Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 931: Aristocratic Families (2)

This involves an unimaginable legend—because she had already inquired about this legend, when Zhong Luoyue first encountered the fantastical creature known as a vampire, she was able to accept it so quickly.

A shop where you can buy anything.

Moreover, Zhong Luoyue was sure that the sudden miraculous recovery of the elder Zhong, who had been on the verge of death, was indeed related to this mysterious shop.

The person who insisted on taking the dying elder away that day was none other than Zhong Luocheng... In other words, in the miraculous recovery of the elder, Zhong Luocheng made an incredible contribution that no one could have imagined.

But Zhong Luoyue believed that her second brother, Zhong Luocheng, must have made some sacrifices for this—most likely, he himself was the one who made a deal with this mysterious shop.

Thinking this way, Zhong Luoyue felt relieved about the elder suddenly transferring his shares... This was probably a form of compensation for her second brother, Zhong Luocheng.

How could a grandson, who had paid a great price to survive, not receive the old man's affection... especially since this grandson was already exceptionally outstanding.

As for her eldest brother, Zhong Luoyun, he had always been extremely proud and eager for achievements. Although he had considerable talent, he did not understand the importance of keeping a low profile. He was like a fierce general charging into battle, but he was never suited to be a commander.

"With my second brother's abilities, now that he has gained grandpa's full support... there shouldn't be any suspense left," Zhong Luoyue shook her head.

She initially had a stake in the disputes over interests within the Zhong family, but now her feelings about it had faded considerably.Anyone... after witnessing such extraordinary power, would likely lose interest in the original struggle for benefits. "No matter how wealthy or powerful, in the face of that kind of strength, one can only submit..."

Zhong Luoyue sighed.

This time she returned to the Zhong family, partly to handle family affairs, and then she made the decision to follow Elizabeth and step into a world she had never entered before.

If nothing major happened in the Zhong family, it was likely that her second brother, Zhong Luocheng, would soon take full control of the family's power, which further strengthened Zhong Luoyue's desire to detach herself from the conflicts of these worldly aristocratic families.

"However, about that website, and some recent actions of my second brother..." Zhong Luoyue frowned, "Aren't you focused on this, second brother?"

With that thought, Zhong Luoyue reached into her clothing and took out a small makeup mirror box—when the box opened, it contained a black card.

"If it really is omnipotent, then what kind of wish should I make..." Zhong Luoyue stared at the black card.

She noticed a golden mark on the card suddenly flickering slightly. Zhong Luoyue took a deep breath and quickly put away the mirror box.

Whenever she held this black card, she always felt that if she stared at it for too long, she would sense deeper changes within the card... Or perhaps it was actually calling to her.

Now, this feeling was becoming stronger, as if it could happen anywhere, anytime...

She shook her head, organized her thoughts, and then quickly walked out of the empty room towards where the elder Zhong was.

...

At this moment, Elder Zhong was reading—a collection of sayings, while Grandpa Luo was always by his side, never leaving.

This collection of sayings was almost something that people from Elder Zhong's generation would cherish and read, as it contained the words of that great founding leader.

Just then, when Zhong Luoyue knocked and entered, the elder Zhong put down his book and revealed a loving smile, "Yue'er, you're back? Come here, let grandpa see if you've lost weight."

He was no different from the retired officials chatting in the park—especially after his miraculous recovery.

Even though he held most of the power of the Zhong family in his hands, Zhong Luoyue could no longer sense the overwhelming presence he had a few years ago.

Perhaps this was a good thing... After a life of battles, it was time to enjoy his old age.

"Grandpa, Grandpa Luo," Zhong Luoyue greeted the two before sitting down.

Elder Zhong nodded, then looked Zhong Luoyue over a few times before slowly saying, "Your complexion is still a bit pale... why are your hands so cold?"

Zhong Luoyue hurriedly replied, "I just got off the plane, probably didn't rest well."

Elder Zhong didn’t suspect anything and sighed, "No matter what, being able to come back safely is enough. Anything lost can be earned back or found again, but if your life is lost, it’s truly lost."

After chatting with Elder Zhong for a bit, Zhong Luoyue suddenly said, "Grandpa, there’s something I want to discuss with you privately."

"Just say it. Old Luo has been with me for many years; he knows everything I do. Anything I don’t know, he won’t know more than me," Elder Zhong slowly shook his head.

"It’s my foolishness, Grandpa Luo," Zhong Luoyue looked apologetically at Grandpa Luo.

Grandpa Luo waved his hand and smiled, "It seems what Yue'er wants to discuss is crucial for our Zhong family."

Zhong Luoyue nodded seriously, "Indeed... Grandpa, I've already mentioned the incident at the castle and the hospital while on the plane... What do you think?"

Elder Zhong glanced at Old Luo beside him, then suddenly fell silent.

After a while, Elder Zhong slowly said, "Yue'er, this world is far more complicated than it seems. I can only say that the things you encountered have certainly not happened just once."

"Just as I thought..."

Zhong Luoyue's expression slightly changed, then she said, "Grandpa, this time I encountered someone from the Song family. I found that there are people in the Song family with incredibly strong powers, like martial arts masters from novels, capable of breaking a steel gate with a single palm! Grandpa, our family..."

"Hehe, the person you’re talking about should be called Song Da," Grandpa Luo suddenly interjected.

Zhong Luoyue was taken aback, "How does Grandpa Luo know?"

Grandpa Luo smiled slightly but didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly extended his palm and traced a circle on the cup on the table with his finger. Then, as if it had been sliced, the cup split evenly into two.

Zhong Luoyue looked shocked. "Grandpa Luo, you..."

"We call this kind of power 'True Power.'"

Grandpa Luo smiled faintly and said, "It's also known as internal strength. The person you mentioned is Song Da, who was originally a monk training at Shaolin Temple. However, he was expelled for breaking some rules. For some reason, the temple didn’t reclaim his skills after that. I met this person once, probably six years ago, when Song Tianyou quietly returned to the country for some personal matters."

At this moment, Zhong Luoyue picked up the neatly cut cup and said with a wry smile, "Grandpa Luo, you really tricked me well... It turns out you’re a true martial arts master yourself!"

Grandpa Luo shook his head. "I’m not a master anymore. I’ve just practiced some internal martial arts. Now that I’m old, I can’t keep up physically. If I were to fight with the younger generation, I’d probably lose... Martial artists rely on vitality. Once it declines, they can’t compare to their former selves... I can’t compete with those who seek the transcendent."

Zhong Luoyue sighed, "I once saw a blind person from the Song family, who had an ancient bronze sword floating beside him. He could control it to attack from a distance, and it was incredibly sharp, almost like a legendary sword immortal!"

At this, both Old Master Zhong and Grandpa Luo exchanged glances. Old Master Zhong frowned, "Since it's something Yue’er witnessed, it can’t be fake. But if such a figure really exists in the Song family, then it seems I've underestimated Song Tianyou... No wonder he could establish such a large enterprise abroad by himself; he must have had extraordinary support behind him."

"Grandpa... does our family have similar figures?" Zhong Luoyue was eager to know.

"We do not," Old Master Zhong answered firmly. "But the country does... I can't tell you the specifics because there’s too much involved. Even the Four Great Families aren’t allowed to know. But I can tell you this: our nation's guardians possess powers that make foreign enemies fearful!"

Zhong Luoyue recalled Elizabeth's feelings about the area west of the Forbidden City and her expression became serious.

Zhong Luoyue then said with a wry smile, "I feel like I've stepped into a different world overnight... from ordinary to extraordinary. But one thing I can't understand is why the extraordinary beings choose to hide? Even if they prefer peace, what about martial artists like Grandpa Luo? If his skills could be promoted, wouldn't that greatly enhance our nation's overall strength?"

"Well... your thought isn’t new. It’s been suggested before," Old Master Zhong sighed. "Even I once thought so. But great men have different opinions. One of them once said, 'A hero violates the law with martial arts,' and that stuck with me."

Old Master Zhong paused to organize his thoughts and continued slowly, "Think about it. It wouldn’t be hard for the country to promote this. A single regulation would suffice. But what would society look like after the promotion? Once it's out there, many people would gain access to the methods that grant great power... In the short term, it might not be apparent, but what about the long term? Yue’er, tell me, when an ordinary laborer learns these powerful martial arts, what will society look like? What if that laborer has a bad nature?"

Zhong Luoyue pondered for a moment. "If ordinary people can gain these powers, then managing the country would become difficult. 'A hero violates the law with martial arts'; powerful personal force often leads to disdain for laws and regulations... It might even cause societal... turmoil!"

Old Master Zhong nodded. "Exactly. Martial power is one of the roots of societal upheaval. Think about it; decades ago, we fought with our lives and blood to achieve peace. How could we bear to destroy it ourselves? Thus, the nation and certain powerful factions have made many agreements. We allow their traditions to continue, but at the same time, we don’t allow them to develop themselves. Everything needs to be controlled to a certain extent."

"Do they... comply?" Zhong Luoyue asked instinctively.

"There is a guardian of the nation whose power is enough to suppress everything," Old Master Zhong said softly. "But we cannot summon him... He guards this nation for reasons that seem more complex."

"You don't know either?"

Old Master Zhong smiled wryly. "I probably don't have the qualifications... After all, I was just a small soldier back in the day. I was lucky to have survived that era, allowing me to have the Zhong family today. Among the Four Great Families in the capital, the Zhong family is one, but who knows there’s another above us?"

"Another?"

"The Xuanyuan Royal Family!" Old Master Zhong said seriously. "A colossal entity that has existed since ancient times, said to have originated from the ancient Emperor Xuanyuan, passed down through generations, always protecting our Chinese land. We just can’t see them as ordinary people."

Zhong Luoyue was left speechless for a long time.

That night, she heard many secrets from her grandfather's mouth, and when she left, it felt like she had gotten to know this country anew.

However, there is a guardian of the nation whose power is enough to suppress everything... I wonder how this guardian compares to Luo Qiu in strength?

She still habitually regarded the mysterious Luo Qiu as the benchmark for all extraordinary beings—and she didn't mention to Old Master Zhong that besides the blind man who could control flying swords, the Song family also had this terrifying figure, Luo Qiu.

Because when she saw Old Master Zhong's serious expression upon hearing about the blind man’s existence, it was evident that just the blind man was enough for him to reevaluate the Song family.

"It’s likely that they will be even more cautious now... in that case..." Zhong Luoyue muttered, "It seems there's no harm in not revealing Luo Qiu's existence."

For some reason, she always subconsciously hesitated to be enemies with Luo Qiu...

---

---

---

As noble families, they are somewhat similar to each other to a certain extent—the difference is that some families act more discreetly, some are more reckless, and some have a wide-reaching influence.

However, noble families are generally aware of each other and maintain friendly relations.

For example, the Zhang family and the Song family have a relatively close relationship and are familiar with each other's backgrounds.

In the large mansion, Old Madam Zhang Lilanfang made a phone call to Old Master Song, “Is that so? That’s good to hear. I’m glad your precious granddaughter is safe. Otherwise, I was truly afraid you might do something earth-shattering again.”

At this moment, the old lady was chatting with Song Tianyou, concerned about the attack on Song Ying... After all, she knew very well how Song Tianyou had reacted when the Song family’s daughter was murdered years ago.

It was from that incident that the Song family was blacklisted by China... because the Song family was deemed too dangerous.

"I wouldn’t dare. If it happens again, even if you, Sister Li, step in, they likely won’t allow me to set foot in the country again," Song Tianyou said with a hint of bitterness.

Zhang Lilanfang understood the feeling of being away from home — back then, she too had left the capital as a widow with no family.

"Alright, let’s talk business," Zhang Lilanfang said. "We’ve already prepared the preliminary work for the imperial tomb project. How's your team coming along? If they’re ready, I can bring them in through my channels."

"I'll return next week," Song Tianyou replied seriously. "The team has been selected. But before we begin, I need to visit the Song family’s ancestral tomb. I haven’t been back in years, and I must go see it."

"Your elder brother’s descendants... I see. Go ahead. I’ll slow down the project here a bit... Anyway, there seem to be some issues with the map provider, but they should be resolved."

"Thank you, Sister Li," Song Tianyou smiled, then suddenly added, "Sister, I have to go now. A guest has come to see me."

With that, Song Tianyou hung up the phone. Uncle Wu knocked on the door and entered, "Master, someone from Bai Shuitang says there’s something important. He claims to have found remnants of the family responsible for the young lady’s death years ago in Chinatown."

"Let him in... and call the eldest young master."

Song Tianyou’s gaze immediately turned cold.