"John?"
Hearing the name, Bertha froze mid-action, a stunned expression replacing her fury. She blinked and turned to Alice. "Alice… did you just say this guy is John Lopez?"
Alice gave her a theatrical roll of the eyes. "If this shameless man isn't John, then who is he? Did you seriously think he was my boyfriend?"
Bertha stared at John again—this time, really looking at him.
Her anger slowly melted away, and her eyes began to shimmer with tears.
Yes.
It was him.
He didn't just resemble John—he was John Lopez.
No wonder he'd acted so oddly that day by the Hudson River. She realized now: he had been teasing her the whole time.
She hadn't figured it out until this very moment.
John chuckled. "Bertha, if I weren't really your brother, John Lopez, how would I have had the guts to mess with you like that? Everyone knows—you don't go pulling a lion's tail."
He grinned mischievously.
Bertha Carter—the fierce leader of the Central U.S. Martial Arts League—was practically a lioness herself. Naturally, teasing her took some serious nerve.
John had imagined a warm sibling reunion—maybe even a hug.
Instead, Bertha tackled him in one swift motion and pinned him to the ground with expert precision.
He hadn't expected that and failed to dodge in time.
"Oh, so just because you're John Lopez, you think you can do whatever you want?" she scoffed. "You think that gives you the right to bully me? You little brat!"
With practiced ease, she wrestled him down like she used to when they were kids, smacking his belly to assert her dominance as the older sister.
"Bertha, you're a lady! Shouldn't you be more… reserved?"
"Hmph! This is your fault!"
Though she scolded him, Bertha couldn't stop the wide grin spreading across her face.
She was genuinely happy to see him again.
After a while, she let go and sat back, curiosity taking over.
"Hey, Little John—we haven't seen each other in fifteen years. How did you end up becoming a cultivator?"
She still remembered the day he flew in dramatically on a bicycle with massive wheels. Even back then, he had a flair for the dramatic.
"I guess I just got lucky," John replied modestly.
Hearing that, Alice raised an eyebrow. "Wait—cultivator? John's a cultivator?"
Bertha looked at her, surprised. "You didn't know?"
Alice shook her head. "No. He never told me."
She had always known John wasn't ordinary—his strength and techniques were far beyond average. But she hadn't realized he was a cultivator.
Suddenly, everything made sense. That strange slap earlier... he had been manipulating her energy flow.
No wonder it had driven her straight to the shower in a fluster.
Her expression darkened with realization.
John glared at Bertha. Well done, Bertha. You just exposed my secret within minutes of returning. He wouldn't let that slide.
With a sly smile, he countered, "Well, Bertha, I suppose you also haven't told our other sisters that you're the head of the Central U.S. Martial Arts League, have you?"
Alice's jaw dropped.
"The head of the Central U.S. Martial Arts League?"
Her eyes narrowed, clearly sulking.
Am I really the weakest one among us now?
No way.
Suddenly, she grabbed John by the arm and declared, "I want to become your disciple!"
"…What?" John blinked.
"You heard me! I want you to be my master!"
He stared at her, stunned.
Alice's tone was firm. "What's the problem? You don't think I'm talented enough?"
John coughed awkwardly. "Uh… Alice, your bathrobe…"
"Don't interrupt! Just answer me!"
Clearly flustered, John finally relented. "Okay, okay. I can teach you. But to learn my cultivation method, you'll need to have all your acupoints opened using acupuncture, and then your meridians must be nourished with vital energy."
"…That sounds complicated."
Alice pulled her bathrobe tighter, falling into deep thought.
"Isn't Tracy Linch a doctor?" Bertha chimed in. "Why not have her help you open all the acupoints with needles?"
Alice's eyes lit up. "Yes! Tracy and I often bathe together anyway—"
John shook his head. "That won't work. Tracy isn't a cultivator. She doesn't know how to inject vital energy into the needles."
And just like that, the idea hit a wall.
After a pause, John added, "There's another way. I can open only some of your acupoints with vital energy, but the process will be slower."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on your physique. Could be a few months. Maybe one or two years. Possibly three to five."
"…Forget it," Alice snapped.
She looked annoyed—but only for a moment. Then she clenched her jaw and barked, "Fine. Start now!"
John gave her a strange look.
"…What?"
"I said now! I'm a woman and I'm not even embarrassed—what are you waiting for? Just take it as a favor from me today."
She made a move to untie her robe.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down!" John cried, quickly waving his hands.
He couldn't help the grin creeping onto his face.
"All right, I'll admit it," he said, chuckling. "You don't actually need all your acupoints opened. I only need to locate a few key points and inject some vital energy."
He had initially thought Tracy was the most gullible among the sisters—but Alice had just claimed the title.
Still, he thought to himself: If Alice didn't always act so cheeky, I wouldn't tease her so much.