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

"Master Yun, please check if there are any remaining marks or traces on this. I wiped it with extreme Yin power once, so there shouldn't be any left, right?"

Zuo Qiuchi took a few steps back in disgust: "Is there any poop on your jade?"

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P.S.: This is a chapter I barely managed to write in the bathroom. It should be posted by now, after lunchtime.

By the way, chapter 179 of this volume is currently censored; the sentence about the white tiger appearing has been removed. It should be released in the next couple of days. The part about the Peach Queen applying medicine has also been removed o(╥﹏╥)o

Chapter 204 The Demonic Monk and the National Preceptor (30/42)

Inside the palace.

Having just finished his court duties, the emperor returned to his study with satisfaction. Compared to the solemn court where he used to handle important matters from all over the country, the court had now become a place where he could find pleasure.

Aside from a short initial segment for reporting on events from various regions, the remaining court time was devoted to ministers reciting poems from different regions praising him as the most powerful emperor in history.

Finally, beauties from the local areas had to be added. The officials had to use various means to say that the beauties they presented were better than others in order to win the emperor's favor.

The seasoned officials, who held high positions, were also adept at flattery. Whenever a beautiful woman was introduced, they would always put down Empress Pei, claiming that the woman they had chosen was even more beautiful than Empress Pei in her prime.

In short, the imperial court changed completely after Empress Pei and other female members of the royal family were abducted; it was unrecognizable.

Some officials with integrity could not bear it and resigned due to illness, while others felt that the emperor was only temporarily suffering from a severe blow and would return to normal after a while, so they stayed in the court to observe. However, there were also quite a few people who were happy with this situation.

Competing with beautiful women is much more comfortable than reporting on those troublesome and headache-inducing trivial matters from the local area, and you might even end up smelling bad yourself.

However, the emperor may have done this to vent his anger, or he may have wanted to make the local people "distracted" in order to temporarily reduce the impact of the dragon vein's backlash.

Why only temporarily? Because the emperor never intended to relinquish these territories; they were his private property.

As long as the power remains, we can suppress these places back by force later.

No one in the court dares to contradict him now. The emperor feels that his own stature, vision, and perspective are far superior to those in the court. The court has no other purpose than to provide him with entertainment.

Are you suggesting an adult listen to a three-year-old discuss serious matters? Only mysterious and powerful forces are worthy of discussing matters with him!

This is the emperor's current state of mind.

Embracing palace maids and beauties on either side, the emperor returned to his study, where a "beauty chair" had already been set out. He strode over and sat down comfortably.

What is a "beauty chair"? A woman kneels on the ground, her back serving as a stool for the emperor, while another woman of suitable height stands behind the stool, using her own body as the backrest of the chair.

The emperor leaned back, his head resting comfortably against the soft surface behind him. He stroked the face of the chair beneath him, finding pleasure in it, yet the fierceness in his expression remained thick and difficult to dispel.

However, this distraction allowed him to feel that he could control the violence brought about by the extreme yin power.

"Grand Preceptor, what are your thoughts on the current situation in the Crescent Moon Kingdom?"

Compared to the affairs of the court, this is what the emperor is most concerned about right now.

With that one glance, the monk, his face filled with a demonic aura, said, "I would like to hear Your Majesty's current thoughts."

The emperor nodded, took the teacup to moisten his throat, and said:

"I had already planned the marriage alliance in my mind. It was something I started planning in the second year after I made Pei the empress. However, at that time, I was unable to find a suitable 'ally' in the Crescent Moon Kingdom. It was full of a bunch of rabble, who would break up in a day and couldn't even maintain internal stability."

The plan was made early on, naturally because it was discovered at the time that there might not be a backup queen.

Left with no other choice, they turned their attention overseas.

"At that time, what I really wanted was to help the Crescent Moon Kingdom settle down. Back when the Moonlit Empire was at its peak, every now and then a female follower of the Moon River Goddess would appear in the world, and most of them would be married as empresses. I was after this goddess. In terms of status and divine essence, she should be no weaker than the Phoenix of the Heavenly Pole!"

But now, I think differently. This matter concerns my life; how can I entrust it to someone else?

The Demonic Monk, the Imperial Preceptor, lowered his head and nodded, his demeanor and words possessing a captivating charm: "So, what are Your Majesty's new plans?"

A stern look appeared on the emperor's face, and he resolutely said:

"Today, the marriage procession has arrived at the territory of the Yueji royal family. If I do not see any results from the Yueji royal family in a short time, I will have no choice but to come myself. The commander of the Imperial Guards accompanying the procession will secretly poison Yongzhen. Using this as an excuse, I will send troops to conquer the Crescent Kingdom as soon as possible."

Violence cannot win people's hearts, but it can make them submit.

Sending troops is a waste of manpower and resources. In the past, there were many concerns, and we dared not send troops casually. But now, what is there to be afraid of?

No, everything will be based on the interests of the emperor. The people are insignificant. It doesn't matter if a few starve to death. Once he stabilizes everything and no one has any intention of resisting, the situation will be stable. Then the peaceful days that the lowly people have been longing for will finally arrive.

The Demonic Monk and the National Preceptor still held a supportive attitude:

"Your Majesty is wise beyond measure. Your fate may be determined by Heaven, but it cannot be determined by others. If Your Majesty were to send troops, it would be best to avoid the white-haired monk in the Crescent Moon Kingdom."

The Imperial Advisor mostly agreed with the Emperor's suggestions, occasionally adding his own perspective. This pleased the Emperor greatly; he understood that the level of wisdom and thought of intelligent people was indeed different from that of ordinary people below.

Why avoid white-haired monks? What's the significance of this practice?

"Because they are monks from our Asura Temple, under the throne of the Asura King. The men are extremely vicious-looking, while the women are extremely beautiful. They have black skin, white hair, and red eyes, and when they are extremely angry, their eyes turn a clear white. It is said that they have sensed the aura of the lost Asura weapon and are searching for it. Asura monks are very combative, so it is best to avoid them."

"So that's how it is. The Asura King... seems to be the one that the villainous King of Xiling admires?" the emperor muttered.

He couldn't see much complete information from those memories, but he could see scattered fragments of images.

The King of Xiling and the Crown Prince of Xiling do indeed resemble father and son, both being extremely obsequious to each other.

However, it seems that the King of Xiling was not sincere. He had only learned by chance that Wuque's Asura Technique required joint cultivation, and that both parties could obtain the complete Asura Technique after joint cultivation.

This should be Xiling King's real goal; he just wanted to use Shura King as a stepping stone to climb higher. I wonder how well it has turned out so far.

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On the edge of a desert rarely visited by humans, a carriage stood still, and a flying sword hovered in the air.

Chu Mingkong hugged Aunt Gu and Madam Zhen and said to them:

“Aunt Gu, Madam Zhen, please go with Master Yun to rest for a while. I will protect Yongzhen.”

Madam Zhen felt Chu Mingkong's hand, which had been around her back, inadvertently slide to her slender waist. Pretending not to notice, she smiled and replied:

“With Mingkong here, I am at ease about Yongzhen’s safety, and Mingkong doesn’t need to worry about us too much.”

Gu Jungui leaned on his beloved darling's shoulder, stroked his cheek, and sighed:

"You should also take better care of yourself and ask Miss Rong'er for advice on everything. You are healthy, but you should leave the mental work to Miss Rong'er."

"...Aunt Gu, you've gone too far. I do have some strategy, you know?" Chu Mingkong was deeply hurt.

Chapter 205, can't you tell something more interesting? (31/42)

Chu Mingkong felt a little relieved as he watched Yun Nongyu maneuver her flying sword to take his two elders away.

If Yongzhen's situation weren't so unclear, Chu Mingkong might have been able to take Aunt Gu and the others around this prosperous city, show them the exotic locales, and then have Yun Nongyu settle and protect them.

Chu Mingkong turned around and glanced at his master, noticing that she also looked melancholy. He asked curiously:

"Master, I'm not saying you have a bad relationship with my elders, but why do you look more sad and injured than I do?"

Zuo Qiuchi kicked his foot to clear the grit from his shoe, and, annoyed that his apprentice was feigning ignorance, replied:

"Isn't that obvious? My lovely, soft pillow is gone, how could I not be sad?"

"..."

Chu Mingkong remained silent. So you were interested in the female Si Ji on the flying sword. Oh, that makes sense.

Zuo Qiuchi surveyed the desolate surroundings, and only spoke after a sudden sandstorm subsided:

"Where are we going now? Are we going straight to the Moonlit Royal Family? Let's hope we don't go by flying sword, because sand keeps coming our way."

She had a strong opinion about this place. Just as she stepped out of the Silent Realm, a sandstorm blew by, and a few grains of sand reached her lips. Just as she was about to speak, she almost swallowed a mouthful of sand.

Then she recalled how when Chu Mingkong snatched the totem jade, the warriors of those tribes were caught in the crossfire and their mouths were filled with unknown substances. This sight gave Zuo Qiuchi a psychological trauma. Now, even the sand swaying in the wind seemed to her as if it might be tainted with something unclean.

Chu Mingkong activated his Domain of Annihilation, stopping the surrounding sandstorm. He glanced at the map and said:

"We're almost at the territory of the Moonlit Royal Family. A little further ahead is Full Moon City. We can go in first to scout out the situation, then contact Wind Shadow. Once everything is alright, we can sneak into Crescent Moon City, the capital of the Moonlit Royal Family."

To be honest, Chu Mingkong genuinely liked the various place names in the Crescent Moon Kingdom, such as White Tiger Plain, Full Moon City, Butterfly Valley, Peach Wetland, and Wildflower Village. Although not all of them were like that, they stood out in Chu Mingkong's eyes.

"Rong'er, what's the name of this currency? Is it steamed bun currency or 'small incense currency'?"

Although Shangguan Rong didn't understand the meaning of his question, she instinctively felt it wasn't something nice, and her pretty face remained stern.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"I was just asking. Okay, let's get in the carriage first. Once we get into the city, we'll probably have to sell the horse. This warhorse is quite conspicuous."

Back in the carriage, Chu Mingkong put down a set of bone armor, which he was saving to wear when they were almost in the city.

He remembered that he had tricked a few people from the Crescent Moon Kingdom near the Princess's residence. At the time, these people said they wanted to stop the marriage alliance, and Chu Mingkong said that Yongzhen had a suitor who followed her all the way and also intended to stop the marriage.

I wonder if, after all this time, these people still remember that incident and are still asking him for help in building connections.

Having one would naturally give Chu Mingkong another source of intelligence, but not having one wouldn't matter either, as he was good at infiltrating.

Shangguan Rong heard about his well-planned scheme and couldn't quite judge whether it was good or bad. However, personally, she felt that this method of finding teammates was unreliable and might end up with a bunch of rabble who would only be a hindrance.

However, things can be accomplished by human effort, so it's not wise to dismiss it so early.

At first, we were able to chat a bit during the journey, but as we got tired of talking, the carriage fell silent.

Zuo Qiuchi, bored from lying down, patted Chu Mingkong and said, "Mingkong, do you have any other stories in mind? Hurry up and write me another one, and change it to my name."

Looking out the window at the unchanging desert scenery, Chu Mingkong felt bored. Even though he had many stories in his mind, he couldn't muster the energy to tell them.

Storytelling is an art; if your tone is lifeless, even the best story won't resonate with the listener.

"I can't remember, Rong'er. Can you tell me about the Moonlit Empire?" Chu Mingkong put his arm around Shangguan Rong and gently fiddled with the gemstone adorning her navel.

Shangguan Rong is the kind of person who is particularly serious. She is fine with Chu Mingkong in private, but when Chu Mingkong's master Zuo Qiuchi is around, she acts with the demeanor of a respected elder, being meticulous and thorough.

Now that Chu Mingkong was playing with her belly button, she felt a little shy. She was not good at being intimate in front of others (Zuo Qiuchi). She wanted to slap Chu Mingkong's hand away, but she couldn't resist him, so she had to pretend that she didn't see it.

"The Moonlit Empire has a long history, not much less than the Heavenly Pole Empire. But if you look for a difference, the first emperor of the Moonlit Empire was a woman. This woman was revered as the Moon River Goddess at the time, but it is hard to say whether she was a real goddess or just a title."

As Chu Mingkong listened, his mind was filled with endless fantasies... The founding empress, she must have quite a charm!

Shangguan Rong continued:

"Unfortunately, the ancient texts were lost during the subsequent division and turmoil, and most of the records that remain today can only be found in the records of the Celestial Empire. It is said that at that time, there were two opposing forces: one that revered witchcraft and magic, and the other that revered knowledge and steel mechanical armor. The Moon River Goddess ended the turmoil..."

After she left, a king who revered mechanical puppets ascended the throne, attempting to use them to modify his physical body to rival that of a high-level cultivator. This king, however, failed in his self-experimentation and went mad... Later, after many mediocre kings, the Yueqi Empire became a commercially driven nation, the royal family's influence waned, and the last emperor, ambitious and determined to revive his ancestors' glory, ultimately caused the Yueqi Empire to be completely destroyed...