After that, Ian Song took Lily Qi for a stroll around Peacehold County, the city's layout etched vividly into his mind.
If he was going to become the number-one bandit under heaven, he’d have to do what no one else dared. Sooner or later, Ian was determined to lead his crew in robbing Peacehold County itself.
After that, Ian and Lily headed up to a restaurant.
They ordered a few dishes, and as Ian ate, he mulled over how he might pull off a heist in Peacehold County.
A frontal assault was out of the question. Sure, with his strength, snatching up a county seat would be easy—but that would be far too conspicuous. He still hadn’t figured out this world’s power structure, so keeping a low profile was key.
That meant he’d have to get crafty. Still, the thought nagged at him—Clearwind Stronghold was built on shaky ground. Aside from Lily, he didn’t even have a single third-rate fighter to call his own.
So, for now, he’d have to handle things personally.
Suddenly, a burst of commotion erupted nearby.
A moment later, over twenty government constables stormed into the restaurant.
The middle-aged head constable at the front barked, "Official business—catching a thief! Anyone not involved, clear out, now!"
The Grand Zhou Empire still kept a pretty tight grip on the land, so at the words 'catching a thief,' none of the guests dared say a word—they scrambled out of the restaurant in a panic. Only the restaurant keeper was left looking miserable, since none of those fleeing guests had paid their bill.
In no time, the only ones left in the restaurant were Ian and Lily.
Ian didn’t even need to think—he knew the 'thief' those constables were talking about was him. What puzzled him was how the authorities knew he’d come to the county, and why they cared about a newly appointed chief of Clearwind Stronghold. He’d only just taken over as chief—before, he was just a nobody. Normally, the government wouldn’t pay attention to a 'nameless rookie.' So why send people to arrest him now?
While Ian was thinking it over, the middle-aged head constable’s gaze had already landed on him, sharp and disdainful.
The next moment, he strode forward, looking Ian up and down with a mocking smile. "You must be the new chief of Clearwind Stronghold, Shawn Steele, right?"
"That’s right, it’s your young master here!" Ian replied grumpily, then raised his head to glare at the head constable. "Can’t even eat in peace—your pack of imperial hounds is seriously annoying, you know that?"
"Insolent! How dare you be rude to Head Constable Xu!" shouted one of the constables behind the middle-aged man, suddenly drawing his saber and pointing it at Ian.
"No need!" Travis Xu raised his hand to signal the officer to let it go, wearing a cat-playing-with-mouse expression. "So, are you going to surrender quietly, or do you want my men to drag you back?"
Ian rolled his eyes and sneered, "Are you going to get lost on your own, or do I have to throw you out? Damn, I hate people who interrupt my meal the most."
As soon as Ian finished speaking, the sound of blades being drawn filled the air—more than twenty constables all pulled out their sabers, glaring fiercely at Ian and Lily.
"Interesting!" Travis Xu clapped his hands. "I didn’t expect a bandit chief like you to have this much guts."
"None of your damn business!" Ian snapped back.
"You little punk, you’re asking for it!"
A young constable barked and charged forward, his saber slashing straight for Ian’s shoulder.
"You’re so eager—I’ll reward you with a bone!" Ian grinned, then spat out.
With a flash, the chicken bone Ian spat out hit the constable square in the chest. Instantly, the man flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
One of the constables behind tried to catch him, but as soon as he touched the man, a powerful force jolted his arm numb. The next second, both of them crashed to the ground together.
Seeing this, Travis Xu’s face changed. All his men were fourth-rate martial artists, yet one got sent flying by a chicken bone. No wonder this Shawn Steele was so fearless—just that move alone meant he’d probably reached the level of a second-rate martial artist.
"I didn’t expect you, chief, to have stepped into the ranks of second-rate martial artists. Looks like I underestimated you. How about this: I’ll challenge you to a few moves. If you beat me, I’ll let you go. Deal?"
Ian thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
Travis Xu narrowed his eyes and cupped his fists. "Please, Chief."
"No need. I’ll just sit here. You do your thing!" Ian said.
Travis Xu’s eyes flashed with irritation—this Shawn Steele was just too arrogant. Sure, he was a second-rate martial artist, but so was Travis. To sit and face him like this was just plain disrespectful.
Suppressing his anger, Travis said, "If that’s how you want it, then here I come!"
As soon as he finished, there was a clang—Travis Xu’s saber flashed out of its sheath, sending a bright arc slashing straight for Ian’s chest.
"Heh, you’re the head constable, so I won’t give you a bone—I’ll give you peanuts instead!"
Ian grinned, grabbed two peanuts from his plate, and flicked them out with his fingers.
The peanuts shot out from Ian’s hand like lightning.
The next moment—
With a clang, one peanut struck Travis Xu’s saber. Instantly, Travis’s whole body shuddered—half his body went numb, and his saber flew out of his hand, stabbing into the wall with a thud.
Almost at the same time, the other peanut struck him in the chest. Just like the young constable before, his body flew backward.
"Head Constable!"
The other constables rushed forward to catch him, but anyone who touched Travis Xu was bounced away.
Thud!
Finally, Travis Xu smashed through the restaurant’s wooden wall, leaving a person-shaped hole, and crashed hard onto the stone pavement outside.
The remaining constables rushed out just in time to see Travis Xu struggling to his feet, coughing up blood three times.
"Head Constable, are you okay?"
A crowd of constables swarmed around, helping the staggering Travis Xu.
Travis Xu waved them off. "Everyone withdraw immediately. That Shawn Steele is a first-rate martial artist. Also, send word to Captain Du Heng—make sure he’s fully briefed!"
"Yes, sir!"
Someone immediately took off to carry out the order.
The government constables came fast and left just as quickly, leaving only the restaurant keeper looking frustrated.
Half a quarter of an hour later, Ian was almost done eating and called the keeper over to settle the bill.
The keeper forced a smile. "Sir, this meal is on the house. No charge!"
"You think I can’t afford a meal? Take it!" Ian tossed over a large silver ingot—at least ten taels.
"The rest is for repairs to your restaurant!"
The keeper tried to say more, but Ian glared at him. "I’m a bandit, you know. If you keep whining, I’ll burn your restaurant down!"
Sure enough, the keeper didn’t dare say another word. He could only watch as Ian and Lily left, feeling both amused and helpless. This kind of bandit was nothing like the legends.