Luke Lewis remained silent. Having experienced the vicissitudes of half a lifetime, he knew all too well what the current provincial soldiers and local militias were like.

Not long after they escaped from Eagle’s Mouth, they encountered this squad of armed soldiers. In their haste, they claimed to have run into horse bandits along the way and asked them to come rescue the villagers trapped on the Eagle’s Mouth cliff. Now that this squad had rushed over and scared off the assassin, it was already a blessing—what more could he expect?

What he hadn’t anticipated was that the leader of this military outpost squad actually knew the young man at the top of the cliff.

When Henry Smith carefully climbed down from Eagle’s Mouth, he saw that the youth looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, which made Luke Lewis even more astonished.

Aside from being quite sturdy—half a head taller than most regular soldiers—he was just a country boy. In fact, his movements as he climbed down the cliff were a bit stiff, lacking agility.

He wore a tattered short jacket, with several tears at the collar and sleeves from branches and rocks. Around his waist was a grass rope, and astonishingly, a hatchet with patches of rust was tucked behind him!

He and Brian Walker—the gentleman—had actually been saved today by such a youth?

Luke Lewis noticed that the squad leader didn’t know their identities, so who was the “big brother” the youth had just mentioned? How did he know they would be passing through Eagle’s Mouth and arrange for the youth to wait here?

Of course, if the matter of the assassin were exposed, it would only provoke that villain Cai Ting to send even more ruthless men to persecute them, with no other benefit.

Luke Lewis was full of doubts and confusion, but at this moment he simply kept his mouth shut and refrained from asking further. Still, the look he gave the youth was filled with gratitude.

He himself was skilled, but Brian Walker’s grandchildren and the wet nurse were unarmed.

He knew that on this narrow mountain path, without the youth holding off the assassin, even if he was willing to sacrifice himself for righteousness, he could not possibly protect Brian Walker’s family.

……

……

Hearing James Smith and Andrew Smith rush over and mistake those people for “horse bandits,” Henry Smith realized that Brian Walker and his group hadn’t told the truth when they met James Smith and Andrew Smith.

Now that his mind was clear, it wasn’t hard to understand why Brian Walker and the others had done so.

Of course, he didn’t want to get further entangled in these troublesome affairs either. He glanced twice at the “coachman” beside Brian Walker, but didn’t go over to exchange pleasantries. Instead, he shared a horse with Andrew Smith, following behind James Smith and the others toward Huaiyuan Town.

When they were still four or five li from Huaiyuan Town, Henry Smith saw the shabby carriage carrying Brian Walker stopped by the roadside.

Dressed in a blue robe, Brian Walker was standing by the carriage, talking with Huaiyuan’s inspector Gregory Dean, surrounded by a squad of soldiers.

Huaiyuan Town was under the jurisdiction of Miyang County, but it was a hundred and thirty or forty li of mountain road from the county seat.

The inspector Gregory Dean, who represented the government and was stationed in Huaiyuan Town, was the highest-ranking official in the Tongbai Mountains. Naturally, Henry Smith recognized this short, stocky man with a face full of coarse features.

And the girl who had lifted the carriage curtain for a fleeting glance at Henry Smith at Eagle’s Mouth—leaving a stunning impression—was now sitting at the front of the carriage, looking over with concern.

Perhaps stimulated by this scene, a dozen beautiful faces flashed through Henry Smith’s mind—likely women he remembered deeply from his later life—but none could compare to the fresh and radiant beauty of the girl before him.

How strange—why would these pictorial memories appear out of nowhere?

Of course, Henry Smith still hadn’t figured out his own situation, nor did he know if these flashes of memory were some kind of warning.

Besides, back on the Eagle’s Mouth cliff, the distance had been so great that it was unlikely the assassin could have seen his face clearly. He should have escaped directly down the back of the cliff. Thinking it over now, it was that inexplicable surge of emotion that ultimately made him decide to help Brian Walker and his group escape first.

What were these mostly forgotten memories, the occasional fleeting fragments, and the sudden, inexplicable emotions, after all?

Was he, in fact, a lonely soul from a later era, who had possessed this body as a child and then muddled through sixteen years of life?

Sitting on horseback, Henry Smith’s mind was in turmoil, and he even forgot to dismount. The girl, thinking he was staring at her foolishly, turned her face away in embarrassment.

“You blockhead, you sure know how to stare at girls!” James Smith, feeling a bit embarrassed, poked Henry Smith with the handle of his riding whip after dismounting, then tossed him the reins. “Hold my horse for me.”

“Ah!” Henry Smith snapped back to reality, watching as James Smith and the “coachman” walked over to inspector Gregory Dean and Brian Walker…

Chapter Four: Fool in Others’ Eyes

Inspector Gregory Dean saw James Smith and the others return empty-handed and knew these sly fellows were unwilling to exert themselves.

Though only a ninth-rank military official, as inspector he was formally appointed by the Privy Council and held an official post, not a mere clerk. He was usually stationed in the military outpost right next to the Huaiyuan Town marketplace.

The current dynasty’s local administration differed greatly from the previous one, establishing towns in important markets where there were no counties. Thus, Gregory Dean also served as the supervisor of Huaiyuan Town.

Under his command, including James Smith, were not only low-ranking officers like captains and lieutenants, but also clerks and tax officials, giving him considerable authority. Affairs such as anti-theft, bandit capture, and smuggling in the rural areas outside Miyang County all fell under his jurisdiction.

However, the Tongbai Mountains stretched for two or three hundred li and bordered the three prefectures of Sui, Guang, and Ying. Bandits roamed everywhere, and with only a hundred or so cunning local soldiers under his command—many of whom might secretly collude with thieves—how could Gregory Dean possibly manage it all?