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

Chu Mingkong glanced over there, wanting to go over. His mind, unusually quick for a moment, processed a good excuse. He clutched his back, feigning injury, and said:

"I just took a hit from the Immortal-Trapping Sword Formation, so I'm a bit exhausted. I'll lie down and rest for a bit. I'll listen carefully, you can continue."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Mingkong pounced on the bed with speed that belied his injury, embracing his voluptuous and beautiful master.

Shen Xuejun glanced at the master and disciple, wondering if this was Zuo Qiuchi's way of seducing her disciple. However, she remained dedicated to pondering the Sword Profound Sect and said:

"From the perspective of stopping losses, it's fine if this trip fails, but with so many elders lost, they will probably still take some action."

Chu Mingkong said as if he had risen from the dead:

"If there is any movement, throw out the remnant soul of Venerable Wenxin."

The remnant soul of Venerable Wenxin is still quite destructive. If the Sword Profound Sect behaves itself, Venerable Wenxin's royal status can be used to damage the reputation of the Heavenly Extreme Royal Family and let the world see what kind of geniuses the Heavenly Extreme Royal Family has produced.

However, this extremely powerful weapon can only be used after Yongzhen and the others have moved away, otherwise it will affect them and make them lose face.

Now, Madam Zhen has been safely sent out of the capital. What remains is Yongzhen, who will arrive in about half a month, and the Cui family women who are still stranded in the capital.

Previously, Chu Mingkong's plan included the women of the Cui family, along with other members of the Cui clan. Now, Cui Lian, this clever fellow, wants to be the king of the monkeys and drives away these sisters-in-law, directly helping Chu Mingkong lighten his burden. He's a truly good person.

I'll go visit Madam Zhen later, and then go back to the Cui family to pretend it's real and escalate the conflict by going along with Cui Lian and the old lady's wishes!

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

The sacred ground of the Sword Profound Sect.

Shan He Su returned to the sect with great difficulty, dressed in rags and looking like a beggar. It took the sect disciples who surrounded him a while to recognize him before they realized that he was Elder Wen Xin's eldest disciple.

"Senior Brother Shan, what's wrong? What happened?"

Shanhe Su was infected by the miasma emanating from his master and became insane due to the strange emotions within it. However, he had a spiritual treasure that could calm his mind and focus his spirit, which allowed him to retain a sliver of rationality. He imitated his previous experience of being defeated by the pig masked men's clothing, pretended to lose his mind, and fell from a great height, narrowly escaping back.

He had no intention of rambling with his junior brothers and sisters; with so many elders dead, the sect must already know.

Shanhe Su wanted to report the situation to the elders, but then he thought that since his master was dead, he should go and inherit the legacy his master left in the cave as soon as possible!

Even if Venerable Wenxin cannot use the cultivation techniques, pills, and spiritual treasures he has accumulated, he can still consider them as items he retrieved from the battlefield at the behest of his master. In the future, he can offer them to the sect or other elders to gain their favor.

Before a cultivator truly matures, what they fear most is having no support or backing. When Venerable Wenxin died, he was heartbroken, but he also had to plan for his own future.

"If Master's spirit in heaven could see that his disciple is taking such good care of himself, he would rest in peace with satisfaction!"

Shanhe Su rushed back to the cave of Venerable Wenxin as soon as possible and searched for the treasures he had left there. His gaze fell on a jade slip with a unique and beautiful green color.

"Could this be the cultivation technique Master practiced? The woman who appeared back then was the head of the Asking Love Pavilion, and she said this technique was an evil one..."

Chapter 53 This kind of good thing should be enjoyed by the sect leader alone.

This is a choice, a choice between immediate interests and long-term interests.

The allure of this cultivation technique is undoubtedly immense. Every elder in the Sword Profound Sect possesses extraordinary talent, yet even they were once amazed by Venerable Wenxin's cultivation speed, but none of them could grasp its essence.

And now, the secret is right in front of Shanhe Su—this mysterious cultivation technique is the secret!

With just a short period of seclusion, Venerable Wenxin could leap from a second-class elder to the upper-class first-class level!

The price to achieve such cultivation is a little private torment, a torment of one's own dignity, in exchange for the glory of being admired by thousands.

but,

Shanhe Su still chose to give up. He took out a jade pendant hanging around his neck. The jade, which was originally white and clear, had now turned black. This jade had absorbed the miasma and evil thoughts emitted by Venerable Wenxin.

Shanhe Su had briefly experienced that kind of malice; it was a twisted emotion that shattered a man's dignity.

"Giving away concubines and maids—mere mortals—to others to play with is one thing, but to give away one's beloved to others to play with is an evil practice!"

Shanhe Su decided to offer himself to the Sword Profound Sect Master in exchange for sect merits and the Sect Master's favor!

It's better to just focus on practicing our sect's techniques. And if I'm asked about enemies later, I'd better not say anything. Otherwise, if the sect leader comes to Wenqing Pavilion to settle accounts later, the first thing he'll do is call on them to come out and identify them. Wouldn't that be inviting trouble?

Anyway, the sect leader will find out the truth himself, so why should I get involved in this mess where the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

“Master would definitely want me to take good care of myself. I can’t let my master’s spirit in heaven worry about me because of personal grudges.”

Carrying the legacy of Venerable Wenxin, he ran to the Sect Master's Hall, knelt on one knee, and said:

"Sect Master, your disciple Shanhe Su has returned by chance, but he was unable to protect my master and only brought back his belongings. I beg you, Sect Master, to build a cenotaph for my master!"

A powerful, furious voice boomed from within the hall, demanding:

"Who could have done this? This is a premeditated act targeting my Sword Profound Sect. So many elders were with us, yet none of them survived?!"

“This disciple is incompetent and failed to recognize who the other party was. When I saw someone daring to block my master’s way, I rushed forward to meet them. However, I did not expect that those people were so powerful that I was no match for them. I was severely injured and fell into the river. I survived by sheer luck. I beg the sect leader to avenge my master!”

The mountains and rivers are solemn, tears streaming down my face.

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

After discussing the details of today's events with Shen Xuejun and the others, Chu Mingkong chose a time to go to the room where Madam Zhen was being settled.

Madam Zhen's room was located on a nearby fairy peak, specifically for receiving guests.

The beautiful woman was brought here unharmed. She had been taken away from the range of the Immortal-Trapping Sword Formation by Feng Ying long ago. She was currently in the house, standing by the window and looking out from time to time.

Chu Mingkong quietly appeared in the room, silently walked behind Madam Zhen, and followed her gaze to look out the window to see what was attracting her attention.

However, the view outside the window was empty, with nothing special about it.

To be honest, when Chu Mingkong walked over, he almost lost control and hugged her directly. He always easily forgot that "Madam Zhen didn't know that he knew she was pretending to be Yongzhen."

"Madam Zhen, what are you looking at?" he said gently.

The voluptuous woman, who had been lost in thought, was startled by Chu Mingkong's sudden voice. She shrank back, turned around, and seeing that Chu Mingkong was unharmed, she scolded him playfully:

"You silly child, why didn't you make a sound when you came in? Are you alright? I saw that dark blue-black formation trapping you all inside, and there was a huge sword in the sky. It was terrifying!"

"Of course I'm fine. If you don't believe me, Madam Zhen, go and have a check-up. Aren't I still as lively and energetic as ever?"

Chu Mingkong smiled, jumped around a few times, then spun around to examine Madam Zhen, and asked:

"What were you looking at so intently, Madam Zhen?"

"I didn't see much. I had only heard about these sacred sites of cultivation sects before, but now that I see these immortal peaks shrouded in clouds and mist, I find them very novel and beautiful."

Chu Mingkong suddenly realized that this was what she was looking at. The view outside the window did indeed show the ethereal peaks shrouded in clouds and mist. However, these sights were commonplace for Chu Mingkong, and he forgot that this was the first time Madam Zhen had ever seen them.

"Then why not go outside and take a look? How much can you see from inside this house?"

Mrs. Zhen said shyly:

"I was just afraid of causing trouble for others. I didn't know the rules here, so I didn't leave the house. It doesn't matter where I look, I can still see."

"No matter how many rules there are, it's still considered offensive to go out for a walk. If Madam Zhen wanted to go out for a stroll, she should have told me earlier with that note!"

Madam Zhen sighed, realizing she had forgotten about this incident.

"I forgot, and it would be inappropriate for me to ask you to take me out for a walk while you are recovering from your injury."

Yes, that's the feeling.

Chu Mingkong recalled that when he first met "Yongzhen" under the soul of Madam Zhen, this was his impression of "Yongzhen": gentle and kind, knowledgeable and polite, dignified and elegant, not complacent or arrogant because of others' flattery, and would always think of "returning the favor" if he took a small advantage from others.

At that time, Madam Zhen returned the favor with a series of kisses, hugs, and licks.

Later, because the bodies of the mother and daughter were switched back, Chu Mingkong had fewer opportunities to be alone with Madam Zhen normally. His nighttime rendezvous were always cautious and careful, and he rarely felt Madam Zhen's gentle nature directly anymore.

In those few words just now, Chu Mingkong rediscovered the feeling of secretly sneaking into "Yongzhen's" room and spending time with her.

"Let's go, I'll take Madam Zhen for a walk. But we're high up on the mountain, and I'm afraid she might slip on a pebble or something and get into danger. I'll hold Madam Zhen's arm. Please don't think I'm being presumptuous."

"How could I blame you? Although Mingkong is a bit impulsive, he is still very proper and well-behaved towards his elders." Madam Zhen nodded with a smile.

Chu Mingkong felt ashamed, but he still took Madam Zhen's arm and accompanied her to the edge of the cliff to look at the mountain scenery. He pretended to be worried that she would fall, and subconsciously, kindly, and without realizing it, he held Madam Zhen's soft hand.

As Madam Zhen felt the strength of the man's hand beside her, her heart trembled, but she dared not show it. She only secretly glanced at Chu Mingkong before absentmindedly looking at the magnificent fairyland.

Mingkong probably grabbed her instinctively because he was worried she would fall off the cliff; she couldn't warn him, otherwise she wouldn't be able to let him hold her anymore...

Now that her daughter Yongzhen is not by her side, Madam Zhen feels as if she has returned to the time before her body was switched back. Back then, she met with Mingkong in the same way. Each time they only spent a short while together, but it made them happy for a whole day.

However, the fact that Yongzhen is not by her side now has its drawbacks. She can no longer use the excuse of late-night rendezvous to get along with Mingkong under the guise of her daughter.

Mingkong certainly doesn't know the truth yet—that the person he's been secretly meeting with isn't Yongzhen, but her—but he can't reveal this truth, as it would affect his relationship with his daughter, Yongzhen...

And if he knew that the person he had poured out his heart to late at night wasn't Yongzhen, but this old woman, he would probably be very hurt...

Chapter Fifty-Four Waste

Chu Mingkong held Madam Zhen's hand, and the softness and warmth from her made him feel at ease. Looking at the unchanging scenery of the towering immortal peaks, he suddenly felt that it was more beautiful than what he had seen before.

The light shining through the clouds fell on Madam Zhen's beautiful face, and even the brightest light seemed to be softened, dispersing into a faint halo around the edges of her skin.

The beautiful woman noticed Chu Mingkong's gaze, and when their eyes met, her heart pounded like a young girl seeing her lover for the first time. She feigned calmness and asked:

"What's wrong? What are you looking at, Mingkong?"

Chu Mingkong's gaze moved from Madam Zhen's beautiful face to her clothing, and he said softly:

"It was novel, so I took a few more glances. I've never seen Madam Zhen wear such gorgeous clothes before. She's usually quite low-key, so it's rare to see her dressed so splendidly."

Madam Zhen glanced down at her clothes, smiled sheepishly, and said:

"This magnificent robe must have been modified from the palace dress I wore during the reign of the late emperor. It was delivered to me by a palace maid yesterday. I didn't want to argue, so as not to cause trouble for Yongzhen, and I wore it as the palace intended."

"I haven't worn such dazzling clothes in years, and I'm not used to it at all. It feels tight and uncomfortable in every part of my body."

The palace dress that Lady Zhen is wearing now is in the style of the former empress. The front and sleeves are embroidered with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns, and the phoenix patterns on the hem and waist belt correspond to her noble status as the empress. However, according to common sense, the overall color should be dazzling, such as gold or red, but now it has been changed to black, probably to take into account the status of the late emperor's widow.

The palace dress, worn only on formal occasions, had several layers and looked rather bulky and redundant. However, Madam Zhen's graceful figure was curvaceous, her snow-white breasts were full and dignified, and her slender waist was so delicate that it could be grasped with one hand. The multiple layers of gorgeous clothes draped over her body gave her the beauty of the layered petals of a peony, exuding wealth and nobility. She was extremely beautiful and noble.

The strapless top was pulled up high, but it still inevitably revealed the upper edge of her large, jade-like breasts, as well as a small section of her deep cleavage.

Chu Mingkong did not hold back his praise:

"Isn't it quite beautiful? Madam Zhen should know the style of the royal robes of Xiling, which are also in black tones, and they match Madam Zhen's current attire very well!"

No need for guards or ceremonial processions to display your status; just standing in Tianya City, people will definitely mistake you for royalty from Xiling.

"Nonsense! How many people are in your lineage? The people of Xiling probably know exactly who the royal family of Xiling is. Do you think they would mistake me for the Princess Consort of Chu?" Madam Zhen reprimanded him lightly, then said, "Mingkong, do you really think this outfit looks good? I took off the crown because I thought it was too heavy. Do you want to take a look?"