Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1004: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (12)

The moment the buttons popped off, a feeling of liberation surged within her. Luo Pianxian didn’t think much of it—she only felt a sense of comfort. But after hearing Sister Dragon’s voice, the anxiety in her heart instantly eased.

The overlapping feelings of comfort and relief transformed into a double dose of happiness… No, it should be triple.

Because she also saw The Boss, who had always been kind to her.

Wow!

Little Butterfly’s face lit up with a delighted smile—perhaps even a bit of excitement. Her hands clasped in front of her chest like a fan meeting her idol. The slight movement caused the partially covered, snow-white skin to form an appealing curve.

However, within the thick mist, the sight wasn’t entirely clear. It was as if some knightly order formed of mist and light was guarding their purity.

Long Xiruo glanced sideways at Luo Pianxian, knowing full well that this girl had no sense of awareness. But she didn’t mind too much. If it were someone else… well, the man here probably wouldn’t be affected by such things, right?

"It’s been a while."

As Long Xiruo expected, Luo Qiu first picked up the fallen buttons, then took a coat from his bag, remarking with some regret, "It’s not convenient to sew them back right now, so just wear this for now?"

"Oh! Okay!" Luo Pianxian nodded.What was this natural, completely unembarrassed conversation? Long Xiruo was momentarily stunned—it felt like something similar had happened before.

Luo Pianxian quickly put on the coat Luo Qiu handed her. It was a little loose but effectively replaced the mist’s protective covering.

Still, Luo Pianxian pouted in frustration. "My chest has been getting bigger lately. I tried altering my clothes myself, but I keep messing up. The buttons have popped off several times already."

Luo Qiu was taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle. This girl always had a way of making him laugh naturally.

"Next time, let Yōu Yè alter them for you?" Luo Qiu suggested softly.

"Yes, yes!" Luo Pianxian agreed without hesitation.

But Long Xiruo found something off—weren’t these two talking like they’d been neighbors for years?

A clumsy, naive little sister and a responsible, caring older brother?

"This isn’t the time for idle chatter, you two." Long Xiruo coughed lightly to remind them that this was not some casual afternoon stroll.

"Sister Dragon, I was so worried about you!" Luo Pianxian suddenly knelt and pulled Long Xiruo into a tight hug. "You disappeared so suddenly! I was so scared I wouldn’t find you!"

Her voice carried a bit of lingering fear, even a hint of tears.

Long Xiruo instinctively wanted to comfort her, but before she could speak, a certain weight pressed against her face. The words she was about to say were instantly swallowed back.

Luo Qiu watched the scene with amusement, but Long Xiruo only felt the urge to dig a hole and hide.

Why had she, usually so composed, been feeling so irritable lately? Ever since losing her True Dragon Powers, her emotions had become more volatile.

This realization left Long Xiruo feeling lost. Or perhaps… she really was just an incomplete, artificially matured being?

After inheriting the True Dragon’s Legacy, she had gained vast amounts of ancient knowledge in an instant. The power transformed her into a higher-level lifeform, skipping multiple stages of growth, making her "grown-up" yet frozen at that point ever since.

"Did you encounter something terrifying?"

But Luo Qiu knew when to stop teasing. He seemed to sense Long Xiruo’s breaking point and shifted the conversation just in time.

Luo Pianxian finally released Long Xiruo and briefly recounted what happened after they got separated.

Though her explanation was simple, the tension on her face returned. She clenched her small fists tightly and widened her round eyes. "It was really scary! Red eyes! I thought I was going to be eaten!"

"That must be ‘Hope,’" Long Xiruo frowned, her expression serious. "That shadow… I’m afraid the seal isn’t just weakening—it has already been broken."

"Will it be a problem if it’s released?" Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

Long Xiruo snapped, "Of course it will. It still can’t fully control its power, and its intelligence is low. You saw it yourself, didn’t you? The mist has already warped space. If it spreads further, even governments won’t be able to cover it up. No matter how ignorant the world is, there’s a limit to how much they can be deceived. Do you know how much effort it took to rewrite history into what it is today?"

For centuries—perhaps even longer—the supernatural, the bizarre, and the unnatural had been buried in the past. Society had been shaped into what it was now, a world where science thrived. But all of that could be undone in an instant.

This wasn’t just the work of the Daoist World, the Demon World, or even the Divine Land’s supernatural forces. There had to be something greater, something capable of uniting all supernaturals under a common understanding.

Luo Qiu’s thoughts drifted to the mirrored world he had recently experienced.

Alaya?

But if what Long Xiruo said was true, and this event could disrupt history itself… then why hadn’t Alaya intervened?

Was it allowing this to happen? Or was this all part of a predetermined plan?

"Hey, are you even listening?" Long Xiruo frowned at Luo Qiu’s distracted expression.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." Luo Qiu refocused and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

If this was truly Alaya’s will—if history could be rewritten without opposition—then what would happen if he acted against it?

Would this be another chance to test the so-called Root Authority? Could he truly alter reality without consequence?

"Help me find the place where Hope was sealed," Long Xiruo gritted her teeth. "If the seal wasn’t forcibly broken but was instead undone due to Hope’s power growth, then it might still be repairable. If we can seal it again, things will be much simpler."

"Then let’s go." Luo Qiu nodded and waved his hand.

A gentle breeze swirled around him, clearing the mist and creating a path. "I heard it was a pool… so it should be this way."

Long Xiruo’s lips twitched in irritation. Why hadn’t he done this from the start?

"Because I just found a reason to," Luo Qiu blinked playfully.

…I swear, I want to punch him until his face swells like a pig’s head!!!

—

Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard, Mr. Blind and Daoist Baijie sat across from each other. As a senior, Daoist Baijie was supposed to be a guest, and Mr. Blind was his host.

"Time flies. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye," Daoist Baijie chuckled. "I thought I wouldn’t see you return for a hundred years, but you came back much sooner than expected."

Mr. Blind remained silent for a moment before saying flatly, "My senior brother left me a message, asking me to return."

"The 71st generation of Heavenly Heart?" Daoist Baijie’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Heavenly Heart is the title given to the sole successor of each generation of Plain-Clothed Dao, with the generation number appended after Heavenly Heart to distinguish different successors.

Strictly speaking, Lai Caisheng should also be referred to as "72nd generation of Heavenly Heart" or simply "72nd generation."

"But after arriving here, I can no longer calculate my senior brother's whereabouts," Mr. Blind sighed.

Daoist Baijie took a sip of freshly brewed tea and remained silent for a moment before asking, "What's with 72nd generation that brought you back?"

Mr. Blind also fell silent. After a long pause, he finally uttered two words: "Dragon Vein."

Daoist Baijie instantly half-opened his eyes and stared at Mr. Blind for a long time before speaking:

"In the past, Plain-Clothed Dao produced a genius as brilliant as a comet. Though he had not yet officially taken on the mantle of successor, in everyone's eyes, he was already the new '71st generation of Heavenly Heart.'

"But he was too arrogant, looking down on everything," Daoist Baijie said calmly. "Believing he had mastered all the essence of Plain-Clothed Dao, he became blindly ambitious. He attempted to harness the power of Mt. Tai's Spiritual Vein, aiming to connect with the origins of the Twelve Dragon Veins of Divine Land. He sought to use the world's fate to open the long-lost Gate of Penglai. However, at the final moment, he was unable to control the overwhelming power of the world's fate, resulting in an irreversible catastrophe.

"His master, the 70th Generation, sacrificed his own life to quell the disaster. After that, this proud disciple voluntarily exiled himself, renouncing his right to inherit the mantle of Plain-Clothed Dao…

"Years passed, and another disciple took on the heavy burden of Plain-Clothed Dao, becoming the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart and even nurturing an exceptionally talented successor. And now you tell me that 71st generation has started searching for the Dragon Vein again during the Penglai Grand Gathering? Was the lesson from back then still not enough?"

"I cannot calculate even a single trace of my senior brother," Mr. Blind took a deep breath. "I just spoke with Lai Caisheng, and from his words, he also seems unaware of 71st generation's whereabouts or intentions."

"Heh… that kid Lai," Daoist Baijie put down his teacup and rubbed his shoulders. "Plain-Clothed Dao sure is full of troublemakers. I can't even find time to die in peace."

"Qingxiaozi is a great sinner," Mr. Blind sighed. "Back then, The Daoist World spared my life, but I had no face to remain in Divine Land. I left for distant lands, avoiding all contact with the Daoist World. If not for my senior brother leaving me a message here, making me restless, Qingxiaozi would never have dared return to Croaching Dragon Estate, nor would he have had the face to meet Mr. Baijie."

"Did you mention this to Lai Caisheng?" Daoist Baijie suddenly asked.

Mr. Blind shook his head. "He did inquire about it, but I gave him vague answers. However, given his abilities, he has probably already started piecing things together. Eventually, he might be able to deduce the truth from scattered clues."

"You sure think highly of that Lai kid."

"He is indeed more talented than I was at his age," Mr. Blind sighed.

"Indeed," Daoist Baijie nodded. "So talented that he reminds me of the young Qingxiaozi… Hmm, I understand now. I will have people discreetly watch for 71st generation's movements. But if Plain-Clothed Dao really wants to hide someone, it won’t be easy to find them."

"I will fast and purify myself for the next two days. At the turning point of the year, I will try to glimpse a sliver of Heaven's Will…"

"That will be a great help," Daoist Baijie nodded.

---

Meanwhile…

A few small dishes and a bottle of Tsingtao beer sat on the table. The restaurant's temperature was well-controlled, allowing guests to remove their outerwear and sit comfortably in lighter clothing.

The small restaurant was lively and noisy, making Mo Mo wonder if she had misheard something just minutes ago. The white-haired girl calling herself Nero had directly explained to her some "rules" regarding transactions with the club.

Mo Mo had heard legends about this mysterious place from her master, Daoist Changhe—it had only appeared in Divine Land within the last century.

But even now, Mo Mo found it hard to associate this legendary, enigmatic place with the warm, welcoming little shop that the elders spoke of.

As Nero used her chopsticks to pick up a salted peanut and slowly chewed, she pushed a small box toward Mo Mo and opened it.

The moment it opened, a collection of small glowing orbs—resembling gemstones—emitted a dazzling light. Mo Mo instantly felt a chill run down her spine.

There was no doubt—these orbs, as beautiful as luminous pearls, were souls.

Though the box was small, it contained no fewer than thirty of them. If each orb represented a life…

"For us clients, this is a highly valuable currency," Nero chuckled.

"You…"

A shiver ran through Mo Mo.

The adorable, charming girl before her was, in reality, a cold-blooded killer who could take lives with a smile.

(End of Chapter)