The Wisdom of the Bounty Hunter

Sarah looked at the drunkard on the ground and said to Jiang Chuan, "How did you break his hands?"

Jiang Chuan put away his flintlock and said, "He offended me. This is the punishment he deserves."

Sarah kicked the man on the ground and said, "Serves you right for bullying newcomers."

Sarah said to the people in the room, "Roland is new here, is this how we welcome him? Flans deserved it. I don't want to hear or see anyone bullying newcomers again."

"Yes, Big Sister."

"Alright, disperse. Have someone take Flans to get bandaged."

Jiang Chuan sat on a chair, drinking the cheap beer in his mug, and asked, "Is this your tavern?"

Sarah shook her head. "I'm just familiar with the tavern owner here. Besides, most of the brothers live in Rat Town. This place is more like our gathering spot."

Jiang Chuan nodded. "Your gang is quite mixed. It'll be hard to manage like this."

Sarah played with her long red hair and smiled. "These people will risk their lives for you if you give them some money. They just need that money. Why not use such good, cheap labor?"

Jiang Chuan put down his cup. "What if they betray you?"

Sarah laughed. "They don't know the core plan, and I won't tell anyone. Gangplank must be killed by my own hands."

Jiang Chuan chuckled. "That's good. I look forward to the day of your revenge. The taste of revenge is always so sweet."

After Jiang Chuan and Sarah had drunk quite a bit, Jiang Chuan said, "Can I stay here?"

Sarah looked at Jiang Chuan in disbelief. "You don't have a place to stay yet?"

Jiang Chuan took out the few silver coins on his body and placed them on the table. "This is all the money I have. Where can I stay? I haven't even asked you for the bounty on Slut Ripper yet. Being your personal subordinate should at least include room and board, right?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at Jiang Chuan. "There's a bed in the storage room next to my room upstairs. You'll have to make your own food; I don't cook."

Jiang Chuan smiled. "No problem."

Within Sarah's small gang, no one knew what her plan was, nor could anyone betray her. This Red-haired Bounty Hunter, whom no one would have believed, only trusted the gun in her holster.

Jiang Chuan observed the various people in the room. They were all outlaws. Perhaps one of them was a wanted criminal from another kingdom. Here, no one would care if you lived or died. You could either soar to the highest heavens or end up in the stinking gutters of Bilgewater. Countless thieves, scoundrels, and villains roamed freely in Bilgewater. This place was full of sin, yet no one came to crack down on these villains. Jiang Chuan smiled. "Everywhere has its darkness, but this is simply a gathering place for darkness."

Sarah led Jiang Chuan upstairs. Jiang Chuan looked at the dilapidated bed in the storage room, which was so worn out it was barely recognizable as a bed, and said with a wry smile, "Can I have a quilt and a pillow?"

Sarah walked to her room and brought out a quilt. "Make your own bed. I'm going to rest."

Sarah ruthlessly closed the door, leaving Jiang Chuan to tidy up the dilapidated storage room.

In her room, Sarah stared blankly at the bright moonlight outside the window.

She didn't believe that the Roland she knew was simply helping her get revenge. He must need something from her, or perhaps what he gained from helping her get revenge was more precious than what she would gain. In Bilgewater, if you talked to someone in the street or in a tavern about someone offering to help you get revenge in exchange for nothing more than a broken bed and two meals a day, they would surely slap you and call you a liar.

Sarah muttered to herself, "What can you possibly gain from this? Mr. Roland..."

Meanwhile, Jiang Chuan lay on the tattered little bed, pondering where the Precision Rune truly was. From the official videos, Ryze fought alongside Sarah, but it wasn't specified where or in what location the rune was.

Jiang Chuan frowned, "Could it be in Gangplank's hands? The Bilgewater Archipelago is vast; finding a single rune would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. The only clue is Sarah, and Sarah's sole objective is revenge against Gangplank. Ryze will definitely come to seize it then. Magic, Arcane, technology... the world-building here is truly a headache!"

The nations and regions of Runeterra are diverse. Although Demacia and Noxus are the two major powers, Demacia has always been on the defensive. Noxus's strength isn't just in its military might; its inclusiveness is also unmatched by other regions. Unlike Demacia, it doesn't ban magic but welcomes any power that can aid the empire. Technology and magic, two vastly different disciplines, blend perfectly in Zaun and Piltover, as if they were inherently one. Moreover, this continent faces numerous dangers: Void invasions, the Dragon King's vengeance, and the hatred of the Demigods can bring devastation to the land.

It's like a delicious cake that others are eyeing covetously; this is not a fortunate situation.

Jiang Chuan recalled that among the Runes, Ryze had not collected the Inspiration Rune. The Inspiration Rune is with the Trolls, which could explain why a cunning Troll King emerged among the Trolls.

As Jiang Chuan pondered, he gradually drifted into sleep. In his dream, he returned to Earth, living with his family, the smiles of those around him familiar yet blurry.

The next morning, Jiang Chuan was woken by Sarah, "Get up and make breakfast!"

Jiang Chuan shook his groggy head and said, "Shouldn't you say 'get up and eat'? Can't your heart be as big as your chest?"

Sarah smiled charmingly, "I remember telling you, I don't cook. Do you want to know if my heart is as big as my chest? Why don't you come and try?"

Jiang Chuan waved his hand, "No, thanks. It's not appropriate for that in the morning; it's better suited for the evening."

Sarah glanced at Jiang Chuan and went downstairs with a smile. Jiang Chuan got up, dressed, went to the kitchen, made two servings of breakfast, and brought them downstairs.

Sarah sat downstairs, looking at Jiang Chuan and smiling, "You, a grown man, can make breakfast? Weren't you a male employee at a pleasure house before?"

Jiang Chuan chuckled, "Do you want to see the skills I learned at the pleasure house?"

Jiang Chuan sat down, placed the food in front of Sarah, and began to devour his own meal.

Sarah tasted the food on the plate and said in surprise, "Not bad. From now on, you're my personal chef."

Jiang Chuan gave Sarah a sideways glance, "Eating can't shut you up."

Sarah slowly finished her breakfast and said, "Why did you come to Bilgewater?"

Jiang Chuan smiled, "How do you know I'm not a local?"

Sarah poked at the food on her plate, "People from Bilgewater can't make such exquisite food. Besides, in Bilgewater, even breakfast is beer. You're drinking milk; I'm very curious."

Jiang Chuan took a sip of milk and smiled, "You don't need to know where I'm from. You just need to know that I came to Bilgewater to go home, and helping you with your revenge is just the first step to getting home."

Sarah smiled, "Bilgewater's harbor connects to the entire continent. Whether it's Noxus or Demacia, Ionia, Zaun, or Piltover, every region has ships, yet you chose to stay in Bilgewater. You're not from this world?"

Jiang Chuan cleared the plates and smiled, "That's right. You can call me an envoy of Lady Beard, or you can call me a Summoner. Of course, I personally prefer the latter."

Sarah laughed, "Summoner? Did you summon that disgusting dog of yours?"

Jiang Chuan snapped his fingers and summoned the bounty hunter before him—Sarah.

Sarah vanished from her chair and reappeared before Jiang Chuan. They were separated by only the width of a piece of paper. Jiang Chuan smiled, "This is a Summoner. You are also among those I can summon, but you can't reveal this secret. I have no ill intentions towards you; you can trust me completely, can't you?"

Sarah calmly looked at the man before her. She knew that another person resided within this body of a Bilgewater native, a person she couldn't and wouldn't be able to control. What was terrifying was that he could control her!

Jiang Chuan looked at Sarah's beautiful face and said, "I am worthy of your trust, and I trust you too. This matter will be our secret."