Chapter 209: Chapter 126: Hometown
He almost instantly thought of the explosion he had just heard!
Qin Fang’s expression darkened. "Master, wait here. I’m going to check it out."
Before his master could reply, Qin Fang had already turned and sprinted toward the North City Gate.
Looking up, he saw that all the Soldiers on the Haiman were facing into the city, frantically shooting at something.
’...Clearly, something even more threatening has appeared inside!’
Qin Fang’s speed was incredible. He covered the hundred-plus meters in mere seconds. In the next instant, he leaped, soaring over twenty meters into the air and landing atop the city wall.
"Who’s there?!"
A few Soldiers spotted Qin Fang as he landed. Startled, they reflexively shouted the question.
But a moment later, they fell silent, looking at Qin Fang with puzzled expressions.
Qin Fang had braced himself for an attack, but the Soldiers’ sudden hesitation made him pause. He glanced down and saw the Black Clothes he was wearing...
’Right, the disguise I put on earlier. These Soldiers must think I’m from the Government Office.’
’Even though we’re not part of the same organization, they wouldn’t attack me under these circumstances.’
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Qin Fang took two steps to the edge of the wall. His pupils constricted at the sight of a scene that made him clench his jaw in fury...
Below, in the area with the largest pile of corpses, stood two monsters. Most of the people were cowering in the corners in terror. Only a single figure in Armor stood near the two creatures.
But the most critical part was...
One of the monsters had shot out a long, red tongue, which had pierced the man’s shoulder and hoisted him into the air.
Blood streamed from the wound, staining his Armor crimson.
The moment he saw that suit of Armor, he recognized the man. It was his senior brother, Zhou Xing!
"Senior Brother?!"
Qin Fang roared. Without a second thought, he leaped down from the wall. As he fell, he whipped his hand out from his robes and flung two Poisonous Thorns straight at the two monsters!
SWISH! SWISH!
The two Poisonous Thorns flew with incredible speed, like a pair of bullets, instantly punching two bloody holes in the monsters.
’Clearly, his senior brother had already fought these monsters. Their bodies were covered in cuts.’
But the monsters’ Life Force was terrifying. Despite being slashed seven or eight times, they weren’t dead.
"...Come on! Come on! You motherfuckers!"
Zhou Xing’s shoulder was pierced by the monster’s tongue, dangling him in the air, but his own blade was plunged deep into the creature’s body. A crazed look was on his face. As he twisted his longsword, eliciting a sharp shriek of pain from the monster, he cursed at the top of his lungs.
The cry of "Senior Brother" snapped him back to his senses. His expression changed, and he whipped his head around.
He saw a figure leap down from the city wall and, with a flick of the wrist, send two black streaks flying.
Before he could understand what was happening, the monster let out a piercing shriek. He was flung through the air, flying more than ten meters before crashing violently to the ground as the world spun around him.
SPIT! He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Dizzy, his vision blurring, he felt someone pulling him into a half-embrace.
"Senior Brother!"
His breath came in ragged gasps. After a moment, his vision cleared enough to see his junior brother’s frantic face.
Zhou Xing stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly coughed up another mouthful of blood. His voice was faint. "Why did you come back...?"
"Why?"
Qin Fang demanded, his eyes red as he held Zhou Xing.
Why?
Zhou Xing’s consciousness drifted. He could hear the monsters’ screams, see the piles of corpses beside him, and hear the desperate sobs of people in the distance...
Someone was still shouting, "Master Zhou!" "Zhou Shouzheng!"...
He stared blankly for a long time, then a wan smile touched his pale lips. "I don’t know why either... Just call me a fool. Junior brother, go with Master. Don’t worry about me. Tell Master and his wife that I won’t be able to serve them in their old age. Ask them to forgive me. From now on... you honor them for me, take good care of them..."
Zhou Xing was grievously injured. He must have had multiple broken bones, and blood was still pouring from the hole in his shoulder. He struggled, but he couldn’t summon any strength.
"It’s just a shame... Master’s favorite Huang’s Yellow Beef and Ji’s Qianqiu Drunk... we probably won’t be able to have those anymore. Old Huang’s whole family is dead. His son was driven out of the city, and I... I even had to kill his wife with my own hands. Old Huang couldn’t take it... he hanged himself. Their family recipe is lost now..."
"Ji’s Restaurant collapsed. The proprietress went mad... She loved beauty more than anything... but when she died, she was hideous..."
"And..."
Zhou Xing murmured, his face vacant.
Qin Fang trembled all over.
Zhou Xing was rambling, talking about things that seemed to have nothing to do with the current crisis.
But Qin Fang was beginning to understand...
...why he refused to leave.
...He was once a forensic doctor at the Government Office Entrance, "Master Zhou" to the common folk.
Now he was a City Gate Guard, "the Guard" to the other officials.
But he was also a loyal customer at Huang’s stewed meat shop. He was an admirer of the beautiful proprietress of Ji’s Restaurant. He was "Uncle Zhou" to the neighborhood children. He was...
He was born here.
He grew up here.
This...
...was his hometown!
Qin Fang could give it all up in an instant, because to him, True Martial was just a stopover point after he arrived in this World.
In all of True Martial, the only people he truly cared for were his master, his master’s wife, and his senior brother.
Everyone else?
’...What did they have to do with him?’
But for his senior brother, it was different.
His entire life was here.
