And Edward Carter, who had already walked several hundred meters away, also trembled slightly at this moment.

He paused for a brief instant, then, with resolute steps, continued forward, walking far away.

Chapter 007: No Status to Speak Of

Returning to the courtyard that once belonged to his father, Edward Carter found it brightly lit.

It seemed that everything had already been arranged. The servants appeared to have long been informed of their departure, and a few were still moving things, while the rest had almost all disappeared.

Ironically, he himself seemed to be the last to learn the truth.

Edward Carter revealed a somewhat mocking smile. If this had happened before he obtained the inheritance, then regardless of whether he had truly exhausted his physical potential, the fact that he was not talented enough would certainly have become the excuse for Lily Carter and his sister to take his place.

And he, being young and impulsive, would either make a scene or fall into utter despair.

No matter the outcome, it would have been a miserable one, and he was destined for no good ending.

But in reality? He had acquired a new cultivation method, his abilities had not declined but improved, and he was no longer so mediocre and ordinary. Yet from beginning to end, the three elders and the family head had never bothered to examine his body or understand his condition. They simply drew a conclusion, declaring him a useless person, and did so with such certainty. This truly warranted scrutiny.

Besides that, they also said things like how an ordinary life could be a kind of happiness, and that being incompetent would at least keep him from going astray or bringing shame.

Such words, spoken when his father had just passed away, regardless of their intentions, left Edward Carter feeling anything but comforted.

For an ordinary child, such words were nothing less than adding insult to injury. It was as if, after the radiant sword had unleashed its soul-stirring energy, no one remembered this pitiful person at all.

Even though the sword aura was so overwhelming that even Lily Carter and Lillian Carter could not withstand it, he managed to endure, yet no one spared him a glance of concern. No one wondered how, with his humble cultivation, he could possess such ability and stand firm under such powerful sword energy.

At that moment, he thought his resilience might bring him even a sliver of status or a ray of hope—but he was disappointed. No one cared whether he had that ability, and no one looked at him directly.

He had, in fact, already been forgotten by this family.

Or rather, in the eyes of almost everyone in this family, he was not a genius, but merely an extremely mediocre person. If not for having more cultivation resources than others, he probably wouldn't even compare to the average family member.

...

In the courtyard, beneath the ancient pine, clear spring water flowed, and a gentle breeze blew.

Starlight twinkled, lanterns shimmered, dreamlike and ethereal.

Edward Carter stood there, carefully recalling the earlier scene, feeling many emotions.

But he did not blame fate or others, for in the grandmaster's memories were all kinds of scheming, betrayal, and treachery. Compared to those, his own troubles were truly insignificant.

He simply realized that he just had no status, so there was no need to dutifully do anything.

...

"Young master, from now on, please take good care of yourself. Penny has to leave."

At this moment, the voice of his personal maid Penny sounded in his ear.

This Penny had been by his side since childhood, growing up together like childhood sweethearts.

"You're leaving too?" Edward Carter asked sadly.

"Young master, Penny doesn't want to leave either, but the young lady said you must do everything yourself now and don't need to rely on Penny anymore."

Penny lowered her head a little aggrievedly. Edward Carter saw that her big eyes were brimming with tears, full of reluctance.

Suddenly, Edward Carter thought of the times when he was not doing well, and this maid had always silently stayed by his side. He couldn't help but feel a slight shock in his heart. After absorbing the grandmaster's memories, he seemed to be leaning more toward that person's personality and losing a bit of himself.

This change made Edward Carter secretly wary. He knew it was because of his lack of experience and the deep impression of those memories. Although it only affected his attitude and methods in dealing with people, there were some things he was unwilling to give up—like his memories with this maid.

He had his own principles.

This change of mindset lasted only a moment, and then Edward Carter felt that in all aspects, he seemed to have found a sense of 'harmony.'

He vaguely realized that he might have inadvertently walked out of the subtle negative influence of the inherited memories.

"You don't need to listen to her, because you are not her maid, but mine! I have nothing to do with her. So, from now on, just stay with me!"

"Ah... Young master, but, but she is the young lady!" Penny was a little surprised, her tear-stained face now showing a touch of emotion.

It seemed as if, for the first time, she discovered that her young master could speak with such charm and determination.