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

He was now very worried that the scoundrel would be unable to openly enter Tianya Tower, so he staged a scene where his deceased husband appeared, recognized the Princess of Chu, and deceived her into trusting him. Therefore, it was necessary to let the Princess of Chu know that he was still active and that he was an enemy.

To put it simply, the Queen Consort of Chu might find it hard to accept that her husband, who had formally married her into the Chu royal family, was still alive, while she was cultivating with her adopted son...

But these are all unnecessary inner burdens, no different from having sympathy or guilt towards the enemy. To avoid any unforeseen consequences, the Queen Consort of Chu must first be made aware of this stance.

The other party is already an enemy, and her relationship with Chu Mingkong back then was ruined by the secret manipulation and instigation of King Huai of Chu.

As for whether the Abyss Disaster was caused by this damned man, Chu Mingkong didn't know. Anyway, he just needed to throw the blame on him for now. He would investigate the truth later. In any case, everyone was going to die anyway.

"He instigated this?" Princess Chu found it hard to believe, because conclusions were always drawn from known information, but she knew nothing about this matter.

"Do you remember the assassination of Elder Tianya Tower during this period? Both of these incidents were committed by King Huai of Chu. The reason why Tianya Tower's barrier could not stop this person is because he has the identity of the Lord of Xiling. Before he died, Elder Li left a message specifically pointing out that the target was King Huai."

The two elders who died were both supporters of mine, and were confidants of King Huai from many years ago. They must have known something to be silenced by King Huai. Moreover, I now suspect that King Huai may have been possessed by some kind of entity; in any case, he is no longer himself.

"He made you the heir apparent to sow discord between us?" Princess Chu retorted. She wasn't entirely convinced, as Chu Mingkong hadn't provided any credible evidence.

Having remained single for many years, protecting Xiling from outsiders, she developed a habit of not blindly trusting others. Under this suspicion, the Queen Consort of Chu, as a woman, purged many treacherous officials over the years, including several generals holding military power. Without this suspicion, Xiling would have long been usurped by others.

What Princess Chu wants now is not for Chu Mingkong to give her the evidence, but simply to ask him if he is telling the truth, which is already a sign of trust.

“Very likely,” Chu Mingkong said.

Perhaps... the Princess Consort of Chu understood his intentions and chose to accept them. The Princess Consort of Chu then asked:

"Was the unsolved case at Tianya Tower a few days ago really his doing?"

"It's absolutely true. You can ask Elder Ding and the other key people involved later. I'm not lying to you!" Chu Mingkong's tone was extremely certain at this moment.

Princess Chu rolled her eyes at him, her tone implying: What I just said "maybe" might be false or nonsense, since nobody knows for sure right now, but it is possible, and what I'm saying now is true!

“So, I want you to be careful, my dear. If he shows up in the future, don’t be deceived by his words! If he comes looking for you, tell me first, and I’ll come and meet him.” Chu Mingkong held her soft hand.

"You suddenly brought him up because you recently fought with him?" Princess Chu guessed this possibility, otherwise her son wouldn't have mentioned this person at this time.

Chu Mingkong hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Yes, it was in the Abyss. When I put the Dust-Free Talisman on Zhi'er and she was not fully conscious, I protected you and fought against him."

"??? ...

The Queen Consort of Chu slowly turned around in her son's arms, her expression one of astonishment, as she thought of some terrible situation.

"At that time, Mingkong, were you...cultivating with me?"

“Yes, right in front of him, he even forced several streams of internal energy into you. But he couldn’t see you, Zhi’er, and you were wearing Wan Hua’s mother’s clothes. Even if he saw you for a moment, he would probably think you were her,” Chu Mingkong said frankly.

Princess Chu was about to faint.

Chapter 257 Seeking Shade and Afraid of the Sun

Chu Mingkong naturally wanted to soak a little longer, but sensing the return of Zuo Qiuchi and Feng Ying, no matter how reluctant he was or how much he wanted to rub against them, he had to stop.

When Princess Chu saw him suddenly jump up from the wooden tub in a panic, she was startled by what had happened. She turned around and got up as well, wanting to see what he was doing. But a vajra was pointed at her face, which frightened her. She was about to scold Chu Mingkong for going too far when he stepped out of the tub and started to wipe himself and put on his clothes.

"Mingkong, what are you doing? Why so suddenly..."

"My master and the others are about to return, I need to get dressed first."

Upon hearing this, the Princess of Chu hurriedly stepped out of the wooden tub, her fair and plump legs wet. She then stood there, one hand covering her chest and the other shielding her eyes from the glare of the sunlight.

She was born into a life of luxury, always being waited on hand and foot, even during her baths. Now, she doesn't know what to do.

It's not that she didn't even know how to use a towel to dry herself, it's just that she didn't know where the towel was, and was abruptly picked up by Chu Mingkong to soak her body, without any preparation.

Chu Mingkong dressed quickly, and after tidying up his clothes, he saw the Princess Chu standing there dumbfounded. He found it amusing, but without delay, he immediately helped her wipe her body.

"Ugh, I can wear my own underwear, and... these aren't my underwear! What kind of underwear looks like this!"

Underwear in this era was surprisingly uniform; white boxer shorts were considered revealing, while more conservative styles simply wore loose, thin trousers.

The underpants that Chu Mingkong took out for Princess Chu looked no different to her than a few scraps of cloth hanging on them.

Chu Mingkong pretended to be confused and said:

"I don't know, but I found it in Zhi'er's clothes. Hurry up and put it on, or my master will be back soon!"

Princess Chu had no other choice. She didn't want her son's master to return and see her like this, so she had to step forward and cooperate, trying to comfort herself:

The fabric is indeed a bit stingy, but at least I'm wearing something, which is better than not wearing anything at all.

When it was time to hang up the bellyband, Princess Chu had no choice but to lower her jade-like arms and let Chu Mingkong use the bellyband to cover her snow-white breasts.

Princess Chu's gaze was fixed on the undergarment Chu Mingkong had given her. The size was normal, but the fabric was unusual; it felt much thinner and softer than silk, incredibly translucent, as thin as morning mist. She knew of white gauze garments, but had never heard of black gauze garments made with such skill. Was this a new dyeing formula? Why had she never heard of it before?

After she finished dressing, Princess Chu felt even more strange. This bodice was different from the ones she had worn before. It seemed... it seemed to tighten. She looked down and saw that the black gauze bodice had already wrapped around her pair of ample breasts, outlining a perfect and alluring shape.

"Is this really a bellyband?" Princess Chu wondered where he got so many strange clothes.

Chu Ming thought to himself, "This is a bellyband, but it isn't. In his understanding, he would prefer to call it something like a bodysuit or a sheer tight-fitting outfit. But it does look like a bellyband. What can I do about it?"

The items drawn from the filial piety blind box are free to be used; selling them to Xianzhen Pavilion would be such a waste.

"It's a bellyband, a creation of the immortals, and it will soon become popular in the cultivation world. I got it from an acquaintance at the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. There aren't as many worldly rules in the cultivation world, and the clothes we wear are different from those in the Heavenly Pole Empire. Baby Zhi'er, just get used to it. Anyway, it's worn underneath, so just don't wear a strapless dress!"

Princess Chu thought to herself, does this kid really think I don't know anything about the cultivation world? I have a daughter, why don't I see Yunhan and her master Shen Xuejun dressed like this?

But she couldn't worry about that now; she was afraid that if she took it off now and changed it later, there wouldn't be enough time.

"Just this once, I'll change it when I get back!"

The princess's robes were troublesome to put on, but fortunately, Chu Mingkong had already helped her put them on once before. With the experience of rehearsing, he was quick and efficient and finished dressing the princess in a short time.

Makeup was unnecessary; the blush on the Princess of Chu's face was already the best rouge. No other rouge could produce such a beautiful color, truly a rosy complexion, a natural beauty, with skin as white as jade and as red as a peach.

-----------

Zuo Qiuchi and Feng Ying were on their way back. Clearing out the rampaging Abyss Beasts was no problem for them. With Zuo Qiuchi around, dealing with these Abyss Beasts was incredibly easy. She could simply slash a deep, dark groove in the ground with her sword, letting the Abyss Beasts jump in and bury themselves alive.

However, due to the large number of people involved, and the fact that a few hunters who were out hunting were also trapped, it took them some time to deal with the situation.

However, despite the name, neither of them was interested in the back-and-forth transport and rescue operations. Zuo Qiuchi was mainly responsible for creating sword marks to "encircle" those who needed to be rescued, preventing the ferocious beasts from harming them, while Feng Ying roamed around on the side to provide auxiliary kills.

After that, they left to deal with other matters, leaving the trapped people to continue calling for help and waiting in place, their fate in the hands of fate, as they had done everything they could to ensure their safety.

At first, the two intended to see the people off to the end. Zuo Qiuchi was responsible for rescuing them, and Fengying was responsible for taking them back to the border. However, Fengying felt that this would take too much time. He told the rescued people that there were other people to rescue later, and planned to take them to a safe area not far from the border and let them walk back on their own.

Several women, fearing they might die at the border gate during the final stretch, wailed and begged Fengying to escort them to the end. They even resorted to moral blackmail, saying things like, "We can't just stand by and watch them die; that's no different from causing their deaths!", "The people on the other side are lucky; it's alright to go a little later to save them. Please take care of us first!", and "It's just a short distance anyway; the fairy won't be short of time. Don't be so heartless; just escort them to the end."

These few people shouted like that, and everyone behind them followed suit.

Unfortunately, Feng Ying was no pushover; he simply threw them back to their original spot, leaving them to continue being surrounded by the ferocious beasts of the Abyss and crying for help.

When Zuo Qiuchi heard about this, the people behind her were too lazy to escort them anymore. They simply used their swords to encircle them and left them to wait for the border soldiers to come and rescue them. With this indifferent attitude, sure enough, no one clamored for them to escort them to their deaths.

However, if the Wind Shadow encounters a young girl, he will still take her back to the border.

After spending some time outside the border, the two entered the border area and arrived at Chu Mingkong's room, where they saw Princess Chu sitting in a chair with a serious and seemingly nervous expression.

Feng Ying glanced at the Princess of Chu suspiciously, but didn't say much. She and Zuo Qiuchi spoke at the same time, each asking their own questions.

"When are you going back to Tianya City?" "What's going on with Faxiang?"

Chapter 258 This is what it means to be thick-skinned

The scrutinizing glances from Zuo Qiuchi and Feng Ying made Chu Mingkong's heart skip a beat. It seemed he hadn't been able to hide it after all; they definitely had their suspicions, and were probably pretty sure they knew the truth.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. It's very unusual for the Princess of Chu to be here. No matter what major event has occurred on the border, she shouldn't be here. If the disaster of the Abyss were to repeat itself, and Xiling had just appointed a new king, wouldn't it be gone in the blink of an eye?

Furthermore, it's not normal for Chu Mingkong to be able to stay active in the Extreme Abyss region for so long. Based on his previous condition, Chu Mingkong should have been able to return to Xiling in the last few days. He must have been cultivating with someone and obtained the power of extreme yang to maintain his injuries, which is why he is able to be lively and energetic here.

As the only person around Chu Mingkong who currently cultivates the Extreme Yang Technique, the reason why the Princess Consort of Chu would appear in this place is quite obvious.

Zuo Qiuchi and Feng Ying thought to themselves that it was outrageous, but neither of them chose to bring it up at the moment.

They weren't familiar with Princess Chu, so any further developments would have to wait until Chu Mingkong returned before discussing it further.

"...The matter is rather complicated, but I think we can discuss it as we go back. The most commendable thing is that the crisis at the border has been resolved, and the remnants of the Buddhist sect who have been staying in the Abyss have also been eliminated, greatly eliminating the hidden dangers."

Chu Mingkong nodded to himself and walked up to the two beauties, deliberately positioning himself between them and the Princess Chu, using his body to block their view.

The Princess Consort of Chu, who was sitting in the back, had seen a lot of things and thought she could remain calm and composed no matter what happened. However, she was now in front of her son's two attendants and felt uneasy and worried, fearing that the two of them might discover something.

"Oh, it seems that this hidden danger has been eliminated quite pleasantly~ Young Master's abilities are indeed remarkable, he can overcome any difficulty."

Feng Ying smiled at Chu Mingkong, but only a slight curve appeared at the corner of her mouth; her eyebrows and eyes remained completely still—a typical forced smile. She slightly raised her chin, subtly pointing at the Princess Consort of Chu. The "difficulties" she mentioned seemed more like a reference to the Princess Consort of Chu.

Zuo Qiuchi originally thought her situation was quite complicated, but compared to that of the Princess of Chu, it didn't seem like a big problem.

Chu Mingkong cleared his throat and pulled the two of them aside, saying:

"Master and Fengying have really worked hard. Please have a seat. I'll arrange a carriage. Let's head back to Tianya City first."

Without daring to delay, Chu Mingkong put on his armor and hurried out to call for people to prepare carriages and horses.

Joy filled the borderlands. The presence of "Lord Zuo" at the border was equivalent to an emperor-level figure going to the front lines to oversee the battle, which was a great way to boost morale and win hearts. Now, news of his deep dive into the abyss to annihilate the Buddhist rebels had spread throughout the army, making him unparalleled in prestige and helping Princess Chu build a solid foundation of support for the army.

Upon hearing the orders from "Your Excellency Zuo," the officers, though wishing he would linger a little longer at the border, immediately rushed to help him with errands and prepare carriages and horses.

"Lord Zuo, why don't you stay and chat with the soldiers for a while? Although there are fine palaces in the border region, there's no shortage of food and drink!"

"No need," Chu Mingkong politely declined. "There are still many things to deal with. I need to rush back to handle the rewards so that the soldiers can receive what they deserve as soon as possible." However, it was not convenient to talk here.

Upon hearing this, the sergeant was even more excited, not expecting that "Lord Zuo" was in such a hurry to return because he cared about their reward.

What's rather amusing are the veterans who rushed back. Deep down, they didn't want to acknowledge the new leader. Surrounded by cheers that could be heard everywhere, they felt out of place. Yet, they also felt that the new leader was alright and would actually fight if things got tough. Caught in this dilemma, they packed their things and ran away to avoid further entanglement.

------------

On the way back to Tianya City, the group rode in the same car.

Although they remained silent the entire way, the Princess of Chu was suffering greatly...

I found it very strange. Logically speaking, the two people around my son should not know what happened. When they arrived, the house was already tidied up, and her clothes were normal. However, the atmosphere in the car and the attitude of the two women were inexplicably strange. Their gazes towards her sometimes revealed a strange meaning.

Princess Chu couldn't possibly ask her directly, and she was feeling very guilty, so she had no choice but to endure it all the way. As soon as she returned to Tianya Tower, she made a hasty escape and hid in the City Lord's Pavilion, while Chu Mingkong, who was the coachman, returned to Qingxin Mansion.

As soon as the three entered the room, Zuo Qiuchi stopped Chu Mingkong from changing the subject before he could even speak.

"Don't try to change the subject. You're quite capable, aren't you? Before we went back to Xiling, I heard you talk about how you didn't get along with the Princess of Chu. Later, I only heard you say that you wanted to make up, otherwise Xiling would be left unmanaged. But I never expected that you could make up to this extent! That's your mother!"