Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1155: The One Who Leaves

Mo Xiaofei heard a voice calling—it was his master, Long Xiruo. He glanced at the gloomy Windchaser and casually said he was going to the bathroom.

Windchaser didn’t think much of it, just rested his chin on his hand and stared blankly out the window.

Mo Xiaofei shook his head. Ever since this guy came back yesterday, he had been like this—silent, no matter what was asked.

The voice had come from outside the Croaching Dragon Estate... When Mo Xiaofei arrived, Long Xiruo was already seated cross-legged on a large boulder by the riverbank—still in the child-like form Mo Xiaofei was familiar with.

“Master.”

He hadn’t seen Long Xiruo in a while. Mo Xiaofei quickly approached and greeted her respectfully.

The True Dragon of Divine Land slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a faint golden mist. “You and Windchaser—why aren’t you two staying home properly? What are you doing in this godforsaken place?”

Seeing her frown, Mo Xiaofei knew it was wrong of him to leave with Windchaser without informing anyone. He lowered his head and said, “I just wanted to see what it was like. I didn’t expect so many things to happen.”

He originally intended to share everything that had happened to him recently, but when he tried to speak, something seemed to block the words—as if another ‘him’ didn’t want it said.

Long Xiruo kept frowning, gave him a glance, and sighed. “Forget it. If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. You’re old enough to make your own decisions. Even if I’m your master, I can’t take care of you forever.”She still believed in him—someone who would risk his life to save a demon he didn’t even know. Such a person wouldn’t go down the wrong path.

Knowing he couldn’t hide anything from her, Mo Xiaofei straightened his posture and said seriously, “Master, I understand.”

Long Xiruo jumped down from the boulder. “Today’s the day of the press conference... You’ve been staying at the Croaching Dragon Estate these past few days. You must’ve heard about what happened at Mount Tai, right?”

Mo Xiaofei nodded. Windchaser hadn’t found out much—his mind clearly elsewhere. But after waking up, Mo Xiaofei had used his enhanced hearing to gather information from people around the estate. Putting that together with what he had seen, he had already pieced everything together.

“I have a general idea...” Mo Xiaofei nodded. “Master, what will happen next?”

Long Xiruo shook her head. “Hard to say... The situation is delicate. But for now, there won’t be any major changes. The focus is still on the aftermath. Mount Tai has become a place of turmoil. You should take Windchaser and head back soon. You’ve been out too long—don’t let your family worry... Take this.”

She tossed him a credential. “There are lots of Management Bureau and Daoist-Demon patrols nearby. Use this when leaving—no one will stop you.”

Mo Xiaofei nodded. He knew his family was worried, and he missed his parents too, so he agreed immediately.

“Master, there’s one more thing I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Mo Xiaofei hesitated, then asked, “Master, does Windchaser... have another identity?”

“What makes you ask that?” Long Xiruo frowned.

Ignoring the matter of Emperor Qin’s appearance, Mo Xiaofei only mentioned saving Zi Xing. “I clearly heard Zi Xing call him ‘Wolf Lord.’”

“Didn’t expect Windchaser to awaken to that extent... I did sense some Greedy Wolf energy and a loud wolf howl that night, but the situation was critical, and I had no time to deal with it.” Long Xiruo’s face turned serious. “Seems I underestimated this kid’s potential...”

“Master?”

“Do you remember your first meeting with Windchaser?”

Mo Xiaofei nodded.

“His background is complicated. He carries an extremely powerful and dangerous force. If he can’t control it, it could bring disaster. That’s why I had Sun Xiaosheng train both of you—to help Windchaser learn to control his power.”

“I see...”

“As for his identity...” Long Xiruo paused. “I’m not ready to make it public. He’s still too young to bear such a heavy burden. Greedy Wolf is the most complex of the stars—it brings both blessings and disasters. Some Greedy Wolves in history brought destruction; others saved countless lives. How this power is used depends on the person. If used for good, the world benefits. If used for evil, everything is doomed.”

“That serious?!” Mo Xiaofei was stunned.

This was said by the True Dragon of Divine Land herself—there was no way not to believe it.

“Xiaofei.” Long Xiruo said seriously, “Windchaser had a rough past, so he’s moody. But deep down, he’s not bad. He’s very close to you, and your influence on him is huge. I hope you can stay by his side and guide him to use the Greedy Wolf power properly. He doesn’t need to be a saint—just don’t let him become evil.”

“Master... can I really do it?” Mo Xiaofei looked uncertain.

Considering his own inner troubles, things didn’t seem great either.

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Long Xiruo said calmly. “I saved you with True Dragon blood. Now that my strength has returned, its power in you will grow stronger too... As long as you stay true to yourself, you’ll understand one day what that blood truly means.”

Mo Xiaofei took a deep breath and said solemnly, “Master, I won’t let you down.”

Long Xiruo smiled. “You’re the only disciple I’ve ever taken in this life. I trust I made the right choice... Alright, you shouldn’t be out too long. Go back. And don’t mention this meeting to anyone.”

“Master, where are you going?” Mo Xiaofei asked curiously. “Isn’t the press conference about to go live? Aren’t you going to watch?”

Long Xiruo just waved her hand without answering.

Mo Xiaofei bowed respectfully and left.

Watching him go, Long Xiruo muttered, “That bastard looks at you like you’re a steak—every time with that look like he wants to devour you. That Just shows how much you attract him...”

But suddenly, a strange thought crept into the mind of the True Dragon of Divine Land.

Mo Xiaofei was shaped by Luo Qiu in the beginning and later became her disciple. Long Xiruo had also put a lot of effort into him.

Wasn’t that basically saying... this kid was something she and that devious merchant made together?

“Pah!”

…

…

In the forest, mist drifted rhythmically with someone’s breathing. The morning fog hadn’t fully lifted, and a figure sitting cross-legged in the woods slowly stood up.

“Come out. You’ve been following me for days. Are you just going to keep following?” he said.

Two figures rushed out from the forest. It was Miss Gong and Du Lin—who had previously helped the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart and Lai Caisheng at the Croaching Dragon Estate.

They stepped forward at this moment and said almost in unison, “Greetings, Lord Qingxiaozi.”

He… Qingxiaozi—Mr. Blind—sighed. “So, you two must have escaped during the chaos that day… You've been following me for several days now. What’s the reason?”

Miss Gong and Du Lin exchanged a glance, and then Du Lin said seriously, “Lord Qingxiaozi, before the Honored One left that day, did he entrust you with the Heavenly Heart and Heavenly Eye?”

Mr. Blind frowned, then seemed to understand something and sighed. “So… my senior brothers must’ve told you something.”

Miss Gong said, “The Honored One once said, regardless of whether this mission succeeds or fails… we must follow whoever inherits the Heavenly Heart and Heavenly Eye.”

Mr. Blind was silent for a moment. “Lai Caisheng really left no gaps... Even planned what to do if things went south.”

Du Lin said solemnly, “Now that it’s considered a success… the Honored One only instructed us to follow your orders. He said that once you inherited the Heavenly Heart and Heavenly Eye, you would know what to do next.”

“You don’t even know what I’ll do, and yet you’re willing to follow me blindly?” Mr. Blind shook his head. “Besides, the Plain-Clothed Daoists are now seen as public enemies across Divine Land—hunted like rats… Aren’t you afraid?”

Du Lin suddenly knelt on the ground and said solemnly, “The Honored One once saved me from utter despair and gave me a new life… Lord Qingxiaozi, now that you’ve inherited his will, even if it means death, I, Du Lin, will stand before you as your shield! No matter how the world sees us, I will always believe in the Honored One… Please accept this, Lord Qingxiaozi!”

Du Lin took out a blood-red orb from his chest… The orb was a dim red, and its surface was inscribed with countless fine golden runes.

Mr. Blind held it, gently caressing it with a stunned expression. “This is… the Merciful Avalokitesvara Rebirth Sutra?!”

Du Lin explained, “Within this orb are the soul fragments of all who perished in this incident—each one drawn out by the Honored One himself, who recited the Rebirth Mantra over them. This Rebirth Orb also contains a sliver of the Honored One’s soul… If the orb is destroyed, wherever the Honored One is, he will perish with it. So please, protect it.”

Du Lin looked up. “The Honored One said that one day, when he returns, he will reopen the cycle of reincarnation—and allow these million lost souls to re-enter the wheel.”

Mr. Blind’s eyes flashed gold as he stared into the Rebirth Orb.

He saw beyond the inscribed runes on the orb’s surface and into the blood sea within… countless vengeful spirits churning in torment. Above that sea sat one figure, lotus-seated, enduring the bites of the wrathful dead.

His expression was solemn—neither joyful nor sorrowful—as he continuously recited the mantra for rebirth, over and over again.

“This child… why suffer this much…” Mr. Blind sighed. “How much of this is real, and how much is illusion?”

“Please take care of this item,” said Miss Gong, kneeling slowly as well.

Mr. Blind let out a long sigh. “Stand up, both of you… Following me will be a hard road. No need to make it harder on yourselves already.”

Then Mr. Blind suddenly frowned. “You two, try contacting whoever else managed to escape. Their situation probably isn’t any better than ours. Gather them first.”

“Yes, sir!”

Du Lin and Miss Gong nodded and swiftly disappeared into the forest.

Mr. Blind sighed once more and held the Rebirth Orb, lowering his head—then suddenly raised his brows. “I don’t know which master is hiding nearby. Could you show yourself?”

Just as his voice fell, the Rebirth Orb in his hand was suddenly pulled away—as if snatched by an invisible force. Mr. Blind’s expression instantly changed.

But when he saw the person clearly, his expression turned to shock. “Young Master Qiu?!”

…

The dim Rebirth Orb slowly rotated in Luo Qiu’s palm… Facing Mr. Blind’s stunned gaze, Luo Qiu simply stared at the orb.

He said, “These past few days, I’ve been learning a bit about the Bodhi Sanskrit Chant. It forbids killing—if you kill, the technique collapses… Not many can cultivate it. Most who try die from backlash. I guess only someone with true compassion can succeed. This orb is remarkable. You should keep it safe.”

Though he seemed slightly reluctant, Luo Qiu still handed the orb back to Mr. Blind.

Mr. Blind frowned deeply, and Heavenly Heart and Heavenly Eye activated at once—ever since they first met in South America, he had never been able to truly see through this Song family descendant. He only knew that Luo Qiu bore a fate of unparalleled nobility.

But now, with both divine eyes activated, what he saw triggered a storm within him… This was far beyond mere nobility—incomprehensibly beyond.

“Stop looking. Any longer, and you won’t be able to handle it,” Luo Qiu waved casually.

Immediately, Heavenly Heart and Heavenly Eye lost their glow and fell silent.

Mr. Blind took a deep breath, thoughts racing. “Young Master Qiu, you are…”

Vaguely, it seemed there was something hidden even deeper beneath the events at Mount Tai.

Luo Qiu smiled faintly. “I once promised to meet with you—and I accepted your gift. Since I took it, I had to give something back. But I think you don’t need me around anymore to search for the Dragon Vein.”

Mr. Blind stayed silent… Back then, he had indeed hoped to use this noble one’s aura to attract the Earth’s Dragon Vein.

“Then…”

“Here you go.” Luo Qiu brushed his hand in front of Mr. Blind.

In an instant, a powerful surge of life force flowed into Mr. Blind’s body—during the great battle, he had used a secret art that nearly drained all his life, leaving him on the verge of death. His senior brother, the 71st generation, had passed on a bit of lifeforce to keep him going, but it had only delayed the inevitable.

But this new life force replenished him again—though it came quickly, it also left quickly, as if calculated precisely.

Mr. Blind didn’t fully recover, but it added more years to his life.

“Considering what you gave me, and all the help you’ve given the Song family over the years… this should about even things out,” Luo Qiu said calmly. “I’ve already interfered too much this time—any more would be excessive. Alaya hasn’t finished writing the new script yet. As for how the road ahead goes… I’ll be watching.”

“What do you…”

“In the future, maybe we’ll meet again—under different identities.”

Mr. Blind shivered suddenly, as if awakening from a daze. He looked around, confused—there was nothing to be seen, nothing had happened. Only a strange feeling… which slowly faded.

In the end, no trace remained.

(End of Chapter)