Lockdown

Amid the chaos, people saw Mole Zhang sprawled on the ground, drenched in blood and still twitching.

The gruesome sight left everyone aghast. Cries of alarm rang out as they hurriedly backed away.

The Lan Gui Fang guards who had been examining the body changed expression, and the man leading them turned icy.

Someone had killed people at Lan Gui Fang repeatedly—and now they were doing it right in front of him?

They were practically treating Lan Gui Fang like it was nothing!

Fury rose in his eyes. Seeing the crowd scatter, he shouted, "Everyone, calm down! Don't panic!"

"Block the exits! From this moment on, no one is allowed to leave!"

At the same time, he barked the order to the guards behind him.

He was going to lock down Lan Gui Fang!

The killer had been brazen enough to murder people in plain sight. They were clearly trying to fish in troubled waters.

The lean man in charge reacted swiftly and immediately moved to seal off the scene.

Qin Fang's gaze darkened slightly... Clearly, another unexpected complication had arisen.

But there was no other way. He had no choice.

If he didn't eliminate these three targets, then once Wang Long's death came to light tomorrow, he would immediately fall under the Iron Tiger Gang's scrutiny.

Only by eliminating everyone who knew him could he buy himself some room to maneuver. Even if Wang Hu investigated, it would likely take him quite a while.

But Lan Gui Fang was clearly no pushover either. Watching the lean man react so quickly and try to take control of the situation, Qin Fang knew he was in trouble.

Once Lan Gui Fang got things under control, the risk of his identity being exposed would skyrocket.

After all, he had sneaked in, and not a single courtesan knew him.

On top of that, he still reeked of the refugees. It would be easy for people to remember him.

As soon as the situation settled down, he'd have nowhere to hide.

What, hide in a room somewhere first?... Did he think this was a movie? Once they had things under control, they'd have all the time in the world to search every room, one by one!

Where could he run?

He was a stranger, not a Lan Gui Fang customer. If they investigated him... did he really need to spell out what would happen?

The Lan Gui Fang people would probably attack him before anyone from the Iron Tiger Gang even arrived!

With that thought, Qin Fang watched as the crowd grew a little calmer under the lean man's shouts and the guards' efforts.

He clenched his teeth and acted without hesitation. A throwing dart appeared in his hand.

Then, in the next instant...

Thwack!

"Aah!!!"

A scream suddenly rang out from the crowd. A man clutched his stomach, staggered two steps, and fell to the ground.

He looked down and saw a throwing dart embedded in his belly. His face instantly went deathly pale. "Help! Help!!!"

The crowd, which had just started to settle down, erupted into chaos again.

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Fang shouted in panic, "The killer's still here! Run, everyone! He's going to keep killing!"

As if to prove his words, two more darts shot out from somewhere.

"Aah!!!"

"Aah!!"

"Help! Help!"

Two more unlucky customers were struck by darts in the back and leg, and toppled to the ground.

This time, the people from Lan Gui Fang completely lost control of the situation.

When someone had been killed, everyone was happy enough to watch the spectacle—as long as they were safe.

But now, the killer was still here, and seemed to be going berserk!

When watching the excitement became life-threatening... no one dared to stay and watch.

The crowd surged toward the exits.

The Lan Gui Fang guards' expressions changed. The lean young man roared furiously, "You dare cause trouble at Lan Gui Fang? You're asking for death! Stop them! No one leaves the courtyard! If anyone tries to force their way out, take them down first! I'll take responsibility for whatever happens! Today, I'll make sure that killer never gets out alive!"

At his command, the guards immediately began stopping the panicked customers from rushing outside.

Qin Fang saw this, and a look of grim resolve entered his eyes. He clenched his teeth and drove his final dart into his own thigh.

Then he let out a scream. "Aah!!! He—he's still here!!"

Screaming, he staggered toward the entrance.

When people saw the dart sticking out of his thigh and the blood streaming down his leg, they instinctively moved aside, all the while frantically searching for whoever was throwing the hidden darts.

He staggered to the entrance.

A guard immediately reached out and supported him on instinct.

"Damn it!!"

The guard captain was right beside him. Seeing the dart in his right leg, he scowled and whipped around, gritting his teeth. "I don't care who you are. If you dare cause trouble at Lan Gui Fang, you're dead!"

Just then, cries of pain drew closer. The other three customers who had been hit by darts arrived at the entrance, supported by guards, groaning in agony...

"Get the injured out first. Everyone else, seal this place off! Send a few people to the back entrance too, in case he tries to escape that way!"

The injuries were serious, and the guard captain issued the order decisively, his teeth clenched.

Qin Fang was groaning too, but when he heard this, he breathed a long sigh of relief. He deliberately kept his head lowered, his face contorted as he clutched his leg, making himself look shorter.

"Get the injured out first!"

The guard gave a few instructions, then the groaning men, including Qin Fang, were helped out of the rear courtyard by the guards.

"Damn it! Bastard! Who the hell did I ever wrong?! Damn it, ow..."

"That son of a bitch, ow..."

Supported by several guards, the wounded were brought to another courtyard farther forward. There was a pavilion here, forming the front of Lan Gui Fang.

People hurried out of the pavilion, rushing to reinforce the rear courtyard.

The group was brought into the pavilion's main hall. A guard said, "Gentlemen, my apologies. This was Lan Gui Fang's fault. Rest assured, we'll take full responsibility for your injuries. We'll also find the killer and make him pay!"

The guard was gritting his teeth too.

Lan Gui Fang hadn't faced such a major disturbance in a long time.

Even during the last refugee riot, Lan Gui Fang hadn't been affected!

"Get a few people over here to treat their wounds for now!"

He turned and called out.

Soon, someone came over with a medicine chest and began treating their wounds.

Qin Fang was among them, his head bowed the whole time as he groaned and cried out... He looked badly injured.

The other wounded cursed the killer and his ancestors for generations... Completely unaware that the killer was sitting right there among them.

Fortunately, Lan Gui Fang evidently had professional physicians on hand. They quickly pulled out the darts one by one, sprinkled wound medicine over the injuries, and bandaged them.

The guard watched the whole time. Only when the treatment was finished did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, remembering the situation in the rear courtyard, he said, "Gentlemen, rest here for a while. I'll go check whether they've found the killer."

One of the customers, a fat man who had taken a dart to the belly, seethed with rage. "Find him! You'd better find him! I'll make him wish he were dead and beg for death!"

"Right!!"

"Find him!!"

Qin Fang kept his head down and roared along with them.

The guard nodded, then quickly turned and left for the rear courtyard.

Qin Fang lowered his head, letting his hair cover most of his face. When he saw the guard leave, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

He looked around again...

There were still quite a few courtesans in the hall. They had gathered together, chattering as they watched the rear courtyard, clearly following what was happening over there.

The wounded men had been temporarily settled in the hall. They clutched their injuries, grimacing in pain.

Qin Fang took a deep breath, knowing this was the moment to leave.

Clutching his leg, he stood and limped toward the side.

The fat man noticed him and stared in surprise. "Brother, where are you going?"

Qin Fang paused, then swore through gritted teeth. "Where do you think? To take a leak! Damn it, I already had to piss before, and now I've been shot with a dart—I'm about to wet my pants!"

Hearing Qin Fang curse and grumble, the other three stared at him for a moment. Then, amused by what he'd said, they couldn't help laughing.

The laughter tugged at their wounds, and they immediately grimaced and groaned again.

For a while, the hall was a lively scene.

Qin Fang didn't say anything else. Limping, he made his way toward the main entrance...