Chapter 618

Chapter 618: Shan Shan’s Identity Exposed

Since entering Lotus City, Shan Shan had been lying listlessly on the nursemaid’s shoulder.

“This child, could he have succumbed to the summer heat? He seems so weak…” The nursemaid grew anxious, but fortunately, there was an imperial physician traveling with them, so she immediately called for a diagnosis.

Yet after a thorough examination, the physician found nothing wrong with him.

Still, his spirit was drained, and his complexion was alarmingly pale.

Lu Chao Chao furrowed her brows slightly, speculating that the Buddhist aura in the city might be affecting him. After all, her younger brother had once been prophesied by a high monk, who had declared him a great evil entity…

Each kingdom maintained envoy residences in the capital city, providing lodging for foreign diplomats.

As the Female Emperor of the Southern Kingdom, Lu Chao Chao had barely set foot in Lotus City before a monk came to summon her.

“Your Majesty of the Southern Kingdom, the Great Priest requests your presence at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall.”

Lu Chao Chao nodded in acknowledgment. “Windchaser, escort Zong Bai and the others to the envoy residence. I will accompany the young master to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. Shan Shan and Xie Yu Zhou, you two will come with me.”

Xie Yu Zhou immediately clutched his head. “I refuse to be tonsured! I absolutely refuse!”

Lu Chao Chao shot him a glare before leading the group forward.

“The biggest difference between the Brahma Kingdom and ordinary nations is its people,” said Zhu Mo, having just settled Feng Wu before rejoining them as an escort. “The citizens here are peaceful, without hostility or excessive desires.”

“In Northern Zhao, people always move with urgency, but here, they meander about, as if at ease with the world,” he observed, sensing an indescribable tranquility in the atmosphere.

As they neared the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, the scent of sandalwood grew stronger in the air.

Shan Shan was already fidgeting in the nursemaid’s arms, visibly distressed. As they approached the grand Buddhist temple, his heart pounded violently, an inexplicable fear creeping over him.

It felt as though something was pressing down on him.

The Bodhisattva statues lining the surroundings seemed to glare at him with piercing eyes.

“Oh dear, why is the little master burning up? Could he have a fever?” The nursemaid panicked. Though the boy was lively, he rarely fell ill.

“Princess, perhaps I should take the young master back to rest at the envoy residence?” she suggested. “After such a long journey, he might simply be exhausted.” Her gaze toward Shan Shan was filled with distress.

Lu Chao Chao glanced at Shan Shan, understanding the nursemaid’s concern—she had raised him from infancy. If she saw what lay ahead, she would be heartbroken, perhaps even resentful.

“Nursemaid,” Lu Chao Chao said, “I’ve heard that the Great Priest of Lotus City is a peerless physician, sought after by countless people each year. I will ask him to examine Shan Shan.”

“Return to the envoy residence and prepare his meals. I trust no one else with it.”

The nursemaid’s mind grew restless. Normally, she was obedient and mild-tempered, but today, she found herself wanting to argue.

Yet in the next moment, she remembered Madam’s parting words before they set out:

“At all times, obey the Princess. Shan Shan’s well-being is in her hands.”

Suppressing her frustration, she looked at Shan Shan with sorrow and reluctance, feeling as though her own child was being torn from her arms.

Shan Shan clung tightly to her clothing, causing her heart to ache even more.

As they separated, the nursemaid suddenly halted after a few steps, a shiver running down her spine.

A moment of horror struck her—she had just attempted to defy the Princess?

How could she have such a thought? That was a grave offense! She was just a servant, even if she was a wet nurse—she was still a servant. How could she dare have such rebellious feelings?

Suspicious, she turned back, only to see Shan Shan staring at her, his large eyes filled with longing.

The moment their gazes met, her mind became muddled, as though being sucked into a vortex. A strange, hazy confusion crept over her thoughts.

Struggling to avert her eyes, she murmured, “I must be too tired… imagining things about a child not even a year old.”

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head before walking away.

Lu Chao Chao watched this scene with a quiet intensity. Shan Shan, caught in his guilt, buried his face into Zhu Mo’s shoulder, avoiding his sister’s gaze.

“Shan Shan, she is just a normal mortal,” Lu Chao Chao said softly.

“Don’t force me to slap you before the Bodhisattvas.”

A single sentence was enough to make Shan Shan freeze, clutching Zhu Mo’s robe tightly, too afraid to move.

Even as they stepped into the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, and the stinging sensation of Buddhist energy pricked his skin, he dared not complain.

The massive bronze doors creaked open.

Inside, golden deities and Buddhas filled the vast hall, their countless divine eyes seemingly fixed upon the entrance.

Shan Shan trembled.

For a brief moment, it felt as if the Bodhisattvas had come to life.

“Let the Buddha’s Child enter,” declared the Great Priest, leading a group of young monks toward Xie Yu Zhou.

Xie Yu Zhou immediately recoiled. “Back! Back! Stay back!”

The Great Priest blinked in confusion.

The Buddha’s Child… was not acting as expected.

Seeing their eager expressions, yet realizing they had no choice, the monks turned their attention to Lu Chao Chao, first welcoming her inside before Xie Yu Zhou reluctantly followed behind Princess Sunshine.

Seated in the main hall, Lu Chao Chao asked, “Tomorrow, the Buddhas of the Buddha Realm will descend?”

The Great Priest discreetly glanced at Xie Yu Zhou, then answered, “Yes. To guide… the Buddha’s Child to his rightful place, many Bodhisattvas will descend.”

“May I seek an audience with them privately?” Lu Chao Chao inquired.

The Great Priest hesitated. But seeing Xie Yu Zhou’s blatant reluctance, he eventually relented. “You must bring Yu Zhou with you.”

After the formalities concluded, the Great Priest escorted them to the Buddhist Pool.

Shrouded in mist, the pool’s waters carried a faint lotus fragrance. Around it stood statues of Vajras, their expressions fierce, signifying the purging of impurities.

“The Buddhist Pool cleanses the heart, expels evil, washes away hostility, and purifies desire,” explained the Great Priest, remaining outside to wait.

Zhu Mo dipped a finger into the water. The instant he touched it, he hissed in pain and retracted his hand.

“It burns like needles!”

Zhu Mo, a dragon, had been injured by the waters? Did he… harbor desires?

A fleeting thought crossed his mind. Feng Wu was mortal, while he was of the dragon clan. Now, he wished for her to accompany him for eternity.

Xie Yu Zhou cautiously dipped a finger in. His face turned pale instantly, and he quickly hid his hand behind his back, wincing.

Lu Chao Chao reached in. The water was warm, like a hot spring. Her divine power hummed comfortably. She sighed in pleasure. “It feels so nice…”

“Shan Shan, don’t be afraid, it’s comfortable!”

But Shan Shan had gone limp.

Zhu Mo grabbed him by the arms, lowering him toward the water. Yet, the child desperately clung to Zhu Mo’s neck, chanting, “No, no, no—”

“Save me—!”

Xie Yu Zhou pried his fingers apart.

With a splash, Shan Shan fell into the pool.

The once-tranquil waters erupted violently.

Shan Shan’s ear-piercing screams filled the air.

Before anyone could react, everything happened in a flash.

A suffocating, murderous miasma exploded from his tiny body, its overwhelming killing intent spreading like wildfire, enshrouding him entirely.

Zhu Mo shot to his feet, his usual playful demeanor wiped clean.

Lu Chao Chao, watching the scene unfold, felt an icy dread pierce her bones.

“That… is evil miasma,” she murmured, her voice barely audible as she stared at Shan Shan’s suffering expression.

The brother she had long awaited—was Seven Sins.