The Cao army soldier instinctively turned his head, and Chris Lewis seized the fleeting opportunity, swinging his blade fiercely and sending the man's head flying more than a dozen feet away.

At this moment, Chris Lewis was extremely tense inside. More searching Cao soldiers were gradually approaching—he was running out of time. He hoisted two corpses onto his shoulders and turned to run toward the cave.

A quarter of an hour later, Chris Lewis, carrying Richard Scott—who was also dressed in Cao army armor—on his back and holding a torch in his hand, ran southward along the mountainside. He was betting that these soldiers would never dream that their prey would walk right into their net.

A few Cao soldiers appeared ahead and spotted him, shouting loudly, “Who goes there? Password!”

“Draw the net!”

Chris Lewis waited anxiously for their response, as if entering a password. Clearly, the password was correct.

Several Cao soldiers came forward. The squad leader looked at Richard Scott and asked with concern, “What’s wrong with him? He looks like he’s about to die.”

Chris Lewis forced a bitter smile. “He’s my elder brother. He was bitten by a snake while searching the mountain. The venom has taken effect, and bleeding him didn’t help. I must see the army doctor immediately.”

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance, and faintly someone shouted, “Found them!”

The Cao soldiers immediately panicked, ignoring Chris Lewis and his companion, and dashed toward the commotion. After all, there was an eight-hundred-jin bounty! The urge to get rich made their eyes red with greed.

In a moment, all the nearby Cao soldiers had run off. Seeing no more torches blocking the way ahead, Chris Lewis hoisted Richard Scott onto his back and said with a smile, “Brother Zhao, now we can be on our way!”

Richard Scott also smiled. “Looks like we won’t have to die on the battlefield after all.”

The two of them laughed heartily. Chris Lewis strode forward, heading into the vast southern mountains.

At the foot of the mountain, Generals Peter Lane and James Lee knelt on one knee before George Adams. Peter Lane, deeply ashamed, said, “We’ve searched the mountain twice, turning over every corner, but found no trace of them. Only two corpses were found—one a middle-aged man, the other one of our own, dressed in Richard Scott’s armor. The soldiers thought they’d caught him, but in the end…”

Beside him, James Lee also said in shame, “I was ordered to intercept from the south. Some soldiers did spot Chris Lewis and Richard Scott, but since they were wearing our armor and knew the password, they were let go. I estimate that Chris Lewis and Richard Scott have already escaped over the mountains. I dare not conceal this and am willing to accept the Chancellor’s punishment!”

“Useless fools!”

George Adams was furious, cursing harshly. With tens of thousands searching the mountains, they still couldn’t catch them, and the two had escaped. He glanced at the two corpses on the ground, then turned to ask Robert Evans, “Who is this middle-aged man?”

Robert Evans quickly bowed and replied, “He should be one of those who broke out with them. I suspect he served under Liu Biao, but I don’t know why they had an internal conflict.”

Chapter 15: First Meeting with Abraham Lewis

“Internal conflict!”

This phrase triggered something in George Adams’s mind. He pondered for a long time, then asked his advisor Arthur Green beside him, “Zhongde, what do you think?”

Arthur Green understood George Adams’s thoughts. Stroking his graying beard, he smiled and said, “As Generals Evans and Lee said, this young man is indeed bold and resourceful. To escape twice from encirclement—one must admit, he is a rare talent.

If he is Liu Jingsheng’s son, Chancellor, you must capture him at all costs to eliminate future trouble. But if he is a nephew—actually, letting him go to Jingzhou may not be a bad thing. If my deduction is correct, this young man will surely stir up chaos in Jingzhou in the future.”

George Adams stroked his beard and nodded. He thought the same: if Liu Jingsheng’s son were nothing but a pig or dog, it wouldn’t matter, but a formidable nephew was like a black carp in a fishpond—sooner or later, it would cause great turmoil in Jingzhou.

“Zhongde, do you think I should give him another push?”

Arthur Green shook his head with a smile. “I think now is not the time. Right now, we should focus on eliminating Yuan Shao and pacifying the north. As for Jingzhou, we can wait and see. If the Chancellor is interested in this young man, perhaps assign someone to keep an eye on him. When the time is right, you can use him to stir up trouble in Jingzhou. Since ancient times, the downfall of nations has always begun with internal strife. Why rush this moment, Chancellor?”

Arthur Green’s words resonated deeply with George Adams. He pondered for a long time and finally gave up searching for the two, immediately ordering, “Withdraw the troops, return to Xuchang!”

The Rang Mountains stretched on and on, one peak after another, spanning fifty or sixty li. Chris Lewis, carrying Richard Scott on his back, had walked for nearly two hours, covering more than twenty li, leaving the pursuers far behind and out of sight.

By now, Chris Lewis was utterly exhausted. Seeing the morning glow about to rise on the horizon, he found a tree root tangled with vines and gently set Richard Scott down.

With medicine and water, Richard Scott’s injuries had not worsened. He had even managed to sleep, and his complexion had improved a lot. Though still very pale, the dark bluish tinge had faded.

“Master Jing, you should rest a bit too!”

Richard Scott smiled and said, “I feel a bit stronger now. Maybe I’ll be able to walk on my own in a while.”

After surviving this night’s escape together, the two had forged a bond through life and death. Chris Lewis took a sip of water and handed the canteen to Richard Scott. He had found a clear spring along the way and refilled the canteen to the brim.

He gazed at the sun slowly rising on the horizon, its brilliant rays painting the sky and earth in magnificent colors, the forests ablaze with autumn hues. Though the land was as picturesque as a painting, Chris Lewis seemed weighed down with heavy thoughts.