Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 899: Transformation into a Butterfly

At the airport, a man hurriedly approached an airline service counter. The receptionist offered a professional smile, but her expression quickly turned vacant as she processed the man’s delicate and beautiful appearance, marked by his striking pearl earrings.

"I need the earliest night flight out of here," the man said briskly.

"Please wait a moment," she responded mechanically.

Watching her busy at the keyboard, Cythacyl exhaled in relief. He wasn’t sure what would happen at the manor after his departure, but he knew it would inevitably draw the attention of the Thirteen Clans. Despite the monitoring having relaxed in recent years, the clans still kept a close eye on them. Each area had an overseer from the clans, tasked with handling incidents caused by vampires who lost control and incited panic. This region, as Cythacyl recalled, was under the watch of an overseer named Ivan.

Ivan was a young vampire by age, but he came from an impeccable lineage, a direct descendant of a prince from one of the Thirteen Clans. Being a pure-blooded vampire, Ivan was born with fifth-generation powers and had even earned the title of "Peak Fifth Generation" decades ago. Not even Cythacyl's ally Karen could defeat him, let alone Cythacyl himself. Moreover, the terrifying Luo Qiu was also present, so Cythacyl knew it was time to leave.

As for whether the True Blood Project had failed, Cythacyl wasn’t overly concerned. Vampires had long lifespans, and if needed, the project could be restarted after a few decades. Human researchers were easy to lure, after all.

"Sir, your ticket is ready." The receptionist smiled, sliding the ticket across the counter.

Cythacyl smiled with more ease, picked up the ticket, and headed towards security. But as he turned, he felt a sudden chill, as if something ominous was watching him. His body tensed, his heart raced, and his fingers trembled.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. The sensation vanished quickly, but it was unsettling. Regaining composure, Cythacyl hurried into the crowd, passing through security and preparing to board.

---Ivan Hesenba lay gravely injured, the worst he had ever been, all from a single blow. His bones were shattered, and though vampires had rapid healing abilities, recovering from this would take time. As a vampire, Ivan had his own unique powers—some vampires excelled in speed, others in strength, and some in special abilities. Ivan’s talent was telekinesis. However, trying to use it now made his head feel like it was being stabbed with countless needles.

Was he out of practice, or was the young man standing before him a prince-level vampire in disguise?

"Who are you?" Ivan asked, struggling to lift his head, his voice tinged with fear and humiliation.

"Eric," Luo Qiu replied casually.

Ivan blinked, trying to recall where he'd heard that name before. Meanwhile, Zhong Luoyue, who had also been present, showed a brief look of surprise but quickly masked it. She didn’t know why Luo Qiu had given this strange name but chose not to question it.

“I remember now… Lord Eric,” Ivan said, regaining some strength. His healing ability surpassed even Karen’s, allowing him to stand, albeit with difficulty. But he now felt even more apprehensive.

“I’ve heard your name from the prince of my clan,” Ivan added, adjusting his breathing.

Luo Qiu simply nodded.

Ivan, assuming that Eric was a figure even his prince respected, offered a humble apology: "I apologize for my offense, Lord Eric."

Seeing Ivan’s change in demeanor, Luo Qiu smiled slightly. Ivan, realizing his mistake, offered further apologies to Elizabeth for injuring her, promising to send her ten years’ worth of pure blood as compensation.

Elizabeth, stunned, had never received such a large amount of pure blood before. She barely managed with her half-yearly rations, often turning to the black market for more.

"Ten years' worth?" she gasped, incredulous.

Ivan didn’t show his disdain but inwardly cursed her mixed blood. He wasn’t about to push his luck, though, knowing that survival meant knowing when to back down.

"I just remembered I have something important to take care of," Ivan said, retreating with caution. After a polite farewell to "Lord Eric," he transformed into a bat and vanished into the night.

“He must have been thinking a lot of strange things,” Zhong Luoyue commented, unfamiliar with vampire politics but recognizing the shift in Ivan’s attitude.

"Perhaps he's a man of very active thoughts," Luo Qiu remarked casually.

At that moment, the sound of helicopters approached, their lights cutting through the night. Luo Qiu glanced up and said, "Let's proceed with the original plan."

What plan?

Zhong Luoyue was stunned for a moment but quickly realized what Luo Qiu’s original plan was: pretending to know nothing, blending into the crowd, and quietly being a bystander.

What kind of a ridiculous plan is that?!

...

...

Gan Hong was the first to wake up.

She felt a bit dizzy, a feeling she had recently experienced before, though she couldn't immediately recall where.

Oh... right, she had mysteriously fallen asleep.

And it wasn’t just her—others were asleep too. The surroundings were dim, with only some firelight flickering. Gan Hong looked up at the night sky, dazed for a few seconds.

In a flash, she jumped to her feet and looked around at her surroundings.

She was still in the same room from the afternoon, except now the ceiling was gone, revealing the night sky above—the room was surrounded by ruins, though everything inside remained intact... except for the ceiling and everything that had been attached to it.

"Miss Ying!"

Gan Hong, startled, saw Song Ying lying motionless on the nearby sofa. She hurriedly took two steps forward, shaking Song Ying’s shoulders anxiously.

"Hong..." Song Ying drowsily opened her eyes, her mind hazy, "What’s going on…"

"I’m just glad you're okay, Miss Ying." Gan Hong regained her composure, then quickly went over to Luo Qiu.

Song Ying, puzzled, looked over and saw Luo Qiu sitting on a single-seater sofa with his head down, as if he had also fallen asleep.

What had happened?

Song Ying began to take in her current situation—this scene looked like the aftermath of an earthquake!

"Young Master Qiu, Young Master Qiu, Young Master Qiu!" Gan Hong was urgently calling out to Luo Qiu in front of him.

Song Ying glanced over before turning her head to try to wake her secretary, Su Mei.

"Young Master Qiu, Young Master Qiu, Young Master Qiu!"

No matter how much Gan Hong called, she couldn’t wake Luo Qiu. Startled, she quickly grabbed his wrist and, after confirming that he still had a pulse, relaxed slightly.

Meanwhile, Song Ying was looking up at the sky.

...

The reason she looked up was because a strong light was shining down from above, coming from an approaching armed helicopter. The side door of the helicopter had already opened, and Song Da was hanging from it, holding onto the doorframe.

"Finally, I’ve found Miss Ying... Thank goodness!"

With that, Song Da jumped down from above.

It was at least four or five stories high, but he jumped without hesitation—though his landing was a bit awkward.

Song Da quickly rushed into the remnants of the room, checking on Song Ying with concern, "Miss Ying, thank goodness you’re alright!"

"Song Da?" Song Ying was stunned, "Why are you here?"

Song Da replied, "Miss Ying, it’s dangerous here. We need to leave immediately... Also, how is our new young master?"

"Chief Song!" Gan Hong respectfully called out, "I don’t know what’s wrong with Young Master Qiu. I can’t wake him, but his breathing and pulse are normal, and there’s no sign of poisoning."

"Gan Hong, help me out," Song Da nodded. He quickly had a rescue rope lowered from the helicopter, and together they hoisted ‘Luo Qiu’ up.

...

...

More rescuers began arriving from the nearby city.

Digging wasn’t possible for now; they could only help those injured when the castle collapsed. The sound of sirens echoed far into the distance.

Even in the vineyard within the estate, one could faintly hear them.

Luo Qiu glanced up at the departing armed helicopter, then turned his attention away. His unconscious double was on board, which would save him a lot of trouble.

He sat quietly beneath a grape trellis in the vineyard—this was the same spot where he had played chess with Karen Yishel earlier that day while pretending to be Tu Shenyi.

Before him lay ‘The Flower on the Other Shore’ and ‘Three Lives.’

As for the ‘Worry-Free’ series and the notebook, he had casually set them aside.

Sitting quietly with his eyes closed, Luo Qiu eventually picked up ‘The Flower on the Other Shore.’ His hand hesitated midair for a moment, holding the cup.

But in the end, he drank the contents and continued to sit quietly.

Legend has it that drinking from the ‘Flower on the Other Shore’ allows one to see their most beloved person on the other side.

The wind blew gently, insects chirped, and after a long while, Luo Qiu slowly opened his eyes.

A faint, melancholy smile appeared on his face as he gazed up at the North Star, recalling how his father had taught him to navigate using the stars when he was a child.

The Flower on the Other Shore, a flower blooming in the afterlife, with every blossom carrying the yearning of the deceased.

Under the grape trellis, Luo Qiu stared at the night sky for a long time before finally turning around. At some point, a woman had quietly appeared, waiting for him.

"Master."

It was the maid from the club.

Luo Qiu looked at Yōu Yè... He hadn’t called her, but he wouldn’t resist her sudden appearance.

Luo Qiu simply said warmly, "You’ve come."

The maid softly replied, "I’ve cleaned up the house, and for now, there are no guests... Also, the grapes you sent me were quite special, so I thought I’d come over to collect some more."

As she spoke, Yōu Yè glanced around and smiled, "It seems Master has encountered some interesting things."

Luo Qiu suddenly stepped forward, taking her hand and sitting down with her, smiling, "Would you like to hear about it?"

She nodded.

"In 1990, during Christmas, he and she met."

Luo Qiu organized his thoughts and slowly began recounting the story of Karen and Tu Shenyi.

Yōu Yè wouldn’t interrupt her master’s storytelling; she listened quietly, occasionally flipping through the notebook that recorded the manufacturing process of the ‘Worry-Free’ series.

"... That day, they buried it here."

Luo Qiu ended the story with the word ‘buried.’

Yōu Yè placed a plate in front of Luo Qiu—a plate she had taken from the club. On it were peeled grapes, each one piled up like glistening gems.

"Isn’t this too boring?" Luo Qiu chuckled as he picked up a grape and tasted it.

Yōu Yè shook her head, then said with concern, "I was just thinking, Master, you haven’t had dinner yet. Are you hungry?"

"These grapes taste quite unique." Luo Qiu couldn’t help but try another.

Yōu Yè explained, "That’s because these are blood grapes that grow on the edge of the Underworld. Naturally, their flavor is different from ordinary ones. However, these aren’t true blood grapes... They’re cultivated from seeds someone acquired, grown in a way suited for the mortal realm, so their effects are much weaker."

"Seeds from the edge of the Underworld..." Luo Qiu mused.

He thought of Cythacyl and his identity as a dark merchant. Perhaps Tu Shenyi had acquired the seeds from Cythacyl. Based on the notebook documenting the ‘Worry-Free’ series, the ingredients for the incomplete ‘Flower on the Other Shore’ came from these grapes.

"This winemaker was truly a genius," Yōu Yè said softly, "It’s a pity I never got to meet him."

Luo Qiu looked at her curiously. He knew Yōu Yè wouldn’t call someone a genius lightly—especially considering that she herself was nearly omniscient.

Yōu Yè then gathered all the ‘Worry-Free’ series samples and began adjusting them according to Tu Shenyi’s notebook. She carefully mixed the ingredients, bit by bit, including the grape juice she extracted from the grapes on site.

Finally, she soaked the ‘Three Lives’ fragments in the mixture.

"The materials were all prepared, which made things easier," Yōu Yè said quietly, "It’s a shame he miscalculated the final ratio, causing the seventh ‘Worry-Free’—the legendary final product—to turn into a strange evolutionary serum. But if the proportions are correct, the final product should be this."

The final product, adjusted by Yōu Yè, no longer had its original color. It looked like clear water, but emitted a unique fragrance.

Curious, Luo Qiu picked up the finished product. "What is this?"

The maid smiled, "Meng Po... or rather, the prototype of Meng Po."

"Meng Po..." Luo Qiu was startled. "Meng Po’s soup?"

Yōu Yè replied, "I think if there were true blood in it, it wouldn’t just be a substitute—it would be Meng Po herself... If one even forgot they were a vampire, they might no longer need to drink blood. The power of forgetfulness would make even instincts fade."

Then, suddenly, Yōu Yè stood up, gently stroking the intertwined grape vines as she began to softly sing.

This was the first time Luo Qiu had heard Yōu Yè’s singing—not a grand song, but a simple one.

—A promise we made, to stay together for a hundred years.

—If one dies at ninety-seven, they’ll wait three years at the Naihe Bridge.

—A promise we made, to stay together for a hundred years.

—Lovers only hope to be together, waiting for a thousand years at the Naihe Bridge.

—A promise we made, to stay together for a hundred years.

—Not fearing endless reincarnation, only hoping to stay