After slaying the Ghost-Eyed Evil King, he was surrounded by the disciples. However, the disciples were not too excited, since quite a few of them had died. Second Senior Brother Charles Foster was seriously injured, and now Third Senior Sister Grace Foster was in charge of Longqi Temple. Grace Foster told him to return to his room early to rest, to avoid any more traitors coming to kill him.

That night was the most disastrous calamity Longqi Temple had faced in over a decade, with at least twenty disciples killed.

William Carter sat on his bed. He did not feel guilty; what he was thinking about was whether the enemy would come to attack again.

[In the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan, the Ghost-Eyed Evil King attacked you and was slain by you. You survived a deadly disaster and received a survival reward—spell “Sword Control Art.”]

A line of text appeared before William Carter's eyes. He smiled; finally, it was not martial arts, but a spell!

He immediately began to receive the inheritance of the Sword Control Art.

He did not sleep all night.

Morning.

William Carter was still practicing. There were four disciples guarding the courtyard, all quietly discussing last night’s events. William Carter’s performance had shocked everyone in the temple, but there were also those who blamed him, thinking it was he who attracted the evil demon.

But William Carter was also an orphan, so they could not be certain, and could only speculate based on the Ghost-Eyed Evil King’s words.

William Carter’s hearing far surpassed that of ordinary people, so he naturally heard these comments, but he didn’t care. He was no longer a youth; he was an adult who had lived two lifetimes. In this life, he only wanted to survive as best as he could, and had no time to worry about the deaths of others.

Besides, how could a martial arts sect located in the capital avoid calamity?

William Carter practiced with peace of mind. Without a sword, he could not practice the Sword Control Art, so he still focused mainly on the Daoist Natural Arts.

He continued until David Brooks came to visit, which interrupted his practice. David Brooks was not alone; he was accompanied by another person.

“This is the Minister of Justice, Secretary Young. He is here to investigate the matter of the Ghost-Eyed Evil King. The Ghost-Eyed Evil King not only killed disciples of Longqi Temple, but also several prison guards. This has alarmed the court, and His Majesty is furious, ordering a thorough investigation.”

David Brooks introduced them. Upon hearing this, William Carter cupped his hands in greeting.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, the position of Minister was the second highest official rank. There were probably fewer than ten people with more power than the Minister of Justice.

Secretary Young looked William Carter up and down, a strange look in his eyes. He asked, “Do you know the Ghost-Eyed Evil King? The villain who attacked Longqi Temple last night—I heard he was killed by you.”

William Carter replied, “Reporting to the Minister, I, Changsheng, have been an orphan since childhood and have always stayed at Longqi Temple. Other than Top Scholar Brooks and His Highness the Fourth Prince, I do not know anyone from outside the mountain.”

Secretary Young said expressionlessly, “Then tell me everything you saw.”

William Carter answered truthfully. After Secretary Young took notes, he turned and left, leaving only David Brooks and William Carter in the room.

“Not bad! Your martial arts are so strong? You could even kill the Ghost-Eyed Evil King? I heard you kicked him down the mountain and he died from the fall?”

David Brooks dropped his serious demeanor and spoke excitedly.

William Carter’s strength made him feel that his years of investment had not been in vain.

Although David Brooks had never roamed the martial world, he had heard of the Ghost-Eyed Evil King’s notorious reputation. He had previously discussed with William Carter about the Ghost-Eyed Evil King being wanted by the court.

William Carter shook his head. “He underestimated me because I was young, that’s all.”

David Brooks waved his hand. “No need to be modest. Your kicking technique even surprised the generals guarding the capital. The Ghost-Eyed Evil King was a master above the True Essence Realm. According to the martial world’s ranking, he was called a supreme expert. Such warriors can control their inner energy at will and are not people ordinary folks can defeat.”

William Carter silently took note.

Third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, True Essence Realm, Supreme Expert!

The third level of the Daoist Natural Arts could already easily kill a supreme expert. The gap between cultivation and martial arts was truly vast.

David Brooks then explained the situation of the case. The Heavenly Prison was a vital place in the capital, yet a condemned criminal had managed to escape. The emperor had lost face, and the prison guards responsible for watching the Ghost-Eyed Evil King had already been ordered to be executed. The investigation into all levels of prison staff would continue. This was why the Minister of Justice had come in person—if the investigation was not handled well, even his own position might not be secure.

The status of a Minister was extremely high. In other dynasties, it would not be so easy to lose such a position, but the Great Jing Dynasty was different. Most of the high officials were founding contributors, and the emperor had always wanted to remove them. Almost every year, there were changes among the ministers, so the six Ministers naturally walked on thin ice.

“Your identity and background are very simple. Daoist Qingxu has reported the household registration of every disciple, so you don’t need to worry. You have rendered great merit by killing the Ghost-Eyed Evil King. His Majesty will surely reward you. Tell me, what do you want? If His Majesty brings it up at court, I can help put in a good word for you.” David Brooks swirled his teacup and smiled.

He was quite pleased with himself. After one night, all the powerful people in the capital knew that Longqi Temple had produced a young supreme expert who could even kick the infamous Ghost-Eyed Evil King to death. In the martial-valor-loving Great Jing Dynasty, such a person was sure to have a bright future.

Any expert above first-rate was proud and aloof. The The Brooks Family had only managed to recruit one supreme expert, and that person was not even in the capital, so they could only summon him when needed. William Carter was different—he lived in the capital, was an orphan, and might be drawn into the The Brooks Family.

Chapter 8: The Famous Sword Taihang, Breaking Through to the Fourth Level

“If I can really be rewarded, please help me ask for a sword. I’ve recently gained some insight into swordsmanship and want to see if I can create my own sword technique.”