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

I'm probably just overthinking it. Isn't that how Grandma Feng always looks? I didn't see anything!

[System Treasure has arrived in your account, 500 points of filial piety (undesirable).]

What are these? There are so many!

This is indeed a gift from a spoiled filial piety lottery; it's quite something!

"Sister-in-law Feng, where did Sister-in-law Zhong go?" Chu Mingkong asked, then yawned. "Sorry, I got up a little early this morning and I'm feeling sleepy."

Last night's battle with Xiao Yunhan was too exhausting, and he looked a bit listless, as if he hadn't slept well.

"Then... then... Uncle, why don't you come to my room for a short rest?" Feng Keqing said, looking at him.

Chapter Twenty-One: This was a gift from Chu Mingkong.

Going to Sister Feng's room, isn't that inappropriate? Let alone the secular world, even in the cultivation world where the rules are relatively less rigid and redundant, it's inappropriate for a man to go to a woman's bed, especially if they are not related.

Oh, Zuo Qiuchi is an exception.

When Chu Mingkong was a child, she took him to play in the wilderness. When they were tired, they would camp and sleep. They would also find an inn with only one room left and sleep there together. There were not many restrictions.

“It’s not appropriate to sleep in Sister Feng’s room. Brother Cui might mind if someone else sleeps in his bed when he comes back.”

"That's my little room, the only one I usually use."

It's not a couple's room, that's fine then. I guess it's a study or something.

He followed behind Feng Keqing. Although he had no intention of peeking at her rudely, as Feng Keqing walked gracefully, her slender waist and round buttocks swayed. Chu Mingkong's gaze was fixed ahead, but his focus was uncontrollably drawn to her two full breasts.

Upon entering her small room, Chu Mingkong smelled a delicate fragrance, a scent that combined the aroma of an incense burner with the natural fragrance of Feng Keqing.

Although it smelled nice, he was used to fresh air, especially when he was resting, and he disliked unnecessary information attracting his attention.

He first went to the window and opened it to ventilate the room.

This action made Feng Keqing somewhat embarrassed. When others entered her room, they immediately opened the window, as if to say that her room was messy and smelly.

"...Uncle, is there anything about the smell that you don't like?"

"Sister Feng, you've misunderstood. I like to listen to the birdsong by the window when I'm sleeping."

He was tempted to recite the line "Birdsong can be heard everywhere" to see if he could still show his filial piety, but at the moment he just wanted to take a nap and rest, and didn't have much energy to worry about anything else.

In a daze, Chu Mingkong felt as if he had drifted into a romantic dream. Sensing something was wrong, he suddenly opened his eyes and woke up. His spirits had recovered somewhat, but unfortunately, they seemed to be recovering in a different direction.

He glanced at his tent and used his internal energy to suppress it.

He sat up, walked to the coffee table, smelled the teapot to make sure there was nothing wrong, and then poured himself a cup of tea to quench his thirst.

Feng Keqing wasn't in the room; she was probably out on business at the manor. Chu Mingkong sipped his tea, glanced around the room, and felt... it wasn't a room that was only used occasionally.

The room was furnished perfectly for a young lady; the dressing table had a gleaming mirror, and there were numerous cosmetic boxes. Next to the cabinet were close-fitting clothes such as bellybands.

“This doesn’t seem like a room that’s only used occasionally. Is it the one that Feng Keqing used often? There’s no sign of a man living here. Did she sleep in a separate room from her husband? But the watery aura in this room is a bit too strong.”

The five elements are like a balance, existing between all things.

The way of balance is the norm. Cultivators are keen to seek out places where their innate spiritual energy is abundant, but for ordinary people, an imbalance of the five elements in their home may cause problems.

Excessive water energy can subtly influence ordinary households, fueling desires and potentially turning them into something yin, depending on the circumstances.

If it weren't for his mastery of fire-based spiritual energy, he probably would have had strange, erotic dreams even after just a short rest here, and it would be even more embarrassing if he woke up with his pants wet.

"Where did this watery aura come from? It doesn't feel very clean, it's all hidden away."

After some searching, Chu Mingkong's gaze finally fell on several paintings hanging on the wall beside the bed. The paintings all depicted beautiful women of the night. Unfortunately, Chu Mingkong did not know anything about the past of this world, and mainly he did not have the mind to learn about it. He could not tell what the paintings were about, but he vaguely sensed that something was wrong with these paintings.

At the very least, the identity of the woman in this painting is inappropriate.

This kind of buttock doesn't look like something a good person should have.

As he pondered, the beads on the curtain rustled, and Feng Keqing entered. Seeing Chu Mingkong staring intently at the painting, she went over and spoke softly:

"Uncle, you're awake. Did you sleep well...? Do you like this painting?"

Chu Mingkong felt his bones go numb from her calling him "Uncle," and he shuddered. Her voice was so soft and seductive that it made his heart itch.

“Sister-in-law Feng, please don’t call me ‘Uncle’ anymore. I’m not used to being addressed so formally. Just call me whatever you like. I’m a junior, so there’s no need for you to go through the trouble of formalities.”

"Okay~ then I'll call you Mingkong from now on, just like Sister Gu does."

"This painting should belong to the cultivation world. It exudes water-attribute spiritual energy. Over time, it's not good for people who don't cultivate. It might cause nightmares at night. Has Sister Feng noticed anything unusual?"

"what?"

Feng Keqing looked at him in surprise, clearly unaware of the situation regarding the hanging painting. Meeting her brother-in-law's straightforward gaze, she blushed, her face turning rosy and beautiful, as if she had remembered something from the previous night.

Chu Mingkong's eyes suddenly fell on the underwear hanging next to the wardrobe, and he suddenly understood something.

Normally, in a family like the Cui family, maids would promptly take away and wash the clothes that had been changed. The clothes next to the wardrobe were probably changed at night. It seems that Sister Feng was really dreaming.

"Uncle... this thing is ominous? Is there any solution?" She was very anxious and uneasy about this unknown situation, and had even forgotten what she had just promised Chu Mingkong.

"Ominous. This isn't some sacred body that becomes ominous in its old age; it won't turn into a red-haired monster..." Chu Mingkong thought to himself before replying.

"If you're just using this painting for decoration, you can have a painter make a copy to replace it, and then take away the current paintings. As for the origin of this painting, please keep an eye on it, Sister Feng. Or, I can dispose of this painting for you and have someone send over a copy later?"

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle!"

Feeling stared at by his sister-in-law, who seemed to be in a bad situation in every way, Chu Mingkong decisively looked away and walked to the window to glance at the garden scenery outside.

"Sister-in-law Feng, have you forgotten what we just said? There's no need for formalities in addressing me. Tell me how long I've been asleep?"

“It’s been a while, Mingkong, your sister Huang has returned.”

Oh? Another sister-in-law is back? Then I'll have a place to give my gift. After I give it to her, I'll say hello to Aunt Gu and then head back home. I need to get back to my own place to rest.

After storing the painting in his storage ring, Chu Mingkong found Zhong Feihuang. The shrewish sister-in-law who was so spirited yesterday had a stern face today and seemed quite displeased. She only smiled slightly when she saw Chu Mingkong.

As the saying goes, speak to people in their own way. Chu Mingkong had just woken up and was still a bit groggy, so he couldn't think of many flattering words. But remembering that Feng Keqing had said Zhong Feihuang had gone to the temple, he decided to take a shortcut.

He took out a beautifully packaged parcel and said:

“My young friend, Miss Zuo, has been visiting temples to pray to Buddha lately. These are some gifts she received, along with some small tokens of my appreciation. Seeing that Sister Huang is not in a good mood today, I will leave now and return another day.”

If someone is in a bad mood and insists on keeping them as a guest, it will only make the other person feel uncomfortable as well. After thanking him, Zhong Feihuang did not keep Chu Mingkong and told him to come another day.

----------

Not long after Chu Mingkong left, Zuo Qiuchi came to see Gu Jungui.

Gu Jungui finished a round of cultivation with a flushed face. In such a short time, he could barely be considered to have taken one foot into the threshold.

Upon seeing Miss Zuo come to see her, Gu Jungui asked in confusion, "Miss Zuo, are you here to see Mingkong? He just went back."

Zuo Qiuchi was certainly not there to find that kid; she was there to deliver the bellyband. She had no use for this protective robe; at most, she would just use it to annoy Xiao Yunhan. It would be better to give it to Gu Jungui as a life-saving tool.

Besides, what kind of thing is it for an apprentice to give his master a bellyband?

She took out a package and said, "Aunt Gu, this is what Mingkong asked me to give you. He said it's a protective robe. The capital is safe, but accidents are still accidents, so it's hard to guard against them. Therefore, you still need something to protect yourself."

“Mingkong gave it to me. Why didn’t he give it to me personally?”

Zuo Qiuchi looked at Gu Jungui with an innocent and puzzled expression: "I don't know either. I was only told that I had to hand it over to Aunt Gu in person."

Chapter Twenty-Two: This gift wasn't given out randomly!

Zuo Qiuchi is decisive and efficient, especially when it comes to things she's not particularly interested in; she just wants to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Without offering much further explanation or exchanging pleasantries, she handed the package to Gu Jun Gui and then took her leave.

Such a "carefree" demeanor is considered impolite and disrespectful to these ordinary families. However, due to Chu Mingkong's connection, Gu Jungui only felt that this girl acted decisively.

Moreover, her attention was focused on the package; what could be so mysterious about it?

She opened the package and froze—a bellyband?!

Mingkong gave her this kind of thing again?

Gu Jungui quickly summoned his maid, Donghe: "Tell that Miss Zuo from earlier to wait. I have something important to confirm with her!"

Donghe rushed out and then rushed back: "That girl has disappeared without a trace, we can't find her."

"Alright, that's all. You can go do your own thing."

After closing the door, Gu Jun Gui took the undergarment and stroked the fabric with her slender hands. It was not an ordinary material; it was probably made of celestial material.

"What Miss Zuo said about the defensive robe is probably not false, but why a bellyband? If you really wanted to give a robe, you could have given something else. Who gives a bellyband to an elder?"

This kid first gave me a thin gauze dress, and now he's giving me a bellyband, and this bellyband is so brightly colored. Although there are legitimate reasons for both, the former is for spiritual practice and the latter is for self-defense, neither of them are bad things.

After calming down, Gu Jun Gui realized that although the young man was a bit unserious and unruly, it was ultimately a heartfelt gift, not just a decorative present. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find something so precious.

Chu Mingkong's enthusiasm far surpassed that of the younger generation in the Cui family.

“Mingkong is not a bad kid. He has been very sensible and well-behaved since he was a child. He is probably just too cooped up after coming to the capital. The girls that the emperor ‘picked’ for him were just there to mess with him, which only made him more afraid to get close to girls.”

It is said that a beautiful and graceful lady is sought after by a gentleman. Chu Mingkong, who is at the prime of his life, is being suppressed. It is hard to guarantee that he will not go astray. As an elder, I cannot blame him!

"Next time he comes, I still have to talk to him and persuade him to go to the Lantern Festival to meet more girls. If that doesn't work, I can only buy a courtesan to help him relieve his lust..." the beautiful woman thought seriously.

However, he can't just buy any woman. After all, he's a prince, and ordinary women in brothels aren't good enough for him. He needs to find a courtesan who doesn't work as a prostitute.

Brothels were essentially high-class clubs. Normally, they offered entertainment but not sex. If you wanted to engage in intimate acts, you had to pay to get in and be noticed by the most beautiful courtesan. If you wanted to get in through connections, you'd have to pull strings, which was a huge favor.

Even for the sons of the Cui family lineage, going to a brothel wouldn't guarantee them special treatment; they'd still have to live their lives the same way.

"If brothels don't work, you might have to go to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district). The women there are mostly the wives and daughters of officials who have been convicted of crimes. Their upbringing is not much worse than that of women in brothels, and their looks are not much worse either."

Just as Gu Jun was pondering how to help Chu Mingkong get back on the right track, Zhong Feihuang also began unwrapping her gifts.

"A youth-preserving pill? Could it be that after Sister-in-law Gu told Mingkong, this kid immediately sent it over to me?"

Although I've already gotten a bottle from Gu Jungui, this stuff can not only maintain a woman's appearance, but also regulate her body, making it much more reliable than those nourishing supplements.

After being troubled since last night, Zhong Feihuang's mood has improved for once.

"This elixir smells so good. The young prince is so thoughtful to have found such a elixir for his grandmother." Hua Zhu said something nice at the right time, which could be considered as trying to make her master happy. "What are the remaining bottles? They can't all be anti-aging pills, can they?"

This is quite outrageous. It's already rare for anti-aging pills to be sold by the bottle at auctions, and the price is even more exorbitant. Why is this young prince sending them over like they're wholesale candy?