Chapter 48: Would the Sect Master agree?

Facing his third senior brother's surprised gaze, Zhou Qing could only say: "I forgot where I saw it; I was just asking."

Yan Xiaohu stood up and enlightened Zhou Qing: "This thing is quite obscure; it counts as a rare tracking material. It is colorless and odorless. Even if a Soul Formation realm cultivator accidentally gets it on them, they might not notice, but a Black Spirit Dog has a very sharp nose."

"To get this stuff from a Spirit Turtle beast, you have to rely on these Black Spirit Dogs to find the Spirit Turtle's lair..."

Hearing his third senior brother's words, Zhou Qing felt a chill in his heart.

He looked at the jade pendant carefully again.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Zhou Qing's expression was off, Yan Xiaohu stopped his explanation and leaned over curiously.

Zhou Qing said: "Third Zhou Shixiong, my nose might be more sensitive than an ordinary person's. After what you said, plus what I know, if I'm not mistaken, this jade pendant has been smeared with Spirit Turtle Fluid."

As soon as these words were spoken, Yan Xiaohu looked at Zhou Qing in disbelief.

"Really?"

"Really?"

"But this Spirit Turtle Fluid is colorless and odorless, how did you smell it?"

"Didn't you just say that Black Spirit Dogs can smell it? Why can't I?"

"Right, right, right. If it's true, your nose is amazing, stronger than a dog's. Let me see if your internal structure is different from mine; why can't I smell it?"

"Third Zhou Shixiong, take your fat hand away. The point isn't that; it's the Spirit Turtle Fluid!"

"Right, right, right. Almost missed the main point. It seems this was a premeditated action. Could it be that Yin Xiao is the one who kidnapped Cui Yingying and the others?"

【Heart Appraisal Point +7】

The note above Yan Xiaohu's head changed in the blink of an eye from 【God-like Junior Brother】 to 【Junior Brother who is better than a dog】.

Zhou Qing's face twitched.

Is this a compliment or an insult?

Yan Xiaohu frowned, picked up the jade pendant to check it against the sunlight outside, and then sniffed it hard in front of his nose.

Zhou Qing said: "Yin Xiao's cultivation is at most on par with Cui Yingying's. Even if he wanted to use force, it would be impossible for him to make over two hundred people disappear silently, and even cruelly kill half of them."

Then, the two looked at each other and said in unison: "It's the Cangyan Dao Palace!"

Yan Xiaohu gasped: "Could it be that the Cangyan Dao Palace Master, Senior Master Sikong Yan, has been pursuing Immortal Xuan You and couldn't get her, so he's preparing to force her to submit?"

Zhou Qing shook his head: "If that were the case, Senior Master Sikong Yan could have kidnapped them silently; there would be no need for Yin Xiao to secretly use tracking methods like Spirit Turtle Fluid."

Yan Xiaohu pondered: "It really doesn't make sense. The people from the Green Feather Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong left in batches; Cui Yingying and the others should have been the last batch. So what exactly does the Cangyan Dao Palace want to do?"

"Can't figure it out, headache. Fourth, lie on the ground and smell again to see if there are any other clues?"

Zhou Qing turned and left.

Really treating me like a dog.

"It's all to solve the case. If I had your nose, I'd be dying to climb up to the rafters to smell right now," Yan Xiaohu said, full of envy.

Not long after, the two searched the rooms where other core disciples had lived, but unfortunately, they found nothing.

Now, the only spearhead points toward the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong and Yin Xiao.

"I'll pass the relevant clues to Master first so they can stay alert. After all, as the distance from the Taiqingmen increases, message transmission will have a certain delay, or even fail to reach."

After Yan Xiaohu finished speaking, he took out his token and reported their findings to Mo Xingjian.

In a little while, he received a reply from his Master: "Understood. Pay attention to safety, and remember to take good care of the fourth."

That night, the two stayed with the other true disciples in a decent inn in Yanlong City.

In the room, after Zhou Qing fed the old hen two spirit stones, a knock came at the door.

As soon as he opened the door, Yan Xiaohu rushed in with paper and pen.

"Quick, quick, Fourth, help out. That Yu Zhuo beast bone soup we ate on the east side of the street this afternoon, how do you write those two characters?"

Yan Xiaohu spread out the manual and hurriedly handed over the pen.

Zhou Qing was puzzled, then looked at the manual. When he saw that all the food and drink of the group since leaving Little Spirit Peak had been recorded in detail, he was stunned.

"Third Zhou Shixiong, what is this?" Zhou Qing asked, confused.

Yan Xiaohu said: "Public expense, of course. Look, searching for people shouldn't have been our job, but now we've been sent out to take risks. We can't let it delay our cultivation and have to pay out of our own pockets, right?"

"When the people are found, the Green Feather Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong will be grateful to the Sect Master. If they aren't found, no one will care about our expenses along the way. Wouldn't that be a loss? No one's money comes from the wind, you know what I mean?"

Listening to his third senior brother's words, Zhou Qing always felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Then who are you going to get reimbursement from? People from all thirteen peaks have been sent out. If you calculate it like this, the sect will have to spend a huge amount of money, right?"

Zhou Qing casually wrote the two characters "Yue Zhuo" and asked curiously.

After getting the two characters "Yue Zhuo", Yan Xiaohu looked at the many strokes and couldn't help but curse.

Then he put away the booklet with satisfaction: "Of course, I'm asking the Sect Master. I wouldn't scam my own Master. Besides, do you think Old Mo would give me money?"

"Would the Sect Master agree?" Zhou Qing was a bit surprised.

Yan Xiaohu's small eyes narrowed into slits as he laughed.

"How could he agree? But I couldn't help but make a scene. No, it should be 'reasoning righteously'. In the end, there was no other way. From now on, as long as it's a public mission sent by the sect, they will reimburse me."

Yan Xiaohu looked proud when he said this.

Zhou Qing applauded repeatedly in admiration.

"So, people from other peaks also got reimbursed?" Zhou Qing didn't expect the Sect Master to be so considerate of them.

Yan Xiaohu shook his head: "That group of guys is thin-skinned and can't open their mouths. They think what I'm doing is a bit petty and shameful. So, every time, only I get reimbursed. Because of this, the Sect Master not only dislikes me, but even Master hasn't been favored for a long time."

Zhou Qing: "..."

Yan Xiaohu smiled: "This is called keeping public and private matters separate. But I, Yan Xiaohu, have always been precise. You saw it just now; I didn't report a single extra bit."

"No, no, Third Zhou Shixiong does things with meticulous detail. Junior Brother admires you!" Zhou Qing said hurriedly.

Yan Xiaohu was happy: "That's right. Alright, I won't disturb your rest. We have to leave early tomorrow, so sleep early."

"You too, Zhou Shixiong!"

After sending Yan Xiaohu away, Zhou Qing couldn't help but laugh again.

This third senior brother, how should I put it? In his jumpy nature, there always seem to be endless laughs to be dug out.

…………

The next day, Zhou Qing yawned and pushed open the door. Just as he came down the stairs, he was stunned.

"Zhou Shixiong Zhou, you're awake. Come eat breakfast together. The tofu pudding I just ordered is still hot."

Lu Yaoyao invited him with a beaming smile.

【Heart Appraisal Point +5】

Li Daoxuan, who was on the side, looked at Zhou Qing with disgust. The note above his head, originally 【Lecher who can't change his dog-like nature】, changed again to 【Lecher like a dog-skin plaster】.

No, the meal at the Jade Dining Hall last time was for nothing, right?

Who is the dog-skin plaster? Don't you two have any idea?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 49 =====