Chapter 19: From now on, you are Boge Chu

"I... I just didn't want that Kelai person's dirty hands to touch Sister Anliya, and this was also to protect the Highness..."

Boge covered his reddened face and said, at a loss.

"Still daring to talk back!"

However, this only fueled Luo Bote's anger further. Without a shred of mercy, he slapped Boge's face hard again, and the area that was hit instantly turned bright red as well.

Now it was symmetrical.

But Luo Bote still didn't stop his attack, instead swinging his fists wildly, raining blows upon Boge's body like a storm.

Facing the benefactor who had raised him, and feeling that he had indeed made a serious mistake, Boge didn't dare to resist, only curling up on the ground with his hands over his head, silently enduring Luo Bote's beating.

The villagers watched this scene in horror; it was the first time they had seen the usually kind village chief in such a rage.

But even though they were worried about Boge, the villagers remained silent, only watching with worried eyes as Boge, who had been beaten until his mouth bled and his body was covered in bruises, endured the assault.

Anliya was the same; the girl even cruelly turned her head away and covered her ears with her hands, acting like a wooden statue.

"Bastard, have you forgotten the Highness's kindness to us?"

Luo Bote wanted to continue, but a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

He turned his head and saw Xia Mingyu standing before him with an expressionless face.

"Highness."

The anger on Luo Bote's face vanished instantly, and he knelt down, bowing with a face full of smiles.

"Boge, get over here and apologize to the Highness!"

At the same time, Luo Bote didn't forget to scold Boge.

Boge struggled to stand up and limped to Xia Mingyu's side, kneeling on one knee.

He looked miserable now; his cheeks were red and swollen, dried blood hung from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were almost squinted into slits, and his arms and legs were covered in blue and purple bruises.

"Highness, I violated your instructions. Please punish me," Boge said, bowing his head deeply, his voice as heavy as if he were being pressed by a great mountain.

No matter the reason, he had violated the Highness's instructions; this was an unchangeable fact.

Xia Mingyu remained expressionless, only frowning slightly, as if thinking about something.

"Highness, I will banish Boge from the village to punish him for his offense against you," Luo Bote added. His eyes held a hint of reluctance, but his expression remained firm.

Although he had always regarded Boge as his "son," now that this "son" had committed a grave mistake in the village, even as the village chief, he would never practice favoritism.

Hearing this, Boge's eyes felt a little sore, even though he had already decided to leave the village soon to set out in search of the path to transcendence and realize his dream of becoming strong.

However, leaving voluntarily and being banished were two different concepts; the former meant he still had a hometown, while the latter meant he could never return and could only wander outside like a stray dog, with not a single person to miss him even when his soul returned to the underworld.

So bitter, so bitter, so bitter...

"Raise your head."

Just as Boge felt his eyes were about to be filled with warm tears, a familiar voice woke him.

Boge slowly raised his head, only to see Xia Mingyu looking at him with a calm expression.

Boge froze for a moment, his eyes drifting, not daring to look directly into the Highness's eyes.

He had failed the Highness's expectations.

But unexpectedly, the Highness didn't scold him, instead taking a "handkerchief" as white as snow from his pocket and gently wiping the blood and mud from his face.

Boge was a bit flattered for a moment and wanted to dodge, but Xia Mingyu firmly held his shoulder.

So he could only accept this kindness with gratitude, and even though the "handkerchief" occasionally touched his wounds and caused a stinging pain, he bit his lip, forcing himself not to make a sound.

Even though he was about to leave, even at the very last moment, he hoped to leave a good impression on this kind and good-hearted Highness he had spent such a short time with, at least not to show such a weak posture.

That way, many years later on a quiet afternoon, perhaps this Highness would occasionally remember that there was a plain-looking hunter who had saved him when the wolves were attacking. This would be his glory.

"Boge, you violated the agreement between the village and me. By rights, I should punish you."

Xia Mingyu said calmly.

"But you once saved my life. By rights, I should forgive your mistake this time, but I am a stingy person, so I have decided to punish you!"

Hearing this, Boge's face, which had just brightened, dimmed again.

"I want to punish you by having you serve as my attendant for the rest of your life!" Xia Mingyu said in a deep voice.

As these words were spoken, the expressions of the surrounding villagers, as well as Luo Bote and Boge, changed.

"Highness, I didn't hear clearly just now. Could you say it again?" Boge suspected his ears were hallucinating; otherwise, how could he have heard such wonderful words?

"I have decided to punish you by having you serve as my attendant for the rest of your life," Xia Mingyu repeated helplessly.

"What, if you are unwilling, I can change the punishment," Xia Mingyu said, shrugging and casually throwing away the dirty tissue in his hand.

That was something he had kept in his pocket before he transmigrated; he had used most of it for physiological needs over the past few days, and this was the last piece.

"Willing, I am willing!" Boge said with wild joy.

He stood up nimbly, feeling as if the pain from the beating he had received suddenly vanished.

"Hoo!"

The youth took a deep breath to adjust his mood; his rough, calloused hands were tightly clenched into fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

His sharp-featured face still bore dried tear tracks and swollen bruises, but his eyes were becoming increasingly firm, and a hot flame seemed to burn in his brown pupils.

Under the expectant and blessed gazes of all the villagers, Boge slowly knelt on one knee and said loudly:

"The Creator is above, the gods are above, I, Boge, hereby make..."

"Wait a moment." Just then, Xia Mingyu interrupted him.

Hearing this, Boge's eyes looked a bit nervous; he was very afraid that the Highness would change his mind, in which case he would feel even worse than if he were dead!

"Before you make your vow, I have decided to bestow a surname upon you first," Xia Mingyu said sternly.

As far as he knew, in the Middle Ages, many nobles would bestow a surname upon those they accepted loyalty from to deepen the bond between the two parties.

He had already been exposed to the sight of the nobles of this world, so he had to grasp every card in his hand well.

Boge was his first card.

"In my hometown, there was a dragon hunter of immense strength and an incredibly firm heart. I have decided to bestow his surname upon you, hoping that one day you can be as reliable as he was."

"From now on, your name is Boge Chu," Xia Mingyu said slowly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 20 =====