Aurora Sinclair blinked twice, pointed at the box on the table, and said, "I made this."

The man in charge’s furious expression froze. "You made this?"

Aurora Sinclair nodded. "I believe I made it three years ago. It has some minor flaws."

"Nonsense! This is The Myriad Machina Box, made by the Eastern Pavilion Master’s own hands!" someone roared, slamming their hand on the table.

Aurora Sinclair picked up the box and examined it closely. "It’s called The Myriad Machina Box, and it’s supposed to have ten thousand transformations. But this one only has nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight. The two missing transformations are because I shaved one of the inner crossbars a millimeter too short when I was making it."

As she spoke, Aurora demonstrated the box’s various transformations. When she pulled it into a certain shape, she pointed at a small wooden peg and said, "This is the one that’s too short."

A few of them immediately came forward and measured it with a small ruler. Indeed, it was slightly shorter than the other pegs.

The person in charge’s eyes lit up, his voice tinged with excitement. "What else can you do besides this?"

Aurora glanced around the room again and said calmly, "I made most of the items on display in this room."

Her words sent a jolt through everyone. Still finding it hard to believe, they scrutinized her with assessing gazes.

’She’s wearing a cloak that hides her face, but her voice sounds young. She’s just a girl. Why would the Eastern Pavilion Master choose a girl as his successor?’

Aurora pursed her lips. "Let me use a phone."

The person in charge glanced at the others, then handed her his phone. Aurora dialed a private number.

The first call was rejected.

Aurora tried again.

The second call was also rejected.

Aurora persistently tried again.

On the third try, the call went to a message indicating the phone was off.

A trace of contempt appeared in the eyes of the person in charge.

"Alright little girl, stop the act. Since you understand the principles of The Myriad Machina Box, we’ll acknowledge your talent..."

But before he could finish, the call connected.

"Who is this?" a pleasant male voice came from the phone.

Aurora froze for a moment, pursed her lips, and softly said, "Jared..."

Jared Miles was taken aback. His brow furrowed instantly as he raised his phone and stood up, his tone urgent. "Did something happen? Where are you?"

Aurora’s eyelashes trembled. She bit her lip and said, "I’m at The Phantom Trove. I can’t get in touch with Master Guthrie."

Jared Miles let out a sigh of relief and sat back down in his chair. "Show them the Ghost Eye Ring."

"I don’t have it with me."

"What about The Myriad Machina Order?"

"I don’t have that either."

Jared sounded exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don’t wander off. I’ll contact her now."

"Okay..."

"...What about him?" After a moment of silence, Jared asked casually, unconsciously picking up a pen from his desk.

"He’s not here."

The pen in Jared’s hand dropped onto the desk. "Are you alone right now? Where is he?"

His voice rose, his tone much more serious.

Aurora glanced at the men across from her, feeling a headache coming on. "I didn’t tell him..."

Jared paused, then stopped his questioning. The corners of his mouth turned up in an irrepressible smile, his mood seemingly lifting. He gave her a few more careful instructions before hanging up.

Aurora looked at the men opposite her and asked with some annoyance, "Do I really have to show you the ring and the token?"

The men on the other side were now feeling uncertain.

The Myriad Machina Order and the Ghost Eye Ring were symbols of identity for The East & West Pavilion Masters.

Only the upper echelons of the Pavilions knew about them, yet the man on the phone had spoken of these two items so naturally. He was clearly someone very familiar with The Phantom Trove.

’Could this girl really be the successor to both the East and West Pavilion Masters?’

’That’s too incredible to believe!’

’The heir to both houses combined into one person?’

The person in charge, Augustus Colby, thought for a moment. He had someone bring a long box, then he put on gloves, carefully opened it, and took out the scroll inside. "If you can explain the origin of this painting, I will acknowledge your status as the Young Master."

Aurora nodded, put on a pair of gloves, and unrolled the scroll. After studying it for a few moments, she said nonchalantly, "This is a failed copy of an ancient painting that Master Guthrie made ten years ago. The color of the tree trunk here is too dark..."

The more Aurora spoke, the paler the men’s faces became, until one of them could no longer stand it and retorted, "Utter nonsense..."

She paused for a second, but then continued calmly, "Master Guthrie only keeps the one version of each painting she is most satisfied with. The unsatisfactory ones are handed over to The Phantom Trove to be dealt with."

"You..."

To their astonishment, Aurora twisted open the scroll’s roller and pulled out a rolled, yellowed piece of paper from within. She opened it and placed it before them.

"Whenever Master Guthrie ruins a painting, she writes down the problems and puts the note inside the scroll’s roller as a reminder for whoever collects it..."

The men quickly moved closer to inspect it, looking back and forth between the painting, the note, and what Aurora had just said. The more they looked, the more stunned they became.

"You... you really are... the Young Master?"

Aurora watched them for a moment, then nodded. "The token and the ring you’re looking for, I left them at home."

The men exchanged glances, completely speechless.

Augustus Colby stared at her for another moment before finally saying, "Young Master, please forgive our offense. Please, come this way to The Phantom Trove."

***

The Phantom Trove was the joint enterprise of the Ghost Eye Sect and The Myriad Machina Sect, with storefronts all over the world.

Its headquarters were in Arcadia, with a branch in each of the other continents. It primarily dealt in auctions, antiques, paintings and calligraphy, jewelry, and the processing of various crafts.

It held a near-monopoly on the global market for antiques, paintings, and calligraphy, and The Phantom Trove’s auction house was especially sought after by international high society.

Most national-treasure-level items were auctioned through The Phantom Trove. In terms of quality, credibility, and value retention, every piece was a rare masterpiece.

As a result, it had launched the careers of many Craftsmen, such as the internationally renowned Master Flora Guthrie and Master Elara Miles. Their new works were sold exclusively within The Phantom Trove, allowing it to dominate the industry with wealth that could rival a nation.

The upper echelons of the Pavilion had long been anticipating the successor trained by the two Pavilion Masters. Now that she was here, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticlimax.

As the director of the Southeland Branch, Augustus Colby’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions.

’I really don’t know what the two Pavilion Masters were thinking.’

’To choose a female disciple to inherit their legacy... how is she supposed to carry the immense reputation of The Phantom Trove in the future?’

’What if she gets married someday? Is The Phantom Trove going to be part of her dowry?’

After Augustus Colby’s fifth silent sigh, Aurora, whose hand was on the mouse, slightly lifted her fingers and tapped the desk twice.

The fruit bowl, which was sitting a short distance in front of her, suddenly slid forward and stopped smoothly right in front of Augustus Colby.

"Have some fruit."

Augustus Colby was stunned.

The four Elders sitting nearby, who had been watching Aurora the whole time, were so shocked they sat bolt upright.

’Her hand didn’t touch the plate, did it?’

’To be able to push a plate without touching it, one must be at least a Martial King, right?’

’Could the Young Master be a Martial King?’

An eager light filled Augustus Colby’s eyes, and his voice trembled as he called out, "Young... Young Master..."

Aurora shifted her gaze from the computer screen, looked up, and gave a soft "Mm." But Augustus Colby’s face was now flushed with excitement, and for a long moment, he couldn’t form a complete sentence.

"What is it?" Aurora asked, confused.

Augustus Colby clenched his fists nervously. "May I ask, Young Master, have you practiced martial arts?"

Aurora nodded.

"And your strength... has it reached..." His voice faltered, and his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously before he finally uttered the next two words: "Martial King?"

Aurora looked at them for a moment and shook her head. Seeing this, they were instantly disappointed, but at the same time, suspicious.

’If she’s not a Martial King, how could she push the fruit bowl without touching it?’

Aurora returned her gaze to the computer screen and calmly uttered three words: "Great Martial King."

"Hiss—"

Someone sucked in a sharp breath.

With a loud CRASH, the chair behind Augustus Colby fell to the floor as he shot to his feet, his face flushed with excitement.

The reason no one dared to provoke The Phantom Trove was because the Eastern Pavilion Master had once displayed Martial King Level strength across several continents, which was why they had been able to open branches so smoothly.

A single Martial King was enough to inspire awe and reverence. Now, they had a Great Martial King.

’No wonder the two Pavilion Masters entrusted The Phantom Trove to her with such confidence.’

’She’s actually a Great Martial King!’

Augustus Colby and the four Elders were all dumbstruck, looking completely stupefied.

The sound of breathing in the room grew much lighter, making even the vibration of a phone seem exceptionally loud.

Aurora looked up again. Augustus Colby’s breath caught in his throat as he asked nervously, "Your Excellency... Young Master, what are your orders?"

"Give me the phone." She held out a hand.

Only then did Augustus Colby notice the phone buzzing merrily on the table. He quickly picked it up and presented it with both hands.

"Thank you."

Aurora swiped the screen and put the phone in front of her. An earth-shaking roar came from the speaker: "You brat, where have you run off to now?"