"Julian, over here!"
He had barely stepped out of the terminal when he spotted a woman waving energetically from the arrivals area. Short hair, a fitted red dress, confidence written into every step. There was no mistaking her.
Vivian Bellamy.
His older sister.
Vivian was twenty-six, a graduate of Tsinghua University, and now deeply involved in managing the family business alongside their mother. Sharp-minded, socially adept, and entirely ordinary by the standards of this world. No magic. No special gifts.
Here, ability mattered. Wizards required magical lineage. Practitioners of internal power needed the right aptitude. Without it, no amount of effort produced results. Magic and internal energy were essentially the same force, just interpreted through different systems.
In their family, only Julian possessed that aptitude.
Aside from his father, no one else knew he could use magic. After the divorce, his parents barely communicated. If not for Julian returning home, they likely wouldn't have spoken at all. The original Julian had never told his mother or sister the truth, partly to avoid frightening them, partly because it had nothing to do with their lives.
So he had always played the role of an ordinary younger brother.
"Hey," Julian said, rolling his suitcase forward with a relaxed smile.
Vivian looked him up and down, then laughed as she patted his shoulder.
"Two years and you're taller than me already."
The last time she'd seen him, he was a shy fifteen-year-old. Now, the difference was striking. Not just height. His face still carried youth, but the presence was different. Calm. Composed. Far more than a seventeen-year-old should be.
Years in boardrooms had sharpened Vivian's instincts. She'd seen all kinds of people. The moment Julian walked toward her, she felt it. This wasn't just growth. Something about him had settled.
"You've gotten prettier too," Julian replied easily.
Vivian was, objectively, very attractive. Wealthy families rarely paired down the generations, and careful upbringing only enhanced that advantage. Grace, confidence, and experience put her well above the crowd.
Of course, compared to elves or beings like Lucian, it wasn't even a comparison. After seeing too many inhuman standards of beauty, Julian had grown almost immune to it.
"Tsk. Smooth talker," Vivian laughed. "I bet you charm half your school."
"Our mother's on a business trip," she continued as they headed out. "She'll be back in a few days. Until then, I'm in charge. I'll show you around and take you somewhere decent to eat. London food can't compare."
"It wasn't bad," Julian said. "Dad hired a proper chef."
"Old Wang?" Vivian scoffed. "Average at best. I'll show you what real food is."
Conversation flowed easily. Vivian was lively, quick-witted, and endlessly talkative. Julian matched her pace without effort, and the distance of two years vanished quickly.
As her pink supercar sped along the elevated highway, she glanced over.
"Oh, by the way. Tonight I was planning to introduce you to a few friends. If Dad's moving his business back, you'll probably end up dealing with them eventually."
Julian shook his head.
"I'll pass. I'm not interested in that scene. I don't plan to inherit the business either."
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"I heard there's a place nearby called White Cloud Temple," Julian added. "I want to visit tomorrow. I'm curious about local traditions."
The explanation fit. The original Julian had never cared about the family business either. His dream had been sports, not finance.
"A temple?" Vivian stiffened slightly. "Listen, don't go pulling a Wang Ye on us. If you suddenly decide to become a monk, Dad might actually have a heart attack."
"There's you," Julian said calmly. "And I've said it before. I'm not taking over the company."
"Forget it," Vivian waved him off. "My hands are full with Mom's side already. I'm not interested in Dad's empire."
She wasn't pretending. Vivian had earned her place through ability, not inheritance, and she took pride in that.
Julian tilted his head.
"This friend of yours. Wang Ye. What's his story?"
Vivian's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
"Smart. Capable. Too capable," she said. "Third son of Wang Weiguo from Zhonghai Group. We grew up together. He excelled at everything and somehow didn't care about any of it. Got into Tsinghua on his own merits. Made it look effortless."
She exhaled softly.
"Then in his third year, he dropped out and went off to Wudang to become a Taoist priest. Just like that. Never came back."
Julian studied her expression.
"You like him."
Vivian's face flushed instantly.
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm a future powerhouse, remember? Why would I like someone that unambitious?"
She changed the subject quickly.
"White Cloud Temple, right? I know someone there. Daoist Liu. Mom donated a lot back in the day to win over a major client. I can take you."
"That works," Julian nodded. "Any… unusual stories about the place?"
"Unusual how?"
"Supernatural, maybe."
Vivian laughed.
"What year do you think this is? Even Daoist Liu says to believe in science."
"Just curious," Julian said lightly.
The probing told him enough.
Vivian Bellamy, well-connected, highly educated, and deeply embedded in elite circles, had no idea practitioners of internal power even existed.
Which meant one thing.
Whatever was happening beneath the surface here, it was hidden very well.
...
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