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

As soon as she finished speaking, a cracking sound came from her mouth. Her intuition told Feng Ying that this was a self-destruction. Generally speaking, if her spiritual veins were sealed, it would be difficult for her to self-destruct, but it was hard to say that she might have other methods.

Feng Ying quickly picked up Chu Mingkong and left, but found that the guy was still reluctant to leave. He squatted down next to Gu Mei and hurriedly took off her storage bracelet.

"Wait, let me touch the baby first."

"You're still worried about this little thing!"

Fengying scooped up his small body, her figure flashing several times before disappearing into the distance.

Where Gu Mei lingered, a huge black lotus of karmic fire bloomed, destroying large areas of woodland and grassland. The black karmic fire continued to spread, burning everything there, like a purgatory.

Sensing the intense aura of cause and effect, even though Feng Ying had already moved away from the range of Gu Mei's self-destruction, she still kept her distance to avoid being tainted by that aura.

Chu Mingkong, seeing the forest burning, called out to Feng Ying:

"Stop for a moment, I'll go put out the fire, otherwise the forest will be burned down. This place is very close to the settlement of your tribe back then, right? It would be bad if they tried to put out the fire and got caught in the flames."

Fengying thought what he said made sense, but asked:

"Are you familiar with this fire? Do you know how to deal with it?"

This is a typical example of narrow-minded thinking... Chu Mingkong said, "I'm not familiar with it, but her fire isn't as fierce as the extreme yin power. We can fight poison with poison. I just crushed her little short sword, so it's no problem."

"What about the extreme yin flames? Wouldn't that be using a bigger problem to solve a smaller one?"

"I can absorb the extreme yin flames, and I can even transform. It's a pity I can't use them casually, otherwise I would have shown you a little bit of my transformation skills." Chu Mingkong sighed regretfully.

Fengying listened to him and accepted Chu Mingkong's suggestion. He returned to the closest point to the karmic fire and put the boy down.

Chu Mingkong moved a few steps closer and flicked out a ball of extremely yin flame. The extremely yin flame quickly devoured the karmic fire. While waiting, Chu Mingkong casually held his spear and exhaled, spitting out a beautiful parabola.

This scene was quite peculiar to Feng Ying, as if Chu Mingkong had urinated and extinguished the karmic fire brought about by Gu Mei's self-destruction.

The karmic fire was soon devoured by the extreme yin flames, and the even more domineering extreme yin fire spiritual energy was absorbed back by Chu Mingkong. However, this absorption was not without cost; one of the extreme yang golden threads on his heart dimmed a little more.

Seeing this, Chu Mingkong couldn't help but curse inwardly, "This was supposed to be my life-saving charm, but it's all been ruined by this kind of nonsense after just one trip out of the capital."

The two returned to where Gu Mei had been. There, only a charred corpse that was barely recognizable as human remained. In the corpse's hand was a high-level spiritual treasure that had been burned by the extreme yin flames, which appeared to be used for teleportation.

"They're trying to force us away by 'self-destructing,' then escape using a magical artifact. They're using too many underhanded tricks," Chu Mingkong sighed.

If he hadn't suggested putting out the fire at the last minute, Gu Mei would probably have come out to annoy Feng Ying again soon. Now that he's finally dead, there's a sense of relief, like a long-standing, unresolved matter has finally come to an end.

Judging from the conversation just now, Feng Ying doesn't seem to want her to die easily, and Chu Mingkong has been led by events to an outcome she didn't expect.

So, was what he did this time good or bad?

Regardless, Chu Mingkong first grasped Feng Ying's hand, so that even if she wanted to leave, he could at least try to persuade her to stay.

"Fengying, will what I'm doing this time make things difficult for you again? I've reflected on what happened back then. I was indeed immature and not prudent in my actions. Don't be fooled by my childish behavior now; my mind remains unaffected."

Feng Ying sighed, looked Chu Mingkong up and down, and realized she had something she needed to say.

"I understand, many things happen by chance... but why are you with her?"

Chu Mingkong looked at the sky, recalled the cause and course of events, and said:

"It's complicated. At first, I just wanted to find pants."

"Then why aren't you wearing pants now?"

"Since I couldn't find it, I can only go naked for now, but I'm wearing my clothes properly."

Chapter 165 When will the pants finally come back?

Chu Mingkong and Feng Ying did some cleanup work at the scene. This place was very close to the Shepherd Village and was also one of the grazing areas, so it would inevitably affect the village's work to some extent. All Chu Mingkong could do was check if any livestock had died, leave some money as compensation, and check if there were any remaining traces of extremely yin energy in the woods, clearing away anything that needed to be removed.

After spending so much time and effort doing all this, he and Fengying finally had some long-awaited time alone together.

After the incident with Huanlu in the last round, Fengying's relationship with him improved a lot. There are many reasons behind this improvement. Some are that time has made the past less painful, and some are that Fengying doesn't actually blame Chu Mingkong as much as she thought. At that time, Fengying did stay by Chu Mingkong's side under the guise of finding her daughter, but whether she was truly hostile to him deep down, and whether she really regarded him as the murderer who defiled the little girl, only she herself knows.

Finding their daughter was the bridge and stepping stone for Feng Ying and Chu Mingkong to "form an alliance" back then. Now that Gu Mei's long-standing problem has been resolved, perhaps even without the bridge, the two of them will not feel awkward about not knowing how to face each other when they are together.

Chu Mingkong had many questions in his mind, but he skipped them all, as there were more important things to discuss first:

"Fengying, it's so unfair of you to just run away without a word, and you've been gone for so long."

"Because I had important things to do, I had no choice."

Feng Ying looked down at the short, young prince beside him. Although he had seen him before, he still seemed quite novel. Many things about him hadn't changed. When he first met him, his personality already possessed a maturity beyond his years, though tinged with a touch of naivety and recklessness. Now, many years later, seeing him as a child again, he seemed even more unchanged...

It's probably because Niu Niu has grown a lot since he was a child.

"How did you become like this?"

"There was an unexpected incident. At Xiaoxiang Qin Academy, I was tricked by an old bald monk. He wanted to use a conversion spell to convert me to Buddhism, but the spell's power was somewhat diminished by the Abyss Wound on my body. However, my body has shrunk. It should be able to return to normal in about half a month. It's not a big problem. Don't worry too much about my condition."

Chu Mingkong was very sad. At this moment of true reunion and reconciliation, he failed to appear with his perfect image of being handsome, dashing, and domineering. It was a huge blunder.

Fengying stroked his cheek, murmuring, "Only half a month left? Then we'd better hurry up and have some fun..."

"Huh? What did you say?" Chu Mingkong seemed to have heard something incredible.

"I mean, I wanted to give you a good scolding back then, but time has faded that feeling a lot. When I saw you again, you were so tall and unfamiliar that I no longer felt like scolding you. It was like talking to a complete stranger."

The fact that you've found me in this state now might be some kind of predestined fate, a request for you to make amends for mistakes you made as a child.

Chu Mingkong, being such a generous person, thought it was fine. After all, it was only half a month, and besides, he felt guilty about what happened back then in many ways. Being able to make up for past regrets after so many years...

It's late, but it's better than nothing.

"Alright, as long as you feel better." Chu Mingkong scratched his head, recalling the important matter: "Fengying, why did you run back to White Tiger Plain without a word? Was it because of that totem jade?"

"Yes, that's it. How did you get this piece of jade?" Feng Ying took out a piece of jade.

A faint rumble of thunder echoed from the totem jade, accompanied by the undercurrent of a tiger's roar, and invisible thunderous energy coiled around it. When Chu Mingkong first acquired it, he remembered it was quite ordinary; he couldn't discover any other applications for it and simply displayed it as decoration in his mansion. But perhaps because he had returned to White Tiger Plain, the totem jade had become much more active, and this thunderous energy was something he had never seen before.

This broken stone was bought from the system shop out of curiosity. I never expected it would prevent me from seeing this fiery and wicked female assassin for a long time. It was a piece of junk.

"I casually brought it from my family's storeroom when I went to Beijing. From the information I overheard, they said this thing could be used to open some kind of altar. What exactly is its purpose?"

Feng Ying pondered for a moment how to explain the significance of this object. She pulled Chu Mingkong to sit down on a huge rock in the boundless grassland, enjoying the breeze. After a while, she spoke:

"This is something left over from the Yueqi Empire era. You can think of it as... the jade seal from the Tianji Empire. The White Tiger is a divine beast of this land. Legend has it that when the Yueqi Empire was destroyed, the White Tiger statue carved from divine jade was shattered and turned into totem jade like this scattered in various places. The totem jade will find a suitable owner on its own, and the chosen person has the qualifications to compete for the new king of this land."

Finding the corresponding totem altar, returning the totem jade, and obtaining the White Tiger totem inheritance is the first step to true recognition. Although the legend doesn't specify what to do next, I think finding the altar might provide the answer; at the very least, obtaining the totem inheritance is still a gain.

Chu Mingkong recalled what he had overheard and chuckled:

"You don't need to worry about me not being able to make it in the Celestial Empire and then running off to the Crescent Moon Kingdom to find a way out for me in advance. Compared to that, I would rather have a beautiful and skilled maidservant by my side at all times."

A knowing smile played on Feng Ying's lips, but when Chu Mingkong looked up at her, she quickly concealed it, adopting an indifferent expression. Raising an eyebrow, she chuckled softly:

"My little prince is really being presumptuous. What I'm afraid of is that you've lost your status in the Heavenly Pole Empire and will lack the means to help me find my daughter. That's why I'm helping you find an identity in the Crescent Moon Kingdom that allows you to command people, so that you have some standing and can order people around to help you investigate intelligence."

So, the young master thought of me as such a devoted and selfless person. Guess what? If the young master is no longer of any use to me, will I go find a new master, hmm?

I don't think you can!

Chu Mingkong stopped and looked up at her with a serious expression.

Fengying was stunned, not expecting his sudden bluntness. Her heart was rippled, but she did not lose her composure. She squatted down and gently stroked the little boy's face with her jade-like hands, like a naughty maid who teased and bullied her young master.

"You guessed right~ So from now on, young prince, you must trust me just like that, listen to whatever I say, even if I'm going to season you and make you eat me, you'll obediently lie on the plate~"

These words, coupled with her teasing gaze, seemed to deliberately mock his excessive trust. However, Chu Mingkong still liked her way of speaking; it had a unique, flirtatious, and ambiguous quality.

She was willing to tease the boy like that, and the boy was willing to accept her teasing.

"It's not impossible."

"You said it yourself!" Fengying suddenly became serious.

Two unfamiliar guests arrived at a nearby hotel: a woman carrying a boy. They asked for a room and a tub of hot water for a bath.

The shopkeeper instinctively felt something was wrong, because the woman who claimed to be a maid was kissing the boy's little mouth, and the boy—

She's not wearing pants!

Chapter 166 Why didn't you say so sooner?

In matters of love and sex, Chu Mingkong always felt that he was the one who had the advantage, especially when he was in contact with his sister-in-law or women from aristocratic families like Shangguan Rong and Jin Yu.

However, when the object becomes a woman like Zuo Qiuchi or Feng Ying, he gets the feeling that she is taking advantage of him and that her gaze is not quite right.

The inn was rather ordinary, with a somewhat desolate and dusty feel reminiscent of a desert inn. The room was clean and tidy, but it was far from luxurious. The bath tub that the innkeeper brought was quite new, though. Feng Ying carried Xiao Chumingkong into the tub and bathed him, scrubbing every inch of him thoroughly as if he were washing food, before finally carrying him to the couch.

"That's not quite right. I think I should be the one to take the initiative in this situation."

The sleeping experience on this bed was so-so, not even as comfortable as having a quilt on the floor. However, Chu Mingkong was quite comfortable lying down, simply because he was nestled in Feng Ying's arms. He looked into Feng Ying's cat-like eyes, and the woman was also looking at him.

"It was definitely you who took the initiative. You offered yourself up to give me pleasure, you're right~"

When it comes to spouting nonsense, Feng Ying is second to none. Chu Mingkong actually felt that what she said made no sense. Although he felt that something was wrong, he couldn't find a point to refute it.

While he was lost in thought, Feng Ying fondly and nostalgically pinched his little arms and legs. The touch of his limbs was soft, the skin smooth, and the flesh tender, just like a baby's. She had played with the young prince like this before, pinching his arms in the same way. It was hard to imagine how such tender limbs could unleash such powerful strength.

Unlike the cuteness of the limbs, one leg stands out proudly, with strong muscles. The torso is straight yet slightly curved upwards. The skin in this area is also smooth and tender, but the veins are prominent and slightly damp.

The alluring woman stared, somewhat mesmerized, and gently stroked the young prince's flushed head with affection, playfully giving it a quick kiss.

Chu Mingkong couldn't help but frown, not out of resistance, but because he was a little uncomfortable with this feeling of being at the mercy of others. Moreover, Feng Ying remembered his weaknesses very clearly and went straight for his weak points. He couldn't help but gently push Feng Ying's face away, trying to adjust the rhythm and regain his husbandly authority.

Feng Ying didn't give him a chance to adjust, immediately showing a dissatisfied expression, rubbing his palm back and forth, and pressing him for an answer:

"Why that expression? Didn't you promise to treat me, your maid, to good food and drink? Now you're reluctant to let me have a taste of my young master?"

Chu Mingkong was speechless, withdrawing her grip on her arm. She bit the boy's small hand, and the boy's eyebrows trembled under Feng Ying's torment. He endured it, saying with difficulty:

"...No, that's not what I meant. Please change the subject; this place is not right, it makes me uncomfortable."

“Alright, let’s go here then~” Feng Ying’s fingertips moved slightly, and immediately seized another weakness of Chu Mingkong as if striking a snake at its vital spot.

The pressure from her fingertips was both gentle and intense. They say men often inherit family skills, but he discovered that, in terms of skill, Feng Ying knew his weaknesses better than he did – that was absurd. She was indeed an assassin, but did she have to go to such lengths to find the "enemy's" weaknesses?

The technique of gently plucking, twisting, and picking was skillfully employed. Chu Mingkong tried to resist, but he was quickly defeated and had to stop Feng Ying.

"I don't understand, Sister Li. Why do you know so much about what I'm afraid of? I feel like my Niu Niu betrayed me and sided with you!" Chu Mingkong felt deeply humiliated.

"Of course I'm biased towards you! A long time ago, when you shouted 'Sister, step on me,' didn't you point at me like that too? As for your weakness, just look at your expression and you'll know. Don't hold back your expression, look me in the eye~ or there won't be any follow-up!"