Henry Sullivan said uneasily, “If I hadn’t recklessly charged out, perhaps Lord Carter would have already caught them all in one net.”

Edward Carter comforted Henry Sullivan, saying, “Actually, I only discovered that Suo Ming and Gunzi were connected to the Maitreya followers, but I didn’t know the steward was involved too. However, I always suspected there were others mixed in, so I lied to deceive them. The steward, with a guilty conscience, ended up fleeing over the wall.”

Henry Sullivan suddenly had a flash of insight and said, “Actually, Lord Carter let him go on purpose, didn’t you?”

A sly smile appeared in Edward Carter’s eyes. “Henry Sullivan, you’re very clever. That’s right, I deliberately let the steward leave, then ordered someone to follow him in secret. Now we know their lair is at Baibiliang, more than a hundred li south of the Western River. Although I caught Gunzi, he’s extremely cunning and used the tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the king, revealing a few insignificant hideouts. So I decided to play along, and in the past few days, I’ve used thunderous means to wipe out those places, then made a big show of announcing our return to the capital…”

Henry Sullivan suddenly understood, “Lord Carter deliberately made a detour, then quietly doubled back, just to sneak into Baibiliang and catch them off guard while they’re relaxed?”

Edward Carter smiled and said, “Exactly. All right, I’ve said what I needed to say. Get some rest—there might be a fierce battle tomorrow.” He stood up and left, his tall figure casting a lonely shadow in the moonlight.

Henry Sullivan felt a bit strange, not understanding why Edward Carter would discuss these matters with him, a new recruit. But in any case, it was clear that Edward Carter valued him highly. Having just left his hometown, Henry Sullivan’s mind was awash with emotions, and he soon drifted off to sleep in a daze.

The next morning, Edward Carter kept the troops at rest, ordering everyone to continue relaxing. The imperial guards obeyed solemnly, but Henry Sullivan took out his newly issued sword and practiced with it. The day passed quickly, and near dusk, a man dressed as a commoner approached. Henry Sullivan recognized him as the skinny man who had recruited soldiers, named Attorney Clark. Attorney Clark whispered a few words to Edward Carter, who nodded and shouted, “Prepare to move out.”

The imperial guards had been holding back their energy for a while, and at these words, they all sprang up. Edward Carter ordered everyone to form teams of five and change into civilian clothes. Then he unfolded the map he had prepared and instructed everyone on their tasks for this mission.

It turned out that on every full moon night, the Maitreya followers would, by custom, hold a moon worship ceremony. Recently, because the court had taken notice, the Maitreya followers had gone into hiding, but upon learning that Edward Carter had left, they immediately decided to hold the ceremony at Feilong’ao in Baibiliang.

Edward Carter was already very familiar with the terrain of Baibiliang and gave clear, orderly instructions. This time, the main task of the imperial guards was to block the key routes, seize the chance to blend in with the followers, create chaos, and capture or kill the rebels. Edward Carter’s own task was the simplest and most direct: assassinate the Maitreya Buddha!

Edward Carter was truly bold and meticulous, knowing the principle of “shoot the horse before the man, capture the king before the thief.” He understood that as long as the Maitreya Buddha lived, the Maitreya cult could always rise again, so he set this strategy.

Henry Sullivan saw Edward Carter commanding with confidence and bearing the air of a great general, and couldn’t help but admire him. He knew Edward Carter’s martial arts were superb—if he had fought Gunzi head-on, Henry Sullivan would never have been a match, but Edward Carter had subdued Gunzi in just two moves, a testament to his skill.

After giving his orders, Edward Carter sent the imperial guards out in groups to their assigned locations. Henry Sullivan noticed that he alone had no task and couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Carter, what should I do?”

Edward Carter fixed his gaze on him and said, “You’re coming with me to kill the Maitreya Buddha. Do you dare?” Seeing Henry Sullivan hesitate, Edward Carter sighed, “So you have no courage after all.”

Henry Sullivan hesitated, “Lord Carter, if the Maitreya Buddha truly deserves to die, I’ll be the first to kill him. But… maybe he doesn’t deserve death… Though he’s rebelled, I also know that many commoners rise up because they can’t survive, not because they truly want to overthrow the Song dynasty.”

Edward Carter said calmly, “If you don’t go in person, how will you know whether he deserves to die?”

Henry Sullivan said, “All right, I’ll go with Lord Carter. I just fear… I’ll drag you down.”

Edward Carter didn’t reply, changed into civilian clothes, and set off west on foot. Henry Sullivan followed suit, feeling uneasy seeing how cautious Edward Carter was this time.

When the bright moon rose, Edward Carter and Henry Sullivan had reached the edge of Baibiliang. The area was full of ravines and had a gloomy atmosphere, the mountains winding and undulating, with Shengshui River running through it—a place of natural beauty. Yet for some reason, the valleys were always shrouded in mist, lending a sense of melancholy.

Edward Carter surveyed the terrain and followed a small path inward. Not long after entering the ridge, they heard someone ahead behind a large rock shout, “The moon rises over the lonely lord’s tomb!”

Henry Sullivan was startled, not understanding the meaning. Edward Carter calmly replied, “The Buddha shines on the gate of heaven and earth.”

Two men stepped out from behind the rock and asked, “Whose men are you? Why are you coming through here?” Both were dressed in black, wearing fierce masks that looked chilling in the night. Suddenly, one pointed and said, “Who are you?” Before he could finish, Edward Carter leapt forward like a leopard and chopped at the man’s throat, cutting his shout short. The other, shocked, tried to blow his whistle to raise the alarm, but Edward Carter slapped him, causing him to swallow the whistle with a gulp. With another twist of his massive hand, Edward Carter snapped the man’s neck.