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

He silently and stealthily cursed and harmed people, and he even used extremely Yin power. Who could withstand that?

Empress Pei was able to endure this for so long because she still needed to keep her alive. If there were a replacement, it wouldn't just be torture; it would be a direct curse to death.

In that case, Chu Mingkong wouldn't even have a chance to salvage the situation.

After running through the streets for a while, Chu Mingkong passed by a patrol team carrying an old jar, brushing past them without disturbing them—unfortunately, the colorless shadow failed just as it was about to leave their sight!

A soldier at the back of the column heard the sudden footsteps, struck a gong, and shouted:

"Who's there? Stop right there!"

"It's curfew now! Why are you wandering the streets? Where did you come from? Stop right there!"

There were no ghost markets or night markets nearby. As soon as the gong sounded, the patrolling soldiers on the nearby streets quickly came over. The dense footsteps fell like a sudden rain, and the more agile soldiers even rushed over from the rooftops.

"If I came here still wearing that Moonlit Royal Family 'skin,' would they just treat me like an international friend and let me go?"

Chu Mingkong was exhausted. He had originally wanted to think things through properly about what was going on in the palace, but then this happened.

In terms of speed and agility, these people are no match for Chu Mingkong, but they have the advantage of numbers.

Chu Mingkong put on the pig mask and took out his Lucky Dust-Free Talisman, hoping for some mystical protection so that the situation would not deteriorate further. He hoped that the dog emperor would not directly attack the dragon vein!

After escaping for some distance, with the pursuers still hot on their heels, Chu Mingkong suddenly sensed Cui Lian's whereabouts.

"Hey, Cui Lian just got his comeuppance, I 'made money with money' this swindler, and I even beat him up, how come he's spending the night at the Rabbit Master's Inn? He's living the high life."

Chu Mingkong, who was originally fleeing straight out of the city, changed his route and went to the Rabbit God Inn.

In that brothel-filled alley, Chu Mingkong sped up and crashed into Cui Lian's room.

Cui Lian, who was lying on the ground enjoying the Rabbit God's "backstabbing" service, trembled with fright.

"Damn it, what happened now?!"

Given the current situation, he had learned from past mistakes. With such a big commotion, he had to leave as soon as possible, otherwise he would definitely make a fool of himself later.

After dropping the silver, Cui Lian half-pulled up his trousers and was about to leave when a large patrol team suddenly burst into the room, surrounding it completely.

Meanwhile, nearby residents, as well as other night owls seeking pleasure, all quietly approached to see what was going on.

Cui Lian tried to leave, covering his face, but the night patrol team stopped him.

"What's wrong with you guys? I came here to listen to a young man sing a few songs, and you keep bothering me!"

"A suspicious person just broke in. Where did they go?"

"How should I know! Get me out of here! I think you're just trying to embarrass me!" Cui Lian tied his pants and tried to rush out. If he was exposed again, he would never be able to face anyone again.

However, these soldiers would never let him leave so easily, even though some of them had already recognized him as Cui Lian, the second young master of the Cui family.

"Check if he was doing that homosexual thing just now!"

One of the subordinates immediately went over, pulled the terrified young man who was cowering in the corner over, and forcibly examined his body in front of everyone.

"Still trying to deny it! This broken butt is clearly fine. You weren't even in this room the whole time!"

Seeing that the soldiers were about to get serious, Cui Lian realized the gravity of the situation. If he didn't prove his innocence soon, things could get really bad. He gritted his teeth, turned his back to them with a look of utter despair, and unbuckled his belt to check his body.

"Is that enough?! Can you let me leave now?! Damn you all!"

The night patrol team members were so intimidated by Cui Lian's imposing manner that they took a few steps back, thinking he was about to use some kind of hidden weapon to retaliate. But when they looked closely, they realized what he was up to.

His weakness is exposed! It seems that he was wrong after that pretty boy attacked his weakness not long ago.

The captain, trying to cover up his embarrassment with a serious demeanor, cleared his throat:

"It seems that Young Master Cui was indeed in the room the whole time, and he's not the person we're looking for. Quickly spread out and search; he probably hasn't gone far!"

Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, Cui Lian grabbed a piece of cloth, covered his face, and fled from the Rabbit Master's Inn as if escaping.

Chu Mingkong, who had been hiding at the alley entrance, chuckled and said in a high-pitched voice:

"Why did Master Lian run away so quickly? We gave too much money!"

"Get lost! I'm not Cui Lian!" He ran even faster.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers were finally convinced of who this person was.

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

Chu Mingkong left the capital and hurried to a farm in the suburbs.

As night fell, I had planned to bring Yongzhen, Jinyu, and Shangguan Rong over to have some fun and soak in the hot springs, but once we entered the palace, we were delayed for most of the night.

It's nighttime now, and it's probably well past midnight.

The farm was quiet and peaceful. In the elegant and tranquil courtyard, Shangguan Rong sat under the swing. The moonlight shone on her profile, making her pretty face look like a beautiful, translucent piece of jade.

She sat there quietly, hugging her knees, her expression radiating loneliness.

Chu Mingkong walked over, picked a plump grape, and brought it to Shangguan Rong's lips. After she ate it, he gently rocked the swing to keep her company.

"I'm so sorry, I've made Rong'er sit here waiting all this time."

"......fine."

After finishing the juicy grapes, Shangguan Rong saw that Chu Mingkong was also about to sit on the swing, so she moved her plump buttocks to make room for him.

"There must have been some unexpected situation. What happened?"

Chu Mingkong looked at her indifferent reaction and felt as if he understood that she was helpless, but he still couldn't help feeling disappointed after waiting for so long.

He picked up Shangguan Rong's soft, delicate body and placed her in his arms:

"A lot has happened, but let me hug you first. I didn't expect to suddenly decide to bring you out, but I ended up leaving you waiting alone. It's my fault."

Chapter Seventy-Three Sincerity

Considering the current situation, Chu Mingkong paused, gazed at the starry night for a while, and then said:

"Don't you think I'm speaking very sincerely and earnestly? I think I've seen similar scenarios before."

Is this what you call sincerity...? Shangguan Rong wondered to herself.

What plot point?

"They are just some folk tales. In these stories, the male protagonist breaks a very important appointment for some reason, the female protagonist is very sad, and goes far away before the male protagonist returns. This leads to a misunderstanding, and it takes a long time for them to reconcile."

Chu Mingkong recalled seeing this kind of plot in early romance novels aimed at women. Having seen similar plots so many times, he would definitely find them old-fashioned. But if it was the first time he had seen it, he could accept the development of this misunderstanding, and might even feel regret and heartache.

"So why are you telling me this?"

"Don't you think our current situation is similar to this? When I was reading these kinds of stories, I thought that if I had the chance, I would definitely not let things become so complicated, and I would explain things clearly as soon as possible."

"...I don't have any resentment. Without you yelling and making noise next to me, I can finally have some peace and quiet to think about things."

Although Shangguan Rong didn't say anything, judging from her gradually relaxing posture, she probably didn't care about him standing her up.

Chu Mingkong held her delicate body in his arms. Shangguan Rong wasn't wearing trousers under her white dress, and the elasticity and warmth of her smooth buttocks were transmitted to him. His palms explored her smooth skin, and her fair, bare feet would occasionally kick him lightly, expressing their dissatisfaction with his groping.

"So what exactly did you do tonight? Was it Jinyu, or was there a problem with Princess Yongzhen?"

"It should be Jin Yu, but it's more accurate to say it's about the Empress."

Chu Mingkong had heard a lot tonight, and he didn't know where to begin. The main point was undoubtedly what he had overheard in the emperor's bedroom, but if he skipped the first part, Shangguan Rong would be confused.

Chu Mingkong tried to simplify the treatment process by making some cuts, but Shangguan Rong was very good at grasping the information in the words.

"Wait a minute. The method of casting a curse with extreme Yin power is unheard of. People without extreme Yin power can't even see that black network. Mingkong, how did you help the Empress alleviate her injuries?"

"It was... he gently and politely touched the Queen's black brocade with his fingertips, absorbing the extreme yin energy through the touch."

Shangguan Rong, her face stern but unable to conceal the striking beauty and spirit in her pretty features, asked suspiciously:

"So you touched the Empress's entire body? In front of Jinyu?"

"No! I swear!" Chu Mingkong raised his finger confidently.

Because I didn't actually touch it all; I can only say I touched it, but I didn't fully understand it! I still need to be more precise in my speech.

But Shangguan Rong ignored this verbal trick, as if she could see through Chu Mingkong's thoughts, and pressed on with the question:

"So you mean you touched many places, but didn't touch them all?"

"..." Chu Mingkong coughed awkwardly and said seriously, "Saving lives is the priority. I can't worry about all this now. These aren't the main points. There's still a lot of information that Rong'er needs to consider and handle. Don't get bogged down in this kind of thing!"

Saving lives is the priority... Shangguan Rong remembered that when she practiced her skills too hastily, Chu Mingkong fed her random things to drink. Although there was nothing wrong with it, it still felt strange.

After listening to Chu Mingkong for a while, Shangguan Rong noticed another suspicious point and interrupted, saying:

"What did you and Jinyu do during this break?"

As she spoke, she sniffed around Chu Mingkong's clothes and neck, and faintly smelled a cheap perfume scent, unlike the scent that Jin Yu would have.

Chu Mingkong noticed her confusion and conveniently gave a vague answer about "rest period":

"The smell on me is from when I left the capital. In order to get rid of the pursuers, I rushed into that red-light district and tricked Cui Lian again. I picked up some of the perfume scent of prostitutes there."

"Rong'er, you know me. I'm a very upright person. I only care about women; I despise anything related to men and never get involved in such immoral or deviant things!"

Shangguan Rong had never seen anyone speak of "lust" so confidently and proudly. He had diverted her attention from the matter of Jin Yu, and the amount of information he provided regarding his subsequent speculations and intrusion into the emperor's bedchamber left Shangguan Rong with no time to return to the Jin Yu issue.

The emperor's control over the power of extreme Yin is truly a terrifying thing.

While both possess extremely Yin power, Chu Mingkong primarily uses it to protect his female relatives and family within his own small territory. He has little ambition for grand schemes or imperial ambitions. Furthermore, his privileged upbringing has instilled in him a lack of interest in bullying the weak and committing evil deeds. This is the Chu Mingkong that Shangguan Rong understands. However, if such power were given to an ambitious person, it would cause immeasurable harm.

Compared to the many secrets in the information Chu Mingkong obtained, Shangguan Rong quickly shifted her focus to the most urgent matter.

"The Emperor's use of extreme Yin power through this method of casting spells must have many limitations, and perhaps obvious drawbacks. Otherwise, where would the saying 'extreme Yin and Yang are of the same level' come from? There must be a way to restrain extreme Yang power. Moreover, it may be limited to the palace. Otherwise, the Emperor would have used this method long ago when you kidnapped Madam Zhen that day."

With the woman's analysis, Chu Mingkong's thoughts gradually became clearer. He had indeed been stunned by the unfamiliar use of extreme Yin power, and now he realized he had been scaring himself unnecessarily. Chu Mingkong nodded:

"Yes, that's what I think too! Rong'er thinks the same way!"

"But from what you heard the emperor say, he can curse and torture you, or he can curse you to death immediately. If he uses the Cui family as a hostage, Mingkong, you will be passively controlled."

Besides, as you've heard, the emperor already suspects you. However, his reaction is rather strange. Having already taken such drastic measures, why is he still hiding in his bedchamber?

Chu Mingkong nodded thoughtfully:

"So how should we deal with this?"

"Instead of confronting them head-on, let's follow what you said earlier, Mingkong, and avoid battle for the time being. Don't you know that girl from the same hometown as that Nightblade? Ask her about the internal situation of the Nightblade, and then proceed step by step to quickly evacuate your wives."