Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1024: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (32)

The Penglai Grand Gathering is a major event held once every ten years between the Daoist World and the Demon World.

Each time it occurs, the gathering is never short on attendees from both realms, with each representative being among the elites of their respective origins or sects.

Phrases like "a gathering of elites" or "half of the extraordinary beings of Divine Land are present" are no exaggeration.

In comparison, the annual New Year's Eve celebration seems much more ordinary. However, as one of the most significant days of the year, this time, a Daoist and Demon joint gala, spearheaded by the Management Bureau, was still held with much grandeur.

Of course, the Management Bureau taking the lead in hosting such a party also has the meaning of easing the tense relationship between the Daoist and Demon factions in recent days - after all, there is the agreement signed by the leader of both realms after the establishment of the new country..

That agreement held a mysterious and compelling force, and breaking it carelessly could have severe consequences. However, even among this gathering of extraordinary beings, only a select few knew the full details of the repercussions.

At the banquet, the Management Bureau was arranging an extravagant series of performances for the guests from both realms. Naturally, for such superhuman beings, ordinary human performances would seem dull, so every part of the show featured "non-human" performers.

It was likely that this event had been planned long in advance; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been executed so flawlessly on short notice.

Yet, despite all the efforts, the atmosphere remained rather cold.

---In a private room, several key members of the Management Bureau looked troubled. Among them was Captain Ling Feng, responsible for the Croaching Dragon Estate security project—the other people present were all division captains of the Bureau.

“He really isn’t coming… Dragon Consultant.”

Ling Feng shook his head with a bitter smile.

Although they had mentally prepared for this outcome, the highest-ranking advisor of the Bureau outright refusing to attend was still disheartening.

Of course, they had extended an invitation to Long Xiruo, but their true intentions must have been clear from the start. So, the True Dragon of Divine Land choosing not to show up wasn’t unexpected.

Feeling restless, Ling Feng lit a cigarette—this gathering of captains wasn’t for card games or Jin Hua; they were here because of an unexpected incident.

Just over two hours ago, a suspected supernatural battle had erupted in a small town at the foot of Mt. Tai.

According to the Management Bureau’s field agents, the fight did not last long, and the casualties were not high—but there were still three deaths, a family of three.

For the Management Bureau, incidents involving rogue Daoists or rampaging Demons often result in far higher casualties. However, for the general public, such a tragedy on an important holiday night was a serious matter.

Emergency measures had already been initiated, and higher-ups issued strict orders to erase all traces of the incident.

However, because a major national gala was being broadcast live from the capital tonight, along with the New Year’s address scheduled for tomorrow, many Bureau personnel had been reassigned to protect key government figures, leaving the Mt. Tai division short on manpower.

"Just cover it up as a car accident for now. Have the local propaganda department take control of the media. And make those lazy bureaucrats cancel their holiday leave!"

A female captain spoke with authority.

“That’s not our main concern right now,” another captain said. “What we need to do is identify the parties involved in the battle.”

“The Kunpeng Manor doesn’t have any records of Demon clan movements tonight.”

Ling Feng frowned, adding, “Croaching Dragon Estate also has no suspicious activity.”

“So, they’re unregistered entities?”

“Unknown origins, unknown motives. But one thing is clear—at least one side was rational.”

Ling Feng mused, “Reports indicate that a thick fog suddenly appeared, causing many people to lose consciousness. We’ve covered it up as a chemical accident, but many residents have rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night, causing traffic chaos in town… Ugh, what a mess!”

By now, Ling Feng was sprawled out on the sofa, cigarette in mouth, scratching his head in frustration.

“If they used fog to obscure the battle, it means they were at least aware of the Daoist Association’s regulations and avoided exposing themselves to the public—a sign of restraint. Or… perhaps, they simply don’t kill indiscriminately.”

The female captain frowned, “Does that mean there’s a chance for rational negotiation?”

“Could this be related to the recent mysterious disappearances from both the Daoist World and Demon World?” another captain, wearing glasses, suddenly asked.

Ling Feng turned to him, “How many missing people have been recorded so far?”

The four-eyed captain adjusted his glasses, replying:

“The Daoist Association has officially reported 187 missing members, while the Kunpeng Manor has 217 missing Demons.”

“There’s that many?”

Ling Feng sat up abruptly, shocked.

“This didn’t just start happening recently, did it?”

The four-eyed captain nodded seriously, “No. Officially, the disappearances were only noticed recently… But in reality, they probably began two months ago.”

“Two months ago… when the first wave of Grand Gathering attendees arrived?”

The female captain was stunned.

“Why are we only discovering this now?”

The four-eyed captain explained:

“For one, Daoists and Demons are notoriously hard to manage—many disappear for months due to closed-door training. Also, until the Mo Mo incident, neither side thought to conduct a headcount.

Additionally, some of these cases are likely linked to Edict-related conflicts—internal feuds resulting in unreported deaths. So, we can’t be sure which cases are actual disappearances and which are due to infighting.”

"Didn't we find a White Tiger clan corpse yesterday?"

Ling Feng looked at the Kunpeng Manor captain.

“Yes, the identity has been confirmed—it was a follower of Huang Baifu.”

The captain sighed, adding:

"You know what Huang Baifu is like. If we don’t provide answers, he might march into the capital and tear down our headquarters."

“But I don’t think the killer is directly connected to the disappearance cases.”

The female captain was puzzled.

“Why?”

The four-eyed captain answered:

“It’s simple. Until now, all the missing people completely vanished, leaving no trace or corpses.

But this time, a body was left behind.”

“Maybe they didn’t have time to dispose of it?”

Ling Feng frowned.

The four-eyed captain shook his head.

“With so many disappearances, not once did they ‘run out of time’ before.

If this is part of a larger conspiracy, then leaving a corpse behind would be a reckless mistake.”

---

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

A young man entered, carrying a tray with several glasses of water, and placed them in front of the captains.

Ling Feng took a sip and casually asked,

“What’s the situation outside?”

The young man, keeping his head down, replied:

“Not great. Both sides are blaming each other for the Edict incident and the recent disappearances.

But since the big names from both associations are present, they’re barely keeping things under control…

For now, it’s still just verbal sparring.”

"Understood." Captain Ling Feng shook his head, then waved his hand and said, "Go back and keep watching. If anything happens, report it immediately."

"Alright." The young man nodded, then turned and left.

However, just as he turned to leave, Captain Ling Feng suddenly spit out the water he had just drunk back into the cup.

At the same time, the female captain and the captain in charge of Kunpeng Manor sprang into action.

Their speed was incredibly fast!

The female captain produced a short sword about the length of her forearm as if by magic. In a flash, she reversed her grip and pressed the blade against the young man's throat from behind.

Meanwhile, the Kunpeng Manor captain had already moved to the young man's other side, raising a strange black handgun and pressing it against his head.

Both of them spoke in unison, "Don't move."

These captains were not ordinary people. In fact, ordinary people—even highly trained special forces operatives—could never hold the position of a Management Bureau captain. After all, the Bureau's subordinates were recruited from various sects and demon clans.

This arrangement worked both ways—meaning the state also sent personnel to these sects and demon clans for training.

The captains were elites who had returned after rigorous training in different places.

At this moment, the young man, now held at gunpoint and at swordpoint, showed no fear. He simply stopped moving.

Captain Ling Feng stood up and coldly snorted, "Who are you, and what are you doing here? You’d better confess, or else…"

"I'm more curious about how you figured me out," the young man said slowly, turning around without the slightest concern for the weapons pointed at him.

He had a very ordinary face—one that would easily blend into a crowd. The young man smiled slightly. "Did I give myself away somehow?"

"It was simple. I asked for a Coke." Ling Feng sneered. "And the others each asked for different drinks. We told you to bring back something to drink—not just plain water. If you were really him, you would’ve known exactly what we wanted."

"That’s all it took?" The young man was slightly stunned. Then he sighed in resignation. "Honestly, I’d rather not resort to violence."

"Only if you actually have the ability to fight back!" The female captain sneered and pressed the short sword against his neck with a little more force.

The blade was incredibly sharp. With just that slight pressure, it already cut into the young man’s skin.

But he remained completely still. He only lowered his head and exhaled slowly.

"Answer the question. Don't waste our time." Captain Ling Feng stepped forward.

In that instant, his expression changed drastically.

Right before his eyes, the young man’s body suddenly split open. From the gaping wounds, his flesh expanded and swelled grotesquely—like a violent chemical reaction, bubbling and spilling out in torrents onto Ling Feng!

"What the hell is this?!" Captain Ling Feng screamed, thrashing wildly as he struggled to shake off the grotesque mass.

At the same time, the two captains restraining the young man also panicked and attacked—but the bespectacled captain, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly clutched his own throat in agony, as if being strangled by an invisible force.

"Monster, get away!!"

"Don't come any closer… Damn it!! Somebody help!"

"Requesting backup! Backup immediately!! It's the Blood Demon Rebirth!!"

These were enemies they had faced before—among the most terrifying and powerful foes they'd ever encountered.

But in reality, the situation in the room was eerily strange.

Because the young man hadn't moved at all.

Yet all four captains were suddenly acting as if they were under attack.

One by one, they collapsed, unconscious.

The young man glanced around the room and muttered, "In the end, they’re just hastily trained. Their mental fortitude is still their greatest weakness."

Then, he walked over to the table where the captains had been discussing matters and picked up the files, flipping through them.

As he did, a faint mist drifted away from his body.

Gradually, his appearance changed—returning to its true form.

A white robe. A cold, ethereal face.

Like an immortal goddess from the moon.

It was Qin Chuyu.

"So many have gone missing… What is really behind this?" She lowered her head in thought, murmuring to herself. "Five hundred years... and after waking up this time, am I still doomed to fail... Master?"

---

Even though the performers on stage were giving it their all—delivering a show far more impressive than the one being broadcast in the capital—the audience’s minds were clearly elsewhere.

Lai Caisheng, the third-in-command of the Daoist Association, was young but had already won the trust of many since assuming his position. He had effectively erased the lingering influence of the once-infamous Plain-Clothed Daoist Qingxiaozi. A true genius of the Daoist world.

However, at this moment, he remained silent, watching as members of both sides engaged in verbal sparring at the banquet.

If nothing was done, this war of words would undoubtedly escalate into physical combat. After all, demons didn’t care for the Daoist philosophy of peace and non-interference.

"What are the president and Martial Uncle up to right now?"

Lai Caisheng’s fingers, hidden beneath the table, slowly moved as he began calculating.

Moments later, Miss Gong hurried to his side and whispered in his ear, "Gongsun Shiyu has returned… Something seems to have happened."

Lai Caisheng nodded and calmly stood up, smiling. "Pardon me, everyone. I need to take care of something. I’ll be back shortly."

(End of Chapter)