“If I had known that you could reach this level just by practicing on your own without any guidance, I would have persuaded Father to spend a fortune to hire a few real masters to teach you swordsmanship. If you could join a major sect like the Kunlun Sect for cultivation, just like Emily Clark, perhaps you wouldn’t be any less accomplished than Miss Emily Clark now.”

　　“Second Brother, you flatter me.”

　　“I’m just stating the facts. Maybe Father is secretly regretting it now.”

　　Zachary Carter joked.

　　“Father is here.”

　　At this moment, the sharp-eyed Grace Carter suddenly spoke, and at once, the four siblings at the table quickly restrained their laughter, sat up straight, and waited solemnly for Charles Carter to arrive.

Chapter 11: Clinging

　　“Ahem, ahem...”

　　Seeing all four siblings, including Liam Carter, looking so solemn, Charles Carter seemed to recall what he was about to say next. He coughed first to ease the atmosphere.

　　“The master is here, please take your seat first. Uncle Zhong, tell the servants to start serving the dishes.”

　　With a smile, Mrs. Carter stepped forward to help Charles Carter sit at the main seat.

　　“Let’s eat first.”

　　As Charles Carter spoke, the meal at the table soon entered its usual routine.

　　It was only when the meal was nearly finished that Charles Carter cleared his throat and spoke again: “Third, I’ve heard about what happened at the City Lord’s Mansion this time. After Miss Clark returned to the inner courtyard, she praised you highly. The City Lord, the Deputy City Lord, the Commandant, several County Captains, the Registrar, and the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Dao Tianfeng, all look at you with new eyes.”

　　“Miss Clark is too kind.”

　　“Miss Clark has always been fair and honest. For her to praise you so much, there must be something extraordinary about you. From now on, you’re already on the radar of the rulers of our Yun Sen City. Even if you don’t succeed in martial arts, your future in politics will be much smoother than most... In short, well done.”

　　“As long as I haven’t disappointed you, Father.”

　　Liam Carter said with a slight smile.

　　“Father, I think Third Brother has great talent in martial arts. Otherwise, how could he have reached a level close to a genius like Emily Clark in just a few years? Right now, one of us is in business, one in politics, so why not let Third Brother follow his own path and continue practicing martial arts?”

　　Zachary Carter took the opportunity to persuade.

　　Charles Carter nodded slightly: “The Kunlun Sect is your attempt. If you can truly excel there, we’ll find a way to help you gather resources for your cultivation... Although our Wang family can’t compare to the powerful families of Yun Sen City in terms of influence, we already have some standing in Shenlong Commerce. When it comes to gathering cultivation resources and rare treasures, there’s no other force in the entire city that can match us—not even the Zhao family of the City Lord’s Mansion.”

　　As he finished, Charles Carter was full of spirit, his tone radiating strong confidence.

　　“I’ll do my best.”

　　“Third Brother, you can’t just do your best—you have to work twice as hard. Before I left Yun Sen City, I also thought that warriors like swordsmen, boxers, and qigong masters were nothing special. As long as you spent enough money, even elders from great sects like the Moonlight Sword Sect would have to serve our Wang family. But as I truly came to understand the vastness of the world, and learned about that decisive battle when the Wind Empire was founded, I realized there are always people stronger than you, and the sky is limitless. If a warrior’s strength reaches the pinnacle, he can change the world and alter the fate of a nation.”

　　“That decisive battle when the Wind Empire was founded?”

　　Grace Carter looked up curiously.

　　“Yes. The reason the traitors of the Wind Empire were able to withstand our empire’s siege and establish themselves on the Eastern Continent was because a peerless expert named Edward Hayes emerged at that time. With his unmatched cultivation, he swept through thousands of troops...”

　　Charles Carter interrupted, “Enough. Don’t spread rumors based on hearsay. No matter how strong a warrior is, how could he possibly stand against thousands of soldiers? Back then, the Moonlight Sword Sect dominated a hundred miles of the Black Forest, acting with impunity and ignoring the laws of Liyu Prefecture. But when the new City Lord of Yun Sen took office, three thousand Qilin Guards swept through Minghua Peak, eight thousand armored cavalry trampled the Moonlight Pool, and the entire sect was silenced, no one dared to resist. Now, every order from the City Lord is carried out with the utmost diligence! Since ancient times, there’s been a saying: ‘Master the civil and martial arts, and offer them to the emperor.’ Looking at the martial world, don’t all the strong ultimately serve the royal family? The only difference is the rank of their service. To bring honor to our ancestors, one must become an official, be ennobled, and rise to high office.”

　　A trace of Elder Lingyuan’s memories surfaced in Liam Carter’s mind...

　　The world perishing, the land falling to ruin...

　　In such apocalyptic wars, the imperial family contributed nothing. The only hope for humanity lay in those peerless heroes who dominated the world.

　　But... at this moment, he would not contradict Charles Carter.

　　He had tried to persuade Charles Carter before, but without exception, he had always failed.

　　It seemed...

　　Charles Carter harbored a deep prejudice against people of the martial world.

　　Now, being able to gain Charles Carter’s approval and openly practice martial arts was already a huge step forward.