The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 645
Chapter 645: Respect the Buddha, If Not the Monk
Zhu Mo returned to the mortal realm to find A-Wu reclining in a chair, staring blankly at the sky.
“A-Wu, A-Wu! I have fulfilled my promise. I have finally dealt with that troublesome matter. Now, I only need to wait for the day I can proudly welcome you and our child into my home.”
He presented a gleaming crystal to her. “This is a Dragon Crystal. Father knew you were a mortal, so he specially sent me to bring this for you.”
“It can extend your lifespan and increase your vitality.”
He crouched beside her, gently resting his hand on her belly. “You little rascal, you’re not giving your mother a hard time, are you? You better behave, or else your father will deal with you!” He chuckled foolishly as he gazed at A-Wu.
Yet, something felt off. Was it just his imagination, or did A-Wu look unusually pale?
“A-Wu, are you feeling unwell?” His heart tightened with worry.
A-Wu turned her head away, her lips curving slightly but with little warmth.
“Not really… Perhaps the child was restless because I didn’t see you yesterday.” Her voice was soft, her brows slightly furrowed. “The trouble is resolved? Yes… truly a troublesome matter…”
“Our family of three will never be separated again. Where is Chao Chao?” Zhu Mo asked, noticing the unusual stillness of the posthouse. Not a single person was in sight.
The maids and servants looked equally unwell, their expressions weighed with unease.
“Why is this courtyard so barren? The road coming here also looked desolate.” Only then did Zhu Mo realize that the once lush garden was now nothing but bare branches.
“A locust plague swept through last night. The people lost all their crops. Everyone is currently helping with disaster relief in Lotus City.”
“The people are restless, the court is in turmoil—this disaster could bring great catastrophe to the mortal world.”
Zhu Mo’s brows knitted together. Without another word, he left A-Wu with some cautionary instructions and rushed out of the city.
Sure enough, masses of refugees had gathered outside the city gates.
The Great Priest himself had come forward to pacify the people. But the Brahma Kingdom was vast, and with such a large population, even opening the granaries could only provide temporary relief.
Meanwhile, Shan Shan lay in Xie Yu Zhou’s arms, his little face as pale as a sheet. Yesterday had been his first birthday, and even with his tiny feet, he could have guessed the cause of all this misery.
His underlings had gone too far.
Last night, he had felt his power surge uncontrollably as countless waves of ominous energy flooded into him.
Shan Shan narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t let his subordinates continue being led by Han Chuan.
“I even prayed to the Bodhisattva…” he muttered in grievance.
Xie Yu Zhou, having not quite caught what he said, replied offhandedly, “Bodhisattva? Weren’t they all tricked down here by your sister? There’s no one left up there.”
Shan Shan looked utterly dumbfounded.
Then what was the point of all his kneeling and bowing last night?
Was he just amusing himself?
Avoiding his sister’s gaze, he feared Lu Chao Chao would pounce on him and use him as an example.
“Actually… I still have a little… private savings…” Shan Shan hesitated under his sister’s scrutiny, then awkwardly dug into his robes, pulling out a few taels of silver.
He trembled as he handed them to Lu Chao Chao.
A-Man chuckled. “Perfect! We can thicken the porridge for the refugees. Our young master has a kind heart.”
That night, the porridge distribution lasted until midnight, leaving everyone exhausted when they finally returned to the posthouse.
Fortunately, the people of Brahma Kingdom were peaceful and trusted the Great Priest. Order was quickly restored.
“I wonder how Northern Zhao is faring…” Xie Yu Zhou murmured, gazing in the direction of his homeland.
Just then, Windchaser rushed in from outside, his expression grave.
“The Emperor of Northern Zhao has the people’s support. His policies over the years have benefited the nation, so an uprising is unlikely.”
“Small conflicts are inevitable, but with General Rong, your brother, and your uncle in the court, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”
“However, the grain stores are empty—they won’t last long. And… I suspect this locust plague is far from over.”
“That formation back then was meant to bring disasters upon the mortal world. This is merely the beginning.”
Lu Chao Chao inhaled deeply, closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
“It’s not just that. This year was already plagued by drought. Now, with the locusts, Eastern Ling is also suffering from harsh weather. They have long relied on pillaging neighboring nations to survive. Only after Xuan Ji Chuan ascended as Emperor of Eastern Ling did the situation improve.”
“The locust plague started in Eastern Ling. Their people lost everything and repeatedly raided Northern Zhao’s borders. That’s why the second young master returned to the military in such a hurry. After the locusts, people ate tree roots, then Guanyin Soil, and when those ran out, they turned to locusts themselves.”
Xie Yu Zhou’s eyes widened. “They ate the locusts?”
Windchaser nodded. “Regular locusts might be edible, but these ones are bred in corruption and saturated with Yin energy—extremely poisonous.”
Lu Chao Chao picked up a plump locust from the ground. With a light squeeze of her fingers, dark green liquid burst forth, dripping disgustingly.
A sinister aura wafted out immediately.
“They can’t be eaten.”
Windchaser continued, “It’s worse than that. They cause madness.”
“Several large-scale massacres have occurred in Eastern Ling because of it.”
“Those who eat the locusts lose all reason, becoming bloodthirsty monsters. They don’t fear pain or death, and they attack anyone they see. Worse still, their bites are contagious.”
Lu Chao Chao fell silent for a moment. “We need to inform Northern Zhao immediately. The real disaster begins now.”
“Eastern Ling isn’t just eating the locusts. They must be trapped in a formation—otherwise, they wouldn’t be so affected. Those people must be hiding in Eastern Ling! We can’t let them continue their rampage!”
She turned to Shan Shan.
Shan Shan shuddered, his fair little arms breaking out in goosebumps.
Slowly, he pointed to himself. “Shan Shan… is good!” He gave himself a thumbs-up. “I did good deeds! I did! Please don’t kill me!”
Lu Chao Chao demanded more good deeds from him, and Shan Shan had no objections.
She glanced at Mai Feng, who nodded. “During the relief effort, many mounted soldiers were around. Shan Shan helped an elderly woman cross the road.”
“Three times.”
Mai Feng nodded solemnly, though his eyes darted away guiltily.
Yes, three times.
He helped the same old woman back and forth.
Lu Chao Chao sighed and looked away. Without delay, she ordered the group to prepare for departure. They would head to Eastern Ling immediately.
Xuan Ji Chuan. She suddenly recalled the Eastern Ling Emperor, once a hostage prince in Northern Zhao.
“Find some geomancers and treasure seekers,” she instructed Windchaser.
Her eyes gleamed. “I have a friend who’s a money-grubbing miser. He hoarded a fortune of grain and gold back in the day—I’ll be borrowing some.”
“If we can’t find him, we’ll shake down some old acquaintances.”
“You committed the crime of slaying your way up to the Nine Heavens, yet you still dare go begging up there?!” Xie Yu Zhou was horrified.
Lu Chao Chao grinned. “I won’t go. You will!”
Xie Yu Zhou jumped. “I refuse! What if they throw me out?! I haven’t married yet—my family line can’t end with me!”
“They won’t touch you. I have a few of their dirty secrets.”
Xie Yu Zhou’s face darkened. “Getting thrown out would be merciful. They’ll probably silence me permanently!”
“You only survived because your fists were strong.”
Lu Chao Chao waved him off. “You’re the Buddha’s Child. Who would dare harm you?”
Respect the Buddha, if not the monk.
Begging for aid wasn’t shameful.
One just had to get used to it.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation