The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 334 Something's not right. These marks are too deliberate. (6k)

After waiting for a while, Man Jingang broke the silence first.

"Wasn't Xiang Chuan injured? How could he have run so far and discovered traces of the Ghost Mastiff?"

Zhao Hanyue shook his head: "I don't know, I haven't visited him in a long time either."

"Last time we joined forces to ambush Ghost Hound, intending to bring it to the Nangong family in exchange for the antidote, but we were careless and he escaped."

"Although he was seriously injured, I wonder how well he has recovered over the years?"

Mo Lanxin's slender fingers gently caressed the zither, and she said in a cold voice, "It's alright, this time I contacted the elders of the Nangong family for help."

"What?!" Zhao Hanyue and Man Jingang both changed color at the same time, and the latter's scar on his incomplete right eye twitched violently.

"The news hasn't even been confirmed yet, and you dare to alarm them? Do you think they'll believe you?"

A strange smile appeared on Mo Lanxin's pale face: "You don't know yet, do you? A few days ago, someone publicly killed Nangong Ye in the sky above the inner city."

"Nangong Ye is dead?" The two were struck dumb.

It should be noted that the soul fire of the five of them was extracted by this Nangong Ye.

“We’ve been wandering around the outer city for a long time and haven’t been to the inner city,” Zhao Hanyue’s voice trembled slightly.

Amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, Mo Lanxin lightly stroked the broken string on the zither with her fingertips and continued, "I heard that Nangong Ye's death was related to the Ghost Hound; it must have been an accomplice he hired."

"So regardless of whether the news is true or false, the enraged Nangong family will definitely come out in full force!"

“Moreover,” her voice suddenly turned cold, “if we can’t provide any valuable information at this critical juncture, they will definitely take their anger out on us.”

Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions changed drastically.

The person Ghost Hound hired was able to kill Nangong Ye in full view of everyone; the other party must also be at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm.

If they can't kill this guy this time, it might be their turn next.

Thinking of this, the three of them met in the dim forest, and they all read the same fear and determination in each other's eyes.

"Better to die than to die, my friend!" A ruthless glint flashed in Man Jingang's single eye.

Mo Lanxin nodded and said quietly, "This time we must settle this matter completely. As for what happens afterward, that depends on our own fate and value."

……

Time passed slowly, and despite the three of them waiting anxiously, Lan Caiwei and Xiang Chuan still did not appear.

Zhao Hanyue paced back and forth, crushing a pile of dry branches under his feet: "What are these two doing? They're about to die, and they're still dragging their feet like this!"

Mo Lan thought to herself, "I've already sent a message to Caiwei, but perhaps she's not even in the capital and didn't receive the message."

"What about Xiang Chuan? He's the one who invited us here!" Zhao Hanyue complained.

Man Jingang stroked his spiked club and said, "Let's wait a bit longer. This involves the vital interests of each and every one of us; they won't take it lightly..."

Before Man Jingang finished speaking, the entire Blood Maple Forest suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Even the chirping of insects and birds disappeared instantly, leaving only the rustling sound of withered leaves falling to the ground.

“They’re here…” Mo Lanxin’s fingertips trembled, and the zither emitted a faint, clear sound.

The ground shook violently the next moment, and five terrifying auras descended from the sky.

The old man at the head of the group stepped into the void, and with each step he took, the maple leaves within a radius of a hundred feet turned into dust.

Behind him stood four black-robed elders arranged in a fan shape, each with a ferocious dragon pattern embroidered on their sleeves.

The Nangong family only has six Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection experts stationed in the capital, but now five of them have come directly.

No, after Nangong Ye was killed in mid-air, only five people remained, truly a full-scale attack.

"Greetings, elders!" The three hurriedly knelt down.

shhhhhh!
The sound of air being torn apart echoed all around again, as a full twenty Nascent Soul cultivators sealed off this maple forest.

It seems the Nangong family is truly enraged this time!

"Where are they?" Elder Nangong Xuan's voice seemed to come from the depths of hell as he looked down at the three of them and asked coldly.

Mo Lanxin suppressed her trembling: "Reporting to the elder, the address Xiang Chuan gave us is in the core area..."

"Lead the way," said the Second Elder, Nangong Sha.

Zhao Hanyue forced a smile and said, "But Xiang Chuan and Lan Caiwei haven't arrived yet..."

boom!
Before he could finish speaking, a blood-red palm print slammed down from mid-air, slamming Zhao Hanyue into the ground, his spine cracking under the strain.

Nangong Sha slowly withdrew his palm, the blood-red runes remaining on his fingertips gradually dissipating: "Is it really that important to be missing those two?"

His icy gaze swept over the two trembling figures. "Besides, I'm not discussing this with you!"

Mo Lanxin and Man Jingang cautiously helped the dying Zhao Hanyue up, and the three of them staggered as they led the way into the depths of the maple forest.

The Grand Elder, Nangong Xuan, snorted coldly. With a flick of his sleeves, countless maple leaves parted to create a blood-red path, from which more than twenty Nascent Soul cultivators followed.

A moment after everyone left, ripples appeared in the shadows of the rock wall, and the figures of Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling slowly emerged.

They had actually arrived long ago and had been hiding in the shadows, but they never expected that the Nangong family would actually show up.

"I guess the boss didn't expect us to kill Nangong Ye, which would enrage the Nangong family. The measures he arranged are probably only enough to deal with those few traitors like Zhao Hanyue!"

Luo Lingling said with a worried expression.

Zhou Qing's gaze was deep.

Although the eldest disciple was strong, he was ultimately only at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and faced with the entire Nangong family coming out in force...
He turned to look at Lan Caiwei, who was bound by ropes of spiritual energy.

She had already woken up by then, her pale face filled with despair.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Zhou Qing removed the seal from her mouth.

Lan Caiwei looked at Zhou Qing, shook her head slightly, and said, "I admit you are very strong, but you can't handle so many people at all. If you go, you'll just be a moth flying into a flame."

Zhou Qing smiled slightly and sealed her lips again: "Just wait and see!"

After exchanging a glance with Luo Lingling, the two of them chased after her.

……

Deep within the Blood Maple Forest, the maple leaves grew even darker red. The three walked cautiously at the front, constantly checking the approximate location that Xiang Chuan had sent them.

“This should be it,” Mo Lanxin suddenly stopped, her voice hoarse.

Before us was a canyon that appeared abruptly, with blood maple trees on both sides neatly cut down, and fresh resin seeping from the cuts, indicating that someone had been there not long ago.

Zhao Hanyue clutched his aching back, a hint of doubt appearing on his pale face: "Something's not right. These marks are too deliberate."

The three looked at each other, and all saw the same fear in each other's eyes.

After more than twenty years of living and working together, they were very familiar with that person's habits.

For example, when it comes to common sense, Ghost Mastiff is always cautious and will repeatedly check every detail before taking any action.

He also repeatedly boasted to them about his junior sister, saying that he learned these cautious habits from her.

Moreover, Xiang Chuan and Lan Caiwei have not yet appeared, and an uneasy atmosphere instantly enveloped everyone's hearts.

"I understand!" Mo Lanxin suddenly cried out, her face turning deathly pale.

Her voice trembled uncontrollably as the two men stared in astonishment.

"This is a trap. Ghost Hound isn't here at all! He fooled Xiang Chuan, and may even have already taken control of him."

“Ghost Mastiff is always meticulous in his work despite his rough exterior. Look at these neat cuts; he’s showing us a scare.”

Upon hearing Mo Lanxin's words, Zhao Hanyue and Man Jingang's expressions changed drastically.

"He found help and killed Nangong Ye in full view of everyone. After that, Xiang Chuan, who was supposed to be seriously injured and recuperating, sent word that he had found traces of him."

"He must have calculated that we would contact the Nangong family, and that the Nangong family would definitely come. If nothing comes of it, what do you think the consequences will be?"

Mo Lanxin couldn't help but swallow as she spoke.

Zhao Hanyue's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the saliva he swallowed seemed to taste blood: "The Nangong family will vent their anger on us."

"Using someone else to do your dirty work!" Barbarian King Kong's one eye glared wide, and his voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Mo Lanxin smiled bitterly: "Yes, using someone else to do the dirty work. Today, one of the three of us will probably be used by the Nangong family as a warning to others..."

The three of them grew paler and paler, and even their breathing became cautious.

"Not only that, do you remember the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' that Ghost Mastiff once told us?" Mo Lanxin suddenly asked.

The two seemed to realize something, and their pupils suddenly contracted.

If Ghost Hound isn't around today, and it still isn't there next time, will the Nangong family still believe them?

That anger will be poured out on them time and time again.
Until one day, when the Ghost Hound actually appeared, the Nangong family no longer believed them.

With their current broken bodies, could they still be his match?

This is not a conspiracy, but a blatant, overt scheme.

Ghost Mastiff used the most blatant means to completely drive them to the brink of despair.

At this moment, seeing the three hesitant figures, Elder Nangong Xuan narrowed his eyes and no longer wanted them to lure out the Ghost Hound. Instead, he swept his divine sense across the entire canyon like a tidal wave.

The four elders behind him tacitly dispersed, each occupying a position, completely surrounding the canyon.

Twenty Nascent Soul cultivators stood guard on the perimeter, ensuring that not even an ant could escape.

For the past half month, the entire capital has been watching the Nangong family make a fool of themselves after Nangong Ye was publicly killed in the sky above the inner city.

The other dozen or so families at the Spirit Severing Realm openly sent people to "offer their condolences," implying that the Nangong family had already declined.

"Do you need help?"—These seemingly caring words are actually a blatant insult!
If we do not tear the Ghost Hound to pieces today, how can the Nangong family have any face to stand in this capital?
"I'll do it!" Second Elder Nangong Sha stepped forward and took out an ancient bronze mirror from his sleeve.

The mirror-like surface gleamed with a faint light, directly reflecting the entrance to a hidden cave deep within the canyon.

"Interesting. Let's see where you run this time!"

Upon seeing the entrance concealed by the barrier, Nangong Sha snorted disdainfully, and a beam of azure light shot out from the ancient bronze mirror in his hand, striking the cave entrance directly.

"boom!"

The enormous explosion shook the entire canyon.

At the entrance of the cave, dozens of blue runes lit up simultaneously, transforming into a giant spider web that intercepted the azure light.

But after only three breaths, the runic web shattered into pieces.

"That's it?" Nangong Sha scoffed, about to step forward, when his expression suddenly changed.

The shattered runes did not disappear; instead, they transformed into countless crimson and blue threads that silently wrapped around his feet.

At the same time, the blood maple tree stumps that had been cut down on both sides of the canyon burst open, and countless wooden spikes shot towards the Nangong family like a rainstorm.

"Little tricks!"

With a wave of his sleeve, Nangong Xuan created a red light barrier that protected everyone. The wooden spikes struck the barrier, producing a dense sound like raindrops hitting banana leaves.

As the smoke cleared, the canyon was left in ruins.

"A mere mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator does have some skill, but that's about it!"

Before he finished speaking, Nangong Xuan swiftly formed an ancient hand seal.

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth instantly surged, condensing behind him into a blood-red Dharma image that was a hundred feet tall.

The image had three heads and six arms, with a strange vertical pupil in the palm of each hand.

"boom--"

As the Dharma Image unleashed its six arms simultaneously, the entire canyon shook violently. The solid rock walls were torn to shreds, and the surrounding blood maple trees were vaporized by the raging spiritual energy.

The ground cracked open into a deep abyss tens of meters wide, from which scorching magma gushed forth.

In the distance, in the woods, Luo Lingling grabbed Zhou Qing, who was about to rush out: "Don't move, Senior Brother doesn't seem to be in there!"

Zhou Qing paused, staring intently at the scene.
The entire canyon had been reduced to ruins by Nangong Xuan's terrifying power. Amidst the smoke and dust, Zhao Hanyue and the other two swallowed hard, their faces pale.

Is this the power of a top-tier Grand Perfection cultivator?
Even if the sect's supreme elder were to come in person, they would probably be unable to match him.

"Search! Find them alive or dead!" Nangong Xuan's icy voice echoed across the ruins.

The twenty Nascent Soul cultivators immediately dispersed to search.

Zhao Hanyue and the other two joined the search with trepidation, each time they turned over a piece of rubble with bated breath.

If they cannot find the Ghost Mastiff, what awaits them will be a fate worse than death.

"Interesting, they actually had a trick up their sleeve!"

Not long after, Nangong Xuan stopped in front of a broken wall, his withered fingers gently brushing over a seemingly ordinary stone slab.

He flipped the stone slab between his fingers, revealing the delicate mirror-like patterns on its back.

"A reflecting mirror?" Nangong Xuan's lips curled into a ferocious smile. "The main and secondary mirrors reflect each other, with a maximum distance of no more than fifty miles."

He suddenly flashed a chilling smile at the mirror and said in a hoarse voice, "Hello, little mouse."

Before he finished speaking, he rapidly formed hand seals, and dozens of blood-red spiritual energies darted into the mirror like venomous snakes.

The mirror suddenly emitted an eerie red light, pointing southeast.

"Found you!" Nangong Xuan's eyes flashed with ferocity as he transformed into a streak of blood-red light and soared into the sky.

Upon seeing this, the other elders immediately abandoned the search and followed closely behind.

Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling exchanged a glance and silently circled around from the flank.

Before they even got close to the target area, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out, and the shockwave overturned all the trees within a radius of a hundred feet.

From the smoke and dust, a dark figure leaped out like a wounded beast—it was Ghost Mastiff!
This once imposing man was now in a sorry state, his black outfit reduced to rags.

His long hair, stained with blood, clung to his face, but his eagle eyes remained sharp as knives.

At this moment, he was tightly gripping the Black Scale Spear that he had taken from Nangong Xiao.

"Little fox, you're quite cunning. You know how to have multiple burrows. Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"

Nangong Sha approached with a sinister grin, "Where did your prestige go when you killed Xiao'er?"

Surrounded by the crowd, Ghost Mastiff suddenly grinned, revealing his bloodstained teeth, and his gaze fell on Zhao Hanyue and the other two hiding behind the crowd.

He shook his head regretfully: "After setting up so many measures, we still couldn't kill you all..."

The First Elder, Nangong Xuan, snorted coldly: "Ghost Hound, bring out all your accomplices, lest you suffer the torment of soul searching."

"Accomplices?" Ghost Mastiff laughed wildly, flicking his black-scaled spear, sending a human head flying through the air, rolling a few times on the ground before stopping at Nangong Xuan's feet.

It was Xiang Chuan's face, frozen in terror.

"I have three accomplices too—" Ghost Mastiff swung his spear, pointing it directly at Zhao Hanyue and his two companions.

The three men's expressions changed drastically; they hadn't expected Xiang Chuan to be dead.

They exchanged glances and stepped forward to bow in unison: "Elder, we were deceived by Ghost Hound and harmed Young Master Xiao."

"Today I am willing to atone for my sins by personally capturing and killing this scoundrel!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in Nangong Xuan's eyes.

Since this demonic mastiff isn't going to escape today anyway, we might as well watch a good show. Otherwise, killing it quickly would be too easy for it.

"Alright," Nangong Xuan said calmly, "but only one of you three can live today. Whoever kills Ghost Mastiff will live."

The pupils of the three people shrank sharply, and the air seemed to freeze instantly.

next moment--

"boom!"

Zhao Hanyue's broadsword was the first to be drawn, and all twenty-seven blood grooves on the blade lit up simultaneously.

The fierce light in the one eye of the Savage King Kong suddenly intensified, and the spikes on his mace suddenly extended by three inches.

Mo Lanxin's fingers flew across the strings, and the broken strings of the zither emitted a piercing, murderous sound.

"Alright!"

Ghost Mastiff stood with its spear held horizontally, black mist rising around it. "Today, I will settle all the grudges of these past years!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Black Scale Spear emerged from the sea like a dragon, instantly colliding with the three weapons and creating dazzling sparks.

Zhao Hanyue's greatsword was incredibly powerful, and each strike cracked the ground.

The barbarian king's spiked club was powerful and heavy, and its swings brought forth a bloody storm.

Mo Lanxin's zither music transformed into invisible blades, constantly launching sneak attacks from tricky angles.

Ghost Mastiff's spear technique became increasingly fierce. With the Blood Battle Dao intent fully activated, every spear thrust carried an indomitable momentum.

Amidst the falling blood-red maple leaves, the four figures clashed, each move carrying twenty years of hatred and resentment.

Nangong Xuan leisurely took out an image stone and began to smilingly capture the scene of the dogs fighting.

This is excellent evidence to curry favor with the patriarch—it can prove the Nangong family's ruthless methods and show other families the consequences of offending the Nangong family.

On the treetops in the distance, Zhou Qing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Thank goodness..." Zhou Qing murmured silently. Seeing that his senior brother was covered in wounds but his fighting spirit remained undiminished, he finally felt a little relieved.

He turned to look at the outer perimeter, where twenty Nascent Soul cultivators were scattered in a circle, each with a relaxed expression of watching the show.

The five elders of the Nangong family stood on a high place, as if they were watching a wonderful beast fighting performance.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Zhou Qing's lips.

Since these old guys are temporarily standing by and watching, things have become simpler.

As for Zhao Hanyue and the other two...

He looked at the three figures frantically attacking in the center of the battlefield, his eyes growing cold.

The grudges of twenty years will be settled by the eldest brother himself today, so as to sever the inner demons.

"Senior sister, do you still remember the driverless car on the way to the capital?" Zhou Qing suddenly turned to Luo Lingling and transmitted his voice.

Luo Lingling was taken aback. Of course she remembered that several times, even though Xiao Aqing was right on the deck, she always unconsciously ignored his presence.

Xiao Aqing even complained that she was old and easily startled.

Although Xiao Aqing didn't explain, she knew that this might be some kind of hidden amplification brought about by the gathering of four flowers at the top.

"I don't want anyone to escape. Take care of the old hen and her first!" Zhou Qing slowly took out a tetanus shot and instructed.

Luo Lingling hesitated, then finally just tightened her grip on the restless hen in her arms and said, "Be careful."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly. For some reason, he had a feeling that he would be completely ignored by them.

If that's the case, then let's have some fun.

Then, Zhou Qing touched the chicken head mask on his face and walked confidently toward his first target.

Even when he stood half a foot behind the Nascent Soul cultivator, the other party remained completely unaware.

"It seems a man's intuition can be quite accurate sometimes." A slight smile played on his lips beneath the mask.

He even had the leisure to turn around and give a victory sign to his senior sister in the distance.

Lan Caiwei's eyes widened in disbelief that someone would dare to be so arrogant under the noses of five Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection experts.

That's absolutely outrageous!
Luo Lingling sighed and silently mouthed a warning to him not to go too far.

A cold light suddenly appeared.

The next moment, tetanus pierced the first cultivator's neck like a venomous snake, and golden spiritual power instantly sealed his primordial spirit.

The Nascent Soul cultivator, who had been intently watching the battle in the center, suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

He reached out blankly, only to touch warm liquid—before he could react, someone gently supported him.

A gentle whisper reached my ear: "Relax, take a deep breath, dizziness is normal..."

The last thing he saw was a comical chicken head mask, and then his consciousness was plunged into eternal darkness.

Zhou Qing gently supported his limp body, laid him flat on the ground, and wiped the blood from the broken sword off his body.

The second monk was watching the battle with his arms crossed when suddenly a sharp pain shot through his chest.

Looking down, he saw a rusty broken sword that had somehow pierced his heart.

He tried to shout, but found that he could only make a "hoarse" sound in his throat.

The third, the fourth
And so, Zhou Qing was like an invisible grim reaper, each move precise and elegant.

Bound and silenced, Lan Caiwei's pupils contracted sharply as she watched Zhou Qing's figure constantly moving around the perimeter of the battlefield.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators who were usually highly vigilant were now as if they had been frozen in place, completely unaware of the impending death.

Are these people blind? Can't they see such a big living person?
The most absurd thing is that sometimes Zhou Qing would make a move between two cultivators while the other remained focused on the central battle situation.

Is the battle of the Ghost Hound really that exciting?

All those years of life-and-death experiences were wasted?
What about alertness?

answer me!
Meanwhile, in the center of the battlefield, the battle between Ghost Mastiff and the three had reached a frenzied stage.

Zhao Hanyue's Xuan Tie Heavy Sword cleaved open the Ghost Mastiff's left shoulder, the wound so deep that bone was visible, and blood gushed out like a spring.

But Ghost Hound didn't even flinch. His black-scaled spear, like a vicious dragon emerging from the abyss, pierced through the belly of Savage Vajra with a piercing shriek.

With a flick of the spear tip, a bloody piece of intestine was pulled out.

"Crack!"

The barbarian king's spiked club slammed into the ghost mastiff's ribs, breaking two ribs instantly.

Ghost Mastiff grunted, but used the momentum to spin around and sweep his spear shaft horizontally, smashing Zhao Hanyue's knee into pieces.

The latter screamed and knelt down, the sword blade scraping against the ground with a piercing sound.

"Zheng——"

Mo Lanxin's zither strings coiled around the back of the ghost mastiff like venomous snakes, digging deep into its flesh.

The Ghost Hound grinned and advanced instead of retreating, letting the strings plow through its back, leaving behind bare white bones, while its spear pierced towards Mo Lanxin's throat like lightning.

"puff!"

The spear tip pierced her delicate shoulder, spraying a cloud of blood.

Mo Lanxin staggered backward, and the zither crashed to the ground with a "bang," all seven strings breaking.

To the astonishment of the three, the more severe the Ghost Hound's injuries, the more intense the fighting spirit in its eagle eyes became.

His blood-soaked appearance made him look like a demon crawling out of hell.

Almost simultaneously, as the last outer cultivator fell, Elder Nangong Xuan turned his head as if sensing something...

P.S.: It's the end of the month, please give me a monthly vote...

(End of this chapter)