Although the farmhouse wine was of poor quality, it was quite strong. After eating and drinking their fill, Henry Carter grabbed David Carter's hand and said, “Uncle, you’ve been so good to my family. With you looking after everything, my father can rest in peace.”

Reeking of alcohol, David Carter pulled Henry Carter closer and said, “Chu, your father is gone, but you still have your uncle. If you ever need anything, just come to me. As long as I can do it, I’ll make sure it gets done.”

After a round of drinks, the two were already tipsy. They chatted about all sorts of things for quite a while before finally letting go of each other’s hands.

Villagers passing by David Carter’s doorway saw the scene and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: In these times, if you don’t look out for yourself, you’re doomed. In the face of profit, what family ties are left? Let alone someone like David Carter, who still wants to take a cut even when he’s in the wrong!

Sighs and sympathy aside, if anyone expected them to confront David Carter on Henry Carter’s behalf, they wouldn’t do it even if their lives depended on it. For honest, hard-working farmers, keeping themselves out of trouble was undoubtedly the best choice.

In fact, at this moment, David Carter felt as if a cat was scratching at his heart. Not only had he returned all twenty mu of good farmland to Henry Carter’s family, but he’d also given Henry Carter half a year’s worth of harvest.

The reason it was only half a year was because Henry Carter had slammed the table and gotten angry with him. If it had been up to him, he would have given a whole year’s worth.

“Old man, you’re amazing. You got rid of that kid with just a chicken. Now those twenty mu of land are all ours,” the shrew flattered her husband, looking at him with delight.

Hearing his wife’s words, David Carter’s face grew even darker. He snapped impatiently at the shrew, “What do you mean, a chicken for twenty mu of land? Let me tell you, you wretched woman, from today on, you’re never to mention those twenty mu of land again! They’re not ours anymore!”

With that, he squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands. The shrew never expected things to turn out this way. Holding two broken-legged chairs, she muttered, “That rascal Henry Carter, how did he manage to come back alive?”

After reclaiming his family’s land, Henry Carter tidied up the house a bit, then sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate. His performance at David Carter’s house today had all relied on the inner strength he’d trained in the army.

Although he was back home and no longer living by the sword, Henry Carter still didn’t slack off in his cultivation. Years of battlefield experience had taught him that everything in this world was an illusion—only strength truly mattered.

Back then, if he’d possessed overwhelming strength, would the officials from the county have forced him to join the army? If he hadn’t gone, his parents wouldn’t have died of grief, and he wouldn’t have become a lonely orphan!

Get stronger. I must become even stronger! My fate will be decided by me!

Mang Niu Qi, one of the three most basic methods of qi cultivation in the army, was practiced as widely as Vajra Power and Primordial Unity Force, and was said to be the most commonly used technique on the continent. The reason for this reputation was that nearly every army in every country on the continent used these three types of inner qi to train their troops.

The reason Henry Carter chose Mang Niu Qi was because the veteran who mentored him knew this technique. As he circulated the method, streams of white qi slowly flowed from Henry Carter’s mouth. The qi was milky white, and after drifting half a foot from his body, it slowly returned into him.

With each inhalation and exhalation, a low, bull-like roar sounded from Henry Carter’s chest and abdomen.

Chapter 3: Demonic Beast

The white mist gradually brightened as Henry Carter breathed in and out.

Qi circulating to the dantian, a roar like a bull—this was a sign of reaching the third level of Mang Niu Qi. Once the third level was achieved, one could injure others by expelling qi. However, the range was limited; if the target was too far, the expelled qi would have no effect. The greatest benefit of reaching the third level was being able to channel inner qi into one’s weapon, greatly enhancing its power.

Henry Carter had managed to cultivate Mang Niu Qi to this level within three years, something unheard of among the thousands of soldiers in his battalion. Their battalion’s captain, Mr. Harris, who, like Henry Carter, came from a poor background, once lamented that it was a pity about Henry Carter. The pity was due to his humble origins.

Superior cultivation methods were only possessed by powerful clans. Henry Carter was just an ordinary person; even with decent talent, he could only practice a low-level technique like Mang Niu Qi.

Holding tightly to a sliver of clarity in his mind, Henry Carter entered a state of total absorption as he breathed in and out.

As the white light from his mouth grew brighter, the black gourd at his waist suddenly trembled. After that tremor, a wisp of black smoke flew out from the pitch-black little gourd.

Once the black mist emerged, it flew straight toward Henry Carter’s body.

As the black mist approached, the Mang Niu Qi surrounding Henry Carter seemed to sense something and spread to cover his entire body. But the black mist appeared completely unafraid of the white light. The moment it touched the light, the thin layer of Mang Niu Qi instantly collapsed.

The black mist swirled continuously around Henry Carter’s body, swirling and swirling, until finally, a black shadow appeared behind Henry Carter!