The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 355 Young friend, I have a few messages here. I wonder if you'd be interested? (6k)

Zhou Qing immediately thought of number six, Shen Hanyi.

Looking across the entire dynasty, she is the only one who can simultaneously meet both the conditions of strength and motivation.

After all, Situ Jiuyao was her old friend, and she had every reason to seek revenge.

But the problem is——

"Didn't I warn her back in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace not to come here lightly, lest it arouse the suspicion of the Yan family?"

How many years has it been?

The Yan family, having lost two Spirit Severing Realm experts, will certainly not let this go easily and will definitely keep a close eye on all suspicious individuals.

If she shows up now, wouldn't that just shift the suspicion in this direction?

“Really…” Zhou Qing frowned slightly, but quickly suppressed his distracting thoughts.

Right now, he has more important things to do.

After breaking through to the fourth level of array master, he vaguely touched upon an unprecedented threshold.

If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Spirit Severing Realm.

This threshold, like an ancient sacred mountain, is so heavy it's suffocating, so majestic it's almost despairing.

I still remember when Master Lin broke through to the third level of array master, his cultivation level also advanced to the Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm.

Now, however, he is facing the insurmountable barrier of the Spirit Severing Realm!

"I now possess the Four Flowers Gathered at the Top: the Subduing Demon Golden Bone, the Enlightened Ancient Tea Tree, and the insights and experiences of two senior members of the Lu family!"

"But overcoming this hurdle will still be extremely difficult; at the very least... we must prepare a sufficient supply of top-grade spirit stones."

He currently possesses a thousand top-grade spirit stones, but in the path of cultivation, the more resources the better.

Therefore, he plans to go to the Duobao Chamber of Commerce this time, partly to ask Elder Mo to help him find an old hen.

On the other hand, they converted the many treasures looted from the Nangong family's treasury into top-grade spirit stones.

Having made up his mind, he didn't delay any longer and headed straight for the Duobao Merchant Guild with his eldest brother and second sister...

……

"Congratulations, young friend!"

As soon as Zhou Qing arrived at the teahouse opposite the Chamber of Commerce, before the hot tea was even served, Mo Tianheng noticed him and used his Spirit Severing Realm divine power to pull him directly into the inner room.

The old man smiled broadly, his eyes filled with admiration.

Now everyone in the capital knows Zhou Qing, so he no longer hides himself. He simply takes off his mask, revealing a handsome and refined face, and says with a smile, "It's all just luck."

"Hey, that's not quite right!" Mo Tianheng waved his hand and said, "Luck is also a part of strength!"

"The process is not important; the result is that you have become the first fourth-level array master since the Holy Martial Dynasty was promoted to a fourth-level cultivation country, and also the youngest in history!"

"Such a record, let alone the Holy Martial Dynasty, would probably be hard to break even in the entire fifth-level cultivation country."

Zhou Qing waved his hand repeatedly. He didn't know about the others, but he estimated that Shen Hanyi, number six, could do it.

After all, she could comprehend a wisp of Phoenix Dao Pattern in a short time even with an Inscription-level Divine Power, let alone the four wisps that I later guided her with.

I wonder how much she has grasped now?

Seeing Zhou Qing's humility, Mo Tianheng admired him even more.

Especially considering his youthful appearance, he might actually be under fifty years old, just as the rumors suggest.

What's even more remarkable is that he lacks the arrogance often seen in young prodigies; instead, he is calm, composed, and admirable.

Such a prodigy, advancing to the Spirit Severing Realm is probably only a matter of time!
"I'm sorry, we haven't collected all the wood-attribute spirit stones yet, but the merchant guild is working hard to prepare. Next time you come, we might not be able to gather them all, but we'll definitely have some!"

Mo Tianheng said with a slight apology.

Zhou Qing shook his head and chuckled: "Elder Mo, you've misunderstood. I'd like to ask you to take a look at these things."

As he spoke, he handed over a storage bag.

Mo Tianheng breathed a sigh of relief and accepted it with a smile.

It must be said that the investment over the past few years has begun to bear fruit – the spoils of the nine bandits and the more than twenty members of the Nangong family were all sold through the Chamber of Commerce, resulting in a win-win situation for both parties.

However, when Elder Mo probed into the storage bag with his divine sense, his expression changed drastically, and he suddenly looked up at Zhou Qing.

"I've heard that two years ago, the Nangong family's treasure vault was looted by a Spirit Severing Realm expert. The scoundrel didn't even leave; instead, he fought a fierce battle with Nangong Xiong Ba before finally making his escape..."

At this point, Mo Tianheng suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

It's obvious that Zhou Qing was involved!

This means that he is not the only partner he has; other Spirit Slayer Realm experts are trying to win him over, and the two sides have even begun in-depth cooperation.

"It seems I haven't done enough..." he sighed inwardly. "If I miss the chance to befriend such a genius, I'll probably regret it for the rest of my life!"

Seeing this, Zhou Qing no longer concealed anything and said calmly, "I broke the treasure vault's restrictions, and afterwards we split the spoils fifty-fifty. Who told the Nangong family to be so relentless?"

At this point, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Mo Tianheng nodded, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Of the eight prefectures and seventy-two counties of the Holy Martial Dynasty, my Duobao Chamber of Commerce has branches in thirty-five places."

His gaze was deep as he slowly said, "As businessmen, we are most sensitive to information from all sides... I wonder if young friend Zhou would be interested in hearing about it?"

Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile playing on his lips: "I'd like to hear the details."

Mo Tianheng paced back and forth, his voice low: "The Nangong family has suffered a decline in power after you killed twenty-six members of the Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection Realm."

"I am preparing to place a few new faces here to fill the vacancy."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing immediately recalled the scene when he and Sikong Yan sneaked into the Nangong family that night, where more than a hundred Nascent Soul Realm cultivators at the Great Perfection stage were waiting in full force outside the main gate.

It seems there are members of the Chamber of Commerce among them!

But if the Duobao Chamber of Commerce can make such a plan, are other Spirit-Slaying Families, or even the royal family, also making moves in secret?
No wonder the Nangong family always kept their doors tightly shut, keeping people at arm's length.

Nobody's a fool; they're obviously wary of anyone taking advantage of the situation!

Mo Tianheng continued, "It's quite a coincidence that my men happened to witness the entire battle between that mysterious Spirit Slayer and Nangong Xiongba that night."

His gaze narrowed slightly: "And after treating his injuries briefly, the other party did not hesitate at all... head straight for the eastern region of Lingyun Prefecture!"

Zhou Qing's face suddenly darkened.

Mo Tianheng said meaningfully, "As a businessman, I naturally prioritize profit. However, I prefer investment to ordinary business."

He put down his teacup, a profound look flashing in his eyes: "Besides you, I've secretly invested in another person."

"Oh? Who is it?" Zhou Qing asked instinctively, but then realized his words were abrupt and apologized, "It was my presumption."

Mo Tianheng waved his hand and smiled, "It's alright. Since I brought it up, I was going to tell you anyway."

He stroked his beard and recalled, "I have invested in this person for many years, but he has always deliberately kept his distance from me, believing that he could not bring me any benefits."

"It was because, although he was a prince, he detested power struggles and even changed his name and surname for this purpose, and traveled abroad for many years."

A figure immediately flashed into Zhou Qing's mind, and he tentatively asked, "The Fourth Prince?"

Mo Tianheng clapped his hands and laughed: "It seems you do know each other! That's right, it is the Fourth Prince Xuan Yuanhe, but now... perhaps it would be more appropriate to call him White Crane."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

After parting ways with the Taichu Dojo in the Wuzu Mountains last time, Baihe was indeed preoccupied. He only said that he had been trapped in the Dojo for many years and now had something to deal with before leaving in a hurry.

Looking back now, he must have returned to the capital.

As for why the second senior sister came here this time, besides looking for the eldest senior brother and for her own training, it is probably also because of the white crane.

A knowing glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes—

Second Senior Sister has probably already fallen for that man with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows.

Especially in the dojo, the scene where Bai He resolutely snatched the Blood Burning Pill, preferring to damage his own cultivation rather than let his second senior sister take danger, made it clear to everyone his intentions.

Not to mention, he remained open and honest, never harboring any ulterior motives, from referring to himself as "brother-in-law" to "respected brother-in-law."

Mo Tianheng's voice pulled Zhou Qing back to reality: "Bai He has been secretly watching and paying close attention to Nangong Xiong Ba's investigation into the Ghost Hound. That night, he was actually lurking around the Nangong family's perimeter."

Mo Lao's gaze sharpened: "Moreover... he discovered an acquaintance and secretly contacted Nangong Xiong Ba."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes: "Seventh Prince?"

Mo Tianheng looked surprised: "You knew about this too?"

But then he shook his head slightly, "However, according to Bai He, the Seventh Prince was wrapped up very tightly at the time, so he shouldn't have been recognized..."

"Enough," he said in a deep voice. "This Seventh Prince must have made some kind of deal with Nangong Xiong Ba. Afterwards, Nangong Xiong Ba headed straight for Lingyun Prefecture!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's heart sank—

Sure enough it was him!

Mo Tianheng continued, "Afterwards, Bai He immediately found me and begged me to go to Taiqing Sect."

"Back when he was setting up a tent outside Taiqing Gate, he saw the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Princess, so they knew about Ghost Mastiff."

"Although we don't know what the Seventh Prince and Nangong Xiong Ba discussed, a secret meeting late at night is definitely not a good thing!"

"After all, the prince's efforts to win over the Zhanling family for support are a rule tacitly approved by the Xuanyuan royal family."

Mo Tianheng said meaningfully, "Isn't this a means for the royal family to firmly bind all forces together?"

"Bai He didn't know 'Chicken Prince' was you at the time, but he knew about Ghost Mastiff's origins. Besides..."

Elder Mo smiled slightly: "There is a girl he admires in the Taiqing Sect. Therefore, he earnestly requested that I make this trip in case... anything untoward happens."

"Unfortunately, I was delayed by important matters those few days. By the time I arrived, the matter had already been resolved. Fortunately, there were no accidents at Taiqing Sect."

"So, you know what I mean, right?"

Zhou Qing's face was icy cold.

Master Mo's meaning is already very clear—the clues about the Taiqing Sect were definitely leaked by the Seventh Prince.

"What a despicable person!" Zhou Qing's heart surged with murderous intent.

If the Lu sisters hadn't been there, I can't even imagine what the sect would have encountered.

He might even regret it for the rest of his life.

"In that case, let's settle this score properly." Zhou Qing had already made up his mind.

Seeing this, Mo Tianheng continued, "To express my apologies, I made a special trip to visit you, but your sect leader Cao Zhengyang politely declined my offer."

"Oh?" Zhou Qing looked slightly surprised.

Mo Lao explained, "In fact, many people heard about this during that time and took the opportunity to curry favor with him, including the five Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who were still at the Witch Ancestor's Dojo."

At this point, he stroked his beard: "And by then, everyone in the Taiqing Sect already knew about you, Young Master Chicken."

“Of course, it was Nangong Xiong Ba himself who said it.” Mo Tianheng suddenly sneered, “Although I don’t understand where he got all this nonsense from.” A cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing’s eyes.

"I had to explain my relationship with you and specifically mention that I was helping you collect wood-attribute spirit stones before they believed me and that's why they met a female Spirit Severing Realm cultivator from your sect."

Zhou Qing nodded thoughtfully.

“Through our conversation, I learned that the three of them originally had a chance to capture Nangong Xiong Ba, but they were rescued by someone else,” Mo Tianheng said solemnly.

"Who is it?" His eyes sharpened, and he immediately pressed for an answer.

Mo Tianheng lowered his voice and said, "At that time, the opponent was extremely fast, almost turning into a blur. But your sect's Spirit Severing Realm cultivator still managed to capture the crucial moment."

"The technique that person used when he made his move was the Dragon-Capturing Hand, a secret technique passed down by the Xuanyuan royal family!"

Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed, and he slowly leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening: "The Dragon-Capturing Hand of the Xuanyuan Royal Family."

"As far as I know, the most recent one was Xuanyuan Shuo, who attacked the Taichu Dojo in Haomiao Prefecture."

Mo Tianheng's tone was subtle, a half-smile playing on his lips, "However, right now the royal family is surrounding the Nangong family in a grand manner, claiming they will seek justice for you."

A cold smile crept across Zhou Qing's lips: "A show you directed and acted in yourself?"

“It is understandable.” Mo Tianheng sighed softly. “Nangong Xiongba and the rest of us were able to break through thanks to the secret medicine of the Xuanyuan family. It is indeed a pity that we have fallen like this.”

His gaze was deep as he slowly said, "If I'm not mistaken, they will ultimately hand Nangong Xiong Ba over to you. After all—"

He paused, "The choice between three Spirit Severing experts, one Level 4 Array Master, and a Spirit Severing Realm cultivator who has not made any progress in over two thousand years is not difficult."

Zhou Qing gave a noncommittal snort, then changed the subject: "Did Elder Mo also take that secret medicine back then?"

Mo Tianheng nodded slightly, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes: "When that batch of secret medicine was produced, I took it along with more than forty Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators, and ultimately..."

His voice lowered, "Only I survived and successfully broke through."

Zhou Qing's pupils contracted slightly, and he was secretly alarmed.

He originally thought the secret medicine had a 100% success rate, but unexpectedly it turned out to be a matter of life and death.

“If that’s the case,” Zhou Qing said, his eyes blazing, “Logically, you should be on the side of the Xuanyuan family, so why are you saying these things to me?”

Mo Tianheng stroked his beard and chuckled: "Because I am a businessman, and..."

A glint of light flashed in his eyes. "He's a lucky businessman."

Seeing that Master Mo avoided answering, Zhou Qing wisely refrained from pressing the matter further.

"By the way," Mo Tianheng suddenly changed the subject, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, "you should know that silver-haired female spirit-slaying warrior who caused such a ruckus in the array hall, right?"

Zhou Qing's heart tightened, but he didn't show it on his face: "How do you know?"

"When I left Taiqing Sect," Mo Tianheng said slowly, "your sect's Spirit Severing Realm cultivator asked me to tell you that Lu Yaoyao has broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and has come to the capital to find you with a white-haired female Spirit Severing Realm cultivator and a blond-haired man."

Zhou Qing was taken aback upon hearing this.

Shen Hanyi actually brought Lu Yaoyao to the capital?

Isn't this ridiculous?!

“Alright, you can wait here for a while,” Mo Tianheng said, seeing that Zhou Qing already understood and had said what needed to be said.

He then stood up with a smile, "I'll go and get an estimate for you."

Zhou Qing then came to his senses and solemnly bowed to Mo Tianheng.

Today's conversation not only provided him with valuable intelligence, but also made him aware of many potential crises.

just
He frowned slightly. Could it be that Lu Yaoyao would rashly go to find the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Princess?

However, with Shen Hanyi, a powerful expert in the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, accompanying them, their safety should not be a concern.

However, when Shen Yunzhou went back last time, he also pilfered a bone box from the Seventh Prince.

Shen Hanyi couldn't open it at the time, so she specifically asked him to help her identify it in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace.

He remembered that, according to the appraisal, the bone box was called the Yinming Bone Box, which was made primarily from a skull of a Great Perfection of the Spirit Slaying Realm, mixed with a variety of rare materials.

It originally contained the advanced supernatural power "Nine Netherworld Soul Guiding Record", but it was destroyed by fire due to repeated forced activation.

I wonder if the Seventh Prince recognized Shen Huangmao?
Just as he was pondering, Mo Tianheng returned and handed him an antique-looking storage bag.

"The things you gave me are treasures accumulated by the Nangong family over generations," Mo Tianheng stroked his beard and smiled. "I've given you a round number: one thousand top-grade spirit stones. Are you satisfied?"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat.

This number far exceeded his expectations!

With his existing savings, he now has two thousand top-grade spirit stones, enough to support his breakthrough to the Spirit Severing Realm.

"Thank you very much, Elder Mo!" Zhou Qing said sincerely.

Mo Tianheng's expression turned serious: "I will do my best to help you collect wood-attribute spirit stones. But as I said before, this divine power consumes far too much energy."

He stared at Zhou Qing, his tone solemn, "If there is an opportunity, it would be best to switch to other cultivation methods as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, in the later stages, they might end up like someone who 'has a mountain of gold but starves to death.'"

Zhou Qing naturally understood the implications and nodded solemnly: "This junior understands, thank you for your guidance, Elder Mo."

“Oh, right,” Zhou Qing suddenly remembered something, “there’s something else I’d like to ask Elder Mo for help with.”

Mo Tianheng was overjoyed and said, "I would be extremely happy to."

Zhou Qing then used his spiritual power to draw the image of a hen with bulging eyes in the air.

Mo Tianheng stared at the image, his brows gradually furrowing: "Where have I seen this chicken before?"

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up: "Please enlighten me, Elder Mo!"

Mo Tianheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something, and used his spiritual power to sketch the image of a young man with a round head and small eyes: "Do you know this person?"

Zhou Qing's pupils contracted slightly—because the person in the painting was none other than his third senior brother, Yan Xiaohu!

"You met him in the capital?" Zhou Qing asked quickly.

“No,” Mo Tianheng shook his head. “When I left Taiqing Sect, I happened to meet him returning with a few people. This old hen was perched on his shoulder.”

He explained, "I heard Jin Mantang mention that this spirit bird was being held by that young master Niu, so I took a second look. I thought that such a spirit animal was something that everyone in your Taiqing Sect had."

Zhou Qing frowned.

The old hen was actually at Taiqing Gate?

How can this be?

How did it get back?
“My divine power, ‘Eternal Moment,’ is about to expire,” Mo Tianheng said suddenly as he looked at Zhou Qing in deep thought. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

Zhou Qing understood and bowed solemnly again.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery receded like the tide, and when he came to his senses, he was back in the teahouse.

Looking up, I saw my eldest brother and second sister sitting not far away.

The three exchanged glances, and without a word, they tacitly rose and left.
……

"So, it was that bastard Xuanyuan Yichen who tipped off Ancestor Nangong?"

After listening to Zhou Qing's account, Ghost Mastiff slammed the wine pot on the table, his eyes blazing with fury.

They were wanted in the capital for so long before, and this guy never exposed them. Why did he suddenly choose to betray them?
Is it because they feel the fourth brother is too much of a threat, or is the time ripe?

I even treated him as a friend.

When Luo Lingling heard that the old hen had mysteriously appeared at Taiqing Gate, she didn't know how it did it, but she was just glad that it was safe and sound.

At least she and the eldest brother no longer have to feel guilty about losing their junior brother's spirit pet.

Then she rested her chin on her hand and paced back and forth, pondering the reasons behind Xuan Yuanshuo's actions.

She was always meticulous and sought to be safe before doing anything. At this moment, she carefully sorted through the information Zhou Qing brought in her mind and quickly made a judgment.

She tilted her head slightly and said softly, "Under normal circumstances, no one could have predicted that Nangong Xiong Ba would launch a surprise attack on Taiqing Sect."

“But Xuanyuan Shuo came to the rescue at the crucial moment.” Her gaze turned cold. “This shows that he had been lying in ambush all along.”

Zhou Qing nodded silently; this conjecture coincided with his own thoughts.

Ghost Hound suddenly interjected, his voice tinged with urgency: "Didn't you say that Xuanyuan Shuo and the other five Spirit Slaying Realm cultivators were dealing with the Demon Emperor in the Vast Expanse Palace? How come he suddenly appeared in the Lingyun Palace?"

He frowned deeply. "In addition to the Seventh Prince's betrayal, I have reason to suspect that this is a setup by the Xuanyuan family."

Luo Lingling nodded slightly, her gaze shifting between the two men: "If I'm not mistaken, they are making preparations for both scenarios."

Their gazes simultaneously focused on her.

Luo Lingling looked at Zhou Qing, her voice calm but sharp: "Firstly, given your status as a level four array master, if you are willing to serve the royal family, they will surely offer Nangong Xiong Ba as a gift for joining them."

“If no one recognizes the Dragon Captor, they can easily fabricate a story about how much they paid to capture Nangong Xiong Ba.”

"They even go so far as to make other powerful families suspicious of them, just to win your sincere allegiance."

“If they find out,” Luo Lingling said with a slight smile, “they will explain that it was a deliberately arranged surprise.”

"I saved Nangong Xiongba so that you could end this karma yourself, so that you wouldn't have any regrets and it wouldn't cause you to develop inner demons that would affect your future attempts to sever your spirit."

The two looked solemn and remained silent, listening attentively to Luo Lingling's analysis.

"Secondly," Luo Lingling's eyes suddenly turned cold, "if you refuse to recruit them, the Spirit Slayer you rescued will become their most loyal henchmen."

"At that time, Nangong Xiong Ba, that venomous snake, will be watching day and night, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on you and the Taiqing Sect. As for the royal family..."

She snorted softly, "Perfect, I can continue playing the role of the 'good guy' who can mediate between the two sides."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a cold light. He secretly admired his second senior sister's meticulous analysis.

Ghost Mastiff felt a throbbing pain in his temples as he listened; these convoluted schemes made his straightforward nature extremely uncomfortable.

In his simple and pure understanding, coupled with the influence of the "Blood Battle Path" concept, there is nothing that a gun cannot solve.

"So what do we do now?" Ghost Hound clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Should we go find Junior Sister Lu, or go directly to confront that bastard Xuan Yuan Yi Chen?"

A murderous glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes: "Junior Sister Lu is being looked after by the Shen family elders, so she's fine for now, but Xuan Yuan Yi Chen... I plan to meet him personally."

"We'll go with you!" Ghost Mastiff thumped his chest loudly. "Don't worry, we'll stay in the Jintian Palace and be there to look after you!"

Zhou Qing shook his head and chuckled: "The Jintian Palace is not what it used to be, so you'd better not go."

“That Granny Su is a nice person,” Ghost Ao said doubtfully. “Last time we even helped her dispose of the bodies of the eunuchs that the Grand Eunuch Gao Xianzong killed.”

Zhou Qing's expression turned serious: "It's not Granny Su, but..." He paused, "...the true master of Jintian Palace has returned."

The two looked at each other, seemingly not quite understanding Zhou Qing's meaning.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, and after a brief moment of thought, decided to tell them Sikong Yan's true identity...

(End of this chapter)