Mr. Clark was overjoyed at these words and said, “How could I trouble Lord Carter?” Feeling that Edward Carter was on his side, he gained confidence and shouted, “Henry Sullivan! Lord Carter from the capital is here—why don’t you surrender at once? If you continue to resist, even if you escape from Xihe County, you and your brother will spend your whole lives as fugitives!”

Henry Sullivan was moved, thinking to himself that Mr. Clark had a point. Though he was prepared to flee for his life, what about his elder brother and Little Henry? Would they have to live in fear forever? In his moment of impulse, he had only thought of this solution, but when he saw Edward Carter smiling at him, a new idea suddenly came to him. He said, “Lord Carter, I want to join the army!” He thought it didn’t matter if he became a fugitive, but he couldn’t implicate his brother. This Lord Carter seemed like a good official—he had to ask for his protection to clear his brother’s name. But to ask for help, the first condition was, of course, to join the Imperial Guards.

Everyone was stunned; they hadn’t expected Henry Sullivan to say this at such a moment. Mr. Clark sneered, “Henry Sullivan, are you crazy? Who do you think you are, wanting to join the Imperial Guards?”

Edward Carter laughed heartily. “A true man’s word is his bond. Henry Sullivan, you must remember what you’ve said.”

Henry Sullivan nodded. “I would never speak falsely.”

Mr. Clark saw that Edward Carter actually seemed willing to accept Henry Sullivan, and became anxious. “Lord Carter, how can this be? Henry Sullivan is vicious and ruthless, he threatened my son—he’s a villain and must not be let go!”

Edward Carter replied, “Indeed, if he’s a villain, he certainly can’t be let go.” As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly stepped forward, shouted, and reached out to grab someone.

Everyone was shocked again—Edward Carter wasn’t going after Henry Sullivan, but rather the man called Gunner standing to the side.

Gunner was startled and terrified, never expecting Edward Carter to target him. But he was skilled; his staff trembled as he struck at Edward Carter’s arm, chest, and ribs in quick succession. The staff’s shadow multiplied, changing endlessly.

Mr. Clark cried out in alarm, “Gunner, are you mad? Stop at once!” Before he finished speaking, Edward Carter had already seized the staff, shouted again, and thrust the end of it into Gunner’s chest. With a crack, the bones in Gunner’s chest broke, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward. As soon as he hit the ground, Gunner flipped up, trying to vault over the wall and escape. Unexpectedly, Edward Carter strode forward, swept the staff, and struck Gunner’s calf. Gunner screamed in agony, fell to the ground, and could no longer get up. Edward Carter retrieved the staff and shouted coldly, “Seize him!”

The Imperial Guards had already stepped forward, drawing their long blades and pressing them to Gunner’s neck. Mr. Clark broke out in a cold sweat, crying out repeatedly, “Lord Carter, you… you’ve got the wrong person!”

Edward Carter looked up and laughed. “Absolutely not. I heard there was another person hiding here.” His gaze swept over the faces of the household guards, who all turned pale, not knowing what Edward Carter intended.

Suddenly, someone sprang from the crowd, darted to the wall, and with a flip, leapt over it. Several Imperial Guards immediately gave chase, leaping over the wall after him. Edward Carter remained still, a cold smile on his lips. The crowd gasped in shock, for the one who had escaped over the wall was actually Mr. Parker. For a moment, no one could believe their eyes. Mr. Parker had always seemed a frail scholar—how could he have such skills?

Mr. Clark sensed something was wrong, sweat pouring down his forehead. He stammered, “Lord Carter… what… what is going on?”

Edward Carter turned to Henry Sullivan and said, “Henry Sullivan, release Matthew Clark.”

Henry Sullivan hesitated for a moment, then finally dropped his sword to the ground. Seeing this, Edward Carter said, “Tie him up.” The Imperial Guards stepped forward and tightly bound someone. The crowd nearly fainted in shock, for the one they tied up was not Henry Sullivan, but Matthew Clark. Mr. Clark panicked and rushed forward, crying, “Lord Carter, it’s a mistake! A mistake!”

Edward Carter said coldly, “Mr. Clark, do you know who Gunner, Eric Stone, and Mr. Parker really are?”

Mr. Clark replied blankly, “They… who are they?”

Edward Carter snorted, reached out and tore open Gunner’s chest, ripping his clothes and exposing his chest, where a large ‘福’ (fortune) character was tattooed. The crowd was baffled, but Mr. Clark cried out, “They’re members of the Maitreya Sect!”

Edward Carter sneered, “Exactly. These three are all followers of the Maitreya Sect, plotting rebellion. I came to Fenzhou under the pretense of recruitment, but in fact, I was here to investigate the Maitreya Sect. David Clark, you harbored such people in your residence, and you still dare say I’m mistaken?” He called Mr. Clark by name, no longer treating him as a magistrate.

Mr. Clark was drenched in sweat, hurriedly knelt down, and pleaded, “Lord Carter, I truly didn’t know—please… please… judge fairly.”

Fortune’s wheel had turned. Just moments ago, Mr. Clark was arrogant and overbearing, but now he was trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind. Henry Sullivan was secretly puzzled, not knowing what this Maitreya Sect was, to make Mr. Clark so terrified.

Edward Carter said, “How to deal with this will be decided by the Court of Justice. Guards! Take David Clark away.” The Imperial Guards stepped forward and took away Clark and his son. The other officers, seeing this, dared not interfere. Edward Carter continued, “John Smith, have you notified the prefect of this place?”

An Imperial Guard stepped forward and said, “Reporting to the commander, someone has already gone to inform him. The prefect should arrive soon.” Edward Carter nodded, walked up to Henry Sullivan, and said, “Take your people and go back. Remember what you said—come find me here in three days.”