Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 22

The Second Boss, seeing this, sheathed his dagger and stepped over the corpses on the ground.

“These useless trash couldn’t even handle such a simple task.”

“Second Brother is right. These good-for-nothings can’t compare to our old brothers from Blackwind Stronghold.”

“Ah… Third Brother, if only our Blackwind Stronghold were still standing. We wouldn’t have to follow Master around, hiding and running all these years.”

The Third Boss’s words seemed to stir memories in the Second Boss, his face darkening with melancholy.

“Second Brother, it seems we can’t stay here much longer either. Master said we need to retreat as soon as possible.”

Not long ago, they had occupied these mountains, robbing and plundering travelers who passed through.

Their brazen actions had naturally drawn the attention of the Qingyun County authorities.

The county magistrate had dispatched hundreds of soldiers to sweep the mountains and eliminate the bandits, even sending the county’s chief constable, Chen Shi, to lead the operation.

At first, the two of them hadn’t been worried.

Both were Bone-Tempering martial artists at the peak of their cultivation. They had even investigated the chief constable’s strength beforehand.

A Bone-Tempering expert at the Great Completion stage—with their combined skills and默契, they could easily hold their own against him.

But what they hadn’t expected was that the chief constable had been hiding his true power.

Turned out, he was actually a Marrow-Tempering expert.

The two of them were caught completely off guard and nearly died at his hands.

In the end, it was only because their master intervened in time that they managed to repel him.

The Second Boss nodded in agreement with the Third Boss’s words.

“A shame. If Master hadn’t been severely injured back then, a mere Marrow-Tempering martial artist wouldn’t have walked away alive.”

Though their master had driven the enemy back, it also meant their location was exposed.

Now that they had clashed with the Qingyun County authorities, the county would surely report the incident to the prefecture.

And once that happened… those people would take notice.

“The Black Phoenix Guard.“

Just mentioning that name made the Second and Third Bosses clench their fists involuntarily.

Was it anger? Fear? Or both?

…..

Qingyun County Town

The county gates were as lively as ever, bustling with crowds and lined with endless rows of street vendors.

Not far outside the gates, several men in county constable uniforms rode on horseback toward the entrance, their faces dust-covered from the journey.

Behind them, a carriage followed at a steady pace.

It was Lu Xuan and his group.

“Young Master, we’ve arrived at the gates.”

Li San, seated on the side of the carriage, spoke softly to the person inside.

At the front of the group, Liang Cheng let out a sigh of relief as he saw the familiar city gates, his exhausted body finally relaxing.

“Finally… we made it back alive.”

He couldn’t help but reflect on the hardships of this journey—one that had completely reshaped his worldview.

Who would’ve thought that a simple murder investigation would turn into such a perilous ordeal?

Not only had they encountered those terrifying, supernatural horrors in Liugou Village, but they’d also fought a life-or-death battle against ruthless bandits.

Liang Cheng was just a lowly constable—this was far beyond what he’d signed up for.

If not for the fortunate encounter with his cousin Lu Xuan, he would’ve long since lost his life in that cursed village.

With Liang Cheng and the others clearing the way, Lu Xuan soon arrived at the Lu family estate.

“Cousin, I won’t go in with you. I need to report back to the magistrate. Give my regards to Uncle for me.”

After escorting Lu Xuan to the Lu family gates, Liang Cheng exchanged a few words before hastily leaving with the other constables.

“Li San, inform the family head that I’ll be in seclusion for a few days. Tell him not to worry.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

Lu Xuan gave the order, then strode through the main gate and into the estate.

“Young Master!”

Every servant he passed along the way greeted him respectfully.

As for his father, Lu Jiahe?

Lu Xuan didn’t even need to think about it—he knew his father wouldn’t be home during the day.

Instead, he’d be at the Lu family clinic, treating patients.

This was also why Lu Jiahe was so revered by the townsfolk.

“A healer of the people, virtuous and respected, a miracle worker with his hands.“

These were the praises the citizens of Qingyun County bestowed upon him.

Upon returning, Lu Xuan had no intention of resting.

He planned to enter seclusion immediately—his thirst for greater strength was too urgent to delay.

Without pause, he strode swiftly through the estate until he reached a heavily guarded courtyard.

This courtyard, not far from his own residence, was one of the most important locations in the Lu family.

It housed the medicinal storeroom—the vault where the Lu family clinic kept its vast reserves of herbs and tonics.

Four tall, burly guards stood watch at the courtyard gates.

The moment they spotted Lu Xuan, they immediately straightened and greeted him.

“Young Master!”

Lu Xuan acknowledged them with a calm nod before speaking.

“Open up. I need to retrieve something.”

The Lu family storeroom was a restricted area—normally, only those with explicit permission from the family head, Lu Jiahe, could enter.

But of course, that rule didn’t apply to Lu Xuan.

He had long since been granted unrestricted access to take any herbs or supplements he needed.

“Yes, Young Master!”

Once the gates were opened, Lu Xuan stepped into the spacious courtyard, where three more guards stood vigil, scanning their surroundings.

Like the others, they quickly greeted him upon his arrival.

Lu Xuan waved them off and strode purposefully forward.

At the center of the courtyard stood a large room—the heart of the Lu family’s medicinal reserves.

Creak—

Lu Xuan pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

A potent mix of herbal aromas immediately assaulted his senses—fragrant, pungent, bitter—all blending into a dense, medicinal haze.

Inside, several high-quality sandalwood cabinets lined the walls, their small compartments neatly storing various herbs and tonics.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived.”

In the middle of the room, behind a large desk, sat a middle-aged man with a weathered face.

The moment he saw Lu Xuan enter, he immediately rose to his feet.