Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 889: The Bonds of the Immortals (1)

Zhong Luoyue had no idea how powerful Viscount Fernandez truly was, and she didn’t have a clear understanding of his abilities—she was completely unfamiliar with this extraordinary strength.

However, one thing she could sense was that without Luo Qiu, Viscount Fernandez would be the strongest.

He easily defeated Karen, who had taken the form of Tu Shenyi, and when he struck, even Elizabeth couldn’t move.

Even the way Cythacyl remained silent when scolded was proof of Viscount Fernandez's overwhelming strength and terror.

Yet at this moment, Zhong Luoyue found herself about to provoke someone even more terrifying than the fearsome vampire Viscount Fernandez—Luo Qiu. It felt so contrary to how she normally handled things.

He seemed to have a good temper, but who could say what he truly liked or what might anger him?

For the first time in her life, Zhong Luoyue was this afraid of a man. The feeling reminded her of her youth, when she was sent to the military for training, facing burly instructors without any mercy.

The iron-blooded instructors did not go easy on her and her siblings, despite their prestigious family background, leaving them battered and bruised.

Unbeatable.

Even as she counted her wealth, Zhong Luoyue felt powerless... This extraordinary strength seemed to completely disregard the "godlike" power she possessed in the eyes of ordinary people.As Luo Qiu contemplated whether to seize the moment to sell something, Elizabeth unexpectedly walked over to Zhong Luoyue, helping her up. "Sister, don’t worry. Vampires aren’t as terrifying as you think. In fact, many of us are pacifists."

“You must be joking,” Zhong Luoyue blurted out instinctively.

Elizabeth responded seriously, "Although I don't know the true origins of vampires, there's no doubt that we live in this world just like everyone else. We have intelligence and thoughts. Aside from needing blood and having more power than humans, our behavior is quite similar to theirs. Just as there are different ideologies among humans, why can't we have them too?"

Zhong Luoyue opened her mouth to argue, but she had to admit that Elizabeth's words were quite persuasive.

Elizabeth gave her a comforting look. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you about vampires so that you won’t feel lost.”

Seeing this, Luo Qiu dismissed the idea of making a sale... Perhaps keeping an eye on this Zhong family heiress could be interesting.

Zhong Luoyue hadn’t fully transformed yet, but her mentor, Lady Eve, had already died at the hands of Song Da, leaving her without guidance. If Elizabeth was willing to take on that role, it could at least be a good thing for Zhong Luoyue.

Luo Qiu didn’t reveal this thought, instead watching with amusement as Elizabeth carefully comforted Zhong Luoyue... Maybe this child had found something she could actually do.

"Remember, at first, it's not recommended to drink fresh human blood directly."

Elizabeth, now in teacher mode, began explaining, seemingly forgetting her grief over the loss of her loved ones. “Although fresh human blood can quickly build up your strength, it can also cause unnecessary accumulation in your body, making it easier for you to lose your sense of self and fall into chaos during each hunt.”

Zhong Luoyue had no interest in hearing this, but she forced herself to listen... After all, she didn’t feel much resistance toward Elizabeth.

“... These are the main things you need to remember,” Elizabeth said, pausing. “As for clan matters and the details of your Thirteen Clans, we can discuss them later. But there’s one thing I hope you’ll always keep in mind.”

“What is it?” Zhong Luoyue asked, nodding.

Elizabeth solemnly said, “No matter what happens, no matter how much pain you endure, even if you feel lonely and hopeless… you must never commit suicide.”

“Why?” Zhong Luoyue was puzzled.

Elizabeth explained slowly, “We are gifted with eternal life, the greatest blessing we have. Suicide is a complete rejection of this gift, a betrayal. A suicide’s soul will never find redemption, cursed by the origin of the vampire bloodline. Their soul will wander in a sea of pain and regret for all eternity. Even if you think death is the end, you have no idea the agony of being trapped in endless despair after death... So remember, you must never become a suicide.”

Zhong Luoyue nodded gravely, then suddenly recalled something Viscount Fernandez had said to Karen. “So, when Viscount Fernandez mentioned Karen’s desire for death but refused to kill her, was that because the consequences of suicide are unbearable?”

“Probably,” Elizabeth nodded. “Though honestly, I don’t understand why Mr. Tu Shenyi suddenly became Miss Karen... I recall some conflict between them. After that, I never saw them together again. Then again, gatherings of the True Blood participants were rare, and if I was sleeping, Grandfather would excuse me.”

“What exactly is the relationship between Tu Shenyi and Karen?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

Elizabeth quickly turned to him, “Tu Shenyi was someone Karen gave her first embrace to. As far as I know, he was a gambling expert, in high demand by various casinos. But Tu Shenyi never pledged loyalty to any of them. His presence was a threat to casinos around the world, so he had many enemies. Karen gave him her first embrace while he was being hunted down, barely clinging to life.”

“So Karen saved him,” Zhong Luoyue interjected.

“Yes,” Elizabeth nodded. “I spoke with Tu Shenyi a few times. He struck me as a gentleman... but he always seemed troubled, like he was carrying a sadness no one else knew.”

Zhong Luoyue shook her head. “Even with that, we still don’t know why Karen disguised herself as Tu Shenyi and hosted this wine tasting... Was it just a death wish?”

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion.

Her world was relatively simple; most of her time was spent sleeping. Though she had received formal education, it was always under Aamon’s supervision.

As a former Holy Knight of the Round Table, Aamon was of impeccable character, teaching Elizabeth values of honesty and integrity, without much room for deceit.

This naturally made her different from someone like Zhong Luoyue, who had been trained by a noble family. In fact, if not for Zhong Luoyue’s questions, Elizabeth wouldn’t have thought so deeply.

Because, for vampires, their long lives gave them the patience to wait for the truth to eventually surface. What they didn’t know now, they might learn in the future, so there was no need to worry too much.

As she thought this, Elizabeth’s face suddenly changed, staring at the doorway.

She seemed startled, with a hint of fear in her expression. "S-something appeared... something evil..."

Luo Qiu glanced curiously at Elizabeth. "Your senses are quite sharp."

Elizabeth replied, "My talent is mental perception. I can easily sense things around me."

"It's not good to reveal your abilities so easily," Luo Qiu said, shaking his head.

"It's fine..." Elizabeth whispered.

"Could it be that Viscount Fernandez showed up again?" Zhong Luoyue asked with concern. Elizabeth had acted similarly not long ago, referring to Viscount Fernandez as an evil force.

"No..." Elizabeth quickly shook her head. "That was an evil force, but this... this is an evil will. It's chaotic, like a mix of hatred, despair, and pain."

Suddenly, a roar echoed through the air.

The sound seemed to pierce through every passage of the underground maze. Just as Elizabeth had said, it was a sound that evoked pain, despair, and fear in anyone who heard it.

"Let's take a look."

Luo Qiu spoke casually.

...

Song Da could barely walk, supported by Song Er and Song San.

Having fought and killed a vampire as a mere human martial artist, Song Da felt that he could brag about this for the rest of his life—provided he made it out alive.

"Da, do you think we made the wrong bet? It feels like this path just keeps going down," Song Er frowned.

The path the three brothers were on was the one Song Da had mentioned earlier, a passage he had 'accidentally' discovered.

According to Song Da, this was a passage he had uncovered when he was fighting zombies and broke through a wall, long before he encountered the old witch monster.

"It definitely leads downward," Song San said with certainty.

"That's obvious! We're walking down stairs!" Song Da glared at his brothers.

"So... should we turn back?"

The three brothers began discussing it, but just then, a terrifying roar rang out, making their hair stand on end.

Song Er accidentally stepped on something, and the staircase immediately retracted, turning into a slide.

"Oh no!!!"

The brothers screamed as they slid rapidly down the spiraling slide.

Finally, the seemingly endless slide reached its end, but their momentum hadn't stopped, and they continued sliding across the flat ground for quite a distance.

Ahead, a massive door appeared, and they were headed straight for it.

"Brake! Brake!!!" Song Er shouted in fear, not wanting to crash into the door.

"I'd like to, but how?! Tell me how!!!" Song San yelled back.

"I got this!" Song Da shouted. "Hold onto me... Golden Bell Body Technique!"

"Prostate braking... Da, you're a genius! A true man who's been single for over forty years!!"

Song Er marveled as they managed to stop just before hitting the giant door.

They sighed in relief, and after regaining some strength, they stood up and examined the door buried deep underground. It wasn't rough, seeming to be made of some kind of sturdy wood.

"This door can be opened. Let’s put in some effort," Song San said excitedly after inspecting it.

Song Da nodded, though he winced from the pain in his groin—some discomfort a man wouldn't easily admit. He pressed his hands against the door, with Song Er and Song San beside him. Together, they pushed, and with a rumbling sound, the door slowly opened, just wide enough for them to enter.

They carefully stepped inside, and immediately, torches along the walls on both sides flared up.

Flames shot out from the wall-mounted torches, extending along the walls, lighting up more and more torches until the room was fully illuminated, as bright as daylight.

"What a brilliant mechanism," Song San remarked, his eyes glued to the sight before them.

Because, in the light, the entire room sparkled with golden light!

The room was lined with piles of gold coins and jewels spilling out of massive wooden chests! There were also ornate swords on display.

Pearls, agates, and gems shimmered among the piles of gold and silver coins.

"Whoa... have we just stumbled upon the treasure vault of those vampire creatures?" Song Er rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he looked at the immense treasure before him. He quickly picked up a gold coin and bit it. "It's real gold... but not very pure."

"Idiot, this treasure is probably ancient. Back then, they didn't have the technology to refine high-purity gold! But the value of these coins lies in their history, not their material!" Song San eagerly explained.

Meanwhile, Song Da frowned and walked toward a platform in the center of the room, where he noticed something placed upon it.

It was an ancient scroll.