Chapter 404

Chapter 404: A Lifetime’s Knot in the Heart

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

Nan Zhi Yi lowered her gaze, her expression unreadable.

In her past life, Lu Jing Yao had never done this—she had never summoned a Divine Descent!

Could it be…?

Was Lu Chao Chao truly the reincarnation of a goddess?

No, impossible! If she were a goddess, why would she have drowned in her past life?

Nan Zhi Yi had heard whispers before—Lu Jing Yao’s mother was once a concubine who had been promoted to the main wife.

It was said that the previous wife had colluded with enemies and betrayed the country, leading to the massacre of her maternal clan and three sons. How could someone with such a tragic past be a goddess?

Nan Zhi Yi let out a small sigh of relief.

It must have been some kind of fortunate opportunity that Lu Chao Chao had stumbled upon.

“Why fear the Divine Descent? Your sister will ascend in three days. By then, we will have a true deity to rely on!”

“It doesn’t matter whether she is real or fake. As long as your sister is the one who ascends, that is all that matters.”

Nan Mu Bai nodded in agreement, but a lingering unease remained in his heart.

The closer they came to the ascension, the more restless he felt. This should be a joyous event, yet he could not shake the feeling of an impending nightmare.

“Enough. Go and make the preparations for the ascension.” Nan Feng Yu dismissed him, watching as her eldest son left.

Once he was gone, she shook her head lightly. “Your elder brother is too soft-hearted, unlike you.”

“If he had learned about the Divine Bone, it would have only caused more trouble. In his eyes, you should always be pure and untainted.”

To the east of the Southern Kingdom lay a Sacred Mountain.

Legends spoke of golden light enveloping the peak year-round, its slopes filled with rare flowers and mystical herbs.

They had excavated the mountain, hollowing it out, and had unearthed a single, translucent Divine Bone.

When the Divine Bone was removed, the valley collapsed, burying the villages below in an instant.

Nan Zhi Yi had spent three years refining the Divine Bone, merging it with her own body.

“Mother, I heard that Lu Chao Chao has also escaped from the Grievous Prison?” Nan Zhi Yi suddenly asked.

Nan Feng Yu’s face darkened, a murderous glint in her eyes. “When we released the Black Dragon, she managed to flee! She’s truly blessed with luck!”

“This is not something you need to worry about. Focus on your ascension.”

“The Su Family’s grudge—I will settle it with her, one by one.”

Nan Zhi Yi idly twirled a strand of hair. “Mother, could it be that the Black Dragon’s master is her?”

“Pfft—”

“Yi’er, has your brother frightened you into foolishness? The Black Dragon is proud and untamed. A three-and-a-half-year-old child could not possibly command him!”

“Besides, whether she is or isn’t, once you ascend, everything will be set in stone!” Nan Feng Yu gently caressed her daughter’s head, cherishing her as a divine gift from the heavens.

“Only three days left…” Nan Feng Yu’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“The Ascension Altar has been completed. On that day, you will ascend before thousands of citizens, heralding a new era for the Southern Kingdom! Our kingdom will finally have its own deity.”

“Our Nan Family will no longer need the protection of High God Zong Bai!”

Nan Zhi Yi nodded.

“Your imperial grandfather—do you think he was ever truly satisfied with me? If he were, he would have passed the throne to me when I returned from Peach Source Village.”

“But no—only when I carried you did he weigh the pros and cons and make his decision.”

“That old wretch!” Nan Feng Yu’s eyes flashed with cold light.

Back Hall.

The Grand Eunuch of the Eldest Princess choked as a young man appeared out of thin air and clamped down on his throat.

“You wretched creature! Was it you who locked her in the Grievous Prison?”

Chen Yuan’s eyes glowed red. “Killing you would be too easy.”

“Come with me—to the Grievous Prison!” He vanished without a trace, dragging the eunuch along.

Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao clung to Madam Ning affectionately.

“Grandmother, do you miss Peach Source Village?”

Old Madam Ning’s eyes reddened at the mention of Peach Source Village. Before she could speak, her throat choked up.

“That place… how could I not miss it…”

“I have dreamt of Peach Source Village countless times in the depths of night…” Her voice was hoarse, but at least she could finally speak again.

The once-idyllic Peach Source Village had been reduced to ashes.

She had returned many times but had never dared to step beyond its ruins.

“I am a sinner, the one who doomed the entire village. I deserve to die a thousand deaths…”

“Chao Chao, do you know? I long to dream of them, but they never appear in my dreams. They must hate me, resent me…” This was the weight that had burdened Old Madam Ning’s soul for a lifetime.

Born an orphan, she had been raised by the villagers, only to bring catastrophe upon them.

Lu Chao Chao nestled into her grandmother’s embrace. “They have their reasons.”

“The Su Family has bound their souls.”

“After massacring the village, they feared the villagers would seek justice in the Underworld, so they trapped their souls—until they were completely destroyed.”

Old Madam Ning trembled violently, her eyes filled with terror and despair, unable to even form words.

Lu Chao Chao waved her tiny hand, and the air in the room grew icy cold.

A crowd of villagers from Peach Source Village appeared inside.

Due to being preserved within Lu Chao Chao’s Spatial Domain, they had regained their original forms. Their faces were slightly pale, but otherwise, they looked as they had in life.

“Grandmother, do you want to see them?” Lu Chao Chao gently tapped her grandmother’s forehead with her soft fingers.

Old Madam Ning’s eyes widened.

The very people she had yearned for stood before her.

She opened her mouth but was struck speechless. Tears streamed down her wrinkled face in torrents.

A thousand words swelled in her heart, yet at this moment, she could not speak a single one. Only muffled, stifled sobs escaped her throat, full of anguish and sorrow.

This was the pain of a lifetime.

Her gray hair trembled as she sank to her knees before them.

The spirits of Peach Source Village grew anxious. “Ning’er, stand up! Village Chief Grandpa never blamed you!”

“Good child, you have suffered all these years.”

“Stand up, Ning’er.”

“If anyone should kneel, it is that old emperor! Our Ning’er did nothing wrong!!”

Hearing this, Old Madam Ning’s tears fell even harder.

“Village Chief Grandpa, Uncle Xu, Uncle Wang…” she wept bitterly.

“I have wronged you all.” For decades, guilt had nearly crushed her. Every day, she knelt in the Buddhist Hall, repenting.

“Ai… Village Chief Grandpa hears you.”

The villagers echoed in agreement.

“Do not cry. This was never your fault. You were also a victim of the old emperor’s schemes. Ning’er, don’t cry.”

“Ning’er, don’t cry.”

“We never regretted raising you. Our only regret was letting you suffer alone all these years. You were abandoned, yet you endured it all.”

“Ning Auntie, don’t cry. It didn’t hurt at all, really, not at all…” The children, who had perished in the flames, clung to their parents but still smiled as they tried to comfort her.

“Ning’er, you must live for all of us. Do not do anything foolish, understand?” The Village Chief’s voice was firm.

Old Madam Ning clutched her sleeves tightly, afraid they would see the scars on her wrists.

She had tried to end her life many times, but each time, thoughts of her lost child pulled her back.

She had already planned it—once everything was settled, she would take her own life.

Living was far more painful than dying.

Every day, she had been atoning for her sins.