Simon Stone said to her again, “I suspect his background. I suspect he is a member of the Northern Qi Society. I’ve already asked Michael to keep him here for a while. You should keep a close watch on him, see who he contacts in secret, and try not to alert him.”

“Yes! Your daughter understands.”

“Go on!”

Adam Bolton bowed, turned, and quickly left.

Simon Stone gazed at the white clouds in the sky and sighed softly. He had long since noticed James Lee’s wild ambitions and was completely against letting James Lee go to Wagang. But since Henry Douglas insisted on sending James Lee, there was nothing he could do.

Fortunately, James Lee died in time, removing a major concern from his heart. If James Lee was really killed by this young man, then it was a great help to him.

Anyone who could kill James Lee must be extraordinary. If his identity checks out, could he make him one of the Xuanwu, as Brian Bolton’s deputy?

The thought flashed through Simon Stone’s mind, but he knew it was unlikely. His philosophy of employing people had already clashed with Henry Douglas’s. At such a critical moment, it was best not to stir up more trouble.

Simon Stone shook his head, and the image of Eric Bolton gradually faded from his mind.

……

Eric Bolton followed Michael King home. Seeing that Michael King was preoccupied, he smiled and comforted him, “Actually, the fact that your elders don’t want to see me suits me just fine, Mr. King, so there’s no need to feel bad.”

But Michael King’s concern wasn’t that the leader refused to see Eric Bolton, but that the leader wanted Paul Lee to replace James Lee and go to Wagang. He was worried whether Paul Lee was up to the task.

Michael King forced a smile. “I’m fine, brother, no need to comfort me.”

At this moment, Michael King remembered that the leader had asked him to keep Eric Bolton for a while, so he probed, “Do you have any plans for your next step, brother?”

Eric Bolton shook his head. “I’ve come all the way from Henei and haven’t decided on my next move yet. But first, I need to find a place to stay, then think about what kind of work I can do.”

Michael King smiled and said, “I’ll be away for a few months and am worried there’ll be no one to look after my house. Why don’t you stay at my place for now and keep an eye on things for me, how about it?”

“Will your wife and son be leaving with you?”

“No! I’ll be going alone, but I’ll send them back to Chang’an to stay for a while, so the house will be empty. How about it, look after the house for me?” Michael King warmly invited Eric Bolton.

Eric Bolton was overjoyed. He didn’t have a penny to his name and was worried about having nowhere to go. With Michael King’s kind offer, how could he refuse? He immediately agreed, “Then I’ll take you up on your offer.”

Michael King smiled again. “I still have plenty of grain and pickled vegetables at home, stored up when Samuel Young besieged Luoyang. They’ll go moldy if left too long, so I’ll give them to you. Also, I have no use for the gold James Lee left behind, so I’ll give that to you as well—as a reward for delivering the message.”

“Mr. King, your generosity is overwhelming! I am deeply grateful!”

Michael King laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “A true man acts on his nature. Don’t be so polite—I like that about you. Didn’t you want to discuss martial arts with me? Since we have nothing else to do, let’s go practice.”

Eric Bolton almost suspected that Michael King was the reincarnation of a worm in his stomach—otherwise, how could he know exactly what he needed and wanted, and say just the right thing every time?

……

The backyard of Michael King’s house covered about one and a half mu, roughly the size of a modern basketball court. It was also Michael King’s martial arts training ground, with several rows of spears, sabers, swords, and halberds lined up along the side, and a small archery target in the distance.

The two of them went to the backyard. Michael King pointed to a large iron spear on the rack and asked with a smile, “I noticed you were very interested in the silver spear in my main hall. Are you also a spear practitioner?”

Eric Bolton blushed and quickly replied, “I’m no spear expert. I know nothing about martial arts, but I admire them greatly.”

Michael King went to the main hall and brought back the silver spear, saying to Eric Bolton, “This silver spear actually belonged to my father. It weighs fifty jin. He always wanted to train with a sixty-jin spear, but he never managed to break through, so he pinned all his hopes on me. Fortunately, I didn’t let him down.”

Michael King assumed a stance and easily performed a few moves with the silver spear, then handed it to Eric Bolton with a smile. “Give it a try, sir!”

Eric Bolton was eager to try. He flexed his wrist and took the silver spear, finding it exquisitely crafted, with a very smooth design, and extremely heavy. He had always been known for his strength, but this spear felt quite difficult to handle.

He could manage a few swings, but to actually use it as a weapon was out of the question. He was truly puzzled—Michael King was clearly not as tall or heavy as he was, yet he struggled with a fifty-jin iron spear, while Michael King could handle a sixty-jin one?

Michael King seemed to understand his thoughts. He glanced at Eric Bolton, then took two sabers from the nearby rack and smiled, “Would you like to spar, brother?”

Eric Bolton had previously practiced a very practical combat saber technique. He was eager to try, so he put down the iron spear, cupped his fists, and smiled, “Then I won’t be modest!”

Michael King laughed heartily. “Go all out, brother!”

The two of them moved to the center of the training ground. Eric Bolton slowly drew his saber from its sheath. The blade gleamed coldly and was extremely sharp—it was actually a military saber, with just the right weight and a perfect feel in his hand.