Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

"Your attitude is so bad, you're not allowed to go over there."

Zuo Qiuchi stopped her, determined to go against Xiao Yunhan. She moved the heavy sword towards Chu Mingkong, shielding him behind the broad side of the blade, not even letting Xiao Yunhan see it.

Xiao Yunhan was no longer just confronting Zuo Qiuchi; she lifted her leg and walked towards him, clearly intending to snatch him away.

“Mingkong became like this under your protection. He has been affected by the Buddhist salvation spell. I will take him back to check his soul.”

"If you were capable of protecting me properly, why didn't you come out earlier? Where did you go?"

"..."

Zuo Qiuchi's words struck a chord with Xiao Yunhan; she was right. Due to family ties, she couldn't do anything to help Chu Mingkong, and it was Zuo Qiuchi who had always protected him.

Chu Mingkong could no longer remain silent. Since they had already met, there was nothing he couldn't say. However, he couldn't talk about the complicated matters at home in front of others, just as Si Chunhua and the others wouldn't mention the sect's past to outsiders.

Chu Mingkong, Zuo Qiuchi, and Xiao Yunhan borrowed a quiet place from Si Chunhua for cultivation, hoping to find a peaceful place where they could talk to each other without outsiders.

“Yunhan, the curse on my body isn’t a big problem. I have no intention of converting to Buddhism. It’s just that the effects on my body won’t disappear for a while. It’s not a big problem, so don’t worry… It’s rare for us to meet, but to be honest, I don’t really want to see you right now.”

Why?

Some things are easy to say but difficult to put into words.

Chu Mingkong looked at Xiao Yunhan. The snow-haired woman was beautiful, and the coldness in her eyes faded a little because of him. Her delicate oval face was similar to that of Consort Wan and Princess Chu. She was poised and elegant, and her beauty was unparalleled. Her temperament was influenced by her own ice spirit energy, and her whole body exuded an invisible coldness and indifference that kept people at a distance.

Her icy spiritual energy was becoming increasingly profound and powerful. Due to the power of this spiritual energy, the white clothes she wore were frozen and became crystal clear, like silk covering her body. Especially at the sleeves, one could vaguely see her snow-white arm skin.

I didn't realize it when I was a child, but now that we're apart more often than we see each other, it feels like we're meeting again. I feel more and more that she has an ethereal, otherworldly quality about her.

He said, "Yunhan, you should be able to guess where I'm going. Your situation is complicated, and I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

“…” Xiao Yunhan said, “I can tell my mother to act cautiously and not to make a move against you.”

"That's not the case. My mother has never laid a hand on me. To be honest, I wish she would, so I could retaliate without feeling guilty. All these years she's just been giving me the cold shoulder and not doing anything, which has put me in a very difficult position."

Chu Mingkong scratched his head. This ambiguous relationship was the most troublesome for him. If it were any other unrelated woman giving him the cold shoulder, Chu Mingkong would have slapped her without hesitation. But the Princess Consort of Chu was his nominal mother, and the missing Prince of Chu had treated him very well, even giving him the title of heir apparent. Moreover, his relationship with Xiao Yunhan was quite good. With all these connections, Chu Mingkong was even less likely to take the initiative to turn against her, unless she made the first move.

This sounds like entrapment, but the most important thing in life is to have a clear conscience. It takes talent to be ruthless and heartless. Chu Mingkong may be someone who doesn't repay kindness, but he would never do something like repaying kindness with enmity.

He continued:

"Moreover, you haven't figured out the key to this problem. The royal family wants to take over Tianya City, become the King of Xiling above me, and treat me like their son. Do they deserve that? The Xiao family wants to be the one to intercept the deal, take over Tianya City first, become the de facto King of Xiling, control this most prosperous city, and then go to the royal family to show their loyalty and gain their recognition."

They're going around in circles, like they're vying to adopt me as their son, but neither of them has ever done me a single good deed. I was the one who got blown up by the Yin Core, I was the one who went as a hostage, and in the end, it's the Xiao family who benefits?

As Chu Mingkong's thoughts reached this point, he suddenly felt enlightened, realizing that he truly owed no one anything now, and that he had been too kind and good-natured before!

The King of Chu treated him like his own son, which was indeed a great favor. But now that he's in the capital as a hostage, the one who should be facing all sorts of difficulties in the capital is the King's wife's son. Chu Mingkong has shielded him from a wave of harm.

Gratitude and resentment are balanced, and neither owes the other anything.

And considering that he was bombed on his way to Beijing, they actually owe me this!

Thinking about it this way, Chu Mingkong got angry. Who was this Princess Chu always putting on such a sour face for? I, the Crown Prince, shielded your son from harm, and she acted as if I owed you something.

I'll definitely give her a piece of my mind next time I see her!

Xiao Yunhan remained silent for a long while before speaking softly:

"Now that you have left the capital, you can discard your status as the heir apparent and go far away. You don't need to care about the affairs of the Tianji Empire anymore. If you give up that status, the Tianji Empire will no longer bother you. Let them fight and vie for Xiling."

This is why Chu Mingkong felt that Xiao Yunhan was becoming more and more otherworldly; the influence of the Five Elements cultivation on temperament is real.

She viewed the Xiao family simply as a family connection in the secular world, but in her heart she gradually stopped regarding it as a family, and its importance in her heart was no longer profound.

Perhaps in a few years, when Princess Chu and her other direct blood relatives die, she may completely abandon the Xiao family.

This is probably what they mean by... severing ties with the mortal world and escaping from the mundane world?

Chu Mingkong had previously considered escaping the capital, abandoning the matter of Xiling, and simply enjoying himself. He did have the means to do so before; having nothing to lose, he was fearless. Once he had avenged the person who had wronged him, he could live without any worries.

He shook his head and said:

"That won't work now. Someone in the capital has 'bound' me with affection, so I have to go back to that birdcage for the time being."

Most importantly... I really love the local customs and culture of Xiling. It gave me some very beautiful memories there, memories that include you, Master, and Xiao Qingning. As the Crown Prince, when I went on private trips with you all back then, I didn't need any guards to put on airs or anything. Just announcing my name was enough to receive the warm hospitality of the farmers.

But now it's gone!

The territory that was transformed into the Abyss was not a particularly prosperous area. No powerful families had settled there, but there were many small villages and farmlands. Those were the places we visited the most back then.

The aura of the Abyss that spread was very weak, but ordinary people could not withstand it. Their lives, spent facing the yellow earth, were so fragile that they could not even withstand the slightest serious illness. Now they were all swallowed up by the Abyss.

Looking at the Xiao family and the Tianji royal family, they coveted the title of king of Xiling, yet neither of them cared about the plight of the people of Xiling.

If even I run away, who will stand up for the innocent people of Xiling who died? Do those who harmed them think they can ride roughshod over them and make them call them "master"?

Sensing the dry silence in the air, Chu Mingkong sighed deeply:

"That's why I don't want to meet them; some things become awkward if you just talk about them."

Everyone's personality is perhaps related to their affinity with the five elements. Yunhan, you can be indifferent and cold towards everything, but I can't. I can't swallow my anger when I see something I don't like. Unless the fire is completely extinguished, it will only burn brighter and brighter.

Chapter 139 Can't you see the atmosphere? (33/35)

Unfortunately, Xiao Yunhan wasn't paying attention to his words. While Chu Mingkong was lost in thought, she unconsciously moved closer to him. By the time Chu Mingkong realized what was happening, she had already grabbed his arm.

As if to confirm whether those tiny arms and legs were just a figment of her imagination, she gently pinched Chu Mingkong's arm.

Before Chu Mingkong could react in a moment of speechlessness, Xiao Yunhan had already pulled him out from behind the Extinction Heavy Sword and lifted him up on her arms.

"Miss Xiao, did Ning hear what I just said?"

Xiao Yunhan nodded and said calmly, "I heard you say that you miss the memories of traveling with me."

Chu Mingkong blinked in confusion: "So, after all that I said, this is the only thing you heard?"

Zuo Qiuchi corrected, "Yunhan, you're mistaken. This kid said 'me, Master, and you, Yunhan.' You missed quite a bit."

She emphasized Xiao Yunhan's words, highlighting that she was the last one.

Xiao Yunhan was too lazy to pay attention to Zuo Qiuchi. She was a very clear-headed person. Although she had just finished arguing with Zuo Qiuchi, when Xiao Yunhan picked up Chu Mingkong, Zuo Qiuchi did not stop her. She considered Zuo Qiuchi to be sensible and temporarily ignored her provocative words.

The woman, as beautiful as ice crystals, said:

"I didn't hear the whole thing. The way you are now, saying such profound things, it's too distracting. I couldn't take it in."

Hey!

Chu Mingkong imagined himself speaking with great emotion from a third-person perspective, and it was indeed... somewhat comical. This comicality was like seeing comedians or girl group idols running for important positions on comedy shows back in the day.

A faint sadness settled over his face:

"Even if that's really the case, Yunhan, couldn't you just pretend to have listened and not tell the truth? It hurts me so much!"

"Could you put me down? Or could you change your position and squat down so my feet are on the ground?"

It's a little embarrassing for someone his age to be lifted up and carried by her. Speaking of which, when he lifted Consort Wan up in front of the palace and held her in front of the mirror to have a romantic conversation, was her feeling of embarrassment similar to his now?

Xiao Yunhan still refused. Perhaps it was out of revenge for Chu Mingkong's initial refusal to see her, or perhaps she felt ashamed of Chu Mingkong's behavior, but she hugged him even tighter, not giving him a chance to break free.

"I'm not used to bending over to hug people, you'll get used to it soon."

But Chu Mingkong's biggest feeling about being embraced by the sword fairy was quite different from what others thought. Being so close to Xiao Yunhan, Chu Mingkong could only think...

Although Yunhan's cultivation had made her icy cold, Nai Zi was still soft and warm, a truly wonderful feeling.

"By the way, Yunhan, are you angry because I said I didn't want to see you at first?"

Do I look angry? I'm very calm.

"Alright then." Chu Mingkong felt he was probably right, but Xiao Yunhan wouldn't admit it, so there was nothing he could do.

Chu Mingkong stopped being so cheeky and provoking her. He obediently went to jail, figuring she wouldn't hold him for long anyway, and maybe she'd put him down on her own soon. But Chu Mingkong had almost gotten used to waiting, and Xiao Yunhan still showed no sign of letting him land.

"How's your injury?" Xiao Yunhan asked. Seeing his energetic appearance, she noticed that he no longer seemed as negative as she had been when she last saw him. She even wondered if he had recovered from his injury.

"Not completely healed, but much better. You've probably heard about what happened to me in the capital. I feel good using this Abyss Wound as a weapon to indiscriminately kill those who wronged me."

Xiao Yunhan: "Children shouldn't talk about fighting and killing all the time."

Chu Mingkong: "..."

He didn't really want to talk anymore and wanted to leave now; a generation gap had already formed between him and Xiao Yunhan.

"Alright, let's put this topic behind us. Yunhan, are you very familiar with Xiaoxiang Qin Academy? What's the situation with the disciples here who have fallen into demonic possession? Is it related to that Guanyin relic?"

Xiao Yunhan shook her head and said matter-of-factly:

"I don't know. As long as it doesn't affect me, I don't need to delve too deeply into other sects' affairs and affect our alliances... But my guess is similar to yours, and it's probably because of that relic."

Zuo Qiuchi finally found an opportunity to interject. Leaning against the Extinction Greatsword, she said:

"The founder of Xiaoxiang Qin Academy probably wanted to use that relic to provide his disciples with a good state of mind for cultivation."

That relic can have such an effect. When meditating, it is easier for them to enter a meditative state than disciples of other sects, just like the Zen enlightenment and Zen state of mind in Buddhism. However, this benefit also helps the people of Xiaoxiang Qin Academy suppress their seven emotions and six desires, but those are things that they should have overcome on their own. When the seal of the relic loosens, they will be affected by these emotions.

However, compared to the benefits, this cost is insignificant.

Chu Mingkong was beginning to understand what Zuo Qiuchi meant.

Diligent self-cultivation, suppressing one's emotions that arise from time to time, and eliminating distracting thoughts that affect one's practice are all part of the cultivation process. In the process of fighting against one's own emotions, one's self-control will gradually grow, which is also a kind of training.

But while it's called training, how many people can truly achieve it? Even Buddhist disciples can't easily enter a state of Zen enlightenment.

The existence of that relic in Xiaoxiang Qin Academy is equivalent to improving the efficiency of their cultivation and meditation invisibly, which is quite remarkable. And the result... will probably be reflected in the elders.

The more restrained one is, the more powerful the outburst becomes. No wonder he used three at once. But compared to his actual cultivation level, this price is insignificant. It was just a way for him to vent his frustrations in private.

It seems my jade dildo still has a lot of market value here!

Chu Mingkong then said, "But that doesn't make sense. Why haven't we heard of any disciples here getting into trouble before? Now they've all fallen into demonic possession?"

Xiao Yunhan was also puzzled. If she had known the inside story, she would have helped to handle it long ago.

"It might really be related to Buddhism. Outsiders can only use the wisp of Buddha-nature to comprehend things through relics, and other than that, they can only seal them. They are far less capable than Buddhists in using relics. The fact that a low-level disciple has fallen into demonic possession may be related to Buddhism's bold and reckless actions this time."

Chu Mingkong nodded, feeling that Xiao Yunhan's grip on him loosened a bit, and took the opportunity to slide off her arms, finally grabbing her white silk legs and landing smoothly.

He checked Xiao Yunhan's attributes: a cold, aloof, white-haired, white-stockinged female sword immortal. She had clearly come prepared, aiming to deliver a critical hit to his liking.

That's terrifying.

"Where are we going?" Xiao Yunhan asked, her gaze never leaving the boy beside her.