The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 346 No, Old Hen, why did you suddenly come back? (6k)

Inside the elegant room, the candlelight flickered.

Sikong Yan slowly removed his mask, revealing a familiar face, and then smiled at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing stared at him quietly, trying to find traces of Lin Jin's existence on his face.

However, that smile was clean and pure, as if it had never changed.

Although he had never seen Lin Jin's true face, Zhou Qing still felt a strange sense of sorrow.

"What?" Sikong Yan caught the fleeting sadness in Zhou Qing's eyes, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

Then he turned his back, his tone suddenly becoming indifferent: "Have you thought it through? About that matter."

"Get out!" Zhou Qing said coldly.

Sikong Yan didn't take it to heart. Instead, he laughed and turned around, saying, "You're good in every way, except you're too sentimental."

He shook his head and walked to the window. "Feelings are like autumn leaves on the trees outside. They seem beautiful, but they are destined to wither."

“A person who cultivates the Tao should transcend worldly affairs, but you insist on trapping yourself in your own web.”

"Leaving aside distant matters," he stared intently at Zhou Qing, "for the sake of your senior brother Ghost Mastiff, you've put yourself in the eye of the storm, and now you don't even dare to show your true face. Is it worth it?"

Zhou Qing met his gaze without backing down: "And what about you? When I was your age, did you ever have any feelings?"

Sikong Yan's smile froze instantly, a barely perceptible pain flashed in his eyes, and finally turned into a long sigh.

"You're still too young. What if one day all your loved ones suddenly die?"

He paused, then said, "You will absolutely become a heartless killing machine."

Zhou Qing was too lazy to argue with him anymore, so he went straight to a seat away from him and sat down.

"I'm still considering the collaboration," Zhou Qing said, getting straight to the point. "Now, I have something I'd like you to point me in the right direction about."

According to the [Friend's Message], if you can help Sikong Yan, you will receive fifty top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones and one hundred ordinary top-grade spirit stones.

Such a massive quantity is far beyond what the Azure Flame Dao Palace could accumulate.

Even considering what was gained from the possession, it couldn't withstand such consumption. Don't forget, there was still a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, Lin Jin, who needed to be supported.

Therefore, Zhou Qing had two guesses about this: First, these spirit stones might have come from the forbidden area that Sikong Yan had exclusive access to.

However, he had been inside that restricted area before, and it took a very long time for a single bulge to form on the writhing fleshy walls around it.

Even if Sikong Yan were to conduct further simulations to ensure that the items extracted were of good quality, he wouldn't need to keep running back and forth to the far north to collect wood-attribute spirit stones.

“Then…” Zhou Qing’s eyes flashed with a sharp light, “he has most likely discovered some undiscovered wood-attribute spiritual vein!”

etc--

Zhou Qing immediately realized what was happening.

When the rewards were displayed in the [Friends' Request], Sikong Yan did indeed possess these spirit stones.

But now that he has broken through to the Spirit Severing Realm, could he have exhausted all his resources?
If that's the case, wouldn't I have wasted my time?
"Why did you suddenly stop talking?" Sikong Yan took a sip of tea, breaking the silence.

"As for the cooperation, I believe you will agree sooner or later. After all, kindness and sentimentality are your weaknesses."

He put down his teacup and asked with interest, "So, what do you want me to do for you before that?"

Zhou Qing looked him straight in the eye: "Do you still have any wood-attribute spirit stones on you?"

Sikong Yan was clearly taken aback, then chuckled: "What? You want to borrow money from me?"

"How many?" Zhou Qing ignored his teasing.

Sikong Yan smiled mysteriously: "Wealth should not be flaunted, so I cannot disclose that information."

Zhou Qing: "..."

Okay, I admit that being so direct was a bit abrupt.

"You want a wood-attribute spirit stone?" Sikong Yan asked, his eyes lighting up as he watched Zhou Qing facepalm.

Zhou Qing nodded: "Yes."

“That’s not right,” Sikong Yan said, stroking his chin. “You killed nine members of the Jieyun Bandit gang and wiped out more than twenty members of the Nangong family. Add to that your relationship with the Duobao Merchant Guild, and it’s impossible for you to be so easily defeated by just a few…”

He suddenly stopped. "Oh, I see, you need a lot of wood-attribute spirit stones?"

Zhou Qing remained silent.

Talking to such a cunning old fox can easily reveal too much information if you're not careful.

This is also why he tried to talk to the other party as little as possible when he was in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace.

"Then you've come to the wrong person," Sikong Yan shrugged. "I don't have that many spirit stones on me. Even if I did, I might not be able to pay them back on time!"

Zhou Qing: "..."

Do I look like the kind of person who borrows money and doesn't pay it back?
“However,” Sikong Yan suddenly changed the subject, “I happen to be free recently, and I can take you to a place where you should be able to find the spirit stones you need.”

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up: "Where?"

“It’s someone else’s home!” Sikong Yan said with a smile.

Zhou Qing: "..."

"What kind of look is that? I'm serious," Sikong Yan said seriously. "These days, if you want something and you don't have it yourself, you just go look for it elsewhere!"

"for example?"

“For example, the treasure vault of the Nangong family!” Sikong Yan said in a low voice.

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Sikong Yan continued, "I believe you must have obtained some wood-attribute spirit stones from the storage bags of those Nascent Soul Realm elders in the Nangong family."

"But if that still doesn't meet your needs, then their internal inventory is the best choice for both of us."

"You and me?" Zhou Qing keenly caught the key words.

Sikong Yan chuckled: "I do have some wood-attribute spirit stones, but those are for future plans, or more precisely, for you to set up formations."

"There are still some materials that haven't been gathered, but the Nangong family's treasury definitely has them."

Zhou Qing sneered: "It seems that asking you for help is exactly what you wanted."

“That’s why we’re said to be destined to meet,” Sikong Yan said with a smile. “Besides, your feud with the Nangong family is irreconcilable.”

"While the status of a fourth-level array master is certainly prestigious, in the eyes of a Spirit Slaying Realm expert, an undeveloped genius is nothing more than an ant that can be crushed with a single palm strike."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, but then heard Sikong Yan continue, "As far as I know, the patriarch of the Nangong family has returned to his clan in Yaoguang Prefecture after staying in the capital for half a year."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Right now, they're probably investigating your background. Given Ghost Hound's name and appearance, it's only a matter of time before they trace it back to the Taiqing Sect."

Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically, but then he thought of the two Spirit Slayers from the Lu family who were stationed in the sect, and felt somewhat relieved.

Although both are beginners in the Spirit Slaying stage, two against one should be no problem.

“So,” Sikong Yan’s eyes gleamed with a wild and excited light.

"If we launch a surprise attack on his treasury right now, we can solve our immediate problem, disrupt their plans, and divert their attention. Why not do it?"

The elegant room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft crackling of the candlelight.

After a long pause, Zhou Qing looked up and stared directly at Sikong Yan: "If you were to truly face Ancestor Nangong, how confident would you be?"

“It’s hard to say,” Sikong Yan shook his head. “I have never fought against someone at the Spirit Severing Realm. However, battles at this level are often protracted unless there is a significant difference in strength.”

"After all, at this level, there are too many ways to protect oneself, making it difficult to kill with a single blow."

Zhou Qing remained silent for a long time, then suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go! To the Nangong family!"

It should be noted that he also had the blood of two people who had reached the Spirit Severing Realm on his hands.

Although he used the [Misfortune Scroll] and the perilous environment of the Kunpeng Palace as a means of survival, he ultimately killed him with his own hands.

"Great!" Sikong Yan laughed and stood up, his sleeves fluttering even without wind. "Let's not delay, let's go now!"

Zhou Qing nodded, but he wouldn't tell his senior brother and second senior sister.

If they find themselves gone, they should be able to guess what's going on.

At this moment, Sikong Yan raised his hand and made a sweeping motion in the void, and a silver-white spatial rift slowly unfolded, within which distorted spatial turbulence could be vaguely seen.

He turned to Zhou Qing and said, "Let's get out of the capital city first using the spatial rift, but you have to stay close. Spatial rifts are no joke."

Having said that, he stepped into the crevice first.

Zhou Qing stood still, staring at the spatial rift in front of him.

Logically speaking, even if he had a flying boat, it would still take him one year and five months to reach Yaoguang Prefecture, just like the last time he came.

Moreover, Sikong Yan's actions are unpredictable and treacherous, so following him rashly would be extremely risky.

"What? Are you afraid I'll harm you?" Sikong Yan's mocking voice came from the crack.

Zhou Qing frowned. If this guy really wanted to harm him, with the unpredictable methods of the Spirit Severing Realm, he probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Moreover, he needed my help.

After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Qing took a deep breath and stepped into the crevice.

The moment Zhou Qing entered the spatial rift, he felt dizzy and disoriented.

The surrounding space was a distorted void, with countless bizarre fragments flying past at high speed.

A layer of purple protective spiritual light emanated from Sikong Yan's body, enveloping the two of them.

"It seems to be similar to the scene when Number Six and Second Uncle led me into the rift!" Zhou Qing observed carefully and thought to himself.

“To be honest,” Sikong Yan suddenly spoke up, “you are the most monstrous talent I have ever seen. I have witnessed your progress from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul.”

He paused meaningfully, "Sometimes I even wonder if the strange phenomenon of the four flowers gathering at the top of the head in the Eastern Region many years ago was you?"

Zhou Qing's heart tightened, but fortunately the mask concealed the change in his expression.

Sikong Yan leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with inquiry: "You wouldn't actually be the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, would you?"

Zhou Qing met his gaze, a slight smile playing on her lips: "You guessed right!"

The two stared at each other for a moment, then Sikong Yan suddenly burst into laughter: "That old fellow Mo Xingjian doesn't have the ability to get you the number one Heavenly Dao Qi."

His eyes gleamed. "According to the data, more than 90% of those who refine the Qi of Heaven can only condense one or two flowers."

"Those who can condense three flowers are already extremely rare, and those who can gather four flowers at the top are even more unprecedented."

"Maybe I'm one of those lucky ones, one in a million," Zhou Qing said, his tone deliberately stubborn and defiant.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan laughed even more heartily: "I actually hope you really are the Four Flowers Gathered at the Top, then things will get interesting!"

Zhou Qing said no more.

Dealing with such a cunning old fox is extremely difficult, as it's hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Sometimes, the more you try to hide something, the easier it is to expose your flaws.

"Don't be so nervous," Sikong Yan said with a half-smile, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "With the talent you've shown so far, advancing to the Spirit Severing Realm is only a matter of time, of course..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, "provided we don't perish halfway through."

He casually waved his hand, and several illusory figures appeared in the spatial turbulence: "After all, fallen geniuses are nothing. Like Li Hanshan and the others from the Azure Flame Dao Palace, how many people still remember them now?"

"Thank you for your kind words!" Zhou Qing said calmly, but his gaze swept over the fleeting afterimages.

The two traveled rapidly through the spatial rift, the surrounding scenery flashing by like a streak of light.

Sikong Yan suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, did you know that the royal family has set up a Hall of Array Formations?"

"I've heard a little about it," Zhou Qing replied cautiously.

Sikong Yan's lips curled into a mocking smile: "There is a corpse of a level four array master enshrined there, which people can look at and touch every day." "Even so, that person was only at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage in life."

He turned to look directly at Zhou Qing, "If you can advance to the Spirit Severing stage and condense ten thousand spirit seals, you will truly be a highly sought-after prize by the Holy Martial Dynasty."

Zhou Qing remained silent.

He remained grateful to Master Situ.

If conditions allowed, he actually really wanted to take him away from there, so that they could return to their roots.

"How long will it take to reach Yaoguang Prefecture by traveling like this?" Zhou Qing changed the subject.

After all, he had been able to emerge in a single breath before, but several breaths had passed now.

It seems that Sikong Yan has just advanced to the Spirit Slayer realm, and he is not yet very proficient in using some of his skills.

Sikong Yan explained, "Although the Spirit Severing Realm can tear through space, it also has many limitations. For example, each journey cannot exceed 100,000 li, otherwise the spiritual energy will be difficult to sustain."

"Secondly, the destination coordinates must be locked in advance; even a slight deviation could lead to getting lost in the spatial turbulence."

"the most important is"

Before he could finish speaking, a spatial storm suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sikong Yan's expression hardened, and he quickly formed hand seals, causing his protective aura to intensify.

The storm swept past the edge of the aura, and Zhou Qing could even hear the "crackling" sound of the aura being torn apart.

"Most importantly, we must always be on guard against spatial turbulence and storms," ​​Sikong Yan finally finished speaking.

"Even those at the Spirit Severing Realm will be torn to shreds if caught in the center of a spatial storm."

Zhou Qing was secretly shocked. It turned out that even powerful experts at the Spirit Severing Realm could not easily travel through space.

"The outer city is just ahead." Sikong Yan pointed to a point of light in the distance. "There will be a strong impact when passing through the spatial barrier, so be sure to keep your mind calm."

Before Zhou Qing could respond, he grabbed Zhou Qing's arm and rushed towards the light.

In an instant, the world spun around, and a strong sense of weightlessness washed over me.
When they opened their eyes again, the two were already in a mountain range somewhere outside the city.

"Alright, let's continue on our way!" Sikong Yan patted his sleeves and adjusted his mask.

Zhou Qing had no choice but to take out the flying boat.

As spiritual energy was injected, the flying boat grew larger in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a spirit boat more than ten feet long.

"Oh! You have such a good thing?" Sikong Yan's eyes lit up, and he jumped onto the deck without waiting for an invitation.

Then, in a friendly manner, he called down, "Captain, what are you waiting for? Set sail!"

Zhou Qing's lips twitched slightly, and he leaped up.

As he made a hand seal, the flying boat transformed into a streak of light, hurtling towards Yaoguang Mansion.
At almost the same time, tens of thousands of miles away, beneath a mountain range, there was a hidden cave that had been temporarily created.

Inside, the air was filled with spiritual energy. Gui Ao and Luo Lingling sat cross-legged, each holding a top-grade spirit stone in their hands, refining and absorbing the spiritual power flowing around them.

Beside them, the old hen was curled up in a corner, fast asleep.

Its grayish-brown feathers rose and fell gently with its breath, occasionally emitting a few muffled cooing sounds, as if it were having a sweet dream.

But at that moment, a strange ripple suddenly appeared on the top of the cave.

Immediately afterwards, the stone wall rippled like water, gradually revealing a terrifying scene—

It was a river of blood whose destination was unknown; its water was thick and viscous, shimmering with a dark red light.

Countless black dead crows floated on the river, their feathers soaked in blood, their empty eye sockets flickering with a ghostly green phosphorescence as they rose and fell with the waves.

On the banks of the Blood River, one can still see a towering tree standing quietly.

The tree trunk was as black as ink, and the withered and twisted branches stretched into the darkness, like countless struggling arms.

Below it were six coffins.

Most chillingly, a huge black heart hangs in the center of the tree trunk.

The surface of the heart was covered with strange patterns, and it was beating at a slow but powerful rhythm.
"Dong Dong. Dong."

Each jump was accompanied by the clanging of the iron chains binding the body.

At this moment, the sleeping hen suddenly trembled.

Its heart inside its chest cavity began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably, gradually becoming completely synchronized with the rhythm of the black heart.

"Cuckoo"

The old hen opened her eyes in a daze, and her originally cloudy eyes now gleamed with an eerie blue light.

It stood up unsteadily, its feathers moving without wind, staring intently at the strange phenomenon on the cave ceiling.

Suddenly, the dead crows in the river of blood turned their heads in unison, and thousands of pairs of eerie green eyes stared at the old hen.

The black heart suddenly began to beat faster, and the chains emitted a grating scraping sound.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As if summoned by some force, the old hen spread her wings and flew directly towards the illusion of the blood river at the top of the cave.

Even more bizarrely, its body seemed to pass through the water, merging seamlessly into the illusion.

"thump!"

A dark red wave splashed up from the river of blood.

The old hen thrashed about in the thick, bloody water, her feathers quickly becoming soaked, but she seemed completely unconcerned.

On the contrary, it seemed unusually excited, making cheerful "clucking" sounds from its throat.

At the same time, a layer of eerie blue flames began to ignite on his body, evaporating the surrounding blood into a scarlet mist.

This is the protective talisman that it formed after absorbing the blue flames from the earth's vein fissures for more than half a year back in the Primordial Dojo!

At this moment, it leisurely paddled in the water, occasionally spitting out a mouthful of eerie blue flame, snatching a dead crow into its mouth, and chewing it with a crunching sound.

But unlike last time, wisps of black mist began to seep from the surface of the black heart.

These air currents, like living things, meandered down, passed through the blood river, and entered the old hen's body.

With each wisp of black energy it absorbed, the old hen's feathers became even shinier, and the blue light in its eyes intensified.

But it seemed completely oblivious, continuing to swim deeper into the river of blood...

As for Gui'ao and Luo Lingling, they remained immersed in deep meditation, completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.

……

Taiqing Gate, Xiaoling Peak!
The mountains are shrouded in mist and clouds, and birds sing sweetly.

"call out!"

A sharp flash of light ripped through the sky, startling the birds in the forest.

Above the flashing blades, a round-faced young man stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering as he exuded elegance.

But those bright, darting eyes always seemed to have a mischievous glint in them.

"call--"

Yan Xiaohu rode his sword at great speed, heading straight for the summit.

Suddenly, he paused, the blade tracing a half-circle in the air.

"what?"

He squinted, staring intently at the familiar courtyard halfway up the mountain.

On the bluestone slab in front of the courtyard gate, a gray-brown figure was huddled up.

"My goodness!" Yan Xiaohu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Fourth Brother? You're back?!"

Without saying a word, he suddenly changed the direction of his broadsword, unleashing a burst of sword energy, and swooped down!

The blade flashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yan Xiaohu landed steadily, raised his hand, and the broadsword flew back into his hand with a "clang".

He took three steps at a time and ran quickly towards the courtyard gate.

The old hen was curled up on the stone steps, fast asleep, with dark red bloodstains on her feathers.

"Old buddy, is that really you? When did you get back? Did you miss me?"

Yan Xiaohu's voice trembled as he carefully picked it up.

The familiar touch brought tears to his eyes, and he couldn't help but bury his face in the feathers and take a deep breath—

"Ugh—" He abruptly turned his face away, retching uncontrollably. "Did you fall into a cesspool and roll around in it?"

Suddenly, he froze.

The stench was clearly mixed with the rusty smell of blood.

"Fourth brother!" Yan Xiaohu suddenly turned his head and roared into the courtyard.

But the courtyard remained silent.

He quickly pushed the door open and entered, as dust settled in a flurry.

In the empty courtyard, withered leaves covered the stone table, and spider webs clung to the window frames, with sunlight filtering through the gaps and casting dappled shadows.

Yan Xiaohu quickly took out his identity token, a blue light flashing at his fingertips, and sent out three messages in a row, but they were like stones sinking into the sea, without any reply.

"Strange thing," Yan Xiaohu scratched his head, looking at the sleeping hen in his arms with a furrowed brow.

If the fourth brother didn't come back, how did this old hen end up here all by herself?

Five years ago, when the fourth brother and the second senior sister left Taiqing Gate for the capital, Mingming took this old hen with them.

That night, he secretly tipped them off, and as he and his master and uncle watched them leave, he saw the old hen perched on the fourth brother's shoulder.

"Wake up, wake up!" Yan Xiaohu shook the old hen vigorously, but it was as if it were drunk and did not respond at all.

"This is really strange. Last time you were taken away by the fourth brother's godson, Buddha, and then you mysteriously reappeared here a few years later."

"Now that your master has personally led you away, you've run back on your own?"

Yan Xiaohu couldn't help but mutter to himself. After a thorough examination, he couldn't find any injuries on the guy's body.

"What's wrong, homesick?!" Yan Xiaohu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned mischievously, "Could it be that you can't bear to part with me?"

"That's true. Although I've taken in quite a few spirit eggs from you, I've also fed you a lot of spirit stones. So I guess I'm half your master!"

As he spoke, he took out several high-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and waved them near the old hen's beak.

Normally, this gluttonous fellow would have pounced on him long ago, but he remained fast asleep.

"Forget it, you stink too much," Yan Xiaohu wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Let's find you a place to wash up first, otherwise it'll be a waste of those soft, glossy feathers!"

He picked up the old hen, and with a light tap of his fingertip, a burst of spiritual energy silently closed Zhou Qing's courtyard door.

He turned around, stepped onto his broadsword, and with a flash of light, flew down the mountain.

But he quickly turned back and headed straight for the mountaintop, muttering to himself all the while.

"I almost forgot the important matter. Now that the Taiqing Sect has decided to attack the Cangyan Dao Palace, we can't let those lucrative positions fall into the hands of outsiders!"

"I need to take on some of these lucrative jobs as soon as possible, such as purchasing, transporting, and counting the spoils of war, since I still have eight brothers to support!"

……

(End of this chapter)