A magical journey brings him to the late Sui Dynasty, a time of chaos, where truth and lies are intertwined, and where a grand, tragic song of the Celestial Empire was originally being played out.

　　A chance opportunity grants him a broader perspective. A woman of exceptional cunning—does she use him for his unparalleled skills, or is he merely a stepping stone for her ambitions?

　　Through a series of dangers, setbacks and opportunities go hand in hand, making his adventurous spirit even more lost in the turmoil of this chaotic era.

　　Heroes rise in troubled times, hidden dragons and snakes among the outlaws. Amidst the strife of the grasslands, the charm of manhood first emerges, his name spreads beyond the borders, showcasing the true colors of the Celestial Empire.

　　As the Sui Dynasty teeters in the wind and rain, there is still boundless passion, and the land remains picturesque as ever.

　　The talented and romantic Yang Guang, the patient and invincible Li Yuan, the declining and struggling aristocratic clans—within the Central Plains and beyond the frontier, amidst intrigue and scheming, the beauty of the land cannot be fully described, and heroism resounds like a song!

Chapter One Henry Clark

　　Frank Reed was a bandit, currently lying flat on the mountainside like a duck, craning his neck to look down the hill, feeling somewhat nervous inside.

　　He never thought there would come a day when he would go out to rob people.

　　Touching the catapult beside him as gently as he would touch a woman's body, Frank Reed gazed at the nearby Junior as if looking at his first love.

　　Junior was talented, extremely talented. Whenever Frank Reed thought of this, he calmed down, as if this outing wasn't for robbery, but rather for a romantic adventure.

　　After a serious illness, Junior became a different person, tinkering around the stronghold, and within a few days, he invented the catapult—a must-have tool for ambushes and robberies. The old chief lamented that raiding the grasslands was too exhausting, but the young master, after just a few days of wild riding, found this vital trade route. From then on, all they had to do was wait for prey to come to them.

　　The bandits all said that nowadays, the fat sheep run faster than skinny horses, and chasing them is exhausting. Junior broke the old tradition of bandits charging in all at once, chose this terrain, stopped studying women, and started studying military strategy.

　　The current robbery tactics are well described in the art of war: divide the troops in two, combine surprise attacks with flanking maneuvers.

　　Frank Reed was so excited he could hardly contain himself. Ever since he started following Junior on raids, it had been as easy as catching turtles in a jar—never a single failure.

　　"Frank Reed, do you think there will be more ugly women or beauties this time?" Brian Cooper asked beside him, drooling with a lecherous look.

　　"Doesn't matter if they're ugly or beautiful, as long as I get one, I'm happy," Frank Reed replied contentedly.

　　The term "恐龙" (dinosaur) was invented by Junior, meaning ugly women, like Dong Shi.

　　Although he didn't know exactly what a dinosaur was, Junior was clever and explained it well. He asked if they'd ever seen a porcupine—it's about the same. Everyone suddenly understood, and admired Junior's extraordinary talent. His wild imagination made even the clever Second Boss of the stronghold feel inferior.

　　Frank Reed felt he hadn't read many books, but the young master seemed to never read at all—so how could he come up with so many brilliant lines?

　　For example: "Before the bed, the bright moonlight; under the bed, a pair of shoes. Drank too much yesterday, woke up still wanting to vomit."

　　Junior's poems were genuine, straightforward, rhymed well, and truly expressed the years of sorrow and hardship of the people in the stronghold.

　　When Second Boss heard Junior composing poetry, he was amazed, saying Junior had the talent of a top scholar, and that being a bandit was a waste of his abilities.

　　With eyes full of awe and admiration fixed on Junior's profile, Frank Reed once again felt that Junior was exceptionally handsome!

　　Although he didn't think Junior being a bandit made him a Henry Clark, such a handsome bandit was definitely the Henry Clark among bandits!

　　Henry Clark was, of course, another invention of Junior, meaning "number one."

　　Although he didn't understand who Mr. Clark was, or why he barked like a dog, anything Junior said, they remembered by heart. Frank Reed also hoped that one day he could become the Mr. Clark in Junior's words, barking and making a name for himself.

　　Adam Carter gazed down the mountain, quietly waiting for the "fat sheep" to arrive. "Fat sheep" was bandit slang for merchants.

　　His facial features were sharp, his nose high, eyebrows thick, hair tied up messily without any order. Yet even so, his profile exuded a kind of breathtaking charisma.

　　He had once fantasized about his profession, but never imagined he would end up associated with bandits.

　　It really was a profession with no future.

　　But since he was doing it, he had to do it well. There are three hundred and sixty trades, and every trade produces its own top scholar.