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

Chapter 46 Pocket Money

Thinking a lot but doing little, what are we even doing?

"Alright, I should go back into hiding now. You continue your cultivation." The beautiful woman left these words and disappeared from Chu Mingkong's sight.

Chu Mingkong was still in a daze, the sound of counting his earnings hadn't echoed in his mind for a long time.

[Here's your pocket money~ 10000 points of filial piety have been deposited into your account.]

Wow, so the system can send him filial piety gifts directly...?

Chu Ming felt a subtle sense of unease, as if the shop owner were giving him money to buy something.

The doubts gradually disappeared, and Chu Mingkong accepted this new situation and change.

The thought of finally meeting the system girl he had been waiting for so long filled Chu Mingkong with excitement. His next step was to figure out what her true form was.

But right now, Chu Mingkong just wants to celebrate.

The babies, who were all engaged in group activities in Aunt Gu's room, were immediately picked up and scooped up as soon as they heard their father make a monkey-like noise.

Then, a flurry of "mua!mua!mua!" kisses left the three of them dizzy and disoriented, their little heads bobbing back and forth.

Before the cat could even pout and look aggrieved, Chu Mingkong had already vanished in a flash, giving the cat no chance to cast a spell.

Soon, Yongzhen, who was already learning to take care of her pregnancy, was also attacked. Chu Mingkong crawled under her skirt and kissed her belly.

"Mingkong, what are you doing...?" Even the usually composed Princess was a little confused.

"Nothing, I'm just happy!"

The babies finally allowed him to meet the system mom. How could he not come over and give them a kiss? It's just a pity that the one in Yongzhen's belly hasn't come out yet. He'll have to give it another kiss later.

After a leisurely half-day, a message came from Master's side.

"Hey, Queen Ba asked if we want to go over. Now that we've sorted things out with the Sword Dynasty, you can bring the girls over to have a look."

"Okay," Chu Mingkong readily agreed, then asked in a low voice, "How's Aunt Donglu doing? What did you two talk about?"

It would be too difficult for Zuo Qiuchi to summarize her conversation. She herself didn't know how she planned what to say at the time; she just said whatever came to mind.

Casual conversation is not an interrogation.

"We talked about everything, what kind of wine she likes to drink, what kind of food she likes to eat, and how we'll take her sightseeing in the future."

"Didn't this mention me?" Chu Mingkong asked incredulously.

"Is your head bigger or harder?" Zuo Qiuchi flicked him on the forehead.

The news of their journey to the Sword Dynasty spread, and the girls, who had long wanted to go and see it for themselves, were especially excited.

However, some girls chose to stay and accompany their elders, as it would be difficult to take care of too many people if they were to go to the Abyss at once.

Qingse considerately said, "Then when I get there, I'll arrange lodgings for everyone to rest in. I won't be able to take photos later!"

Ru Yu, who had been in an awkward situation with Chu Mingkong not long ago, has now quietly appeared behind him and joined the departure team.

There's no harm in having too much gossip; we can talk as we walk.

After confirming that no one was coming along, Chu Mingkong set off directly. Once inside the Abyss, the entire journey was filled with relaxed conversation.

Aside from the brief moment of tension when they entered the depths of the abyss, the experience felt much like a grand adventure to a graveyard in the wilderness, or more accurately, a picnic.

"Are there any restrictions on where I can move around here? Where can I not go? How far can I stray from you?" Ru Yu was astonished, unable to believe that she could move around in the Abyss so easily.

"Just don't go more than five steps away from me, but there are still dangers in the depths of the Abyss, so I don't dare to open up any routes or wander around randomly."

Ru Yu immediately took out the viewing stone, as if taking a selfie, holding the crystal high and showing it off to the group around her, her tone boastful:

"Grandpa, sisters, this is the depths of the Abyss. The scenery is so-so~ not very fun!"

Unfortunately, this stone can only be shown to others when it is taken back to her hometown; it cannot be directly "sent a signal" back.

When this group of people walked out of the Abyss with laughter and joy, the Sword Emperor Dynasty cultivators guarding the entrance to the Abyss were all bewildered and shocked.

Among them was Balan. Even though she had witnessed it once before, she still felt complicated when she saw Chu Mingkong walking out this time with several women of mediocre cultivation, chatting and laughing.

After Qingse stepped out, she sensed the restored spiritual energy of heaven and earth, confirming that she had escaped the Abyss, and exclaimed in amazement:

"Is this the Sword Dynasty? It was a journey of several months just now, but now we've arrived in a short walk."

Chu Mingkong exchanged brief greetings with Balan. Zuo Donglu seemed inclined to act alone, so he pressed her for an answer:

"Aunt Donglu, where are you planning to go? Do you need us to come with you?"

"I'm going to pay my respects at Master's sword tomb. I'll come find you afterwards, so don't worry..." Zuo Donglu said gently.

Chu Mingkong recalled that Zuo Donglu's master was also a sword immortal, but his cultivation was still shallow, though his understanding of sword intent was profound. When such a person passed away, in the Sword Dynasty, his body would either fill the formation or something else. It was about making the most of everything, so leaving a sword tomb would be enough.

Chu Mingkong looked at his master for confirmation, and the latter nodded, indicating that he would let Donglu go. It was not proper for her to go to other people's sword tombs in groups, chatting and laughing.

"Alright, then Aunt Donglu will come to the Sword Emperor Palace to find us later."

"it is good."

After nodding, Zuo Donglu turned around and summoned her flying sword. She strode gracefully to the blade, her long, shapely legs revealing a stunningly beautiful waist and hips.

Are the Zuo family's genes really that good?

Qingse's property purchase can be dealt with later, and the group returned to the Sword Emperor Palace.

Queen Ba was dealing with state affairs when she saw Chu Mingkong arrive and wanted to stop working, but Chu Mingkong gestured for her to continue.

He overheard out of curiosity and learned that they were talking about the academy in the Sword Emperor Dynasty. In the past few days, some disciples had gone missing, but the investigation was still ongoing, and they suspected that it was Li Tairan's remnants.

After the messenger left, Queen Ba then entertained Chu Mingkong and his party.

After her conversation with Chu Mingkong and the others, Queen Ba noticed a change in Zuo Qiuchi and the others' attitudes. She investigated afterward and learned that their parents were involved.

"Mingkong, last time we talked, I lost interest towards the end. Was it because of the Empress's past plans? I can only apologize on behalf of my ancestors."

"No need. There are other reasons. I came here this time to learn about the Yin-Yang Chaos Soul Array, and... the method to reach the Heavenly Realm. Of course, it would be even better if Empress Ba could share her experiences with the Heavenly Realm, anything related would be fine."

The queen with her long, wavy hair nodded gracefully.

"Very well, even I am somewhat powerless to offer a solution from Tongtian. I will try my best to be forthcoming with my knowledge, but let's proceed one by one..."

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Queen Mother of the West Again?

Ruyu and Qingse had no interest in this topic; keeping them here would only make them sit in jail and do nothing.

Balan summoned a maid from the Sword Emperor's Palace and also sent a wisp of his sword intent to accompany the two of them as they toured the various parts of the palace.

Ruyu naturally didn't want to listen to important matters, so she looked at Chu Mingkong and asked if she could go for a stroll. After receiving Chu Mingkong's approval, she excitedly went for a walk with Qingse.

The ability to manifest sword intent is a skill of the Sword Immortal realm. It is a technique developed from the sword intent of man and sword becoming one, similar to the Mysterious Maiden Sword Scripture, but the Mysterious Maiden Sword Scripture is more powerful and is no longer limited to the manifestation of one's own sword intent.

Balan accompanied the Empress in the main hall, while simultaneously manipulating his sword intent to chat with Ruyu.

"Ladies, I am from Balan. May I ask your names?" Balan asked.

Ru Yu wasn't shy at all; since she was relying on Chu Mingkong's connections, she didn't need to be reserved. She corrected him, saying:

“Senior Balan, that’s not quite right. I’m a girl, but Qingse isn’t. You’re putting her in a lower generation; she’s practically an aunt now.”

Qingse paused for a moment.

Although it seems that Ruyu meant to say that they were of different generations, it also sounds like she was criticizing her for being too old.

Some female cultivators are still very concerned about their age. Even if they can retain their youth with the help of pills and cultivation, they are afraid of being called "an old woman pretending to be a virgin".

"Ahem... Senior Balan, this is Princess Ruyu, and I am Qingse, the owner of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion."

"I can't be considered a princess anymore. I'm just a young lady from a wealthy family now, and that scoundrel Chu Mingkong ruined my country!" Ru Yu waved her hand, not with any sarcasm, but with a carefree and lighthearted tone.

She never took her princess status too seriously. Having spent so much time with her own female army, she referred to herself as "Grandma" more often than "This Empress."

Qingse could only feel ashamed, and Balan almost couldn't keep up with Ruyu's train of thought.

She quickly inquired about how they had come from the Abyss, something that had been on Balan's mind these past few days. She was deeply shocked to see Chu Mingkong pass through it without even needing the Extreme Yang Shield.

"Did you two travel directly from the Abyss with Lord Chu? From Wine Fragrance Town?"

Qingse figured that Chu Mingkong had gone through it all openly and honestly, without keeping it a secret, so she didn't stop Ruyu from sharing it generously.

"Yes, I heard that the journey from Jiuxiang Town to here is even farther than the journey from the capital to Xiling. Traveling through the Abyss is truly remarkable!"

Guess what? They just came over after a short walk!

To think it could shrink the distance to such an extent! Has Chu Mingkong used the Abyss as a teleportation portal?!

Balan continued to inquire:

"But did you use some kind of treasure, or does Your Excellency Chu possess a technique that alters the Extreme Abyss?"

"How would I know? I just followed him all this way."

Balan had no choice but to give up asking questions and instead took the two of them for a stroll.

However, after Balan finished inquiring about Ruyu, it was Qingse's turn to inquire about Balan. She asked Balan all sorts of questions about the business situation of the Sword Dynasty and whether the Chamber of Commerce was xenophobic.

"The sale and auction of treasures are basically handled by the government. There are chambers of commerce, but they mainly sell calligraphy and paintings, daily necessities, and rare medicinal materials can also be purchased by private individuals."

What?! The right to operate a cultivator's business has actually been taken over by the government?!

This makes it difficult to start a business. Perhaps the only option is to leverage Chu Mingkong's influence to jointly operate an auction house with the Sword Dynasty.

But this would incur too much favor, and once you owe someone a favor, many things will become difficult to handle later.

Oh no, the Ambitions Auction House project is doomed before it even began!

Qingse wiped away a tear in her heart and said bravely:

"Daily necessities can be auctioned off, right...? I see that the female nuns here are under a lot of pressure in their lives and survival, and they lack the means to vent their frustrations, right?"

Daily necessities auction? What daily necessities are worth auctioning?

However, the male and female cultivators of the Sword Emperor Dynasty are under considerable pressure in all aspects. This is a real situation. For example, the parents of the Zuo sisters, whom we just investigated, have some pent-up resentment.

Qingse's tone just doesn't sound quite right.

“…Should?” Balan asked.