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

Fengying said:

“No official is clean. Find an official, find out his evil deeds, kill him, and then move in. In this way, you will have a temporary base and also rid the people of a scourge.”

Zuo Qiuchi was strongly opposed. She was easygoing and not a germaphobe, but the idea of ​​her killing someone to cover up their crime and then moving into someone else's house was something she found very unsettling.

"That won't do. How about we see if the brothel has any rooms available? We can go in and book a room, and that will be our accommodation."

Neither Chu Mingkong nor Xiao Yunhan expected that the biggest challenge they would face right at their doorstep would be finding a place to stay.

Fengying is more reliable, she said:

"After much thought, I think it would be more appropriate to move into the Princess Consort of Chu's residence. With Mingkong and me there, sneaking in won't be a problem, and it will be even harder to be discovered. Besides, didn't Mingkong say he wanted to investigate whether anyone in the Xiao family had any bad intentions?"

"The Princess Consort of Chu can currently be seen as the Xiao family's representative in Tianya City. Whatever moves the Xiao family might make, the Princess Consort of Chu should have leads on them. It's a good place to keep things under the radar; everything is convenient for her."

Xiao Yunhan thought this made sense, and she nodded:

“That’s fine. I can draft a letter right now and send it to Qingxin’s residence, saying that most of the Xiao family members will be returning and staying in the residence. I don’t want outsiders to touch my courtyard, so I’ll have the servants seal it off and prevent others from getting close. Then we can move in without any problem, but there will be fewer servants to serve us tea.”

Zuo Qiuchi and Feng Ying both looked at Chu Mingkong, whose feelings were complicated.

Ying, didn't we agree that you would play the role of a woman for me? Oh well, a real man doesn't concern himself with trivial matters.

“No problem, I’ll take care of you. Let’s find a place to sit down and find out what the situation is like in Tianya City now.”

Zuo Qiuchi nodded: "Alright, let's go check out the teahouses in Xiling. I'm curious to see if there are any stories to be told in the teahouses of this run-down place!"

Chapter 180 The Four Princesses of the Heavenly Pole

In a secluded teahouse in Tianya City, although the location is not in a bustling area, Tianya City is so crowded that even in such a remote teahouse, you have to queue to get a seat.

Chu Mingkong and his group arrived at just the right time. It was evening, and some guests who had been sitting for a while were getting ready to have dinner, so they were able to free up a table for Chu Mingkong.

To avoid attracting attention, the three exceptionally beautiful women changed into inconspicuous clothing, wore veils, and acted discreetly.

"What about the story? What about 'The Precious Chess Game' and those poems?" Zuo Qiuchi questioned.

"What Zhenlong Chess Game?" Xiao Yunhan would sometimes play chess alone in her spare time, and she was quite interested in the chess game that Zuo Qiuchi was talking about.

Zuo Qiuchi had heard the story, but didn't know how to explain it to her. So he simply recounted the story that Chu Mingkong had told at the Jiaofangsi based on his memory, and also recited a few lines of his witty and spontaneous poetry.

"That's all. When asked, Chu Mingkong said it was a story from the Xiling Teahouse. I was thinking that when he was younger, I came here with him before, and I never saw the Xiling Teahouse to be this exciting."

We've been sitting here for ages, and there hasn't been a single scholar, let alone a storyteller! Yunhan, I'm starting to suspect this kid's been secretly going to brothels behind our backs. There are plenty of scholars there; maybe he heard it from there.”

After listening to Zuo Qiuchi's words, Xiao Yunhan felt that what she said made sense. Such a story, which could be so full of ups and downs in a short space, was not something that a street writer could produce, and the poems he mentioned were even more so.

Although Xiling has a prosperous city like Tianya, its overall geographical location is remote and somewhat wild. The storytellers in the teahouses mostly talk about gossip from other places. Only the more elegant teahouses can afford to hire professional storytellers.

"Mingkong, confess honestly, do you often sneak off to places of ill repute?"

Chu Mingkong: "..."

In the past, he would just borrow the literary gems of his ancestors and use them without being able to explain their origins. He could only randomly point to a place, like the Xiling Teahouse. He never thought that one day he would actually take it seriously and come back to the Xiling Teahouse to verify his claims!

He had no choice but to continue making excuses, groping Zuo Qiuchi's thigh under the table, pouring them tea with an apologetic smile, and explaining:

"How could I lie to you? If I did, I would be your lapdog."

It seems that it really was a lie... Zuo Qiuchi drank his tea without saying a word.

She now truly understands the meaning of the term "simp" that her apprentice uses; it's a physical experience. This guy is really outrageous enough to fawn over her...

Zuo Qiuchi's gaze suddenly shifted to Xiao Yunhan. She seemed to realize something and suspiciously grabbed Chu Mingkong's ear:

"You want to be Yunhan's lapdog?!"

Chu Mingkong was speechless. This question was a bit difficult to explain. He had just said it offhand. He couldn't possibly make a precise distinction by using a scope word like "you" and adding a restrictive phrase like "except for my sister Yunhan," could he?

Xiao Yunhan was puzzled by Zuo Qiuchi's attitude. She had heard Chu Mingkong explain the term "licking dog" before, which means a loyal flatterer. The two words "licking dog" are a simple description, depicting a dog sticking its tongue out at a person. It is said that when a dog sticks its tongue out at a person, it is a sign of trust, so the meaning of this word is normal.

Xiao Yunhan slapped Zuo Qiuchi's hand away, preventing her from pulling Chu Mingkong's ear, and said with displeasure:

"What's wrong with my brother being my lapdog?"

Zuo Qiuchi looked at her in confusion: "?"

Chu Mingkong didn't expect that he wouldn't even need to explain the Xiling Teahouse; the topic had ended just like that.

Fengying didn't join their conversation; her attention was entirely focused on the chatter around her. Someone like Fengying, who usually operated in the shadows, felt uneasy arriving in a strange place without gathering intelligence.

While Chu Mingkong was chatting with Zuo Qiuchi and Xiao Yunhan, Feng Ying was paying close attention to the conversations of the people around them, trying to see if any of them mentioned any valuable information.

The value of intelligence lies entirely in how the listener extracts and uses it. The words of passersby are varied, but even just mentioning that a major force has arrived is already considered qualified intelligence.

She suddenly raised her hand, stopping the two from speaking and telling them to be quiet:

"Wait a minute, someone upstairs mentioned Chu Fengnan."

Zuo Qiuchi and Xiao Yunhan fell silent, their feelings strange. Feng Ying really had gone so far as to extend his intelligence gathering and eavesdropping activities all the way upstairs.

profession.

Chu Mingkong listened for a while, and after hearing a few words, he realized that the people talking were not ordinary people. One of them was referred to as the "Fourth Princess".

Is this the fourth princess of the Celestial Empire royal family, or the fourth princess of some other place?

The conversation upstairs continued:

"Which force is secretly opposing the Chu royal family? The Crown Prince of Xiling is currently a hostage in the capital, the eldest young lady has entered seclusion, the second young master's guardian teacher has died unexpectedly, and now the second young master himself has suddenly fallen ill, his martial arts tendons are corrupted? Interesting."

Chu Mingkong raised an eyebrow, exchanged a puzzled look with Zuo Qiuchi, and then couldn't help but touch her thigh again.

Before he arrived, he thought that Feng Nan and Princess Chu were likely people targeting him. How could their Chu family suddenly be in such a terrible state?

No, Chu Fengnan isn't a member of the Chu family in name only anymore; he's Xiao Fengnan now. Chu Mingkong has had very little contact with him; he hasn't interacted with him much since he changed his surname, and he can't seem to get used to calling him that.

A woman's voice from upstairs was melodious and crisp:

"Sir, your information is too late. Prince Chu has left the capital to fetch medicine for his father and is currently in the secret realm of Xiaoxiang Qin Academy. But what's going on with Xiao Fengnan? Could it be something the royal family in the capital is doing? I haven't heard my uncles mention it at all."

"Changing his surname was merely a temporary measure. I suspect that this second young master is still being referred to as 'Chu' in Xiling in private. The fourth princess is an outsider to that murky world in the capital; she should not get involved. It's better not to know the royal family's plans than to know them!"

“I understand, but what exactly happened to Xiao Fengnan’s martial tendons? He’s quite a figure. If he was harmed by some new poison, I’ll have to be more careful in the future.”

"There's no specific news yet. Princess Chu has been seeking out many doctors these past few days. Today, she just invited Elder Renji from Baicao Valley. Elder Renji is my master's junior brother. I'll go over later to inquire about the situation for Your Highness."

"Well then, I'll trouble you, sir. What kind of gift would you like to bring when you visit Elder Renji? I'll have someone fetch some gifts and send them over."

"It's all a minor matter. Your Highness, please don't wander around Tianya City. Your fiancé, Young Master Guangling, heard about your trip and rushed over immediately out of concern. He's still on his way. Let's meet up and then act together!"

Chapter 181 is too big, make it smaller.

They couldn't eavesdrop on anything more detailed; after that, it was mostly just casual conversation, asking where there was good food and fun things to do in Xiling.

However, this was unavoidable. Such small teahouses were not places for private discussions. The things the Fourth Princess could talk about were mostly things they considered interesting but not that important.

Chu Mingkong didn't know much about this fourth princess. There were so many members of the royal family, and the people Chu Mingkong could recognize were either people he had killed, people in his little notebook waiting to be killed, or people he had slept with or people waiting to be slept with (just kidding).

The Fourth Princess had only heard a few words from Shangguan Rong about her childhood. She was a sickly girl, and the Emperor's father-in-law took her back to the military camp to recuperate and strengthen her body.

Beyond that, all I'd probably know is that her name is Princess Ruyu.

"The martial arts competition will begin in a few days. I wonder who will take the stage on the first day. It's a pity. Given the situation within the Chu royal family, I thought I would see a duel between brothers. But after arriving, I learned that one of them is imprisoned and the other has a problem with his martial arts. It's a great disappointment."

You, Fourth Princess, are quite the gossipmonger, aren't you? You can't even see me and Xiao Fengnan fighting, so you're just sighing and complaining about how unfortunate it is.

"Your Highness, you need not focus all your attention on the martial arts training. You should know that this city itself is the greatest treasure. Its history of development, its talented retainers, and its management system are all second to none!"

"But I'm not interested in those things. My purpose in coming here is to see what's so special about Chu Mingkong's spear skills. My spear skills haven't improved in a long time. Sir, if Chu Mingkong and Xiao Fengnan were to really fight, who would be stronger?"

The gentleman who spoke with Princess Ruyu sighed helplessly, unable to understand the princess's focus. Anyone who could represent a faction and come to Tianya City at this time must have some other intentions and plans.

Watching martial arts demonstrations? Only free spirits and wanderers care about that; those who represent powerful forces usually have ulterior motives.

Princess Ruyu, however, seemed more interested in martial arts competitions. Ever since she was a child, her maternal grandfather had taken her to train her physique, and the young girl had become fascinated with martial arts duels. In terms of personality, she was quite different from her peers.

Since the princess was interested in this, the gentleman, not wanting to be tactless, could only offer his own opinions based on her words.

"According to the bloodline, the Chu royal family is divided into two branches. Chu Mingkong is from an unknown lineage, while Xiao Fengnan and Xiao Yunhan are from the same lineage. The latter has extremely high talent in magic. Tracing back to the source, the ancestors of the Chu royal family were the Supreme Elders of a sect. This talent was not particularly evident in the Chu royal family, but it became apparent in her children's generation."

However, it's difficult to say who is stronger between Chu Mingkong and Xiao Fengnan. The variable isn't Xiao Fengnan's martial arts skills, but rather Chu Mingkong's! His strength is unpredictable. For a long time, everyone thought Chu Mingkong was crippled, but now the wounds from the Abyss have become his weapon, making his combat power unfathomable.

“What you say makes sense, sir. It is indeed difficult to compare them... Never mind, I’ll go back to my mansion first. This teahouse is so boring that there isn’t even a storyteller. I’d like to trouble you to ask your uncle about Xiao Fengnan’s martial arts skills.”

After eavesdropping ended, Chu Mingkong asked the waiter to bring him a new pot of tea. After pouring the tea, he asked:

"Yunhan, are you aware of Xiao Fengnan's martial arts tendon corruption? I've never heard of it."

Xiao Yunhan shook her head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"I don't know either. Perhaps it happened recently. My mother didn't write to tell me. But how can martial arts skills decay so easily? What kind of enemy did we encounter during our training?"

Zuo Qiuchi, seemingly unconcerned, rested his chin on his hand.

"These are all minor matters. Yunhan, you should quickly draft a proper letter and have your family seal off your courtyard to prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching. We need a place to stay; it's so boring here!"

This should be the most crucial step right now. We need to address the issue of where we can stay first. Once we're staying at the Princess of Chu's house, what can we possibly hide from them?

With Feng Ying around, it's not just a matter of eavesdropping on Princess Chu's information; it would be easy for them to watch her change clothes and bathe right in front of them.

Chu Mingkong didn't want to urge Xiao Yunhan, so he could only cast a "thank you for your hard work" look at his sister, hoping she would resolve the matter quickly.

Xiao Yunhan took out paper and pen from her storage ring, wrote down the situation in a few words, repaired a letter, put it in the leg tube of the fairy pigeon, and asked it to deliver it to the Princess of Chu.

The fairy pigeon is somewhat intelligent; even in places it has never been before, it can deliver messages based on the scent and direction given by its owner.

When the little animal learned that it was to be delivered to the Princess Consort of Xiling Chu, it looked at its mistress Xiao Yunhan with its two little eyes in confusion, and then looked around.

It's as if they're saying—isn't this right on Xiling's doorstep? Why do we have to communicate by letter when we can talk face-to-face?!

Xiao Yunhan said to the little pigeon, "Just deliver it, and go straight back to the sect when you leave."

The pigeon has flown off to deliver the message. Xiao Yunhan suddenly looked at Chu Mingkong solemnly and asked:

"Is there really no other way to turn it back?"

"..." Chu Mingkong felt a mix of emotions. He helplessly corrected Xiao Yunhan's misconception, "Sister, I've changed back now. The previous situation was an accident!"

"Is there any way this accident could happen again?" Xiao Yunhan looked at him seriously, and before Chu Mingkong could answer, she turned to scold Zuo Qiuchi: "Why did Mingkong come back like this after chatting with you for half the night last night!"