“Catch her, don’t let her get away!”

“Stop! Let’s see where you think you’re going!”

A burst of fierce shouts sent chickens and dogs scattering, and passersby, afraid of getting caught up in the trouble, hurriedly moved aside. Three burly men could be seen sprinting after a frail figure.

Brian Carter's eyes narrowed.

“Ow!”

Running too fast, the frail girl stumbled and fell to the ground.

“Haha, now you can’t run anymore! Get her for me!”

The leader, dressed like a house guard, gave the order. The two servants behind him were just about to step forward when, suddenly, a plainly dressed young man appeared in front of the girl, gently helping her up with a look of concern.

“Big brother!”

The girl cried out in delight, her nose tingling as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Where did this little brat come from? Get lost, or I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

The servant cursed.

Brian Carter shielded Lily, his voice deep: “Why are you grabbing people for no reason?”

The guard gave him a cold, appraising look. “What’s it to you?”

“She’s my sister!”

“Sister? Hmph, so what? If our young master wants someone, even if she had wings, she couldn’t escape. Enough talk. Ah San, Ah Si, grab her and take her back. The young master is waiting at home. If we keep him waiting, we’ll be in trouble.”

With that, the guard gave the order.

Brian Carter, both shocked and furious, was determined not to let them take Lily away no matter what. He threw caution to the wind, raising his thin fists to punch the servants.

His fists weren’t strong enough, so he resorted to biting.

“Hey! You little brat, how dare you bite me!”

The bitten servant flew into a rage and kicked Brian Carter aside.

Crashing heavily to the ground, Brian Carter felt as if his whole body was falling apart, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, salty and warm.

At this moment, the two servants, one on each side, subdued Lily. Each used a free hand to clamp tightly over the girl’s mouth and lifted her up to carry her away.

The guard brought up the rear, turning back to shoot a cold, mocking smile at Brian Carter lying on the ground. From start to finish, he had relied on his status and hadn’t needed to lift a finger.

Pinned by the two servants, Lily couldn’t struggle. The movement aggravated her earlier injuries, making her face even paler, her bright eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

“No!”

Seeing this, a voice screamed inside Brian Carter's heart. His hair was disheveled, eyes bloodshot, and as his right hand groped frantically on the ground, he grabbed a shard of broken porcelain.

Whoosh—a wild, desperate throw, hoping to create some small obstacle for the pursuers.

By now, the guard had turned away, ignoring Brian Carter, and was striding off.

Whoosh!

A strange whistling sound came from behind—

Hmph, doesn’t know what’s good for him…

Annoyed, the guard turned, intending to break Brian Carter's arms and legs, crippling him for life as a lesson—otherwise, this wild brat would never fear him.

But suddenly, the thrown object accelerated, spinning rapidly, and from an impossible angle struck the guard’s unprotected throat with deadly precision.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed, shooting half a foot into the air.

“You—!”

The guard roared, staring in disbelief at the just-risen Brian Carter, but his body went limp and collapsed. His throat had been slashed open, blood gushing out uncontrollably, staining the snow in a shocking display.

Many people witnessed this scene and screamed at the top of their lungs. The servants holding Lily were so terrified their legs shook, and in panic, they let her go and bolted, rushing off to report what had happened.

Killed someone—I actually killed someone…

Brian Carter stared at his right hand in disbelief, trying to recall what had just happened: he’d been grabbing around on the ground, seemed to have found a sharp shard of porcelain, and then had thrown it with all his might…

Right—at the moment he threw it, it was as if a vision flashed in his mind, a familiar sword light flickering…

His head throbbed faintly.

“Big brother, hurry and run!”

Lily’s clear, urgent voice snapped Brian Carter back to his senses. He realized the situation was dire—this was no time to think. He quickly grabbed the girl’s small hand and rushed into the nearest alley.

Their footsteps were swift, twisting and turning through streets and alleys. Along the way, Brian Carter took out two pieces of clothing from his bundle, gave one to Lily, and they each wrapped their heads and faces, disguising themselves as if wearing scarves against the cold.

After a moment, Brian Carter made up his mind: while the news hadn’t spread yet, they would slip out of the city unnoticed.

He had killed someone, and the victim was clearly from a powerful family in Zhongnan City. There was no way they could stay here. If they didn’t leave now, they might never get another chance.

At the city gate, the guards stood lazily by, not bothering to question the two as they left.

After running half a mile to a safer distance, Brian Carter finally let go of Lily's hand and plopped down on the ground, gasping for breath.

“Big brother, what should we do now?”

Lily gazed at Brian Carter with shining eyes: if she hadn’t met him today, she would have been ruined.

For this, she was filled with relief and gratitude.