Chapter 692

They’d promised each other they’d conquer the world together.

Then Claire had gone and grown up without Lily.

Betrayal like that was unforgivable.

Back when they were children, Claire and Lily had actually been close. But once adolescence hit, their relationship deteriorated one argument at a time. Eventually, they’d reached the point where putting the two of them in the same room for more than three sentences without an argument breaking out was considered a minor miracle.

After their silent staring contest failed to produce a winner, Lily took two long drags from her cigarette and looked Claire over.

"Sure, you’ve grown up. What’s the big deal?" she sneered. "So you’ve got a little more to work with now. At least you’ve got something to cushion the blows."

"True. It really isn’t much use."

Claire fired back without hesitation.

"Unlike you. At your rate, you can skip buying a washing machine. Just scrub your clothes against yourself."

Evenson blinked.

"What does that mean?"

Claire looked almost delighted that he’d asked.

"It means she’s got enough padding to do the washing by herself."

Evenson’s face tightened.

That was vicious.

He immediately took a small step backward.

He’d genuinely asked because he hadn’t understood the joke, not because he was trying to tee Claire up for another shot.

Although... he hadn’t realized until now that Claire could be this savage.

Apparently, it depended on who she was talking to.

Lily’s face flushed red.

She turned away and took an angry drag from her cigarette.

Evenson edged closer to Claire.

"Is this really a good idea?" he whispered. "You can’t beat her in a fight. Aren’t you worried she’ll snap and beat you to a pulp?"

"This is our rule."

Claire’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"We don’t get physical when we’re arguing."

She puffed out her chest.

"And don’t worry about me. I’ve never beaten her in a fight, but I’ve never lost an argument to her either."

Lily finished her cigarette.

She flicked the butt onto the ground, ground it beneath her heel, and turned around.

She’d apparently realized that trying to outtalk Claire was a losing battle.

So she changed targets.

"You."

Her eyes locked onto Evenson.

"You’re the one who beat up my right-hand man in public, aren’t you? You’ve got some nerve."

"Senior Sister Lily, that’s not really fair."

Claire stepped in before Evenson could answer.

"A guest is a guest. You can’t treat visitors like that. People might start saying Kamar-Taj has forgotten how to treat company."

"Guest?"

Lily tilted her head and looked at Evenson properly for the first time.

She’d assumed he was one of the newly trained sorcerers from one of the other Sanctums.

Apparently, she’d been wrong.

"He’s a guest of the Ancient One," Claire said, unable to hide a note of pride.

"He has discussed matters of the world with the Sorcerer Supreme, and there are even things the Ancient One has consulted him about."

She gave Lily a meaningful look.

"I brought him to visit the Three Sanctums and experience the depth of Kamar-Taj’s magical traditions. So don’t do anything embarrassing, Senior Sister."

Lily stared at her.

"Oh."

The words clearly carried some weight.

For all Lily’s rough clothes and reckless personality, she respected the Ancient One.

She knew perfectly well that if she ever fought the Ancient One, she’d be the one getting flattened.

But one of her own people had been beaten.

Walking away without demanding an explanation still felt wrong.

Lily frowned, caught between pride and common sense.

"Even if he’s the Ancient One’s guest, he still beat my man. I need an explanation."

This time, Evenson stepped forward first.

He smiled and gave Lily a respectful gesture.

"About last night... it was a misunderstanding. I was a little too aggressive myself. I apologize for that."

He dipped his head.

"Would that settle things between us?"

Evenson had figured something out.

For all the sparks that flew whenever Lily and Claire met, the two were obviously close.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have a bizarre rule forbidding them from settling arguments with their fists.

If they genuinely hated each other, they wouldn’t stop at arguing. They’d be pulling hair, tearing clothes, and trying to rip each other apart right down to the soul.

And Lily had already given him plenty of room to step down gracefully.

She’d come here to settle a score. She could have marched straight up to Evenson and started a fight.

Instead, she’d called Walter into the ring and given everyone a free martial-arts exhibition.

Evenson had heard the old saying about Bajiquan masters avoiding formal ring matches. Breaking that pattern could certainly be interpreted as a warning.

But it could also have been Lily’s way of giving him a chance to show respect before things escalated.

Since she’d left him an opening, the least he could do was take it.

Besides, he was here to help Claire with her business, not to puff himself up and collect enemies.

If he turned this into a feud, Claire would have an even harder time navigating Kamar-Taj afterward.

It was better to let everyone save face.

Unfortunately, Claire wasn’t having it.

"Evenson, why are you backing down?" she snapped, giving him a sideways glare. "They’re the ones who started this!"

Evenson internally sighed.

He’d thought he’d handled it perfectly.

One apology.

One way out.

Everyone goes home happy.

Apparently, he’d forgotten one critical variable.

Claire.

Lily had already been halfway to accepting his apology.

Now her foot stopped.

She turned back.

"Their fault?"

Her face darkened.

"My man got beaten!"

Then she pointed accusingly at Claire.

"You oversized cow!"

Claire folded her arms.

"Oh, please. You flat-chested tomboy. Did you ever teach your little thug how to behave?"

She was enjoying herself now.

Maybe they’d been apart for too long.

Once she’d gotten the chance to argue with Lily again, Claire was positively energized.

"We were minding our own business last night, eating snacks at a street stall. Then your boy showed up collecting protection money."

Claire shrugged.

"We weren’t even interfering. We were just curious enough to look at him."

"And what did he do?"

"He threw his favorite insult at us."

"Can you tell me whose fault that was?"

Lily blinked.

"His favorite insult?"

"What insult?"

Claire gave her an incredulous look.

"What else would a thug under you have as a catchphrase?"

Lily frowned.

"So he insulted you?"

"He tried to hit me!"

Claire sounded like a child reporting a playground bully to a teacher.

Lily’s head slowly turned.

She looked back toward Eddie, who was still sprawled on the floor.

Her expression changed.

It wasn’t anger anymore.

It was the look of a tiger noticing something it had forgotten to eat.

In her head, the verdict came instantly.

Idiot. I can yell at my junior sister. I can beat her up if I want.

You don’t get that privilege.

Wait until I get you alone.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t exactly say any of that out loud.

So she settled for a weak defense.

"Well... that’s only your side of the story. Saying the whole thing was our fault based on that alone seems a little..."

"We’re all on the same side."

Evenson jumped back in before Claire could start another argument.

"Why worry so much about who’s right?"

He smiled at Lily.

"I’m new to Hong Kong and don’t know the city very well. Why don’t you pick a place, and I’ll host a dinner and drinks. We can call the whole thing settled."

He had to bite back a sigh.

Everything had been going so smoothly.

Now, because these two couldn’t resist taking shots at each other, he was buying an entire meal.

So this was what people meant by expensive family.

"That sounds good."

Lily didn’t even give Claire a chance to object.

"If we’re both going to call ourselves family, then turning a disagreement into a public feud would only make us look bad."

She immediately accepted the invitation.

"Peace is more important."

Evenson noticed Lily studying him for a moment longer.

There was genuine curiosity in her eyes now.

Interesting.

This foreigner actually knows how things work around here.

He’s courteous, he understands the rules, and he even knows how to offer a reconciliation dinner.

And his Chinese is better than mine.

Where did my junior sister even find this guy?

With that, Lily grabbed Eddie and started dragging him away.

The moment they disappeared from sight, Walter, who had been lying motionless on the floor, cracked open one eye.

He waited.

Listened.

Confirmed that Lily was really gone.

Only then did he slowly sit up, his face twisted in pain.

Victor Sterling hurried over and caught him by the arm.

"Brother, are you all right?"

"I’ll live."

Walter grimaced.

"Master Lily’s attack was brutal."

He rubbed his chest and reached beneath his clothes.

A moment later, he pulled out his chest guard.

The thing was almost completely flattened.

Walter stared at it.

"Well..."

He sighed.

"My poor armor."

A pained groan escaped him as he tossed the ruined piece aside.

Then he looked up at Marcus Sterling, who was helping support him.

"Brother Marcus, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course."

Marcus immediately slapped a hand against his own chest.

"You’ve done more than enough for the Sanctum over the years. As long as it’s something I can actually accomplish, I’ll do it."

Walter leaned on Victor’s arm and carefully pushed himself upright.

He kept one hand pressed against his chest.

"I heard the library has an opening."

He swallowed.

"Could you put in a word for me and see if they can transfer me there?"

Marcus blinked.

Walter’s expression was dead serious.

"If I stay here, I’m afraid I won’t die in the field fighting demons."

"I’ll die because that little terror keeps using me as a punching bag."

Marcus hesitated.

"About that..."

There was a reason Walter was always the one Lily chose to spar with.

Among everyone at the Hong Kong Sanctum, Walter had the strongest body-training.

Not only did he know multiple defensive spells, he’d also mastered a powerful hard-body technique known as the Thirteen Guardians.

Whenever Lily came back, she liked to find Walter and exchange blows.

Bajiquan was brutally heavy-handed, after all.

Walter was one of the few people sturdy enough to take a beating without ending up seriously injured.

If Walter left...

Marcus looked around.

Left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

Everywhere he looked, the same terrible realization waited for him.

She’d come looking for me.

Walter noticed the hesitation immediately.

He might look simple and honest, but he was no fool.

"Don’t worry."

He smiled reassuringly.

"Master Lily is a woman who respects rules. You’re the leader of the Sanctum. She wouldn’t spar with you."

He paused.

"And yes, her Bajiquan is heavy, but she knows where to draw the line. Once I’m gone, she isn’t going to start picking random people to beat up."

Marcus’s eyes shifted.

He considered that.

It... actually made sense.

"All right."

He nodded.

"You can count on me. I’ll pass the request up."

"But whether the transfer is approved..."

Marcus spread his hands.

"...that will ultimately be up to the Sorcerer Supreme."