Chapter Seventy-Two: Even Your Boss Works for Me (Please Support in Every Way)

"I understand what you mean. These small factions have learned, and then what?" Yang Qiu looked at Gu Yi and continued to ask.

"Some of the sorcerers want me to bring all the recent newcomers—whether they're sorcerers, knights, or, in short, your kind of professionals—under the banner of Kamar-Taj," Gu Yi replied, a hint of amusement twinkling in her eyes as if she found the intelligence of her own subordinates somewhat entertaining.

Yang Qiu nearly burst out laughing at their foolishness, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head repeatedly. Even if Gu Yi decided to help them—which he doubted—he no longer felt the urgency he once did. Troublesome as things were, it was hardly the end of the world; if all else failed, he could simply leave Earth. Gu Yi couldn't possibly keep him in check forever, not with Dormammu, Mephisto, and even Odin watching over Earth.

Come to think of it, had Blaze's previous battle with Gu Yi failed to open their eyes? Did they really believe Blaze represented the Clock Tower's peak strength? Or were they simply so overconfident in Gu Yi's power that they believed it reflected on them as well? These people, usually so arrogant, appeared submissive on the surface, but in crucial moments hoped their leader would fight their battles for them—as if all the good things in the world should fall into their laps.

"So, what do you think?" Yang Qiu still felt it necessary to ask, even though he doubted Gu Yi would side with such folly. One must always be wary of the unexpected.

"I don't think it's right to cut them off completely," Gu Yi answered, gesturing lightly. Instantly, the room filled with floating images of the more powerful sorcerers in Kamar-Taj, scattered across the globe—some even among the leaders of the three great Sanctums.

"Some among them are quite malicious. They want to exploit the influx of newcomers to seize resources, and they seem particularly interested in the magic your subordinate Blaze demonstrated. They also want to use you to test whether I still have the strength to fight. In their minds, the best outcome would be for the two of us to exhaust each other, so they can swoop in and claim the spoils.

"If that happened, they'd not only break up Kamar-Taj but also annex your Clock Tower, restoring their former glory from five centuries ago.

"Others are a bit better. They simply believe that all mystical matters should be regulated by Kamar-Taj, just like it was centuries ago. In their worldview, as long as Kamar-Taj exists, there should be no other independent, large-scale mystical organizations.

"For this latter group, I think they deserve a chance—an opportunity to see the situation clearly. People make mistakes; it's only human. If they can turn back in time, there's hope for them yet."

Yang Qiu agreed with Gu Yi's perspective. After all, Kamar-Taj's inertia in its worldview after centuries was understandable—only natural for people. Shifting perspectives requires both time and significant events.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Yang Qiu asked.

"Not particularly," Gu Yi replied, "just that next time, make it a bigger affair, something on a grander scale. If it's anything like what I did centuries ago—give them a good beating—they'll straighten up, and things will be much easier to handle.

"If, even then, there are some who still can't see the truth, then they have only themselves to blame." Gu Yi's tone was warm; after all, these were her subordinates of several centuries, and she still felt some affection for them.

"I understand. I will follow your advice," Yang Qiu replied politely. Regardless of Gu Yi's reputation, the fact remained she had helped him greatly—and not in any ordinary way. She had given all she could. Without the energy reserves she had provided, Yang Qiu wouldn't have managed to construct star systems in the Mind Universe; he might not even have had the energy for the fifth scenario.

"But there's another problem: under what pretext should we act? We're not bandits; we can't just march in and start fighting without any reason," Yang Qiu pointed out.

Gu Yi only smiled in silence. When she founded the Kamar-Taj Order, she had not bothered with reasons—back then, might made right in the mystical world, and that was all there was to it.

But since Yang Qiu wanted to establish an orderly, peaceful mystical community, a reason was indeed necessary.

"Here's an idea," Gu Yi said at last. "It's almost time for Mephisto's annual mischief. Let's use him as a scapegoat. I'll shield you from interference, and the blame can rest squarely on his head.

"Even if he notices something is off, he won't come out to defend himself. And even if he does, no one would believe him. He's a demon—if he makes lying routine, he can't blame anyone for attributing every lie to him."

Gu Yi pondered a moment before speaking. After all, Mephisto was infamous for his constant troublemaking on Earth—it was practically a tradition. Most of it had been dealt with by Kamar-Taj. The sorcerers didn't just handle dimensional invasions; that was Gu Yi's domain alone. The rest spent their days monitoring mystical incursions with the Sanctum's network and resolving them as best they could.

"You're absolutely right. Shall we settle it, then?" Yang Qiu found Gu Yi's plan not just good, but excellent. He had no qualms about making Mephisto the scapegoat. In fact, if Mephisto ended up being blamed to the point of destruction, Yang Qiu would set off a thousand firecrackers in celebration.

"It's settled. There are matters to attend to at Kamar-Taj, so I'll take my leave," Gu Yi said, rising to her feet.

Yang Qiu escorted her to the door. Watching her step through the portal, he returned to the room, reflecting.

Schemes? Stirring up trouble? Fanning the flames of conflict? Hoping to profit from the chaos?

Your leader is one of mine. You want to challenge me?

If those people were before him right now, Yang Qiu would almost want to ask, "Who dares bring a suit before this magistrate?"

Moreover, Gu Yi's proposal perfectly suited Yang Qiu's own intentions. After all the groundwork he'd laid, it was time to make a grand move—to announce the existence of the mystical world to the whole Earth.

Most of the Americas and much of Europe were already under the Clock Tower's jurisdiction, Russian alchemists had new blood, Ethan could mobilize the Middle East, and the lingering faith of the shattered divine kingdoms could serve as the foundation for the next scenario.

Now, only the mystical community in China and its governing organization—the Celestial Court—remained to be established.

Conveniently, one of Kamar-Taj's three great Sanctums was located in Hong Kong, right on Chinese soil. If a major battle was required, he wouldn't even have to leave home.