Refugees

Three days later, Linhe County wharf.

The morning mist had yet to dissipate, and the air was perpetually permeated with the fishy stench unique to the docks.

Chen Mo carried two weathered rattan trunks and a bulging blue cloth bundle, following the stream of disembarking passengers onto the wharf's wooden pier.

The scene before him, however, caused his footsteps to falter almost imperceptibly.

The open space of the wharf, the base of the warehouse walls, the muddy roadsides—every corner that could barely provide shelter was packed with a dense, dark mass of people.

Most were dressed in rags, their faces unwashed and hair disheveled, their eyes hollow or filled with terror.

Shanties constructed from broken mats, tattered cloth, and tree branches stretched on in a continuous sprawl; the weak wails of children and the shoving and cursing of those fighting for limited space and food converged into a buzzing sea of misery.

They were refugees fleeing from the south.

Their numbers were far beyond the ordinary, turning the wharf into a massive refugee camp.

The foul, murky aura drifting in the air was also far more intense than the gloomy turbidity he had sensed at the hostel on the outskirts of Jin City.

Chen Mo frowned, his complexion retaining the pallor unique to one who had practiced the Taiyin Ghost Form Manual, his frame appearing thin and frail beneath his oversized, worn robe.

He carried his luggage along the dirt path, which had been narrowed to a mere sliver by the crowds and debris, and headed toward the exit of the wharf.

Just as he squeezed out of the most congested area of the cargo yard and reached a relatively secluded alleyway, several shadows darted out from behind some crooked wooden crates, blocking his path.

They were four men in ragged clothes with fierce expressions.

Though they were young, their eyes lacked the numbness common to refugees, holding instead a sense of malice.

The leader was a young man with a square face and a buzz cut; his frame was large, but his eye sockets were deeply sunken, clearly having gone hungry for some time.

He stared at Chen Mo's pale face and the luggage in his hands, licking his cracked lips.

"This... young master," the buzz-cut youth spoke with a sinister tone, forcing a twisted smile, "be a good soul and spare us a bite to eat? My brothers and I haven't eaten in days."

As he spoke, the other three tacitly spread out in a semi-circle, subtly sealing off his retreat.

Chen Mo stopped and swept his gaze calmly over the four.

Beyond the filth of refugees, they carried the roguish air of street thugs; they were clearly not honest farmers fleeing famine, but rather hoodlums who had long scraped by at the bottom of society.

"No." Chen Mo's voice was low and devoid of emotion. "I advise you not to court disaster."

The buzz-cut youth's expression darkened, his feigned amiability vanishing instantly. "Kid, don't be ungrateful! This place is chaotic. My brothers see that you're weak, so we're helping you carry your luggage—it's a favor to you!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the rattan trunk on Chen Mo's arm.

His movement appeared casual but carried a hidden ferocity; his knuckles were thick, clearly indicating some crude experience in brawling.

The other three also closed in with sinister grins.

Chen Mo did not move.

Only when that dirty hand was about to touch the handle of the trunk did he shift his body half a step to the side, seemingly at random.

The buzz-cut youth's grab missed, his center of gravity inevitably shifting forward.

At that exact moment, when his old momentum was spent and his new strength had yet to form, Chen Mo raised his leg and kicked precisely at the side of the man's forward-lunging knee.

"CRACK!"

A bone-chilling sound of fracturing bone echoed through the air.

"AHHH!!!"

The buzz-cut youth let out a shrill, miserable scream, collapsing forward onto the ground and curling up while clutching his twisted, deformed right leg.

His pale face was instantly covered in cold sweat, and he was in too much pain to even roll on the ground.

The other three stopped their charge abruptly, their sinister grins freezing as they looked in disbelief at their fallen, screaming leader, then at Chen Mo, who was still carrying his luggage.

Chen Mo didn't even spare them a second glance; he simply walked past the fallen youth with composure.

The three were so thoroughly intimidated by his indifference—as if they were nothing—and that clean, decisive kick, that they stood frozen in place, watching him walk away without daring to move.

Emerging from the alley and merging into the slightly larger crowd, the muffled groans of the buzz-cut youth and the panicked whispers of his companions were quickly drowned out by the noisy background sounds of the street.

Chen Mo's expression remained unchanged as he continued forward, though the voices of two local laborers nearby drifted into his ears, filled with resentment:

"These people from the south, they're all sorts of monsters and demons! Damn it, the county magistrate is spineless too; one word from above, and they've dumped all these mouths right here in our Linhe County!"

"Shh! Keep it down! Didn't you see the notice posted at the city gate two days ago? The United Government issued a strict order: all refugees from the south are to be settled in the outer counties around Linhe, and they are strictly forbidden from continuing north into Jin City!"

"They say it's to avoid offending the eyes of the big shots in Jin City and to preserve the city's dignity!"

"Dignity? Bah! With so many mouths to feed, Linhe County can't even feed itself, so what are we supposed to use to settle them? Sooner or later, there's going to be a massive disaster..."

"Sigh, who's to say otherwise... I heard that yesterday, over on the west side of the city, someone was beaten to death over a bowl of porridge..."

The conversation gradually faded.

Chen Mo did not stop his pace, but his eyes flickered slightly.

No wonder there were so many refugees in Linhe County.

Otherwise, since this place was only about fifty kilometers from Jin City, even if they were fleeing, they should have been crowding toward a major city like Jin City.

It seems life in Linhe County is no longer peaceful; I wonder how high the price of rice has climbed by now...

Preoccupied with these thoughts, Chen Mo quickened his pace, reaching the entrance of Funeral Street in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

At this moment, the eaves on both sides of Funeral Street were packed with sallow, emaciated refugees sitting or lying about, while Liu Shoucai of Fushou Coffins was locked in a shouting match with several refugees sitting on his doorstep.

"Get lost, get lost, get lost! This is a place of business, not a charity house! If you keep loitering here, see if I don't douse the lot of you with a basin of filthy coffin-washing water!"

Liu Shoucai was spitting as he spoke, waving his arms, his face flushed red with agitation.

An old refugee on the steps wore a mournful expression: "Have some mercy, Shopkeeper, just let us hide from the sun under your eaves, we won't take up any space inside..."

"No! It's bad luck!" Liu Shoucai said with finality.

Just then, his peripheral vision caught sight of Chen Mo carrying his luggage, and his voice cut off abruptly.

He immediately abandoned the refugees on the steps, hurried across the street in a few strides, and arrived before Chen Mo. "Little Chen? Oh, you've finally returned!"

"You've come back at just the right time! There's a major matter I must tell you immediately!"

"Your father is back!" Liu Shoucai spoke rapidly, his eyes darting about. "And he didn't come back alone; he brought two other people with him!"

He paused, seemingly observing Chen Mo's reaction. "He brought a lady, and a little girl who looks to be about seven or eight years old!"

"Oh, I already knew that."

Chen Mo cast a curious glance at him; why was this fellow so excited about Chen Dachuan returning?

"Aren't you curious about the identity of that woman?"

His voice carried an irrepressible sense of gossip.

"Could it be Shopkeeper Liu's ex-wife?"