C4 I Have Messed with the Wrong People

The streets were alive with laughter and the welcoming smiles of various shops. Yet to Liu Xiaobao, it all seemed dull, and even the bright sunshine appeared to have lost its luster.

"Please, not my son! I beg you, let him go!"

"You senile fool, your son stole from my young master and you still have the nerve to deny it? Beat him!"

"I didn't steal anything, I swear!"

"Still denying it? Beat these two lowlifes to death!"

The commotion in the distance caught Liu Xiaobao's attention. The street nearby was crowded with onlookers. Driven by his usual curiosity, Liu Xiaobao decided to check it out.

The crowd was thick, but thankfully, Liu Xiaobao's slight build allowed him to weave through the masses until he reached the center of the action.

There, he saw three men in black servant attire viciously attacking a mother and her son. The woman, in her forties, was trying to shield her son, who was about the same age as Liu Xiaobao and built like an athlete.

Her son was now curled up on the ground, taking blows from the servants that left him bleeding from the mouth. The mother's attempts to protect her son were futile; the son continued to be beaten, and she herself was battered by the servants.

No one in the crowd dared intervene, and Liu Xiaobao wasn't about to foolishly invite trouble upon himself. He was content to watch; at most, he'd later express his disapproval. To truly step in, one needed the strength to back it up, and against these three servants, even one could easily overpower him.

Before long, a dashing young man emerged from the crowd. Liu Xiaobao recognized him, as did everyone else there. Chen Wenkai, the son of the Minister of Personnel, was known not just for his lineage but for his notorious reputation as one of the capital's four infamous scoundrels.

The capital's four scoundrels included Liu Xiaobao, known as the 'abandoned one,' a title suggesting he was beyond hope. Chen Wenkai, the Minister of Personnel's son, was known as the 'evil one,' notorious for his ruthless behavior towards those of lesser status. Yang Xin, the Minister of Revenue's son, was the 'playboy,' often seen in the red-light district. Lastly, the Minister of Punishments' son, Gao Ge, was the 'gambler,' infamous for his gambling addiction, spending at least 29 days a month in the gambling dens.

On the second floor of the jewelry store by the street, two young girls witnessed the commotion unfolding below. One of them, eager to intervene, was held back by her companion. "Xijun, as a princess, you can't just intervene so carelessly. Look, Chen Wenkai, one of the notorious four scoundrels, and Liu Xiaobao, another of the scoundrels, are right there. What would people say if Princess Wuyang were seen mingling with them? That's not the kind of news we want."

Xijun replied, "But what about Tingyue? We can't just stand by and let the innocent citizens of Aeseaba suffer."

"Do you see Liu Xiaobao in the crowd?" Tingyue pointed to where Liu Xiaobao was watching the chaos. "I have a plan to turn those two scoundrels against each other. Once they start fighting, I'll step in to help the mother and son down there."

"Why not just go down and help directly? Why all this trouble?"

"I simply can't stand those two scoundrels, and I want to give them a taste of their own medicine."

Meanwhile, Liu Xiaobao was observing Chen Wenkai with a mix of curiosity and disdain, not expecting him to be the source of the disturbance. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine as he was inexplicably thrust forward, standing out conspicuously from the crowd.

"Who's there? Who pushed me?" Liu Xiaobao glanced back but saw no one suspicious. This had to be a setup. If Chen Wenkai thought he was interfering, a beating was guaranteed. The four scoundrels might be a notorious group in the capital, but their relationships were strained. Liu Xiaobao, a worthless nobody without any family backing since the Liu family had all passed away, knew that as long as Chen Wenkai didn't kill him, there would be no repercussions.

Chen Wenkai, spotting Liu Xiaobao emerging from the crowd, sneered, "Well, if it isn't the useless Liu Xiaobao. What's this? Trying to play the hero?"

"No, not at all, Brother Chen. You've got it all wrong. Some jerk just pushed me; I was just leaving," stammered Liu Xiaobao, anxious not to provoke Chen Wenkai as he looked for the quickest way out.

Suddenly, Liu Xiaobao felt a gust of wind sweep by, and it was as if someone else was controlling his body. He inadvertently kicked Chen Wenkai, and due to the loss of balance, Liu Xiaobao tumbled to the ground.

Chen Wenkai, having been kicked, glared furiously at Liu Xiaobao sprawled on the ground. "Liu Xiaobao, you worthless fool, how dare you kick me? I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Liu Xiaobao's commotion drew the attention of the three servants. Seizing the moment, the mother and son on the ground managed to sit up. Clutching her son, the mother looked at Liu Xiaobao with tearful gratitude. "Thank you, young master, for coming to our aid. We are so grateful."

While the mother and son were now safe, Liu Xiaobao found himself in a predicament. The servants had lifted his frail frame and restrained him tightly. Chen Wenkai delivered a resounding slap to Liu Xiaobao's face, "You trash, thinking you can play the hero and even have the nerve to kick me? Today, I'll make sure you end up like a dead dog."

"Brother Chen, it's all a misunderstanding, I swear. I just lost my footing and accidentally kicked you," Liu Xiaobao, unable to provoke Chen Wenkai, could only respond with a forced smile despite the beating.

"A misunderstanding? I'll show you a misunderstanding!" Chen Wenkai continued to rain punches down on Liu Xiaobao, who soon felt pain engulfing his entire body.

From upstairs, Xijun couldn't stand to watch Liu Xiaobao being beaten so mercilessly. "Tingyue, you must go down quickly. If you don't, Liu Xiaobao might be killed by Chen Wenkai."

Tingyue replied, "Chen Wenkai wouldn't dare kill Liu Xiaobao. The worst he'll do is inflict serious injuries. Liu Xiaobao deserves to learn his lesson. He's been wasting his life away in luxury. Just this morning, I overheard people on the street saying that Liu Xiaobao tried to drown himself in the river, bringing shame to Duke Silverwind. Let's wait a bit longer. I'll go down after Chen Wenkai has had his fill of beating him."

"Ding! You have successfully helped the distressed mother and son escape danger. Reward: 50 karma points. Would you like to activate the karma system?"

A crisp and enchanting voice echoed in Liu Xiaobao's ears, "What's happening? Why do I hear a familiar voice swirling around me? Could it be that I've been hit so hard I'm starting to hallucinate?"

"Would the host like to activate the karma system?"

"The sound of that voice is so pleasant. Who would have thought that being beaten to a pulp could result in hearing such a delightful sound? But it seems so familiar..." Liu Xiaobao had always been a peacemaker, never stirring up trouble or making enemies. If he ever accidentally upset someone, he would promptly apologize, which allowed him to live harmoniously in Earth's advanced civilization.

"Would the host like to activate the karma system?"

Wait a minute. It sounds like the voice is speaking to me. Struggling to lift his head, Liu Xiaobao asked, "Brother Chen, do you hear a beautiful voice?"

"What voice? Don't try to distract me," Chen Wenkai retorted, his punches growing more intense. He was surprised that Liu Xiaobao still had the nerve to talk, prompting him to hit even harder.

"Come on, kid, hurry up and activate the karma system. What are you waiting for?"

"Activate the karma system." The system seemed impatient. Liu Xiaobao quickly consented to activate whatever this karma system was.

The karma system has been activated for host Liu Xiaobao.

Level: 0

Karma Points: 50

Endurance: 5

Strength: 5

Energy: 5

Divine Power: 0

Stamina: 2

"What's all this? Are these numbers referring to me?" Liu Xiaobao was puzzled by the figures the system had announced.

"The host has 50 karma points. Since the host level is 0 and no functions have been unlocked, the 50 karma points will automatically contribute to leveling experience. The host needs 50 more karma points to level up. By activating the karma system, the host is rewarded with 10 attribute points. Please allocate these points."

"10 attribute points? Which attributes?" Liu Xiaobao was on the verge of losing consciousness, feeling nothing but pain as blood trickled from his mouth. "Is this like playing a game? Then I'll put everything into strength."

Host Liu Xiaobao:

Level: 0

Endurance: 5

Strength: 15

Energy: 5

Divine Power: 0

Stamina: 1

With a sudden increase of 10 points in strength, Liu Xiaobao erupted with a force beyond that of an ordinary person, breaking free from the grip of the three servants. He landed a punch on the unguarded Chen Wenkai, sending him flying through the air.

Although Liu Xiaobao's strength had increased, he collapsed from exhaustion, unable to rise again.

Chen Wenkai, seething with rage, stood up and commanded, "Seize Liu Xiaobao and bring him back to the mansion. Today, I will ensure this worthless wretch wishes he were dead. And take that mother and son as well. Leave the woman to you men."

One of the servants lunged forward to apprehend Liu Xiaobao. Just then, the servant was sent flying through the air. A young girl with a large basket on her back rushed to the unconscious Liu Xiaobao and wept bitterly.

The girl was Labino. She was overjoyed today because she had traded the treasure in her basket for 2,000 taels of silver. This fortune made Labino ecstatic; if used sparingly, it could last her well over a decade.

Whistling a merry tune, Labino, with her now-empty basket, made her way back to Liu Manor. She loved a good spectacle and was drawn to the crowd. But upon arrival, she heard Chen Wenkai plotting to take her young master. Pushing through the onlookers, she found her master badly injured and unconscious, which broke her heart. Fueled by the strength of a Black Iron Knight, Labino was determined to seek vengeance for her master.

"Was it you who hurt the young master?" Labino demanded.

"Take this girl too," Chen Wenkai ordered.

"I'm asking you, did you hurt the young master?" Labino's hands were clenched, ready for action.

"Yes, I'm the one who struck him. What about it?" Chen Wenkai dismissed Labino with contempt and instructed his servants, "Be quick about it, don't waste my time."

"You'll pay for this!" Labino launched her attack.

The three servants, mere bullies in front of commoners, were no match for Labino's Black Iron Knight prowess and were swiftly incapacitated.

Labino's next target was Chen Wenkai. With a single punch, she sent him tumbling. Although Wenkai was stronger than an average person, being only a Level 1 apprentice, he was no challenge for Labino, a formidable Level 2 Black Iron Knight.

Just as Labino was gearing up for another strike, Zhong Tingyue, who had been observing from above, intervened to halt her assault. With a casual flick of her wrist, Labino found her limbs ensnared by tendrils of water. "Listen, young lady, you can't harm this man. A light scuffle is all that's needed. If you cause any real harm, neither you nor your young master will have peaceful days ahead."