Sam wore a gloomy expression, a cunning glint flashing in his eyes. The previous night, a malicious plan had gradually formed in his mind. He decided to exploit people's guard against strangers to cause massive trouble for Lu Chen and ruin him completely.
The next morning, sunlight flooded the entire village, and birds sang cheerfully in the branches. Lu Chen arrived at Cana's home for his usual studies. Seeing him full of vigor, Cana wore a relieved smile. "It looks like you had a very fruitful harvest at the market yesterday!"
"Yes, thanks to you teaching me so much, I was able to buy what I needed smoothly," Lu Chen said with a smile, gratitude sparkling in his eyes.
"That's good. I'm really glad you can adapt to life here," Cana said, pulling a freshly baked loaf of bread from the kitchen. "Come on, try my new bread and see how it tastes."
"Thank you, Cana!" Lu Chen took the bread and took a bite; the sweet aroma instantly filled his mouth. "It's so delicious! Cana, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"
Seeing Lu Chen looking so happy, Cana wore a blissful smile as well. Just then, a flurry of urgent knocks shattered the cozy atmosphere inside the room.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Cana walked to the door in confusion and opened it to find Sam standing outside, fuming with anger, flanked by several burly men.
"Sam, why are you here?" A faint sense of unease rose in Cana's heart.
Ignoring Cana, Sam cast a vicious glare past her, locking his eyes onto Lu Chen sitting by the table, a cold, mocking smirk curling the corner of his mouth.
"Lu Chen, you are suspected of stealing my property. Now I'm going to search your room!" Sam barked in a harsh, unquestionable tone.
Lu Chen put down the bread in his hand and frowned slightly, keenly sensing that something was amiss. "What evidence do you have to say I stole your things?"
"Hmph, a gold coin is missing from my room, and you were the only one who came to my house yesterday. Who else could it be if not you?!" Sam demanded righteously, acting as though he had ironclad proof.
Lu Chen let out a cold laugh, knowing Sam was deliberately framing him. "I only passed by your house yesterday; I didn't go in at all, let alone steal your things."
"Stop your sophistry! I saw you sneak out the back door of my house with my own eyes!" Sam pointed at Lu Chen's nose and roared loudly. The men behind him joined in the jeering, and the atmosphere in the room instantly turned tense and explosive.
Cana anxiously tried to explain, but Sam brutally cut her off. "Cana, I know you're kind-hearted, but this punk is obviously no good. Don't let him fool you!"
Lu Chen took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He knew that the more panicked he was right now, the easier it would be to fall into Sam's trap. Sweeping his gaze over Sam and the men behind him, he quickly thought of a countermeasure.
Just then, a crisp voice rang out from beyond the crowd, "Wait!"
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a petite girl pushing her way through the crowd. The girl had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, looking very cute. She was Riya, the village chief's daughter and also Cana's good friend.
"Riya, why are you here?" Seeing Riya, Cana felt as though she had caught a lifeline.
Ignoring Cana, Riya walked straight up to Sam and said firmly, "Sam, you've wronged Lu Chen! I can testify that he never went to your house yesterday!"
As soon as Riya's voice fell, a wave of discussion broke out among the crowd. Sam's expression turned somewhat ugly. He glared fiercely at Riya and said unkindly, "Riya, this is none of your business. Stay out of it!"
Riya met Sam's gaze without a shred of fear, puffed out her chest, and said, "Sam, I know you've never liked Lu Chen, but you can't just make up lies to frame him! I saw you gambling at the tavern with my own eyes yesterday. You lost all your money and racked up a ton of debt—you didn't have any gold coin stolen at all!"
Riya's words exploded among the crowd like a thunderclap. The villagers' gazes toward Sam shifted entirely. Although they usually feared Sam's tyranny, it didn't mean they were fools. Riya's words were clearly much more persuasive, and Sam's lies collapsed on their own.
A flash of admiration crossed Lu Chen's eyes. He hadn't expected Riya to step up and speak for him at a time like this; this courage and sense of justice deeply touched him. He smiled slightly at Riya and said loudly, "Riya is right, Sam is indeed lying! The reason he framed me is because he owes a huge gambling debt and wants to use me as a scapegoat to escape it!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Sam flew into a rage out of humiliation. He hadn't expected his plan to be exposed jointly by Riya and Lu Chen. Frenzied, he charged at Lu Chen, swinging his fist directly at him. "You little punk, I'm going to kill you!"
Lu Chen had been on his guard. He sidestepped Sam's attack, reached out to grab Sam's arm, and threw him heavily to the ground with a shoulder throw. Sam let out a miserable shriek, struggling to get back up, but Lu Chen planted a foot firmly on his chest, leaving him completely unable to move.
"Stop!" An angry roar came from the crowd as the village chief hurried over with several villagers. Taking in the scene before them, they immediately understood what had happened.
The chief walked up to Lu Chen and asked in a deep voice, "Young man, what on earth is going on here?"
Lu Chen briefly recounted the whole story from beginning to end and pointed out the evidence of Sam's frame-up. Hearing Lu Chen's explanation, the chief's face turned extremely dark. He glared fiercely at Sam and rebuked, "Sam, you have disappointed me to the utmost! To think you would do something like this!"
Sam lowered his head, not daring to meet the chief's eyes, knowing he was completely finished this time.
Lu Chen released his foot, stood up, dusted himself off, and said calmly, "Chief, I trust that justice will give me a fair verdict."
The crowd erupted into warm applause, and the villagers vied with one another to praise Lu Chen's quick wit and bravery. Lu Chen's resourcefulness and courage made him famous throughout the town, while also catching the attention of certain mysterious forces, who began investigating his origins in secret as an even bigger conspiracy quietly brewed...
Lu Chen's wit and bravery quickly spread across the entire town like the warm winter sun. In teahouses and taverns, storytellers gestured wildly as they recounted how he used his wisdom to see through a bully's lies and his courage to subdue him. The villagers listened with rapt attention, their gazes toward Lu Chen filled with admiration and curiosity.
Riya stood in the crowd, watching Lu Chen surrounded by people, a gratified smile curving the corner of her mouth. She knew Lu Chen was no ordinary man; one day, he would leave this small town and head for a broader world.
However, fame was like a double-edged sword: while it brought praise, it also invited prying eyes.
On the east side of the town, inside a lavishly decorated mansion, a man in a black robe sat by the window, toying with an antique ring in his hand. He had a lean build, a stern face, and a pair of hawk-like eyes flashing with dangerous light.
"Sir, we've found out about that kid named Lu Chen," a man in black reported respectfully, kneeling on one knee. "He comes from a small village and only arrived here a month ago. Currently, he's staying at Riya's place."
"A month ago..." The man in black tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop, lost in thought. "Isn't that timing a bit too coincidental?"
"Sir, you mean..." The man in black looked up, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"A month ago was precisely when *that* item appeared," a sharp glint flashed in the man in black's eyes. "It seems this Lu Chen is no simple character. We need to test him further."
"Understood!" The man in black took the order and withdrew.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had no idea he had been drawn into a much larger conspiracy. He and Riya were walking home together, discussing the events of the day.
"Lu Chen, you were simply amazing today!" Riya said excitedly. "I never imagined you even knew martial arts!"
Lu Chen smiled and said, "It's just some self-defense techniques, hardly real martial arts."
"That's still incredible!" Riya's eyes sparkled with adoration. "If it weren't for you, I honestly wouldn't have known what to do."
"Just a minor effort," Lu Chen said indifferently.
The two fell silent for a moment. Riya suddenly looked up at Lu Chen and asked, "Lu Chen, what are your plans for the future?"
Lu Chen paused his steps, gazing into the distance with a trace of bewilderment in his eyes. He had not been in this world long, and the future was filled with the unknown and uncertainty.
"I don't know either," Lu Chen shook his head. "I'll just take it one step at a time."
"Mm." Riya nodded and didn't press further.
Returning to Riya's house, they had a simple dinner, after which Lu Chen retreated to his room. He sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes in meditation. He knew that peace was only temporary; greater challenges were waiting for him ahead.
The next morning, Lu Chen was awakened by a round of knocks on the door. Opening it, he saw a tall figure standing outside.
"Brook?" Lu Chen looked at the newcomer in surprise.
Brook was a well-known hunter in town, famous for his bravery and wit. He was burly, dark-skinned, and wore a thick beard; his sharp eyes seemed capable of seeing right through everything.
"Come with me." Brook didn't say much else, turning around to leave immediately.
Though Lu Chen didn't know Brook's intentions, he faintly felt this might be a life-changing opportunity. Without a moment's hesitation, he followed, the two of them vanishing one after the other into the morning mist...