The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 333 We didn't want this... really... but we had no choice (6k)

On the deck of the airship, Lan Caiwei was bound hand and foot with the Spirit Binding Rope, her slumped body trembling slightly.

Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on Zhou Qing's back, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

"How is this possible... How could he be this strong..."

She had witnessed the scene of Blood Monk being easily suppressed by Zhou Qing, but the person in front of her was Nangong Ye, a Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, and one of the elders of the Nangong family who were stationed in the capital.

He just died like that?

Even their primordial spirit was taken away, leaving them no chance to struggle.
At that moment, all that remained in her heart was endless fear and despair.

At the same time, hundreds of streaks of light, like locusts, chased after the airship from behind.

"Quick! This chicken-head mask just fought a fierce battle with the elders of the Nangong family. The fact that the battle was resolved so quickly must mean it used some kind of secret technique and suffered severe damage."

"Take advantage of his illness to kill him!"

"Even if we can't kill him, just by following him and reporting our whereabouts to the Nangong family at any time, we can still earn a huge bounty!"

Greed, murderous intent, scheming... countless gazes, like venomous snakes, were fixed on the speeding airship ahead.

Zhou Qing quickly replenished the reserve spiritual energy in the golden petals, then spoke calmly without turning his head.

"Senior sister, why don't you take control of the flying boat?"

Luo Lingling nodded solemnly, quickly took over control, and said in a low voice:

"I've inquired, and the ancestor of the Nangong family is a terrifying expert at the Spirit Severing Realm, but he's not in the capital."

"Currently, there are only ten Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection experts stationed in the inner city, along with many direct descendants of that Spirit Severing Realm expert, making them somewhat like hostages."

"Not only that, all the direct descendants of those Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who have made deals with the old emperor in the Holy Martial Dynasty are in the inner city, and the Nangong family is just one of them."

Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"I see……"

He vaguely understood something, but now was not the time to delve into it.

Turning to look behind, the group of pursuing cultivators were still close behind, and some even unleashed their secret treasures, which transformed into blood-red rainbows, increasing their speed exponentially!

"Looks like you all want to seek fortune through risk!" Zhou Qing sneered, muttering, "Fortune is possible, but are you sure you can bear the risk?"

"roll!"

A cold shout rang out, and a terrifying pressure erupted.

The pursuers felt a chill run down their spines, as if an invisible sword was pressed against their throats, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end!

"This oppressive aura..."

"Something's not right! He's not at his last gasp!"

After a brief hesitation, many people's expressions changed drastically, and they all retreated and left.

But about a hundred people still gritted their teeth and chased after them, their eyes gleaming with greed.

"Given an opportunity, but didn't cherish it..."

Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with killing intent, and with one step, his figure vanished from the spot in an instant!
Among the pursuing cultivators, a gray-robed elder in the late Nascent Soul stage suddenly felt a chill run down his spine!

"not good!"

He was about to step back when—

"Pfft!"

A rusty broken sword pierced through his chest, sparks flew, and his internal organs were instantly charred!

"Uh……"

The old man in the gray robe stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

Zhou Qing's expression was indifferent. With a flick of his left hand, a bright red iron chain coiled around the old man like a venomous snake, directly sealing his spiritual power and primordial spirit!
"Since you're so eager to become someone who can condense the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal, then I'll grant your wish!"

With a flick of the iron chain, the old man's body was strung behind him like a rag doll, his primordial spirit sealed, unable even to self-destruct!

"Escape! Escape!"

The remaining pursuers finally realized they had bitten off more than they could chew and scattered in all directions in a frantic escape!

But Zhou Qing is even faster!

With every flash of light, with every appearance, someone is destined to fall!
"Shh-"

The sword light flashed like lightning, instantly piercing the throats of three Nascent Soul cultivators!

Blood splattered, and the iron chains behind Zhou Qing coiled up like living things, sealing their primordial spirits!

"No! Spare me! Senior, spare me!"

A Nascent Soul cultivator was so frightened that he knelt down and begged for mercy, but Zhou Qing didn't even glance at him and swung his sword backhand!
"puff!"

The head flew off, and the body was dragged back by chains!

In just a few dozen breaths, this space had become a battlefield.

More than a hundred pursuers were all killed, and severed limbs fell like rain.

Behind Zhou Qing, more than twenty primordial spirits were pierced by blood-red iron chains, and more than eighty corpses were still twitching and spasming.

Like a string of terrifying human-shaped lanterns, swaying in the wind.

After doing all this, Zhou Qing snorted coldly, and his figure vanished in a flash of lightning.

When it reappeared, it was already standing on the deck of the airship.

Lan Caiwei stared blankly at the human-shaped lanterns.

This isn't a cultivator... he's a god of slaughter!
……

half a month later.

In a mountain range far from the outer city of the capital, Zhou Qing emerged from the depths of a makeshift cave dwelling.

The figures he had chained together had long since disappeared, and even Nangong Ye's primordial spirit, which was sealed in the jade talisman, was completely obliterated after the soul search.

"An ancestor of the Spirit Severing Realm..."

Zhou Qing's gaze turned slightly cold.

For safety reasons, Nangong Ye discarded everything in his storage bag along the way, except for some top-grade spirit stones.

At this moment, he had learned the whole story from the other party's memories.

Just as Second Senior Sister Luo Lingling had inquired, all the powerful individuals who had obtained secret medicine from the Old Emperor and successfully broke through to the Spirit Slaying Realm...

Their direct descendants were all settled in the inner city of the imperial capital, ostensibly to establish a branch, but in reality...

It's a proton!
These families, with their patriarchs at the Spirit Severing Realm and special privileges from the royal family, act with extreme arrogance.

Even royal descendants had to greet them with a smile and even try to win them over secretly.

The Nangong family is one of them!

Several years ago, when the Seventh Prince Xuanyuan Yichen brought gifts to thank the Taiqing Sect, the Duobao Chamber of Commerce held an auction.

Senior Brother Gui Ao and six others, including Lan Caiwei, participated together.

The trouble began with a long spear!
Ghost Mastiff took a fancy to a black-scaled spear of excellent quality, but little did he know that Nangong Xiao of the Nangong family also had his eye on it.

The two continued bidding, and in the end, Nangong Xiao won the bid with overwhelming financial resources, but he resented Gui Ao for making him spend too much money unnecessarily.

After the auction, Nangong Xiao led his men to intercept and kill Gui Ao, but unexpectedly, they were outmaneuvered and were killed by Gui Ao instead!

From that moment on, the entire Nangong family was enraged and launched a full-scale manhunt for Ghost Mastiff!

As for Lan Caiwei and the others, there was no record of them in Nangong Ye's memory—after all, soul searching is not omnipotent, and memories are always incomplete.

Upon seeing Zhou Qing come out, Luo Lingling cautiously returned from outside, carrying the old hen.

“We acted quickly enough, and we cleaned up the tail properly, so we’re safe for now,” Luo Lingling whispered.

Zhou Qing nodded, then turned his gaze to the corner.

Lan Caiwei lay there listlessly, her eyes vacant and lifeless, staring blankly at the cave ceiling through her disheveled hair.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp snap of her fingers, the restriction on Lan Caiwei's lips was released.

“I saved you, but you repay kindness with enmity.” Zhou Qing’s voice was eerily calm. “Tell me your last words.”

Lan Caiwei slowly propped up her broken body, a bleak smile tugging at the corner of her mouth: "Death is actually a relief for me."

She swallowed hard: "So, I have no last words."

"And it's so tiring. Living is more tiring than dying..."

She suddenly coughed violently, black blood oozing from the corner of her mouth: "Considering that we have all been calling ourselves independent cultivators and have not revealed your Taiqing Sect, give me a quick death."

Luo Lingling said softly, "Two days ago, she was rolling on the ground and wailing. There seemed to be something alive wriggling inside her body, but I couldn't find anything when I examined her. She must have been poisoned by some kind of deadly poison."

Zhou Qing frowned, staring at Lan Caiwei: "You tipped off Nangong Ye because of this poison?"

Lan Caiwei's unfocused gaze shifted between the two men before she burst into laughter, a hoarse and shrill sound. Then she looked down at her bound body.

When he slowly raised his head, his eyes were filled with self-mockery and sorrow.

"We didn't want to... really... but we had no choice..."

She stared intently at Zhou Qing, her voice becoming unusually clear.

"The essence of the mastiff is to become stronger with each battle and never back down. He calls it the 'Path of Blood Battle'. Every time he is on the verge of death, his strength increases dramatically."

“I admit that the reason the five of us initially followed him was because we were attracted by his indomitable spirit. Even if any of us were in danger, he would come to our rescue without hesitation.”

Lan Caiwei's eyes became unfocused, as if she had returned to the past.

"So, gradually he became our leader, and he often led us into dangerous places that ordinary people dared not venture into."

"It was also because of him that we were all able to reach the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm in less than twenty years."

But the next moment, her voice suddenly became sharp: "But what is the price? We're either injured, or on the road to being injured! And he's getting stronger and stronger..."

The cave fell into dead silence, with only Lan Caiwei's heavy breathing breaking the silence.

Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling watched her quietly, letting her pour out her pent-up resentment.

"There are six of us." Lan Caiwei's voice lowered, and her bound body trembled slightly.

"We were originally partners who would live and die together. But gradually... we couldn't hold on any longer."

She struggled to lift her head, her sweat-soaked hair clinging to her face: "But he only cared about charging forward."

Her voice was choked with suppressed sobs, "They never look back to see if we're willing!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Lingling sighed softly.

Lan Caiwei's face contorted, and her bound body trembled violently: "Until that auction, he insisted on challenging Nangong Xiao." Her voice suddenly rose, "But despite this, we still joined forces with him to kill Nangong Xiao and completely offended the Nangong family."

The next moment, Lan Caiwei's expression suddenly collapsed, tears mixed with blood streamed down her face, and her voice was trembling with sobs.

"Their family has members at the Spirit Severing Realm. What do we have? We have our clan, our sect, our families behind us..."

"People can't be so selfish. If we cause trouble outside, are we going to drag the entire sect down with us?"

Zhou Qing looked at her with a complicated expression, without saying a word.

Lan Caiwei cried and then burst into laughter, before falling silent again.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Because we are too big a target, we have to split up and hide for the time being."

"But in the end they still caught Zhao Hanyue. After some torture, he contacted me, which led to my capture."

"In order to survive, we found Xiang Chuan, Man Jingang, and Mo Lanxin."

A twisted smile appeared on her lips. "How ironic. Someone who could once entrust their back to another without reservation has now become such a despicable person."

"Unfortunately, even with the five of us working together, we were unable to capture the Ghost Hound and hand it over to the Nangong family in exchange for the antidote..."

Her voice lowered, "Yet he still managed to escape with severe injuries to Xiang Chuan's dantian. He was even pierced through by Xiang Chuan's spear. Of course, the mastiff was also seriously injured..."

Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed: "So your going out to find medicine wasn't to save Xiang Chuan at all, but to save yourself."

"Yes!" Lan Caiwei suddenly became excited, her bound body struggling violently, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhou Qing.

"When we abandon the friendship and morality that we have always been proud of, we are now nothing more than walking corpses."

Her voice was terribly hoarse: "We just want to live! Even if it means living like dogs!"

Looking at her pathetic state, Zhou Qing was unsure whether to feel sympathy or contempt.

But soon, she laughed nervously again: "I originally wanted to contact Xiang Chuan to set a trap, capture you and hand you over to the Nangong family, so as to lure the mastiff into walking into the trap."

"But he's disappeared. You've probably seen it too, the mastiff is back. He's settling accounts one by one."

Then, a look of relief spread across her face: "Go ahead and do it. My only regret now is that I shouldn't have met you, Senior Brother."

"We shouldn't have been captivated by his generous charm and followed him to the capital without fully understanding what was going on."

Her gaze gradually became unfocused, looking into the distant void: "If I had stayed in the sect, I should be an elder by now."

A faint, ethereal smile appeared on her lips. "Taking in a few obedient disciples and teaching them cultivation to follow in their master's footsteps... it's actually quite good."

"Indeed, no matter which path one chooses... there will be regrets."

As a single, murky tear slid down her cheek, she slowly lowered her head and fell silent.

Zhou Qing stood there for a long time, and the sound of water droplets falling inside the cave could be clearly heard.

He gazed at the woman who had once appeared so spirited and radiant in the treetops of Qingmu City, now reduced to this state, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

Suddenly, I remembered a sentence my second uncle had taught me when I was with him at the Baiyu Taixu Temple: "On the path of cultivation, every choice is a tribulation, and every cause and effect is a form of cultivation."

“Yes, none of us are really wrong, we're just in different positions,” he murmured to himself.

"You chose self-preservation, the eldest brother chose the path of Tao, and the Nangong family chose revenge. Everyone walks in their own karma."

"But once you make a choice, you have to bear the corresponding consequences."

As Zhou Qing finished speaking, he came to her side, a faint golden light emanating from his fingertips: "Now, I only hope that my senior brother is alright."

As he spoke, he pointed a finger at her brow and began a soul search.

Lan Caiwei's breathing quickened and her whole body trembled.

A moment later, Zhou Qing withdrew his hand, looked at the unconscious Lan Caiwei, and nodded slightly to Luo Lingling.

"She wasn't lying. As for how she handles it, let's leave that to our senior brother!"

Luo Lingling nodded, looking at Lan Caiwei with a complicated expression.

"The most difficult thing for a cultivator is not to sever the seven emotions and six desires, but to be able to hold on to the original intention in the midst of the mortal world."

"None of them realized that the reason they chose to betray their leader was not because of him, but because of jealousy and injustice!"

Once partners who went on adventures side by side and shared life and death, they are now drifting apart due to differences in their talents.

Due to the special state of mind, the eldest brother's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, like a sharp blade that shattered the balance that everyone had maintained.

These privileged individuals from prestigious families could only drag their battered bodies and watch helplessly as their equally wounded companions receded into the distance.

When the scales of balance tip, the poisonous seed of jealousy grows wildly in the heart.

Those feelings of resentment and bitterness gnawed at his Dao heart like a malignant tumor, eventually transforming into a poisonous fire that consumed all reason.
"Oh, right! There's one more thing we need to be wary of." Luo Lingling finished binding Lan Caiwei properly, then suddenly turned to Zhou Qing with a serious expression.

Zhou Qingjian raised an eyebrow slightly: "What?"

“This time, by killing Nangong Ye, we have offended not only the Nangong family,” Luo Lingling’s voice deepened, “but also the royal family.”

Zhou Qing frowned slightly and remained silent.

Through soul searching, he did learn some inside information.

"Although the information we gathered is incomplete, it's an open secret that the royal family values ​​the Zhanling family so much." Luo Lingling let out a long sigh. "The direct descendants of these families reside in the capital and naturally enjoy special privileges."

“The eldest brother killed Nangong Xiao, a direct descendant of the clan, and you killed Elder Nangong Ye, who was at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. Given their vengeful nature, this matter will definitely not end well.”

"Plus, other families at the Spirit Severing Realm are stirring things up," a cold glint flashed in her eyes, "we may face a double attack from the Nangong family and the royal family."

Zhou Qing nodded in agreement: "Fortunately, we were both wearing masks that day, so we had a backup plan."

“But there are still oversights.” Luo Lingling frowned and said, “Nangong Ye’s two concubines and some attendants were also on the carriage below. They should have heard Lan Caiwei’s cries for help and the name of the boss.”

"So you and I will still be considered to be on the same side as the boss."

Zhou Qing sneered, a sharp glint in his eyes: "It doesn't matter. So what if we find out about the Taiqing Sect? Don't forget, we still have the two seniors from the Lu family to back us up."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly composed, "Moreover, Prince Xuanyuan Shuo needs my Golden Roc transformation to help him maintain stability on the border."

Looking at the boy who used to follow her around calling her "senior sister," Luo Lingling felt an indescribable sense of pride and honor. Now, he exuded the air of a superior.

"Hmm?" Just then, Luo Lingling suddenly looked at Lan Caiwei's storage bag.

She had already taken everything out of there to check, just in case anything else could be used to contact the Nangong family.

At this moment, a jade slip emitted a faint glow.

Zhou Qing also noticed this scene, and with a gentle wave of his hand, the jade talisman appeared.

As spiritual energy was infused, several lines of small characters appeared as if they were alive:
[Wei, Chuan has spotted the mastiff's tracks, hurry to Blood Maple Forest! —Lan]

Upon seeing the message, Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling exchanged a glance, their eyes immediately lighting up.

"Chuan, it must be Xiang Chuan. He should have been taken away by the boss, which means—" Luo Lingling was full of excitement.

A glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes: "There's no mistake, it must be Senior Brother using Xiang Chuan's jade talisman to send a message!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Luo Lingling grabbed her bag and deftly tucked the old hen under her arm.

Just as they were about to set off, Zhou Qing suddenly froze in place.

“But we don’t know where the Blood Maple Forest is?” Zhou Qing frowned.

Upon hearing this, Luo Lingling's lips curled into a sly smile.

She made a hand seal with one hand, and a jade slip gleaming with a bluish light slid out from her sleeve, spinning once in her palm.

"I bought it on the spur of the moment while I was gathering information," she said smugly, waving the jade slip around. "A map of the entire capital region; Blood Maple Forest is nothing to me."

Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile. Second Senior Sister was indeed Second Senior Sister; she always planned ahead in everything she did.

The two quickly cleaned up the traces and boarded the flying boat with the unconscious Lan Caiwei.

As the magic array lit up, the ship transformed into a streak of light that pierced the sky.

……

Five days later.

The flying boat passed through the thick clouds, and Zhou Qing stood at the bow, his robes fluttering in the strong wind.

On the distant horizon, a maple forest, as red as blood, gradually appeared, like a hideous wound on the earth.

"This is the Blood Maple Forest?" Zhou Qing squinted, instinctively feeling a pang of fear.

Luo Lingling unfolded the jade slip and said in a deep voice, "According to records, the maple leaves here remain red all year round."

"Legend has it that in ancient times, millions of cultivators perished here, their blood soaking ten inches of soil. Their resentment lingered for a thousand years, staining the entire mountain forest and thus forming this place."

As they got closer, the eerie scene became clearer.

The twisted tree trunk resembled a struggling vengeful spirit, with dark red sap constantly seeping from the cracks in the bark, like undried blood.

What's even more chilling is that the maple leaves moved on their own without any wind, making a rustling whispering sound.

"The boss chose this location for the liquidation point; it seems there's a deeper meaning behind it," Luo Lingling said, standing up and looking down.

Zhou Qing nodded: "Xiang Chuan was taken away by the senior brother at least half a year ago. He is only now using the communication jade slip to contact other people. It seems that he has been either healing or making preparations during this time."

His gaze swept over the eerie maple forest. "There must be something special about this place. Perhaps it holds a way out."

Luo Lingling nodded and said, "That's right. After the mistake last time, coupled with the torment of the poison over the years, they will definitely notify the Nangong family to come together."

Zhou Qing stopped talking and put away the flying boat. The two of them, along with Lan Caiwei, quietly approached the depths of the area.

……

Meanwhile, deep within the Blood Maple Forest.

A young man stood with his hands behind his back, the broad ancient sword behind him exuding an aura of vicissitudes.

The runes on the scabbard appeared and disappeared intermittently, as if they were breathing.

"They're here," he suddenly said.

The sound of wind breaking came from the air, and a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist came flying through the air, the spiked club on his shoulder gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight!” Zhao Hanyue said to Man Jingang.

Man Jingang touched his sunken cheek and said with a wry smile, "Every few days I have to endure the pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at my heart. Who wouldn't lose weight?"

He looked Zhao Hanyue up and down, "You're not much better off."

Zhao Hanyue sighed deeply: "I hope Xiang Chuan's news is true this time, and we can be free from this burden soon..."

"Can it really bring liberation?" A cold female voice interrupted him.

Mo Lanxin approached gracefully, carrying a zither, her clothes fluttering, but her eyes were filled with a deathly stillness.

Her fingertips lightly touched the strings, producing a clear, ringing sound: "The Nangong family spared our lives only so that we would kill each other."

Zhao Hanyue's expression tightened, and he said, "But we can't cure the poison in our bodies, and there's a wisp of soul blood with them. They could kill us at any time."

The three looked at each other in silence, their eyes filled with bitterness.

(End of this chapter)