The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 409 You're a madman, you're a madman! (6k)

Since the two currently have no way to directly contact Shen Hanyi, and given the complex situation within the Shen family, they decided after a brief discussion to wait and see how things develop.

Then, Zhou Qing took out the three-colored communication jade slip and prepared to contact Lu Yaoyao first.

Half a day after the message was sent, it seemed to have sunk without a trace, and there was no response whatsoever.

"Strange, is Junior Sister Lu not at the Shen family, or is she being shielded by some kind of formation?" Zhou Qing frowned.

The second uncle held the old hen, stroking its glossy feathers with great interest.

He was truly surprised when Zhou Qing mentioned that this old hen could now ignore most of the three-color restrictions.

Back then, the two of them brought it into the first coffin in the forbidden area of ​​the cave, Hongtashan.

At that time, this silly chicken could only ignore the two-color restriction, and we were originally hoping that it could bring out a few treasures.

Who knew that this fool would just squat down on the spot after entering the restricted area.

No matter how much he shouted outside, it didn't even lift an eyelid, which was really frustrating.

Strangely enough, this simpleton, who lacks even the most basic foraging instincts, has been inexplicably undergoing a continuous transformation over the years.

Now they can even ignore the three-color restriction.

"Can't get in touch?" Uncle Er asked.

Zhou Qing had already mentioned Lu Yaoyao to him on the way.

That girl is quite talented, clingy, and has a good personality; she's quite likable.

Zhou Qing nodded, his eyes filled with even deeper worry.

"Then let's just sneak in and take a look!" Uncle Er said dismissively.

"How do we make a living?" Zhou Qing looked up.

Uncle Er smiled mysteriously, a sly glint in his eyes: "Come with me!"

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, but still followed in his second uncle's footsteps.

Before long, the two arrived in front of a breathtakingly huge structure—the main gate of the Shen family!
The sight before him caused Zhou Qing's pupils to shrink sharply:

A giant archway, entirely crafted from an unknown type of black jade, stands tall amidst the clouds, its two gilded characters, "Shen Mansion," radiating dazzling light.

Each stroke seems to contain supreme principles, making it impossible to look directly at.

Behind the archway, a continuous cluster of palaces, like a sleeping dragon, appears and disappears in the clouds, each palace exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

What is most alarming is the five-colored restriction that envelops the entire Shen family—five divine lights, red, blue, yellow, white, and black, intertwined into a net.

Various ancient ferocious beast phantoms could be vaguely seen wandering within the restrictions.

This was the first time Zhou Qing had ever seen such a terrifying five-colored restriction.

Beneath the archway, twelve guards clad in black iron armor stood solemnly, each radiating the terrifying pressure of a Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Such cultivation would make one a founding patriarch in a fourth-level cultivation country, yet here he can only serve as a gatekeeper, demonstrating the profound foundation of the Shen family.

"What a grand gesture!" Zhou Qing exclaimed inwardly, his gaze then falling on the five-colored barrier that enveloped the entire Shen family.

Thinking of how the three-colored protective array he had crafted for the Taiqing Sect had once attracted countless envious glances, he now felt it all seemed so insignificant.

"How do we get in?" Zhou Qing asked in a low voice.

"Come with me!" Uncle Er grabbed Zhou Qing's sleeve and pulled him to a secluded corner.

He then patted the storage bag, and two ancient bronze tokens emerged, gleaming with a cold luster in the sunlight.

The token is dark blue in color, with fine crack patterns covering its surface. A strange sword mark is engraved on the front, surrounded by nine star patterns.

The reverse side is inscribed with the ancient character "沈" in the strokes, which are sharp and chiseled, exuding a fierce and ruthless aura.

"Sir, what is this?" Zhou Qing looked at the token in his hand with surprise and doubt.

The second uncle grinned and said, "When I came out of the wilderness, I picked up quite a few bargains along the way."

"Those unfortunate souls who were killed by forbidden objects, their scattered storage bags and magical treasures, all benefited me."

He weighed the token in his hand and lowered his voice, saying, "Aren't there often mercenaries from the Shen family in the outer realms? These two tokens were taken from two relatively fresh mercenary corpses."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

Those who can venture into the forbidden wilderness are at least at the Nascent Soul stage, and some are even at the Spirit Slayer or Supreme level.

Uncle Er must have made a fortune along the way.

But I soon realized that this was not right.

Throughout his cultivation journey, he has only ever seen two five-colored restrictions.

First, there is the five-colored altar placed in the passageway by the Second Uncle of Taiqing Gate.

Secondly, the Black Feather Peak Array Plate, which Peng Huang seized from Master Situ Jiuyao.

However, the scale of the restrictions imposed by the Shen family is far superior.

As a top family in Nanhuang Prefecture, how could the Shen family's restrictions be easily bypassed by ordinary mercenary tokens?
It should be noted that even the Nangong Xiong Ba family, which is at the Spirit Severing Realm in the Holy Martial Dynasty, can accurately identify the appearance, eyes, and even unique blood and qi of the person who comes through their restrictions.

The restrictions imposed by the Shen family before us are probably even more mysterious and unpredictable.

If they are discovered, they won't have anywhere to run to.

Seemingly sensing Zhou Qing's worry, he chuckled and weighed the token in his hand.

"Don't worry, those two corpses seem to have died recently, they're still fresh, the chances of them getting in are pretty high."

As he spoke, he took out another familiar wooden puppet and handed it over.

This bears his imprint of Nascent Soul amplification aura, and anyone Zhou Qing has ever seen can roughly conjure it up.

It was by using it that Zhou Qing was able to transform into the Peng Emperor and help Xuan Yuan Shuo stabilize the border situation.

Zhou Qing did not accept it, as the risk was still too great.

"Oh?" Second Uncle raised an eyebrow and sized him up. "When did you become so cautious, kid?"

Zhou Qing smiled calmly: "It's always better to be cautious. I'm thinking that instead of sneaking around, it's better to join the Shen family directly."

"Join the Shen family?" Second Uncle was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened.

"To treat the symptoms, we must address the root cause." Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened, and his aura suddenly changed.

"Since I've decided to pursue her, I should understand everything about her. If I can help her resolve this crisis, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Uncle Er stared at Zhou Qing's resolute eyes, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! Responsible, knows his limits, and knows how to protect his sweetheart. Seems quite amusing. However..."

He stroked his chin. "The Shen family has a high threshold for entry. In what capacity do you plan to join?"

"Array Master".

"A formation master?" The second uncle was taken aback at first, then shook his head. "It's a good breakthrough point, but for a family like the Shen family, an ordinary formation master is probably a godsend!"

Before the second uncle could finish speaking, he froze on the spot, speechless with astonishment.

Suddenly, countless spiritual seals appeared around Zhou Qing's body, densely packed like a galaxy.

With Second Uncle's sharp eyesight, he could tell at a glance that there were at least 30,000 spirit seals!

"This...this..." The second uncle, who had just come to his senses, took several steps back, his face full of disbelief.

In order to explore the few coffins in the forbidden area of ​​Taiqing Sect, he made a special trip to Baiyu Taixu Temple to become a disciple of Lin Daochen.

Later, he even "lured" Zhou Qing to study with him, and the two of them became Master Lin's most outstanding disciples.

I still remember that back then, Master Lin personally introduced them to the reclusive master Dean Weng Yunqi, who helped them find a powerful backer.

But now.
The second uncle looked at Zhou Qing, who was surrounded by spiritual seals, and felt a mix of emotions.

Having cultivated for so long, I have only managed to condense five thousand spirit seals, barely qualifying as a level three array master.

Zhou Qing had already condensed 30,000 spirit seals; he only needed another 20,000 to become a level 5 formation master.

In the entire Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, you could count the number of level-five array masters on one hand.

Such talent is simply astonishing!
"Good! Good! Good!" The second uncle rushed forward, trembling with excitement. "I underestimated you after all!"

Zhou Qing smiled.

If it weren't for his second uncle, how could he have obtained the roots of the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree in the Penghuang Cave?

Without his second uncle, how could he have so quickly gathered the rare materials needed to activate it within the forbidden area of ​​the cave?

That's how we achieved what we have today!

"Four flowers gathered at the top, truly extraordinary!" Second Uncle patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, his eyes gleaming.

In just a hundred years, this kid not only broke through to the Spirit Severing Realm, but also condensed 30,000 Spirit Seals. His talent is truly astonishing.

"With your cultivation at the Spirit Severing Realm at such a young age, plus 30,000 Spirit Seals, the Shen family, unless they're blind, will definitely treat you as an honored guest!"

Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

With his current mastery of array formations, entering the Shen family would indeed be a piece of cake.

"Wait a minute!" Uncle Er suddenly slapped his thigh, a sly glint in his eyes. "I have a brilliant idea!"

"What idea?" Zhou Qing asked, puzzled.

"Let's join the Shen family together!" The second uncle rubbed his hands excitedly. "I'll pretend to be your disciple!"

"Huh?" Zhou Qing was stunned.

Uncle Er rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Look, you have 30,000 spirit seals, and I have 5,000. Isn't this master-disciple pairing perfect?"

Zhou Qing looked troubled: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"What's wrong with that!" Uncle Er waved his hand dismissively.

"Back in Taixu Academy, I was your senior! It's just a different identity now. I've never cared about such empty titles."

Zhou Qing thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." With the help of Uncle Er, things were indeed much safer.

The second uncle suddenly became serious and lowered his voice, saying, "Since the other party dared to hire assassins from the Blood Pact Pavilion to carry out the assassination, they must have already learned about Miss Shen's background."

"So you have to change your name and appearance."

As he spoke, he cautiously looked around, and after confirming that no one was watching, he gently patted the bright green storage bag at his waist.

The bag is embroidered with intricate silver patterns, with a subtle sense of flowing energy, and the opening is tied tightly with a gold cord.

As he moved, the bag trembled slightly, and a small, exquisitely beautiful baby wearing a red bib poked its head out.

It's truly a ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng of the highest quality, capable of transforming into its human

This scene surprised Zhou Qing. Wasn't it said that storage bags couldn't hold living creatures?
How did you do that?

Seemingly noticing Zhou Qing's confusion, the second uncle explained, "This item is called a spirit beast bag. It has its own space inside, and most living beings can be stored in it. I'll take care of the old hen then."

As he spoke, he chuckled at the blood ginseng and said, "Little Blood Boy, can you give me another one of those?"

The ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng tilted its head and looked at Zhou Qing, a hint of confusion flashing in its crystal-clear blood-red eyes.

But soon, it seemed to recognize this old friend, and the ginseng whiskers on its head trembled.

But upon hearing what the second uncle said, it immediately pouted its rosy little mouth, and its ginseng whiskers drooped down.

It tightly hugged its ginseng body with its short little arms, hesitated for a while, and then reluctantly squeezed out a crystal-clear, blood-red bead from between its tendrils. The bead was entirely blood-red, with liquid flowing inside, and emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

"Thank you!" The second uncle grinned, taking the beads and taking out an exquisite white jade bottle from his storage bag.

Upon seeing this, the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Man was overjoyed, his whiskers trembling wildly. He hugged the jade bottle with both hands, as if it were a precious treasure, and shrank back into his spirit beast pouch.

Under Zhou Qing's questioning gaze, the second uncle's expression turned serious.

He made a hand seal, and a hazy blue aura suddenly appeared around his body.

The halo gradually condensed into countless tiny runes, flowing in his palm.

With a soft shout, all the runes disappeared into the blood-red bead, which instantly shone brightly, and mysterious patterns appeared on its surface.

"Here you go!" The second uncle generously tossed the blood-red bead to Zhou Qing.

"With the essence of the Blood Ginseng and the amplification of my Nascent Soul, even a Supreme Realm expert would not be able to see through your illusion!"

Zhou Qing took the bead and felt a warmth in his palm. The bead seemed to be alive and pulsating slightly in his hand.

He examined it closely and discovered that there seemed to be countless tiny runes flowing inside the bead, intertwined with the blood-red essence, emitting a mysterious aura.

"Zhou Qing, Zhou Qing!" Uncle Er suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Or you could reverse your name and call yourself Qingzhou! That name would suit you perfectly!"

Before he finished speaking, a hazy blue mist suddenly rose around the Second Uncle.

Within the mist, his figure began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His once robust and muscular body gradually shrank, his bulging muscles became long and slender, and his rough skin turned into delicate and fair skin.

As his bones made a slight "crackling" sound, he also shrank a bit, and his shoulders were no longer as broad as a door panel, but became the thin frame typical of a teenager.

That rugged face, weathered by time, now rippled and shifted like water, its wrinkles smoothed and its sharp features softened.

When the fog dissipated, the person standing in the same spot was a handsome young man of about sixteen or seventeen years old.

He was tall and slender, his plain white robe fluttering in the wind, his dark hair casually tied up with a blue ribbon, revealing his smooth forehead.

Even her eyes have become younger and more delicate.

This was the first time Zhou Qing had truly witnessed his second uncle use the illusion technique.

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Second Uncle's voice was clear as a spring, yet it still carried that familiar roguish air as he urged.

"Damn it, it's been so long since I've infiltrated a sect under any other identity. This long-lost feeling is so exciting!"

Zhou Qing smiled wryly, but a hint of anticipation also rose in his heart.

He looked down at the blood-red bead in his hand, took a deep breath, and then tilted his head back to swallow it.

In an instant, a warm force slid into my throat and quickly flowed throughout my body.

Zhou Qing felt a slight itch in his bones, and his muscles began to reshape under some mysterious force.

His skin gradually became rough, fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his jawline became more defined.

His once handsome face gradually faded, replaced by the weathered face of a middle-aged man.

His thick eyebrows were like knives, his nose was high and straight, and there was a faint scar on his lip, which made him look calm and experienced.

Even his physique has changed; his shoulders are broader, his back is straighter, and he exudes a calm and composed air, as if he has experienced the vicissitudes of life.

"Not bad, not bad!" The second uncle circled around Zhou Qing and nodded in satisfaction.

"This guy looks like a seasoned veteran with a story to tell, much more reliable than that pretty boy he was before!"

Zhou Qing looked down at his palm; his knuckles were thick, and there were several rough lines on his palm.

He couldn't help but touch his face; the sensation was so real it made him feel somewhat dazed.

This is completely different from the puppet transformation technique given to him by his second uncle before; it's as if he's become a completely different person.

"This blood bead will allow you to maintain this appearance for longer, so you don't have to worry about being exposed," the second uncle explained.

"If he appears as a young man, it will only arouse suspicion. After all, someone who can condense 30,000 spirit seals should be a seasoned veteran who has experienced many vicissitudes of life."

Zhou Qing nodded knowingly, then suddenly realized something and frowned at his second uncle: "Then you've become too young, haven't you?"

As soon as he said it, he was stunned—his originally clear voice had become low and hoarse, with the deep, resonant quality typical of middle-aged men.

Uncle Er chuckled: "I'm going to pretend to be your apprentice, so naturally I have to look younger."

He winked mischievously, "Maybe I can use this to pick up a few pretty girls at the Shen family's place!"

Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly, but he had to admit that the disguise was flawless.

Even if he admitted his identity in front of Shen Hanyi and Lu Yaoyao, they would never believe him.

“I’m still using the name I had at the White Jade Taixu Academy. You can just call me Si Yunya!” the second uncle said after thinking for a moment.

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly and handed over the old hen he was holding.

The old hen seemed to sense something and clucked twice uneasily.

"Good boy, we'll see each other again soon." Zhou Qing gently stroked its feathers, watching as the second uncle carefully put it into the spirit beast pouch.

The emerald green bag swayed slightly a few times before returning to stillness.

Afterwards, the two carefully checked their story again in the shadows of the alley:
Qingzhou, a rogue cultivator, is at the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. He specializes in the Dao of Talismans and Arrays and has extensive knowledge of various ancient restrictions due to his long years of travel.

Si Yunya was a disciple he took in a hundred years ago. He had decent talent, but his cultivation was still shallow. He had only recently entered the Nascent Soul Realm.

Having heard that the Fifth Tail Shen family had a profound foundation, the two came to seek refuge and serve them, hoping to receive guidance from a powerful expert in the Spirit Severing Realm and prepare for their future path to Spirit Severing.

After confirming that every detail was flawless, the second uncle suddenly straightened his back, and his entire demeanor instantly transformed from that of a seasoned veteran into that of a spirited young man.

He casually brushed a stray hair from his forehead and grinned at Zhou Qing: "Master, shouldn't we get going?"

Zhou Qing understood, straightened his clothes, and immediately got into character.

He walked out of the alley with his hands behind his back and steady steps, while his second uncle followed closely behind him like a naive young man just starting out.

The two walked one after the other toward the magnificent main gate of the Shen family's residence...

……

"Stop whoever comes!"

As soon as the two arrived at the main gate of the Shen family, a guard wearing black iron armor immediately blocked their way with his halberd, coldly scrutinizing them.

Zhou Qing and his second uncle bowed calmly.

Zhou Qing said in a deep voice, "Please inform them that the rogue cultivator Qing Zhou, along with his disciple Si Yunya, has come to seek refuge with the Shen family."

The guard squinted to sense the two men's cultivation levels, then sneered, "Get lost! Do you think just anyone can pledge allegiance to the Shen family? Hurry up..."

"Om-"

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qing's body suddenly shone with a great spiritual light!

Thirty thousand spirit seals poured out of his body like a galaxy.

Each spirit seal was as solid as a physical object, and as the runes flowed, they intertwined in mid-air to form a dazzling curtain of light.

The spiritual seals resonated with each other, emitting a deep, thunderous roar that caused the blue bricks on the ground to tremble slightly.

All the guards froze on the spot, their pupils shrinking sharply.

The guard, who had been so arrogant just moments before, was now deathly pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

He trembled as he counted the countless spiritual seals, his lips shaking, and after a long while he managed to squeeze out, "Master... I was very rude just now, please forgive me! Please wait a moment, I'll go in and inform them!"

After saying that, he scrambled into the mansion.

Zhou Qing calmly gathered the spiritual seal, and the 30,000 runes flowed into his body like rivers flowing into the sea.

He exchanged a smile with "Siyun Cliff" beside him and stood quietly waiting.

The other guards dared not be negligent any longer, and they all straightened their backs and looked at the two of them with awe.

……

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, the white jade teacup shattered on the bluestone floor, shards of porcelain flying everywhere and tea spilling out.

Inside the main hall, Shen Lieyang, the third patriarch of the Shen family, glared angrily, with crimson flames faintly flowing around his body, scorching and distorting the air.

He was burly, with a resolute face as if carved by a knife, eyebrows like sharp swords, and his tiger-like eyes were now blazing with anger, with veins bulging on his forehead.

His crimson and gold brocade robe fluttered and rustled even without wind, fueled by his furious aura.

Opposite him sat a woman—his wife, Liu Rushuang.

She wore a long, dark black dress with dark gold mandala patterns embroidered on the hem, which made her skin look as white as snow, yet exuded a chilling aura.

Liu Rushuang had beautiful features, but also a hint of meanness and malice. Her red lips were slightly upturned, a half-smile on her face, showing no fear of Shen Lieyang's rage.

"What exactly do you want?!" Shen Lieyang roared, his voice like thunder, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

"If it weren't for my elder brother's deliberate or unintentional prompting today, I wouldn't have known that you dared to contact the Blood Pact Pavilion to assassinate Han Yi! You're becoming more and more audacious!"

Liu Rushuang chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, her voice soft and charming yet chilling.

"Outrageous? Ha... Shen Lieyang, since when did you start caring about that bitch's life or death?"

Shen Lieyang's forehead veins bulged, and his body erupted with true fire, scorching the blue bricks beneath his feet until they cracked.

"She's my niece, not a bitch!"

Liu Rushuang casually picked at her ear, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Alright, alright, your niece, the pride of the younger generation of our Shen family."

She stepped forward slowly, the hem of her skirt embroidered with dark gold mandalas brushing the ground. "Don't you understand why I'm doing this?"

“You…” Shen Lieyang’s fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Don't forget how her mother died." Liu Rushuang suddenly lowered her voice, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "Do you really think she hasn't found out anything all these years?"

Shen Lieyang's pupils shrank suddenly, and the surging true fire around his body paused.

"I……"

"Blame it on the person you hired back then." Liu Rushuang sneered, then squatted down and picked up the broken pieces of the teacup from the ground.

"He was just robbing us, but he insisted on killing us. Fine, he killed us, but he didn't eliminate the threat completely."

boom!
Shen Lieyang slammed his fist on the black ironwood table, instantly turning the entire table into dust.

Liu Rushuang didn't even blink, continuing to pick up the broken pieces of the teacup.

"Don't overthink it. Back then, the fourth brother-in-law was far superior to the three of you in both cultivation talent and business."

"No wonder the old man values ​​him so much, and even intends to pass on the true position of head of the Shen family to him."

"It's all because you were too hasty back then, and you were used as a pawn, making the first move."

A cruel smile curved her red lips. "But isn't this a good result? Now my brother-in-law is in a slump, and he's handed over almost all the business to you guys to manage."

"The position of family head has been delayed for a long time, and my eldest and second brothers... should actually thank you."

"Shut up!" Shen Lieyang suddenly roared, his voice shaking the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace.

(End of this chapter)