Trafford's Trading Club

“Who… are you?”

Osmond didn’t show much vigilance but was instead, more curious about this black robe nun who had appeared all of a sudden.

Though he had returned to the Ceaucescu Family recently, he knew clearly that the whole family members held their beliefs in their hearts and not many people would go to mass every week.

“Mr. Osmond, you can call me Lamias.”

Then, Lamias made the sign of the cross faintly through her forehead, shoulders, and chest, in front of Osmond.

Osmond became a little more cautious--- He didn’t believe in Saints stated in the Western history; however, his deceased mother was really a pretty religious believer.

Moreover, he saw this nun, Lamias, wearing a ring on the ring finger of her right hand… Was it the symbol of a nun’s nature of mind?

But why it was a black ring?

“What’s the matter?” Osmond couldn’t figure out why this nun suddenly appeared at this time and came to see him.

Logically speaking, his grandfather should not be a believer… Did he have the intention to be a convert as he was nearing the end of his life?

If so, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to call for a priest?

On the contrary, Lamias smiled faintly, “There’s something here that needs to be passed to you.”

A white envelope had appeared in Lamias’s hand without notice. It was sealed with wax and the sign was the sigil of the Ceaucescu Family.

“Letter? To me… who?”

“From your mother.”

“My mother?” Osmond gazed at the white envelope in a trance. When he raised his head and wanted to ask more, Nun Lamias was nowhere to be seen.

The wind started to blow, and the rose in the yard swung faintly. Osmond frowned, as he opened the envelope---there was a yellowed piece writing paper that seemed to be from many years ago.

“My dear son, Osmond.”

“When you see this letter, I may have left the world. I love you, my son, I really really love you. If you feel satisfied with the current life and have a spouse, then I hope you do not continue to read. This is a mother’s request. Because on the next part, I have to tell you some long-lasting secrets about the Ceaucescu Family and the truth of your identity. All these might change your life totally, not for good, instead, they might make it more terrible.”

That was all on the first page. These were the notes that had been written by his mother---The handwriting was hard to be imitated as there were several hidden habits in the fine strokes that would be difficult to be perceived by outsiders.

Osmond was stunned. He didn’t know his mother was a daughter of the Ceaucescu Family until one year ago. It might be the next issue mentioned in the letter. His mother wouldn’t expect that his father would redress their relationship again after she eloped and left Ceaucescu‘s home.

Nevertheless, why did the young-looking nun keep his mother’s letter?

Osmond had to hold his horses and turned to page 2.

“I, am not the daughter of the Ceaucescu Family…”

…

…

Luo Qiu didn’t say much to Jonathan.

At the very start, he just had the simple intention of coming here to collect the debt. He would leave soon after he met the customer. To be honest, Boss Luo was more interested in the devil that had been suppressed by the Ceaucescu Family since 500 years ago, rather than Jonathan’s soul that he was about to take away.

“Is the Impaling Duke beneath the old well?”

At the center of the labyrinth surrounded by rose hedges, Luo Qiu was curiously checking out this old well that was under a large stone.

“To be precise, it’s merely a part of the Impaling Duke,” You Ye voiced softly. “Master, do you know about the history of the Impaling Duke?”

Luo Qiu thought for a moment, before saying, “I remember he failed in the war… and the body was separated. So do you mean, what’s sealed here is only part of the Impaling Duke’s body?”

You Ye nodded, “Yes, it’s his left hand.”

When it came to this, she started to talk about some unofficial history, “Hundreds of years ago, the Impaling Duke was famous for his atrocities. There were lots of legends about him that were spread throughout this area. Yet till now, most people think it’s just a story that had been polished to make it more of a work of art. But we know, it’s not only a simple story, isn’t it?”

Luo Qiu’s interest became stronger, “The historical data shows that the Impaling Duke had been dismembered and since his left hand was sealed here… Does it mean the ancestors of the Ceaucescu Family had participated in the punitive expedition against the Impaling Duke?”

“Descendants of the revered dynasty’s Sultan, the Ceaucescu Family, along with some old organizations that, in the name of justice, came together managed to slay the Impaling Duke and divided his body. However, the Impaling Duke didn’t die even though his body had been dismembered, because he was too powerful. Finally, the individuals who took part in killing him had to leave with part of his body and guard it separately. The Impaling Duke was tyrannical but he was the hero who had guarded their homeland. Therefore, they worship the Impaling Duke’s soul after he was defeated. Nevertheless, it was merely going through the actions of worship because his soul had been separated into several parts as well and was hidden respectively in every part of his body when it was dismembered.”

You Ye stretched out her hand to touch the large square stone on the well. “They thought they could find an effective way to annihilate the Impaling Duke after a long period due to separating and taking away his parts of his body. However, his soul belongs to the club… How could we see it be destroyed by them so easily?”

Luo Qiu was shocked, “You mean… the Impaling Duke had a deal with the club?”

You Ye nodded, “But I’m not clear about it because it happened before I came to the club. The former boss occasionally mentioned that he abandoned all his beliefs in his heart, plenty of lives and his own soul, in exchange for the power to obtain revenge.”

“There should be the record of the Impaling Duke on the account book right?” Luo Qiu asked suddenly.

You Ye nodded. “Yes, it’s on another account book.”

In general, Luo Qiu didn’t think this was his fault for being passive… but the problem lay in these account books themselves.

Dozens or hundreds of books?

Every one of them was as thick as a brick; furthermore, it was filled with various small debts everywhere… These books were stacked somewhere on the basement floor of the club quietly.

He planned to make a schedule to clean up all the account books sometime after going back to the club.

“Why did the Ceaucescu Family try to seal the Impaling Duke’s left hand at the cost of the souls of their own family members?”

“The Ceaucescu Family had tried to destroy his left hand as soon as they took it back, but they failed. Furthermore, Ceaucescu’s wife couldn’t resist the temptation of the partial soul of the Impaling Duke, drinking the blood bled from his left hand and became a bloodsucker,” You Ye said coolly, “Later when they realized it, the leader of the time suppressed his sorrow and killed his wife eventually.”

You Ye jumped slightly and sat on that large stone. She gazed at the castle from afar through the flower wall, with a faint smile. “They couldn’t forgive the tragedy caused by the Impaling Duke. Even if they were not able to destroy him, they would make him suffer an endless pain. The former leader of the Ceaucescu Family promised, ‘Any of my descendants who wants to obtain the endless property of the Ceaucescu Family, has to obey only one condition, that is to donate their own soul, have this devil live his life in pain forever…”