Andrew Carter also happened to witness Eric Bolton killing a man and seizing a horse. The opponent’s swift and decisive actions secretly surprised him, and he immediately realized that this must be the person who killed James Lee.

Andrew Carter was about to spur his horse in pursuit when, at that moment, Thomas Carter’s second son, Philip Carter, had already arrived with his troops. He called out from afar, “Andrew, Father orders you to see him at once.”

Andrew Carter had no choice but to point with his riding whip and command a squad of cavalry, “Go after that man ahead!”

A squad of cavalry shouted as they charged out. Watching the backs of the cavalry disappear, Andrew Carter finally turned his horse and galloped toward the distant command banner.

……

[Note: One chi in the Sui Dynasty = 29.6 centimeters]

Chapter 0004: First Arrival in Luoyang

The moment he rounded a mountain bend, Eric Bolton fiercely stabbed the horse’s rump with his military dagger. He leapt off the warhorse, and the horse, in pain, continued galloping east along the official road, while Eric Bolton quickly dove into a roadside thicket.

Moments later, the sound of hooves rang out again as dozens of pursuers raced by like the wind, whipping their horses as they chased after the warhorse ahead.

Once the pursuers had gone far, Eric Bolton crawled out from his hiding place in the bushes and sprinted toward the woods behind him, disappearing into the dense forest in no time.

Eric Bolton ran north for more than fifty li before gradually coming to a stop. Ahead was a small stream. He squatted by the stream, washed his face, and drank a few mouthfuls of water with satisfaction before lying down wearily on a flat boulder.

Only now did Eric Bolton have time to reflect on what had happened that morning. He couldn’t help but give a wry smile—he had just arrived at the end of the Sui Dynasty and had already changed history by killing James Lee. What would become of Wagang Village without James Lee?

Things had come to this; there was no way to make up for history now. History has its own causal path, and there was no need for him to deliberately intervene. Eric Bolton could only let go of this regret.

At this moment, he thought again of Andrew Carter. Eric Bolton could never forget Andrew Carter’s unmatched bravery—one horse, one halberd, invincible across the land. He wondered if another mighty general, Patrick Lee, would exist; it should be Richard Lee, as George Lee did seem to have such a son.

Eric Bolton was also deeply impressed by Samuel Young’s valor and skill in battle, but he found it odd—why did Thomas Carter spare Samuel Young?

Although Eric Bolton had learned a bit about Sui Dynasty history through military strategy studies, it was only a rough overview. He was completely clueless about the details.

Knowing he couldn’t figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it. Sitting up, he took out his pistol, ejected the remaining two bullets, and carefully put them away. In a critical moment, these two bullets might just save his life again.

Eric Bolton then took out James Lee’s pouch, which was about the size of a modern wallet. He poured out its contents onto the boulder: a few small pieces of gold, totaling about three taels, a bronze token, and a bundle of paper scrolls.

Picking up the bronze token, he saw three characters engraved in small seal script. He vaguely recognized them as “Wuchuan Academy.” The reverse side showed the position, engraved as “Doctor James Lee.”

Eric Bolton knew what an academy was—a private school. So James Lee was actually a teacher; this was the first time Eric Bolton had heard of it. He set the token aside and picked up the scroll, which was tied with a silk ribbon. On the side was written: “Luoyang, Huairen Ward, Sanchun Alley, Michael King.”

In the lower left corner, it read, “Respectfully, James Lee.”

So this was a letter, and it was addressed to Michael King. He opened it and saw it was a will, arranging matters in case of his death in the chaos. All his property would be donated to Wuchuan Academy. The letter’s content was important, but Eric Bolton wasn’t particularly interested.

However, Michael King did intrigue Eric Bolton. One of the five tiger generals of Wagang Village, the seventeenth greatest hero in the land—Eric Bolton immediately wanted to meet this man.

He had nowhere else to go now, so visiting the Sui capital Luoyang seemed like a good idea. Maybe he could find some work and earn a little money.

More importantly, Eric Bolton was penniless. In any era, whether prosperous or chaotic, it’s equally hard to get by without money.

At this moment, he noticed the few small gold ingots in the pouch. He weighed them—about three or four taels, which should be enough for a month or two.

But a gentleman loves wealth and acquires it by proper means. Eric Bolton hadn’t killed James Lee for these few taels of gold, but to throw them away seemed impossible.

After thinking it over, Eric Bolton laughed to himself and said, “Well, since I’m going to use your money, I’ll deliver this will for you! Consider these few taels of gold my messenger’s fee.”

……

Without a warhorse, Eric Bolton’s speed heading east slowed considerably. However, the fighting had already subsided, and he encountered no obstacles along the way. He even came across markets and towns, where he exchanged James Lee’s gold fragments for some Sui dynasty wuzhu coins, ensuring food and lodging along his journey.

After five days of travel, he finally arrived at the Sui dynasty’s capital, Luoyang.

Luoyang, the capital of the Sui dynasty, was still bustling nine years after Emperor Yang Guang’s ascension, but now carried a touch of desolation.

Outside the city, the scars of war were everywhere—vast stretches of flattened, burned houses, beams charred into charcoal lying shockingly across half-collapsed, fire-blackened walls. Not far away, two elderly people knelt before a fresh grave, weeping bitterly…