The little boy had a sturdy, robust look, his brows and eyes bearing a strong resemblance to Michael King. His arms and legs were thick and muscular—clearly a natural for martial arts.

"He's a friend of mine!"

Michael King hurriedly put away the letter and smiled, "Wife, please go ahead with your work!"

The young woman glanced at Eric Bolton, then led the child toward the inner courtyard.

Only then did Michael King say to Eric Bolton, "Let's talk in the room!"

Eric Bolton followed Michael King into the guest hall and sat down. It was his first time entering an ordinary household in the Sui Dynasty, and he curiously looked around.

The room was spacious, sunlight streaming in through the clear tiles, making it especially bright. The furnishings were simple: three double couches arranged in a triangle, each with a small table on top.

There were no calligraphy or paintings on the walls. On the east side hung a treasured sword in a sharkskin scabbard; on the west, a vermilion longbow, finely wrapped with gold thread, exquisitely crafted, with a quiver of wild goose-feathered arrows beneath it.

Yet Eric Bolton's gaze lingered on the front wall, where a bright silver spear with an iron shaft hung. It was about three meters long, its lines smooth and elegant—clearly the work of a master.

Eric Bolton estimated in his mind that the spear weighed at least forty or fifty jin. Suddenly, a thought arose: could he ask Michael King to teach him some martial arts? The bravery of Andrew Carter had left a deep impression on him.

But on second thought, it seemed unlikely. He was only here to deliver a letter; the two of them were not close. Why would Michael King casually share martial arts with an outsider?

Chapter 0005: The Mansion of Wuchuan

Eric Bolton placed the remaining small gold ingot and the bronze token on the table.

"Including the letter just now, this is everything."

Michael King read the letter again and couldn't help but sigh. "Thank you, young master, for coming to Luoyang to deliver the message. Could you please tell me what happened at the time, in as much detail as possible? Would that be alright?"

Eric Bolton then recounted to Michael King how he had saved James Lee, adding the extra detail that James Lee had been seriously wounded by an arrow. In the end, after some hesitation, he also mentioned that Thomas Carter had released Samuel Young. He had to place James Lee's serious injury in the context of a battlefield; otherwise, how could James Lee have been gravely wounded for no reason?

Michael King's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "Young Master Zhang, are you certain it was Thomas Carter who released Samuel Young?"

"I don't know if it was Thomas Carter or not. At the time, Andrew Carter was about to kill Samuel Young when a messenger ran over shouting that the commander had ordered Samuel Young to be released. That's how Samuel Young escaped with his life."

Michael King nodded. "Then it must have been Thomas Carter. No wonder the Sui army didn't capture Samuel Young—turns out Thomas Carter let him go on his own."

Michael King felt this was a matter of great importance and that he must report it immediately. He glanced at Eric Bolton, thinking to himself that this man was an eyewitness and was last seen with James Lee; perhaps his superior would want to ask him more questions.

Michael King smiled and said, "May I ask Young Master Zhang to come with me to meet an elder? Since this concerns James Lee's will, we'd like you to serve as a witness and describe James Lee's condition at the time."

"Is it to meet James Lee's family?"

Eric Bolton really didn't want to meet any of James Lee's relatives—not out of fear of being exposed, but because he simply felt uncomfortable.

Michael King shook his head. "Not family!"

Eric Bolton glanced at the bronze token on the table and asked with a smile, "Are we going to Wuchuan Academy?"

"Exactly!"

……

Wuchuan Academy was a private school located in Xiuwen Ward. It was said to have been jointly founded by several powerful aristocratic families, dedicated to cultivating outstanding students of both virtue and talent, and was quite famous in Luoyang.

James Lee had previously been a professor at this academy, responsible for teaching policy essays. Michael King was also employed there as an instructor, but he taught archery.

Before long, the two arrived at a sprawling mansion. If Michael King hadn't explained in advance, Eric Bolton would never have guessed that this imposing residence was actually a school.

Climbing the tall steps, Eric Bolton looked up at the huge blue plaque with golden trim above his head, on which the four characters '武川书院' were written in a bold, flowing script.

Still, Eric Bolton was a bit puzzled—why was the academy named Wuchuan? In his memory, Wuchuan was one of the six military towns on the frontier during the Northern Wei period.

Wuchuan Academy covered nearly a hundred mu. Unlike ordinary mansions, it had been specially remodeled: one enclosed courtyard after another surrounded by tall walls, winding alleys, the entire estate resembling a maze. Who knew how many people lived inside?

As they made their way through the mansion, they didn't encounter a single person. The place was unusually quiet, giving Eric Bolton a strange feeling—there was no trace of a school's atmosphere. Where were the students? Where was the sound of recitation?

Michael King led Eric Bolton into a guest courtyard and said with a smile, "Young Master Zhang, please wait here for a moment. The surrounding buildings are all classrooms—you may look around as you wish. I'll be back soon!"

Michael King hurried off, while Eric Bolton paced back and forth on the steps, carefully observing the building before him.

He noticed that Sui Dynasty architecture was different from that of the Ming and Qing. First, the foundations were very high, paved with huge stones. To enter the main hall, one had to climb steps about three meters high. The brick-and-wood structure above was even more imposing, with wide beams and interlocking brackets, supported by more than a dozen massive columns, each half a meter in diameter. This was just a guest hall, but it looked like a palace.