“It’s absolutely impossible. The Ant Bandits returning east through Chenzhou must be a small detachment. I personally tracked the main force of the Ant Bandits as they approached Song County. Right now, the Ant Bandits are still active north of Lushan Pass, and I estimate they’ll return east very soon.” Brian Carter said calmly. He knew exactly why he’d been whipped today: that John Foster had already reported the Ant Bandits’ eastward return through Chenzhou, and the adjutant suspected he’d been slacking off outside, which was why he was so furious.

“Oh? How large is this group of Ant Bandits, would you say?”

“When the Ant Bandits entered Ruzhou, they had less than fifty thousand men, but by the time they return east, with all the new followers, I estimate their numbers will exceed eighty thousand!” Brian Carter replied after a brief moment of thought.

“Eighty thousand?” The burly man with a face full of scars was startled. “Why are you so certain?”

“When I left Song County, the refugees in the surrounding mountains had already been recruited by the Ant Bandits, and many were eager to join. Eighty thousand is my conservative estimate.”

The scar-faced man’s mind raced. The Funiu Mountains, Waifang Mountain, and Xionger Mountain area had always been a refuge for vagrants, and in recent years had become the base of many bandit gangs. The Zhu family’s garrison in Ruzhou had repeatedly tried to clear them out, but to no avail—the problem only grew worse. Now, with the Ant Bandits passing through and joining forces with the local bandits, their strength would be even greater.

At this point, he no longer cared about investigating why Brian Carter had returned late or why his report differed from that of another scout. If these eighty thousand Ant Bandits returned east, where would they most likely strike? If this disaster befell Guangzhou, how would Guangzhou respond? Glancing at the composed Brian Carter, the scar-faced man felt a twinge of regret for whipping him. But this fellow had always been rebellious and often contradicted him. If not for his repeated outstanding performance, he would have been expelled long ago. Could this guy be exaggerating the bandit threat to cover up his own faults?

“When did you return from Song County?”

“Ten days ago,” Brian Carter answered without hesitation.

“Ten days ago you left Song County and only now returned? With your speed, it shouldn’t have taken ten days, should it?” The scar-faced man’s expression darkened again.

Brian Carter was momentarily stunned, then replied, “I returned east via Nanyang, so I was delayed.”

“Via Nanyang? Who told you to go to Nanyang? Are you saying the Ant Bandits have already broken through Lushan Pass and entered Nanyang?” The scar-faced man’s eyes locked onto Brian Carter like daggers.

Brian Carter was at a loss for words. Was he supposed to say he’d gone to Nanyang on a whim, just to see what his ancestral home from over a thousand years ago looked like?

“Tell me, why did you go to Nanyang?” The scar-faced man leaned forward, his face even colder. “Did you go to Shenzhou, or Nanyang?”

“Shenzhou? I didn’t go to Shenzhou.” Brian Carter was a bit baffled, then suddenly realized—did the other party suspect he had some connection with Shenzhou?

“Still pretending! I was wondering how that old fox Ju found out about our connection with Nanyang and suddenly tightened military preparations. Turns out you’re the traitor!” The scar-faced man’s face turned ashen, his triangular eyes flashing with a fierce light. “Eric Carter, the Xu family has treated you well. The family head even planned to promote you to captain after this mission as a special favor, and this is how you repay us?! What do you have to say for yourself?!”

“Sir, I have had no contact with the Ju family. You’re mistaken.” Brian Carter cursed inwardly. One careless word had brought endless trouble. If he’d known, he would have just told the truth from the start.

Chapter 15 The Foster Family

“Mistaken? I’ll have you show your true colors soon enough!” The scar-faced man snorted coldly. “John Foster, get in here!”

“Sir, this is what I found in Brian Carter’s room!” The young man who strode in, excitement and pride written all over his face, didn’t forget his manners—he snapped off a crisp military salute before respectfully presenting the item in his hand. “This was hidden under Brian Carter’s bedding. If I hadn’t searched carefully, he would have gotten away with it.”

“What do you have to say now?” The scar-faced man grinned menacingly as he took the item, signaling the guards on either side to prepare to seize the suspect. He knew this man’s martial skills were impressive—among his dozen scouts, he was the best, and even in the army he was considered a top hand. It was a pity to lose such talent.

“Sir, may I explain?” Brian Carter saw the item in John Foster’s hand and felt a pang of dread. That name card from David Bennett was exquisitely made, and in others’ eyes could easily be mistaken for some kind of secret token. Even if he could clear himself of being a traitor, it would be hard to prove his innocence. Could it be that David Bennett had foreseen he’d face such a trial and deliberately set this trap for him? For a moment, Brian Carter was filled with mixed emotions, realizing he might have underestimated the cunning of people in this era. The Chinese have never lacked for scheming minds.

“Explain? I’ll give you plenty of time to explain—if you can convince me!” The scar-faced man opened the name card and was taken aback. “David Bennett?”

“Sir, I met Lord David Bennett by chance on the road. We got along well, and he gave me his name card.” Brian Carter forced himself to answer.

“David Bennett of Guanzhong? What’s he doing here?” The scar-faced man looked Brian Carter up and down in confusion.

He certainly knew who David Bennett was. The Li family’s resurgence and dominance in Guanzhong relied on the martial strength of the Yuchi and Cheng families, and the scholarly support of the Yao and Song families. David Bennett was the head of the Yuchi clan.