“The young lady is truly like a fairy from the legends—elegant, refined, and with a gentle fragrance. May I ask for your esteemed name?”

Thompson Miss saw that Ryan Cooper was so calm, and his gaze was clear without a trace of wickedness. She was quite surprised and even a bit appreciative.

“Grace Thompson, may I know your name, sir?”

“I am Ryan Cooper, nineteen years old, unmarried.”

The beauty couldn’t help but smile, and everyone was stunned again. After a long while, they finally snapped out of it, glaring angrily at Ryan Cooper, including the three Carter brothers. The two ugly young men even said in unison, “You insolent brat, mind your manners!”

Ryan Cooper couldn’t help but click his tongue—this beauty’s charm was truly extraordinary! What surprised him even more was that his group of brothers all started imitating him.

“I am Henry Carter, twenty-one years old, unmarried, of noble character, and…” (interrupted)

“I am Andrew Carter, twenty years old, unmarried, devoted in love, compassionate…” (interrupted)

“I am George Thompson, twenty years old, unmarried, responsible, ambitious…” (interrupted)

“I am Robert Smith, twenty years old, unmarried, highly skilled in martial arts, and I wash my feet every day…” (interrupted)

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Even the shy Samuel Carter spent a long time saying “I am…” but never finished, always being interrupted.

Ryan Cooper was dumbfounded listening to this. What on earth were these guys doing? Not a shred of originality. It was one thing to copy him, but talking about “responsibility” and “compassion” was enough—why even brag about “washing feet every day”? Sigh, how embarrassing! Ryan Cooper wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

The short, stout one said, “You dare offend Thompson Fairy like this? Are you tired of living?”

The rat-faced man also said sinisterly, “Country bumpkins really haven’t seen the world. You don’t even know how to talk to girls and just spout nonsense.”

“None of your damn business.” This time, the ruffians were in perfect sync, speaking in unison, then bursting into loud laughter.

The “rat-faced man” and “short, stout one” couldn’t keep their faces straight, and, humiliated and angry, shouted, “Men, kill them for me!” The burly men on both sides drew their swords.

“Wait,” Grace Thompson spoke again, “Could the two gentlemen give me some face and not act rashly? I have something to say to this Cooper gentleman.”

The two ugly fellows immediately changed their expressions, beaming with smiles. “Thompson Miss, there’s no need to be so polite with us. Didn’t you hear Thompson Miss’s order? Stand down, all of you.”

“Thank you, gentlemen. Cooper sir, may we speak privately?”

“Of course, it would be my honor.”

Under a barrage of murderous glares, Ryan Cooper followed Grace Thompson out of the crowd. He had no idea what Grace Thompson wanted to talk about, but inside he was extremely excited, as if the hurt caused by Emily Carter had suddenly healed in an instant.

Grace Thompson walked slowly toward the depths of the woods, her graceful figure and enchanting fragrance intoxicating, stirring endless fantasies. The crowd behind them was left in a daze once again. The two of them walked far from the others, only stopping deep in the woods.

“Is Cooper sir from the nearby town?”

“Yes.”

“You have an extraordinary bearing, sir. You must come from a distinguished family?”

“Not at all, I’m just a country boy. How could I claim to be from a noble family?”

“Oh, isn’t the Cooper family considered a prominent clan in town?”

“Heh, our family is the only one in the whole town with the surname Cooper, so how could we be considered a great clan?”

After hearing this, Grace Thompson couldn’t help but show a hint of joy in her brows. Ryan Cooper happened to catch it by chance and grew suspicious: Is she here for our family? Impossible. Who in the martial world still remembers the Cooper family? The Cooper clan has long become a historical term in the martial world. Does she want to marry me because I’m handsome? As much as he wished it were so, he had to admit that was pure fantasy—he wasn’t that arrogant or narcissistic. Comparatively, the first possibility seemed more likely. Those two ugly fellows and their many followers were so polite to her; she must have quite a background. For such a stunning and mysterious beauty to come to this small town, could it really be for a fallen martial family? Could those two ugly fellows also be…

Having made up his mind, Ryan Cooper decided to test her.

“Although our family has declined, we once had a glorious history.”

“Oh? Did you have an ancestor who was an emperor? But I’ve never heard of any dynasty with the compound surname Cooper.” Grace Thompson tried hard to hide it, but Ryan Cooper could still sense her inner excitement from her expression.

So she really is here for the Cooper family.

“We never produced an emperor of the common people, but we did have an emperor of the martial world. I don’t know which era, but one of my ancestors once swept through the martial world, looked down on all under heaven, defeated every hero, and stood supreme, admired by all.” Ryan Cooper had heartfelt admiration for his ancestor David Cooper; David Cooper had always been a godlike figure in his heart, someone who surpassed even the gods. His tone was inevitably a bit excited as he spoke.

Grace Thompson couldn’t help but be lost in thought for a moment, but soon recovered and gave a genuine smile. “There are only a handful of people in the continent’s history who have reached the realm of ‘Martial Saint.’ So you are a descendant of the ‘Martial Saint’ David Cooper. My apologies, my apologies.”