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

"Miss Feng, please ask!" Yun Nongyu was extremely grateful.

"I would like to inquire with Master Yun about the whereabouts of a young girl."

Chapter 260 Divining the Child's Whereabouts

The topic raised by Feng Ying actually caught Chu Mingkong's attention, especially after he came out of the Lunar Eclipse Divine Kingdom, where this concern turned into intense curiosity.

Even if Feng Ying didn't ask, Chu Mingkong would have planned to find an opportunity to ask anyway.

"Young lady? What is this young lady's relationship with Miss Feng?" Yun Nongyu asked seriously, without any intention of joking. She knew that this was most likely an important person in Fengying's life, and casual conversation would be disrespectful at this time.

"My adopted daughter was a girl I found by chance years ago. Nobody knew her, and we couldn't find out who she was from. Later, I discovered her extraordinary talent, and fearing she would be kidnapped, I kept her by my side to take care of her. The last time I heard from her was..."

What Feng Ying said next connected to Chu Mingkong, and it was because of this matter that she reconnected with Chu Mingkong. As she spoke, Chu Mingkong quietly moved closer to her, indicating that he wanted to join the conversation.

He thought to himself, "The reason Fengying would adopt her for this reason is probably because she's worried that the evil things her teacher did in the past will be repeated somewhere."

"...Later, I kept posting bounties in the intelligence market of the New Moon Kingdom. Many people tried to take advantage of the situation to cheat me out of the bounty, but I was unable to get any more information about her. I think she may no longer be in the New Moon Kingdom and I don't know where she has gone."

Feng Ying, this calm woman, kept sighing. She rarely showed such a feeling of helplessness. Regarding her daughter's condition, she couldn't even try to make any effort because she didn't even have a direction. The last news pointed to Chu Mingkong, but then there was no follow-up.

"There are none in Xiling either. Tianya Tower has never found any similar clues. Occasionally, when they arrest human traffickers, they screen the girls inside. They haven't encountered any girls with good talent. They've even investigated which families have adopted daughters, but there's still no follow-up," Chu Mingkong said.

It's quite easy to investigate cases of adopting daughters. It's basically only wealthy families that can afford to adopt. Families with poorer conditions would adopt a son to provide for their old age.

"He was unexpectedly lost in the Crescent Moon Kingdom, and we heard that his aura appeared on Your Highness, who is thousands of miles away..." Yun Nongyu was quite perceptive, and she noticed Chu Mingkong's hesitation: "Your Highness seems to have something else to say, is it related to this?"

"There is indeed some connection, but it may not be relevant. To say it now would be giving unrealistic hope and could also interfere with our judgment. Master Yun, please do some divination first. Feng Ying is actually waiting for you to show your skills."

Feng Ying nodded: "Back in the palace, Master Yun was even able to divine whether the blood cocoon belonged to this world. Could you please tell me where my adopted daughter is now? Even just a clue about her whereabouts would be helpful!"

Yun Nongyu once again used the Taoist technique she had used in the palace that day. Golden talismans swirled around her, ignited, and turned into a wisp of green smoke that followed her. Yun Nongyu's aura suddenly seemed to connect directly with heaven and earth, becoming intimate with all things in the world. Her fragrance, like orchids and musk, made people feel closer to her.

No matter what type of person you like, as long as you get close to Yun Nongyu, you will always feel that you can find that sense of affinity with her.

Chu Mingkong thought to himself that his master was probably so obsessed with this "beauty pillow" because of this feeling.

The carriage fell silent. The women held their breath, afraid of disturbing Yun Nongyu's ritual. The only sound was the wheels rolling over the snow.

Yun Nongyu said regretfully and solemnly, "Miss Feng, among the many connections between you and His Highness, the aura related to your adopted daughter is indeed attached to His Highness, but I have no way to obtain any more clues."

Subsequently, Yun Nongyu continued to make other attempts, trying to find more "clues" to determine the whereabouts of the little girl.

Fengying was asked to use his spiritual power to sketch the girl's appearance, but Fengying said that the sketch he created was very clear, but no one else could see it, not even Chu Mingkong. The area around the girl's face was just a... cavalry (censored), so it was hard to see clearly.

Then Fengying took out the clothes and wooden toys that she had worn for the little girl before, and even drew her palm clearly. Yun Nongyu finally "saw" some clues.

"This little girl's cause and effect are pure and clean, almost like a newborn child, not tainted by any cause and effect or fate. This is not very reasonable, and her destiny is unclear. However, her own existence has a rather unique cause and effect, with the effect preceding the cause."

"What do you mean?" Fengying asked, puzzled.

Yun Nongyu sat down with her knees bent, her fair and delicate feet and calves resting under her full, round buttocks. She reached out and drew simple line drawings on the ground to illustrate her point:

"Only with both a father and a mother can one bear fruit. This little girl first determined her own fruit before considering the cause of her parents."

Hearing this, Chu Mingkong was amazed by Yun Nongyu's skill and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that after so long, he could finally give Feng Ying an answer to complete his mission.

They had promised to help her find her daughter, but they had never had time to attend to the matter. Although they had entrusted the task to Tianya Tower, they couldn't provide even the slightest clue.

This made Chu Mingkong feel a little embarrassed, as if he had been taking advantage of her help all along without actually helping her.

“That child has the appearance of a true Yueqi clan member. I have inquired in the Yueqi territory before, but I have never heard of any family producing such a prodigy. Now that I know her background is indeed extraordinary, I still have no clue whereabouts. Mingkong, just now Daoist Yun said that you were hiding something from us. Now you can tell us.”

Facing Feng Ying's gaze, Chu Mingkong recounted his experiences in the Divine Kingdom, emphasizing in particular the fact that the Moon River Goddess had asked him to help her daughter complete her karma, and that her daughter was like a kitten or puppy, able to urinate and recognize places.

Yongzhen had also joined in at some point, her tone inscrutable, her eyes filled with disdain, and she spoke up at the opportune moment:

“Mingkong, please elaborate on that sentence you just mentioned, ‘Then you merged with the remnant consciousness of the Moon River Goddess’!”

Madam Zhen helped Chu Mingkong pull Yongzhen aside to comfort her. While comforting her, she also whispered guiltily:

"...Yongzhen, some things are unstoppable. It's a good thing that Mingkong will get involved with people of that level, leaving behind karmic consequences. At least it provides an extra layer of protection. After returning to Xiling, you and Mingkong should work hard and have a baby as soon as possible."

Feng Ying was stunned by Chu Mingkong's words for a long time. Could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

She even wondered if Chu Mingkong had just heard Master Yun say "the effect comes first, then the cause" and made up this story on the spot.

However, the power Chu Mingkong displayed when he defeated the emperor's clone in the Moon Worship Sect region was indeed from the Moon River Goddess. This power could not be stolen by chance; it required the approval and protection of the goddess's will.

Even if you really find someone from the main line of the Moonlit Royal Family and they wield the Moon Eclipse Heavy Sword, they still won't be able to unleash the same power as Chu Mingkong... No, according to the situation of the goddess's true form that Chu Mingkong mentioned, the so-called Moonlit Royal Family is actually the lineage of the Moon River Goddess's confidants. Her own bloodline is only with Chu Mingkong.

Could it be that the little girl I adopted back then was looking for me and wandering around my vicinity because she sensed the close entanglement of karmic aura between Feng Ying and Chu Mingkong?

This so-called coincidence is not a coincidence at all. If it had been another woman who had some kind of relationship with Chu Mingkong when he was a child, then this little girl would have found another woman.

Thinking about it carefully, it's unbelievable that the aura of a young girl would suddenly appear on Chu Mingkong, who was thousands of miles away, especially since Chu Mingkong had just experienced the Abyss Calamity.

"I still find it a bit unbelievable, Daoist Yun. Is it really that difficult for an effect to precede a cause?" Feng Ying asked, confirming.

Chu Ming thought to himself that this situation wouldn't be difficult in his previous life. It was just a matter of becoming a father unexpectedly. A well-mannered girl who smoked, drank, had tattoos, and liked nightclubs and bars would find an honest man on the first day, and on the second day she could tell the honest man that they had already held hands and had quantum entanglement. Now she was ten months pregnant, and they had to get married because of the pregnancy... This could be considered a case of cause before effect.

To be honest, even Chu Mingkong himself, after hearing the Moon River Goddess's words, which were beyond his comprehension, still wondered if the goddess was trying to trick him into becoming a father. Feng Ying was also feeling strange, but Chu Mingkong felt a sense of peace.

He thought he was the only one who was ignorant; it seems everyone else finds this strange.

Yun Nongyu shook her head and replied:

"It's difficult. In any case, my current understanding of the laws of the world is not enough to support me in doing such a thing. I can't think of anyone or any way to do this, to hide in time and avoid cause and effect until that girl's own cause and effect are completed before she can come out... Doesn't that mean that the girl's real age is older than Your Highness?"

Chu Mingkong: "..."

Aunt Gu said worriedly, "Mingkong, don't be fooled by those big shots. It's fine to help others take care of their children, and it's not a big deal to spend a little time and money. But don't treat them as your own children and pour your heart and soul into raising them for free. What if they don't acknowledge you later?"

She worried that Chu Mingkong had made up a story just to appease her about "having an heir," and had found a girl to tell the tale. To have a child first and then "sell it" to the Moon River Goddess—could anyone really believe such a thing...?

Feng Ying smiled complicatedly: "Now I actually feel like I'm helping Ming Kong raise a child, and I've gone to great lengths to find him. But this child has indeed brought Ming Kong and me back together, so it doesn't seem like a huge loss?"

"I'm at a disadvantage. She's supposed to be my daughter, but I'm the only one who's never seen her." Seeing that Feng Ying had accepted it, Chu Mingkong felt a little relieved. He then asked, "Does Daoist Yun have a way to get this little one out sooner?"

"this......"

Yun Nongyu was a little embarrassed, wondering if she knew any similar Taoist magic or if there was anything she could do to help. But to start by saying that her child had hidden in the cracks of time while playing hide-and-seek was just ridiculous.

“I am powerless to help, but we are now close to the territory of the Defeat Moon Cult. We might as well ask the people here. If all else fails, perhaps we can only follow what the Moon River Goddess mentioned and wait for the little girl to come out on her own.”

Chapter 261 Yongzhen: What is the Divine Kingdom Ritual?

To suggest seeking advice from the Defeat Moon Cult is truly presumptuous.

Their understanding of the Moon River Goddess was limited to the inherited rituals for entering the divine realm. As for historical truths, they knew far less than Chu Mingkong, who had personally seen the Moon River Goddess in person.

Moreover, if the people of the Defeat Moon Cult knew that the Moon River Goddess had a biological daughter, would they still feel at ease letting Chu Mingkong leave?

Using force won't work, and all sorts of persuasion and gentle nagging will probably drive Chu Mingkong crazy.

So when he saw the chief priest preparing to ask questions, Chu Mingkong decisively shut up and abandoned his intention to ask.

If that girl really gets bored one day, she'll probably come looking for him. There's no use in rushing it; we can only let nature take its course.

"Your Highness, is everything going smoothly in the capital?" the high priest, Bahar, asked. However, through stargazing, she had already seen the changes in the Heavenly Empire and knew that a "qi" had been severed.

"The fact that I was able to return so leisurely is already the best answer. From now on, the Tianji Empire will probably be too busy to take care of itself, and for a long time, they will not want to send troops to harass us."

Chu Mingkong glanced at the location of the temple. The mechanical puppet, which was over ten meters tall, was indeed extraordinary, but unfortunately it was a bit ugly for a Gundam and lacked mechanical aesthetics.

"By the way, during my time in the capital, were the Moon Worship Cult and you all alright? Did you cause any trouble immediately?"

"No, we told you the truth about the Moon River Goddess that Your Highness brought out. We explained that the Moon Worship Cult has always worshipped a false goddess. Although the Moon Worship Cult still insists that we are slandering her, it was actually our side that completed the ritual. The Moon Worship Cult was in internal strife and had no time to affect us. Moreover, from a broader perspective, the Moon Worship Cult has now officially gained the right to claim the Moon River Goddess."

Chu Mingkong nodded. "If that's the case, then the Crescent Moon Kingdom should be considered to be enjoying a rare period of peace, right?"

"That's fine, but the Moon River Goddess doesn't want to rely on her name to create a new country that worships her. That would be no different from the Moonlit Empire, and similar things would happen again in the future. I hope High Priest Bahar can keep this in mind."

The white-haired old woman nodded: "Of course, since this is the goddess's will, we will certainly obey... However, since Your Highness has defeated that powerful Heavenly Emperor, are you just going to hand over the throne to someone else like that?"

Chu Mingkong shrugged. Now that he thought about it, if that cocoon-like thing hadn't tempted him and stirred up his rebelliousness and dissatisfaction, would he have even considered it? Probably not.

The voices of the people's wishes echoed unconsciously in his mind. He felt that he had neither the ability nor the patience to respond to the expectations and responsibilities behind these wishes. All he longed for was his daughters, his aunts, and the paradise in the front yard and the flowers in the back yard of his own girls.

This is just like what a certain master of Chinese studies surnamed Ji said: "All I want in my life is to sleep with as many women as possible and to have contact with women from all over the world."

"If you've given it to them, then so be it. That's not what I wanted." Chu Mingkong shook his head.

The two young women accompanying the old man couldn't help but glance at Chu Mingkong again from the side.

Watching this guy bring two elders over to seize the place, engaging in despicable acts of womanizing and prostitution, I never imagined that after committing such a world-renowned feat as assassinating the emperor, he could still be so magnanimous and easy to give up.

The high priest, still unable to contain his doubts, asked, "Goddess of the Moon River, did you really not inform His Highness of any information about the Goddess of the Moonlit Night? It is said that such information was always available before."

Chu Mingkong pondered that if there really was one, it would probably be her biological daughter this time. He said:

"No, perhaps the Moon River Goddess gave up completely after seeing that none of the previous Moon Goddesses who descended to earth could change anything?"

"Too......"

Upon hearing this, the old man simply sighed and did not insist further.

The Moon Goddess, personally appointed and bestowed by the Moon River Goddess, holds a status equivalent to the goddess herself. Her power is one thing, but her very existence has an extraordinary appeal, serving as the spiritual support for the people of the moon. If one were to ask what the most widely accepted totem belief in the Crescent Moon Kingdom is, it would probably be the Moon River Goddess alone; no matter how fair or tender the White Tiger may be, it would have to take a backseat.

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

Chu Mingkong led his female relatives on a leisurely stroll around the snow-capped mountains to enjoy the scenery.

The psychological trauma left from the Moon Palace has largely dissipated. Having weathered many storms, I can now peacefully enjoy the scenery here without worrying about any unexpected situations arising.

Although the extreme cold and snowstorms in the Crescent Kingdom show no signs of abating, the damage caused by the severe weather has been contained thanks to the stability maintained by the two religious sects.

No businessmen took advantage of the natural disaster to engage in speculation, and the so-called once-in-a-lifetime severe cold was dealt with less difficulty than imagined.

Shangguan Rong recalled how Chu Mingkong's master had sent Aunt Gu and Madam Zhen back earlier, and couldn't help but become curious about the ritual for entering the Lunar Eclipse Kingdom.

"Mingkong, what is the ceremony for the Defeat Moon Sect to enter the Divine Kingdom? Why are Madam Zhen and Madam Gu involved? Is there any significance to this?"

"..." Chu Mingkong's face was solemn, his heart was heavy, and he felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Rong'er, I know you're very curious about knowledge, but could you please not ask such a sudden and sensitive question?

Yongzhen recalled this matter and said, "Yes, and why did Madam Gu suddenly go as well? Didn't we say that Mother was going? Mingkong was worried that something might happen, so he went ahead of time. He only informed them with a note when they were almost at the Snow Mountain Tribe."

Aunt Gu and Madam Zhen both flinched involuntarily. Aunt Gu gripped her skirt tightly in worry, while Madam Zhen bit her lip slightly, tense and anxious.