Yara’s expression didn’t change as she feigned ignorance. "Sir, I saw that you weren’t feeling well, so I took the liberty..."

"Where did you make the tea?"

Alvin Morgan didn’t believe her for a second and was already striding toward the door.

"Sir, this is a restricted area of The Phantom Trove. You can’t just barge in." Yara’s expression darkened slightly as she stepped forward to block him.

"Where is she?"

"I must ask you to go back."

Outside the door, The Phantom Trove’s bodyguards had already surrounded them.

Alvin Morgan was forced to stop. He looked at them for a moment before turning back into the room with a grim expression.

Augustus Colby had already stood up, ready to see his guests out. "I will relay your request to the Master. If there is nothing else, I must ask you all to leave."

The Phantom Trove was likely the only power on the Continent of Southeland that didn’t defer to The Royal Family.

Dees and Dick glanced at each other, preparing to take their men and leave. Angering The Phantom Trove would not be a wise move.

Alvin Morgan said with a dark expression, "Please let me take this pot of tea with me."

Once they were in the car, Dees glanced at the pot in Alvin’s arms and asked with amusement, "Is there a problem with that ginger tea?"

Alvin Morgan didn’t answer, his face turned toward the window. The good mood he’d had on the way there had clearly vanished.

"You have to know how to coax a woman. Don’t tell me you did something to let her down?"

Alvin Morgan turned to look at him and replied flatly, "I failed to protect her."

Dees was stunned. The man before him wasn’t joking.

***

Aurora Sinclair stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching Alvin Morgan leave, her gaze darkening.

’The more I learn about The Shadow, the more I realize I can’t let Alvin get involved any further.’

Over the years, besides doing business and protecting and restoring precious inheritances, The Phantom Trove had also been gathering intelligence on The Shadow Organization and its underground labs for her Master.

The Shadow Organization was no longer just an assassin group.

They had infiltrated various fields and were cooperating with people under all sorts of identities.

They were gradually changing, trying to legitimize themselves and operate in the open. Many families and Sects within the Martial World of various nations had already become entangled with them.

’This is no longer something Alvin can get involved in.’

"Young Master, we have seen them off."

Augustus Colby and Yara came to report. Aurora Sinclair gave a slight nod without moving from her spot.

"Young Master, the two Princes, Dees and Dick, are requesting an audience. Should we receive them?"

"I will not see them."

"Young Master, the man who was with Dees is..." Augustus Colby asked tentatively.

Aurora Sinclair was silent for a moment, then turned to him and said with utmost seriousness, "Someone important."

***

The Phantom Trove auction was being held on a massive luxury cruise ship. The Phantom Trove had spent a fortune to build it, and its hull was even taller than any ship Aurora Sinclair had ever seen.

Numerous High Rank Martial Cultivators stood guard inside the ship. Everyone who boarded had to strictly follow The Phantom Trove’s rules.

Any violation would result in being thrown off the ship and a lifetime ban from purchasing any products from The Phantom Trove.

For this auction, The Phantom Trove had issued a total of 500 invitations, all of which sold out in a single second.

Aside from The Phantom Trove’s VIP Black Card members, who received a free invitation each time, everyone else had to rush to buy a ticket and pay 100,000 International Coins just for the right to attend.

To obtain a VIP Black Card, a member needed to have spent at least five billion International Coins at The Phantom Trove and maintain an annual expenditure of one hundred million International Coins. There were no exceptions. As a result, there were fewer than twenty VIP Black Card holders in the entire world, all of them top-tier tycoons and influential figures from various nations.

Aurora Sinclair, wearing the mask of the Snow Wolf King, stood at the highest point of the cruise ship, watching the crowd board in an orderly fashion from the shore.

Everyone wore a mask and boarded with their invitation, a measure to protect the personal safety of the auction attendees.

At that moment, many of The Phantom Trove’s experts stood at the boarding entrance, each possessing a strength of Great Martial Master Fifth Rank or higher.

While this level of Power was more than enough to overwhelm ordinary Martial Artists, this time the Arcadia Headquarters had specially dispatched Martial Arts Masters and Great Martial Sect Level experts to remain hidden on the ship. This was mainly because one of the treasures up for auction was an Ancient Painting Fragment.

Aurora Sinclair had seen it before. The Ancient Painting Fragment dated back to roughly the medieval period and was a diagram illustrating the inheritance of a traditional craft.

Although it wasn’t like an Ancient Martial Inheritance Map, which would cause a world-shaking bloodbath the moment it appeared, it was still enough to make people flock to it with fervent desire.

Suddenly, Aurora Sinclair’s eyes fixed on a few people, astonishment rising in their depths.

’How could they be here?’

「On the shore」

Darius Lynch was on his phone, sending a text to Alvin Morgan.

[Whitlock, guess where I am?]

A reply came back quickly:

[Get on the ship first.]

Darius Lynch put away his phone and said to Elias Lennox with a smile, "Let’s get on board!"

The two had run into each other in first class. They had met before for a "Conquest of Glory" commercial deal and were somewhat acquainted. Unexpectedly, they were both heading to The Phantom Trove auction, so they decided to go together.

Darius Lynch was shocked to see Elias Lennox pull out a VIP Black Card and teased, "Didn’t realize you were such a big shot, huh?"

Elias Lennox paused for a second, then smiled and replied, "An elder in my family gave it to me. I’m just running an errand to support my junior martial sister."

"Your junior sister is with The Phantom Trove?" Darius Lynch was surprised yet again.

He loved handicrafts and had always wanted to study at The Phantom Trove, but unfortunately, they didn’t think he was worthy.

"Not exactly. Her painting is being auctioned by The Phantom Trove this time."

Darius Lynch froze, looking Elias up and down in disbelief. "The junior sister you’re talking about... she couldn’t be Master Flora Guthrie’s disciple, could she?"

Elias Lennox nodded. "That’s her."

"..."

’It’s a small world. Does this count as meeting the in-laws?’

"You know her too?" Elias Lennox asked curiously.

A hint of awkwardness on his face, Darius Lynch replied vaguely, "She’s a fan of mine. She participated in my reality show."

"What a coincidence."

Afterward, Darius Lynch secretly texted Alvin Morgan:

[Whitlock, what do I do? I ran into the in-laws.]

[Morgan: Who?]

[Lynch: Aurora Sinclair’s senior martial brother. The King of Night from DAF, Elias Lennox.]

Alvin Morgan’s hand froze, and his brow furrowed.

’What is he doing here?’

***

The auction event would last for three days. The first two were for The Phantom Trove’s new product showcase.

Guests could purchase the latest works by famous artists from The Phantom Trove, including calligraphy, paintings, jewelry, and handicrafts.

The third day was the main event: the official auction.

At that moment, Elias Lennox and Darius Lynch were sitting in the ship’s bar, having a drink.

The bartender was a short, slender man wearing The Phantom Trove’s standard uniform and a mask.

His technique was superb. The cocktail shaker danced through the air, and by the time it landed, the finished drinks had already appeared in front of the two men.

The two men drank and chatted, hitting it off splendidly.

A short while later, several people wearing black suits and black masks walked over.

"Two cocktails."

The man in the lead said calmly, taking a seat on the barstool next to Darius Lynch.

Elias Lennox, who was taking a sip of his drink, nearly spat it out when he heard that voice. "What are you doing here?"

Alvin Morgan, propping his head up with his arm, glanced at him. "Why are *you* here?"

"For my junior martial sister’s painting, of course. Don’t tell me you are too?"

Alvin Morgan gave a noncommittal response and turned to look at the man mixing drinks.

After finishing one drink, the bartender didn’t serve it. Only after finishing the second did he place them in front of Alvin Morgan and Beta Morgan, respectively.

"This drink looks pretty good. Let me have a taste..."

Suddenly, Dees reached out from behind, snatched the glass from in front of Alvin Morgan, and took a sip.

He unexpectedly spat it right out and looked at Alvin Morgan in disbelief.

"You didn’t order alcohol, did you?"