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

But after arriving in Xiling, she felt as if she had unknowingly walked on familiar roads, but the whole journey was rather bland.

It's like sleeping without a girl to hold, or drinking soup without salt for seasoning.

Although it seems like something is missing, it still has that carefree vibe.

There was nothing to care about; everything was like a stagnant pool, a silence that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Zuo Qiuchi walked along the lakeside, and the lake water reflected only a lonely figure.

Suddenly, the lake water surged, and the rushing sound shattered the silence.

Zuo Qiuchi turned around and saw a familiar-looking man standing by the lake, taking out his tools and relieving himself.

It's quite a large container, and it holds a lot of water, seemingly endless.

"You are......"

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Never Forget

　 What kind of situation is this? How can a master and apprentice who have been together for so long suddenly not recognize each other?

Chu Mingkong's expression faltered, but he remained relatively calm inside, knowing that this was the effect of his mental tribulation.

Some mental tribulations may seem dramatic and dangerous, but they are not actually that dangerous. The real danger lies hidden in the subtle and natural moments, and perhaps by the time you realize the crux of the problem, it will all be over.

People like Zuo Qiuchi and Shura King are probably the least afraid of the enemies they need to challenge in the mental tribulation.

Since there are no enemies, the challenge lies with oneself, but how exactly to challenge oneself is not something the Heart Tribulation will tell you.

"You really have no recollection of me at all?" Chu Mingkong knew the truth of the matter, but still couldn't help asking.

"There should be a little bit, but I really can't remember. What's going on?" Zuo Qiuchi remained calm as if he were an outsider, and even raised his eyes to pretend to think for a moment.

But actually, she doesn't think about these things deeply; she's too laid-back.

"What impression do you have?" Chu Mingkong asked with a somewhat helpless expression.

“Here,” Zuo Qiuchi pointed to the lakeside, “and some other places I’ve been before, where I feel like I’ve been before. There was a guy standing right where you are now, relieving himself in the lake. He had absolutely no sense of public decency.”

It seems you still remember quite a bit.

Chu Mingkong felt slightly gratified, vaguely guessing that his master's precious tribulation was probably about gradually forgetting and ignoring the past things in his heart, and then slowly forgetting that he was undergoing a tribulation and why he was undergoing one.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in water, you unknowingly sink into it.

Do you know where this is?

“Xiling,” Zuo Qiuchi replied without hesitation.

"..." Chu Mingkong was surprisingly unable to refute, "Although Xiling is indeed good, to be more precise, it is within your mental tribulation."

This blunt statement is somewhat dangerous for cultivators; ordinary cultivators would certainly be on guard upon hearing it.

The problem isn't with the world itself, but with him. It's perfectly normal to be wary of someone who, for no reason, disrupts one's Dao heart and immediately confronts them, demanding to know their motives.

But Zuo Qiuchi is too lazy to do anything else; she won't.

Upon hearing this information, Zuo Qiuchi frowned in suspicion, but did not react excessively. Instead, she pretended to ponder for a moment, giving the other party the impression that she was a wise and cautious person.

"Hmm, you said I'm in the midst of a mental tribulation. Where is that mental tribulation, and who are you, and why are you here in my mental tribulation?"

This is indeed the kind of question a normal cultivator would ask. If they were to follow up with, "Could it be that you are the one who is bewitching my heart?", then it would be time to take action.

"How can I help you overcome this mental obstacle? I think the answer is simply to do the opposite of what you are currently going through."

"The opposite? What state am I in right now?"

“I am not you, but looking at you like this, I feel that you are gradually forgetting things. If you want to do it the other way around, try to remember those things. Actually, my favorite way to break this deadlock is to use extreme yin power to burn this place down for you.”

Chu Mingkong sighed wearily. He really wanted to use the same method he used to save Zuo Donglu, directly using extreme Yin power, but he was currently inside the "Yang Fish," and using his soul to manipulate extreme Yin power could potentially cause trouble.

This is not something you can try.

Zuo Qiuchi carefully considered his words, determined that they contained no words intended to mislead or confuse him, and nodded slightly.

"I do feel that the further I go along the way, the more I forget. I am still me, but the things around me are not the same as before, but I don't feel particularly anxious..."

I should be anxious, but I've forgotten about the important things, and I've even forgotten the feeling of caring.

Chu Mingkong nodded and said calmly:

"You should be anxious. Seeing your beloved Master and not remembering me makes me even more anxious than you are."

"Master, my darling..." is a somewhat familiar term, but it's a bit cheesy.

Zuo Qiuchi trusted her instincts. Since she vaguely recognized the name, she figured this guy wouldn't mean her any harm. But the blankness in her mind made her curious:

"When did I take you as my disciple? And you even call me 'Master's Darling,' ugh—that's a term of endearment..."

Chu Mingkong also recalled when he started calling it that, it seemed like he started calling it that without even realizing it:

"It's not that you made me call you that, but after I started calling you that, you didn't object. Of course, you might also be too lazy to make me change, so I just kept calling you that, even in front of Aunt Donglu~"

"Oh, so I was just too lazy to correct you. Then it must be true." Zuo Qiuchi felt that this person was indeed credible and understood her quite well.

"My dear Master, are you currently searching for clues to your inner tribulation?"

"No, I'm waiting for the Heart Tribulation to come out. Right now, I'm just wandering around for fun, but it's a bit boring. Isn't there any fun place in Xiling?" Zuo Qiuchi said with a look of disdain.

"Yes, there is. Come on, I'll show you around. Actually, we've been to many places in Xiling, but we never expected to revisit them in this way... By the way, is Yunhan's surname Chu or Xiao now?"

"Chu Yunhan, how did the royal family change their surname to Xiao? I just hooked up with them a few days ago."

"So this is the timeline of the Heart Tribulation Illusion." Chu Mingkong murmured.

Is this exactly when she first arrived in Xiling? I guess the current Zhi'er baby still judges people by their appearance, right? Giving her some strong medicine now would probably be quite amusing.

Unfortunately, time is quite tight...

Chu Mingkong took Zuo Qiuchi to a nearby farmhouse to order food. It was quite rare for someone in the Heart Tribulation Illusion to be able to see him. Chu Mingkong had thought it would be like Zuo Donglu's situation, where he would enter the illusion as an invisible person and only the person undergoing the Heart Tribulation could see him.

Chu Mingkong took the opportunity to confirm the exact time with the farm owner.

The farm owner brought out the dishes and then said, "In a few days it will be autumn harvest time. There will be fireworks in the city, and you can see them in the countryside too, but it's still more beautiful and lively in the city with more people!"

"Fireworks? That's something we could go see, but it'll be a few more days..."

After Chu Mingkong finished muttering, she began to tell Zuo Qiuchi a story, recounting what it was like when the three of them came together last time, and what they talked about.

As Zuo Qiuchi listened to these things, it was more like listening to stories, but they did sound somewhat familiar and interesting, which made the drinks and dishes taste even better.

"Why is it that the eldest daughter of the Chu Prince's mansion is unwilling for me to take you around to play, but at the same time wants to come along and play with me?"

At first, she urged me to go back early so that I wouldn't be led astray by you. Later, she urged me to cultivate myself while having fun. Finally, she started traveling around with us.

"Haha, her mouth is tight, but her body is quite honest! So that girl is quite interesting?"

......

Previously, Zuo Qiuchi would take him around to do nothing, but these past few days, Chu Mingkong has been taking Zuo Qiuchi around to do things. Although they are all places they have been to before, it is still "taking" him around.

This perfectly reflects the old custom of reciprocity that the master and disciple have maintained for many years.

Chu Mingkong didn't ask Zuo Qiuchi if she remembered anything; he just wandered around. With the speed boost from the cultivators, he avoided the detours of the past and went straight to the fun places to enjoy himself.

On the day of the fireworks and lantern festival, after lunch, the two of them found a secluded spot to relax and wait for night to fall.

Actually, it's starting to get lively during the day now, but the energy and interest for having fun are limited. Since we're already looking forward to the excitement at night, there's no need to waste time warming up during the day.

"Speaking of which, you still haven't answered me how you entered this Heart Tribulation Illusion. Was there a rush?" Zuo Qiuchi suddenly asked.

"I found you, and discovered you were unconscious. So I peeked in to see what you were doing in the Heart Tribulation Illusion. I really wanted to slap you on the butt for wandering around in a lousy Heart Tribulation Illusion for so long!" Chu Mingkong sighed in exasperation.

Time in the Heart Tribulation Illusion should be different from that in the outside world. Time passes much faster in the illusion, otherwise, it would have taken Zuo Qiuchi several years to come from the Sword Emperor Dynasty.

Zuo Qiuchi's keyword extraction ability is quite good, she said solemnly:

"That probe you just mentioned, how does it work? I'm curious, could you explain?"

"After you break through the illusion of the Heart Tribulation, I'll demonstrate it for you again. I'm afraid you won't know how... Have you been having fun these past few days?"

After careful consideration, Zuo Qiuchi gave his evaluation a high degree of approval:

"not bad!"

When she was strolling around alone before, something just didn't feel right, like something was missing. It wasn't that the scenery didn't suit her taste, but that something else was wrong.

These past few days have been quite enjoyable. Sometimes we don't even chat for more than a few words a day, but just hanging out together is very relaxing and comfortable.

Zuo Qiuchi listened to Chu Mingkong's story. They used to go shopping together as a trio, but now there are only two of them left. Yunhan is missing, but overall it's still pretty good, not bad!

......

As night fell, the fiery sunset clouds gradually faded in the cool autumn breeze.

The fire in the clouds burned out as sparks, which remained in the sky and became countless points of starlight.

The cool night breeze rises, but as it blows into Tianya City, it is warmed by the lively atmosphere, becoming cozy and inviting.

The city of Tianya was brightly lit, with old people and children strolling through the streets carrying red lanterns, their laughter echoing throughout. From time to time, the rhythmic narration of storytellers could be heard from the teahouses, followed by cheers and applause from the tea drinkers.

Chu Mingkong and Zuo Qiuchi traveled here together, and just listening to their laughter, Chu Mingkong couldn't help but smile.

"Those two over there must be Princess Chu and Chu Yunhan, right? Why are they traveling incognito?" Zuo Qiuchi was a little surprised, not expecting to see Yunhan. He had heard a lot of stories about her these past few days.

"It was just a passing fancy... There's a poetry writing booth over there, I remember the prizes were pretty good, but it's been so long I've forgotten. Oh no, have you infected my good memory too?"

"What are you saying? You have no memory yourself, so why are you blaming me? Come on, let's see what the prizes are!" Zuo Qiuchi didn't waste any time and went straight over to check for himself.

That stall was a poetry stall, similar to a riddle-guessing stall, with prizes covered by Tianya Tower, they wouldn't be stingy.

The poetry stalls attracted many literati, scholars, and beautiful women; it was indeed a place for scholars to indulge in their refined interests.

"Nine talented men and women have already contributed poems. Is there anyone else who would like to write a poem to celebrate tonight's fireworks display?" the stall owner shouted. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the man dressed as a small vendor was actually Elder Ding!

Chu Mingkong led Zuo Qiuchi to the front of the stall, recalled which poem he had borrowed here last time, glanced at the fireworks display, and then wrote and recited:

"The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers, and blows down stars like rain. Precious horses and carved carriages fill the road with fragrance. The sound of phoenix flutes moves, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night."

Bang~!

Suddenly, dazzling fireworks rose up, blooming with beautiful and brilliant light in the night sky, one after another.

Tourists gathered along the moat, gazing up at the dazzling fireworks display amidst joyful and excited exclamations.

The tourists in front of the poetry stall were immediately struck by the poem. They stopped their chatter, held their breath, and waited, but they didn't want to miss the fireworks in the sky. Their heads were in a dilemma, not knowing which way to look.