His name is Julian Reed, and Gordon Brooks still didn’t know much about him. Halfway through carrying water, everyone noisily bid farewell to Julian Reed: “Little Pig, don’t sleep too long, or you’ll get caught by Wesley Benson and get your butt smacked.” Julian Reed laughed and said, “That stubborn guy won’t come back until morning lessons are over, no way.” Everyone laughed and joked for a while. Gordon Brooks felt puzzled—what was going on? Was Julian Reed really going to take a nap?

Turning past a mountain cliff, a thick tree trunk stretched out across the path ahead—this was the only way for carrying water, and Gordon Brooks had noticed it on his way here. At this moment, Julian Reed also said to everyone, “Senior brothers, junior brothers, take care, look out for me.” As he spoke, he cupped his hands in salute again and again. It seemed he was well-liked, and everyone smiled and agreed. Julian Reed climbed onto a large rock beside the old tree. The rock was very smooth, and on the tree trunk above it hung two big iron hooks. Julian Reed hung his buckets on them, took off his clothes to catch the breeze for a while, then lay down on the rock and started snoring away.

Even Grant Benson almost burst out laughing: this kid really knew how to take advantage, knowing that Wesley Benson wouldn’t be back so soon, and decided to catch up on sleep here. He glanced back at Julian Reed lying on the rock. Resting was a big temptation for him, too, since it was his first time carrying water! It was rare for this kid to come up with such an idea.

Cooking duties were always assigned to the new servants. Gordon Brooks had never cooked before; otherwise, he wouldn’t have eaten raw meat and blood, swallowing that poor snake alive. Faced with all these pots and pans, Gordon Brooks was at a complete loss, not knowing what to do. The other servants had already gone to wash up, and there was no one around to help him. Gordon Brooks picked up a washbasin, looked at it, put it down, picked up a spatula, looked at it, and had no idea what it was for. Just as he was at his wit’s end, a figure came rushing down the mountain—it was Wesley Benson.

“Senior brother.” Gordon Brooks was surprised. Wesley Benson smiled and said, “Oh, you probably don’t know yet—newcomers are responsible for cooking. I was worried you wouldn’t know, so I came back early to remind you. Hurry up, their morning lessons are almost over.” Gordon Brooks said awkwardly, “But I… I don’t know how to cook…” Wesley Benson widened his eyes in disbelief: “You mean you’ve never eaten before?” Gordon Brooks had no choice but to nod. Wesley Benson didn’t blame him. Seeing that time was short, he quickly rushed into the servants’ quarters, and after a commotion, someone very reluctantly followed Wesley Benson out. “This is Julian Reed. Follow him and learn for now. Later, you’ll be in charge on your own.” With that, Wesley Benson left.

Julian Reed looked at Gordon Brooks unwillingly and asked with a sideways glance, “If I teach you, what’s in it for me?” Gordon Brooks didn’t like owing people anything, so it was best that he asked directly. “I’ll repay you in the future,” Gordon Brooks said. Julian Reed grinned cheekily: “I, Julian Reed, have never done anything at a loss in my life. Since you said that, you’d better remember it! Come, let me show you—this is a pot, this is a spatula…”

Gordon Brooks had a question in his mind: this guy should still be napping halfway up the mountain right now, so how did he show up here? Julian Reed saw right through his doubt and grinned slyly: “Want to know how I got back so fast?” Gordon Brooks knew he wouldn’t say easily, so he didn’t respond.

Seeing no reaction, Julian Reed couldn’t help but itch to show off. He took out a jade talisman and boasted, “See this? It’s a teleportation jade talisman. I got it from a scruffy old Taoist who always drinks my wine. It’s really useful. As soon as the senior brothers on the mountain top make a few monkey calls, I know something’s up. I just crush the talisman, and I’m back.”

At first glance, Gordon Brooks knew what the jade was. With his experience, he could see its value immediately—a mid-grade teleportation jade talisman wasn’t some great treasure. He glanced at it and lost interest. Julian Reed found his reaction odd—everyone else treated this thing like a treasure, holding it for ages and reluctant to give it back, but he didn’t care at all.

Chapter 006: The Rogue’s Gamble

Between the big water buckets and the mountain spring, between the pots and pans and wasted grains of rice, Grant Benson—now in the form of Gordon Brooks—had unknowingly spent three months at the Wuwei Sword Sect. In these three months, he had gotten used to the rhythm of life here. He wore coarse blue clothes, ate simple food, and worked hard, having completely transformed from the number one figure of the demonic path into a servant of the Wuwei Sword Sect. The only thing that set him apart was that he often dozed off—he was always a bit muddle-headed. Gordon Brooks was indifferent to the world and to others. Though he spoke little, he wasn’t isolated from everyone. Over time, he earned a nickname: Mason Brooks, because he would often fall asleep without realizing it!

Once, on the way to fetch water, he actually started snoring as he walked! After that, led by Trevor Harris, the nickname Mason Brooks spread.

Julian Reed became his closest companion. This guy’s father was a businessman, and it was said their family’s businesses had branches all over the continent at the foot of the mountain. He had grown up immersed in this environment and inherited his father’s ways—just as he himself said, he would never do a losing deal! He would never do anything unless there was a profit to be made.