Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 145

Just as Ye Qingshan was hesitating, a figure came leaping rapidly from the rooftops in the distance, speeding straight toward the county government office.

Then, without any attempt to conceal himself, the newcomer landed right in front of Ye Qingshan.

Seeing a stranger, Ye Qingshan immediately grew wary, the vital energy within his body beginning to surge.

“Who are you?”
“Why have you trespassed into the county government office?”

The newcomer was precisely Li Daren, who had rushed over from the Lu family, while Qian Hao remained behind to guard it.

“Yellow Rank Mystic Bird Guard, Li Daren!”

Upon seeing Ye Qingshan, Li Daren took out his identity token from his robe.

After arriving at Qingyun County town, Qian Hao and Li Daren had gotten a general understanding of the local situation. Therefore, Li Daren knew that the county magistrate of Qingyun County was this very Ye Qingshan before him.

Li Daren looked at Ye Qingshan with some surprise; he hadn’t expected the magistrate of this small county to be a Blood Refining stage martial artist, just like himself.

“Mystic Bird Guard!”

Seeing the Mystic Bird Guard token in the other’s hand, the grave expression on Ye Qingshan’s face finally gave way to relief and joy.

Had the Mystic Bird Guard from the prefectural city already discovered the existence of this Calamity-level anomaly ahead of time?

“This humble official pays his respects to Lord Li!”

Sensing that the other was also a Blood Refining stage martial artist, Li Daren didn’t dare to put on airs and returned the courtesy.

“Magistrate Ye, no need for formalities. I came here on urgent business to inform you.”
“But I didn’t expect you, Magistrate Ye, to also be a Blood Refining stage martial artist.”
“Then, you must already know the purpose of my visit to the county office.”
“An anomaly has appeared here!”
“To be frank, the Yin energy emanating from this anomaly is the most potent I have ever encountered in my life.”
“Magistrate Ye, please remember to instruct the county office personnel to reassure the townspeople in the coming days. We must not let the county town fall into panic.”

Li Daren’s words gave Ye Qingshan pause, leaving him somewhat confused.

“Didn’t your people from the prefectural city’s Mystic Bird Guard already know about this?”
Judging by this Mystic Bird Guard’s words, it seemed he was unaware of the anomaly’s presence as well. So why would a Yellow Rank Mystic Bird Guard appear in this small county town of Qingyun?

“Magistrate Ye, what do you mean by that?”
“I was entrusted by the Mystic Envoy on a secret mission to Qingyun County town to carry out another task.”

Realizing that the prefectural city’s Mystic Bird Guard knew nothing about the situation in Qingyun County, the relief on Ye Qingshan’s face gradually faded.

“So your Mystic Bird Guard doesn’t know this is a Calamity-level anomaly?”
“Calamity-level anomaly!”

Hearing these four words, Li Daren felt a few drops of cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Although he didn’t know how Ye Qingshan had determined the anomaly’s level, Li Daren tacitly accepted his judgment. Because, along his entire journey here, he had sensed that pervasive, chilling Yin energy, as if the entire county town were enveloped by it.

“Indeed, Lord Li. A Calamity-level anomaly possesses a Spectral Domain and has already drawn the county town into its range. Entry is permitted, but exit is forbidden!”
“Everyone within the county town is trapped within the Spectral Domain’s boundaries, including you and me!”
“That Calamity-level anomaly doesn’t seem to have made its move yet. Lord Li, does your Mystic Bird Guard have any means to notify the prefectural city’s branch?”

Ye Qingshan spoke with a glimmer of hope; he could not die yet.

Li Daren now calmed down and spoke with composure, “Magistrate Ye, rest assured. We have already dispatched a Black Mystic Bird to the prefectural city to inform the Mystic Envoy.”
“With the Black Mystic Bird’s speed, it will reach the prefectural city in less than four hours and relay Qingyun County’s situation to the Mystic Envoy!”
“Right now, what we must do is reassure the townspeople and await the Mystic Envoy’s arrival.”

The Black Mystic Bird was the Mystic Envoy’s messenger spirit bird, an extremely precious creature. Of course, Ye Qingshan knew about the Black Mystic Bird.

“The Black Mystic Bird!”
“How do you have a Black Mystic Bird?”
“Good! I will personally go immediately to gather the county office’s key officials. We will use the pretext of mutated, man-eating beasts outside the city to seal the gates.”

Having regained hope, Ye Qingshan shed his earlier despair; his anxious heart relaxed.
Since the city gates couldn’t be exited, they would simply use the excuse of sealing them to conceal the truth. This would prevent the townspeople from learning this terrifying news.
Otherwise, before the Mystic Envoy even arrived, the townspeople might be scared half to death.

As soon as Ye Qingshan finished speaking, Li Daren’s figure had already vanished without a trace.

Having learned of the Calamity-level anomaly’s presence, Li Daren was deeply shaken. He needed to return to the Lu family immediately to inform Qian Hao of this news.

“About two hours left until dawn. We must seal the city gates as quickly as possible.”
Muttering to himself for a moment, Ye Qingshan also turned into a fading afterimage and disappeared from the spot.

As the sky grew faintly bright at dawn, the heavens gave people a dim, gloomy illusion, and the sunlight seemed less dazzling than usual.

“What is this?”
“The county office has sealed the city gates?”
“Has something major happened?”
“Haven’t you seen the notice?”
“There are man-eating beasts outside the city. For safety, the Magistrate has ordered the gates sealed for a while.”
“Once the authorities hunt down the man-eating beasts outside, the gates will reopen.”
“But they can’t just seal the gates! We have urgent goods to transport out.”
“You there in front, if you want to try forcing your way through the gate, go ahead and try.”
“See those few people over there? They’re all notable figures in the city.”
“They tried to force their way through earlier and were captured by the county office. They’re tied up over there now, being gawked at like monkeys.”

At the city gate, over a hundred well-equipped soldiers and several dozen county office constables stood guard, rigorously defending the entrance.

Beside the gate, several men were tied to wooden stakes, bearing multiple wounds as if they had been in a fierce struggle earlier.

Seeing this scene, those with ill intentions who wanted to incite others to force their way through could only leave in disappointment.

In the distance from the gate, Ye Qingshan, disguised so his face couldn’t be seen, watched as the townspeople gathered around the gate gradually dispersed, his feelings complex.

“Sigh, I only hope the Mystic Envoy arrives quickly.”

Earlier, before dawn, when Ye Qingshan brought the county office personnel to the city gate, he discovered that the soldiers on night duty had all met untimely deaths.

However, the manner of their deaths was not the work of that Calamity-level anomaly.
Clearly, someone had forcibly tried to exit through the gate during the night and killed them.

The appearance of the Calamity-level anomaly, and the mysterious person who forced the gate and killed the guards—the coincidence of these two events set off loud alarm bells in Ye Qingshan’s heart, filling him with anxiety and unease.

White Path Prefecture, Prefectural City!
In a training room, Lu Xuan, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly looked up toward the roof.

In the sky not far from the Mystic Bird Guard headquarters, a black dot appeared—it was the Black Mystic Bird.

“That Black Mystic Bird… it’s the one I gave to Qian Hao!”

Bang!
The moment Lu Xuan sensed that this was the Black Mystic Bird he had given Qian Hao, a crimson light flashed in his eyes.

The next second, a long crimson protective aura burst through the door, shooting straight up into the sky.

Mid-air, Lu Xuan caught the soaring Black Mystic Bird in his right hand.

His left hand darted out swiftly, retrieving the note tied to the bird’s leg.

“Qingyun County in peril!”

On the note were only four concise, large characters.

Yet these four words were enough to make Lu Xuan tense up.

Descending from mid-air to the ground, Lu Xuan released the Black Mystic Bird.

A crimson protective aura shield enveloped his entire body.

Then, Lu Xuan’s form began flickering as if treading on flowing light, leaping toward the rooftops.

“Inform Vice Envoy He Yan that this Envoy is heading to Qingyun County!”

As he left the Mystic Bird Guard headquarters, Lu Xuan hurriedly left these words behind!