The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 302 Guo Datou's Realization (6k)

Faced with such disrespect from a mere gatekeeper, Consort Ying was instantly furious, her chest heaving violently.

In just two short months, how could the Taiqing Sect's attitude have become so tough? Was this secretly orchestrated by someone?
At this thought, a sinister glint flashed in her eyes.

Wu Zhu calmly watched them.

They say the most poisonous heart is a woman's. This woman has ill intentions and wants to drag the Taiqing Sect down with her. Do you expect me to give her a pleasant look?

Who do you think you are?
Do you know what it means when a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake?
"presumptuous!"

Elder Liu Xuanfeng of the Liu family stepped forward with a displeased expression. In an instant, a terrifying pressure erupted from his body, pressing down on Wu Zhu like a mountain.

With a crisp "crack", the bluestone ground beneath Elder Wuzhu's feet instantly cracked.

Caught off guard, he, who was only at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, trembled violently and his face turned bright red.

He fell to his knees uncontrollably, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Are you implying that my Taiqing Sect has no one to rely on?"

A furious shout came from inside the Taiqing Gate.

The next moment, Gao Xuan, the peak master of Jin Yang Peak, stepped forward first, his spiritual power erupting like a volcano.

A dazzling purple beam of light shot up from the top of his head, condensing in the void into a giant lion phantom wreathed in purple flames, roaring as it forcefully pushed back the pressure from the Liu family.

A cold glint flashed in Liu Xuanfeng's eyes, his sleeves fluttered without wind, and with a thought, the pressure around him suddenly surged by 30%.

Nine pitch-black chains faintly appeared in the void, rustling as they coiled around the golden lion phantom.

It's clearly impossible to find the murderer who harmed the Fifth Prince now. The best way to stop the damage is to bring down the Seventh Prince, Xuan Yuan Yi Chen.

The only witnesses who could testify were the Taiqing Sect, which had close ties with the Seventh Prince.

However, this sect adopted a perfunctory attitude from the very beginning, refusing to be swayed by either soft or hard approaches, which displeased people.

Since the soft one is not enough, the only option is the hard one.

Some country bumpkins who have never seen the world are just like that; they won't eat what's offered to them, but they prefer to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty shot.

As long as we subdue them by force and then guide them slightly to "voluntarily" provide some clues that are detrimental to the Seventh Prince, we can go back and report directly to the Emperor.

"Humph!"

"presumptuous!"

Unexpectedly, two more shouts rang out at the same time.

Tong Min, the peak master of Yuqing Peak, stepped forward. With a gentle wave of her hand, a long river of jade-colored spiritual energy surged from her sleeve, transforming into thousands of green lotuses in the air.

Ling Yuexiao, the peak master of Hundred Battles Peak, stomped his foot, and a three-headed, six-armed war god dharma image appeared behind him.

The combined pressure of the three Nascent Soul Realm experts forced Liu Xuanfeng back half a step, and the nine black chains snapped inch by inch.

Upon seeing this, the other four elders of the Liu family simultaneously snorted coldly.

The four men stepped forward in unison, their robes fluttering in the wind.

The Second Elder, Liu Youtai, formed a hand seal, and a crimson waning moon appeared behind him.

The Third Elder, Liu Mingde, summoned an ancient bronze mirror, from which countless rays of light shone.

A thousand miles of frost condensed beneath the feet of the Fourth Elder, Liu Hansong, while nine small jade swords floated above the head of the Fifth Elder, Liu Qingyang.

Four terrifying pressures, distinct yet complementary, pressed down like four ancient divine mountains.

The three peak masters of Taiqing Sect froze, their faces turning pale instantly.

Prefect Zhong Yao and Lord Xiao Ji looked at each other in dismay, not expecting the two sides to be at each other's throats so suddenly. They were extremely anxious but unable to intervene.

"People from the capital really have some nerve! I just agreed to help you find someone, and you come here to bully us!"

"Is this how the entire Liu family repays kindness with enmity? If you don't give us an explanation today, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

At this critical moment, Mo Xingjian led all the other peak masters of Taiqing Sect to join forces.

Each person was surrounded by a dazzling aura of spiritual energy. What was even more astonishing was that two of the eight white-haired and bearded elders possessed an aura that was in no way inferior to that of Liu Xuanfeng and the others.

You should know that the Nine Nether Lotus Seeds weren't refined for nothing.

At this moment, apart from Cao Zhengyang, the combined pressure of the twenty Nascent Soul Realm experts at the Great Perfection stage formed a vast ocean of spiritual energy, instantly suppressing the aura of the five members of the Liu family.

At this moment, the five members of the Liu family were forced to retreat repeatedly by this sudden and terrifying pressure, their faces filled with horror.

They never expected that the mere Taiqing Sect would hide so many top experts!
Consort Ying's face turned extremely ugly.

I originally thought that Taiqing Sect was just a soft target that I could easily bully, but who would have thought that it would be such a tough nut to crack!

Having failed to establish his authority, he has now been humiliated by these country folk.

But those who can survive the treacherous intrigues of the imperial harem are certainly not easy to deal with.

Seeing the intense tension between the two sides, she suddenly smiled and stepped forward.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

She glared at Liu Xuanfeng and his group of five with feigned reproach, "I'm here to ask the Taiqing Sect for assistance in investigating the case, not to fight. Get out of here at once!"

Liu Xuanfeng and the others had grim expressions, but they were all worldly-wise people and instantly understood Consort Ying's intentions.

He immediately snorted coldly, and the oppressive aura around him receded, but his sinister eyes remained fixed on the Taiqing Sect members.

Seeing this, Mo Xingjian and the others slowly withdrew their pressure, but their spiritual energy continued to flow around them as they coldly watched their every move.

Consort Ying stepped forward gracefully and said, "Please forgive us, everyone. We were indeed the ones who offended you. On behalf of the Liu family, I apologize to the Taiqing Sect!"

As he spoke, he actually bowed slightly.

Mo Xingjian and the others simply watched coldly without saying a word.

Upon seeing this, Consort Ying's eyes flashed with a shadow of gloom, but it quickly turned into a sorrowful expression: "It is truly... I have lost the imperial heir and my heart is breaking, which is why I lost my composure."

At this point, two lines of tears streamed down her face. "I hope you will all forgive me for the pain of losing my son."

Then, she took out an image stone: "We have come here again because we really want to ask Sect Leader Cao to verify something."

As she spoke, the image stone in her hand floated over.

When he was in front of everyone, he hesitated, appearing indecisive and unsure of who to entrust the task to.

After all, your sect leader is in seclusion, so who among you can take charge now?

Everyone's faces darkened, and they cursed inwardly.

This woman's every move exuded a calculated affectation; even handing over an image stone required such a performance!
Seeing that no one was there to help, Consort Ying could only sigh softly: "To be honest, this is an image stone that the Golden Thunder Sect gave us when we visited them."

"The stone contains a photograph of the Seventh Prince, Xuan Yuan Yichen, and the Ninth Princess, Xuan Yuan Muqian, coming and going from Taiqing Gate. Among the royal family members, only these two siblings have ever visited your sect."

At this point, Consort Ying's eyes were filled with tears: "I only ask that you all tell me the truth, has the seventh prince ever revealed anything special, or is there any clue about the death of his fifth brother?"

Mo Xingjian and the others coldly watched the image stone floating in the air, their hearts filled with dread.

This Consort Ying is truly ruthless; in a short time, she set two traps for the Taiqing Sect.

If the Golden Thunder Sect knew that the image stone they originally intended to use to sow discord had been so brazenly used by Consort Ying to turn the tables on them, one wonders what they would think.

Fortunately, everything is still under control.

Suddenly, Duanmu Shu's voice transmission rang in everyone's ears: "Pay attention to the last one in the Liu family. There is an image stone embedded in his hair ornament!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw that on the headdress of the fifth elder of the Liu family, an inconspicuous black jade was gleaming faintly.

Mo Xingjian immediately stepped forward and said directly, "The Seventh Prince did indeed visit the Taiqing Sect, but it was only to exchange spear techniques with my eldest disciple and comprehend the essence of the art."

His tone was calm, yet every word was firm and resounding: "Many years passed without seeing him, and the Fifth Prince's murder happened even later."

Consort Ying parted her red lips slightly, about to retort.

Mo Xingjian had already turned around and flicked his sleeve: "We still have important sect matters to attend to, so please excuse us!"

After saying that, he turned and went inside, and the others followed him into the mountain gate in single file.

At this point, the more you say, the easier it is to fall into the other party's trap.

This was a strategy that everyone had agreed upon after discussion.

Upon entering the mountain gate, Sect Leader Cao Zhengyang was already standing with his hands behind his back.

Standing quietly behind a layer of spiritual energy ripples, he gazed intently at everything outside the mountain gate.

Mo Xingjian and the others stopped in their tracks and stood side by side with the sect leader, looking at the situation outside through the semi-transparent protective array.

At this moment, Consort Ying was still standing in the same spot, her delicate face now ashen.

She stared intently at the slowly closing protective array, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

Since Fengtai's death, many sects that used to fawn over the Liu family have begun to distance themselves, and quite a few have even turned against her.

These opportunists have never changed their ability to switch sides depending on the wind.

This has always been the way things are in the imperial court: the victor becomes king and the loser becomes a bandit. She was already used to it.

Even so, no one has ever dared to completely disregard her authority like the Taiqing Sect.

Those sects that defected will at least outwardly maintain proper etiquette and give the respect due to others.

But the Taiqing Sect not only publicly humiliated her, but also closed its doors to all visitors, unwilling to maintain even the most basic decorum.

“What a fine Taiqing Sect…” Consort Ying almost squeezed out these words through clenched teeth, a sharp, cold glint flashing in her eyes.

She turned abruptly and walked towards the airship without looking back.

The five elders of the Liu family followed closely behind, each with a strong sense of murderous intent surging in their eyes.

After exchanging glances, Prefect Zhong Yao and Lord Xiao Ji were about to follow when Elder Liu Xuanfeng suddenly stopped, slowly raised his right hand, and made a "stop" gesture.

"My lords!" Liu Xuanfeng's gaunt face was icy as he looked at the two men and said, "The affairs of my Liu family have troubled you two for a long time, and I am truly sorry."

"I won't trouble you any further. Besides, the prefecture and county must have a mountain of official business waiting for you two to handle, right?"

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji looked at the Liu family's eldest elder, and seemed to have guessed something.

Zhong Yao forced himself to remain calm and managed a weak smile: "Elder, you flatter me. Serving Her Majesty is simply the duty of us local officials..."

Before they could finish speaking, the Liu family and others started their flying boat and left, leaving the two of them alone in front of the Taiqing Sect's mountain gate, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"How heartless and ungrateful!" Xiao Ji shook his head with a bitter smile.

Zhong Yao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Perhaps they find us a hindrance. That's fine, at least we can get out of this quagmire for now."

As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at the majestic gate of Taiqing Sect, then patted Xiao Ji on the shoulder, "Let's go."

Seeing that everyone had left, Cao Zhengyang and the others inside the mountain gate also breathed a sigh of relief.

"They won't let this go so easily. Let's prepare ourselves!" Cao Zhengyang said calmly, then turned and left.

The others nodded slightly, indicating that they understood.

Soon after, the Taiqing Sect received news that Consort Ying and her entourage had originally planned to stay and rest at the Jinlei Sect, but were politely refused by the sect leader because he was in seclusion.

This enraged them, and they stormed off on the spot.

The sect leader is in seclusion. Can't you come up with another reason?

Cao Zhengyang chuckled upon hearing this.

Putting aside Lei Wuji's monstrous appearance, just the fact that you're using him as a pawn, do you think he'll greet you with a smile?

Moreover, what you're trying to do when you go to someone else's territory is obvious to everyone.

After the death of the Fifth Prince, the Liu family began to decline.

The Golden Thunder Sect isn't stupid. Why would they offend the Taiqing Sect and the mysterious force that could kill the Fifth Prince for their personal grudges?
At this point, there's no time to hide.

“In addition, two more sects have recently been wiped out. We discovered this at least five days later!” Mo Xingjian said with a solemn expression.

After hearing this, Cao Zhengyang sighed deeply.

"If the Golden Thunder Sect continues to be allowed to run rampant, it will inevitably become a disaster for the entire Eastern Region. But now, with a variable like Consort Ying present, we cannot afford to act rashly!"

Sitting to the side, Gao Xuan suddenly chuckled: "Since we can't resolve the conflict, why not shift it?"

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian immediately looked at him.

Gao Xuan said slowly and deliberately, "The original plan of the Golden Thunder Sect was to take advantage of the Seventh Prince's matter to cause a conflict between my Taiqing Sect and Consort Ying, but we did not expect that Consort Ying would betray us."

"If that's the case, why don't we become the fishermen?"

"You mean..." Cao Zhengyang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, "to let the Golden Thunder Sect and Consort Ying fight like dogs?"

Gao Xuan nodded and said, "Don't forget, we still have a mummified corpse here."

Cao Zhengyang's eyes lit up at first, then he shook his head: "Consort Ying is in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and the five members of the Liu family all have the combat power of a prefect. In addition, there are a large number of royal guards... At most, that ancient corpse can exert the strength of a Nascent Soul. Let alone hurt people, it will be difficult to even get close."

"Why get close?" Mo Xingjian suddenly asked. "We just need it to show itself, and..."

He paused meaningfully, "It carries corpse poison."

Gao Xuan looked at Mo Xingjian, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"That's right, and it's a good opportunity to see how long a person at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm can survive after being poisoned, and whether there is a corresponding antidote."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang's eyes suddenly lit up, and his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table.

This plan truly kills three birds with one stone.

First, it can restrain the secret actions of the Golden Thunder Sect.

Secondly, it can keep Consort Ying and her group busy and prevent them from targeting the Taiqing Sect.

Third, they found a perfect test subject to test the true power of the corpse poison.

"What do you intend to do?" Cao Zhengyang leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Gao Xuan and Mo Xingjian.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Sometimes, the simplest way to kill someone else can solve the most complex problems.

……

The Hundred Refinements Hall, a mid-level sect that once relied on the Tianji Sect, had its leader, Guo Datou, successfully advance to the late stage of the Divine Transformation Realm many years ago with the help of the Tianji Sect's resources.

After the destruction of Tianji Sect, he immediately handed over a top-grade fire-attribute spirit stone and gained the protection of Taiqing Sect.

But late last night, a terrifying divine sense suddenly locked onto him while he was fast asleep.

Guo Datou suddenly woke up and saw five unfathomable old men standing in front of his bed with a half-smile.

He hurriedly pushed aside the pair of twin furnaces beside him that were snoring softly, and scrambled out of bed to pay his respects.

"puff!"

"puff!"

Unexpectedly, one of the elders flicked his finger, and two gusts of wind instantly smashed the heads of the two furnace cauldrons, splattering blood and brains all over Guo Datou's face.

"Do you want the Hundred Refinements Hall to become a super sect in the Eastern Region?" the leading elder asked in a sinister tone.

Just as Guo Datou was about to shake his head, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck, and an invisible sword of energy was already pressed against his throat.

He trembled and nodded frantically, "Yes! Of course I want to!"

The group then smiled with satisfaction: "That's more like it. With our support, we'll definitely help you replace one of the four major sects..."

The old man paused, then asked, "What do you think of the Taiqing Sect?"

Guo Datou chuckled inwardly.

You five Nascent Soul cultivators at the Great Perfection stage dare to challenge more than twenty powerful figures from the Taiqing Sect?

Are you guys stupid or do you think I'm stupid?

If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. I'm not ambitious, and I don't want to be a tall person.

I like this stable life that's neither too high nor too low, and I feel that being under their protection is good enough.

Where are you from?

What about other areas of Lingyun Prefecture?
Or from other prefectures?

Besides, nothing comes for free; if you want to take advantage of me, just say so.

But on the surface, his eyes shone with a fanatical light.

"Really? Really?" Guo Datou asked excitedly.

The group nodded in satisfaction, and the elderly man at the head stroked his beard: "Very good. From now on, you just need to do as we instruct. Remember—"

His eyes suddenly turned cold, "If you dare to leak even the slightest word..."

Guo Datou immediately patted his chest and assured them, "Don't worry, seniors! I, Guo Datou, swear to God that this matter will never be revealed to anyone!"

As he spoke, he even pretended to make a hand seal and swore an oath to Heaven.

"Hahaha, good!" The old men looked at each other and laughed. "Your Hundred Refinements Hall has truly met a benefactor."

The following afternoon, Guo Datou, seizing the opportunity, immediately contacted the Tianji Sect.

The peak master who remained at the site immediately crossed the teleportation array and reported the final destination of the Liu family and their group to Cao Zhengyang.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyang's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "Interesting..."

"Pass down the order to have Guo Datou continue monitoring them, paying particular attention to anyone who goes out alone."

"Yes!" The Dragon Ridge Peak Master then departed.

Then, Cao Zhengyang stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the distant, layered mountains, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

People from this big city never truly understand the way of life in this land.

……

Over the next few days, Guo Datou followed the instructions of the five men and searched everywhere for all sorts of rare materials.

It seems to be for the purpose of repairing some important magical artifact.

"Damn it, they're so stingy!" Guo Datou cursed inwardly as he checked the materials.

He asked me to help collect so many valuable materials, but he wouldn't even give me a single spirit stone.

They even called it a "test of sincerity," saying that if it couldn't be done well, they would have to find someone else to cooperate with.

"Test my ass! Do I need you to test me?" Guo Datou grew angrier the more he thought about it. "If the Hundred Refinements Hall had this many resources, would it still be a second-rate sect?"

Fortunately, the Taiqing Sect had been secretly providing support, which allowed him to gather all the materials in a short time and hand them over to the other party.

That very evening, a figure quietly left the Hundred Refinements Hall and headed straight for the northwest.

Meanwhile, one of the peak masters responsible for surveillance outside quickly notified the others and secretly followed them...

……

Interests are always reciprocal.

The reason why the current emperor favored Liu Ying back then was not only because of her stunning beauty in her youth, but also because of the profound knowledge of alchemy accumulated by the Liu family over generations.

Those unique elixir formulas that would make any power envious.

But as time went by, once the royal family acquired all these elixir formulas, the Liu family was like a sugarcane that had been squeezed dry, losing all its sweetness and leaving only a pile of useless dregs.

After the death of the Fifth Prince, the Liu family's situation deteriorated further.

But a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

As long as they retain their status as relatives of the emperor, the Liu family can maintain a facade of prestige.

However, the prerequisite is that there must be no factors that threaten this identity.

Therefore, no matter what, they cannot allow the Seventh Prince to have even the slightest chance of becoming the Crown Prince.

The Taiqing Sect was the only breakthrough point.

However, the strength of the Taiqing Sect far exceeded expectations, and both soft and hard tactics were ineffective, so they had to find another way.

So they thought of the forbidden elixir passed down in the Shen family—the Spirit-Binding and Heart-Locking Pill.

These are some of the few elixirs that the royal family has yet to master, and they are also the Liu family's last trump card.

This elixir can silently control the mind of others, making the user act entirely according to the caster's will.

However, to achieve the desired effect, it must be used in conjunction with the [Thread-Pulling Mirror]. Through this mirror, one can monitor the person taking the pill's every move in real time and issue commands.

Since their second visit to Taiqing Gate and the sudden change in attitude they encountered, they suspected that they were being monitored.

Even more frightening is the possibility that the Taiqing Sect may be colluding with the forces that murdered Xuanyuan Fengtai.

That's why they deliberately sent Prefect Zhong Yao and Lord Xiao Ji away.

However, the Liu family group was too conspicuous.

Those guards who came from the capital were ostensibly there to protect the people, but secretly they were the eyes and ears of countless others.

Therefore, they had to find an inconspicuous local force to act as a puppet. When they passed by the Hundred Refinements Hall, the dilapidated sect signboard happened to catch their eye.

To avoid suspicion, only the Fourth Elder, Liu Hansong, was left to secretly oversee the Hundred Refinements Hall.

It wasn't until Guo Datou gathered all the materials needed for refining the weapon that this happened.

There is still one Soul-Binding Heart-Locking Pill left, but the [Thread-Pulling Mirror] was accidentally damaged when it attacked the Seventh Prince's maternal clan.

That's why we went to such great lengths to find materials for the repairs.

Furthermore, they also carried a large number of poison pills, each of which was mixed with the Liu family's secret "Soul-Eating Powder".

It's unlikely that a sect in such a remote place would have the strength to unravel this mystery.

"We only need to control one key figure..." Fourth Elder Liu Hansong revealed a sinister smile.

"Then, by secretly distributing the poison pills to others, the plan will be complete."

At that time, with the image stone provided by the Golden Thunder Sect, and the "testimony" of the Taiqing Sect members, the evidence of the Seventh Prince Xuanyuan Yichen's crime of murdering his brother will be irrefutable.

Given His Majesty's suspicious nature, even if the Seventh Prince had a silver tongue, he would find it difficult to clear his name.

What's even better is that the other princes will surely take the opportunity to kick him while he's down.

The infighting within the royal family never needs outsiders to stir things up.

Thinking of this, Liu Hansong quickened his pace, needing to reach the valley where the flying boat was docked as soon as possible to meet up with the others.

Just as he was making his calculations, he suddenly stopped, his body abruptly halting in mid-air.

"wrong!"

Liu Hansong's old eyes suddenly narrowed, and he felt a chill run down his spine tonight.

Almost instinctively, his withered hands instantly formed a hand seal, and a layer of hazy protective spiritual light suddenly shone brightly.

"Om-"

The next moment, the ground suddenly lit up with dazzling array patterns, and four beams of light shot into the sky, instantly forming a trapping array.

By the time he realized what was happening, he was already in the middle of the formation...

(End of this chapter)