Chapter 507

Chapter 507: The Coffin-Born Child

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

A young woman crawled out of the river, her clothes soaked and dripping. Using the hem of her skirt, she carried a handful of river snails.

“They stink! How can you even eat those?” Xie Yu Zhou recoiled in disgust, stepping back.

“You just don’t understand. There’s a kind of taste in the stink—it’s both foul and fragrant at the same time, and absolutely delicious.” The young woman wrung out her wet clothes. The river water was dark and greenish, reeking as it dripped from her garments.

“You mustn’t keep jumping into the river like that! Life is precious. Think about your family,” Xie Yu Zhou stammered as he tried to dissuade her.

She waved a hand dismissively. “Family? I have none. My mother died before I was even born.”

Xie Yu Zhou’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m young, not stupid! How can your mother die before you were born?!”

The Green Fox Demon scoffed. “Stay away from her. She’s unlucky.” With that, the two demons took a step back in distaste, even flicking their shoulders as if shaking off bad luck.

The young woman in the red bridal robe let out a cold snort. “I am a Coffin-Born Child. My mother carried me for ten months, but she fell into deep despair and sickness. Right before giving birth, she suddenly passed away. The village pooled money to buy her a cheap coffin and buried her. But then, cries of an infant echoed from inside the grave…”

“Scared the whole village half to death, I bet!” The young woman giggled, a dimple forming at the corner of her mouth.

“Later, the village chief offered a hefty reward to the Village Guardian, and he dug me out of the coffin.”

“So you see, my very existence is an ill omen.”

Xie Yu Zhou looked at her with both sympathy and pity. “What is a Village Guardian?”

“They are simple-minded folk who wander the village and assist in weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies in exchange for food. Most of them are unfortunate souls with no family.”

Xie Yu Zhou nodded in understanding. “Even if you were born without a mother, you should still think about your aging father.”

The young woman’s expression turned icy. “I have no father.”

“My mother was once the most beautiful girl for miles. Suitors came from all over, even demons offering great treasures to wed her.”

“But one day, while gathering herbs in the mountains, she vanished.”

“When she returned, she was cradling her stomach and claimed she had married someone.”

“Not long after, she was discovered to be pregnant. The villagers wanted to drown her for bearing a child out of wedlock, but she refused to reveal the man’s whereabouts.”

“Out of pity, they spared her life. But ever since, my mother was never the same. She lost her mind, waiting at the village entrance every day, insisting that my father would come for her on a cloud.”

“She waited until her dying breath.”

“Hmph! I don’t know which beast tricked her, but if I ever find him, I’ll tear him apart!” The young woman’s eyes burned with hatred.

“Do you have any other family?” Xie Yu Zhou squatted beside her. Her fate was almost as miserable as that of the Third-Ranked Scholar.

She ran a hand through her wet hair. “I suppose I was born to be alone—no father, no mother, no kin.”

“Even the marriage proposals arranged for me all ended in disaster.”

“The first groom-to-be broke his leg right after our betrothal.”

“The second had just finalized the engagement when his father died. He had to observe three years of mourning and came crawling back to annul the engagement before the burial was even complete.”

“The third…” Her hands trembled as she picked up another river snail, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Yesterday, we had just settled the engagement, and his entire family was slaughtered by their enemies. Even the chickens and ducks in the backyard weren’t spared.”

“I couldn’t take it anymore… so I jumped into the river.” She hugged her knees, sitting despondently at the riverbank.

Xie Yu Zhou silently took a step back.

Then three more steps.

Still feeling uneasy, he climbed the stone steps and hid behind Lu Chao Chao.

He muttered dryly, “You… You sure have a tough fate. I once had a friend in the mortal realm just like you.”

Lu Chao Chao glanced at him. [I suspect you’re mocking my disciple, the God of Luck.]

“But you must stay strong! Man can conquer fate!”

The young woman’s eyes lit up with determination. “Yes! Man can conquer fate! I refuse to believe my life will always be this cursed! I will find my wretched father and seek justice for my mother!”

Xie Yu Zhou nodded while cautiously retreating.

“Yes, yes! Stay strong and live well!” He tugged at the Green Fox Demon’s sleeve. “Let’s go, now!”

As the group hurried away, the young woman called after them, still clutching her pile of river snails. “Thank you, benefactors! If you have time, come to Xuan Wu Street for some snails!”

Lu Chao Chao turned back, giving her a long, deep look.

“Go, go, go! Don’t waste time. That woman is unlucky. We should burn three incense sticks at home to ward off bad luck. A Coffin Child is an ill omen!” The Green Fox Demon grumbled as they walked.

He didn’t shut up until they reached the Demon King’s Hall.

The guards at the gate acknowledged Green Fox Demon and Flying Snake with a respectful nod before allowing them passage.

“Where is His Highness, the Demon King?”

“His Highness is not seeing anyone. Please return in three days, Guardian Green Fox,” one of the gatekeepers replied politely.

Flying Snake scowled, his tail rising sharply. “You dare!”

“His Highness has returned after a thousand years, and we have brought him a grand gift! If we are delayed, there will be consequences!”

The guard winced. “The order came from Heavenly Wolf Guardian himself. Please, my lords, don’t make things difficult for us.”

“Tch! Always ‘Heavenly Wolf Guardian’ this, ‘Heavenly Wolf Guardian’ that! Are our words worth less than his?!” Flying Snake fumed.

Green Fox Demon tugged at his sleeve, prompting him to suppress his anger.

“Fine. We’ll return another day.”

As they left, Flying Snake grumbled, “Why did you stop me? That Heavenly Wolf must be poisoning the Demon King’s ears against us!”

“Why waste energy fighting him?” Green Fox Demon smirked. “That Innate Spirit-Friendly Body is a priceless treasure. We just need to get her before the Demon King ourselves and surprise him!”

Lu Chao Chao watched as Green Fox Demon’s four tails flicked behind him. “Are you from the Qing Qiu Fox Clan?”

Green Fox Demon lifted his chin proudly. “Of course! I have Qing Qiu blood! Our Qing Qiu King has nine tails and is on par with dragons and phoenixes!”

Lu Chao Chao stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Qing Qiu holds great prestige, even in the Divine Realm. No wonder you’re so arrogant.”

“In a few days, our Qing Qiu Clan will attend the Demon King’s Coronation. Let’s see if this little one can survive until then!”

Flying Snake suddenly straightened. “The Demon King’s Coronation is in three days. Powerful figures will gather. We should hide her inside a lotus and present her as a gift!”

“We only need to deceive Heavenly Wolf, and we’ll deliver a grand surprise!”

Green Fox Demon grinned. “My Qing Qiu clan’s Concealment Technique is unparalleled! Hiding a person is effortless!”

Lu Chao Chao whispered, “Do you know Qing Nu?”

Qing Qiu—she knew it well.

And Qing Nu even better.