Such a clean and decisive killing technique was completely unlike the skills one would expect from a wealthy dog-owning squire. If not for these bandits, probably no one would have imagined that Mr. Thompson was actually a master hiding his true abilities.

The The Thompson Family of Xiyan Town was clearly far from being just an ordinary wealthy family.

The bandits who tried to seize such a huge fortune encountered unexpectedly tough resistance outside the grand gates of the The Thompson Family mansion, suffering heavy losses.

If the The Walker Family people hadn’t left a step earlier, they would most likely be trapped here together with the The Thompson Family right now.

"Young master, second young master, third young master, stay close to me!"

The second steward, Charles Thompson, moved as nimbly as a monkey, wielding twin blades, slashing left and right. Over a dozen burly servants swung their long-handled guandao like windmills; any bandit who got too close would be instantly cut down, both rider and horse.

All the fighters of the The Thompson Family were already here; the other servants with little combat ability had long since died or fled without a trace, while many of the maids had fallen into the bandits’ clutches, their shrill cries echoing.

As for the fate of these innocents, the embattled family could only feel helpless—at this moment, self-preservation was already difficult, and everyone could only leave things to fate.

Whether it was Mark Thompson, William Thompson, or John Thompson, the three brothers had no time to care about how their father and the stewards had suddenly become so valiant. They could only follow the second steward and the servants, fighting their way out through a path of blood.

"Go! Don’t look back!"

David Thompson shouted at his three sons, doing his best to draw the bandits’ attention.

Without even turning his head, he caught a flying arrow with his bare hand and flung it back. A distant scream followed, and a bandit fell from his horse along with his powerful bow.

The arrow that had just been shot not only returned the way it came, but also pierced through the bandit’s chest.

"Second brother, little brother, Miss Grace, stay close!"

The eldest son of the The Thompson Family, Mark Thompson, gripped a three-foot-long sword, following closely behind the second steward.

After wandering outside for over ten years, though he hadn’t found a true immortal, he had trained himself into a skilled fighter. Even facing the bandits, he was not at a disadvantage; his sword flashed repeatedly, and in just a short moment, he had already killed two vicious thugs.

Bearing the responsibility for his two younger brothers and his youngest brother’s wife, Mark Thompson stepped forward without hesitation, striking down the bandits again and again.

"Little brother, Miss Grace, don’t be afraid, your second brother is here!"

Even while breaking out and fleeing, the second brother William Thompson didn’t forget to hold a scroll of Confucius’ Analects in his hand. Though he comforted his brother and future sister-in-law with his words, his own face was pale, barely holding on.

Surrounded by bandits, John Thompson, protected in the very center by his two elder brothers and the servants, tightly grasped Grace Walker’s delicate, soft hand, shielding her behind him.

"Don’t let go!"

Though he had no martial skills and didn’t know how to fight, as a man, he still had a passionate spirit.

If these desperadoes wanted to take the young lady by his side, they would have to step over his dead body.

He felt some regret—if he could have foreseen this, he would have found a way to learn some martial arts, so he could help fight the enemy, instead of being so helpless and relying on others to protect him with their lives.

The only thing he could do now was to accept their protection obediently, so as not to worry his father and brothers and avoid any accidents.

"Please rest assured, little master. If anything happens, I will never live in disgrace."

Though Grace Walker was terrified, her beautiful face pale, she pulled the golden hairpin from her bun and aimed it at her own neck, ready to die to protect her chastity at any moment.

This gentle and refined young woman became especially strong at this moment.

……

Chapter 5: The Warlock

"Shoot! Shoot! Kill them!"

Seeing that the attack was going nowhere, someone among the bandits shouted, and the sound of bowstrings filled the air as arrows rained down like a curtain.

The vicious bandits were nearly crazed; they hadn’t expected to encounter such fierce opponents in this small town—let alone more than one.

"Go! Go! Hurry!"

David Thompson’s bulky body moved with unbelievable agility, catching arrows aimed at the three The Thompson Family brothers with his bare hands and hurling them back. Screams rang out one after another.

The chief steward, George Thompson, was also parrying and blocking, constantly deflecting the incoming arrows.

But the bloodthirsty bandits seemed endless, charging forward wave after wave.

"Ugh!"

With a muffled grunt, a burly servant wielding a long-handled guandao took an arrow to the shoulder. His whirling blade faltered, and several more arrows struck his now-exposed chest, one of them piercing straight through from front to back.

"Xiao Wu!"

The second steward’s twin blades moved even faster. With a furious roar, he chopped off a horse’s leg. The bandit, losing balance, tumbled from the saddle, and before he could hit the ground, felt a chill at his neck—two flashes of the blades crossed his throat, and his head, as big as a bucket, was sent flying like a rocket, a spray of bright red blood propelling the ugly head skyward.

These dozen or so servants wielding long-handled guandao had all been raised as orphans in the Thompson Manor since childhood, and were as close as sons to the two stewards. The loss of any one of them would cause George Thompson and Charles Thompson deep pain.