The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 438 Yao Yao believes her, so I believe her (6k)

Inside the inn.

Zhou Qing slowly opened her eyes, her face still bearing traces of wet tears.

He raised his hand to wipe it gently, then frowned and looked at the door—there seemed to be a knocking sound outside.

He first glanced at the sleeping Yao Yao to make sure the room's restrictions were functioning properly before putting on his mask, getting up, and opening the door.

A servant stood outside the door, all smiles: "Sir, the wet nurse you asked me to find has been found, she's downstairs."

"There are five in total, all of whom meet your requirements—beautiful, with large breasts, and at least at the Golden Core stage!"

Zhou Qing casually tossed out a mid-grade spirit stone and said indifferently, "Let them in."

The waiter hurriedly caught the spirit stone, then beamed with joy: "Alright! Please wait a moment, sir!"

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

Soon, the five female cultivators were led in by the waiter.

They were of varying ages, ranging from their early twenties to their thirties, but all had beautiful faces and voluptuous figures.

At this moment, they all lowered their heads and looked shy.

Zhou Qing gently rocked the sleeping Yao Yao while his gaze swept over the five people.

Although these female cultivators at the Golden Core stage tried to remain calm, their slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed their inner unease.

"To be able to cultivate to the Golden Core Realm, one would probably not take on this kind of job unless they encountered difficulties," Zhou Qing sighed softly.

Upon hearing this, the five people trembled slightly. One of the older female cultivators raised her head, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then lowered her head again.

Zhou Qing said no more, took out five top-grade spirit stones that emitted a lustrous glow from his storage bag, and arranged them neatly on the table.

Then he took out five hundred exquisite mutton-fat jade bottles and piled them up on the table to form a small mountain.

"I just want to give my child the best." Zhou Qing's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

"Therefore, I hope you will all treat me with sincerity. If you treat me with sincerity, I will repay you handsomely. Each of you will fill one hundred jade bottles, and this top-grade spirit stone will be your reward."

The five people's eyes were immediately drawn to the five top-grade spirit stones.

In the dimly lit room, the soft glow emanating from the spirit stone brightened their eyes.

"Rest assured, senior!" the five bowed in unison, genuine smiles finally appearing on their faces. "We will do our utmost!"

Zhou Qing nodded in satisfaction: "The five side rooms next door have been prepared. Please make yourselves at home."

The five carefully collected one hundred jade bottles each, bowed to Zhou Qing, and then quietly left the room.

……

Three days later, when five hundred jade bottles filled with the contents were neatly arranged in front of Zhou Qing, he examined them one by one with his divine sense and, after verifying them, readily fulfilled his promise.

The five female cultivators, holding the coveted top-grade spirit stones, happily bid farewell and departed.

After everyone left, Zhou Qing put all the jade bottles into his storage bag.

He took out the Soul-Nourishing Jade he kept close to his body, stared at the faintly visible transparent figure inside, and gently stroked the surface of the jade with his fingertips.

"Hanyi, wait a little longer." His voice was incredibly gentle. "We'll get the Blood Phoenix Essence Blood soon."

After tidying up, Zhou Qing carefully placed Xiao Yaoyao into a specially made bamboo basket and carried her steadily on his back.

Standing in front of the inn, he gazed at the majestic mountains in the distance, his eyes gradually hardening.

Even the most thorough preparations cannot guarantee complete success.

The desolate and forbidden land is filled with too much yin energy; we absolutely cannot bring Xiao Yao Yao along.

Now he must find someone absolutely reliable to entrust with his affairs.

In this vast Southern Phoenix Prefecture, there are very few people he can trust.

The fate of the second uncle remains unknown, and it is unclear whether he has escaped the crisis.

My brother-in-law, Shen Yunzhou, has disappeared without a trace; he may have already perished.

After much deliberation, the only person in the entire Southern Phoenix Prefecture he could entrust with was the Rain Swallow girl from the Rain Clan.

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered slightly. First of all, he had saved her life, and he had also saved her cousin's life.

According to Yao Yao, during their escape from the Demon Emperor, she risked her life to catch up with them, not only finding beast milk for Yao Yao, but also choosing to self-destruct to cover their retreat.

This woman has a stable personality and values ​​relationships.

Based on Yuyan's behavior during their several encounters, he gained a general understanding of her.

"If Yao Yao believes in her, then I will believe in her too." Zhou Qing immediately made up her mind.

Moreover, the forbidden land is located at the border of the four ancient clans and the eight families.

No matter which side you enter from, you will have to pass that crooked jujube tree; the route is the same.

With this in mind, Zhou Qing no longer hesitated and summoned the flying boat.

The spirit boat grew longer against the wind. He carried the sleeping Yao Yao on his back, stepped onto the boat, and transformed into a stream of light, heading straight for the Rain Clan.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qing and Xiao Yaoyao took a short rest in a border town.

In the teahouse, the latest news was circulating among the cultivators:

"Have you heard? The Liu family made a fortune this time. They swallowed up more than 90% of the Shen family's spiritual vein mines."

"Tsk tsk, the Liu family has now risen to become the fifth largest family."

"The rankings of other prominent families also rose accordingly, with the Zhou family even moving from eighth to seventh."

"As for the Xiao clan, after so many years of waiting, they've finally squeezed into the ranks of the eight great families."

"From then on, the name of the Shen family no longer existed in Nanhuang Prefecture."

……

At the next table, a few casual enthusiasts were discussing animatedly: "The most valuable one has to be Zhou Qing. With two inscription-level divine abilities, he's practically a walking library!"

"That's why everyone calls him a treasure boy!"

"If it weren't for this incident, I would never have known what an inscription-level divine ability was."

"Yes, I wonder how many eyes are watching him right now."

Zhou Qing silently finished his tea, ignoring all the discussions.

He collected the money for the tea and prepared to go to the market to pick out some toys for Xiao Yaoyao.

Just as I stepped out of the teahouse, my gaze casually swept across the long street—

Suddenly, my whole body jolted!
Several familiar figures were climbing the steps in front of the inn.

The woman in green walked with a leisurely pace, followed by two burly men.

"Swift? Zhao Muye? Demon Emperor White Elephant?!"

Zhou Qing's usually stagnant eyes suddenly stirred with emotion.

They had originally expected to travel for another six months to reach the Rain Clan's territory, but they unexpectedly encountered them just after leaving the Third Tail area.

"I've searched high and low without finding it," a hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he quickly carried Yao Yao on his back and chased after them.

……

Inside the inn, the three of them chose an elegant private room and sat down.

The aroma of tea wafted from the sandalwood table, yet the atmosphere was unusually somber.

"boom!"

Zhao Muyi slammed his broad palm heavily on the table, making the teacups clink.

His eyes widened as he glared at the two men: "Back in the Nine Li Dynasty, it was clearly Brother Zhou who saved me! Since you knew all along, why did you keep it from me?"

With a gentle wave of her slender hand, a soundproof barrier quietly unfolded.

She sighed softly, "Hasn't it already been explained? Brother Zhou has a sect to consider and can't afford the Yan family's retaliation."

"But even knowing this, he still chose to help!" Zhao Muye's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"How could I, Zhao Muye, possibly betray this life-saving grace? I, Zhao Muye, am determined to handle Brother Zhou's matter! If they have the guts, let them unite and wipe out my Zhao family as well!"

The Demon Emperor White Elephant sighed, shook his head slightly, and the silver ring on his nose swayed: "I knew you would act impulsively, which is why I kept it from you back then."

"How could I have acted impulsively?" Zhao Muyi's eyes were bloodshot, and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

Bai Xiang's gaze was deep as he said calmly, "Is the Zhao family yours alone? Are you sure you can make that decision?"

Zhao Muyi opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he only managed to utter one word: "I."

Swift gently shook her head and said, "Let alone the Zhao family, who in the entire Nanhuang Prefecture dares to openly protect Zhou Qing now?"

She lowered her voice: "There are countless people who covet the two inscribed-level divine abilities he possesses. I've even heard that some old monsters who are Earthly Sovereigns have been mobilized."

The private room fell silent, with only Zhao Muye's heavy breathing audible.

"So what do we do now?" After a brief pause, Zhao Muye slammed his fist on the table again, causing the teacup to jump up an inch.

"When the Yan family came looking for me, I should have admitted that Yan Luo died at my hands! That way, at least the Shen family wouldn't have become the target of everyone's criticism."

"You're oversimplifying things." Yu Yan gently raised her hand, and a wisp of spiritual energy stabilized the pulsating teacup.

Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows on her face.

"The deaths of the Yan brothers were just an excuse. What the Yan family really wanted was the incomplete inscribed divine power in the hands of the Liu and Shen family patriarchs," Yu Yan said helplessly.

The silver ring on the tip of the white elephant's trunk swayed slightly: "If there weren't sufficient benefits, why would the Yan family promise to protect us for five thousand years?"

“The most important things right now,” Yu Yan added, “are, firstly, to find Brother Zhou to secretly help us as soon as possible, and secondly, I need to personally go to the Holy Martial Dynasty to inform the Taiqing Sect so that they can take precautions early!”

Zhao Muyi's tiger-like eyes flashed with a sharp light: "That's exactly right! If those villains were to find out about the Taiqing Sect first..."

His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his voice suddenly turned stern, "Given Brother Zhou's temperament, he would rather risk his life than implicate the sect!"

Old Bai and Swift nodded in unison.

"Miss Yuyan!" Just then, a faint voice transmission pierced through the soundproof barrier and suddenly rang in Yuyan's mind.

Her hand holding the cup trembled slightly, almost spilling the tea.

That familiar voice—

"Don't alert them, I'll wait for you in the alley outside," Zhou Qing's voice transmission came again.

Yu Yan suppressed the pounding in her heart and calmly put down her teacup: "Cousin, I'm going to the street to buy some things. I'll be back soon."

After saying that, he hurriedly got up and left.

The demon emperor, White Elephant, twitched its nose slightly, as if it had smelled that familiar scent again, and immediately understood what was going on.

Zhao Muyi, standing to the side, was completely oblivious, breathing heavily in frustration, his heart still brimming with resentment.

"Waiter!" he suddenly roared, causing dust to fall from the rafters. "Where the hell have you been? Do you expect my wine to be freshly brewed?"

The white elephant sighed softly, its eyes filled with helplessness.

……

In the dimly lit alley outside the inn, Zhou Qing stood silently with a bamboo basket on his back.

He heard every word of the conversation that had just taken place in the private room.

A warm feeling welled up in my heart, but even more so, it was a sense of relief—in this vast Southern Phoenix Prefecture, there were still some genuine people worth entrusting one's heart to.

His gaze swept over the swaying signboard at the alley entrance, and he shook his head silently.

Zhao Muyi is too carefree and doesn't take things to heart, which may be related to the body-refining technique that the Zhao family cultivates, which can directly lead to the Spirit Severing stage.

If one were not so pure and sincere, how could one avoid being entangled in karma and directly enter the realm of slaying the spirit?
Hurried footsteps came from the alley entrance. "Brother Zhou!"

The swift hurriedly turned into the alley, then suddenly looked up; the bronze mask gleamed with a cold, icy light in the sunlight.

What terrified her even more were the strands of hair hanging down from the edge of the mask.

Her once jet-black hair has now turned into a glaring gray.

She stopped abruptly, her eyes instantly reddening.

Overwhelmed with guilt, she hurriedly bowed in respect.

If it weren't to save her, why would Brother Zhou have killed Yama?

If Yan Luo hadn't died, how could the Yan family have used the deaths of Yan Sen and Yan Luo as an excuse to join forces with the Liu family to destroy the Shen family?

That night, she had just woken up and received the roasted meat from Brother Zhou when she saw Shen Hanyi walking gracefully towards her from the darkness.

Brother Zhou's overflowing joy and the "Hanyi" he blurted out all demonstrated the close relationship between the two.

But now, Shen Hanyi has died tragically at the hands of the deputy palace master of Tianhuang Palace, and Brother Zhou has also exposed his dual inscription abilities, becoming the target of everyone's criticism.

She is largely to blame for all of this.

Seeing her red eyes and self-reproachful face, Zhou Qing roughly guessed what had happened and said calmly, "This matter has nothing to do with you, don't overthink it."

Yu Yan then straightened up and said earnestly, "Brother Zhou, if there is anything I can do to help, I will do my best even at the cost of my life."

Zhou Qing nodded: "I have something important to ask you to do this."

He gently took off his basket and, to the swift's puzzled look, took out a swaddled baby.

The swift was stunned, completely bewildered.

Gazing at the sleeping Yao Yao, Zhou Qing's lips curled slightly beneath his mask: "Her name is Yao Yao, she is my and Han Yi's daughter."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yan's pupils contracted, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She knew that Brother Zhou was pursuing Shen Hanyi, and even went so far as to change his appearance and move into the Shen family under the identity of Master Qingzhou, just to get closer to the two of them.

I never imagined that they already had children.

When did all this happen?
When they met in the dense forest last time, Shen Hanyi was clearly still
By the way, pregnancies at the Spirit Severing Realm are not noticeable, and there are many supernatural abilities that can perfectly conceal them.

"I have urgent business to attend to. I wonder if I could trouble you to take care of Yao Yao for a while?" Zhou Qing asked.

Upon hearing this, Yu Yan was startled—this was clearly entrusting her orphan to someone!

She took a step back abruptly, shaking her head repeatedly: "Brother Zhou, the Yan family, the Liu family, and even the Heavenly Phoenix Palace all possess Supreme Realm experts! Going there like this is tantamount to walking into a trap!"

"Even mortals know that a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, let alone us cultivators? You have two inscription-level divine abilities and are a level four array master. Given time, you might have your chance..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly grabbed Zhou Qing's wrist, her voice trembling: "Besides, haven't you already condensed 30,000 spirit seals? If you cultivate another 20,000, you will be the youngest fifth-level array master in the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty!"

"Wouldn't it be safer to take revenge by changing our identity and leveraging the situation then?"

Seeing Yuyan anxiously offering him advice, Zhou Qing knew she had misunderstood, but a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He thought that in this foreign land, no one would weigh the pros and cons of his life or death.

“I will definitely avenge them.” His voice was low but resolute. “None of them will escape, but—not now.”

Swift looked at him and tentatively asked, "Really?"

"really."

"then you……"

"Go and do something that must be done."

Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, Yu Yan felt a little relieved.

She carefully took the swaddling clothes, and looking at the exquisitely beautiful baby in her arms, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, as long as I, Yuyan, live, this child will never suffer the slightest injustice!"

"Thank you." Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

Suddenly, Yu Yan seemed to remember something and asked in confusion, "Her name is... Xiao Yao Yao?"

"Ah."

Swift hesitated, then said, "I remember your junior sister..."

She still remembers the girl with red eyes when she first met her—I think her name was Lu Yaoyao.

That girl had persistently followed Brother Zhou, traversing mountains and rivers, traveling thousands of miles from a fourth-level cultivation country to come here.

Upon hearing this name, Zhou Qing's eyes darkened, and he fell silent.

Seeing this, Swift felt as if her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

She looked up at the man before her, a sharp pain rising in her chest—he had lost so much during this time…

The infant in her arms lost her forever before she could even remember what her mother looked like.

"I'm sorry..." Yu Yan's voice was hoarse.

Zhou Qing simply shook his head, his voice low and hoarse: "It's nothing."

He paused, then took out a brand-new storage bag from his bosom. "Inside are spirit beast milk and a change of clothes."

As if suddenly remembering something, his tone became exceptionally careful: "The milk needs to be warmed to body temperature with warm water. Test the temperature on the back of your hand before feeding. If she chokes on the milk, support her and pat her back like this."

He gestured with his hand to indicate the curve, "Change the diapers every two hours. If a rash appears, there's ointment in the second compartment of the storage bag."

Swift listened intently, and suddenly her nose felt sore.

Unbeknownst to him, a prodigy who was about to become a level 5 array master had learned so many details about caring for an infant in a short period of time.

Looking at the dark circles under Zhou Qing's eyes, she suddenly realized—this must be the experience he had accumulated while taking care of Yao Yao alone these past few days.

"Don't worry!" she quickly interjected, pulling the child closer to her. "I used to take care of my cousin's child, so I have some experience!"

Zhou Qing's tense shoulders relaxed slightly: "Then... I'll trouble you."

"Don't say it's troublesome!" Swift gently patted the swaddling clothes. "I'll wait for you to come back here."

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly: "Okay."

Before he could finish speaking, he couldn't help but lean down and gently stroke his daughter's delicate face with his rough fingertips, his face full of reluctance.

The man's warm breath was very close, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

Swift felt her ear tips burning and unconsciously held her breath.

"I will get back as soon as possible." When Zhou Qingzhi stood up, the last trace of softness in his eyes had vanished.

Then he turned and left without hesitation.

The swift stared blankly at the receding figure, its throat tightening involuntarily.

Just as she was about to say something, the swaddled baby in her arms began to wriggle violently.

"Wow——"

The baby's cries suddenly shattered the silence of the alley.

Swift hurriedly hugged her tightly, gently stroking her tear-streaked face with one hand.

"Don't cry, don't cry." She shook the baby clumsily, her nose brushing against the baby's milky-scented hair. "Daddy just went to pick stars for you."

……

Zhou Qing stood around the crooked jujube tree, his bronze mask gleaming coldly.

Compared to a few days ago, there are far fewer monks here.

Perhaps the long search for the three-flowered mummy had made everyone lose patience, or perhaps the news of the Shen family's massacre and the appearance of the dual-inscription supernatural power had drawn more attention.

Until the last healer emerged from the safe zone under the jujube tree, the man glanced at Zhou Qing warily, muttering curses under his breath.

Because this person had been staring at him ever since he appeared, it made him feel uneasy.

Terrified that this guy would take advantage of the situation, he immediately left the desolate area as quickly as possible.

After confirming that there was no one else, Zhou Qing flicked his sleeves, and the puppet men and women appeared.

After the love song ended, one of the black ships revealed the location of the key, and he immediately took off on his sword...

Because the desolate barrier prevented him from tearing through space, it took Zhou Qing a full day to reach the mine.

The two people who had been resting here had already left. Zhou Qing silently walked along the familiar mine tunnel and soon arrived at the deepest part.

Looking around, a vast divine sense quietly spread out.

After confirming that there was no sign of any living person, he then took out the Blood Phoenix Bone.

Just like in the simulation, after the 30,000 spirit seals entered it, the entire bone fragment emitted an eerie red light in his palm, and the space began to distort and fluctuate.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath and stepped into the ripples without hesitation.

Looking at the Human Emperor's Shroud that was still moving through those semi-transparent cocoons, a cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and his hands instantly formed a complex magic seal.

"The Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal - Demon Suppression!"

The golden seal crashed down, and the shroud was suppressed before it could even react.

The entire space was trembling violently, and the cocoons shattered one after another.

……

After two hours of fierce fighting, Zhou Qing stood in front of the stone platform, breathing erratically.

He grabbed the blood-red scroll containing the "Hundred Calamities Blood Curtain" and stuffed it into his storage bag, then suddenly raised his palm, spiritual energy gathering into a sharp point in his hand—

"boom!"

The stone platform shattered instantly, sending fragments flying everywhere.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a blood-red bone fragment floated silently, its surface shimmering with an eerie red glow.

A smile involuntarily appeared on Zhou Qing's lips.

As he reached out and grasped the bone fragment, a surge of violent power instantly rushed into his body through his arm.

He groaned, and the veins on his arms bulged out, strangely turning blood red, as if magma was flowing beneath his skin.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood and qi within his body, and looked around: "This place is secluded, and basically no one will find it or be able to get in. It is the best place for refining."

After saying that, he flipped his hand and took out several wood-attribute spirit stones, and immediately began the healing and recovery process.

Three hours later, his pale face gradually regained its color, and his disordered breathing calmed down.

Once he regained his peak condition, Zhou Qing solemnly took out the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree.

He closed his eyes and felt an unprecedented clarity in his mind, with his five senses becoming several times more acute.

"call"

Zhou Qing opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with a sharp light.

"With this item as an aid, even if unexpected events occur during the extraction of essence blood, we can respond in time."

Immediately afterwards, he held the Blood Phoenix Bone in both hands, his spiritual energy flowing between his ten fingers, slowly seeping into the bone—

"boom!"

Suddenly, the bone fragments trembled violently, and a terrifying, malevolent aura erupted!

A beam of blood-red light shot into the sky, eventually coalescing into a miniature phantom of a blood phoenix in mid-air.

Although it was only the size of a palm, the temperature of the entire mine rose sharply the moment its wings unfolded, and the rock walls began to melt!
"Still trying to resist?"

Zhou Qing sneered, his hands rapidly forming hand seals: "Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal - Suppress!"

(End of this chapter)