But Richard Scott was very worried about Abraham Lewis. With this defeat, all their foundations had been wiped out, and he didn’t know if his lord could withstand such a blow.

He earnestly begged Chris Lewis to deliver a letter to his lord. In truth, he hoped Chris Lewis could help persuade Abraham Lewis to stay in Jingzhou. Since Chris Lewis had already promised, how could he refuse? After resting for a night, the next day, Chris Lewis set out for Jingzhou.

From Rangshan heading west, there was an arched official road, winding for over three hundred li, which would lead into the territory of Jingzhou and reach Bi River. Bi River was also a tributary of the Han River. Following Bi River south for over a hundred li, one would arrive at Xiangyang.

But Chris Lewis took a shortcut, saving half the distance compared to the official road. He strode quickly through the gentle hills, constantly comparing his route to the map drawn by the real man of Rangshan. By noon the next day, he felt he was already close to Bi River.

Chris Lewis sat on a large rock, carefully checking his position on the map. According to the map, he was right beside Bi River, but... why couldn’t he see the great river?

Chris Lewis stood up and looked around. About a hundred paces away, he saw a small hill with a tall, straight tree on top, about four or five zhang high. He immediately ran toward the hill.

Before long, Chris Lewis climbed up the tree, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked west. His view instantly broadened. Several li away, he saw a river like a jade belt quietly flowing across the open land. He also saw the official road, and at the end of the road, there seemed to be dozens of small black dots, likely tents, camped by the banks of Bi River.

“Found it!”

Chris Lewis cheered, slid down the tree, ran down the hill, and headed toward the distant official road.

Half an hour later, Chris Lewis finally arrived at the camp of Abraham Lewis’s army. When he was still a hundred paces from the camp, two cavalrymen galloped over and blocked his way.

“This is a military camp ahead. No entry allowed!”

Chris Lewis cupped his hands slightly. “Please inform Lord Liu, Uncle of the Emperor, that General Richard Scott entrusted me to deliver a letter.”

“Please wait a moment, young master!”

The cavalry turned their horses and rode back. Soon, a scholar approached, bowed deeply to Chris Lewis, and said, “Does this young master know the situation of General Scott?”

Chris Lewis saw that this scholar was about thirty years old, with a long beard under his chin, clear eyes, calm demeanor, and a refined appearance. He smiled and said, “I was saved by General Scott, escaped the battlefield, but unfortunately General Scott was wounded. We fled together from Cao’s army, and now General Scott is recuperating at Tianxuan Temple on Rangshan. He entrusted me to report his safety to Lord Liu.”

“So that’s how it is. Please come with me, young master.”

The scholar led Chris Lewis toward the tents. Chris Lewis, curious, asked, “May I ask your honorable surname, sir?”

The scholar smiled slightly. “I am David King, styled Gongyou, from Beihai Commandery.”

Chris Lewis nodded to himself inwardly. “So this is David King!”

Only then did David King realize he had forgotten to ask Chris Lewis’s name. He quickly smiled and asked, “Forgive my rudeness, may I ask your esteemed name, young master?”

“I am Chris Lewis, nephew of Liu of Jingzhou. I passed through Runan and was saved by General Richard Scott.”

When David King heard he was the nephew of Liu Biao, he couldn’t help but show respect. “So it is Mr. Chris. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

The two entered the camp. In the distance, they saw a group of people gathered by the riverbank. David King apologized, “Please wait a moment, young master. My lord is talking with the others and will see you shortly.”

“No problem, sir. Please attend to your business first!”

David King excused himself and hurried away.

About a hundred paces from the group, Chris Lewis leaned against a grain cart, arms crossed over his chest, calmly watching Abraham Lewis and his men in their meeting. He was a bit curious—was it as he imagined, with Abraham Lewis first expressing despair and sorrow, and then everyone pledging their loyalty?

Logically, it should be so. Abraham Lewis had to give his former subordinates a choice. He wanted to go to Jingzhou, but couldn’t force others to follow. At the same time, he could test their loyalty—a win-win.

At this moment, he heard someone shout angrily, “Big brother, what are you saying? We’ve fought together for over ten years—when have we ever abandoned you? If you say that again, I, William Baker, will jump into the river and end my life right now!”

That was William Baker. Chris Lewis smiled knowingly. He sounded straightforward and outspoken, but what kind of person was he really?

Immediately after, a calm voice spoke: “Brother, have you forgotten the deeds of the High Ancestor? He suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Xiang Yu before finally winning at Gaixia. You have endured hardships and still stand strong. So what if Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao have their own foundations? You have only suffered a minor setback—just get back up again. Now that we’re in Jingxiang, we can temporarily rely on Liu Biao and plan for a comeback!”

That must be John Carter. Judging by his back, he was indeed powerfully built.

Chris Lewis also sighed inwardly. Although Abraham Lewis had suffered many setbacks, his perseverance was truly admirable. Moreover, he was good at winning people over. Even after escaping, he had Richard Scott rescue Brian Lewis, unwilling to give up easily. With such character, it was no wonder so many were willing to follow him.

“Mr. Chris!”

David King came up again, smiling as he bowed. “My lord requests your presence. Would you be so kind?”

Chris Lewis nodded and followed David King quickly to the carriage. Abraham Lewis, feeling unwell and unable to bear the cold wind by the river, had returned to the carriage.