The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 178 Zhou Qing, tell me your choice (6k)

At this time, Tong Min rarely asked Zhou Qing how he found out and the authenticity of the clue, but chose to believe it unconditionally.

This action actually indirectly reflects the importance of Zhou Qing in Tong Min's heart.

Unknowingly, Zhou Qing's status in the entire Taiqing Sect has quietly changed.

Of course, if the news of Li Hanshan being beheaded were to get out, Zhou Qing would probably become the number one person below the level of God Transformation in the entire Eastern Region.

After all, both Li Hanshan and Yu Ziqi had achieved the initial understanding of the Nascent Soul Great Perfection of artistic conception.

Compared to them, Zhou Qing is much younger than them in both cultivation and age.

Despite this, they still died.

"You two stay here and protect Zhou Qing. I'm going back to the sect first!" After Tong Min gave the order, he left quickly.

The two looked at each other and then nodded.

A few days later, the three sects alliance, led by Cao Zhengyang, angrily found Houshan with the imaging stone.

Our people tried their best to help find medicine for you, but the people from Cang Yan Dao Palace and Tian Ji Sect stabbed you in the back.

What do you want us to do next?
Should I look for it or not?

If you want to look for it, you have to go to those sparsely populated places, but are those places where you have the elixir you lost, or are they ambushing people?
Zhou Qing was luckier this time, but that doesn’t mean others will be so lucky.

What if it’s someone at the Spirit Transformation Realm who takes action next time, and then quietly erases all traces?

Watching the scene recorded by the video stone, Hou Shan and the other three demon kings were also extremely angry, especially since the assassination took place in Canglan Mountain and happened about three days after the armistice agreement.

It is clear what kind of mentality these two groups have when they repay his favor.

All of a sudden, Hou Shan and others went straight to Sikong Yan, wanting to ask for an explanation.

The result was obvious. Feeling guilty, they apologized and paid a large amount of spirit stones as compensation, and repeatedly guaranteed that such incidents would not happen again.

The matter was finally settled, and Hou Shan didn't want to push too hard. After all, whether he could find his own holy medicine depended on the deduction and divination of Tianji Sect.

Overall, the Cang Yan Dao Palace really lost both the wife and the army this time.

Moreover, the news that Zhou Qing had single-handedly killed Li Hanshan despite being ambushed by the enemy spread rapidly throughout the entire Eastern Region.

With this one incident alone, Zhou Qing became famous!
He truly earned the title of being the number one person below the level of God Transformation.

Such terrifying combat power made everyone speculate what grade of Heavenly Dao Qi his master Mo Xingjian gave him when he was building his foundation.

"Ah, Ah-"

In the retreat place at the back mountain of Xiaoling Peak, Mo Xingjian, whose whole body was filled with spiritual energy, sneezed several times in succession at this moment.

He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his nose, his eyes full of confusion.

"Could it be that someone scolded me? Or did those two careless guys get into trouble again, and then someone scolded me?"

Mo Xingjian immediately took out the token and sent them a message, but no one replied.

This made him sigh. No one had listened to their agreement that no one was allowed to go out during his retreat.

But now he has reached a critical moment. After calming down, he formed seals with his hands and started practicing again.

…………

"Old Four, Old Four——"

Yan Xiaohu, who was also in Lin'an City, rushed over as soon as he heard the news.

At this time, Zhou Qing had fully recovered, and his face was full of joy after seeing Yan Xiaohu.

"Third senior brother, why are you here?" Zhou Qing said.

Yan Xiaohu looked at Zhou Qing and didn't know what words to use to describe him.

The five great geniuses have all become stepping stones for your fame. Knowing that you have achieved great success, your future achievements will be limitless. But your growth rate is too fast.

"Your name is almost resounding throughout the entire Eastern Region. All I've heard along the way here is talk about you."

What others don’t want is what he wants but cannot get. What kind of thing is this?

The same was true for Lei Luo who was following Yan Xiaohu.

With such terrifying strength, even his elder brother Lei Lie had to temporarily avoid the attack.

Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly. What else could he do? He was forced into this situation.

A few days later, Cao Zhengyang came in person. The more he looked at Zhou Qing, the more he felt that this child was handsome.

"Well done. This bag is the compensation from Cang Yan Taoist Palace, and this bag is the sect's reward to you!" Cao Zhengyang handed over two storage bags.

Zhou Qing was a little surprised, and his pupils suddenly widened after opening it.

"So many?" Zhou Qing said in disbelief.

Cao Zhengyang smiled slightly: "That's totally irrelevant. Work hard!"

Zhou Qing couldn't refuse, so he accepted it. It seemed that he wouldn't have to worry about spirit stones for a long time.

In addition, as a formation master, he needs a lot of money to purchase various materials and operate them.

"Thank you, Uncle Master!" Zhou Qing expressed his gratitude.

Afterwards, Cao Zhengyang whispered, "Have you told anyone else about the clue you found about Li Niang?"

Zhou Qing shook his head.

Cao Zhengyang nodded and said, "That's good. Don't worry about this matter."

Seeing Cao Zhengyang's expression, Zhou Qing's heart moved and he asked, "Uncle Master, do you know this Li Niang?"

Cao Zhengyang looked at the people in the room, but didn't say anything else. Instead, he called He Han, Lu Yaoyao and Pei Yan out and gave them some serious instructions.

After all, they also heard Zhou Qing talking about clues about Li Niang that day.

Although the three of them didn't understand the reason, they still promised to keep the matter to themselves and never tell anyone else.

At this moment, Yan Xiaohu looked at the two storage bags in Zhou Qing's hands, his eyes glowing green.

He didn't want it, he was just curious.

Just as they were getting closer, Cao Zhengyang walked in and drove the others out.

With a wave of his hand, a layer of soundproofing appeared.

Seeing Zhou Qing's puzzled expression, Cao Zhengyang sighed and said, "I know this Li Niang, but I only met her by chance a few years ago."

As Cao Zhengyang spoke bit by bit, Zhou Qing gradually understood.

A few years ago, when he was out and about and accepted Lu Yaoyao as his apprentice, he was chased by Li Niang when he passed through a mountain range. She was pregnant like this at the time.

Of course, it was just a misunderstanding. She mistook Cao Zhengyang for her husband.

The woman was very talkative. After apologizing, she told him about her husband with a happy face.

The two met in Lin'an City, and later they both joined a small sect and became senior and junior brothers and sisters.

The story was too long, and Cao Zhengyang had something urgent to do at the time, so he just listened to a few words and hurriedly said goodbye.

But the general meaning was that her husband had gone out to find a magical medicine to cleanse the newborn baby's meridians and marrow.

Because Li Niang was already in the late stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm at that time, Cao Zhengyang guessed that her Taoist partner should be of similar level, so he wished her to wait for her husband to return soon.

But according to the clues Zhou Qing found, Li Niang had been pregnant for thousands of years and had been using elixirs to suppress the birth of the child.

It seems that her husband has died a long time ago, but she is unwilling to believe it. She is still waiting until today, fantasizing that her husband can come back with the elixir.

"This is a miserable woman!" Cao Zhengyang sighed.

Zhou Qingshen feels the same way.

"So, do you know where Li Niang is?" Zhou Qing asked after pondering.

Cao Zhengyang nodded slightly and said slowly, "I guess it's either in that mountain range or in the Seven Star Sect that they joined."

Zhou Qing looked at Cao Zhengyang and said, "Uncle Master, what are your plans next?"

Cao Zhengyang shook his head, his face melancholy, and said, "Although I only met Li Niang once, she entered the Spiritual Transformation Realm with infatuation and cultivated all the way to the late Spiritual Transformation Realm. I personally really admire her and even respect her."

"The persistence over the past thousand years, this perseverance and deep affection are truly moving."

"If Hou Shan knew she was responsible, or if the other demon kings knew she had the Fusang Lingkui, she would surely die!"

Cao Zhengyang frowned and said with a worried look on his face.

After hearing this, Zhou Qing also frowned and said, "Then since our five sects are making such a big fuss to find the holy medicine, the Seven Star Sect will definitely find out slowly. After all, no one wants to get into trouble and worry about being implicated."

Cao Zhengyang nodded and said, "Yes, exposure is only a matter of time. Zhou Qing, the Seven Star Sect is a thousand miles east of Lin'an City, and can be reached in half a day. What do you think we should do now?"

Cao Zhengyang suddenly changed the subject and stared at Zhou Qing closely. After all, he was very impressed by Zhou Qing's performance in the past few years, and now he wanted to hear his thoughts.

Zhou Qing was stunned, but looking at Cao Zhengyang's thoughtful expression, he fell into deep thought.

Then he said, "Master is afraid that if we find the holy medicine so quickly, it will arouse the suspicion of the demon king Hou Shan, who will think that we did it deliberately to win him over?"

Cao Zhengyang was a bit surprised to hear Zhou Qing's words, but soon his expression turned to admiration. He then smiled and said, "It seems you and I are on the same page. Yes, the Demon King has been secretly investigating for a year with no success, yet we've already identified our target in just a few days. Even I find this coincidence unusual."

"If Hou Shan knew about this, he would definitely become suspicious, and then it would be difficult to explain."

Cao Zhengyang said with a wry smile.

Zhou Qing continued, "We'll be able to survey the cities surrounding Canglan Mountain in less than two days. Since the Seven Star Sect is so close, they'll definitely be the first to be attacked. We can't really give this opportunity to the Cang Yan Dao Palace."

Cao Zhengyang said, "Of course not. We must make good use of Hou Shan's favor. If you were in my position today, what would you do now?"

Cao Zhengyang threw the question to Zhou Qing again.

Zhou Qing shook his head: "I don't know either. If I take action, it will arouse suspicion. If I don't take action, it will give the opportunity to others. Besides, that Li Niang..."

Seeing Zhou Qing's dilemma, Cao Zhengyang said, "I have two ideas. Please help me with some advice."

Zhou Qing looked over in shock.

He is worthy of being the head master. I couldn't think of a solution at all, but he came up with two. It turned out that the old ones are the most experienced. I looked at Cao Zhengyang with anticipation.

Cao Zhengyang stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, quietly looking at the numerous buildings and the bustling crowd before him. He said slowly, "First, let the people from the Golden Thunder Sect or the Green Feather Immortal Sect discover us. This way, they won't suspect us of the Taiqing Sect, and we can also gain a favor from Hou Shan."

Zhou Qing was stunned. Looking at the back of the head teacher, he couldn't help but feel a chill on his back.

Although this method can solve the problem, isn't it equivalent to pushing the Jinlei Sect and Qingyu Xianzong into the fire pit?

Moreover, in the context of the Three Sects Alliance, isn’t such behavior a bit too unkind?
Especially since the two families followed the lead of Taiqing Sect, although the favors owed by Hou Shan were actually the same no matter which of the three sects he was in.

but--

Seeing Zhou Qing didn't answer, Cao Zhengyang turned around, looked at him quietly, and said, "Do you think that I am despicable, uncle? After all, this is another kind of stabbing in the back."

Zhou Qing remained silent and did not answer.

Cao Zhengyang chuckled and said, "There's no such thing as an unbreakable alliance. It's nothing more than a bond of interests. You're now considered a celebrity among the younger generation in the entire Eastern Region. Believe it or not, their determination to kill you is no less than that of the Cang Yan Dao Palace and the Tian Ji Sect."

Profits always come first anywhere, and many seemingly stable relationships are actually built on this basis.

When Zhou Qing heard this, his expression suddenly changed.

Cao Zhengyang said, "It's true that we saved the two sects. It was a favor, but no matter how great the favor is, it will disappear in an instant when faced with more tempting benefits."

Over the years, he has witnessed too much of the fickleness of human nature and the indifference of the world. In the face of absolute interests, the so-called favors are simply vulnerable.

"Now, we are bound together because we have to face a common enemy, but what will happen after the Cang Yan Dao Palace and Tian Ji Sect are destroyed?"

When Cao Zhengyang said this, he looked at Zhou Qing with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

Cao Zhengyang continued, "By then, the five sects will become three. Among these three sects, which one will be the most powerful?"

"Is it the Jinlei Sect that has already experienced internal rebellion, or the Qingyu Xian Sect that has almost lost half of its soldiers in the battle?" Cao Zhengyang asked further.

Zhou Qing looked solemn. Needless to say, it must be the Taiqing Sect.

The overall strength of Taiqing Sect was hardly depleted, especially the eldest brother who became the first among the younger generation to be promoted to the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Next came the second senior sister, and... myself, the rising junior who was constantly showing my brilliance.

At that time, in the eyes of the Jinlei Sect and the Qingyu Immortal Sect, the Taiqing Sect will be the biggest danger they have to face.

It can even be said that Taiqing Sect will be the second Cang Yan Dao Palace!

Seeing that Zhou Qing seemed to understand something, Cao Zhengyang said, "This is the balance of survival, and it's also human nature. After all, even relatives will turn against each other for some interests, let alone a small favor."

Cao Zhengyang was filled with emotion when he spoke of this. He had been struggling in the world of cultivation for so many years and had seen too many cases of people turning against each other because of interests. He knew how fragile human nature was in the face of interests.

At this moment, Zhou Qing suddenly felt that he was so naive, and even a little inexplicably sad.

Some of the beautiful beliefs that I had always held on to were suddenly shattered by this cruel reality.

Cao Zhengyang sighed softly, "You usually only focus on training or fighting, so I'm afraid you haven't noticed that many times, after discovering that my Taiqing Sect's people were being surrounded and killed, the people chose to quietly retreat, even though they had a clear numerical advantage."

"After all, some balances require consumption in order to maintain a relatively fair position again."

Cao Zhengyang wanted Zhou Qing to understand that among these major sects, everyone was secretly maintaining a delicate balance, and sometimes they were even willing to sacrifice others just to prevent one party from becoming too powerful.

"If I tell you that when Luo Xue died tragically on Lingku Mountain, Lei Lie from the Golden Thunder Sect and Zhu He from the Green Feather Immortal Sect were actually observing from the shadows, would you believe it?"

Cao Zhengyang looked at Zhou Qing and continued slowly.

Zhou Qing suddenly looked up, his eyes full of disbelief.

Cao Zhengyang said, "You underestimate people's minds. Those two have both reached the Nascent Soul stage, having initially comprehended the realm of artistic conception. They were ranked third and fourth on the Cang Yan Dao Palace's must-kill list. If they were to take action, they could easily kill Sima Yaoji."

"But they didn't do anything. Instead, they watched Luo Xue die and Du Kui seriously injured. Why do you think they did that?"

Zhou Qing's hands suddenly clenched so tightly that they creaked.

Cao Zhengyang walked over, patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, and said, "I also want you to see the most beautiful side of this world, but just because I don't teach you something doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Just like what happened with Qian Dafu in Lingyun Mansion, when you see things too perfectly, you will be dealt a fatal blow by him."

Seeing Zhou Qing in pain, Cao Zhengyang felt a little bit sorry for him, but the real strong ones have all come through mountains of corpses, seas of blood and intrigues.

Especially...the successor of Taiqing Sect!

"We may be forced to continue this war due to the intervention of the Imperial Capital, but you know what? The Golden Thunder Sect and the Blue Feather Immortal Sect actually want to drag it out like this until everyone is half-baked. That's the new balance."

After all, no one wants to dominate the market!
Zhou Qing remained silent and said nothing. At this moment, he felt heavier than ever, as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

Time passed little by little, and the next moment, Zhou Qing suddenly looked up at Cao Zhengyang, suppressing the discomfort in his heart and asked calmly: "What about the second method?"

Looking at Zhou Qing's calm eyes, Cao Zhengyang showed appreciation.

This is the psychological endurance that a strong person should have. Although what I said to Zhou Qing today is somewhat inclined to the dark side of human nature, it is also a transformation for Zhou Qing.

His current strength is beyond doubt. If his mental ability can keep up, he will definitely become a capable person in the future.

"The second method is to find another holy medicine within six months and let the demon king Hou Shan know clearly that this is not the one he lost, but one we bought at a high price."

"In this way, not only can the problem be solved, but we won't be suspected and we can even get a favor." Cao Zhengyang said slowly.

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment and said, "So, the second method is actually to let Li Niang escape?"

Cao Zhengyang nodded and said, "Well, only when no one can find it and Hou Shan is on the verge of despair, we can send out this hope, then everything will be perfect."

Zhou Qing shook his head after hearing this and frowned, saying, "Master, the second method seems feasible, but it's too difficult. Even Lingyun Mansion may not have it. Finding a replacement is not easy."

"Besides, Lady Li has already formed an obsession to wait. How could she easily change places? A sect has at least tens of thousands of people, and many people have many mouths. Someone in the Seven Star Sect will definitely inform on us by then."

Zhou Qing analyzed with a worried look on his face.

Cao Zhengyang said, "Your concerns are not without reason, but what if we take action and forcibly take her away? Disappearing for only half a year should not be a big deal. As for the Seven Star Sect informing on us..."

Cao Zhengyang smiled slightly: "According to what you said, in order to delay the birth of the fetus in her belly, she has been using spiritual medicine to suppress it, and she has been doing this since she was in the Nascent Soul stage. I'm afraid she used a huge amount of spiritual medicine during this period, not just the Fusang Lingkui plant."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing immediately reacted.

"Master, what you're saying is that few people in the Seven Star Sect know about Li Niang, and they're even eager to sever ties with her as soon as possible?"

If Li Niang had been using various elixirs, perhaps the sources of those elixirs were not very legitimate. The people of the Seven Star Sect certainly did not want to be implicated and might choose to conceal the matter.

Cao Zhengyang nodded: "Anyway, according to my investigation, the strongest of the Seven Star Sect are only a few Yuanying Realm, and I have never heard of anyone in the Shenhua Realm."

Zhou Qing stopped talking and looked thoughtful.

If only a few people in high positions knew about it, they could easily fool the five sects when they came to investigate. Why bother getting into trouble?

This time, the demon king Hou Shan recorded the theft with an image stone, but over the past thousand years, God knows how many other small sects’ elixirs have been stolen without finding the thieves.

Once this matter is exposed, all the blame will be directed at the Seven Stars Sect, regardless of whether it is true or false. The surrounding hostile sects will probably immediately demand compensation out of thin air, not to mention the subsequent troubles.

According to this speculation, the second method is indeed feasible, but there are still many risks and uncertainties.

Then, Zhou Qing looked at Cao Zhengyang and said, "Uncle Master, I have another question. Since Li Niang has obtained that holy medicine, why didn't she refine it for over a year? Instead, she watched the medicinal effect fade away?"

Faced with Zhou Qing's doubts, Cao Zhengyang also shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe something unexpected happened to her body? Or maybe there are other spiritual medicines that have not been consumed in front of the Fusang Lingkui. After all, she is not a normal person!" Cao Zhengyang said helplessly.

What exactly is going on? If you really want to use the second method, you will know it when you take action.

"Okay, now you already know the two methods. But let me ask you the same question: if you were in my position, what would you choose now?" Cao Zhengyang looked at Zhou Qing again and asked meaningfully.

Zhou Qing felt a little embarrassed.

Why do you keep asking me to make this decision?
One is to stab the Jinlei Sect and Qingyu Xianzong in the back, and although the other one can solve the problem perfectly and protect the poor woman, where can she buy the holy medicine?
After a brief pause, Zhou Qing shook his head: "I don't know, and I don't want to make this choice. I have something else to do, so I want to go out and get some fresh air."

After Zhou Qing finished speaking, he bowed and left in a hurry.

Cao Zhengyang looked at his back and smiled, as if he had expected this scene.

Then, he also let out a long sigh.

There is no such thing as the best of both worlds in this world. It is nothing more than weighing the pros and cons and then making a relatively appropriate choice.

…………

(End of this chapter)