Chapter 1418 - 416: Are You... Jealous? (6k)

The night recedes, giving way to the tender light of dawn.

It wasn’t until the following morning that Shen Hanyi reluctantly rose to take her leave.

As she offered a graceful bow, she took the moment to convey, "Don’t meddle in the affairs of the third household; things are more complex than you can imagine!"

Zhou Qing’s expression grew solemn, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

"You faced it alone before, but this time... you have me," Zhou Qing replied.

Shen Hanyi’s eyes flickered slightly as she gazed at him for a moment. Without another word, she turned and left.

"Sis!" As the hall’s doors opened, Shen Yunzhou quickly leaped up from the floor.

Turning back, Shen Hanyi bowed again to the departing Zhou Qing, "I have gained much from this visit; I’ll seek your hospitality again someday."

Zhou Qing returned the courtesy with a bow, "I, too, have benefited greatly. Feel free to visit anytime, Miss Shen."

As he watched the siblings depart, Zhou Qing feigned a yawn and said to the second uncle, "I’ll take a short nap, please don’t disturb me."

The second uncle immediately straightened his back, his tone earnest, "Rest assured, Master!"

Zhou Qing turned and entered the hall, and its doors slowly closed.

He sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed.

However, only moments later, the hall’s door was quietly nudged open, and the second uncle stealthily peeked his head in.

Zhou Qing abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing towards the top of the hall.

The space was empty; the Gu Insect that had been lingering was now gone.

"Don’t worry," the second uncle sneaked in, lowering his voice, "The insect has flown away. Judging by its remaining aura, it should be the handiwork of the first household’s Shen Tianhong."

Zhou Qing frowned deeply, "It’s surprising that upon her return, the first household was triggered the most."

The second uncle suddenly grinned widely, rubbing his hands excitedly, "Your insight is splendid! I really like this young lady, especially her cold elegance—it’s truly unparalleled!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing smiled faintly and then sighed lightly, "I only wish she would smile a bit more often."

Afterward, he detailed Shen Hanyi’s transmitted message to the second uncle.

Upon hearing it, the second uncle’s brows furrowed gradually, "From the sounds of it, it seems the one liaising with the Blood Contract Pavilion assassins isn’t her third aunt?"

Zhou Qing nodded, "It appears so. But since she knows it’s me, she’ll likely try to maintain contact, revealing more information."

"Indeed," the second uncle said, stroking his chin, "She must have a plan already, notifying you so you don’t act impulsively and disrupt her strategy."

Zhou Qing remained silent.

At this point, the only thing he could do was to match her rhythm.

"Right!" The second uncle’s eyes sparkled, exclaiming excitedly, "I must find a way out; someone has contacted me!"

Zhou Qing was taken aback but quickly responded, "Who?"

The second uncle shook his head, "Back when I arrived from the third tail, the Token from the Blood Contract Pavilion was a one-time use. This morning, it suddenly displayed a location name, then self-incinerated."

He looked sharply at Zhou Qing, "I’m thinking this! I joined the Blood Contract Pavilion for the novelty."

"Your main worry now is that the employer might target her, correct?"

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly.

The second uncle slapped his thigh, "So I plan to investigate. If the target is indeed Shen Hanyi, it’ll be a perfect opportunity to probe the employer’s background."

"If not, I’ll take the chance to leave the Blood Contract Pavilion—after all, I don’t kill innocent people for money."

Zhou Qing pondered briefly before nodding, "Which is good. Uncle, make sure you stay safe."

"Don’t worry!" The second uncle grinned before worrying, "The issue is, how do I get out?"

Zhou Qing’s eyes gleamed, "Easy. I simply need to inform the Shen Family that you’re going out to handle some matters for me."

"Surely no one will try to prevent you, but beware if anyone follows."

The second uncle laughed heartily, "Follow me? Once outside, I’ll transform completely, let’s see who can keep up!"

Zhou Qing couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed, to date, no one had seen the true face of the second uncle.

...

That noon, Zhou Qing contacted the first household head Shen Tianhong.

As expected, the second uncle was granted permission to leave.

Shen Tianhong wanted to arrange some guards to accompany him—after all, the second uncle’s current evident cultivation was merely at the preliminary Nascent Soul Realm.

If any mishap occurred during the outing, they couldn’t risk a disciple of the Array Master.

However, the second uncle categorically refused, his stance unyielding.

Shen Tianhong was left with no choice but to discreetly dispatch two Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators to follow and protect from afar.

But to his surprise, the second uncle simply strolled into an inn and vanished like a stone sinking in the ocean.

The two Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators exchanged bewildered glances.

This was inconceivable!

How could they lose track of a Nascent Soul Realm youth?

Their faces were burning with embarrassment, how could they report truthfully to Shen Tianhong?

Internal competition within the Shen Family was already fierce, if word got out that they couldn’t even keep tabs on a Nascent Soul cultivator, they might as well pack up and go home.

In desperation, they resorted to releasing their Divine Sense, searching back and forth in the region.

But no matter how they probed, the youth with the Tiger Head Hat seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace...

...

In the area where the Shen Family’s fourth household resided, the halls stood in staggered formation, yet an unusual quietude pervaded.

The corridors were littered with fallen leaves, evidently untended for a long time, and spider webs adorned the scarlet pillars with peeling varnish.

In such a vast area, there were scant servants and maids to be seen, not a single guard was visible, starkly contrasting the bustling scenes in the other households of the Shen Family.

It couldn’t be helped; ever since Liu Qingci’s demise, the temperament of this fourth household’s head had drastically changed, drowning his sorrows in alcohol daily, often going on drunken rampages.