Chapter 28: The Battle Ends (Part 3)


    After exchanging pleasantries with Li Chengfeng, Baldur turned his attention back to Han Ming. He hadn’t forgotten about the young man, and neither had anyone else in the room. Everyone present, especially the mercenaries who had witnessed Han Ming’s earlier antics, was utterly stunned. They couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. *Who would’ve thought this seemingly unremarkable kid would turn out to be such a force to be reckoned with? Thank goodness I didn’t provoke him earlier. Otherwise…* Several people who had harbored such thoughts exchanged glances, shuddering at the thought.


    *A monster!*


    Meanwhile, the nobles and wealthy onlookers were eyeing Han Ming with keen interest. *This kid has limitless potential!* They were already scheming ways to recruit him. Having someone like Han Ming as an ally would be a tremendous asset. Among them was Rikil, the instigator of the entire conflict. He was now filled with regret, cursing himself for misjudging Han Ming. He had assumed Han Ming was just an ordinary young man and had been tempted by the bulging storage bag Han Ming carried. Little did he know things would escalate to this point. He knew full well that today’s clash between Han Ming and the military was entirely due to his own greed. Now, he had offended Baldur. He wanted to leave this mess behind, but the crowd behind him was too dense to escape.


    At this moment, the owner of the mercenary inn, the old man who had earlier advised Han Ming to leave, finally reappeared. In truth, he had never left, observing Han Ming’s actions from the shadows. Although he was merely the inn’s proprietor, everyone in Wildlands knew of Apsu’s extraordinary status in the mercenary world. Like many others, he had taken a liking to Han Ming. He had even planned to intervene and plead for Han Ming if things went south. But Han Ming had repeatedly surprised him, from defeating Kael to holding his own against Baldur. Han Ming’s remarkable performance left Apsu constantly reassessing his initial judgment.


    “Commander Baldur, it’s been a while. What brings you to our humble inn today?” Apsu greeted Baldur with a warm smile, shaking his hand amiably.


    “Ah, you’re too kind, Boss Apsu,” Baldur replied, though inwardly he cursed the old fox. *As if you don’t know why I’m here!*


    After some small talk, Baldur’s gaze returned to Han Ming, who was standing awkwardly to the side.


    “Young Master Han is a valued guest of our inn. I hope you’ll take good care of him in the future, Commander Baldur,” Apsu said with a beaming smile.


    The nobles and wealthy onlookers silently cursed Apsu. *That sly old fox!* By framing Han Ming as a guest of the inn, Apsu was subtly claiming him as one of their own.


    “Indeed, Uncle Baldur, Han Ming is a good friend of mine. Let me explain what really happened today,” Li Chengfeng seized the opportunity to recount the events, starting with how he had caught Feili trying to steal Han Ming’s storage bag.


    As Baldur listened, his expression darkened. *So, the entire military was made a laughingstock today because of that scoundrel Rikil! And the coward hasn’t even shown his face yet.*


    The crowd, too, began to piece together the truth.


    Just then, a few troublemakers spotted Rikil hiding in the crowd and gleefully called out, “Oh, Boss Rikil! Fancy seeing you here. What a coincidence!”


    Rikil’s heart sank. *These backstabbing snakes!* They had always acted friendly, but at the first sign of trouble, they didn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus. *Ungrateful bastards!*


    With his cover blown, Rikil had no choice but to step forward. He forced a smile and approached Baldur, bowing repeatedly. He knew he had deeply offended Baldur today.


    “Rikil, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Baldur asked coldly, not bothering to hide his displeasure.


    Rikil quickly apologized, “It’s all a misunderstanding! I failed to discipline my subordinate properly. Feili has already been punished—his legs were broken, his wages confiscated, and he’s been sent back to his hometown. I’ll cover all medical expenses for the injured soldiers and compensate each of them with an extra hundred gold coins.” Rikil was no saint either, immediately throwing his subordinate under the bus. He knew that offering compensation was his only way out. Although Deputy Commander Kael was his close friend, even Kael would likely hold a grudge against him now. Glancing at Kael, who was still pale and sitting to the side, Rikil felt a wave of bitterness.


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    Li Chengfeng watched Rikil’s performance with disdain. *Feili’s legs were broken by Han Ming, not you.*


    Baldur nodded, his voice low and menacing. “Today, the military has been thoroughly humiliated, and it’s all thanks to you.” Despite his anger, Baldur was aware of Rikil’s relationship with Kael. Out of respect for Kael, he couldn’t be too harsh on Rikil. He would let Kael handle the matter later. *Kael won’t go easy on him.*


    Rikil wiped the sweat from his brow, forcing a smile. He felt like a fool, grinning like an idiot.


    “We’ll discuss our matters later. For now, shouldn’t you apologize to Young Master Han?” Baldur sighed. Rikil had already suffered enough today. Making a man of his status apologize in front of everyone was no small humiliation. But the deed was done, and Han Ming deserved an explanation. In Baldur’s eyes, Han Ming’s value had skyrocketed. Someone like him was best kept as a friend, not an enemy. Han Ming had the strength to back it up. More importantly, Baldur had a nagging feeling that Han Ming hadn’t shown his full power. The thought sent a chill down his spine, making Han Ming seem even more enigmatic.


    Hearing Baldur’s words, Rikil’s smile froze. But he knew he couldn’t afford to offend Han Ming. In this world, strength was everything. The strong had the right to demand respect, and that was an indisputable fact.


    *A true man knows when to bend and when to stand firm,* Rikil consoled himself. He bowed deeply to Han Ming and said bitterly, “Young Master Han, I was in the wrong today. I hope you can forgive me.”


    “Hmm, I accept your apology. It would’ve been better if you’d done this earlier. But…” Han Ming smiled, leaving his sentence hanging.


    Rikil’s eyebrow twitched. *I’m a grown man apologizing to a kid, and that’s not enough? Don’t push your luck.* He forced a smile and asked, “But what?”


    Han Ming chuckled. “It’s nothing much. Your subordinate stole a thousand gold coins from me. What do you think about that?”


    Everyone could tell Han Ming was blatantly extorting Rikil. *A thousand gold coins? That’s outrageous! How could Feili even carry that much?*


    Rikil sighed deeply, his voice trembling. “A thousand gold coins… I’ll pay. You can come to the auction house to collect it whenever you’re free. I’ll have it prepared in advance. The auction house is quite busy these days, so if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” With that, he turned and slowly walked toward the door, his figure seeming to age instantly. Halfway there, overwhelmed by frustration, he spat out a mouthful of blood. His servants rushed to support him as he hurriedly left.


    The crowd watched Rikil’s retreating figure, sighing with mixed emotions.


    Han Ming, however, smiled coldly.


    *You brought this upon yourself. Don’t blame anyone else.*


    With the matter mostly resolved, the onlookers lost interest and began to disperse, leaving the inn in small groups.


    Baldur also sighed, no longer in the mood to stay. The truth had come to light, and there was no need to trouble Han Ming further. More importantly, Han Ming’s strength was undeniable. Today’s conflict had been stirred up by Rikil, and since Rikil had already been punished, the matter was settled.


    Baldur had initially wanted to invite Han Ming to his residence to try and recruit the formidable young man. But after several unsuccessful attempts, he decided not to push it. He left with Li Chengfeng in tow.


    Li Chengfeng had wanted to stay longer with Han Ming, but Baldur reminded him that his father, the city lord, had been eagerly awaiting his return. Missing his father after thirteen years apart, Li Chengfeng reluctantly followed Baldur.


    With everyone gone, the hall felt much emptier. Han Ming had sustained some injuries during his fight with Baldur. He wanted to return to his room to rest and recover. He no longer had the miraculous pool water from the underground island, so healing would take time. Fortunately, his injuries weren’t severe.


    After thanking Apsu, the inn’s owner, Han Ming walked back to his room under the admiring gazes of the onlookers.


    Closing the door behind him, Han Ming collapsed onto the bed.


    Since leaving the Water God’s cave on the underground island, he hadn’t been injured like this. While it wasn’t a serious wound, it would still take time to heal. He knew that today’s events would spread throughout Wildlands. The onlookers would undoubtedly embellish the story, ensuring he wouldn’t have a moment of peace.


    This whole ordeal had made Han Ming realize that his strength, while impressive among his peers, was far from exceptional. There were still many experts in this world far beyond his reach. Baldur, a third-rank War Madness expert, had taught him a valuable lesson today. If a third-rank expert was this formidable, what about those at higher levels?


    While he couldn’t cultivate battle aura, he still had magic—his true hope. *When will I be able to start practicing the Water God’s Art?* Han Ming’s heart swelled with anticipation every time he thought of the water elementalist in his visions. It was time to focus on improving his magical abilities.


    Clutching a water elemental crystal, Han Ming slowly drifted into sleep. He had been absorbing the energy from water crystals constantly, but only a fraction of it remained within him.