Thomas Harris saw that William was neater and more energetic than yesterday, and he was pleased in his heart. He kindly said to William, "Yesterday your grandfather told you that he would find you a master to teach you martial arts. Today, your master has arrived. Go and pay your respects!"

He pointed to the burly man beside him and introduced him to William, "This is a fierce general from my army, his surname is Zhang, given name Xutuo. From now on, you will learn martial arts from him!"

William was shaken all over. He had been excited all night, wondering who his master would be. Would it be James Thompson? It was said that Thomas Harris and James Thompson had a good relationship. Or would it be one of the Sixteen Heroes of the Sui Dynasty? But those were characters from legends, not necessarily the most formidable. He never expected that his master would turn out to be Matthew Bolton, known as the last great general of the Sui Dynasty.

William could not contain his joy. He bowed deeply and said, "Disciple William Harris pays respects to Master!"

At this time, Matthew Bolton was already quite famous, but had not yet risen to the top. He was the trusted and favored general of the great general Walter Price, but his military rank was not high—just a Cavalry Captain. Walter Price was a subordinate of Thomas Harris, and because he wanted to curry favor with Thomas Harris, he got to know Raymond Ford. Through this connection, Matthew Bolton also met Raymond Ford. His robust physique left a deep impression on Raymond Ford, and with Walter Price's constant praise of Matthew Bolton's unmatched bravery and extraordinary courage—only hindered by bad luck—Raymond Ford immediately thought of recommending Matthew Bolton as William's master.

For Matthew Bolton, this was also a great opportunity to rise. Being able to teach the grandson of the Prime Minister would be very beneficial for his future. He quickly helped William up and said in a deep voice, "Learning martial arts from me will be very hard. Can you endure it?"

William replied without hesitation, "I am not afraid of hardship, only afraid there is no hardship to endure!"

"Very good. Come with me now!"

Matthew Bolton bowed to Thomas Harris, "Prime Minister, I will take William with me now."

Thomas Harris was also aware of Matthew Bolton's reputation. He narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "I have only one thing to say: do not treat him as my grandson."

Volume One: A Boy of the Harris Family Comes of Age

Chapter Eleven: Ruthless Measures

Matthew Bolton spurred his warhorse toward Qujiang Pool at the southeast corner of Daxing City. At this time, Daxing City was not yet called Chang'an; it was more often referred to as the Western Capital or simply the Capital. Today was the eighth day of the first lunar month. The weather was bitterly cold, the ground frozen, and snow blanketed everything. Inside and outside Daxing City, it was a world of ice and snow.

Matthew Bolton rode slowly, silent from start to finish. William sat in front of him, full of youthful spirit, thoroughly enjoying the experience of riding a horse. In his previous life, he had never ridden a horse, but he had always dreamed of riding a warhorse, wielding a long halberd, and shouting mightily, "State your name!" He too wished to join the ranks of the Sixteen Heroes of the Sui Dynasty.

Today, for the first time, he was riding a magnificent warhorse. His life was about to begin a new chapter. He wondered how Matthew Bolton would lay his foundation—would he give him elixirs or teach him meditation and breathing techniques? His heart was full of anticipation.

The reason Matthew Bolton was riding slowly was mainly to assess William's physical condition and to consider how to teach him. With William sitting right in front of him, he could feel William's bones and muscles. He sensed that William's arms were strong, as if he had practiced martial arts before.

"Who taught you martial arts?" Matthew Bolton asked coldly.

"I taught myself, starting at three and a half years old. Every day I chopped trees with a knife, five hundred times a day."

"Who taught you this method?" Matthew Bolton's expression softened a little.

"I overheard the martial instructors in the Harris residence talking. No one taught me directly."

William did not tell the truth. He did not want to tell Matthew Bolton that he had learned the Zhang family saber technique. In fact, he had not learned any foundation-building methods, so it would not affect his future martial arts training.

This was actually what Matthew Bolton was worried about. The first step in learning martial arts is extremely important. If William had already had his foundation laid by someone else, then no matter how Matthew Bolton taught him afterward, William would never be able to master his skills. It was like a blank sheet of paper—only a blank sheet could be painted on. If someone else had already scribbled on it, then this promising seedling would be ruined.

Matthew Bolton was not worried that William would later take another master, but that he would not be able to lay the foundation for William. His heart eased a little, and he said no more.

A quarter of an hour later, they arrived at the bank of Qujiang Pool. The pool was covered in snow and ice, the frozen surface as smooth as a mirror. Many people were skating on the lake. Matthew Bolton came to a secluded stream, tied up the horse, squatted in front of William, pressed his hands on his shoulders, and stared into his eyes, asking in a deep voice, "I'll ask you one last time: if you learn from me, do you truly have no regrets?"

William replied with utmost seriousness, "I will never regret it!"

"Good! We begin now."

Matthew Bolton drew his saber, a family heirloom called the Seven Stars Cold Moon Saber, incomparably sharp. With a light leap, he landed on the ice of the small river two zhang away, gathered strength in his arms, and—'slash!'—the saber cut into the foot-thick ice. He immediately sliced open the ice with a cracking sound, and as if cutting tofu, in an instant he cut out a circular ice lid one zhang in diameter.

The ice lid weighed several hundred jin. With a show of strength, he lifted the ice lid high and tossed it onto the bank, leaving a hole one zhang wide in the river's surface.

William was amazed by Matthew Bolton's incredible strength, but looking at the hole in the ice, he felt a chill. He began to understand what Matthew Bolton intended—was this how he would lay his foundation?

Matthew Bolton pointed his saber at the hole in the ice and said coldly, "Jump in!"