Those rugged men clearly didn’t take the short old man seriously, even though the old man’s beard was trembling violently. Just as George was preparing to strike these people hard, Miller bared his teeth and stepped out from among them. Miller didn’t even glance at George, but led the group over to the carriage. Upon seeing Miller, George sheathed his short sword, snorted coldly, got into the carriage, and turned his head in another direction.

Charles Clark’s three chief retainers: Miller was the bravest, though he couldn’t control his mouth and talked too much. George had the worst temper and wasn’t good at dealing with people, but he was the only literate one among the three, and could even be considered half a tutor to Charles Clark. As for Grace, Grace had a terrible reputation throughout all of Mafou. Before joining Charles Clark, he was already a notorious wanderer in Handan, and after joining Charles Clark, he didn’t stop doing bad things.

However, he was the most capable among Charles Clark’s retainers. Whenever Charles Clark had something that needed doing, he was happy to entrust it to him. Over the years, he had never messed up a single task and was diligent in his work. Although Charles Clark disliked his character, he never drove him away.

“Young lord, I have heard that virtuous people are like torches in the night, so dazzling that even men of low status will travel a thousand miles to follow them. These are the heroes from around Mafou—they are willing to follow you without fear of death. I ask that you keep them, young lord.” Miller bowed to Charles Clark as he spoke.

George snorted coldly and said nothing more, but Charles Clark felt a headache coming on. This fellow was just causing him trouble. He himself had no grand ambitions—someone who aspired to be a recluse—so what did he need so many retainers for?

Charles Clark looked at those heroes. Most were sturdy men, armed with weapons. The lands of Yan and Zhao were full of warriors, and these were probably all the famous fighters from the Mafou area. They looked at Charles Clark with eager eyes, as if their eyes were shining, which made Charles Clark’s headache even worse. He wondered what Miller had told them to get them so excited. After thinking for a moment, Charles Clark finally stood up and faced them.

“I know you all are renowned heroes of Mafou. Your willingness to come and serve me makes me happy. But I am just a young man without even a beard. I worry that if you follow me, you will accomplish nothing.”

As soon as Charles Clark said this, the once lively road instantly fell silent. The heroes stared at Charles Clark in disbelief, and even Miller widened his eyes. Among the heroes, a long-faced, scantily bearded man glared angrily at Charles Clark and asked, “Does the son of Mafou think we came to follow you out of greed for fame and fortune, to make a name for ourselves?”

Isn’t that the case?? Charles Clark looked at them in confusion.

Seeing that Charles Clark didn’t answer, the man suddenly drew a short sword from his waist, and the others also drew their weapons. Now, Charles Clark was truly panicked. What did this mean? If I don’t want you, you’ll attack me? Miller, George! Charles Clark looked at his two retainers, but Miller lowered his head, blushing with shame, while George kept his head held high, ignoring the situation.

When these heroes pointed their weapons at him, Charles Clark was terrified. Only then did he realize what they intended to do.

They weren’t going to attack Charles Clark—they were going to kill themselves!

They wanted to prove, in this way, that they followed Charles Clark not for fame or fortune, but out of genuine admiration. The heroes of this era were somewhat different from those of later times. In the lands of Yan and Zhao, most heroes came from good families, not the lowest commoners, and they could not be insulted. Even the lowest commoners could not be humiliated.

What they needed was not money or fame, but respect—a kind of trust.

In the past, when Zheng and Song went to war, the Song general Hua Yuan slaughtered sheep to reward the troops before battle. He rewarded everyone but forgot to give any mutton to his charioteer, Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen was furious, feeling the general did not value him and had insulted him. So, when the battle began, Yang Zhen drove the chariot straight into the Zheng camp. Hua Yuan was captured, and Song suffered a crushing defeat. This is why people of this era could not be insulted.

“Stop!” Charles Clark shouted urgently.

Everyone looked at Charles Clark again. Charles Clark quickly got down from the carriage. He didn’t want to see so many people die because of a single word from him. If it were the original Charles Clark, perhaps he wouldn’t have cared, but the soul from two thousand years in the future would not allow him to be so indifferent to life. Frowning, he looked at these people seriously, bowed deeply, and said, “It was my fault. I have realized my mistake. Please, all of you, forgive me.”

His bow startled these men, who feared nothing, and they quickly stepped aside, refusing to accept such a grand gesture from Charles Clark. They hurriedly bowed in return, saying, “We are all willing to follow you. We are lowly people and cannot accept your courtesy. Please let us stay by your side, drive your chariot, and tend your horses.”

“All right, then.”

“The young lord is truly a man of faith and honor. I have lived so many years in vain, not coming to follow you sooner!”

“I want to gouge out one of my own eyes—turns out the person we always wanted to follow was living right beside us all along!”