Chapter 5: Meeting Ace! Subduing Ace Single-Handed! [Third Update]

The next day.

The sun rose slowly, spilling golden sunlight from the horizon.

Early morning.

A faint mist still lingered in the air, yet the simple villagers of Windmill Village had already begun their various tasks, a bustling scene full of life.

Early in the morning,

Captain Kapu led Lu En from Windmill Village toward the neighboring Mount Corbo.

Cutting straight across Windmill Village, Lu En smiled and greeted the village chief and the gathered villagers.

Over these past three years,

Lu En had completely blended into Windmill Village, mixing in with the villagers as if they were old friends — he couldn't possibly be more familiar with the place.

"Kid Lu En, any idea where this old man is taking you?"

Walking along the road, Kapu asked.

"No idea."

Although he had a hunch in his heart, Lu En did not bring it up himself.

He guessed.

Most likely, he was being taken to where Ace was staying.

That would be…

The Dadan Family!

A family of mountain bandits!

As the leader of the mountain-bandit family, Dadan — though foul-tempered — was, without a doubt, a good person at heart. Otherwise, Kapu would never have allowed them to make their home in the Mount Corbo range right next to Windmill Village.

Mount Corbo, where the Dadan Family lived, was also where Ace had spent his early years.

So,

Ever since Kapu said those words yesterday, Lu En had already had an accurate guess about this.

"The place I'm taking you today is Mount Corbo. A band of mountain bandits lives there."

"From now on, you'll live together with those mountain bandits."

"Scared?"

Kapu looked at Lu En beside him, barely three years old.

Hearing this,

Lu En shook his head.

"Good kid!"

Kapu laughed heartily. "Don't worry. Although that band of mountain bandits has committed plenty of mistakes and crimes, in truth they're still a group of decent bandits."

"Otherwise, this old man would have shipped them off to the Marine prison long ago."

"Given your strength, kid Lu En, there's really no need for you to fear them."

In Kapu's view,

Even though Lu En was only three, he already possessed strength far beyond that of an ordinary adult!

Although the Dadan band of mountain bandits was stronger than ordinary adults, they weren't all that much stronger.

Letting Lu En live with this band of mountain bandits, Kapu had no worries at all.

"Oh, right."

"Let me brief you on the situation in advance."

"The peer I want to introduce you to is named Ace."

"About half a year younger than you."

"He's lived with that band of mountain bandits since birth, and has picked up some bad habits to one degree or another. If you run into him and he treats you badly, you can just go ahead and take him down!"

"In that place, strength is everything. Whoever has the bigger fist is in the right…"

Kapu introduced as he led Lu En toward Mount Corbo.

An hour later.

Lu En gazed at the towering mountain range ahead.