Edward Carter sighed and said, “‘The decline of Shakyamuni Buddha, the rise of Maitreya Buddha’—have you ever heard this saying?” Seeing Henry Sullivan shake his head, Edward Carter smiled and said, “Actually, after you left, I sent people to investigate your background. I know your family is poor, and you are righteous, but you rarely leave Xihe, so of course there are many things you don’t know. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Henry Sullivan said with embarrassment, “I’m just a brute, I don’t know much. Please forgive me for making you laugh, sir.”

Edward Carter said, “Who is born knowing all these things? Henry Sullivan, better to laugh at an old man with white hair than at a poor youth. I can see you have ambition and integrity. If you work hard, your future will be limitless.”

Henry Sullivan felt grateful and said, “Thank you for your praise, sir. Actually…” He wanted to say something, but in the end held back.

Edward Carter stared at him and asked, “Actually what?”

“It’s really nothing.” Henry Sullivan chuckled, “Just the wild dreams of a country boy.”

Edward Carter became interested instead. “Let’s hear it.”

Henry Sullivan didn’t know why Mr. Carter was being so warm, and said awkwardly, “Actually, my mother had high hopes for me. She always said I would have the talent to be a prime minister… She said that when she was young, a very gifted fortune-teller read her face and told her she was destined to be connected with a prime minister.” For some reason, Henry Sullivan always felt that Edward Carter, like his elder brother, was already like family to him, so he spoke without reservation.

Edward Carter opened his eyes wide and said, “Are you saying… your mother married a prime minister?”

Henry Sullivan shook his head. “No, the fortune-teller said my mother would give birth to a prime minister.” Seeing Edward Carter’s eyes bulge like a cow’s, Henry Sullivan also found it funny and said, “So my mother always told me before she died, ‘Son, you must work hard, don’t just play all day. You are destined to be a prime minister.’ Heh, I’d like to be a prime minister, but I was never fond of studying, so I let my mother down. If you don’t study and don’t take the imperial exam, how could you ever become a prime minister?”

Edward Carter turned his head and looked into the distance. “So what kind of man was your father?”

Henry Sullivan said, “My father? He… was always sick and never got better. Not long after I could remember things, he passed away. My mother worked hard to raise my brother, but she died before I grew up. Sigh, my elder brother worked hard all his life, being both father and mother to me, raising me. That’s why I can’t stand to see him wronged.”

“So you respect your brother deeply, and would risk your life to settle the score with Matthew Clark?” Edward Carter’s voice was a little hoarse.

Henry Sullivan nodded seriously. “That’s right, I have only this one brother! I don’t mind suffering some humiliation myself, but I can’t stand anyone bullying my brother! My brother was afraid I’d go astray. He said mother used to say there are few good men in the army, and told me not to become a soldier… That’s why, when Mr. Carter tried to recruit me a few days ago, I refused again and again.”

Edward Carter murmured, “So that’s how it is. Few good men in the army?” Suddenly, the image of a woman as beautiful as a plum blossom flashed through his mind, shrieking at him, “Edward Carter, you may be skilled, but so what? I’ll never like you in this life. Soldiers… not a single one is a good man!” Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of Edward Carter’s mouth.

Henry Sullivan realized he had misspoken and quickly said, “Of course there are good men in the army, like Mr. Carter.” He changed the subject: “Mr. Carter, what exactly is the Maitreya Sect? Are we going to arrest people from the Maitreya Sect this time?” He vaguely sensed something, so he guessed.

Edward Carter was silent for a long time before finally saying, “The Maitreya Sect actually has a long history. It was founded during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, and developed further in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Now, in the capital’s Great Xiangguo Temple, there is a statue of Maitreya Buddha, with a kind face, sitting on a lotus pedestal. Beside Maitreya Buddha are the Four Heavenly Kings, said to guard him and eradicate all evil in the world. The one holding a snake is called the King of Broad Vision, the one with a great sword is the King of Holding the Nation, the one carrying a treasured sword is the King of Growth, and the one with an umbrella is the King of Hearing Many Things.”

Henry Sullivan listened in confusion, not knowing why Edward Carter was telling him all this.

Edward Carter looked up at the bright moon. At this moment, the cold, clear light shone on his face, making him look full of resolve. When Henry Sullivan first met him, he thought this official was a bit rough and unreasonable. Later, after receiving silver from him, he felt the man was bold and upright. Now, hearing him talk about the Maitreya Sect, Henry Sullivan felt Edward Carter was truly knowledgeable.

Henry Sullivan did not know that Edward Carter came from a family of military merit, skilled in both civil and martial arts, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Edward Carter.

Edward Carter continued, “It’s said that the Four Heavenly Kings guard Maitreya Buddha and eradicate evil from the world. The original intent of the sect is good. But the sect itself is not at fault—the fault lies in people’s hearts!” Edward Carter sighed deeply. “The Maitreya Sect has often been exploited by those with ulterior motives. In the Northern Wei and at the end of the Sui, it caused great upheaval. By the time of our dynasty, the Maitreya Sect had already declined, but recently, the court discovered that some people were using the Maitreya Sect to deceive the masses and incite rebellion. ‘The decline of Shakyamuni Buddha, the rise of Maitreya Buddha’—this saying means that the Buddha Shakyamuni is in decline, and Maitreya Buddha is to lead the people to create a new world. The implication of rebellion is obvious. The Empress Dowager was furious when she heard this, and ordered the Kaifeng Prefecture to investigate. I am also to assist in the investigation. So, on the surface, I came to Fenzhou to recruit imperial guards, but my real purpose was to investigate the distribution of Maitreya Sect followers. I found traces of Maitreya Sect activity in Xihe, so I befriended Mr. Clark, but accidentally discovered he was a huge corrupt official. I originally wanted to report him to the court, but was afraid of alerting the enemy, so I endured for a while. Then… you arrived, and the rest you already know.”