The phone screen instantly cleared all information, then automatically shut off, as if an invisible hand was erasing every trace of conversation.

　　Ethan Clark lifted his head, gazing at the crossbeam in the darkness above, remaining motionless for a long time.

　　……

　　……

　　Night gradually deepened.

　　William Carter changed into pajamas and lay on his back on the bed in the room.

　　From outside in the courtyard came the faint sound of the housekeeper drawing water to water the flowers.

　　Well water striking the metal bucket made a constant crisp splashing sound. Blended with the deep silence of the night around, it only made things feel even quieter.

　　William Carter lay on the somewhat hard wooden bed, breathing the chilly air through his nostrils, and could even smell a faint mustiness in the room.

　　The quilt and mattress seemed unused for a long time, with a subtle dampness to them, feeling moist to the touch, a chill seeping straight to the bone.

　　William Carter tugged at the quilt, but no matter what, he couldn’t get warm.

　　His mouth felt a bit dry, and as his tongue licked his lips, he unexpectedly touched a piece of some unknown soft thing stuck to them.

　　It seemed like fruit peel, or maybe bean skin.

　　Salty and a bit disgusting, he quickly reached up, pinched off the soft thing, and flicked it away with his finger.

　　Pop.

　　The thing seemed to hit the wooden table in the room, making a very faint little sound.

　　‘How on earth should I solve this…’

　　William Carter stared at the somewhat darkened wooden beam, sighing inwardly.

　　He felt like he’d sighed as much in these few days as he usually did in a whole year.

　　‘Judging from Ethan Clark’s behavior today, he’s almost stopped hiding his malice. In front of Grandpa, maybe he still holds back a bit, but in front of me…’

　　He recalled that previous moment when their eyes met.

　　He didn’t think it was his imagination.

　　Ethan Clark’s room was right next door.

　　Maybe the two of them were less than three meters apart, separated by just a wall.

　　At this thought, William Carter felt a chill in his heart and couldn’t sleep at all.

　　He tossed and turned in bed for over half an hour before finally drifting into a half-awake, half-asleep state.

　　Unknowingly, after dozing for about an hour, he vaguely heard some sound outside the window, but when he forced his eyes open to look, he saw nothing.

　　After this happened several times, William Carter simply couldn’t sleep, so he gave up, sat up on the bed, and just sat there until dawn.

Chapter 003 Brass Level (Part 1)

　　Creak.

　　The door opened.

　　William Carter, with dark circles under his eyes, walked out tiredly and saw Grandpa Henry Carter already standing in the courtyard, starting his morning practice.

　　Henry Carter practiced a martial art called Moon Void Fist. His steps and punches combined with a fierce momentum, looking very impressive.

　　William Carter had watched many times, and always felt that during the practice, Grandpa’s fists would strike from the most unexpected angles.

　　No matter how many times he watched, it always seemed unpredictable and impossible to defend against.

　　After finishing a set of moves, Grandpa let out a long breath of white air, took the dry towel handed over by the housekeeper, and wiped his sweat.

　　“How about it? Want to try a set, get your muscles moving?”

　　“No, I’m not interested in that.” William Carter smiled and shook his head.

　　“That’s a pity. Only with vigorous energy and blood can you be full of spirit, handle anything with ease, and in crucial moments, overpower everyone and take the initiative.” Henry Carter’s voice was booming, so loud it echoed faintly through the whole courtyard.

　　“Master is right. Vitality is the foundation of a person; energy can be used to physically alter the outside world.

　　And spirit can be used to influence others, each has its own wonders.” Ethan Clark had appeared at the side of the courtyard at some point, his expression calm as he spoke slowly.

　　William Carter glanced at him, still feeling a slight chill inside.

　　“Ethan Clark bro is right.” He nodded in agreement.

　　Ethan Clark’s gaze passed over William Carter, as if looking into the distance, his eyes somewhat vacant.

　　“In any killing, you always hurt yourself while hurting the enemy. No matter how lopsided the fight, there’s always a risk of injury to oneself. So I always pursue victory without fighting.”

　　“Winning without fighting?” William Carter mused.

　　“Exactly. The art of war’s upright and overwhelming force to crush the enemy—I can’t do that. That’s the use of nature’s power.” Ethan Clark said calmly. “That’s not my pursuit either.”

　　“Then what is your pursuit…?” William Carter grew curious and asked.

　　“What I pursue is defeating the enemy with spirit, making them so afraid that their mind collapses, and then…” Ethan Clark was halfway through when Henry Carter cut him off with a stern shout.

　　“That’s enough!”

　　Henry Carter’s shout made the whole courtyard buzz. The housekeeper nearby turned pale and shivered all over, almost dropping the towel in her hand.

　　“You still haven’t given up on that heretical path?!” Henry Carter glared at Ethan Clark, his strong body like a giant bear, exuding a faintly oppressive aura.

　　William Carter could tell something was wrong.

　　It seemed Ethan Clark’s martial path had a major disagreement with Grandpa’s.

　　Ethan Clark said nothing more. For more than ten minutes after, he kept his mouth tightly shut, not uttering a word.

　　He stopped talking.

　　Instead, William Carter and his slightly recovered Grandpa changed the subject and chatted about other things, but from time to time, he would glance at Ethan Clark.