The courtyard renovation took three days.
Three days later, Qin Fang stood before the completely renovated courtyard and house.
The roof had been re-tiled. The black tiles now fit together seamlessly, and you could no longer see the sky from inside.
The doors and windows had also been almost entirely replaced.
The woodshed next to the main house was also redone. It had been on the verge of collapse before, but now it had a new main beam, a tiled roof, and all the junk inside had been cleared out.
Even the yard had been tidied up. The dead weeds that once littered the edges were gone, and the dusty ground had been cleaned. They had cleared out the weeds and even patched up the damaged sections of the wall...
The house was also filled with new furniture, from large items like tables, chairs, and benches, to smaller things like pots, bowls, and basins... No detail was too small for his Master. If he noticed anything was lacking, he would secretly make a note of it and have it delivered the very next day.
Over the three days, a steady stream of items had been moved in.
'...All this must have cost at least ten to twenty in silver.'
But his Master never uttered a single word of complaint.
For the past three days, aside from his trips to Huichun Hall, he had spent nearly all his time here, personally overseeing everything.
This was the first time since he had transmigrated that Qin Fang felt what it was like to have someone watching his back.
It was also the first time he began to understand the meaning behind the word "Master"...
Qin Fang let out a soft breath and went back to making his targets.
'...With the house being renovated these past three days, there were people around constantly, so I haven't been able to practice much.'
Now that the renovations were done, it was time to get back to it.
As he worked on the targets, a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.
His Master's frequent visits over the last few days had naturally attracted the attention of the neighbors. They were quite warm and friendly whenever they saw his Master.
When they learned he was his Master's disciple, they were very enthusiastic at first, even bringing over gifts like eggs and vegetables. Some even came to help tidy up the house.
But as soon as he opened his mouth... they noticed his accent.
And when they inquired further and learned of his status as a refugee...
The expressions on their faces changed on the spot.
...Out of respect for his Master, they didn't say much in the end.
But their attitude toward him had clearly grown much colder.
Once the house was repaired, they never came by again.
This made Qin Fang realize... the impact of that refugee uprising was so great that it still hadn't faded.
And now, it had finally affected him.
He couldn't help but think back to his plans when he left Huichun Hall... 'Thinking about it now, it's a good thing Master helped me back then.'
'Otherwise, if I had really been left to make a living on my own... the outcome probably wouldn't have been good.'
This World was a classic close-knit society. As long as he was in True Martial County, he would draw attention wherever he went.
And once people learned he was a refugee... with no one to protect him...
...it was truly impossible to predict what the people of True Martial County, transferring their anger to him, might do.
He had no good way to deal with this.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. 'I can only wait for time to slowly heal these old wounds.'
He replayed the recent events in his mind, planning his next steps.
'I'm under Master's protection for now, but that can't last forever. Ultimately, I have to rely on myself.'
'I can't let Master support me for the rest of my life, can I?'
Just then, something cold and wet landed on his cheek.
He froze for a second.
He subconsciously looked up.
Then, a dense patter of cold drops began to fall one after another.
He gently touched his face, his expression turning to one of stunned surprise...
'Is this...'
'Rain?'
The first rain since he had transmigrated!
He stared blankly at the dark sky. The rain came quickly, and in just a few moments, it was pouring down with a PITTER-PATTER.
Qin Fang snapped out of his daze, quickly gathered his things, and ran for cover under the eaves.
PATTER PATTER PATTER PATTER...
Raindrops hammered against the newly repaired eaves. In a short while, the entire world was blanketed by the downpour.
According to the original owner's memories, this was the first rain in at least four months.
It came down as if the sky had sprung a leak, a torrential deluge.
Qin Fang stood under the eaves as the heavy rain brought a refreshing coolness that seeped through his clothes, even carrying a long-absent chill.
"It's raining! It's raining!"
"It's finally raining!"
Through the curtain of rain, he could faintly hear his neighbors' voices, tinged with a sense of relief.
In truth, True Martial County was also a disaster area, having gone several consecutive months without rain.
But because True Martial was adjacent to the Chujiang River, the river had never run dry, no matter how severe the drought. They could draw water from it to fight the drought, which was why it hadn't affected True Martial as badly as places like Jingping.
For the people of True Martial, this rain was undoubtedly a joyous occasion.
After staring blankly for a while, Qin Fang let out a breath. He moved a chair to the front of the house, watching the rain as he continued to make his targets...
He watched for a long time that night.
...
The heavy rain fell intermittently for three straight days before the skies finally cleared.
His Master brought over more things during those few days, such as thick quilts, clothes, and pants...
It was already the tenth month. By all rights, it should have gotten cold long ago, but the preceding drought had kept the weather hot.
But after this rain, the cold came swiftly.
That little old man with the perpetually stern face was truly thoughtful down to the smallest detail. Qin Fang felt a genuine sense of filial affection and respect well up from the bottom of his heart for him.
Sure enough, three days later, the temperature plummeted. Just three days ago, a single layer of clothing was enough, but now, he would shiver from the cold at night without a quilt...
The rain did have some effect on Qin Fang's practice... The training method he had originally envisioned was no longer possible.
'Otherwise, practice out in the rain?'
'That would just be asking for a quick death.'
Although he had been eating meat for a few days and his body was recovering at a perceptible rate...
...that was only in comparison to his previous 'weak' state.
Compared to Ordinary People, Qin Fang was still in an 'extremely weak' stage.
Exercising in the rain... even normal people could easily catch a cold.
What's more, he was practically an 'invalid'.
But he couldn't stop his practice.
He had no choice but to do it indoors.
Fortunately, the main hall was large enough. He hung a few targets on the wall and practiced throwing his Darts from the farthest possible distance... It was barely serviceable.
But after reaching Minor Achievement, his progress had clearly slowed.
After six or seven days, he had only managed to push his proficiency to just over seventy... basically a little more than ten points a day.
At this rate, it would take at least three or four months to advance his 'Hidden Weapon' practice to the next stage.
However, Qin Fang knew this couldn't be rushed... and he wasn't in a hurry.
'I've already survived being a refugee. Now I have a Master and a stable place to live. There's no reason to rush.'
'I'll just take it slow.'
As for true martial arts training, his Master had said he still needed to wait.
His body was still too weak. He had to at least reach the level of Ordinary People before he could begin to truly practice.
If he trained now, not only would he fail to achieve any real results, but he could also easily ruin the body he had worked so hard to build back up.
...Starving for four months might seem like just being 'hungry' on the surface, but in reality, that period had depleted his physical foundation to its absolute limit.
It was a miracle he had even survived.
How could it be so easy to recover from that?
According to his Master, he would need to recuperate for at least another month or two before he could start training in martial arts for real.
One day, he was practicing with his Darts indoors as usual. After more than ten consecutive throws, both of his arms began to feel sore and weak. As he was resting, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Qin Fang thought it was his Master and quickly got up to open the gate.
However, he still subconsciously peeked through the crack in the gate.
One look, and his expression froze. His hand, about to open the gate, stopped dead.
Because standing outside was a man with a vicious, fleshy face...
Wang Long!