Chapter 390: Lu Chao Chao’s Imprisonment
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
At this moment, Old Master Su’s ears, eyes, mouth, and nose were bleeding. His frail body was crammed into a chamber pot, his tongue-less mouth gaping open in a bloodcurdling scream.
As the Su Clan members were consumed by the raging fire, he fainted several times.
Nan Mu Bai’s vision swayed, his grip on his sword trembling violently. He raised a torch, stepping toward the wall’s edge.
“AHHHHH!” A sorrowful, repressed wail tore through the air. With a thud, Nan Mu Bai dropped to his knees before Old Master Su.
“Great-grandfather, great-grandfather! How could this happen? Xuan Yu, the High God, has been worshipped by the Su Clan for a thousand years! Why would he do this to you?” Nan Mu Bai’s voice cracked with hysteria, his hands reaching out to touch Old Master Su. The moment he did, the old man’s tongue-less mouth opened wider, and his quivering cheeks convulsed in pain.
“This is Xuan Yu’s punishment upon the Su Clan.”
“The Su Clan practiced human sacrifice in their sinister sorcery. Their crimes are unforgivable!” Lu Chao Chao’s voice was childlike yet carried undeniable authority.
Nan Mu Bai’s eyes turned red with fury. “You lie!”
“The Su Clan is a Divine Attendant family, sworn to protect the people and uphold justice! We would never commit such heinous acts!” Nan Mu Bai refuted with vehemence.
“Is that so? Then why did ten thousand commoners sign a blood petition demanding the Eldest Princess investigate? Why was it ignored?” Lu Chao Chao sneered, spitting on the ground.
Nan Mu Bai’s face paled. Since the moment children’s bones were unearthed from the old Su residence, unease had settled in his heart. When he saw his mother casually step on the blood petition, he finally understood—she had known all along.
“The Su Clan deserves death…”
“The Su Clan deserves death…”
“The Su Clan deserves death!” The citizens raised their fists, glaring fiercely at Nan Mu Bai.
Nan Mu Bai stood in a daze, staring at the inferno engulfing the Su residence.
The Grand Eunuch loomed behind him, speaking in a grave tone, “The High God Xuan Yu punished Old Master Su, but what of the Su Clan? Who set the fire? Who locked the doors?”
His gaze swept over the mutilated bodies of the Su family, and his voice grew sharper. “Who inflicted these wounds?”
Silence fell upon the crowd. The rescued children bit their lips, about to step forward—
“It was me.”
“I wounded them, I locked the doors, I set the fire. The Su Clan, from top to bottom, practiced evil sorcery using living humans. Do they not deserve death?” Lu Chao Chao’s tiny face was firm, her three-and-a-half-year-old frame exuding an imposing presence.
The Grand Eunuch scoffed, “Princess Sunshine, who are you trying to take the blame for? A three-year-old? How could you have defeated the Su Clan?”
Xie Yu Zhou poked his head out. “She really could.”
“She activated the Southern Kingdom’s bloodline… Yes, she possesses divine power now!”
The Grand Eunuch’s expression darkened instantly. Even Nan Mu Bai felt his heart clench.
Jiang Lin and the others looked at Lu Chao Chao worriedly, their small fists clenched tightly.
“The Su Clan’s crimes are for His Majesty to judge. Who do you think you are, daring to act against them?” The Grand Eunuch’s voice grew colder. “You slaughtered all one hundred sixty-two members of the Su Clan?!”
“You awakened the Southern Kingdom’s divine bloodline. It should have been a blessing! But the law applies equally to royals and commoners alike. If we do not apprehend you today, how can we console the Su Clan’s dead?!”
Nan Mu Bai turned to the Grand Eunuch—his mother’s most trusted confidant.
Xie Yu Zhou’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you insane? She’s only three-and-a-half!”
The Grand Eunuch arched a brow, eyes filled with disdain. “Three-and-a-half? She slaughtered an entire clan! That is a crime punishable by death!”
“Old Master Su confessed to massacring hundreds in Peach Source Village himself!” Lu Chao Chao mocked.
“How dare you! Old Master Su is dead, and you still slander him!”
“Seize Princess Sunshine!” The Grand Eunuch barked, his face twisted with malice.
Nan Mu Bai’s breath hitched. “Grand Eunuch, should we not report to my mother before making such a decision?”
The Grand Eunuch cast him a scornful glance, disappointment flickering in his eyes. “Your Highness, do not be softhearted. Do not let the Eldest Princess’s plans fail at the last moment!”
Nan Mu Bai pressed his lips together tightly. He saw the injured children glaring at him, and guilt gnawed at him.
“You cannot take Princess Sunshine!”
“Yes, you cannot take her! The Su Clan was vicious, taking countless lives. They deserved to die!”
“Princess Sunshine rid the people of this scourge—why should she be taken away?!” Jiang Lin’s red-rimmed eyes flashed as he stepped in front of Lu Chao Chao.
“Why? Because I am the law of the Southern Kingdom!” The Grand Eunuch sneered.
“Princess Sunshine has awakened the Southern Kingdom’s divine bloodline. To prevent her from harming others, she must be bound with the God-Binding Shackles. Princess, I must trouble you to endure this. If you are truly innocent, the Eldest Princess will release you.” He chuckled as guards brought out the heavy chains.
Even Nan Mu Bai’s eyelids twitched. The God-Binding Shackles were meant for the vilest criminals!
Soldiers surrounded them. The common folk clenched their fists, but they were powerless.
“You dare?! She’s only three-and-a-half!” Jiang Lin, eyes burning with fury, lunged forward, only to have a blade pressed against his throat.
The Grand Eunuch swept his gaze coldly over the crowd. “She has awakened divine power. What if she goes berserk? Princess Sunshine, behave and enter the prison.”
The dark shackles looked heavy, their mere presence suffocating.
Lu Chao Chao stood still, silent.
She allowed them to place the shackles on her.
The black metal seemed oversized, but the moment they touched her, they shrank to fit perfectly around her tiny wrists.
Jiang Lin’s tears spilled over as he suddenly dashed forward. “It was me! I did it! I hurt the Su Clan! I set the fire! I locked the doors! Take me instead!”
Princess Sunshine had saved them from despair. She was just a child—what did it matter if she had divine power?
Now she was shackled and headed for prison—how would she survive?!
The rescued children fell to their knees. “It was me! I did it!”
The Grand Eunuch scoffed. “You? Mere mortals—ants! Could you have eradicated the Su Clan?!”
“If you claim the Su Clan imprisoned you, we shall hold trial tomorrow!” His gaze carried an unspoken threat.
With intent to humiliate, he paraded Lu Chao Chao through the streets.
Celestial Medicine Valley heard of this. Divine Healer Jiang, clad in white, rushed over with his people.
“Father! It was the Su Clan! They used boys and girls in evil rituals!” Jiang Lin cried, explaining the situation in a few words, pointing at Lu Chao Chao.
“Please, Father, save Princess Sunshine!”
“She wears the God-Binding Shackles! They plan to throw her into Grievous Prison—a place for the vilest criminals! Princess Sunshine is only three-and-a-half! She won’t survive!” Jiang Lin’s forehead dripped with sweat.
Divine Healer Jiang’s face darkened. “I will enter the palace immediately!”