Edward Carter waved his hand and took down Henry Clark, then, incredibly, twisted his body midair. His legs, seemingly relaxed, unleashed a flurry of kicks, each one landing squarely on a guard's chest! No matter how desperately the guards tried to dodge or block, it was all in vain.

All the guards struck had their chests caved in, blood spurting from their mouths as they were sent flying—certainly doomed with no chance of survival!

Edward Carter then used this momentum to gracefully return to his horse. Glancing at Henry Clark, who had fallen to the ground like a ragged sack, he sighed disinterestedly, “Double-blade Henry Clark, nothing more than this.”

The armored cavalry of The Carter Family, seeing this, were filled with fervent admiration, shouting in unison, “Strike the oar in midstream, invincible under heaven!” and began hacking madly at the remaining guards!

With Henry Clark, their anchor, gone, the remaining guards were completely demoralized by Edward Carter’s terrifying strength. They didn’t last long before being surrounded and slaughtered by the armored cavalry...

Looking at the ground littered with the corpses of guards, Edward Carter’s expression turned gloomy as he said, “It took too long.”

The armored cavalry immediately looked ashamed. “We are willing to accept punishment!”

“Commander, please quell your anger,” the deputy hurriedly and cautiously advised. “His Highness Prince Ping’s army has already surrounded Mount Luofeng—they can’t escape!”

“The Carter Family never relies on others for help.” Edward Carter snorted coldly. “If you can’t catch them, you’ll answer for it with your own lives!”

“Yes!” All the armored cavalry tensed up, urging their horses desperately, continuing the pursuit at full speed!

...

Mount Luofeng’s slopes were gentle and rolling, resembling a phoenix with its head to the west and tail to the north, hence the name. The mountain path here wasn’t particularly difficult, and it saved quite a bit of distance compared to the official road. On ordinary days, as long as travelers weren’t heavily loaded, many would take this shortcut.

Despite the bitter cold, a small group of people and horses appeared on this mountain path. Among them were guards, servants, and maids, all with bitter expressions, crowding around a small carriage as they moved slowly forward.

Inside the carriage sat a family of four. A pair of six- or seven-year-old children, bundled in thick furs, huddled close to their mother, shrinking from the cold. Even with a brazier burning, the north wind seeped in through the cracks, leaving the carriage bitterly cold.

The children’s mother was a woman in her twenties, dignified and beautiful, with a gentle and serene demeanor—clearly from a distinguished family. Yet seeing her children suffer, she couldn’t help but complain softly, “Those people are too much. It’s just a minor county magistrate position—couldn’t they wait until the weather warms up before sending you to take office?”

She was speaking to a man in a blue robe, reserved in spirit and composed in manner. He was reading a book with great interest despite the bumpy mountain road. Hearing her, he sighed, “Actually, the wind isn’t so strong at the foot of the mountain. But you insisted on coming up here to burn incense.”

“I heard the Phoenix Temple on Mount Luofeng is very efficacious,” the woman replied, glancing at him with slight embarrassment. “I did it for you, praying to the Daoist patriarch for your early transfer back to the capital.”

“Mother,” the little girl’s tender voice interrupted the couple’s conversation, “I need to pee...”

The little boy chimed in, “I need to pee too...”

The woman couldn’t help but laugh, tapping the boy’s nose. “You have to copy everything your sister does.”

The man also smiled, fondly patting his son’s head. He put down his book and got out of the carriage, saying, “Daddy will get you the chamber pot.”

He got out, stomped his numb feet, and brought the chamber pot into the carriage. Seeing that the Phoenix Temple was just ahead, he decided to walk slowly alongside the carriage.

Breathing in the crisp air, his mind cleared, but his mood remained heavy. His wife always thought he’d left the capital in a hurry because he was squeezed out by the main branch of his family. But that wasn’t the real reason—there was more to it—

Emperor Qianming had abolished the Nine-Rank System, issued the Equal-Field Edict, and was about to re-register the entire population—each move struck at the very foundation of the great clans. How could they not oppose him? The emperor had only been on the throne for two years; his foundation was still shaky. To act so hastily was courting disaster!

The man himself was a scion of one of the seven great clans, and he knew all too well that if the clans joined forces, their power far exceeded that of the royal family. What’s more, there was the seemingly loyal but actually ambitious Prince Ping... For this reason, he had repeatedly submitted memorials, fiercely opposing the emperor’s reforms, only to be harshly rebuked by imperial edict and banished from the capital!

But before he left, the clan leader had a private talk with him, telling him that this was actually the emperor’s way of protecting him.

The clan leader could sense that great upheaval was about to erupt in the capital. If he stayed, it would be fine if the emperor won, but if the emperor lost, given his character, he would likely die with the emperor... By banishing him now, if the emperor won, he could be recalled. If the emperor lost, this banishment would protect him, and those people might even promote him.

After being banished by imperial decree, he was disheartened for a time, but only now did he suddenly realize that the emperor understood his loyalty—he simply refused to bow to the clans any longer...

The man walked along, sighing repeatedly, worried for the fate of the emperor and the country, and saddened by his own current weakness and helplessness.