Chapter 1: Vengeance Amidst Wind and Snow

　　Evelyn Spencer listened to the wind and snow outside the door, hunched his shoulders, and moved closer to the stove.

　　He had transmigrated here five days ago, and still hadn’t figured out what kind of world this was, nor had he adapted to his current identity.

　　This body was only eleven or twelve years old. His father was an old scholar, so unlike ordinary children who were given lowly names like “Cat” or “Dog” for easy upbringing, his name was quite scholarly—Nathaniel Sutton, taken from a six-character ancient poem of this world: “Warm winds everywhere, flowers drift, travelers vie to cross the southern bridge.”

　　Mr. Sutton had left years ago to take the imperial exam and never returned. His mother had also passed away from illness. With no one to rely on, he was sent by his clan elders to work as a servant in this large northern inn, just to make a living. For now, he was still an unpaid apprentice, mainly responsible for running errands, delivering dishes, and attracting customers. Every day was exhausting, with frequent scoldings, and life was truly hard to bear.

　　It was the depth of winter, and there were very few guests. The inn had closed its doors, and the owner and old staff had all gone to rest, leaving only him to watch the door. In case a guest arrived, he could open up and not miss out on business—truly a bitter job!

　　Evelyn Spencer kept lowering his head, barely able to fight off his drowsiness. As he struggled to stay awake, he thought to himself, “When the new year passes and spring comes, I must go south and make my way, no matter what. Am I really going to be a lowly inn servant for the rest of my life? I didn’t transmigrate for nothing—I have to make something of myself.”

　　Suddenly, from the south came the urgent sound of horse hooves—chaotic and dense, at least twenty or thirty horses—quickly approaching, stopping right at the inn’s entrance, followed by loud knocking.

　　Evelyn Spencer was startled, shook his head hard to dispel his sleepiness, stood up, and went to open the door. As soon as he opened it, a gust of snowflakes blew into his face. Two or three dozen men, wrapped in wind and snow, were dismounting. Some carried swords and sabers, others had weapons hanging from their saddles.

　　At the front was a tall, thin man with a pale golden face, carrying a long sword on his back and wearing a cotton robe. His eyes were as sharp as cold lightning, unbelievably piercing. Just one glance from him made Evelyn Spencer shiver.

　　Evelyn Spencer forced a smile and said, “Honored guests, please come in first to avoid the cold. I’ll prepare hot water for you all to warm yourselves!”

　　The pale golden-faced man nodded slightly, said nothing to a mere servant, and led his men into the inn.

　　Despite the heavy snow, two men stayed outside to watch the horses instead of coming in, clearly all seasoned men of the jianghu.

　　The inn’s stove had been burning all along. Though the fire was low, it was still much warmer than outside.

　　Evelyn Spencer led the men into the inn and served them hot tea, asking, “How many rooms will you need, honored guests? Should I bring hot food to your rooms later, or will you eat here?”

　　A burly man with a full beard shouted, “Enough with the chatter! Bring out whatever hot food you have first. We need to eat and get back on the road.”

　　Evelyn Spencer was startled, thinking, “Traveling at night in such a blizzard—if the horses slip, even if they’re skilled, they could be half-killed.”

　　These men didn’t look easy to deal with, so of course he didn’t dare say anything unlucky. He smiled and agreed. Naturally, he couldn’t prepare hot food by himself, so he went to the back and woke up the cook and the other staff.

　　The cook, woken from a good dream, cursed and grumbled, but the helpers didn’t dare talk back. With so many guests arriving, the inn suddenly became lively.

　　Evelyn Spencer ran back and forth, busy as could be, but didn’t forget to secretly observe the group, thinking to himself, “These people look like they know martial arts. Did I transmigrate into a wuxia world? I wonder if I’ll get a chance to learn martial arts?”

　　But right now, he was just a lowly servant. Even if he begged these jianghu heroes, they wouldn’t take him as a disciple. They might even scold him for being a toad lusting after a swan. Evelyn Spencer sighed inwardly, feeling rather dejected.

　　This northern inn had been in business for decades, and the cook and staff were all experienced. Soon, hot food was served. Though it was too cold for fresh vegetables, at least they could cook a pot of steaming meat soup, and there was plenty of tea and rice.

　　The burly men were famished and not picky, wolfing down the food. Once their bellies were full, they looked more energetic. The bearded man said in a low voice, “Big Henry! Let’s go, before that kid gets too far.”

　　The pale golden-faced man nodded, casually tossed a silver ingot, and said, “The rest is your reward!” Then he got up and led the group out.

　　Evelyn Spencer caught the silver and thought, “In novels, the servant would be grinning from ear to ear at this point, but how could the owner let me keep such a big tip? The silver will surely be taken away. If I get three or five copper coins, the owner is being generous.”