Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1034: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (42)

Like a general’s daughter suddenly leading the charge, Zhang Qianrui, fully prepared, donned the gear that Mr. Ah Qi had prepared for her, looking strikingly sharp.

Her outfit was primarily black and brown, complemented by knee-high boots that accentuated her long, straight legs. Instead of a bulky down jacket, she wore a sleek leather coat, giving her a crisp and agile appearance.

For the descendants of the Li family, tomb raiding was an ancient family tradition that Zhang Lilanfang’s lineage strictly upheld. Despite her deep love for her granddaughter, the old lady had no intention of making an exception to this rule.

However, throwing the young Miss into such a large-scale tomb-raiding mission with no prior experience seemed overly harsh. Still, knowing the Old Madam’s ways, Ah Qi refrained from questioning it.

“Miss, once we enter tonight, no matter what happens, you must stay by my side.” Mr. Ah Qi spoke solemnly. “Remember: look less, touch less, ask less. No matter how many questions you have, keep them to yourself and wait until we leave.”

Zhang Qianrui nodded seriously, then slid a tactical knife into the sheath beneath her vest, adding to her commanding presence.

At 6:30 PM, the group arrived at the designated meeting point.

Mu Xianghua and the Suzuki father and son had yet to arrive, while the personnel arranged by the Song family were expected in another fifteen minutes.

The Song family had mobilized 150 men for this operation. Initially, nearly 300 were gathered from the village, but some were tasked with ensuring Song Tianyou’s safe return to the country.

While only a dozen bodyguards resided in the Song family’s ancestral mansion, the actual security presence outside the Song family village was far greater. Otherwise, Uncle Wu, who remained in the village, wouldn’t have had supplies immediately sent whenever needed—it was clear that the Song family had an extensive support network behind them.Mr. Ah Qi had brought only 30 men, but they were all members of the Li family, inheriting centuries of expertise and techniques in tomb raiding, making them the elite of the profession.

Of course, when it came to military-grade weaponry, the Song family had a clear advantage—after all, they operated in South America, a land rife with warlords, drug lords, and political instability.

“Nervous?” Song Haoran glanced at Luo Qiu and chuckled. “You’re unusually quiet.”

On the other side, Mr. Ah Qi was repeatedly cautioning his young Miss, while Song Haoran, having traveled in the same vehicle, seemed inclined to do the same.

Naturally, Luo Qiu wasn’t much of a talker to begin with… But this kind of operation was likely his first. Even if the files indicated that Luo Qiu had a police background, it would be impossible for him to remain entirely unfazed.

Song Haoran could only assume Luo Qiu’s silence was an attempt at maintaining composure.

Luo Qiu, however, shook his head. “No, I was just thinking about something.”

“Oh?” Song Haoran raised an eyebrow.

Luo Qiu said, “If I hadn’t come to the Song family, your family might not have returned at this time, and this operation wouldn’t be happening now.”

Song Haoran shrugged. “That’s not necessarily true. The old man has a long history of cooperation with the Li family. They were already discussing this deal before you came along. As for involving us… Well, yeah, if my dad hadn’t decided to return, the Old Madam probably wouldn’t have thought of calling on us for support. But honestly, even if it wasn’t us, the Li family would’ve found another partner or simply sent more of their own people. Either way, this expedition was bound to happen—with or without you. The only question was whether we’d be involved.”

Luo Qiu glanced at Song Haoran.

Song Haoran chuckled. “The chain of cause and effect is mysterious. But there’s a saying—whether you exist or not, the Earth will keep spinning just the same.”

Luo Qiu merely smiled without replying.

At that moment, the sound of approaching vehicles filled the air. Before long, several large buses pulled up along the mountain road, and groups of rugged-looking men stepped out, each carrying large bags.

These were warriors trained in the Song family’s South American stronghold.

Seeing these burly men—exuding a brutal, blood-stained aura—swiftly forming orderly ranks, Mr. Ah Qi, watching from a distance, couldn’t help but sigh. “No wonder the Song family can hold their ground in the chaotic South America… Money alone isn’t enough. You need real strength to protect yourself.”

Zhang Qianrui’s family wasn’t lacking in power—they were the result of the Zhang family merging with the ancient Li family. However, even Zhang Lilanfang would struggle to assemble such a force within China. Without military backing, who would dare to raise a private army?

The Zhang family’s strength lay more in financial influence and government connections.

As Song Haoran finished checking his group’s numbers, another contingent approached.

There were about 70 or 80 of them—not a small number—but compared to the battle-hardened mercenaries of the Song family, they seemed much more casual. Though they stood in formation, their lack of discipline was apparent… like a ragtag militia.

Considering that these were members of the Suzuki-kai, a yakuza organization, it wasn’t surprising that they lacked the training of professional mercenaries.

Still, if this group were gathered in their own turf, they’d likely be just as intimidating. After all, every one of them had an aggressive look, with distinct, hardened features.

Mu Xianghua led the way, with the Suzuki father and son following behind him.

The crowd turned to observe the newcomers.

Luo Qiu also looked over, and when his eyes fell on the Suzuki father and son, he blinked in recognition.

Ah… It really was these two.

He had noticed something strange about Zhang Qianrui earlier that afternoon, which had felt oddly familiar.

The last time he had seen these two, wasn’t it in Yan Wuyue’s fragment world?

How did these two end up crossing paths with him again…?

...

“Miss Zhang, Mr. Ah Qi!”

Mu Xianghua, acting as both the liaison and initiator of this tomb-raiding expedition, greeted them warmly. But upon seeing the 150 men standing in formation, he felt his heart tremble slightly.

If a conflict broke out, he had no doubt that the Suzuki-kai men would be completely overwhelmed by these 150 intimidating fighters—who looked more like a private army than hired help.

What exactly was Miss Zhang thinking?

“Mr. Mu, right on time.”

Mr. Ah Qi handled the conversation, while Zhang Qianrui simply nodded at Mu Xianghua. Her main role was to observe and learn, rather than take charge. She was here as the Zhang family’s representative, only offering input when necessary.

She understood well—outsiders shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of experts.

“The head and young master of the Suzuki family don’t look too well-rested,” Mr. Ah Qi casually remarked, glancing at the father and son behind Mu Xianghua. “Jet lag, perhaps?”

“Haha, nothing serious,” Mu Xianghua replied with a forced smile.

He was puzzled himself—these two had looked fine at noon, but when it was time to depart in the afternoon, Suzuki Chunxin appeared pale, while Suzuki Yuichi didn’t look much better. What had they been up to in their room all this time?

It almost seemed like they had drained their energy…

Some father-son bonding?

“Well then, shall we begin?” Mr. Ah Qi suggested.

Tomb raiding required extensive preparation, especially for a first-time exploration.

Ancient tombs, sealed for centuries, could have little to no oxygen. Before entering, they needed to allow airflow, check air quality, and detect any potential toxins.

High-tech equipment would be essential for this.

Mr. Ah Qi had already prepared the necessary tools—after all, this was the modern era, and technology was advancing rapidly. Naturally, they wouldn’t rely on ancient methods like lighting candles or using black donkey hooves.

However, Mr. Ah Qi still habitually spun his family’s inherited compass a few times. Whether it actually worked or not, only he knew.

For this collaboration, the tomb map was in Mu Xianghua’s hands, and he had no intention of revealing it before the official operation. The portion previously shared with the Li family was only a partial copy, not the complete map.

Song Haoran quickly had a temporary tent set up, and the group entered to study the full map.

Meanwhile, for some reason, the Suzuki father and son did not join the discussion. Instead, they sat under a tree, surrounded by Suzuki-kai members, as if on guard against something. Only one high-ranking Suzuki-kai member accompanied Mu Xianghua inside.

Inside the tent, the lighting cast large shadows of the people within. Not far away, the Suzuki father and son quietly watched the tent, their thoughts unknown.

“Ba Qi, see anything?”

“Strange… aside from Miss Zhang’s strong spiritual presence, none of the others seem capable of eliminating my soul power…”

“Even you can’t tell? I have a vague feeling that the man named Song Haoran has some secrets. I don’t know why, but he gives me a dangerous feeling.”

“I sense it too, but my instincts tell me it’s not him… Brother Ren Zhen, it seems Mu Xianghua’s choice of partners for this operation isn’t exactly reassuring. These 150 warriors have intense killing intent and the aura of countless battles. If I could devour them all, it would be an incredible boost.”

“When this is over, I need to pick a new body from among them.”

“We still need to be cautious… I suspect that someone powerful is protecting Miss Zhang. What’s strange is that they haven’t tracked us down yet, and that’s what I can’t figure out.”

“You’re scared? Weren’t you the one boasting that your soul concealment ability was unmatched? Didn’t you also say that with these 70–80 Suzuki-kai members around, our presence would be completely hidden?”

“Well… that’s true…”

But it was my soul power that got destroyed! Easy for you to say when you’re not the one suffering… Whatever, I’ve already put on a show, might as well see it through.

Normally, Ba Qi wouldn’t act recklessly if he knew someone in the shadows could effortlessly erase his soul power.

However, the Suihou Pearl hidden within this tomb was crucial for him—it was his chance to evolve into the nine-headed Xiangliu bloodline. No way he was giving it up easily. And who knew? Maybe their unknown adversary was after the pearl too.

“Brother Ren Zhen, don’t worry. If anything happens, you should immediately relocate. I’ve already marked every single one of these 70–80 Suzuki-kai members—they can be used for transfer at any time. Even Mu Xianghua himself… Once we get inside, I’ll discreetly mark the Li family and Song family members as well. With nearly 300 bodies to switch between, even if that hidden enemy is a god, they won’t be able to tell us apart instantly!”

“That sounds good.”

—

Inside the tent.

Under the orange glow of the lamp, Zhang Qianrui bent slightly over the map provided by Mu Xianghua. Her delicate nose seemed to shimmer under the warm light.

Having been in the antique business for some time, she had developed a keen eye for authenticity. The map looked ancient, written in Pre-Qin script, and the missing corner perfectly matched the small fragment that Mu Xianghua had previously given to the Li family.

That fragment, only about the size of a fingernail, had been sent to the Li family specifically for carbon dating, confirming that it was indeed from the Qin Dynasty.

“It’s said that the First Emperor once sent a sorcerer, Xu Fu, to sea in search of the Elixir of Immortality… Is this map really something Xu Fu left behind?” Song Haoran asked, intrigued.

As an adventurer fascinated by legends, Song Haoran had, of course, come across the well-known story of Xu Fu’s voyage.

How should I know… This map wasn’t even passed down in my family—it came from the Takizawa clan!

Mu Xianghua cleared his throat. Fortunately, the Takizawa clan had prepared an explanation in advance, just in case their partners asked such questions.

“Well, according to my ancestors’ records, Xu Fu really did find the Elixir of Immortality and brought it back to the First Emperor. The emperor, delighted, rewarded him greatly. But because of this, Xu Fu attracted jealousy from others. Later, for some unknown reason, the emperor launched massive tomb construction projects, with Xu Fu overseeing many of them.”

Mu Xianghua paused, recalling the Takizawa clan’s story before continuing.

“You know how ancient emperors were—they never wanted information about their tombs to leak. So when a tomb was completed, they would execute all the workers who built it… Xu Fu secretly left behind this map, which contains a passage leading deep into the tomb.”

“So he escaped?” Song Haoran asked, his gaze fixed on Mu Xianghua.

Mu Xianghua shifted his eyes slightly. “I don’t know. All I can say is that this map was passed down through my ancestors, who were supposedly among those working under Xu Fu. The details are unclear—after all, this was two thousand years ago.”

At that moment, Mr. Ah Qi, who had been silent, placed his compass on the map and suddenly spoke.

“Alright, everything checks out. We can begin the tomb entry preparations.”

(End of Chapter)