He inexplicably found himself in this place, not knowing what he was supposed to do.

Sitting at the entrance of the dojo, he gazed at the gray stone steps stretching downward, just wanting to sit quietly and have a good rest.

Pa.

He slapped his own neck, and a blood-red mosquito, as big as a coin, fell from his palm. The mosquito had been flattened into a sheet, with all the blood squeezed out.

A bloodstain was imprinted on his neck, feeling somewhat damp.

“Hiss... such a big mosquito...” Henry Clark muttered, feeling his neck starting to swell.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadowy figure faintly appearing on the stone steps, rushing rapidly toward the dojo.

The figure leapt up the steps in a few strides, moving with apparent ease but at incredible speed. Just moments ago, it was only at the edge of his vision, but in the blink of an eye, it had arrived at the entrance of the dojo.

The newcomer was a burly, bearded middle-aged man dressed in black, with a short blade at his waist and the character “林” embroidered on his chest. He looked exceptionally fierce and strong.

“Young master? Why are you sitting here?” As soon as the man saw Henry Clark, he was a bit taken aback.

“You are... Uncle David Clark?” Henry Clark quickly recalled the corresponding person from his memory.

David Clark, one of the three strongest martial guards of the The Clark Family, was famous for his swift short-blade techniques in several nearby cities, and was one of the experts recruited by the The Clark Family.

The The Clark Family was a renowned clan in the area, with many descendants and, naturally, a force to protect the family’s assets. Compared to the Hong Song Sect, they were much stronger, with a guard team of over a hundred men, all elite soldiers. Just a dozen of them could easily prevent someone like Yvonne Harris, a minor expert, from escaping.

And this was only a small part of the The Clark Family’s power.

As a wealthy merchant, Henry Clark’s father, James Clark, was a household name throughout Hong Song City.

David Clark running up the mountain at this moment was clearly not without reason.

For Henry Clark, this was not good news. After all, the former Henry Clark had escaped to the mountain precisely to avoid the family’s arrangements.

“Uncle Hao, what are you doing here?” Henry Clark stood up, not caring about the dirt on his pants, patted it off, and asked in a calm tone—perfectly imitating the former Henry Clark’s manner.

David Clark let out a breath.

“The master asked me to tell you, this has gone on long enough. It’s time to come home.”

He glanced at the dilapidated Hong Song Dojo sign.

“Hiding in this rundown little dojo—what’s the point? You’ll have to return to the The Clark Family sooner or later and inherit the master’s business.”

“Whether I go back or not is my business. The old man doesn’t need to meddle.” Henry Clark snorted.

His father, James Clark, as a local tycoon, naturally looked down on the declining Hong Song Sect.

He remembered that every time he went home, among all the children, he, the eldest, was the only one not doing anything productive. The other siblings had already started managing the family’s accounts and people, generating income and profit, while he still asked the family for money and never spent frugally.

Thinking of this, he added,

“I’m here to learn martial arts, aren’t I?”

“There are plenty of people at home who can teach you martial arts. Although Daoist Hong Song is not weak, he’s about the same as your second uncle. There’s really no need to come here and suffer.” David Clark said, seeing Henry Clark’s indifferent attitude, he didn’t bother to say more. After all, he’d said this too many times before, and it was useless.

“Forget it, forget it. This time I came to inform you that recently people from the The Cooper Family have arrived, and the master will be busy entertaining some distinguished guests. Things haven’t been peaceful lately, and we’re short-handed at home, so try not to go down the mountain if you can.”

“I got it.”

“Alright, here’s your monthly allowance.” David Clark took a small black pouch from behind him and handed it to Henry Clark.

Henry Clark took it; inside were some heavy copper coins and bits of silver.

“Don’t worry, there aren’t many people on the mountain, not much to steal, and with my junior sister here, even if bandits came, they wouldn’t be interested.” He replied casually.

David Clark nodded, but his expression was a bit grave.

“Be careful, young master. Someone might be targeting our The Clark Family lately. The master invited experts from the The Cooper Family to help out because of this.” He lowered his voice.

Henry Clark felt a chill in his heart. Seeing David Clark turn and leave after saying this, moving with light and agile steps, he couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. He also felt a faint sense of vigilance—this place wasn’t as safe as he’d imagined...

If Yvonne Harris weren’t by his side...

The family didn’t think much of the Hong Song Sect, so his martial arts training here was naturally looked down upon.

Watching David Clark quickly disappear into the distance, he sat for a while longer before turning and walking through the mountain gate.

There weren’t many people in the courtyard. From the direction of the kitchen, faint voices could be heard—it seemed Edward Grant and his sister were handling something.

In Yvonne Harris’s room, the oil lamp flickered, as if she was studying diligently.

The Hong Song Sect’s minor Guiyuan Technique was the most basic of martial arts, but not just anyone could practice it; it required a certain physical aptitude.

Shaking his head, Henry Clark stepped toward his own room. Thinking of the earlier visit from the Hengdao Sect, and the news he’d heard today, he felt more and more that these were dangerous times.