John Clark looked Brian Carter up and down, his small eyes full of scrutiny and doubt. Clearly, Brian Carter's current appearance left him quite puzzled.

"Brian, have you regained your senses?" John Clark asked tentatively.

Brian Carter nodded seriously and said, "Yes, the thunderstorm last night scared me awake."

John Clark was half-convinced, half-skeptical, and said nothing. There had indeed been a thunderclap at dusk yesterday, the lightning covering the sky, its momentum overwhelming. In all his years, it was the first time he had seen such terrifying lightning.

But, it wasn't hard to believe that such a frightening flash could scare someone silly. For it to shock a fool back to clarity, though, was a bit far-fetched.

Brian Carter didn't care whether he believed it or not, and went straight to the point: "Uncle, I have something to discuss with you."

Before Brian Carter could finish, Mrs. Clark had already dragged David Clark over, shouting, "You little brat, if you don't give me an explanation today, this won't be over!"

As she spoke, Mrs. Clark let go of her son and lunged at Brian Carter like a tiger.

Chapter 3: Splitting the Family

Mrs. Clark had a thick waist and short legs, like a meatball. But her legs were surprisingly explosive.

With a leap, she was already in front of Brian Carter.

Earlier, Brian Carter had dodged her attack, but this time, Mrs. Clark went all out from the start.

She had practiced martial arts for years and had received guidance from Eric Carter. Though she was still some distance from being a first-rank martial artist, her strength was robust, far surpassing ordinary people.

She had also been a butcher for many years, ruthless and fierce. Her simple "Black Tiger Descends the Mountain" move was executed with such imposing force that she truly resembled a fierce tiger.

Brian Carter's eyes narrowed—this was the situation he least wanted to see.

But the shrew before him was violent and domineering by nature. If Brian Carter wanted to break free from her control, a conflict was inevitable.

Having lived two lives, Brian Carter wasn't just about brute force. But the titanium alloy would soon begin deep fusion, and he didn't have much time left—there was no way to slowly plan things out.

Brian Carter had wanted to have a proper talk with John Clark. Unfortunately, this uncle didn't care about him at all. Watching his wife attack, he made no move to stop her.

At this point, only by showing enough strength could he have the right to negotiate.

In fact, what Brian Carter was best at—and enjoyed most—was fighting.

Mrs. Clark's aggressive attack also excited Brian Carter. The change in his intent was reflected in his eyes.

As Mrs. Clark lunged, she saw a sharp glint flash in Brian Carter's eyes, as keen as a blade, making her heart involuntarily tighten.

Her previously forceful pounce, due to this subtle change in her mind, was instinctively adjusted by her body, losing the ferocity and momentum it had before.

Mrs. Clark was used to rough, direct fighting. She wasn't consciously aware of such subtle changes.

She just felt that Brian Carter was a bit strange and that she couldn't afford to be careless.

What surprised Mrs. Clark even more was that, although Brian Carter's footwork was nimble and light, this time he didn't dodge but instead charged straight at her.

The string of surprises left Mrs. Clark flustered. She wasn't a master to begin with, and this confusion manifested as stiffness in her body and awkward moves.

As Brian Carter rushed up to Mrs. Clark, he suddenly curled his body and rolled sideways half a turn, ending up behind her.

In a fight, such mid-air rolls were nothing but showy tricks. Yet Brian Carter's series of movements were light, swift, and smooth, making the trick look pleasing to the eye.

To be played by a fool with such tricks—Mrs. Clark's fat face trembled with anger. She swung a backhanded punch in frustration, but hit nothing.

Turning around, Mrs. Clark saw Brian Carter standing steadily with his hands behind his back, his sallow little face wearing an infuriating smile.

Mrs. Clark grew even angrier. She reached back to draw her knife, but found nothing at her waist, her heart skipping a beat.

"Looking for this, are you..." Brian Carter brought his right hand from behind his back, holding her pig-killing knife.

Mrs. Clark stared at the knife, not even knowing when Brian Carter had stolen it.

The father and son beside them were dumbfounded as well. They never imagined the dull-witted Brian Carter could pull off something like this.

"You little brat, give me back my knife!" She had used that knife for over ten years; in her heart, it ranked just below her son. Realizing what had happened, Mrs. Clark roared and tried to snatch the knife back.

But as soon as she took a step, Mrs. Clark felt her belt loosen. She quickly reached out and grabbed her waistband. Startled, she realized that if she hadn't reacted quickly, her pants would have fallen to the ground.

Looking down, she saw that the hemp rope tying her pants had snapped. She had tucked the knife into her waistband earlier, and the other party must have cut the rope when taking the knife.

The Tie Lin tribe was extremely poor; having pants to wear was already a blessing, and no one wore underwear. If her pants had fallen, she would have been stark naked.

Though Mrs. Clark was tough, she was still a woman. The thought of almost making a fool of herself just now made her face turn purple with rage.

But with both hands holding up her pants, no matter how angry she was, she had no presence left—only more embarrassment.

Brian Carter chuckled, "See? If you have something to say, let's talk it out. No need to be so violent all the time."