At this moment, Little William had just spat out the insult “wretched woman,” when John Foster’s expression changed dramatically. He suddenly stepped forward and slapped him hard. James Thompson only felt his vision blur, and before he could figure out what was happening, a heavy blow landed on his face. The slap left him dizzy and reeling, his blood surging; his body spun around in a circle, and when he finally stopped, one side of his face was swollen high, with a clear handprint on it.

“You little bastard, if you want to suffer less, you’d better watch your mouth. Don’t think that just because your father is William, I can’t do anything to you two little bastards. Let me tell you, after I deal with you today, I’ll deal with your older brothers another day. If I don’t beat you until your skin is split and you piss your pants at the sight of me, then I’m not John Foster!”

John Foster’s brows were filled with violence; this time, he was truly enraged. If he weren’t worried about causing trouble for his father, John Foster would have even considered killing them.

In John Foster’s life, there were two people who mattered most. One was his younger brother William Foster, the other was his mother Mrs. Clark. Anyone who hurt these two was causing him more pain than killing him. Yet these two fools had recklessly harmed both of his closest kin. Bloodshot veins appeared in John Foster’s eyes.

“You!…” Little William was shocked, angry, and afraid all at once; John Foster’s actions had completely intimidated him. He hadn’t expected that John Foster would actually dare to lay hands on him. Facing those naked, undisguised murderous eyes, Little William finally believed that if he pushed this brute too far, he might really disregard the consequences and kill the two of them.

Little Edward hadn’t been slapped, but he was scared too. With John Foster’s eyes red and his rage surging, he looked like a ferocious beast—truly terrifying. For a moment, he was completely cowed.

“Enough!” Mrs. Clark scolded sharply, finally stepping forward. Although she also disliked these two arrogant noble youths, she couldn’t ignore their backgrounds. Whether it was Edward or William, both held high rank and great influence, and their roots in the military ran deep. Their influence in the Great Zhou army was no less than that of Marquis Sifang, Edward Foster. More importantly, these two noble marquises had tangled and complex power bases in the capital. If they were truly angered, it could bring endless trouble to her husband.

“Lin’er, do you even know what you’re doing? Are you helping Yun’er, or harming him?” Mrs. Clark’s tone was stern. Little Edward and Little William may have behaved outrageously, but John Foster’s actions were also excessive. The ladies of the Edward and William households might not care, but she could not ignore it. At the very least, she had to set an example and not let the two households lose too much face.

Seeing his mother step in, John Foster couldn’t help but hesitate. Toward his mother, he felt both respect and fear.

When Mrs. Clark intervened and immediately subdued John Foster, Little Edward and Little William became emboldened again. The two exchanged a subtle glance, and David Harris steadied himself and said coldly, “Mrs. Clark, look at the fine son you’ve raised. When we return, we might just have our mothers go to court and accuse you before Her Majesty of failing in your duties as a parent!”

“That’s right, when I get back, I’ll have my mother enter the palace and report you to Her Majesty as well!” James Thompson chimed in, regaining his confidence. Both of them were born into marquis households and were adept at reading people and exploiting weaknesses. In just a moment, they had realized that Mrs. Clark was the sore spot and weakness of the brothers John Foster and William Foster.

“You little bastards, you’re looking for death!” John Foster had been about to let go after hearing his mother speak, but now, upon hearing this, he flew into a rage. Though he seemed reckless and impulsive, he was extremely filial. Hearing these two repeatedly insult his mother Mrs. Clark, he steeled his heart—if he was going to do it, he might as well go all the way. He was ready to kill the two of them right here in the marquis’s residence.

“Bang!”

John Foster’s whole body shook as he raised his fist and swung it down. The moment the punch was thrown, the private room erupted like a landslide and tsunami. The air inside the room swirled violently, forming black vortices filled with piercing, shrill sounds. At the same time, from within John Foster’s body, a ring of crystal-clear radiance burst forth, condensing on his fist into a foot-long, arrow-shaped blue glow.

“Gang Qi Realm!” Seeing the ring of crystalline light, David Harris and James Thompson were both shocked and pale.

Both were born into martial marquis families, with deep family traditions and extensive knowledge of martial arts. The martial path was divided into six realms, known as the Six Realms of Embryo Nurturing.

The first realm was the Yuan Qi Realm. This involved absorbing the formless vital energy of heaven and earth into the body, merging it with the flesh to enhance physical strength. In the army, those with this level of cultivation could serve as squad leaders.

The second realm was the True Qi Realm. Here, the vital energy was refined from all parts of the body and condensed, circulating within to actively absorb the energy of heaven and earth and grow stronger. At this level, one could serve as a centurion in the army.

The third realm was the Gang Qi Realm. True Qi was further refined and extended outside the body, remaining condensed and unscattered—this was the Gang Qi Realm. Martial artists at this level had greatly increased power. Those at this realm could serve as commanders of a thousand men, leading a thousand Great Zhou soldiers. A commander of a thousand was an important officer in the Great Zhou army.