The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 428 The Secret of Su Yurou, the Second Wife! (6k)

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's words, Shen Yunzhou's eyes also lit up.

She quickly chimed in, "That's right, sis! A person's memories start from when they are three years old. Lu Meizi said that she has been being chased ever since she can remember."

He counted on his fingers, "She's almost back on her own timeline, which means you'll be giving birth in the next two years."

"Five years is just a blink of an eye for us," Shen Yunzhou said, becoming more and more excited. "By isolating ourselves from the world and not having any contact with people, we might really be able to rewrite history!"

Shen Hanyi's mind was filled with the image of the weathered Zhou Qing in the picture book, and the scene Yao Yao described where she could only fall asleep by drawing her mother with a twig.

Her heart ached terribly.

“Okay.” She finally nodded. “But before that, I have to go back to the Shen family first.”

"Why go back?" Zhou Qing asked hurriedly.

Shen Hanyi glanced at Shen Yunzhou and said softly, "According to the information Xiaozhou brought this time, Father will probably start the reckoning in the next couple of days."

Zhou Qing frowned.

Shen Yunzhou was taken aback: "Father? Liquidation?"

Over the years, the siblings have always called that person "Old Shen," out of respect for the kindness he showed them during their childhood.

Why did my sister suddenly change her tune?
And what about liquidation?
Shen Hanyi turned to Zhou Qing: "You killed my second uncle. Although you did it for us, we still have to avenge my mother. Otherwise, it will become a hurdle in my father's and my heart."

Her voice was somewhat heavy, "Back when I was trying to sever my spirit, I almost failed."

Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing in shock.

Was my second uncle, Shen Yunlan, killed by my brother-in-law?
why?
What exactly is my sister saying?
Looking at her younger brother's confused eyes, Shen Hanyi sighed softly: "Your willpower is not strong. In order to prevent accidents when you sever your spirit, I didn't tell you many things."

"But now, the time has come."

Then, taking this opportunity, Shen Hanyi told him all the secrets she had kept hidden for so many years.

Shen Yunzhou listened quietly, his shock gradually turning into silence, and finally his eyes reddened.

It turns out that their father was still the same father who loved them, but he gave up everything for the fourth branch of the family to protect them, and secretly guarded them and searched for clues.

I never imagined that my mother's death would be so complicated, involving so many people.

"No, I want to go back too!" Shen Yunzhou's hands clenched so tightly they cracked.

He also bears some responsibility for his mother's vengeance.

After listening to the whole story in detail, Zhou Qing also developed a sense of respect for his father-in-law, whom he had only caught a fleeting, blurry glimpse of.

Knowing when to give up, enduring for many years, yet being able to abandon everything and choose revenge at the last moment—that is what makes a true husband and father.

“But at this critical juncture,” Zhou Qing still had concerns.

Shen Hanyi said firmly, "Don't worry, my father secretly went out thirty years ago, passed the Supreme Tribulation, and entered the Supreme Realm."

"In the entire family, the only ones who could threaten him were his grandfather and eldest uncle. But his grandfather had been in seclusion for many years and had long since stopped caring about worldly affairs."

"Moreover, even those at the Spirit Severing Realm stop short of a fight, let alone those at the Supreme Realm?"

Her gaze was fixed on the distance, her voice soft yet firm: "I just want to witness it, to put an end to this obsession. Otherwise, it will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment and then said, "Okay, then I'll go with you."

"No, you stay here and watch over Yao Yao. I'll be back soon." Shen Hanyi gently shook her head.

Zhou Qing stepped forward, his gaze resolute: "No, I must protect you closely."

He paused, his voice low and gentle: "And after this is over, I will tell you a secret."

Moonlight streamed between them, and Shen Hanyi could feel the warmth in his gaze.

The invisible barrier between them seems to be melting away because of their daughter's arrival.

She was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay."

Zhou Qing breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted from his heart.

After returning from the Shen family, he decided to confess his identity as "Number One" to her.

As for those advanced insights, let's attribute them to the serendipity of the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top.

Everyone has secrets, and I doubt she would ask too many questions.

Moreover, during their subsequent seclusion, they can better collaborate to explore the forbidden wilderness.
The three then tiptoed back to their room.

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on a tranquil, three-colored light diffuser.

Inside the light shield, Lu Yaoyao was curled up on the bed, her silver hair scattered on the pillow, her face still streaked with tears, yet she slept soundly.

She relaxed completely, sinking into the soft quilt, a faint smile even playing on her lips.

"Let her get some sleep," Shen Hanyi said softly. "I added a calming incense to it, the kind I used when I couldn't enter a meditative state during cultivation. She should wake up by the time we get back."

Zhou Qing nodded, gazing tenderly at the sleeping Lu Yaoyao.

The more I look at her, the more I feel that her eyebrows and eyes resemble mine, while her silver hair looks just like her mother's.

Thinking that she had been by his side all these years, and had even hinted several times that she wanted to call him "Dad," but he hadn't noticed, a pang of sadness welled up in his heart.

“Ten days should be enough for the round trip,” he said in a low voice. “The entire manor is protected by a three-colored protective barrier, so it’s safe and sound. If anything happens, she can wake up in time to deal with it.”

Shen Hanyi gave a soft "hmm," then turned to face Zhou Qing, her voice gentler than usual.

"Then let's go and come back quickly. Although I don't know how much longer I can stay with her, I want to spend some quality time with her."

Looking at the usually aloof woman before him, Zhou Qing felt a surge of warmth in his heart at the tenderness in her eyes: "Okay."

Shen Hanyi paused, then suddenly made a move that stunned Zhou Qing and Shen Yunzhou.

She actually reached out and gently grasped Zhou Qing's wrist: "Let's do it together."

Zhou Qing felt a warm touch on his wrist; Shen Hanyi's hand was much softer than he had imagined.

This simple gesture warmed his heart.

The distance that I thought would take a long time to bridge disappeared overnight because of the arrival of my daughter.

“Okay.” Zhou Qing’s voice was a little tight. He carefully took Shen Hanyi’s hand in his own, afraid that if he used too much force, he would scare her away.

"Me too!" Shen Yunzhou suddenly squeezed between the two, placing his hand on their clasped hands without saying a word. "I'm her uncle, I'm here with her too!"

Shen Hanyi and Zhou Qing turned their heads at the same time, looking at Shen Yunzhou's serious expression, and were speechless for a moment.

……

And so, the three of them quietly left the mountain villa.

Just to be on the safe side, Zhou Qing also sent a message to his second uncle, hoping that he could look after Lu Yaoyao during this time.

The message was sent but there was no reply for half a day. It was estimated that the second uncle was not within the range of the communication jade slip, and no one knew where he had gone.

Two days later, the flying boat traveled through the sea of ​​clouds.

Zhou Qing, who was piloting the flying boat, suddenly opened his eyes and saw a familiar streak of light shooting down from the clouds.

"It's her!" Zhou Qing recognized her at a glance.

Back in Tianlan City, there was a fat man and a thin man who pretended to fight.

The fat man's seemingly angry display of a vast expanse of yellow sand was actually a cover for stealing the storage bags of onlookers.

Later, a fake law enforcement officer appeared to mediate the fight, and the group worked together seamlessly.

Because his hen was stolen, he had no choice but to take Lu Yaoyao to the alley, where they ran into the three of them dividing the loot.

Then, Yun Jiumei, a beautiful fox-woman at the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, appeared.

Holding a jade pipe, she briefly clashed with Zhou Qing in the alley.

However, later, the city lord Li Changhong came with a stern warning, using the fact that Tianlai City was a transit station with seven large four-colored teleportation arrays connecting to various places as a reason to stop it.

If the fighting between those at the Spirit Severing Realm disrupted the stability of this space, he would suppress them completely, which is why the two had no choice but to stop.

However, during this time, the three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators actually tried to take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Lu Yaoyao.

She then used her inner energy to completely block the three men's attacks.

After seeing Shen Hanyi, who was wearing a veil in the scene, and Lu Yaoyao, who also had silver hair, Yun Jiumei said meaningfully, "So you know her. In that case, we are acquaintances."

He guessed at the time that Yun Jiumei was very likely also from Nanhuang Prefecture.

Just as Zhou Qing was deep in thought, Shen Hanyi, who had been resting in the cabin, came out, holding a jade slip for communication in her hand.

“I’ve received some information,” she said in a cool voice, “there’s a city below, let’s go down and take a look.”

Zhou Qing didn't ask any further questions and immediately steered the flying boat downwards.

Before long, the outline of a bustling city appeared below, and following the direction Shen Hanyi pointed, the flying boat disappeared into it.

……

This city was exceptionally prosperous, with towering buildings lining both sides of the streets, and colorful lanterns hanging between the carved beams and painted rafters.

Spirit banners fluttered in front of the shops, pedestrians were dressed in fine clothes, and the air was filled with the fragrance of spirit fruits and spirit tea.

After all, this is the inner territory of the Fifth Tail.

At this moment, in an elegant inn in the city, a beautiful woman sat by the window on the second floor.

She wore a moon-white brocade dress with flowing clouds, the hem of which cascaded down between the seats like water.

On her oval face, a pair of bright, sparkling eyes gazed around as she gently waved an embroidered fan in her delicate hand.

She was none other than the second wife, Su Yurou.

Just then, there was a sudden commotion downstairs.

A beautiful woman wearing a crimson gauze dress gracefully walked up the stairs, the nine-tailed fox pattern embroidered on the hem of her dress seeming to move as if it were alive.

She toyed with a jade pipe between her delicate fingers, the pipe shrouded in wisps of purple spiritual mist.

Each step she took was graceful and swaying, with nine fox shadows faintly swirling around her—the very same Yun Jiu Mei that Zhou Qing had seen earlier.

"Hiss." She parted her red lips slightly and exhaled a breath of spiritual mist with a mesmerizing fragrance, causing the surrounding diners to stare in fascination.

She didn't care and went straight to Su Yurou's table to sit down, casually setting up a soundproof barrier.

"Your man is dead?" Yun Jiumei asked bluntly, twirling her pipe between her fingers.

Su Yurou paused slightly with her fan, a complex look flashing in her peach blossom eyes: "I know, I was the one who orchestrated this."

Yun Jiu Mei narrowed her fox-like eyes: "I can vaguely sense that you handed over the scene of Shen Lieyang killing the Flying Thieves Alliance, which I captured with the Image Stone back then, to Shen Han Yi."

“Yes,” Su Yurou looked out the window, “but I didn’t expect that Shen Lieyang didn’t die, but that useless man Shen Yunlan died first. To this day, we still don’t know who killed him.”

"You probably don't care who killed him anymore," Yun Jiumei chuckled. "You've been utterly disappointed in that man for a long time, haven't you?"

Su Yurou's fan suddenly stopped, and her voice turned colder: "Back then, I had high hopes for becoming his Daoist partner. But later I found out that he was so ridiculous and an utter fool."

She applied slight pressure with her fingertips, and the fan ribs made a soft "click" sound.

“I’ve tried to persuade him many times, but he’s still stubborn.” Su Yurou sneered, a hint of mockery flashing in her peach blossom eyes. “You probably don’t know, but besides me, he actually has several other women outside—I even investigated them specifically; they were all people planted by the eldest son’s family.”

The next moment, the fan unfolded with a "whoosh," covering half of her face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

"I don't know which vixen whispered in his ear, but he actually decided to assassinate Shen Hanyi and even frame the third wife."

She chuckled softly, "It's good that I'm dead this time. I'm free now, and I don't have to stay in that Shen family where I have no feelings anymore."

Yun Jiumei exhaled a smoke ring, a playful glint in her fox eyes: "Let me make this clear beforehand, although you are the original form, if you want to merge with me..."

She smiled slightly, "Be careful my consciousness doesn't take over you. After all, my cultivation is higher than yours."

Upon hearing this, Su Yurou gently waved her fan and smiled meaningfully: "When I obtained that technique back then, I originally planned to separate the spirits and then combine them into one."

She tapped the table lightly with her fingertip: "Later, I joined the Shen family and successfully severed my spirit under the personal guidance of the family head, so I didn't need you anymore."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Yun Jiumei: "And you were lucky to be outside, obtaining an ancient inheritance. Not only did you successfully sever your spirit, but you also stepped into the mid-stage. That was beyond my expectations."

She suddenly leaned forward, her voice low: "You are me, and I am you. So I know my own ambitions."

She snapped her fan shut: "Leaving aside whose thoughts they belong to, if you want to merge into one, your clone must at least be willing. Would you be willing?"

Yun Jiumei took a deep drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled: "Of course not."

“So I won’t merge with you.” Su Yurou leaned back in her chair, her eyes softening. “More importantly, I have children to take care of.”

"Although Shen Yunlan is dead, I did love him once. I will raise these two children well."

Yun Jiu Mei raised an eyebrow: "After saying so much, what exactly did you come to see me for today?"

Su Yurou gently unfolded her fan again: "You and I are originally one, so some memories should be shared. You should know that Shen Lieyang of the third branch has cultivated a second Nascent Soul, right?"

“Of course I know.” Yun Jiumei toyed with her pipe. “But the shared memory is only a part of it. I have no idea what you’re thinking.”

“You know,” Su Yurou’s voice softened, “Shen Lieyang once used the second Nascent Soul to kill the Flying Thief Alliance members to silence them. Now that my husband is dead, I am now a widow.”

She looked out the window. "Moreover, I have a feeling that the internal strife within the Shen family is about to end."

“Shen Hanyi of the fourth branch is now at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, a Level 4 Array Master. I think she is very likely to have the last laugh.”

She turned back, a pleading glint in her eyes: "So, I want to do some good for my two children."

Yun Jiumei frowned: "You want me to kill Shen Lieyang's second Nascent Soul?"

Su Yurou half-covered her lips with her fan: "No, just teach him a lesson, and take a picture of him while you're at it. Give me the image stone in case you need it."

"Heh—" Yun Jiumei twirled the jade pipe between her fingers. "You make it sound so easy. Shen Lieyang's true form is at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, and his second Nascent Soul is already at the late stage."

She suddenly leaned down, nine fox shadows swirling around her, "Who will teach whom a lesson is still up in the air."

Su Yurou narrowed her peach blossom eyes slightly: "But I believe you will have a way."

Yun Jiumei stared at Su Yurou, then suddenly smiled, slowly leaning closer until her red lips almost touched the other's earlobe: "I've taken care of this. However—"

She gently exhaled a wisp of purple spiritual mist: "If one day our lifespans are about to end and we want to fight for the Supreme Realm, I will use you as nourishment at any time."

Su Yurou chuckled softly after hearing this: "What a coincidence, that's what I was thinking too. Although you're a small rank higher than me now, in the future..."

She gently brushed the edge of her fan across Yun Jiu Mei's neck: "Who can say for sure?"

"We'll see." Yun Jiumei flicked her sleeves and stood up, her entire body suddenly transforming into a cloud of purple spiritual mist before dissipating.

Su Yurou fell silent, her expression inscrutable, lost in thought.

After a long while, she tilted her head back and drank the cold tea, then got up and left as well.

But no one noticed that shortly after she left, a wisp of white spiritual energy quietly traveled from under the table and then arrived at the corner of the street not far away.

Shen Hanyi's silver hair swayed slightly, and with a gentle lift of her hand, the wisp of spiritual energy entered between her brows.

Zhou Qing watched the two figures leave, his brows furrowing slightly—he hadn't expected that Yun Jiu Mei would be acquainted with the second wife.

No wonder the fox demon said those things when they met in the alley.

What surprised him even more was that Shen Hanyi, with her cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Slaying Realm, was able to monitor him so easily without being detected.

As he was pondering, he heard Shen Hanyi sigh softly beside him.

"Sister, what did they say?" Shen Yunzhou asked eagerly as she leaned closer.

Shen Hanyi did not answer, but simply raised her slender finger and lightly touched her brow.

Two strands of spiritual energy split off like gossamer threads, disappearing into the space between Zhou Qing's and Shen Yunzhou's eyebrows respectively.

After listening, Zhou Qing couldn't help but show surprise.

That Yun Jiu Mei was actually an incarnation of the second wife, Su Yu Rou!

Moreover, judging from their conversation, this technique specifically designed to sever spirits is almost identical to those used by Sikong Yan and Baiyi Lin Jin.

However, Lin Jin willingly chose to merge with Sikong Yan, thus stepping into the Spirit Severing Realm in one fell swoop.

"What a coincidence," Zhou Qing murmured.

No wonder when he first met the second wife, Su Yurou, his foxy aura seemed so familiar.

After listening, Shen Yunzhou was truly surprised that his second aunt had such methods and backup plans.

He crossed his arms, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Sister, what do we do next?"

Although my third uncle was instigated by my eldest aunt to collude with the Flying Thieves Alliance, in the end, my mother was forever left behind on that rainy night.

Shen Hanyi's eyes were cold: "Let's go. Father will surely make his own decision on how to handle this."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and left.

The two exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

……

Five days later, the three of them returned to the Shen family.

Looking at the main gate of the Shen family in front of her, Shen Hanyi felt a mix of emotions, including a sense of unease.

"Miss, you're back!" Just then, several blue stones by the roadside suddenly made a "crackling" sound and quickly piled up into the shape of a dwarf.

A crack appeared in the top of the stone, revealing a pair of round eyes that were scrutinizing Zhou Qing.

"Big Brilliant, what are you still doing here?" Shen Yunzhou asked, raising an eyebrow.

The stone monster twisted its body, making a "clucking" sound: "Of course, I'll keep sunbathing!"

It suddenly turned to Zhou Qing, its body pieced together from stone leaning forward: "And this is—"

Zhou Qing looked at the talking stone spirit, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This stone monster seemed to have no cultivation fluctuations, yet it inexplicably gave him a strange feeling.

Shen Yunzhou grinned and explained for Zhou Qing, "Sister... Brother Zhou, this is Da Congming. My father brought him back by chance when he was doing business in his early years. He's been my playmate since I was a child."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and smiled gently: "My name is Zhou Qing. Please guide me in the future."

Just as the stone monster was about to respond, suddenly—

boom!
The ground trembled violently, and the stacked stones collapsed and scattered instantly.

The three men's expressions changed drastically, and they quickly turned to look at the main gate of the Shen family's residence.

The protective array surrounding the Shen family fluctuated violently, its patterns rippled like waves, and it was autonomously activating its sealing mechanism.

The dozen or so Nascent Soul Realm cultivators guarding the main gate were visibly shocked, clearly unaware of what had happened.

"Let's go!" Shen Hanyi shouted coldly.

The three of them moved like lightning, rushing straight to the main entrance.

Shen Hanyi flipped her hand and produced a token, forcibly tearing open a gap, and slipped inside with Zhou Qing.

Just as the great formation was completely sealed off—

Boom!

A deafening roar came from afar, as if powerful figures were clashing.

The three exchanged a glance, then transformed into three streaks of light and vanished into the sky...

……

boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the entire Shen family estate, causing it to tremble in that instant.

Several magnificent palaces collapsed with a roar, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and dust billowed into the sky.

A figure flew out of the ruins like a kite with a broken string, crashed heavily to the ground, and rolled several times before barely managing to regain its balance.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the third wife—Liu Rushuang!

Her hair was disheveled, her luxurious robes were tattered, a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth, and her face was as pale as paper.

She struggled to sit up, her eyes filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

"Mother!" In the distance, two young figures rushed over with bloodshot eyes.

However, before they could get close—

boom!
A figure descended from the sky and crashed heavily to the ground, causing the ground to crack.

He was a disheveled, unkempt man, dressed in rags, and reeking of alcohol.

He stood there unsteadily, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold.

"Fourth brother! Have you gone mad, you drunkard?!"

With a loud shout, Shen Lieyang, the third branch owner, was furious. His spiritual power surged wildly, transforming into a raging inferno that rushed straight towards Shen Juefeng!

"Burning Sky Palm!"

The scorching palm wind tore through the air, leaving the ground charred and the air distorted in its wake.

This palm strike is enough to burn mountains and boil seas!

however--

Faced with this terrifying attack that was enough to kill an ordinary Spirit Severing Realm cultivator, Shen Juefeng simply raised his hand.

Snapped!
With a soft sound, the earth-shattering palm force shattered like a bubble and vanished without a trace.

"What?!" Shen Lieyang's pupils shrank sharply. Before he could react, an unparalleled force crashed down upon him!
boom!
He was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the distant mountainside, sending rocks flying and dust billowing everywhere.

The whole place was dead silent!

Everyone's eyes widened, unable to believe what they saw.

The fourth branch owner, Shen Juefeng... actually sent Shen Lieyang flying with a casual strike?!

"Pfft!" Shen Lieyang had just struggled out of the stone wall when he suddenly clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with shock and horror.

He stared intently at the figure standing in mid-air, his voice hoarse: "Supreme Realm?!"

(End of this chapter)