The Reason Why

Wang Long's younger brother was the leader of the Iron Tiger Gang, a Dark Force expert.

So Qin Fang wanted to handle this matter as peacefully as possible.

He had thought that if he laid everything out and kept a low profile, perhaps there might still be some room to turn things around.

...If Wang Long and the others found they could not squeeze any more oil from him, perhaps they would simply let the matter drop?

After all...the fact that Wang Long and the others had saved his life was still true.

If he had a choice, he wanted to repay that debt of gratitude.

But reality proved...he had been overthinking it.

Perhaps the peace and stability of recent days, along with his master's cold exterior and warm heart, had made him nearly forget that this was a world where people ate people.

And now, the snapped finger had thoroughly jolted him awake.

Wave after wave of pain from his index finger surged into his brain, draining Qin Fang's face of color.

Yet he endured without expression...compared to what he had suffered along the road as a refugee, this pain was hardly anything.

He followed the group from a distance. As they were about to leave the mouth of the alley, Qin Fang noticed someone coming up to meet them.

He vaguely heard the man ask in a fawning tone..."That refugee, is he the one Brother Dragon and you were looking for?"

Wang Long and the others gave some sort of reply. The man's face immediately lit up with wild joy, and he nervously asked, "Then...then the interest..."

"The interest still has to be paid. A debt must be repaid—it is the law of Heaven and earth, isn't it?" Mole-Face beside Wang Long said with narrowed eyes and a grin.

The man's expression changed. "B-but didn't you say that as long as I confirmed it was him, then...then..."

"Then what?"

Mole-Face cut him off, his expression darkening. "Scar-Head Li, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. You owe money to the Iron Tiger Gang. Try not paying it and see what happens."

Scar-Head Li's expression changed again and again. In the end, he pulled a long face. "B-but I really don't have any money now. Brother Dragon, no matter what, please give me two more days. Two days..."

At last, Wang Long slowly spoke. "All right. You've helped me out, so I'll give you another three days...Three days from now, principal and interest together, five taels of silver. No problem, right?"

"F-five taels?!"

"Hm?"

"...Y-yes, I understand..."

The man lowered his head in dejection.

The others walked over with grins, patted his shoulder, patted his face, and said a few more things before finally leaving.

Only the dazed and despairing Scar-Head Li remained behind.

Scar-Head Li stood at the entrance to the alley, looking utterly lost as he lowered his head and stared blankly into space.

Not long afterward, a hoarse voice sounded beside his ear.

"Was it you who told them where I lived?"

Scar-Head Li was clearly stunned for a moment before lifting his head.

Then he saw Qin Fang, his face pale as paper, watching him with calm eyes.

Only then did Qin Fang get a clear look at the man...no wonder he was called Scar-Head Li. He looked around twenty-five or twenty-six, hunched and skinny, with dark skin. More importantly, there really were two or three bald patches on his scalp where no hair grew, making him look rather frightening.

When he saw Qin Fang, he was stunned at first. But his expression immediately changed, and he instinctively turned to run.

Whoosh!

But in the next instant, a sharp flash of light suddenly caught up to him. His vision blurred at the corner of his eye, followed by a burning sensation beside his ear.

He instinctively reached up to touch it, then looked at his hand. His pupils instantly shrank...

Blood!

He instinctively tried to cry out.

But before he could make a sound, that hoarse voice rang out again. "If you dare make a sound, the next one will be your neck."

The man immediately clamped a hand over his mouth, swallowing the scream back down.

Then he turned toward Qin Fang in terror.

Qin Fang was tall and thin, his face deathly pale. At the same time, Scar-Head Li saw the Flying Dart tied with red silk in Qin Fang's right hand.

Scar-Head Li was terrified. His entire body trembled, and he was almost crying. "S-sir, sir, don't... I-I was wrong. I'll never dare again. P-please spare my life. Don't kill me..."

A long gash had opened on his face, blood streaming from it without cease. He was terrified beyond measure.

He knew Qin Fang was a refugee.

And he had heard that those refugees were all ruthless desperadoes.

He had not believed it before, but now...he did!

Seeing the other man submit, Qin Fang said calmly, "Pick up the Flying Dart."

The man instinctively looked around. Then he saw the Flying Dart lying not far away. With a mournful face, he hurried over and picked it up.

He carefully offered it to Qin Fang with both hands.

Qin Fang took the Flying Dart. Then his calm voice sounded again. "Were you the one who brought them here?"

Scar-Head Li was about to cry, but he immediately understood that Qin Fang must have seen him meeting with the others. He did not even know how he could deny it.

He could only answer in a sobbing voice, "Y-yes, sir. I really was wrong, really wrong...please, please..."

"Tell me. Why did you tell them I lived here?"

Qin Fang ignored his pleas and asked calmly.

The man was stunned by the question and cautiously studied Qin Fang's expression.

When he saw that Qin Fang's face remained calm and showed nothing unusual, his unease seemed to ease a little.

Then, stammering, he explained the whole sequence of events.

The truth was simpler than Qin Fang had imagined...

After he left Spring Return Hall, Wang Long and the others had gone there to look for him. His master told them he had already left, and naturally, Wang Long and the others were unwilling to let the matter end there.

So they naturally made use of their connections, intending to dig Qin Fang out.

And their "connections"...were, of course, the various street thugs of True Martial County.

During that process, they had naturally described Qin Fang's appearance...

A tall, thin refugee.

Thin refugees were nothing unusual.

But one who was both tall and thin, especially as tall as Qin Fang...was rare indeed.

At one meter eighty, he stood out even in this world.

But ever since leaving Spring Return Hall, Qin Fang had remained in the courtyard his master arranged for him and had not even stepped out the door...so naturally, the street thugs had nowhere to find him.

Thus, the matter had dragged on.

As for Scar-Head Li, he was a notorious gambling addict who often drifted between the gambling dens nearby.

As one of the local gangs in True Martial County, the Iron Tiger Gang naturally had gambling houses as well.

Yesterday, Scar-Head Li went gambling again and lost heavily. At the same time, the usurious loan he had taken from the Iron Tiger Gang had come due, so Mole-Face and the others came to collect.

After racking his brains, Scar-Head Li suddenly recalled Wang Long and the others looking for someone.

...He was one of the residents of Ram Horn Alley.

By coincidence, when Old Wu had come to renovate Qin Fang's house some time ago, Scar-Head Li had been there as well. He had even curiously watched from outside the door and caught sight of Qin Fang.

Later, he happened to overhear the neighbors chatting. They were all complaining that Qin Fang was a refugee, and no one knew why Elder Wu had suddenly taken him as a disciple...

Just as he was being pressed for repayment, he decided to treat a dead horse as if it were alive and told Wang Long and the others about it.

And when Wang Long and the others heard that he was Elder Wu of Spring Return Hall's newly accepted disciple, and that he was tall, thin, and a refugee—

There was no need to say more. They had almost instantly concluded...he was the person they were looking for.

So today...

"...S-sir, sir, I-I really just said it casually. I only wanted two more days to repay the money. I-I truly didn't mean to harm you..."

Scar-Head Li swore to Heaven and earth as he tearfully pleaded.

Qin Fang's eyelid twitched as he looked at Scar-Head Li.

The case was solved.

He had never expected that such a street thug would be the reason he had landed in his present predicament.

Then, frowning deeply, Qin Fang pondered for a moment before slowly asking, "Who else knows about this?"