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

From Jin Yu's and the other girls' perspective, the thing Chu Mingkong took out seemed to float on clouds, shrouded in a soft white mist, making it difficult to see its true form.

When you try to probe deeper, it's like throwing a mud ox into the sea; you can't catch even the slightest trace.

Shangguan Rong only spoke more when she was alone with Chu Mingkong. Aside from Yongzhen, who couldn't speak, she was the least talkative person the entire journey. She whispered:

"It's really peculiar, something's shrouded in mist, so mysterious..."

Chu Mingkong was a little surprised, because when he looked at it himself, it was just a blank booklet, not as strange as they said.

If I remember correctly, the last time I showed it to my sister-in-law Keqing, there wasn't much fog, was there?

He handed the booklet to Jinyu and said, "Take another look. Can't you see it clearly?"

As the picture book drew closer, the mist that had appeared in Jin Yu's vision vanished. She shook her head, picked up the picture book, and said:

"I can see it clearly now. Huh? Isn't this the Phoenix Blood Scripture? It's a royal secret. Mingkong, you stole this technique? But it seems it's useless for outsiders to learn. You can only learn it completely in the palace. It seems there will be some backlash if you learn it outside the palace."

Jin Yu saw the "Phoenix Blood Scripture," so it's useless to her now, which is a bit of a shame.

"Then why don't you show it to Yongzhen?" He briefly explained the strangeness of the picture book, saying that everyone would have a different perspective.

Yongzhen didn't quite believe in such a thing. How could a martial arts technique that was already written in a book change depending on the person?

Does that mean this booklet covers all the martial arts techniques in the world?

If that's the case, then the book itself is far more precious than the techniques it reveals!

After she took the booklet, the fog on it indeed disappeared as Jinyu had said. She looked surprised, and Dingxiang's small mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but then she vaguely remembered the inconvenience of not being able to speak.

Chu Mingkong, as considerate as a bellyband, handed her the slip of paper and asked her to speak. Yongzhen wrote with a surprised expression:

What I saw wasn't the "Phoenix Blood Scripture," but the "Water Light Thousand Illusions Technique." It actually changes! What kind of treasure is this? I've never even heard of it before. Where did it come from?

Today, Chu Mingkong learned a lesson from the past. He had mentioned the dolls as belonging to the Xiling Treasury, but the girls hadn't traced them there yet. If they remembered and started to investigate later, it would be a huge pitfall!

This can't be handed over to the Xiling Treasury; it's even more untenable than the Xiling Tea House case.

"I picked this up in the Abyss before. As you know, many reckless people go to the Abyss to train and end up in the bellies of the ferocious beasts. The treasures naturally end up in the bellies of those monsters. You get equipment and loot as soon as you kill them."

You can't exactly go into the Abyss to investigate, can you?

As soon as he finished speaking, the ethereal female voice rang in his mind. It was a rare occasion for his system mother to take the initiative to speak to him.

[After flipping through a few more pages, this picture book will freeze in its current state, with no further changes.]

Chu Mingkong thought to himself, this must be a reminder to him to carefully consider which girl to give this book to.

"Yongzhen, open the first few pages and see what this technique is for, then show it to Rong'er and Qingning."

Yongzhen flipped through it, and because there was too much information, she simply summarized the characteristics of the "Water Light Thousand Illusions Technique":

[It can be used to help control the primordial avatar, allowing one to cultivate different techniques within the primordial avatar. One body can function as countless bodies, but its primary function is spatial teleportation between the main body and the primordial avatar.]

It seems quite useful, but I'm not sure if the doll can be considered an embodiment of the origin...

If that's the case, could Yongzhen switch places with his original self and leave his clone in the heart of the Moonlit Royal Family?

Yongzhen didn't flip through the pages; she handed it directly to Wei Qingning, who glanced at it and showed the same surprise.

"My Wei family has a record of the 'Dan Shu Wu Gu' (丹书巫骨), but the elders say it's a forbidden technique that should be lost!"

The Wei family's witchcraft gives the impression that their ancestors went from pursuing the ultimate in supernatural witchcraft to gradually giving up that hard-won power, not wanting their descendants to bear the price that comes with that power.

Previously, Master Shen Xuejun mentioned that the Wei family's ancestors had deliberately buried many of the essential elements of the invocation ritual.

The current "Dan Shu Wu Gu" (a book on alchemy and bone) must have come at a considerable cost.

"Qingning, take a look at Rong'er," Chu Mingkong said.

Shangguan Rong took the catalog. From the astonishment of the people before her, she already knew that this item was extraordinary and was mentally prepared. So when it was her turn, she was much calmer.

With her strikingly beautiful features and a serene expression, Shangguan Rong blinked and asked in confusion:

"The Record of the Twenty-Four Palace Goddesses: I obtained the cultivation method for one of the palaces by chance back then. This book doesn't mention it. Is it the complete book?"

Chu Mingkong's eyes lit up. The "Records of the Twenty-Four Goddesses" he had found before was mostly in the form of small yellow books, with illustrations and text. Could this be the genuine version? And is this genuine version also...?

I want to see it!

However, if only one volume has been drawn, it would be better to focus on gambling on the possibility of Emma's side. If the gamble succeeds, Emma will essentially have an extra means of survival.

"Yongzhen, go and learn it. Maybe you can use it on the puppets too, then your safety will be guaranteed!"

Because of Chu Mingkong, the girls must have had some disagreements with each other, but none of them were so malicious as to want to see each other die. Before Chu Mingkong, Yongzhen, Jinyu, and Shangguan Rong already knew each other and had a certain relationship. They had no objection to leaving such a matter involving safety to Yongzhen and letting Chu Mingkong make the decision.

Thanks to the brochure diverting their attention, the girls didn't ask any more questions about the teahouse, and Chu Mingkong escorted them back.

Meanwhile, a force from the capital city cast its shadowy gaze upon the small courtyard where Pei Mi had just settled down...

Chapter 187 My Memory Has Gone Bad (13/38)

Chu Mingkong led Yongzhen back to Qingxin Mansion and found her another room to try practicing that technique, instead of going directly back to the room where Madam Zhen was.

This isn't to say that Madam Zhen's presence is a hindrance or an obstacle. Cultivation is best done alone; only in a quiet environment can one reach the depths of one's heart. Although there are many legendary masters who find tranquility amidst chaos, judging from various cases, more people suffer from qi deviation and damage to their cultivation when disturbed during secluded meditation.

However, compared to cultivating the "Water Light Thousand Illusions Technique," there was something else that constantly troubled Chu Mingkong, something he dared not forget.

"Yongzhen, how is the situation on your side? Last time you said you encountered a conflict between tribes, which caused the team to stop. What's the situation now?"

When a man is so concerned about his own well-being, it's a sign of genuine warmth in his heart.

The feeling at the moment was quite strange and funny. In terms of feeling, she should have always been by his side. She herself did not feel that nervousness. She chatted with Shangguan Rong and even went with the girls to see the fishing river and Xiling teahouse that he used to talk about so much. She was quite at ease.

She herself had even forgotten how nervous she was, but Chu Mingkong, who saw her all the time, was extremely concerned, even more so than Yongzhen herself, about her safety.

The graceful young woman wrote words in Chu Mingkong's palm, her delicate fingertips tickling his hand. This slightly pleasant, tingling sensation slowly calmed the restlessness in his heart.

She wrote: "I'm doing fine over there, Mingkong, you must be feeling like each day is an eternity. You only asked how long it's been? Although the power struggles in the Crescent Kingdom are like spring floods brought by snowmelt, coming and going quickly, they shouldn't end in a day or two."

Chu Mingkong thought about it and agreed. If the conflict escalated to a collective conflict, or even a conflict between cultivators, and no one side emerged with overwhelming strength, how could this anger be quelled in just a day or two?

However, Chu Mingkong could hardly feel at ease if he couldn't see Yongzhen in person by his side for even a day.

Even though this clone is the same as the original except that it cannot speak, how could he easily relax and be at ease when he thought about the day when the original would be in trouble and this puppet clone would disappear?

Chu Mingkong had experienced something similar not long ago with the young Empress Dowager Pei during a ritual to invoke the gods...

Just a moment ago, she was chatting and laughing with him, her face stunningly beautiful.

The next moment, in the time it takes to turn around, he wanted to show off and make her happy, but the beauty fell silent and turned back into a doll.

Chu Mingkong used to not understand why those sensitive literary youths could feel sadness over the fleeting nature of fireworks.

Now I feel a little sentimental, seemingly about things, but actually about people.

If we're talking about where else something similar could happen, it's probably Yongzhen's side. This is a hidden danger that hasn't been eradicated yet.

"Did your guards say anything?"

"some."

Yongzhen possessed extraordinary sensory abilities, just as she had when she was still under the soul of Madam Zhen, she could even sense his arrival. With this exceptional spiritual strength, she was more than capable of eavesdropping on information through poorly protected soundproof barriers.

"The Imperial Guard commander who came from the capital must be the emperor's informant. He can communicate with the emperor at any time. I can sense an aura emanating from him, but it shouldn't be directly transmitted to the emperor because the distance is too great."

Chu Mingkong had many ideas about the communication capabilities of that note, and he immediately thought of something like a "signal relay station".

"You mean, first pass it on to a close-range spy, and then have the spy relay it back to the capital step by step in a similar manner?"

"It should be."

Yongzhen was writing in his palm when he suddenly grabbed her fingers. She glared at him, annoyed, and continued writing:

"When the turmoil first broke out in the capital, this commander of the Imperial Guards had been secretly warning the female chieftain of the Wolf Scorpion tribe about how powerful the emperor was, telling her to rest assured and not to have any other thoughts."

The female chieftain of the Wolf Scorpion tribe was somewhat interested in the nearby conflict, as one of the parties involved was also her enemy. She wanted to take advantage of the situation to gather her forces for a pincer attack and exact her revenge.

Chu Mingkong thought to himself that this was very much like the Crescent Moon Kingdom, where people were either in conflict or on their way to conflict.

However, this was not good news for Chu Mingkong, because he would rather hear that the conflict had reached a stalemate and dragged on, than see a new side join in and launch a sneak attack.

In that case, as soon as the conflict ends, Yongzhen's marriage procession will immediately set off again, and her current peace will once again enter a state of instability.

Yongzhen could tell what Chu Mingkong was thinking just by looking at his face. At the beginning of the conversation, she had wanted to criticize him for his flirtatious talk in the past, but he hadn't said a single truthful word. Today, however, he had exposed everything.

But seeing how worried he was about me, I couldn't bear to embarrass him, so all the sentences I had prepared in my head became useless.

“Mingkong, you don’t need to worry. The commander of the Imperial Guards is arguing with the female leader over this matter. He doesn’t want the marriage procession to be involved in the conflict and opposes the female leader’s idea.”

Chu Mingkong nodded: "Although the emperor's henchmen are not good people, what he said at the time was very much to my liking."

In that case, when the time comes for reckoning, we won't bother to inquire about the women in this Imperial Guard commander's family.

"Alright, since the situation on your side is relatively optimistic for now, then hurry up and cultivate that technique. I haven't heard your voice in a long time!"

Chu Mingkong looked into Yongzhen's eyes. The woman's clear and beautiful eyes were exceptionally bright, sparkling like priceless gems, and his image was reflected in them.

Yongzhen looked at him for a while, her beautiful face stern, then lowered her head and wrote:

"If I could speak, I would immediately berate you for your outrageous behavior these past few days, and I would also scold you for the pearl necklace incident. Don't blame me for not giving you a good look!"

Chu Mingkong smiled and said, "Anything is fine. But after you've finished scolding me, how about I hear your sweet moans? It's a bit of a shame you can't speak right now..."

You're asking for it!

Yongzhen glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed, and then punched him repeatedly. After a good commotion, the two calmed down and turned their attention back to their cultivation.

"Should I use the Domain of Annihilation to conceal my presence?"

Yongzhen shook her head, offering no explanation.

Once the strength of one's soul increases, it becomes easier to focus than one might imagine. Moreover, this is only the initial stage of cultivation, and it's not yet time to calmly and peacefully seek a breakthrough.

She flipped through the booklet, studied it carefully, and then the booklet disappeared, turning into thousands of points of light that scattered and merged into her mind.

This was her first time seriously using a puppet body to cultivate a new technique, and she was a little apprehensive, but fortunately everything went more smoothly than she had imagined.

The sky outside the window changed from bright daylight to gradually darkening as dusk fell, with fiery clouds at sunset painting half the sky red.

During the time Chu Mingkong accompanied him, he meditated and pondered the understanding of the Extreme Yang Dao that he had obtained from Elder Si Chunhua, while keeping an eye on Yongzhen's condition. Countless possibilities unfolded in his mind, and he drew insights from the battle with the Emperor and the Prince of Jin.

Yongzhen was immersed in the cultivation of the "Water Light Thousand Illusion Technique" and his understanding of the technique gradually deepened. He learned that the technique was originally intended for another clone of the main body, but because the physical body was extremely difficult to refine, he had to settle for a clone formed from the source spiritual power.

She didn't want to put too much pressure on Chu Mingkong, so she focused on the spatial exchange between the main body and the clone.