Sharp-faced Boy brought back rumors, and after finishing, didn’t forget to remind the listeners: “If the young lady can’t get married, we’ll all be in trouble. This is a bandit gang—today we’re here, tomorrow who knows where we’ll be. Will Big Head Shen take a bunch of kids with him? Look around this camp—besides us, are there any other children? I think Big Head Shen won’t sell us; he’ll shoot us all through with one bullet, stringing us together, just like this.”

Sharp-faced Boy imitated Big Head Shen’s way of picking people out with a gun. Three children were so frightened that they dropped the bronze wares in their hands onto the ground.

On the fifth day after entering the camp, Big Head Shen led his men out again and didn’t return that night.

After a day of exhaustion, Samuel Cooper lay on the grass mat, unable to fall asleep.

He was used to sleeping on soft beds; to him, the grass mat was no different from the bare ground. Sharing a tent with ten people made him very uncomfortable. In the past, only the little page Ethan shared a room with him. Ethan never snored, nor did he grind his teeth or toss and turn frequently.

Samuel Cooper had already accepted the reality of his ruined family and was growing ever more determined to seek revenge, but he still couldn’t easily adapt to the details of daily life.

Someone was moving inside the tent. There was a gap at the top, and a sliver of moonlight slipped in. Samuel Cooper saw two youths tiptoeing toward the entrance.

They were the two boys being hunted by the Snow Mountain Swordsman.

Samuel Cooper had once impulsively spoken up for them, but they didn’t seem grateful at all. Of course, they couldn’t speak Central Plains dialect, but they had never shown any sign of thanks.

Samuel Cooper didn’t mind; he had too many things of his own to think about.

The two boys looked very much alike—obviously brothers. As they walked, they glanced around. Soon, the older brother’s gaze met Samuel Cooper’s.

It was at that moment that Samuel Cooper suddenly realized the brothers were planning to escape.

The older brother hesitated for a moment, pointed outside, and made a few simple gestures. His eyes were deeper than the night, shining faintly, like a wary cat.

The other children were all sound asleep. Samuel Cooper propped himself up, staring at those eyes just a short distance away, and understood their meaning: the brothers were inviting him to escape with them.

This was indeed a good opportunity to run. Big Head Shen had taken many of his men, and those left were mostly unskilled laborers. The bandits had never arranged special guards for these ten boys. Just a few miles outside the camp was Jade Wall City—a perfect place to hide from pursuers.

Samuel Cooper slowly shook his head, but waved his hand lightly, wishing them luck.

He couldn’t waste this golden opportunity to enter Golden Roc Fort. Unless he followed the young mistress in marriage, as a boy with mediocre martial arts, it would be nearly impossible for him to get close to Golden Roc Fort.

That was where his sister’s whereabouts and his enemies were.

The other boy was a bit surprised, but didn’t try to persuade him further. He waved in return, then turned and carefully led his younger brother out of the tent.

Samuel Cooper lay back down. Those brothers must have had unusual experiences like him, but they couldn’t communicate.

“Someone’s trying to escape! Help!”

Just as the brothers lifted a corner of the tent, Sharp-faced Boy’s voice suddenly rang out. No one knew when he had woken up.

The brothers were startled. After a brief hesitation, they turned at the same time and charged toward Sharp-faced Boy, who was sleeping in the innermost spot.

But as soon as they took a step, someone grabbed each of them by the collar.

It was Snow, still wearing her daytime clothes, moving with incredible speed, as if she had been standing guard outside the tent all along.

Chapter 0009: Sworn Brotherhood

“They tried to run away, and I caught them. And him—he was going to escape too.”

Sharp-faced Boy pointed at Samuel Cooper.

Other bandits who heard the commotion rushed in, holding torches, but seeing that Snow had the situation under control, none of them intervened.

Samuel Cooper had once resolved to do whatever it took for revenge, but now he didn’t even know what “whatever it took” meant.

So, faced with Sharp-faced Boy’s false accusation, he hesitated for a moment but didn’t refute it, showing that he didn’t want to betray the brothers.

Snow snorted, asked nothing, and tossed the brothers upward, then struck both their backs with her palms at the same time. The two boys fell silently onto the grass mat, their fate unknown.

Sharp-faced Boy’s eyes sparkled. Scenes of others being punished, even if not by his own hand, always excited him.

Snow strode over to Samuel Cooper, asked nothing, and with lightning speed jabbed two fingers into his left and right shoulders.

Samuel Cooper had been sitting on the grass mat. Now he fell backward, pain piercing to the bone. Both arms instantly lost all strength, sweat beading on his forehead. A cry of pain escaped his lips, but he forced himself to hold it back.

Sharp-faced Boy’s cheeks flushed with excitement, almost cheering out loud.

Snow then walked over to Sharp-faced Boy. Sharp-faced Boy knelt on the grass mat, expectant, and said urgently:

“Snow, don’t worry, I…”

Snow raised her arm and slapped him. The blow was so powerful that Sharp-faced Boy flipped over and crashed heavily to the ground, lying motionless, his fate also unknown.

“Little snitch.”