Chapter 350: False Courtesy
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Chao Chao, it’s getting late. Why don’t we come back tomorrow?” Shi Yun sighed helplessly.
As their carriage passed by the Ming Family Manor, Lu Chao Chao insisted on getting off.
The little one carried a small backpack and waved dismissively. “Mama, Mama, Uncle Ming said I’m welcome to visit anytime!”
Shi Yun thought to herself: [He was just being polite…]
Xie Yu Zhou eagerly followed behind. “I’ll take care of Sister Zhao Yang. Father can rest assured.”
Hearing the news, Master Ming rushed to the front gate. His heart skipped a beat—so the Princess Sunshine had taken his words literally.
But considering she was only three and a half years old, it made sense.
“No trouble at all, no trouble at all! It is an honor for the Ming Family to host Princess Sunshine.”
“Lang’er, open the main gate at once.”
Shi Yun couldn’t bring herself to leave Chao Chao alone at the Ming Family Manor.
To her, the Southern Kingdom was a dragon’s lair, full of hidden dangers. Leaving Chao Chao here meant she would have sleepless nights.
“Mama, Uncle Ming has a Mystic Swallow. Chao Chao has never seen one before! Can I stay for two days? Please? Pretty please?” The little one clung to Shi Yun’s leg, acting adorably.
Shi Yun hesitated.
Thinking of her daughter’s past, she sighed softly.
“Fine. I’ll trouble Lord Ming for a few days. Chao Chao is still a child, and I apologize for the inconvenience…” Shi Yun said apologetically.
Master Ming waved his hand dismissively. “Princess Sunshine is innocent and lively, sweet and well-behaved. She’s no trouble at all. If she enjoys it here, she can stay even longer.”
With that, the Ming Family warmly welcomed Lu Chao Chao inside.
Madam Xu assigned several highly skilled guards to protect her before reluctantly leaving.
Ming Xian personally escorted Lu Chao Chao inside, while Xie Yu Zhou, like a loyal little shadow, followed closely behind.
“Wow! What a huge tree!” Xie Yu Zhou exclaimed upon entering the Ming Manor and seeing the massive tree in the courtyard.
Ming Xian’s expression carried a hint of reverence. “The Ming Family worships the God of Life. This tree was cultivated from a mere branch of the Tree of Life and has taken a thousand years to grow.”
“What does the God of Life look like?” Xie Yu Zhou asked curiously.
Ming Xian shook his head. “Servants do not dare to gaze upon the true visage of a god.”
Xie Yu Zhou stuck out his tongue playfully.
“Sister Zhao Yang, do you really think you can persuade them? They seem like a bunch of old-fashioned people to me…” Xie Yu Zhou shook his head doubtfully.
Lu Chao Chao simply smiled, not saying a word.
As they sat in the main hall, Ming Lang happened to enter to report.
Upon seeing Lu Chao Chao, he was startled—why was she at the Ming Family Manor?
“Princess Sunshine is staying with us for a while. No need to make a fuss,” Ming Xian admonished him softly.
“Yes, Father.”
Ming Xian turned serious. “Have you found the one who summoned the deity’s true form?”
Previously, Second Elder Ming Cheng had betrayed the family and led some disciples astray. Fortunately, the true form of the God of Life, Xian Ting, descended and bestowed divine power upon them. Without it, the Ming Family would have crumbled, swallowed up by the other noble houses.
“No, I searched. The divine miracle appeared in the desert, a thousand miles from Northern Zhao, but nothing unusual has been found,” Ming Lang said, his tone tinged with disappointment.
That person… was the Ming Family’s last hope.
Ming Lang’s voice wavered slightly. “Father, one day, I will bring justice to the Ming Family and make the Second Elder pay for his betrayal!”
Ming Xian waved his hand. “Not today.”
He turned to the two young guests.
“Lang’er, take them on a tour. I must attend to the ancestral shrine.”
With that, he excused himself, leaving Ming Lang to entertain the two children.
The Ming Family estate was vast, a testament to their once-glorious past.
“The Ming Family has declined,” Ming Lang said somberly.
“In the past, the Ming Family thrived under the favor of the God of Life, Xian Ting, basking in unparalleled prestige. Now… the younger generation has all but abandoned us.”
“If not for the last divine blessing, by the time I return to the Southern Kingdom, the Ming Family would be nothing but a memory.” Ming Lang’s face was bitter. Outwardly, the family appeared prestigious, but without divine support, they were teetering on the brink of ruin.
“Didn’t you say the god granted power last time?” Lu Chao Chao tilted her head. [Did I not give enough?]
Ming Lang let out a wry smile. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“That power was only a temporary reprieve. The real issue still lies with the god himself.”
Taking a deep breath, Ming Lang continued, “In the Southern Kingdom, if a family fails to summon a deity for several consecutive years, they are expelled from the Divine Attendant Clans. This year… is the Ming Family’s last chance.”
Ming Lang’s expression darkened.
“When is the next summoning?” Lu Chao Chao asked curiously.
“Next month. It is our final opportunity,” Ming Lang said, his voice heavy with worry.
“What’s that sound?” Xie Yu Zhou perked up his ears.
Ming Lang listened carefully before chuckling. “That’s the sound of our Spirit Pheasants.”
“Their calls are clear and melodious. They feed on Spirit Rice and Spirit Water, making their meat incredibly tender. They are considered one of the rarest delicacies in the world.”
“Their iridescent feathers have even led people to mistake them for phoenixes.”
Ming Lang led them to the aviary.
“Big Brother!” A young boy dashed out excitedly at the sound of Ming Lang’s voice.
“This is my younger brother, Ming Zhu. He’s a few years older than you,” Ming Lang introduced.
“This is Princess Sunshine and Young Master Yu Zhou.”
The boy, about eleven or twelve years old, greeted them with a friendly smile.
Ming Lang chuckled. “Too bad the Spirit Pheasants have already been let out today, or we could have caught a couple for you two to try.”
“Catching them is incredibly difficult. Once they leave their cages—”
Before he could finish, Lu Chao Chao and Xie Yu Zhou had already dashed into the aviary.
Ming Lang: ?????
[Wait! I was just being polite!!]
A moment ago, he had only spoken out of courtesy…
Xie Yu Zhou reappeared, holding a Spirit Pheasant in each hand, one left, one right.
Lu Chao Chao did the same, beaming with excitement as she looked at the Ming brothers. “They’re not hard to catch at all! Thanks for the treat, Brother Ming Lang!”
She tilted her head innocently. “Should I catch a few more for you?”
The Ming brothers stared at her, their mouths open, but not a single word came out.
Ming Lang wanted to slap himself—why had he spoken out of false courtesy? Now, he had run into a pair of earnest fools!
With a strained smile, he said, “No need, no need. This is more than enough.”
Ming Zhu, on the other hand, pressed his lips together, holding back laughter. His older brother always spoke out of politeness but was actually stingy.
Well, he had miscalculated this time.
“I’ll take them to the kitchen to prepare for dinner. Sister Chao Chao should have a taste tonight.”
“Oh, and over there is the Restricted Grounds. You mustn’t go near.”
Beyond the bamboo grove stood a stone tablet marking the forbidden area.
“The Mystic Bird Ancestor has a terrible temper. Even our father struggles to deal with it. It feeds on spirit stones, but since we can no longer provide them, it has been in a foul mood.”
“It’s the Ming Family’s shame that we’ve wronged our ancestor.”
“If only we had a single Top-Grade Spirit Stone…”
“A single one could equal a thousand ordinary ones.”
Ming Lang shook his head. “I’ve never seen one since birth. It’s just a fantasy.”
Lu Chao Chao tilted her head at him. “Did you open the gift I gave you yet?”
“When you have time, take a look inside.”