C4 How Could I be Associated with Bandits like You?

Upon hearing the commotion, the village chief and the villagers were all taken aback.

"What do you want from us? We're just a poor, remote village with nothing of value. Why have you come to trouble us?"

"You don't deserve to know. Men, kill them!"

The bandit leader's command echoed as his henchmen, brandishing their sabers, charged at the villagers.

Seeing the imminent threat, the village chief rallied his people, "Villagers, we must protect our families, our elders, and our children. We must stand and fight these thieves!"

"Fight! Fight!" The villagers, armed with their farming tools, cried out with fearless determination.

Lo Chen, concealed nearby, understood the strategy of targeting the leader first.

The battle between the villagers and the bandits soon erupted, staining the earth with blood.

Nearly a hundred people from both sides were entangled in a chaotic melee.

Despite their greater numbers, the villagers were no match for the battle-hardened bandits, and their simple tools paled in comparison to the sharp blades of their foes. Within moments, dozens lay wounded or dead.

Lo Chen grew restless, realizing that if the slaughter continued, the villagers would face total annihilation.

The entire village, including the men, women, elderly, and children, would likely not survive the bandits' rampage.

Surveying the area, Lo Chen used the houses and trees for cover as he stealthily approached the bandit leader.

The bandit leader was perched casually on his horse, watching the skirmish unfold with no concern for his own men's plight.

As Lo Chen closed in, he summoned all his strength and sprinted directly towards the bandit chief.

Only when Lo Chen was about ten meters away did the bandit leader notice him.

The bandit leader eyed Lo Chen, a mere youth at the second level of the Body Tempering Stage, and chuckled with a playful sneer as he hefted his heavy blade, "You think you can ambush me with your puny strength? You're seeking your own death!"

Lo Chen, seeing the bandit leader's blade swinging fiercely, knew that a single strike could sever his head from his body.

He had no choice but to halt and sidestep to avoid the incoming attack.

Bang!

The heavy blade crashed into the ground with a thunderous noise, sending a shower of sand and stones into the air.

As the debris settled, a one-foot-deep trench was etched into the earth.

Lo Chen, noticing the aftermath, felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple.

The bandit leader hoisted his blade with a chuckle, "Kid, you've got impressive skills for someone so young. How about you join us at Tiger Head Mountain?"

Lo Chen tightened his grip on his fists and replied with a smile, "I am the Southern General's son, Lo Chen, offspring of Lo Wushuang. Why would I join forces with bandits like you?"

The revelation of Lo Chen's identity visibly startled the bandit chief.

He was well aware of who Lo Wushuang was—a founding general of the Great Chen Dynasty and one of its mightiest warriors.

He was merely a bandit with a hundred or so followers. Lo Wushuang could annihilate him with a mere word.

Yet, Lo Chen was known as the most renowned among the general's children, blessed with the Innate Holy Bone but cursed with a feeble mind.

Now, the Lo Chen before him was articulate and sharp, showing no signs of simplicity—it seemed he had been feigning his condition!

"Ha! Little one, you dare to deceive me? It's common knowledge that Lo Chen is mentally impaired. Impersonating a general's son is a crime punishable by death!"

Lo Chen had anticipated the bandit's disbelief. His actions were merely a ploy to stall for time and regulate his internal energy.

"My words are the truth. If you refuse to believe them, there's nothing I can do!"

"Little one, your mockery is truly infuriating!" the bandit leader bellowed.

He was now convinced that the Lo Chen before him was neither a simpleton nor the son of Lo Wushuang.

Gripping the handle of his blade tightly, he charged at Lo Chen.

Although Lo Chen had attained the Second Level of the Body Tempering Stage, his combat experience was virtually nonexistent, leaving him to dodge reactively.

The bandit leader's ferocity grew with each swing of his heavy blade, creating a fierce tempest around him.

Seeing Lo Chen's evasive maneuvers, his adversary sneered, "Coward, if you're a real man, confront me directly. Stop scurrying around like a scared woman!"

Lo Chen remained unfazed. Clearly, the other was trying to bait him. Having come from the modern era, he was no stranger to such taunts.

"Bandit, do you really think I'm the same fool as before? You're a whole realm above me, and I'm not foolish enough to clash with you head-on. Yet, after dozens of exchanges, you haven't even grazed my clothes. What's the matter, running out of steam already?"

The bandit leader, infuriated by Lo Chen's retort, lost all sense of reason. His eyes were bloodshot as he swung his heavy sword in a wild arc.

Lo Chen realized he couldn't keep this up with the bandit leader and concentrated his inner Qi into his right fist.

He sprang into the air, avoiding the leader's vicious strike, and from high above, he unleashed his punch.

"Explosive Fist!"

The bandit leader, witnessing Lo Chen's martial prowess and the formidable force behind it, was taken aback. He tried to dodge, but his bulky frame was too slow.

Before he could react, Lo Chen's punch had already made contact.

A tremendous force struck him, leaving the bandit leader in agony as he was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

Crash!

The bandit leader's massive body slammed into a nearby hillock of stones, knocking him out cold.

[Ding! You have defeated the bandit leader, earning 10 attribute points! For completing your first cross-tier challenge, you receive an additional 10 attribute points. (Note: Eliminating a heinous villain grants attribute points!)]

The bandits, witnessing their chief's defeat at the hands of a young man, were struck with terror, and their morale plummeted.

Lo Chen eyed the remaining bandits, all at the first level of the Body Tempering Stage, and a spark of opportunity flashed in his eyes.

"These walking attribute points are mine for the taking!"

Before long, Lo Chen had joined the fray against the bandits.

In under an hour, the majority had been dispatched, with the survivors scattering in retreat.

Lo Chen had a fruitful outcome this time, gaining nearly forty-one attribute points and a wealth of combat experience. Sadly, it came at the cost of the villagers who valiantly defended their homes to the death.

Two hours later, the Lingnan City garrison finally made a belated arrival. Lo Chen gave the bounty for the bandit leader to the village chief, instructing him to distribute the funds to the families of the fallen villagers.

By the time all affairs were in order, night had fallen. Reflecting on the day's skirmishes, Lo Chen acknowledged his own strength was far too meager. Had he been more powerful, he wouldn't have needed to exercise such caution; he could have captured the bandit leader outright and spared some villagers from death.

It was clear that he needed to enhance his strength without delay. Having maxed out his talent, he allocated all of the day's attribute points to his Comprehension.

[Ding! Points successfully added. Current Comprehension: 60 (MAX). Remaining Attribute Points: 3]