The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 313 Are you really that resistant to being a good person? (6k)

Zhou Qing straightened up and looked at Sikong Yan across the distance.

"I've noticed something." Sikong Yan's gaze was as sharp as a knife as he curiously examined Zhou Qing.

"Last time at the edge of Canglan Mountain, in my perception, there was only that blond kid at first, but you suddenly appeared like a ghost."

He took a step forward: "You could even say that you were right next to him, but I didn't notice."

Zhou Qing felt a chill run down his spine, but he didn't show it on his face.

Sikong Yan continued, "And just now, Wu Sha brought you outside the palace, and I was thinking about how I should meet you."

His voice gradually lowered, "In the short time it took to be distracted, you came in and even talked to Nannan for a long time."

Sikong Yan stared intently at Zhou Qing, his curiosity growing stronger: "I only realized it belatedly, it's like I unknowingly overlooked you."

He suddenly moved closer: "How did you do that?"

Zhou Qing knew that his innate skill, [Reduce Presence], had come into play again.

But he couldn't explain it, nor did he want to.

“I’m right here, alive and well,” Zhou Qing said without changing his expression. “Have you ever considered that perhaps it’s not my fault, but yours?”

Sikong Yan was stunned.

The sharpness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of confusion.

"Perhaps," he muttered to himself, "My mind has indeed been a bit off lately, after all, the fusion is almost complete..."

Zhou Qing didn't know what he was talking about, but took the opportunity to change the subject: "Now you should answer my questions? What exactly happened to Nannan? What do you want?"

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan suddenly grinned, a smile tinged with madness.

Then she stepped forward and said, "Nannan, is that what you see? She's the bargaining chip I used to get Gao Xuan to do things for me."

“But before, I was a corpse,” Sikong Yan straightened up, spread his arms, and looked smug. “Now I’m a living person. Isn’t that amazing?”

Zhou Qing sighed softly to himself.

If he didn't know the inside story, anyone would consider this statement the most vicious provocation.

Killing people and killing people is nothing more than that.

Are you so resistant to being a good person?

But Zhou Qing still pretended to be angry, his fists clenching unconsciously.

Sikong Yan looked at his expression and seemed to enjoy this reaction.

He paced around Zhou Qing, looking curious: "I thought that after you came in, you would immediately grab Nannan and rush out."

He suddenly stopped, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "But you didn't move."

"Believe it or not, if I let Cao Zhengyang in, he would definitely do it."

Zhou Qing remained silent, his gaze fixed on Sikong Yan.

"You called me Brother Sikong at the mountain gate?" Sikong Yan immediately laughed. "I have to admit, you are now indeed standing on an equal footing with me."

A hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes. "In fact, I even sensed a danger in the depths of my being."

His tone became wistful: "Your Taiqing Sect now has you, Gui'ao, and Li Daoxuan. But my Cangyan Dao Palace's younger generation hasn't had a single one step into the Nascent Soul Realm yet."

“It turns out that Li Hanshan, Sima Yao, and the others were the most promising,” Sikong Yan’s voice gradually turned cold, “but unfortunately you killed them all.”

He suddenly moved closer to Zhou Qing, their noses almost touching: "Can I interpret this as you single-handedly causing a break in the foundation of my Azure Flame Dao Palace?"

Zhou Qing snorted coldly, advancing instead of retreating: "This can only be blamed on their lack of skill."

Sikong Yan clapped his hands and laughed, then quietly took a step back and said, "Well said, 'You're still not very skilled,' but you almost kissed me just now."

Zhou Qing: "..."

But Sikong Yan quickly smiled and said, "However, you are also right. In this world, if you can't eliminate others, you can only wait to be eliminated by others."

At this point, he seemed to recall something, his laughter abruptly stopped, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"The cultivation world never talks about reason, only strength. The weak are wrong even when they breathe; that is the law of survival."

Zhou Qing remained unmoved and went straight to the point, asking, "You brought Senior Uncle Gao Xuan here not just to kowtow, right? State your conditions, and my Taiqing Sect will do whatever it takes."

Sikong Yan did not answer immediately, but changed his expression again, looking at Zhou Qing with great interest.

"That guy Cao Zhengyang once went to Lingyun Prefecture and spent a lot of money to buy a lot of materials for setting up formations."

Zhou Qing's heart tightened.

“You disappeared after you came back,” Sikong Yan clicked his tongue. “When you came out of seclusion again, the Taiqing Sect had an additional three-colored protective formation.”

His eyes gleamed: "A three-colored array is rare enough. An array that covers the entire sect is something that even if the Taiqing Sect combined their resources, they might not be able to buy.

"So," Sikong Yan suddenly turned around, his eyes shining, "when did you advance to the third level of array master?"

Zhou Qing's heart raced, but his tone remained calm: "You've misunderstood. This formation was created for me by my mentor, Master Lin Daochen."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan shook his head with a half-smile.

"According to my investigation, the White Jade Taixu Academy of the Vast Expanse Prefecture seems to be about to disband, and many students have already begun to return to their hometowns."

"This Master Lin seems to be busy finding a new place to stay, but he doesn't have time to refine the magic array."

Zhou Qing felt a chill run down his spine.

I had heard from Master Lu that the academy might be disbanded, but I didn't expect it to start so soon.

But he remained calm and said, "That might be because he already had such a powerful formation on him, and it was something my senior uncle purchased normally."

Sikong Yan burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with madness.

He waved his hand, no longer dwelling on the topic, and with a wave of his hand, spiritual energy gathered in the air, conjuring up the scene outside the mountain gate.

Gao Xuan remained kneeling on the ground, while Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian anxiously peered inside, their faces filled with worry.

"It's the same thing I told you last time at Canglan Mountain," Sikong Yan's voice suddenly became gentle, yet even more dangerous.

"I want to play a game and see if Go Hyun chooses his daughter or his friendship."

He tilted his head and looked at Mo Xingjian: "How about your master? As long as he can take your master's life, I will hand my daughter over to him."

Sikong Yan looked at Zhou Qing: "What do you think?"

Zhou Qing's murderous aura suddenly erupted, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop to freezing point instantly: "He can't do it."

"I know," Sikong Yan said dismissively, after all, your senior uncle was still there.

But a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "But you should never underestimate a person's potential. Who knows?"

“If Senior Sister Gao Xuan dies,” Zhou Qing said coldly, “then what’s the point of all this trouble? She won’t be able to threaten any of us.”

Sikong Yan feigned a thoughtful expression, then looked at the sleeping Nannan: "That seems to make sense."

He sighed, "I've put in a lot of effort to save her."

"Let's be frank," Zhou Qing said bluntly, "what exactly do you want?"

Sikong Yan smiled, a smile that was almost pure: "Alright, I want your sect's Three-Colored Sect Protection Array."

“Okay.” Zhou Qing replied without hesitation.

Sikong Yan was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled: "So agreeable? Looks like I've lowered my expectations."

He waved his hand, "Never mind, let me think about it some more."

Zhou Qing: "..."

And so, Sikong Yan paced back and forth in the main hall, chin in hand and brows furrowed, deep in thought.

Zhou Qing stood still, his gaze shifting between the sleeping Nannan and the anxious Sikong Yan.

After a full incense stick's time had passed, Sikong Yan suddenly flicked his sleeves in annoyance.

"Alright, I can't think of any suitable terms right now, so I'll just give you face and you can take Nannan with you."

Zhou Qing did not show any joy; instead, his brows furrowed even more.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The easier something is to obtain, the heavier the price often comes from.

Moreover, the day before yesterday, in the forbidden area of ​​the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, Sikong Yan had asked him for help because he was unable to obtain the Lotus of Rebirth.

If we take Nannan away now, wouldn't we be harming her?
Seeing Zhou Qing's hesitant expression, Si Kongyan scoffed, "You people are strange. If I don't give it to you, you'll be thinking about it day and night. If I do give it to you, you'll think I'm setting a trap for you."

He turned his back to Zhou Qing and said, "The choice is yours. I have something to do, so I'll take my leave first. Remember to close the door when you leave."

"Wait!" Zhou Qing suddenly raised his voice, "I want to know, what exactly happened to you that makes you so keen on watching others make choices?"

Sikong Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks, his back, which had been poised to leave gracefully, now seemed unusually stiff.

After a long while, Sikong Yan's shoulders trembled slightly, and he let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

He didn't turn around or answer, but continued walking forward, his figure gradually disappearing into the shadows deep within the hall.

Zhou Qing looked at Nannan, who was so close to him, and felt extremely conflicted.

He would never leave unless Gao Xuan, his senior brother, could see Nannan.

But if we just take her away like this, it could cost her her life.

After much deliberation, Zhou Qing gently picked up Nannan and turned to walk outside.

After passing through the deep, dark corridors of the main hall, Zhou Qing once again crossed the central square.

"Here's a piece of advice for you."

A cold, clear voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure in white standing with his back to him on a stone pillar in the center of the square, his clothes fluttering, like a banished immortal.

"Don't stray too far from the Azure Flame Palace." After saying this, the man in white stepped into the air and left.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, said nothing more, and continued walking down the mountain with Nannan in his arms.

As they passed through the crimson barrier again, the little girl in their arms stirred slightly, as if she were about to wake up.

"They're out!" Mo Xingjian's voice came first.

The moment Zhou Qing stepped out of the barrier with Nannan in her arms, disbelief filled Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian's faces.

Mo Xingjian immediately became worried, wondering what conditions Zhou Qing and Sikong Yan had reached.

The moment Gao Xuan saw Nannan, he staggered over like a madman, using both hands and feet.

His eyes were wide open, his pupils trembling violently, and his cracked lips quivered, but he couldn't make a complete sound, only gasping for breath.

He reached out his hands, but stopped abruptly just before touching Nannan, afraid that the filth on his hands would soil her.

After all, there are still traces of blood and dirt left from his kowtowing under his fingernails.

"Nannannan"

These two words seemed to have exhausted all of Gao Xuan's strength.

Tears instantly streamed down her reddened eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the veins on his neck bulged, as if something was about to burst out of his chest.

Just then, the little girl in Zhou Qing's arms slowly opened her eyes.

The little girl blinked in confusion, her gaze falling on Gao Xuan's unfamiliar face, and a look of horror immediately appeared on her face.

Struggling, she jumped down from Zhou Qing's arms and hid behind him.

"Daughter, it's your father!" Gao Xuan's voice was hoarse and barely audible. He knelt on the ground, crawled forward two steps, but dared not get too close.

Nannan clung tightly to Zhou Qing's clothes, her little face full of wariness: "You're not my daddy! My daddy... my daddy doesn't look like this!"

Gao Xuan was struck dumb, realizing that she was no longer the person her daughter remembered.

He looked down at his unfamiliar hands, then suddenly let out a heart-wrenching wail, his forehead slamming heavily against the ground, his shoulders shaking violently.

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian stood silently to the side, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

Zhou Qing also sighed, and then slowly turned his head to look at the barrier behind him.

If I'm not mistaken, Sikong Yan should also be watching this scene at this moment.

He could almost picture the madman's expression at that moment.

He must have a smile playing on his lips and amusement in his eyes, watching this drama of joy and sorrow like a spectator watching a play.

Just then, Nannan suddenly let go of Zhou Qing's clothes and timidly stepped forward.

She tiptoed and gently wiped away the tears on Gao Xuan's face with her small, delicate hands.

"Uncle, don't cry." The little girl's voice was filled with heartache. "My dad used to cry a lot too, and I don't like seeing him cry."

These words were like a blunt knife, piercing Gao Xuan's heart once again.

He could no longer control himself, and he hugged his daughter tightly, bursting into tears.

The cries were heart-wrenching, as if it were an outpouring of all the pain accumulated over the years.

Since his daughter was seriously injured, he carried the dying girl and ran almost all over the Lingyun Prefecture.

From the most renowned alchemists to reclusive shamans in the mountains, from prestigious sects to evil monasteries, he would kneel and beg for help as long as there was a glimmer of hope.

At that time, he spent almost every day in tears.

Each time, the frail little girl would reach out her tiny hand to wipe away his tears and comfort him in a weak voice, "Daddy, don't cry..."

Now that her daughter has returned, she doesn't recognize herself.

This is crueler than death; it's like a nightmare from which you can never wake up.

This time, however, Nannan was obedient and did not struggle. She simply patted Gao Xuan's back gently, just like when her father used to lull her to sleep.

"Nannan," Gao Xuan choked back tears, "Father... Father is so sorry."

The little girl tilted her head, looking at the strange old man who was crying his eyes out with confusion.

She didn't understand why this person was crying so sadly, but she inexplicably felt sad along with him.

"Does Uncle know my daddy?" Nannan asked softly. "When is Daddy coming to pick me up?"

Gao Xuan trembled all over, opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound, he just held Nannan tighter.

Zhou Qing stepped forward, squatted down, and looked at Nannan at eye level: "Nannan, this uncle is your father's good friend. Your father has gone to a very far place and will not be back for a while."

"When he comes back, will he bring Nannan candied hawthorns? Oh, and a new rattle drum too."

Nannan's eyes lit up immediately, "Daddy promised!"

Go Hyun's tears flowed again.

He remembered that it was Nannan's last wish before she died—to eat a string of candied hawthorns.

He promised to buy it for his daughter once she recovered, but he never had the chance to fulfill that promise.

"Yes, definitely!" Gao Xuan nodded vigorously. "Daddy will buy me the biggest and sweetest candied hawthorn."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and quickly rummaged around at his waist, only to find his storage bag lying to the side.

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhengyang quickly grabbed it and handed it to him.

Cao Zhengyang, who was inside, quickly took out a rattle drum.

The drumhead has turned a bit yellow, but the body of the drum is still smooth, obviously because it has been frequently rubbed and played with by its owner.

"This is..." His voice choked, barely able to form a complete sentence, "This is what Father always kept with him."

The red drumhead of this rattle drum is painted with two adorable little tigers, and a faded red rope is tied to the handle.

When Gao Xuan gently turned the drum handle, the "dong dong" sound of the drumstick striking the drumhead was still crisp and pleasant.

When the little girl saw the rattle drum, her eyes widened instantly.

She stretched out her little hand, but then hesitated timidly in mid-air: "This...this looks like the one Nannan had before."

“It’s the same one.” Gao Xuan hurriedly stuffed the rattle into his daughter’s hands.

His rough fingertips accidentally touched the little girl's soft palm, making him tremble. "Daddy...Daddy has been keeping it safe."

The little girl took the rattle drum and examined it curiously.

When she noticed the two crooked characters "囡囡" (Nannan) engraved on the bottom of the drum handle, her mouth dropped open in surprise: "It really is Nannan's!"

Gao Xuan was already choking up uncontrollably.

Many years ago, he held his daughter's little hand and taught her to carve it stroke by stroke.

The handwriting remains the same, but everything else has changed.

Zhou Qing watched silently as well.

He had even examined this rattle drum himself in Jin Yangfeng's study before.

All I knew was that this was a toy my daughter had played with, but I didn't know it carried such heavy memories.

"Boom boom boom——"

Nannan excitedly shook the rattle drum, and the familiar sound made her giggle.

But in the next moment, Nannan's body suddenly went limp, and the rattle drum slipped from her hands.

Gao Xuan caught his daughter with quick reflexes, only to find that she had already fallen asleep, with a smile still lingering on her little face.

"Nannan? Nannan!" Gao Xuan called out in a panic, and hurriedly began to check on her.

"Uncle-Master!" Zhou Qing rushed over and said, "Let me take her back."

Upon hearing this, Gao Xuan immediately hugged Nannan tightly and shook his head repeatedly.

Zhou Qing had no choice but to reveal everything he had seen inside the main hall.

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian never expected that Sikong Yan had created tens of thousands of black-clad puppets to save Nannan.

Upon hearing this, Gao Xuan's face drained of color instantly, and large tears fell onto Nannan's clothes.

"Senior Uncle," Zhou Qing said softly, "even if we disregard this, are you really ready? In your current state?"

Gao Xuan looked down at his unfamiliar body, then at his daughter's sleeping face in his arms, which had never changed, and finally broke down and let go.

Zhou Qing took Nannan from him and picked her up again.

"Uncle-Master, if you trust me, leave Nannan's matter to me!" Zhou Qing looked directly at Gao Xuan, his voice steady and powerful.

Gao Xuan raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhou Qing.

After a long while, he nodded heavily, as if he had used up all his strength.

"What... what should I do?" Gao Xuan's lips trembled, his voice hoarse.

Zhou Qing looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Greet Nannan in your best form."

After saying that, he turned around with Nannan in his arms and quietly looked at the blood-red barrier in front of him.

Soon, ripples appeared on the magic circle.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath and stepped inside without hesitation.

Behind him, Gao Xuan staggered to his feet, his withered hand reaching out into the air as if trying to grasp something.

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian quickly stepped forward to help him up and offered words of comfort.

But those words had become blurred and were shut out as the barrier closed.

Inside the barrier, Wu Sha had already been standing quietly waiting.

He gestured for Zhou Qing to return to the main hall.

Zhou Qing carefully placed Nannan back into the center of the magic circle.

As Nannan's body touched the array's core, countless black lines suddenly appeared on the ground.

The vanished black-clad puppets surged up from the ground once more, transforming into wisps of gray energy that flowed into the formation.

"I've thought of the conditions!" Sikong Yan said, stepping out of the darkness with his hands behind his back.

Zhou Qing was somewhat surprised.

You thought about it for so long but couldn't make up your mind, saying you'd talk about it later.

I've only gone back and forth once, and you've already made up your mind again?

This leap in thought is so sudden and unexpected.

Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly.

He realized that it was impossible for a normal person to keep up with this madman's thought process.

"What conditions?"

Sikong Yan did not answer immediately, but instead took out an image stone from his sleeve and casually tossed it to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing took it, and as spiritual energy was injected, his pupils suddenly contracted the moment the screen unfolded.

In the video, Sikong Yan and Lin Jin in white are working together to kill a young man in fine clothes and his protectors.

Blood splattered, and screams filled the air.

Although Zhou Qing had never met the Fifth Prince, he immediately understood the young man's identity.

“I killed the Fifth Prince,” Sikong Yan said casually, “and now I also killed his mother, Consort Ying.”

Zhou Qing frowned, not understanding why the other party would suddenly tell him these things.

After all, in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, he had told this fellow villager immediately after he finished killing them.

They are truly not ashamed, but rather proud.

“The Golden Thunder Sect is just a scapegoat,” Sikong Yan grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Of course, we're all in the same boat this time. Your Taiqing Sect and others also participated in killing Consort Ying and the royal guards, so it's no harm in telling you."

Zhou Qing said in a deep voice, "You're really crazy."

"Perhaps." Sikong Yan shrugged, unconcerned.

"Do you have a grudge against them or something?" Zhou Qing couldn't help but ask.

“It’s nothing,” Sikong Yan said casually, fiddling with his fingers. “I just can’t stand those people’s faces.”

Zhou Qing took a deep breath: "What does this have to do with conditions?"

Sikong Yan suddenly became serious: "I have three conditions."

“Say it, as long as it’s within my capabilities.”

“First,” Sikong Yan held up a finger, “I have an important matter to attend to in the capital, which may involve array formations and restrictions, and I need your help.”

Zhou Qing frowned even more deeply.

Kyoto is the capital city, with strict security measures. What exactly is this guy up to?
(End of this chapter)