There are Martial Artists in this World.
Qin Fang knew this from the original owner's memories.
For instance, in Jingping County where the original owner lived, there were dozens of martial arts halls, both large and small.
True Martial Artists even had different Identities from Ordinary People... they were entered into the 'Martial Arts Records'.
And the Great Yu revered martial prowess.
A Martial Artist who was truly 'on the record' received vastly different treatment than the common folk.
To say nothing of other things...
The ability to travel the world without supervision alone was enough to make ordinary folk burn with envy.
Having fully absorbed the original owner's memories, Qin Fang naturally knew... that nine out of ten youths in the Great Yu wanted to become Martial Artists.
This was also the reason why martial arts halls were so numerous.
But Martial Cultivation was obviously not something you could just do whenever you pleased.
There was a saying: "The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts."
First and foremost, Martial Cultivation required money.
Not only did the training process require large amounts of nourishing food, but the gift alone was a huge sum of money.
The original owner had also wanted to pursue Martial Cultivation, but even the cheapest martial arts hall in Jingping County required an annual gift of ten taels of silver.
The original owner's family didn't have that much spare money...
Thinking of the original owner's family.
Qin Fang fell silent for a moment.
The original owner did, of course, have a family.
But they were separated by a panicked crowd during a refugee riot, and the original owner was trampled and fell unconscious in the chaos.
When he woke up, he was a different person.
And his family was, naturally, nowhere to be found.
Qin Fang had previously tried to find the family among the refugees, thinking that every extra person was an extra bit of strength... but he failed.
Now, more than three months had passed. The refugees had been split up and regrouped many times. Who knew if the original owner's family was still alive, or where they had gone...
Letting out a soft breath, Qin Fang stopped thinking about it and squeezed forward, also wanting a bowl of rice porridge.
The True Martial Boxing Hall's stall had three large iron pots set up. A sturdy-looking man in his thirties was maintaining order, surrounded by a dense circle of disaster victims.
"Everyone, please don't rush! We've prepared plenty of food. If you form an orderly line, everyone will get to eat."
"Just so you all know, we are from the True Martial Boxing Hall in True Martial County! The True Martial Boxing Hall is the largest boxing hall in True Martial County, and our Master Chen is a powerful Martial Artist who is in the Martial Arts Records. If any of you have thoughts of Martial Cultivation, you might want to consider our True Martial Boxing Hall..."
He took the opportunity to promote the True Martial Boxing Hall.
Many of the refugees were gulping down their porridge, but upon hearing this, some were clearly tempted. "What are the conditions for joining the True Martial Boxing Hall? Can I join?"
"As the largest boxing hall in True Martial County, we naturally have certain recruitment standards. After all, once you enter our doors, you become a fellow disciple, and we are responsible for you. But the hall's resources are limited, so the True Martial Boxing Hall can't possibly recruit everyone who wants to become an entry-level member."
"There are two ways to gain entry-level admission. The first, of course, is to present a gift. By presenting a gift of one hundred taels of silver, you can become a disciple of our True Martial Boxing Hall. Our hall has been established in True Martial County for many years and has numerous connections. If you are willing to join, the True Martial Boxing Hall will personally handle your re-registration in True Martial County, so you will no longer suffer the hardship of being displaced."
"The second is selective admission. Anyone under the age of sixteen who passes our True Martial Boxing Hall's internal assessment does not need to present a gift and can also join our True Martial Boxing Hall! But the test has a certain degree of difficulty. However, as long as you pass the assessment, you can receive Martial Cultivation for free! The True Martial Boxing Hall will also arrange for your registration in True Martial County, and we'll even provide room and board, ensuring you won't have to worry about food or clothing..."
The sturdy man answered loudly with a smile.
On the spot, many people showed clear signs of being tempted.
Three or four months on the run had made this group of people desperate for a taste of stability.
Qin Fang also held his bowl, listening as he drank.
He was tempted as well.
'Martial Cultivation...'
He thought of his Golden Finger.
He licked his lips.
'This Golden Finger of mine... it seems like it was made specifically for Martial Cultivation!'
According to the original owner's memories, a powerful Martial Artist was a terrifying being capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone with their bare hands!
In his past life, that was basically Superman!
Unfortunately, after getting his Golden Finger, he had been so focused on fleeing that he had neither the time nor the energy to study it carefully.
Now, it seemed he could finally settle down for a while in True Martial County... 'Maybe I can consider taking up Martial Cultivation.'
A glint shone in his eyes.
Having transmigrated right into a crowd of refugees and experienced numerous bloody struggles he'd never known in his past life... Qin Fang had come to deeply understand the importance of personal strength in this World!
However...
'Two conditions...'
He pursed his lips.
The first was to present a gift of one hundred taels of silver.
The second was to pass the assessment.
Unfortunately, he couldn't participate in the assessment. His Identity clearly stated he was already eighteen, and they were only accepting those under sixteen.
As for the gift...
He drank his porridge in silence.
He downed two more large bowls until he finally felt he couldn't drink anymore. Setting down his bowl, he glanced at the many tempted people following the True Martial Boxing Hall to take the assessment, then got up and headed for the settlement area.
...
He passed a few more porridge distribution points, all run by powerful factions from True Martial County, including more than ten martial arts halls...
It was clear that the influence of Martial Artists in this World was truly significant.
Finally, Qin Fang arrived at the refugee settlement.
It was a huge square that had obviously been cleared out recently. A large number of refugees were gathered there, sitting on the ground, creating a noisy hubbub.
A powerful stench filled the air... A crowd of refugees, unwashed for months. The smell of sweat, the reek of urine, the scent of blood—all sorts of smells assaulted the senses. Even many of the men on patrol couldn't help but cover their noses, their occasional glances toward the refugees clearly tinged with disgust.
But Qin Fang was already used to it.
He glanced at the sturdy men standing guard near the square, let out a soft breath, and found a place to sit down.
Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.
Then he looked down at his feet... The soles of his straw sandals were worn through. He carefully took them off, tearing open wounds that had stuck to the soles in the process, and a sharp pain shot through him.
But he gritted his teeth and removed the sandals anyway. Looking at his feet, he saw they were covered in blood blisters. Some spots were even festering, the flesh and blood caked with black dirt—a shocking sight.
'I have to find a way to treat this...'
Qin Fang thought.
'But it's definitely not happening today.'
'I'll deal with it in the morning.'
With a full stomach, a powerful wave of exhaustion washed over him. He forced himself to look around... In the distance, sturdy men holding torches were constantly patrolling, on guard against any trouble from the refugees.
After eating, the refugees were clearly exhausted as well. Despite the lack of any shelter in the open square, a large number of them were already fast asleep, their snores like thunder.
'It should be safe.'
He tightened the tattered clothes around him, hugged the rough walking stick in his arms, and soon fell into a deep sleep...
...
An unknown amount of time passed in a hazy stupor. In a state between waking and dreaming, Qin Fang suddenly felt someone rolling his body over.
Qin Fang jolted, his eyes snapping open. His right hand instinctively went to his waist. Before he could even see who was touching him, his Dagger was in his hand. With a smooth, swift motion, he flipped it into a forward grip and instantly thrust upward at an angle.
"What the fuck!"
A cry of alarm rang out. The person next to him, clearly startled, quickly backed away.
As the person retreated, Qin Fang finally had a moment to quickly survey his surroundings.
But then he froze, and the Dagger that had shot out in a thrust instantly stopped in mid-air.
Several sturdy men were surrounding Qin Fang, now staring at him in horror. One of them had staggered back several steps in disarray, his face a mask of shock and anger.
"You damn ruffian, are you crazy?!"
He snapped back to his senses and started cursing loudly.