Chapter 377: Her Most Mad
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Ning Manor.
The Old Madam sat in the main hall, her face dark and stormy. She held a cup of tea, her eyes half-lidded in contemplation.
Lu Chao Chao entered without greeting, casually climbing onto a chair.
“Did you need Chao Chao for something?” The little one grabbed two pastries from the table and asked calmly.
The Old Madam had already heard the servants’ reports—two elderly maids were kneeling outside, slapping themselves in punishment.
Now, seeing that Lu Chao Chao did not even bother with formalities, her expression darkened further.
The head maid behind the Old Madam smiled and said, “Princess, though you are only three and a half years old, you should still pay respects to your grandmother. This is filial piety. In the Southern Kingdom, we value filial duty the most.”
The Old Madam gave her a kindly look. “Don’t say such things. Chao Chao is still young.”
Lu Chao Chao tilted her head, looking at the Old Madam.
“Pay respects? I am the Princess of Northern Zhao. The Emperor has granted me his token; it is as if he is here himself.”
“If anyone should kneel, it should be you! Even if I meet the Emperor of the Southern Kingdom, I am exempt from kneeling!”
“If we are truly following the rules, then right now… you should be kowtowing to me first, Grandmother. After all, you currently hold no title…” Lu Chao Chao smiled sweetly.
The Old Madam’s expression stiffened. “Stop listening to nonsense. Leave us!” she commanded the maid.
The head maid bit her lip, bowed her head, and retreated quickly.
Lu Chao Chao leisurely ate her pastries. As if the Emperor of Northern Zhao himself would dare to make her kneel!
The Old Madam’s face twitched awkwardly. She had not expected Lu Chao Chao, at such a young age, to be entirely unmalleable.
“Chao Chao, your grandmother is old. I have waited so long for you to return home. This time, why not stay? Let Grandmother spend more time with you…”
“We are but insignificant people in the court. Do not involve yourself in such dangerous matters.” The Old Madam patted her lap gently.
“I do not know how much longer I have left in this world. My body aches terribly from old injuries. I do not desire the status of a legitimate wife. As long as I have you by my side, I am content.”
“The Southern Kingdom’s court is a beast beyond our reach.”
“The Su Family… is even more so.”
“I was born a mere peasant, a woman of humble origins. How could I ever dream of becoming the Empress of the Western Palace? It would only invite mockery! Chao Chao, stay…” The Old Madam’s tone was almost pleading, yet Lu Chao Chao remained unmoved.
“Are you truly my grandmother? Or are you an imposter?” The little one’s words sent a shiver down the Old Madam’s spine.
“Chao Chao, why would you say that?” The Old Madam lowered her gaze, but her hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.
“Nothing. Chao Chao was just joking. But why are you sweating, Grandmother? You look quite nervous.”
The Old Madam forced a smile. “You are such a mischievous child.”
Lu Chao Chao hopped down from the chair, Xie Yu Zhou following her like a loyal shadow.
“Don’t worry. Chao Chao will prepare a grand gift for you…” The little one blinked playfully at the Old Madam before skipping out the door.
The Fake Old Madam, for reasons unknown, broke into a cold sweat.
A deep unease settled in her heart.
In the Side Courtyard.
Lu Chao Chao pulled out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve.
“Mother, this bottle contains a sacred healing salve. Be sure to apply it to Grandmother’s wounds daily—it will aid in her recovery.” Lu Chao Chao handed it to Shi Yun. She had taken it from her space.
“Mother should use it as well… it’s excellent for preserving beauty.”
Lu Chao Chao grinned slyly. “It can even regrow flesh…”
Shi Yun thought of the Old Madam’s burn scars and carefully accepted the beauty ointment.
“Where did you get this?” Shi Yun was curious about the endless supply of rare treasures Lu Chao Chao possessed.
Lu Chao Chao chuckled. “Chao Chao does good deeds, and people show their gratitude by giving me gifts.”
“Mother, Chao Chao is off to the Su Family now!”
And with that, she darted away.
Once alone, Xie Yu Zhou cautiously asked, “Are there really people who thank you?” He had assumed most would want her gone.
Lu Chao Chao puffed out her chest. “Of course! Chao Chao does good deeds all the time! In the past, people even built monuments to honor me!”
“For example, this Muscle-Nourishing Jade Beauty Cream was crafted by the Little Divine Doctor herself. It’s an incredible ointment that can regenerate flesh. Women fight over it.”
“The Little Divine Doctor was deeply in love. Her man was unfaithful. She begged me to make him loyal to her alone!”
“I handled it perfectly. She cried tears of joy and gave me this ointment in gratitude.”
“Later, she even erected a monument for me at Celestial Medicine Valley. She was truly a grateful soul.”
Lu Chao Chao sighed nostalgically.
Xie Yu Zhou, now convinced she had memories of a past life, asked in a hushed tone, “You have a way to make men return to their lovers?”
Lu Chao Chao furrowed her brows. “It’s quite simple.”
“I cut off two taels of his flesh and gifted it to the Little Divine Doctor. Ever since, he never dared stray again. He remained home, devoted to his wife and children. They became a legendary couple. Now, he belongs only to her!”
“T-Two taels of flesh?” Xie Yu Zhou’s face paled. What kind of flesh?
Suddenly, he clamped his legs together tightly!!!
“And the Little Divine Doctor thanked you for this?”
“Of course! There’s a giant stone at Celestial Medicine Valley engraved with: ‘Lu Chao Chao and Dogs Are Not Welcome!’”
Lu Chao Chao patted her head thoughtfully. “For years, my name alone has been carved at the entrance of Celestial Medicine Valley.”
“Oh, also at the gates of the Buddha Realm.”
“And the Netherworld…”
“And several divine sanctuaries…”
Xie Yu Zhou’s jaw dropped. He struggled to find words.
“Do you think… they were truly grateful?” His gaze was skeptical.
Lu Chao Chao nodded. “Of course! When I left, they wept bitterly, saying that having me was their greatest blessing. They swore to remember me for this life and the next! They even expressed their gratitude to my entire family—including my dog!”
“Some even snuck into my room at night to personally measure my neck. They wanted to gift me a necklace as a surprise!”
Xie Yu Zhou’s eyelid twitched. “How exactly did they measure it?”
“Oh, they opened their hands and gently placed them around my throat while I slept, checking the size.”
“I startled awake and nearly scared them to death!”
“Later, they gifted me an incredibly rare pearl necklace.” Lu Chao Chao grinned smugly.
“My reputation in the cultivation world was amazing…”
Xie Yu Zhou was shaken to his core.
By all logic, she should have been beaten to death a hundred times over!
Was the cultivation world… her past life?
“You… probably never faced life-threatening danger before, right?” Xie Yu Zhou asked cautiously.
Lu Chao Chao pondered. Aside from a sacrifice ritual, there was one time.
“There was.”
“On Wutong Mountain, the Phoenix Queen resides. A divine beast beloved by the heavens. Her song summons all birds, and her tail feathers turn into radiant clouds. Once every thousand years, she lays a single egg…”
“You nearly died to her?” Xie Yu Zhou asked nervously.
Lu Chao Chao shook her head. “Not quite.”
“When I stole her egg and ate it, I almost choked on the yolk.” That… was the closest call!
Xie Yu Zhou’s face twitched violently.
“Your life must have been quite happy, huh?”
Lu Chao Chao nodded. “Indeed. People say it’s exhausting having a madman around, but I’ve never encountered one.”
Xie Yu Zhou…
Could it be… that the mad one… was you?