Holding his belongings, William Clark touched his chest again. Aside from a lingering pain, he still had the sword technique manual tucked close to his body. This was his treasure, and he had to take great care of it.

Not only did he want to prevent it from being stolen, but it also represented his greatest means of survival in this world!

Just think about it—a magical ring that could summon martial arts techniques: although it had only worked once, and he wasn’t sure if he could summon even better or more powerful skills in the future, the information he’d received indicated that this thing could be used once a month. Even if he only managed to summon one good technique a year, that would be an incredible stroke of luck.

If he accidentally summoned a manual for some peerless martial art, wouldn’t he be able to do whatever he wanted from then on? At that point, not to mention dominating a small sect like Shushan Sect, even unifying the entire martial world wouldn’t be out of the question.

Of course, he would absolutely never practice those legendary forbidden tomes—even if he really did summon one, he wouldn’t train in it.

While William Clark was silently lost in his wild thoughts, Emily Carter had already bought some flatbread and a piece of cured meat, filled the waterskin with fresh water, and was leading William Clark out of the city.

It was only then that William Clark realized he had been staying at an inn in Shushan County for the past two days. Now, the two of them were clearly heading out of the city, and soon arrived at a rather desolate area.

Perhaps remembering that her senior brother had forgotten many things, Emily Carter explained their destination to William Clark along the way: “There’s a rundown temple not far ahead. It’s messy, but at least it’s shelter from the wind and rain. The two of us can make do there for the night, and tomorrow we’ll look for a better place to stay during the day!”

As she spoke, the dilapidated temple was already in sight. However, the firelight flickering through the broken walls suggested that someone else was already there.

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Chapter 4: A Beginner’s Tutorial Battle?

Inside the ruined temple, a group of unfriendly-looking men sat around a fire that wasn’t burning very brightly. The aroma of roasting meat wafting from the fire made it clear that it served more than just as a light source.

Of course, in this season, the fire could also be used to ward off insects.

When Emily Carter and William Clark entered, the group immediately turned their attention to them, with most of their gazes focusing on Emily Carter. The intent in some of those looks made her feel quite uncomfortable.

On the surface, however, she showed no sign of unease. Though she frowned slightly, no one seemed to notice—not even William Clark, who was standing right beside her.

“We’re in need of help! I hope you all can show us some kindness!”

Although this was unclaimed land, there was still an unspoken rule of first come, first served—especially in times like these. So even though it was clear this place didn’t belong to the others, it was still best to greet them first to avoid unnecessary conflict.

William Clark understood this as well, but since his junior sister was willing to take the lead, he was happy to stay silent on the side. Besides, from his observations, the looks these men were giving the two of them were far from friendly.

“Tch! Is this yet another cliché scenario every transmigrator has to go through? It’s just like a beginner’s tutorial battle.”

Muttering inwardly, he tested his strength a bit and found that although his chest still ached faintly, it wasn’t much of a hindrance anymore. If a fight really broke out, he wouldn’t be a sitting duck.

Maybe William Clark’s thinking was a bit paranoid, but in such unfamiliar surroundings, he couldn’t afford not to be cautious, so he tried to see the worst in people.

What’s more, the way these men were looking at his junior sister reminded him of the disgusting stares from some lowlifes he’d seen hanging around the streets in the past.

He’d even experienced a major conflict sparked by a similar situation before. Although they had been in the right that time, sometimes being right wasn’t enough.

Besides, now that he had transmigrated to a place even more chaotic than his original world, the law’s restraint on evildoers was probably extremely weak—after all, he and his companion had been walking around town openly carrying weapons, and no constables had questioned them; even the innkeeper hadn’t reported them for having weapons. That said a lot.

According to the historical knowledge in William Clark’s mind, weapons had always been strictly regulated throughout the dynasties, and periods lacking such control were usually times of chaos.

Based on what he’d seen these past two days and his own deductions, William Clark concluded that the world was far less peaceful than what he’d witnessed in Shushan County.

On the way here, he’d also subtly discussed the current situation with his junior sister, and learned that while the ruling class still held power, there were plenty of bandits and robbers everywhere. It wasn’t uncommon to hear about a gang of villains appearing somewhere, or some notorious thief being caught or killed.

In such an environment, with a group of men in front of him who looked unfriendly both in appearance and in their eyes, William Clark couldn’t help but be extra cautious.