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

Chu Mingkong's questions were a bit chaotic because too many questions came to mind at that moment, some of which were long-standing doubts that had surfaced at this time.

The Queen Mother of the West said unhurriedly:

"Then I can't answer all your questions. How could I possibly know what others want to do? I don't live in other people's minds."

In terms of strength, Shen Xuejun is definitely inferior to that one from the Heavenly Domain. Their relationship is like... let me imagine how to explain it to you.

Chu Mingkong was secretly pleased. He first inquired about her true self, and then tried to find out about his master's wife. The results were indeed extraordinary. Normally, this mother would not have bothered to come up with an explanation for him.

If he understands, then he's quick to learn; if he doesn't, then I'll ignore him and not explain.

"Mother, take your time thinking, there's no rush!"

"Why do you keep calling me 'Niangye' and 'Maye' all the time, and now you've changed it to 'Muye'? Each one sounds worse than the last."

It was rare to hear her complain like this. It was a pity that Chu Mingkong didn't see her appear in person, he could only hear the Queen Mother of the West's voice, otherwise he really wanted to see what her expression was when she complained.

"Isn't it because you've never told me anything about yourself? If I only call you by one name, I'm afraid you'll get upset and then secretly make things difficult for me. So I'll have to change how I address you."

She nodded in acceptance of Chu Mingkong's answer, and then continued with her previous response:

"You can roughly understand Shen Xuejun's words as being in Yongzhen's situation."

The woman's words startled Chu Mingkong, and he instinctively asked:

"My master's wife is a puppet incarnation of that being from the Heavenly Realm?!"

"No, it can't even be understood as a clone..." The woman sighed, struggling to explain, "It's similar to your journey through the Heavenly Realm, with a similar theme, but there are crucial differences in the details. If that tuberose flower were here, it would be much simpler for her to explain it to you."

Tuberose?

That girl was quite an oddball; she possessed great cultivation, but lacked any cultivation techniques or similar methods to support it.

Her current cultivation techniques were all given to her by him; how could she possibly explain that?

Chu Mingkong saw that the Queen Mother of the West was struggling to explain, so he decided not to make things difficult for her. If he upset her, she would have even more reasons to ignore people in the future.

"Let's put that aside for now. I'll try to ask Master's wife in person later. But I still want to confirm one more thing with you: was Master's wife's initial intention good or bad?"

"This is something you need to judge for yourself. How can you listen to other people's opinions about the people around you? Do you need to listen to other people's opinions about your own thoughts on Shen Xuejun?"

Chu Mingkong would not doubt his master's wife because of this sudden information. He had always known that his master's wife's identity was very important. His cultivation had been improving all the way, but when he faced his master's wife, he always felt that he could not see her and could not catch up with her.

This mystery might make him hesitant and confused when facing his master's wife, causing him to lose his composure and become flustered.

......

After discussing it with his mother, Chu Mingkong found a time when his master's wife was alone and went to her room.

The Taoist sect arranged excellent rooms for each of Chu Mingkong's female relatives. The small area of ​​the house was filled with the changes of the five elements, and each room had its own different five element attributes.

The rooms were also assigned according to the compatibility of the five elements.

The place Yao Ji arranged for Shen Xuejun to stay was located on a mountain peak, where ice chips flew up in the rushing waterfall, and the rainbow reflected in the sunlight became a rainbow bridge connecting the various peaks.

Chu Mingkong walked on the path of light, stepping on the faint glow of the rainbow.

The strange sight beneath his feet didn't attract much of his attention, as his mind was focused on the upcoming meeting.

When he arrived at the door, his fingers, which were about to knock, touched the doorframe. He paused, and suddenly found a familiar feeling amidst his unease.

Chu Mingkong recalled that he seemed to feel this unease every time he came to find his master's wife.

After a period of anxiety, when the familiar tension returned, Chu Mingkong quickly relaxed again because he was used to it.

Upon realizing this change in his mindset, he couldn't help but chuckle.

A cool, clear voice came from inside the door:

"Mingkong, what are you laughing about all by yourself outside the door?"

Chapter 198 Dialogue with the Master's Wife

There was no use in agonizing over it, so Chu Mingkong simply walked into his master's wife's room and glanced around the room.

The rooms inside the Taoist temple are simple but not shabby. The furnishings are simple, and the furniture and curtains are bathed in a soft and peaceful atmosphere. The wisps of incense relax the body and mind of the people inside.

Chu Mingkong then explained his earlier silly grin:

"I just suddenly remembered a silly joke. It's about a forgetful person who suddenly forgot that he was forgetful, and then he got better."

This is indeed a true reflection of what he just did.

Shen Xuejun remained expressionless after hearing this. She had a very high threshold for laughter, or rather, Chu Mingkong had rarely seen his master's wife laugh.

The elegant, snow-haired woman did not comment on Chu Mingkong's joke, but instead gestured to the chair, indicating that he should sit down.

"Sit down. Mingkong, you must have come here because you need something?"

“Master’s wife, you’re making me sound like someone who only comes to you when there’s a reason. But I do have something to ask you.”

"Go ahead and speak," Shen Xuejun said, nodding slightly as always, allowing him to ask her questions.

Aside from Chu Mingkong's own unchanging unease, the image of his master's wife remained unchanged every time he saw her.

Her features were delicate and beautiful, like distant, misty, icy peaks and mountains, making them difficult to see clearly. Her calm demeanor carried a sense of detachment from her surroundings.

Even the unwavering mystery surrounding his master's wife contributed to Chu Mingkong's trust in her.

"It's just that... I heard the Asura King mention something about my master's wife before, and when my master's wife walked through the teleportation portal, I saw that my master's wife was wrapped in probability threads, which were connected to places that could not be seen."

Although I only caught a glimpse of it briefly, I don't think it was just my imagination. Could I ask my master's wife what the situation was?

Shen Xuejun's face remained calm and serene, like a snow-capped mountain frozen year-round. Despite the many changes in the outside world, she remained unchanged and steadfast.

After a brief silence, instead of answering directly, she asked about Chu Mingkong:

"Mingkong, how did you feel after your trip to the Heavenly Realm, where your soul wandered beyond the heavens?"

"It was like a dream. I lay down there, closed my eyes, and opened them again, and I was in the Heavenly Realm. It was hard to tell whether I was a soul wandering to the Heavenly Realm or was teleported there."

"So how did you deal with this doubt at the time?"

"I'll just do what I'm supposed to do. No matter what the situation is, I have to do what I'm supposed to do, so I haven't thought about this matter too much."

"If we're only talking about dreams, do you know what kinds of dreams there are?"

Why is the teacher's wife suddenly thinking about dreams...?

But Chu Mingkong knew that his master's wife was not one to change the subject. If she didn't want to talk about something, she would tell him directly that she didn't want to talk about it. Now, she kept asking about the dream... Was this related to his doubts?

The doubts in his heart did not affect Chu Mingkong's response to his master's wife:

"I heard a flower girl I know in the Heavenly Realm mention something about it, but she mentioned that the content of the dream was different for different people when they entered the dream world."

Those with higher cultivation levels will clearly remember their selves in the dream, while those with lower cultivation levels will remember nothing at all upon waking.

"Flower spirits in the forbidden area of ​​the Illusionary Palace?"

"Um......"

Chu Mingkong nodded, then waited silently for his master's wife to continue.

“Some people dream, and their self is real, while the surroundings are false illusions. But I am the opposite. Mingkong, you and Yunhan are real, but my existence is born from that hazy dream. It took me a lot of time to figure this out.”

"...?"

Chu Mingkong was stunned. He picked up the teapot and brewed tea, taking the brief moment as the tea flowed into the teacup to understand the meaning behind it.

On the contrary, everything around you is real, but you yourself are a dream?

Connecting this to what the Queen Mother of the West had just said to him, Chu Mingkong instantly grasped the general meaning.

When Chu Mingkong's soul wandered outside the heavens, he arrived in the celestial realm in a very unique state, as if he were having a dream, but he was clearly aware of his own situation.

What Master's wife meant by these words was that her existence was the result of a fleeting dream of some being in the Heavenly Realm, but Master's wife was unaware of this until she later realized it.

Chu Mingkong was utterly astonished. Even though these words came from his master's wife, he still found it hard to believe.

Could it be that this brief moment of rest in a dream has created such a powerful being as Master's wife?

"Master's wife, this news has really startled me. You're usually so quiet and reserved, and now you're suddenly telling me something so serious..."

Shen Xuejun's attitude showed no emotion or melancholy; she was calm, as if she were not recounting her own story.

Her eyes were like hazy moonlight, her eyebrows remained still, and her snow-silver gauze dress swayed faintly, enveloping her in a cool halo, standing alone in the dimly lit room.

"When I first learned of this news, I spent a lot of time pondering it. I didn't know what kind of person the other 'me' was. If she woke up from her dream, would it be the time for me to leave?"

Mingkong, what you saw at the teleportation array was the unbreakable connection between her and me.

Will Master's wife be affected after that being in the Heavenly Realm awakens from his dream?

Chu Mingkong's heart was stirred for a moment, but before his emotions could fully develop, the dormant icy spiritual energy within him became active, bringing his mind to a state of tranquility.

He said calmly, seemingly out of nowhere:

"I always feel that you, Master's wife, are too calm..."

"Because emotions can't change anything, only actions can change external things."

This is one of my principles, and it still is. However, I've also reflected on things like 'severing emotions.' Could this be a form of 'self-suggestion' by the 'me' in the Heavenly Realm, so that when I return, I won't bring back too much reckless emotion?

"Wouldn't that mean Master's wife is wavering?" Chu Mingkong expressed his concern calmly.

He was quite nervous about this kind of self-doubt. It's hard to imagine what would happen if a strong-willed woman like his teacher's wife encountered a situation where she would question her own beliefs.

"There is no need to waver, because I believe this way of thinking is not wrong; it is my own choice."

Just because others praise your weapon, does that mean you should abandon it?

My current situation is more like the weakness of a weapon being discovered.

"So, Master's wife, your later 'rules'—clearly defining your own principles and not being influenced by external forces—were in order to deal with this matter?"

Shen Xuejun did not deny it. Her clear, beautiful, ice-blue eyes showed little emotion, and her fair skin seemed to be covered with a thin layer of frost.

"Stop talking about your master's wife. Mingkong, tell us about yourself. Although it was only a short time, you went to the Heavenly Realm for training. What insights and experiences have you gained?"

Even the calmest mind couldn't suppress the bitterness in Chu Mingkong's heart at this moment, and the gentle curve of his lips turned into a bitter smile.

He didn't want his master's wife to skip over her own affairs like this, but since she had spoken up, Chu Mingkong knew that this was another kind of attitude that left no room for discussion.