163: Chapter 163 The Chosen One?

Jiang Hao didn't know what to say for a moment. Good grief, this reason was certainly unique.

Is being a bandit impressive? Aren't bandits just roadside trash?

Jiang Hao asked curiously, "So, have you robbed many things?"

"Sigh, not many." Hearing this, the three bandits instantly looked a bit embarrassed.

Jiang Hao glanced at their shabby appearance and then at their goofy, simple-minded behavior, knowing they weren't professionals.

The square-faced man saw Jiang Hao's strange look and rubbed his head awkwardly. Feeling ashamed and angry, he changed the subject, resting his blade on his shoulder:

"Cut the crap! I think you're being dishonest; you must have some good stuff hidden on you. Second, Third, search him!"

"You got it, Big Brother!"

The three of them rubbed their hands together, preparing to step forward.

Jiang Hao warned, "Be careful not to get struck by lightning."

"Struck by lightning now? I don't believe it."

The square-faced man grinned and reached toward Jiang Hao's chest.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the lapel of Jiang Hao's robe...

*Crack!*

A sudden bolt of thunder exploded out of the clear sky without any warning!

The sound was deafening, making their eardrums ache.

"Good heavens!"

The three bandits trembled in fear, and the square-faced man almost jumped out of his skin.

They looked up at the sky in terror, only to see it was clear as a sapphire, with no clouds for ten thousand miles and not a hint of gloom.

"B-Big Brother..." the thin man's voice trembled. "This... it's broad daylight, why... why is there thunder?"

The square-faced man was also dazed and swallowed hard. "I... I don't know. This is really eerie..."

Jiang Hao also looked up at the sky and smiled. "See? I told you. When you do things like this, you have to be careful of being struck by lightning."

The three of them looked at the sky and then at the ordinary-looking old man before them, unable to see anything unusual.

"M-Maybe... it's just a coincidence?" the short one whispered.

The square-faced man steadied himself and bolstered his courage. "Right! A coincidence! What's there to fear? Keep searching!"

He reached out again, this time aiming for Jiang Hao's sleeve.

*Boom!*

Another clap of thunder.

It was even louder than the previous one, as if it had split open right above their heads!

This time, the three of them really jumped in fright, scurrying several steps away with their heads in their hands, their faces turning pale.

"B-Big Brother... no, this definitely isn't right!" The thin man's legs were shaking like jelly.

The short one looked at Jiang Hao and, in a sudden flash of insight, pointed at him and stuttered, "Is... is it you who's behind this?"

Jiang Hao's eyes widened, appearing even more surprised and innocent than them:

"Me? You can't wrongly accuse an old man. As you can see, I'm just a frail old man with no strength to even truss a chicken and no cultivation at all. How could I be behind this? If I had that kind of ability, would I still be standing here letting you rob me?"

These words were perfectly reasonable.

The three bandits looked at each other. True, if this old man really had the ability to summon lightning, why would he have bothered talking to them? He would have struck them down long ago.

The square-faced man scratched his head, his mind failing to wrap around it. "That... seems right."

The thin man was also confused. "Then this thunder..."

"Maybe... maybe we didn't check the Almanac before leaving today?" The short one offered a guess that even he found ridiculous.

The three huddled and whispered for a while. Finally, the square-faced man steeled himself:

"Whatever! The thunder is over, so we still have to do what needs to be done. Brothers, let's go again. Be quick this time. We haven't had a successful job in ages. We must succeed today, or we'll be laughed to death."

They took a deep breath, regained their fierce Aura, and surrounded Jiang Hao once more, prepared to finish this troublesome business.

Just then.

"Stop!"

A clear shout came from the other end of the mountain path.

Two figures sped toward them, arriving in the blink of an eye. They were two youths. One was about sixteen or seventeen, with a handsome face and steady, resolute eyes.

The other was very sturdy, a whole size larger than an average person.

The handsome youth glanced at the scene and, without a word, flashed before the square-faced man.

Before the square-faced man could react, his wrist was seized. A clever force was applied, making his whole arm go numb, and his blade fell to the ground with a clang.

The sturdier youth stepped forward, blocking the thin man and the short one. Though he didn't strike immediately, his sharp Aura already pressured the two into not daring to move.

"In broad daylight, you're robbing an old man on the road. You guys are really something." The handsome youth's voice was calm but laced with coldness.

The square-faced man struggled but found the hand gripping him was like an iron band. Knowing he had met a tough opponent, he quickly forced a smile. "Young hero, it's a misunderstanding! We were just joking with the old man!"

"Right, right, a joke!" The thin man and the short one hurriedly agreed, their faces pale.

The handsome youth looked at Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao appropriately put on an innocent expression.

The handsome youth released his grip and said coldly, "Scram."

The three felt as if they had been granted a grand pardon. They picked up their blades and fled into the woods without looking back, even forgetting to say their usual parting threats.

The sturdy youth immediately walked over and asked Jiang Hao with concern, "Old man, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Jiang Hao waved his hand and let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you, young friends, for coming to my rescue. Otherwise, this old man would have been robbed today."

The handsome youth turned and cupped his fists to Jiang Hao, his tone sincere. "Senior is too kind. It is only right to help when seeing injustice. This Junior is Xiao Fan, and this is my brother, Zhang Bo."

"This old man's surname is Jiang. You can just call me Elder Jiang." Jiang Hao looked at the two with a smile. "You two are so young, yet your skills are quite good."

"Senior overpraises us," Xiao Fan replied humbly.

Through small talk, Jiang Hao learned about Xiao Fan's past. He was once a Genius of the Xiao Family, a small Family in the Yan Region of the Eastern Wastelands.

He entered the Dao Palace at twelve, becoming famous in the area. However, a year later, his cultivation was completely lost. He then languished for three years, enduring ridicule, and even his Marriage Engagement was broken.

It wasn't until a year ago that he recovered and rose again. He was now in the Dao Palace Realm.

Zhang Bo was Xiao Fan's brother since childhood. He never left Xiao Fan's side even during his lowest point, even getting into many fights to defend him.

After listening, Jiang Hao thought to himself,

"Such a familiar plot. Is this about to be 'Do not bully the youth for being poor'? Then he'll rise all the way and begin a life of showing off and face-slapping?"

Of course, Jiang Hao was just thinking idly. He didn't truly believe there was such a thing as a son of destiny in this world.

This wasn't a novel; it was the real world. Plots where the entire world revolved around one person wouldn't happen.

To the world, no one is special unless you are truly strong enough and your contribution is great enough; only then will you have a special status.

In other words, you must first be strong enough and prove your worth before gaining a special status, rather than having a special status and then waiting to grow.

Just like Jiang Hao, he only attained his current special status after making a massive contribution to the world.

Furthermore, for the current Jiang Hao, even if there really were a son of destiny in this world, it wouldn't be a big deal.

For the current him, he could even artificially create a so-called son of destiny.

However, this Xiao Fan didn't have a Golden Finger grandpa. As for why he had been a waste for three years, it was due to his Physique.

PS: The Simp really isn't me, it's my friend. I was comforting him yesterday, playing Heartsteel with him. His luck was incredible, stacking tens of thousands of layers, and he smiled happily.