The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 648
Chapter 648: The Tool of Survival
The refugees staggered to their feet, driven by desperation, and dashed wildly in the direction she had pointed.
“Impossible! How could there be a water source up there? The riverbed is so dry you could run across it without sinking,” a refugee muttered, skeptical. Yet, seeing the others rushing ahead, he feared missing his only chance at survival and quickly followed.
A woman trapped in the mire hesitated. The mention of water stirred hope, but instead of running, she instinctively moved to shield her child, terrified that someone might seize the opportunity to steal him away.
In times of famine, a lost child meant certain death.
Carefully, she lowered her pant legs and placed two small mud loaches into a wooden bowl. “Wait a bit longer, my dear. Mother will cook these for you soon.”
The woman’s voice was devoid of light, her eyes hollow, as if she had long since become a walking corpse.
Lu Chao Chao tilted her head. “Yes, there’s water, and there are fish.”
The woman froze for a moment, then immediately scooped up her frail child and sprinted toward the promised salvation.
Moments later, joyful cries erupted, quickly followed by sobs of relief and sorrow. Some collapsed by the water’s edge, drinking greedily, their tears mixing with the sweet, clear spring water. Even on the brink of starvation, no one cared about catching fish—they simply drank. And the more they drank, the brighter their eyes became.
“It’s so sweet… So sweet…” Someone murmured between gulps, while others wept with gratitude.
“Heavens above, you have not abandoned us!” A man knelt at the water’s edge, bowing repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.
Fearing chaos and potential casualties from desperation, Lu Chao Chao quickly dispatched ten guards to maintain order.
Each of these guards possessed some level of cultivation.
Ever since cultivation techniques had trickled down to the common people, a few had managed to embark on the path of training. Though far from immortality, they were still far stronger than ordinary folk and could easily seize control of such a water source.
Fortunately, Lu Chao Chao’s intervention came just in time. A few moments later, and the waterhole would have fallen under someone’s rule.
The fish and shrimp within were carefully distributed to ensure they lasted as long as possible.
Returning to the convoy, Lu Chao Chao found Xie Yu Zhou gazing at her thoughtfully. “Those were treasures you’ve hidden for years. And yet, you just gave them away to mere mortals?”
She shook her head. “No matter how valuable an object, it remains lifeless.”
“If it can save lives, then that is its best purpose.”
The fish raised in her spiritual spring—she had never indulged in them herself. But to these starving people, they were a lifeline.
For her, they were nothing more than a fleeting indulgence.
Xie Yu Zhou faltered at her words, a rare look of contemplation surfacing in his usually unreadable eyes.
Before long, the refugees returned en masse, standing atop the hillside, their eyes burning with gratitude as they encircled Lu Chao Chao.
Windchaser tensed, ready for conflict. But instead, with a collective thud, the refugees fell to their knees.
“Thank you, young lady… for your boundless kindness.”
She and her people had the power to claim the water for themselves, yet they had not. Instead, they had shared it freely.
A few men lowered their heads in shame, bowing deeply.
No one voiced it, but they all knew the dark thoughts they had harbored while following her.
In times of disaster, when both food and water were scarce, morality was the first thing to be abandoned.
Lu Chao Chao chose not to expose them. Instead, she asked, “So you do not intend to continue forward?”
An elder among them shook his head. “After the drought came the locusts. We have wandered far and wide, yet found nowhere fit for settling.”
“But here, there is water. If we guard this place, we may survive.”
Water meant life. They could eat tree roots, wild grasses, and if lucky, a fish or two. It would be enough to endure.
“The riverbed is rich with rotting fish and shrimp—its soil is highly fertile.”
“If we scatter fast-growing seeds, we might stand a chance.”
But a bitter smile spread across the faces of the refugees. “We’ve long since used everything edible to keep ourselves alive. There are no seeds left.” After all, even tree roots and dirt had become contested rations along the way.
Lu Chao Chao paused, deep in thought.
What had once been an insignificant act now seemed fated to become a lifeline.
A-Man whispered, “Piglet Fat.”
Piglet Fat took root easily and flourished in harsh conditions, sprouting lush, edible leaves within fifteen days. It could be harvested repeatedly, one batch after another.
It had a faint scent of fresh grass and was tender and crisp before flowering.
Its only flaw? It made those who ate it fat.
Yet in times of famine, that was no weakness—it was salvation.
“I’ll ask him for a handful,” A-Man declared, swiftly retreating to the carriage.
“Chao Chao, step aside for a moment.”
She had long maintained contact with Celestial Sovereign Yan Qing, though he could not descend to the mortal realm at a mortal’s summons.
In a secluded spot, A-Man clasped the sovereign’s token in her hands, softly calling his name.
Feeling his daughter’s call, Yan Qing’s brows lifted in delight. A sliver of his divine soul descended to the mortal world.
“A-Man, have you finally come to your senses? Are you ready to return to the Celestial Realm with your father?” His warm expression carried traces of hope.
A-Man frowned slightly. “I don’t wish to return. I came today to ask for something.”
Yan Qing’s brows twitched. “What is it? Ask, and I shall grant it.”
“Piglet Fat seeds.”
The moment the words left her lips, his face darkened.
He suspected his daughter had brought this up just to humiliate him.
Every time he heard that name, his blood boiled.
For a thousand years, he had painstakingly cultivated what was supposed to be the legendary Glazed Purification Grass—only for it to grow into mere pig fodder. The shame was unbearable!
“Why would you want that worthless thing?”
A-Man turned on her heel. “If you don’t want to give it, then forget it. You may leave.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Why are you leaving? Fine, take it! But can’t you at least call me ‘Father’ once? Always so stubborn!” Yan Qing grumbled, reluctantly tossing her a bag of seeds.
Since he had been summoned, he couldn’t linger long. His divine soul began to fade.
“Be careful in the mortal world, understand? Great calamities are coming.”
“I have enemies here. If they learn you are my daughter, they may seek to harm you.”
“If you ever change your mind, reach out. I will take you home.”
“You are my daughter. In the end, you must return to the Celestial Realm and take your rightful place as a Little Goddess.”
With lingering unease, Yan Qing’s soul finally dissipated. A-Man, however, never looked back.
She returned, breathless but triumphant, her eyes shining like stars. “Mission accomplished! I got the seeds!”
“I’ll teach them how to plant it!” she added eagerly.
Lu Chao Chao smiled approvingly.
A-Man joined the refugees, soaking the seeds in a bowl of spiritual spring water, murmuring softly to them with a tone of affection.
“Plants have life too. If you speak to them before planting, they will take root and sprout much faster.” She had discovered this as a child—everything she planted grew exceptionally well.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation