Chapter 200: Solo Investigation

There were several invitation letters in his hand, and Lei En singled out this one because he noticed a unique piece of information in the name on the signature.

"Xia Lanwei *..."

He had only recently heard the name from the minotaur Habu.

The lettering on the invitation was elegant, written in the Empire's Aurelien Language; at first glance it seemed fine, but a few letters were rendered in a different hand.

From this handwriting, Lei En deduced that the Aurelien Language was clearly not the writer's first language, bearing faint traces of draconic script.

Such a subtle difference is hard for ordinary people to spot, and even if they see it they can't discern it.

But to Lei En it was glaringly obvious; it was hard to pretend not to see.

Using a translation app on his phone and data from the Silver Star Grand Library, he grasped part of the draconic script; a quick comparison let him guess the background of the invitation's owner.

Fa Bi An replied, "Sir, Madam Xia Lanwei is Mo Du's most famous female magnate. Her background is shrouded in mystery; no one knows her origins, only that she arrived in Mo Du over a hundred years ago. It is said she was once a student of a legendary Wizard, and she herself is also a Wizard."

"Wizard..." Lei En smiled, his peripheral glance flicking over the invisible Ao Xi Li Ya.

Why does everyone like to disguise themselves as Wizards?

He asked curiously, "Is Madam Xia Lanwei extremely wealthy?"

"Yes, Sir," Fa Bi An said, his face full of envy and longing, adding, "Madam Xia Lanwei has a keen business mind. She prefers long‑term investments and runs several luxury brands, including jewelry, silk, perfume, cosmetics, as well as magical items and alchemical materials."

"In the Six-Deep-Corner commercial district of the domain, there are over a dozen shops owned by Madam Xia Lanwei."

"Madam Xia Lanwei holds a vast amount of real estate, stores, and rental apartments in Mo Du. If you have examined the domain's property register, you would notice her name; she also has many holdings in the Ge La Mo Gen domain."

"Furthermore, Madam Xia Lanwei lends to nobles and the wealthy; it is said that more than half of Mo Du's rich owe her debts."

Lei En was astonished; she was a super‑rich lady!

He read the invitation again; the other party invited him to a trade fair, to be held in an auction hall in the Six-Deep-Corner commercial district, half a month from now.

If he has time then, he can go and broaden his horizons.

"Fa Bi An, reply to this invitation for me; I will attend," Lei En instructed.

"Understood, Sir," Fa Bi An said, pulling out a small notebook and scribbling two quick strokes, then asking, "What shall be done with the other invitations?"

Lei En thought for a moment, "You've already sent my refusals, right? But you can tell them that the castle will host a banquet soon and they are invited."

"Noted, Sir."

Lei En returned to his study and consecutively delegated several matters, all concerning domain governance.

The most pressing issue now is a shortage of staff—not of extraordinary power, but of experienced clerical officials. Most of the former domain overseers have left, leaving just over twenty people who can barely keep up.

Lei En decided to place a newspaper advertisement for recruitment, offering slightly higher salaries.

Once word spreads that he has reached an agreement with Mo Du's nobles, he believes many will be swayed, and the positions will be filled quickly.

In the study, Lei En spent over an hour completing the paperwork.

Fa Bi An rose and took his leave.

Lei En suddenly said, "Gather the entry and exit logs of ships for the past few years from both ports—including passenger and cargo vessels, their owners, routes, and dates—leave nothing out, and bring all the records to my study."

Fa Bi An's eyes widened; without asking why, he replied, "I'll dispatch someone to the ports immediately."

"Hmm."

Lei En nodded.

Just as Fa Bi An left the study, Ao Xi Li Ya's figure appeared, asking, "What do you need the ship logs for?"

"Of course it's to investigate Mo Du's nobles," Lei En replied.

Ao Xi Li Ya seemed a little confused.

Lei En had to explain, "I demanded a million in taxes from them today, and they couldn't produce it immediately; that doesn't add up."

"And it's not just a matter of one or two families,"

So, I suspect their funds may have flowed out; maybe we can find some useful clues from the port records.

"Therefore, I suspect their funds have been siphoned out; perhaps the port records will reveal a useful clue."

Ao Xi Li Ya suddenly understood, feeling a measure of admiration for Lei En's meticulous thinking.

But within half an hour, bad news arrived.

Fa Bi An returned to report that the ship logs from both ports had all been destroyed.

"Understood, you may go attend to other matters," Lei En shook his head, letting Fa Bi An leave. Ao Xi Li Ya's silhouette appeared at the desk; she sat down and said gravely, "Their finances truly are problematic and must have flowed out through the ports, otherwise the records wouldn't have been deliberately destroyed."

Lei En nodded; that at least pointed the direction of the investigation.

A moment of silence fell in the study, and Ao Xi Li Ya asked, "What will you do next?"

Actually, he discovered two clues today: one is the funds issue, the other clue lies with Count Aterlanke, Piniluo*Aideng.

In fact, today he uncovered two leads: one concerning the finances, the other tied to Count A Te Lan Ke, Pi Linu Ai Deng.

During the dock negotiations, the first time he saw Pi Linu...

Lei En's Soul Eye pierced his true nature; this Imperial feudal Count had already pledged allegiance to a dark deity!

And not the native deity of Ai Lun E Si, but one of the four Abyssal gods—the Lord of the Dead!

Pi Linu's soul was entirely shrouded by a pale, terrifying flame of faith, deeply rooted within his spirit, showing he has served the Lord of the Dead for many years.

Followers of the Lord of the Dead are not as fanatical as those of the Lord of Darkness.

They also do not exhibit the Blood Soul Curse after activation, turning into twisted 'Fallens'; their minds remain unaffected, and they appear completely normal, making them hard to detect.

This discovery surprised Lei En considerably; while negotiating, he covertly observed Pi Linu.

However, he could see no abnormality in Pi Linu.

The other nobles' beliefs were all normal; they seemed unaware that Pi Linu was already a minion of the dark god.

Lei En could not determine whether Pi Linu's fall was linked to the Mo Du nobles' conspiracy; he could not state the matter openly and could only investigate in secret.

He could not even tell Ao Xi Li Ya about this issue.

Otherwise, he might expose the existence of his Soul Eye, which would be indefensible.

【61】 After a moment of thought, Lei En said, "Ao Xi Li Ya, lend me your shapeshifting ring again, and could you also craft a few Invisibility scrolls for me?"

Ao Xi Li Ya's brow furrowed a bit.

She showed a hint of hesitation, 'The Transformation Technique Ring and the Invisibility Scroll... What did you discover, that you want to go investigate alone?'

'Sorry, I can't say.' Lei En's expression turned serious, 'Please believe me.'

Ao Xi Li Ya hesitated for a moment, then still nodded and said, 'Alright, I'll go back to make the scroll now and give it to you tomorrow.'

Having said that, she opened the Any Door and walked in.

I'm not feeling well today; I'll release three chapters tomorrow!

(End of Chapter)