Chapter 186: Midnight Terror
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Madam Xu couldn’t sit still any longer.
“Unite… unite the Beggars’ Sect? But she’s only two years old!” Madam Xu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“She might be two, but she managed to make Prince Yu Nan host a banquet for beggars,” Deng Zhi muttered, shrinking her neck.
“Across all of Northern Zhao, even the entire world, which beggar has ever dined in a prince’s manor? And to be treated as an honored guest no less!”
“She used to only be a local bully in this area, but now beggars from all over the city want to pledge loyalty to her.”
“The Secret Guards reported that if we don’t bring her back soon, she’ll carve out her own empire and become the leader of the Beggars’ Sect,” Deng Zhi added nervously.
Madam Xu was skeptical. [It’s only been two days. Could things really have escalated that far?]
As she hesitated, a servant rushed in from the front yard.
“Prince Yu Nan has arrived.”
Madam Xu had, of course, heard of Xie Yu Nan.
He was just a few years older than the Emperor, yet had been spoiled by the late Emperor since childhood, becoming an untamed, fearless force. Even the Emperor avoided direct confrontation with this “little imperial uncle.”
As a woman who had divorced, Madam Xu was extremely wary of any association with men, fearful of baseless rumors. Her instincts made her avoid any contact with them, especially a figure as daunting as Prince Yu Nan.
Even during the Xu family’s peak, the prince never even glanced at them.
Now, however, several maids stood within the hall.
And this once-proud scion, eyes red, was waiting in the Lu household.
Madam Xu, nervous and wary, feared provoking the formidable prince.
But unexpectedly…
The prince’s posture was unexpectedly humble.
“Madam Xu…” He even stood and gave her a respectful nod.
The man who showed the Emperor only a cold face now forced a smile, his expression unnervingly amiable.
Madam Xu’s thoughts churned. [Not even my father ever treated me this deferentially!]
“Madam Xu, I’ve heard that Princess Sunshine had a falling-out with her family and has been wandering outside for two days?” Xie Yu Nan’s tone was polite, far from his usual overbearing demeanor.
“Chao Chao is simple-minded and still very young. She’s merely playing a little game,” Madam Xu replied calmly, unwilling to discuss family matters with outsiders.
Xie Yu Nan coughed lightly.
“Madam Xu, there’s something I feel I must say.”
“By seniority, the princess is my junior. There’s no need to stand on ceremony between us,” he said, openly claiming kinship, leaving Madam Xu slightly bewildered.
“The capital is chaotic as it is, and while Princess Sunshine is brilliant and sharp, her interactions with all sorts of people could lead her astray.”
“Of course, I’m not saying the princess has done anything wrong,” Xie Yu Nan added quickly, his survival instincts kicking in.
“She’s still a blank slate. The company she keeps will determine the colors she absorbs…” Xie Yu Nan spoke earnestly, appealing to both emotion and reason.
Madam Xu’s opinion of the prince shifted. [Who would’ve thought he’d turn out to be such a good person?]
“Madam Xu, you absolutely cannot let her wander any longer…” [Please take her home; I really can’t take it anymore!]
After a brief pause, Madam Xu finally said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern. I will handle Chao Chao’s situation carefully.” She surmised that Chao Chao inviting beggars to the prince’s manor must have truly startled him.
Xie Yu Nan pressed his lips together. As a widow, Madam Xu lived alone, so he dared not linger long. With a sigh of relief, he excused himself and left.
No sooner had Xie Yu Nan stepped out than the Crown Prince arrived.
“Madam Xu, please, I beg you to bring Chao Chao home. I can’t take it anymore,” the Crown Prince said bluntly, wiping his sweat.
He had a closer relationship with Madam Xu and didn’t bother with pleasantries.
“She said I’m less capable than a beggar and invited me to join her in begging.”
“Every day after court, there are little beggars waiting outside the palace gates.”
[Do you know what it feels like for the Crown Prince to beg in the streets?]
“She seems to have grown fond of this lifestyle, thriving in it. If she doesn’t come home soon, she might never want to return…”
“Tomorrow is her inauguration as the leader of the Beggars’ Sect.” The Crown Prince sighed, massaging his forehead. She had practically become the ruler of the capital’s underworld.
The name “Brother Bun” was now more famous than Princess Sunshine herself!
Madam Xu’s cheek twitched. [Good heavens, has she started recruiting relatives and friends?]
Unable to stay seated, Madam Xu immediately ordered, “Deng Zhi, prepare the carriage!”
As night fell, Madam Xu roamed the capital in search of her daughter, her worry mounting with each passing moment.
“Another hour, and the Secret Guards will report back. Should we wait?” someone suggested. It was unclear where Chao Chao could be at this hour.
Madam Xu, however, couldn’t bear to wait.
“Let’s check the ruined temple by the bridge first,” she said with concern. [If we’re too late, the princess might truly become the city’s most notorious outlaw!]
As she searched, she overheard an argument outside a house. An old woman, clutching her granddaughter, cursed loudly.
“Marrying you was the worst mistake of my life! Thirty years of marriage and thirty years of fishing! You’re a grandfather now, and still, you spend all day fishing!”
“Day and night, you’re nowhere to be found, leaving me to handle everything at home.”
“How did I end up with such a miserable fate?”
“You’ll never change!” A few neighbors murmured, half-heartedly trying to console her.
Ying Xue frowned slightly. “Fishing is supposed to cultivate the heart and mind. How can you curse others while doing it?”
Deng Zhi cast her a sidelong glance. “Only the wealthy talk about cultivation. The poor just want to fill their stomachs.”
[From what the old lady said, if the family is so impoverished, he should focus on supporting them instead of using fishing as an excuse to avoid reality,] Deng Zhi thought to herself, her heart clear on the matter.
The others overheard their brief exchange but soon departed, not dwelling on it.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao…
She was carrying her golden bowl, holding Windchaser’s leash in one hand. Her belly was satisfyingly full. After wandering for a while, she found a secluded spot.
She sprawled herself down comfortably.
Hmm, a mass grave—it was peaceful and quiet. Lu Chao Chao was very satisfied.
In the distance, the surface of the water shimmered under the faint moonlight. A soft, rhythmic sound floated on the breeze. It seemed someone was fishing.
Lu Chao Chao burped, shut her eyes, and napped for a while. Soon, the sound of a fish tail slapping the water woke her.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, her hair a wild, untamed nest from two days without brushing. The delicate girl looked as pale as a ghost as she perched on a grave mound. The sight of her gave off an ethereal glow.
Not far away was an old man fishing.
Lu Chao Chao sat atop the grave, the dry grass rustling softly beneath her. The old man turned slightly to glance at her, rubbed his eyes as though doubting what he saw, and then froze, his body stiffening.
Yawning, Lu Chao Chao gripped Windchaser’s leash and strolled lazily toward the riverbank.
This stretch of river was remote, surrounded by dense forest. The spot she chose was near the mass grave.
Approaching quietly to avoid startling the old man’s fish, she didn’t notice his trembling hands struggling to hold onto the fishing rod.
“Grandpa,” she called softly, her babyish voice barely breaking the stillness. Beneath the moonlight, her small figure emerging from the graves seemed almost otherworldly.
The old man’s entire body went rigid, his movements mechanical, like a marionette.
“Wh-where… where did you come from?” he stammered, his voice quivering.
Lu Chao Chao pointed toward the graveyard. “That’s my home.”
[The world is vast; I call anywhere my home.]
The old man began shaking uncontrollably.
“This is my friend…” She gestured toward the chain in her hand, intending to introduce Windchaser.
Summoning courage, the old man turned his head. What he saw made him freeze in terror—a snow-white child, as pale as paper, smiling brightly with crimson lips. She followed the iron chain in her hand to its end…
“My friend isn’t a person—” she began to say, but before she could finish, the old man let out a blood-curdling scream.
“Aaaahhh! Help! Help! A ghost!”
Throwing his fishing rod aside, he scrambled to his feet and fled in blind panic, shrieking, “I’ll never fish again, never again!” His cries of terror echoed through the forest as he ran.
In the blink of an eye, the riverbank was deserted.
Lu Chao Chao scratched her head in confusion. “What ghost?”
“What happened, Windchaser?”
Turning abruptly, she found the chain dangling in midair—empty.
“Where’s my dog?!” she exclaimed.
Bruh lmao