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

"What is this? A mere princess from a secular dynasty has made such thorough preparations?!"

Chu Mingkong was stunned in the room.

"My teammate really came?! This person's moves are unlike anything I've ever seen. My master doesn't practice this kind of sword energy transformation technique either. Could it be that they've really come to steal someone away?"

Before the Nightblade Guards outside the manor could figure out what was going on, a man with black hair and white highlights suddenly jumped out of the Princess's residence. He wore a pig mask and pointed at the person in the sky, shouting:

"It seems the news was right, you really have arrived. Don't even think about stopping the revival of my Moonlit Royal Family. Did you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a cloak and mask?"

Chu Mingkong paused, considering which enemy was suitable to smear him, then let out a strange laugh:

"You are the long-lost lackey of the King of Xiling. You have tried to stop the revival of my legitimate royal family, disrupted my king's marriage alliance, and seized the Crescent Moon Kingdom. You damned thing, with me here, you will not succeed!"

The masked, cloaked figure: "???"

Bro, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?

Chapter Twenty-Six: Darkness Under the Lamp

The Nightblade Division members were momentarily stunned. The person who ran out of the Princess's residence engaged in a fierce battle with the uninvited guest. Although their momentum was slightly weaker than that of the masked cloaked man, they were not quickly defeated.

The Nightblade Guards, who were leading the team, discussed:

"What's going on? Wasn't that the suspicious person who infiltrated the Princess's residence? If it were the Crown Prince of Xiling, he wouldn't have done that; it makes no sense..."

"I don't know the details of this matter, but the higher-ups said that Xiling has been stable for some time now. Chu Mingkong may have already quietly left Xiling and returned to the capital. I think Chu Mingkong managed to escape the capital by chance, so why would he return? What medicine? It's just an excuse to escape!"

"It seems there's been a misunderstanding. Could this outsider have secretly discovered the news and then come to protect Princess Yongzhen? He just mentioned the missing Prince of Xiling. What's going on?"

The thoughts of these Nightblade Guards could influence whether or not to investigate outsiders, especially those from the Crescent Moon Empire, in the capital for some time to come. If an investigation were to take place, it would be a considerable problem for Chu Mingkong.

"What do we do now? Should we send reinforcements to that outsider with the pig-head mask?"

"Nonsense... But it's not a good time for him to join the battle. That masked man would be a top expert even in a major sect. Let's see if the commander comes over. By the way, why is this guy wearing a child's mask?"

"Could it be that he's feeling guilty and wants to hide his identity...?"

In the sky, the masked man walked through the air, his cloak fluttering even without wind. His sword energy manifested in various forms, and a dozen flying swords shot out simultaneously, entangled with the pig-masked man, forcing him to fight and retreat.

However, this situation was the case from the moment the two clashed. At first, when there were only five flying swords, the man in the pig mask was at a disadvantage and looked like he was about to collapse. But as the number of flying swords increased, even the masked man began to have difficulty controlling the swords. The man in the pig mask was still at a disadvantage and remained firmly in a "disadvantageous" position.

Outsiders only thought that this masked man was exceptionally strong and could remain undefeated, but the masked man in the middle of the situation, namely Shanhe Su, the eldest disciple of Venerable Wenxin, felt that he was being played.

Beneath the mask, Shan Hesu's expression was extremely solemn and stern, his heavy gaze reflecting the other person's pig mask:

"What exactly is your purpose? Your cultivation level is far more than this!"

"Are you here to kidnap Princess Yongzhen?" Chu Mingkong asked in a low voice.

Shanhe Su was about to vomit blood. Did this person have some serious illness? Their goals were not conflicting at all. He didn't believe that this person was here to protect Princess Yongzhen. What kind of guards would escort a princess to her residence? The Nightblade Guards below were clearly there to surround him. He might be a petty thief who was having an affair with Princess Yongzhen.

"Princess Yongzhen? You're wrong. My target is the former Empress Dowager. We can cooperate!" Shanhe Su suppressed his frustration and anger.

They weren't here to kidnap Yongzhen, but to snatch Madam Zhen? Chu Mingkong was even more confused.

However, one thing is certain: neither of these two people can be taken away by this person, because this mother and daughter must be taken care of by him, Chu!

However, he couldn't afford to waste any more time. Chu Mingkong wanted to clear his name of the suspicion that "the Prince of Xiling was disguised as a stranger in the capital." Otherwise, if the officials investigated one by one, they might find some clues that would affect his subsequent clandestine operations.

We haven't even entered the palace yet. If we go into a state of alert beforehand, how can we possibly endure it?

In another clash, the pig-masked man punched a giant flying sword. What seemed like an ordinary contest of strength turned into a struggle in which the pig-masked man was finally overwhelmed and could no longer hold on.

His figure plummeted from the sky and fell into the moat, quickly disappearing from sight.

Shanhe Su was bewildered. What had happened? Why was he suddenly unable to hold on?

Looking at the aura clinging to him after the barrier shattered, and at the strangely shaped, mysteriously behaving pig-masked man, he felt a chill run down his spine, suspecting that there was definitely more to come.

This small secular dynasty is facing such a perilous and bizarre situation. To be on the safe side, let's come back another time!

Without saying a word, Shan Hesu took a deep look at the moat and quickly left.

In the city, the Nightblade Guards were once again filled with confusion.

"What's going on? Who are we supposed to be blocking? Why did the guy in the pig mask suddenly stop working? What's the purpose of that mask?"

"One theory is that his pig mask might be a spiritual treasure, which kept him from losing the battle. However, the stalemate lasted too long, and the spiritual energy inside was exhausted, causing him to fall silent."

“But… I can buy one of those pig masks for just a few coins at the market.” As he spoke, the Nightblade Guard also put on a pig mask.

"That might be because his is special, otherwise why would he wear it?"

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

After falling into the water, Chu Mingkong swam to the other side of the moat, changed his clothes, and, taking advantage of the information gap between himself and the city gate guards, went directly over and said:

"I just received a message from my clansmen. Princess Yongzhen, who is about to marry into our Yueqi royal family, has been attacked. Is this true?!"

"I think I've heard something vague, but we haven't been notified of the specifics yet. We can't leave our posts to inquire. Just now, a colleague used the excuse of diarrhea to go and ask around."

"I can't wait any longer. What if something happens to Princess Yongzhen? The marriage alliance between the Yueqi royal family and the Tianji Empire must not be lost!"

For important matters involving high-level officials like this, lower-level officials should avoid getting involved if possible. If they get into trouble, they might lose their heads. Besides, they usually take money to let people cut in line, and the security guards just let them through.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Mingkong decided to play dirty and ran back to the Princess's residence to hide!

He left the Princess's residence in full view of everyone and disappeared into the river. It is unlikely that he would search the Princess's residence again. Moreover, given this incident, Yongzhen can also reprimand them for failing to protect the princess. As for a hiding place, the Princess's residence should be an excellent place!

If he goes back to the Cui residence to hide, there might still be unexpected events. If some traitorous servant sees his whereabouts, he'll be finished.

He returned to the vicinity of the Princess's residence. There were quite a few Nightblade Guards around. Chu Mingkong was now able to use his stealth technique again, but he was afraid that it would malfunction again after walking a few steps.

He planned to wait until there were fewer people before going over.

Not long after, a princess carriage arrived. After the carriage stopped, the graceful Princess Jinyu hurriedly ran into the Princess's residence to inquire about the situation.

Given the circumstances, the guards were not in a position to stop Princess Jinyu from checking on the situation, so they allowed her to enter the mansion and inquire about Princess Yongzhen and Madam Zhen.

Chu Mingkong thought for a moment and decided not to follow them into the Princess's residence. Instead, he secretly slipped into Jin Yu's carriage.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Self-Pickup of Milk

Jin Yu went to visit Madam Zhen and Yong Zhen, and won't be back for a while, so Chu Mingkong could only wait patiently.

While waiting, he didn't forget to send a message to Shangguan Rong on a note, informing her of the situation at the Princess's residence and that he was safe and sound, just to let her know he was alright.

Upon learning that Chu Mingkong was safe, Shangguan Rong, who was at home, felt relieved. She figured that Chu Mingkong had probably taken the opportunity to return to Xiaoxiang Qin Academy to reunite with his master and avoid the limelight. She never imagined that this guy had secretly ambushed Jin Yu in her carriage.

After reporting that he was safe, Jin Yu still hadn't returned. Chu Mingkong flipped through the notes in his hand, deciding to send a message to his master, Zuo Qiuchi:

[Master, I was in danger just now. What was I doing? Did I intend to protect you?]

Zuo Qiuchi was lying comfortably when she was disturbed by the spiritual energy fluctuations of the paper sticker. Dissatisfied, she turned over and revealed a plump peach-shaped buttock covered by a white dress under the folded brocade quilt. The buttock was round and full, and the fabric of the skirt was slightly sunken into that deep area, which further accentuated the alluring beauty of the peach shape.

She took out the note and glanced at it. The fact that Chu Mingkong still had the leisure to ask her for help meant that he was actually fine.

It's too far. Take care of yourself. By the way, those white socks smell nice.

Chu Mingkong raised an eyebrow. What did "white socks smell nice" mean...?

Based on his understanding of Zuo Qiuchi, she was probably in a bad mood at this moment. He decided not to upset her and to see what had happened when he got home that night.

At the Princess's residence, Jin Yu greeted Yong Zhen and Madam Zhen warmly, showing her genuine concern for the mother and daughter. Although Yong Zhen had tried to steal her man, and Jin Yu had previously made some bold statements about wanting to anger Yong Zhen, now that Yong Zhen was going to marry far away for a political marriage, Jin Yu remembered how good Yong Zhen was.

After some time, Yongzhen left the capital, and Madam Zhen was sent to be cared for by that former imperial uncle. Jinyu, having left the palace, didn't know who to talk to.

After sitting and chatting for a while in the Princess's residence, Jin Yu put down the pastries her maid had bought as a token of her appreciation, and then left dejectedly, preparing to return home.

"Princess Jinyu, shall we return to the palace or to the princess's residence now?" her personal maid asked.

"I won't go back to the palace today. I'm getting a bit bored living there," Jin Yu sighed after thinking for a moment.

Actually, it doesn't matter where we go, right? Lately, the Empress seems to have lost interest in chatting. Every time, Jinyu goes over alone and starts rambling on and on, but she's not the type to talk to herself endlessly. Every time she sits with the Empress for a while, she gets bored and leaves.

Supported by her maid, Jinyu lifted her skirt and stepped into the carriage. As soon as she sat down, her delicately painted eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if she weren't sitting on a soft cushion.

But I didn't see anyone just now...

She had encountered a similar situation once before, with Chu Mingkong, but Chu Mingkong hasn't contacted her since.

...Could it be an assassin or something?

Anyone would be uneasy in this situation if they didn't know who it was, but Jin Yu immediately heard that familiar male voice.

"Guess who I am?" Having learned from his previous experience at the Cui residence, Chu Mingkong dared not make any excessive jokes.

Jin Yu's downcast brows relaxed at this moment, and her beautiful eyes brightened with a radiant spirit. Suppressing her excitement, she adopted a calm tone and said indifferently:

"How would I know who it is? The name sounds familiar, but I haven't heard from them in so long, I've almost forgotten who it is, hmph~"

Although Jin Yu was sitting on his lap with her back to him, Chu Mingkong could tell the curve of her lips just from the joyful tone at the end of her words.

"I am an assassin sent to attack the princess. Are you afraid of this sharp blade?"

He grasped Jin Yu's fair wrist, guiding it to a certain spot. Jin Yu's small hand touched a handle, and she naturally and actively grasped and caressed that familiar feeling, playfully scolding:

"This hidden weapon is in my hand, you can't do anything to this princess now, you little thief, show yourself!"

Chu Mingkong then deactivated his concealment and reinforced the soundproof barrier beforehand. Jin Yu turned around and nestled into his arms like a swallow throwing itself into his embrace, playfully punching him twice with her pink fists in annoyance.

When did you get back?

"Princess Jinyu, you just quietly returned to the capital yesterday. What's wrong with you? Why did you look so worried when you got into the carriage?"

"I'm so sad because of missing you. So many things have happened in the capital. My chest feels so tight and suffocated!" Jin Yu pressed her cheek against the man's chest, her delicate nose constantly inhaling his scent.

"What should I do? I don't know anything about medicine. How can I treat my Princess Jinyu's illness?"

Jin Yu grabbed Chu Mingkong's large hand and placed it on her soft, beautiful flesh, feigning a weak, sick tone:

"Chu Lang, could you help me knead it until it's smoothed out..."

"Jin Yu really hasn't changed at all," Chu Mingkong thought to himself. After playing with her for a while, Jin Yu urged him to put in more effort, which Chu Mingkong naturally did.

Jin Yu grumbled in his arms:

"You didn't even tell me you were coming back beforehand, probably because you didn't want to reveal your travel plans. At least you could have let me know you were safe so I could be happy a few days in advance. How are you going to make up for all the suffering I've endured these past few days?"

“I remember Princess Jinyu likes to drink milk. How about I make up for it with milk? I’ve been feeling unwell for a few days, so I’ll personally deliver some to her for a few days.”