Chapter 24: Tit for Tat


    Although Li Chengfeng had only just met Han Ming, he felt an inexplicable fondness for him—not the kind between close friends, but rather a genuine admiration. He sensed that Han Ming possessed the broad-mindedness of a true man, someone who lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment. This was evident from Han Ming’s earlier response to him. Li Chengfeng knew that Han Ming was no ordinary person. Though this belief had no concrete basis, he trusted his instincts. Having spent over a decade traveling and encountering all sorts of people, he had developed a keen eye for character. And now, he found himself even more drawn to someone like Han Ming, who was so carefree and open. Li Chengfeng had a sharp tongue and loved to joke, so he appreciated people who could take it in stride.


    “Apologize!” growled a burly man from the mercenary squad, standing nearly as tall as Li Chengfeng.


    Though Li Chengfeng was tall, his build wasn’t particularly imposing compared to the hulking man before him. Yet, he didn’t back down. His face wore a smile, but his eyes were cold. With a slight shake of his body, a surge of powerful battle energy erupted from him, and two cross-shaped marks appeared on his forehead.


    **Grand Warrior!**


    The sudden release of battle energy drew the attention of everyone in the lobby.


    And not just any grand warrior—a fourth-tier grand warrior! Many in the crowd could gauge Li Chengfeng’s true strength based on the intensity of his battle energy. It was well known that advancing through the ranks of warriors after mastering battle energy was incredibly difficult. Most of the mercenaries present were first-tier warriors, with only a few exceptionally strong individuals reaching the fifth or sixth tier. Despite their constant travels and lack of time for dedicated training, someone like Li Chengfeng, who appeared to be only around twenty years old, achieving the level of a fourth-tier grand warrior was exceedingly rare. Calling him a genius among geniuses wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Many people spent their entire lives striving to reach the level of a grand warrior.


    The mercenaries, seeing Li Chengfeng’s astonishing strength, said nothing and simply turned to leave. As mercenaries, they respected strength above all else. In their eyes, backing down wasn’t a sign of weakness. Knowing when to retreat in the face of an unbeatable opponent was just common sense. Their leader, the strongest among them, was only a second-tier warrior, barely on par with the city gate guards. There was no point in picking a fight they couldn’t win.


    Just as the tension seemed to dissipate, a thin, hunched man slipped past unnoticed, heading straight for the exit without so much as a glance at the commotion.


    Li Chengfeng’s eyes narrowed as he said to Han Ming, “Brother Han, that man just stole your storage pouch.”


    The thin man was none other than Feri, a lackey sent by Rikil to tail Han Ming. Hearing Li Chengfeng’s meddling, Feri cursed inwardly and quickened his pace.


    Han Ming, distracted by Li Chengfeng’s display, hadn’t noticed his pouch being stolen. He reached down and realized it was indeed missing. If not for Li Chengfeng’s alert, he might not have noticed at all. This wasn’t entirely his fault. Despite his increased strength, Han Ming was still inexperienced in the ways of the world, making him an easy target. Feri’s sleight of hand was so skillful that few besides Li Chengfeng would have spotted it.


    “Stop right there!” Han Ming roared in anger, hurling a half-eaten animal bone at Feri. The bone struck Feri’s leg, sending him sprawling to the ground. Han Ming strode over, retrieved his pouch from Feri’s grasp, and glared at the thief, assuming he was just a common pickpocket.


    “Thank you for the warning, Brother Li,” Han Ming said gratefully.


    Feri shot Han Ming a venomous look, nodded fiercely, and limped out of the lobby, clutching his injured leg.


    Wait, isn’t that Feri from Rikil’s auction house? What’s he doing here? Many in the crowd recognized Feri and wondered.


    Thinking the incident was over, Han Ming and Li Chengfeng returned to their meal. The food in this world was surprisingly delicious to Han Ming. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t had a proper meal in so long, but in no time, under Li Chengfeng’s astonished gaze, he polished off half the table’s worth of dishes.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    However, the matter was far from resolved.


    “That’s him! He stole my stuff!” Feri, having failed his mission and been injured by Han Ming, was furious. The injury was minor, but failing his boss’s task was a blow to his pride. Seeing Han Ming as just a skinny kid, Feri couldn’t believe he’d been bested. If his boss found out, he’d likely never be trusted with another job. After losing the pouch, Feri lingered near the mercenary inn, seething and plotting revenge. Coincidentally, a patrol of soldiers happened to pass by, and Feri quickly spun a tale, painting himself as the victim and Han Ming as the thief.


    The soldiers, well aware of Feri’s reputation, didn’t believe a word of it. Though they looked down on Feri, his boss, Rikil, was a prominent figure in Wildhaven, and Rikil had close ties with their superior, Deputy Commander Kelt. Since Feri had made such a claim, they felt obliged to investigate, if only to curry favor with Rikil. Deep down, they knew Feri only targeted those without influence. He wouldn’t dare cross someone powerful. With that in mind, they followed Feri into the inn, leading to the current scene.


    Han Ming watched as the thief returned with a squad of soldiers, now accusing him of theft. He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.


    “Sir, what exactly did you steal from Feri? Hand it over, and we’ll pretend this never happened,” said the soldier captain, trying to avoid a scene. He didn’t want trouble and hoped Han Ming would comply. The young man’s flashy attire suggested he might be the son of some wealthy landowner. Better to let him off with a warning.


    “Well, well,” Li Chengfeng muttered, crossing his arms and watching with amusement.


    Han Ming shook his head helplessly. “He stole from me first. I was just taking back what’s mine. Many people here saw it.”


    “That’s right! Feri, you’re the one who got caught red-handed stealing. How dare you come back and accuse him?”


    “Yeah, what a scumbag!”


    “Get out of here! You’re not welcome!”


    The mercenaries, no strangers to danger and bloodshed, had no patience for thieves like Feri. In their eyes, every coin was earned through life-and-death struggles. They could tolerate many things, but theft was unforgivable.


    The soldier captain, embarrassed by the mercenaries’ jeers, cursed Feri inwardly. You idiot! If you’re going to steal, at least do it cleanly! Now you’ve dragged us into this mess and made us look like fools! The soldiers, used to being respected and admired, weren’t accustomed to such humiliation. Unable to take their frustration out on Feri, they directed their anger toward Han Ming, the seemingly defenseless young man who refused to back down. Their gazes turned increasingly hostile.


    “Kid, don’t push your luck! Hand over what you stole and come with us! Theft isn’t a major crime. A month in lockup, and you’ll be out. Consider it a lesson,” the captain barked, his patience wearing thin. He couldn’t back down now, not in front of so many witnesses. If word got out, he’d be a laughingstock.


    “Heh, kid, you heard him. Hand it over, or else…” Feri, emboldened by the soldiers’ support, sneered. His boss was Rikil—what did he have to fear from some brat?


    “Shut up!” the captain snapped at Feri. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess!


    Han Ming’s expression darkened. It was clear these soldiers were determined to frame him. If an ordinary person had been in his place, they’d have been bullied into submission. But since they’ve chosen to play dirty, don’t blame me for fighting fire with fire!


    “Oh? I love reasoning with people. If you claim I stole from him, then let him tell us what’s inside this pouch,” Han Ming said coldly, tossing the pouch onto the table. He noticed Li Chengfeng about to stand and subtly pressed a hand on his leg, signaling that he’d handle this himself. Li Chengfeng, understanding, sat back, curious to see how Han Ming would deal with the situation. He could tell this was going to get ugly.


    “There are magic crystals! Water elemental magic crystals! And two hundred gold coins! My boss, Rikil, gave them to me for a job!” Feri blurted out triumphantly, only to immediately realize his mistake. He’d just implicated his boss in front of everyone. The entire lobby had seen him steal—this was tantamount to selling out Rikil.


    **Oh no!**


    The room fell silent. This was not going to end well. Rikil’s name had been dropped, and the mercenaries, knowing full well who he was, decided to stay out of it. They weren’t about to risk their necks for a stranger.


    The soldier captain was livid, glaring at Feri. You fool! Don’t you know what to say and what not to say? We’re helping you to uphold justice, but now it looks like we’re doing Rikil’s dirty work! Everyone here knows what’s going on!


    Han Ming finally understood. He’d been targeted after showing off his wealth at the auction house. These people had seen him as an easy mark and tried to steal from him. How despicable.


    “Hand it over now, or else!” the captain roared, his frustration boiling over.


    Han Ming’s face was icy. “Do you have no respect for the law?”


    The captain snapped, “Cut the crap! I am the law!” He was done playing nice.


    Hearing this, Han Ming laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh. “Good, good! I love reasoning with people, but if you refuse to reason, then don’t blame me for being unreasonable.” He pushed the pouch to the center of the table. “You say this pouch is his. Let him come and take it, then.”


    The captain, sensing something off about Han Ming’s calm demeanor, grew suspicious. Did this kid have some hidden backing? Feri, however, was too arrogant to notice. Thinking Han Ming had caved, he reached for the pouch.


    **Crack!**


    In a flash, Han Ming struck, shattering Feri’s arm. The bone jutted out grotesquely through the flesh, a horrifying sight. Feri screamed, clutching his arm as he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.


    “If you can take it, the pouch is yours,” Han Ming said coldly.