Fortunately, Grace Carter was quite skilled in martial arts, wielding her sword with ease and precision. When she saw Robert Bennett being pushed out, she sheathed her sword, then lifted her small foot and—bang!—stomped right on top of Robert Bennett's head. Don’t be fooled by the size of her foot; the force behind it was anything but small. Robert Bennett's legs buckled, and with a thud! he dropped to his knees. If it weren’t for the shock-absorbing effect of that earth-shattering kneel, his head might have been kicked straight into his stomach.

Little William thus got a chance to catch his breath. He didn’t keep running forward, because ahead, John Carter was leading a group to cut him off. Little William spun around and ran toward Helen Morgan. To outsiders, it looked like he was running straight into a trap, but Little William was convinced that Helen Morgan was currently the safest person to be near. She was a constable of Jingzhao Prefecture, and probably the most law-abiding of the bunch. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Little Carter hack him to death. Besides, the sword Little Carter was wielding had been snatched from her. If anything happened to him, she wouldn’t escape responsibility either.

Little William's master's degree in psychology wasn’t for nothing. When Helen Morgan saw Little William running toward her, her expression grew conflicted and complex.

Using the rebound from Robert Bennett's head, Grace Carter did two backflips in midair, adding a 720-degree spin, and closed in on Little William again, shouting, “Scoundrel! Take this!”

At the critical moment, Helen Morgan grabbed Little William's arm, pulled him behind her, and shielded him.

Grace Carter hadn’t expected Helen Morgan to help Little William, so her sword had to stop mid-thrust. She asked in confusion, “Sister Morgan, move aside!”

But Helen Morgan said, “Grace! Calm down!”

Grace Carter snapped, “Today I must kill this scoundrel!”

Listening to their exchange, Little William understood: these two girls really were childhood friends. No wonder this female constable had arrived at the scene so quickly.

Grace Carter tried to get around Helen Morgan to stab with her sword. Although Helen Morgan sided with her friend in her heart, as the top female constable of Jingzhao Prefecture, she was very familiar with the laws of Dakang. If Grace Carter really killed Little William, it would cause enormous trouble. Even if a prince breaks the law, he’s punished like a commoner, but Little William's crimes weren’t enough to warrant death. Judging by Grace Carter's neat clothing, she hadn’t been violated. Even if Little William had committed a crime, there should be a trial first. Seeing Grace Carter thrust her sword again, Helen Morgan hurriedly grabbed her wrist and whispered, “Grace, you need to calm down!”

Grace Carter was both ashamed and anxious, her eyes turning red as she gritted her teeth and said, “Sister Morgan, if you still value our years of sisterhood, move aside. I must kill this scoundrel.”

Little William, hiding behind Helen Morgan, retreated while saying, “Captain Morgan, you’re an officer of the law—you must act impartially. Right and wrong should be settled at the yamen.”

Helen Morgan turned and glared at him, thinking, Upholding the laws of Dakang is my duty—do I need a playboy like you to remind me? She was momentarily distracted, not expecting Grace Carter to strike her shoulder. The blow made Helen Morgan stagger. She had never thought Grace Carter would attack her. Of all the Tang siblings, Grace Carter had the worst temper—fiery and unyielding. After suffering such humiliation, she was determined to stab a few holes in Little William to vent her anger.

Grace Carter snatched back her sword. Seeing Little William speeding away, she took advantage of Helen Morgan's unsteady footing and hurled her sword. With a flash of cold light, it shot straight for Little William's back.

Hearing the whoosh behind him, Little William immediately sensed danger. His hair stood on end as he thought, I’m doomed! If I’d known Little Carter was this fierce, I never would have staged this fake bride-snatching. Outsmarted myself! I finally got a second chance at life, only to squander it like this. Heaven wants me dead—regret!

The sword tip was only a foot from Little William's back. Helen Morgan's face went pale; even if she wanted to save him, it was too late. She thought bitterly, My foolish sister, if Little William dies like this, who knows how many people will lose their heads because of it.

At that moment, an iron pellet flew in from the side—clang!—striking the sword aimed at Little William. The sword was knocked off course, flying askew and landing in the garden lawn.

At the brink of life and death, Edward Howard's personal guard, Richard Howard, arrived just in time. He saw Grace Carter hurling her sword at Little William and acted quickly, using the iron pellet to deflect the sword and pull Little William back from the edge of death.

Chapter 9: Turning Black into White (Part 2)

Helen Morgan saw what happened and, far from being disappointed, felt a deep sense of relief. Richard Howard's intervention had pulled everyone back from a world of trouble. Her sword, though not a legendary weapon, was made of high-quality steel and far superior to ordinary blades. Grace Carter had trained in martial arts since childhood and had extraordinary arm strength. Coupled with her furious, full-force throw, the sword’s power was formidable. If it had struck Little William, he would have been gravely injured, if not killed.