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“Hand it over!” Li Miao’s eyes narrowed sharply as he pushed the thief’s neck forward, the tip of Chen Dao’s spear mere millimeters away from the thief’s throat. Li Miao knew that the laws of this era were far different from those of the future, riddled with loopholes, especially in these chaotic times. Thus, he could only fight violence with violence and use force to reform this petty thief.

Under Li Miao’s fierce gaze and Chen Dao’s unwavering spear, the thief couldn’t take it any longer and, out of sheer terror, wet himself.

The thief reached into his waist and pulled out a jade pendant he had just stolen. This pendant could easily fetch a thousand strings of coins. His heart was bleeding inside.

Li Miao examined the pendant—a phoenix-shaped piece of white jade, exquisitely beautiful and translucent, undoubtedly a top-tier jade ornament.

Good heavens! Li Miao had seen money before, but never a jade pendant with such elegant curves. This wasn’t his fault; after all, when Li Miao traveled back in time, all the family’s money and silk had been taken by those two scoundrels, Chen Lan and Lei Bu. Moreover, as everyone knew, the ancient world had no means or skill to forge jade. His eyes widened—this had to be the item stolen from Miss Qiao.

“Is there more?” Li Miao asked sternly, staring at the thief, wondering what else he might have pilfered.

“N-no, sir, I have nothing else,” the thief sobbed.

A foul stench suddenly filled the air. The thief’s legs quickly formed a small stream.

Li Miao couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose, his brows folding like jagged mountain ridges.

Even the cold and ruthless Chen Dao was disgusted; his iron-hard face changed color. Without hesitation, Li Miao and Chen Dao dashed away faster than the thief had run before. The stench was unbearable, nearly suffocating them.

Since the thief was just a petty criminal and Li Miao had already twisted his arm, he saw no need to slaughter him. A lesson would suffice.

They packed the stolen money and the jade pendant and headed toward the place where the two Qiao sisters had been earlier.

“Miss, no sign of it,” a guard who had run back from the west reported breathlessly. He had searched all along the route, even reaching the front gate, but found no trace of the missing jade pendant or the person who had spotted it earlier—much less the beggar.

Gradually, as the Qiao sisters reported the theft, guards from the other three directions returned quickly. Although they had caught a few suspects, none had any information about the pendant.

Little Qiao wept bitterly, her tears streaming like rain, unable to calm down even under her sister’s comfort. The faces of the six guards were as pale as sheets.

They knew well if the jade pendant wasn’t recovered, their heads would be forfeit. Though Master Qiao was educated and gentle, never punishing harshly, this was a grave matter. Even if the young ladies wanted to punish them severely, the guards dared not utter a word in protest.

Just as everyone was at a loss, a voice suddenly reached their ears.

“Are the two young ladies alright?”

Li Miao smiled warmly, the phoenix-shaped pendant gleaming in his hand.

The guards, seeing a stranger approaching, immediately drew their swords. They were used to this—both young ladies were stunningly beautiful, so some attention was natural. Though the two men approaching were handsome enough, the guards still wouldn’t allow them too close.

“Heh heh,” Li Miao chuckled, knowing the guards wouldn’t let him near. He extended the pendant forward and asked, “Might the young ladies be searching for this jade pendant?”

Little Qiao instantly stopped crying.

The guards followed Li Miao’s gesture and stared dumbfounded—this was the very pendant the young ladies had lost! No wonder it was nowhere to be found; it had been stolen by this young man.

One guard swiftly drew his sword, the metallic clang startling Li Miao.

“Thief! How dare you steal from the Qiao family? Hand it over at once!” the guard shouted sharply.

Seeing a mere guard dare to be insolent, Chen Dao was displeased. With a swing of his spear, a chilling wind swept by. To the guard’s eyes, countless illusory images appeared, but a single flash of white light and a spear tip pressed against his throat silenced him instantly.

Only then did the lead guard realize the other’s true strength. Although the youth appeared only fifteen or sixteen, his murderous aura was undeniable. The guard was certain he had killed before—and not just once.

“Uncle Zhi! Let him go!” Li Miao feigned displeasure.

“Yes, my lord!” Outside, Chen Dao dared not call Li Miao “Your Majesty.” Since Li Miao’s arrival in Lujiang, one condition was to conceal his true identity. The imperial seal had already been handed to Liu Xun, who hadn’t noticed the difference—understandable since Liu Xun had never been emperor before. If Sun Ce couldn’t recognize it either, the plan would be complete.

After Li Miao spoke, Chen Dao lowered his spear and stepped behind him.

This immediately subdued the guards around the Qiao sisters.

Though fierce in appearance, they were timid at heart, unwilling to confront Li Miao and Chen Dao.

“Lord?” Da Qiao looked back to see a young man in his twenties standing beside her, holding her sister’s jade pendant. She wondered which general he might be—handsome, with sharp features and a striking presence.

Could he be General Sun Ce?

She pondered quietly, eyes meeting Li Miao’s. Realizing she had locked eyes with him just moments ago, her cheeks flushed.

“General, what brings you here?” Da Qiao asked, though shy.

“Oh, miss, no need to be nervous. I happened to see a thief steal the pendant from your sister at the tavern and came to retrieve it,” Li Miao replied.

“I see. Thank you, General,” Da Qiao said, grateful and slightly distracted by his courteous demeanor, like a blooming peony.

Li Miao was enchanted; the two sisters were even more beautiful up close, truly unparalleled.

Little Qiao exclaimed, “General, you’re amazing! I sent four guards to chase, but they lost the trail.”

Her emotions shifted so quickly that even Da Qiao struggled to keep pace.

Li Miao thought there might be hope, at least he had made an impression.

“General, my gratitude is boundless. This pendant was a keepsake from our mother, a symbol of our love and remembrance. Now that you’ve returned it, I have no way to repay you...” Da Qiao was far more sensible than her sister, expressing thanks softly.

“My name is Li Miao, a guest invited by the Prefect of Lujiang. No need for thanks,” Li Miao said, though inwardly he mused, “Don’t say no—how about repaying me in kind? I’d gladly accept!”

Looking at Da Qiao’s gentle demeanor, he found her utterly endearing.

“General, what happened to the thief? How did you get the pendant back?” Little Qiao hurried forward, eager to retrieve her treasure.

As Li Miao handed her the pendant, his two fingers brushed lightly across her palm, causing her heart to flutter with a mix of shyness and irritation.

“How could the general be so...” Little Qiao looked up at Li Miao but noticed he wasn’t staring at her suggestively. “Did you just happen to come across this by chance?”

Unaware of Li Miao’s brazen boldness, Little Qiao couldn’t fathom such forwardness from a future man. The cultured beauties of the ancient world would never comprehend such blatant advances.

To Li Miao, a mere brush of the hand was nothing.

“Really, you don’t mind?” Little Qiao glanced again, feeling a faint pang of disappointment.

Da Qiao noticed nothing unusual in her sister’s demeanor but blinked her large eyes, curious about Li Miao’s identity. So, he wasn’t Sun Ce after all?

Every day, Da Qiao heard tales of Sun Ce’s heroic exploits—how he defeated Yan Baihu, overcame Liu Yao, and became the lord of Jiangdong. She had longed to see him.

Yet today, meeting Li Miao, she realized Lujiang had its own gallant hero—handsome, refined, and a general. She looked at Li Miao with a shy curiosity, eager to learn how he obtained the pendant.

The six guards remained silent, intimidated after Chen Dao’s display. They watched Li Miao warily, prepared to act if he harmed the young ladies.

One guard, having seen Little Qiao’s reaction, thought, “Forget it, I saw nothing.” The two young ladies’ clear fascination with the pendant was obvious. Li Miao smiled inwardly at their burning gazes.

Just as Li Miao prepared to explain, he glanced up at the tavern nearby—the very place from earlier. After reporting to the magistrate, the guards and the Qiao sisters had come here to question the vendors about the attackers. Unexpectedly, they saw Li Miao returning the pendant.

“Why don’t you ladies join me for a meal? A short rest might do you good. These brothers here look exhausted,” Li Miao suggested, gesturing to the tavern and the guards, who looked grim but silent.

Da Qiao hesitated; it felt improper to dine with a stranger at their first meeting, and her father would surely disapprove.

Though curious about Li Miao, she felt it was inappropriate.

“If the young ladies prefer not to go, that’s fine. But these guards are truly worn out and could use a break,” Li Miao smiled, thinking, “Back home, inviting someone out is simple. Here, even a meal is complicated.”

Moreover, with his genteel manners, extraordinary martial skill, perfect vision, striking looks, and helpful nature—truly the ideal companion for any household traveler—how could Da Qiao be so indifferent?

“Come on, sister. This general returned the pendant; he can’t be bad. Besides, the guards aren’t leaving—they’ll protect us,” Little Qiao whispered encouragingly.

“Protect us?” Da Qiao felt uneasy. How could they protect them? Chen Dao had easily subdued their guards; clearly, the general’s skills were superior.

Reassured, Da Qiao reasoned that such a powerful general wouldn’t threaten them. What was there to fear?

Looking at the six guards, sweating from their earlier exertion, Da Qiao finally nodded, “Then we shall trouble the general.”

Li Miao’s lips curled with excitement—this was promising. He must make a good impression.

They ascended to the tavern’s upper floor. Thankfully, Li Miao hadn’t caused a scene last night; otherwise, his image with these beauties might have been ruined. The tavern keeper, seeing Li Miao arrive, was thrilled, recalling how the general had compensated generously despite the previous night’s disruptions.

The tavern owner’s genuine smile sent shivers down Li Miao’s spine—this old fellow was different today.

His words gave the two ladies a new impression: this general was a regular patron warmly welcomed here, piquing their interest further.

Li Miao caught the Qiao sisters’ intrigued looks and signaled Chen Dao.

“Book the entire third floor,” Chen Dao instructed the tavern keeper in a cold voice, though the owner’s heart leapt with joy. Renting the whole floor meant more silver earned.

Chen Dao produced a small gold ingot and handed it over.

“Excellent! Excellent!” The tavern keeper, once wary, now beamed happily. “When honored guests arrive, serve them well on the third floor!”

Li Miao offered a courteous bow and gestured toward the stairs, then looked at the Qiao sisters. “Please, after you.”

The two ladies covered their lips, surprised. In this male-dominated era, how could a man be so courteous?

Li Miao noticed their reaction and casually explained, “Oh, this is a Western custom, a sign of respect.”

“Western?” Da Qiao asked, puzzled.

“Simply a place beyond the Central Plains,” Li Miao replied, wiping cold sweat from his brow. “It symbolizes respect and protection for women.”

He nearly slipped up, for this was the Han dynasty—without any world map—and how could these classical beauties have heard of distant Western Europe?