Fortunately, Grace Cooper was there. As the Right Protector of the Lord, she was the first to see through Edward Morgan's intentions. She immediately dragged her injured body to crawl between the four of them, trembling as she grabbed the silver on the table, crying, “Mr. Carter, Miss Harris, please don’t get hurt because of me. This gentleman is right, I am nothing but a lowly woman.”

After speaking, she pitifully and proactively stuffed the silver into her collar, choking with tears as she said, “Thank you, sir, for your reward.”

While performing, Grace Cooper didn’t forget to transmit a message: “My lord, I beg you, just say ‘You’re sensible. For the sake of the Shangqing Sect, I won’t hold it against you two juniors’ and leave. With my performance, I’m sure I can hook that sentimental one.”

Edward Morgan nodded and recited, “You’re sensible. For the sake of the Shangqing Sect, I won’t hold it against you two juniors.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled James Walker and disappeared. William Carter and Lily Harris couldn’t catch up even if they tried.

“Miss Cooper!” William Carter hurriedly picked up Grace Cooper, who could only crawl due to her broken bones, feeling heartbroken. It was because his own skills were too weak, unable to defeat the two experts before him who seemed to be at the Nascent Soul stage, that such a pitiful yet strong and independent woman, as pure as a lotus unstained by mud, had to suffer such humiliation for his sake. It was his fault.

Lily Harris saw William Carter holding Grace Cooper, and then noticed Grace Cooper's legs were bleeding, her white long dress already stained red with blood. She couldn’t afford to be jealous and immediately said, “Miss Cooper is in such a state that an ordinary doctor probably can’t heal her. I’ll return to the sect and ask Senior Miller to save her.”

“Alright, I’ll take her home first.” William Carter nodded.

After Lily Harris left, he carried Grace Cooper in his arms and brought this frail woman to her shabby thatched hut.

The hut was dilapidated but clean and tidy, with some delicate little embroideries hanging on the wall, enough to show that the owner was a poor but refined and intelligent woman.

William Carter carefully placed Grace Cooper on the bed covered with weeds. Shu—excessive blood loss—on the verge of death—barely hanging on and refusing to faint—Yanyan struggled to lift her bloodstained fingertips and softly said, “Mr. Carter, I am of humble birth, I should have seen through it long ago, you don’t need to…”

The moment her cold fingertips touched William Carter's face, Grace Cooper finally fainted, leaving a bloodstain on his cheek.

“Miss Cooper!” William Carter checked her pulse and found Grace Cooper's life force extremely weak. At this rate, she might not last until his junior sister brought Junior Miller.

He gritted his teeth and said, “Forgive me!”

With that, he untied Grace Cooper's sash, and when a piece of silver fell out, his heart ached even more. He could no longer care about propriety between men and women. He pressed his palm to Grace Cooper's still-warm chest, channeling true energy into her, and at the same time took out a medicinal pill.

Ordinary people truly cannot withstand the medicinal power of cultivators and cannot take such pills directly. But if a cultivator is willing to help dissolve the medicine with true energy and guide it into the body with their own vital energy, it can be absorbed.

Doing so would cost the cultivator some of their own power, and very few would waste their hard-earned vital energy on an ordinary person. Junior Miller had medicine to help ordinary people absorb it, usually given to junior disciples who had just joined and couldn’t yet draw in spiritual energy, but there was no time to wait now.

William Carter was at the Golden Core stage, his power still decent. After his true energy completed a full cycle in Grace Cooper's body, he fed her the pill mouth-to-mouth and helped her absorb it.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Grace Cooper's injuries were healed. William Carter held her, finally able to breathe a little easier.

Only then did he realize what a soft, fragrant beauty he was holding in his arms. This…

Why hasn’t my junior sister arrived yet!

Feigning unconsciousness, Grace Cooper sent a long-distance message to her subordinates: “You lot, stop Lily Harris for me. Things are about to work out on my end, so don’t let her bring that damn Senior Miller to ruin my good thing!”

“There’s no need to send subordinates. I have already stopped Lily Harris.” A familiar, deep voice sounded in Grace Cooper's ear.

Grace Cooper: “……”

My lord, why are you personally intervening again? Your subordinate, your subordinate really doesn’t want to trouble you. If you act, you’ll definitely ruin things!

Though she was crying inside, Grace Cooper outwardly remained calm, letting out a soft “ngh” as she opened her eyes. Seeing herself lying in William Carter's arms, her clothes still… She gasped softly, her face flushing red.

On the other side, Lily Harris once again summoned the Moon-Reflecting Frost Ribbon, her expression grave, facing off against Edward Morgan and James Walker.

Edward Morgan wouldn’t let James Walker make a move. He extended a finger and lightly tapped the Moon-Reflecting Frost Ribbon. Lily Harris's life-bound magic treasure obediently returned to her body, and she found herself unable to use even a bit of her power.

Only now did Lily Harris realize how strong they truly were. She had grown up in the Shangqing Sect and had never gone down the mountain to train, thinking that as a cultivator she was far superior to martial artists. She never expected that among ordinary people at the foot of the mountain, there could be such deeply hidden experts.

Her senior brother was experienced and must have seen through the strength of these two long ago, yet he still stood firmly in front of her, willing to give his life for her. She was always throwing tantrums and doubting him—it was truly wrong of her.

“If you want to kill me, then do it. If I so much as frown, I am unworthy to be a disciple of the Shangqing Sect!” Lily Harris said resolutely.