"Alright then!" Eric Scott raised the second hand axe, rubbing the sharp blade repeatedly with the thumb of his left hand. "I hope General King will win a resounding victory!"

With that, he set the second axe down beside him. Casually, he picked up a third one and pressed it against a stone, "clang, clang," sparks flying as he sharpened it.

"You..." Arthur King covered his ears with both hands and fled in panic.

Watching the man's embarrassed figure, a warm smile spread across Eric Scott's face. Just now, it had always been Arthur King talking; he himself had never promised to keep the secret absolutely. Arthur King was the son of a general, ambitious, determined to save the people from disaster. But he, Little Ben, was the son of a bandit, and at this moment, all he could think about was saving himself and those around him, making sure everyone didn't lose their lives in confusion.

That very night, he quietly told the news he had gathered to Brian Scott. He thought the other would be greatly surprised, but instead, Brian Scott just smiled and shook his head. Then he raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, saying softly, "Arthur King is an honest man, worth befriending. Don't always play little tricks on him! As for backup plans, of course General King has them! He's an old soldier—how could he pin all his hopes on a ragtag bunch like us?"

When he mentioned the words "ragtag bunch," his eyes darkened for a moment. But soon, another kind of brightness replaced it, and his words became even more relaxed: "General King promised Big Boss Brooks and me that after this battle, he'll send you to Taiyuan. King Matthew Lewis has set up a school in Taiyuan and invited many famous scholars to teach. At your age, you just meet the requirements for admission!"

"Second Uncle—!" A wave of warmth instantly flowed through Eric Scott's chest. Looking at Brian Scott, whose temples were already turning white, he didn't know how to express his gratitude.

"Don't expect to always stick by my side!" Brian Scott deliberately pretended not to understand his feelings, joking with a smile, "A man has to go out and see the world sooner or later. Besides, every war comes to an end. You can conquer the world on horseback, but you can't govern it that way. When that time comes, Second Uncle will see what you're made of. If you become a prime minister or a regional governor and bring prosperity to the people, Second Uncle will feel proud too!"

After a pause, he added with a smile, "Alright, let's not talk about this. Just go get some sleep and stop worrying about grown-ups' business. With a few of us around, it's not your turn, little rascal, to fret!"

As he spoke, he put his hand on Eric Scott's shoulder again and gently pushed the young man out of the tent. "Go to sleep, hurry up, get plenty of rest, and get ready to learn from Arthur King. Oh, and when the day comes to go to the battlefield, remember to stick close behind Young Master King. No matter how fierce a tiger is, it won't eat its own cub!"

With that, he gave Little Ben another gentle push, then quickly closed the tent door from inside, giving the young man no chance to argue about going to Taiyuan.

"Second Uncle..." Eric Scott staggered a few steps and slowly turned back. The mountain wind howled, but he felt the night air was full of warmth. "I promise!" He clenched his fingers at his side, making a quiet vow!

Note 1: In official history, after Liu Zhiyuan raised his army, he was wary of the Khitan's formidable fighting power and always avoided direct confrontation with Yelü Deguang. Instead, he widely recruited heroes from all over the land, using tactics similar to the later "people's war," which eventually wore down the Khitan and made them lose confidence in ruling the Central Plains, forcing them to withdraw in haste. Soon after, Zhao Yanshou, who was content to be a slave, lost his value and was killed.

Chapter One: Sharpening the Sword (VI)

This time, Matthew Lewis's campaign to recruit the outlaws around Bianliang was probably not entirely out of goodwill. Not only did the inexperienced Eric Scott sense this, but the other leaders of Wagon Fort had probably long been well aware.

However, they did not refuse, only tried their best to secure some benefits for themselves. Among these was sending a foundling to study at the school in Taiyuan.

"Why did Second Uncle and the others do this?" Deeply puzzled, the young man returned to his tent, lay on his bed, and tossed and turned.

As the second-in-command Brian Scott's half-adopted son, his status in Wagon Camp was quite special. Not only did he have a tent to himself, but he also had four personal guards. But young Little Ben wasn't used to having people follow him even to the toilet, so after just one day, he sent them all away on the excuse that they were "clumsy." For this, the third-in-command Richard Foster complained that he didn't know what was good for him, but the fifth-in-command Frank Thompson looked at him with noticeably less hostility.

"The chief probably wants to become an official—after all, he's used to being a leader. Second Uncle was born into a scholarly family, and being a bandit chief doesn't sit well with him deep down. As for the other uncles, they got a lot of money this time, so they're all eager to retire..." Unable to sleep, Eric Scott secretly analyzed in his heart.