The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 426 Mother! (6k)
For a full month, the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree lost its spiritual charm again.

However, with the help of the complementary power of the "Demon-Subduing Golden Bone" and the enlightenment of the ancient tea tree, Zhou Qing finally succeeded in mastering the first seal of the "Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal"—Demon Suppression!
Seeing the lifeless ancient tea tree, Zhou Qing quickly took out several top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones and planted them into the tree roots.

He's not short of money right now—not only has he not used up the millstone-sized raw stone he brought out from the void, but he's also barely touched the thousand wood-attribute spirit stones given to him by the Buddhist disciple Guicang.

As the spiritual energy of the spirit stone was absorbed, the tea tree gradually regained some of its luster.

Zhou Qing put away the tea tree with satisfaction, in a great mood.

With a flick of his wrist, the black scroll containing the "Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal" appeared in his palm.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he headed straight for Shen Hanyi's residence.

……

Dang Dang Dang——

Zhou Qing stood outside the door and knocked lightly. A moment later, the door opened slightly.

Shen Hanyi's beautiful face appeared through the crack in the door, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Is something the matter?"

"I brought you something good." Zhou Qing smiled, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Shen Hanyi's eyes flickered slightly: "What?"

"Let me in first, then we can talk," Zhou Qing said, blinking slightly, her tone slightly mischievous yet perfectly measured.

Shen Hanyi silently turned to the side and opened the door completely.

Zhou Qing walked into the room with practiced ease and sat down at the low table by the window.

For the past month or so, to prevent the ancient tea tree from developing moss due to prolonged cultivation, he often came here to sit for a while during breaks in his cultivation.

The interior furnishings remain simple, yet subtle traces of daily life have been added.

A pot of budding orchids on the windowsill and an open ancient book on the desk both indicate the changes in her state of mind recently.

Shen Hanyi gracefully sat down opposite him. Although her expression remained aloof and cold, her attitude towards Zhou Qing was noticeably gentler than towards others.

She gently raised her hand and poured a cup of tea for each of them.

Amidst the fragrant aroma of tea, Zhou Qing took out the black scroll from his storage bag and gently placed it on the sandalwood table.

"What is this?" Shen Hanyi's gaze fell on the scroll, her voice as calm as still water.

"It's just an inscription-level divine ability." Zhou Qing said casually, but couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.

Shen Hanyi paused slightly in her hand holding the cup, then looked up at him: "Really?"

Two simple words, yet they convey a sense of disbelief.

"Why would I lie to you?" Zhou Qing's smile deepened.

Shen Hanyi stared intently at the scroll's patterns, then her pupils suddenly contracted.

The shape of this scroll is somewhat similar to the scroll that fell out of the three-flower dried corpse wooden stake when I was simulating with Number One in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace and saw it with the help of the Eight Times Scroll in the third level.
"Where did it come from?" Shen Hanyi asked.

Zhou Qing could tell what Shen Hanyi was thinking just by looking at her eyes.

But he was prepared, and his expression remained calm: "It was a gift from my second uncle."

These days, scrolls come in only a few common colors.

If he were to go out and wander around the shops now, he could easily buy a dozen or so black scrolls containing various martial arts techniques and supernatural abilities; even blank scrolls wouldn't be hard to find.

Shen Hanyi pondered for a moment, but didn't think much of it.

Second Uncle was only at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, just like her. Putting aside their different appearances, his cultivation level was far below the third level, let alone the fact that he had stayed there for over a hundred years without incident.

Then, just as her hand was about to touch the scroll, Zhou Qing hurriedly reached out to stop her: "The first exploration will have a great impact on your sea of ​​consciousness, so be careful not to be frightened."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously fell on her abdomen, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

Shen Hanyi looked up at Zhou Qing, and finally gently put the scroll down.

Her cool voice carried a hint of doubt: "You should know the value of inscription-level divine abilities, so why are you giving them to me?"

Zhou Qing looked directly into her eyes and said seriously, "Now neither of us can cultivate the 'Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain' anymore, we need to have better supernatural powers to rely on."

He paused, then a smile suddenly appeared on his lips: "You ask me why? Because you are my woman!"

These words instantly flushed Shen Hanyi's fair cheeks.

Taking advantage of her momentary daze, Zhou Qing, not knowing where the courage came from, suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The skin to the touch is as smooth and warm as jade, yet it carries a unique spiritual charm.

Zhou Qing could even clearly feel the pulse of the spiritual veins in her wrist.

Shen Hanyi subconsciously tried to pull her hand away, but Zhou Qing inexplicably gripped it even tighter.

"You," Shen Hanyi's voice carried a rare hint of panic.

Zhou Qing finally realized what was happening and quickly let go.

Shen Hanyi quickly withdrew her hand and remained silent.

"I'm sorry—" Zhou Qing quickly apologized, but secretly she was overjoyed.

The fact that Shen Hanyi did not punish him as she would other lecherous men speaks volumes.

In high spirits, he stood up and said, "Take your time looking around, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he quickly left, as if fleeing in panic.

Watching Zhou Qing's hasty departure, Shen Hanyi looked down at her hands, bit her lip lightly, and whispered reproachfully, "You lecherous scoundrel."

……

Zhou Qing, who had escaped outside, was pounding with excitement. After turning a corner in a long corridor, he couldn't help but stop and look back in the direction of Shen Hanyi's residence.

Seeing that there was no one behind him, he slapped the back of his hand in frustration: "You stupid hand, you were too impatient!"

But looking at his slightly reddened palm, and after glancing around to make sure no one was around, he inexplicably brought his hand to his nose.

A faint, cool fragrance lingers, carrying a unique and indescribable aura.

"It smells so good!" Zhou Qing blurted out, then realized that his behavior was a bit silly and quickly put his hand down.

But the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, and he turned and left with a hint of smugness.

As soon as I got back to my place, I saw Lu Yaoyao standing in front of the door, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Qing suddenly asked.

"Ah!" Lu Yaoyao was startled and turned to look at Zhou Qing's unfamiliar middle-aged face. "When did you get back?"

Zhou Qing then realized that it was the talent skill [Reduce Presence] acting up again, and said helplessly, "What are you thinking about when you're lost in thought?"

Lu Yaoyao gently shook her head: "I wasn't thinking about anything."

"Did you need something from me?" Zhou Qing asked.

Lu Yaoyao suddenly opened her arms and hugged Zhou Qing tightly.

Zhou Qing froze on the spot, looking around awkwardly, afraid that Shen Hanyi would see this scene.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Qing asked in a low voice.

Lu Yaoyao buried her face in his chest and rubbed against him, tightening her arms around him: "It's nothing, I just wanted to hug you."

Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "I'm afraid... what if one day I won't be able to hold you anymore?"

Zhou Qing looked down at her full head of silver hair, his heart tightening: "What happened?"

Lu Yaoyao remained silent for a while before letting go. When she looked up, her eyes were already red: "It's nothing."

Zhou Qing placed his hands on her shoulders and looked intently into her eyes: "If anything happens, tell me, and your senior brother will definitely help you."

Lu Yaoyao bit her lip, but then changed the subject: "Senior Brother Zhou, do you like Sister Shen?"

Zhou Qing's expression stiffened, and he coughed to cover his embarrassment: "Why would you ask that?"

“Fool,” Lu Yaoyao sighed, “didn’t you notice anything different about her?”

Zhou Qing looked bewildered: "How is it different?"

"She," Lu Yaoyao hesitated, then finally shook her head and said, "Never mind, you'll figure it out yourself eventually."

"I'll wait for you a while longer. Come back to me after you hit a wall, and we'll leave together."

Zhou Qing became more and more confused. Why was this girl saying such nonsensical things today?
“Your time is running out, and mine isn’t either,” Lu Yaoyao added.

"You've been poisoned?" Zhou Qing suddenly became nervous, grabbed her wrist, and quickly probed her body with his spiritual energy to check.

However, his meridians were unobstructed, and his spiritual energy flowed normally without any abnormalities.

He reached out and touched her forehead again; her temperature was normal.

"Ouch~" Lu Yaoyao pushed his hand away, "I'm fine, it's just..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Never mind, I'll take care of my time and tell you everything when the time comes, but now is not the time."

After saying that, Lu Yaoyao turned and left.

Watching her departing figure, Zhou Qing frowned, completely puzzled: "What's going on with her acting so strangely?"

……

In the early morning, the villa was quiet, with only a layer of three-colored protective barrier gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

"Sister, are you there? Second Uncle... Master Qingzhou? What are you doing here?"

A streak of yellowish-brown light descended from the sky, accompanied by Shen Yunzhou's loud voice, shattering the tranquility of the manor.

Zhou Qing, who was meditating cross-legged on the rooftop, slowly opened his eyes.

He cultivated by moonlight all night, since the silver flower among the four-colored flowers could greatly enhance his cultivation speed under the moonlight.

At that moment, he had just finished his practice and opened his eyes to find himself face to face with Shen Yunzhou.

"You, you, you..." Shen Yunzhou's eyes widened, and he almost stumbled and fell from mid-air. He quickly landed on the roof and looked Zhou Qing up and down, his face full of shock.

My second uncle was murdered, and the fate of Master Qingzhou, whom he was escorting, is unknown. So why is he in my older sister's manor now?

Seeing his expression, Zhou Qing knew that Shen Hanyi had not revealed her true identity to him, and he couldn't help but feel helpless.

"She really does things meticulously..."

However, now that the matter is over, there is no need to hide it anymore.

"Your sister is in seclusion. If you disturb her, she might beat you up!" Zhou Qing said calmly.

Shen Yunzhou glanced at Zhou Qing, then at his older sister's room not far away, and couldn't quite process what was happening.

Zhou Qing sighed and could only ask, "Where's your dung beetle?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunzhou's eyes widened instantly, and he tentatively called out, "Brother Zhou?"

“It’s me,” Zhou Qing nodded.

"Oh my!" Shen Yunzhou was overjoyed and rushed over to give Zhou Qing a bear hug.

"You actually came out of the void! That's incredible! It's only been a little over a hundred years, how come you've aged so much?"

Zhou Qing: "..."

—This kid has some brains, but not many.

"My sister really tricked me!" Shen Yunzhou was indignant, but out of fear of Shen Hanyi, he dared not shout loudly and could only complain in a low voice.

Zhou Qing ignored that question and asked directly, "What's the situation with the Shen family now?" Shen Yunzhou waved his hand, "Never mind the Shen family for now. What's your situation? Didn't my second uncle escort you to break some ancient restriction?"

"come over."

Before Zhou Qing could answer, a cold voice came from a room in the distance.

Shen Yunzhou froze, instinctively shivering, and quickly said, "Brother Zhou, let's talk later. I need to go report some news to my sister first!"

After saying that, he rushed towards Shen Hanyi's room without looking back, just like a mouse that had seen a cat.

Zhou Qing watched his hasty retreat and couldn't help but chuckle.

How many times did this guy get beaten up by his sister during his childhood?

This bloodline suppression is too ruthless!
……

Not long after, Shen Yunzhou came out of Shen Hanyi's room looking timid. He walked towards Zhou Qing with his head down, muttering something under his breath.

I wonder how his older sister scolded him again.

Zhou Qing was about to make a joke at him when he suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation on his face.

Immediately afterwards, his entire face began to ripple like water, and the slightly weathered features of a middle-aged man gradually faded away, replaced by the unique radiance and vitality of a young person.

In just a few breaths, the composed middle-aged cultivator had vanished, and standing in the same spot was a young man with clear features and a radiant spirit.

Zhou Qing subconsciously touched her smooth cheek, her brows furrowing slightly.

Uncle Er said that this illusion would last for several years, so why did it suddenly stop working?

What happened?
Upon seeing Zhou Qing, who had seemingly vanished into thin air, Shen Yunzhou was initially taken aback, but then a smile spread across his face.

He rushed forward in two strides and landed a light but firm punch on the shoulder. "You've been playing tricks on me for so long, making me worry for nothing!"

Zhou Qing was knocked back half a step by the punch, and rubbed his chest with a wry smile: "Brother Shen's gift is really generous."

"Don't give me that!" Shen Yunzhou hooked his arm around his neck and leaned in close with a sly grin.

He lowered his voice and said, "Tell me the truth, you went to great lengths to impersonate that Master Qingzhou and infiltrate the Shen family, it wasn't all for my sister, was it?"

He then winked and made faces towards the side room.

Zhou Qing coughed lightly and nodded frankly: "More or less."

"Hehe!" Shen Yunzhou immediately beamed and patted his shoulder hard: "Then should I start calling you brother-in-law?"

"No need for my brother-in-law, it's not even close to happening yet!" Zhou Qing replied seriously.

Shen Yunzhou pursed his lips: "Isn't this just a matter of time? Wait, what did you just call me?"

“I didn’t call you anything, brother-in-law!” A sly glint flashed in Zhou Qing’s eyes.

"Goodness!" Shen Yunzhou grinned from ear to ear. "Looks like you're determined to be my brother-in-law. I knew it! No wonder Lu was so eager to set you two up."

Zhou Qing smiled but remained silent, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the side room.

Shen Yunzhou suddenly straightened his expression and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother-in-law!"

“Hey—” Zhou Qing deliberately dragged out the tone, “You called out too early, your sister hasn’t even agreed yet.”

"Don't worry, brother-in-law!" Shen Yunzhou patted his chest and assured him, "With me as your inside man, I guarantee you'll get what you want!"

"Then thank you very much, brother-in-law."

"No need for formalities among family!"

The two smiled at each other. Who could have imagined that their unexpected encounter back then would lead to such a destiny today?

Just then, the door to the side room creaked open.

The two immediately stopped laughing and turned to look at each other.

Shen Hanyi walked out slowly, her cold gaze sweeping over the two of them.

She parted her lips slightly, about to speak, when suddenly her expression changed.

She suddenly grabbed the door frame, and a violent bout of dry heaving forced her to bend over, even causing her pale cheeks to flush unnaturally.

"Han Yi!" Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically, and he instantly appeared beside her.

He gently stroked her thin back with one hand and steadily supported her swaying body with the other, his voice full of heartache: "Are you feeling better?"

Shen Hanyi shook her head weakly, then gagged again.

Seeing this, Shen Yunzhou's eyes widened, and his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

His sister, whom no one dared to touch easily, was now allowing Zhou Qing to get close to her.
What shocked him even more was that his usually aloof sister showed a rare fragility in Zhou Qing's arms.

no--

Brother Zhou is patting his older sister on the back.
My older sister didn't resist at all?
You know, back then, anyone who dared to touch my older sister would either have their hand broken or their life taken away!

When did their relationship develop to this point?
Brother-in-law, you're moving way too fast!
He managed to seduce his older sister right under his nose?

Shen Yunzhou shook his head violently, trying to shake off this absurd idea.

But when he looked up again and saw his older sister retching in pain, and Zhou Qing's heartbroken expression, a terrible guess exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt.

"My older sister is pregnant?" he murmured to himself, his voice trembling.

Over the years, he had actually seen his older sister looking unwell several times, but he had never thought about it in that way.

No, this...

"It's completely hopeless!" A faint voice suddenly came from beside me.

Shen Yunzhou turned his head and saw Lu Yaoyao standing there with her arms crossed, shaking her head helplessly.

“I thought that Senior Brother Zhou would be disheartened after learning the truth, but I didn’t expect him to still take care of him,” Lu Yaoyao continued, her tone complicated.

Shen Yunzhou's eyes widened: "You knew my sister was pregnant all along?"

Lu Yaoyao raised an eyebrow at him: "You don't know?"

"How would I know!" Shen Yunzhou almost jumped up.

Lu Yaoyao sighed helplessly: "You men..."

Shen Yunzhou looked at the two people in the distance again and suddenly became excited: "So... I'm going to be an uncle?"

He rubbed his hands excitedly, "My brother-in-law is amazing! How did he get my sister pregnant in just one time?"

Lu Yaoyao was startled upon hearing this.

Shen Yunzhou's immediate use of the word "brother-in-law" clearly indicated that he knew exactly who the person was.

She immediately pretended to already know and muttered softly, "I wonder what Sister Shen sees in your brother-in-law."

Shen Yunzhou was overjoyed. Thinking about how the siblings had relied on each other all these years, and now they were going to have another blood relative, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

Hearing Lu Yaoyao's words, he casually replied, "I say, you admire your senior brother so much, what do you think my sister sees in him?"

Lu Yaoyao trembled, her eyes widening suddenly: "What did you say?"

Shen Yunzhou then realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly covered his mouth: "Wait...you didn't know?"

He stomped his foot in frustration, "You little brat, you tricked me!"

Oh no! After that incident, he swore to his older sister that he would keep his mouth shut, but now Lu Yaoyao had managed to get the information out of him. Shen Yunzhou was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat.

He originally thought Zhou Qing had already told her.

Lu Yaoyao was trembling all over, her silver hair swaying gently with her rapid breathing.

She stared intently at the two figures in the distance, her mind flashing back to every moment she had spent with Shen Hanyi over the past 150 years.

That inexplicable sense of closeness, that subconscious dependence, that inexplicable familiarity—all of Dad's actions...

It turns out that everything was foreshadowed.

At this moment, the longing that had been buried for many years could no longer be contained and surged forth.

She squatted on the ground and cried like a child.

Shen Yunzhou panicked, especially when he saw that Zhou Qing and his older sister had noticed them, and his older sister was even wiping her mouth as she walked over.

"Oh my god!" Shen Yunzhou hurriedly lowered his voice, "I'm sorry, okay? What's wrong with you? My sister's coming, so please don't let anything slip!"

He was about to run away when he said that.

"Stop!" Shen Hanyi's cold voice rang out, and Shen Yunzhou immediately froze on the spot, turning to Zhou Qing with a mournful face for help: "I really didn't bully her!"

Zhou Qing frowned slightly as he looked at Lu Yaoyao, who was squatting on the ground crying with tears streaming down her face, and slowly squatted down himself.

He reached out to pat her shoulder, but paused in mid-air, and finally asked softly, "Junior sister, what happened?"

Lu Yaoyao suddenly raised her head, her red eyes filled with tears.

She glanced at Zhou Qing, then looked at Shen Hanyi, who was standing to the side, also looking puzzled.

In that instant, years of pent-up emotions burst forth like a dam breaking; she could no longer control herself, staggered to her feet, and threw herself into Shen Hanyi's arms.
"Mother——!"

This heart-wrenching cry was like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone present frozen in place.

Shen Hanyi's body visibly trembled, her hands hovering in mid-air, unsure whether she should bring them down.

Zhou Qing remained in a half-squatting position, his face filled with shock.

Shen Yunzhou opened his mouth wide, looking just like a startled toad.

Zhou Qing, who had some knowledge of Lu Yaoyao's past, was the first to react after a brief moment of stunned silence.

After all, this girl had even called him "Dad" at one point, including the nickname above his head.

"Junior Sister Lu, stop fooling around. Has something happened recently?" Zhou Qing quickly asked.

This girl had been acting strange for a few days, and she kept muttering that the two of them didn't have much time left.

Asking didn't yield any clear answer.

Lu Yaoyao cried even harder, like a stubborn child: "Why did you abandon me and Dad back then? Why?"

She choked up, her voice broken, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances from both her past lives.

Shen Hanyi sighed softly; she could sense Lu Yaoyao's collapse and despair at this moment.

That trembling body carried too many unfulfilled longings and grievances.

but--

She looked at Zhou Qing with a complicated expression.

Zhou Qing looked apologetic and quickly tugged at Lu Yaoyao's arm: "Junior sister, calm down first."

"No!" Lu Yaoyao hugged him even tighter, as if afraid that if she let go, the person in front of her would disappear.

Zhou Qing was at a loss for what to do when he heard Lu Yaoyao crying hysterically.

He could only send a telepathic message to Shen Hanyi: "She may have encountered something recently. Let her cry for a while, and ask her slowly when she's calmed down."

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly and had no choice but to let her hug her.

After all, over the past 150 years, through their interactions, she had gained a general understanding of the girl's personality.

"Be careful, don't hug too tightly~" Zhou Qing couldn't help but remind her, looking at Shen Hanyi's abdomen.

(End of this chapter)