Suddenly, the sound of dense bowstrings came from outside.

“Shields!” George Foster roared in anger, but he didn’t use one himself; instead, he swung his blade and cut down more than a dozen arrows.

The guards raised their shields.

Even after moving out of the range of the arrows, Henry Clark still cautiously held a shield. He saw some bandits taking advantage of the moment when the guards sought cover to charge forward. These bandits bent slightly at the waist, reminding Henry Clark of the way the guards had rushed into the dense forest yesterday.

The bandits charged into the gap.

“Kill!”

George Foster stood there, watching his guards rush forward.

The two sides clashed fiercely, and it was immediately clear that the guards were much stronger. But the enemy had greater numbers.

Henry Clark didn’t move, nor did George Foster.

Henry Clark felt a bit intimidated by the scene. He thought he might have a chance to survive if he rushed into the crowd, but the chance of being killed was also high. The key was, he still felt that gaping bloody maw lurking in the darkness.

A volley of arrows rained down indiscriminately, hitting both sides. Five guards fell.

George Foster’s expression turned cold. “Beasts!”

In the back, a staff member waiting for hot tea rubbed his hands together. “In this world, those who can so easily disregard the lives of their subordinates are either generals or merchants. Generals are iron-blooded, merchants are cold-blooded.”

Helen Thompson looked at the water just beginning to boil and said calmly, “Many times, what you see may not be the truth.”

The water boiled, and the maid skillfully began to brew tea.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound split the air, and a guard up ahead shouted, “Second Young Master, look out!”

A huge arrow pierced the night sky, its target none other than Helen Thompson.

Helen Thompson said gently, “To brew tea, one must be calm and focused. If you’re distracted, the tea will lose its flavor.”

The maid, who had looked up at the arrow, lowered her head. “Yes.”

The tea leaves were tossed into the kettle just as the arrow arrived.

Henry Clark saw the staff member casually pick up a piece of wood, swinging it with a smile, as if shooing away a fly.

Bang!

The huge arrow shot skyward, no one knew where it landed.

A true master!

Henry Clark couldn’t help but be dazzled, thinking that compared to this staff member, Charles Clark’s skills… he felt Charles Clark should be even more formidable. In the past, he had compared Charles Clark’s abilities to the local constable’s, but that seemed excessive—surely the constable wasn’t as strong as Charles Clark.

Up ahead, the guards spread out, two or three to a group, and charged forward.

The two sides clashed again.

“Henry Clark didn’t move!” Lily Thompson was very disappointed, thinking the wild boy was too timid.

Henry Clark couldn’t move. He could see that the guards’ seemingly scattered formation actually followed a certain pattern, and two or three working together were even more effective. This reminded him of the “chemical reaction” described in the scrolls. If he rushed in recklessly, he would only disrupt their coordination.

He was observing at the moment when a maid hurried past him, thinking he was shameless for not joining the fight, and angrily said, “Still watching!”

I wasn’t looking at you!

Henry Clark rolled his eyes innocently, and then that chilling feeling crept up his spine.

A guard suddenly flew through the air, blood spraying everywhere. A bandit followed close behind, passing the guard midair, and swooped toward Helen Thompson like a giant bird.

Helen Thompson raised his teacup, took a gentle sip, and nodded slightly. “Not bad.”

Before he finished speaking, the staff member beside him leapt into the air, a long blade appearing in his hand at some unknown moment.

The sound of weapons clashing rang out in the air, then exploded.

Damn, how did weapons turn to straw in their hands? Henry Clark ducked his head, dodging a piece of debris.

The bandit threw a punch so fast that Henry Clark couldn’t even see it clearly.

The staff member blocked with his right hand, then was sent flying backward. The bandit maintained his punching posture, the staff member his blocking stance, and the two of them flashed past each other, one in front, one behind.

As they passed over Helen Thompson’s head, the bandit suddenly dropped like a stone, stomping down at Helen Thompson. Helen Thompson glanced at Lily Thompson and said gently, “Close your eyes!”

“No!” Lily Thompson stubbornly closed her eyes.

Helen Thompson smiled, casually slapped upward above his head, meeting the bandit’s foot at just the right moment—neither too early nor too late, neither off to the side nor off target…

Bang!

The hair and clothes of everyone nearby were swept up by the force, and debris on the ground rolled away. Everyone raised their hands to shield their faces, except for Lily Thompson at Helen Thompson’s side, who was unaffected. She opened her eyes, curiously watching.

The falling bandit suddenly flew up again, laughing loudly, “So the Wang family’s Second Young Master is a hidden master indeed. I am impressed. Retreat!”

The bandits who were fighting surged backward like a receding tide.

“Don’t pursue a cornered enemy!”

Although George Foster wished he could wipe out the bandits, he knew his primary duty was to protect Helen Thompson and Lily Thompson. He swung his blade in a whirlwind, felling two bandits nearby with their miserable cries, then struck with his palm, sending the bandit in front of him flying… No one could withstand even a single exchange with him.

The bandits fled through the air, and Helen Thompson took a sip of tea. “Staying for a cup of tea wouldn’t be so bad!”

Before he finished speaking, Helen Thompson reached out and flipped the table.

The heavy table whooshed forward, chasing after the bandits.