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

She came to his door late at night and kicked him a few times, all she wanted was to ask him for his martial arts manual?!

"What kind of cultivation technique?"

"【Steel-cutting】".

The complete version of this combat technique is considered very high-ranking within the Xiling Army. Not only are there restrictions based on rank, but one must also accumulate military merits to obtain all three volumes. The first volume, corresponding to the first three levels, only requires military merits, but the second volume requires the rank of non-commissioned officer, and the third volume requires the rank of general. In terms of its status as a complete technique, it is a closely guarded secret, equivalent to the techniques passed down to true disciples within a sect.

Given its status, obtaining it would be extremely difficult.

Chu Mingkong emphasized, "This is a closely guarded secret."

"Sister can also play some comfortable games with you~" Feng Ying reached out and stroked his cheek, a finger occasionally tracing the edge of his lips, hinting and tempting.

"OK then......"

Chu Mingkong honestly agreed. This older sister knows me well, and I should make good friends with her! Of course, Chu Mingkong agreed more to give each other a way out. He was weak and alone in Xiling, and he needed to know some people, especially those who had no connection with the Chu Prince's family.

He wasn't interested in the game the woman was talking about.

This is a power struggle involving survival concerns!

"But do you know how to use heavy weapons, like knives, greatswords, or heavy spears?"

"Why do you ask that?" Feng Ying retorted. As an assassin, wouldn't it be ridiculous for her to use such a weapon?

"【Steel-Cutting】is indeed very useful, but I've only read the first volume, which is the first three levels."

Feng Ying thought to herself, "This is troublesome. From what he said, this technique needs to be used with heavy weapons to unleash its full power?" She didn't like using incomplete or flawed products. For an assassin who sought a stable outcome, this was tantamount to gambling her fate on whether the enemy would give her face.

"The full power can't be unleashed with an assassination-type weapon? You dare to wander so deep into the Abyss, yet you haven't even finished learning this technique that penetrates enemy defenses, only mastering the first three levels?"

Chu Mingkong, fearing she might change her mind and refuse to play along, sincerely explained:

"Because it's useless. The power of my thrust is no less than that of using [Steel Slash]. In the way of the spear, I have reached the realm of spear immortality. If I encounter a ferocious beast that can withstand a single blow from my spear without being harmed, I will choose to turn and run, because using [Steel Slash] will be useless."

This reason left Fengying speechless, yet she couldn't refute it. Amidst her regret, she was also shocked. This little boy she had bullied with her toes was actually a master gunsmith; no wonder she always felt a sense of impending death when confronting him in the forest.

"But if you want to improve it into a technique that can also be used with a dagger, I can go back to the Chu Prince's Mansion tomorrow to learn the entire manual and help you improve it into the [Steel-Cutting] technique suitable for daggers. Give me two days to go to the Abyss to cultivate short-bladed weapons like daggers to the level of a minor grandmaster, spend two days learning the entire [Steel-Cutting] manual, spend one day improving it, and then I can teach it to you."

Even a renowned and powerful figure wouldn't dare make such a bold claim, but for it to come from a child's mouth is somewhat comical, like "children speaking without restraint." However, Feng Ying, observing his calm demeanor, didn't seem to find it something to be proud of, as if he were simply stating something as ordinary as eating and sleeping.

As Feng Ying pondered, a knock came at the door, and suddenly the room was so quiet you couldn't even hear breathing.

Wei Hai knocked on the door and said:

"Your Highness, we have just found a guard who has been knocked unconscious. It is possible that a suspicious person has infiltrated the area. Please be careful."

This is a test, a test of Chu Mingkong's sincerity. If he suddenly asks for help, Feng Ying can only run away immediately, but this also means that the child's promise of improving the cultivation method is just empty talk to fool her.

Feng Ying's jade-like feet landed on Chu Mingkong's knees, and her rosy lips suddenly parted—a hint. She awaited his reply, his choice, with great interest.

Chu Mingkong swallowed hard and said to Wei Hai:

"I will be careful. Even if there are assassins, they can't hurt me. Brother Wei Hai, get some rest."

"Very well, Your Highness, you should also get some rest."

Wei Hai's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Feng Ying smiled gently, picked up the boy, and carried him to the bed. Suddenly, she heard Chu Mingkong ask:

"I don't know your name yet."

"Wind Shadow".

......

At that time, Chu Mingkong thought that if things continued to develop at this pace, he might be able to gain an ally.

If he hadn't done anything unnecessary afterward.

Interlude: Fragrant Breeze and Alluring Shadows (Part Six)

Modifying a cultivation method can be very difficult, or it can be very simple.

The first major challenge lies in acquiring a complete cultivation method. A complete cultivation method is like a chef obtaining a detailed recipe for a dish, and this recipe even includes the preparation of the seasonings. Only on this basis can modifications be made relatively easily; otherwise, it would be equivalent to creating a cultivation method on one's own.

The second difficulty lies in comprehending the corresponding weapon. The corresponding technique is adapted to the corresponding weapon. This principle is similar to pairing a greatsword with a dagger sheath. It is difficult to put the dagger into the sheath. It is not impossible to force it, but the narrow and long entrance seam of the dagger sheath will be broken. After that, it will no longer be able to put the dagger in properly. It will completely become the shape of the greatsword, and the greatsword may even find it unacceptable that it cannot be fully put in.

But these two things were insignificant to Chu Mingkong.

Due to time and schedule considerations, Chu Mingkong first spent two days in the Abyss, honing his dagger skills to the level of a minor grandmaster. He then rushed back to the Chu King's Mansion and immersed himself in the treasury to study the complete technique of [Steel Slicing]. With his insights into the dagger, Chu Mingkong practiced the technique while simultaneously working on modifying it.

With half the effort, we achieved twice the result and were out of quarantine a day earlier than originally planned.

"So, instead of spending time learning a new skill, why not master the use of a new weapon? The more weapons you master, the more likely you are to find an opportunity to steal someone else's weapon if you see one that is useful."

What you need to know is that other people's things are always the best!

Other people's BMWs are so easy to ride!

Other people's weapons—they're so useful!

Other people's mothers—good...cough cough, beautiful!

Chu Mingkong stepped out of the warehouse gate, shielding his eyes with his hand. Suddenly returning from the darkness to the light, his eyes were slightly dazed by the light, but the fresh air washed away Chu Mingkong's mental fatigue.

He stretched contentedly and strolled through the beautiful courtyard of the Chu King's mansion, relaxing his mind with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers, while pondering when Feng Ying would return to find him.

Chu Mingkong felt that, given his hard work, it wasn't unreasonable for Feng Ying to take another hit at him. If she felt she was being taken advantage of, he could just let her kick him a couple of times to vent her anger and balance things out.

"So this is what it feels like to be with a woman. When can I finally break free and get rid of this damned virgin body?"

He sighed sadly and quickly patted his face to clear his head. This was a very dangerous thought; if this desire took root in his heart, he might lose control of himself in front of women in the future.

Losing one's virginity is a small matter, but ruining one's career is a big one.

It's possible that Feng Ying was sent by the Princess of Chu, but her goal wasn't to kill him, but to make him lose his virginity. If that happened, Chu Mingkong's life would be over.

This indicates a problem with the game save file.

"I have to be careful that she doesn't try to seduce me and stir things up! If that happens, should I refuse?"

"This isn't good. I should have feinted first, then gone straight for her backdoor!"

As they were taking a walk, Wei Hai suddenly called out to him. Chu Mingkong was puzzled. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be at the border of the Abyss?

"Your Highness, why are you wandering around here alone on a day like this? I've been looking for you everywhere. I asked several servants, but none of them knew where you were. I thought you had gone back to the border again."

Chu Mingkong blinked and said:

"I've gone to study some techniques. I've recently become quite interested in Zhan Ge's combat methods, so I came to see what the predecessors had to say. Do you have something urgent to tell me?"

He rarely revealed his full strength. If he could fight ten people, he would tell others that he could only fight five. Even with the Wei family, he was no exception. Although the Wei family was very close to him because of King Huai of Chu, it could not be guaranteed that the Wei family was not secretly close to the Chu Queen's family.

But overall, the Wei family is still the group he can get close to.

Wei Hai smiled and said:

"Three things. The first thing is the young lady's instructions. She said that the crane is gone, so she asked someone to buy a baby iron-eating beast to give to His Highness. However, the baby is still small, so it will be temporarily placed with the Wei family for care. It will be given to you when it is a little bigger."

The second matter is what His Highness asked me to investigate a few days ago: the news about the parchment scroll and the dagger.

Chu Mingkong did not return these two items to Feng Ying that night. He explained that they were with Wei Hai and it was inconvenient for him to retrieve them. Feng Ying probably also wanted him to investigate the "Withered Bone Phantom" information, so he did not take them back for the time being. Anyway, he would come to him to get the cultivation technique in a few days, so he left them with him for the time being.

Judging from Wei Hai's reaction, Chu Mingkong seemed to have found a clue, and asked expectantly:

"Oh? Have you found any leads?"

"some.

Your Highness is familiar with the Crescent Moon Kingdom, that tiny place less than half the size of Xiling. Its predecessor, the Moonlit Empire, flourished before its collapse. My Wei family's witchcraft, tracing its origins, can be considered a branch of the Moonlit Empire. I sent people to thoroughly investigate the past of this person, 'The Phantom of the Withered Bones,' and discovered that he actually stole a Heaven-rank witchcraft manual, which can help practitioners become invisible.

However, this technique has a style reminiscent of blood sacrifice magic, requiring the lives of three individuals possessing rare physiques. This is tantamount to a sacrifice, and the stronger the three sacrificed individuals are, the greater the improvement the practitioner gains from cultivating that technique.

The Wei family was incredibly skilled at intelligence gathering; their soul-searching technique could even elicit clues from corpses. Chu Mingkong didn't bother to investigate their search process.

Chu Mingkong first politely said "Thank you for your hard work," and then asked:

"Have you found out the whereabouts of this 'phantom skeleton'?"

Wei Hai shook his head regretfully, but then changed the subject and said:

"We'll have results within three days. We already have a lead. This person used to be called Gu Mei. Don't worry, she has no connection with the Gu family of Xiling. But she went into hiding. Fortunately, we still have intelligence on her whereabouts over the years, so we'll be able to find her soon... Why is Your Highness interested in this person?"

Feng Ying briefly mentioned the situation of the person in the sheepskin scroll to Chu Mingkong. Basically, he was her sect's enemy who had killed two of her senior brothers and sisters.

If Feng Ying is someone worth befriending, then Chu Mingkong feels he can help her get rid of this enemy.

"Nothing much, I just found it by chance and became curious. So what's this dagger for?"

"It's unclear at the moment. I personally think it was for suicide, but after my Wei family elders saw it, they felt there were traces of witchcraft in the dagger. They went to consult ancient books to investigate, and we have to wait for their reply."

Chu Mingkong nodded and said apologetically:

"I'm really sorry to trouble you, Brother Wei Hai. You've been busy for several days for my little matter and even came all the way from the border."

Wei Hai said:

“It’s no trouble at all, but it seems Your Highness has really forgotten what day it is today. Today is Your Highness and the Second Young Master’s birthday celebration.”

The third thing I just mentioned is that I was asked by Prince Huai to come and fetch Your Highness to the main hall. How could Your Highness be missing on such a joyous occasion? Hurry up, the dancers are almost here!

Interlude: Fragrant Breeze and Alluring Shadows (Part 7)

Chu Mingkong had really forgotten about the birthday celebration. In the past, he could always avoid such things, even though it was difficult to avoid them.

No one knows the exact date of Chu Mingkong's birth, but King Huai of Chu took the day he brought Chu Mingkong back as Chu Mingkong's birth date.

This date is problematic, causing Chu Mingkong considerable embarrassment over the years, as it happens to be the day his wife gives birth.

For a woman or wife in a secular royal family, the greatest honor and happiness is to give birth to a son with a hook on his head. The phenomenon of a mother's status rising with her son is particularly serious in the royal family, as it involves issues such as the continuation of the family line. Now that the Queen Consort of Chu's first child is a daughter, if her second child is also a daughter, there will be some big problems.

Others might doubt her ability to continue King Huai of Chu's lineage, or even that if King Huai later took a concubine and that concubine gave birth to a boy in her first pregnancy, it would greatly affect the status of the Queen Consort as the principal wife. This kind of impact would be something that even her family background could not eliminate.

Therefore, on the day Princess Chu gave birth, she was overjoyed to learn that it was a son, but this joy did not last even half a day.

The midwife told the Queen Consort of Chu that King Huai had just brought back a child who had been made crown prince—one can imagine how the Queen Consort of Chu felt afterwards.

It is against this backdrop that Chu Mingkong can understand the Chu Princess's dissatisfaction with him, and even feel guilty. This is similar to the situation in his previous life where "the heir to a wealthy family's estate chose an adopted son instead of his biological son."