The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 417 You...are you jealous? (6k)

As night fades and the first rays of dawn appear, so too does the darkness of night recede.

It wasn't until the next morning that Shen Hanyi reluctantly got up to say goodbye.

She gave a graceful bow, and in that brief moment of bending down, she transmitted her voice, saying, "Don't concern yourself with the affairs of the third branch of the family. Things aren't as simple as you think!"

Zhou Qing's expression hardened, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

“You used to face everything alone, but this time, I’m here for you,” Zhou Qing replied telepathically.

Shen Hanyi's eyes flickered slightly. She gazed at him quietly for a moment, but ultimately said nothing more and turned to leave.

"Sister!" Upon seeing the palace doors open, Shen Yunzhou jumped up from the ground.

Shen Hanyi turned around and bowed again to Zhou Qing, who had come to see her off: "I have benefited greatly from this trip. I will come to bother you again another day."

Zhou Qing returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I have also benefited greatly. Miss Shen is welcome to come at any time."

Watching the siblings walk away, Zhou Qing pretended to yawn and said to his second uncle, "I'm going to take a short nap, don't disturb me."

The second uncle immediately straightened his back and said solemnly, "Master, don't worry!"

Zhou Qing turned and entered the hall, the hall doors slowly closing.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed.

However, after only a moment, the palace door was gently pushed open a crack, and the Second Uncle sneaked his head in.

Zhou Qing also suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze shooting like lightning towards the top of the hall.

The place was empty; the Gu worms that had been there were nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry," the second uncle tiptoed in and said in a low voice, "that insect has already flown away. Judging from the lingering scent, it should be the work of Shen Tianhong from the eldest son's family."

Zhou Qing frowned: "I didn't expect that her return would first alarm the eldest son's family."

Uncle Er suddenly beamed and rubbed his hands excitedly: "You have excellent taste, kid! I really like this girl, especially her aloof and elegant temperament, she's absolutely stunning!"

Zhou Qing smiled slightly upon hearing this, then sighed softly, "I would rather she smiled more often."

He then told his second uncle in detail what Shen Hanyi had said before she left.

After hearing this, the second uncle's brows gradually furrowed: "Judging from this, it seems that the one who contacted the Blood Pact Pavilion assassins wasn't her third aunt?"

Zhou Qing nodded: "That should be the case. But now that she knows it's me, she'll probably try to contact me more often and reveal more information."

“That’s right,” the second uncle said, stroking his chin. “Since she knows everything, she must already have a plan in mind. I’m reminding you because I’m afraid you might act rashly and disrupt her plans.”

Zhou Qing remained silent.

The only thing he can do right now is to keep up with her pace.

"That's it!" Uncle Er's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "I need to find a way to get out of here. Someone has contacted me!"

Zhou Qing was taken aback, then realized: "Who is it?"

The second uncle shook his head and said, "When I came from the third tail, the token given to me by the Blood Pact Pavilion was a one-time use token. This morning, a place name suddenly appeared on it, and then it self-destructed."

He looked intently at Zhou Qing: "This is what I think! Your grandpa joined the Blood Pact Pavilion purely out of curiosity."

"Right now, are you most worried that the person your employer wants me to deal with is her?"

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly.

Second Uncle slapped his thigh: "That's why I plan to go out and investigate. If the target really is this Shen Hanyi, it'll be a good opportunity to find out about the employer."

"If not, I'll just leave the Blood Pact Pavilion. After all, I'm not the kind of person who would kill innocent people for money."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. Then, sir, you must be careful."

"Don't worry!" Uncle Er grinned, then looked troubled. "The problem is, how am I going to get out?"

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes: "Simple. I just need to tell the Shen family to send you out to do things for me."

"No one will likely stop you, but you should be wary of someone following you."

Upon hearing this, the second uncle burst into laughter: "Follow me? I'll change my appearance as soon as I get out, let's see who can keep up!"

Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile.

Indeed, to this day, no one has ever seen Uncle Er's true face.

……

That noon, Zhou Qing contacted Shen Tianhong, the owner of the main house.

As expected, the second uncle successfully obtained permission to go out.

Shen Tianhong originally wanted to arrange for several guards to accompany him—after all, his second uncle's current cultivation level was only at the initial stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

If anything were to happen to them while they were out, they could not afford to risk the safety of a disciple of a formation master.

However, his second uncle sternly refused, his attitude resolute.

Helpless, Shen Tianhong could only secretly send two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to follow from a distance and protect them.

But who would have thought that Uncle Er would simply walk into an inn and then vanish without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators looked at each other, their faces filled with astonishment.

This is simply unbelievable!
How could you lose track of a Nascent Soul Realm youth?

Their faces burned with embarrassment, and they dared not report the truth to Shen Tianhong.

The internal competition within the Shen family is already fierce. If people find out that they can't even keep an eye on a Nascent Soul cultivator, they might as well pack up and go home as soon as possible.

Left with no other choice, the two had to release their divine senses and search the area back and forth.

No matter how they searched, the boy wearing the tiger-head hat seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
……

The area where the fourth branch of the Shen family is located is filled with palaces and pavilions, yet it is surprisingly quiet.

Many of the passageways here are piled with fallen leaves, clearly indicating that no one has cleaned them for a long time. Some of the vermilion-painted pillars are even covered with cobwebs.

The vast area was sparsely populated with servants and maids, and there wasn't a single guard in sight, a stark contrast to the bustling scenes in the other branches of the Shen family.

There was nothing that could be done. Ever since Liu Qingci's death, the fourth landlord's temperament had changed drastically. He spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol and often caused a drunken rampage.

Once, a maidservant or guard accidentally disturbed him while he was drunk, and he killed her with a single palm strike.

Gradually, no one dared to approach this area anymore.

In addition, Shen Juefeng completely neglected the business of the four households, staying at home all day.

Who would want to stay in this hopeless place?

Over time, this area became the most deserted place in the Shen family's home.

At this moment, Shen Hanyi was sitting alone by the window in a side room.

Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gleaming with a cool luster under the moonlight.

Beneath the veil, the corners of her lips were slightly upturned, clearly indicating that she was in a very good mood, especially since her usually cool eyes now held a hint of gentleness.

Her fingertips lightly traced the window frame, her gaze passing through the layers of palaces, looking towards the direction of the Hall of Tranquility.

“I’m not carrying this burden alone anymore…” she murmured to herself, savoring the words Zhou Qing had spoken that morning.

dong dong dong-

The sudden knocking on the door snapped her out of her daze.

"Sister!" Shen Yunzhou's deliberately lowered voice came from outside the door, carrying a hint of urgency, like someone who had done something wrong.

Shen Hanyi frowned slightly, her right hand unconsciously gripping the window frame tightly.

This guy--

She sighed helplessly to herself. She'd never been beaten for nothing in her life.

He then let out a long sigh and had no choice but to get up and walk towards the door.

As her clothes fluttered, the gentleness from before vanished, and she returned to her usual aloof and frosty demeanor.

With a creak, the door opened.

Shen Yunzhou sneaked in furtively and quickly closed the door.

"Sister, you still haven't told me whether Master Qingzhou is actually Brother Zhou?" Shen Yunzhou asked in a low voice, his eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Hanyi looked at him quietly and slowly shook her head: "No."

It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him; it was just that this guy was either causing trouble or on his way to causing trouble.

The small, dark house behind the fourth house has almost become his second home.

She was really worried that he would reveal his true intentions by showing his joy and ruin everything.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunzhou deflated like a punctured balloon: "How disappointed Lu Meizi would be if she knew!"

"If there's nothing else, you should get some rest," Shen Hanyi said calmly.

As Shen Hanyi watched Shen Yunzhou leave, she was about to close the door when she suddenly froze.

She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I understand."

Then he slowly closed the door.

The next morning, Shen Hanyi was about to head to the Jingxin Hall to continue "exchanging formations" when she was stopped halfway by a graceful and noble figure.

"Is Hanyi going to see Master Qingzhou again?" Lin Jingtang said with a smile, her elegant attire making her appear dignified and majestic.

Shen Hanyi's expression was indifferent: "What is it?"

Lin Jingtang smiled gently: "It seems Master Qingzhou's mastery of formations is indeed profound, that you, Hanyi, couldn't wait to visit again after only one day. I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Hanyi had already walked straight past her without even glancing at her.

"Hanyi!" Lin Jingtang quickly stepped forward, her voice still gentle, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Yunzhou should have told you about that matter, right?"

Shen Hanyi paused, then slowly turned around.

Those clear, cold eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a frozen pool, silently watching Lin Jingtang.

Lin Jingtang's smile deepened, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out: "Your cousin is almost ready now. With the help of that formation, the probability of breaking through to the Spirit Severing Realm will definitely increase greatly."

She placed her hands folded in front of her abdomen, her posture dignified.

“If we let Master Qingzhou observe then,” she deliberately lowered her voice, “wouldn’t that further increase his willingness to stay in our Shen family?”

"As you can see, Zhao Muye from the Zhao family and Yan Luo from the Yan family have been loitering around our mansion these days."

Shen Hanyi's expression was indifferent: "I suppose Xiaozhou has already told you that the array plate was obtained from an ancient ruin, and its remaining power can only help people once."

"I haven't figured out how it works yet, so I can't reactivate it."

A glint flashed in Lin Jingtang's eyes, and she stepped forward half a step: "Isn't this perfect? ​​Master Qingzhou is here, and you two share the same interests, why not ask him for his help in deliberating?"

Shen Hanyi's heart stirred, and with a slight lift of her right hand, an ancient array plate with a bronze luster appeared out of thin air.

The surface of the array plate is engraved with intricate runes, with faint traces of spiritual energy flowing through it.

"That's my plan for today," she said calmly.

"That's wonderful!" Lin Jingtang exclaimed with delight, her voice tinged with joy. "With the master's mastery of formations, coupled with your talent and comprehension, you'll definitely be able to unravel the mysteries of this formation plate!"

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly, said nothing more, and with a flicker of her figure, she transformed into a silver streak of light and disappeared into the sky.

However, just as she was passing over several mountain peaks, she suddenly stopped and hovered in mid-air.

She raised her hand to gently rub her temples, a cold glint in her eyes: "Her bewitching charm is becoming more and more refined." Just as she was about to continue her journey, a streak of crimson light suddenly streaked across the sky.

Shen Hanyi's eyes sharpened, and with a light wave of her jade hand, a crystal-clear ice barrier instantly solidified.

The stream of light was frozen in mid-air, revealing a dark red image stone.

Shen Hanyi's divine sense spread out like a tide, instantly covering an area of ​​dozens of miles, but she did not detect any suspicious aura.

She frowned slightly, tapped her fingertips lightly, the ice melted, and the image stone slowly fell into her palm.

For safety's sake, she did not touch the image stone directly, but instead separated a wisp of her divine sense and wrapped it around it.

As divine thought was infused, the surface of the image stone glowed with a faint light, and an image was slowly projected into the void.

The moment the screen fully unfolded, her pupils constricted sharply.
……

"What's wrong with you?" Inside the main hall, Zhou Qing noticed Shen Hanyi's unusual behavior and secretly asked her via telepathy.

The second uncle is not here now, but he had already used his divine sense to investigate and confirmed that the Gu worm had not reappeared.

Shen Hanyi frowned, as if she was organizing her thoughts.

After a long while, she transmitted her voice, saying, "Let's continue discussing the formation openly, but we can exchange some things in secret."

Zhou Qing understood, cleared his throat, and began to explain the key points of the formation. At the same time, he secretly transmitted his voice, "By the way, did you know that your uncle is a level four formation master?"

"What?" Shen Hanyi's teacup trembled slightly, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

Seeing her reaction, Zhou Qingxin understood.

The owner of this large house is truly terrifying; for so many years, he has managed to conceal his array cultivation so perfectly.

Indeed, he hadn't noticed anything even after condensing 30,000 spirit seals. If it weren't for the "Daily Observation," he would probably still be completely unaware.

Zhou Qing then recounted the story of the three homeowners seeking help, and also revealed the second uncle's speculation.

As for the source of the information, it was naturally attributed to the special sensation of four flowers gathering at the top of the head.

“I really didn’t expect that.” Shen Hanyi frowned. “It seems I’ve overlooked a lot of key points.”

“Since he is a fourth-level array master,” Zhou Qing said solemnly, “he has probably already figured out the array restrictions in various parts of the Shen family, and may even have tampered with them in secret. You must be careful about this.”

“I’m afraid it’s more than that.” Shen Hanyi lowered her eyes in thought. “But I’ll keep an eye on it.”

"So far, I haven't revealed anything. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment before finally asking in a whisper, his voice tinged with caution.

Shen Hanyi stared at him blankly, her clear, cold eyes seeming to hold a myriad of emotions.

After a long silence, she said softly, "Let's leave as soon as possible."

Zhou Qing froze, a hint of undisguised disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"Don't overthink it," Shen Hanyi quickly explained, her voice softening slightly. "I told you that day that things weren't as simple as you think."

She paused, then took out a dark red image stone from her sleeve and handed it to Zhou Qing.

“This was secretly delivered to me when I came here today.” She frowned slightly. “But I couldn’t figure out who it was.”

Zhou Qing curiously took the image stone; it was icy cold to the touch.

As spiritual energy was infused, the image stone slowly glowed with a faint light, and an image gradually unfolded in mid-air—

Blood splattered into the sky, and corpses littered the ground.

A figure wearing a bronze demon mask and wielding a long sword was slaughtering indiscriminately among the crowd.

A flash of light, a head rolled off, and blood splattered like rain.

The cultivators didn't even have time to scream before their heads were separated from their bodies.

In the video, the man's attacks are ruthless, each strike potentially fatal, as if he is venting some kind of overwhelming hatred.

Zhou Qing frowned, puzzled.

Shen Hanyi's voice was cold and calm: "Since you've been in the Shen family for a while, you should have heard about the old story of the fourth branch, right?"

Zhou Qing nodded.

"The people being slaughtered in the footage are a group of bandits called the 'Flying Thieves Alliance'," Shen Hanyi said.

Zhou Qing suddenly remembered something: "Is it the group that ambushed your mother back then?"

“Hmm.” Shen Hanyi’s eyes darkened slightly. “Later, when my grandfather personally led people to wipe them out, he found that they had all died, and even the leader’s body was nowhere to be found.”

Zhou Qing said in a deep voice, "This means someone is trying to kill us to silence us."

“That’s right.” Shen Hanyi put down her teacup. “But everyone in the Shen family was home at the time, so no one knows who did it.”

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "This isn't right. Since the Flying Thieves Alliance was able to ambush your father so accurately, there must be someone working on it from the inside."

"The fact that they were silenced afterwards shows that the person behind the scenes was ruthless and left no survivors."

He suddenly sat up straight, his eyes gleaming: "But the strangest thing is that someone was able to predict the cover-up and even left behind video evidence."

"What's even more frightening is that this person has been lying low all this time, and chose this moment to hand over the evidence to you at the Shen family's residence."

Shen Hanyi was silent for a moment, then said softly, "So, the Shen family is a very deep place, and I don't want you to get involved."

Zhou Qing suddenly laughed after hearing this: "Are you worried about me?"

Shen Hanyi's ears turned slightly red, and she turned her face away: "I was afraid you would alert the enemy."

“But I want to stay and help you.” Zhou Qing looked directly into her eyes, her voice firm. “I don’t want you to face all this alone anymore.”

Shen Hanyi was about to say something when Zhou Qing suddenly raised the image stone: "Besides, you might not be very aware of my abilities, for example—"

On a sudden impulse, he immediately began his daily self-examination.

[Image Stone: This is an image stone that Su Yurou, the second wife, hurriedly threw to Shen Hanyi. It contains a picture of Shen Lieyang, the third wife, intercepting and killing the Flying Thieves Alliance.]

Zhou Qing was stunned when he saw the feedback.

The information obtained from this identification is incredibly detailed?
It seems that the "Daily Review" program also caters to different audiences.

But at least I didn't embarrass myself in front of her.

Then, under Shen Hanyi's questioning gaze, Zhou Qing mysteriously brought the image stone to his nose and took a deep sniff.

He then closed his eyes for three breaths, opened them again, and said, "This image stone was given to you by your second aunt."

A glint flashed in Shen Hanyi's eyes as she probed, "You smelled it?"

Zhou Qing nodded seriously.

"I didn't expect you to be so familiar with Second Aunt's scent." Shen Hanyi's tone suddenly turned cold.

Zhou Qing was taken aback, then a mischievous smile flashed in his eyes: "No, you misunderstood... wait, you wouldn't be... jealous, would you?"

A flicker of panic crossed Shen Hanyi's eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "What good food do I have? People have already given you morning dew and evening frost."

"It's understandable that they might have picked up some of Second Aunt's traits."

"I swear to God!" Zhou Qing quickly raised his hand and swore, "Besides you, I haven't even let the other two into this hall."

Shen Hanyi turned her face away: "Don't change the subject. Are you sure this was given to me by my second aunt?"

Zhou Qing muttered under her breath, "You were the one who changed the subject first."

But he still said seriously, "Absolutely true. And..."

He shook the image stone: "With the help of the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, I was also able to smell who the person in the painting is."

"You can smell that?" Shen Hanyi was genuinely surprised this time.

Zhou Qing smiled smugly: "Of course. Why would you want to turn away someone who can be so helpful?"

"Stop being so glib." Shen Hanyi lightly tapped the table. "Who exactly is it?"

“The third house owner, your third uncle—Shen Lieyang!” Zhou Qing said, enunciating each word clearly, his eyes fixed on Shen Hanyi.

Shen Hanyi's pupils contracted slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing Zhou Qing: "I don't believe you could smell it. What's your basis for that?"

Zhou Qing shrugged: "There's no basis for this. This is a unique amplification effect of the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top!"

He suddenly changed the subject, saying meaningfully, "But judging from your reaction, it seems... you expected this all along?"

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Shen Hanyi did not press him, and said softly, "Originally I was only 70% sure, but now that I hear you say this, I am even more certain."

Zhou Qing was somewhat puzzled: "Didn't you just say that when your grandfather learned the news and led the team to seek revenge, everyone was at home?"

"Moreover, the incident occurred in the Central Region. Even if your third uncle was at the Spirit Severing Realm, tearing through space to return would surely have aroused suspicion from everyone, wouldn't it?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shen Hanyi took the image stone from Zhou Qing's hand and said, "After I broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, I once bumped into someone by chance."

"After discovering several contradictions, I boldly speculated that my third uncle may have cultivated a second Nascent Soul."

"A second Nascent Soul?" Zhou Qing couldn't believe it.

“Although I don’t know how he did it,” Shen Hanyi’s voice grew colder, “it is true.”

She pointed to the image stone: "If what you say is true, and the person in the image is Third Uncle, and the techniques and supernatural powers he uses are completely different from his original form, then this level of caution is truly frightening."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing let out a long sigh, then shook his head with a wry smile: "Your uncle is a level four array master. This is clearly an opportunity to enhance the family's prestige and status, yet he chose to hide it."

"Your second aunt knew in advance that your third uncle's second Nascent Soul would kill someone to silence them, and even took a picture of the person without them noticing."

"As for your third uncle and third aunt," Zhou Qing suddenly paused, then said, "this Shen family is really..."

He was speechless for a moment, unable to find the right words to describe it.

Everyone seems to wear several masks, hiding secrets that are unknown to others.

Yet, this very family, each with their own hidden agendas, managed to maintain its fifth-place ranking among the eight great families.

"It's simply a miracle." That was the only comment Zhou Qing could make in the end.

Shen Hanyi remained silent.

Zhou Qingze's gaze sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "There are three things I can't understand right now. First, why did your second aunt choose this particular time to give you this image stone that she has preserved for so many years?"

"Secondly, why did your third uncle instruct the Flying Thieves Alliance to attack you back then?"

"Thirdly," his voice grew colder, "the Blood Pact Pavilion assassins clearly used your third aunt's unique Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Flame, yet you say it wasn't her doing. Then who is the real employer?"

Shen Hanyi sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly stood up: "Instead of guessing, let's ask each other directly."

“Your second aunt? I’ll go with you!” Zhou Qing immediately stood up.

Shen Hanyi shook her head slightly: "I'm handling this openly, they're watching from the shadows, and you are the hidden hand lurking deep inside."

Zhou Qing had no choice but to nod, and then said, "So you agree to let me continue to help you?"

Shen Hanyi gave him a deep look, nodded almost imperceptibly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Watching that receding figure, Zhou Qing's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

Today's conversation made him feel as if he could see again the lively and talkative woman in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace who had let her guard down.

Then, he released his vast spiritual sense to ensure there were no more means of eavesdropping before sitting down again and waiting for her good news.

"I wonder how things are going with Second Uncle now?" Zhou Qing muttered to himself.

(End of this chapter)