The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 278 No, is this Shen Yunzhou a dog demon in human form? (6k)

In response to Zhou Qing's words, Sikong Yan gently shook his head, a faint smile on his face.

"Didn't I just say that the child's illness hasn't been cured yet? If you take her away rashly, her life will really be in danger."

"Who are you kidding? She's perfectly healthy. I think you just want to keep her around as a bargaining chip!"

Shen Yunzhou, his face full of anger, stared directly at Sikong Yan without fear and retorted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled and revealed a playful expression.

He gave Shen Yunzhou a thumbs up, his tone slightly teasing: "This young man is really smart. He even saw through this. He's amazing!"

Shen Yunzhou: "..."

Afterwards, Sikong Yan ignored Shen Yunzhou and slowly turned his gaze back to Zhou Qing, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes.

"That guy's decision to surrender was actually within my expectations."

"Moreover, since he is willing to confide even his most painful memories to you, it seems that his trust in you is truly extraordinary!"

Sikong Yan narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke.

"Judging from your actions in defending him just now, you two must have a pretty good relationship. How about we play a little game?"

Sikong Yan's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something fun, and he looked at Zhou Qing with great interest.

Zhou Qing's heart tightened, and he looked at Sikong Yan warily, asking in a deep voice, "What game?"

Sikong Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his back straight, and strolled leisurely around Zhou Qing and Shen Yunzhou.

"Let's take a gamble on what a person will do when faced with a difficult choice?"

"What do you mean?" Zhou Qing looked puzzled, but a strong sense of foreboding was already rising in his heart.

Sikong Yan continued circling, his steps unwavering, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

"If he were to see his daughter alive, the feeling of having her back after losing her is something that probably few people in the world could truly understand, right?"

Zhou Qing stared at Sikong Yan with a furrowed brow, seemingly guessing something, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart.

“I’ll make him a condition: if he wants Nannan back, he has to exchange her for the heads of three peak masters from your Taiqing Sect. What do you think he’ll do?”

Sikong Yan suddenly stopped and stared directly into Zhou Qing's eyes.

"You..." Zhou Qing was furious, his hands clenched into fists, and his breathing became somewhat disordered.

Sikong Yan suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter carrying a hint of mockery and ridicule: "On one side is the unbreakable bond of family, and on the other is the friendship that you spend every day with. It is indeed a difficult choice, huh?"

He started pacing slowly again, saying as he walked, "But to be honest, I still lean towards him choosing his daughter. What do you think?"

Before Zhou Qing could even refute him, Shen Yunzhou was already furious, his spiritual energy surging violently, ready to launch a sudden attack.

But the little girl was nowhere to be found, and taking action would only make things worse.

Zhou Qing, equally suppressing his anger, tried his best to keep his voice calm: "What's the point of doing this? And what do you gain?"

Sikong Yan tilted his head, pretended to think for a moment, and said, "That's true. Apart from punishing the traitor, there doesn't seem to be any real benefit. On the contrary, it may trigger a major war between the two sects."

Then, a strange, ambiguous smile appeared on his face. "But I still find it quite interesting. As I just said, it's a game, and games should be fun."

"Of course, just in case, you can take that guy into custody first, or even..."

Sikong Yan suddenly smiled, stretched out his finger and lightly gestured towards his neck: "Kill him, that way we'll solve the problem once and for all."

"It's such a pity for Nannan. She was finally brought back to life, but now she's an orphan, all alone."

Zhou Qing's face turned ashen, but he couldn't act rashly, or he would be playing right into Zhou Qing's hands.

Sikong Yan continued unhurriedly, "Thinking about it this way, this father and daughter are so pitiful. When the father was alive, the daughter was not, and when the daughter was alive, the father was gone. They are like two parallel lines that will never intersect."

"But don't worry, if that's the case, I will teach Nannan well and train her to be a top-notch assassin. I will use portraits of all the members of your Taiqing Sect as her training subjects."

“After all, you are the executioners…” Sikong Yan deliberately dragged out his words, his face carrying a chilling expression.

Zhou Qing's clenched fists trembled slightly, veins bulging on his forehead, and he said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly: "Sikong Yan, don't go too far!"

"Shameless!" Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but curse.

Sikong Yan threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Alright, you guys go back and discuss a plan. After all, time is tight. Let's start the game today!"

With that, he waved to the two of them and turned to leave.

Shen Yunzhou was furious and was about to rush forward when Zhou Qing grabbed him with lightning speed.

He struggled for a moment, his face full of resentment and anger, his eyes bloodshot, and he said angrily, "No, are we just going to watch him swagger away like that?"

Zhou Qing frowned, his gaze cold and stern, and said in a deep voice, "Then do you think we have the ability to keep him here?"

Shen Yunzhou opened his mouth, but swallowed back the rebuttal that was about to come out.

In the end, all he could do was clench his fists in frustration and stomp his feet heavily.

After a brief silence, Zhou Qing's expression turned serious.

Then, he slowly turned his head and looked at the lonely white-clad figure in the treetop not far away, and said, "She's just a child."

Lin Jin also remained silent for a long time, as if he was pondering something.

After a moment, he spoke calmly, yet with an air of profound melancholy: "I am equally curious about his choice. Besides, my days are numbered."

After saying that, Lin Jin vanished in a flash.

Zhou Qing's heart sank suddenly.

Time is running out?
What do you mean?
Shen Yunzhou was so angry that his face turned red, and he cursed loudly, "Damn it, I haven't been this furious in a long time! Brother Zhou, don't worry about this, I'll just call my older sister over and raze this damn Cangyan Dao Palace to the ground!"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat, but he still shook his head.

Even if someone at the Spirit Severing Realm attacks incredibly fast, they can't outrun a reckless madman.

This guy has always acted without any rhyme or reason, and now he even dares to kill members of the royal family and mock them wantonly.

Besides, how do you know he doesn't have a Spirit Severing Realm expert backing him up?
Furthermore, he is number seven of the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, and has witnessed the existence of terrifying forbidden zones. No one knows how many trump cards he still holds.

Now that he treats this as a game, it seems that Nannan's life shouldn't be in danger anytime soon.

However, once a powerful expert at the Spirit Severing Realm intervenes, things escalate, and the situation becomes completely unmanageable.

"No need, this is a matter of grudges between our two sects, and we will handle it properly ourselves!"

Zhou Qing's voice carried an undeniable air of authority.

Shen Yunzhou sighed deeply, his face full of guilt.

He looked around and said to himself, "Brother Zhou, it's all my fault. I insisted on coming here to find out what was going on. That guy was obviously acting on a whim. If we hadn't come, this whole thing might not have happened."

Zhou Qing patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "This is not your fault. That guy is a madman. He does whatever he wants and whatever comes to mind. Let's go back to the sect and discuss this further."

The two then boarded the flying boat and sped off towards the Taiqing Gate.

……

Inside the Taiqing Gate, everyone was overjoyed and excited to see Zhou Qingping return safely from the border.

But when they saw Zhou Qing's gloomy face and extremely strange expression, Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Zhou Qing looked at them with a solemn expression, his eyes slightly narrowed, and said in a deep voice, "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian looked at each other, and then said, "Bad news, but it'll be better later."

Zhou Qing nodded, took out the image stone that had captured his image, and recounted his encounter with Sikong Yan at Canglan Mountain.

As he spoke, Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian's brows furrowed more and more, and their expressions gradually became serious.

The secret about the real Go Hyun being replaced is known only to the two of them to this day.

"How could Nannan still be alive? And after all these years, she hasn't changed much at all."

Cao Zhengyang stared at the little girl in the floral dress in the video, watching the more than 100,000 black-clad puppets sink into the ground, his tone full of doubt and unease.

Mo Xingjian sighed, "If it were me, I would probably choose my daughter in the same dilemma."

Cao Zhengyang nodded silently.

No matter how close they are, it can never compare to the bond of blood ties.

Moreover, Gao Xuan endured humiliation and hardship to infiltrate the Taiqing Sect, and everything he did over the years was to repay a debt of gratitude.

The real Gao Xuan accidentally injured Nannan during a battle, and now Sikong Yan has somehow resurrected her.

"This matter is too suspicious." Mo Xingjian stroked his chin, his expression solemn. "With Sikong Yan's methods, if he really wanted to take the lives of the three of us peak masters, he would have had the opportunity during the battle of Canglan Mountain. Why would he go to such lengths to set up such a predicament?"

“That’s right,” Cao Zhengyang agreed. “What’s even stranger is that he leaked the information beforehand, which clearly puts the initiative in our hands.”

Zhou Qing said coldly, "That's someone who's not quite right in the head. He said it's just a game, or rather, a bit of fun."

Upon hearing this, the two of them simultaneously snorted coldly.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing, about Lin Jin..."

Soon, Zhou Qing thought of something and told his senior uncle and master about everything he knew about Lin Jin.

After listening, Mo Xingjian pondered, "Could it be that everything Sikong Yan did was to help Lin Jin?" "Possibly." Cao Zhengyang nodded, "Lin Jin tortured you and Yan Xiaohu at the Baiyu Taixu Academy. Perhaps Sikong Yan set up this scheme to repay a debt of gratitude."

Mo Xingjian's eyes flashed: "You mean to say that Lin Jin risked his life to save Consort Chen back then, but Consort Chen ended up marrying the current emperor?"

"The current situation is somewhat similar to what happened back then. Is that why Lin Jin said he also wanted to see what Senior Uncle Gao Xuan would choose again?"

Cao Zhengyang nodded: "That should be it. Rather than saying it's a game of choice, it's more like he wants to see what ugly things people will do when faced with extreme choices."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Zhou Qing shook his head.

"What is now certain is that Nannan is the mother of those black-clad puppets, and she has been kept in her original form to this day, which shows that this matter has been in preparation for many years."

"Furthermore, Lin Jin only said some harmless things to us at the academy every night. At most, it was just mental torture, but he did not cause any real harm."

Mo Xingjian stroked his long beard and pondered, "I think Fourth Brother's analysis is correct. There is no way the other party would go through such a long process just for some kind of reciprocity."

Cao Zhengyang scratched his head in frustration and said, "Then what do you think we should do? It's only a year or two before Junior Brother Gao comes out of seclusion. If he finds out that his daughter is still alive, he'll brave any danger, even mountains of knives and seas of fire."

Mo Xingjian sighed and said, "Never underestimate a father's love for his daughter."

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of the second young lady, wondering where she had gone.
If something were to happen to her, he really didn't know what crazy things he might do.

But what cannot be denied is that they will absolutely slaughter his entire family and raze his sect to the ground. Even if it means overturning the Nine Heavens, they will grind their enemy to dust!
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy; this matter really needed to be considered carefully.

At least as long as Gao Xuan hasn't come out of seclusion, they have time to make arrangements. If they can rescue Nannan quietly, that would be even better.

"Oh right! What about the good news you mentioned? Don't keep stringing us along with bad news." Cao Zhengyang suddenly remembered something and looked up at Zhou Qing.

Mo Xingjian also let out a long sigh and looked over: "Hopefully this good news can dispel the bad luck."

Zhou Qing rubbed his temples with a wry smile, then said, "It's still related to Consort Chen, or more precisely, her eldest and second eldest sisters. Strictly speaking, this matter started when Master Lin and I helped them repair the four-colored magic array..."

Time passed slowly, and the two who had initially just been listening to gossip ended up with wide eyes, rapid breathing, and their chests heaving violently.

As soon as Zhou Qing finished speaking, Cao Zhengyang suddenly grabbed his wrist, his voice trembling: "You, are you telling the truth?"

Mo Xingjian's hands were also clenched tightly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down: "There are actually two Spirit Severing Realm cultivators!"

“I wanted to refuse at first too,” Zhou Qing said, spreading his hands helplessly, “but once the academy disbands, they really have nowhere to go…”

"You dare to refuse?!" Cao Zhengyang almost jumped up, veins throbbing on his forehead. "If you really turn people away, I'll go smash my head against the monument on the back mountain right now!"

Mo Xingjian suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter: "Five years, five years! Good, good, truly excellent!"

Cao Zhengyang was panting heavily while pinching his arm, afraid that it was just a dream.

"Back then, when I sent you to Baiyu Taixu Academy, I was full of concerns. But your master said that we couldn't restrict you too much, otherwise even if you grew up, you would only have the appearance of talent."

"Looking back now, I realize I wasn't farsighted enough; I almost lost two Spirit Severing Realm experts who wanted to join me!" Cao Zhengyang said with deep emotion.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly, but still reminded him, "Lu Yuanzhi and Lu Yuanjiu are both from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. I trust their character, but I think there are some things that need to be made clear beforehand."

After speaking, Zhou Qing recounted the potential threat posed by the royal family and the concerns of those involved in the forbidden area of ​​the cave.

The two gradually calmed down.

Therefore, once the two of them reach the Spirit Severing Realm, they must never be known by the royal family. They can only be kept hidden deep within the sect as the most secret and powerful trump card of the Taiqing Sect.

There are also other series such as the Cave Heaven, the Small World with Five Coffins, and the Ancestor, which cannot tolerate the slightest mistake. We must not end up with the situation where it is easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away.

After all, no one could predict what terrifying power would be unleashed when two experts at the Spirit Severing Realm joined forces.

"These two pieces of news, one good and one bad, really make us need to plan carefully. You can put this matter aside for now, and we can discuss the specific arrangements later. You must be tired from your journey, so go back and get some rest."

Mo Xingjian waved his hand, his eyes showing concern.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and bowed respectfully: "Then this disciple will take his leave."

When Zhou Qing came out of Shenyue Peak, he saw Lu Yaoyao standing on tiptoe, anxiously looking out the door.

Yan Xiaohu, holding his identity token, was focused on processing the messages.

Upon noticing Zhou Qing, the two hurried over to greet him.

"Senior Brother Zhou, nothing bad happened this time, right?" Lu Yaoyao asked anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.

Yan Xiaohu carefully examined Zhou Qing from head to toe. Seeing that Zhou Qing had a rosy complexion and was full of energy, he figured that he hadn't been subjected to that old beast's soul search again, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Qing looked at the two of them and gently reassured them, "It's alright, don't worry. But..."

He cautiously looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, he lowered his voice and briefly recounted Lu Yuanzhi's story.

Upon hearing this, both of them were immediately overjoyed, especially Lu Yaoyao, who excitedly clasped her hands together.

After all, Master Lu was exceptionally kind to her. If she could truly break through to the Spirit Severing Realm, the benefits to her cultivation and the entire sect would be immeasurable.

"Keep this a secret and don't spread it!" Zhou Qing warned.

The two nodded quickly, indicating that they understood.

“Alright, I need to go find Brother Shen. I traveled back on his flying boat, which saved me a lot of time, and I should thank him,” Zhou Qing said.

Lu Yaoyao quickly said, "Brother Shen went to find Senior Brother."

Zhou Qing was slightly taken aback, a look of doubt on his face: "Why is he looking for Senior Brother Li? The two of them shouldn't be familiar with each other."

Lu Yaoyao said, "When I learned that you were back, I rushed to Xiaoling Peak, but you weren't there. Instead, he came out of the VIP area looking unhappy."

"He said he was very upset and needed to vent to someone, and asked me if I knew anyone suitable."

"I figured that after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, my senior brother had been eager to spar with someone to improve his own artistic conception, so I recommended him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing immediately understood; it seemed that Nannan's matter had also greatly angered this guy.

Then, he looked at the training ground, and some images involuntarily surfaced in his mind. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"It seems that Senior Brother Li will be fasting for quite some time to come!"

……

Upon returning to Xiaoling Peak, Zhou Qing was overjoyed to see the familiar ethereal aura once again permeating the area around the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree.

After all, he had already filled it with ten top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones on his way back.

Instead of worrying about things that haven't happened yet, we should focus on improving our own strength!

As long as one can successfully comprehend the five strands of Phoenix Dao patterns, one can condense the [Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal] at the appropriate time.

At that time, breaking through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm should be just around the corner.

"Once I reach the later stage, with the amplification from the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top and all the various techniques I possess, I will truly become the number one person below the Spirit Slayer realm!"

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing felt a surge of pride.

At that time, as long as he doesn't encounter someone at the Spirit Severing Realm, almost no one will be able to pose any danger to him.

And he can do many things without any worries, no longer having to walk on thin ice like he does today.

"Fifty top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones would normally be enough for me to break through from the mid-stage to the late-stage, but the calculation can't be done that way!"

Those who are greedy will inevitably harm themselves!

After all, absorbing spirit stones is like eating. Once you're full, you have to wait until your body has digested most of it before you can eat the next meal.

Being greedy and seeking quick results is like adding oil to a raging fire—it will only lead to your own demise.

However, this "cooling-down" process takes a long time; otherwise, if everyone had money, wouldn't they all go into seclusion and break through to the next level?

After arranging everything, Zhou Qing entered the quiet room and activated the soundproof barrier.

Immediately afterwards, he embraced the ancient tea tree with both hands, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind. His aura gradually subsided, and he entered a state of enlightenment.

A month later, as Zhou Qing opened his eyes again, the red light on his body dissipated, and within his sea of ​​consciousness, three feathers had lit up on the chest of the Blood Phoenix.

Afterwards, he put the ten best wood-attribute spirit stones he had left into the potted plant one by one before stretching his body and going outside.

"I can go into seclusion again in a month," Zhou Qing murmured to himself, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Just as they stepped out of the courtyard, they were surprised to find Li Daoxuan leaning against the tree in front of the courtyard, his face pale.

This startled Zhou Qing slightly, and he quickly asked, "Senior Brother Li, what's going on—"

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's voice, Li Daoxuan's previously dim eyes instantly lit up, as if he had grasped the last straw.

Her eyes were filled with tears of grievance. Then, she threw the spear aside and rushed towards Zhou Qing.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you're finally out of seclusion! Waaah, do you know how I've been these past month? Ugh~"

Li Daoxuan rushed to Zhou Qing, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly bent over and lay on the ground, vomiting violently.

A strong, pungent, sour smell immediately filled the air, causing Zhou Qing to instinctively cover his mouth and nose and frown.

Li Daoxuan almost vomited his gallbladder, trembling as he wiped his mouth, his eyes filled with tears, and tightly gripped Zhou Qing's arm.

"No, how could one person comprehend such a distorted realm of thought? Dog demon, Shen Yunzhou is definitely a dog demon in human form."

Li Daoxuan shouted almost hoarsely.

(End of this chapter)