Chapter 41: Since the Drinking Game Was Passed, What Will You Do?

At the Hundred Flavors Restaurant…

Tension saturated the room.

Tracy hesitated, her instinct urging her to back down. But when she thought of how John had vanished for fifteen years—fifteen long years—and had finally returned, a surge of guilt struck her. She had done nothing for him all that time. Not a single thing. That thought alone was enough to stiffen her resolve.

Just a dozen glasses of liquor. That's all it was. For John, she would risk it all.

With trembling hands, Tracy lifted a glass of liquor to her lips.

Across the room, Chris sneered.

Julian remained still, observing coldly.

Ada, unable to contain her smug excitement, approached with an eager gleam in her eyes. She could barely wait to see Tracy humiliate herself after a few drinks.

"Oh? Didn't you say you couldn't drink? Come on, let me help you," Ada said with a mocking smile.

She grabbed a glass and moved to pour it directly into Tracy's mouth.

Bang!

The door exploded open, crashing against the wall with a deafening slam. A storm swept in with it—fierce, cold, and lethal.

John had arrived.

The room fell silent. Even breathing seemed forbidden.

For a few seconds, no one moved.

Then Chris snapped out of his shock and barked, "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you even know where you are?!"

John said nothing.

His eyes were locked onto Ada.

Ada, who was gripping Tracy's chin and about to force the liquor into her mouth.

Rage detonated in John's chest. A surge of murderous intent filled the room, suffocating everyone in its wake.

"You… fucking… dare…"

His voice was low, lethal.

"You dare treat my sister like this? Do you have a death wish?! I'll kill you!"

With a roar, John stormed forward, yanked Ada by the hair, and slammed her into the door. The crash echoed like thunder. Then, without hesitation, he gripped her throat and lifted her off the ground.

Ada was stunned, eyes bulging in disbelief and horror.

No one moved.

Not a whisper, not a breath.

They were paralyzed.

Who the hell was this man?

Chris stammered, "Y-You're hitting a woman! How could that possibly make you a hero?!"

Even as he spoke, his voice cracked with fear. But pride kept him standing.

Slap!

A crisp, echoing slap exploded in the air.

Chris staggered backward, his hand flying to his cheek. Shock twisted his features.

"D-Dad? You slapped me?! You should be slapping him, not me!"

Julian's hand trembled as he lowered it.

"I slapped you," he said hoarsely, "because you're a blind fool. Do you even know who Mr. Lopez is?!"

Julian was visibly shaken. His lips trembled.

He remembered vividly what had happened after the auction.

He had told his master about the Nine Restoring Yang Needles John had used. Upon hearing this, the old man—calm and composed even in the direst of emergencies—had become so excited he vomited blood on the spot.

Julian had been terrified. His teacher had never lost composure like that.

And then came the command:

"Find him. No matter what. I want to learn from him. I want to make him my teacher."

Julian had been stunned. The great master wanted to apprentice himself to John?

In disbelief, Julian had rushed to Alice, hoping she could help him reach John. But she had refused, still angry over their past.

Since then, his teacher had been pressuring him relentlessly. Julian had been so stressed he couldn't even enjoy his own son's birthday.

And now…

Now, Tracy—Tracy!—turned out to be John's sister.

Julian wanted nothing more than to slap himself until he passed out.

John already held him in contempt. Now he would surely hate him.

Ada's face turned bright red as she clawed at John's hand, her eyes rolling back. But John showed no signs of letting go.

It looked as if he would crush her throat then and there.

"John! Stop! Don't kill her!"

Tracy's voice trembled, filled with desperation.

She couldn't bear it. After finally reuniting with her brother, she couldn't watch him throw his life away—again. Not for her.

"Please, I'm begging you!"

John hesitated. Then, slowly, he released Ada, letting her crumple to the floor, gasping for breath and clutching her neck.

"You should be grateful," he said coldly, "that my sister is merciful. If it were up to me—not even God could save you."

Ada coughed violently, tears streaming down her face.

John scanned the room, his gaze falling on the scattered glasses of liquor.

He frowned. "A drinking game? Who set this up?"

Chris's colleagues turned pale. One of them, shaking like a leaf, blurted out, "I-It was Chris… Chris told me to…"

John's gaze turned on Chris.

Chris felt his body turn cold. Like someone had dumped ice water into his bones.

Julian, panicked, tried to intervene. "Mr. Lopez, we truly didn't know Miss Linch was your sister—"

"Did I ask you to speak?"

The chill in John's voice stopped Julian dead in his tracks.

Everyone braced for the storm.

They expected John to explode, to beat Chris into the ground.

Instead, he sneered.

"Drinking game, huh? Fine. I'll help my sister."

He reached for a glass of liquor.

"Mr. Lopez, no! Please—!" Julian cried.

But John had already downed the first glass.

Julian's face twisted with dread. He turned and slapped Chris again.

"You fucking idiot! What are you waiting for? Pour two glasses. NOW!"

Confused but terrified, Chris obeyed and poured.

Julian grabbed both glasses, pinched his nose, and drank them down in one gulp.

John drank a second.

Julian hurried to drink two more.

And so it continued.

With every glass John downed, Julian drank two.

Within minutes, Julian was bent over, vomiting violently.

"D-Dad…"

"Pour!" Julian roared between heaves. "Pour more, damn it!"

His stomach rebelled, but he dared not stop. Not while John was still drinking.

John, in contrast, looked perfectly calm.

He drank one glass after another like it was water. No redness in his face. No unsteadiness in his step.

With each drink, he advanced a single step.

Closer.

And closer.

Until he stood in front of Chris.

The final step echoed like thunder.

Bang.

Glass met table.

John looked Chris dead in the eyes and said, voice cold as steel:

"Since the drinking game was passed, what will you do next?"