Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 995: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (3)

The stone Ruyi in Luo Qiu’s hand had naturally crumbled—of course, if he hadn’t picked it up, perhaps it would have remained intact.

But in the end, this stone Ruyi had long since lost its original purpose.

That being said, Luo Qiu wasn’t the type to break things. So, the dust that had scattered onto the ground quickly gathered back into his palm, as if time was reversing. In just a moment, the shattered Ruyi was restored to its original form.

Luo Qiu intended to return the Ruyi to the hands of the yellow-robed man lying in the stone coffin.

At that very moment, the supposedly resting man suddenly opened his eyes… An ordinary person witnessing this scene would probably be scared to death.

"When we entered, one of my companions mentioned that this place is an exceptional feng shui site."

Luo Qiu remained calm. He simply pried open the emperor’s fingers, placed the Ruyi back in its original position, and continued, "Since you are here to nurture your spirit, it’s best not to wake up before you’re fully restored. I have no ill intentions—I’m merely curious. Besides…"

Luo Qiu looked into the middle-aged man’s eyes and said indifferently, "I don’t plan on revealing your existence to anyone."

Hearing this, the stern-faced emperor slowly closed his eyes again. At the same time, Luo Qiu reached out, and the coffin lid, which had fallen to the ground, flew back into place, covering the stone coffin once more.

"Times are changing," Luo Qiu said calmly. "Even if you were once the ruler of a nation, what could you change by waking up? This world… is no longer the world you knew."The man in the coffin was probably just a pitiful soul trapped in his own delusions…

Luo Qiu shook his head. Perhaps the Song Family's ancestral home truly was a feng shui treasure. But if someone wished to exploit its power to keep a spirit lingering or even revive it, that was nothing more than a foolish dream.

Once life has ended, it cannot simply return.

For the soul within this coffin to have persisted for a thousand years without dissipating was already an incredible feat.

…

Luo Qiu didn’t take anything from the stone chamber. He merely restored everything to its original state.

He had come and gone without leaving a trace.

When he returned outside, Mo Mo was feeding Zhan’er some water. The three corpses that had previously been placed here were gone, presumably already dealt with by Mo Mo.

"Senior!"

Seeing Luo Qiu emerge from the stone chamber, Mo Mo immediately stood up and asked with concern, "Was there any danger inside?"

Luo Qiu replied casually, "Since you don’t intend to explore what’s inside, does it really matter whether there’s danger or not?"

Mo Mo laughed awkwardly… Though he had resolved not to venture deeper, his curiosity still lingered. But from Luo Qiu’s tone, there seemed to be a hint of warning.

"Did you encounter anyone familiar while disposing of the bodies?"

Unexpectedly, Luo Qiu suddenly asked this question.

"Someone familiar?" Mo Mo was momentarily startled, but then his expression changed as he suddenly turned around in shock. "When did you—who are you?!"

At the entrance of the tunnel leading from the ancient well to this chamber, a shadowy figure had appeared at some unknown moment!

The figure at the passageway slowly stepped forward. He was thin, clad in a black Tang suit, and his face was concealed behind a bronze mask.

The mysterious man tilted his head slightly and looked directly at the still-unconscious Zhan’er.

Mo Mo immediately stepped forward, blocking his view. His voice was low and guarded. "Who are you? Why are you following us?"

The masked figure remained silent, then shifted his gaze to Luo Qiu… as if scrutinizing him.

Mo Mo was already on high alert, raising his hand, a yellow talisman appearing between his fingers.

"You are quite special."

Suddenly, the mysterious man spoke in a deep, hoarse voice—likely deliberate. "Before I arrived, I wasn’t even aware of your existence or that you would be here… How did you do it?"

Mo Mo was taken aback and glanced at the "senior" he respected.

Luo Qiu pondered for a moment and asked curiously, "You weren’t aware of my existence or that I would be here… In other words, you knew who else was supposed to be here? Is that what you mean?"

The mysterious man remained silent, his gaze never leaving Luo Qiu. After a pause, he shook his head slightly and said indifferently, "Never mind. One more or one less makes no difference. Mo Mo, do you know why I’m here?"

"No need to guess." Mo Mo sneered. "The ones who came before you were ruthless, but at least they had the guts to show their faces. You, on the other hand, hide behind a mask… Come on! If you're here for the Imperial Decree, you'll have to get past me first!"

With that, Mo Mo’s spiritual energy surged, and a golden flame ignited in his palm, infusing into the talisman between his fingers.

The masked man let out a cold snort. "The Celestial Master Path of Longhu Mountain is indeed formidable, but you are not yet the strongest Yin-Yang Celestial Master. There is no point in struggling. You cannot protect this child’s destiny. Give up while you can. I only want the Imperial Decree—I have no intention of taking his life."

"Less talking, more action!" Mo Mo gritted his teeth and launched the talisman. "Thunder Curse!"

"You think the Celestial Master Path is unique? I know it too!"

At that moment, the masked man pulled out a talisman of his own, using the exact same technique to launch it!

The two talismans collided in midair, instantly triggering a powerful explosion. The impact sent stone fragments cascading from the ceiling of the underground chamber.

Luo Qiu frowned slightly.

"Thunder Curse… How do you—?" Mo Mo was shocked.

The Celestial Master Path had different sects and variations of Lightning Techniques, each with its own unique incantations and methods. These were not something that could be easily imitated.

Mo Mo knew the Lightning Techniques of his sect better than anyone. But in that instant, when the two Thunder Curses clashed, he clearly felt that the masked man’s technique originated from the same source as his own!

"This Lightning Technique is not hard to learn," the masked man said. He opened his hands, revealing over a dozen talismans floating between his fingers.

Electric sparks crackled in the air as the masked man’s aura intensified. "Let’s see if you’ve mastered the Greater Thunder Curse yet!"

Mo Mo gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his brow. He had nearly exhausted all his talismans along the way, and his belongings were still in the Crouching Dragon Estate. Facing the Greater Thunder Curse head-on would be nearly impossible…

Just then, a snap echoed in the air.

Mo Mo’s heart skipped a beat. At the same time, the masked man’s Greater Thunder Curse suddenly fizzled out. The talismans in his hands ignited on their own, turning to ashes.

Both the masked man and Mo Mo turned to look at Luo Qiu in shock.

"I’ve never seen Taoist duels before. It’s quite interesting… But could you take it outside?"

Luo Qiu said flatly, "Don’t you think fighting indoors is irresponsible? If you break something, who’s going to pay for it?"

"Interfering comes with consequences," the masked man said coldly.

"I told you, just don’t fight in here," Luo Qiu replied with a slight shake of his head. "And… since I burned your talismans, I’ll compensate you."

The ashes of the destroyed talismans began reforming in midair…

The time imprinted on these yellow talismans seemed to reverse at this moment, changing from burnt remnants back to their pristine state before ultimately returning to the mysterious figure's side.

"This mansion has quite a lot of open space outside," Luo Qiu casually remarked. "But if your magic duel is going to be loud, I’d suggest moving further away. Disturbing someone’s sleep is, after all, quite an inconsiderate act."

The mysterious figure suddenly reached out, gathering the yellow talismans into his hand. Just as Mo Mo tensed up, wondering if he were about to unleash the Greater Thunder Curse again, the figure remained silent and swiftly retreated at an incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, Mo Mo couldn't even sense the slightest fluctuation of magical energy—meaning that the mysterious figure had simply left!

Or rather... fled!

Despite facing such a master of unfathomable skill!

"And you? Do you still plan to continue?" Luo Qiu turned to Mo Mo.

Mo Mo quickly calmed their magical energy, swallowed nervously, and said, "Senior, I don't particularly enjoy fighting indoors either..."

Luo Qiu replied indifferently, "I wasn’t really helping you. It’s just that I have some connection to this place, and I don’t like seeing it being destroyed so casually. What happens next is up to your own fate."

Mo Mo obediently nodded.

Perhaps, if this senior were willing to assist, the troubles at the Penglai Grand Gathering could be easily resolved... But for some reason, Mo Mo had the feeling that this senior had no such intention.

They weren’t after the Edict, nor did they intend to help. They seemed only interested in observing.

"Senior, once the sun rises, I'll take Zhan'er and leave. Please rest assured…" Mo Mo said solemnly. "After all, I don’t want another incident like what happened to Wang Dashun's family."

Luo Qiu nodded.

Mo Mo glanced at Zhan’er and then asked, "Senior… what do you think Zhan’er’s future will be like?"

"I don’t know much about cultivation," Luo Qiu shook his head. "But since all cultivation techniques were originally created by humans, no matter what obstacles arise, people should be able to find solutions."

Mo Mo fell into deep thought before bowing deeply to the senior. But when they looked up again, the enigmatic figure was already gone.

"Damn it… I forgot to ask for his name again!"

---

A dark figure leaped through the forest, quickly moving past a grove of trees before arriving at a small stream.

It was the same mysterious figure who had appeared at the bottom of the ancient well.

Under the moonlight, they sat cross-legged on a rock by the stream, carefully examining the stack of yellow talismans in their hand.

"This doesn’t feel like an illusion…" the mysterious figure murmured. "But if it’s not an illusion… then someone in this world can actually restore something completely destroyed?"

This wasn’t just piecing together something broken—it was returning something burned to ashes back to its original state. The principles involved were beyond even Daoist magic.

"Why… why can’t I divine this person's existence?"

Suddenly, the mysterious figure spat out a mouthful of blood, their expression filled with shock.

"The Heavenly Dao… is actively concealing this person’s existence? How is that possible?!"

A cold wind blew past, sending chills down their spine. This was the first time they had encountered something so eerie. Just then, a ringing sound came from their body—it was a phone call.

"What is it?" the mysterious figure answered. "What? Who authorized this? The Daoist Association or the Demon Association? Or… is it a joint declaration?"

The voice on the other end anxiously replied, "Neither! The one issuing the statement is Xuanyuan Palace… and it was personally authorized by Long Xiru. It has also been approved by the Special National Land Management Bureau."

"I understand," the mysterious figure said in a deep voice. "For now, stand down... I’ve encountered an obstacle as well."

After ending the call, the figure stood up and cast a glance toward the mansion they had intruded upon earlier that night before merging into the darkness.

---

At dawn, Uncle Wu knocked on Luo Qiu’s door, informing him that breakfast was ready.

Uncle Wu was indeed a diligent butler. Even though the conditions here were somewhat basic, he had still brought warm water for washing up.

"Thank you." Luo Qiu politely accepted the hot water with both hands. "How did Master Song sleep last night?"

"He slept soundly and didn’t wake up at all," Uncle Wu smiled. "He’s just getting up now and washing up, but he looks quite refreshed."

"That’s good." Luo Qiu nodded. "Alright, I’ll be out shortly."

"Understood, Young Master Qiu." Uncle Wu bowed slightly before walking away.

After closing the door, Luo Qiu turned to his desk—the 3D structure model of the Song Family’s ancestral mansion was still there. However, the underground well… was now empty.

Mo Mo had kept their promise and left with Zhan’er at dawn.

With a wave of his hand, Luo Qiu erased the model and began washing up…

Hmm. It felt like he had forgotten something.

---

"Young Master! Young Master! Young Master?!"

Shouts came from below.

Song Haoran suddenly felt a little distressed… How was he supposed to get down?

It wasn’t that he couldn’t get down. He just didn’t want people to know he had climbed onto the roof to do something.

Even more, he didn’t want them to realize that not only had he climbed up, but he had spent the entire night up here.

Yes, all night long, Song Haoran had been studying the 3D structure of the Song Family mansion in his mind.

But he had found… nothing.

As the rising sun cast its golden light upon him, Song Haoran squinted against the brightness. His legs were numb from sitting too long, and as he stood up, he absentmindedly extended his middle finger toward the sun in greeting.