The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 419 Do you prefer sour or spicy food? (6k)

When Zhou Qing told Shen Hanyi about her second uncle's recent gains, she simply sat quietly in her chair, her expression unchanged.

"You already guessed it?" Zhou Qing asked, somewhat surprised.

Shen Hanyi gently shook her head: "No."

"Then why aren't you surprised at all?"

“It’s either him or her,” Shen Hanyi’s voice was calm and undisturbed. “Over the years, I’ve suspected everyone I could.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing sighed softly.

She wasn't unsurprised; rather, she was already heartbroken.

Silence fell over the hall for a moment.

Zhou Qing didn't disturb her, but simply sat quietly with her, letting her slowly process the news.

"Let me tell you what happened after I went to see my second aunt that day!" After a long while, Shen Hanyi suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She was willing to share these private stories, and this trust surprised and moved him.

Then, Shen Hanyi spoke softly, and Zhou Qing listened quietly.

After she finished speaking, Zhou Qing was filled with mixed emotions.

If she had been born into the Taiqing Sect, with such talent, her senior brothers and sisters would have treasured her and even risked their lives to protect her.

But in the Shen family, they have ended up in such a predicament.

No wonder Shen Yunzhou longed for Taiqing Sect so much after his short stay there.

"Thank you!" Just as Zhou Qing was pondering, Shen Hanyi spoke again.

"Huh?" Zhou Qing didn't react for a moment.

Shen Hanyi gazed at him silently, then lowered her head slightly after meeting his eyes: "Some clues, even after decades of investigation, only yield a faint trace, and remain ambiguous. But you..."

Her voice softened slightly: "In just a few days, you've confirmed so much for me. My second aunt's image stone, my third uncle's murder to cover it up, my second uncle's hiring of someone, my eldest uncle's identity as a level four array master."

Zhou Qing smiled gently: "It's all luck. I'm happy to be able to help you."

“That’s not all.” Shen Hanyi raised her eyes again, a hint of gentleness in them. “You also saved Yunzhou’s life before, including repairing the teleportation array in Tianlan City, which prevented me from falling into the endless void.”

"Yunzhou's breakthrough to the Spirit Severing Realm is also thanks to my use of your four-colored array and the Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Flame used by the Blood Pact Pavilion assassins last time..."

As Shen Hanyi spoke, a blush crept onto the tips of her ears.

Such a shy and delicate demeanor on her, who was usually aloof, was like a red lotus suddenly blooming on a frozen lake, so beautiful it made one's heart tremble.

Zhou Qing was momentarily mesmerized.

Seeing that Zhou Qing remained silent, Shen Hanyi looked up and met his burning gaze, her cheeks immediately turning red.

"What are you looking at?" she asked in a voice barely audible.

"You're so beautiful," Zhou Qing blurted out, then realized his mistake and awkwardly scratched his head.

Shen Hanyi's ears turned so red they almost bled, and the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

They could even hear each other's breathing, and the ambiguous atmosphere grew heavier in the silence.

"Um..." After a few breaths, Zhou Qingqing cleared his throat, his gaze drifting to her still flat stomach, his voice unconsciously softening: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Shen Hanyi gently shook her head, her fingertips unconsciously touching her abdomen, her voice barely audible: "It's...it's alright."

"Then," Zhou Qing's Adam's apple bobbed, her voice becoming even softer, "how long does it usually take to conceive?"

"N-I don't know," Shen Hanyi's ears burned bright red. "It must have been... a long time ago."

"Is there anything you'd like to eat on a regular day?" Zhou Qing awkwardly tried to start a conversation. "Sour or spicy?"

"I," Shen Hanyi's voice trailed off, "abstain from grains."

"Oh," Zhou Qing nodded awkwardly, but his gaze couldn't help but linger on her abdomen.

Life in the Spirit Severing Realm is likely nurtured only by spiritual energy.
This thought stirred a strange flutter in his heart.

Outside the main hall, the second uncle listened intently to the awkward yet frank conversation between the two, and couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle, his eyes full of mischief.

These two children, who are clearly the pride of their time, are now as clumsy and adorable as teenagers experiencing their first love.

“A pair of silly children,” he shook his head and sighed softly, his eyes full of affection.

Just then, a bright yellow streak of light pierced the sky, and Shen Yunzhou gracefully arrived.

Seeing this, the second uncle's lips twitched slightly.

He had been a seasoned traveler in the martial world, rarely making a fool of himself, but he suffered a major setback at the hands of this young man.

However, this guy really disgusted him.

Especially during that chat, he personally experienced the little guy's expressions of "a lotus just beginning to bloom," "a fishbone stuck in the throat," and "a torrent of emotion" that he had witnessed during their conversation.

It was quite a character, but luckily this guy knew his limits and stopped in time, otherwise his reputation would have been ruined.

"Hey, Master Situ, what are you doing outside again? Is my sister inside?" Shen Yunzhou asked with a grin.

Uncle Erda gestured for silence and said in a low voice, "Come, come, sit here and talk to me."

Shen Yunzhou shook his head: "No, I have something urgent to discuss with my older sister."

"Alright, then go in and bother your sister!" Second Uncle pointed to the palace gate.

Shen Yunzhou immediately deflated and sat down dejectedly to the side.

The second uncle looked him over with his flamboyant blond hair and suddenly remembered something: "I remember you said a few days ago that you have a pet, right?"

Shen Yunzhou's eyes immediately lit up, his face full of excitement.

He rarely encountered a like-minded person who could appreciate his "artistic conception," so he immediately took out a black earthenware pot from his storage bag.

"Look closely!" He mysteriously lifted the lid, and an indescribable stench instantly filled the air.

A dung beetle, entirely black with a metallic sheen, slowly crawled out, its shell covered in suspicious slime.

"How about that? Big enough, right?" Shen Yunzhou boasted proudly.

The second uncle, suppressing his discomfort, forced a nod: "Indeed, extraordinary. Where did you get this treasure?"

Shen Yunzhou carefully held the dung beetle in his palm and then took out a small celadon bottle.

The moment the stopper was pulled out, a stench ten times stronger than before assaulted the Second Uncle's skull.

"Ugh—" Even the well-traveled Second Uncle couldn't help but turn his head and gag.

"Don't worry, it's just ordinary corpse water. Little Black loves to drink it!" Shen Yunzhou said nonchalantly, pouring a few drops into his palm.

The black dung beetle immediately crawled over happily, making a creepy "rustling" sucking sound.

The second uncle felt nauseous again upon hearing this.

"Speaking of my connection with Xiao Hei," Shen Yunzhou gently stroked the dung beetle's carapace, a look of reminiscence in his eyes, "it all started when I accidentally fell into a deep pit full of demon king's excrement."

……

Inside the hall, Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi's conversation fell silent once again.

Knowing that Shen Hanyi was not good with words, Zhou Qing understood that if he wanted to get closer to her, he had to take the initiative.

He hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "It seems that your second and third uncles are working together to kill you. How do you plan to deal with this?"

A cold glint flashed in Shen Hanyi's eyes, but a complex and contradictory look also crossed them.

My second and third uncles are both at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm. If I wanted to harm them, how easy would it be?

Moreover, if they were to die, he would inevitably turn against the Shen family among the younger generation.

The Shen family's status will definitely plummet, and they may even fall out of the ranks of the eight great families.

Those forces that were subordinate to them will inevitably scatter when the tree falls and turn to other powerful families.

At that time, the mines, trade routes, and personal connections controlled by the Shen family will fall apart.

It can be said that the decline of the Shen family over tens of thousands of years was caused by her alone.

Of course, they have harmed their own siblings and murdered their mother, and now they want to kill themselves.

She had never felt much attachment or belonging to the Shen family, so what did it matter to her if the family fell into ruin?

But what about grandfather?
Every brick and tile of this mansion represents his life's work.

Now that his lifespan is coming to an end, the reason he can peacefully go into seclusion to break through to the Great Perfection of the Supreme Realm is entirely due to the support of his three uncles.

Moreover, her grandfather had always doted on her and Yunzhou, so how could she let the Shen family fall into an abyss at this critical juncture, and let her grandfather suffer the pain of the family's decline in his old age?
This is also the most painful and agonizing knot in her heart that she has been struggling with all these years.

And those cousins, they know nothing.

Despite their shortcomings, they all take pride in being members of the Shen family and strive tirelessly to improve themselves for the family's honor.

But she wants them to suffer the pain of losing loved ones and to lose the protection of their families.

She knows better than anyone what it feels like to lose a loved one—especially now that she herself is about to become a mother.

But how could she not avenge her mother?

Seeing Shen Hanyi's furrowed brows, Zhou Qing already guessed what she was thinking.

This is indeed a dilemma.

but--

Right now, the second wife's landlord, Shen Yunlan, is applying for a new assassin from the Blood Pact Pavilion to take your life.

You are thinking of your family and everyone else, but have they ever thought of you?
The Shen family will suffer a loss if they lose him, their pillar of strength, but is it insignificant to lose you, their rising star?
What a ridiculous argument!
All I know now is that someone wants to hurt my wife, the mother of my child, and that person is Zhou Qing, and they will fight me to the death!
I will kill such a person!
You have someone on your mind, but I don't.

I'll do the things you can't do for you!

If a family is destined to decline, then let it decline.

The world changes like the shifting sands of time; the inevitable decline after the peak of prosperity is a fundamental truth of nature.

Only when the old order collapses can new life begin.

"It's alright, take your time, there's always a solution," Zhou Qing said softly, but a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

……

The night was deep, and the moonlight was like water.

The area where the fourth house was located was desolate and quiet, with only the rustling sound of the night wind blowing through the treetops.

A grand hall stood alone in the darkness, its interior dimly lit by candlelight, casting a solemn, dim glow.

On the table, a black memorial tablet rests quietly, inscribed with—

"The memorial tablet of my beloved wife, Liu Qingci."

Shen Hanyi stood before the altar, her silver hair falling down, her veil covering half her face, but unable to conceal her reddened eyes.

She slowly knelt down, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply.

Childhood memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

In the early morning, as sunlight streams through the window, my mother would pick up a wooden comb and gently run her fingertips through my hair.

"Hanyi's hair is so beautiful. When you grow up, you will definitely be a beauty that no man in the world can take his eyes off."

At night, with the candlelight flickering, she and her younger brother nestled in their mother's warm embrace, listening to her softly humming a lullaby.

At that moment, she felt like the happiest person in the world. On the sword-fighting field, she injured herself because of her eagerness to succeed. Her mother scolded her for her recklessness while carefully bandaging her wound…

Those long-faded moments of warmth are now so clear they make my heart tremble.

She trembled slightly and whispered, "What should I do?"

"kill!!!"

The hoarse voice coming from behind made the candlelight tremble.

Under the slanting moonlight, a disheveled figure leaned against the door frame, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted in on the night breeze.

His clothes were disheveled and his face was haggard, but his eyes were no longer the decadent and murky ones that outsiders usually saw. Instead, they were clear as a cold pool, quietly gazing at the memorial tablet.

The fourth landlord is Shen Juefeng.

Upon hearing the word "kill," Shen Hanyi turned her head sharply, her eyes filled with disbelief at the decision.

Shen Juefeng walked slowly closer. Although he was swaying slightly, he was not drunk, but rather exhausted from not having rested for a long time.

When his calloused hands touched the memorial tablet, his movements were extremely gentle, as if he were touching a fragile dream.

"I'm sorry to you and your mother..." His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse and low, "and I'm even more sorry to you."

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring directly at Shen Hanyi.

"Over the years, I've pretended to be confused, I've given in, I've considered blood ties, and I've even outwardly ignored you and your brother..."

"But what about them?" His voice suddenly turned cold and sharp. "They're pushing their luck!"

“Since they don’t want this dignity—” A chilling smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and a murderous intent flashed in his eyes, “then, kill them.”

Shen Hanyi remained silent for a long time before finally nodding: "Okay."

The father and daughter stood in silence, with only the candlelight flickering.

"How did that kid treat you?" Shen Juefeng suddenly asked.

"Wh...what?" Shen Hanyi's heart skipped a beat.

Shen Juefeng snorted coldly: "Don't forget, your father is an experienced man."

He narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous, "That brat actually dared to... Humph!"

Shen Hanyi's ears instantly turned red, and her lips under the veil pressed tightly together.

……

Three days later, Zhou Qing took the initiative to request an audience with the three heads of the Shen family.

"Master, is there something important?" Shen Tianhong asked with a smile and a gentle tone.

Zhou Qing bowed and said, "I have recently discussed the art of formations with Miss Shen and have benefited greatly, gaining some insights."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "To be honest, when I first arrived in Nanhuang Prefecture, I encountered an ancient restriction. At the time, I was too weak to break it. Now that my cultivation has improved, I want to try again."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tianhong laughed heartily: "I see. I happen to have nothing to do these days, so I'll accompany you on this trip, Master."

The second-in-command, Shen Yunlan, had a glint in his eyes and immediately stepped forward: "Brother, next month is the joint auction of the Shen, Liu, Lu, and Zhou families. Haven't you already agreed to attend? Why don't I accompany the master?"

Shen Tianhong frowned slightly: "It's alright if I don't go. My third brother can attend in my place."

He turned to the third-in-command, Shen Lieyang, and said, "It's a good opportunity for my sister-in-law to go back to her parents' home."

Shen Lieyang was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "Brother, I have some personal matters to attend to recently, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me to do it for you."

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quickly said, "Since this is a grand gathering of four families, we cannot afford to make any mistakes. How could I dare to delay important matters? Perhaps the second family head could accompany us?"

Shen Tianhong gave Shen Yunlan a deep look, then smiled and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Second Brother. Remember, you must protect the Master."

"Don't worry, brother, with me here, nothing will go wrong." Shen Yunlan said confidently, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

That afternoon, in front of the main gate of the Shen family.

A sky-blue flying boat rose into the air, carrying Zhou Qing and his second uncle, and disappeared into the vast sky.

On the flying boat, Zhou Qing stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the back of the second family head. After exchanging a glance with the second uncle, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

This game is finally about to begin.

……

The sky-blue flying boat constantly changed its position in the vast clouds, sometimes accelerating and sometimes slowing down, its trajectory unpredictable.

Shen Yunlan stood at the stern of the boat, flicking his fingertips. Several faint rays of spiritual light quietly emanated, disappearing into the clouds like swimming fish, clearly indicating that he was on guard against something.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing was full of doubt: "Second Patriarch, what is this...?"

Shen Yunlan turned around and smiled, his tone natural: "A restriction that even a master couldn't break by condensing 30,000 spirit seals must be extraordinary. I was worried that someone might be eyeing it and following us, so I took some precautions."

Zhou Qing sneered inwardly—

This isn't about keeping out outsiders; it's clearly about keeping out his elder brother and third brother!

What's even more ingenious is that his seemingly unintentional words actually contained a hidden meaning.

It not only highlights the preciousness of the restriction, but also subtly implies that Shen Tianhong and Shen Lieyang may have ulterior motives towards Zhou Qing.

In this way, he would appear open and honest, and Zhou Qing would be wary of the other two homeowners, making him more inclined to cooperate with their second branch.

What a great move to turn retreat into advance!

Zhou Qing didn't show it on his face, but simply said "Oh" and nodded as if he understood.

The second uncle shook his head slightly and turned to look at Yunhai with disdain.

Shen Yunlan seemed afraid that Zhou Qing would misunderstand, so she quickly added, "Master, rest assured, I have no other intentions and will not covet your opportunity. If you need any help, please feel free to ask."

"Thank you," Zhou Qing said gratefully with a smile.

Then, a moment of silence fell over the room.

A moment later, Shen Yunlan suddenly spoke, his tone casual: "By the way, how well have you been taking care of the twins my wife gave to you, Master—Zhaolu and Xishuang?"

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and he calmly said, "Not bad, very obedient."

"That's good." Shen Yunlan smiled and said no more.

The flying boat suddenly accelerated and sped off in the direction Zhou Qing casually pointed, quickly disappearing into the depths of the sea of ​​clouds.

That afternoon, when Shen Hanyi returned to the "Tranquil Heart Hall" and learned that Zhou Qing had already left, her expression changed slightly.

In an instant, she understood Zhou Qing and the Second Uncle's intentions.

She then turned and left, her expression unchanged.

Under the cover of night, on the edge of the forbidden area of ​​the Shen family.

A hidden restriction rippled quietly, cracking open like water, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Shh-"

Two dark figures darted out like ghosts, tearing through space in an instant and disappearing into the vast night.

No one noticed.

No one knows—

……

Half a month later, the group found themselves in a vast mountain range.

The second uncle carefully examined the jade slip map, then nodded slightly to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing stood up and said, "Second Patriarch, he's down below!"

A glint flashed in Shen Yunlan's eyes as he looked down at the terrain and asked in confusion, "This is the outer area of ​​the Fifth Tail. My Shen family's mercenaries often come and go here, and we have never heard of any restrictions being in place."

Zhou Qing remained silent.

Shen Yunlan seemed to realize something and quickly smiled apologetically, "I was being presumptuous. An ancient restriction that can hide from the detection of 30,000 spirit seals by a master is naturally not something an ordinary cultivator could discover."

Zhou Qing nodded in understanding.

"Master, to prevent the forbidden phenomena from leaking out, I will go and set up a concealment formation immediately." The second uncle stepped forward and respectfully asked for instructions.

"Go ahead, but be careful," Zhou Qing instructed.

"Disciple understands!" The second master chuckled and turned to leave.

Watching his second uncle's departing figure, Shen Yunlan suddenly felt a sense of unease.

This is the keen intuition formed by a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm after experiencing countless life-and-death crises.

However, Master Qingzhou was only at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his disciple was only at the Nascent Soul realm, so in theory they could not pose a threat to him.

So this unease probably comes from
"This secret realm, protected by restrictions, probably holds an extraordinary opportunity!" A flash of greed crossed Shen Yunlan's eyes.

The reason he volunteered to come was because he heard Master Qingzhou mention the ancient restriction that even 30,000 spirit seals could not shake.

If we can get the master's help to break the restriction, and then lend a hand when he is in danger, we can definitely get closer to him.

He will then receive a share of the treasures in the secret realm, and then the master will be recruited into the second branch of the family. It will be a natural outcome.

With the help of this formation master, wouldn't our chances of winning the position of family head be greatly increased in the future?
"What if there's a legendary inscription-level divine ability inside?" Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and a murderous intent appeared.

"Then the position of head of the family is not worth mentioning at all!"

What alarmed him even more was that, just as he had predicted, his eldest brother and third brother had been secretly following him from both ends.

"Ha, you want to compete with me?"

Fortunately, he had made preparations in advance. During his two-week trip, he deliberately took many detours and his route was unpredictable.

Whenever passing through a dangerous place, he would secretly activate the "Thousand Illusion Pearl" to leave behind several clones at the crossroads that were exactly the same as his own aura, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.

Not only that--

He also carried a "Heavenly Escape Talisman" that he had obtained from an ancient ruin in his early years. Once activated, even his elder brother, who was at the Supreme Realm, would find it difficult to deduce his whereabouts.

Even more cautiously, he sealed all the tokens related to the Shen family on his person—the patriarch's token, the bloodline jade pendant, and even the family crest on his clothes—to prevent them from being detected by any tracking techniques.

However, the older brother was quite capable; he almost discovered them a few days ago.

Fortunately, he covered his body with a "Severing Fate Jade" that he had obtained by chance, temporarily severing all bloodline connections, which caught him off guard.

With such meticulous arrangement, I doubt anyone could find this place.

After thinking it through, he quickly composed himself, put on a kind smile, and looked at Zhou Qing: "Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

"No need, just wait here."

Zhou Qing sat cross-legged on the blue stone, his eyes slightly closed, his expression serene.

Seeing this, Shen Yunlan had no choice but to suppress his eagerness, stand with his hands behind his back, and wait together.

About an hour later—

"Om-"

A strange buzzing sound suddenly resounded between heaven and earth, like the low roar of an ancient beast awakening.

Immediately afterwards, five dazzling beams of light shot into the sky from five directions of the mountain range, intertwining in five colors: red, blue, green, white, and yellow, outlining intricate and mysterious array patterns in the sky.

"This is... a five-colored restriction?!"

When Shen Yunlan saw the restriction covering the entire mountain range, his pupils shrank and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)