The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 517
Chapter 517: A Guilty Conscience
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Grandmother is old and cannot accompany you forever. A-Man…” The Old Madam held her hand with deep affection.
“Love yourself first before you love others. No matter the time, always remember this.”
A-Man choked up and nodded.
For some reason, she felt that Grandmother was acting strangely today.
As if…
As if she was giving her parting words.
“Go into the mountains.” The Old Madam paused, then glanced toward Lu Chao Chao with a hint of pleading in her eyes.
Chao Chao could open the Gate of Time and Space, how could she not understand?
A-Man had found a treasure.
“I will go into the mountains with Sister A-Man.” Lu Chao Chao nodded softly, her voice sweet and delicate. The Old Madam was skilled at braiding hair, making her look particularly beautiful.
“I’m coming too!” Xie Yu Zhou jumped up excitedly.
A-Man was startled and hurriedly refused. “You’re still children! How can you go with us?”
“Ghosts push her cart, does she look like an ordinary child to you?” Xie Yu Zhou cheerfully packed a good amount of food—the Old Madam’s cooking was truly exceptional.
By now, it was nearly noon, and villagers were gathering at the foot of the mountain one after another.
When A-Man arrived with the two, the villagers glared at her with hostility.
“This is the Demon Realm’s mountain. We are entering it. What does that have to do with you?” Xie Yu Zhou rolled his eyes with disdain.
“Ignore them. Those who seek their own doom have nothing to do with us. If they anger the Mountain God, they’ll suffer the consequences. Besides, they have already been banished from the village and can’t bring misfortune to us.” Chen Lai Zi sneered at A-Man with satisfaction.
Once A-Man and Old Madam Lin were driven out of the village, that house would belong to him.
“The village chief is here! Village Chief, it’s time to enter the mountain!” the crowd shouted loudly. The village’s sacrificial rituals were always conducted by men, while women only helped with miscellaneous tasks like carrying offerings and tools.
Years ago, A-Man’s mother had been one of those helpers.
The villagers led the way while A-Man and the two children followed from a distance.
The Demon Realm’s mountains were tall, and one could only enter at noon to avoid running into malevolent spirits.
The outer regions were often visited by villagers for hunting and gathering herbs, making them easier to traverse.
But the inner mountains were shrouded in an eerie, ominous atmosphere.
Centuries-old trees towered toward the sky, blocking out the sun, and wild grasses reached waist height, forcing everyone to clear a path as they walked.
“A-Man, you are not allowed to walk behind us. The Mountain God might think we brought you along!” Chen Lai Zi shouted loudly. If this wild girl died in the mountains, all the better.
The village chief glanced at A-Man. “Be smart about it.”
A-Man, proud as ever, immediately left the path and carved out her own way.
She was strong but still young, so she could only trail behind the villagers from afar.
“Who is the Mountain God worshipped here?” Lu Chao Chao asked curiously.
A-Man wielded two curved blades, carefully cutting away the thorny vines.
“The elders in the village say that the Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm are natural enemies, so in theory, the Demon Realm shouldn’t have gods.”
“However, a thousand years ago, a Demon King disappeared while fighting for the throne. Not long after, a deity took residence in this mountain.”
“It’s said that this deity loves flowers. A long time ago, a villager accidentally entered the mountain and was saved by the deity, who then agreed to bless the village.”
“Since then, a rule was set—every sixteen years, the villagers must enter the mountain to hold a ritual. If not for the Mountain God, the village wouldn’t have been so peaceful.”
Life for mortals in the Demon Realm was extremely difficult.
There had even been instances of entire villages being slaughtered by demons.
“No wonder they’re all carrying flowers.” Xie Yu Zhou wiped the sweat off his flushed face.
“No one knows exactly which deity it is. The villagers simply refer to them as the Mountain God.”
A-Man looked slightly downcast.
Lu Chao Chao gazed into the forest. She could faintly sense divine energy, though it was weak.
It must be suppressed by some kind of restriction.
What kind of deity would stay hidden in the mountains for a thousand years?
The villagers’ hands were bloodied from cutting through the thorns. They sat on rocks, nibbling on dry biscuits and washing them down with water, swallowing with difficulty.
A-Man took out a few pieces of dried noodles from her pouch and soaked them in hot water. Within moments…
The air was filled with a mouthwatering, irresistible fragrance.
The villagers looked at each other, swallowing hard.
Watching the three children happily drinking hot soup and eating steaming noodles, their dry biscuits suddenly became even harder to chew.
Chen Lai Zi’s eyes burned with fury.
That heartless aunt of his!
She had a recipe for such delicious food but chose to give it to a lonely orphan like A-Man instead of her own family!
Half an hour later, they resumed their journey.
Surprisingly, the three children were in excellent condition—far from tired. In fact, they seemed more comfortable than the villagers.
Lu Chao Chao’s Spiritual Spring had unimaginable effects.
By the afternoon, they had passed through a dense thicket, and the scene before them suddenly opened up to reveal a vast valley.
“Wow…”
The valley was covered in vibrant flowers, and butterflies danced through the air.
It was like stepping into a paradise.
“The Mountain God truly loves flowers…” The villagers murmured, carefully adjusting the flowers in their arms.
“Not just that. According to the village records, the deity has been tending flowers in this valley for a thousand years, yet none have ever bloomed.”
Everyone tidied their garments and knelt to offer their respects before entering the valley under the village chief’s guidance.
A light mist shrouded the valley, but once they stepped through…
The sight before them was astonishing.
On the slopes, multicolored lights shimmered and flowed, almost blindingly brilliant.
“Look! The Mountain God’s flowers… they’ve finally bloomed!” The village chief pointed at the glowing flower fields in shock.
“The village records state that since the Mountain God appeared a thousand years ago, they’ve been growing flowers here. But they never bloomed…”
Even sixteen years ago, when they last visited, there had been no blossoms.
“Will the Mountain God leave now that the flowers have bloomed?” a villager whispered.
Everyone fell silent.
“We should pray for the Mountain God to bless us a few more years. The surrounding villages without divine protection have suffered repeated attacks from demons. Our village has only flourished because of the Mountain God’s presence.” The village chief’s words prompted nods from the villagers.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao crouched down, staring intently at the radiant flowers.
“Before… before Matchmaker God faded away, he kept mumbling about a deity named…” Xie Yu Zhou frowned in thought.
“Something like… Celestial Sovereign Yan Qing? Who planted Glassy Pure Flowers for a thousand years… Could it be…” He pointed at the valley.
Lu Chao Chao rubbed her chin, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Maybe we should go back?”
“Suddenly, I feel like… fathers aren’t that important after all?” She turned to A-Man.
“A scumbag father is useless anyway. Want me to find you a new one? What kind do you like? From the Celestial Realm? Demon Realm? Fiend Realm? Netherworld?” Lu Chao Chao asked with utter seriousness.
“How about a contest? The winner gets to be your father. Sound good?”
A-Man: ???
Is my scumbag dad some fish in the marketplace for her to pick and choose from?
Wait… why does she look so guilty?