Chapter 496

Chapter 496: Returning Home

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

“You… Who are you? How do you know my master’s Sunshine Sword Technique?” Lou Jin Tang carried a small sword on her back, coughing lightly into her hand before calmly wiping away the blood at the corner of her lips.

She took a small sniff and noticed the strong scent of alcohol on the other person. Before she could say more, she was shoved aside by the gathered villagers.

“You… You…”

“Is it really you? Have you returned?” The village chief dropped his cane, his frail steps carrying him forward as he gazed at Lu Chao Chao with eyes full of hope.

Lu Chao Chao did not speak. Instead, she lifted her gaze toward the imposing Sunshine Temple before her.

Though it was her first time here, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over her.

She reached out, steadying herself against the broken temple doors as a wave of dizziness overcame her. Staggering slightly, a distant and ancient memory surfaced in her mind.

After her sacrifice, her soul had shattered. And yet, she still retained a sense of awareness. She could perceive all things in the Three Realms—the wind, the rain, the flowers, the grass. Everything was a part of her.

But she was always drifting, always alone.

Then, whispers reached her ears.

“Sword Sovereign Sunshine, return home. Sword Sovereign Sunshine, return home…”

“Sword Sovereign, it’s time to come back. It’s getting dark. Come home now. Don’t play outside anymore…”

She did not recognize these voices, yet they called out to her with such longing.

She saw them—clad in mourning white, kneeling before burning offerings, laying out roasted chicken and small treats.

All of her favorite foods.

“I have been here before.” Lu Chao Chao’s eyes burned brightly as she pointed to the Sunshine Temple.

“Impossible. Aside from Lady Xu, no outsiders have stepped foot in our village for over a hundred years,” a young man protested, shaking his head.

Lu Chao Chao puffed out her cheeks, stubbornly insisting, “I was here!”

“There were stone lions at the entrance before. Where did they go?” she murmured.

“Stone lions? What stone lions? The Sunshine Temple never had stone lions!” The young man looked utterly baffled, beginning to doubt their savior’s mental state.

The village chief trembled, his lips quivering as he spoke. “They did! They did! There were stone lions!”

“When the Sunshine Temple was first built, two stone lions stood guard at the entrance.”

His clouded eyes welled with tears as he looked at Lu Chao Chao with tenderness and reverence, as if seeing a beloved grandchild return home after many years.

“But later, it was said that the Sword Sovereign was wounded by a lion demon. So, the lions were removed.”

Lu Chao Chao nodded. That explained it.

“And the bells hanging under the eaves… Why aren’t they ringing anymore? Are they broken?” She pointed toward the empty eaves.

She clearly remembered that when she had once entered this temple, countless bells had swayed on their own, despite the absence of wind.

The entire village fell silent, then suddenly burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

The village chief stared at her, eyes unblinking, as if afraid that blinking would make her disappear.

She was back.

“How do you know that bells once hung in the temple? It is said that after the Sword Sovereign sacrificed herself, the bells were specially made to sense her lingering soul. If she ever returned, they would ring once more.”

“On the seventh day after her sacrifice, her soul did return. The temple bells chimed, despite the absence of wind.”

“But for a thousand years, they never rang again.”

“Later, fearing that the bells would weather under the elements, I ordered them to be taken down and stored away.”

Lu Chao Chao nodded and stepped into the grand hall.

Shi Yun, cradling her belly, rushed forward in a panic.

“Chao Chao…” Shi Yun’s voice trembled as she grasped Chao Chao’s hands, unwilling to let go, fearing that if she did, her daughter would vanish again.

Lou Jin Tang’s eyes widened in shock.

She held out her small hands, comparing their heights.

“Does the Spirit Realm make people grow like weeds? It hasn’t been that long, and you went from a tiny shorty to a tall giant!!” Why didn’t I grow?!

Lou Jin Tang was devastated.

Rong Che, having long recognized Little Chao Chao, chuckled. “The Spirit Realm has countless ways to change one’s appearance. Chao Chao must have used a Spirit Realm Spell.”

Lu Chao Chao grinned, nodding vigorously.

The village chief stiffened. “Madam… This… This is your four-year-old daughter?”

No wonder her speech had felt a little strange.

She still sounded like a child.

Shi Yun nodded. “Yes. She may be tall, but she’s only four.”

“Madam, you are blessed with great fortune.” The village chief sighed in admiration.

When Shi Yun had first arrived in the Spirit Realm, she had unknowingly wandered into this village. The chief took her in out of kindness, never imagining that this would be their destiny.

Lu Chao Chao turned to look at the temple’s statue.

It was a simple stone carving, yet everyone could feel the divine aura radiating from it.

She approached the offering table, where an assortment of fruits and sweets had been placed.

Taking one, she bit into it lightly.

Sweet.

“If you like it, have some more. Please, try this one…” The village chief, with trembling hands, personally offered her more food, his eyes filled with warmth.

Unnoticed by all, a red mark appeared on the forehead of the statue.

It was identical to the one on Lu Chao Chao’s brow.

“Good, good, good… You’re back. That is all that matters. Our people have finally waited long enough for you to come home.”

The village chief took a deep breath.

“The Fourteenth Village Chief of Stone Village, along with our 328 villagers, welcomes the Sword Sovereign back to her rightful place.”

The villagers exchanged stunned looks.

The village chief’s lips curled into a gentle smile as he guided Chao Chao’s small hand, pressing it against the stone statue.

In an instant—

The dull, gray statue erupted into dazzling radiance.

The entire temple was bathed in golden light, and from the heavens, a solemn hymn echoed through the land.

Thump.

Thump.

Every villager knelt before her, bowing devoutly. “You have returned. In this lifetime, we have lived to see your return.”

“Our clan has always been your Temple Guardians, sworn to protect this temple for generations.”

“At last, you are home.”

For generations, Stone Village had been waiting, simply to keep her home safe.

Lu Chao Chao’s eyes grew warm with unshed tears. “You’ve all worked so hard. I know everything you’ve done for me.”

Lou Jin Tang let out a dramatic wail.

Her little master… was far more important than she had imagined.

“Do not worry. Now that I have returned, I will once again safeguard all beings.”

“I shall leave a fragment of my divine soul here, to listen to my followers’ prayers and protect the village.”

The village chief, overwhelmed, wept openly. Though the Spirit Realm was full of cultivators, many mortals still suffered from demon infestations. But now, with Sunshine Temple restored, they would no longer fear.

“Thank you, Sword Sovereign, for your mercy.”

The villagers would keep her identity secret, for the temple’s sudden brilliance would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Spirit Realm.

“Mother, I still have important matters to attend to. For now, you should stay in the village.”

When the barrier is breached, corruption will flood the mortal world. With her mother here, she would be safe under Chao Chao’s protection.

Tugging on Shi Yun’s hand, the little girl looked up at her mother with unshaken devotion.

As she studied Shi Yun’s face, a chill settled in her heart.

In less than a month, her mother had become painfully thin.

Lu Chao Chao suppressed the storm brewing in her heart, her expression betraying nothing.

She accompanied her mother to the village’s resting place, where the villagers eagerly prepared the best wine and food to welcome their Little Sword Sovereign.

Only when Shi Yun finally fell asleep did Lu Chao Chao’s smile drop.

“Father, what happened to Mother? She looks so worried. Why has she lost so much weight?” She lowered her voice, her gaze fierce as she clenched her small fists.

Shi Yun had once been full-figured. Now, her thin frame made her pregnancy all the more apparent.