Chapter 468: How Can a Girl Have Scars?

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Anbolin gave a faint smile and stood at the entrance of the platform under the protection of his guards, while the reporters who had been chasing after Lord Anbolin now shifted their focus. Artists were swiftly sketching, using sketch paper and rune pens to capture the lively scene as the Magic Rail Train pulled into the station.

The Magic Rail Train, speeding from the distance, began to slow down and gradually entered the station.

Clack, clack, clack, rumble, roar…

The train finally came to a stop, and the door of one carriage slid open.

To be honest, quite a few people had followed Rose’s Magic Rail Train to Aurora City—such as Yin Fu, Hei Wukai, and Mo Tong from the Eight Tribes; Her Highness Xue Zhiyu and Her Highness Xuecai from the Ice Spirit Duchy; and even Xiao Bang, the Third Prince of Dragon Moon, among others. There were indeed many heavyweight figures among the younger generation. But at this moment, no one’s status could overshadow the radiance of the six heroes.

Wang Feng and the other five had long been ready. The moment the train fully stopped and the doors opened, the six of them, carrying backpacks, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Wang Feng took the lead at the front, dressed in Rose’s fiery-red uniform with a black travel bag, wearing his usual lazy smile. The expression that once made the people of Aurora City want to punch him now looked stylish, charismatic, and even dignified—this was the kind of son-in-law one would want!

To Wang Feng’s left was Winnie, who stood two heads shorter, hands in her pockets, blowing bubbles with gum impatiently. The little girl had a bear-printed band-aid on her forehead, making her one of the team members with the most intact "physical condition," aside from Wang Feng and Wu Di.

To Wang Feng’s right was Mapeier, wrapped in considerably more bandages. Ye Dun’s Heaven-Silk Thread had indeed been vicious—though the internal force had been expelled, the wounds were healing much slower than expected. Mapeier didn’t really care about these superficial injuries; she already bore many scars from her training days in Jiǔshén. But Wang Feng wouldn’t have it—he personally treated her wounds, applying special medicinal ointments not just to the new injuries but also to all her old scars.

As Wang Feng put it, how could a girl have scars? What about wearing bathing suits later? To be honest, Mapeier didn’t quite understand what a bathing suit was, but Wang Feng’s meticulous care and concern moved her deeply, warming her heart as she let him cover her entire body in bandages…

Behind these three stood the trio of Fantasy, Kela, and Wu Di. Though positioned at the back, their tall statures made them impossible to miss, their presence undiminished by Winnie and Mapeier in front.

After three days of rest in Blade City and another seven or eight days of recovery on the Magic Rail Train, Fantasy and Kela were already fully mobile. However, their faces were still the most heavily bandaged in the team—yet this didn’t make them seem pitiable at all. When they appeared at the carriage door with solemn expressions, the white bandages looked more like medals of honor.

"Winnie is so adorable! The youngest Ghost-level in Aurora City!"

"Kela! Wu Di! You’re the pride of us beastmen! All the beastmen in the city are here to cheer for you!"

"Brother Fan! Big Hero Fan! It’s me, Xiao Mazi! Hey, hey, look over here!"

"Where’s the fan club for the Judgment Blossom? Let’s hear it! Long live Senior Sister Mapeier!"

Wang Feng pursed his lips. Why were there so few people calling his name? Had his performance not been flashy enough? It felt like the impact was lacking.

Winnie smirked slyly beside him. "Surprised? Your performance was so over-the-top, even I found it hard to believe. And these people haven’t seen it firsthand. Don’t worry—they’re just in shock."

The platform was already bustling, but when the six of them appeared together, the noise erupted into deafening cheers. The entire station seemed to explode with excitement—flags waving, ribbons fluttering, every greeter shouting and cheering in exhilaration.

Winnie, though inwardly proud and smug, maintained an aloof expression. Mapeier remained calm and composed. But the three at the back—Fantasy and the others—were far more visibly moved.

Kela and Wu Di were choked up, their eyes misty. They had already received praise from Great Elder Ursa and had calmed down over the past few days, so the cheers now weren’t enough to bring them to tears.

But as beastmen, they had never dreamed of being welcomed so grandly by humans. Thinking back to how Kela had been scorned by humans after earning honors in Dragon City, and now seeing the crowd’s cheers, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

And watching the mixed crowd of beastmen and humans cheering together on the platform, Kela felt as if her "dream" had come true. Why had she come to Rose in the first place? To find a path for beastmen, to give them dignity. And now, in just a year, the beastmen of Aurora City had reached such harmony with humans! The captain had been right—he had never lied to them.

Fantasy was flushed with excitement. Among the front rows, he spotted many familiar faces—childhood friends, his old gang from the Sacred Hall, neighbors from his street. They used to call him Fatty Fan, Chubby, or Fan the Pig… but now? It was Brother Fan, Senior Fan, Hero Fan! And what thrilled Ah Xi-ba the most was seeing his father, Fan the Loyal, and his mother standing beside Anbolin—the VIP section on the entire platform. The new lord was truly showing them great respect!

Anbolin gave Wang Feng a solemn hug and signaled for the crowd to quiet down. "Wang Feng, say a few words to everyone."

Everyone held their breath, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar Wang Feng—the man who had changed Rose and changed Aurora.

Whoosh...

A gust of "wind" swept through, and everyone felt a sudden pressure, as if the air had grown heavier. Though he made no move, an oppressive aura enveloped the crowd. Anyone with a bit of strength could sense the immense power radiating from this seemingly carefree-looking man.

Suddenly, Wang Feng smiled. "Friends and neighbors of Aurora City, this time, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do. This is the glory of Rose Sacred Hall—and of our entire Aurora City. It’s because of your support and trust that we could forge ahead without looking back. Thank you all!"

After speaking, Wang Feng bowed deeply, and the entire venue fell into complete silence, for they had heard too many heroic speeches, but one like this was a first.

The crowd erupted into the most fervent cheers, and Anbolin smiled faintly... a true master.

………………

Frankly speaking, Aurora City now could be described as vibrant and full of life, completely different from the chaos and desolation of a few months ago.

Anbolin, Clara, and Udayan were in a honeymoon phase of cooperation, working seamlessly together with the highest morale. Additionally, with Wang Feng's authorization from Darkmoon Island allowing them to secretly salvage the sunken treasure from the seabed, the new trade center was operating at full throttle, leveraging immense financial resources to mobilize vast amounts of capital. Of the five planned phases, only the first phase of the center had been completed and put into trial operation two months prior, yet it had already brought tremendous business opportunities.

The overall volume of maritime trade had increased by a full 50% compared to Aurora City's peak season last year. For a business district that had nearly collapsed due to economic disputes just months ago, this was nothing short of an unbelievable miracle.

This wasn’t just about the trade center turning a profit during its trial phase—more importantly, the surge in orders directly boosted Aurora City’s overall economy. Coupled with the new "microloan" service introduced by the three major guilds under Wang Feng’s suggestion, the merchants of Aurora City, who had once been on the brink of despair after being swindled, suddenly found spring arriving.

Aurora City now could truly be called united, brimming with hope for the future. Of course, only Anbolin, Clara, Udayan, and their ilk understood the looming disaster hidden beneath this optimism.

Without Wang Feng—without the combined forces of the Lei Family, Rose, and the new Aurora Trade Center forming an unbreakable alliance—the immense profits of the new trade center would be impossible for these three major merchants to protect, not even with the Sea Tribe’s help. The newly established city would collapse instantly, or worse, have its fruits plucked by the League of Blades.

Thus, Rose had to win. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be Rose Holy Sanctuary that lost—the entire power structure of Aurora City would crumble.

Fortunately, they had indeed won, and it was a decisive triumph!

The grand welcome ceremony had been personally arranged by Anbolin, lasting over an hour on the platform alone. Afterward, the streets leading back to Rose were lined with cheering crowds, completely clogging the main road from the mag-rail station to Rose Holy Sanctuary.

Wang Feng and the others rode on a parade float modified by Anbolin, adorned with flowers and hats, parading through the streets amidst nonstop cheers and screams. The scale of enthusiasm was something even Thunder Dragon at his peak had likely never experienced.

Of course, hidden among the jubilant crowd were many resentful, envious gazes—those of the disciples who had transferred out of Rose during its darkest hour. In fact, as early as the day after Rose’s victory over Zenith Holy Sanctuary, when the news spread throughout the city, many of these former students had rushed back, hoping to re-enroll. Unfortunately, all they received was a cold rejection: "No readmission."

This glory was something those who had left would never experience.

Rachel was among the crowd, hidden in the shadows. Most of the other former Rose disciples had left voluntarily, with connections and alternatives to fall back on. Though they couldn’t share in Rose’s triumph, their futures were at least secure. But Rachel was different...

Clad in a black cloak, her once-prominent chest now concealed, Rachel had no intention of returning to Blade Holy Sanctuary—she had other plans now. She no longer needed to rely on her old ways. Yet, as she watched Fantexi waving enthusiastically from the parade truck, with Famier clinging sweetly to his arm, she couldn’t help but pause.

Fantexi hadn’t slimmed down, but his demeanor had transformed. His smile was warm, and his bulk now gave Rachel a sense of solidity and security rather than greasy excess. This was a far cry from the clumsy chubby kid of the past.

Amid the endless cheers, Rachel tugged her hood lower and silently disappeared into the crowd.

………………

The citywide celebration didn’t end when the convoy entered Rose’s gates. Today was a citywide holiday, with all restaurants and entertainment venues offering half-price deals. The revelry would continue well into the night, perhaps even until dawn...

As for Rose’s heroes and honored guests, each had their own arrangements.

The guests—Old Hei and his group, already familiar with the place, returned to their old Rose villas without needing assistance. Those from Fire God Mountain, Dragon Moon, and Quicksand hadn’t joined the procession, opting instead to return to their respective Holy Sanctuaries to pack and complete formalities. Those who had come directly, like Xue Zhiyu, Aota, Xiao Bang, and Gule, were hosted by Famier, Su Yue, and Patu.

Given their status as princesses and princes, Hawkland spared no effort in ensuring their treatment matched that of the Eight Tribes—private villas were arranged immediately, with all amenities provided on demand.

Kela and Wu Di were whisked away by Blackhand Tai Kun. Changmao Street was reportedly hosting a traditional beastman celebration tonight, sealed off to all but invited guests.

Fantexi headed home for a victory banquet. The notoriously thrifty Fan Zhongshi had splurged on 120 tables at Aurora City’s most luxurious venue, the Burj Al Arab, inviting the entire city. While many opportunists showed up, Fan wouldn’t lose money—the city’s elite merchants attended, their generous gifts ensuring he’d recoup the costs tenfold, not to mention the immeasurable joy of bragging rights. After this feast, Fan Zhongshi could probably extend his lifespan by a decade just from the sheer satisfaction.

As for Wang Feng, Winnie, and Mapeier... they had another destination.

The top floor of Clara’s Golden Shell Trading headquarters was a familiar haunt for Wang Feng, but when he arrived this time, he barely recognized the place.

The gold-plated ornaments were gone, as if scraped clean, replaced by stately white jade walls adorned with abstract paintings and elegant ink panels. The entire floor now exuded an understated artistic ambiance, a far cry from the Sea Tribe’s former gaudy opulence.

Wang Feng paused before a framed painting. The frame seemed aged, its material fine, but the artwork inside was a disjointed composition—just a few simple colors smeared unevenly, like a haphazard sketch...

Old Wang couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

Before the sunken ship salvage operation, the three major trading companies had all made additional investments. It seems Clara really went all out this time, pushing spending to the limit—not only even scraping the gold leaf off the walls but also hanging such simple paintings. For the mermaids, a race notorious for extravagance, this was truly unimaginable...

"Garaso's Sky?" Winnie Lee walked up beside Wang Feng, glanced at the painting, and immediately brightened up. "Isn't this the one that was auctioned off for 90 million in the League of Blades just a few days ago? So you were the one who bought it."

Old Wang was stunned. Ninety million?

"Sharp as ever, Winnie," Clara said with a smile as she approached. Today, Clara was dressed in full regalia, her sleek gown glittering with sea soul crystals—her attire showed no signs of frugality. She continued, "I’d love for you to appraise the other paintings here as well."

Winnie casually scanned them and listed off, "Kogo's *The Last Supper*, Ditu's *Sea Totem*—both famous, but not quite iconic. Each worth a few million, easy... Wait!"

Her eyes suddenly widened. She took a few steps to the side and stopped in front of a rather abstract portrait of a face, studying it intently for a long while before exclaiming excitedly, "Is this Cabell's *Judgment of the Gods*? Oh my, no way this is a fake... is it? It doesn’t look like one... But I distinctly remember this painting was part of the collection of that Nine Gods prince, Long Jing. It’s absolutely untouchable—would Long Jing ever be short on money? How on earth did this end up here?!"

"Just a little souvenir from the League of Blades. If the price is right, nothing is truly unsellable," Clara replied with a smile. "This one alone is worth all the other collections on this entire floor."

Old Wang, standing nearby, stood there, clamping his mouth shut. A couple of random paintings worth hundreds of millions, and this one alone equaling the entire floor? Just how much money was this?! And here he was, about to praise her for her frugality and all-in gamble for the trade center... Turns out she hadn’t become thrifty—she’d just traded up from a peashooter to a howitzer!

Holy crap, just how much had this girl made in the past few months?

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