Chapter 536: Section 323: Tremor Across the Entire Harbor
The entire Snowbird Port was talking about last night’s battle.
Who exactly was the opponent? They had caused the City Lord and Bishop of Snowbird Port to join forces in battle.
The deployment of three magic teams and the Mage Tower’s fatal blow were all significant moves that stirred various individuals in Snowbird Port to actively gather information.
“That mysterious Golden Level has already died in battle!”
“Some people guess he is Hua Tang?”
“Hua Tang! Is that possible?”
“What exactly is going on?”
“It’s specifically related to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps…”
The Dragon-man youth had become the center of public opinion due to his previous brave duel.
Although he had not participated in this Golden Level encirclement battle, his involvement before and after the battle was very high.
Before the battle started, he had proactively sought help from the City Lord’s mansion.
Later, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps quietly left the port late at night, clearly with the permission of the City Lord, and Snowbird Port had even dispatched a patrol fleet to protect the fleets of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
After the battle started, the City Lord of Snowbird Port personally came to the fleet of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, bringing them two pieces of Golden Level equipment.
Later, many people saw the fleet of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps once again enter the dock. The squad leader of Long Fu and the City Lord of Snowbird Port stood side by side at the bow, looking quite close.
Snowbird Port, Guild branch.
“Haven’t you dug into the inside story yet?” the Chairman of the Guild branch questioned his subordinates.
The three subordinates, sweating profusely, hurriedly reported.
“We are investigating with all our strength.”
“That Golden Level who died had previously assassinated two mages of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and stolen a large amount of property.”
“And this batch of property was precisely the first transaction completed yesterday evening between the City Lord’s mansion and the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.”
“My guess: although the mysterious assassin targeted the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, he undoubtedly caused the City Lord’s mansion to lose face. Hence the fierce battle last night…”
The subordinate hadn’t finished speaking when a vase hit his head.
The vase shattered, but the subordinate was a Transcendent, unscathed.
He quickly knelt on the floor, apologizing to the Guild branch’s Chairman, repeatedly saying, “I deserve to die.”
“You are too incompetent!” the Chairman of the Guild branch roared, repeatedly reprimanding.
“Just because of some embarrassment, would the City Lord and Bishop join hands, risking their lives to hunt down an adversary of the same level?”
“Clearly, a lot has happened here. There must be a huge conflict, a tangle of interests!”
“What I need is the inside story, the real key information!”
“What are you investigating? Who doesn’t know this news? It has already spread throughout Snowbird Port.”
The Chairman of the Guild branch was very powerful.
Among the four Golden Level figures in Snowbird Port, he was one, also a member of the top echelons of power.
But he hadn’t received any word before last night’s fierce battle.
This made the Chairman of the Guild branch both annoyed and subtly fearful.
He had operated here for a long time, always assuming that Snowbird Port was his territory.
Yet in such a place, such a major conflict occurred, and he was the last to know.
Does this prove: his control over Snowbird Port, is it much lower than he imagined?
The time and effort he had invested here, were they just castles in the air, very superficial things?
“Get out, investigate with all your might!”
“Understood, Sir!”
“I will put in my utmost effort!!”
The Chairman of the Guild branch dismissed the three subordinates, his brow furrowed, sinking into deep thought.
“Even if key information hasn’t been uncovered, the sudden change in Snowbird Port signals that something big is definitely about to happen.”
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, although a small group, based on various clues, definitely plays a very important role.”
“It’s likely related to the previous brave duel, related to the Saber Gang.”
“What puzzles me most is the City Lord. Why did he desperately battle after the mysterious assassin attacked the people of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and the Sea Bird Bishop? What was the nature of his transaction with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps? What is there that made him do this?”
Just as he was thinking, a knock on the door came.
An excited subordinate reported from outside the door, “Chairman, there is new intelligence!”
“Oh?” the Chairman of the Guild branch raised his eyebrows, “Come in.”
He took the intelligence report and quickly read through it.
The next moment, he sprang up from his seat.
“What?!”
“The leader of Long Fu has accused the Saber Gang, stating that during his duel with Xiong Ju, the Saber Gang had interfered discreetly, desecrating the sacred!”
“And right after the leader of Long Fu reported this crime to the City Lord, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was attacked by the Golden Level mysterious assassin and robbed.”
“A large amount of property was stolen, and the mysterious assassin took away the three Golden Level equipment that had just been acquired.”
“And the only two mages of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps were assassinated!”
Big things were happening!
The Chairman of the Guild branch couldn’t determine whether the accusation by Long Fu against the Saber Gang was true.
But he knew, the City Lord of Snowbird Port’s large mobilization made his stance very clear.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port stood with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, and a confrontation formed between his manor and the Saber Gang!
Clam Bambur, the chairman, immediately ordered his people to gather, guarding various merchant shops in Snowbird Port as well as important industries like warehouses.
He was from the Human Race, originating from the Holy Bright Continent.
In the event of a severe conflict between the City Lord’s Manor and the Saber Gang, his first priority was to ensure that the interests of Clam Bambur Guild were not compromised.
Teng Donglang’s expression was grim.
He had known a bit earlier than the chairman from Clam Bambur about the information that the Dragon-man youth had implicated the Saber Gang in desecrating the duel.
The moment he first saw this information, his heart had skipped a beat.
The demon hybrid leader had indeed done such a thing.
As the gang leader, Teng Donglang had personally helped his subordinate cover up the crime and had timely reached an understanding with the owner of the Snowbird Duel Arena.
The exposure of the crime was not what weighed heavily on Teng Donglang.
The Saber Gang was an outlaw gang, engaged in many illegal activities. In the past, their crimes had been exposed numerous times.
Teng Donglang’s main concern was the attitude of the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
“He’s helping the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps this much, even personally taking part in the fight; what exactly did they promise him?”
Another matter weighed heavily on Teng Donglang.
“A ‘Golden Level’ mysterious assassin was surrounded and killed. Someone saw a broken Silver Fox Mask, which eventually disintegrated.”
“Is it Hua Tang?”
After meeting and dining with Hua Tang, the latter had bid him farewell.
Hua Tang had a motive to go after the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
“It shouldn’t be him.”
“The other features don’t match up with his.”
“With his skills, how could he possibly fall so easily in Snowbird Port?”
Teng Donglang comforted himself in this way.
But until confirmed, he felt hollow inside.
He couldn’t be sure.
Putting himself in the shoes of Hua Tang, if he were helping him secretly, he should have concealed his own characteristics, except for the unavoidable Silver Fox Mask.
Although Hua Tang was highly skilled, facing such an encirclement last night, it was not entirely impossible for him to have been defeated and killed.
Just then, a subordinate reported, “Gang Leader sir, Ice Eagle has come to visit.”
Ice Eagle had arrived.
Last night’s fierce battle and this morning’s testimony by Long Fu, the squad leader, had made the old chairman restless. He rushed to the gang’s location to see Teng Donglang as soon as he received the news.
Teng Donglang dismissed everyone else.
In the room, only he and Ice Eagle remained.
Ice Eagle asked eagerly, “Is what Long Fu said true?”
Teng Donglang, with a grave expression, did not directly answer this question.
He said, “Talking about this now is pointless.”
Ice Eagle felt a sinking feeling.
He knew Teng Donglang well and immediately understood the implication of his words. He paused, tapping his cane, “You’ve made a blunder. Why interfere in an honorable duel? Didn’t you have the confidence to deal with a mere silver… ah, no, someone acted without orders. Who was it?”
Teng Donglang, with a piercing gaze, responded, “I’ve said, discussing these things is pointless now.”
Ice Eagle tilted his head slightly, understanding that Teng Donglang was determined to protect his subordinates who had erred.
Ice Eagle fell silent for a moment, then nodded, “You’re right, talking about this now really doesn’t help.”
Given the situation, the Saber Gang absolutely could not admit to it. Even if they really had done it!
Once admitted, their reputation would be thoroughly ruined, scorned by everyone. Even beggars or children would despise them from their bones. The gang itself would face great internal strife, with many members demanding the purification of the malcontents.
For an organization of the gang’s nature, being feared by no one and internal instability are foreseeable consequences.
Ice Eagle then asked whether it was Hua Tang who had conducted the assassination at the docks and if it was related to them.
Teng Donglang shook his head with a bitter smile, honestly confessing that he couldn’t confirm this either.
Ice Eagle clenched his teeth, “We need to find a way to prove our innocence!”
“Now, with public opinion in Snowbird Port churning, customarily, the City Lord’s Manor will send an investigation team.”
“This investigation team can be utilized to help prove our innocence.”
The Saber Gang had been corrupting officials in Snowbird Port.
Teng Donglang nodded, “The key issue now is, what exactly is the City Lord’s attitude?”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but recall the memory—the City Lord of Snowbird Port smiling and toasting, clinking glasses and conversing joyously with him.
Teng Donglang also thought about last night, when the City Lord of Snowbird Port personally fought in the battle against the mysterious assassin.
“What sacrifices did the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps make to have the City Lord of Snowbird Port help them so significantly?” Teng Donglang asked Ice Eagle.
Ice Eagle also furrowed his brow, trying to analyze, “A ‘Golden Level’ not registered and secretly infiltrating Snowbird Port generally harbors ill intentions.”
“Moreover, he assassinated a member of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps; even though they are not locals of Snowbird Port, this criminal act is a provocation to the City Lord.”
“And besides, right after the City Lord had completed a transaction with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, it was stolen by that mysterious individual.”
“Of course, I believe that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps must have paid a huge price to involve the City Lord of Snowbird Port.”
“Now, with Long Fu publicly implicating our gang’s crimes, it also pressures the City Lord of Snowbird Port to ensure justice.”
“This time, if we want the City Lord of Snowbird Port to stand by us, it’s going to cost us dearly!”