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

In the previous investigation into Yongzhen's poisoning plot, Chu Mingkong was able to quickly identify the mastermind behind it all thanks to Nida.

Chu Mingkong still had to go and thank her in person. Anyway, he was preoccupied with many things and didn't know how to explain, so he decided to take this opportunity to relax and also ask Nida if she had any white tiger totem jade or something similar.

[Qingse: Nida said you can go there anytime. She's not at Xianzhen Pavilion right now, but at her parents' house. I'll send you the address later on a note with a map.]

[Chu Mingkong: Done. Thanks for your hard work.]

After Chu Mingkong replied, a map of the Crescent Kingdom appeared in the paper after a while. One of the circles marked Nida's location, which was a city.

Although it doesn't specify the address or anything like that, such information is superfluous. A family that can support a Xianzhen Pavilion must be a powerful and influential family. Once you arrive, you can easily find out the information by asking around.

"Wild Horse Ridge, Moonstone City, this place should belong to the Moon Worship Cult, right? So Nida's family also leans towards the Moon Worship Cult? I hope it won't affect my affairs."

If all else fails, I can simply not ask about the White Tiger Totem Jade, just thank her, and share some of the operational strategies for the Immortal Pavilion that I've practiced with Qingse.

Chu Mingkong knew that Nida was more concerned about Qingse's experience and secrets in its development and growth, which is why she was so generous in informing him of the relevant information about Yongzhen's treacherous plot as soon as she learned about it.

For businessmen, nothing is free.

Everything that seems free is merely a pretext, a prelude to a deeper level of benefit.

Chapter 237 Bosch Museum

Upon arriving in Moonstone City, Chu Mingkong quickly contacted Nida and received a warm welcome from her.

The entire Moonstone City is a thriving commercial center. Even amidst howling winds and snow, the streets are bustling with pedestrians and vendors constantly calling out their wares.

If Chu Mingkong had remained in Moonstone City, it would be hard to imagine that people from those tribes outside would have frozen to death.

He wasn't trying to express any emotion. Yemaling is situated near mountains, which can block the invasion of cold waves and snow to a certain extent. Moreover, the city's protective capabilities are stronger than those of nomadic tribes in the wild.

However, it's impossible not to feel a sense of loss due to the disparity.

Nida's private mansion is right next to her family's old house, the kind of estate that stretches as far as the eye can see, while Nida's mansion is just "a building in the village".

"Please come in! When I heard that His Highness had left the Crescent Moon Kingdom, I was worried that I might never have a chance to see him again. I never expected that His Highness would come looking for me in person. That Qingse is really something, he should have told me about this sooner. I only found out when His Highness arrived in Moonstone City!"

The tall, slender young woman led the way. Nida had beautiful, healthy, tanned skin. In terms of her overall figure, Chu Mingkong felt that she was more like a hot Latina woman from his previous life. Her frame was larger than that of an average woman. Perhaps because she was more relaxed at home, the less fabric she wore made her curvaceous figure even more obvious.

Her smooth, beautiful back was exposed, adorned with a dark purple tattoo of faith. From behind, at first glance, it looked as if she wasn't wearing any clothes on her upper body. Her long hair, styled into tangled braids, hung down like a cape, covering her exposed back.

After Chu Mingkong sat down, he exchanged a few polite words of thanks, expressing his gratitude for her timely support in terms of intelligence. He then tried to find a way to probe her attitude towards the Moon Worship Cult.

"Your Highness is too formal. I've already received a favor from you regarding information, so how can I be so distant with you? Just call me Mingkong. How should I address you?"

"No, no, no, this is not to be distant, but rather to show respect for someone with ability! I hold no official position, nor am I a nobleman, Your Highness may simply call me Nida~"

“Nida, I’ve been in the Kunlun Mountains these past few days and have heard about what’s going on in the Crescent Moon Kingdom. I heard that it’s now divided into the Moon Worship Cult and the Moon Defeating Cult. The power dynamics are changing really fast.”

Nida shrugged, a movement that pulled at the halter top of her dress, causing her breasts to sway and revealing quite a bit of her side boobs. Chu Mingkong felt a pang of embarrassment and focused his gaze on the golden goblet of wine in his hand.

Nida said, "Change is constant. Even the long-standing Celestial Empire is changing. There are power struggles and princes fighting within it, but in the end, it retains the name of the Celestial Empire, so it seems that nothing has really changed. However, this kind of change is particularly obvious in the Crescent Kingdom, where the strength of the forces changes every day."

Hearing the calm tone of her voice, Chu Mingkong couldn't detect the fanatical loyalty of Fazan, and immediately felt much more at ease. He pretended not to know and said:

"Is Nanida's family affiliated with the Moon Worship Cult or the Moon Destroyer Cult?"

"Wild Horse Ridge is all within the sphere of influence of the Moon Worship Cult, but this division is just something to laugh at. Perhaps the Moon Worship Cult will be gone soon. Right now, it's just that we're giving the Moon Worship Cult some financial support, and in return, the Moon Worship Cult shouldn't interfere with our normal business activities. It's like paying protection money?"

However, Nida possessed the shrewdness of someone from a business family. She paused, then asked:

"Your Highness's sudden inquiry about this matter suggests you might be supporting the Defeat Moon Cult? If so, I'll have to investigate the Defeat Moon Cult thoroughly. What is it about them that attracts Your Highness so much? Perhaps this will give us more common ground to discuss in the future."

This warm intimacy is direct, but it doesn't make people feel uncomfortable or forced into being overly friendly; perhaps Nida has a perfect grasp of her tone.

However, Chu Mingkong was curious about one thing: were all the female businessmen associated with the Immortal Treasure Pavilion somewhat alluring and seductive? Qingse also had this feeling when they interacted normally, but Chu Mingkong was more familiar with her, and her occasional outbursts would dilute that alluring impression.

"The Moon Worship Cult approached me about cooperating, but their attitude was so bad that it made me uncomfortable. So I cooperated with the Moon Defeating Cult instead. Now we're searching everywhere for the White Tiger Totem Jade. We've already found a few pieces, and I plan to have Qingse see if there's any way to get some more."

The information Chu Mingkong uttered in a very casual tone was firmly remembered by Nida.

She crossed her arms over her chest, her heavy breasts bobbing slightly as she did so.

"The White Tiger Totem Jade is something left over from the Moonlit Empire. Legend has it that this item was a token for choosing a king. However, over the years, each piece of White Tiger Totem Jade has gone through several owners, and the Crescent Moon Kingdom remains the same."

During this period of turmoil, some tribes gave us their White Tiger Totem Jade in exchange for money and food. Although it was said to be precious, it had been handled by many people and no one discovered its special mystery. However, in the end, it was still accepted at a high price as a token left by the Yueqi Empire.

The Moon Worship Cult originally also demanded this item from us. If Your Highness wishes, I could speak with my family and secretly arrange for a few pieces to be given to you. However, due to my family's position, I cannot give them all.

The fact that Nida was able to buy the White Tiger Totem Jade at such a high price shows that the Moonlit Empire truly commands great prestige in this land.

Getting her promise to secretly give him a few pieces was already a huge surprise. There was really no other way but to take them all, since the Wild Horse Ridge area was the territory of the Moon Worship Cult, and they had to hand over some to appease her.

"Your Highness is such a busy person. Not only do you have to worry about your own affairs, but you've also helped Qingse's business quite a bit. That idea of ​​using paper notes to attract customers is truly brilliant!"

This is exactly what she came for. However, Nida's quick expression of her desire actually put Chu Mingkong at ease. He was afraid that if she kept it to herself, Chu Mingkong would have to repay a huge favor someday.

As for paper stickers, Qingse is currently only using them in Xianzhen Pavilion. They haven't been widely promoted yet, and she had planned to share the profits from paper stickers with others a long time ago, which is only a matter of time.

Now that Nida, who was eager to cooperate, wanted to get a second share of the profits, Chu Mingkong had no objection.

"It's not a great plan, it's just that I felt something was off when I bought the things, and then I asked Qingse to improve them. As for the paper notes, Nida, you can have someone go to Xiling Tianya Tower to get them later. But there will be more and more similar things in the future, so if Nida wants to make good use of the paper notes, she'd better hurry up."

"Of course~ I'm grateful for Your Highness's generosity... We've talked so much about business, my brain is tired. How about I show Your Highness my private collection?"

Nida suddenly stood up. Her hips were large, not the type Chu Mingkong liked, but they were still big, round, and plump, giving off a particularly imposing and alluring vibe. She had been sitting for so long that the fabric of her delicate skirt had sunk into her deep cleavage, further revealing her breathtaking silhouette.

"Okay, then I'll go and see for myself."

Chu Mingkong got up and followed Nida, noticing her little gesture of using her fingers to pull her skirt up from the cleavage.

Nida's so-called private collection was located in the basement of the mansion. Upon arriving at the room where Nida herself had set up a barrier, Chu Mingkong felt inexplicably dazed and remained blank for a while.

The underground room was very spacious. Chu Mingkong guessed that it was designed to be used as an underground wine cellar, but Nida used it for private purposes.

Looking around, one could see many... reproductive tools displayed on the walls on both sides.

These "collections" are all stone carvings, not real artifacts, and both males and females have them, mostly featuring various wild beasts, ferocious monsters, and demons.

This place could be called the "Bo" Museum...

"Collecting organs from various organisms is a little hobby of mine. Unfortunately, if I collect real objects, they will eventually rot and become disgusting. So I can only collect them in the form of stone carvings. If I happen to get a piece of jade that is of good quality and large enough, I will also carve it."

I believe that all things in the universe possess their own wondrous creations, and that all living beings can develop a unique beauty in matters important to the ritual of procreation.

Nida acted as a "guide" as she led Chu Mingkong deeper into the basement. There, Chu Mingkong saw a row of jade dildos that looked very familiar.

This covers almost all qualities and properties of jade...

Where the hell did you get so many? So all of Qingse's sales were bought by you alone?!

"When I learned that Qingse was selling such exquisite jade dildos, I regretted that I had found out too late. I used my own channels to find some buyers and bought them from them at high prices..."

Although the quality of the five elemental jades used is incredibly high, making them very valuable to collectors, I'm even more captivated by their enticing growth potential—so I bought one of each attribute.

"..." Chu Mingkong was so embarrassed that he couldn't speak, especially when he noticed Nida's burning gaze on the row of "toys," which made his feelings even more complicated.

Why would anyone collect something like this?!

Nida turned around, her bright eyes burning as she looked at him, and continued:

"However, after looking at these carvings for a while, I'm also curious about what the real treasure looks like. I wonder if Your Highness would be so generous as to reward me and satisfy my curiosity?"

--------

With mixed feelings of unease, Chu Mingkong returned to the Kunlun Dao Sect.

She had seven white tiger totem jade pieces in her pocket, given to her by Nida. She originally had twelve, but now she only kept five to hand over.

Although she warmly invited him to visit her house again next time, Chu Mingkong felt that he probably wouldn't go again.

Chu Mingkong took out the seven pieces of white tiger totem jade, combined them into one, and admired its color by the moonlight in the night.

But the bright moon in the sky only made Chu Mingkong feel anxious...

"The night of the lunar eclipse is approaching, I need to think carefully about how to tell Aunt Gu and the others."

Chapter 238 Acknowledging the Debt

Regarding the question of whether to take Aunt Gu or Madam Zhen with him, Chu Mingkong felt that it wasn't a matter of his own choice, but rather which of the two women was willing to go. If they were unwilling, all Chu Mingkong's thoughts would be in vain.

When such things are done with a purpose, they often become strange. In the past, when he was cultivating to suppress the power of extreme yin, he had to face the pressure of life and death and there were helpless situations. But Chu Mingkong still hoped that when doing such things, there could be a mutual affection involved.

The current matter is about entering the Lunar Eclipse Divine Kingdom to obtain information about the Moon Goddess. There is no sense of life-or-death pressure involved, so Chu Mingkong is hesitant to speak up.

Hesitating until late at night, Chu Mingkong came to Madam Zhen's courtyard, but he just stood there pondering how to replace her, whether he could choose someone else, or whether there was a faster way to parachute the mother and babies over.

As he felt a pang of melancholy, Madam Zhen left the room and quietly approached Chu Mingkong. Chu Mingkong smiled bitterly to himself at Madam Zhen's appearance; she really wasn't giving him any time to hesitate.

"Mingkong, why are you standing alone at the door in the middle of the night? If you needed to call me, why didn't you knock? What are you doing standing here like an idiot?" The graceful and beautiful woman with radiant eyes said gently, her brows showing concern. A plain white undergarment was draped over her slender shoulders, and the edges of her bulging bodice revealed her snow-white, full breasts.

It seems she was just lying in bed when she found Chu Mingkong in the courtyard. She simply threw on some clothes and came out to see him without much precaution.

"Yes, there is something I need to discuss. How did Madam Zhen know I was here?"

"I don't know either. I was just lying there when I felt Mingkong, you came. Before... no, before, anyway, I felt like there was someone there, and then I came out to see." Madam Zhen's heart was beating slightly faster, and she almost confused what had happened before when she was in Yongzhen's body.

But thinking back to that night, when Chu Mingkong stole a kiss, did he already know?

Madam Zhen had come out to show her concern for him, but after just a few words, she herself became flustered.

"So, Mingkong, you came here in the middle of the night looking for Yongzhen? Yongzhen went to ask Master Yun for advice on cultivation. Master Yun kindly and generously invited her into his cave to go into seclusion together. You can't find Yongzhen for the time being, but she should be able to come out tomorrow."

Chu Mingkong's forehead creased with a few black lines. He guessed that Yun Nongyu was worried that her master, Zuo Qiuchi, would break through his cultivation barrier and enter the sect. So she found Yongzhen as a shield in advance, saying that she was teaching the Five Elements Cultivation Method in the Taoist sect in order to deal with Zuo Qiuchi's recklessness.

Zuo Qiuchi can be unreasonable at times, but if Yun Nongyu is really doing something important, she won't interfere rudely. She'll probably just go home and come back to bother her another day.

Chu Mingkong sighed and said, "I came to see Madam Zhen, but there is something I need Madam Zhen's help with recently, but this matter is unusual and difficult to ask."

The stunningly beautiful, voluptuous woman gave Chu Mingkong a reproachful look. Her gentle, refined demeanor, tinged with a hint of coquettishness, exuded a captivating charm; her natural beauty was unparalleled. Madam Zhen reprimanded her irritably:

"Mingkong, why are you being so formal with me? You risked so much to rescue me from the capital back then, and now that you're in a little trouble, do you think I'd try to bargain with you?"

"Madam Zhen, please don't rush to agree. This matter is truly of utmost importance..." Chu Mingkong smiled bitterly. "Besides, I rescued Madam Zhen from the capital not so that I could force her to agree to everything in the future. I just wanted you all to live happily."

"I know what you're thinking, but what is it that's causing you so much distress?" Madam Zhen smiled gently, her eyebrows arched and teeth white, rarely seeing this decisive young man show such a coy side.

"It's a ceremony..."

Chu Mingkong didn't mention anything about the possibility that the ceremony might involve dealing with the Heavenly Emperor. Saying such things would put pressure on Madam Zhen, forcing her to accept it.