The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 438
Chapter 438: A Narrow Escape
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The Empress gazed at her, lost in thought.
A pale, wry smile formed on her lips.
“No wonder the Emperor cannot forget you. With such a face, how could he ever let go?”
Now that Madam Ning had aged, her features seemed somewhat blurred in the Empress’s memory.
In her youth, she must have been breathtaking. The Emperor likely lost himself at a single glance.
However, there was something about Madam Ning—the icy aura surrounding her, the depths of her gaze—that felt strangely familiar.
It reminded her of the elves she had seen today.
The Empress turned away in a daze, unwilling to look at Madam Ning any longer.
She muttered under her breath, “What use is beauty? In the end, she was cast aside, abandoned. Nothing can compare to his pursuit of immortality, his grand ambition…”
Madam Ning gave her a cold glance, devoid of sympathy.
The Su family’s downfall had all begun with the Empress.
She was anything but innocent.
Outside the palace gates, Xu Shi Yun cast a quick glance at her mother’s expression. Seeing no signs of displeasure, she finally allowed herself a soft smile.
“Northern Zhao heard that Chao Chao missed home, so they specially sent gifts of local delicacies. Mother, let’s return home and try them.”
“Northern Zhao treats Chao Chao very well,” the Old Madam sighed, reflecting on this. She even felt that perhaps Shi Yun’s life in Northern Zhao was the right choice.
Xu Shi Yun’s expression remained calm. “In Northern Zhao, Chao Chao holds an unrivaled status.”
“The Emperor values her more than his own life.”
The Old Madam nodded, feeling greatly comforted.
By the time they left the palace, it was already deep into the night.
Though the Old Madam had recovered well, the long days of travel had worn her down.
She retired early without even having dinner.
Lu Chao Chao nibbled on some food casually before noticing Zhu Mo standing outside her door, his usually stern face now wearing an obsequious grin.
“Just say what you want,” she said, unable to stand his attempt at looking ingratiating.
Zhu Mo finally spoke. “The Dragon Clan has heard of my release. They sent word today, requesting my return.”
“Oh, and while I was outside, I acted as your subordinate… Can you—” his face reddened, and he hesitated.
“Can you not tell anyone?”
“My clan doesn’t know I was doing this,” he added hastily.
He was supposed to be the most promising young dragon. Years ago, he had been deceived by another and ended up imprisoned in Grievous Prison.
If word got out that he had spent his days serving a three-year-old girl, he would be the laughingstock of the entire Dragon Clan.
Lu Chao Chao waved him off, clearly indifferent.
“I’ll be back in about three days,” Zhu Mo assured her. The Dragon Clan could travel thousands of miles in a day; it wouldn’t take long.
“Where does the Dragon Clan reside now?” Lu Chao Chao was curious.
Zhu Mo’s handsome face darkened slightly at her question.
“This was from my childhood…” he began.
“The Dragon Clan originally lived near water, ruling over the rivers, lakes, and seas, commanding all aquatic creatures across the Three Realms.”
“When I was young, we still lived in the Undersea Dragon Palace.”
“I heard that life back then was luxurious beyond measure. The entire palace gleamed with gold, filled with rare treasures. The elders always reminisce about those days.”
“But then… there was a scoundrel in our midst.”
“He would transform into a handsome young man and roam the human world, charming mortal women. One day, he encountered a sword cultivator…”
“You wouldn’t believe it, but sword cultivators back then were terrifying. However, the woman he fell for was truly gentle and soft-spoken. Ah, even celestial fairies from the Nine Heavens couldn’t compare to her.”
“To win her heart, he brought the sword cultivator back to the Dragon Palace.”
“Unfortunately, at that exact moment, he ran into another woman he had previously deceived.”
Zhu Mo nearly wiped a tear, his voice filled with frustration and helplessness.
“The sword cultivator immediately demanded justice from the Dragon King. But that scoundrel was the Dragon King’s youngest son—how could the king bear to punish him?!”
“Ugh, from that day on, I developed a deep fear of sword cultivators.”
“That seemingly delicate young lady single-handedly tore apart the entire Dragon Palace with her sword.”
“She beheaded the Dragon King’s son and hung his head in the Crystal Palace, nearly causing the Dragon King to faint from rage.”
“Furious at the Dragon King’s indulgence, she shattered the entire Dragon Palace. Oh, and she also looted it.”
“She took all the treasures from the palace.”
“Then, she exiled the Dragon Clan from the ocean forever.”
Every dragon was beaten that day. Zhu Mo, still a child at the time, had his face tapped with a sword as she warned him:
‘If you grow up to be like your elders, I’ll cut off your dragon head for my drink! I’ll strip your dragon tendons for a jump rope! And your big dragon eyes—I’ll hang them in Without Folly Mountain as lanterns!’
Since then, he had turned into a hopeless romantic.
And was deceived by the Southern Kingdom’s princess.
Boohoo…
“So, now the Dragon Clan resides on land, beyond the sea, in a place that separates mortals and cultivators.”
“It is called the Spirit Realm.”
“The elves likely reside in the Spirit Realm as well.”
Lu Chao Chao fell into an eerie silence.
“Ah, well… The Spirit Realm sounds nice too,” she mumbled, avoiding Zhu Mo’s gaze. She absentmindedly touched her face—thankfully, she was still young.
“That person was called Sword Sovereign Sunshine.”
“Little Master, why are you sweating?” Zhu Mo asked in confusion. It was the dead of winter, after all.
Lu Chao Chao forced a laugh. “I have a weak constitution. Cold sweat.”
“You must be longing for home after a thousand years in Grievous Prison. Go visit your clan and rest for a few extra days if needed,” she said with utmost sincerity, leaving Zhu Mo deeply moved.
“Rest assured, I’ll be back in three to five days at most.”
After leaving, Zhu Mo transformed into a black dragon clad in a floral jacket and soared towards the Spirit Realm.
The Spirit Realm was not far from the mortal world.
However, when the Heavenly Dao collapsed years ago, it had a profound impact on the mortal realm.
With cultivators possessing the power to move mountains and fill seas, the mortal world needed time to recover. The Divine Realm had sealed off the two worlds with a barrier.
Now, Brahma Kingdom practiced Buddhism,
The Spirit Realm was primarily inhabited by cultivators,
And the mortal realm—Northern Zhao, Southern Kingdom, Eastern Ling, and Western Yue—was the weakest among them.
Lu Chao Chao frowned as she gazed toward the sea.
The barrier separating the Spirit Realm from the mortal world was growing weaker.
Shaking her head, she turned away. Tonight’s dinner had been too bland for her liking.
So, she snuck into the kitchen and cooked one of the cured ducks sent from Northern Zhao.
It was salty, and she had to gulp down milk as she ate.
Windchaser wagged his tail eagerly, but she waved him off. “Too salty. You can’t have any.”
Satisfied and full, she let out a burp and waddled back to her room.
She kicked off her shoes, rolled into bed like a caterpillar, and was soon drenched in sweat from a restless sleep.
In her dream, she struggled as if trapped inside a cocoon, unable to escape.
A soft sigh echoed in the room.
A young man reached out with slender fingers, pulling her free and tucking her snugly under the blankets.
Her breathing steadied, and she slept soundly.
The next morning, Lu Chao Chao stared at the damp marks on her bed in bewilderment.
Too much salty duck. Too much milk.
No wonder she spent half the night escaping a cocoon and the other half searching for a chamber pot.
At three and a half years old, she was devastated.
Before dawn, she quickly lifted Windchaser onto her bed.
“Zhu Mo isn’t home, so this bed… It’s your mess!”
Zhu Mo: A narrow escape!