“Brian my dear brother, let me be frank with you. Your Carter family is indeed a bit too traditional, but all that is just stuff recorded in the old almanacs. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of ‘the wheel of fortune turns’? These days, whether an evaluator is fair or not all depends on personal morals, doesn’t it? Do you really think His Majesty the Emperor would be bored enough to care about the evaluation work of a tiny county like this? Besides, this world is all about survival of the fittest. Whoever has the stronger hand, whoever has more power, gets to rise to the top and contribute more to the country—that’s the law of nature! Who cares what means you use? Tradition, in our Baiyue Kingdom, is worth nothing…”

Brian Carter could endure a lot, but after hearing this, his face changed dramatically and he couldn’t help but rise with a sweep of his sleeve: “William Goodwin sir, it seems you’re not here to show my Carter family a bright path, but rather to cut off our way out, am I right?”

“Straightforward!” William Goodwin was equally blunt, standing up and retorting, “Brian my brother, forgive my directness. In the next ‘family evaluation’, your Carter family is definitely going to be downgraded, and this seat for the humble families must be given up no matter what. I believe you know your Carter family’s situation even better than I do. Once you’re downgraded and lose this seat, everything your Carter family has will become nothing but clouds. I suppose you wouldn’t want to end up empty-handed and destitute, would you?”

“Heh heh…” These words were nothing short of a slap in the face. Brian Carter sneered coldly and shot back, “Sounds like you, William Goodwin sir, are actually concerned about my Carter clan? I doubt you’re that kind-hearted, are you? If you have something unspeakable to say, just spit it out—don’t hold it in and hurt your stomach.”

William Goodwin laughed recklessly, growing more pleased the angrier Brian Carter became.

“As I said before, if the Carter family voluntarily gives up the noble seat, the powerful The Hughes Family clan can guarantee your Carter clan a life free from want. Otherwise, in four years, it will be the day your Carter clan is utterly destroyed.” William Goodwin was blunt, then grinned maliciously and added, “Of course, whether your Carter clan can even last another four years is still an open question.”

Brian Carter glanced at John Hughes, only to see the man looking completely at ease, not caring at all about Brian Carter’s reaction.

The powerful The Hughes Family clan was one of the three great families of Luojiang County, and their strength was indeed far beyond what the Carter clan could match. Just this John Hughes alone could probably wipe out the entire Carter clan single-handedly.

This breath—if it can be endured, must be endured; if it can’t, it still must be endured!

Crack!

Brian Carter grabbed a handful of splinters—the armrest of his chair shattered instantly, and he said coldly, “William Goodwin sir, Lord John Hughes, though the power of my Carter clan has waned, we are not yet at the point of being slaughtered at will. The noble seat of the Carter clan was hard-won, and I, Carter, will never allow it to be lost in my hands. If you want it, come and take it—whether by trickery or force, I, Carter, will take it all on myself!”

As soon as these words were spoken, William Goodwin’s face turned extremely ugly.

John Hughes’s always calm and collected expression also instantly turned cold and stiff, a murderous glint shooting from his eyes as he sized up Brian Carter from head to toe.

“Chief Carter, it seems you’d rather break than bend, is that right?”

Logan Walker remained unusually still—not because he was unmoved, but because he wanted to see how his father would handle himself in such a situation.

Brian Carter’s pride flared up, and he didn’t care that he was speaking to the lord of the powerful The Hughes Family clan. He rolled his eyes and declared proudly, “The ancestral teachings of my Carter clan say: Those who covet our Carter clan’s property, strike them with fivefold force; those who covet our Carter clan’s status, strike them with tenfold force; those who wish to destroy our Carter clan, strike them with all our might, even if it means mutual destruction!”

The powerful response made Brian Carter’s stance crystal clear.

“Grace, see the guests out for your father!”

William Goodwin’s face turned purple with rage, then he suddenly burst into a sinister laugh.

“Well, well, Brian Carter! Looks like you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Fine, fine, when your whole family is down and out on the streets, I, Sam Goodwin, will come and spit in your face. Don’t blame me for kicking you when you’re down.”

Logan Walker couldn’t help but laugh at this, and asked leisurely, “Listening to you, Sam Goodwin, it sounds like you didn’t come here today to kick us when we’re down? Roy sir, let me give you a word of advice: all troubles come from sticking your neck out. Today you swaggered into my Carter family’s home to show off your tongue and your power—frankly, it’s just a case of a dog relying on its master’s strength. You’d better watch out for a club coming out of nowhere and beating both the dog and its master together—that would be quite unfortunate.”

William Goodwin was left speechless, and after a long while, he finally exploded in anger: “Brian Carter, you and your son singing in harmony, you really don’t understand that a wise man submits to circumstances. You’ll regret it sooner or later!”

Henry King, seeing Logan Walker speak up, came over with a smile and said, “Blake Carter, since your injuries are no longer an issue, you’ll still need to report back to the Walker Academy. Your student status is still at the Walker Academy, and even if you want to withdraw, you’ll have to go through the formalities. Besides, in the Baiyue Kingdom, there isn’t a single noble child who doesn’t go to the Walker Academy for further study. Hiding at home isn’t a solution.”

It sounded like he was thinking of Blake Carter, but how could Logan Walker not see his ill intentions? Still, he didn’t expose him, and replied with a smile, “Of course I’ll return to the Walker Academy. Thank you for the reminder, Headmaster.”

“Mm, mm, that’s good! No matter how the winds and clouds change, at your stage, everything should be focused on your studies.” Henry King smiled slyly as he walked out.