The two of them returned to the small town. Just before parting, Emily Carter turned to Ryan Cooper and said, “Ryan Smith gege, you must wait for me. When I grow up, I want to marry you.” With that, she ran off as if fleeing.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

Chapter Four: Slightly Sour Rainy Season

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

Today, the second young master of the The Carter Family, Andrew Carter, finally cultivated the family’s “Mingyue Heart Sutra” to the eleventh level. Jason Carter was overjoyed, grabbing Andrew Carter’s hand and saying, “My son, you’ve reached the eleventh level of our family’s secret art at just nineteen years old. This is rare in the family’s history over the past hundred years. If you continue to train at this pace, by the time you’re fifty, you’ll reach the eighteenth and highest level of the ‘Mingyue Heart Sutra.’ By then, you’ll be among the ranks of the peerless emperor-level masters, and the family will flourish in your hands.”

Looking at his father’s excited expression, Andrew Carter was also filled with heroic ambition. Who wouldn’t yearn to dominate the martial world, roam the continent, and be invincible? Especially at his age, it was the time to idolize heroes and dream of becoming one.

“Father, I will make the The Carter Family famous across the continent.”

“Good, I’m very pleased that you have such ambition. Andrew Smith, I’m giving you three brothers three days off. Go ahead.”

“That’s great, thank you, Father! I’ll go tell big brother and third brother.” With that, he turned and ran toward the training grounds in the backyard.

No wonder—the three brothers hadn’t left home for three whole months. The The Carter Family had extremely strict requirements for the next generation. If their martial arts didn’t meet the required standard for their age, they weren’t allowed to take even half a step out of the house. That’s why everyone from the The Carter Family who roamed the martial world was highly skilled.

In fact, the three sons of the current family head, Jason Carter, were all exceptionally talented, and their martial arts had long since met the required standards. But as the head of the family, Jason Carter was extremely strict with his children, always holding them to high standards. These three were all outstanding among their peers in the family.

The eldest, Henry Carter, was twenty years old this year and had already cultivated the family’s “Mingyue Heart Sutra” to the eleventh level, making him the top expert among the younger generation. The second, William Carter, was nineteen and had just reached the eleventh level, showing signs of surpassing the elder brother. The third, Samuel Carter, was sixteen and a twin with Emily Carter, born half an hour after Emily Smith. Limited by age, he had just reached the ninth level of the “Mingyue Heart Sutra,” but even so, he was considered an expert among the younger generation.

Soon, the three brothers came from the backyard to the main hall. The eldest was tall and sturdy, exuding a masculine beauty. The second was exceptionally handsome, with a striking face. The third looked very much like Emily Carter, extremely good-looking—if he dressed as a girl, he’d be a great beauty.

“Greetings, Father.” The three bowed to Jason Carter, but couldn’t hide the joy on their faces.

“Rise.”

“Yes.”

“You three are so eager to go out—are you going to find Ryan Smith?”

The three nodded.

“If that little fight maniac wants to spar with you again, you must hold back sixty percent of your strength. That kid’s body is unbelievably tough, but you three are not what you used to be either. Be careful not to hurt him.”

The three brothers nodded. Andrew Carter said, “We understand. Last time, the three of us already went easy on him, but that kid is too much. We lost to him only because we were holding back, yet he still laughed at our martial arts. This time, we’ll make him suffer a bit.”

Jason Carter said, “That child Ryan Smith is exceptionally gifted, simply born for martial arts. I used to regret that he didn’t study martial arts, but now I see I was worrying for nothing.”

Henry Carter said, “That fight maniac?”

Jason Carter replied, “That’s right. With my current cultivation, I can finally sense the blazing fighting spirit within him. Sooner or later, he’ll pursue the path of martial arts—maybe he hasn’t realized it himself yet.”

Andrew Carter said, “Is he really that amazing? But he’s already so old— isn’t it too late to start training?”

Jason Carter said, “He’s been fighting since he was little, so his body and bones are already well trained. It’s not too late at all. Besides, he’s not an ordinary person. There truly are no ordinary people in the The Cooper Family.”

Samuel Carter said, “I knew my brother-in-law wasn’t an ordinary person. Are Uncle Dugu and Grandpa Dugu not ordinary either?”

Jason Carter scolded, “Your sister hasn’t married that brat yet.” Then he added, “Kids, true masters are often unknown and low-key. Remember this. Alright, go on out.”

After being cooped up at home for three months, the three brothers felt like birds just released from a cage, indescribably light and happy. Walking down the street, everything seemed fresh and new.

The The Cooper Family was almost next door, separated by just one street. As soon as Henry Carter and Andrew Carter entered, they shouted, “Fight maniac!” Samuel Carter was even more dramatic, “Brother-in-law, I’ve come to see you!”

The servants, seeing it was the three young masters from the The Carter Family, hurried inside to report. They were already used to these strange forms of address.