“Father, look... should we call Ethan Brooks here and let you question him personally?”

Lord Marshall Jack Brooks pondered for a moment, weighed the consequences, and shook his head: “Let’s not take any further action for now. Owen, if I remember correctly, His Majesty the Emperor will host a banquet tonight, inviting all the outstanding young talents of our Great Qi Dynasty to gather, get to know each other, and strengthen the bonds among the younger generation... In a while, deliver an invitation to him for this banquet!”

“Let seventh brother attend this gathering of heroes... but... seventh brother is not well-known in the capital and can hardly be called an outstanding young talent... Moreover, because Miss Foster married him, many people even hold grudges or jealousy against him... If he attends this banquet, I’m afraid he’ll face a lot of trouble...”

“Think about it carefully, over the years, we’ve really paid too little attention to Ethan Brooks.” Jack Brooks tapped his right hand lightly on the table, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer with the motion: “This time, having you deliver the invitation and take him to the gathering hosted by His Majesty may also serve as a test.”

“Father, you mean...”

“If he really is the kind of reclusive master that Sword Saint Logan Bennett spoke of, he’ll surely be able to handle the challenges from the many young talents at the gathering with ease...”

“But what if he isn’t? Wouldn’t he just be humiliating himself?”

“Even if he isn’t, letting him attend this gathering might give him a chance to befriend Logan Bennett. If the two of them could become friends, even just ordinary friends, it would be of immense benefit to our marquisate!” At this point, Jack Brooks paused slightly, then added with some uncertainty, “If Logan Bennett really thinks so highly of him, he wouldn’t just stand by if he saw him being bullied.”

Upon hearing this, Owen Brooks already understood his father Lord Marshall’s intentions. After all, Ethan Brooks has no reputation in the capital; even if he’s humiliated, it would only make his reputation a bit worse. On the other hand, if he could win Logan Bennett’s appreciation, or bring Logan Bennett over to their marquisate’s side, it would be of extraordinary significance for the marquisate.

“I understand. Rest assured, Father, I’ll have someone deliver the invitation right away.”

Jack Brooks nodded and fell silent again in the main hall.

……

About an hour later, Ethan Brooks finally finished practicing his free-flowing boxing technique.

As he gradually came to a stop, a wave of incredibly comfortable warmth spread along with the contraction and relaxation of his body, flowing from his limbs and bones bit by bit, rushing to his forehead. When it reached the Baihui acupoint, it suddenly dispersed, forming a faint shockwave that spread throughout his brain, immersing his mind in a gentle, warm, and pleasant sensation!

After finishing his cultivation, Ethan Brooks glanced curiously at the two women and several maids standing at the entrance of the courtyard.

These two women were none other than Ethan Brooks’s nominal wife Ivy Foster and her personal maid Lily Foster. Normally, this mistress and servant would barge straight into his remote courtyard without any regard for etiquette. For them to stand at the entrance today, seemingly waiting for him to finish his boxing, was truly unprecedented.

“Xiaolin, can you tell what’s different about the boxing technique he’s practicing?”

“Even you, Miss, a master at the seventh level of Qi Dao, can’t see through it. Naturally, I can’t tell how profound it is either...”

“But according to the servants, Sword Saint Logan Bennett only took notice of him after seeing him practice this boxing technique, which then drew the attention of the Marquis.”

“I don’t know about that... Uh, it seems Young Master has finished cultivating. Miss, why don’t we just ask Young Master directly?”

Ivy Foster also noticed Ethan Brooks looking in their direction. Although she felt a bit uncomfortable, she still nodded and walked into the courtyard.

Seeing them enter, Ethan Brooks smiled and nodded at the curious Lily Foster, then glanced at Ivy Foster, waiting for her to state her purpose.

Ivy Foster walked up to Ethan Brooks, stared at him carefully for a moment, as if trying to see what kind of virtue or ability this nominal husband of hers, whom she had been married to for a year, possessed to earn the attention of the most famous young expert in the Great Qi Dynasty—Sword Saint Logan Bennett.

However, no matter how she looked, Ethan Brooks was just Ethan Brooks, standing there plainly in front of her. She couldn’t sense the slightest fluctuation of true qi from him.

After a moment’s thought, she finally took out an invitation and handed it over, saying, “His Majesty the Emperor is hosting a gathering tonight for all accomplished young people in the capital to welcome Sword Saint Logan Bennett and other outstanding talents. This is the invitation. The Marquis hopes you can join us.”

Ethan Brooks glanced at the invitation Ivy Foster handed over and shook his head slightly: “This kind of occasion isn’t suitable for me.”