William Clark cursed him: "You glutton!"

David Bennett knew he ate a lot and couldn't argue, so he could only give an awkward smile and look in front of him—then he saw there were five bowls in front of William Clark!

This made him furious: "You ate even more than me?"

William Clark loosened his belt: "Boss, another bowl please."

David Bennett was exasperated: "You can still eat?"

William Clark said, "I can't eat anymore, this bowl is to take back for dinner tonight."

David Bennett: "You can do that?"

This bowl was for Charles Foster to take back. The meat in this bowl was especially invigorating; after eating it, his spirits improved a lot in the afternoon, his complexion was no longer sallow, and he regained some color.

Another day passed—March 14th.

The old almanac said today was suitable for worship, praying for blessings, seeking offspring, fasting, and coming-of-age ceremonies, but not for consecration, marriage, well-digging, burial, or visiting.

William Clark thought about it and realized their trip to the Zhong family at Xiama Ridge today also counted as a visit, so he used a brush to erase the last two words from the old almanac.

David Bennett saw this and asked, "What are you doing?"

William Clark said, "In this life, you must take control of your own fate, because only you can rely on yourself."

David Bennett was taken aback: "If that's the case, isn't my fate doomed?"

He was worried about this, so when he saw a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts, he took out six copper coins to buy a bag to comfort himself.

The Xiama Ridge they were heading to was a small mountain ridge, steep in terrain, but the land at the foot of the mountain was very fertile. So, several villages used to live in that area, each with a different surname.

Time flies and things change. After several generations of hard work by the Zhong family, they drove away the other families who had settled at the foot of the mountain and completely took over the place.

Charles Foster commented, "The Zhong clan is impressive. Although they live in the countryside, they're united and talented. They were outsiders at first, just a dozen or so households fleeing to Xiama Ridge. But after a few generations, only the Zhong family remains here."

Xiama Ridge was more than twenty li from the town, and walking would take quite a few hours, so David Bennett went to hire a carriage.

After a bumpy ride, a long ridge stretching across the plain finally appeared. This was Xiama Ridge—not very tall, but definitely steep, with some peaks almost vertical.

At the foot of the mountain were fields scattered like stars, and further up, houses were scattered among the rocks—that was where the Zhong family lived.

Entering the Zhong family village, David Bennett explained to him, "The Zhong residences are divided by elevation. The lower ones are called the lower houses, where tenant farmers, shepherds, and swineherds—people without status—live. The upper ones are called the upper houses, where the people of status in the clan live."

After Qingming, there was plenty of rain, and with spring plowing, the lower house people were all out working in the fields. Only at the upper houses could a few old men be seen leaning against the walls watching the children.

There was a checkpoint between the upper and lower houses. A middle-aged man in a long robe called down from above, "Stop right there! Who are you?"

A few mischievous children followed, shouting, "Who are you? Hey, big dark guy, what are you eating?"

David Bennett's face darkened and he shouted, "Silence! Can't you see the dark brocade robe on your lord? We're from the Heavenly Monitoring Bureau on official business—go get your master!"

The dark brocade short robe was exclusive to the Heavenly Monitoring Bureau, even more impressive than the soldiers' armor.

The children were scared off. The middle-aged man, seeing their attire clearly, hurried down and bowed repeatedly, "Sirs, forgive me, I was blind..."

"Bring out Zhong Youfu," Charles Foster said in a deep voice.

The middle-aged man looked troubled: "Our, our clan leader—no, our former clan leader—has passed away. Should I go get our current clan leader to greet you, sirs?"

"When did he pass away?"

"About four or five days ago."

Charles Foster asked again, "Who is your current clan leader?"

The middle-aged man looked a bit odd and said, "It's Zhong Youshou."

"Take us to see him," Charles Foster said calmly.

The middle-aged man bowed again, "How could I trouble you sirs to walk? I'll go fetch him right away."

Zhong Youshou was a hunchbacked old man with sparse hair and sallow skin. The middle-aged man quickly brought him out.

The old man had trouble walking, limping along the mountain path, with a big yellow dog following him. The dog also limped as it walked.

At first, the three thought the dog had a lame leg too, but when the middle-aged man waved and scolded it, the dog suddenly lifted its leg and ran toward them normally.

David Bennett found this amusing and asked Zhong Youshou, "Old man, is your dog fierce? If I pet it, will it bite me?"

Zhong Youshou grinned and said, "My dog is tame, it doesn't bite. You can pet it however you like."

David Bennett confidently reached out to pet the dog's head, but the yellow dog suddenly opened its mouth and bit at him.

"The Soul-Cutting Blade of the Lunar Shadow" emphasizes speed—William Clark flicked his wrist and shoved the scabbard into the yellow dog's mouth, giving it a deep-throat.

David Bennett narrowly escaped disaster. He glared at Zhong Youshou and shouted, "Didn't you say your dog doesn't bite?"

Zhong Youshou shrank back and said, "But this dog isn't mine."

Charles Foster turned to look down the mountain, a smile on his lips.

William Clark laughed without restraint.

David Bennett said sulkily, "Is this old man missing a screw in his head?"