Splash!

　　There was a sound of water from the hot spring as the little girl jumped out, completely unaware of the dangerous battle that had just taken place. When she saw the snake corpse on the ground, she even muttered about whether the snake could be roasted and eaten, leaving Edward Carter speechless.

　　After checking the little girl's condition, Edward Carter was even more at a loss for words. The elixir was difficult to dissolve in water, and the elixir applied to the dantian, palms, and soles had formed a scab in five places, not being absorbed in the slightest.

　　"Let's go back."

　　Edward Carter shook his head and left the valley with Grace Carter.

　　……

　　By evening, the streets of Fen Town were packed with people and bustling with traffic, the noise carrying far into the distance.

　　"Why are there so many people in town?"

　　Returning from the Wanren Mountains and passing through the streets of Fen Town, squeezed among the crowd, Edward Carter was quite surprised. In his memory, Fen Town had never been this crowded.

　　The liveliest time in Fen Town each year was the market at the turn of winter to spring, but even the crowds at the market couldn't compare to the current surge.

　　"Brother Mo, I want to buy that, and that, and also..."

　　Pointing at the goods sold by the vendors, Grace Carter's eyes sparkled, and she could hardly move her feet. Edward Carter took out all the low-quality true essence stones he had and let her buy things herself. The little girl cheered immediately, grabbed the bag of true essence stones, and disappeared into the crowd.

　　"Don't go too far, come back quickly," Edward Carter called out.

　　He wasn't worried about Grace Carter's safety; this little girl possessed astonishing strength, and if she really got angry, even a fourth-rank warrior wouldn't be able to do anything to her. However, since she couldn't cultivate true qi, if she encountered a master with a warrior's cultivation, the gap between them would become apparent.

　　Walking along the streets of Fen Town, looking at the familiar buildings around him, Edward Carter felt a strong sense of nostalgia and also bought some small items from the vendors.

　　At that moment, in a restaurant not far away, the window of a private room on the second floor was lifted, and several pairs of eyes watched the street, their gaze sweeping over Edward Carter.

　　Inside the private room sat several young men and women, each one handsome or beautiful, with an extraordinary bearing.

　　"Isn't that Edward Carter? I heard that after eight years, he finally broke through. Is the news true?"

　　"Absolutely true. This kid's aura is steady and faintly emanating—it's a sign of reaching the warrior realm."

　　"After eight years, only now reaching the warrior stage? That's way too late. He can't even make it into the top hundred of Fen Town's younger generation."

　　These young men and women discussed animatedly, talking about the recent events in the The Carter Family. Tea sets were placed among them as they sipped tea and discussed martial arts, a popular pastime among the young warriors of Fen Town.

　　Among them sat a stunningly beautiful girl, dressed in fiery red attire that seemed to burn like flames. Listening to the others' discussion, her expression remained unchanged, but her delicate brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure.

　　"Charles Miss, you've always been close with Edward Carter. Why not call him over so we can all get together?" said a slightly less attractive girl, her words tinged with mockery.

　　"Eight years ago, there was nothing between Edward Carter and me. Can childhood matters really be brought up now?" The girl in red replied coldly and indifferently.

　　Hearing this, the young warriors in the private room looked pleased, as if they had been waiting for this statement from the girl in red.

　　"Of course. What is Edward Carter now, anyway? At fourteen, he's only at the first rank of warrior—how could he possibly be worthy of Miss Huo Charles?" a handsome young man said with a smile.

　　"Hey! Charles Miss, isn't that your cousin Robert? Looks like Edward Carter is in trouble," another young warrior said in surprise.

　　On the crowded street, a young man in a blue brocade robe stood in the middle of the road, blocking Edward Carter's path.

　　"Edward Carter, it's only been a few months since we last met, and you've already broken through to the warrior realm. Congratulations! You've finally gone from being a dog to putting on clothes and becoming a person again." The young man in blue stood in the middle of the road, glancing sideways at Edward Carter as he spoke.

　　Who is this guy?

　　Staring at the blue-robed youth who had suddenly appeared, Edward Carter searched his memory for this person. After all, Fen Town had been destroyed for decades in his previous life, and with the passage of time, things had changed and people had come and gone. Aside from matters within the The Carter Family, his other memories were so old they were almost blurry.

　　After a moment, Edward Carter finally remembered who the blue-robed youth was: Robert Ford of the Huo family. Judging by the timeline, Robert Ford was now at the second rank of warrior, ranked 75th among the third-generation disciples of the Huo family.

　　The reason Edward Carter remembered Robert Ford so clearly was because of another person.

　　A figure of a girl in red appeared in his mind—the Huo family's treasured daughter, Charles Ford, admired by the third-generation disciples of the Huo family and all the young warriors of Fen Town. Robert Ford was one of Charles Ford's most devoted pursuers.

　　Before the age of six, the prodigiously talented Edward Carter was also the object of affection for many girls, Charles Ford among them.

　　Edward Carter still clearly remembered that before he turned six, Charles Ford had sworn she would marry no one but him. But those were just childish words, nothing more.

　　However, after he turned six and his true qi cultivation stagnated, Charles Ford immediately changed her attitude, mocking and ridiculing him every time they met.

　　And those who pursued Charles Ford often made trouble for Edward Carter, with Robert Ford being the most persistent of them all.

　　"Robert Ford, what do you want?" Edward Carter frowned slightly.