The Elder let out a sinister laugh and suddenly reached out to pat William Carter on the body.

Although William Carter wanted to dodge, The Elder's speed was simply too fast. Moreover, after that light pat, William Carter's consciousness instantly became blurry. His head tilted, his body collapsed, and just like that, he passed out in a spectacular fashion.

Chapter Two: Mutation

“William, get up.” A familiar voice echoed by his ear, and it even felt like someone was gently nudging his body.

William Carter's consciousness gradually gathered, as if he was slowly surfacing from deep water, leaving him momentarily dazed.

When Henry Carter saw his son wake up, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but then he put on a stern face and said, “William, why did you fall asleep here?”

“Asleep?” William Carter stared in shock at his surroundings, and the scene before he lost consciousness flashed quickly through his mind.

He was definitely not asleep—he had been knocked out with ease.

“Ah…” William Carter's eyes suddenly widened, and he let out a thunderous, heart-wrenching scream.

Henry Carter's outstretched hand froze in midair. He involuntarily shivered, startled by his son's expression.

“You, what’s wrong?”

William Carter leapt up, looking around with extreme fear in his eyes.

“Dad, where is that person? Didn’t you see him?”

“What… person?” Henry Carter asked in confusion.

“It was an old man, an old man covered in blood.” William Carter gestured with his arms: “This old man was very strange, he was stained with blood all over, and it looked like he’d been slashed—so below his chest, there was… nothing left.”

The more William Carter spoke, the more anxious he became, but when he got to the last sentence, he unconsciously slowed down, and even his tone became uncertain.

Nothing below the chest—could that still be called a living person?

William Carter had never experienced such a thing, and he was still young, but he at least knew the basics.

The muscles on Henry Carter's face twitched violently a few times. He lowered his head and looked at the ground for a while, then slowly said, “William, are you sure that old man was bleeding?”

William Carter nodded vigorously. Although he hadn’t seen the old man’s face clearly, the thick, almost tangible stench of blood on him had left the deepest impression.

Henry Carter smacked his lips a few times, sighed deeply, and said, “William, it’s all my fault as your father.”

“What?” William Carter looked at him in surprise. What did this have to do with his father?

“Child, you’re still young, but I forced you to condense true qi, putting too much pressure on you.” Henry Carter said guiltily, “Sigh, I never expected you’d even start having hallucinations.”

William Carter opened his mouth. He wanted to tell his father that he had definitely encountered such a strange… living corpse, and then been knocked out by it.

But, seeing that there wasn’t a trace of blood around, and the worried look on his father’s face, he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“William, come home with me and get a good night’s sleep.” Henry Carter gave his son a firm pat on the shoulder and said, “From today on, you’re not allowed to practice martial arts anymore. Heh, let’s just live here as an ordinary family.”

“Father, but your wish…”

Henry Carter reached out and stopped his son from finishing. He said with emotion, “I’ve figured it out. What’s the point of being a martial arts master or a martial sect expert? Nothing is more important than our family being together.” A gratified smile appeared on his face. “It’s a pity I only realized this now.”

William Carter's lips trembled slightly. He felt as if a surge of indescribable heat was welling up in his chest, impossible to release. For some reason, seeing his father like this made him feel extremely sad, and he even had the urge to burst into tears.

But, having practiced martial arts since childhood, and having been taught countless times by Henry Carter that “men shed blood, not tears,” he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his emotions.

Henry Carter smiled and took his son’s hand, and the two of them strode back to the manor.

This manor was a property of the The Carter Family here. For the vast The Carter Family, this was just a remote, almost profitless place. Many direct descendants who failed to cultivate true qi were often sent to shops or manors like this.

Except for a very few who could work hard and rise again, the vast majority spent their lives in mediocrity, leaving the family mainstream and living out their days here.

Henry Carter had always harbored resentment, but after being frightened by his son today, he truly let go of his grudges.

That night, the family of three sat together and enjoyed a warm, happy evening.

Although William Carter's mother was surprised that her husband no longer urged their son to practice his evening lessons, her keen intuition told her that the bond between father and son seemed to have become closer than ever.