Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1097: Reckless Courage

"What was the result?"

The location of the second Jade Dragon Pillar was a secluded forest rarely visited by people—clearly, by the time Yan Xiaoxi and his group arrived, there were no usable clues left behind.

After finding nothing, the Management Bureau immediately sent in their own research team, who had been busy at the site for most of the day.

Once again, the overall head of all Management Bureau research projects, Dr. Zhao, was speaking with Yan Xiaoxi.

"Same situation—the area is filled with unmeasurable magnetic fields that distort the surrounding space. It's impossible to get close." Dr. Zhao stared at the second Jade Dragon Pillar in front of him. Instead of feeling frustrated over the inability to analyze it, he seemed even more intrigued. "I have a feeling this thing will show more developments soon."

Yan Xiaoxi gave Dr. Zhao an expressionless glance… In fact, based on what his master had told him, there were indeed a total of seven Jade Dragon Pillars.

"Dr. Zhao, please continue your research. The sooner we get actionable intel, the better our chances."

"I’ll need more personnel."

"I’ll assign them to you."

After that, Yan Xiaoxi prepared to leave—but just at that moment, the Jade Dragon Pillar in front of him suddenly trembled lightly.This unexpected reaction made Dr. Zhao, who had been researching for dozens of hours without results, excited beyond measure and he immediately had the team begin data collection.

However, after the brief tremor, the Jade Dragon Pillar quickly returned to its still state.

After waiting a while without further signs, Yan Xiaoxi had no choice but to leave… His master had told him that if the appearance of the second Jade Dragon Pillar could not be stopped, then its location should be immediately reported.

As he left, a thin layer of mist began to rise in the forest.

…

The day after Song Haoran safely returned, Zhang Qianrui brought Mr. Ah Qi to visit the Song family’s ancestral mansion once again.

Shortly after their collaboration and departure, Zhang Qianrui had already told her grandmother the full story over a long-distance call.

That Old Madam must have already spoken with Song Tianyou before Zhang Qianrui arrived, so when she visited, Old Master Song didn’t show any displeasure.

Song Tianyou didn’t mention anything about the events that followed. After staying for a short while, Zhang Qianrui and Mr. Ah Qi declined the dinner invitation and hurriedly left.

However, before leaving, Song Ying called out to Zhang Qianrui, and the two went to a corner of the courtyard.

"You’re heading straight back?" Song Ying asked curiously.

Zhang Qianrui nodded. "Grandma wants me home tonight. There are some family matters I need to handle."

Song Ying nodded in understanding. As someone from a prominent family, unless you’re aiming to coast through life, your schedule would naturally be packed. "Well, it’s rare to find someone I can really talk to."

Zhang Qianrui smiled slightly and made a gesture to stay in touch by phone.

They shared a smile.

"By the way, do you remember what happened during our trip the other day?" Song Ying suddenly asked.

Zhang Qianrui’s ears warmed slightly, but she acted composed. "Not really a fond memory… Why bring that up now?"

Song Ying asked, "Do you remember who else was with us that day? Besides you, me, and my deadhead uncle?"

Zhang Qianrui paused, thought for a bit, then shook her head. "I think it was just the three of us. Was there someone else?"

"I just feel like..." Song Ying shook her head. "Never mind. Maybe I’m remembering it wrong."

Zhang Qianrui smiled with her lips pressed together. "You’re probably just tired. Get some rest… Also, calling your uncle a 'deadhead'—you’re the first person I’ve met who does that."

Song Ying shrugged. "I don’t know why it came out like that… but it felt good saying it!"

Zhang Qianrui burst into laughter.

They hugged.

Song Ying saw Zhang Qianrui off. As she turned back for one last look at the Song family ancestral mansion, she seemed lost in thought before getting into the car and heading straight to the airport.

…

But what Zhang Qianrui didn’t expect was that when she arrived at the airport intending to catch her flight, the airport authorities informed her that all flights were temporarily grounded due to weather.

"When did this happen?"

Resting in the lounge with her eyes closed, Zhang Qianrui glanced outside and saw that the airport was now surrounded by a thick white fog, though she didn’t know when it had rolled in.

The breaking news on TV was reporting this incident—multiple locations near Mount Tai were experiencing unknown, dense fog.

On screen, the field reporter was nearly invisible in the thick fog—and before long, the lounge’s TV suddenly lost signal, turning into static snow.

Worse still, the lounge lights went out completely, startling Zhang Qianrui.

Just then, Mr. Ah Qi rushed back. "Miss, there’s a sudden power outage at the airport—and now the phones have also lost signal. They’re starting up the backup generators now, so power should return soon."

Zhang Qianrui opened her mouth in surprise… Airports almost never experience power failures.

She instinctively stared at the thickening fog outside, feeling a growing sense of unease.

"What the hell is going on…?"

…

The airport wasn’t the only place that lost power—there was now a widespread blackout near Mount Tai.

Places with independent power systems quickly regained electricity, but most weren’t so lucky. The dense fog quietly spread over cities, suburbs, factories, rivers, and forests.

No one knew where the fog came from. But its appearance felt as if it was meant to devour human civilization… and in this fog-covered, powerless world, all sorts of chaotic sounds echoed everywhere:

The sounds of people falling, collisions, shouting, objects crashing from above, car crashes, children crying, pets howling, glass shattering, explosions…

Mo Mo had been staying in the underground medical room at Crouching Dragon Estate for a full day and night. For a cultivator like him, not sleeping for such a short time was no problem—but the sudden lights-out startled him.

He quickly got up. In the isolation room, the equipment monitoring Zhan’er was in the middle of rebooting.

After the surgery, only one female medical worker remained to watch over her—now in recovery, the doctors no longer needed to be present constantly.

"Looks like a power outage," the nurse said, looking around uncertainly.

Mo Mo suddenly had a gut feeling. He told the nurse to stay and watch over the patient, then left the underground facility alone—only to find a hazy world when he emerged.

"This fog…"

It felt familiar to Mo Mo… like he had already experienced it once before.

Before New Year’s Eve, this exact fog had appeared once—and it was during that foggy episode that Mo Mo first got a clearer sense of what the Club really was.

Neither good nor evil—it was simply conducting what it called “business.”

At this time, there were few people remaining at Crouching Dragon Estate—ever since the appearance of the second Jade Dragon Pillar, Yan Xiaoxi had intensified the search efforts, deploying nearly everyone except for logistics staff.

Mo Mo wandered through the estate for quite a while before finally arriving at a side courtyard. There, he saw an elderly man with snow-white hair, his face unaged, eyes shut tightly—yet currently lifting his head to gaze beyond the courtyard wall.

But just then, Mo Mo suddenly felt a chill down his back. A strong sense of danger rushed through his nerves, triggering a reflexive reaction.

In the dense mist, Mo Mo crouched and swiftly struck back with a hand seal resembling a sword gesture.

With a clang, as if he’d struck solid steel, pain shot through his fingers. Mo Mo was shocked.

“Who is Changhe from Dragon-Tiger Mountain to you?”

A figure slowly stepped forward—it was a middle-aged man in a Tang suit. His aura was as heavy as a mountain. The oppressive pressure reminded Mo Mo of Huang Baifu, particularly when strange tiger patterns emerged on Huang Baifu’s body.

“He’s my master.” Mo Mo calmed his breath but remained alert—he knew he’d encountered a true expert.

“A disciple of Changhe, not bad. You must be that junior who caused a headache for both the Daoist and Demon realms.”

Mo Mo’s expression tensed up.

The man in the Tang suit nodded and waved casually. “Relax. I won’t make a move against you. But the day you master the ninth level of the True Dragon-Tiger Sutra, even if you don’t come looking for me, I’ll come find you.”

Mo Mo was stunned. His master Daoist Changhe had practiced for years and only just reached the ninth level. How long would it take him?

Still, this man had directly called his master by name… Could they be acquaintances?

But the Tang-suited man continued, “You’re only around twenty, right? Already at the seventh level, and you’ve had at least two experiences of unity between heaven and man. That proves you’ve got talent. I don’t think that day is too far off.”

Now Mo Mo was truly shocked—this man had seen through him with a single glance?

“Senior, may I ask who you are?”

“Me?” The man chuckled. “Just a nobody. You can call me Old Fool if you want.”

“That’s… not very appropriate…” Mo Mo shook his head.

But the Tang-suited man—Old Fool—paid him no mind and walked straight toward the elderly white-haired man. In a low voice, he asked, “Blind, power’s out, heavy fog everywhere in a hundred-mile radius—did your senior brother cook up this mess?”

The white-haired man was none other than Mr. Blind.

Mr. Blind shook his head. “I’m not sure, but… probably.”

“Senior, I’ve seen this fog before,” Mo Mo frowned. “It happened the night before New Year’s Eve.”

“Oh? Tell us,” said the Tang-suited man directly.

Mo Mo didn’t hide much—though he instinctively left out the part about Miss Maid rescuing Nero.

Still, Mr. Blind and the Tang-suited man could tell he was holding something back. Neither pressed him on it.

“You said the white war spirit called itself Xuanyuan?” Mr. Blind frowned.

Mo Mo nodded solemnly. “They were very powerful—especially the one in the back. It could summon a golden beam from the earth.”

Comparing the mysterious Gongsun Shiyu from that night with the Tang-suited man in front of him… Mo Mo couldn’t tell which was stronger.

But in the latter part of that fight, it was Miss Maid who completely crushed Gongsun Shiyu. If even a maid was that powerful, just how terrifying was Senior Luo?

His thoughts drifted.

“It must be them,” Mr. Blind exhaled. “I’ve heard that Xuanyuan Palace holds countless ancient relics. One of them is said to be crafted from the bones of the Wind God and Rain Master, capable of controlling weather and seasons—the Four Seasons Glazed Scroll.”

“You sure it’s Xuanyuan Palace?” the Tang-suited man asked, frowning.

Mr. Blind shook his head. “Just speculation… I can’t calculate anything right now. But I believe my senior brother is in the same boat. It’s like fate itself has been locked—something unknown is happening somewhere.”

The man in the Tang suit murmured, “So Xuanyuan Palace is involved too? A 71st Generation Heavenly Heart is troublesome enough, and now this… Lot of ‘guests’ today, huh.”

As he spoke, Mr. Blind turned toward one corner of the courtyard, as if sensing something.

Seeing both seniors react like this, Mo Mo followed their gaze—and saw three dark figures emerging from the mist, standing atop the courtyard wall.

Mo Mo tensed up… The aura from two of them already far surpassed his own, while the third exuded cold, demonic energy.

“Senior, who are they?”

“Find a place to stay safe,” the man in the Tang suit said as he took a step forward—and with a casual kick—

The ground split open, the courtyard wall shattered, and the man charged into the fog.

Within the dense fog, four shadows moved rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the man returned with a light laugh. “Interesting. One great demon, two seeking-dao-level cultivators… Blind, they came for you, didn’t they?”

“Probably,” Mr. Blind replied calmly.

The three shadows regrouped in the fog. A sinister voice rang out, “Firecloud Evil God… as powerful as expected.”

“Cut the chatter,” the Tang-suited man stepped forward, placing his right hand behind his back. “Been here two days and haven’t stretched my legs. You’d better work hard—see if you can force me to use my right hand.”

The voice laughed coldly. “And what if we do?”

The man winked and burst into laughter. “Then I’ll just use both hands to beat all three of you. Let’s start with a set of Tai Zu Long Fist!”

As he spoke, his left fist tightened—

And punched!

(End of Chapter)