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

Ordinary people often equate the Nightblade Division with the government offices, believing that those who have been in the Nightblade Division for a long time are all seasoned veterans who appear fierce and menacing on the outside, but are mostly chatting with their legs crossed inside.

That's what outsiders think, but... that's indeed the case.

A pretty young woman with an upright demeanor walked into the Night Blade Division and ran into her colleague Yu Dehou, who was finishing his night shift and preparing to go home.

"You're here so early, Qingning. If I were you, I would definitely be a little late. There's no extra charge for being early, and you can sleep in a little longer at home and still be late without getting fined. So it's like you're making money by being late, and the more late you are, the more you earn."

Wei Qingning would naturally not do that. Since the Wei family moved here, they could be considered to be helpless and alone, so it was better for her to be honest.

"Old Yu, if you keep going like this, you'll get yelled at by your superiors sooner or later."

“It doesn’t matter if I get scolded. At worst, I’ll scold back behind your back. As long as I don’t get docked pay, it’s fine. But it’s hard to slack off these days. Everyone’s on edge. I can’t even relax when I’m slacking off… Oh, right, there’s something I need to tell you. You’ll get instructions when you go out on inspection today anyway, so it won’t hurt to know in advance.”

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Keep a close eye on the Cui family's movements. If they show any signs of leaving, report it to your superiors immediately, understand?"

Wei Qingning remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she became wary:

"What's wrong with the Cui family? I've only heard that the second young master of the Cui family has a lot of trivial matters to attend to. Why would he specifically give this order?"

"Who knows? Just do whatever tasks come your way. I heard this was ordered by the Grand Eunuch. Be serious for a while, figure out the situation, and then you can slack off."

I'm leaving now, taking a break. See you later!

Yu Dehou waved and left Nightblade Division.

Wei Qingning, however, pondered for a moment with a serious expression and told us to keep an eye on the Cui family. He was trying to lure the snake out of its hole and find the whereabouts of his brother.

She didn't think there was any other way to detect Chu Mingkong's presence, but if this was indeed the Grand Eunuch's intention, then it was tantamount to an order from the Emperor!

"No, I have to inform my brother right away!" Wei Qingning found a secluded spot and took out the note.

Chu Mingkong and Feng Ying had just sneaked into the capital when they couldn't stop complaining:

"Fengying, when you use your 'Colorless Shadow Mark,' does it sometimes fail? Why can't I use it like you?"

"How would I know? You stole the power of 'Colorless Shadow' from me using such wicked methods, and now you're complaining? Maybe you didn't steal it well enough!"

"I'm not the kind of person who's all talk and no action. When have I ever been half-hearted? I just feel like you haven't been open with me before." Chu Mingkong directly revealed his true intentions: "Let's try again next time!"

Seeing that he had gone through so much trouble, only to end up wanting to cultivate together, Feng Ying laughed and said:

"That's a terrible excuse. Try a more interesting one another day."

As they walked, Feng Ying suddenly grabbed Chu Mingkong. The streets were bustling with people and vehicles, but Feng Ying sensed that there were many more arrays detecting their whereabouts. People were wandering aimlessly among the crowd, seemingly trying to find those unseen and unperceptible beings.

"Mingkong, have you been seriously exposed? Why are you being so much more vigilant?"

Chu Mingkong only realized this after Feng Ying reminded him; otherwise, he might have only realized it when he was right in front of someone else.

"Can this formation detect us?"

"The formation is secondary. Look at the vendors on both sides. Why would there be people selling barbecue so early in the morning? The smell of barbecue spices and the water droplets sprinkled at the flower stalls—these folk methods can sometimes inadvertently reveal your whereabouts, especially when you feel smug about having such a way of concealment."

Chu Mingkong felt a chill run down his spine; he had indeed overlooked these things before.

He sensed the message and took out the note.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Evacuation

Cui Mansion.

Several officials appeared in the mansion. The one in the lead was an official in charge of managing land and shop transactions in the capital. The wives of the Cui family felt uneasy, but they kept their thoughts to themselves and hid their feelings well.

Cui Lian claimed he wanted to be the pillar and leader of the Cui family and clan, and he was more proactive than anyone else when fighting for family property rights. But now he was hiding in his room, and in the end, the acting clan leader Gu Jungui stepped forward to take his place.

Gu Jungui greeted him with dignified politeness:

"Gentlemen, what brings you to my Cui family so early in the morning?"

The official's attitude was ordinary; he politely and respectfully bowed before speaking:

"Good morning, Clan Chief Gu. We have come to see if there is anything that needs to be coordinated regarding those shops. The two young masters Cui Lian have been making a big fuss these past few days, and now our clan is almost being misunderstood as conspiring with the powerful clans to seize other people's shops and putting on a show."

Therefore, I brought a few of my men on this unintentional visit, lest I be implicated in a complaint at the end of the year. I apologize for disturbing you ladies.

Zhong Feihuang scoffed and said disdainfully:

"Looking for Young Master Cui? The news of him having someone examine his chrysanthemum last night has spread this morning. Now he's hiding in his room with a maid, acting like a coward, letting the women in the family come out and take the credit for his actions last night. I'm being questioned all over the street, and that's how I found out that this guy has made the Cui family famous again."

These sarcastic remarks made the official's subordinates feel ashamed. They had long heard of Cui Lian's ex-wife's formidable and domineering nature, but now they had witnessed it firsthand; she was like a chili pepper that could explode.

Despite their embarrassment, the subordinates couldn't help but suppress their laughter. Visiting brothels was an absurd affair, something many spoiled young men in the capital had done. It had become a fashionable and prestigious affair in their social circles. Regardless of others' opinions, it was all about standing out. Those involved felt a sense of superiority, believing that "others don't understand the allure of this; they're all tasteless, low-class people, like wild boars that can't stomach fine food."

Having been caught in public twice already, and now being checked again? Whether or not someone has leniently helped you through is incredibly embarrassing.

The Cui family ladies glanced over, and the subordinates immediately adopted a serious and meticulous expression.

(￣^￣)！

Gu Jungui vaguely understood their intentions. Helping to resolve the dispute was a pretext; their real purpose was to check on the wives of the various families, especially whether Gu Jungui herself was still in the capital!

There's an old saying that "even an honest official finds it hard to settle family disputes." Which official who wants to keep his official hat on his head would bother to meddle in the affairs of powerful families?

As expected, Gu Jungui exchanged a few words with the official, who left without much hesitation, showing none of the firm attitude he had displayed during his eager visit; he was content as long as he confirmed that Gu Jungui was still at the Cui residence.

The old lady was also in the front hall, her face dark. She couldn't vent her anger on the officials, so she took it out on Zhong Feihuang, blaming her, an "outsider," for ruining the reputation of the Cui family members.

Gu Jungui saw this and, in order to prevent the old lady from getting sick from the carefree Zhong Feihuang, quickly dismissed everyone and took Keqing and Feihuang back to the women's backyard.

As soon as Gu Jun Gui pulled them back to the room, she saw Chu Ming Kong lying on her bed with his legs crossed.

Gu Jungui pinched Chu Mingkong's cheek in an annoyed tone, helped him sit up, and said with a laugh:

"You come without saying hello, always appearing and disappearing like this. Aren't you afraid of scaring people?"

"My filial piety is as clear as day and night. Even if I become a ghost, I will be a lovelorn ghost who longs for Aunt Gu. How could I possibly harm Aunt Gu!"

"You're such a chatterbox, you deserve a beating!"

Chu Mingkong stopped joking, raised his chin slightly, pointed in the direction of the front hall, and asked, "What happened? What were those officials doing?"

Zhong Feihuang briefly explained the situation and sighed:

"It's truly a downward spiral. Ever since I married into the family, I've watched the Cui family decline day by day. Before, without an introduction from these minor officials, who would have dared to come in directly? Sigh..."

Now that she felt completely at ease, Zhong Feihuang had no regrets; instead, she was filled with a sense of loss and nostalgia for the changes that had taken place.

Chu Mingkong murmured:

"They acted quite quickly. Qingning had just informed me, and they were already confirming whether Aunt Gu was still at the Cui residence. Moreover, they were quite wary of my concealment technique along the way. It seems we can't afford to waste a moment!"

Are these people confirming Aunt Gu's whereabouts? Oh! It seems so. Of all the Cui family members, the one I'm closest to on the surface is actually Aunt Gu. If the Emperor knew about what Old Master Cui had back then, then Old Master Cui would probably be added to the list of people he's close to. No one else knows about his relationship with Sister-in-law Huang and Sister-in-law Keqing.

Hearing his mutterings to himself, Gu Jungui asked solemnly:

"Mingkong, what exactly happened?"

"Let's leave the explanation for later. Now I need to take you away from the capital. It must be completed today, and it would be best to start now."

Chu Mingkong explained his plan in detail:

"Sister-in-law Huang, pretend you're too ashamed to stay in the Cui family and leave first. See if anyone will try to stop you. Someone will protect you along the way, so don't worry."

"After Sister-in-law Huang leaves the capital, this young lady and I will immediately return to take the rest of the people."

Feng Ying's figure slowly appeared by the window. If Gu Jun Gui and the others hadn't been used to Chu Ming Kong's elusive nature, they would probably have been frightened by Feng Ying's move.

Chu Mingkong said:

"Her name is Fengying. Let her take Aunt Gu away. Her colorless shadow mark is much more reliable than mine. Moreover, Aunt Gu is a key target of the royal family because of her relationship with me. It would be better for Fengying to take care of Aunt Gu."

I will come back later to take Sister-in-law Keqing away.

Zhong Feihuang tugged at Chu Mingkong's sleeve and said with difficulty:

"Mingkong, do you still remember You Erniang and Sanniang?"

Chu Mingkong was taken aback, then nodded: "I remember. What happened to these two?"

"These two sisters have made their own decisions. Perhaps You Erniang saw you showing off your power sometime ago. Instead of coming to 'rely on' me, she went directly to tell her sister-in-law about Cui Lian's little scheme, saying that she was willing to be her sister-in-law's maid."

As for You Sanniang, she was probably fooled by Cui Lian's sweet talk and even wanted to drag You Erniang away to be his concubines. It seems unlikely he could persuade her to leave.

Zhong Feihuang concealed one of You Erniang's wishes: she hoped to bring her younger sister, You Sanniang, away from her suffering and believed that Chu Mingkong was a reliable protector. However... at this time, if she went to persuade You Sanniang, this woman who regarded Cui Lian as her life partner, might turn around and tell Cui Lian about it.

In that case, it will only harm Gu Jungui and the others.

So Zhong Feihuang kept it a secret, lest Chu Mingkong suddenly have a change of heart and want to help You Erniang take away her infatuated younger sister.

Chu Mingkong thought for a moment and said:

"This is not a big deal. One more person won't hurt, but they can't leave with Aunt Gu. Aunt Gu is the focus of attention, and Feng Ying can't take care of both of them."

Here's what we'll do: You Erniang will pretend to seek refuge with Sister-in-law Huang. When you leave, take her with you. Taking one or two personal maids along isn't unusual.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Consistent Apartment Layouts

At noon that day, the Cui family started arguing again, making quite a commotion, which attracted many neighbors and residents to come and watch the spectacle.

Some servants in the Cui household, worried about being implicated, ran out, but were quickly surrounded by onlookers who asked what had happened.

"What exactly happened in your Cui residence? This commotion is really too much!"

"No, do you outsiders even listen? Is it really that loud? If you ask what's going on, it's just that Grandma Zhong Feihuang and the Old Madam are arguing again."

Although Zhong Feihuang had been divorced, the servants of the Cui family still respected her and never made any mistakes in handling matters. They even harbored some resentment towards Cui Lian, who was reaping the benefits without contributing anything.

"Wasn't that wife divorced? Yet she's still in the Cui household. Wouldn't it be incredibly awkward to run into her all the time?"

"There's nothing we can do. In the past, many of the affairs of the Cui family were handled by Grandma Zhong Feihuang. Without her, we can't keep up with many things for a while. She only stayed to help manage things temporarily at the request of the acting clan leader. Last night, that man was caught again, which made quite a fool of himself. This morning, Grandma Zhong Feihuang muttered a few words about him, and since the old lady couldn't take her anger out on others, she took it out on her."

Then everyone knew what had happened. The old man couldn't say anything bad about his children and grandchildren, so he took his anger out on an "outsider." But everyone had heard about Zhong Feihuang's temper, so who would put up with whom now?

They were still discussing when suddenly they all fell silent, pretending to be engrossed in their own work.

Because Zhong Feihuang came out of the mansion with two maids, it seemed she was about to leave.

She turned around, glaring angrily at the words "Cui Residence" on the plaque above the door. Seeing Gu Jungui come out to persuade her to stay, her expression softened slightly.