Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1019: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (27)

Inside a room made entirely of metal, everything felt cold.

The floor, the air, the body.

How many were there? Thirty? Forty? Or even more… The room was filled with corpses.

They were young, probably between the ages of seven and eleven.

Only one remained.

The only one still standing… holding a silver fork meant for eating, with fresh blood dripping from it… The suffocating feeling was overwhelming.

Suddenly, a metallic door—one that seemed impossible to open—suddenly slid open, revealing an intense light.

Against the brightness, several tall figures appeared. The light stretched their shadows, making them look like demonic tentacles creeping into the room.

"So, you're the little brat who survived in this room… One hour and seven minutes. Just in time before the oxygen ran out. Not bad. You can proceed to the next room. The time limit will be shorter next round. Do your best to recover, or you might end up as a failure… just like the ones lying at your feet."

Clang—!The silver fork hit the ground.

…

…

Eyes snapped open, followed by a deep, greedy breath, as if trying to inhale all the oxygen in the world.

Alive.

…

When Nero woke up, the club’s lobby was still quiet.

She immediately sat up cross-legged and scanned her surroundings.

"Yo, beautiful Miss. And… righteous young man."

She casually greeted the maid, Miss, who was reading a book not far away. Naturally, Yōu Yè also nodded politely in response.

"Congratulations on waking up, Miss Nero," Yōu Yè said with a gentle smile as she walked over. "I’ve reattached your arm, and the nerves have been properly restored to their original state. There shouldn’t be any issues. But if you feel any discomfort, I can make further adjustments."

Nero pressed her palm against the shoulder where her arm had been severed. After rotating it twice, she grinned. "This is way better than what they do at the club. Feels completely natural. You really helped me out. I thought I’d have to eat with just one hand from now on."

The maid, Miss, smiled slightly and then handed Nero a box used for storing souls.

"The fees for your retreat and treatment have already been deducted," Miss said softly. "Of course, there’s still some left… Would you like me to recommend something of equal value?"

Nero shook the box lightly. "Damn, that was expensive… Only one left. But whatever, there should be plenty of places nearby to ‘earn’ more money."

"Then I wish you great fortune," Miss said with a faint smile.

"Of course." Nero returned the smile, then stretched her limbs as she stood up. "Ah, I’m a little hungry. Can I get a meal here? I really miss your cooking, beautiful Miss."

"If you don’t mind, please wait a moment," Miss nodded.

Serving guests was part of a maid’s duty, after all.

"No rush. I’ve got nowhere to be right now, and I’ve always been patient," Nero said lazily, stretching. "By the way, can I take a bath here? Since I only have one left, borrowing the bath should be fine, right?"

"What a generous guest," Yōu Yè said flatly. "But if it’s just a bath, that’s hardly worth it… How about this? Consider it a complimentary bonus for this transaction."

"Awesome!" Nero immediately stood up.

But then—

"Why…?"

Mo Mo's voice.

The sound made both Nero and Yōu Yè turn to look at him. He had remained in place all this time. Was he waiting for Nero to wake up? Or was he waiting for something else? Even he couldn’t tell.

He couldn’t figure out why he had stayed… He simply hadn’t been driven away by Miss. But… why?

"Mr. Mo Mo, is something wrong?" Yōu Yè asked softly. "Oh, your tea has gone cold. My apologies, I’ll replace it immediately."

"No!!"

Mo Mo averted his gaze slightly, his hands clenching tightly. Even though he had witnessed the terrifying power of this beautiful maid, even though his heart was filled with fear, he still couldn’t hold back. "Why can you talk about these things so casually? Is… is this really just ‘currency’ to you?"

Yōu Yè touched her cheek and tilted her head slightly, following Mo Mo’s gaze to the box on the table. "Mr. Mo Mo, you’re referring to souls?"

Mo Mo silently nodded.

Yōu Yè said, "But didn’t I already explain the rules of this place to you last time?"

"I know!"

Mo Mo's voice grew agitated. "But I still can’t believe it! Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still can’t believe it! Why… why would your master run a shop like this?! Why… why would someone as kind-hearted as him—why would someone as noble as you—engage in such cruel things?!"

"We truly appreciate the compliment, Mr. Mo Mo," Miss said softly. "It’s always a pleasure to hear praise for my master. But… what you see is the reality of this shop. There is no deception. Anyone who comes here, as long as they pay the price, can get what they desire. We trade in all valuable things, and the most commonly used currency has always been… souls."

"You… your master… why is he collecting souls?" Mo Mo suddenly felt cold.

Even though the shop was much warmer than the freezing weather outside, the chill spread from deep within his heart.

"I’m afraid that’s classified information, and I cannot answer your question," Miss replied calmly. "Of course, if Mr. Mo Mo truly wishes to know, you may offer something of equal value in exchange."

"Oh! I want to know! Here, take it!" Nero cheerfully opened the box containing the soul.

"Nero Miss, you’re being naughty," Miss said with a bright smile.

"Such a scary look in your eyes." Nero shrank back and obediently closed the box.

At that moment, the sound of a bell rang from the lobby entrance—not from a new customer entering, but from Mo Mo dashing out with his head down.

Yōu Yè glanced at him indifferently.

"Righteous young man, aren’t you going to stay and celebrate my survival with a meal? Hey—"

Nero called out twice, then shrugged at Yōu Yè. "Looks like he really left… But honestly, beautiful Miss, weren’t you a bit harsh?"

"There was no need for deception," Yōu Yè said softly. "This gentleman had a misunderstanding. It’s better to correct it sooner rather than later."

"I’m off to take my bath." Nero yawned and stood up.

"Enjoy," Yōu Yè said, bowing elegantly.

…

…

Mo Mo didn’t even know why he had rushed out like that.

With his head down, he ran through the streets, feeling like a deserter.

He sprinted several blocks, but with the endurance of a cultivator, the exertion only made his body slightly warm. The cold wind of the winter night felt like a refreshing breeze.

Mo Mo exhaled, his breath visible in the air. The street wasn’t empty.

This place… it was where Nero had fought those two powerful martial artists.

The dense fog had dispersed, but the street was now cordoned off. Police tape blocked both ends, and uniformed officers were on duty, keeping watch.

Reporters attempted to get closer but were stopped by the police. Nearby residents had also stepped outside.

Mo Mo listened to the chatter.

The public only knew that a family of three had died in a car accident. But looking at the crash site, he saw a large black tent covering the wreckage, concealing the extent of the damage.

At the same time, Mo Mo noticed two men who stood out from the regular officers.

From them, he sensed something familiar.

They wore small badges… similar to the one Captain Ling Feng of the Management Bureau had.

"The Management Bureau… they’re involved in this?"

Mo Mo observed for a while before quietly slipping away from the crowd.

He had heard his master, Daoist Changhe, mention that the Management Bureau not only handled matters between the Daoist and Demon worlds but also often played the role of a cleanup department. For example, they dealt with rampaging demons that caused destruction in society or captured Daoists who had fallen into the demonic path and engaged in wanton slaughter.

Would this matter eventually lead back to his senior...? Mo Mo subconsciously wondered.

But he quickly slapped his own cheeks and mocked himself, “At this point, why am I still thinking about him...?”

…

Those who had initially fallen unconscious in the thick fog had gradually woken up. Whatever happened afterward was no longer Mo Mo’s concern.

After all, with the Management Bureau, backed by the nation, there would always be a way to handle things, right?

Qingdao Beer.

He had bought it on the way back... Mo Mo rarely drank.

Now, he was back in an empty room at another inn where he had arranged for Zhan’er to stay. Sitting in the corner of the room, he was surrounded by several empty beer cans.

“We’ll leave tomorrow… I really don’t know when you’ll finally wake up.” Mo Mo looked at Zhan’er, who was lying on the bed, his eyelids heavy with drowsiness. “Sometimes, I really envy you. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

Sleepiness crept in.

Suddenly, a noise startled Mo Mo awake—it was the sound of the wind outside knocking an empty can against the bed frame.

He opened his eyes in a daze but quickly sobered up completely.

Because in the moonlight, he saw a long shadow stretching across the floor.

Mo Mo abruptly turned toward the glass sliding door leading to the balcony.

Under the faint glow of the night, a figure stood there.

“It’s you!” Mo Mo’s intoxication vanished in an instant.

The person who had suddenly appeared was none other than the mysterious individual wearing a bronze mask—the same one he had encountered beneath the ancient well in the Song Family Ancestral Mansion!

Just like before, the figure stood with hands behind their back, still wearing the archaic bronze mask.

Mo Mo immediately reached for the black wooden sword beside him, cursing himself for his lack of vigilance while growing tense—how had this mysterious person found him twice?

However, just as Mo Mo’s fingers were about to grasp the wooden sword, the masked figure flicked their fingers, sending a gust of energy that instantly knocked the sword away.

Shocked and furious, Mo Mo barely had time to react before the mysterious person moved again. Their fingers held a yellow talisman, which they flicked toward him.

The talisman transformed into golden light, binding Mo Mo tightly like a rope—he fell to the ground, completely restrained.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but right now, you look like a stray dog.”

The bronze-masked figure stepped into the room, approaching Zhan’er, who lay on the bed.

“Stop! What do you want?!”

“I’m just taking back something that belongs to me.” The masked figure said calmly. “You thought obtaining the Edict was his fated opportunity. But to me, it doesn’t matter who has it… as long as it’s successfully brought out.”

“Who are you? What’s your goal?!”

Still struggling, Mo Mo tried to channel all his spiritual energy to break free from the golden bindings—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t.

The mysterious figure turned to look at him. “You’re talented. You have potential for much greater things… but this world has restrained you. Soon… very soon, you’ll see an era more suited to you.”

“What?” Mo Mo was stunned.

In fact, whether it was beneath the ancient well or now, Mo Mo had never felt a single trace of killing intent from this person.

If they had wanted to kill him, they wouldn’t have waited for him to notice them—they could have struck first. Instead, they had only bound him.

“The one I’m wary of doesn’t seem to be here.” The masked figure muttered. “So this time… no one is stopping me? I suppose I avoided a disaster.”

Although Mo Mo couldn’t break free, he suddenly charged forward, using the simplest and most direct method to attack.

“Something must have really upset you today.” The masked figure remained indifferent. “But you shouldn’t take it out on others.”

They struck Mo Mo’s chest with a palm, sending him crashing into the wall.

Mo Mo coughed up blood before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

“The preparations are almost complete… just one more thing…”

The masked figure murmured, then grabbed both Mo Mo and Zhan’er before leaping from the balcony into the night.

(End of Chapter)