Sebastian’s hands trembled as he gripped the phone.

"Master Alistair... The fight wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be."

His voice shook so badly that it sounded as if he were about to cry.

On the other side of the call, Alistair immediately sat upright. The relaxed expression on his face vanished.

"What did you just say?" His voice exploded through the phone. "What happened?!"

Sebastian nearly jumped. Cold sweat ran down his forehead.

He quickly explained everything. From Blake and Jade finding Lucas, to the confrontation at the restaurant, to the fight itself, and finally the humiliating defeat.

The more Alistair listened, the darker his expression became. By the time Sebastian finished speaking, the room around Alistair had become deathly silent.

Even the servants standing nearby didn’t dare breathe loudly.

After a long pause, Alistair finally spoke.

"What is Jade’s condition?"

Sebastian hurriedly replied. "Miss Jade is recovering. She suffered injuries, but they aren’t life-threatening. It’s Blake who took the worst of it."

Sebastian glanced at Blake’s hospital bed. The young man was still unconscious. His face was swollen beyond recognition. Several bones had been broken.

The doctors had spent hours treating him. Even now, he looked miserable.

Alistair’s eyelids twitched. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to be angry or horrified.

Blake losing was already bad enough. But Jade being injured? That was a completely different matter.

"You idiot!"

Alistair suddenly roared. The loud shout nearly ruptured Sebastian’s eardrums.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!"

Sebastian’s face turned pale. "Master Alistair... You personally asked me for help!"

Alistair almost wanted to smash his phone. "That isn’t the point! The point is that I never received permission from the clan to send Blake and Jade outside!"

His chest rose and fell violently.

Originally, he had thought it would be a simple task. A routine lesson.

Something that would be resolved in a single afternoon.

Instead, one of the clan’s promising young talents had been beaten unconscious. And Jade, the favorite of several elders.

If the higher-ups discovered he had secretly sent her out for a private mission, he would be finished. Completely finished.

The more Alistair thought about it, the more his scalp tingled. Not only would Sebastian suffer, he himself would also be dragged into this mess.

Yet the situation had already reached this point. Trying to hide it would only make things worse. If the truth came out later, the punishment would be ten times more severe.

Alistair clenched his teeth.

"Stay where you are. Do not make another move against Lucas. Wait for the clan’s instructions."

After hanging up, Alistair immediately left his room. His pace was faster than ever before.

Ten minutes later, inside the Vayne Clan’s council hall, several elders sat around a long table. The atmosphere was oppressive.

Alistair stood in the center. His back was soaked with sweat.

As he finished explaining everything that had happened, the hall erupted.

"You sent Jade outside without permission?! Are you insane?! What were you thinking? Do you understand the consequences if something happened to her?"

One elder slammed his palm onto the table. The thick hardwood cracked instantly.

Another elder’s face was equally ugly. "You acted on your own authority. You endangered clan members. You’ve embarrassed the Vayne Clan."

One accusation after another rained down upon him. Alistair lowered his head. He didn’t dare argue because every accusation was true.

The scolding continued for nearly an hour. Only after everyone had vented their anger did the Clan Leader finally raise a hand.

The old man’s eyes were calm, yet the pressure he emitted was enough to make everyone nervous.

"The matter of punishment can wait," his voice was steady. "But first..."

He tapped the table lightly. "Find this Lucas."

The elders exchanged glances.

The Clan Leader continued. "A young man who can defeat Blake and Jade at the same time is not ordinary. Whether he is a hidden disciple, a genius, or backed by another force, we need answers."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Track him. I want all information regarding Lucas as soon as possible."

The hall instantly grew serious. Everyone understood. At this moment, Lucas had officially entered the sight of the Vayne Clan.

After nearly two hours of investigation, more information about Lucas finally arrived at the Vayne Clan. The atmosphere inside the council hall grew heavier with every report that was presented. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

One elder frowned as he read through the latest findings. Then his expression suddenly changed.

"Wait... There is something here."

The entire hall became quiet. The elder slowly placed the document on the table.

"The incident in Dustford. The one involving Xavier’s daughter."

Several elders immediately narrowed their eyes. That incident had caused quite a stir among the martial clans some time ago. They all knew about it.

The elder continued. "According to the investigation, Lucas was directly involved in that matter. And more importantly..."

He paused.

"Xavier’s daughter is currently supporting him."

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of several elders changed. Even the Clan Leader’s eyes narrowed slightly. A feeling of unease suddenly spread through the hall.

The elders exchanged glances. Then one of them slowly turned toward Alistair.

"Didn’t Sebastian tell you that Lucas was just an ordinary university student? A poor boy who got lucky in the financial market?"

Alistair’s face instantly became ugly. "That was the information I received."

The Clan Leader’s gaze turned cold. The pressure in the room immediately increased.

"Call Sebastian."

His voice wasn’t loud. Yet nobody dared disobey.

The phone call connected almost immediately. Sebastian’s nervous voice came through.

"Clan Leader?"

The old man’s expression remained indifferent. "Tell me. Weren’t you the one who claimed Lucas was an ordinary boy from a poor family?

A student who got lucky trading stocks?"

The moment Sebastian heard the question, his heart skipped a beat. His instincts immediately told him something was wrong.

Something very wrong. Cold sweat covered his forehead.

"T-That... That was the information my son gave me."

The hall instantly erupted. "You fool!"

An elder slammed the table. Another elder’s expression darkened.

"You investigated someone and couldn’t even verify basic information?"

Alistair’s face became increasingly ugly. The elders had already blamed him enough. Now he finally found someone else to blame.

Without hesitation, he shifted all the pressure onto Sebastian.

"Are you trying to get us killed? You told me he was an ordinary student! You never mentioned his connection to Xavier!"

Sebastian felt like crying. His legs nearly gave out beneath him.

Without wasting a second, he immediately turned toward Kai, who was standing nearby.

His face twisted with anger. "You little bastard! Didn’t you tell me Lucas was just some poor nobody?"

Kai was terrified. He had never seen his father this angry before. His voice trembled.

"T-That’s what I believed! He really was poor before! I swear!"

The Clan Leader listened quietly. Eventually, the complete picture became clear.

Lucas wasn’t simply a lucky student. He had connections to Xavier. And behind Xavier stood another powerful martial force.

The Vayne Clan had completely underestimated him from the beginning. The realization caused many elders to frown. Some of them felt this matter might not be as simple as crushing an ordinary opponent.

The hall fell silent. Everyone began considering the consequences.

However, just as the atmosphere became cautious, Alistair suddenly stood up.

His expression was extremely ugly. "So what if he has connections to Xavier?"

His voice echoed through the hall. "So what if there is another clan behind him?

We are the Vayne Clan. Are we supposed to lower our heads because one junior injured our people?"

His eyes flashed with cold fury.

"No. Anyone who dares bring shame to the Vayne Clan must pay the price."