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

Chu Mingkong watched the aftermath of Yuehe's work. She touched the "elixir" with her finger, dipped her fingertip in paint, and then painted on Qingning's back, outlining unfamiliar and ancient characters.

Whether it was thanks to Yuehe or because Qingning gradually adapted, her condition improved somewhat, but only slightly.

Yuehe explained, "Mingkong, do you remember why Empress Yueqi in the Divine Kingdom said she didn't want descendants to inherit her lineage?"

Chu Mingkong recalled for a moment: "It seems that when she was abandoned as a child, she received help from some beings on the moon, which allowed her to survive her childhood when she was unable to take care of herself, and thus a contract was formed?"

"Yes, that's how it was with the ancestors of the Wei family. What they gained was power, but it was also a price to pay. It would always follow their bloodline and descendants. Empress Yueying had grown up at that time, but she couldn't find that being to eliminate her. She couldn't guarantee that her bloodline and descendants could handle it."

In other words, she didn't want to leave behind an excessive 'debt' for the cat or its descendants to bear, so she never thought of having offspring until she felt it was time, and then the cat was born.

That's a bit of a tangent. The Wei family is in a similar situation now; the price their ancestors paid for their exploitation of power is beginning to be paid to their bloodline.

Does this mean that cats also have this?

However, the Moon River Goddess deduced that he had a chance to deal with those troubles, which is why there was a cat waiting to buy a ticket. Could this also be interpreted as him being able to help Qing Ning deal with them?

Chu Mingkong examined himself and realized that his strongest means of dealing with trouble was the power of extreme Yin. Could he bring Qing Ning into the Abyss and replicate the operation he used against the Yin Shiren?

Many thoughts raced through his mind, but he eventually returned to the present moment:

"Yuehe, what are these 'prices,' and how can they be removed?"

"Generally speaking, there is no solution. The best way to resolve this is to have no descendants. Once the bloodline is broken, the trouble will naturally disappear. Their ancestors may only gain a little bit of benefit, but the cost will not be reduced or lessened as a result."

As far as I know, those beings usually demand that their descendants be sacrificed to open a passage to another realm, either to unleash unimaginable malice or to extract the spiritual energy, treasures, and so on from this world.

It's likely there are other forms of transmission, but they're difficult to find out, because ancestors might not necessarily pass on such information to their descendants, which is why those descendants sometimes die without ever knowing why.

Chu Mingkong scoffed. So, the Wei family's ancestors at least had a conscience? They knew to pass on this terrible news to their descendants.

Given his unscrupulous thinking, if he were to suffer such a "price," he would immediately and frantically summon gods and demand power from them, believing that having too many debts is not a burden and letting those powerful beings collect their debts from each other.

After all, in the world he knew, the one who owed money was the boss.

"Yuehe, what is this character pattern you drew for Qingning?" Chu Mingkong asked.

“The talisman tattoo can only help her gradually ignore the feeling of being watched, but it will still exist in reality. However, you don’t need to worry too much right now. The thorns on Qingning’s body are not deep yet. At present, it’s just that they are watching. When that being starts to collect the debt, Qingning will gradually develop physical injuries.”

However, before that, Yun Nongyu would first find Qing Ning 'eye-catching' and unable to remain indifferent.

Chu Mingkong really needs to talk to Yuehe about her choice of words. Is this really what they mean by "no need to worry too much"?

Since the Moon River Goddess said she could handle it, then she would take Qingning to the Abyss to "kill the poison".

Now, a new problem has arisen.

"Yuehe, generally speaking, what does it mean when this 'price' falls on Qingning? Qingning's father...?"

"I can only tell you two possibilities that I know of. One is that Wei Zhong is dead, and the 'price' naturally falls on Qing Ning. The other is that Wei Zhong himself is afraid of death and revealed that he has a bloodline with even better aptitude, thus transferring the 'price' to Qing Ning."

Chu Mingkong wanted to believe the former. Although Uncle Wei's death was tragic, if it were the latter, it would be even more tragic. However, since Wei Zhong had chosen to leave his family and flee, he would not choose the latter.

Chu Mingkong looked at Yun Nongyu, but before he could ask a question, Yun Nongyu shook her head in response:

"No, Your Highness, I still cannot see Wei Zhong's condition..."

If this is an unattainable answer, then let's assume it's the former for now, and consider Wei Zhong dead. That might be the best outcome.

Just then, Qingning, nestled in Chu Mingkong's arms, managed to sit up, her breath weak, and said:

"Father... I sensed the presence of my father's Soul-Binding General, right outside Tianya City..."

"..."

Chu Mingkong remained silent. He remembered Qingning saying when he was a child that these "spirit pets" formed through a contract after their souls were bound to their masters' lives.

Qingning looked at him and pleaded, "...Brother, please take me to find that Soul-Binding General..."

Chapter 248 Blessings

Chu Mingkong led Qingning out of the city and used her senses to search for the location of Wei Zhong's Soul-Binding General.

This aura was perhaps only detectable by those who had practiced related witchcraft. Chu Mingkong had not been able to detect it and was worried that it might be an ambush.

The Soul-Binding General still survived, and the "price" was now focused on Qingning. Chu Mingkong didn't want to suspect Wei Zhong with malice, but he had to be extra careful for Qingning's safety.

“Brother, in that direction… we need to go a little further.”

The girl pointed ahead, where there was a wide open plain. The surrounding conditions were clear at a glance, making it difficult to hide ambushes or other treacherous tactics.

The place Qingning was referring to had a tree that blended into its surroundings, with tiny green buds sprouting from its branches and leaves, making it quite inconspicuous.

But this tree had no shadow, so it must be the one Qingning mentioned.

Before approaching, Chu Mingkong inquired about Qingning's condition. She looked a little better, but Chu Mingkong was also afraid that she might be hiding her true condition.

"Qingning, how are you feeling now? If there's anything else that's bothering you, just tell me. If you hide your condition, it might make things much more complicated. Don't worry too much, there are plenty of capable people in the manor."

The girl, held by Chu Mingkong, nodded and managed a weak smile.

"It's better now. Apart from that uncomfortable feeling of being watched, there's nothing else for the time being... I was wondering if my father was enduring this feeling when he was away from Xiling."

Brother, hurry over there...

Yuehe accompanied them. Although Yun Nongyu also wanted to come along, Chu Mingkong told her to stay in Qingxin Mansion as a "true eye" to be vigilant about the situation nearby.

Chu Mingkong first handed Qingning to her to hold, and then went over alone to check on the tree.

It clearly emitted an aura that Qingning could sense, but even when she arrived in front of it, the Soul-Binding General didn't come out on its own, which was quite suspicious.

"I hope I've misunderstood."

Chu Ming murmured to himself, then walked to the two- or three-meter-tall tree and touched its surface with his finger.

The tactile feedback to the palm is not like the surface of dry tree bark.

The trees vanished at his touch, their camouflage peeling away to reveal a bone totem pieced together from the shinbones of an animal. The totem's shadow was that of a twisted four-legged beast. Because the shadow lacked too much detail, it was difficult to discern what it was; all that could be seen was that lightning crackled across the four-legged beast's body.

Immediately, the lightning on the four-legged beast scattered like a startled swarm of snakes. These shadows, transformed into snakes, left crawling marks on the ground, which instantly formed a magic circle.

Around Chu Mingkong, a dark temple rose from the ground, looking somewhat illusory, but it sounded an alarm bell in Chu Mingkong's heart.

"This is really an ambush?!"

Yuehe's voice came from mid-air, and she moved closer to Chu Mingkong:

"This is not an ambush. Don't just start destroying this place without saying a word."

Chu Mingkong stopped Wenming's urge to spit and destroy the formation. Before the formation was completed, his blood and saliva were undoubtedly the best way to destroy it.

"What are they trying to do? That Soul-Binding General lured Qingning here, and then did this without saying a word."

Yuehe pointed to the bone totem and explained:

"That Soul-Binding General can be considered to be dead, having severed ties with its master, and is merely clinging to life by relying on this bone totem."

You can think of them as weak, lonely ghosts that survive by clinging to the remnants of trees with heavy yin energy, such as willows and locust trees.

This soul-binding general must be some message that Wei Zhong wants to convey.

“Father…” Qingning’s lips were pressed tightly together.

In a short while, the array constructed by the shadow on the ground was completed. The temple, standing on the open plain, could no longer be seen as a phantom. It was lifelike and seemed real.

Chu Mingkong looked around. A huge Vajra bronze figure stood in one side of the temple's interior space, and the ground was covered with many other moving bronze figures, though they were only the size of normal humans.

He guessed that this temple was probably a trial realm used by Buddhist sects to cultivate their skills, much like an "experience dungeon".

"What information could there be? There's not even a single person here..." Chu Mingkong muttered to himself.

After another period of silent waiting, there was finally some movement in the temple, but it started with an argument that had no precedent.

【Benefactor Wei, the late King Chu once told us that although you followed him, you never turned against Chu Mingkong of Xiling... Witchcraft is the crystallization of the great wisdom of our ancestors, and there must be methods within it that are secretly connected to your family.】

【How about it, Benefactor Wei, you help us invite Chu Mingkong out of Xiling? The opportunities left by Buddhism for the old King Chu can all be inherited by you.】

【Benefactor Wei, you should be aware that while you are cooperating with the old King of Chu, he is actually hiding many things from you. You must have noticed some clues and glimpsed just the tip of the iceberg. You should know how precious the opportunities that Buddhism can offer are!】

Amidst the voices, several figures appeared in the center of the temple.

Several monks appeared at the exit of the secret realm, all looking at Wei Zhong lying on the ground in the middle. They spoke one after another, their slow speech having a rapid-fire rhythm.

Even Chu Mingkong, an outsider outside the illusion, felt as if the monk's voice was coming from all directions in his mind, disturbing his peace of mind.

The shadow of the Soul-Binding General was precisely where Wei Zhong was. Judging from his movements, he should have been meditating, but his mental state was extremely poor, forcing him to collapse from exhaustion and barely support himself with his hands.

He clenched his teeth, and veins bulged on his forehead and neck from enduring the pain, similar to Qing Ning's condition not long ago, or even worse.

The giant bronze figure held a candlestick in its hand. The light from the candle illuminated other areas, making the golden body of the bronze figure in the secret realm shine brightly. However, the candlelight fell dimly on Wei Zhongsheng.

Wei Zhong was like an existence that could devour even the light itself!

[The old King of Chu's cooperation with you is, in my view, nothing more than inviting disaster upon himself, a self-inflicted wound... Gentlemen, there's no need for you to waste your breath.]

During the stalemate, the monks ignored Wei Zhong's condition, simply standing at a distance and continuing to propose conditions, trying to persuade Wei Zhong.

"Now that you, benefactor Wei, have inherited the opportunity from the old King of Chu, this humble monk can also offer assistance to your family, helping them to comprehend the wisdom of Buddhism."

Wei Zhong raised his eyes and stared at the monks. His pupils trembled, sometimes dilating and sometimes shrinking. This was not out of fear of the monks, but rather the "blessing" left to his descendants by his ancestors.

He gave a disapproving laugh, his face grim.

I am a married person, which doesn't quite conform to the Buddhist rule of purifying oneself of the six senses.

One monk shook his head:

It's never too late. Benefactor Wei's act of guiding his family to Buddhism is a virtuous deed; how can it be considered inappropriate? Everyone is born of parents; having a family is perfectly normal.

Wei Zhong braced himself with his arms and managed to sit up.

Those masters... even if you want to entice me with benefits, you should at least give me... the temptation I need most right now. The masters clearly see this, so why don't you say so?

If I cannot handle this ancestral 'legacy,' then no matter how good the benefits offered by the masters are, it will all be in vain.

Chu Mingkong also wanted to say the same thing. The whole conversation had been quite strange. These monks seemed to be talking to a weak person who was about to die at any moment, telling him how much money, jewelry, and beautiful women they could give him.

Does a dying person really need these things? Those monks can only be described as ridiculous.

The monk standing in the middle of the three raised his palms and shook his head, saying:

【Mr. Wei, your plight doesn't require our help. Why should someone who is holding a red-hot iron in their arms accuse others of not helping them?】

The monk standing on the left sighed and shook his head, saying: