Chapter 275: Swallowed by the Serpent
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The huge, nine-headed hydra loomed menacingly overhead, each head casting dark shadows over the ground. The air was thick with the creature’s foul breath, and its heads, each radiating a terrifying presence, eyed Lu Jing Yao hungrily. Drool, thick and smelling awful, dripped down from its jaws, splattering onto Lu Jing Yao’s clothes.
Nan Mu Bai stood nearby, tossing a few coins to the ground with a sneer. The clinking of the coins echoed, and Lu Jing Yao’s heart pounded with fear. She stepped back quickly, hiding behind a shaking Madam Pei.
“How amusing,” Nan Mu Bai mocked, his voice full of scorn. “If I hadn’t been here, you might’ve become something dangerous—a little girl with the soul of a grown-up.”
His words were like a knife cutting through the air. Lu Yuan Ze’s eyes widened, his face turning pale. “Y-you mean she has… the soul of an adult?” he stammered, staring at Lu Jing Yao with horror.
“Papa, Yao Yao not monster! Yao Yao just me!” Lu Jing Yao’s small voice trembled, her big eyes filled with tears. [I thought being reborn was my greatest advantage in this life. How can he see right through me?]
“Monster! She’s a monster!” Lu Yuan Ze shouted, his voice shaking with fear and anger. “No wonder our family has been falling apart—it’s all because of this demon!”
“Kill her! She’s a monster!” he yelled, his face twisted with fear, no longer the loving father he once was. Even Madam Pei, who had always adored Yao Yao, shivered as she looked at the little girl.
Lu Jing Yao clung to Madam Pei’s arm, her small fingers digging into her sleeve, her body trembling. Madam Pei had always thought Yao Yao’s strange nature was a blessing. The Abbot had even predicted great things for her. But now, with the idea that an ancient, unknown soul was inside her daughter’s body, Madam Pei felt sick to her stomach.
“Mama!” Lu Jing Yao cried out, her eyes wide and desperate as Madam Pei pulled away.
“Don’t call me ‘Mama’!” Madam Pei shrieked, her face twisted in horror. “Who knows how old you really are, you old ghost! What have you done to my daughter? Where is my child?!”
Lu Jing Yao’s eyes filled with tears, her small face scrunched up in frustration. “Mama, Yao Yao your baby! Yao Yao is Yao Yao!”
Madam Pei’s face turned deathly pale. She had once thought Yao Yao was a goddess sent from the heavens. Now, thinking of her as a wandering ghost in disguise, she gasped for air. “No, no, you’re not! You’re a demon—a ghost that took over my daughter’s life! You monster!”
A crowd began to gather near the city gate. People whispered among themselves, their eyes wide with shock and suspicion.
“Oh no! The Lu family’s daughter is a demon!”
“She looks like a little girl, but she’s a wandering ghost! No wonder she brought ruin to the Marquis Zhongyong household!” The crowd buzzed with fear and curiosity, unable to look away from the unfolding drama.
Nan Mu Bai frowned, clearly annoyed by the spectacle. [I haven’t been to North Zhao in years. Since when did these cowards become so bold?] He glanced around and noticed heads poking out from the city walls, people watching from every direction.
Then, his eyes settled on a chubby little girl crouching by the riverbank. She held a milk bottle, her hair in two messy pigtails. When she realized he was looking at her, she broke into a goofy grin, her face showing nothing but innocence.
Finally, Lu Jing Yao’s forced smile quickly vanished, replaced by a cold glare aimed at Madam Pei. “Why you pretend, huh? Think you’re innocent?” she snapped, her voice sharp. “You knew he had a family, but you still chose to be his mistress. You used his wife’s money to try and kill her! What right do you have to be scared of me? I helped you get what you wanted and gave you ideas to hurt others. Everyone can be scared, but not you!”
“Idiot! Stupid idiot!” Lu Jing Yao screamed, dropping her usual baby talk. Her face twisted with rage, turning her sweet features into something ugly and terrifying.
She then turned her fiery gaze toward Nan Mu Bai, her eyes blazing. “You’re from the Southern Kingdom, right? I’m a soul from another world… If you take me in, I will help you conquer other nations and make the Southern Kingdom—”
Before she could finish, Nan Mu Bai’s expression turned icy cold. The central head of the hydra, marked by a small horn, opened its mouth wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Thick, acidic drool dripped down, sizzling as it hit the ground. Lu Yuan Ze and the others backed away, their faces pale with fear.
Panic surged through Lu Jing Yao. “I’m a soul from another world! I know things from five thousand years! You can’t kill me! I—”
Before she could say more, the serpent’s jaws clamped down on her, its teeth piercing her body like butter.
Lu Jing Yao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the blood soaking her clothes. [I could travel through worlds; I must be chosen! Why has it ended like this?]
She tried to speak, but only blood poured from her mouth. In that brief moment, strange flashes of memories flashed before her dimming eyes—memories of Lu Chao Chao being drowned at birth, then raised by Madam Xu, who pampered her like a precious treasure. She saw Lu Yan Shu, paralyzed and humiliated, and her brothers, the second and third, meeting tragic ends.
She had betrayed the Xu family, accusing them of treason, which led to their execution. Her mother had moved openly into the Marquis Zhongyong’s estate, basking in her newfound status. Madam Xu had once given her a dragon-patterned pendant. One day, she had accidentally dripped blood on it, causing a strange disturbance. Because of this, the old king of the Southern Kingdom had recognized her as kin.
“No… no… this is all wrong… wrong…” Lu Jing Yao whispered weakly. [Why is everything so wrong?]
Nan Mu Bai chuckled softly, his voice laced with malice. “You dared to pretend to be of the royal bloodline of the Southern Kingdom? How ridiculous. Did you think you were worthy?”
“The royal blood of the Southern Kingdom is chosen by the heavens, servants of the gods, impossible to be mimicked by any wandering ghost like you!”
“Did you think a few coins and a money bag were enough to fake it? How naive!” He sneered. “Besides, if you were truly of a lost royal bloodline, you would face an even worse fate!”
An ordinary mortal bloodline—how could it ever qualify to enter the royal family of the Southern Kingdom? She wouldn’t even understand how she died!
The gods worshipped by the Southern Kingdom—God Zong Bai and God Xian Ting—were high-ranking deities. Lowly peasants could call upon them, but they would never answer.
Lu Jing Yao’s eyes widened, blood pouring out. She struggled to speak. [This isn’t a family reunion—this is a vendetta!]
She weakly pointed toward Lu Chao Chao. “She… She…”
Before she could finish, the nine-headed serpent bit down with a loud crunch. Its tongue swirled around, leaving not even a trace of her remains. Nan Mu Bai followed her pointing finger and looked toward where Lu Chao Chao was sitting nearby.