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

It was that accident that led to Chu Mingkong's extreme Yin power now including Empress Pei in the category of "one of his own".

Actually, if the blood is not enough, Chu Mingkong has something on him that he can give to Empress Pei without any risk... Before he had cultivated with Shangguan Rong, Chu Mingkong accidentally gave her the antidote while she was unconscious.

"Your Majesty, try drinking my blood and see if it makes you feel better. Perhaps our extreme Yin power can help suppress the Emperor's extreme Yin power."

Empress Pei was puzzled. Chu Mingkong had just emphasized the word "we," but getting caught up in such trivial details was pointless at the moment.

Although she felt ashamed, in order to alleviate the discomfort, she slightly opened her mouth, met her daughter's gaze, and reluctantly put the man's finger in her mouth. The blood, like lip rouge, stained the empress's lips red, and the sweet and metallic taste of blood ravaged her taste buds, but it quickly suppressed the discomfort in her body a little.

It's like a person suffering from the heat and dryness of the desert receiving the refreshing coolness of snow water in an instant.

Empress Pei's body desperately longed to be free from the discomfort. Her warm, moist mouth closed around Chu Mingkong's fingers, as if she wanted to swallow them whole to completely suppress the discomfort.

But Chu Mingkong wanted to know Empress Pei's condition, so he used a little force to pull his fingers out of that wonderful sucking sensation and pulled out a strand of crystal-clear silver thread with blood foam.

The gaze from Jin Yu made Chu Mingkong a little embarrassed, but he remained calm and expressionless, coldly asking without any emotion:

"Is it any better? Is it able to suppress that extremely yin power?"

Empress Pei nodded slightly, realizing her earlier behavior and feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"It's better. Not only has the discomfort been relieved a bit, but it seems that my extreme yang energy has also reacted a little."

Chu Mingkong wanted to find a bottle to save a few bottles of blood for Empress Pei as an antidote, but suddenly realized that there was no bottle that could hold his blood. It seemed that the only thing that could be stored in a bottle was that thing.

As expected of my teacher's wife, she had such foresight...

Chu Mingkong had no choice but to put his finger back into Empress Pei's mouth, but this time Empress Pei stammered:

"It can't be sucked out...the wound is healed."

This body's self-healing ability is truly amazing. This time, Chu Mingkong made the cut on his finger bigger.

"Your Majesty, when you drink my blood, please suck it a little harder, otherwise this wound will heal in no time."

"......Um."

Feeling that it was about time, Chu Mingkong withdrew his hand. Empress Pei didn't consume too much of Chu Mingkong's blood at once. Since the Emperor didn't want to kill her, he would definitely help her undo the damage later. It would be troublesome if he discovered that his extreme Yin power was gone. Temporarily relieving her discomfort was enough.

However, there's no need to worry about the dog emperor discovering Chu Mingkong's extreme yin power. If Chu Mingkong can't sense the dog emperor's extreme yin power, then the dog emperor probably can't sense it either.

Empress Pei's complexion had improved considerably, and she said to Chu Mingkong:

Will you kidnap Emma?

Chu Mingkong did not hide his plan from her:

"Yes, but only after she arrives in the Crescent Moon Kingdom."

"Then take Jinyu with you on the day Yongzhen leaves the capital for the marriage alliance. All the attention in the capital will be on Yongzhen. After that time, it will be difficult for you to take her away."

This was a reminder to Chu Mingkong that he had better take all the women he wanted to take with him from the capital before Yongzhen's marriage.

"Row."

Empress Pei then turned to Jinyu and said:

"Jinyu, you'll stay with me tonight. If you want to go out, wait until tomorrow. It's too suspicious that you left the palace to find your lover right after you finished being heartbroken tonight."

“No way…” Jin Yu secretly glanced at Chu Mingkong.

Chu Mingkong sighed inwardly. What a cruel empress! She was urging him to leave the palace. She was kicking him out after she had finished with him. How heartless!

"Jinyu, I'll leave now. I'll see how things go tomorrow, and if there's another chance, I'll go to the palace again."

After saying this, he hurriedly left the Empress's palace, but instead of leaving the palace immediately, he moved towards where the Emperor was.

On the bed, Jin Yu, having removed her palace dress, lay with the Empress. The beautiful mother and daughter embraced, creating a unique and sensual scene.

Jin Yu embraced Empress Pei. Although Chu Mingkong's arrival alleviated her mother's discomfort, the unexpected revelation of the inside story cast a deeper shadow of worry over Jin Yu's heart.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke with difficulty:

"Mother, are you still awake?"

"...What is it?" Empress Pei gently stroked her daughter's head.

"Mingkong has a method of dual cultivation that should spare you from this suffering, Mother, and it won't harm your body. If all else fails, Mother, why don't you..."

"Shut up."

"Mother..."

Empress Pei closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, ignoring her daughter's nonsense.

Before Chu Mingkong lay the emperor's bedroom, and he was considering whether or not to approach it.

At this time, rushing over might cause trouble for the transportation of people, but what he discovered on Empress Pei tonight made him suspicious and curious about this unassuming emperor.

Just then, the sound of beads falling rang out in front of the palace gate, and many dark-colored Buddhist beads suddenly appeared and bounced on the ground.

Chapter Seventy-One: Paper Dolls

In the midst of the surrounding silence, a sudden, somewhat eerie sound of beads rang out.

Normally, this might not have been a problem, but Chu Mingkong was deep in enemy territory and felt guilty. He quickly ducked into a secluded corner behind the stone lion.

But Chu Mingkong still used his peripheral vision to observe the direction from which the sound of the bead came.

The black prayer beads were engraved with Sanskrit characters, and the beads rolled into regular shapes. But before Chu Mingkong could see them clearly, a faint golden light appeared, and a tall figure appeared.

Just as Chu Mingkong was about to get a clear look at the newcomer, he looked closer and realized that it really was just a figure...

This thing was like a shadow, without facial features, and it didn't use any black mist to cover its face and body. It was just like a shadow that suddenly stood up from the ground. In fact, from the side, it was just a line, flat.

True paper doll

This might be some kind of secret technique to control the clone's activities from a safe place.

"The prayer beads were part of the ritual. Judging from the body's outline, it should be a man..."

The shadow figure stood in front of the emperor's bedchamber for a while. Suddenly, a dark purple barrier appeared in front of him, which then transformed into a wisp of black mist that spread throughout the palace.

The shadow figure took a few steps forward, and a golden barrier lit up and dissipated, similar to the previous barrier. Only then was the shadow figure able to open the door of the imperial bedchamber and enter the emperor's room.

Chu Mingkong hesitated for a few breaths, then took advantage of the barrier dissipating to quickly follow and sneak into the bedchamber. However, he didn't dare to enter the room, but instead eavesdropped outside.

"That dog emperor is too cautious. The two barriers there were probably extremely yin and yang barriers. Since the dog emperor has extremely yin power, he should be wary of my ability to cross barriers at will. Fortunately, I didn't rush in."

Perhaps due to their confidence in these two layers of barriers, they didn't even deploy a soundproof barrier during their conversation, which made things easier for Chu Mingkong.

"Such a heavy killing intent! Are you planning to kill the Empress? Have you found a new Empress? There aren't many women who match the Golden Crow Phoenix physique. You've probably used all the henchmen left by the late Emperor to search for a suitable Empress over the years, but it seems you haven't found anyone."

The Heavenly Pole Empire is internally unstable, with conflicts erupting in Xiling and Jinzhou, shaking its national destiny and making it difficult for the Golden Phoenix to emerge. Even if you try to find a replacement from the Crescent Moon Kingdom, it will be futile.

Chu Mingkong frowned, completely stopping even his own heartbeat and ceasing all bodily movements, resembling a lifeless statue, lest he miss any detail.

"Could it be that this scoundrel wants Yongzhen to marry into the Yueji royal family in order to help stabilize the situation there and see if he can find a woman who can replace the empress's constitution? But judging from this, the emperor has not yet found a replacement and will not take action against Empress Pei for the time being, only torturing her for now."

Finally, the emperor's voice rang out in the room, but his voice was particularly deep and muffled, with a heavy sense of ferocity in his tone. Compared to the majestic emperor sitting high on the golden throne, this voice sounded more like an angry beast trapped in a dark lair.

[That vile woman dared to poison me! Poison the imperial veins! This method was most likely taught to her by the Empress Dowager. The poison is too potent; it couldn't possibly have been the work of that vile woman Pei Mi alone!]

[So, it's that silly, dull-witted Empress Dowager Zhen? Could the deposition of the empress and the late emperor's madness and death in his later years have been because of this?]

Looking back now, who else could it be but her! It's a pity that the Empress Dowager injured her own soul with a secret technique back then, making many things blurry and impossible to discuss. And Pei Mi alone could never have poisoned the dragon vein to this extent. If this had happened even earlier, the late emperor would have noticed it long ago!

However, it's all for the best. I've had some fortuitous encounters and witnessed many things during this time. The poisoning of the dragon vein has also turned out to be a turning point.

"Where did you get this opportunity? Haven't you been lying in bed recovering from your injuries? Did you get it in your dream? But the emperor wouldn't lie about something like this. He would only lie about something that would bring him profit or help him minimize his losses. This matter is most likely true. Could it be that the reason he doesn't see outsiders is actually because he's gone out, and the room is actually empty?"

The more Chu Mingkong heard, the fewer old questions he had answered; instead, new questions arose.

It's a pity that when I entered the palace before, I wasn't bold enough to shit on his head.

The conversation in the room continued, and he stopped thinking and continued eavesdropping.

[Wow! I thought this was feeding a phoenix to a dragon, only to be met with a backlash, but it turns out to be an opportunity. Looking at His Majesty's current control over this extreme Yin power, the gains are indeed abundant and enviable. I reckon those sects will find it hard to look down on this mortal dynasty anymore.]

[Hmph! This was a plan left by the late emperor. It's a pity that Prince Yu died. It was that little prince of Xiling who ruined it. Otherwise, in the near future, the Tianji Empire could have swallowed up the Jianxuan Sect!]

But it doesn't matter, it's only a matter of time. Once I completely control this extreme Yin power and manifest it as my own Dao, the Sword Profound Sect will have to come and submit to me.

[I have a question: How did the late emperor manage to keep Prince Yu here? Even those who have renounced worldly life for spiritual cultivation find it difficult to completely relinquish their detached desires; they shouldn't be so attached to the Tianji royal family.]

[Then we must admire the late emperor's brilliance; however, this is a scandal and cannot be discussed further.]

"Very well, I came here today to visit His Majesty, but if His Majesty has not found a suitable empress to support him, it would be best not to act rashly against Empress Pei. Without a phoenix to nourish the imperial lineage, it may turn against His Majesty. If His Majesty forces Empress Pei to commit suicide, it will only delay everyone's affairs in the end."

Calm down, calm down.

It's impossible for her to commit suicide; she can't move her limbs, and her spiritual meridians are restricted... Oh well, I'll teach that bitch a lesson later.

But the current situation is not a solution. Why must we continue to search so desperately for the Golden Crow Phoenix Physique? Can this physique be inherited or taken away? This question has been explored since the time of the late emperor. Although the Golden Crow Phoenix Physique was not ubiquitous then, it was still extremely rare. Now, it is difficult to find even one. I have a feeling that some force has taken away those Golden Crow Phoenix Physiques before I could.

Chu Mingkong continued to eavesdrop, but the dog emperor used the excuse of resting to send his guest away.

Taking action against the emperor now is ultimately risky. He may seem like a sick tiger, but he is actually quite suspicious and probably has a backup plan to guard against that shadowy figure.

If there were truly such trust, why would the shadow figure be allowed to leave the barrier and then disperse? Every time the shadow figure enters the palace, the emperor would have to wait for him to open the barrier himself. If there were true trust, this wouldn't happen.

Since the emperor doesn't trust this shadowy figure, yet still dared to let him into his bedchamber, there must be a backup plan.

To be on the safe side, Chu Mingkong followed the shadow figure out of the heavily guarded barrier of the sleeping quarters.

He was still thinking about how to arrest the shadowy man when, unexpectedly, the shadowy man disappeared just as abruptly as he appeared, vanishing amidst the abrupt sound of Buddhist beads falling to the ground.

And those prayer beads, bouncing and bouncing, disappeared without a trace.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Protection of the Dust-Free Talisman

Having successfully left the imperial city, Chu Mingkong felt no more at ease than when he entered.

Only now do I realize the ambitions of the two emperors of the Tianji Empire. I used to think they were just wary of Xiling, but in reality, the Tianji royal family sought much more: to become the true supreme emperor and to free themselves from the constraints of the secluded sects.

From their perspective, having such a grand vision is certainly a good thing; at least it's impressive enough. However, if the actual process conflicts with Chu Mingkong's interests, then no matter how grand their vision is, they won't concern themselves with Chu Mingkong's affairs.

"It's just that this dog emperor's control over the power of extreme yin is truly unexpected. I heard about the events in Jin from that girl Qingning before, and I thought that at most he would figure out how to use the core of extreme yin as firecrackers. I didn't expect it to have reached this level, that he could directly torture Empress Pei by using curses."

Perhaps there was an element of self-scaring involved, but Chu Mingkong didn't want Aunt Gu and the others to stay in the capital for even a moment longer.