Ray’s eyes narrowed to slits, and she fell silent. That expression was exactly like the gargoyle in the Mandala Palace courtyard! Shana couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. She remembered the row of stone statues in the coven’s atrium—one was a gargoyle with its chin propped on its claws, lost in thought, identical to the knight’s current demeanor.

The witch knew Ray was in trouble now. With the scholar opposing her, even as the Night Watch Badge holder, forcing a vote would be an uphill battle. Think carefully, you snake of a knight. Don’t think holding the badge lets you do whatever you want. Taking down our coven’s flag is only going to cause you trouble.

But to Shana’s surprise, after a brief silence, Ray’s lips curled into a smile. That smile sent a chill down Shana’s spine. Why is she smiling? That’s way too creepy!

“Scholar Rui’s suggestion is sound—I’ll consider it carefully.” Ray’s voice was smooth as silk. “While I doubt Ding Rui’s loyalty, I have no concrete proof he’s a werewolf spy.”

Is she backing down? Shana hadn’t expected the knight to compromise so quickly.

“Ding Rui’s life is spared, but his status as a suspect remains. As the scholar said, he must undergo strict interrogation.” Ray waved a hand. “Guards! Take him to the Bastion Black Prison!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Two golden-armored knights stepped forward.

Ding Rui didn’t argue further, as if he’d accepted his fate. He followed the knights out, bumping into Fito, who’d just arrived. Fito glanced at the commoner, then silently took his place between Shana and the scholar.

“If Ding Rui hasn’t betrayed us, we can’t ignore the werewolf movements he reported.” Ray tapped the table. “Why release only him, not the other two? What is Wolf King Will planning?”

“Could the Wolf King be demanding a ransom for the other two?” a golden knight to Ray’s right asked.

“Ding Rui didn’t mention anything about a ransom.”

“Werewolves are beasts—their actions defy reason.” Old Rui stroked his beard. “They kill us out of instinct, not logic. Maybe the Wolf King killed Shao Si and Wei Te on a whim, then feared our retaliation and sent Ding Rui back to signal peace. It’s possible.”

Shana shook her head, disagreeing with the scholar. The wolf clan lacks humanity, but they’re not fools. Their actions follow a pattern—otherwise, we wouldn’t have fought them for a thousand years. Has the scholar gone senile? How could he say such a thing?

“Hmph.” Ray glanced at the witch. “You’re shaking your head, Witch Lady. Do you disagree with the scholar?”

She noticed that! Shana tensed, then realized: She’s trying to stir up conflict between us! She kept her guard up around Ray at all times.

Shana’s face darkened: “I don’t disagree with the scholar—I disagree with you!”

Ray feigned surprise: “What did I do to upset our esteemed Two-Potion Witch?”

Cut the act! Shana seethed at her fake innocence.

“I’m asking you: Why was the Mandala Flower Banner taken down from this war room?” The witch had held back long enough.

“Oh, with that accusatory tone, I thought it was something dire!” Ray laughed. “Lord Rui, since you’re also acting as the Great Wall’s administrative officer, would you explain this to the Witch Lady?”

“Ah, about the banner… Lady Ray noticed some oil stains on it, so she asked me to have it cleaned. Once it’s washed and dried, we’ll hang it back up.”

“I was protecting the coven’s honor—can’t have a stained flag, now can I?” Ray smiled sweetly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Did you care about such trivial matters? I didn’t want to bother you with something so small.”

Stop performing! Shana snapped: “When will you hang the Mandala Flower Banner back up?”

“Washing and drying will take at least ten days.” Ray’s grin was infuriating.

Shana finally understood: As long as Ray held the badge and Orek was gone, the flag would stay “being cleaned” forever, never returning to the wall. She wanted nothing more than to splash a vial of potion right in Ray’s smug face!

“Our banner should be cleaned by us.” Shana’s voice was cold. “Give it back to me. I want to check those stains myself!”

“Witch Lady, I’m afraid that’s impossible—you don’t have time.” Ray leaned over the table, her gaze fixed on the map. “According to Ding Rui’s report, the Wolf King has returned to Wolf Fort. The werewolf army’s movements are suspicious, and two rangers are missing. We need to send a new team to investigate. I want you to lead this ranger mission.”

What?! Shana’s eyes widened, frozen in place by shock. A ranger?

Before she could react, Fito spoke up: “No way! Beyond the wall is deadly. You can’t send a witch on a ranger mission! Absolutely not!”

Ray sneered: “When I first arrived at the Great Wall half a year ago, someone told me there’s an unwritten rule: everyone serving here—commoner, warrior, mage—must serve as a ranger to patrol and train beyond the wall. Captain, that was you who said it, wasn’t it?”

“I… uh…”

“The Golden Knights respected and followed this rule. Most of us, including me, served as rangers. Shao Si is still missing because of it. Why should the Golden Knights follow the rule, but the Witch Coven gets a pass? Is that not a double standard?”

Ray’s words left Fito speechless. After a long pause, he frowned: “Shana… she doesn’t know the terrain beyond the wall…”

“I didn’t know it either when I first served as a ranger.”

“Well…”

Old Rui interjected: “Lady Ray, Shana’s situation is different. When you arrived, you were already a Gold Warrior with hundreds of werewolf kills. She’s young, lacks combat experience…”

Ray cut him off: “Then she needs to gain experience! Does battle merit fall from the sky? Sending the Witch Lady beyond the wall is the perfect way for her to earn merit. And don’t say she’s young—our Witch Lady likes being called ‘Sister Shana,’ doesn’t she?”

You’re going too far! Shana’s temper snapped: “Why are you targeting me everywhere, Lady Ray?”

Ray feigned astonishment: “Why are you angry again? I’m just following the Great Wall’s rules. If you’re really afraid to go beyond the wall, just say so. Would I force our esteemed Two-Potion Witch to do something she doesn’t want?”

Shana suddenly realized why Ray had smiled that creepy smile earlier. She was setting a trap for me!

The witch knew she was skilled in magic but lacked real combat experience. Venturing into the monster-infested northern tundra was dangerous—and Ray was deliberately putting her at risk. But even though she saw through the knight’s scheme, she couldn’t easily escape it. Ray’s order followed the Great Wall’s rules; refusing would be hard. And backing down was impossible!

Yun nudged her gently in the waist and whispered: “Sister Shana, let me go instead?”

No! If I back down now, not only will that snake look down on me, but it’ll tarnish the coven’s honor! I have to tough this out!

“So what if I’m a ranger? I’ll do it!” Shana stepped forward, her voice loud and firm. “If it’s the Great Wall’s rule, the witches will follow it too! But I have one condition: You must hang the Mandala Flower Banner back in the war room within one day!”

“You…” Ray clearly hadn’t expected Shana to accept the challenge. She was caught off guard, her confidence faltering.

“The witch’s request is reasonable.” Old Rui stood beside Shana. “I’ll have my men speed up the cleaning—we’ll hang the banner back up tomorrow.”

“Good! That’s settled!” Shana stared daggers at Ray, who avoided her gaze. The knight’s aura had completely faded, her face twisted in awkwardness.