matter was too immense.’

’He had no evidence, and no status.’

’He was still just a refugee.’

’Speaking up would just be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?’

’A power capable of forcing refugees to rebel had to be extraordinarily formidable.’

’The conspiracy behind it likely ran incredibly deep.’

Back when he was gravely ill, he had chosen to survive by acting greedy—risking the ire of local ruffians in True Martial County—rather than using this information to curry favor with the Government Office. He had made that choice because he knew just how deep these waters ran.

He was a mere refugee, his life adrift like duckweed, his body like a willow seed on the wind.

If he were to step into it rashly, escape would be nearly impossible.

’Who knew how many plots were involved? Which factions were at play? Did they have people inside the Government Office?’

Now that he had finally found some stability, he certainly wasn’t going to stir up that kind of unknown trouble for no reason.

’...Best to just keep it to myself,’ he thought.

His senior brother and master discussed the recent attack on Huichun Hall for a while longer, and Qin Fang gradually pieced together the full story. A shipment of precious herbs from Huichun Hall, weighing several thousand jin, had been ambushed on its way to True Martial. The losses were disastrous, with many casualties.

Although the Medicine Protection Team had an Anjin Master, the enemy was far better prepared. A full three Anjin Masters attacked simultaneously. Even the Dark Force Powerhouse on Huichun Hall’s Medicine Protection Team was severely wounded and ultimately had to abandon the herbs and flee for his life... Otherwise, he might have been killed as well.

One could only imagine Huichun Hall’s shock and fury.

As one of the top pharmacies in True Martial County, Huichun Hall wielded considerable influence.

They maintained a large Medicine Protection Team, which included not only numerous Mingjin Martial Artists but was also overseen by two Anjin Martial Artists.

Few powers would dare to so easily offend Huichun Hall.

Now, the investigation had led them to the Four Seas Gang.

After a moment of contemplation, the master spoke. "I’ll inform the hall of this news later. As for how to handle it... we’ll see what they decide."

Zhou Xing nodded.

After a pause, Zhou Xing turned to Qin Fang. He let out a soft sigh and his expression turned serious. "There’s one more thing, and it’s about you, Qin Fang... It’s good you’re here. This saves me a trip."

A jolt went through Qin Fang, and he immediately sensed what this was about. He took a deep breath. "Please, go on."

"It’s about your future—what you’re going to do and where you’re going to go."

Zhou Xing’s brow tightened. "The new magistrate took office three days ago. He’s about to launch a major inspection and reinstate the Baojia system. You’re still registered as a refugee, and with An Changyu constantly making trouble, I haven’t been able to arrange for your official residency. This new magistrate seems like a hard-liner and isn’t approachable. I don’t dare to rashly bring up the matter of your residency... it could backfire and put you in even greater danger."

He paused, his expression growing grave. "This refugee rebellion has caused a huge disturbance. They’ve raided dozens of towns and villages, and many people have died. The new magistrate’s intentions are crystal clear: any refugee caught will be thoroughly investigated to determine if they were part of the rebellion. If they were, the consequences will be dire. And even if they weren’t... the plan is to send all refugees back to their places of origin."

"Your hometown is near Jingping, isn’t it? I hear it’s chaotic there now, and they’ve already instituted corvée labor. If you’re sent back, given your age, you most likely won’t be treated as a common citizen... but as a conscripted laborer."

Qin Fang’s expression changed when he heard this...

Corvée labor. Even if he’d never experienced it himself, he knew the old saying: ’The burden of corvée is greater than any tax.’

In other words, corvée labor was more terrifying than any exorbitant tax or levy.

Once someone was conscripted for corvée labor, returning to the life of an ordinary citizen anytime soon was out of the question.

In fact, it was highly probable they would be worked or pushed to their death by the relentless, heavy labor that followed...

...ultimately dying like a weed on the roadside, a death no one would spare a second glance for.

"So, you can’t continue living at the master’s old house..."

Qin Fang’s expression flickered, and he instinctively pressed his lips into a thin line.

The master, who had been listening at the side, frowned as well. "Can’t we just talk to them beforehand?"

"It’s not impossible, but it’s risky."

Zhou Xing lowered his voice. "Master, it’s true that your reputation is immense, but we can’t gamble on the good nature of others. The higher your position and the greater your prestige, the more people you attract who are jealous. What if someone with ill intentions decides to report him? What would we do then? This concerns Qin Fang’s future, perhaps even his life. We must be cautious."

Hearing this, the master’s brow furrowed deeply as he, too, recognized the problem.

After a moment, he asked, "Then what do you have in mind?"

"My recommendation... is for Qin Fang to leave the county town for the time being."

"Leave? And go where?" the master asked, his brow furrowed.

"Any of the nearby villages or market towns would work."

Zhou Xing explained in a low voice, "The focus of this large-scale inspection is True Martial County Town itself. They don’t have the manpower to be as thorough in the surrounding villages and market towns."

"Especially the market towns. People come and go from all the surrounding villages to trade there. Even if he’s a new face, it’s unlikely anyone will pay him much mind. And even if they do notice him, most people live by the principle of ’the less trouble, the better,’ so they probably wouldn’t go and report him. After all, unless absolutely necessary, ordinary people don’t want to get involved with the Government Office."

As he said this, Zhou Xing shook his head with a wry smile. He was clearly aware that the Government Office didn’t have the best reputation among the common people.

"But aren’t the market towns run by gangs?" The master’s brow tightened again. "Those places are chaotic. If he goes to a market town, won’t he run into all sorts of trouble?"

"You don’t need to worry about that, Master. I have a contact, a man I trust. He’s the Gang Leader of a small gang and runs a small fish market in Fisherman City. If Qin Fang is willing, I can arrange for him to lie low there for a while. With my contact looking out for him, he should be safe."

"Once the heat has died down in the county, he can come back to True Martial... Then, we can find another way to solve his residency problem."

"What do you think, Master?"

Zhou Xing asked the master.

The master’s brow was knitted in thought. After a long moment, he finally turned to Qin Fang. "Qin Fang, what do you think?"

Qin Fang took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Thank you, Master, and Senior Brother, for your careful planning on my behalf... I am willing to go."

Qin Fang chose to go.

Or perhaps...

He didn’t really have a choice.

This was the way things were heading. With his current power, resistance was not even an option.

"In that case, it’s better to act sooner rather than later. You should leave tonight," Zhou Xing said, his tone swift and decisive. "The Baojia system is already being reinstated. Who knows when your neighbors might decide to report you."

"I will do as you say, Senior Brother."

Qin Fang bowed in gratitude.