Something Happened

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

During this time, Fang Han kept to the same routine every day, traveling back and forth between the martial hall and home.

He practiced boxing in the morning and returned home at dusk, day after day, over and over.

Ever since bear meat had become extremely ineffective at producing a sensation of Qi in his abdomen, he rarely went to Eight Treasures Ward on Poplar Street to buy bear meat anymore.

Even Blood-Qi Pills had not been bought again after he finished the three bottles he had purchased from Wei Zixiong that day.

On one hand,

the nourishing effects of Blood-Qi Pills on him had begun to weaken, making continued use poor value for money.

On the other hand,

Fang Han did not want Wei Zixiong to think he had deep pockets, lest it arouse unnecessary suspicion.

A man was innocent, but possessing jade was a crime. He understood that principle.

So during this period, he mostly practiced boxing normally, progressing as far as he could.

There were no pills to assist him, no meat to nourish him. He relied purely on himself to hone his fist technique.

At dusk, the sun was setting.

Fang Han walked home with light steps and a calm expression.

As he walked, a thought stirred in his mind, and the Panel appeared before his eyes.

He checked the progress of his Gale-Breaking Fist proficiency over the past half month:

[Martial Art: Gale-Breaking Fist (Mortal Grade)]

[Proficiency: 4072/5000, Major Accomplishment]

"Gale-Breaking Fist is about to break through to Perfection."

Looking at the proficiency progress on the Panel, Fang Han was in high spirits.

With over four thousand proficiency points, he was less than a thousand away from the five-thousand threshold.

At his current pace, he would reach his goal in just a few more days.

By then,

once Gale-Breaking Fist reached Perfection, he would be able to condense an additional ten strands of Blood Qi.

He glanced once more at the [Comprehension] section of the Panel.

[Comprehension: 150]

It had risen by eighteen points from the previous one hundred and thirty-two, bringing his Comprehension to exactly one hundred and fifty.

Fang Han had always paid particular attention to Comprehension.

He truly wanted to see what changes would occur to the Martial Soul Avatar in his mind when his Comprehension reached two hundred this time.

Would another new Martial Soul Avatar appear in his mind like it had at the beginning, or would the current Martial Soul Avatar become stronger?

Fang Han was filled with anticipation, but he also knew this could not be rushed.

Improving Comprehension required steady accumulation over time; it was not something that could be achieved overnight.

He put away the Panel and quickened his pace home.

However, just as he reached the outside of his family's small courtyard, Fang Han keenly heard crying coming from within.

It was the sound of his mother and younger sister crying, broken by choked sobs and sniffles.

Besides that,

there were also the repeated sighs of his grandfather and grandmother.

Fang Han's heart tightened at the sound.

His face darkened as he strode forward and shoved open the courtyard gate.

Inside the courtyard,

his mother, Chen Cui, was wiping away tears. His younger sister leaned against her, her eyes red and her little face still streaked with tears.

His grandfather smoked his pipe in silence, his expression obscured by the curling smoke.

His grandmother sat on the threshold, muttering something under her breath with a worried look on her face.

Fang Han's gaze swiftly swept over his family first.

Only after seeing that they were all unharmed did he relax slightly.

He walked up to his mother, Chen Cui, and asked in a low voice, "Mother, what happened?"

Seeing Fang Han return, Chen Cui seemed to find her pillar of support. She hurriedly grabbed both his arms.

"Xiaohan, your brother got into trouble at the wharf!"

Chen Cui was frantic, her voice trembling.

Looking at his flustered, anxious mother, Fang Han spoke evenly to comfort her.

"Mother, don't panic. Take your time and explain everything clearly. As long as I'm here, there's no need to worry."

His voice was not loud, but it carried a reassuring strength.

Chen Cui nodded. Only then did she wipe her tears with her sleeve as she sobbed and explain what had happened.

Just moments ago,

Liu Xiaowu, who also lived in Mud Bay Alley, had rushed to their home to deliver the news.

He said Fang Ding had been beaten at the wharf, and badly at that!

He was currently lying in the work shed, and their family needed to hurry over and bring him home.

Liu Xiaowu had barely left when Fang Han returned home.

"Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, stay home. I'll go to the wharf and bring Big Brother back!"

A chill flashed through Fang Han's eyes. After tossing out those words, he turned and left.

He moved swiftly with long strides, quickly disappearing at the mouth of the alley.

River Mouth Wharf was not too far from Mud Bay Alley, about two quarters of an hour away on foot.

This was not Fang Han's first time at River Mouth Wharf.

He had worked here with his older brother before, carrying heavy sacks and unloading cargo for several days.

But his older brother thought carrying sacks was too exhausting and could not bear to let his younger brother suffer alongside him.

So he told Fang Han not to come anymore, saying he could manage alone.

Fang Han had been unable to argue with his older brother at the time, so he had not said anything further.

Before long, Fang Han arrived at River Mouth Wharf.

Although night had already fully fallen, River Mouth Wharf remained brightly lit.

Large oil lamps hung all around the wharf, their flames flickering as they illuminated the entire area.

From afar,

he could still see several cargo ships docked by the wharf awaiting unloading, their masts towering high and their sails already furled.

Carried on the river breeze were the work chants of the dock laborers.

Fang Han did not head toward the wharf itself. Instead, he went directly toward the work sheds where the laborers rested.

The work sheds stood on an open patch of land behind the wharf.

They were crude shelters built from wood and thatch, open to the wind on all sides and extremely shabby.

After finishing work, the laborers usually rested and ate here. The conditions were exceptionally harsh.

Just as he reached the outside of the work shed, he ran into an acquaintance.

The man was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, solidly built, dark-skinned, and honest-looking.

He was another laborer from Mud Bay Alley, around Fang Ding's age, named Chen Qiu.

The moment Chen Qiu saw Fang Han, he hurried over and said anxiously,

"Xiaohan, hurry and see your brother. He... he had one of his arms broken!"

His voice was rushed, carrying traces of both anger and pity.

Upon hearing this news, Fang Han's face turned even darker, and a layer of frost seemed to settle between his brows.

He nodded without saying a word and followed Chen Qiu swiftly into the ramshackle work shed.

The fish-oil lamps inside the shed gave off dim, wavering light, stretching people's shadows long and short.

Fang Han looked around.

He saw his older brother, Fang Ding, lying pale-faced on a worn straw mat.

His right arm was clearly broken at this moment!

It hung at his side at an unnatural angle, swollen and bruised purple, a horrifying sight.

Beads of sweat the size of soybeans covered his forehead, and his teeth were clenched tight. He was clearly enduring intense pain.

Beside him, an unfamiliar coworker was tending to him, using a damp cloth to wipe the sweat from Fang Ding's forehead.

Fang Han quickly went to his older brother's side, crouched down, and carefully examined his injuries.

His arm was fractured. The injury was serious, but fortunately, there were no other wounds.

He let out a slight breath of relief and stood up.

Fang Ding opened his eyes. Seeing that his younger brother had come, his lips moved.

He seemed to want to say something, but no words came out.

Fang Han patted his older brother's shoulder, signaling him not to speak and to rest properly.

Then he turned to Chen Qiu, his expression becoming calm.

"Brother Chen, who beat my older brother into this state?"

His voice was calm, unnaturally calm.

Seeing Fang Han's frighteningly calm eyes, Chen Qiu inexplicably felt his heart tighten.

He swallowed, hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "It... it was the wharf's chief overseer, Wang Hai..."