Chapter 374: Vanished Without a Trace

In just a few short days, the scale of Aurora City's investment drive had grown increasingly massive. Apart from local merchants, numerous coastal business associations and private entrepreneurs flocked to invest, drawn by its reputation. Even excluding the future investment quotas stipulated in contracts with the sea people and beastmen, the cash collected had already exceeded fifty billion euros.

Everyone was unprecedentedly optimistic about Aurora City's prospects—this was a boom. The New Lord's swift and decisive actions were undeniable. Large numbers of construction vehicles and building materials had been hauled to the beaches in batches, piled mountain-high, ready for imminent construction.

Extensive coverage by *Holy Sanctuary's Light*, coupled with feverish speculation in Aurora City, sent land and commodity prices soaring. The entire city was now a picture of thriving prosperity.

All eyes were on the construction of the largest trading market on the southeastern coast. As for Rose challenging the *Eight Holy Sanctuaries*, few in Aurora City seemed to care anymore.

The New Lord no longer voiced his stance that "Aurora City should have only one Holy Sanctuary," clearly pouring all his energy into the trading market project. The city hall bustled with a constant stream of visitors daily. Once this grand project was completed, the Lei family's influence in Aurora City would become negligible—then they could be crushed at will.

However, outside Aurora City, the buzz surrounding the *Eight Holy Sanctuaries* accepting Rose's challenge hadn't waned in the slightest. But now that the challenge was accepted, things had become much simpler.

*Holy Sanctuary's Light* no longer brimmed with criticisms of Rose Holy Sanctuary. Instead, discussions focused solely on predictions about the challenge's outcome—and the consensus was shockingly unanimous.

No one debated whether Rose's ultimate challenge could succeed. The idea of defeating all *Eight Holy Sanctuaries* in a row was nothing short of a ludicrous joke. Anyone seriously entertaining the notion was seen as an idiot. The real debate was whether Rose stood any chance at all in their first battle against *Mangalam Holy Temple*.

Frankly, some had initially favored Rose. After all, *Mangalam* had shown hesitation when accepting the challenge, and rumors circulated that all five disciples they sent to Dragon City had perished. Most importantly, Old Wang's team—featuring *Winnie Lee*, *Kela*, and *Mapeier*—wasn't seen as outright weak in anyone's eyes.

*Winnie* was undoubtedly the team's strongest fighter, ranking within the top 100 of Dragon City's elite 500. *Mapeier* and *Kela* were perceived as roughly equal, hovering around the 400th mark—still considered formidable within Holy Sanctuary circles. A top-tier fighter leading two skilled disciples posed a real threat to *Mangalam*, which had already suffered losses.

For a time, outside betting odds nearly balanced between Rose and *Mangalam*. But as inside scoops about *Mangalam* surfaced, the scales began tipping decisively.

Inside Scoop One: *Mangalam*'s true elite hadn't been lost in Dragon City. The five sent weren't their absolute best. For a sanctuary ranked 69th, this was a smart and common tactic.

Dragon City was perilous. Top-tier sanctuaries like *Celestial Sanctuary* sent *Ye Dun* to vie for opportunities. Bottom-ranked sanctuaries like Rose went all out to salvage dignity. But mid-tier sanctuaries like *Mangalam* had no need for such risks.

Their best wouldn't outshine *Ye Dun* anyway. Losing them would cripple *Mangalam*'s strength. Sending upper-mid-tier disciples was wiser—strong enough to potentially gain something, yet expendable without devastating consequences. Keeping their true elite hidden allowed *Mangalam* to later challenge weakened sanctuaries post-Dragon City, potentially climbing the rankings. Why not?

This was *Mangalam*'s hidden strategy—and why they'd initially resisted Rose's challenge. Not out of fear, but to avoid taking the fall for no gain. Now forced into the open, they embraced it, confident in public support with well-prepared justifications.

Inside Scoop Two: *Wu Li*, ranked 67th in Dragon City's elite 500 and a surviving lightning *wizard*, announced his transfer to *Mangalam Holy Temple*!

The news stunned outsiders. *Wu Li* belonged to Cassie Holy Sanctuary, just a city away from *Mangalam*. His transfer was clearly last-minute—*Mangalam* wasn't known for *wizards*, so academics weren't the motive. Ranked 67th, he matched *Winnie*'s standing. But *Wu Li* bore another title: Beastmaster Killer! His lightning magic and speed could toy with most sluggish summoned beasts—especially *Winnie*'s demon bear.

This was blatantly aimed at Rose's challenge—or more precisely, at *Winnie Lee*, Rose's strongest fighter.

Truth be told, adding a member last-minute bent the rules. But for 69th-ranked *Mangalam*, pride mattered less than victory. Why grant Rose even a sliver of hope when they could ruthlessly crush them utterly? If Rose could recruit *Mapeier* from Judgment, why couldn't *Mangalam* accept *Wu Li*? A perfectly fair condition, leaving no room for complaint.

Clearly, powerful figures were pulling strings to snuff out Rose's hopes at the first hurdle. Neutralizing *Winnie* would leave Rose's remaining members outmatched by *Mangalam*'s preserved strength with minimal tactical effort.

No chances given! As these shady maneuvers and revelations spread, betting odds rapidly adjusted—Rose's payout neared 1:3. *Holy Sanctuary's Light* began framing Rose's first battle as their ultimate one...

Rose's disciples grew increasingly worried, but Old Wang's team—including Headmaster *Hawkland*—remained strangely at ease, carrying on as usual.

Work continued, training proceeded—everything orderly and methodical, calmly awaiting the fated day.

Only *Old Wang* seemed busy, shuttling nightly between foundries and potion labs. By day, he caught some shut-eye wherever convenient—his dorm, a training room lounge—then vanished each afternoon, acting mysteriously all day, his whereabouts unknown even to *Winnie* and the others.

As days dwindled—fifteen, ten, five, three—Aurora City's citizens, previously distracted by the trading market, gradually refocused on Rose. Then, an earth-shattering event struck.

Around 8 PM the night before, Aurora City abruptly locked down under curfew. City hall guards, personal troops—even unauthorized *sea people* warriors and beastmen enforcers—flooded the streets, sealing every exit. Not a soul—or even a mosquito—was permitted outside.

House-to-house searches followed, rough but not ransacking—targeting large rooms and cellars, scouring every inch of the city. Yet their objective remained a mystery.

Aurora City blazed with light all night as the massive operation persisted. Just as dawn approached and citizens assumed it would end—

The lockdown and searches continued, with everyone still forbidden to leave their homes or rooms. This round of searches was far more thorough than the previous night—every well bottom, hidden crevice, and any loose or disturbed soil in the entire city was scrutinized! Orcs and guards armed with shovels rolled up their sleeves, quite literally digging three feet into the ground!

Public curiosity grew stronger, and the city's tension skyrocketed. Rumors began to spread: the funds the city lord had gathered to invest in the trading market were missing!

Fifty billion—a staggering fifty billion LEO! Crates of golden LEO had vanished without a trace, leaving no clues behind! This... WTF?!

All of Aurora City was dumbfounded. Everyone had been counting on that money to develop the city, turning middle-class comfort into wealth. And now, it was just... gone?!

The citizens were anxious, worried, yet still hopeful—hoping it was just a rumor, hoping the money would be found. But by the second night, all expectations crumbled.

A squad of gleaming silver-armored Bladesilver Guards arrived—elite forces directly under the League of Blades' council, the elite of the elite, with all squad leaders and above being registered Heroic-rank warriors. The League's ace unit! Their sole purpose in Aurora City? To arrest the New Lord, Korolev.

With the New Lord taken away, the city's lockdown dissolved instantly. People flooded the streets, finally able to read the shocking reports and revelations published in the *Holy Sanctuary's Light* over the past two days.

Korolev, the city lord of Aurora City, had been duped by the merchant group he brought in for his investment plan—a band of career con artists, likely tied to the Nine Gods' schemes (though evidence was lacking). They had boasted of investing a billion LEO upfront, but only fifty million of the first installment was real; the rest were just rocks. Yet, the city lord got carried away, leveraging this to raise billions more. Though not all funds had arrived, combined with his loans from the League of Blades' bank, the total indeed exceeded five billion LEO.

Scores of merchant guilds were left dumbfounded; countless private investors lost everything. The Golden Shell Auction House and Landwalker Trading, having signed agreements for a billion and 1.5 billion LEO respectively, were livid. They mobilized all their influence to sue the Aurora City lord's estate directly before the League of Blades' council. This wasn't just about Aurora and neighboring cities—it involved the Sea People, making it a serious diplomatic incident. Worse, the Nine Gods' fingerprints might be all over it.

Truth be told, Korolev's background was actually quite clean, his lineage respectable. To suggest he colluded with Nine Gods spies to embezzle such a vast sum was absurd—but stupidity was equally inexcusable.

Every investor had signed black-and-white agreements. Including pending payments from orcs and the Sea People, the total investment exceeded five billion LEO. With a triple penalty clause, the compensation would triple to fifteen billion! Even if the League of Blades sold off all of Aurora City, they'd never cough up that amount.

With a disaster this big, a scapegoat was needed. The League's council closed the case at unprecedented speed. By the time the arrest was made the next day, the *Holy Sanctuary's Light* had already published the council's verdict:

*"Korolev conspired with Nine Gods spies to embezzle the raised five billion LEO. His crimes are unforgivable—sentenced to immediate hanging. All family assets are to be seized and distributed proportionally to compensate victims. Meanwhile, the League's Bladesilver Cavalry will continue investigating the missing funds."*

This fucking... this statement was a joke. How much could Korolev's family possibly be worth? A few million at most? Using that to cover five billion in losses? Classic League of Blades—not a single copper from their coffers! As for "investigating the missing funds," everyone knew it was just lip service. They were openly reneging.

The investors were on the verge of madness. This was total ruin!

Aurora City descended into chaos. The beachfront materials from earlier land grabs had already been hauled away by quick-thinking victims. The city lord's estate was nearly stormed, surrounded by an angry mob led by orcs—and damn, everyone knows orcs are notoriously unruly and broke. Are you even human? Scamming orcs?!

Outside the estate, the crowd was boiling with rage. If not for the city guards standing watch day and night, the mob would've long since ransacked the place and smashed it to pieces.

This explosive news shook the entire League, overshadowing even the upcoming battle between Rose and Mangalam in two days.

Once the dazzling pearl of the coast, Aurora City now teetered on the brink. Where would this once-thriving city go from here?

Nine Gods Imperial Capital...

In an elegant courtyard nestled in the city center—modest in size but exquisitely serene, with flowers, grass, a pavilion, and a pond—sat two figures of immense wealth and status.

"Using their own strength against them—a masterstroke! With just fifty million LEO, you've crippled a key coastal stronghold of the League. Aurora City won't recover for a decade! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Ninth Prince Long Jing raised his cup with a smile to the man across from him. "Given Aurora's strategic importance as one of the League's vital ports, Fifth Brother's forces under Puyemi have long tried to breach its defenses. Yet, with the Lei family guarding it, they've achieved nothing but repeated failures. Yet you, Lord Canglan, reached in and turned the tide effortlessly. Such skill leaves me in awe. With their commercial reputation ruined and the Sea People alienated, Aurora is finished. A toast to you, sir!"

The man opposite was none other than the head of the Cang family, one of the Ten Great Houses of the Nine Gods—Canglan, the Grand Duke.

In his prime, clad in snow-white robes, his jade-like features framed by a feathered fan, he exuded not scholarly rigidity but the air of a grand strategist. Raising his cup, he smiled. "You flatter me, Your Highness. This scheme was actually my daughter's design. I merely let her try her hand, and by sheer luck, it succeeded. If anything, it only highlights the unbelievable folly of the League's council."

"Oh?" Long Jing's interest piqued. "Then it's an even greater feat! It seems Sister Cang Jue gained much from her time in Dragon City. Driving a wedge between the League's council and the Holy Sanctuary is precisely what we desire. This move was exquisite—at the very least, the factions in Aurora will never coexist peacefully again."

"Your Highness praises her too highly. That child is too cold and proud to deserve such acclaim." Canglan chuckled. "I only gave her fifty million to test the waters and broaden her horizons. That it yielded such success was partly due to serendipity."

"Sister Cang Jue has always been meticulous and thorough. This triumph is no accident." Long Jing smiled. "But there's one thing I don't quite understand, if I may ask."

"Please, Your Highness."

"Promising grandeur and mixing real with fake funds is straightforward enough." Long Jing swirled his wine meaningfully. "But how did you later move those fifty billion silver LEO from the warehouses without a trace? From what I know, that foolish city lord, while handing warehouse oversight to the merchants, had city guards tightly monitoring the perimeter—inbound only, no outbound. Let alone smuggling out such vast sums."

"Guard the vaults openly, but dig secret tunnels below." Canglan smiled. "My daughter's people selected those warehouse locations—close to the coast, where the soil is soft and easy to excavate. That new city lord was greedier and more lustful than imagined, trusting no one. Though guards surrounded the area, they weren't allowed near the warehouses. And... he had a peculiar habit of screwing women on money piles."

Long Jing took no notice of these details, musing: "Though the warehouses are near the coast, they're still a solid two or three li away. Digging a tunnel out from the warehouse would be a massive undertaking—impossible to do without making some noise. And where would all the excavated sand and soil be piled? How could the surrounding guards not notice?"

Cang Lan burst into hearty laughter. "We selected only top operatives, and we didn't dig outward from inside the warehouse—we dug inward from the outside..."

"From the outside?"

"Your Highness may not know," Cang Lan explained, "but on the very day the trade guild took over the warehouses, the coastline near Aurora City was cordoned off as designated land for a trading market. Barricades went up, barring outsiders from approaching. There were piles of construction vehicles and materials, and foundation work was underway simultaneously. Digging tunnels there, no matter how much earth was removed, wouldn’t so much as raise an eyebrow."

Long Jing nodded in understanding, yet one question still lingered. Smiling, he asked, "Quite the sleight of hand! But fifty billion silver liras is no small sum. How did Cang Jue manage to transport it? From what I know, the very night the money went missing, Aurora City sent out carrier ravens alerting all nearby sea routes and land checkpoints. The entire southeastern region of the League of Blades is now under a dragnet tighter than a drum—neither by sea nor land could such a fortune be smuggled out."

"There was no need to take it out," Cang Lan replied with a faint smile. "We just stashed it."

"Stashed it? But from what I hear, Aurora City has already torn the place apart stone by stone. Where could it possibly be concealed?"

"Precisely what I wished to report. The Cang family would like to present Your Highness with a grand gift."

Aurora City faces the sea," Cang Lan said with a fox-like smile, drawing out a sea map from his robes. A red circle marked a spot near the city’s coastline. "What in this world is more concealed than the ocean’s depths? On the very night the silver liras were moved, they were loaded onto ships and sunk to the seabed—along with every crew member aboard. The operation was carried out by my family’s most trusted members. No trace remains. Those fifty billion silver liras now rest on the ocean floor. Retrieving them immediately may be impossible, but Your Highness’s merchant fleets ply every sea lane. In three to five years, once the storm has passed, you may discreetly send divers to recover them."

As he spoke, Cang Lan presented the map with both hands.

Long Jing smiled faintly, his cup still spinning smoothly between his fingers. Yet he made no move to take the map, instead fixing Cang Lan with a probing gaze. "Lord Cang Lan... this is fifty billion we’re speaking of."

"We offer it all to Your Highness," Cang Lan replied without hesitation, bowing slightly but not lifting his head.

"One does not accept rewards without merit," Long Jing remarked coolly, taking a sip of wine. "Moreover, the Cang family has long been aligned with the Crown Prince. By convention, this map should have been presented to my elder brother."

"Your Highness oversees the Nine Gods’ merchant networks. Only in your hands can this wealth achieve its greatest purpose."

Long Jing chuckled dryly. "I’ve never believed in gifts falling from the heavens." Setting down his cup, he said plainly, "Cut to the chase, Lord Cang Lan."