He was unwilling to live a wasted life, but he knew that studying was not easy. In the county, those qualified to study were either the children of officials or of wealthy gentry; even the children of merchants, after pulling every string they could, might not be able to study.

He knew he had no chance to study, but then he thought of that scroll. The scroll was given to him by Charles Clark back then, who said it was his toy. Until he was eleven, Henry Clark had no idea about the scroll’s secret. He had little to entertain himself with, so at night he would fiddle with the scroll and other things. One night, by accident, he opened up a new world. The first time, he used the scroll for more than twenty days in a row, until it said something about shutting down automatically. After that, the scroll could only be used for less than half an hour at a time, and only after a while.

The girl inside the scroll had a pleasant voice, and Henry Clark learned a lot from her. He didn’t know exactly what those things were, but he always felt they were extraordinary.

In Chang’an, it was extremely difficult to study; you needed the right background. The chances of an ordinary person’s child being able to study were as slim as running into the emperor in disguise while strolling down the street.

George Foster didn’t expose Henry Clark’s lie, but smiled and said, “Let me tell you about the Wang family. The Wang family is one of the five great surnames, and I won’t go on about how powerful they are. Once you join the Wang family, your whole life is secured. Food, clothing, housing, even marriage and children—all taken care of by the Wang family. If you achieve merit, you can even get promoted and receive a higher salary... Are you interested?”

Beside him, Thomas Reed grinned, thinking that if the Wang family ever publicly recruited guards, the threshold would be trampled flat. But most of the Wang family’s guards were selected internally—people with simple backgrounds and guaranteed loyalty—so such recruitment opportunities simply didn’t exist.

Boy, what good luck!

George Foster and Thomas Reed waited with smiles for Henry Clark to nod.

“Thank you.” Henry Clark looked up and said seriously, “I’ll have to decline.”

Chapter 7: I Won’t Be a Fox, I Want to Be a Tiger

When George Foster was first selected as a guard, the first time he attended Helen Thompson’s side, several nobles came to visit. Such nobles seemed like gods to ordinary people, but that day he saw those gods bowing their heads, faces full of flattery...

It was a kind of baptism, letting him see the Wang family’s immense power and omnipresent influence. From then on, he was utterly loyal to the Wang family.

He felt he was lucky to become a guard for the Wang family. But this boy in front of him, without hesitation... He swore that after hearing his words, Henry Clark looked up and declined the offer in less than a breath, almost without thinking.

George Foster was slightly stunned. Thomas Reed’s face flushed a little. “Do you know of the Wang family’s reputation?”

When Henry Clark was still in the village, Chang’an was like a place where immortals lived. Some people had been to the county seat, or traveled far, and when they returned, they would boast about how amazing Chang’an was. From their words, he vaguely learned about the five great surnames.

Whenever the five great surnames were mentioned, the villagers always looked up to them with awe, like ants gazing at immortals—untouchable, wishing they could be dogs at their gates.

“I know.” Henry Clark’s heart stirred, but then he became resolute.

George Foster’s face turned cold. “Are you sure about this?”

Henry Clark nodded.

George Foster sighed inwardly. He meant well, but this honest boy didn’t know how rare such an opportunity was. He couldn’t keep persuading, or it would seem beneath him, so he signaled to Thomas Reed and slowly left.

Thomas Reed lowered his voice. “This world doesn’t just belong to the emperor—it belongs to the five great surnames. If you can join the Wang family, it’s as honorable as serving by the emperor’s side. You’ll be able to hold your head high wherever you go. If anyone dares bully you, just mention the Wang family’s name...”

He thought anyone would jump at such a great opportunity, and that Henry Clark must have refused earlier because he didn’t know how prestigious the Wang family’s guards were.

So he snorted impatiently, waiting for Henry Clark to come to his senses and then go apologize to George Foster.

Henry Clark was grateful, but sincerely said, “Thank you, but it really isn’t necessary.”

This boy is a fool! Thomas Reed looked back, just as George Foster glanced over. He shook his head slightly.

What a hopeless kid! George Foster sneered, then went to report to Helen Thompson.

“Let him be,” Helen Thompson said indifferently. He was busy; if Henry Clark hadn’t saved his niece, he probably wouldn’t have spared him a second glance in his life. Since he’s unwilling, so be it.

Outside, Thomas Reed felt that Henry Clark had given up a golden path in life, so angry his liver hurt.

Henry Clark just sat on the ground, watching the others light a campfire.

He had been tempted, knowing that if he joined the Wang family, he would never have to worry for the rest of his life. Food, clothing, shelter, wife and children—everything would be under the Wang family’s protection.

The young man spoke softly: “The tiger hunts all the beasts for food and caught the fox. The fox said, ‘You dare not eat me! The Heavenly Emperor has made me the leader of all beasts. If you eat me now, you are defying the Heavenly Emperor’s command. If you don’t believe me, let me walk ahead and you follow behind. See if any beast dares not flee at the sight of me?’”

This was a story from the scroll, a very short one.

His voice was soft, but his eyes were bright. “The tiger believed it, so he walked with the fox. All the beasts fled at the sight of them. The tiger didn’t know the beasts were afraid of him, not the fox, and thought they feared the fox.”

Thomas Reed was talking with George Foster by the tent not far away. He glanced over at him, shook his head slightly, and felt regret.

The boy sat with his back straight, his voice growing softer, but his resolve was so firm that not even the gods could stop him.