Chu Fan plunged his Firewood Splitter into the ground, rubbed his sore right arm, and said loudly, "Mr. Zhao, it's getting dark. I should be heading back."
Inside, the bushy-bearded Zhao Hu was weaving a bamboo basket. Hearing Chu Fan, he put down his work and strode out.
When he saw the mountain of firewood piled in the courtyard, he couldn't help but gasp.
Even two strong men working together might not be able to chop that much dry wood in half a day...
"Fan..."
Zhao Hu's eyes went wide, his voice trembling. "Did you... chop all this by yourself?"
Although he knew Chu Fan had chopped it all, Zhao Hu still found it hard to believe as he looked at the slender boy before him.
Chu Fan grinned. "You must be joking, Mr. Zhao. Who else could it have been?"
As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together with a cheeky smile and added, "Could I get two extra wheat cakes for this?"
Zhao Hu laughed heartily and turned to go back inside. He soon came out holding four wheat cakes and a boiled egg. "Will this be enough?"
"Thank you, Mr. Zhao!" Chu Fan accepted them without hesitation.
His neighbors had often looked after him since his parents passed away. Even if they didn't pay him, he wouldn't have minded too much.
After bidding farewell to Zhao Hu, Chu Fan hurried home and boiled two sweet potatoes.
He had just taken two large bites when the sweet potato got stuck in his throat, making him pound his chest. He quickly scooped up a ladle of cold water and chugged it down. Only then did he take a deep breath, peel the egg, and swallow it in one gulp.
With a full stomach, he lay down on his bed, wrapped himself tightly in his quilt, and fell into a deep sleep.
「The next day.」
At the crack of dawn, Chu Fan climbed out of bed. After boiling and eating two wheat cakes, he picked up his rusty Firewood Splitter, tucked it into his waistband, and headed for the North City Gate.
He had not gone more than a few steps when he heard wailing from the alley entrance ahead. The screams were piercing and desperate.
A crowd had already gathered, whispering among themselves with complex expressions on their faces.
Chu Fan had sharp eyes and spotted his neighbor, Zhao Hu, in the crowd. He squeezed through and cupped his hands. "Mr. Zhao, what happened?"
Zhao Hu sighed heavily, his voice full of helplessness. "Sigh... The Liu Family's only son. Yesterday, he caught a Treasure Fish in the middle of the Black Water River. He planned to sell it privately to a Martial Artist from the Dragon Spine Martial Arts Hall, but somehow, word got out. The Fishery Tyrant found him and beat him to death, right here on the street..."
"They took the Treasure Fish, too... How pitiful!"
A knot formed in Chu Fan's chest, leaving him speechless for a long moment.
The Liu Family's son had been three years older than him and was a gentle person. He would even share some of his food with the beggars on the street.
He had just seen him at the Black Water River ferry a few days ago.
How could he have met such a violent end in the blink of an eye?
He looked up and saw several Government Officials walking in and out of the Liu Family's courtyard, glancing around aimlessly.
The wails from inside the house grew more tragic.
Chu Fan felt a chill run up from the soles of his feet.
A raging fire seemed to be trapped in his chest, burning him with the urge to draw his blade.
"Blood Saber Sect..."
He forced three words from between his teeth.
'Some Fishery Tyrant!'
'Every last Small Leader of the Cyan Yang City Fishery is a disciple of the Blood Saber Sect!'
'That gang is vicious and cruel. They control the Fishery, exploiting the fishermen and sucking the marrow from their bones.'
'The Government Office turns a blind eye; they're probably in collusion, sharing the profits.'
'The Liu Family's son was murdered in the street. It's perfectly obvious who the killer is.'
'But instead of arresting the culprits, these Government Officials and constables are just loitering around the Liu Family's home.'
'That look in their eyes... they're clearly just looking for a chance to line their own pockets!'
'In chaotic times, a human life is as cheap as grass; in years of famine, bones are as worthless as mud...' Chu Fan thought grimly.
'Unless the deceased is the child of a wealthy family.'
'Or unless the death occurred in the Inner City.'
'Otherwise, the Government Office can't be bothered. They'll just offer a few platitudes and there'll be no follow-up.'
'Even when gangs fight in the streets and accidentally injure common people, they'll just brush it off with excuses like, "Matters of the martial world are settled in the martial world."'
'As long as the interests of those officials aren't threatened, they don't give a damn about the lives of ordinary people.'
The Great Yan Dynasty was founded on martial prowess and had prospered for over a thousand years.
But after a millennium, the once-glorious Royal Family had long since lost its luster...
Now, the world was in chaos, and the people could barely survive!
The day before yesterday, he had been cornered in an alley and brutally beaten by Liu Da and his men.
If he hadn't been lucky enough to survive...
...the outcome would have been Zhao Hu and the other neighbors collecting his corpse.
And then...
...there would be no "and then."
This man-eating world had truly reached an appalling state.
Chu Fan let out a long sigh.
The fire in his chest was gradually extinguished by a cold sense of helplessness and sorrow.
He shook his head and looked away.
He turned and left.
A low peal of thunder rumbled across the sky like a war drum.
A pale flash of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the swaying shadows of the trees.
The sky suddenly darkened. Heavy, black clouds roiled like spilled ink, blotting out the daylight.
He had thought it was going to snow, but instead of snow, it looked like a heavy rain was coming.
Chu Fan frowned slightly and quickened his pace, passing through several streets and alleys.
Just as he was about to reach the North City Gate, a series of strange, inexplicable bell chimes suddenly echoed from the far end of the long street.
Chu Fan's heart skipped a beat. Without a second thought, he took several steps back and shrank into the shadow of a corner.
It wasn't just him; the other pedestrians on the street were all doing the same...
...either ducking for cover or shrinking back and hiding their faces.
Their expressions and postures were as if they had suddenly encountered a savage beast—their eyes filled with fear, but also an indescribable revulsion.
Up ahead on the long street, a group of ordinary people, some in rags and others in fine clothes, was walking toward them, led by a man in white.
The man in white held a small bell, which let out a crisp DING DING DONG with every shake.
The sound of the bell, however, seemed to carry an invisible Magic Power, as if it could disturb a person's very soul.
Looking at the people behind the man in white, they appeared unremarkable, but their eyes were unnaturally bright, staring blankly ahead without a hint of life.
Their faces were dull and expressionless, but their feet never stopped moving. They walked forward step by step like a group of stringed puppets, following closely behind the man in white.
All of them were repeatedly chanting a single phrase, their voices flat and monotonous:
"Through binding illusion, the true path is shown, / To break from our fate and a freedom to own!"
"Through binding illusion, the true path is shown, / To break from our fate and a freedom to own!"
"Through binding illusion, the true path is shown, / To break from our fate and a freedom to own!"
This monotonous chanting, mixed with the eerie sound of the bell, was like a demonic incantation boring into one's ears, threatening to tear one's very soul from their body.
'The Moon Worship Sect...'
Chu Fan's mind raced, searching for information about the Moon Worship Sect, and his brow furrowed.
This Moon Worship Sect had moved into Cyan Yang County two years ago. At the time, they had operated under the banner of healing the sick and saving the people, deceiving many local villagers and refugees into worshiping the legendary "Moon God."
Before Chu Fan's parents passed away, they had warned him repeatedly that if he ever encountered people from the Moon Worship Sect, he must stay far away and not provoke them.
In the past, members of the Moon Worship Sect mostly appeared at night.
He didn't know when it started, but now they could even be seen on the streets this early in the morning.
Because the Moon Worship Sect had always acted secretively and had never done anything too outrageous, the Government Office had also turned a blind eye and never intervened.
Only after the group of Moon Worship Sect Believers had turned the corner and disappeared from sight did Chu Fan slowly straighten up and step out from the shadows.
He quickened his pace and soon arrived outside the North City Gate.
At the foot of the city wall stood dozens of low-lying earthen huts, scattered about. Made of a mix of brick and dirt, they were clearly built in a hurry.
Most of the people in those houses were outsiders who had fled famine.
The various gangs, sects, and families of Cyan Yang County had all set up congee sheds here to give out charity.
In front of each congee shed, the refugees had already formed long lines, winding like giant centipedes.
Several Government Officials patrolled back and forth with leather whips in hand. If they saw anyone fighting, they would lash out without mercy.
Seeing this, Chu Fan sighed to himself. 'There are more and more refugees... this world...'
He walked toward the Seven Stars Gang's congee shed.
Not far from the congee sheds, thatched huts had been erected where wealthy families and gangs recruited refugees.
Many refugees had straw stuck in their hair, offering themselves up to be chosen like livestock.
Suddenly, with a sharp CRACK, a worn-out wooden bowl shattered into two pieces.
In front of the Blood Saber Sect's congee shed, a rough voice shouted, "I said one bowl per person! You dare come back for more? Do you think my words are just farts?"
Chu Fan turned his head and saw a little girl of about twelve or thirteen who had been pushed to the ground.
The girl's clothes were thin, and her face was covered in dirt. Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, but she didn't dare cry out.
A slightly older boy rushed forward to help her up, comforting her in a soft voice.
"Brother, I'm hungry..." the little girl's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
'This man-eating world...' Chu Fan couldn't bear the sight. He stepped forward, helped the girl up, and pointed to the southwest. "You two should go over there. The Fang Family's congee is very thick. Go ask for food there from now on. They won't hit you."
The Fang Family was one of the Four Great Clans of Cyan Yang County and had always been known for their charity.
Back when Chu Fan's parents died from illness and he had nothing to eat, he had also mixed in with the refugees and relied on the Fang Family's congee shed to survive.
"Thank you, big brother!" The two children bowed deeply before turning to leave.
Just as Chu Fan was sighing to himself, he suddenly felt a gaze upon him.
He looked up and saw a young woman standing not far away. She was about fifteen or sixteen, with skin as white as snow and eyes as bright as stars, and she was staring right at him.
"Second Miss..." Chu Fan hurriedly bowed.
He used to go to the Fang Family's congee shed for food often, so of course he recognized the young woman. It was the Fang Family's Second Miss.