That night, Eugene Henderson gathered his parents, brothers, and all the members of the Henderson Family. Zane Zhuang was also present.
"Father, Mother, uncles, our Henderson Family is suffering this disaster, all because of Arthur Jian. I hope to set out tomorrow for Charlesburg, to contact the generals who served under my second brother, and seek justice for our family."
Henry Henderson fell silent, while the relatives began arguing noisily. Yet everyone understood one thing: unless Arthur Jian was eliminated, the Henderson Family would sooner or later face utter ruin.
"If we go, what are our chances?"
Eugene Henderson shared his plan: after joining forces with the generals, if Lord Charles still refused to seek justice for the Henderson Family, then they would have no choice but to overthrow him. The Henderson and Johnson Families were secretly supported and placed by the Kingdom of Chu, so this move would simply be going with the flow.
Henry Henderson hesitated, but his eldest brother strongly opposed the idea. If war broke out, the Cao Kingdom could be carved up by other nations in an instant. At that point, Chu might not intervene, and the Henderson Family would be branded for all eternity as traitors who murdered their lord.
A fierce debate broke out. In the end, Eugene Henderson smiled and asked for a bamboo scroll. He wrote a letter of disownment, signed his name, then knelt and presented it to Henry Henderson. Everyone was stunned.
"Eugene..."
Zane Zhuang finally lost his composure. He couldn't bear to see his closest friend risk everything on such a desperate plan; it was like a moth flying into the flame, with almost no chance of success.
All eyes turned to Henry Henderson. He hesitated, trembling as he took the bamboo scroll. Normally, to sever father-son ties, both parties needed to sign, and local officials, clan leaders, and reputable witnesses had to be present. There also had to be a valid reason for such a drastic act.
Looking at the reason column, still left blank, Zane Zhuang was conflicted. He wanted to stop all of this; all he wished for was to stay with the Johnson Family and his master. That alone was enough—he asked for nothing else. These past few years had been the happiest of his life.
It was exactly because the Henderson Family was in such dire straits that Henry Henderson hesitated. Someone had to step forward. Victor Fan had said that things would eventually turn around, but before that happened, the family might be destroyed.
"Father, if no one else will do it, let me take on this task. Please, elders, trust me—I'll rid the Henderson Family of our greatest enemy, Arthur Jian."
Eugene Henderson shouted again. Henry Henderson pressed a hand to his son's forehead, tears streaming down his face. He silently nodded.
"Cousin, I have a favor to ask. I know it’s hard to say, but if there’s any way to separate me from the Henderson Family, this is the only way."
"Just say it, cousin. Whatever you ask, the Henderson Family will support you."
Eugene Henderson wanted the reason for his expulsion to be that he had tried to violate his sister-in-law, and was only expelled after being caught.
As soon as he said this, everyone in the Henderson Family was shocked. They looked at Eugene Henderson with a mix of resignation, sorrow, and helplessness.
Eugene Henderson was willing to bear such a heavy stigma just to sever ties with the Henderson Family. If something went wrong and the plan failed, he alone would bear the consequences, and the family would not be implicated.
"Eugene, you..."
Zane Zhuang rushed over, trying to pull Eugene Henderson up.
"Zane, stop. You’re not part of the Henderson Family, so just stand aside and watch quietly."
Eugene Henderson said this, then smiled lightly and spoke again.
"Zane, remember our promise. As long as you remember that, it's enough."
The next morning, the sky was overcast. Eugene Henderson packed his things and, under the watchful eyes of the entire Henderson Family, left. He took the mountain path, avoiding any chance of being seen, and didn’t go through Dingtown.
Zane Zhuang waited at the entrance to the mountain path early in the morning, hoping to stop Eugene Henderson. The Henderson Family would officially announce Eugene’s expulsion when he was near Charlesburg, making it public in Dingtown.
"Is there really no turning back, Eugene?"
Zane Zhuang asked solemnly. He carried a travel bag, clearly intending to go with Eugene Henderson.
"Zane, I’m counting on you. Only with you here can I feel at ease. With you by my side, I can go to Charlesburg without hesitation."
Zane Zhuang’s face was conflicted; he was deeply troubled. He couldn’t bear to watch his friend risk his life.
Zane Zhuang was truly clever. Many of the Johnson Family’s troubles had been smoothed over by his smiling diplomacy. Several times, when Arthur Jian’s people came, Zane used his wit to resolve everything. He’d learned much from Victor Fan and put it to good use.
"Eugene..."
"Don’t follow me, Zane."
Eugene Henderson walked away, never looking back, quickly disappearing down the mountain path. Zane Zhuang sat quietly at the entrance, overcome with grief, unable to hold back his tears.
From childhood, if not for his close friendship with Eugene Henderson, Zane Zhuang might have gone mad long ago. The pressure from the Johnson Family was crushing, and Eugene was the only one he could confide in.
Back in the village, everyone was talking about Eugene Henderson. The story was that he’d tried to violate his sister-in-law and was expelled from the Henderson Family.
But most people didn’t believe it. After all, since coming here, Eugene Henderson was the one distributing food to the villagers and treating everyone kindly. Suddenly, there was a loud bang—the basket in Maggie Mute’s hands fell to the ground. She suddenly ran toward the mountain path at the edge of the village.
Zane Zhuang immediately followed. He chased her for a long time before Maggie Mute, exhausted, finally stopped.
"Don’t chase her. Eugene has made up his mind—he won’t turn back."
Zane Zhuang said this, but Maggie Mute began to cry and wail. She couldn’t make a sound, only sobbing as tears streamed down her face. She grabbed Mr. Brown’s hand, gesturing desperately.
In the end, Mr. Brown told Maggie Mute everything. Like sunshine after rain, Maggie dried her tears and set off alone up the mountain path to catch up.
Zane Zhuang didn’t move at first. He wanted to go after her but couldn’t; his heart was filled with hesitation and conflict. By then, Maggie Mute was already far ahead. The sky was darkening, thunder rumbled, and finally Zane chased after her.
"Eugene, I can’t let you go. You shouldn’t give up everything for the sake of the dead."
The mountain path was heavy with mist. Maggie Mute walked carefully, her face anxious. Though she was a woman, she pressed on with determination.
Half a day passed, and a gentle rain began to fall. Maggie Mute kept searching, with no sign of Eugene Henderson ahead.
The mountain path grew more treacherous with every step, and Maggie Mute was extremely cautious.
Finally, she spotted Eugene Henderson, sitting beneath a large tree and sheltering from the rain. At the sound of movement, Eugene looked up in surprise.
"Why did you chase after me?"
Eugene Henderson shouted, rushing over and grabbing Maggie Mute, pulling her close. To the left was a cliff that dropped out of sight.
Maggie Mute clung tightly to Eugene Henderson, afraid he would leave her behind. She shook her head over and over, rain soaking her through, shivering as tears streamed down her face.
Maggie Mute kept mouthing the same three words: don’t go. Over and over, Eugene Henderson stared at her, his face dark.
"Listen to me, Maggie. I have to do this—I must finish what I started. Go back, please, go back..."
Maggie refused to let go, clutching Eugene Henderson’s hand as if her life depended on it.
"Let go..."
Eugene Henderson grew angry. The rain intensified, lightning flashed across the sky, striking a tree and sending sparks flying. With a thunderous crash, rocks tumbled down the mountainside.
A stone hurtled toward them. Eugene Henderson was startled, and at that moment, Maggie Mute shoved him aside. With a crash, Maggie and the stone slid down toward the bottom of the mountain.
"Grab me..."
Eugene Henderson shouted, grabbing Maggie Mute’s hand and hooking his feet around a tree root. He used all his strength, but the rain was relentless and rocks kept falling. Maggie shook her head, begging Eugene to let go.
Eugene had no intention of letting go. Inch by inch, he pulled Maggie Mute back, his face pale, eyes locked on hers.
"Don’t move. Whatever you do, don’t let go."
Zane Zhuang finally caught up and saw the scene. He rushed over, and together they pulled Maggie Mute to safety.
All three of them, breathless and shaken, leaned against the tree as the rain poured down. The tree’s roots stretched wide, unaffected by the storm. Maggie smiled, and her smile eased the tension.
"Eugene, don’t go. Look carefully at what’s in front of you. If you can’t see what’s right before your eyes, you can’t call yourself human."
Zane Zhuang roared, grabbing Eugene Henderson by the collar. At that moment, Maggie Mute stood up, smiled gently, and pointed to the sky. After the storm, a beam of light broke through—the weather was clearing.