Fang Zhixing, alone and at an even pace, walked toward the unfamiliar town and looked up at the tall gatehouse.
The rectangular signboard stretched across the road, flamboyantly inscribed with three forceful characters: Black Stone Town.
Above the gatehouse hung a flag, black with white characters, bearing six eye-catching words:
Destroy the clans, equalize the world.
These six words, so visually striking!
Fang Zhixing’s mind stirred, and he immediately guessed that Black Stone Town in front must have been captured by the rebels.
He did not stop but swaggered into the town.>
Walking on the street, he saw few pedestrians.
Whenever Fang Zhixing encountered passersby, they too walked with their heads down, in a hurried manner, without greeting each other.
He walked half the street and astonishingly saw no two people standing and chatting.
All around the street, many banners were hung, displaying various insurgent slogans:
"Water can carry a boat, it can also capsize it."
"One rises up, and the whole family turns over."
"Abolish the low status, equality for everyone."
Fang Zhixing looked around and saw that every household had tightly closed its doors, creating a very oppressive atmosphere.
Teahouses, taverns, inn— all bore signs of being closed down.
A scene of desolation!
Suddenly, four men turned out of an alley, wearing patched gray linen clothes, orange headbands, and holding clubs.
At first glance, it appeared like the Beggar Gang was out.
Fang Zhixing narrowed his eyes, vividly remembering the orange headbands they wore.
The four rebels blocked a woman carrying a basket.
"Ah!!" The woman turned pale in fright, turned around, and started to run.
However, she was quickly caught up by the four men, who cornered her against a wall.
"What’s in your basket?" one of them demanded.
The woman desperately guarded her basket, frantically yelling, "Nothing, really nothing."
But one rebel quickly made a move to snatch the basket, and during the struggle, it fell to the ground, tumbling out several yams.
"Yams, where did you get them?"
The eyes of the four rebels lit up as they scrambled to grab them.
The woman cried out loudly, "I dug them up from the mountain, my husband is dead, and I have an ill mother and two children at home, all starving, please give the yams back to me."
A rebel angrily retorted, "Wench, we the militia have fought bloody battles against the clans for your sake, starving ourselves; why didn’t you contribute your food?"
Another rebel, confident in his rationale, berated, "For the lofty ideals and grand pursuits of annihilating clans for an equal world, what’s it to you if you go hungry for a few days?"
The woman wailed, "I can go hungry, but my two children can’t, please leave me just a bit of yams, even one piece will do!"
The rebel crammed the yams into his chest, shoved the beseeching woman aside, and roared, "How can we fight against the clans if we’re not well fed? We’re risking our lives for you; what does it matter if you go hungry for a few more days!"
The four rebels strutted off, leaving the woman collapsed on the ground, sobbing bitterly.
Fang Zhixing watched silently, his face expressionless.
After a moment, he walked over, helped the woman to her feet, and pulled some Big Coins from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand.
The woman, overwhelmed with joy, wiped away her tears and exclaimed in surprise, "Hero, what is this?"
Fang Zhixing spoke, "I’m from out of town, just arrived here. Big sister, when did Black Stone Town fall to the rebels?"
"Shush, don’t say rebels, say militia."
The woman hastily lowered her voice, whispering cautiously, "The militia arrived almost half a month ago. After they killed the entire family of the town head, they took over Black Stone Town."
Fang Zhixing nodded in understanding and asked, "Who’s the leader of the militia here?"
The woman replied, "They say his name is Yue Pingjiang, nicknamed ’Hundred Rivers Do Not Flow.’
I heard he killed many, many people and particularly likes to behead; the heads of those he’s killed are piled high enough to block the flow of a hundred rivers."
Hundred Rivers Do Not Flow!
Fang Zhixing raised his eyebrows and asked, "What’s his strength?"
The woman answered, "Very formidable, that kind."
Fang Zhixing couldn’t help but laugh; the woman knew nothing of Martial Arts Realms, asking her was futile.
As they spoke, another group of rebels wearing orange headbands approached, carrying a portrait and searching from house to house.
Seeing this, the woman whispered, "The militia is chasing after Miss Wang."
Fang Zhixing asked, "Who is Miss Wang?"
The woman elaborately explained, "The Wang family is a wealthy and prosperous household in our Black Stone Town, very rich and numerous. After the militia arrived, they not only seized the Wang family’s properties but also occupied the Wang mansion. Most of the Wang family members were captured and beheaded, only Miss Wang escaped."
Fang Zhixing became interested, curiously asking, "Just because one lady escaped, why are the militia so desperately chasing her?"
The woman continued, "I heard that when Miss Wang escaped, she took a drawing with her, which might be very valuable. The militia wants to get it back."
As they were speaking, the group of militia was getting closer.
The woman, apprehensive, whispered, "I better go, if they find the money on me, it will be stolen."
Fang Zhixing nodded and let the woman run off.
It wasn’t just her; pedestrians on the street also scrambled to hide away.
In the blink of an eye, the street was deserted, leaving only Fang Zhixing as the lone pedestrian.
The group of rebels immediately noticed Fang Zhixing and briskly approached him.
A Big Beard sized up Fang Zhixing, noting his sturdy and robust figure dressed in a black combat outfit, a Broad Knife wrapped in black cloth on his back, and a Longbow and Arrow Bag tied to his waist.