Richard Howard swallowed hard and sneered, “Give me the food later, and I’ll spare your life. Otherwise... if I get the chance along the way, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

As he spoke, Richard Howard instinctively turned to look at the end of the line.

Robert Bennett’s gaze did the same, glancing over his head to the tall young man walking at the very back.

All along the way, the young man had desperately protected the original body. Just the other day, he had stepped in for Robert Bennett, taking on three convicts at once and beating them soundly. Because of this, David Brooks had ordered him to be caned ten times, moving him from Robert Bennett’s side to the end of the line.

The young man’s name was George Foster, nicknamed Rocky, and he was thirteen this year. Five years ago, Robert Bennett had found George Foster fainted from hunger on the street and saved him.

The Ye family didn’t lack for food, but Robert Bennett was, after all, the son of a live-in son-in-law, and his mother had died in childbirth. All this meant Robert Bennett didn’t have a good reputation in the Ye family.

Picking up a beggar off the street... What was that supposed to mean? Didn’t trust your own family?

Robert Bennett asked George Foster what he wanted to do. George Foster said he wanted to learn martial arts and become the young master’s bodyguard.

Robert Bennett planned to have him learn from the security escorts, but George Foster found a master on his own...

Every few days, George Foster would go off to train. As for how much he’d learned, Robert Bennett had no idea... After all, he was sickly and never had a chance to fight anyone, so George Foster had nowhere to use his skills.

After Robert Bennett was imprisoned, it wasn’t long before George Foster followed. When asked, this simpleton actually said he wanted to be in jail with the young master.

But prison isn’t somewhere you can just go if you want!

A fool has his own ways. As it happened, someone from the Ye family came to seize the Jiang family’s property, and George Foster broke a few of their bones, successfully reuniting with his young master in jail.

At sentencing, the Suzhou officials were rather amused, saying that since this master and servant wanted to stick together, they’d grant their wish.

And so, George Foster joined the conscripted laborers.

“Rocky.”

Robert Bennett called out.

“Hey!” George Foster looked up, his young face full of concern. “Young master, is your chest hurting again?”

“I’m fine.” Robert Bennett saw that he was still limping a bit, so he cupped his hands to the two soldiers at the rear. “If Rocky slows us down, that’s not good. Please allow me to help him walk.”

The number of conscripts couldn’t be reduced... Of course, dying of illness on the road was another matter. If someone went missing for no reason, the officers in charge wouldn’t take it lightly—a single report could bring trouble to the escorting soldiers.

After all, every convict here was seen as prime labor and cannon fodder by those officers.

The two soldiers sneered, but David Brooks spoke up, “If there’s any more fighting, you’ll be the one to answer for it.” George Foster might only be thirteen, but he was bigger than most adults. That day, he’d taken on three at once and swept through them with ease, making David Brooks feel a bit regretful.

Robert Bennett cupped his hands in thanks. George Foster happily ran forward, forgetting that the rope in his hand was tied to the convicts ahead. As he ran, he pulled several of them down with him.

This showed just how strong the boy was.

It hadn’t been easy for master and servant to reunite.

George Foster smacked Richard Howard on the back of the head with a loud slap, a fierce glint in his eyes. “If I see you baring your teeth at the young master again, I’ll gouge your eyes out.”

Richard Howard looked back at David Brooks, but David Brooks couldn’t care less about such squabbles. Remembering how brutally George Foster had beaten those three convicts the other day, Richard Howard shrank his neck. “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

Robert Bennett patted George Foster on the shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come, kid.”

George Foster sniffed. “Without you, young master, I’d have starved long ago. My master always said, a man should know gratitude and grudges. You treated me like a person and saved my life, so I should give my life for you...”

George Foster rarely mentioned that master, and Robert Bennett wasn’t interested in knowing.

Silly boy!

In the utilitarian society of later generations, someone like George Foster would be seen as a fool by the world.

“Don’t worry, young master.” George Foster rubbed his belly. “Once we get to Taizhou, I’ll go kill the Wokou and earn merit to atone for my crimes.”

If only this broken body could last until then!

Robert Bennett smiled bitterly to himself, but was deeply moved.

“Corporal, there’s smoke ahead!”

A soldier shouted.

Robert Bennett turned to look and saw, in the distance to the left of the official road, faint smoke rising.

David Brooks ordered two soldiers to investigate.

Everyone took the chance to rest by the roadside. The officers had rations and water, but the convicts could only swallow their saliva in hunger.

Before long, the two soldiers came running back, faces ashen.

“Corporal, it’s the Wokou raiding a village!”

“The Wokou have landed here?!”

“How many?” David Brooks sprang to his feet.

“Over thirty!”

A dozen soldiers turned pale.

Rumor had it the Wokou could fight ten men apiece.

Over thirty Wokou—three hundred soldiers might not be able to stop them.

And here there were only a dozen soldiers and a few dozen serious convicts.

All the heroic spirit in David Brooks’s heart vanished.

Run!

That was his first thought.

“They saw us when we came back,” one soldier said nervously, hinting they should hurry, or else...

David Brooks looked at the convicts. “All of you, listen up! If anyone tries to escape, you’ll be killed without mercy!”