James Smith was still sound asleep, while the diligent Olivia had already gotten up early to prepare breakfast for them.

Luke Lewis should have already “made his move” on Brian Walker, but Henry Smith was in no hurry. He dawdled for a while before pretending to head out to the courtyard to draw water from the well and wash up.

After wolfing down a pound of wheat cakes with pickles, Andrew Smith came running back.

Seeing that Henry Smith hadn’t even packed his travel bag, Andrew Smith shouted angrily, “Are you a mule or a donkey? Why are you so slow? Do you need someone with a whip to drive you?”

“Are we leaving now?” Henry Smith asked hesitantly.

“You blockhead, are you planning to wait until the sun is high before setting out?” Andrew Smith urged, tossing a set of armor and a matching saber to Henry Smith, saying, “Put your bundle down and let me pack it. Hurry up and put on the armor, and stop embarrassing yourself with that hatchet of yours! Old Master Walker and Master Lewis have already gone to the ferry. My god, hurry up!”

Whether or not there was danger on the road, it was true that they were representing the Inspection Office to escort Brian Walker to Miyang City.

Andrew Smith certainly didn’t want to travel with Henry Smith carrying a hatchet at his waist, so he had already borrowed a set of military uniform and armor from the barracks.

Henry Smith was stunned: What went wrong? Luke Lewis still hadn’t taken down Brian Walker by now, and they were urging to set off? Did he change his mind, or did Brian Walker notice something?

Henry Smith was burly, and the gray-black standard military uniform and leather armor were a bit tight on him, but he looked quite imposing.

The narrow-bladed iron saber was standard issue for ordinary soldiers—not exactly fine, but Henry Smith liked it very much. He drew the saber, held it diagonally behind his left side, and as he stepped forward, used his wrist and elbow to bring the blade above his body, slashing toward the right front.

Henry Smith’s movements weren’t large; he just wanted to feel how to integrate the power of his spine into the saber technique, and it was much more natural now.

“You blockhead, why are you fussing so much? Put the saber away and come with me!” Andrew Smith stuffed the bundle of dry rations into Henry Smith’s hands, dragged him to the stables to fetch a horse, and headed toward the ferry outside the east gate of the military camp.

Besides running brothels and warehouses in Huaiyuan Market and Miyang City, the Tang family also dealt in tea and medicinal herbs.

Although the new tea hadn’t come to market yet, every month thousands of pounds of specialty medicinal herbs from Tongbai Mountain were shipped to Miyang, and from there, merchants would take them south to Jinghu or north to Chuanluo.

The Tang family had been operating in Tongbai Mountain for generations, with fields stretching far and wide, and their wealth and influence even surpassed the Xu family.

The head of the Tang family rarely appeared in public, but his younger brother David Turner, though slightly inferior to James Smith in martial skills, held the position of Deputy Captain in the Inspection Office.

“Why is this blockhead going to the county with you?” The manager of the Tang family’s warehouse saw Henry Smith leading a horse over and asked Andrew Smith with a smile.

Both the Xu and Tang families were major clans in Tongbai Mountain. Not counting their attached tenants, their direct and collateral descendants numbered at least eight hundred to a thousand.

However, Andrew Smith’s skills were among the best of the younger generation, while Henry Smith, with his large build and natural strength but simple-minded and clumsy nature, was well-known in Huaiyuan.

After regaining his wits, Henry Smith felt quite unhappy hearing others talk about him this way. But since more than a month had passed, and after what happened yesterday, he couldn’t help but think that being seen this way by others might actually serve as a cover.

As long as Brian Walker and Luke Lewis didn’t expose him, even if an assassin came to Huaiyuan Town, they’d never guess that it was him standing at the Eagle’s Mouth yesterday.

Henry Smith led his horse over to Luke Lewis. The carriage curtains were down, but he could vaguely hear Emily Walker inside the carriage persuading Brian Walker:

“Grandfather, you’re not feeling well. You should listen to Uncle Lu and rest here for a couple of days to recover. It won’t delay the trip to Miyang…”

“It’s only two days to Miyang. I just have a slight cold. Sitting in the carriage out of the wind—what harm is there?” Brian Walker coughed inside the carriage, his voice extremely weak.

Only then did Henry Smith realize that Luke Lewis had already drugged him, but what he hadn’t expected was that Brian Walker, with his stubborn nature, even knowing that going to Miyang was dangerous and his health was so poor, still refused to stay in Huaiyuan Town.

Henry Smith was both troubled by Brian Walker’s stubbornness and secretly relieved.

The outcome before him was still more acceptable than accidentally saving a corrupt official.

But what should they do next?

He couldn’t very well tie up Brian Walker and keep him in Huaiyuan in front of everyone, could he?

……

……

Besides the Tang family’s caravan, there were many other merchants crossing the river at this time, all heading to Miyang together.

Four light carriages; more than thirty mules and horses, most loaded with large sacks of medicinal herbs; with drivers, guards, and accompanying out-of-town merchants, the group numbered over forty. Such a caravan, winding along the narrow mountain road, stretched for over a hundred paces from front to back—a truly impressive sight.

Henry Smith rarely had the chance to handle a real saber, and yesterday he’d received some pointers from Luke Lewis.

Though he reminded himself not to rush, walking with the caravan along the mountain path was so dull that he would often draw his saber, hold it in front of him, and occasionally swing it a couple of times, pondering how to better integrate the power of his spine into his saber technique.

Henry Smith didn’t notice that, at the rear of the caravan, two pairs of eyes were fixed on him the entire time.