Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1022: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (30)

"Bring me the power bank."

"Oh… oh, okay!"

Windchaser quickly rummaged through his backpack to find the requested item and handed it over to Brother Mo Xiaofei with both hands. The slight delay in his reaction was due to his overwhelming curiosity about the surrounding environment.

They were inside a strange passage.

After plugging in the power bank, ‘Mo Xiaofei’ continued staring at the screen projected from the small box confiscated from Yun Hui—he hadn't taken his eyes off it since acquiring it.

Because he had never turned it off, the battery drained particularly fast. (Mainly because Yun Hui was no longer around, and once it shut down, restarting it would be nearly impossible.)

This place was called "Emperor’s Cave Mansion."

It was said that the Daoist Association discovered it not long ago and later collaborated with the Demon Association to develop it. However, during the excavation, an unknown individual managed to obtain the most valuable treasure hidden inside.

Although Windchaser had no idea why Brother Mo Xiaofei wanted to come here on New Year's Eve, he found it rather exciting.

Spending the night outside seeking adventure instead of resting—this was something Windchaser often did himself!Moreover, before entering, they had casually taken down a few guards stationed outside the Emperor’s Cave Mansion.

However, as they delved deeper, Windchaser became more and more curious. Brother Mo Xiaofei seemed… unusually familiar with this place.

For instance, just a few minutes ago, as they passed through a corridor, Windchaser’s curiosity led him to touch some strange carvings on the stone walls, only to be sternly stopped. Mo Xiaofei even demonstrated why—those carvings were part of a highly dangerous trap.

The moment he touched them, sharp arrows shot out from the walls.

It was said that these arrows were coated with a special poison. Even skilled martial artists or powerful demons would have a hard time if they were struck.

Most of the traps in this place were laced with lethal toxins crafted by alchemists.

But… wasn’t this Mo Xiaofei’s first time here? How did he know all of this?

Did he get the information from the stolen box Yun Hui had?

Windchaser held back his questions, as Mo Xiaofei had been acting particularly serious since they entered.

"Brother, there's a sound ahead," Windchaser’s ears picked up faint noises, and he quickly alerted Mo Xiaofei.

‘Mo Xiaofei’ frowned, glanced at Windchaser, and then whispered, "Let’s go check it out."

---

The Emperor’s Cave Mansion was massive—so vast that one would never expect such an enormous structure to be hidden within the mountain.

Inside one of its spacious stone chambers, two men in their thirties were conversing.

"No luck, nothing at all," one of them sighed. "We finally got our turn, but we probably won’t even get the scraps. Let’s face it, we’re just small fry. If there were any valuable treasures left, the big shots would’ve taken them long ago."

The other man replied helplessly, "Yeah, if there was still anything worthwhile, it wouldn’t be our turn to find it. Looks like coming here on New Year’s Eve was a waste. I should've just gone to the joint banquet hosted by the two associations. I heard the Vermilion Bird Clan’s female demons are breathtakingly beautiful!"

"Shameless! How can one achieve immortality with such impure thoughts?" the first man scolded.

The second man scoffed, "What’s wrong with balancing yin and yang? Besides, the inner cores of the Demon Clan are supreme treasures. If a demon genuinely dedicates herself to a cultivator, his powers would skyrocket. Isn’t your cave mansion already home to a few female demons who provide you with spiritual energy every day? Strengthening yourself means gaining more influence in the Daoist Association. That’s way better than wasting time in this dead-end place… Who’s there?!"

Both men suddenly tensed up.

Though they called themselves "small fry," the fact that they had been granted access to the cave under the joint supervision of both associations meant they were still quite powerful.

One of them swiftly waved his hand, releasing a crescent-shaped ripple that expanded through the chamber.

As the ripple spread, it slowed down slightly in one particular area before continuing outward.

At that moment, a figure began to emerge from the concealed spot.

It was a small-framed individual wearing a black, open-front robe. A white, featureless mask covered their face.

Their sudden appearance put the two Daoists on high alert.

"Who are you? Only the two of us were authorized to enter today! Did you sneak in?"

The masked figure’s voice was deep and raspy, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female. They let out a cold chuckle.

"The Daoist World today is truly filled with all sorts of scum… Talking so openly about harvesting Demon Cores—if word got out, your reputations would be ruined."

The first Daoist sneered, "Survival of the fittest. Cultivation is about seizing the world’s resources and spiritual energy. If demons are weak, then why shouldn’t we use them to enhance our strength? On the other hand, you, hiding your face and sneaking into the cave—are you any better than us?"

"There are still righteous people among Daoists," the masked figure said coldly. "But scum like you will only bring disaster. Instead of waiting… I’ll deal with you now!"

"Such arrogance!" one Daoist snorted.

He formed a hand seal, then took a deep breath—his chest expanded before he exhaled a massive jet of fire, blasting toward the intruder.

However, the masked figure moved with inhuman speed, easily dodging the flames.

The fire-breathing Daoist adjusted his head’s position, directing the flames to chase the target.

But the intruder effortlessly ran along the walls—ignoring gravity entirely—and even sprinted across the ceiling as if it were solid ground.

The entire sequence happened in a flash.

"Watch out!"

The masked figure somersaulted through the air, aiming a powerful kick at the fire-breathing Daoist.

However, his companion reacted quickly, pushing him out of the way just in time.

Instead, the kick struck the stone floor, shattering it.

Both Daoists were startled—if that blow had landed, it would’ve been fatal!

"You ruthless fiend!" the fire-breathing Daoist snarled.

The intruder smirked. "Like your fire attack was any gentler?"

"Die!" the other Daoist shouted. He pressed both hands against the ground and roared, "Earth Spell—Piercing Spikes!"

Jagged spikes of stone shot up from beneath the intruder, converging toward them.

But once again, the masked figure easily dodged.

"Ah… Five Elements Sect scum. I won’t waste my time on you."

The masked figure landed gracefully.

Just as the Daoists prepared another attack, shadows suddenly extended from beneath the intruder’s feet—these tendrils of darkness rapidly coiled around the two Daoists.

Before they could react, the shadows bound them tightly.

"What is this?!"

The masked figure smirked. "Time to meet your ancestors."

The shadows tightened instantly.

Crack!

Their necks snapped simultaneously.

The two Daoists collapsed, lifeless.

The masked figure let out a soft snort, then pulled out a rolled-up beast hide. Under the dim firelight, they examined it closely.

Muttering to oneself, they said, "The entrance should be… Hmm?"

Suddenly, its heightened senses picked up a presence nearby—someone was watching.

From beneath its legs, black shadows shot out at high speed, racing directly toward the entrance of the stone chamber!

At that moment, two young men appeared at the entrance.

One stood with his hands behind his back, completely fearless. The other carried a large mountaineering backpack and looked utterly confused, reacting sluggishly.

As the shadow slithered across the ground toward them, the boy with his hands behind his back remained indifferent, merely letting out a disdainful scoff.

"Who are you?"

To his surprise, however, the masked intruder in the white, mouthless mask suddenly halted the attack just before the shadows reached them. In an instant, the shadows swiftly retreated to the intruder’s feet.

"Oh?" The boy with his hands behind his back—Mo Xiaofei—glanced at him with mild surprise and said flatly, "Why did you suddenly stop attacking?"

The intruder replied calmly, "I simply despise the degenerates of the cultivation world. I do not kill indiscriminately… I have no quarrel with you. Before I understand the situation, why would I make an unnecessary enemy? So then, why are you here?"

"This is my domain. Why wouldn’t I, 'Guaren', be here?" Mo Xiaofei replied coldly with words that shocked both sides.

Both Windchaser and the intruder stared at Mo Xiaofei in astonishment.

"You’re calling yourself ‘Guaren’?" The intruder seemed momentarily taken aback. Though their face was hidden behind the mask, their tone revealed clear disbelief.

"Big Brother’s illness is acting up again…" Windchaser muttered under his breath, rubbing his forehead in mild exasperation.

The intruder suddenly chuckled. "Experts from the Daoist Association have confirmed that this is a hidden cave mansion of the Eastern Yue Emperor of Mount Tai. Yet you claim this place is yours… Are you saying that you’re the Eastern Yue Emperor himself?"

Mo Xiaofei sneered. "Daoist Association experts? Eastern Yue Emperor’s cave mansion? Such ridiculous claims, and yet people actually believe them?"

"What do you mean by that?" The intruder’s voice grew deeper.

Before they could continue, Windchaser suddenly vanished in a blur and reappeared right in front of the intruder. The sheer speed of his movement left the intruder visibly startled. Instinctively, they retreated several steps, immediately taking a defensive stance.

"I don’t mean any harm!" Windchaser raised both hands clumsily in an attempt to appear non-threatening.

The intruder remained wary despite Windchaser’s words.

Windchaser lowered his voice and said, "Don’t mind him. My big brother’s brain hasn’t been quite right lately!"

Hmm…

The intruder stayed silent, still on guard.

Windchaser then murmured, "By the way… have we met before? You seem really familiar… like I’ve seen you somewhere before."

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside, along with voices—likely a patrol unit within the cave mansion.

Mo Xiaofei and Windchaser had knocked out the guards at the entrance, but they weren’t sure how many more people were inside. The now-dead Daoists and this masked intruder were already unexpected encounters.

"This isn’t a place for you. If you have no business here, you’d better leave."

The voice carried a tone of warning.

When Windchaser turned back, the masked intruder had already disappeared without a trace.

"I swear I’ve seen them somewhere before…" Windchaser muttered, deep in thought, that sense of familiarity nagging at him.

Meanwhile, Mo Xiaofei had already walked forward. To Windchaser’s great surprise, Mo Xiaofei headed straight toward a solid stone wall inside the chamber—without any intention of stopping!

"Big Brother…!"

Just as Windchaser was about to say something, Mo Xiaofei lightly waved his hand.

A miraculous scene unfolded—the thick stone wall split down the middle and slowly retracted to both sides.

Without a word, Mo Xiaofei stepped inside.

"Big Brother, wait for me!" Windchaser hurried after him, pushing aside his thoughts about the mysterious intruder.

Still… if Big Brother says this place is his, could it be true?

—

—

Emmmmmm…

Song Da and Song San both wore identical expressions.

The location they had reached was something Song San had learned about by currying favor with a Daoist from the Crouching Dragon Estate—it was supposedly the entrance to the legendary cave mansion.

However, the reality in front of them was completely different from what they had imagined—it was nothing more than an unremarkable, broken-down cave entrance.

Even more peculiar, four men in different Daoist robes lay unconscious near the entrance. They weren’t dead, just knocked out.

"Hmm… Looks like they were knocked out by someone. I’m not sure what happened, but… should we loot their gear first?" Song San suddenly suggested.

"Alright!" Song Da was already on the move.

(End of Chapter)

"Guaren" (寡人) is a term historically used by Chinese emperors or rulers to refer to themselves. It literally means "a lonely person" or "the solitary one," but in ancient times, it was a humble way for monarchs to address themselves, implying that they bore the heavy responsibility of ruling alone.

So when Mo Xiaofei calls himself "Guaren" (寡人), it suggests that he is speaking as if he were an emperor or ruler.