In This World, There Were Always Those Who Didn't Know Whether They Lived or Died

The entirety of Pingjiang County was divided into five districts: east, south, west, north, and central.

Of them, the eastern and northern districts were the poorest.

And the Bamboo Raft Houses were the poorest place in the eastern district.

Built from bamboo, the Bamboo Raft Houses were packed together in dense clusters. Though they covered only a few miles, tens of thousands of fishing families were crammed inside.

The place never saw sunlight year-round. It was dark and damp through all four seasons, with filthy water constantly flowing across the ground, carrying the fishy stench of rotten fish and shrimp.

Even when someone called spring at night here, the people upstairs and downstairs could hear every word clearly.

Fang Xuan had once lived among the Bamboo Raft Houses. But after becoming Old Man Yu's chief enforcer and earning some money, he moved to Tong'an Alley, not far from the Bamboo Raft Houses.

It was already deep into the night. The moment he entered the narrow Tong'an Alley, his brows furrowed.

"Master Fang!"

"Master Fang!"

East Hall thugs in short blue outfits stood pressed against the walls on both sides, leaving a passage through the middle.

One Line Sky and Chen Jingming stood some distance away, their brows tightly knit.

With only one look, Fang Xuan knew something had happened!

"What is it? Speak plainly."

Fang Xuan did not waste words as he spoke in a low voice.

One Line Sky and Chen Jingming exchanged a glance. Then Chen Jingming let out a long breath and said, "Brother Xuan, there are two matters."

"The first happened yesterday, while we were in the city center attending the Ascension Altar. Several hundred South Hall thugs crossed into our eastern district and smashed over a hundred establishments under East Hall's protection! Fish stalls, inns, and restaurants were wrecked. They even set fire to many fishing boats moored at the docks!

"Old Man Hu couldn't stand by and watch. He merely mentioned your name in hopes of scaring them off, but they held his head under the water and nearly drowned him!"

"I've already sent off the innkeepers and restaurant owners. But the fishermen from those fish stalls live off their fishing boats and skiffs every day. With their boats burned, their livelihoods have been cut off! They're all gathered at the docks now and refuse to leave, waiting for an explanation from you, Brother Xuan!"

"Before you arrived, I calculated the losses. If we compensate every establishment ourselves, it will cost roughly three thousand taels of silver!"

"And that is only the loss on the surface. Yang Zheng has sent someone from the authorities. He said this matter puts him in a difficult position. If mishandled, it could become a major incident, though the current situation could be made large or made small. The meaning is obvious: he wants Brother Xuan to pay. If the money is sufficient, it will not be a big matter. If it isn't sufficient..."

Among Fang Xuan's four confidants, Chen Jingming had always handled matters with the greatest care and thoroughness. In only a few words, he laid out the entire matter from beginning to end.

Before Fang Xuan could speak, One Line Sky could no longer hold back. His face twisted viciously as he cursed:

"To hell with South Hall! I was wondering why not a single South Hall thug showed up at the gang meeting this time. So they were pulling dirty tricks while we were gone! I'll fuck their mothers and all eighteen generations of their ancestors!"

Chen Jingming thought for a moment, then said from the side, "Brother Xuan, South Hall clearly did this to disgust you on the day you rose to power, to make you miserable. What do we do?"

Under the night sky, Fang Xuan lowered his gaze. No joy or anger could be seen on his face. He was as calm as a vast ocean without wind or waves.

But Chen Jingming's expression changed sharply.

He understood Fang Xuan.

Usually, if Fang Xuan flew into a rage when something happened, it actually meant the matter was not serious. At most, he would slap someone twice and call it settled.

But if Fang Xuan wore that calm expression—

Then it meant—

Sorry, someone was about to die!

"Who led them?" Fang Xuan took a deep breath and asked expressionlessly.

"Han Xian, nicknamed Mad Han. Since Xie Han was crippled, he has become the new chief enforcer of South Hall. In terms of strength, he is actually no weaker than Xie Han. He simply wasn't as good at flattering people as Xie Han, which was why he had never been made chief enforcer until now."

"Han Xian. Han Xian."

Fang Xuan repeated the name again and again, then suddenly laughed.

Good.

Very good!

Even a piece of trash on Xie Han's level dared to plant his foot on Fang Xuan's head!

"Big Eyes, fill the fish pond at the docks with fish tomorrow. I want to watch Han Xian feed the fish with my own eyes!" Fang Xuan's gaze was indifferent.

"...All right." Chen Jingming nodded.

"What is the second matter?" Fang Xuan took another deep breath and asked.

"This..."

Chen Jingming hesitated, then stepped aside with a bitter smile. "Brother Xuan, see for yourself."

"Hmm?"

Fang Xuan raised a brow and looked ahead.

At the end of Tong'an Alley, before his house—

Water Monkey was bare-chested and kneeling before the door, holding a dagger above his head with both hands. Sharp thorny branches were tied across his back.

The thorny branches pierced deep into the flesh of his back, and beneath his knees was already a pool of blood.

"Brother Xuan, last night, Xiao Li and Xiao Lan were ambushed by South Hall thugs. The reason was that Water Monkey went to a pleasure boat to play with women while delivering their food, exposing the lunch box."

Before Chen Jingming could finish his sentence—

Fang Xuan's expression changed.

Chen Jingming's eyelids twitched, and he hurriedly added, "Brother Xuan, don't worry. Fortunately, Xiao Li was clever and set an ambush beforehand. They killed those South Hall thugs in one stroke. Nothing happened."

Without saying a word, Fang Xuan hurried into the inner room.

Water Monkey only felt a gust of wind sweep past him. When he raised his head again, Fang Xuan had already stepped into the inner room.

Inside, Fang Li and Fang Lan, exhausted after a sleepless night, had fallen asleep sitting in chairs.

Bloodstains, mixed with rainwater, spread across the hems of their clothes.

Fang Xuan let out a quiet breath. He did not disturb them. Instead, he picked up a thin blanket and gently covered them.

One Line Sky and Chen Jingming hurried after him. Seeing this, they could not help releasing sighs of relief.

"Monkey, count yourself lucky. Brother Xuan only has these two relatives left in the world. If those two had really died, he would have had no family left to look up to. He truly would have gone mad."

One Line Sky glanced at Water Monkey as he spoke.

Water Monkey did not reply. He only clenched his teeth tightly. After Fang Xuan gently closed the door and came back outside, he finally gritted his teeth and shouted:

"Brother Xuan! Lust clouded my heart, and I betrayed my brothers! I nearly got Xiao Li and Xiao Lan killed! Three blades and six holes, or cutting the tendons in my hands and feet—you choose! I will have no complaints!"

As Fang Xuan walked out of the room, his expression turned cold.

"Brother Xuan..." One Line Sky had just wanted to step forward and smooth things over when Chen Jingming pulled him back.

Chen Jingming gently shook his head at him.

"Stand up." Fang Xuan looked at Water Monkey.

Water Monkey gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but before he could get fully up, his knees, weakened from kneeling all night, buckled and sent him crashing back to the ground.

Swish!

Fang Xuan casually pulled a thorny branch from Water Monkey's back and viciously lashed it across his back.

In an instant, his skin split open and blood flowed freely.

The intense pain made Water Monkey's face turn deathly pale at once, beads of sweat the size of beans forming on his forehead.

"Brother Xuan, Monkey didn't do it on purpose. Please, for the sake of it being his first mistake..." One Line Sky said, unable to bear it.

"Shut up!"

Fang Xuan coldly shot One Line Sky a look. Then he took a deep breath, tossed aside the thorny branch, and looked down at Water Monkey.

"Monkey, you have been with me since we were three years old. Over these years, we have roamed north and south, weathering wind and rain together. We may not be blood brothers, but we are closer than blood brothers! I know you suffered too much when you were young. Now that you have finally made something of yourself, you want to make up for every hardship you endured as a child!

"I don't object to you playing with women. But you must know what matters more! Don't tell me it was your first mistake. First time, first time—if every person gets a first time, then we brothers might as well stop living in the martial world and get buried together!"

The words were clearly meant for One Line Sky. After Fang Xuan finished, One Line Sky's face reddened, and he did not dare speak again.

Fang Xuan took a deep breath. The coldness on his face eased slightly as he said:

"Water Monkey, today's matter ends here. That lash was meant to make you remember. If there is a next time... sorry, but we can no longer be brothers!"

"Brother Xuan, I..."

Water Monkey's face flushed red with shame. Then he gritted his teeth, suddenly tightened his grip on the dagger, and slashed it toward his own thumb!

"Brother Xuan, if you will not punish me, then I will cut off one finger myself and take it as a lesson!"

The dagger came down viciously!

Smack!

A loud slap landed viciously across Water Monkey's face!

"Cut off a finger? What use is cutting off one finger? When you have done wrong, you should think of how to redeem yourself through merit. What can cutting off a finger accomplish? Blockhead!"

Fang Xuan cursed him for failing to live up to expectations. Then he sat down heavily in the seat of honor and said:

"Enough. I said today's matter ends here, so it ends here."

"Keep your hand. Tomorrow, use it to cut down a few more South Hall thugs!"

The moment those words fell—

Water Monkey, whose face had been flushed with shame, suddenly raised his head. Savage light burst from his eyes.

Those South Hall thugs had nearly caused the violent deaths of the only two relatives Brother Xuan had left in this world!

He had long wanted to hack those South Hall thugs to death!

"Brother Xuan, Zheng Juexiong isn't in Pingjiang City right now. Are we making a move against South Hall?" One Line Sky asked, also itching for action.

"They take so much money from others every month. Did they think they were taking it for nothing?"

Fang Xuan replied. Then his gaze passed through the narrow, straight Tong'an Alley and fell upon the tightly packed Bamboo Raft Houses.

His expression gradually became cold and profound.

In this world, there were always those who didn't know whether they lived or died!