"Was the one who died on the ox cart yesterday... your lord's younger brother?"

"No, it was his son, which means my lord's nephew."

The man in white sighed. "I was ordered by my lord to bring him from our old home in Shanyang Commandery to Xiangyang, but last night we ran into a patrol of Cao's cavalry, and... and they killed him. Sigh!"

"His nephew!"

Only then did John Lewis realize that the young man was William Lewis's nephew, and that he had been killed by Cao's troops on the way. This was truly unexpected.

John Lewis sighed and asked, "So what do you plan to do now?"

"What else can I do? I have no face to see my lord. I can only abandon my wife and children and flee for my life."

After speaking, the man in white stood up and gave John Lewis a deep bow. "I am Wu Xiu of Jingzhou, and I am deeply grateful for your rescue, young master. If I ever have the chance, I will surely repay you."

With that, he picked up his leather bag and turned to leave, but John Lewis called out to him, "Please wait!"

The man in white turned and asked, "Is there something else, young master?"

John Lewis glanced at the sword hilt sticking out of the bag and smiled. "That short sword—if you don't need it, could you give it to me?"

The sharpness of that short sword from last night had left a deep impression on him.

"Of course!"

The man in white handed him the short sword, and John Lewis took it. "Thank you very much."

He was very fond of the short sword, giving it a couple of light swings. Unfortunately, the scabbard had been lost last night, so he would have to get a new one.

"Young master, until we meet again."

The man in white turned to leave, but after just a few steps, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind—young master! A boy of fourteen or fifteen—could this be heaven's way of saving him?

He suddenly turned back, eyes wide, sizing up John Lewis from head to toe. The build was similar, and the age about right.

"You... what's your name? Where are you from?" the man in white asked, his voice trembling.

"My name is John Lewis, a hunter from the mountains."

"You are also surnamed Liu."

The man's eyes slowly brightened—this was truly fate!

Thinking of his wife and children at home, Stephen Wood gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He stepped forward, knelt, and bowed. "Wu Xiu, scribe of Jingzhou, earnestly begs a favor from you, young master!"

He looked at John Lewis with pleading eyes. John Lewis's heart stirred; he too thought of something, and began to feel excited.

"What is it? Speak!"

"I beg you, young master, to impersonate my young lord and go with me to Xiangyang."

"You must forget your original name, remember! You are called Chris Lewis, sixteen years old, from Gaoping County, Shanyang Commandery. You must keep your story straight—there can be no mistakes."

On a mountain path heading north, Stephen Wood repeatedly instructed him on the most important matters. If this boy slipped up, his own life would be forfeit.

John Lewis grinned. "My name is Chris Lewis, got it. But I remember William Lewis's courtesy name is Jingsheng. Why doesn't my name avoid that character?"

"You must never mention your uncle's name—never, under any circumstances. You must remember this."

Seeing how serious he was, John Lewis stopped joking and nodded. He also reminded himself: John Lewis was his name in his previous life, and that person was dead. In this life, he would be called Chris Lewis.

Stephen Wood became even more earnest. "Your name was given by your uncle himself. He was very fond of you, so he gave you the 'Jing' character from his courtesy name. You belong to the 'Yu' generation, so you are called Jing."

John Lewis... No! From now on, he was Chris Lewis. First, he had to forget the name John Lewis from his previous life. He silently reminded himself: if he wanted to survive in the Three Kingdoms era, he needed an identity that belonged to this time.

The opportunity to be William Lewis's nephew—he had to seize it no matter what.

He repeated his new name in his heart: "Chris Lewis, this is your new beginning."

After a moment of contemplation, Chris Lewis frowned and said, "Actually, I think there are some big loopholes in this. For example, my parents would definitely recognize me, right? And what about the clan members at home? As soon as we meet, I'll be exposed. How should I handle that?"

Stephen Wood smiled. "You don't need to worry about that. Your father died seven years ago, and your mother passed away last year. That's why your uncle decided to bring you to Jingzhou. As for the clan, they all came to Jingzhou years ago. They may not even recognize you anymore. As long as your face is similar, it's fine—kids always grow up, after all!"

He handed the letter to Chris Lewis again, smiling. "This is a letter your uncle wrote to your maternal uncle. But your uncle drove you and your mother out two years ago, so the letter was never delivered and was brought back. Take a look for yourself!"

Chris Lewis took the letter and read it carefully. It said that his nephew's father had died young, and his mother had passed away last year. He had never cared for him since birth and felt deeply guilty. This meant that William Lewis had never met this nephew, nor sent anyone to visit, hence the guilt.

Chris Lewis nodded silently, then took the bamboo slip and looked it over. It turned out to be his original document, equivalent to a modern ID, with his birth date and his parents' names. This was to be given to William Lewis as proof of his identity.

"What about my accent? I don't know how different it is from the one back home."