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

Just then, a beautiful young woman dressed in a white dress entered the main hall. She had striking features, bright blue eyes like jewels, stunning beauty, fair and plump skin, and elegant manners. It was clear at a glance that she came from a wealthy family.

She didn't speak, but just looked at Chu Mingkong quietly, her eyes filled with respect.

Chu Mingkong then said:

"If fate doesn't work out, it will naturally fall apart. My maidservant just called me back for dinner, so I'll be going now. Just treat today's events as a joke and have some fun. Matters between juniors won't involve the elders, so don't worry!"

Chu Mingkong finished the water in his glass decisively and left with his maid.

If you really want to analyze it, he was the one who got dumped again this time, but... it's hard to pinpoint how he embarrassed himself.

Master Zhang regained his composure and, realizing that Chu Mingkong had no intention of pursuing the matter, reclaimed his authority and calm as the head of the family. He sighed with emotion:

"I thought that girl was the Crown Prince Chu's partner, but she's just a maid in the manor! Her appearance clearly indicates she's from beyond the Great Wall, but with that kind of beauty, she could easily be on the Rouge Ranking!"

Seeing that the eldest son's wife was still shaken, Madam Xing went over to pour tea for her husband. However, her thoughts drifted to the handsome young master. When she was almost scalded, he had even held her hand. Madam Xing really wanted to leave her hands unwashed and keep the memory for a few days.

The hall fell silent again, the family sat there, and no one spoke.

Zhang Yiyi felt as if she had truly gotten to know that young master today. She thought he was gentle in nature, but she never expected him to have such a dignified side. After his dignified demeanor, she thought it would bring disaster to the Zhang family, but he returned to his usual indifference, not pursuing any offenses. He even addressed a concubine like Madam Xing as an elder and offered her a toast in farewell.

I can't see through it.

Zhang Yiyi suddenly felt like she was dreaming. This humble young prince had been so good to her over the past month and a half, showering her with jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and delicacies from other places. He was a bit bland in his sweet talk, but even her own family had never pampered and spoiled her like this.

However, because of Chu Mingkong's reputation in the Shangguan family, she had a preconceived notion that he was a sycophantic prince, and always felt that what he did was only natural, and even looked down on him when she was proud of herself.

He threw a glass of wine at me with a cold face today, but it woke me up and made me remember how good he was to me.

"Father, I'll bring some wine to apologize in person another day, is that alright...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Master Zhang knew what she was thinking. He could see her frustration, and he was frustrated too. The Zhang family had almost become in-laws with the Prince's mansion!

"Anything else? I spilled a cup of wine on you, consider it punishment, and it's over. If you were a little more clear-headed, you wouldn't act like this, and you even brought outsiders in front of the young prince. Do you think your head is too heavy and want to take it off and play with it?"

"The young prince has always treated me well. If he didn't have feelings for me, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths. He must still have feelings for me. Besides, it was my third brother's idea, and you, Father, haven't stopped him before!"

"How foolish! They were just receiving a great favor from the Emperor, and they were just giving our Zhang family a little bit of filial piety and respect to our elders. Go back and reflect on yourself. It's my fault for spoiling you. You should spend less time with your sisters in the future. What kind of worldview have they set on you!"

Master Zhang didn't stop his daughter from going to apologize to the young prince. He himself had a glimmer of hope: what if the young prince really had some feelings for his daughter?

I've never heard of any prince treating a woman he has no feelings for so well!

But rationally, he felt that his daughter had no chance. Just that maid who came to find the young prince to return to the manor was far more beautiful than his own daughter. Sigh!

Chapter Four: Can you please not step on me?

Upon returning to the manor, Zuo Qiuchi was not there; he assumed she had gone off somewhere to have some fun.

But if she's not there, Chu Mingkong will be in big trouble.

In the bedroom, wisps of smoke drifted from the incense burner.

The master and servant, who had just been separated from each other, had their roles reversed in this room where no one else was present.

Chu Ming lay on the luxurious bedding and soft couch, a delicate, fair foot pressing against his cheek, its five exquisite toes and warm sole firmly against his face.

He looked at the "maid" sitting on the bed with her cold expression and sighed inwardly that it was a real pity not to smile at such a beautiful face. However, he had no romantic or lustful thoughts in his heart, because the "maid's" other foot was pressed against his neck, and her nimble toes held a deadly poisoned dagger.

"It's been a long time, Miss Fengying. I am truly flattered by this gift. May we conclude this test now?"

The maidservants who had served Chunfeng and Mu were nowhere to be seen. In her emerald eyes, besides indifference, there was only a dangerous killing intent. Fengying said:

"It's not over yet, and whether it's over or not is up to me. You can continue pretending, just don't be careless and reveal your true colors."

Because of the emperor's orders, Chu Mingkong had endured countless cold shoulders from two different women's families, yet he remained calm and composed. However, at this moment, he was somewhat overwhelmed, and in a fit of frustration and speechlessness, he retorted:

"No matter how many times you ask me to repeat myself, I will say—I have never seen your little daughter. I am a normal man, it is impossible for me to have feelings for a little girl who is at least fifteen or sixteen years old, right?"

The woman ranked among the top three on the Red Skull List sneered, her captivating eyes filled with suspicion and mockery. She said coldly:

“Normal? I don’t think you’re normal either. You’re a prince’s son, and you’ve been surrounded by the respect of the world for many years. You’ve spent several more years in the military in the desert battlefield. It’s normal for you to have developed a kind of arrogance. But now that you’re in the capital, you’ve been humiliated by two families in a row. When people talk about you in the tea market, everyone laughs at you.”

I'm asking you, could a normal person tolerate this? Do you think you're a normal person?

Chu Mingkong grasped the jade-like foot on his face, trying to pry open the claws of those icy, jade-like feet, but the dagger was getting too close to his neck; if he swallowed, his Adam's apple might bump against the blade.

He dared not move his hand, holding it firmly on her jade-like foot, lest if he let go, it be misunderstood as another move, and his Adam's apple taste the poison.

"Oh, Feng... Sister Feng, although you are not from the Tianji Empire, you know some things are like this. I am in a situation where I have no choice but to accept my fate."

You should understand what the Emperor's attitude towards my family, the disaster of the Abyss, and the entry of the hostage into the city all mean.

If I didn't truly like her... oops! Slip of the tongue. If I weren't truly helpless, why would I fawn over the second young lady of the Shangguan family, and even more so over the daughter of a small-time wine seller?

"Who knows if you're after the little girls from the Shangguan and Zhang families, using the guise of admiring the eldest daughter to secretly get close to their younger sister!"

Feng Ying remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was slightly moved. His words confirmed her suspicions from the journey: Chu Mingkong was indeed pretending to be the infatuated lover of those two young ladies, disregarding his status to fawn over them. The willingness to swallow one's pride and act with such restraint was rare. For someone his age, it was truly remarkable.

Chu Mingkong has achieved great fame twice in his life so far.

The first time was his fame. At the age of ten, he had not yet embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation. He had only learned some mortal martial arts, yet he beat up all the officers in the army who already had a foundation in cultivation. The following year, he began to cultivate. Apart from a few generals under the command of King Huai of Xiling, he was hard to find an opponent in the army for one-on-one combat when neither side used spiritual weapons.

The second is Wei Ming, Wei meaning humble, because of his previous sycophancy towards the Shangguan family and the Zhang family this month, which has made him famous. As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. The name of the sycophant prince is known even in some distant prefectures!

The discrepancy between these two reputations is quite large, and somewhat unrealistic.

Chu Mingkong didn't want to answer anymore. He took advantage of the stalemate to space out and see how long she was going to stomp her foot on his face.

......

First of all, it should be noted that he did not have any maids in the capital. When he first arrived in the capital, Chu Mingkong was not familiar with the situation and was worried that the emperor, that treacherous dog, would use some kind of pretext to target him for immoral behavior in his household. Therefore, he did not even have a female dog in his residence.

Feng Ying disguised herself as a maid to take him away from the Zhang family. Chu Mingkong knew her intentions, and since he couldn't avoid it, he simply went along with her wishes and was "kidnapped" back, which led to the scene on the bed.

Feng Ying is extremely beautiful, with mixed-race features that show signs of her heritage. She possesses both the gentleness of a woman from the Tianji Empire and the allure of a woman from the Xinyue Kingdom.

Her figure is impeccable, with a curvaceous figure and a slender waist that can be easily encircled. Every twist of her waist is full of charm, and just looking at her beautiful back is enough to make people sigh.

However, she is more famous as "The Phantom of the Bone," though this reputation isn't necessarily good. Anyway, she belongs to the top-tier female assassins with a remarkable record. Even within the Wuji Empire, she is a well-known wanted criminal. But aside from her infamy, her beauty is equally renowned.

The Heavenly Empire has a Rouge Beauty Ranking, which lists only the most beautiful women. However, some women from demonic sects have also made it onto the list. It's inevitable that there will be controversy when the righteous and evil factions are evaluated together. So, the Red Skull Ranking was created, which is derived from the Red Skull. It lists beauties who are both infamous and beautiful. Feng Ying used to be ranked sixth, but now she is at least in the top three.

One aspect is the refined elegance that comes with age, and the other is that the fourth and fifth were enemies of hers and were killed by Fengying.

Chu Mingkong and her story is a long one, but it can be summarized in a very short way.

In short: Feng Ying, who had met him once before, discovered through some means that Chu Mingkong possessed the primordial yin energy of her daughter, after her youngest daughter went missing. Thus, their long-separated story began anew...

From Chu Mingkong's perspective, he had absolutely no interest in those young girls who hadn't even grown up yet; that was his bottom line as a human being!

Even if he were to lose his humanity, he would never lay a hand on a little girl. A true man, even if he can't surpass the height of a Gundam, can't be as thin as a scalp, and can't accidentally shoot a gun, would never lay a hand on a young girl!

—Unless she is a legitimate succubus loli

Returning his attention to the present, Chu Mingkong, his face covered in sweat from being stepped on, sighed and said:

"I really don't know how your daughter's primordial yin energy could appear on me. I find it quite unbelievable. Now, let's make a hypothetical assumption: your daughter really was violated by me."

As soon as he finished speaking, an intense killing intent, so strong it was almost tangible, suffocated Chu Mingkong.

"I already said it's hypothetical, can't you just listen to me? If it were really like that, then the so-called primordial yin energy should have disappeared long ago during the Abyss Disaster in my family."

Those affected by the Abyss Disaster were at least rendered into a state of disorder and chaos. More than half of Chu Mingkong's cultivation was destroyed in that disaster, causing his internal veins and spiritual meridians to become disordered, and he was unable to recover his cultivation.

The most skilled physician in the capital, upon seeing his pulse, exclaimed "Amazing!" and added, "Your Highness, your pulse sounds like that of someone eight months pregnant!"

I have a positive pregnancy sign. Am I eight months pregnant?

“I originally had a simpler way to prove my innocence. You could have just checked if my deep and vigorous primordial yang was still there. But my primordial yang energy was also gone with the Abyss Calamity. If I could cultivate now, I would have shown you a technique that only virgins can cultivate right now!”

Chu Mingkong's hand, which was holding that jade-like foot, was sweating with nervousness. But he ignored the threat from this stunning assassin and boldly undid his clothes, revealing his strong and muscular body.

The sharp, defined muscles were covered with scars left by the power of the Abyss. On the chest muscle on the side of the heart, the purplish-black scars looked like fresh wounds, shocking to the eye. It seemed that even the heart had been mutated by the power of the Abyss into some special existence.

The woman scanned his body with her spiritual power and vaguely sensed that his heart had become like... the core of a magical beast!

"How can I be sure that your primordial yang energy was already wasted before you even reached the Abyss? You are my only clue."

The dagger still tucked between her jade feet was not removed from Chu Mingkong's neck, but he was already satisfied. He could hear that her words had softened a little, perhaps she was wavering.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Chu Mingkong had been threatened with a weapon by her like this. He was initially very suspicious of this woman's motives. Could it be that she had taken the emperor's money and was looking for an excuse to kill him? This Feng Ying was not a woman who had given birth. The so-called daughter was most likely just an excuse, because Chu Mingkong had once had the good fortune to see the symbol of virginity on her body... the cinnabar mark.

It's on my lower abdomen, just like those O-shaped lines.

However, Chu Mingkong later felt that she didn't need to do that. If she really wanted to kill, she would have done it long ago. You know, in the beginning, she wanted to use seduction to find out her daughter's whereabouts.

Just as she said, Chu Mingkong is now her only clue to finding her daughter.

Her daughter's primordial yin energy made her want to kill this bastard, but now she realized that things were not normal, but she could not let this only clue die.

If Chu Mingkong put himself in her shoes and thought about it from her perspective, he could barely understand.

"I've heard that people corrupted by the power of the Abyss don't live long. I've never heard of anyone who can suppress it for so long. How much longer do you have to live?"

"The imperial physician invited by the emperor said that he only had a fraction of the number of days he had in a year or so."

But now that the emperor has suddenly fallen seriously ill, Chu Mingkong is overjoyed, just watching the emperor die before him.

If he really couldn't survive any longer, Chu Mingkong would do everything he could to have some fun in the last few months of his life.

The Abyss is terrifying, but the brothel isn't. I won't die in peace until I've experienced all the beauties on the beauty list!

Feng Ying suddenly said, "Don't believe the emperor's words. I have found a doctor for you. I have already arranged for a divine physician from the holy land to come. You need to make time for him in the next few days. He will not wait for you if you are late."

Surprised!

The person who wanted to kill me was afraid I would die prematurely, so they found someone to prolong my life!

"Fine, I'll be in the capital as a hostage for now, what else can I do? Can you move your foot now? I haven't had lunch yet, have you? Do you want me to cook yours too?"

"You, a mere prince, actually cook for yourself?!" Feng Ying thought he had misheard.

"Of course, I won't leave the emperor with the slightest clue!"

Chapter Five: My Sister-in-Law's Dumplings

Chu Mingkong was a cautious person. He used to resolutely refuse to cook, mainly because he was lazy!

But after his carefree days took a turn for the worse, he became more prudent and wouldn't eat too much food that he hadn't cooked himself.