"Dry weather and tinder-dry grass—watch out for fire!~"
Clack, clack~~
The clappers sounded. It was already the hai hour, a little after "nine at night," and the night watchmen had begun making their rounds.
Many households in the city had already shut their doors, though their lamps had not all gone out. Now and then, a latecomer could still be seen on the streets...
With Zhou Xing leading the way, Qin Fang followed him through a maze of turns. After walking for nearly half an hour, they arrived at a city gate.
This was the South Gate.
"The market isn't like the county town. Even though Xu Meng will look out for you, you still need to be careful. Those gangs often slaughter one another over control of the Fish Market. Keep your wits about you, and don't get dragged into any of that trouble. Settle in over there, and once things have quieted down in the city, I'll sort out your Identity Plate. Then you can come back."
His senior brother spoke quietly as they walked, giving him instructions.
"If something really happens and you have no other choice, you can come find me. The officers guarding the South Gate are good friends of mine, and I'll give them special instructions. Just tell them you're my junior brother, and they'll let me know. But that could put you at risk of being exposed. The more people who know, the greater the danger."
He had thought of everything. It was clear he had taken this to heart.
Qin Fang was moved. "Thank you, Senior Brother."
"We're brothers. There's no need for that."
Zhou Xing waved a hand, then sighed softly. "We were both lucky. Master took a liking to us and accepted us as his disciples. I was an orphan