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

"...Dual cultivation can make up for lack of talent, right?" Chu Mingkong was dumbfounded.

【However, forcibly replenishing the extreme Yang energy as you are doing now is a last resort. No one has done this before, and I have no experience with it. But based on my speculation, it would be best to harmonize Yin and Yang only after one aspect of cultivation has made a breakthrough. The rest you will have to figure out on your own.】

Well, having a way is better than having no way.

I need to urge that lazy master to start cultivating the Path of Extreme Yang. He's such a troublesome master, always causing his disciples worry. He's so lazy!

I've gained a fairly good understanding of this issue. From now on, I'll just have to proceed cautiously, supplementing my theoretical knowledge and summarizing my methodologies through social practice.

So now it's time to take a good look at this filial piety blind box.

With a heavy heart, he took out a little more from his increasingly depleted filial piety wallet and bought a few blind boxes.

"I'm planning to visit the Cui residence soon. I hope there's nothing unclean about it." Chu Mingkong didn't show his suspicion.

[Since they are all brand new, how can they be considered unclean?]

"How do you describe the original flavor in the store?" Chu Mingkong followed his usual habit and slowly opened the blind box to confirm.

[They are all people of exceptional beauty and grace, and you even call some of them elders. Even if they have been with you, how are you impure? Disdaining your elders is unfilial.]

You make a good point. I can't even argue with you. If I had consulted you in court that day, would I have been afraid of losing to those civil officials?

So, what you're saying is that the clothes sold in the store are truly original?!

He opened several blind box gifts in a row, and they were all normal items such as combs. As usual, he did not find any bad items such as acacia dew.

He pretended not to open them anymore, leaving the last gift on the table, and muttered to himself:

"I'll find some time tomorrow to give this gift to Aunt Gu. It's been too long since I've received any filial gifts, I can't take it anymore... No, I'll send it over tonight!"

Chu Mingkong got up and stretched his limbs. Stepping into the night, he arrived outside the Cui family's courtyard wall. Just as he was about to leap over the wall, he suddenly used his hidden strength to smash the gift box open.

Thus, a jade ox, uniquely shaped...

It fell to the ground.

He silently picked up the unique gift and examined it carefully.

As if afraid others wouldn't know it was a gift from him, he even inscribed it with his ugly handwriting:

Presented by the junior Mingkong

Chu Ming was so angry he almost relapsed into his Abyss Injury. Clutching his chest, he demanded, "Did you use the same tricks to swindle me the last few times? Those gifts I didn't open, could they all be like this?!"

No wonder Madam Zhen had such a bad opinion of him when they first met. Could she have received one of these too?

The system fell silent and ignored him, a stark contrast to its previous open and honest response.

It didn't speak, but Chu Mingkong had already heard the reply.

So here's the question: how do we give away this gift, which was earned with filial piety?

He quickly channeled his spiritual energy to erase the inscription. He didn't know what material it was made of, but even with his fire spiritual energy, it took him quite a bit of effort to erase the writing.

I wonder if Shangguan Rong would accept this kind of gift.

......

Sacred Mountain.

In a celestial sacrificial palace shrouded in ethereal mist, a stunningly beautiful woman in a snow-white dress knelt beside a clear lake. The mirror-like surface of the lake did not reflect her figure; instead, it showed Chu Mingkong holding the "White Jade Essence" in a furious expression.

The woman changed her sitting position, dipped her fair and delicate feet into the lake water, and gently stirred the surface.

A soft sigh of regret echoed through the hall:

"Sigh, the child has grown up and become rebellious. He's starting to misunderstand his mother's good intentions. What if he grows up to be a rebellious son?"

Chapter Nineteen: The Traitorous Disciple Suffers Death

The dead of night is the perfect time for plotting.

Cui Rong finally ended his confinement and planned to go out to find a man and a woman to satisfy his cravings and get rid of the torment of abstinence he had endured for many days.

Unfortunately, we were intercepted halfway and invited to a room for a private talk.

“Young Master Cui Rong, it’s been a long time. I’ve come all this way to invite you to taste this wine.”

"It's late at night, so please speak frankly. What brings Mr. Li Ming here?" Cui Rong was curious about the other party's identity and impatient with the time it took for him to be contacted.

He was looking forward to enjoying himself, but this person had come at the worst possible time.

"Alright! Since Young Master Cui Rong is willing to speak frankly, I won't spoil your enjoyment or take too long. Let's get straight to the point."

Li Ming, dressed as a scholar, looked at the couple next door. This was Cui Rong's "partner" for tonight. If he made someone who was waiting to enjoy himself wait too long, it would affect their cooperative relationship.

He said directly, "I have a powerful figure behind me who wants to take action against the Crown Prince of Xiling."

Cui Rong wasn't considered the most intelligent among the scions of aristocratic families, but he had traveled extensively and had a wide range of knowledge, so he had his own guesses.

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince's confidant wants revenge? Let me be frank, Chu Mingkong is dying and he's a mad dog. Is it really necessary to do this? It's not a loss for him to die, but it's a loss for you to die."

Li Ming smiled, skipped his previous question, and said:

"That's not quite right. Some people are dead and that's it. But if they die at the hands of others, they can be very useful. Besides, Chu Mingkong is like a mad dog biting people indiscriminately now. Wouldn't it be more convenient to use someone else to do the dirty work?"

Cui Rong seemed to be deep in thought.

I understand. The crown prince is dead, so his position is vacant, and someone is eyeing that position!

If one could assassinate the crown prince of a different surname and claim credit for maintaining the rule of the royal family, then that person would have much more influence and greater leverage in the struggle for the crown prince's throne.

They're really crazy. Haven't these people heard that Chu Mingkong cleaved the Crown Prince in two with a single sword strike? Aren't they afraid at all?

Judging from his expression, Li Ming knew that Cui Rong had already guessed the reason and thought it was absurd to do such a thing.

He smiled without saying a word. Those who achieve great things must have courage, and the root cause of Cui Rong's unhappiness in his own family was that he lacked this one thing.

Greed for comfort and ignorance, possessing only lustful desires.

The ancestors of the Cui clan had such a brilliant plan back then, even taking into account the development of their descendants. Those with good talent were encouraged to pursue further education, while those without were encouraged to have many children to spread their lineage early on. They would then see how talented the next generation would be, and if they weren't good, they would have more children.

But unfortunately, the Cui family has produced such a few good-for-nothings in this generation. The old man covets his daughter-in-law, the son can't keep his wife, and he also enjoys philandering and seeking out young lovers, without any regard for men or women.

Cui Rong said, "Forgive my bluntness, but I can't do anything about Chu Mingkong. Even without his spiritual veins, his skill with swords and spears alone..."

Li Ming waved his hand: "It's nothing."

He took out a few small Yin Cores and a talisman. Cui Rong couldn't sense anything from these two items; his strength wasn't enough. However, his instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm made him keep his distance from the deformed bead, while he felt a slight affinity for the talisman.

"This is a talisman containing a faint trace of extremely yang energy, which can protect Young Master Cui Rong. When the young master visits the Cui residence, you should put this in the incense burner and burn it, and then..." After explaining the two items, Li Ming elaborated on the plan, "It shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"this......"

Seeing his hesitation, Li Ming pointed out the benefits to him:

"I've heard that Young Master Cui Rong has been struggling to inherit the family business. Your father, Clan Chief Cui, is fond of occupying the position. Now, doesn't he have a path to advancement? Once you sit in the Clan Chief's seat, will you still have these worries?"

Cui Rong recalled the frustration he felt at home, strengthened his resolve, and clenched his fist.

He grasped Mr. Li Ming's hand, expressing his willingness to cooperate: "Okay!"

Li Ming remembered his penchant for indiscriminate sexual activity and quickly slapped his hand away.

He said sternly, "Please show some respect!"

Cui Rong: "..."

......

Chu Mingkong tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, thinking about how he had been repeatedly framed by the system. "The silver-thief system has ruined me!"

In his grief and anger, he didn't even notice someone entering the room. A warm, delicate body snuggled into the bed, and a familiar fragrance filled the air.

Chu Mingkong opened his eyes in disbelief: "Master, why are you back?"

"I originally only planned to come back for a quick look and leave, to make sure that the remnants of the Crown Prince hadn't caused you any trouble. But seeing that you were rolling around in bed and couldn't sleep because of your injuries, I decided to stay and sleep with you."

Does this work?

System Mom, I love you!

【Sigh~】

Chu Mingkong: ? ? ?

Zuo Qiuchi sighed, pinched his ear in disgust, and said:

"Do you know how comfortable it was forcibly holding Yun Nongyu while I slept a few days ago? Suddenly having to go back to this gloomy bed is so uncomfortable."

"Then why don't you call her over to sleep with us, Master? That way I'll be comfortable sleeping with you, and you'll be comfortable sleeping with that female Taoist priest too!" Chu Mingkong thought it was a great deal.

"Heh, you can hug two at once, more comfortable than me, huh? Dream on. Do you think you can have all the women I haven't had enough of? When Feng Ying and I asked you for the antidote to the Love Dew, why weren't you so generous to me?"

Playing with Yun Nongyu was just Zuo Qiuchi's empty talk. He basically relied on his Sword Immortal realm skills to force Yun Nongyu to sleep with him.

"Is it possible that I only gave the antidote to Feng Ying perfunctorily, but I was serious with you, Master, and wanted to give you all the antidote without reservation, leaving none for Feng Ying?"

"But I saw you were feeding her very carefully, as if you were afraid she wouldn't be able to drink the antidote. You almost wanted to put your hand into her stomach to feed her. I could see it clearly from the side. Her throat suddenly swelled up."

Chu Mingkong was at a loss for words. Listening to Zuo Qiuchi's rough description, he became somewhat aroused:

"How about I feed you again, Master?"

"Get lost! You didn't accidentally ingest the Acacia Dew, so why would you drink any antidote? Are you bored? Go to sleep now. If you're not going to sleep, I'm going to find Yun Nongyu."

"Sleep, definitely sleep!"

Zuo Qiuchi was lying on the pillow when he suddenly felt something uncomfortable under it, as if something was pressing down on him. He reached down and took out a jade "xiao" (vertical flute), or rather, a "dizi" (traditional Chinese flute).

Yes, it was Chu Mingkong's. Zuo Qiuchi remembered it very clearly.

"What is this?" the woman asked expressionlessly, holding the jade stick in front of him.

"...Well, this...this, Buddhist teachings say: 'The mind itself is Buddha; one sees Buddha within one's own mind. Those of superior capacity and great potential transcend this in a single thought.'"

This is my "superior talent," the most important thing, which I will only give to the most important person—my beloved teacher, Zuo Qiuchi!

Zuo Qiuchi gripped the "jade sword" and unleashed his sword techniques, ruthlessly saying:

"Last time you gave me a bellyband, this time you give me this kind of trinket, you wicked disciple, die!"