Da Yuan was Henry Walker's steed, and at this moment, he seemed to be entrusting his final wishes.

"Master, let us accompany you."

"Yi Zhou Wu will surely inform Zhang Dong of our escape. If we travel together, Zhang Dong will definitely discover our whereabouts in advance. Besides, you have followed me for over ten years, yet have gained no fame, only the infamy of the Ghost Riders of Qingzhou. I have wronged you too much already. Remove your masks—whether you choose to hide or serve in Jingyue, you should find a new life."

"Master has shown us kindness as great as a mountain. If not for you taking in Philip Morgan and teaching him martial arts, Philip Morgan would have long become a wandering soul in these lands."

With that, the loyal guards knelt in a circle around him and said in unison, "Master has shown us kindness as great as a mountain. Please let us follow you to avenge the mistress."

"Rise, all of you. My mind is made up. If I survive this time, I will come to meet you, and together we will accomplish great things."

With these words, he turned to gaze at the vast mountains beyond, a deep sorrow welling up in his heart.

Henry Walker bound Caleb Carter behind him and descended Cuiping Mountain alone. He had already removed his mask and armor, revealing his true face. His cheeks were lean and handsome, his features well-defined, though a bit pale from years beneath a mask. His gaze was sharp as lightning. Frost had begun to touch his temples, and his expression was bleak. Determining his direction, he walked toward Jiangjin City at a steady, unhurried pace. Along the way, he continuously used his inner energy to stimulate the vitality in Caleb Carter's dantian, urging him to wake sooner.

On the third day, Caleb Carter finally awoke slowly. He found himself lying on the back of a man in a blue linen robe, with no sign of the other five children. He wondered, Did this man save me? Did he save the other five as well?

Thinking of his father and the refugees who had been slaughtered, grief overwhelmed him, and tears welled in his eyes. Henry Walker had already noticed Caleb Carter waking and was gazing thoughtfully at the distant Jiangjin ferry crossing. He thought, Once we cross this ferry, we will reach Jiangjin City, famed as one of the four great capitals under heaven.

Henry Walker unbound Caleb Carter from his back and placed him on the grassy slope. The wild vines had long since withered, lying flat on the ground, yet they were as soft as a cushion. Caleb Carter, gravely ill and having not eaten for days, had survived only by Henry Walker's inner force infusing medicinal water into him. Though he had survived the ordeal, he had no strength left. He could only lie flat on the grass, gazing up at the azure sky. The wind and drifting clouds seemed clearer and more beautiful than ever before. Though he could not see his surroundings clearly, he felt a strange sense of clarity in his heart.

As soon as Henry Walker shifted his gaze, Caleb Carter seemed to sense it and turned his head slightly. Henry Walker felt a chill in his heart and said, "You know I'm looking at you."

"A vague, awe-inspiring feeling—was it you who saved me?"

Henry Walker was momentarily speechless. He thought, Though I did not deliberately restrain myself, my mind is now calm and at peace, gradually merging with the Dao. It seems that years of killing have made me different from ordinary people. Yet for him to sense it, he must be gifted—well-suited to cultivate the Still Water Heart Sutra. However, his body is much weaker than most, his meridians delicate. Even if he masters the Still Water Heart Sutra, he will not achieve much in martial arts—at best, he will be an average practitioner. For a moment, Henry Walker hesitated about whether to pass on the Still Water Technique to the person before him.

Near the ferry was a teahouse. Several thick bamboo poles were stuck into the ground, topped with a large oilcloth to provide shade and shelter from rain. A few mountain folk and villagers rested there. The flames of war had not reached this place, and it seemed as peaceful and idyllic as a paradise beyond the mountains.

Henry Walker carried Caleb Carter into the teahouse, borrowed a coarse porcelain bowl, and bought a few dry biscuits. He mashed one into a paste with water and fed it to Caleb Carter with a spoon.

The tea server was a shriveled old man. He placed another bowl on the table and filled it with water, saying, "Your son looks gravely ill. On Mount She in Jiangjin, in the maple forest of the western hills, lives a divine doctor. You might seek his help, sir."

Henry Walker was touched, and couldn't help but recall his own child who died young. When Youping was alive, he was about this age. No wonder he cared so much for this useless child—perhaps his heart had unknowingly become attached.

But Caleb Carter immediately retorted to the tea server, "He saved my life, but there is no other relationship."

His voice was weak, but his tone was firm.

Hearing this, Henry Walker couldn't help but grow angry and said sternly, "Is it an insult to you to be my child?"

After a moment, he realized, "Do you know who I am? You truly are clever. I thought I was no longer the same as in wartime, yet you, a mere child, have seen through me."

As he spoke the last sentence, his gaze turned sharp, and a powerful, domineering aura naturally emanated from him.

Everyone felt as if a great weight had pressed upon their hearts. Startled, they turned to look at this pale, refined man, suddenly feeling that the once gentle scholar now seemed truly frightening.

Henry Walker withdrew his aura, and the others, as if rescued from drowning, hurriedly left the teahouse. The tea server, helpless, shrank into a corner, trembling with fear.

Henry Walker continued, "How did you guess?"

Caleb Carter was seized by fear and found it hard to breathe. Only after Henry Walker withdrew his aura did he gradually recover. Though still frightened, he tried hard to appear calm and unafraid, and replied, "Your face is much paler than your neck, likely from wearing a mask for a long time. And given the circumstances, the only one who could have saved me was you."

Henry Walker made no attempt to hide his appreciation and said, "It's rare for someone so young to be so meticulous."