Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 999: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (7)

Before long, Mr. Blind, Song Da, and Song San were led by Miss Gong to a tea house on the outskirts of town, nestled between mountains and water.

Since it was deep winter and close to the eve of the Lunar New Year, the tea house was quite deserted—though it was also possible that it had been reserved for private use.

Along the way, Song Da and Song San chatted idly with Mr. Blind. According to him, he had never met Lai Caisheng before, but he was aware that his senior brother indeed had such a disciple—the legitimate successor of this generation’s Plain-Clothed Dao.

Over the years, the three Song brothers had managed to glean some information about Plain-Clothed Dao from Mr. Blind through indirect questioning. It seemed that the sect did not necessarily pass its inheritance to the most talented disciple. Mr. Blind’s abilities appeared to surpass those of his senior brother, the previous generation’s successor.

However, as a school focused on geomancy and feng shui, combat ability was not their primary concern. As for why Mr. Blind had distanced himself from China and lived abroad for so long, neither the Song brothers nor Old Master Song had ever managed to uncover the reason.

Yet now, seeing Mr. Blind return, seemingly in response to his senior brother’s summons, Song Da and Song San speculated that the two previous-generation successors of Plain-Clothed Dao must have maintained a decent relationship.

With these unanswered questions in mind, Song Da and Song San were taken aback to find themselves assigned to a separate private room in the tea house, barred from participating in Mr. Blind’s meeting with Lai Caisheng.

“Daoist Qingxiaozi said that you two are just attendants. Just wait here,” Miss Gong stated coolly, cutting off any protests before they could leave their mouths.

Damn it! Mr. Blind really was treating them like mere baggage handlers!

---Ignoring Song Da and Song San’s frustration, Mr. Blind was soon led to a lakeside pavilion within the tea house, where he finally met Lai Caisheng, a man with prematurely white hair.

The tea house was built along the edge of a pond, with the pavilion situated in its center. A light snowfall had recently dusted the surrounding trees, leaving a faint layer of frost.

Lai Caisheng was calmly preparing tea, his movements precise and delicate.

Mr. Blind himself had turned white-haired at a young age and had never recovered. The moment he "saw" Lai Caisheng, he immediately understood what the younger man had gone through.

Ninety-nine lifetimes in a single night—joy and sorrow, love and loss, until one’s hair turns white.

This was an extremely rare technique within Plain-Clothed Dao. It didn’t literally force someone to experience ninety-nine reincarnations in a single night, but the more past lives one endured, the greater their achievements.

“Please, take a seat, Martial Uncle,” Lai Caisheng said with a faint smile, lifting his gaze.

Mr. Blind furrowed his brows slightly before adjusting his robes and slowly sitting down. Then, he suddenly asked, “Have you completed all ninety-nine lives?”

Lai Caisheng seemed unsurprised by the question and answered calmly, “I’m short by one.”

Mr. Blind nodded, exhaling softly. “You’re better than me.”

Lai Caisheng had only one life left to experience, while Mr. Blind had been three lives short. After reaching ninety lifetimes, each additional step became exponentially more difficult. Though the gap between them was only two reincarnations, the disparity in potential was immeasurable.

Even so, Mr. Blind could still discern Lai Caisheng’s weaknesses, simply because he had spent more time refining his skills.

“My master always said that you were the greatest genius Plain-Clothed Dao had seen in the past three hundred years,” Lai Caisheng remarked as he gracefully poured Mr. Blind a cup of freshly brewed tea.

Mr. Blind, however, left the tea untouched. He got straight to the point. “Your master called for me—why isn’t he meeting me himself? Why send you instead?”

Lai Caisheng’s expression turned serious. “Martial Uncle, you may not be aware, but I no longer know my master’s whereabouts. A few days ago, I had a sudden premonition, so I performed a divination. It revealed that someone deeply connected to our sect would soon appear. After careful consideration, I realized that the only person in this world who fits that description is you.”

“Senior Brother has gone missing?” Mr. Blind frowned. “What happened? He left me a message at Wudang Mountain, which is how I knew to come to the Mt. Tai region.”

Lai Caisheng raised an eyebrow. “What kind of message did Master leave for you?”

Mr. Blind replied calmly, “He only said that he had something important to discuss with me. As for what, I don’t know. You know how it is—Plain-Clothed Dao disciples love making guesses… That’s one of our worst traits. We see people but not their hearts, relying only on divination. But no matter how much one calculates, fate is unpredictable… Human calculations will always fall short of heaven’s will.”

“Your wisdom humbles me,” Lai Caisheng said sincerely, bowing slightly in respect.

Mr. Blind turned his gaze toward the sky over the pond and suddenly opened his cloudy eyes. “The demonic aura here is overwhelming, and the magical energy is chaotic and difficult to discern… Did something happen at this Penglai Gathering?”

Although Mr. Blind had lived overseas for many years, he was originally from Divine Land, so he was naturally familiar with the Penglai Gathering, the major event held every ten years between the Daoist world and the Demon Realm. In his youth, he had even attended the gathering several times with his master.

Thus, Lai Caisheng briefly summarized what had transpired—the sudden appearance of the Jade Decree, the fierce competition it sparked, and how, in the end, the True Dragon of Divine Land had joined forces with Xuanyuan Palace and the Management Bureau to intervene.

Lai Caisheng sighed. “If the True Dragon hadn’t stepped in, the Daoist Association wouldn’t have been able to suppress the chaos… Even some within the Daoist Association were obsessed with this decree.”

“Such a powerful artifact naturally stirs human greed,” Mr. Blind said indifferently. “They are still human—they have not yet become immortals.”

“It is precisely because they are not yet immortals that they cling to even the slightest hope,” Lai Caisheng said softly. “A century of cultivation, all in pursuit of immortality… In the beginning, we all chose this path for that reason.”

Mr. Blind shook his head without responding.

After a long silence, Lai Caisheng reached out to replace the now-cold tea with a fresh brew, but Mr. Blind stopped him. Instead, he picked up the cold tea and drank it down in one gulp.

He said indifferently, "They say that when a person leaves, the tea turns cold. Since I left early, drinking this cold tea seems fitting."

Lai Caisheng smiled slightly and did not pour out his own cold tea but drank it along with Mr. Blind. He then said, "Martial Uncle, you have lived overseas for a long time, and now that you’ve just returned, it will be difficult to find news about my master right away. Why not stay at Crouching Dragon Estate for the time being?"

Mr. Blind remained silent in thought.

Lai Caisheng smiled again and continued, "Our Plain-Clothed Dao always has its own courtyard at Crouching Dragon Estate. Martial Uncle once stayed there as well—why not revisit an old place? Besides, I have many things I would like to seek your guidance on."

Mr. Blind shook his head and said, "I cannot teach you. Perhaps even my senior brother can no longer teach you. Since you have officially become the heir of this generation, it means you are now the rightful leader of Plain-Clothed Dao… Since the sect leader is sincerely inviting me, then Qingxiaozi will accept the invitation."

"Martial Uncle, there’s no need to say it like that," Lai Caisheng quickly replied.

But Mr. Blind said, "Strictly speaking, I am merely an abandoned disciple."

…

Not long after, Mr. Blind left the pavilion in the middle of the pond, while Miss Gong approached Lai Caisheng.

Miss Gong frowned slightly and asked, "I heard that the previous heir of Plain-Clothed Dao should have been Qingxiaozi. Why, in the end, did he become an abandoned disciple?"

Lai Caisheng slowly brewed tea and calmly replied, "Some see this identity as a cage, an unbreakable fate. Others see it as an honor, something they would give anything to obtain."

"What about you? What do you think it is?" Miss Gong asked as she looked at him.

"Me?" He smiled and said, "I think it’s nothing at all… I just want to find out what I’m missing—that last lifetime."

Miss Gong was silent for a moment before saying, "Qingxiaozi is still a disciple of Plain-Clothed Dao after all. Your master went through great lengths to bring him back this time—it can’t be just to catch up and reminisce. Do you think…"

Lai Caisheng suddenly stopped talking. He dipped his finger in some tea and began writing something on the stone table.

Miss Gong glanced at it. The tea stain formed the character ‘亡’ (death).

Lai Caisheng remained silent, as if contemplating continuing, but his fingers hesitated. In the end, he simply wiped the character away.

"The heavenly secrets remain as chaotic as ever," Lai Caisheng sighed. He then stood up and gazed at the tranquil winter pond, lost in thought.

Miss Gong knew that Lai Caisheng was someone with strong intuition, almost like a sixth sense for the future. So she did not disturb his contemplation.

After a long while, Lai Caisheng shook his head and said, "Forget it. When the time comes… You have more news, don’t you?"

Miss Gong nodded. "I just received word that several descendants of the Four Great Demon Clans have gone missing near Kunpeng Manor."

"All from the Four Great Clans?" Lai Caisheng turned around, looking surprised.

Miss Gong replied, "Azure Dragon Clan—one person. White Tiger Clan—one person. Vermilion Bird Clan—two people. And lastly, Black Tortoise Clan—one person."

Lai Caisheng pondered, "What do you make of it?"

Miss Gong said, "Both the Daoist world and the Demon Realm sent many people in secret to compete for the Edict. Even though the two sides have been at peace under the agreement, there have been constant conflicts in the shadows. It’s possible that these missing demon heirs were captured by the Daoist side while traveling."

Lai Caisheng shook his head. "That’s not it."

Miss Gong was taken aback and frowned. But then she seemed to have a realization. "You mean… regardless of why they went missing, this will escalate into a direct conflict between the Daoist world and the Demon Realm?"

Lai Caisheng sighed softly, "We have divided righteousness, evil, demons, and devils too rigidly."

Then, he gave a bitter smile and said, "Take me back to Crouching Dragon Estate. The two old men above me are probably getting restless by now."

Miss Gong nodded immediately.

…

…

In her memory, Luo Qiu never seemed like such a resilient person—at least, not in terms of physical endurance against the cold.

Zhang Qianrui recalled that during their first winter break in college, Luo Qiu caught a cold. He showed up to class in a thick coat, clearly under the weather. It was during Professor Qin’s lecture, and since Luo Qiu had probably taken some medicine, he ended up sleeping for more than an hour—earning himself a punishment from Professor Qin.

Back then… he had seemed like just an ordinary person.

Zhang Qianrui grew even more curious—what had happened to Luo Qiu that made him different now? Or… was the email she received—the one supposedly from her future self—just a joke, an illusion?

The Song Family’s Song Haoran had suggested an expedition to explore a local legend—the Dragon God’s child.

To Zhang Qianrui, this sounded like nothing more than a fun adventure driven by the curiosity of the Song Family’s younger generation, who had grown up abroad. Perhaps they were simply intrigued by their homeland’s scenic landscapes.

After all, China had always been a land full of mysteries—often misinterpreted by outsiders.

Zhang Qianrui hadn’t originally planned to join, but when she saw that Luo Qiu was also interested, she somehow agreed without thinking.

Her feelings toward Luo Qiu were complicated.

Though they shared a silent understanding as classmates, after receiving that strange email, she had begun paying even more attention to him.

Over the past two days, Luo Qiu seemed to be the same familiar classmate… and yet, at the same time, he felt like someone completely different.

"What are you thinking about, Miss Zhang?" Song Haoran suddenly appeared behind her, peeking over her shoulder.

Zhang Qianrui was a composed person and simply smiled. "I was wondering… if this expedition really leads us to the Dragon God’s child, what should we do?"

Song Haoran blinked. "Miss Zhang, I didn’t expect you to believe in such mystical things!"

Zhang Qianrui replied, "Maybe it’s because my family’s business has some connections to mysticism. Besides, history has always been full of unexplainable events. Many places have their own legends, don’t they?"

"Legends…" Song Ying interjected. "Aren’t they just fabrications? Every legend comes from fantasy and admiration, then gets exaggerated over time."

Zhang Qianrui didn’t argue, only smiling faintly. "That’s why we verify them one by one. I think that’s what makes it interesting."

"That’s an interesting perspective," Song Haoran laughed. "Would you be interested in going on more expeditions with me in the future?"

Zhang Qianrui simply smiled without answering.

Her negotiations with her grandmother had yet to reach a conclusion. Whether she would end up as a caged bird or a free bird was still uncertain.

How could she allow herself to dream of adventures so easily?

The mountain stream's wind suddenly picked up, and Zhang Qianrui couldn't help but shiver. She realized that the clothes she wore were a bit too thin.

"Put this on."

Behind her, Luo Qiu gently took off his coat and draped it over Zhang Qianrui's shoulders.