“No need to go through all that trouble. You still have to go to Eagle Gate, don’t miss the time and mess up important matters. I’ll just go to Kingston Manor myself. By the way, which way is Kingston Guild?”

“Alright then. The road to Kingston Guild is easy to find. Exit the south gate of the city, follow the main road for five li, and you’ll see a very conspicuous Phoenix Mountain. After Kingston Guild took over the mountain, it became known as Kingston Hill. Kingston Guild built a very grand manor on the mountain, which is the headquarters of Kingston Guild, very impressive and easy to spot. Walk a few more li and you’ll see it. Oh, and Little Ethan, you don’t have any money on you. I still have a few dozen copper coins here, take them, you might need them.”

Sam took out a few dozen copper coins, trying to hand them to Ethan Brooks.

“You keep them for yourself, expenses in the city are high!”

Ethan Brooks hurriedly pushed them away, refusing to accept, feeling touched inside.

Sam only earned three copper coins a day working at the inn. It would take at least a month to save up a few dozen copper coins—he couldn’t take this money.

“We’re brothers for life, why are you being so polite with me! When we become great heroes of the jianghu and make big money, we’ll spend a tael of silver like it’s nothing. What are a dozen copper coins then?”

Sam was getting anxious.

“One is enough, I’ll buy a few steamed buns on the road to fill my stomach! Sam, this is where we part! No matter what, I’ll carve out a path for myself and become a hero of the jianghu. We’ll meet again in the jianghu someday!”

Ethan Brooks couldn’t refuse any longer and finally accepted one copper coin from Sam.

“Alright! When we meet again in the jianghu, we’ll drink big bowls of wine and eat big chunks of meat together!”

Sam waved his hand hard, eyes brimming with tears.

The two young men parted ways on the bustling streets of Gusu County, each harboring dreams of becoming heroes of the jianghu. In the cold, whistling wind, they hurried toward their own futures.

Chapter 007: The Cold Iron Chain Bridge

Ethan Brooks held that copper coin in his palm and walked near the south city gate, passing by a breakfast stall near the gate. He originally wanted to keep the coin as a memento and not spend it.

But then he thought, what if Kingston Guild requires an assessment when recruiting disciples, and he’s too hungry to have any strength? That wouldn’t do.

Ethan Brooks thought for a moment, picked up a sharp stone by the roadside, and carved a crooked “丑” character on the copper coin.

This was something Sam had taught him. Although most children of commoners in the county couldn’t read, many still knew their own names. And this “丑” character was simple and easy to write—Sam had said it once and Ethan Brooks remembered it.

Ethan Brooks used that copper coin to buy three hefty coarse-grain steamed buns from the breakfast stall owner.

He couldn’t bear to eat them right away, so he tucked them into his chest to keep warm, planning to eat them only when he was truly hungry.

Ethan Brooks left the Gusu County city gate and hurried along the main road.

The main road was quite busy: jianghu heroes riding tall horses, wealthy families in luxurious carriages, farmers’ ox carts, woodcutters carrying firewood to market—all coming and going in an endless stream.

Ethan Brooks was eager, and after walking three or four li, he saw a large mountain in the distance, with streams and a big lake surrounding a manor at its foot.

Halfway up the mountain, a long blue-brick wall separated the manor from the outside world. On the mountain, blue-brick, gray-tiled pavilions and courtyards overlapped, covering nearly half the mountain ridge.

This must be the Kingston Manor that Sam mentioned.

Ethan Brooks couldn’t help but marvel—this Kingston Manor was truly grand, almost as big as half of Zhouzhuang. No wonder it was one of the five great jianghu sects in Wu County.

The mansions of the local gentry in Zhouzhuang were nothing compared to this manor. Joining such a big sect would surely mean a bright future.

Ethan Brooks could vaguely see that at the foot of the manor, there seemed to be hundreds of noisy people gathered.

Could they all be here early to join Kingston Guild, hoping to become apprentices? With so many people, who knows how many apprentices Kingston Guild plans to recruit.

Ethan Brooks grew anxious and hurried his pace.

……

Not long after Ethan Brooks and Sam left the backyard of Eagle Inn, another donkey cart hurriedly left the backyard and headed south out of the city.

“Giddy up, clop clop~!”

The old donkey cart sped along the main road outside the south city gate.

Driving the cart in a hurry was none other than Mr. Bolton, and sitting on the wooden board in the back was his chubby son, Jack Bolton.

After slaughtering a pig, Mr. Bolton asked Mr. Foster Sr. at the inn for a day off, saying he was taking his wife and son back to their hometown in Zhouzhuang to visit relatives.

“Dad, why did we leave the city? Aren’t we going to Eagle Gate?”

Jack Bolton held a steaming meat bun in both hands, taking big bites and getting grease all over his mouth. Only after leaving the city did he realize something was off, looking confused.

“Are you stupid! Mr. Foster Sr.’s son is sure to get into Eagle Gate, at least as an outer disciple. If he sees you getting in too, won’t he bully you to death? How could you have any future in Eagle Gate? There are several big sects in Wu County—we don’t have to join Eagle Gate.”

“You’re right, Dad, you really think things through!”