Critically Ill

This group clearly harbored a massive scheme, aiming to incite the refugees into rebellion.

Furthermore, it was obviously not just three or five people; there was likely a massive power lurking behind them.

Qin Fang did not know what that man's purpose was here, but regardless of what it was... staying away was never wrong!

As he thought this, Qin Fang retreated rapidly, lowering his head, preparing to leave the line first.

"Hm? You there, what are you doing? Stay in line, stay in line!"

Qin Fang wanted to leave, but just then, several sturdy men arrived at the front of the queue. As Qin Fang tried to exit, other refugees were entering the line, causing a collision that stirred up the crowd.

One of the men saw this and immediately frowned, barking a reprimand.

Qin Fang's footsteps faltered, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the man in the crowd—who likely had ulterior motives—had already frowned and looked his way.

And it wasn't just him!

There were over a hundred refugees in this group, and Qin Fang clearly felt several other gazes landing on him covertly.

It felt like needles on his back.

It wasn't just one person.

Qin Fang's mind raced instantly.

And his resolve to leave became even firmer.

"Apologies, apologies, sir, I suddenly have a terrible stomach ache, I, I need to go relieve myself..."

Qin Fang put on an expression of unbearable pain, clutching his stomach as he spoke.

In truth, he didn't need to pretend to be pitiful... because his current appearance was already pitiful enough.

The man was stunned for a moment, then cursed irritably, "Lazy donkey on the millstone, always full of piss and shit... get lost, get lost..."

Qin Fang didn't care about his tone; he bowed repeatedly to apologize while walking out of the line.

"There's a makeshift latrine over there, hurry back once you're done."

The man waved his hand, and Qin Fang bowed in acknowledgment before slowly heading in the direction pointed out.

Once he was far away, he turned his head to look back, only to find that the number of people seemed sufficient; the group, led by those sturdy men, had already left the plaza and headed toward some unknown destination.

Only then did Qin Fang let out a long sigh of relief, his brows furrowed tightly.

He subconsciously glanced around... there were quite a few refugees registering in the plaza, with lines of people waiting behind them.

Qin Fang's eyelid twitched...

There were people with malicious intent in that previous group.

What about the other groups?

Qin Fang began to search carefully.

But after looking for a long time, Qin Fang's brows remained tightly locked.

...He couldn't tell.

He had been able to identify that those people weren't real refugees before because they were gathered together, making their shared characteristics immediately obvious.

But now, with so many refugees, they all had the same look: disheveled, filthy, and unkempt.

Trying to pick out fake refugees from this...

How could it be easy?

Did he really think their disguises were amateur?

And the key point was... what good would it do to find them?

Report it to the officials?

Honestly, Qin Fang had no good impression of the officials in this world.

In his past life, when one side faced trouble, all sides would provide support.

In this world, when one side faces trouble, all sides watch the show.

Throughout his flight, he had seen clearly the attitude those officials held toward the common people.

It would be no exaggeration to say they treated them like straw dogs!

They expelled people at will, without a shred of mercy.

The life and death of refugees meant absolutely nothing to them.

The number of refugees who had died at the hands of government officials and bailiffs along this road... was not small.

As he pondered this.

Suddenly, Qin Fang stumbled twice, feeling the world spin around him.

He quickly propped himself up with his crutch, barely managing to steady his frame.

After regaining his composure, Qin Fang's expression shifted!

Damn it.

It seems I'm sick!

He hurriedly reached back to touch his forehead, his hand feeling a wave of scorching heat against his skin.

Damn it, what's that saying about rain falling on a leaking roof?

At this critical juncture, has my body actually reached its limit?

He panted slightly, then felt a burning sensation in his nasal cavity; even the air he exhaled was noticeably hotter.

I have a fever!

He looked down at his feet, caked in mud and blood, and without a moment's hesitation, turned and headed toward the edge of the plaza.

These wounds must be treated.

If they continue to worsen, I'll surely be walking a dead end.

It wasn't just his feet; the wounds on his waist and shoulder had been throbbing incessantly, but he hadn't had the luxury of caring about them before.

But now, with a fever setting in and his resistance dropping, if he didn't treat these two injuries, they might actually cost him his life!

As for what those people were planning... Qin Fang had no heart left to worry about them.

He was on the verge of death!

Survival comes first!

He walked toward the exit of the settlement, feeling lightheaded and unsteady, yet he forced himself to stay alert, his mind racing frantically.

...Refugees were forbidden from leaving the settlement; that had been made clear from the start.

Many people were patrolling nearby, but they were clearly not government officials; they were other powerful factions from True Martial County.

Qin Fang needed to find a gap in their lines to slip out of the settlement.

...There must be a clinic in True Martial County!

Actually, there were people nearby in the plaza treating refugees, but after one glance, Qin Fang decisively gave up on that idea.

For no other reason than this.

Those places were surrounded by three layers of people inside and out!

Who knew how long he'd have to wait for his turn?

As for expecting them to let him cut the line because he was in a miserable, critical state?

Keep dreaming!

Which of these refugees wasn't miserable? Who wasn't waiting for their life to be saved? What made him so special?

Just look at the corpses strewn across the ground.

To these people, refugees were sometimes... no longer considered human.

Sickness strikes like a collapsing mountain!

Qin Fang's footsteps became increasingly unsteady, and he felt his head growing heavier, his vision beginning to blur and double.

He struggled to control his body, his face deathly pale, until he finally neared the edge of the plaza.

At the perimeter, there were several groups of men patrolling.

"Get back in there! Refugees aren't allowed to leave the settlement, don't you know that?"

Before he even reached them, he heard a shout. Qin Fang forced his head up and saw a few refugees desperately pleading with some of the men.

"My lord, please, have mercy! My father can't hold on any longer, he needs a doctor! Please, show some kindness and let us out to seek medical help. We are good citizens, we are, we would never cause trouble in True Martial County. Here is our identification, please, take a look... I beg you, I beg you!"

A woman knelt on the ground, pleading bitterly, though her face was so covered in dust that her features were indistinguishable.

"Who knows what kind of plague you've caught? Refugees aren't allowed to leave; that's the order from above. If you need a doctor, look, isn't there one holding clinic at Spring Return Hall over there? Go on, get moving."

A man with a face full of fat showed no sign of being moved by the woman's pleas; instead, he covered his nose and mouth in disgust and waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

"But, there are too many people over there, please, I beg you, have a heart, our whole family will be forever grateful for your great kindness..."

The woman wept as she begged, kowtowing until her head hit the ground with a thud.

The other refugees with her joined in, pleading in a chaotic chorus.

"My lord, please, have mercy. The old man is getting on in years, he really can't hold on much longer."

"That's right, my lord, your great kindness will never be forgotten by our family..."

They looked like one large family.

"Damn it, I'll say it one more time: get back! Don't force me to use violence!"

The fat-faced man was growing impatient, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes.

The woman and the others continued to beg, and in his desperation, one of the refugees grabbed the man's arm. The fat-faced man's expression shifted instantly, and he roared in fury, "You dare lay a hand on me?"

SLAP!

He backhanded the man across the face.

The blow was heavy and powerful, sending the man stumbling backward. When he looked up again, his face was swollen and red, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth.

"You, how can you hit people?!"

The other refugees who had come with him were instantly shocked and furious.

The burly man with the scarred face glared at them. "Hit people?"

He reached to his waist with his right hand, and a gleaming long blade appeared in his grip, instantly chilling the hearts of all the refugees and sending them scrambling back in a panic.

"If you keep pestering me here, I'll kill you too!"

The burly man looked vicious. "Damn it, a bunch of bumpkins from out of town. Letting you into the city is already a massive favor, and you still want to cause trouble?! If you want to leave, and he wants to leave, then what's the point of this settlement camp? Get lost and shut the hell up! Don't force me to get rough!"

This display of ferocity immediately terrified the surrounding refugees.

The woman was also frightened into standing up and hurriedly backing away.

Seeing them retreat but not leave, the burly man glared. "What? You still looking for trouble?!"

The others were cowed by his fierce aura and dared not step forward to plead anymore. The woman's family members looked ghastly, but they could only stammer that they dared not, then carried away the old man they had brought over earlier.

The sound of crying faded into the distance.

"Brother Dragon is imposing!"

"Brother Dragon is mighty!!"

Seeing that the refugees dared not cause any more trouble, his companions immediately gathered around, each of them flattering this burly Brother Dragon.

A hint of smugness appeared in the eyes of Brother Dragon; he clearly enjoyed the feeling of controlling others' lives and being fawned over.

He gave a boorish laugh and spat a glob of thick phlegm. "Damn, a bunch of out-of-town bumpkins. Do they think they know where they are? I heard they even wanted to revolt yesterday? Pfft, them?"

He sneered as if no one else were around.

The people beside him all chimed in.

Qin Fang watched all of this, but his physical condition was becoming increasingly severe; he could feel that the breath he exhaled was scorching hot.

With no other choice, he stumbled toward them.

"Hm? What are you doing? You looking to die too?"

The burly man heard the footsteps, turned his head, and saw a disheveled refugee staggering toward him. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke with a snarl.

Qin Fang didn't speak; instead, he used every ounce of his remaining strength to snap his crutch in two with a loud crack.

But this action caused his body to collapse directly to the ground.

These men from True Martial County were all stunned, then frowned and looked at Qin Fang coldly, showing no intention of stepping forward to help him up.

Qin Fang's hand fumbled blindly over the broken end of the crutch until it grasped something.

His vision was already blacking out, and things were appearing in double, so he could only struggle to raise that hand, saying weakly, "Kind sirs, I am ill. Please, take me to a clinic, save me... this is the payment. I have more... hidden outside the city. Save me, and it's all yours..."

The men were stunned by this series of actions and instinctively looked at the filth-covered hand he was struggling to hold up.

Then, their gazes froze simultaneously.

Because, in the man's hand, he was clutching something.

A brilliant, golden...

Golden Chain!