Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1135: Samsara (5)

Faced with the mysterious young man suddenly appearing in his office, Mr. Lu Chaoshen was at first terrified, then panicked—panicked by the questions being asked… and the items in the man’s hand.

Lu Chaoshen took a deep breath, steadied himself, and subtly locked the office door behind his back.

The young man—Ye Fei—glanced sideways at Lu Chaoshen, expressionless. Then, from under the desk, he lifted a metal box and casually placed it on the table.

Lu Chaoshen’s face changed instantly.

Ye Fei calmly said, “Still not willing to talk? I found this in the ruins of an old house. Some items inside were missing—and very recently too. The soil on top had signs of being disturbed. I used a few methods to track things down… and ended up here. Then I saw your interesting collection of medical reports.”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lu Chaoshen’s face darkened.

“Let’s be direct.” Ye Fei stood up and tossed the reports onto the desk. “This village’s people—they’re descendants of the Demon race, aren’t they? Legend says a sea demon once appeared here. Are they descendants of that? But if they were pure-blooded Demon descendants, they shouldn’t be half-Demon, right? So how did the Demons reproduce back then? Did they abduct humans to produce offspring? Are you trying to rid yourselves of your Demon identity—or is there another goal?”

Lu Chaoshen frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! This is trespassing! Leave now, or I’ll call someone!”

“What’s in this box? How did you know it was buried beneath that fake fortune-teller’s old home? Or… are you connected to her somehow?”

At that moment, Lu Chaoshen gritted his teeth, and his face twisted with rage. He lunged toward the desk and grabbed a pen. “You’re asking too many questions!!”But the man before him was no ordinary youth—Lu Chaoshen couldn’t even see how Ye Fei moved before his head was slammed down onto the desk. He couldn’t move a muscle, like he’d been drugged.

Ye Fei pressed a palm on Lu Chaoshen’s back, sliding it gently. “You’re missing a rib. The Demon blood in your body is faint, but still there… Truly disgusting—human and Demon blood combined.”

“Who… Who the hell are you!!” Lu Chaoshen’s eyes were wide with horror.

“Doctor, still not planning to talk?” Ye Fei pulled out a test tube from the box and lightly tapped Lu Chaoshen’s face with it. “I noticed some research notes in the secret compartment where you kept those reports. Ever heard the story of Shennong tasting every herb? Research must be hands-on, after all. How about trying this yourself?”

Seeing the test tube being opened right in front of him, drawing closer to his lips while he remained paralyzed, Lu Chaoshen’s panic reached its peak. His sanity broke.

“Stop… I’ll talk! I’ll say everything!!”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Ye Fei finally smiled.

…

Mo Mo’s talisman reacted to Lu Hai’s blood—though the response was faint, it was enough to confirm that there was some Demon blood in his body.

However, Mo Mo couldn’t sense any demonic energy from Lu Hai at all, meaning he was essentially human. Yet, Lu Yiyun’s Demon blood was even stronger.

Could it be atavism?

Mo Mo pondered this all night until sunrise. With the truth about Lu Hai’s identity revealed, even more questions flooded his mind.

For instance, from whom did the sea demon bloodline originate—his father, Lu Buhai, or his deceased mother?

Human-Demon unions had always been taboo. So did Lu Buhai and his late wife knowingly engage in such a relationship, or were they unaware?

As doubts piled up, Mo Mo sighed and pulled open the curtain. The sky remained gloomy—despite being sunrise, it was still dark over the sea. The storm from last night hadn’t truly left. The rain had merely hidden itself.

And… Ye Fei hadn’t returned all night.

“Mr. Mo Mo, are you awake?”

“Oh… I’m awake.”

When he opened the door, Mo Mo saw Lu Yiyun holding a tray. She had gotten up early to cook porridge and bring it to him.

But her expression looked troubled.

“Still worried about last night?” Mo Mo asked while eating.

Lu Yiyun shook her head. “I… that woman hasn’t come back yet. If my dad wakes up and asks about her, I… I don’t know what to say.”

“She still hasn’t come back?” Mo Mo’s brows shot up.

“Mr. Mo Mo, do you think something… happened to her?” Lu Yiyun asked hesitantly. “It was raining so hard last night, and she ran off in a panic…”

“It’s possible.” Mo Mo put down his spoon. “I’ll go look for her in a bit… I doubt anything serious happened. Your stepmother’s not exactly kindhearted, but she doesn’t have the face of someone destined for a short life. She’s probably just hiding somewhere in fear.”

“If… if you find her, will you bring her back?” Lu Yiyun asked bravely.

“You’re afraid that seeing her again will make you lose control?” Mo Mo frowned.

Lu Yiyun stayed silent.

Mo Mo stood up. “To you, she might deserve your hatred. But to me, unless she’s actually committed a crime, she’s still a human life… though she’ll need some serious discipline. If you’re really worried, then find an excuse to stay in your room today and try not to come out.”

Lu Yiyun took a deep breath. “No, I’ll go with you. There are some things I want to say to her face.”

Mo Mo hesitated… but then nodded. “They say the one who ties the knot should untie it. Fine.”

The two quietly left.

But they found no trace of Luo Aiyu. Their search eventually brought them to the village at the foot of the mountain.

Oddly, the village was eerily quiet—so quiet that not even a single person could be seen.

“…Strange. Isn’t anyone awake yet?” Mo Mo looked around, puzzled.

To be honest, the village wasn’t big—seventy or eighty households, a few hundred people. By 8 a.m., it should be bustling.

“No way. Everyone here wakes early to work.” Lu Yiyun also looked around, confused.

Mo Mo suddenly frowned and stopped. His expression turned sharp.

“Mr. Mo Mo, what is it?”

“…Wait… I smell blood.”

“What?”

Just then, a man came charging out of a nearby alley—covered in wounds, drenched in blood, like a walking corpse. His face was twisted with fear. Upon seeing Mo Mo and Lu Yiyun, he ran straight toward them.

But before the man could take more than a few steps, he collapsed to the ground… only then revealing a horrific wound on his back.

Blood gushed like a spring… By the time Mo Mo reached him, the man had already died from blood loss.

“…Damn.” Mo Mo’s face darkened. He looked toward the alley the man had come from. “Find somewhere to hide—keep yourself safe. I’m going up ahead to check!”

“Mr. Mo Mo—!”

Before she could finish shouting, Mo Mo had already dashed into the alley. Just then, something flew out of the alley and stuck onto Lu Yiyun’s arm.

“This talisman—don’t tear it off. It’ll protect you. Remember… find… somewhere to hide…”

His voice faded into the distance.

Lu Yiyun stared blankly for a moment, glanced at the talisman on her arm, then at the dead man on the ground. She instinctively stepped back, her face full of fear.

Clang…

The sound of something being knocked over and hitting the ground—on this eerily silent street, the sound was unnervingly sharp.

A chill crept up Lu Yiyun’s spine. She whipped around—and saw someone hiding in another alley.

She cautiously walked over… and indeed, someone was hiding there.

The person had covered themselves with a bamboo basket, which trembled constantly from their shaking… Lu Yiyun took a deep breath, grabbed the basket with both hands, and yanked it off.

“Monster… There’s a monster… Don’t kill me… Don’t kill me…”

Curled up, deranged, hugging herself tightly, she kept repeating the same words. Her face was pale and bloodless, her body filthy and trembling… it was Luo Aiyu.

“Don’t kill me… Don’t kill me…”

She seemed unaware of Lu Yiyun’s presence, hugging her legs even tighter in pure terror.

Staring at this grimy woman, Lu Yiyun’s pupils gradually shrank…

…

The scent of blood filled the air… and it was only getting stronger.

With talismans of enhanced speed on his legs, Mo Mo moved through the village like a streak of lightning, dashing between houses. He could now sense how severe the situation had become.

Along the way, he’d already come across several corpses. Clearly, they had all fled in the same direction in fear—but failed to escape in time.

Eventually, Mo Mo reached a location littered with bodies—the front of Lu Village’s small clinic.

Screams echoed from within.

Standing at the clinic entrance, the grisly scene inside felt like a hellscape, sending chills through Mo Mo’s whole body. He quickly rushed to an elderly woman collapsed on the ground, crouched down, and with trembling fingers, checked her breathing… nothing.

Terrified, he tried another body. Still nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing…

Mo Mo suddenly looked up and let out a low, beastlike roar. In a flash, he charged into the clinic.

There, in the courtyard of the small clinic, he saw Ye Fei.

Ye Fei’s hand had just pierced through an old man’s chest—his palm had burst out of the man’s back. His face was speckled with blood.

“Brother… Y-Ye…”

“Brother Mo, you’re here.” Ye Fei pushed the corpse off his arm, turned to face Mo Mo, and smiled—an unnaturally clean smile amid the blood. “I’m almost done.”

“You… what are you…” Mo Mo felt all strength leave him, his legs nearly buckling. “What… are you doing…”

“Doing?” Ye Fei wiped his hand, smiling even more brightly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Why, I’m exterminating Demons, of course.”

“Exterminating… Demons?”

Ye Fei spread his arms slightly. “Brother Mo, I found out—the people of this village, everyone in Lu Village, carries Demon blood! They’re all descendants of the Demon race! Isn’t that crazy? They’ve been hiding here, multiplying! It’s lucky we discovered them in time. Otherwise, these filthy creatures would have mixed into the human population. Brother Mo, this is great—we found them!”

Looking at Ye Fei’s childlike smile, so out of place with the blood on his face, Mo Mo turned pale. The chill in his bones multiplied by a hundred. Is this really the same Ye Fei I knew—the one who talked philosophy with me, like a chivalrous hero from a martial arts novel?

“Brother Mo! Just wait a bit more—there are two left inside. Once I finish them, we’re done. Tonight we can have a good drink together!”

With that, Ye Fei turned and headed toward the inner room.

Mo Mo shuddered violently. On instinct, he raised his hand, and lightning sparked from his palm, striking the path before Ye Fei—splitting the stone floor.

“Brother Mo, what are you doing?” Ye Fei turned around, puzzled.

“Doing?” Mo Mo stared at him in disbelief. “You’re asking me? I should be asking you! Do you even know what you’re doing?!”

His voice rose to a furious roar.

Ye Fei paused, seemingly dazed by Mo Mo’s rage. “Ah… I see. You think I’m killing innocent people, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you?!”

“Brother Mo, I told you—they’re all Demons.” Ye Fei’s tone turned serious. “I haven’t killed a single innocent person. Don’t be fooled by their appearances—Demons are masters of deception. If you don’t believe me, I can prove it!”

Ye Fei reached out. A burst of force shot out, and a young boy from the inner room was suddenly pulled into his grasp.

“I’ll prove it to you.”

“No—!”

Without hesitation, Ye Fei’s hand turned into a claw and slashed across the boy’s torso!

The boy was disemboweled on the spot. Ye Fei reached in and split him open.

“Brother Mo, look—I wasn’t wrong.”

“Ye Fei!!!”

(End of Chapter)

Shennong is credited with numerous inventions crucial to early Chinese civilization, including the hoe, plow, axe, and techniques for agricultural irrigation and seed preservation. He's also associated with the development of trade, commerce, money, and the Chinese calendar, as well as advancements in herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion. He's often considered a teacher of agriculture and herbal medicine to the ancient Chinese.

In mythology, Shennong is depicted as tasting hundreds of plants to determine their edibility and medicinal properties, sometimes even consuming poisonous plants to discover their antidotes. This act of self-sacrifice led to his deification as the Medicine King (藥王 yào wáng). He is also sometimes associated with the god of burning wind and is considered a progenitor or minister to Chiyou.