The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 643
Chapter 643: A Joyous Divorce Banquet
“Bring out all the dowry items that the Phoenix Clan sent back then,” Zhu Mo instructed his attendants.
“Not a single item is to be missing.”
The clam spirit shrank into its shell and muttered gloomily, “Where is the Phoenix Princess’s companion pearl?”
“That is the most valuable one.”
Zhu Mo’s face darkened instantly.
Yet, the clam spirit spoke the truth. He pursed his lips tightly but could not refute it.
After everyone had dispersed, Zhu Mo pulled out a small wooden toy from his robe. His eyes were filled with longing.
“I wonder if A-Wu misses me… and if the child is behaving…” he sighed wistfully.
The sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, resembling the grand scene of his wedding with the Phoenix Clan.
“The invitations have already been sent. I wonder how many celestial lords will attend tomorrow. The fewer, the better—at least some dignity will be preserved,” the Dragon King muttered, watching the red silk draped all over the place, his eyelid twitching.
“Who holds a divorce banquet as grand as a wedding?!”
Even the feast arrangements were identical.
The Dragon King had lost all face.
Yet, thinking of his soon-to-be-born grandson, he had no other choice.
“We have thoroughly offended the Phoenix Clan. You must protect my grandson well! There must not be any mistakes!” the Dragon King repeatedly warned. With the future Dragon Lord about to be born, losing face now was insignificant.
“Father, does the Dragon Palace have any treasures that extend life?” Zhu Mo asked, thinking of A-Wu.
The Dragon King jumped to his feet immediately. “What treasure?! Back when Lu Chao Chao drove us out of the Dragon Palace, she took everything!”
“Now we’re stuck in this temporary place—who knows when we can return?”
To be fair, the Dragon Clan had briefly returned after Lu Chao Chao sacrificed herself. However, upon hearing she had revived as a human, they had fled once again.
Better not provoke her.
Zhu Mo said nothing, merely sighing. “I do not mind, but mortals have short lifespans. Dragons take three hundred years to mature. If the Dragon Lord loses his mother in childhood, it would be too cruel.”
The Dragon King ground his teeth and glared at him. “You’re only worried about that wildflower! If not for her carrying a dragon heir, I would never have let her through our gates.”
“I say, you’ve been utterly bewitched by that wildflower! You even gave her your dragon horn!”
Yet, thinking of the young Dragon Lord—the hope of their entire clan—the Dragon King dared not truly let the child grow up motherless.
“Take the Dragon Crystal, then.”
“The Dragon Clan truly owes you.”
The moment Zhu Mo heard this, he gleefully rushed off to open the treasury, completely missing the Dragon King’s deep sigh.
“You… you are bound to suffer a great fall one day.”
Tonight, the Dragon Palace would remain sleepless, busy with preparations for tomorrow’s Divorce Banquet.
…
Golden autumn in the tenth month, the season of bountiful harvest, yet the air was thick with the scent of rice and uncertainty.
Despite the late hour, the posthouse in Lotus City had yet to quiet down.
A maid anxiously fanned the young master, hoping to dispel some of the lingering heat.
“This wretched weather… Ever since we set out for the Brahma Kingdom, there hasn’t been a single downpour. If the drought continues, disaster is inevitable.”
The grain yield was already low. Even with Northern Zhao reducing taxes repeatedly, common households had little food left—barely enough to survive.
“The autumn harvest this year won’t amount to much. I fear many daughters will be sold off again…” The maid sighed softly under the corridor.
The drought had already forced the imperial court to allocate relief grain several times, but it was merely a drop in the ocean.
Even deep into the night, the sky carried a faint crimson hue, as if heralding some unknown calamity.
A-Man paced uneasily. “I feel unsettled.”
Lu Chao Chao drank several cups of cold water, sensing an odd heat surging within her.
“Strange… today feels unusually stifling, as if there’s a fire burning inside me.” Though it was already autumn, today’s oppressive heat was unnatural.
“Ah! A snake—!” A sharp scream echoed from the outer courtyard.
“Not good! There are so many snakes, insects, rats, and pests! It’s terrifying!” The chaotic noises outside grew louder as guards rushed to drive the creatures away.
By now, dusk had set in. Windchaser, clad in black robes, clutched his sword with furrowed brows.
Suddenly, an eerie buzzing filled the air.
Just as Lu Chao Chao was about to open the window, her maid shrieked in terror, “Do not open it! Princess, do not open the window! You mustn’t!”
Barely had she finished speaking when the buzzing intensified, arriving from all directions in a torrential swarm.
Like raindrops, they pelted the windowpane, forming a dense layer that dimmed the light.
Looking up, the single transparent glass tile overhead was now sealed completely.
“Locusts!”
“It’s a locust plague! How could this happen now?!”
“The autumn harvest has just begun, but with this drought, and now locusts—what are we to do?!” The maid’s face paled, yet they had no way of knowing the full extent of the infestation.
The relentless droning of wings filled the air. Lu Chao Chao unsheathed her sword and stepped outside.
“Princess!” The maid cried out.
Too late. Lu Chao Chao turned and shut the door behind her.
The sight before her was a nightmare.
The sky was choked with locusts, blotting out the moonlight.
She had never seen such massive locusts before. In an instant, they devoured everything—lush greenery, thriving trees—all stripped bare within moments.
There was no need for her to drive them away. With just a breath’s time, everything had vanished.
In the blink of an eye, they flew further north.
Only devastation remained in their wake.
From the distance, wails and sobs arose, and soon, desperate cries echoed from all directions.
“Heavens above! We were already suffering from drought, and now this locust plague?! Are you trying to kill us all?!” The long streets were filled with anguished cries.
Everyone knew—there would be no harvest.
…
Lotus City remained brightly lit through the night, as officials scrambled to calm the people and send scouts to assess the situation.
By dawn, news had returned.
It was worse than expected.
“It’s not just Lotus City. Many kingdoms have suffered widespread locust infestations. The swarm is moving north, leaving nothing behind.”
“The imperial court has already opened the granaries for disaster relief, and the noble families are providing aid.”
Panic spread through the mortal realm.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Palace endured its own restless night.
Before dawn, auspicious omens filled the skies above the Dragon Palace. Divine radiance transformed into flower petals that drifted from the heavens. A dragon and a phoenix entwined in the sky, while a brilliant rainbow arched across the clouds. Even the fish leaped in delight upon the water’s surface.
It was a grand and festive sight.
Celestial music filled the air—truly a joyous occasion.
Banquet tables were arranged throughout the palace. The Dragon King stood at the entrance, greeting the arriving celestial lords with a forced smile. On the outside, he beamed, but inside, he cursed endlessly.
No, seriously—how did a Divorce Banquet attract even more guests than the Wedding Banquet?!
The Dragon King was utterly dumbfounded, muttering to himself, “This doesn’t make sense!”
“For the wedding, we only invited celestial lords from the Three Heavens and above, prepared thirty-six banquet tables, and even then, some were in seclusion, some traveling. We barely filled thirty tables.”
“But today? Every single table is packed!”
And worse still, it wasn’t even time for the banquet yet!
Behind him, the Turtle Chancellor spoke in a hushed tone, “Your Majesty… we’ve added five more tables already.”
And yet, more guests were still arriving.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation