"I—I didn't mean to lie to you!" Just as everyone was feeling anxious and uneasy, the boy called Little Ben explained in a wronged tone from behind the group, "I—I really can't remember. The reason Head Master brought me along this time was to let me see the places outside the mountains, to see if it might help me recall something. But—but I—I really can't remember. I try desperately every day, I try as hard as I can, but I just have no impression at all of what I see! I—I swear. I can swear before the Buddha in the main hall! If I really know who I am, then let me—let me be struck by lightning!"

"Alas! Poor child!" Except for Frank Thompson, who still wore a cold expression, the other leaders all sighed and shook their heads. Although everyone usually cursed at Buddha and ancestors, in truth, they still harbored some awe toward the mysterious forces of fate. Especially after being scared half to death by that rolling thunderball that crashed through the window just now, they felt even more that the Buddha statue in the hall, with its belly cut open, might truly possess some unfathomable power!

And since Little Ben dared to swear such a heavy oath before the Buddha, it was clear that his condition was not an act. They couldn't decide to silence him just because they doubted his origins. Besides, no matter what, Little Ben was still a child. Having spent half their lives on the edge of a blade, it was only right to see a good deed through to the end.

"If you can't remember, then don't try to remember anymore!" Second MasterBrian Scott, the softest-hearted among them, turned around, squatted in front of the boy, and comforted him loudly, "From now on, you'll take my surname, Ning. You'll be called, called..."

He racked his brains but couldn't come up with a suitable name. His gaze swept over everyone, and suddenly he saw Third MasterRichard holding up half of an iron-spined snake spear. "You'll be called Eric Scott. There was once a great hero named Wang Yanzhang, the Iron Spear King. His origins were also unclear, but he still achieved great feats. It doesn't matter if you can't remember who you are, or what your original surname was, or whose child you are! What matters is that you don't forget to strive to live well, to work hard to become a true hero who stands tall!" (Note 3)

"Mm!" The boy called Little Ben nodded, with a seriousness unique to the young. "From now on, I'll take Second Uncle's surname, Ning. I will definitely become a true hero and not let you down, Second Uncle!"

"Actually, it's fine even if you don't become a hero. As long as you live happily in this life, that's enough. Anyway, no matter what, I am your Second Uncle!" Seeing the boy's sincerity, Brian Scott's face was instantly filled with fatherly affection. He patted the boy's head and added with a smile.

"Crack!" A streak of purple lightning tore through the dark clouds, illuminating the smoke-blackened face of the Buddha statue. For a moment, the Buddha's eyes seemed to shine, gazing with compassion at all living beings below.

Note 1: Rolling thunderball refers to ball lightning. It can be blue, green, or purple, and is extremely destructive.

Note 2: Shi Chonggui was the adopted son of Shi Jingtang, and was brave and skilled in battle in his youth. Shi Jingtang first made him Prince of Zheng, then Prince of Qi. After the fall of Later Jin, Shi Chonggui's two sons disappeared without a trace.

Note 3: Wang Yanzhang, also known as the legendary Iron Spear Wang. A famous general of the Five Dynasties, in storytelling his martial skills are second only to Li Cunxiao. Legend has it that before being discovered by Zhu Wen, he was an orphan who herded sheep for a living, yet mastered martial arts without a teacher.

Chapter One: Sharpening the Sword (Part Three)

Perhaps it was the oath before the Buddha that temporarily dispelled everyone's doubts, or perhaps it was for the sake of Second MasterBrian Scott. In any case, ever since the boy Little Ben was given the name Eric Scott, his days immediately became much better.

Not only did the various leaders among the underlings stop making fun of his dullness so easily, even Fifth MasterFrank Thompson no longer glared at him every time they met. Occasionally, he would even pause and nod when the boy greeted him, showing a bit of elder's kindness.

But hoping for more goodwill from Fifth Master was nothing but wishful thinking. Frank Thompson had experienced countless betrayals and deceptions in the first half of his life, making him ten times more cautious than normal when faced with anything suspicious. As long as he couldn't figure out Little Ben's true identity, he would never let down his guard.

Yet no matter how hard Eric Scott tried, he could not meet Fifth Master's expectations. It wasn't intentional deception; it was simply the truth. Not long after waking from a coma a few months ago, he discovered a blank spot in his memory.

No parents, no siblings, not even a single relative or friend.

In his memory, it was as if he had just popped out of a crack in a rock, and in a flash, he had become a boy of fifteen or sixteen. The whole process lasted only an instant, during which he had no contact with any other people, never entered a city, never made friends, never eaten a meal, never drunk water...

There was only one thing Eric Scott could be sure of: he was definitely not some imperial descendant. The jade pendant around his neck, engraved with the character "Zheng" and a dragon pattern, had absolutely nothing to do with that cowardly emperor who was captured by the Khitans.

Proving this was actually quite easy. Even the most neglected prince would have had a designated tutor to teach him to read and write from a young age. Yet he could barely understand the Buddhist scriptures carved on the temple steles, and the characters he wrote were crooked and incomplete.