Ryan Carter stood on the stone bench in front of the door, looking down at the several guards with a disdainful gaze, his right index finger gently brushing across the tip of his nose. The group of thuggish soldiers, seeing the legendary cowardly Little Peter acting like this, felt displeased and hugged their spears to their chests, staring at Ryan Carter with provocative faces. One of them, with a filthy mouth, said, “He really is fair-skinned—could he be a sissy...”

The word “sissy” hadn’t even left his mouth when Ryan Carter suddenly kicked out, landing squarely on the man’s abdomen. With a cry, the man flew sideways, crashing into the main gate, shaking dust down from the gatehouse.

The soldiers hadn’t expected the ‘prisoner’ they were guarding to dare fight back. They threw down their spears and charged forward, howling. Eagle Carter, having witnessed His Highness’s habit of crippling his opponents in hand-to-hand combat, wasn’t worried. With a bear-like hug, he grabbed two of them, and with a forceful squeeze—bang!—the two thugs’ heads collided, knocking them out cold.

Seeing six thugs charging at him, Ryan Carter casually pulled out a door bolt and swung it horizontally. As the attackers hesitated, he switched from sweeping to smashing, bringing it down hard on the collarbone of the one on the right. A tooth-grinding “crack” sounded, and the man passed out before he could even groan.

The remaining five seized the chance to rush at Ryan Carter, trying to grab him. Two of them had just reached out when they suddenly felt a tightness at their backs and were sent flying backward—it was Eagle Carter who had taken care of them.

Ryan Carter sidestepped the soldier lunging from the left, bumping right into the arms of the one in the middle. With a loud shout, Ryan Carter yelled, “Up!” and, dropping his shoulder, knocked the soldier down at an angle. Riding the momentum, Ryan Carter charged behind the two on either side, spun around, and struck the one on the left hard on the calf with the stick. Instantly, bone snapped and tendons tore, and the man crashed to the ground.

The last soldier was already scared out of his wits. As Ryan Carter feigned an attack, Eagle Carter rushed up, grabbed the soldier like a chick, and slapped him back and forth a dozen times until his teeth were all loose and his mouth was a bloody mess. Then he flung him out onto the street, where he landed with a heavy thud.

After all this, the still unsatisfied Eagle Carter remembered he should explain to His Highness. Embarrassed, he said to Ryan Carter, “This punk insulted me this morning.”

Ryan Carter nodded in understanding. He only cared about the outcome of a fight, often ending it in a single move, but that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate Eagle Carter’s pleasure-seeking style.

Looking at the groaning, unconscious soldiers scattered on the ground, Ryan Carter was in high spirits, his mind clearing up. Suddenly, he said to Eagle Carter in exasperation, “Hurry and find Mr. Thompson, or we’ll be in for a beating.”

……

Although the Provisional Prince’s Residence held low status, it was at least located in the East City of the capital, where officials and nobles lived. The area was well-patrolled and not crowded.

So the scene of Little Peter beating up the gate guards didn’t spread, and the Jinwu Guards responsible for East City security soon arrived. Fortunately, the fight had only lasted a moment, and Eagle Carter quickly caught up with Mr. Thompson’s sedan chair. A single shout of “His Highness is being bullied!” startled William Thompson into hurrying back, arriving just as the Jinwu Guards were searching the residence. Mr. Thompson immediately flew into a rage, roaring, “If even a hair on His Highness’s head is harmed, then forget signing the treaty—let’s all just prepare for war!”

A Jinwu general, clad in gold from head to toe, stepped out and saluted William Thompson: “This subordinate is apprehending criminals as part of my duty. I ask for the envoy’s understanding.”

William Thompson saw that the Jinwu Guards in the courtyard were already leaving, empty-handed, apparently having found nothing. He relaxed a little, narrowed his eyes, and said coldly to the Jinwu general, “This matter concerns relations between our two countries. I will inform your emperor and the Court of State Ceremonies. Sir, please leave now…”

These words made the Jinwu general’s face turn purple, but as the Jinwu commander of the North City, how could he not be well-informed? After a brief hesitation, he gritted his teeth, cupped his hands to William Thompson, and turned to shout, “Withdraw!”

……

William Thompson and Eagle Carter hurried into the courtyard, only to find chaos and no sign of His Highness. As they were growing anxious, a clear voice called from behind, “You two seem to be in a good mood—playing hide and seek?”

A weight lifted from their hearts. They turned to see Ryan Carter standing in the courtyard, holding a food box and smiling warmly—truly infuriating.

Seeing their angry glares, Ryan Carter lifted the food box and grinned at William Thompson: “I just went to buy breakfast for you, sir. I’m not familiar with the area, so it took a while. Please forgive me!”

William Thompson, seeing this face-saving act, couldn’t help but smile. He replied, “I really am a bit hungry. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.” The two linked arms and entered the house, with Eagle Carter smiling at the door behind them.

……

In the back garden pavilion, Ryan Carter sat upright on a stone bench, the tea cup on the stone table beside him long since cooled. Eagle Carter, looking at Ryan Carter’s javelin-straight back, knew His Highness had truly changed—completely. He let out a quiet breath, a thought rising in his mind: no matter how he changes, it can’t be worse than before! Eagle Carter turned back, quietly standing guard over his prince.

William Thompson had been gone for a long time, but the information he’d given Ryan Carter still echoed in Ryan Carter’s mind. Combined with his earlier questions to Eagle Carter, Ryan Carter now roughly understood his situation:

Sixteen years ago, the most powerful state at the time, Qin, lost its Emperor Xiangwen. The princes fought for the throne, plunging the realm into chaos. The states of Qi and Chu, led by Qi’s Hundred Victories Marquis Henry Clark in the east and Chu’s Pillar of State General Jack Turner in the south, joined forces with a million troops to attack Qin. The Qin army’s morale collapsed, suffering defeat after defeat, most of its territory occupied, hundreds of thousands of soldiers wiped out, and the nation teetered on the brink of destruction.