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

Faced with a possible opportunity, most cultivators are no different from hungry wolves that devour flesh and blood.

"I also wanted to take Aunt Donglu with me, but I'm not going to go and fight. I feel more secure with more people guarding the house. Otherwise, if my precious Master falls asleep and some enemy sneaks in without me noticing, that would be a huge problem."

Chu Mingkong gently explained his motives to his aunt.

Zuo Qiuchi, however, had objections. She said indignantly:

"Hey, you brat, even if I'm sound asleep, I wouldn't miss detecting the enemy! Don't go around slandering me!"

"This is just an example, don't take it too seriously~" Chu Mingkong raised his hands in surrender and apologized.

Zuo Donglu accepted the proposal. On the one hand, she wanted to see more of the Heavenly Realm, and on the other hand, she wanted to hone her skills through combat.

Compared to her sister Zuo Qiuchi's leisurely half-day, Zuo Donglu is a diligent and hardworking cultivator.

Yun Nongyu also spoke up in support:

"Donglu, there's no need to rush. Once you arrive in the Heavenly Domain, you'll face no shortage of opponents. Judging from the cultivators from Sword Tyrant Mountain just now, there's a possibility that even more enemies will emerge from the teleportation portal later. You and Qiuchi can set up various sword formations outside the teleportation array to ambush them and make preparations."

Zuo Donglu accepted these words.

Indeed, the portal in this forbidden area can also "refresh" enemies on its own, making it a good place to practice.

"it is good!"

Seeing Zuo Donglu's excited and spirited expression, Chu Mingkong felt relieved.

My aunt's excited expression was quite amusing. Her expressionless face was still inconvenient; there was no smile on her lips, and her eyes were calm and undisturbed, but her two willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly raised.

This angle perfectly captures her fighting spirit at this moment.

(▼へ▼)

"Then let's set off first. Keep a close eye on the teleportation gate. There might be other forces that can sneak over and find an opening even if our teleportation gate isn't open."

After giving repeated instructions, Chu Mingkong set off with his men.

Following the route map provided by Wanxiangyu, Chu Mingkong set off.

"Mingkong, you really flattered me just now. How can you so easily draw inferences from one instance to another when investigating intelligence?"

Feng Ying said bitterly that she was only complaining now because she didn't want to ruin Chu Mingkong's performance and make sure he couldn't explain to Dong Lu.

"How can you tell if someone is selling information just by looking at their expression as someone who seems knowledgeable?"

"This intelligence itself is still about various relationships and social customs, but it's a bit simpler. I don't even know the accents, customs, or power divisions here. What if I find a fake dealer?"

They say they're going to sell us intelligence, but then they turn around and sell us out as intelligence themselves. That would be a losing proposition, and they'd only get themselves into trouble.

Chu Ming thought to himself that if he really encountered such a person, he would have to check on the women in the homes of these intelligence dealers.

He's the kind of person who's willing to take action against anyone's entire family, putting his words into practice and demonstrating the unity of theory and practice through his actions.

But he couldn't speak so crudely, so Chu Mingkong toned it down and said:

"You've already mentioned a lot of possibilities~ But to be honest, I think this situation is indeed possible, which is why there's the existence of Nongyu, right? Whether it's auspicious or inauspicious, we should first consult a divination."

Feng Ying glanced at Yun Nongyu and realized that it seemed possible, but this did not fit his past style of doing things. Who would use divination to gather intelligence? Wasn't that playing with his own safety?

However, Yun Nongyu is indeed capable of undertaking this important task!

"also."

After leaving the valley, Chu Mingkong soon encountered a group of cultivators. These were the cultivators who had been waiting for an opportunity, but some of them had inadvertently absorbed the cultivation left behind by that Bodhisattva and immediately converted to Buddhism.

Before long, these cultivators will go to the Buddhist sect on their own to send their cultivation to that Bodhisattva; this is something that is difficult to stop.

"These cultivators are highly mobile; perhaps some of them came from these small towns along the route, and they might know some information?"

Chu Mingkong's suggestion was rejected by Yun Nongyu, who reminded him:

“Mingkong, keep a close eye on those Buddhist cultivators. Although they are chanting scriptures with their eyes closed, they are all facing the direction of the valley entrance. They are monitoring the surrounding area. Do not ask them for information here.”

"That's true, it would be ridiculous if we were exposed right at our doorstep."

Fengying added:

"In fact, the foxes you mentioned, big and small, were originally fine, but as soon as you inquire about the foxes here, the Buddhist sect or some secret forces will immediately launch a full-scale search for the fox clan elsewhere, and then they will be in trouble."

Chu Mingkong had only been out of the valley for a short time, relying on his Nirvana Domain, when his plans were constantly being rejected, and the corner of his mouth twitched helplessly.

After putting aside their concerns, the three quickened their pace. Although they kept an eye out for suspicious information along the way, their main focus remained on getting there. Meanwhile, Chu Mingkong would occasionally bother Wan Xiangyu, asking her about the safety situation within the forbidden area.

This greatly annoyed the quiet-loving tuberose, who could hear his voice in her mind every now and then.

After some effort, the three of them quickly arrived at the first small town on their route.

"How is Nongyu? Can you smell their presence here?" Chu Mingkong asked impatiently.

Yun Nongyu knew the scent of the white fox mother and daughter, but Chu Mingkong's question sounded like he was leading a hunting dog to find someone by following its scent.

"They've been here before; this small town doesn't have a teleportation array..."

Yun Nongyu murmured to herself as she used Taoist divination techniques. Her spiritual power transformed into various hexagrams before her, eventually pinpointing the traces of their movements in the area.

Yun Nongyu displayed what she saw to the outside world. Spiritual energy condensed into a semi-transparent human figure at the entrance of the town. This was the scene when Zhu Tong and Zhu Yan first entered the place.

Feng Ying was taken aback:

"Is this how you find people? Several days have passed, yet you can still recreate their movements like this... This is no longer my responsibility?"

The three followed the figure that Yun Nongyu had reappeared, and walked along the way, discovering that the white fox mother and daughter did not linger there.

Perhaps worried that since the town wasn't too far from the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace, they might be suspicious if they ventured out to investigate. So they made a quick walk and headed straight for the planned route, heading towards a city of a higher scale.

Unfortunately, once the figure reached the outskirts of the city, it quickly became unsustainable.

Chapter 215 The Fox in the Cage

Why is this happening?

Chu Mingkong was puzzled, and Feng Ying beside him expressed similar doubts.

"Yes, why did the mother and daughter's auras disappear, making it difficult for Nongyu's figure to reappear? Shouldn't the absence of excess auras make it easier to pinpoint their whereabouts?"

Yun Nongyu explained to the two of them:

"It's different. The atmosphere in the suburbs is certainly much cleaner, but it's easy for that atmosphere to dissipate with the flow of spiritual energy. On the other hand, the locations where towns are built are often natural gathering places of spiritual energy, which helps to preserve the aura of the white fox mother and daughter."

Chu Mingkong and Feng Ying both suddenly realized.

There are quite a few intricacies involved.

Knowing this was useless, the three of them spurred their horses onward to the next city.

......

Xinglou City.

This city is much larger than the one we just visited, and it is comparable in size and prosperity to Yanling City.

If we really want to talk about the difference, it's just that it lacks a teleportation array. It's like those later-developed large cities that have surpassed their predecessors in terms of prosperity.

Unfortunately, its historical significance is overshadowed, and the lack of a teleportation array means it has lost its status as a transportation hub.

Because of the increased foot traffic, both Fengying and Yun Nongyu wore veils, the same style worn by Taoists.

The cultivators are generally very good-looking, but no matter how much spiritual energy optimizes their skin, those naturally beautiful women are always eye-catching wherever they go.

Their talent is part of their unique charm, which cannot be compared to mere physical appearance. Moreover, there are few people who can surpass them in appearance.

"We can't detect their presence here either?" Chu Mingkong looked at Nongyu and noticed the trouble in her eyes.

“No.” Yun Nongyu shook her head regretfully: “A city of this size has an underground array that would affect the retention of those auras. Unless the white fox mother and daughter left here less than half a day ago, there was no search.”

"The opportunities for the Wind Shadow to shine are bound to be plentiful."

"There won't be less, but you're making it sound like we're here to compete in finding people. Be more careful!" Fengying complained helplessly.

The three chatted incessantly, seemingly leisurely, but in reality, their steps were very hurried, showing no intention of strolling around.

Feng Ying quickly pinpointed several potential locations where intelligence might be exchanged by the casual conversations of the passing cultivators. However, as he searched, the bustling market suddenly fell silent, as if they were avoiding something.

Chu Mingkong pulled two veiled women beside him and mingled into the crowd to see what was going on.

Suddenly, Yun Nongyu noticed something, and Chu Mingkong felt her delicate body tremble slightly, so he asked in a low voice:

"what happened?"

"I vaguely sensed Xiao Zhuyan's aura. She's among that group of people ahead. They're carrying treasures that can conceal their auras, but I can't sense it clearly. I need to get closer."

Upon hearing this, Chu Mingkong couldn't help but wonder who this person was who could make so many cultivators wait in silence.

Previously, Chu Mingkong had only seen such a scene in the capital. High-ranking officials and noblemen, riding in fine clothes and on horseback, always had servants following behind them, and commoners had to make way for them. Even street vendors had to find ways to clear the way.

Chu Mingkong patted the shoulder of a young cultivator beside him and asked in a calm tone:

"Brother, who's coming? They're making quite a show of it. I bet even a passing dog would get slapped twice."

The cultivator being questioned, whose skin was covered in bluish scales and who was clearly not human, heard Chu Mingkong's unrestrained teasing and hurriedly tried to stop him:

"Brother, watch your words!"

The companion of this Azure Scale cultivator spoke in a rather harsh tone, with a hint of scolding and reprimand:

"Those are cultivators from Sword Tyrant Mountain, people from the Great Holy Land. Your disrespectful words will only make you a target for them, causing bloodshed and implicating us all!"

Chu Mingkong simply smiled and remained silent, not wanting to clash with him at this juncture. He didn't want to attract Jianba Mountain's attention unnecessarily; finding the white fox mother and daughter was the top priority.

However, seeing the awe these rogue cultivators from the Heavenly Domain showed towards those major powers, Chu Mingkong's attitude changed somewhat.

Last time, I faced the Heavenly Demons head-on, and the only concept in my mind was that of the Heavenly Demons' Saints and Venerables. It turns out that the rogue cultivators in the Heavenly Realm all have such awe for these great forces.

The young cultivator with the green scales was the type to avoid trouble and didn't want to create a grudge over a quarrel. He apologized quietly on behalf of his companion, and then asked another question:

"Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be a cultivator from this area?"

"My two wives and I have been in seclusion there for a long time, near the Moonlight Arakawa River."

“I see…” the young cultivator Qinglin continued, “Brother, you may not know this, but Sword Tyrant Mountain often frequents the slave and spirit pet markets in various places to select people to take back as disciples based on their aptitude. However, every time they leave, the line of prospective disciples is always full, but if you go to those markets and ask how business is, the owners there won’t say much, they’ll just say it’s so-so, or they haven’t made many deals.”

Slave markets like this don't exist openly in the region, but in reality, as long as a power system of the survival of the fittest exists, the existence of such businesses is inevitable.