"Xiao Qi?"

A flicker of surprise appeared in Qin Fang’s eyes as he saw the youth.

"Master Qin, is it really you?"

Xiao Qi’s eyes lit up.

Looking at Xiao Qi again, he was no longer wearing his previous clothes. He had changed into a simple set of coarse linen garments, and his skin was tanned. He looked every bit the authentic farm boy—where was the gangster from before?

At that moment, he was holding the hand of a young girl. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with a slender frame, slightly dark skin, and a somewhat timid expression.

Noticing Qin Fang’s gaze, Xiao Qi quickly made the introduction. "Master Qin, this is my little sister... Xiao Jiu. Greet Master Qin."

"Master Qin..."

The girl named Xiao Jiu quickly greeted him in a low voice.

Qin Fang hadn’t expected to run into Xiao Qi here, but after a moment’s thought... ’Although Li Family Ao is closer to Fisherman City, it isn’t actually that far from Wanshui either.’

When he left, he had told Xiao Qi and the others to go their separate ways and to stay away from Fisherman City in the future.

So, for Xiao Qi to be in Wanshui...

’It seems to make sense.’

"This isn’t the place to talk. Follow me."

Qin Fang spoke abruptly after nodding.

Xiao Qi accepted the order. "Yes."

Leading Xiao Qi and his sister, the three of them returned to Qin Fang’s quiet little courtyard.

Xiao Jiu was clearly nervous. She held her brother’s hand tightly on the way, and upon arriving at the quiet courtyard, she looked around cautiously.

Hearing the commotion, Xile ran out from the house. Upon seeing Qin Fang, the dog immediately began to wag its tail happily.

Xiao Jiu’s gaze was instantly drawn to Xile.

Qin Fang patted Xile’s head and said, "Go on, go play by yourself."

Xile nuzzled against Qin Fang’s trouser leg, then went to romp around the courtyard on its own.

Xiao Jiu’s eyes remained fixed on Xile.

"Sit."

There were a few chairs in the courtyard. Qin Fang casually put down the bait he was carrying and gestured for Xiao Qi to sit.

Xiao Qi obediently and promptly sat down.

Qin Fang then looked at Xiao Jiu. She was still secretly watching Xile, clearly fond of the dog.

He thought for a moment before asking, "Xiao Jiu, do you like dogs?"

Startled at being addressed so suddenly, Xiao Jiu flinched. She quickly averted her gaze, looking flustered. Her mouth moved a few times, but no words came out as she cast a pleading look at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi explained, "She used to have one at home when she was little, but it was stolen by who-knows-who. Our family didn’t have the extra money to buy another... so yes, she does like them quite a lot."

An embarrassed expression appeared on Xiao Jiu’s face.

Qin Fang smiled. "I’m a friend of your brother’s, so there’s no need to be so reserved here. If you like the dog, go play with it."

Xiao Jiu’s eyes lit up, but she instinctively looked to Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi, however, seemed a bit dazed... apparently because of Qin Fang’s words, ’I’m a friend of your brother’s.’

But he quickly composed himself, took a deep breath, and said to Xiao Jiu, "Go on."

Only then did Xiao Jiu’s eyes brighten again. After a moment’s hesitation, she cautiously approached Xile.

Xile was at the edge of the courtyard, playfully tugging at some grass. Sensing movement behind it, the dog turned its head in curiosity...

Watching Xiao Jiu go over to Xile, Qin Fang paused for a moment before speaking. "I’m not too clear on what happened after that day. Can you tell me about it?"

Xiao Qi nodded and immediately began to recount the events.

There wasn’t much to tell, really.

That day, after killing Xu Meng, Qin Fang had run into a group of Fish Dragon Gang members on his way out, Xiao Qi among them. After warning them, he had gone to Ganlu Hall to kill more people.

And after Xiao Qi and the others saw Xu Meng’s body, they realized something major had happened.

Xiao Qi was the one who took the advice most seriously. He immediately packed his things and set off for Li Family Ao.

Xiao Qi also heeded Qin Fang’s words. He had told him to stay away from Fisherman City as much as possible, and he truly never went back. It happened to be time for spring planting, so he spent a while working at home.

Everything was peaceful, for the most part.

He came to Wanshui this time because the spring planting was finished and there was nothing to do at home. He had caught a few rabbits in the mountains and planned to trade them at the market for some supplies.

He never expected to run into Qin Fang...

As for the other members of the Fish Dragon Gang...

They all scattered.

With Xu Meng dead and Qin Fang gone, the rest were all just small fries. They had no way of holding down a territory as large as the one in Fisherman City.

"...I heard from the villagers that a group of Water Pirates who’ve come ashore are in charge of Fisherman City now. They’re ruthless, taking a forty-percent cut. And if you sell too much, they might even rob and kill you in secret... Anyway, it’s a total mess. More and more villagers are too afraid to go to Fisherman City anymore."

Xiao Qi then elaborated on the current situation in Fisherman City.

...Even though he hadn’t gone, many people from Li Family Ao still traveled to Fisherman City.

Xiao Qi had been a member of the Fish Dragon Gang. Because of this status, despite his young age, his standing in Li Family Ao was actually quite high...

After all, Fisherman City was the closest city to Li Family Ao, and the Fish Dragon Gang’s reputation had always been decent. As one of its members, a single word from Xiao Qi could often save his fellow villagers a lot of trouble.

...In a way, this was a form of power.

And with power, naturally, came high status.

Even though Xiao Qi was no longer a member of a Fisherman City gang, the villagers from Li Family Ao still had a habit of talking to him about the things happening there...

"Is Ganlu Hall in Fisherman City still open?"

Qin Fang suddenly asked a question.

Xiao Qi nodded. "It’s still open... I heard from the villagers that the people at Ganlu Hall were shot and killed, but three days later, new people arrived and they’ve already reopened."

As he said this, Xiao Qi glanced at Qin Fang... ’An iron nail... shot and killed!’

...The moment he heard the villagers mention these details, he knew who had killed the people from Ganlu Hall.

And moreover...

He had also heard about Ganlu Hall’s bounty!

A thousand taels of silver!

It was, to be honest, a very tempting offer.

Qin Fang looked at him, then asked calmly, "Did you hear about the bounty?"