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

As for the Crescent Moon Kingdom now, after a brief period with a few rulers, it has fallen into complete chaos.

Shangguan Rong spoke in great detail, mainly recounting everything she had read and omitting anything she hadn't. Unfortunately, she lacked many details, making the presentation rather dull.

Generally speaking, shouldn't these be more interesting stories about famous figures, unofficial histories of kings, or tales of favored concubines in the Moonlit Empire?

Why did you just give a general outline of the historical development?

Looking at the sleeping Zuo Qiuchi, Shangguan Rong poked Chu Mingkong's cheek with a hint of annoyance and whispered:

"Did I explain something wrong? Your master seemed to fall asleep before she even started listening. Was she not interested?"

Chu Mingkong didn't know how to explain to Rong'er that Zuo Qiuchi had been hypnotized and fallen asleep, so he reluctantly and tactfully said:

"How could she not be interested? She was just so engrossed in listening that she fell asleep without realizing it. If she didn't like it, she would have been complaining by now."

Although Shangguan Rong found it strange, she nodded and accepted the explanation.

Chu Mingkong rested his head on Shangguan Rong's delicate, snow-white legs and asked softly:

"Rong'er, when you were looking for historical records of the Yueji Empire, did you read those unofficial histories? They're the ones that record the private life of the Moon River Goddess, or the absurd things about other emperors."

Zuo Qiuchi heard some keywords, raised her eyebrows, and listened intently.

Chapter 206 What happened to True Colors of a Hero? (32/42)

Full Moon City, Golden Inn.

At the gilded counter, a middle-aged man with his head wrapped in layers of white turbans was checking the ledgers.

A lean man, who was responsible for running errands and delivering messages for dignitaries, ran over and reached for two dried fruits from the plate, but the innkeeper slapped his hand away.

"Go away, go away! Just say what you have to say. This is for the guests, not for you. Skinny monkey Ali, who are you relaying messages for this time?"

The man, whose thighs were as thin as his arms, laughed:

"The people in Yueyun's place, and that prince who's officially preparing for his wedding, just wait, the news will come out tonight at the latest. My information is worth at least a stack of dried fruit, right?"

The innkeeper was annoyed, but every place has its own customs, and one should be rewarded for information. He felt a dish was too much and only gave him a few dried fruits:

“If that’s all you wanted to say to me, then you can leave. If you stand in front of my door, the customers will think you’ve starved to death here.”

Ali ate the dried fruit with satisfaction, took out a portrait, and said, "Remember this man's appearance. It was requested by the eldest prince."

The innkeeper glanced at the man in the portrait; he looked very familiar. After a moment's thought, he exclaimed, "The Crown Prince of Xiling?"

News of what happened in Tianji Capital has already reached us. Chu Mingkong, the instigator who enraged the Tianji Emperor, has his portrait spread like gossip throughout the New Moon Kingdom.

The innkeeper had heard many stories of him returning to the capital and recognized him at a glance.

Ali nodded: "Yes, if you find this man's whereabouts, inform the eldest prince immediately. There will be a reward. That's all for now. I need to go to the next inn to deliver this message."

The lean man ran into the crowd, moving forward like an eel through the throng.

The hotel owner scoffed, "You're really trying to take advantage of me by eating two dried fruits for this kind of news. If it were really a wanted notice, would you stay at such a luxurious hotel like mine?"

While posting notices is certainly better for such information, when bounties are involved, these intelligence announcements serve as a source of mission information. If this information is given to merchants first, they have a chance to recognize the target and receive a substantial reward. By the time the merchants have known about the information for most of the day, the common people will be able to see the news on the city's notice boards.

That's just how the world is. The wealthy can always monopolize most opportunities in terms of information, and naturally have more chances to make money than ordinary people.

After a while, three guests arrived at the inn: one man and two women.

The man was clad in a sleek white bone armor, which covered half of his face. The two women, however, were quite beautiful; although they wore veils, their figures, skin, and demeanor were not easily concealed by the veils.

The innkeeper said, "A guest staying here? Where are you from? You look unfamiliar."

Chu Mingkong replied, "I came from the capital city of Tianji."

"Ok?"

The innkeeper shuddered. "From Tianji Capital? And so furtively hiding his face like that. Could it be that my chance to make a fortune has really come my way?"

"Mind seeing my face? I'll give you a heads-up for free: there's a murderer in Full Moon City lately, so hotels have to check faces before letting guests in. But if you stay here, your safety is the best guaranteed." The innkeeper's demeanor was remarkably calm.

Chu Mingkong casually removed his head armor, and the innkeeper stared wide-eyed at his appearance before sighing in disappointment.

It wasn't this person. The man in front of me had deep-set eyes and a much thinner, higher nose, making him look exactly like an eagle, although his facial features were indeed quite similar.

The first floor of the inn was used for food and drinks. When Chu Mingkong mentioned his background in the capital, everyone in the inn turned their attention to him. However, when they found that the innkeeper's reaction was indifferent, their burning desire for money also died down.

"Guest, you do bear a slight resemblance to the Crown Prince of Xiling. Was what happened in the capital a few days ago really as rumored?"

How could it not be similar? It's Lao Tzu himself!

It can only be said that this makeup artistry is truly remarkable. He didn't even use any disguise techniques; he simply had the maid apply shadows to his facial features according to his wishes.

By deepening the shadows on the eye sockets and sides of the nose, and making the transition color more natural, the facial features give a completely different feel. In addition, the hairstyle was changed, with two small braids hanging down as sideburns.

As Chu Mingkong paid for his room, he asked, "What are the rumors about this place?"

"The Crown Prince of Xiling caused the Emperor a great loss that he couldn't bear to hear about, and the Emperor was furious."

“That’s definitely true.” Chu Mingkong nodded happily.

The innkeeper was terrified and said in a panic:

"What?! That Prince of Xiling is really ruthless."

Harboring resentment for the emperor's framing, and unable to defeat him, he stole all the emperor's women, ranging in age from eight to eight, to become his concubines. Such a method of revenge is rather despicable... You might say eight-year-olds are acceptable, but eighty-year-olds are a bit excessive, aren't they?"

Chu Mingkong: "..."

He remained silent, while his master behind him chuckled. Shangguan Rong was serious, but a hint of a smile was hidden at the corner of her mouth.

Chu Mingkong, upon entering this teahouse-like place, instinctively wanted to boast. In the past, he had been forced to tarnish his own reputation out of necessity, but now, in this foreign land, he wanted to brag a bit. However, he encountered a setback right from the start.

At this moment, a guest in the inn said with a puzzlement, "That's not right. I heard rumors that there are no eighty-year-old women."

Chu Mingkong's eyes lit up, and he was about to agree with him and defend himself, but the man added:

"But I heard they specifically target the emperor's daughters, the younger the better?"

You're talking nonsense! Jin Yu isn't small at all! She's big enough to easily heal herself!

Another person chimed in: "Nonsense, what I heard was the same as the boss's. So what if he's eighty? He's the kind who doesn't age, that's perfect. He's a genuine old man, and he looks kind at first glance. That's the essence of a hero. I heard that the Prince of Xiling is now incredibly powerful. It's no big deal if he has some unusual hobbies in his private life."

Zuo Qiuchi couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. If she weren't afraid of giving herself away, she would have laughed heartily.

Chu Mingkong no longer wanted to stay here; he couldn't bear to see his reputation so tarnished in a foreign land.

"One room, can you arrange it now?" he asked wearily.

"Sure, if you don't mind, you can come down and sit for a while longer so we can talk about things in Tianji Capital. It's really rare to meet someone from the capital. Those merchants from Jin who fled here earlier, they all seemed unreliable to me."

The innkeeper's words were echoed by everyone in the inn, who said they could provide food and drink to entertain them.

Chu Mingkong was also worried that if he stayed in his room all the time, it would be suspicious. It would be good to go out and move around, and he could also find out about the marriage alliance with the Yueji royal family.

"Okay, I'll go upstairs and sit for a bit, then I'll come down."

------

P.S.: Several more chapters have been blocked. Ouch.

Chapter 207 Are They All Traitors? (33/42)

With the key given to him by the hotel owner, Chu Mingkong led Shangguan Rong and Zuo Qiuchi up to the second floor, walked across the beautiful and exquisite carpet, and arrived at their reserved room.

Upon entering the room and closing the door, Chu Mingkong was immediately met with a barrage of teasing and playful banter from Zuo Qiuchi.

I managed to hold back my laughter a bit on the first floor, but I missed the chance to rant.

Although Zuo Qiuchi no longer intended to laugh, she still imitated Shangguan Rong's stern face, patted Chu Mingkong's shoulder, and said earnestly:

"Mingkong, I can overlook the fact that you're flirting with those women, even if they're attracted to feet, knees, or armpits. But if you're attracted to an old lady, that's going too far and is bad for her physical and mental health. I hope you'll be more mindful of your behavior."

If your desires swell to that extent, inform me beforehand so I can expel you from the sect!

Chu Mingkong genuinely felt a toothache, his current mood no less than when Feng Ying suspected him of liking a young girl, for which he had no choice but to remain stubborn:

"I'm doing this for you, Master. Even if you become a decrepit old lady someday, I won't despise you!"

Zuo Qiuchi kicked Chu Mingkong, sending him sprawling onto the bed, leaving a footprint on the bone armor.

"Get lost! Even if my lifespan runs out someday, I'll still be eternally youthful. You'd be better off worrying about your life essence being drained by Feng Ying one day, only to be defeated by a few words from him. How shameful!"

How can Kazekage be compared to her? She specifically targets weaknesses and torments them; who can withstand that...?

Chu Mingkong wanted to retort, "Then how come you have the same abilities as Feng Ying, Master?" But considering that Shangguan Rong was there, he decided to swallow his pride and not argue with her.

Shangguan Rong remained silent, mainly because there was little she could say in the conversation between the master and disciple; she could only observe without speaking.

However, from an outsider's perspective, Shangguan Rong really felt that this master and disciple pair was very strange.

Chu Mingkong composed himself and decided to leave for the time being, waiting until the topic of the old lady had passed before continuing.

"Master, Rong'er, I'll go downstairs first to have a chat and see if I can get some information. Do you want to rest here, or come with me for a walk?"

He guessed that his master was being lazy and wouldn't go out with him, but Shangguan Rong would probably go with him.

Unexpectedly, Zuo Qiuchi became unusually interested and said:

"Although I don't know much about the history here, I've heard that the greatsword craftsmanship of the Moonlit Empire used to be among the best in the world. I'll go to the nearby blacksmith shop and see if there are any remnants of the Moonlit Empire's style."

Shangguan Rong said, "I will accompany Mingkong to prevent him from accidentally revealing information."

Hey! I'm incredibly sharp when it comes to intelligence; I've never been caught red-handed.

"Alright, Master, you can go and explore on your own first. If we finish early, I'll bring Rong'er to find you. If you see anything you like and want to buy it, just tell me to pay for it."

So the three of them split into two groups as soon as they entered Full Moon City.

The first floor of the Golden Hotel.

Chu Mingkong's arrival was welcomed by the diners, who even ordered a table full of dishes for him to tell his story.

He didn't know what price range these dishes were in. The pancakes, sweet soup, and fruit wine were made with ordinary ingredients, but they looked very good and represented sincerity.

What these people wanted to know most was exactly what happened in that battle. Dragon veins, ferocious beasts from the abyss, and the power of extreme yin were all things that the Crescent Moon Kingdom had never heard of before.

There are indeed ferocious beasts in the Abyss; you can find them by taking a stroll around the nearby Xiling Abyss. But I've never heard of a person turning into such a ferocious creature!