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

"...Yes, Mother."

Consort Wan felt relieved and gently rubbed his cheek against hers. Although this was the first time she had seen Chu Mingkong in this state, he had mentioned it to her before. Moreover, those trivial doubts were not as important as keeping her son by her side.

She smiled with relief and replied, "Okay~"

Upon hearing this simple conversation, Princess Chu's eyes sharpened. She had been suspicious since the way here, but she hadn't asked because she was worried about Chu Mingkong's condition. Now that Wan Hua had openly revealed his suspicions in front of her, Princess Chu half-squatted down, not pointing the finger at Chu Mingkong, but keeping her gaze warily fixed on Wan Hua.

Chu Mingkong found the serious look in Princess Chu's eyes familiar. Ever since he was made heir apparent, Princess Chu had looked at him with the same gaze, sharp as a sword and cold as ice. However, this gaze was now biased towards him.

Why did you make Mingkong call you "Mother Consort"?

"Mingkong has no one to care for him, so naturally I'll be the one to care for him!" Consort Wan hugged him protectively, unafraid of her sister's gaze, and said clearly, "I'll be good to him first!"

"Wait a moment, Mother, let me explain."

The word "Mother Consort" was meant for the Princess Consort of Chu. Chu Mingkong knew it sounded confusing, but he didn't know how to distinguish the words for the moment, so he could only bite the bullet and keep calling her that.

Fearing further misunderstandings, he quickly came out to explain, describing Consort Wan's situation at the time, and how he himself was helpless and alone in the capital. She was betrayed by her son, and he was disliked by his mother, which made them a perfect match, forming a pair of unfortunate lovers... a mother and son suffering from misfortune, licking each other's wounds, that's roughly the idea.

Princess Chu may be unreasonable to outsiders, but she is a sensible woman who knows that she is indeed in the wrong in this matter.

Chu Mingkong had been neglected by her for many years, always favoring the Wei and Gu families. He basically raised himself. Later, he was trapped in the capital, suffering from illness as a hostage. He was harassed by the royal family and had no one to back him up. It was reasonable for him to seek comfort from Wan Hua. In the end, it was she herself who pushed Mingkong to Wan Hua's side.

That's the logic, but it's still hard to accept emotionally. Princess Chu never expected that her sister, Wan Hua, would take advantage of the crisis in their relationship to interfere in her life.

"Let Mingkong call you Mother Consort for a few more days," the Princess Consort of Chu said helplessly.

These words provoked Consort Wan: "You, Xiao Zhi, didn't treat Mingkong well before, but now that you've changed your mind, you want to drive her away?"

"What do you mean by 'for a few days'? The relationship between Mingkong and me is not something you can interfere with. Zhier, you can't make up for it no matter how hard you try."

Princess Chu was also anxious, worried that Chu Mingkong was only trying to clear up the misunderstanding and make up with her, but did not want to get close to her. She desperately wanted to win him back, but when she searched her mind, it was mostly filled with memories of her discord with Mingkong. She could only hold him accountable when Chu Mingkong was first brought back, hoping that he would still remember the affection he had shown her when she breastfed him.

"You and Mingkong have only known each other for a month or so. Although I've grown distant from him since then, when Mingkong was first brought home and was still a kitten or puppy, I was the one who fed him by holding milk to his mouth. How can your mere month or so compare to mine, Mingkong? What do you say...?"

Just as Consort Wan was eager to hear Chu Mingkong call her "Mother Consort," Princess Chu is now also eager to hear his response.

Chu Mingkong was squeezed between the Princess Consort of Chu and Consort Wan, unable to move. Seeing their emotions, he feared that if the topic continued, it would really explode, so he could only rub his forehead with a "rua".

"Oh dear, my mothers, my head is starting to hurt. I want to finish washing up as soon as possible and go back to rest. Please stop arguing. I'm happy to be close to you all!"

Hearing this, the two charming and sexy women decided not to argue any further and pulled him inside to wash himself. They explained that he had to change his clothes before entering the Lotus Pond.

Chu Mingkong's recent outburst of complaints caused a problem. His two mothers, fearing he wouldn't be able to move around even while changing clothes, insisted on accompanying him.

Consort Wan had seen and used it a few times and reacted calmly. However, when Princess Chu helped Chu Mingkong take off his clothes, she saw the astonishing object and her expression froze.

That night, this thing pressed directly in front of her, but now that it has reappeared, the hatred she felt then seems to have faded, and this frightening thing doesn't seem so hateful or terrifying anymore.

...After all, it was her son's property. It was a misunderstanding at the time, and she can't hate it now.

How could a mother hate her son... even if he were right in front of her, she couldn't, otherwise Mingkong would really be snatched away by this woman who interfered.

Just pretend you didn't see it. If Wan Hua doesn't care, why should I?

Two women, each holding one of Chu Mingkong's hands and wrapped in towels, led him to sit in the lotus pond.

Chu Mingkong didn't want the conversation to drift too far off-topic, so he started talking about his current physical condition:

"You don't need to treat me like a child. I'm usually a tall and strong man. This is just an accident."

That's right, it was an accident. Although Yunhan always said, "Can we make this accident happen a few more times?", the two of them even wanted to make accidents a regular occurrence.

"I'm curious too, Mingkong, why has your body shrunk?" Consort Wan said.

Chu Mingkong offered an explanation in response to Consort Wan, saying:

"Today, in order to defeat that monk, I had to use a secret technique, which shrunk my body as a result. It's a side effect and will get better after resting. Actually, I feel it's not appropriate to talk about serious matters in this state, as it makes it seem like I'm trying to gain your sympathy."

"No, they all belong to Mother!"

Consort Wan splashed water to help Chu Mingkong wipe his body. When her hand approached his heart, Xiao Zhi pushed her slender hand away and said, "Let me do it," as if afraid that she would hurt Mingkong's injury.

Consort Wan glared at her younger sister and said, "When Mingkong and I spent the night together, you were nowhere to be found!"

She immediately moved her soft hand down and, in front of the Princess of Chu, grasped Mingkong's thigh and carefully wiped it for him.

Chapter 228 They Are All My Wings

"What are you doing?" Princess Chu stared at Wan Hua's hand.

“Mingkong needs someone to take care of him now. You said you were afraid I would hurt his wounds, so I guess I’ll just have to clean the uninjured parts for him. Doesn’t Mingkong want to get out of here quickly?”

Consort Wan spoke with an air of self-righteousness, her jade-like hands casually wiping and caressing herself. Driven by a competitive spirit, she had become somewhat irrational and continued:

"Besides, who was it that Mingkong got injured, and now you're showing up to care!"

To be honest, Chu Mingkong felt that this matter couldn't really be blamed on Princess Chu. Based on the current investigation results, the Xiao family had no intention of harming him with the Extreme Yin Core; they were even worried about him getting into trouble on the way. They had absolutely no motive for doing anything. Xiao Chengren could send his daughter away without any guilt for the sake of his grandson, so why would he allow the Xiao family to do something that might harm Xiao Fengnan by making him a hostage?

It's hard to distinguish right from wrong, but it's easy to distinguish what was done. The biggest mistake the Princess Consort of Chu made in this matter was not offering him any condolences after his accident, but it's also wrong to place the blame on her.

This is the conclusion reached through rational discussion, but Wan Hua's words still stung Xiao Zhi. She couldn't refute them, because if she did, it would seem like she was trying to shirk her responsibility.

Xiao Zhi could only move her delicate body in silence, sitting face to face with Chu Mingkong in the pool. Then she leaned forward and leaned down to check his mutated heart up close. Her fingers carefully touched his heart from the edge, occasionally asking, "Does it hurt?"

Chu Mingkong's limbs gradually stiffened and tensed, it was hard to tell whether it was because of Consort Wan's gentle caresses or the large breasts that Princess Chu had lowered in front of him when she bent down.

He knew he couldn't let things continue like this. If Xiao Zhi and Wan Hua were just bickering, it would be fine, but now things were getting tense. If they didn't separate and calm down, he would be in for a lot of trouble later.

He embraced each of his two stunningly beautiful, wet-looking mothers and said earnestly:

"I think there are never too many people worth getting close to. You two are people I want to get close to, so don't worry that I will become distant because of this. Since I can get close to both of you, why would I want to distance myself from one of you? If I really want to distance myself, wouldn't it be better to not get close to you in the first place?"

My two mothers, you probably think I still need care because I look like a child. Perhaps my childlike appearance has stirred up your guilt towards me, and you want to shower me with care to make up for it. But this is not my intention. Once my body returns to normal, you should be able to calm down.

And what about Consort Wanhua? Don't you trust how good I am to you? How can you think I would abandon you after taking advantage of you? If you care about me more because you suspect I will distance myself from you, I will be the one who feels hurt.

Chu Mingkong had witnessed the methods of the two women. Wan Hua could easily kill the Fifth Prince, who had a huge advantage. Xiao Zhi's decisiveness and courage far exceeded those of ordinary women. She just hadn't yet made up her mind to use any vicious methods. In any case, neither of these sisters was easy to deal with. If they really got into a conflict because of him, it wouldn't be a small matter.

Feeling that he had conveyed his meaning clearly, Chu Mingkong didn't forget to add a touch of intimacy. First, he swallowed his pride and acted coquettishly, asking Xiao Zhi to help him dry off. Then, he flaunted the boy's good looks and asked Wan Hua to help him get dressed. Finally, he hugged and rubbed his face against both of them. After appeasing his two mothers, he safely left the Hibiscus Pond and returned alone to his sister's courtyard to "rest and recuperate."

"I can only sneak out to see Consort Wan at night, otherwise even a private meeting might cause some trouble."

Chu Mingkong muttered as he entered the room. Zuo Qiuchi, Feng Ying, his sister, and his master's wife were sitting inside. Seeing them all turning their gazes toward him, Chu Mingkong felt like he had just escaped one danger only to fall into another.

But there are too many people here, so they didn't dare come together. I'm not afraid of them!

As for what happened at the Hibiscus Pond, they naturally weren't afraid of being found out. The bathing areas for women were very difficult to detect, and the various precautions were extremely strict.

"How is the matter progressing, City Lord?" Feng Ying asked.

“It’s all taken care of. I gave the City Lord’s Talisman to Princess Chu… I need to inform you, Yunhan, first. Princess Chu has no intention of having any further connection with her family and plans to conceal her identity so that the Xiao family doesn’t know her whereabouts. Xiao Fengnan has been taken back by his maternal grandfather for treatment. That’s pretty much the situation now.”

The current situation is actually better than Chu Mingkong initially expected.

When he said he would cut off Xiao Fengnan's hand, and his sister Xiao Yunhan said she didn't care, Chu Mingkong was still worried that it would leave some hidden dangers and gaps in his relationship with Yunhan.

Now that Xiao Fengnan's hand has been chopped off by the angry monk, this bad guy has been taken away by the angry monk, but it can be considered as a lesson for Xiao Fengnan, because it was not Chu Mingkong who did it, so it will not affect his harmony with his sister at all.

As for Empress Xiao Zhi, the relationship is currently being handled quite well, and the situation is stable!

Things took a slight detour, but then headed towards an even better destination than before.

However, there are still some urgent matters that need to be addressed—

"I want to arrest all the Buddhist monks and question them about their conspiracy here. They must be doing some treacherous things in Xiling that no one knows about!" Chu Mingkong said seriously.

Elder Li, who fell to his death from upstairs, put up a clear resistance before his death. This resistance stemmed from the design of the room, as if he had anticipated that someone would come to kill him. Later, Elder Qian provided a clue, saying that Elder Li had temporarily left the Yishi Hall to go back and write a letter. So, after a search by several core elders, they found the letter left behind by Elder Li, with only the three words "King Huai of Chu" in his mind.

Not many elders knew about this yet. Elder Ding told Xiao Yunhan, and then Chu Mingkong learned about it from her.

Considering that Elder Li died from the Vajra Prajna Palm of the Great Completion, it must have some connection with Buddhism.

That's why I asked Monk Nusheng about King Huai of Chu on the martial arts stage. Unfortunately, he refused to talk about it, but Monk Nusheng's silence already said a lot.

Xiao Yunhan said:

"It's too late. Right after losing to you, all the Buddhist monks left Tianya City. In fact, during the martial arts competition, the monks who lost left as soon as they lost. The monk Nusheng you saw was the last monk to leave Tianya City."

"What?" Chu Mingkong was stunned. "They just left like that? What were they doing here? If I hadn't gone up, Monk Nusheng would almost certainly be the new city lord. Wouldn't the other monks have stayed to celebrate?"

He found it hard to accept that the Buddhist monks had made such a big show of things these past few days, demonstrating on the martial arts stage and meditating in the street. What was their purpose?

After careful consideration, Fengying guessed:

"Could it be an attempt to divert attention? But if the monks in the city are trying to divert attention, what are they really trying to hide?"

The only clue that could surface in Chu Mingkong's mind was the scene he had seen through the black relic.

However, searching the Abyss region is almost impossible. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It's difficult to locate the exact position in a short time. By the time it's found, any conspiracy the other side might have will have been exposed. It's better to prepare in Tianya City as soon as possible and deal with any eventuality by remaining unchanged.

A bad pen is worse than a good memory, so Chu Mingkong took out paper and pen to write down the matters that needed to be handled in Tianya City, but there wasn't enough space...

The table in the room was just a regular square table, but they kept filling it up, leaving no seat for him.

Shen Xuejun, the cold-faced teacher's wife, looked at the boy and found him standing there motionless with paper and pen in his hand. She immediately realized that he wanted to find a place to sit. Just as she was about to move her body so that he could sit on her lap, Zuo Qiuchi took the initiative and picked him up with one hand and put him in his arms.

"Why don't you just tell me where you want to sit? Why do you have to pull out paper and pen so formally when you're planning to write something?" Zuo Qiuchi said.

Shen Xuejun secretly noted down the way Zuo Qiuchi treated Chu Mingkong.

"It's not a matter of formality or informality, but rather that I want to entrust urgent matters to Tianyalou. Wouldn't that give me the feeling of having a master strategist guiding me from behind the scenes and bestowing upon me invaluable advice?"

"No, it's unnecessary. Why not just tell the people at Tianya Tower? Isn't your mother the city lord? You can just ask her to do it. Why waste time writing?" Zuo Qiuchi couldn't understand why people would go to the trouble of writing.

Chu Mingkong sighed sadly and wrote with a touch of self-admiration:

First, guard against the Buddhist sect's unknown schemes in the Extreme Abyss region and intercept all Buddhist monks active in the Western Mausoleum.

(This point is very vague and seems silly. It feels like Party A is creating a problem for Party B, but that's all I can write for now. He himself doesn't know what to do either.)

II. Research countermeasures to prevent unidentified assassins from infiltrating Tianya Tower again.

(If this person really is King Huai of Chu, then many problems have already been solved. He has lost his identity as the King of Xiling and can no longer ignore the various barriers of Tianya Tower. But we still need to remain vigilant and not let our guard down.)

Tianya City is now regarded by Chu Mingkong as his adoptive mother's place; how could it have any loopholes? If its safety cannot be guaranteed, then everything is a lie.

Third, develop magical artifacts that can be used for long-distance communication, or even portable personal teleportation arrays.

(The latter is a bit difficult; it's a challenge that countless cultivators want to overcome. The former should still offer some chance.)

After finishing writing, Chu Mingkong solemnly placed it in the envelope, while Zuo Qiuchi looked at the few words and said in confusion:

"That's it? In the time it took you to write this letter, you've already explained everything dictated. The people at Tianya Tower can even start thinking about it now..."