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

"Fellow Daoists, thank you for holding the line at the border of the Abyss until the very end. Tianya Tower did not expect the situation there to suddenly become so dangerous. So many rogue cultivators have fled, but you have stayed to guard the pass until the very end. We are truly grateful. A gift of thanks will be sent to your sects later!"

But I'd like to ask you all, since you stayed until the end, did you see these rogue cultivators accompanying you?

The sect disciples who initially didn't want to get involved, upon hearing that they would receive an extra gift as a token of gratitude, stepped forward to speak on their behalf, saying:

"The border fortress of the Abyss was indeed extremely dangerous a few days ago. I thought I was going to die there after just getting a glimpse of it. These rogue cultivators did leave quite early. They all ran away as soon as the Abyss began to show signs of disturbance."

Only after receiving an explanation from a disciple of a righteous sect did the people learn the truth: even those who cultivate beyond worldly concerns can be such shameless and greedy villains!

Chu Mingkong didn't say much. He took a spear from the guard and used it to precisely strike the rogue cultivator in the groin, ruthlessly injuring and crippling him.

"Hang him on the city wall as a public spectacle! Who else was spreading rumors just now?"

Chapter 263 The Beautiful Legend of Mississippi

The matter of independent cultivators can be big or small, but at this critical juncture when he was preparing to leave Xiling, Chu Mingkong could not allow any hidden dangers to remain unscathed under his nose.

People who shirk responsibility and run away when things go wrong, and who take credit when things are fine, can only be described as disgusting.

When Chu Mingkong saw them run away ahead of time, he didn't say anything, since he had expected it. However, when he tried to take advantage of them afterward, he underestimated the depravity of these rogue cultivators.

If Chu Mingkong were worried that killing them now would cause trouble for Princess Chu later, he would have definitely killed all those who gathered to cause trouble. However, with restraint, he only dragged out those particularly outspoken individuals to make an example of them.

There were some rogue cultivators who wanted to resist, but the difference in strength was too great. Chu Mingkong shot those people with one shot each, and the scene was chaotic and disastrous.

When Princess Chu woke up, it was almost noon. After finishing lunch at the tail end of the midday, Princess Chu and Consort Wan had both had enough sleep and had no intention of taking a nap. So, Chu Mingkong took advantage of the quieter afternoon to take them out for a stroll.

"I had no idea. I was only asleep for a short while when such a thing happened at the Waterwheel Pavilion," said Princess Chu. She only learned what had happened after she woke up, and by then the incident was over.

Chu Mingkong said:

"What's there to say? Your mother and you are sleeping comfortably, and this is nothing but a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."

Consort Wan said:

"But you're tired, Zhi'er. I just wanted to sleep in. You could have woken me up to help you with this. You need to rest too."

Princess Chu frowned secretly, thinking to herself, "Leaving me to sleep alone, then waking you up so you can be alone with Mingkong, what a clever plan."

Chu Mingkong said:

"Mother Consort Wanhua, you're making it sound like I handled things poorly. That trivial matter is all settled now, isn't that great... Alright, let's not keep bringing it up. It's over and done with. Besides, talking about those rogue cultivators' petty squabbles is just ruining our mood. We're out shopping!"

The hot season has passed, and even the strongest afternoon sun can hardly match the sweltering heat of midsummer. However, there aren't many people on the street. Most of them are still vendors at their stalls, drowsy and hanging their heads, worried about missing any customers.

When the Princess of Chu and Consort Wan went out this time, they changed into simple clothes and plain clothes like ordinary women. The luxurious hairpins and earrings disappeared from their makeup, and even their hairstyles were changed to the common style of ordinary people, with only a low-key silver hairpin as an embellishment for their black hair.

Conservative clothing couldn't hide her graceful figure. A simple belt accentuated her hourglass shape perfectly. Without the overshadowing of luxurious clothes, from behind, her perfectly rounded hips, encased in a cloth skirt, appeared even more taut and full, making one worry that her snow-white, soft buttocks might burst out of the skirt when she bent over.

Out of caution, Chu Mingkong still had them wear veils.

They had been wandering around for a while after leaving Tianya Tower, and happened to pass by a teahouse, so Chu Mingkong took them in to sit and rest.

Consort Wan looked around and, seeing that there wasn't even a storyteller, said with a mixture of regret and amusement:

"I heard you talk about how many wonderful things and people there are in the Xiling teahouse. I also heard Jinyu say that you wrote down a poem in the Xiling teahouse and presented it to Empress Pei. But now I see that there is no liveliness at all, not even a scholar selling paintings or calligraphy."

Teahouse culture is similar to a social and livelihood center for scholars. All sorts of activities can be seen there. After all, who cares about just a cup of tea? There are always other things to do.

Upon hearing Consort Wan's words, Chu Mingkong recalled that he had indeed sent a poem to Jin Yu and her treacherous Empress mother to flatter them. He was astonished that this had somehow reached Consort Wan's ears...

"Well... times have changed. Back then, Xiling was peaceful, but recently there has been some turmoil. Just during the martial arts competition, Buddhist monks were blocking the streets and meditating for a long time, which has had an impact. In that case, let me find some entertainment for my two mothers. Would you like to see calligraphy for sale or something?"

He thought to himself that selling paintings was fine too, since he had plenty of filial piety points now, and he could become an expert on any show he wanted to watch, and even do a split was no problem.

The Pomeranian mother smiled; it wasn't embarrassing at all!

Princess Chu also looked around, imagining the bustling crowds, scholars composing poems, and Chu Mingkong drinking tea here, silently memorizing the scene. But the more she thought about it, the more something seemed off...

"That doesn't make sense either. Xiling isn't a place with a thriving literary tradition. It only produces one well-known literary figure every few decades. Where would you get so many wonderful poems to steal? Besides, you used to spend most of your time on the frontier, which was the time when your Master Zuo accompanied you around. You were often wandering around various cities. Could it be that during those one or two years, all the elegant literary figures in the world came to Xiling and all of them happened to recite a poem for you?"

"Ahem!" Chu Mingkong pretended not to hear the Princess Chu's question, feigning ignorance and changing the subject, saying, "In my opinion, telling a story would be good. What do you two mothers think?"

Consort Wan nodded: "Sure!"

Princess Chu had no intention of delving into the matter; it didn't matter where Chu Mingkong got the poem from. Before they reconciled, when she heard that Chu Mingkong could compose several lines of exquisite poetry, she simply couldn't believe that this guy could be so outstanding. Now, her mindset was different. As long as it was a merit, whether true or false, she felt that it should appear in her son, and she wanted him to be as excellent and perfect as possible.

Compared to these suspicious points, she was more concerned that her good son had actually sent a poem to the Empress in the capital to praise her!

Princess Chu wanted to ask about this in more detail, but felt it wouldn't be appropriate to change the subject now, so she agreed:

"Then let's tell a story."

Chu Mingkong pondered for a moment what kind of mature, non-stupid stories would be suitable to tell now, but after searching his mind, he found that there were very few of these types.

"Like a Shadow"... Although it's geared towards mature women, it's more suitable to tell it to my teacher's wife, Shen Xuejun.

It wouldn't be good to keep them waiting, so Chu Mingkong had no choice but to settle on the story he could think of first, and then slow down his speech and make random changes according to the world view.

"I'll tell you a story called 'The Beautiful Legend of Mississippi'..."

The original story was a movie about a boy having a crush on a married widow.

The core of the story is rather heavy, but the surface narrative is quite simple. It revolves around a beautiful, sexy, and alluring widow whose husband has gone missing in the army, and a teenage boy. The woman, attracted to many men in town because of her beauty, is the subject of gossip and slander by a group of women who accuse her of being a promiscuous and adulterous woman. However, in the first half of the story, she is portrayed as a virtuous and chaste woman.

The climax of the story is the woman's changing circumstances. Gradually, everyone in town ostracizes this beautiful widow, deeming her morally depraved. Even her father, from her own family, is ashamed to have such a daughter, as it tarnishes his reputation as a teacher. In this situation, no one in town is willing to sell her anything, she loses her job, and she can't even afford basic necessities. The town's morally upright women spread rumors about her, forcing her to seduce men for food. Later, as the political situation changes further, the widow's clothes are torn apart, and she is dragged into the street to be criticized for her depravity.

It wasn't until her husband, who had joined the army to defend their country, returned to the small town that this woman was redeemed and exonerated. The male protagonist's role in this story is primarily one of observation, observing the woman's experiences from the perspective of someone who secretly admires the widow and uses her as a subject for masturbation, to someone who sympathizes with her plight and imagines himself stepping forward to help her. However, until the end of the story, the only thing he does is muster the courage to write an anonymous letter to the widow's husband, informing him of her whereabouts and urging him to bring her back.

"When I heard this story, I thought, what's the point of this woman being redeemed and exonerated after she has been hurt?"

If I were that boy, wouldn't it have been better to cut everything off from the beginning, approach her, give her food, accept her, and become her support? Perhaps I would have become the immoral one, but at least the woman I secretly loved could have been spared all the subsequent harm.

Chapter 264 Before Leaving

The author of this story uses the widow to represent the blame suffered by his own country, and through the boy's psychological perspective, expresses the feeling that "no matter how many women I have met, I always reserve a place in my heart for the widow woman I secretly loved for the first time," which is to say, "I always love my country."

However, Chu Mingkong did not deeply feel these deeper things from the film. At that time, he was more focused on the widow's life experience. He was not satisfied with that outcome. The ending of the story seemed to be redemptive and fulfilling.

But what Chu Mingkong remembered most clearly was the widow's confidence, radiance, and beauty when she first appeared, and her fear, vicissitudes, and gloom when she finally cowered beside her husband.

This can actually be called a happy ending?

"When I first heard this story, I was furious. But the little boy in the story seemed to have no way to fight back. He had no ability to resist and had to rely on his parents for even the most basic necessities of life."

I can only say that I'm fortunate not to be him. When faced with many things, besides just watching, I also have the ability to get involved and try to change the course of events.

After Chu Mingkong finished speaking, he took the hands of the two beautiful women on the table. Being held by his hands in public, especially in front of their sisters, made them both feel uneasy and guilty.

However, since it was her son who took their hands, even if she might have to explain and argue with Wan Hua (Xiao Zhi) later, or even have a small quarrel, she couldn't refuse her son.

The worldview presented in this story, although Chu Mingkong made some minor adjustments, still seemed unfamiliar and strange within the Tianji Empire. However, Chu Mingkong glossed over this part, explaining it as "exotic customs," so the Chu Princess and Consort Wan didn't dwell on it too much.

However, the widow's suffering, as observed from the boy's perspective, evoked a sense of empathy and shared experience in them.

Even though I've tried my best, given my all, and persevered, the result is bitter, and I even have to endure betrayal and neglect from my family...

The widow in the story was far removed from them, but when they heard Chu Mingkong say that this woman was eventually dragged into the street by those gossipy, morally corrupt women, her clothes torn apart, and she was subjected to criticism and abuse, the sense of despair that they, as women themselves, felt overwhelmed them.

The ending, where the husband "returns from the dead" to prove the widow's innocence and give her support, seemed particularly ridiculous to both the Princess of Chu and Consort Wan.

Life's beauty can include suffering, but that suffering comes before the harvest, not throughout. Forced into prostitution by morality, and then subjected to moral judgment, death is that woman's best solace.

Consort Wan remained silent for a long time before recovering from the story. Not wanting her inner gloom to affect the atmosphere with her son, she pretended to be relaxed and said:

“Mingkong, where did you hear such a terrible story? The plot is full of ups and downs, it’s ‘exciting’ enough, but it ruins the listener’s mood… At first, I thought you were going to tell a story about how a little boy gets close to a widow.”

“We’ll probably have to ask the zeroth moderator for that…” Chu Mingkong said.

"What is that? Is it the name of a study? Why have I never heard of it before?" Consort Wan pressed, wanting to know everything she had heard from her son.

"No, I was just saying. What do you think, Consort Xiao Zhi?" Chu Mingkong asked, noticing that Consort Chu remained silent.

Princess Chu looked at the hand Chu Mingkong was holding and composed herself before she could speak. This story might be somewhat distant from Consort Wan's own, but Princess Chu felt a much stronger connection to it. Especially the part about her husband's disappearance and being forced to exchange her body for something—it made her clench her fists tightly.

The woman's despair at that moment almost echoed her own, but Princess Chu was also thankful that, after her own experiences, she discovered that the person who changed her dressing was actually Mingkong, and that he had only created the misunderstanding to spite her attitude. She even regretted that they hadn't actually done it that night.

"My impressions... are not good. Although I feel that the story is told from the perspective of a boy's voyeurism and observation, and the author may have some other deeper meaning, as a woman, I just can't like this story."

This kind of story sounds like something written by those self-righteous, pedantic scholars, telling others that no matter how much a woman is humiliated, as long as she upholds traditional virtues and morals, she can ultimately be redeemed.

That's unlikely. If it were written by a Confucian scholar from the Tianji Empire, the story should have ended much earlier, since "a woman's starvation is a small matter, but losing her chastity is a great matter."

Chu Mingkong understood the Princess Consort's anger and comforted her:

"It's just a story, just listen to it and forget about it. Besides, I hated it when I heard this story when I was a kid, so if something like that really happened, I would definitely stop it."

Consort Wan felt a warmth in her heart and smiled:

"What kind of stories have you been listening to since you were a child? Where did you hear them from? They're all so unserious!"

Chu Mingkong almost blurted out "Xiling Teahouse" on his own, but then, remembering he was actually in a teahouse, he changed his mind and said:

"That's what those shady old men who fish by the river said. Those old geezers are always trying to corrupt innocent kids like me."

What Princess Chu was thinking was, if what Mingkong said was true, could it be that the old man's story was what made Mingkong have a crush on older women since childhood... or at least not aversion? That's why he would look at her later.

If that's the case, then we really have to thank this old man for his "unintentional guidance" of Mingkong!

While the Princess Consort of Chu was lost in thought, Consort Wan teased:

"Mingkong has heard these kinds of stories since he was little, so he's probably been a bit corrupted. Could he have been spying on some women when he was a kid?"

There's no way he could afford that. He spends far more time at the border of the Abyss, where would he find so many beautiful young women for him to peek at? He'd be spending more time secretly observing the ferocious beasts of the Abyss and then trying to seduce them.

"no!"

"...Really not?" Princess Chu asked. She had a sliver of hope, having heard that her son had been secretly watching her since he was a child, and that her image occupied the scenes of Mingkong's childhood.

"Really not! Who could I be peeking at? There aren't any female soldiers at the Abyss Border. If I had to say, it would be peeking at my master... but I don't think I was peeking at my master."

Master Zuo Qiuchi really doesn't need to peek. If Chu Mingkong wanted to see, he could just say to her: "Let me show you my belly, and Master, you show me your belly too."

Princess Chu was somewhat disappointed, thinking that her relationship with Mingkong when they were children could never have been like this, but she still had some hope.

As the afternoon gradually ended and more people arrived, Chu Mingkong figured it was about time to take them back to Tianya Tower.

On the way back, Chu Mingkong suddenly said:

"Mother Consort Wanhua, Mother Consort Xiaozhi, I have set a date to return to the capital. I will leave the day after tomorrow morning. I will stay with you for two more nights before I depart."