Caleb Carter’s pride showed on his face when he heard this. Knowing he was the main culprit behind the disaster that befell the two mansions and six counties, he thought that if his father were here, he would show no mercy. With this in mind, when Henry Walker tried to feed him the cake porridge again, he couldn’t help but hesitate.

Henry Walker quickly understood his thoughts, set the bowl down heavily on the table, and fixed him with a sharp gaze, saying, “Are you ashamed that I’m feeding you?”

Caleb Carter felt uneasy, forcing himself not to look away. He didn’t reply, but his expression was an answer in itself.

“When you want to eat, you’ll call for me yourself.”

With that, Henry Walker turned and left his seat, but then let out a wry laugh, thinking: Why am I bickering with a child over nothing? He walked straight to the Jin River, watching the surging waves crash into white foam against the rocks on the shore, then return to the water. Thinking of his current predicament, he couldn’t help but feel his heroic spirit wane. The river breeze cooled his face; the embankment was lined with weeping willows, their graceful forms swaying, birds flocking and then scattering like arrows in all directions—even with Henry Walker’s skills, he couldn’t track them all.

Although Henry Walker was gazing at the Jin River, part of his mind remained in the teahouse, observing Caleb Carter’s reaction.

Caleb Carter was now starving, struggling to reach out, but the pain in his abdomen was unbearable, so he had to give up in despair. Still, he was even more unwilling to lose face by begging Henry Walker. Seeing the teahouse attendant staring blankly at Henry Walker’s back, looking utterly terrified, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

He gathered his strength and sighed loudly, raising his voice: “Not everyone knows when to be tactful. If you have to wait until someone loses patience with small matters and takes it out on you before you realize, isn’t that a bit too late?”

The attendant was startled, hurried over to feed him the cake porridge, but his hands trembled uncontrollably from fear, spilling the porridge onto Caleb Carter’s collar from time to time. Caleb Carter didn’t mind at all, and even comforted the attendant from time to time.

Henry Walker said nothing, waiting until he finished eating before turning back and saying, “Although your constitution prevents you from practicing advanced breathing techniques, with your intelligence and talent, you will never be beneath others in the future…”

Caleb Carter showed no joy at Henry Walker’s praise; instead, his heart sank completely. He thought to himself: My adoptive father said this, and now this man says the same. I thought things would change once the cold was gone, but alas, it was just wishful thinking. It turns out, after experiencing the violence at Bayang, he only longed for martial arts even more. At this thought, disappointment and even despair showed on his face, and he paid no attention to what Henry Walker said next: “…your Yinwei and Yinqiao meridians are badly damaged—even if you survive, you’ll be plagued by illness for life…”

From then on, Caleb Carter spoke very little, letting Henry Walker carry him into Jiangjin City. When he could barely walk on his own, he refused Henry Walker’s help and took care of his own food and clothing. He simply followed behind him without leaving, knowing that Henry Walker needed him to help conceal his identity at this time.

Andrew Evans did not report the events of that day truthfully, only saying that Henry Walker broke out alone. Sharing the same motive as Henry Walker for sparing his life, he naturally didn’t want William Evans’s troubles to disappear so easily. He even hoped that after Henry Walker assassinated John Bolton, he would kill William Evans as well.

John Bolton stayed at the Baishi Prefecture military office to handle affairs, and only returned to Jiangjin with his personal guards a month later. Always cautious, upon learning that Henry Walker was still alive, he rarely went out, and when he did, he was surrounded by his guards, bringing the seven top experts among them. At the same time, he strengthened the city’s defenses and strictly inspected all merchants and travelers. However, he was certain that Henry Walker would sneak into the city alone, and even if he had followers, they would act separately, so he focused mainly on solitary figures. He never imagined that Henry Walker and a gravely ill youth would drink tea every day at the Dongli Teahouse, which was directly across from the entrance to his own governor’s office.

Chapter Five: Vengeance

Jiangjin City lies south of the great river, with the Jin River winding around it, hence the name Jiangjin. The city stands proudly atop She Mountain, whose two main peaks rise side by side to equal heights—the eastern peak, called Dragon Mountain, and the western, home to the Sanmao Palace, also known as Phoenix Soaring Peak. The twin peaks stand like gates, guarding the Jin River, so before the city was built, Jiangjin was also called Jinmen.

Jiangjin faces the East Sea to the east, reaches Jingchu to the west, and connects to Wanyue in the south. In the previous dynasty, the Jin River was developed to link with the Grand Canal, making it a thoroughfare since ancient times. Ranked among the four great cities of the realm, its prosperity is evident. The main waterway of the Jin River winds past the city, with additional irrigation channels—also called Jin River—running through it. During the height of canal transport in the previous dynasty, commercial ports lined both banks, and eateries were everywhere. Though it is somewhat less bustling today, merchants still gather, markets thrive, music and revelry fill the night, and the sound of zithers and wine cups never ceases.

The Dongli Teahouse sits by the street and water, nestled in a place of bustling prosperity, yet it is a rare haven of tranquility and elegance. From its windows, one can see the twin peaks of She Mountain towering into the sky, and below, the Jin River crowded with boats, their masts blocking out the sun. The small riverside courtyard is planted with many famous varieties of chrysanthemum; though it is now the depths of winter, several rare species still bloom, their sturdy character outshining mere beauty. The street in front faces the Yongning Commandery Governor’s Office. The previous governor, Zaifu, preferred quiet, and ordered two yamen runners to stand guard daily, beating anyone who made noise without cause. When John Bolton rose to power in Yongning and took charge of Jiangjin, he changed all the previous decrees except this one. Thus, though the Dongli Teahouse sits in a place of great prosperity, there is no clamor of carriages or horses.