Chapter 193: Chapter 120: Preparing for a Rainy Day
But Monkey had only mentioned a sister...
This...
Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Monkey gave a bitter smile and began to recount his early life.
He was from the local Mentougou Village. The Chen surname was a prominent one in the area, so he naturally had clansmen.
But his father passed away from an illness when he was fifteen, and his mother, worn down by years of hard labor, followed his father the next year, leaving only him and his sister at home.
Normally, in such a situation, the clan should have stepped in to care for the siblings. But as it turned out... Monkey wasn’t met with warmth and compassion. Instead, he learned the true meaning of how cold and cruel the world could be.
He originally had three older brothers, but one drowned in the river, and the other two died of illness when they were young. Of five children, only he and his sister had survived.
The clan decided that his branch of the family was weak. After some discussion, not only did they fail to offer any extra help to the siblings, but right after his mother’s death, they came to seize the family’s assets—a practice known as "devouring the heirless"...
They used his youth as a pretext to forcibly seize his family’s few meager fields. Then, taking advantage of his mother’s recent passing and the fact that a clan uncle was presiding over the funeral, they spent every last bit of their remaining silver... They even took their only sampan by force.
It was because of this that Monkey was forced to go to Fisherman City to make a living.
Relying on his own ferocity and his willingness to fight, he managed to catch Xu Meng’s eye and join the Fish Dragon Gang. Because he was sharp, he gradually became one of Xu Meng’s trusted confidants.
All these years, Monkey had harbored a deep resentment for what his clan did. After he joined the Fish Dragon Gang, some of them actually came looking for him, wanting to patch things up.
But Monkey rebuffed every one of them without a shred of courtesy.
At this point, Monkey’s eyes grew red. He gritted his teeth and said, "A heartless, treacherous clan like that is better off gone! So, sir, just get my sister out. As for the others... whether they live or die has nothing to do with me!"
Hearing this, Qin Fang sighed to himself. ’Sometimes, the human heart is truly a complicated thing.’
’Simplicity and viciousness can exist in the same person.’
Just from listening, he could imagine the utter despair a young Monkey must have faced back then.
"You’d better think this through. Once those people really start investigating, their methods are ruthless. Your clansmen could all face a terrible disaster... Are you sure you don’t want to do anything?" Qin Fang asked in a low voice, his brow furrowed.
"I’ve thought it through very clearly!"
Monkey didn’t hesitate, his eyes cold. "I made up my mind on the day of my mother’s funeral. They devoured everything my family had. If they die now because of me... that’s just the retribution they deserve!"
...He remembered his mother’s funeral. Her cold body lay in a flimsy coffin while he and his young sister knelt before the memorial. But not a single one of their so-called relatives came to offer a stick of incense. Instead, they were all off to the side, feasting and drinking, their mouths greasy with food, laughing heartily!
That scene...
He would never forget it for as long as he lived!
Qin Fang was silent for a moment before finally nodding. "I understand... I’ll bring your sister back as soon as I can. When that time comes... Senior Brother, I’ll have to trouble you to make the arrangements."
His Senior Brother didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded.
...With his influence, arranging for a girl to live in the city was a simple matter.
Monkey thanked him respectfully and immediately said he wanted to go with Qin Fang.
Qin Fang initially wanted to refuse, but on second thought, it was Monkey’s home. He would be more familiar with the situation. Besides, they were taking a young woman away; if Monkey didn’t go, it would likely lead to endless trouble.
In the end, they decided that he and Monkey would set out for his home at once, lest any delay lead to complications.
Seeing that it was already getting late, Zhou Xing immediately led the two of them toward East City to exit.
They followed Zhou Xing all the way to East City. Zhou Xing went ahead to speak with the constables, and Qin Fang noticed that their enthusiasm toward Zhou Xing had clearly risen a notch. They were all very polite...
...Apparently, the news of Zhou Xing’s breakthrough to the Anjin stage last night had been reported to the Government Office, and everyone here probably knew about it already.
The rumor that he was likely to succeed An Changyu as the City Gate Guard had probably spread around the Government Office Entrance as well.
It was understandable, then, why these men were suddenly so much more enthusiastic toward Zhou Xing.
A short while later, Qin Fang and Monkey left the city without any issues. Zhou Xing gave Qin Fang a serious warning, "You’ve thwarted that Evil Cult’s plans several times now. They probably won’t let you off easily. You know how powerful they are, so you must be extra careful when you’re out and about."
Hearing this, Qin Fang laughed. "Don’t worry, Senior Brother... You know me, don’t you?"
Zhou Xing thought about the events of the past two days and gained a deeper appreciation for his junior brother’s vigilance. He couldn’t help but laugh as well.
He clapped Qin Fang on the shoulder and said nothing more.
Qin Fang and Monkey departed.
However, they didn’t head straight for Monkey’s home. Instead, they took a detour to the vicinity of the abandoned temple, wanting to see if that group of people was still there.
But when he and Monkey arrived, they found that the abandoned temple, which had been so bustling and bizarre just two days prior, was now completely deserted. Not a soul was in sight.
His brow furrowed deeply.
’It seems An Changyu’s death really did alarm them.’
’This Evil Cult... they really are cautious...’
Gazing at the abandoned, silent temple, Qin Fang let out a soft breath. He pushed the matter from his mind and, with Monkey in tow, traveled through the night toward Monkey’s hometown.
