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

"I finally got some inspiration and showed off with the extreme yang flames, so at least watch before you leave. You could even absorb some of my yang energy again, or I could just offer myself up..."

Chu Mingkong scratched the back of his head, looking at the ritual altar as a complete mess.

He composed himself, put the doll away, cleaned up the testing ground, and removed all the ritual preparations, feeling somewhat like he was packing up after a picnic.

As they left the test site, although it was already late at night, Wei Qingning and the others were still waiting outside. Many things had happened inside, and they didn't dare to go in, fearing it would affect the ceremony. They could only trust Chu Mingkong.

For this ominous ritual, some noise is better than no noise. However, just now, looking into the outer barrier, one could see countless wandering ghosts and spirits flying and roaming, which was quite terrifying.

The sheer number of ghosts was so great that even the sect's grand formation at the Wenqing Pavilion began to react. Fortunately, Shen Xuejun managed to suppress it; otherwise, the sect's protective formation might have already activated to suppress the abnormal activity at the test site.

Upon seeing Chu Mingkong, Wei Qingning hurriedly went to greet him and asked:

"Brother, how did the invocation ceremony go? I thought it was a bit too loud and I was worried that it might have attracted some other evil spirits."

There are no ghosts or gods, but the worst omen is certainly quite severe...

Chu Mingkong had already composed himself on the way out, not wanting them to worry unnecessarily. He put on a relaxed expression and smiled:

"It wasn't that big, it's just that the 'petition' didn't clearly state their request, which led some wandering ghosts to covet the offerings of their wishes at the altar. But the number just now was indeed a bit frightening."

"Master's wife, how come you managed to summon such a wicked person to your sect?"

Shen Xuejun deactivated the barrier outside the testing ground and restored the sect's grand formation to normal. She said calmly:

"Those ghosts did not come from my Wenqing Pavilion. Could it be that the Empress Dowager Zhen you invited has also been hiding here with me all along?"

Chu Mingkong naturally knew this; he was just joking.

Yun Nongyu also stayed nearby. Since witchcraft and Taoism are indeed related, she originally wanted to see the invocation ceremony up close, but the actual situation did not allow her to get close, so she had to give up and stay outside the barrier to accompany and guard the ceremony, which was equivalent to protecting the invocation ceremony.

Hearing his conversation with Shen Xuejun just now, he confirmed it incredulously:

"Judging from what you two are saying, the ritual to summon the deity was successful? You really managed to summon an ordinary person who is still alive?!"

At least within her Taoist sect, those who could be invited to help were all prominent figures with names and titles. Could witchcraft really achieve that much?

Chu Mingkong hesitated for a moment, then explained:

"Yes and no. Actually, I think it's more like the ferocity of the Golden Crow Phoenix Body from past generations has been brought here. However, the dominant consciousness in this position is Empress Dowager Zhen when her memories were at their peak. If we simply wanted to bring Empress Dowager Zhen here, it would probably be impossible. That's what the person who just brought her here told me."

"I see." Yun Nongyu nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "Witchcraft has an ancient and primitive side. Although it does not have a complete and orderly system, its creativity and room for application are indeed much greater."

Hearing his skills praised, Wei Qingning felt a surge of secret pleasure, his back straightening unconsciously, chest puffed out and head held high. However, a glance at the impressive chests of the senior figures in the room...

She silently put away her pride, thinking that it's always better to be humble!

"Brother, have you gained anything? Have you obtained any information?"

"I have gained some insights and a better understanding of the royal family's situation, but there has been no progress in finding a solution. I still have to proceed according to my original plan. Let's talk as we walk. You've been waiting for a long time, and I'm starting to feel embarrassed if you keep standing here any longer."

As Chu Mingkong walked, he recounted the strange creatures residing in the dragon vein and the bizarre events that had occurred in the Golden Palace during the reign of the late emperor. He also asked for their advice on whether there were any solutions, especially regarding the situation of the Golden Palace.

Empress Dowager Zhen only warned him to be wary of that place, but the specific area he should be wary of remained unclear.

He looked expectantly at his master's wife, hoping to learn more from her. He knew that his master's wife's help was indispensable in enabling him to infiltrate the palace for so long and escape.

Chu Mingkong felt that she might know something about this, but unfortunately, his master's wife was just listening this time and did not express any opinions or views.

Yun Nongyu and Wei Qingning, though surprised by the so-called existence of the dragon vein, reacted indifferently.

Yun Nongyu's thinking was still clear; she offered a possible approach:

"Whatever this host's will is, if it wants to become the consciousness of the dragon vein, then let it be. Now that we have a way to weaken the dragon vein, we can just treat it as the dragon vein. Since it covets the power of the dragon vein, it means that no matter how strong it is, it can't be stronger than the dragon vein."

That's why, after listening to her explanation, Chu Mingkong realized that when he was at the altar, he was intimidated by words like "hostage" and was so focused on how he had gained another enemy to be wary of that that he forgot some common sense.

If an entity is truly powerful enough, would it go to such lengths to try and usurp the power of the dragon vein? This suggests that its maximum threat level is only the dragon vein, and its physical body is not a threat.

Although it does represent an additional potential enemy, it has little impact on the overall plan.

Wei Qingning felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing about the haunted palace.

"In the place where evil spirits should not be, evil spirits have appeared, and they are so vicious that they even twisted a eunuch to death in front of everyone... Surely the palace's barrier is strong enough to prevent demons and monsters from appearing? Just now, the sect's great array here, which belongs to Master Shen, was able to react to the wandering ghosts in the barrier."

Chu Mingkong shrugged, his mind completely blank. He glanced at Yun Nongyu, who was also at a loss for what to do. Chu Mingkong could only sigh.

"Who knows what happened? Even the late emperor himself didn't know the truth. Moreover, this wasn't just hearsay; it happened to Empress Dowager Zhen herself. Just thinking about it is a huge headache..."

So what exactly is this Heavenly Palace?

The discussions on the suspicious points of the dragon vein went exceptionally smoothly, but the matter of the haunting of the Golden Palace made little progress. Even after returning to their resting place, they still hadn't come up with any guesses or ideas.

Chu Mingkong acted as a protector, escorting them all back to their rooms. While resting after seeing his master's wife off, he took the opportunity to ask about the palace map.

However, after being disturbed by Empress Dowager Zhen during the invocation ceremony, I really didn't have the motivation to think too much at the moment. Talking to my master's wife while feeling tired would be inappropriate, so I decided to ask her again tomorrow.

“Master’s wife, you will need to handle sect affairs tomorrow. Before I return to Xiling, I’d like to help you share some of the burden.”

Chu Mingkong was trying to curry favor in advance, but he thought that his master's wife, Shen Xuejun, probably wouldn't care. Whether he tried to curry favor or build up goodwill beforehand, she would agree to anything he was willing to do, regardless of what he did. If she wasn't willing, she would probably refuse no matter how much he tried to curry favor.

...Unless he shrinks down and acts cute towards his master's wife, there might be a chance.

Knowing all this, Chu Mingkong wasn't really trying to impress his master's wife; his main goal was to put his mind at ease.

My master's wife's original spiritual energy was somewhat depleted during the time she was hiding in the palace, cough cough!

In addition, he still had to ask his master's wife for advice, so Chu Mingkong felt guilty if he didn't do something. It would be a good opportunity to give his master's wife the spiritual herb that he hadn't given away before, otherwise the exchange would have been in vain.

Shen Xuejun replied calmly, "Alright, then come and see your master's wife when you have some free time tomorrow."

"Ah."

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

After leaving his master's wife, Chu Mingkong returned to the guest peak where the women lived.

Lady Zhen and Empress Pei were sent directly back to their respective rooms using teleportation talismans. These talismans were very convenient in many ways, but unfortunately, their use was extremely limited.

Not only is it difficult to conceal its movements, but it can only support short-distance teleportation. If used to escape, this distance is about the same as a long jump in place for a cultivator's pursuit ability.

The room was quiet. Madam Zhen and the doll Yongzhen lay side by side, and the scene of mother and daughter sleeping together was extremely beautiful.

Hearing Chu Mingkong's unintentionally controlled footsteps, the doll Yongzhen woke up first. She sat up from the covers, bringing with her a sweet and rich fragrance that made Chu Mingkong feel refreshed.

Before invoking the gods as a "prelude," Madam Zhen had taken a calming medicine and fallen into a deep sleep. Now that the effects of the medicine had mostly worn off, she sensed her daughter's movement and opened her eyes to see Chu Mingkong. A deep joy flashed in her eyes, but remembering that her daughter was still beside her, she quickly suppressed that joy.

Yongzhen took Chu Mingkong's hand and wrote on his palm:

"How did your ritual to invoke the gods go? Was it successful?"

How should I put it? The feeling of communicating with Yongzhen right now is a bit like going back to when I first met her. Back then, I always thought Yongzhen was the kind of sickly princess who was always feeling unwell and resting in her room.

However, the Yongzhen at that time was actually Lady Zhen in her soul.

"Why are you suddenly grinning like an idiot?" Yongzhen wrote in his palm again, and pinched his cheek as well.

"It's nothing, it's just that when I talk to you like this, I always feel that you are an exceptionally soft and pitiful sickly beauty."

Yongzhen rolled her eyes at him speechlessly.

Chu Mingkong didn't keep them in suspense. He briefly explained that tonight's invocation ceremony was a success, and then turned to the silent Madam Zhen beside him, asking with a hint of inexplicable hope:

"Madam Zhen, are you feeling unwell? Did the ceremony have any effect on you?"

Chapter 167 Touching Little Hands (15.9/18)

So sometimes, people's hearts are just base.

Of course, Chu Mingkong was referring to himself. Before the ritual to summon the god officially began, he was always afraid that the "fierce god" he had invited would have an impact on Madam Zhen, and that she would recall painful memories from the past. But now, Chu Mingkong was thinking that perhaps this "fierce god" could still leave some trace on Madam Zhen?

Although Empress Dowager Zhen arrived during an inauspicious time and did have some wicked aspects in her character, she could hardly be considered evil.

Chu Mingkong hesitated for a while and realized that he wanted to know more from Madam Zhen if the Empress Dowager Zhen knew the current state of the royal family and that she herself was living happily, only temporarily suffering from the hardships of traveling. Would the Empress Dowager Zhen feel genuinely happy?

However, judging from Madam Zhen's expression, it seems that she no longer has any.

"I'm fine, I haven't noticed anything unusual," Madam Zhen said calmly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

Chu Mingkong nodded, paused, and then barely managed to speak, "That's good... Thanks to Madam Zhen and Empress Pei, tonight's invocation ceremony was a success."

"That's good!" Madam Zhen was happy to hear that Chu Mingkong's matter had gone smoothly, but then she became a little worried: "Mingkong, that... did the person you invited from the past say anything bad?"

Seeing the beautiful woman's worried expression, Chu Mingkong joked:

"There's nothing bad about it, it's just that it's quite novel. I've met a different Mrs. Zhen, fierce and quite assertive~"

"what......"

Madam Zhen was deeply embarrassed, a feeling she couldn't quite put into words. Chu Mingkong was a junior she cared about, someone she treated as a man. Now that he had seen her from back then, would he still have a certain image of her in his mind and feel any affection for her?

"Madam Zhen, don't worry. I can tell you apart from the person I invited. The one I invited isn't entirely the same as the former Madam Zhen; she's more of a composite of past empresses. They all harbor lingering resentment towards the imperial lineage, and I've brought her here to ask her all sorts of questions."

Besides, the person we invited didn't say anything bad. I just found it novel and interesting, and she patiently and thoroughly answered all my questions.

"That's good!" Madam Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Madam Zhen's reaction, Chu Mingkong wanted to hug her, but with Yongzhen present, he dared not make any rash moves and had to suppress his impulsive urge.

"By the way, Yongzhen, what was your impression of the former Madam Zhen like? I wonder if it matches the one I met."

Yongzhen recalled for a moment and wrote:

"She has always been like this, very gentle. When I was little, my mother might have given people a similar feeling to Empress Pei."

"That is indeed quite different. The one summoned by the ritual is much worse in temperament. He looks down on people and is very arrogant, but that's understandable."

Because my master's wife said it was summoned during an inauspicious time, its temperament naturally reflected that "inauspiciousness," but it was better than I had imagined. Perhaps it was because it bore the face of Madam Zhen, so I found it quite interesting.

When Madam Zhen heard Chu Mingkong's description of her, her face flushed and alluring, she felt somewhat embarrassed. It sounded as if he was describing how arrogant and domineering she had been in her youth.

Fortunately, judging from Chu Mingkong's statement, his impression of that "fierce god" was still acceptable; he was probably just a bit overbearing in attitude and did not do anything else offensive.

Chu Mingkong, however, spoke with an air of great seriousness, adopting a startling and mysterious tone, saying:

"However, I did learn a secret from the palace. Yongzhen, have you heard of it?"

“You haven’t even said what it is, how am I supposed to know if I’ve heard of it or not?” Yongzhen finished writing in his palm and gently pulled his cheek.

Chu Mingkong didn't know where the girls learned this habit of pinching his face from. Surely they hadn't just seen him shrink and started pinching his face out of habit?

"It's about the Golden Palace. When Madam Zhen was young, the Golden Palace was haunted. A young eunuch was so frightened that he went insane. He recovered later, and a group of imperial physicians tried to find out what happened, but the young eunuch's neck was snapped!"

Some ghost stories have a special power to move people in specific settings. If the setting is in the middle of nowhere, even if a ghost suddenly appears, it will still be scary, but such a place itself has an element of foreshadowing. However, a haunted palace is equivalent to the supernatural events that happened in places like schools and hospitals in Chu Mingkong's previous life.