Chapter 202: Master, Is It Because of Nannan

"Fourth, where have you been? Why didn't you even say goodbye before leaving? You're still injured..."

"I'm right here!" Before Yan Xiaohu could finish, Zhou Qing's voice drifted calmly from beside him, tinged with resignation.

Yan Xiaohu rubbed his eyes and only then realized Zhou Qing had been sitting cross-legged there the whole time, never moving at all.

He immediately chuckled awkwardly and hurried over.

Come to think of it, since entering the White Jade Tai Xu Courtyard, he'd felt something was off with his vision—he could see Fourth right beside him, yet somehow couldn't see him.

It made him recall the past.

Second Sister Luo Lingling had sent him to fetch something from a certain place; he searched high and low, inside and out, but couldn't find it.

When Second Sister stormed over in anger, the item appeared out of nowhere—right where he'd already searched.

Isn't that terrifying!

"Fourth, how are you feeling now?" Yan Xiaohu asked with concern.

Zhou Qing sighed, then shook his head: "Looks like we'll have to find Second Uncle."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaohu's face filled with guilt.

"Fourth, I'm sorry—it's all my fault you're like this. If I hadn't been greedy for a little gain, we'd have been back at the sect long ago and never gotten involved in this mess!"

Yan Xiaohu lamented.

Zhou Qing smiled gently, with a touch of acceptance and reassurance, and said softly: "A fall teaches wisdom—it's no big deal. Second Uncle will surely find a way. Don't worry."

After all, it's just a blood curse. Even if Second Uncle can't help, his talent skill 【Random Post】 might someday generate a targeted post.

Just like the 【Antidote Post】 this time—it gave us a lifeline when we were at our wit's end.

Besides, he doesn't even know where the Heavenly Demon Mountains are, and what does the Peng bloodline matter? He's already refined three drops of true Great Peng essence blood.

If any Peng clan members come seeking revenge, let them come—what's there to fear!

"Let's go home!" Zhou Qing cheerfully stood up, comforted Yan Xiaohu, and the two set off on their return journey.

……

Taiqing Sect!

When Mo Xingjian learned that Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu had returned, he leapt up from his afternoon nap, frantically losing one shoe as he rushed out.

"Master!" Seeing Mo Xingjian stumbling toward them, both men's eyes instantly welled up with emotion as they knelt down in excitement.

Mo Xingjian hurried forward, trembling hands lifting them up, gently patting their shoulders as he repeated: "Good, good, good—you're back, you're back!"

For all these years, this was the first time he'd ever let them travel so far.

Now that he saw them safe and sound, the heavy weight on his heart finally lifted.

Inside the Jade Kitchen Hall!

Mo Xingjian sat to the side, beaming with affection as he watched the two devour their food ravenously.

"Don't rush—if you need more, just order more!" Mo Xingjian said kindly.

Yan Xiaohu, mouth stuffed full, mumbled: "Home-cooked food tastes so much better. Those dishes at the academy? Not even dogs would eat them."

Zhou Qing couldn't help laughing: "Third Brother, you've sneaked into the inner courtyard's kitchen more than once."

Yan Xiaohu flushed with embarrassment, scratching his head: "Well, when you compare them, the difference is obvious."

Mo Xingjian burst into laughter.

These two had been gone over half a year, yet they hadn't changed a bit—still the same old characters.

After finishing their meal, Yan Xiaohu lazily picked his teeth, glanced around, and asked curiously: "Master, why has the sect become so much quieter?"

Mo Xingjian's expression grew serious as he replied slowly: "A few days ago, a powerful tremor shook the entire Eastern Region. The Sect Master and all peak leaders went out to investigate, and all disciples were dispatched."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaohu instinctively glanced at Zhou Qing, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

Zhou Qing also felt uneasy, lowering his head slightly, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face.

Seeing their guilty expressions, Mo Xingjian instantly realized—his gaze sharpened as he fixed them with a stern stare: "Was that tremor your doing?"

Yan Xiaohu immediately filled with guilt and recounted the entire story in detail.

When he heard that Zhou Qing had tricked and killed a legendary Zhan Ling cultivator, Mo Xingjian's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

With a wave of his hand, he immediately cast a soundproofing barrier, then urgently asked: "What exactly happened?"

Yan Xiaohu was equally curious.

Ever since the incident, he'd been completely dazed.

With no choice, Zhou Qing recounted the events at Linggu Mountain in broad strokes.

Mo Xingjian and Yan Xiaohu listened, stunned.

So that's why, after you brought Lu Yaoyao back, she instantly broke through two minor realms—she'd refined natural lightning essence!

At that moment, Yan Xiaohu was filled with regret—he should never have gone digging up graves with Lei Luo.

Mo Xingjian frowned deeply.

No wonder the entire Eastern Region felt such a violent tremor—in other words, this was the equivalent of two Zhan Ling cultivators detonating themselves.

"And your blood curse—" Mo Xingjian asked, worried.

Zhou Qing reassured him: "Really, it's nothing. We'll just find Second Uncle later."

Hearing this, Mo Xingjian felt slightly relieved.

I hope that old man actually has a solution.

Sensing the mood had grown heavy, Zhou Qing quickly changed the subject, smiling: "By the way, Master, have you heard any news about Big Brother and Second Sister?"

Mo Xingjian shook his head slightly, feigning annoyance: "Everyone's too busy with their own affairs to care about this old man."

The two exchanged awkward glances and quickly pulled out the gifts they'd brought back.

Mo Xingjian's face lit up with joy—but then his brow furrowed.

"Why does this gift box look so familiar?" Mo Xingjian muttered to himself.

The two felt a chill—some bad premonition rose in their hearts.

Mo Xingjian flipped the box over and saw a delicate line of writing in the upper left corner.

It read: "This is a regional specialty sold by the Taiqing Sect's Lingyun Branch Store—finely selected, uniquely distinctive."

Seeing this, Mo Xingjian's cheerful expression froze.

He looked up—and the two immediately bolted for the door.

"Third Brother, when will you ever be reliable?"

"I was careless—I forgot that since Qian Dafu died, the sect opened three stores here to monitor each other."

"But how could you be this unlucky? There are so many stores—why did you pick our own? You bought back something we'd just sold!"

"Don't blame me—if I weren't this unlucky, would I have dragged you into that mine?"

……

Zhangjiaotamenzhecihuilaidehenkuai ， Bijingxianzaizongmenneikeshiyouliangweifuyonglejiuyoulianzidetaishangzhanglaone ， Rongbudebandianchachi 。

Upon hearing Zhou Qing had returned, Cao Zhengyang was overjoyed.

"How was it in Haomiao Prefecture?" Cao Zhengyang asked warmly in the grand hall.

Zhou Qing smiled: "It was quite good. Master Lin has unique insights into formations and seals—I've learned a great deal during this time."

Cao Zhengyang nodded with satisfaction.

Zhou Qing also smiled slightly—he and his master had decided not to tell his uncle about the Linggu Mountain incident.

It wasn't a lack of trust—it was simply unnecessary.

Like now, his uncle didn't care where the earthquake originated—he was merely curious.

Besides, this matter was too grave—it involved a Zhan Ling cultivator, the demonic clans, and even Prince Xuan Yuan Shuo of the imperial family.

No one knew what exactly transpired between those two—if it involved some secret or treasure, what would Xuan Yuan Shuo think if he learned Zhou Qing had tricked and killed the other? What would he do?

At that point, it would be a catastrophic disaster for both Zhou Qing and the entire Taiqing Sect.

His master had thought this through thoroughly—and Zhou Qing had no objections whatsoever.

As their conversation deepened, Zhou Qing naturally shifted to the current state of the other major sects.

Cao Zhengyang sighed softly: "The entire Eastern Region is in chaos. More and more forces from the other three regions are coming to exploit our weakness."

"Many homeless cultivators have no choice but to seek refuge in the Five Great Sects. Overall, things remain unchanged—aside from Cangyan Dao Palace, our Taiqing Sect remains the strongest."

Zhou Qing nodded—he'd seen much the same on his journey home.

The aftermath of the Battle of Canglan Mountain was still reverberating.

Cao Zhengyang smiled: "Don't worry—the overall structure won't collapse. Those who've lived in comfort for so long are now growing rapidly through these upheavals—it's a silver lining."

Zhou Qing hesitated, then couldn't help asking: "What about the two Supreme Elders...?"

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help asking: "What about those two Supreme Elders..."

Cao Zhengyang's expression darkened as he shook his head helplessly: "Their meditation chambers are sealed within the Heaven Cave, guarded by six Supreme Elders. No news has come yet."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

The Taiqing Sect has eight Supreme Elders total—two ingested the seeds, six are guarding them—clearly how seriously they're taking this.

May they be safe!

"By the way, Uncle!" Zhou Qing suddenly remembered something and pulled out four sets of formation flags.

"These are the one-color formations I crafted: 【Futu Formation】, 【Thunder-Flame Soul Devouring Formation】, 【Eighteen-Level Earthquake Formation】, and 【Itchy-Heart Formation】. I hope they'll be of some help."

Zhou Qing said solemnly.

After returning after so long, he had to bring something back for this family.

He didn't need these formations now, but if needed, he could always craft more.

He doesn't currently need these arrays; if needed, he can simply forge them.

If several Awakening Scrolls spawn, I might be able to directly forge dual-color prohibitions.

Cao Zhengyang stared blankly at the array flag Zhou Qing handed him, his eyes filled with shock.

Then came a wave of wild joy.

See? This is the advantage of having an array master in the sect.

With these precious array flags, Taiqingmen's defensive and combat capabilities will be greatly enhanced.

And this good fortune has only just begun.

…

After bidding farewell to Cao Zhengyang, Zhou Qing gazed at the distant rolling mountains, his mind swirling with thoughts; after careful consideration, he turned and walked toward Jinyang Peak.

"Zhou younger brother!"

As Zhou Qing ascended the mountain, a familiar figure greeted him with a broad smile.

Zhou Qing froze, then his face lit up with joy: "Brother Du!"

The man was Du Kui, who had once sunk into despair over Luo Xue's ordeal but had revived after Zhou Qing killed Sima Yaoji to avenge his sister.

Now, Du Kui's condition seemed quite good.

A distinct aura had subtly emerged around him.

It appeared that after breaking and rebuilding, Du Kui had grasped some profound insight even faster than Li Daoxuan.

Truly cause for celebration!

"Master predicted you'd come today, so he specifically ordered me to meet you here!" Du Kui stepped forward, smiling.

Zhou Qing wasn't surprised; he bowed respectfully. "Thank you, older brother."

Together, the two walked up the mountain side by side.

Yet for some reason, during their casual chat, Zhou Qing kept sensing that Brother Du held deep reverence for him—and even caught a trace of hidden fear.

This left Zhou Qing strangely disheartened; as his cultivation base grew and his status within the sect rose, even once-intimate bonds gradually grew distant.

In the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme—but he never imagined this gap in power would become a chasm between him and his fellow disciples.

This trend had already begun that morning, when he passed the Mission Hall on his way to Shenyue Peak to meet Sect Master Bai Yu and encountered Shi Zhen.

Though they greeted each other as usual, Shi Zhen's tone had become overly polite.

Soon after, Zhou Qing and Du Kui arrived inside the main hall, where Gao Xuan was flipping through books among rows of shelves, utterly absorbed.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Du Kui wisely withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.

"Sit!" Gao Xuan pointed to the desk, where tea had already been brewed, steaming and fragrant.

Zhou Qing walked over and sat down slowly.

Gao Xuan continued reading. After a while, Zhou Qing thought for a moment and spoke: "Master Uncle, months ago in Huangfeng Valley, you mentioned something to me—I've been keeping an eye out, but found no leads. However, one person is highly suspicious."

Zhou Qing then described in detail the white-robed man who had only shown his back.

After listening, Gao Xuan closed his book, stood, and sat down beside him.

He first lifted his teacup, took a small sip, then fell into thought: "Some things you must judge for yourself—I only point you in a direction."

Zhou Qing nodded, understanding.

"You didn't come here just to tell me this, did you?" Gao Xuan asked gently, his tone carrying subtle depth.

Zhou Qing smiled calmly. "Indeed, Master Uncle can't hide anything from you. After you left Huangfeng Valley, I thought—if I returned, maybe I could uncover some truths."

"About your time at Cangyan Dao Palace?" Gao Xuan cut straight to the point.

This question stunned Zhou Qing.

He had expected Gao Xuan to guide the conversation gradually, but the man had laid it bare outright.

So direct!

Since the topic was out now, Zhou Qing no longer held back. "I'm just curious—if it's inconvenient to speak, or involves secrets, forget it."

Gao Xuan smiled faintly and took another sip of tea.

Then, calmly, he said: "No secrets. Your former Gao Xuan betrayed Taiqingmen and served as a spy in Cangyan Dao Palace for years. But he grew greedy, wanting more and more. Sikong Yan disliked such men, so I replaced him. That's all."

Watching his uncle state the truth so casually, Zhou Qing's face twitched.

Wait—you just openly admit you're a soul-possession impostor?

Though they'd had multiple veiled conversations before, and Zhou Qing had long suspected, now that the secret lay bare, he felt unprepared.

Gao Xuan laughed heartily at Zhou Qing's stunned expression. "I like being direct with smart people."

"Then how did you…" Zhou Qing hesitated.

Gao Xuan seemed to sense his thoughts and explained: "Betrayal? Honestly, I should thank the dying Nascent Soul who let me possess a Soul Transformation cultivator and extend my lifespan, letting me witness the world's splendor."

Though Gao Xuan spoke these words, Zhou Qing heard heavy irony.

"So when did you start suspecting me? After the Five Sects Exchange Fair, the stone stained with the real Gao Xuan's blood? Did you really smell it out?"

Gao Xuan's expression suddenly changed, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"That doesn't make sense—when Gao Xuan died, you probably hadn't even been born yet?" Gao Xuan added, puzzled, seeing Zhou Qing's silence.

Clearly, Gao Xuan knew far more than Zhou Qing had guessed.

"Forget it," Gao Xuan shook his head lightly, eyes flickering with complex emotion—resignation, perhaps, or regret. "Your master is the same—pushing you out as a test stone."

Zhou Qing said nothing in reply.

Let Master Li Hanshan take the blame for now.

But after thinking, he added: "Master Uncle, if there's anything I can help with, just give the order."

If the former Gao Xuan was a cautionary tale for Cangyan Dao Palace, and they'd replaced him, they surely had some control mechanism in place.

Gao Xuan looked at Zhou Qing's earnest face and smiled faintly, his eyes warm with expectation. "Same as before: cultivate hard. You're still too weak."

Zhou Qing lowered his head slightly, hesitated, then whispered: "Is it Nannan?"

At once, Gao Xuan's smile vanished. His eyes narrowed dangerously, locking onto Zhou Qing like a hawk.

The air in the room seemed to freeze, heavy and oppressive.

After a long moment, Gao Xuan's expression softened into bitterness. He sighed. "It seems Cao Brother truly treats you as the next Sect Master—he's told you such secrets."

"I didn't say anything!" Cao Zhengyang's voice came from the doorway, footsteps approaching as he pushed the door open.

Zhou Qing rose to bow, but Cao Zhengyang waved him off, his gaze fixed on Zhou Qing. "How did you know?"

Zhou Qing felt awkward.

His suspicion stemmed from clues he'd gained when using 【Daily Appraisal】 to examine the rattle years ago.

Now facing both their stares, Zhou Qing grew flustered.

Helplessly, he blurted: "I guessed—I've seen that rattle more than once. I saw it again in Huangfeng Valley."

Both men stared, stunned.

【Heart Appraisal Points +9】

The next instant, the annotation above Gao Xuan's head—【Taiqingmen's Prodigy】—instantly changed to 【Bold and Astute Young Sect Master】.

Zhou Qing was astonished.

Clearly, Gao Xuan internally acknowledged him as the next Sect Master—but Zhou Qing had no desire for the role.

Yet this confirmed his earlier suspicion: Sikong Yan had indeed kidnapped Gao Xuan's daughter and used her as leverage.

But thinking deeper, all these years had passed—Nannan should be grown by now. Why did Gao Xuan still clutch that rattle, mourning a child?

Logically, if Sikong Yan wanted to control Gao Xuan, he'd send regular personal items of Nannan's.

Could it be—as Zhou Qing had once suspected—that his daughter was already dead?

And that Cangyan Dao Palace had killed her?

So had Gao Xuan, slowly uncovering the truth, chosen to feign loyalty to Cangyan Dao Palace all along, seeking revenge?

In an instant, a flood of thoughts raced through his mind.

Watching Zhou Qing lost in thought, Cao Zhengyang's face glowed with satisfaction.

This boy had deduced so many critical truths from just a rattle—his mind was extraordinarily sharp.

Then Cao Zhengyang spoke solemnly: "Zhou Qing, these are matters for adults. Your main task now is to learn array techniques from Master Lin Daochen. If you can gain some advantage from Second Uncle along the way, all the better."

Gao Xuan said nothing, only nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing both clearly unwilling to involve him, Zhou Qing, though reluctant, understood their intentions and rose to take his leave.

Watching Zhou Qing's retreating figure, Cao Zhengyang stroked his beard, turned to Gao Xuan, and asked with quiet, unspoken hope: "Well?"

Gao Xuan's lips curled slightly, eyes filled with admiration. He uttered four words: "Dragon in the Depths."

Cao Zhengyang paused, then burst into laughter—but his mirth vanished instantly. His expression turned grim.

"New information: Zhenyuan Site found. It's on Linggu Mountain, beside Cangyan Dao Palace's abandoned Xueyan Mine."

Seeing Cao Zhengyang's expression, Gao Xuan frowned. "Problem?"

Cao Zhengyang's face grew even heavier. "Linggu Mountain is gone. In its place is a chasm larger than the one where the Old Peng King of Canglan Mountain dwells. Within a thousand li radius, everyone who enters either weeps or laughs uncontrollably. Many have gone mad."

Gao Xuan's pupils shrank sharply. Shock flashed in his eyes—he seemed to realize something at once. "You mean… a Zhanling cultivator perished?"

(End of Chapter)