Caleb Carter had no time to pay attention to what was happening inside his body at this moment. The masked man was driving his horse in pursuit from behind, the distance between them gradually closing. Although he was certain that he would die this time, he was unwilling to perish under the cold halberd of the masked man. Moreover, the last glimmer of hope for the five children in the carriage was tied to him. Thinking of this, a surge of tragic resolve welled up in Caleb Carter's heart. If death is inevitable, then so be it—but he would fight to the end. Caleb Carter leaned out, gripping the carriage shaft tightly with his right hand to avoid falling. He stretched his left hand forward as far as he could, and as soon as his palm touched the horse’s tail, he grabbed it in reverse. Following the technique taught by Ethan Brooks, he gathered the true fire of the Yang Jue from all four limbs into the Erbai acupoint of his left hand. Instantly, his left hand felt as if it was gripping burning coals, and his entire left arm was scorched by fire. The horse, which had been flagging, suddenly seemed to be infused with new strength, abruptly accelerating and pulling away from the masked man. Having long endured extreme cold in his dantian, Caleb Carter had gradually become able to withstand it. However, when suddenly seared by this intense heat, the cold became as tangible as a real object. The two extremes of pain clashed in his mind, and at last, he could not bear it and fainted.

Grace and the four children sat in the jolting carriage, listening to the constant screams of their loved ones being slaughtered behind them, their hearts filled with unbearable grief. Grace and the two youngest children could not help but faint. Only the two boys about the same age as Caleb Carter remained, clutching the carriage walls tightly and supporting the other three. Hearing the hoofbeats of the pursuers sometimes near, sometimes far, they were terrified but dared not look back. Though still shaken with fear, the cries of their kin gradually steeled their expressions.

The oldest boy, his face resolute, said to the other, “Charles, you support Grace, I’ll check what’s happening outside.”

The boy named Charles took hold of Grace, but now had no free hand to steady himself against the carriage wall. In a moment of carelessness, his forehead slammed hard against the wall, and a stream of blood trickled down his brow. Charles could not wipe it away and could only let it flow past the corner of his eye. He held the three tightly, sitting cross-legged in the corner of the carriage. His shoulders and back pressed against the wall; though he was repeatedly thrown into the air and his head banged against the roof, he never uttered a sound.

The slightly older boy moved to the front of the carriage and leaned out to look. Seeing Caleb Carter had fainted, he quickly pulled him back into the carriage. “He’s passed out,” he said.

Charles asked, “Don’t you need to drive the carriage?”

“The reins have fallen to the ground. Even if they hadn’t, with my driving skills, trying to control this crazed horse would be pointless. Whether it’s fortune or disaster, let’s leave it to this mad horse.” As he spoke, there was not the slightest hint of resignation on his face. His upper teeth bit tightly into his lower lip, and soon blood seeped out. He said bitterly, “If I don’t die today, I’ll repay this tenfold in the future.” He said no more.

Caleb Carter regained consciousness after a brief faint, finding himself in the carriage, which was still speeding forward. He thought, I’m already like this, but the horse didn’t let me down. As his taut nerves relaxed, he fainted again.

The force he had summoned lasted less than two hundred breaths before the horse plunged headfirst into the snow by the roadside and collapsed, unable to get up. The sixth child was thrown from the carriage, landing in a snowy ditch. Fortunately, the snow was thick, and the child was not further injured.

Grace and the two younger children had already awakened, and were horrified to see the horse lying not far away in the snow, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. Caleb Carter was sprawled motionless on a snowbank by the roadside, his condition unknown. Charles and the other boy stood tall behind them, their faces ashen as they stared ahead. Grace followed their gaze, her face suddenly turning deathly pale.

“Such lowly wretches, making me waste so much effort. Truly deserve to die.” The masked warrior dismounted and strode toward the sixth child. Now, everything was under his control. Having missed out on the slaughter behind, he was determined to satisfy himself now.

Approaching Caleb Carter, the masked man’s hatred flared. Even on the verge of death, you still hinder me—truly deserving of death. Though he could no longer sense Caleb Carter’s breath, the masked man’s hatred would not subside. He raised his halberd and stabbed. Although there was no need to aim for a vital point when destroying a corpse, out of habit, he still struck the Shaohai acupoint just above Caleb Carter’s hip. Instantly, a massive surge of heat traveled along the halberd straight into the Taiyin Lung Meridian, followed closely by a slightly weaker but even purer cold energy. The two streams of true qi followed one after the other in less than a heartbeat, the rapid alternation of cold and heat hitting the black-helmeted rider like a thunderbolt. He spat out a mouthful of blood to lessen his injuries. His face changed color several times before he managed to suppress the surging blood. His shock only grew.

“Jingshen Jue.” How could a ten-year-old child possess such terrifying Jingshen Jue pill power?

The masked man was still reeling in fear when a cold snort sounded menacingly behind him. Startled, he leapt several yards to the side, drew back his halberd to strike, but continued to retreat, clearly extremely wary of the person behind him.

The one who had snorted was one of the Qingzhou Ghost Riders who had left earlier. He held his halberd, its tip slanting into the snow, and looked coldly at the masked man as he leapt and struck. The masked man’s halberd stirred up a whirlwind of snow, but as it reached the newcomer, the snowflakes fell straight down. With a mocking expression, he said, “Andrew Evans, is this all the courage you have? Why do you stoop to such despicable acts?”

“Henry Walker, enough talk. If you want my life, you’ll have to pay a price.”

It turned out that Henry Walker, worried that his escape might bring disaster to the refugees, had returned alone to investigate, arriving just in time to save the five children.

Chapter Three: A Glimmer of Life

It turned out that Henry Walker, considering that his escape might bring disaster to the refugees, had returned alone to investigate, and happened to save the five children.