The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 301 Which prince do they want to bring down? (6k)

In response to Cao Zhengyang's inquiry, Zhong Yao immediately began to explain.

"This is Consort Ying, the birth mother of the Fifth Prince. These people behind her are the elders of the Liu family in the capital, Consort Ying's family members."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang immediately understood.

I had heard earlier that the Grand Eunuch Gao Xianzong had returned to the capital because he was dissatisfied with the incompetence of the prefect and the governor.

Not only did he completely absolve himself of any wrongdoing, but he also embellished the story, enraging the emperor and prompting him to impose punishment.

Whatever the reason, a prince cannot die in obscurity, without even knowing who the murderer is.

It seems that Consort Ying has come in person to demand an explanation, carrying the anger of her maternal family and the power granted to her by the Emperor.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Cao Zhengyang, the leader of the Taiqing Sect, greets Consort Ying and everyone!"

Consort Ying glanced at him indifferently and nodded slightly in return.

“Master Cao,” Consort Ying spoke, her voice as cold as frost, “we are all intelligent people, so I will not beat around the bush.”

"I have come here for no other reason than to seek justice for my son."

Cao Zhengyang nodded, indicating that he understood.

For the concubines in the imperial harem, giving birth to a prince meant having the possibility of vying for the throne.

The Consort Ying before us has undoubtedly devoted countless efforts and resources to raising the Fifth Prince to this day.

But he died in a foreign land, leaving behind not even a complete body.

Then, Consort Ying gestured to someone behind her.

Immediately, an old man stepped forward and handed over a jade slip.

"This is what the Fifth Prince looked like and what he was wearing before he was killed, as well as the appearance of several of his protectors!"

The old man's tone carried an air of unyielding authority.

Looking at the jade slip that was handed to him, Cao Zhengyang did not reach out to take it.

In any cultivation country, sects and dynasties are equal in status; neither is superior to the other.

If you ask me for help, you have to see if I'm willing to take it on.

Moreover, this matter involves a wide range of people. It is possible to ignore several Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators and kill the Fifth Prince and others without leaving a trace afterward.

This clearly demonstrates the strength of the person who made the move; it's quite possible that it was another prince or a powerful force behind him.

Taiqing Sect is currently facing a mountain of problems, and he truly has no time for this, nor does he want to accept it.

Seeing Cao Zhengyang's appearance, Yingfei narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly.

Then she spoke: "Sect Leader Cao, when I came to your sect, I already had a general understanding of the current situation in the Eastern Region."

"The Taiqing Sect's connections and intelligence network in the Eastern Region far surpass those of the Cangyan Dao Palace."

"As long as Sect Leader Cao is willing to help, I am willing to offer a thousand top-grade spirit stones as a reward for any clues."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang felt a chill run down his spine.

A thousand top-grade spirit stones! This is truly astonishing.

The foundation of the imperial capital's nobility is indeed far superior to that of small sects like theirs in the Eastern Region.

But the fear is that you might have the life to receive this money, but not the life to spend it.

His gaze swept over Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji's haggard faces, and after a brief moment of thought, he shook his head.

Once they take on this task, the Taiqing Sect will be essentially tied to the dynasty's chariot, becoming, in a sense, the same as these two individuals.

If the peak masters and others are sent out separately, and they happen to be caught and bitten by Lei Wuji, that poison king, it would really be a loss.

What's even more frightening is that, given the dynasty's consistent practices, if they take the money but can't find any results, they might even be falsely accused.

It's better to offend them from the start to avoid trouble later.

After thinking it through, Cao Zhengyang cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness Consort Ying, I truly sympathize with the Fifth Prince's situation."

"But the Taiqing Sect is currently facing many troubles and is simply unable to spare the resources, besides..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji: "If even the prefect and the magistrate are helpless, I'm afraid we will have little chance of making a difference."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Consort Ying's eyes.

The gray-robed elder, who was still offering the jade slip forward, immediately snorted coldly, "Is Sect Leader Cao trying to refuse?"

"I guess so," Cao Zhengyang nodded frankly. "Sorry!"

Seeing the atmosphere instantly become tense and Cao Zhengyang's attitude resolute, Prefect Zhong Yao quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

“Brother Cao, the Empress is also deeply concerned for her son. How about this, the Taiqing Sect only needs to help keep an eye out for relevant clues, without having to send people to investigate specifically.”

Lord Xiao Ji chimed in, "Yes, consider it a favor to us."

Seeing that he had conveyed his message, Cao Zhengyang sighed and said, "Very well, I will accept this jade slip and instruct my disciples to keep a close eye on it, but..."

He looked directly at Consort Ying: "The Taiqing Sect has its own rules and regulations, and we hope Your Highness will understand."

Consort Ying gave him a deep look, then suddenly chuckled, "Master Cao is indeed a man of few words. Very well, I will await your good news."

After saying that, he turned around and boarded the flying boat again.

The five gray-robed elders glanced at Cao Zhengyang with displeasure before following him forward.

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji exchanged a wry smile, then bowed to Cao Zhengyang and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Brother Cao. We still have to go to the Cangyan Dao Palace, so we won't bother you any longer."

Then, the flying boat took off and quickly turned into a streak of light on the horizon.

Watching the departing flying boat, Cao Zhengyang looked down at the jade slip in his hand and couldn't help but snort.

"Since you've chosen to seek help from a local bigwig like me, you should know how to lower your stance instead of acting like royalty and offering handouts."

Elder Wuzhu stepped forward and whispered, "Sect Leader, this jade slip..."

"Keep it for now." Cao Zhengyang casually tossed the jade slip to Wu Zhu, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"I'm leaving this to you. Just give it a perfunctory answer!"

Wu Zhu was taken aback. "You've given me a gatekeeper?"
This is indeed a bit too perfunctory.

……

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and mist, while the Firefly Fairy sat by the window.

With her slender fingertips, she plucked a bright green Gu worm from her wide sleeve. The worm's body was crystal clear, and one could vaguely see the spiritual light flowing within it.

“Look at the color of the Truth Gu,” Liu Xuanfeng, the eldest elder of the Liu family, stared at the Gu worm and said in a deep voice, “This Cao Zhengyang did not lie. He really did not know about the matter in Fengtai.”

Silence fell over the airship for a moment.

The Fifth Prince, Xuanyuan Fengtai, perished in the Eastern Region. Apart from the other princes secretly taking action, only the five major sects had the power to kill him.

Now that Tianji Sect has been destroyed and Taiqing Sect has been cleared of suspicion, only Jinlei Sect, Qingyu Immortal Sect and Cangyan Dao Palace remain.

“Although he claimed to be unaware,” Third Elder Liu Mingde sneered, “his evasive attitude is still infuriating!”

Consort Ying remained silent, only gently stroking the Gu worm.

“Ying’er,” Second Elder Liu Youtai sighed, his white eyebrows trembling slightly.

"Forgive my bluntness, Uncle, but so much time has passed since the Fengtai incident; finding the real culprit seems unlikely..."

Before he could finish speaking, two lines of clear tears suddenly rolled down Consort Ying's face.

She looked at her five family members, her lips trembling slightly: "Is...is there really no hope at all?"

Liu Youtai looked troubled: "When Fengtai was murdered, the divine soul imprint left on him by the Emperor was completely erased. Chief Steward Gao came to investigate personally, and Prefect Zhong also took us to the scene, but..."

"My poor Fengtai!" Consort Ying suddenly burst into tears, "He was so young, and he didn't even leave behind an heir..."

The five members of the Liu family looked at each other and sighed.

The First Elder, Liu Xuanfeng, glanced discreetly at Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji outside the cabin, then lightly waved his sleeve to set up a soundproof barrier, keeping his voice extremely low.

"The current emperor is a man of great talent and ambition, and he desires to control all the sects of the Holy Martial Dynasty. This is why he has hinted to his princes to use both kindness and force in various regions."

"First, provoke an internal war within the sect, and when they are both severely weakened, then appear as a savior."

"While secretly supporting them, they gradually eroded and controlled them."

Second Elder Liu Youtai stroked his white beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy eyes: "Indeed, this grand scheme has only been going on for a few years, but the results are already remarkable. The sects in various prefectures and counties have been infiltrated by more than 20% without anyone noticing."

"What a pity..." Fourth Elder Liu Hansong suddenly sighed, "This child from Fengtai chose the wrong place, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up with no remains."

Upon hearing this, Consort Ying stopped crying and said, "He just wanted to gain more merits before the crown prince was chosen. What did he do wrong?"

Liu Xuanfeng nodded repeatedly, signaling her not to rush.

Then he looked at everyone and said, "That's the problem! The Emperor has not yet established a crown prince because he wants to see which prince is more skillful."

"Whoever can keep the sect under control and control the most of it will have a chance to sit in that position in the future."

As they spoke, a hint of regret flashed in their eyes.

If Xuanyuan Fengtai wins this game, his Liu family will surely rise to become a top-tier family in the dynasty.

Second Elder Liu Youtai sighed and shook his head: "In the eight prefectures and seventy-two counties of the Holy Martial Dynasty, the other princes always pick on the weak first, but him..."

"He's the most decisive!" Consort Ying suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, the pearl hairpin in her hair shaking violently. "What's the use of saying all this now?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

The First Elder, Liu Xuanfeng, coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "Alright, let's get down to business."

A ruthless glint flashed in his cloudy eyes. "Since we can't find the real culprit, then we'll... create one."

"What does Big Brother mean?" The others all looked over.

Liu Xuanfeng sneered: "Naturally, we'll choose the one who is most hostile to our Liu family."

He dipped his thin fingers in tea and wrote the number "seven" on the table, saying, "Only then will the motive be sufficient."

"Anyway, at the very least, we can't let him become the crown prince. Otherwise, if the seventh prince gains power, the first family he'll want to settle scores with is our Liu family."

Everyone nodded, and almost simultaneously a figure appeared in their minds.

The Seventh Prince – Xuanyuan Yichen!

"However, this matter needs to be considered carefully. At the very least, we need to guide the major sects of the Eastern Region to meet that guy."

“Only in this way can the previous grudges become…the perfect motive!” the elder said.

Their eyes lit up instantly.

Two days later, the speed of the flying boat slowed down considerably, and then Lord Xiao Ji walked in.

"Reporting to Consort Ying, we have arrived at the Azure Flame Dao Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Ying slowly placed the Truth Gu into her sleeve and then stood up.

"Let's go!"

……

Inside Taiqing Gate, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

Mo Xingjian arrived at Zhou Qing's courtyard and suddenly stopped.

Beneath the large tree outside the courtyard, Lu Yaoyao sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, surrounded by a faint starlight. Even more surprisingly, a hazy, ethereal aura subtly emanated from her side.

"It's actually the prototype of the artistic conception..." Mo Xingjian's pupils shrank slightly, his face full of surprise.

"As expected of someone who has refined the sixteenth ranked Heavenly Dao Qi Star Spirit, apart from the fourth brother, she is the only one in the entire Taiqing Sect who has comprehended the intent in the late Nascent Soul stage."

Mo Xingjian sighed.

He thought of Li Daoxuan, Du Kui, Gui Ao, and Luo Lingling, who all began to slowly comprehend the truth many years after they had reached perfection.

This includes Lei Lie, Zhu He, Li Hanshan, and others from other sects.

"Senior Brother Cao always envies me, little does he know that he has also picked up a treasure. It's truly a case of being blind to one's own strength!" Mo Xingjian shook his head and chuckled.

Looking at the still-closed quiet room, Mo Xingjian couldn't help but feel sorry for Zhou Qing.

"The three-color magic array..." he murmured, knowing that Zhou Qing must be going through unimaginable hardships at this moment.

Without further disturbance, Mo Xingjian turned and left.

But as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, the identity token in his storage bag lit up.

When he arrived at Shenyue Peak, he found that his six junior brothers and sisters stationed at Tianji Sect had all returned.

"Is something wrong?" Mo Xingjian asked, puzzled.

At this moment, Cao Zhengyang also rushed over. After looking around at all the peak masters, he said with a solemn expression, "Everyone, the Supreme Elder has ordered that we gather everyone's strength to completely seal off the entrance to the forbidden area."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the dozen or so peak masters changed drastically.

The Taiqing Sect's grotto is filled with treasures, and successive sect leaders have brought out precious items from it.

Now that the sect's strength has greatly increased, they originally planned to wait until they finished dealing with their current affairs before having more than twenty Nascent Soul Realm cultivators explore together.

Why the sudden decision to seal off the area?
Go Hyun was the first to react.

Since leaving the pass, Cao Zhengyang has told him some secrets.

"Is it because those two seniors at the Spirit Severing Realm are coming?" he asked.

Cao Zhengyang nodded slightly.

Only then did everyone suddenly realize.

It seems that the eight senior uncles, after discussion, decided not to share the Taiqing Sect's greatest secret with outsiders.

"But even if it's sealed off, doesn't Second Uncle still have other entrances?" Tong Min from Yuqing Peak asked.

Cao Zhengyang smiled bitterly and said, "That's exactly why we've left ourselves a way out. But the thing is, we don't even know about this way out."

He looked at everyone and said sincerely, "Fellow junior brothers and sisters, please don't worry too much. We are not familiar with those two seniors yet, and we don't even know what they look like. They came here entirely because of Zhou Qing."

Everyone nodded in agreement and then headed towards the back of the mountain.

Duanmu Shu and the others had been waiting for a long time.

After a brief explanation of the plan, everyone immediately began the sealing process...

Three more days passed.

The group emerged from the back mountain, looking exhausted. Before they could even rest, the elder in charge of guarding the teleportation array rushed over to report.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Fairy Xuanyou from the Azure Feather Immortal Sect has come to pay a visit."

Cao Zhengyang hesitated for a moment, then nodded to signal them to proceed.

Before long, the teleportation array flashed, and the Fairy Xuanyou, dressed in a green robe, emerged gracefully, her brows furrowed with a hint of solemnity.

"The Fifth Prince's birth mother, Consort Ying, has recently been traveling to various sects with her entourage, seeking help from all sides."

Fairy Xuanyou got straight to the point, "The Azure Flame Dao Palace refused to receive visitors because Sikong Yan was in seclusion, while the Golden Thunder Sect sent Lei Lie to receive them."

As she spoke, she took out a jade slip and handed it over: "This is the portrait they requested my sect to help them find."

Mo Xingjian took the jade slip and found that it was exactly the same as the one given by Consort Ying before. He couldn't help but shake his head: "They've certainly cast a wide net."

"Just give me a perfunctory response," Cao Zhengyang said casually.

As the sect leader, Fairy Xuanyou naturally understood the intricacies of the royal family's affairs.

She hesitated for a moment, then reminded him, "Brother Cao, the Taiqing Sect needs to pay close attention to this matter."

"Oh?" Cao Zhengyang raised an eyebrow.

“Besides looking for clues,” Fairy Xuanyou said in a low voice.

"She even showed me a portrait of another prince, seemingly trying to lead me to believe that the death of the fifth prince was related to him."

A glint flashed in Cao Zhengyang's eyes, and he immediately understood: "It seems... this is a scheme to divert the troubles of the royal infighting to the east."

He sneered, "Trying to use my Eastern Region sect to eliminate your political enemies?"

Fairy Xuanyou nodded slightly: "That's right. That Consort Ying seems grief-stricken, but in reality, she's scheming at every turn. I'm worried..."

"Are you worried that she will cause trouble in the Eastern Region?" Mo Xingjian took over the conversation, tapping the jade slip lightly with his fingertips. "In that case, we should stay out of it."

Fairy Xuanyou nodded and said, "But the Taiqing Sect will probably find it difficult to remain uninvolved in this matter."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang looked puzzled, but quickly realized what was going on and asked, "Which prince's portrait was shown?"

"Seventh Prince—Xuanyuan Yichen!" Fairy Xuanyou said, enunciating each word clearly.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang's expression immediately changed.

Xuanyuan Yichen knew the chief ghost mastiff of Xiaoling Peak and had challenged and sparred with him before.

Later, he even brought some items to Zhou Qing for appraisal, and they made several trips back and forth.

Especially in Baiyu Taixu Academy and the border area, Zhou Qing had contact with them more than once or twice.

Thinking of this, Cao Zhengyang's face grew even more gloomy.

If Consort Ying really intended to frame the Seventh Prince, wouldn't all these dealings with the Taiqing Gate become irrefutable evidence of their "accompliceship"?

Once the seed of doubt is planted, the guilt is already established!

Seeing the changes in Cao Zhengyang's expression, Fairy Xuanyou naturally understood the implications.

After all, when she was investigating whether Zhou Qing had achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, she had thoroughly examined all the records of communication between Baiyu Taixu Academy and the border.

"Alright, I'll be going now. But let me reiterate, the Azure Feather Immortal Sect swears to stand with the Taiqing Sect through thick and thin!"

Fairy Xuanyou solemnly cupped her hands in greeting.

Cao Zhengyang barely suppressed his worries and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Thank you for the reminder, Sect Master Xuanyou."

After the light from the teleportation array faded, Cao Zhengyang quickly called on everyone to discuss countermeasures.

Unexpectedly, that very night a figure completely shrouded in a black robe appeared outside the Taiqing Gate.

After Elder Wuzhu came out, before he could even ask any questions, the other party suddenly shot a jade slip through the air.

Elder Wuzhu caught it instinctively, and when he looked up again, the dark figure had already disappeared into the deep night.

The situation was urgent, and Elder Wuzhu dared not delay, so he quickly took the jade slip and went to find Cao Zhengyang.

After reading it, Cao Zhengyang immediately summoned all the peak masters and elders who were still in the sect.

"The jade slip contains information similar to what Fairy Xuanyou reminded us of, but it is more detailed. It even records Consort Ying's whereabouts and plans. Please pass it around and read it carefully!"

Cao Zhengyang said in a deep voice.

After everyone finished reading, their expressions turned solemn.

They had originally planned to stay out of it, but unexpectedly, the fire ended up burning the Taiqing Sect.

"Is the messenger either Prefect Zhong Yao or Lord Xiao Ji?" Mo Xingjian asked thoughtfully.

Cao Zhengyang nodded and said, "Although it's unsigned, it should be them. Besides them, I really can't think of anyone else who would risk giving a warning."

Ling Yuexiao, the peak master of Hundred Battles Peak, frowned: "But as officials of the imperial court, aren't they afraid of being accused of colluding with sects and leaking secrets by acting in this way?"

Cao Zhengyang pondered for a moment and said, "My relationship with Lord Xiao is not so close that I would make him take such a risk."

"Or perhaps, this manor lord has the same relationship with all the sect leaders under Lingyun Manor."

"As for Prefect Zhong, who governs the nine prefectures..." Cao Zhengyang shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I've only met him two or three times, so there's no question of any friendship between us."

A glint flashed in Mo Xingjian's eyes: "Is it because of Zhou Qing?"

Cao Zhengyang nodded slightly: "It should be. Don't forget, Xiao Cancan, the apple of Lord Xiao's eye, always calls Zhou Qing 'Big Brother'."

"And his prospective son-in-law, Zhang Wanbao, also has a close relationship with Zhou Qing."

"As for Prefect Zhong Yao, it must have been when he personally came to pick up Zhou Qing and Master Lin Daochen at the White Jade Taixu Academy to repair the Four-Colored Magic Array on the border that the connection was formed."

Although everyone was still worried after hearing this, a sense of relief welled up in their hearts.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qing had already woven such a deep network of connections.

"Regardless of the reason, their actions are a gesture of goodwill towards Zhou Qing and our Taiqing Sect!" Cao Zhengyang said in a deep voice.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

This sudden warning indicates that Consort Ying and her group will soon make a big deal out of the relationship between the Taiqing Sect and the Seventh Prince.

If they overreact to this matter, they will only make things worse.

Moreover, during the Five Sects War, the Seventh Prince even risked his life to deliver three paintings to remind them.

Cao Zhengyang looked around at everyone, his eyes gleaming: "Gentlemen, we need to prepare as soon as possible!"

All the peak masters immediately stood up and replied in unison, "We will obey the sect leader's orders!"

……

Sure enough, half a month later, the gilded flying boat broke through the clouds again and hovered above the Taiqing Gate.

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji were the first to descend from the clouds.

The protective array of Taiqing Sect emitted a two-colored light, and Elder Wuzhu stepped out slowly with a cold expression, hastily cupping his hands to the two.

"My Taiqing Sect has already dispatched disciples to search far and wide for eyewitnesses," Elder Wuzhu said indifferently, glancing at the hovering flying boat.

"And it's only been a few days, aren't you being a little too hasty?"

Elder Wuzhu stood with his hands behind his back, his tone clearly sarcastic.

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji exchanged a meaningful glance.

He then stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "We have come here to ask Sect Leader Cao for confirmation on a matter."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, my sect leader went into seclusion last month and I'm afraid he won't be able to meet with you all for a while."

Wu Zhu slapped his forehead and said in a flippant tone.

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Ying, accompanied by five elders of the Liu family, gracefully descended from the flying boat.

Her delicate face was filled with obvious anger: "Seclusion? First, Sikong Yan of the Cangyan Dao Palace went into seclusion, and now your Taiqing Sect is following suit. Is this a deliberate attempt to target me?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Wuzhu merely glanced at her indifferently, as if looking at a clown.

He leisurely brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "So what?"

(End of this chapter)