Mr. Bolton, after all, was someone who had studied at a private school in the county, so he did have some knowledge. At that time, Henry Stone was just a twelve-year-old child who had never even left this mountain hollow, yet he could so accurately predict national events. Mr. Bolton immediately realized that this boy was destined for greatness.

So he hurried to mend relations with the Shi family. Although giving away this string of copper coins was painful, in his view, it was well worth the expense.

Henry Stone wanted to return the money to Mr. Bolton, but the latter refused to take it no matter what. In the end, he even glared and said that if Henry Stone didn’t accept it, the Shi family should never rent land from the Zhang family again. Helpless, Henry Stone accepted the money, and Mr. Bolton immediately beamed with joy, as if he had gained a huge advantage over Henry Stone.

……

Chapter 2: Wrestling Beasts with Stones (Part 2)

In the days that followed, the shadow of war quickly spread over the entire Great Xia, and even their small mountain village was no exception.

Mountain folk are sturdy, honest, and law-abiding, and have always been sought-after as soldiers.

Everyone in the village was on edge, not knowing when the conscription edict would arrive. Even Henry Stone’s father had been frowning with worry these past few days. His mother secretly shed tears.

At night, when Henry Stone’s soul left his body, he heard the sound of sobbing coming from his parents’ room. Henry Stone stood in front of their door for a long time, deep in thought.

He left the house and floated up into the sky, stretching out his “body” to absorb as much of the bright moonlight as possible. A year and a half ago, Henry Stone had accidentally discovered that when his soul-body was “tempered” under the moonlight, his soul would become stronger. When the sun rose, the intense tearing pain he felt would be somewhat lessened.

Ever since this discovery, every night Henry Stone would expose his soul-body to the moonlight for an hour. Three months ago, he found that his soul-body had begun to faintly emit a silvery glow, just like the moonlight. He could “fly” faster and see farther in the dark.

……

The next morning, Henry Stone quickly ate a few bites of food, put down his bowl, and said to his father, “Dad, I’ll go into the mountains with you today.” His father was a man of few words, a typical mountain man. Hearing his son, he didn’t ask much, just nodded and said, “Alright.”

A fourteen-year-old boy was already a good worker in the mountains, and accordingly, he would earn his place in the family. What’s more, Henry Stone handled all the farm work at home by himself.

After breakfast, Henry Stone’s mother specially prepared an extra portion of dry rations for him. His father picked up a hunting knife, slung a homemade bow and arrows over his back, called out to his wife, “We’re off,” and took Henry Stone out the door.

On the way, his father only gave him one warning: “Be careful. If things go wrong, you run first.”

At the village entrance, a few hunters saw Henry Stone and were a bit surprised. “Ah Hong, you’re coming too?” They glanced at his father, who nodded, “Mm.”

“Old Shunzi, is your boy up to it?” The lead hunter looked doubtfully at the delicate-skinned Henry Stone. Compared to his father Stephen Stone’s burly frame, Henry Stone did look a bit thin.

His father just nodded firmly, “He’s fine.” Then he was about to leave, but the lead hunter grabbed him, “Old Shunzi, this isn’t a joke. If something happens, we can’t look after him…”

In the village, Henry Stone was known for being “weak.” The only one who ever “boasted” about him was his eight-year-old sister Sarah Stone. But who would believe that a fifteen-year-old boy could handle all the heavy work at home by himself, especially when it was an eight-year-old girl saying so?

“Nothing will happen,” Henry Stone’s father brushed off his hand.

The other hunters also looked at Henry Stone with some doubt. The hunters wore sleeveless homespun jackets, their shoulders already worn and frayed. Their arms were as solid as river stones, crisscrossed with scars from years of battling wild beasts.

“Old Shunzi, the beasts in the mountains don’t care who you are. He’s your only son—if anything happens…”

Henry Stone’s father was a bit annoyed. “Nonsense!”

Seeing he was determined, the lead hunter shook his head, “If you won’t listen, don’t blame us if something happens.”

Despite their words, once they entered the mountains, the lead hunter gave a signal, and the hunters kept Henry Stone in the middle, clearly afraid that something might really happen and the Shi family line would end.

The old hunters were on edge for most of the day, but fortunately, they didn’t encounter any dangerous beasts. They only caught a few wild rabbits and pheasants—hardly a real haul, just something to go with their drinks.

As the sun set, blood-red clouds filled half the sky. The lead hunter waved his hand, “Let’s call it a day and head back.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave when suddenly there was a rustling sound in the bushes. The hunters’ faces lit up. The lead hunter made a gesture, and a hunter beside him quickly pulled Henry Stone back behind them.

The remaining hunters, along with Henry Stone’s father, slowly spread out and circled toward the source of the sound.

With a crash, a huge, ferocious head burst out of the bushes. Two fangs like sharp knives, a pair of blood-red eyes, glaring viciously at the people outside.