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

Now that the crisis on Zuo Qiuchi's side has been resolved, Chu Mingkong's mind has cleared up considerably. He briefly put himself in Shangguan Rong's shoes and quickly understood what she was trying to do.

It is estimated that she intended to commit suicide to prove her innocence and use her virtue of chastity to save the safety of her people.

A girl like her is perfectly capable of doing something like that.

Chu Mingkong suddenly laughed, which displeased Shangguan Rong.

"why are you laughing?"

Have you not checked your own primordial yin state?

"?" Shangguan Rong looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Seeing her stunned, Chu Mingkong took the initiative and touched her virginity mark through her clothes. Shangguan Rong raised her fist to retaliate against his frivolous act, but a slight burning sensation came from her lower abdomen, making her heart tremble.

This feels like... the mark of virginity?!

This incredible thing happened so suddenly that she couldn't even wait to call Chu Mingkong out. She reached out and covered his eyes, then opened her clothes to check herself.

"...?"

There's no doubt about it; this is definitely a virginity mark.

But... why is it still there?

Hadn't he already taken advantage of me? My legs were weak when I got out of bed, and the memory of that time was still there.

She truly felt Chu Mingkong penetrating the depths of her heart, gradually filling the emptiness within her, and then...

And it's very fierce.

“Your virginity is still intact, so you don’t need to worry about your family. Everything can continue as you wish.” Chu Mingkong thought for a moment about how to explain to her, “In order to survive, I have been practicing a very wicked dual cultivation technique that will not damage a woman’s virginity.”

As for "fallen blood"? That's completely unconvincing; some high-quality healing pills can "replenish" it.

Even the women's brothels offer this unique "blood loss" service, but it's very expensive, and you have to bring your own pills because the required pills are of very high grade, making it not worthwhile. Almost no one can afford this service.

Similarly, male circumcision (also known as vaginal circumcision) is performed in the same way.

Back in the military, the old medics who performed circumcisions were the busiest, because every time a soldier recovered from a serious injury, they had to have the circumcision done again.

The technique had almost become a conditioned reflex: one hand would stroke the affected area, while the other would hold a knife and make a circle, like peeling a potato. Occasionally, after a few drinks, he would get a little artistic and carve some patterns with the knife.

After finishing, he would always shout with a mix of pride and frustration: "Next one!"

This is the composure of an old military doctor!

So handsome! That old military doctor has long been Chu Mingkong's idol, especially after learning that he was once a half-step sword immortal, his admiration for him has only grown stronger.

However, this treatment is not available to everyone. For example, eunuchs are basically excluded from it. It seems that they can only recover by losing some skin and leaving some scars.

Men recover so easily, while women recover so difficultly; I don't know why.

Chu Mingkong looked at Shangguan Rong and took another step closer to her:

"Your primordial yin is still intact, so don't do such foolish things in the future!"

"But aren't you curious about anything? Like, what was I doing in such a hurry, why did I shoot an arrow back, and what I plan to do with you afterwards?"

"Not curious!"

Shangguan Rong didn't follow his rhythm, but as Chu Mingkong got closer and closer to her, she had no choice but to sit on the desk and spread her long legs apart to avoid him.

Chu Mingkong hooked her legs and pulled her closer to him. Shangguan Rong put her hands on the table, looking a little flustered.

Her momentum weakened slightly, and her cheeks flushed: "Say what you want to say, I didn't stop you..."

Chapter Four: The Crown Princess's Cry

The details of what even Yun Nongyu hadn't explained in detail were simply recounted by Chu Mingkong to Shangguan Rong, omitting the general outlines but mentioning the necessary details.

For example, in the past, he was trying to save his master. In order to open the bronze statue array barrier that amplified the power of his vows, he had no choice but to inhale a mouthful of extremely yin energy. After that, he skipped the useless battle and told her about the enemies inside, especially the existence of Gao Nanben.

"That's roughly the situation. Second Miss, do you have any clue as to which prince is backing Gao Nanben?"

Upon hearing Chu Mingkong address her as "Second Miss," a hint of displeasure flashed through Shangguan Rong's mind. However, instead of answering Chu Mingkong's question first, she questioned one particular detail.

"You absorbed that extremely yin energy into your body? Are you crazy?! Your injuries were already so severe, and you still absorbed it into your body?"

She tore open Chu Mingkong's clothes, and upon seeing his current injuries, she froze, gasping for breath.

A few hours ago, Chu Mingkong's injuries were also terrifying, but at that time, the abnormality of his heart could only be vaguely seen, and the injury was limited to half of his pectoral muscles. But now even his abdominal muscles have taken on that eerie and ominous appearance, and his heart is even more... like a purplish-black crystal.

It was so clear that you could see its pulse directly, and the dark blood was being pumped from this heart to every part of the body.

"Does it hurt?"

Shangguan Rong slowly reached out, her fingertips hovering over the mutated skin, not daring to touch it. Looking at his injuries, she felt a complex mix of emotions.

As she stared in a daze, a large hand grasped her soft, delicate hand and gently pressed it against her heart.

From the heart, it moved to that golden "crack".

"It doesn't hurt much. This is the extreme yang energy left behind after you helped me with dual cultivation. I feel that without you, I might have died even after absorbing the extreme yin energy, let alone maintaining my sanity and expelling this extreme yin energy."

"So shallow? I could barely see it."

"It was quite deep at first, but it dimmed to protect my life, and I felt it would go out soon. I want to preserve it and make it even deeper... I want to see you in a dress again."

Before long, Shangguan Rong was carried to the desk again, in the same position but in different clothes. She had changed into the white dress she had bought, and two plump, jade-like legs, soft and slender, stretched out from under the dress.

But she didn't buy any embroidered shoes for young ladies. The only pair of women's shoes in the room was probably the red embroidered shoes she wore for her wedding. But that was fine, because Chu Mingkong didn't really appreciate embroidered shoes; beautiful legs looked best with high heels, or just barefoot if necessary.

The techniques of the Hehuan True Scripture began to operate, and the power from both the man and woman merged at their private parts. Shangguan Rong's pale golden virginity mark quietly turned pink, just like the blush on her cheeks.

"Mingkong, your heart is beating a little loudly..."

"I can't help it, why don't we chat about something serious while we're at it?"

"What...what is it?" Shangguan Rong suppressed her breathlessness, and even her words were stuttered.

"Who do you think orchestrated the ambush on my master today?"

Chu Mingkong supported her waist with one hand and cupped the back of her head with the other. Shangguan Rong pursed her red lips and braced her hands on the desk.

The desk shook uneasily, the ink in the inkstone rippled, and with a splashing sound, a stream of water gurgled down and dripped from the edge of the desk—the ink had spilled.

Shangguan Rong's beautiful eyes widened, and her hands somehow hooked around Chu Mingkong's neck, biting the clothes on his shoulder.

Chu Mingkong glanced at her white dress, which was now stained with ink, creating a messy mess.

During the brief time he gave her to rest, Chu Mingkong received her response:

"It might be the crown prince..."

"Don't rush to say it, let's calm down first."

Shangguan Rong didn't even have the energy to scold him anymore, and silently regulated her breathing and state of mind.

"Other princes and princesses don't have this motive. If they want to rise to the top, they need to find out where the crown prince has made a mistake and get the emperor to remove him from the position. Only then will other princes and princesses have a chance to take action against you, which would be like clearing obstacles for the crown prince."

However, if the Crown Prince does this, it can consolidate his position and, incidentally, eliminate potential threats to his future rule. Your family line is the only one left.”

Your Highness...

Is this the person who wanted to cause Zuo Qiuchi to suffer the pain of the Abyss Injury?

"Tomorrow is your wedding day. What do you think about this marriage? Do you want to get married?" Chu Mingkong was afraid that what she said before was just said in anger.

Shangguan Rong suddenly turned her face away, biting her lip lightly, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions including embarrassment, shame, guilt, and pleasure.

She was a girl living within the rules of the world, and the education she received from childhood, along with the scriptures and classics she read, taught her various moral rules.

But now, with her wedding day fast approaching, about to become someone else's wife, and the Crown Prince's wife no less, she's with Chu Mingkong...

"I don't want to." She already had a definite answer in her heart, but it was agonizing for Shangguan Rong to say it out loud.

“Then I’ll kill him. He almost caused my master to suffer the same injury as me. You don’t need to live with him anymore.”

Shangguan Rong didn't say anything more, nor did she express her thoughts.

In her heart, she naturally supported what Chu Mingkong wanted to do, but Shangguan Rong couldn't quite get over her mental hurdle.

The current situation made her feel as if she were seducing her lover and then murdering the man she was about to marry.

Chu Mingkong could guess what was going on from her expression and felt quite helpless. Shangguan Rong and the Crown Prince had no emotional foundation, and it wasn't even a proper matchmaker's proposal. In wealthy families like theirs, there was a whole set of procedures for engagement before marriage, which was indispensable.

This is the dignity of these families, but Shangguan Rong was just someone who was temporarily told by her family, and then she had to go and get married.

Even so, her upbringing still caused her to feel guilty, as if she were committing heinous crimes such as murder and arson.

She may seem like a straightforward girl, but she might have some inner conflicts.

To make her feel better, Chu Mingkong suddenly changed his attitude and put himself in the position of forcing her.

He suddenly changed his tune, his attitude turning hostile, and coldly said:

"Although you have no choice in the matter, your Shangguan family is now in cahoots with the Crown Prince. If we really want to settle accounts, your family can't escape responsibility either!"

Shangguan Rong looked up, staring at Chu Mingkong with a puzzled expression.

Chu Mingkong untied her soiled dress and carried her to the embroidered couch.

"So, choose between your family and your future husband. If you don't want me to take revenge on your family, then you'll have to cultivate together with me."

Shangguan Rong's eyes reddened; she knew Chu Mingkong was trying to give her a way out again.

The thought of being suddenly locked in the courtyard for several days while waiting to get married made her realize that Chu Mingkong was actually the one who cared about her the most.

Those two fair and delicate feet, which had been dangling in mid-air, had somehow crossed over Chu Mingkong's lower back.

"...You forced me to do it all." She looked into Chu Mingkong's eyes and said softly.

"Yes, I forced the Crown Princess to engage in illicit dual cultivation with me."

The curtains slowly fell, obscuring the intertwined figures of the two.

The magpie stood by the window, looking over there in confusion, while the Crown Princess seemed to be imitating their calls.

It is both subtle and affectionate.

Chapter Five: Invisibility