Cause and Effect

It was only for a moment, but then he took a deep breath and pulled his thoughts back into focus.

He asked in a low voice, "Where's Wang Long?"

Scar-Head Li froze, then stammered, "Bro, y-you're still going to kill him? We can't! If nothing happens to Wang Long, the Iron Tiger Gang won't pay too much attention to a thorough investigation. B-but if something really happens to him... then it'll be a huge deal! There are still a few people who know about this. They might trace it back to us any minute..."

"Where is Wang Long?"

Before Scar-Head Li could finish, Qin Fang asked again, his voice low.

Scar-Head Li's words caught in his throat.

He stared blankly at Qin Fang, whose face was smeared with blood and whose gaze was icy. A shiver ran through him.

"H-he's not far ahead... H-he keeps a mistress there... H-he should've gone back to her place."

In the end, he had still chickened out.

"Lead the way."

"Huh?"

"Lead the way."

Under Qin Fang's cold stare, Scar-Head Li looked close to tears. But in the end, he walked on, his voice trembling with a sob. "Sir, please think it over... Wang Long is Wang Hu's own brother. If you kill him, there'll be no room to turn back. W-why don't we take more time to plan this?"

Qin Fang said nothing.

But his mind was clearly made up.

Once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back!

The two men he had killed this time were both Wang Long's subordinates. Once the news broke at daybreak, even a fool could see that it was aimed at Wang Long.

And Wang Long, as the man at the center of it all, would immediately think back over everyone he'd offended recently.

Qin Fang, whom they had forced into a corner today, would instantly come to mind.

Unless he fled right now and left True Martial County, there was no chance he'd survive.

...Of course, if his master was willing to intervene, perhaps he could protect him to some extent.

But that would only treat the symptoms, not the cause.

If the other side secretly came after him, what could his master do?

After all, they had a Dark Force expert backing them.

If they truly wanted him dead, he would be doomed.

And once he was dead, what could his master do?

Never mind that he and his master hadn't yet built a particularly deep bond...

Even if his master wanted revenge afterward, that would be no concern of his. He'd be dead.

That left only one option: leave True Martial County.

But could he really get away?

His Identity Plate was still with his master.

Without it, he'd be an unregistered vagrant.

And people shouldn't forget: True Martial had just gone through a vagrant rebellion.

For all he knew, the rebellion was still being put down!

If he tried to leave True Martial as a vagrant, they might seize him as soon as he crossed the border!

Then they'd surely treat him as a rebel.

That would be a dead end in every sense!

So this had to be done tonight...Wang Long had to die!

And, of course, the remaining three men had to die too.

He took a deep breath and looked at Scar-Head Li, who was trembling as he walked ahead. A flicker passed through his eyes.

Scar-Head Li suddenly shuddered, the hairs on his body standing on end.

His steps began to feel unbearably heavy.

In a tearful voice, he said, "Sir, I-I'll do as you say. I won't tell anyone, I swear. I don't even want the silver anymore. W-we're in the same boat..."

His voice shook. Clearly, he had realized something.

Qin Fang's eyes flickered, but he said calmly, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Scar-Head Li trembled all over. He had no idea what to say, and only mumbled incoherently.

At last, they went a little farther. Scar-Head Li raised a heavy hand and pointed to a quiet alley up ahead. "H-he's in there..."

"Which house?" Qin Fang asked evenly.

"T-the one with the light on... I made sure to ask around today..."

Scar-Head Li trembled as he spoke.

Since Qin Fang planned to kill someone, he had to scout the place first. But a stranger would stand out too much, so naturally he had left it to the local, Scar-Head Li.

The man had done a decent job.

Qin Fang glanced up at the house. After letting out a soft breath, he made a resolute look. "Wait here."

With that, he plunged into the quiet alley.

Scar-Head Li stood there trembling. The autumn wind was cold, but the chill in his heart was worse.

"Madman... He's a madman! The plan's already been exposed, and he still wants to kill Wang Long..."

"No, no... If this goes on, I'm dead for sure... Right, run, run... I have to get away! I can hide out in the countryside for a while!"

"Otherwise, whether that madman manages to kill Wang Long or not, I'm done for..."

The more Scar-Head Li thought about it, the more frightened he became. In the end, he couldn't take it anymore. He glanced tremblingly at the quiet alley, then turned and ran.

That man was a reckless desperado!

He was ruthless and killed without hesitation!

Scar-Head Li regretted ever getting mixed up in this.

His mind was in chaos, but just then, he heard a soft sigh behind him.

The sigh made the hairs on his body stand up.

Before he could say a word—

Pfft!

A gleaming dart pierced the back of his neck and emerged at his throat, its tip poking through.

Blood gushed out at once.

Scar-Head Li froze in place. He turned back in disbelief and clutched the wound in his neck. Blood instantly soaked his hands. He tried to speak, but all he could manage was a wheezing rattle as blood bubbled from his mouth.

"I told you to wait. Why did you run? How can I trust you now?"

Qin Fang's eyes glimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Scar-Head Li couldn't speak. Still clutching his neck, he toppled to the ground with a thud. He looked at Qin Fang as if he wanted to say something, but not a word came out.

Qin Fang stood nearby, watching coldly as the man's body convulsed and spasmed. At last, his head lolled to one side, his eyes still open in death.

"Of course... the dead are the easiest to trust."

He murmured.

Yes, Qin Fang had never planned to let Scar-Head Li live from the start.

The things he'd encountered on the road as a refugee had made it impossible for him to trust anyone easily.

And now he was doing something that would offend a powerful faction: killing the brother of a Dark Force expert.

If even the slightest hint got out, he would be dead for sure.

His master might even be dragged into it.

Under these circumstances, how could he let Scar-Head Li live?

Besides, when all was said and done, Scar-Head Li was the one who had put him in this predicament.

If the man hadn't been blinded by greed and tried to trade Qin Fang for a reward, how would Wang Long have found out about him? How would Qin Fang have been driven to this point?

By now, he'd probably be sleeping cozily in a warm bed. Why would he need to brave the cold to kill someone?

Since Scar-Head Li had already meddled in Qin Fang's affairs, there was no reason to complain about dying at his hands now, was there?

Qin Fang quietly watched Scar-Head Li's body go still, then went over, pulled the dart from his neck, and searched the corpse...

As expected of a compulsive gambler, he was dead broke. Aside from a few odds and ends, all he had was a handful of copper coins.

But even a fly was meat. Qin Fang pocketed the coins, then dragged the corpse into the quiet alley to keep the night watchman from finding it.

Only then did he take a deep breath and turn to look at the courtyard with its light still on.

Wang Long was the true target of this trip.

He crept toward the courtyard.

No matter what went wrong, Wang Long had to die.

His gaze was deep and cold.