C9 Sui Tang's First Hero

The most striking thing about him was the ancient armor he wore. It shimmered in golden hues, yet was caked with dust, as though the armor had been entombed for ages.

As the crowd looked on in astonishment, the young boy weaved through the pair of black-clad henchmen and made a beeline for Hu Yang. With an icy demeanor, he bowed with his fists clasped.

"Master, my apologies for the delay!"

The boy appeared no older than thirteen or fourteen, his face devoid of emotion. His archaic speech lent an oddly anachronistic air to the scene.

Hu Yang appraised him, wondering, "Could he truly be a legendary hero summoned from the system?"

One thug dumbly recited, "Where's this kid from? Dressed so weirdly, he might've escaped from a loony bin."

Jin Nanyu scoffed and laughed, "Bringing a kid to pull stunts, thinking this is some kind of play?"

Hu Yang cautiously inquired of the youth, "Are you here to protect me?"

"Yes, Master!" The boy replied, his face still without emotion.

"Can you take them on?" Hu Yang gestured to the four burly men encircling him.

The boy glanced over at them and asked with a touch of naivety, "Is there some mistake? The Great Sage sent me to protect you from these four buffoons?"

"That kid's got nerve, calling us buffoons!" a thug blurted out, incensed.

The youth dismissed them with contempt, "In my days on the battlefield, one blow would vanquish over fifty soldiers! Creatures like you aren't even worth my effort!"

"Hahaha, not even slaughtering chickens is that quick, this kid's got quite the imagination!" Jin Nanyu roared with laughter.

The bystanders joined in the mirth, Hsiao Xinya included, who couldn't help but giggle behind her hand. Hu Yang too thought the boy was exaggerating, but the youth remained unfazed, pointing at a thug and adding, "You're less than a foot soldier."

The thugs were initially taken aback, then burst into raucous laughter.

Hu Yang whispered a word of caution, "Ease up on the boasts."

"I'm not boasting," the youth said, his eyes clouding over with confusion as he asked, "Master, which rebel king are we facing here…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he clutched his head tightly and let out a scream, as if in excruciating pain.

Jin Nanyu burst into laughter. "Keep up the performance, and if it's convincing enough, I'll go easy on you! Just a broken arm each should suffice!"

Hu Yang asked with urgency, "What's wrong with you?"

The young man's forehead was beaded with sweat as he managed a pained smile. "The Great Sage warned me not to ask any questions upon meeting you, or I'd suffer a headache so severe it would feel worse than death. The Great Sage's words ring true!"

The more Hu Yang heard, the more baffled he became. Who was this Great Sage the young man referred to? And why impose such an odd stipulation?

It was possible that this young man had indeed been summoned from the system, and the Great Sage might just be the puppet master behind it.

The system's capabilities were astonishing—it could actually transform a living person!

But he was so young, so slight—could he truly be a hero of any sort?

And was this a case of time travel, or was he a lifelike projection created by some advanced technology?

"What's your name? Where are you from?" Hu Yang inquired.

"I am Lee Yuanba, the foremost hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, here to protect my lord by the Great Sage's command!"

Lee Yuanba?

Hu Yang was taken aback. My goodness, could it be that a hero from ancient times had actually traveled through time to be here?

He was skeptical, reaching out to feel the young man's armor. It was cool to the touch, and the hard material and intricate patterns suggested an ancient and unique craftsmanship, vastly different from the costumes in historical dramas.

"Is this armor crafted from gold?" Hu Yang questioned.

"Reporting to my lord, after I quelled the eighteen rebel kings, my emperor, in his joy, bestowed upon me this dragon-embossed golden armor," Lee Yuanba responded with ease.

A flicker of avarice passed through Hu Yang's eyes. How much gold had gone into the making of this armor?

"Hahaha! So we have the great hero Lee Yuanba, the master actor! Strike them! Bring these charlatans back to reality!" Jin Nanyu commanded with a laugh, gesturing emphatically.

The crowd couldn't contain their amusement, seemingly convinced that Hu Yang and the young man named Lee Yuanba were indeed putting on a dual act.

To Hu Yang's surprise, the numbers in his cerebral system began to tumble wildly once more, the beeping sound incessant in his mind. In just a moment, the total value had soared to over five thousand, filling Hu Yang with elation.

Nearly everyone in the arena was jeering at him, including Hsiao Xinya, who added a mere 25 points to Hu Yang's tally. It seemed she found the situation more amusing than truly scornful; otherwise, Hu Yang wouldn't have received such a paltry number of points from her.

As the points in his mind surged, Hu Yang suddenly found himself hoping Lee Yuanba wouldn't act too hastily, so he intentionally blurted out, "Lee Yuanba, you can't beat them, let's make a run for it!"

His words triggered another round of raucous laughter from the crowd, and the points in his mind climbed even higher. In such a brief span, he was nearing seven thousand points. Yet, the rate of increase had slowed considerably. Had he already wrung these people dry of points?

"Lord, the word 'retreat' does not exist in my heart! Step aside, and let me tear them to shreds!" Lee Yuanba snorted, a glint of ferocity flashing in his eyes.

Tear?

Hu Yang was taken aback. This guy was starting to resemble the Lee Yuanba known for ripping his enemies in half!

"Insolent! Just too damn insolent!"

"Exactly, his arrogance is beyond belief!"

One of the enforcers couldn't resist any longer and charged forward, reaching for Lee Yuanba's arm.

Whoosh!

Lee Yuanba moved in a flash, so fast that no one could catch his movements. In the blink of an eye, he had seized the enforcer's thigh and arm, hoisting him overhead. With practiced ease, he tossed the man into the air, caught him, and then spun around several times!

The entire arena was in shock. Jin Nanyu's eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open, as if he couldn't fathom the spectacle before him.

Although Hu Yang had braced himself for this, the reality was still hard to believe. Lee Yuanba was slight and seemed to weigh no more than seventy to eighty kilograms, while the enforcer he had lifted was a hulking figure, easily over two hundred kilograms.

Yet Lee Yuanba had not only lifted the man with ease but had also tossed him effortlessly. Such strength in his arms was nothing short of astounding.

The world record for the snatch in weightlifting is over two hundred kilograms, yet that pales in comparison to Lee Yuanba's current display. Hu Yang couldn't help but wonder if this man was a monster or human.

As chronicled in "Sui Tang Heroes," Lee Yuanba possessed the strength of four mighty elephants, wielding a pair of hammers, each weighing over four hundred kilograms. To him, playing with an average person in the palm of his hand was nothing short of child's play.

Memories of Lee Yuanba surged in Hu Yang's mind, and he was suddenly reminded of the scene where Lee tore apart Yuwen Chengdu. Even though it was a scene from a TV series, the graphic violence had made a lasting impression on him.

Hu Yang couldn't shake the question: Would Lee Yuanba actually go as far as to tear this enforcer apart?