Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 37

“Ah!”

The second-in-command lay on the ground, writhing in agony as blood and tears mingled on his face, dripping slowly onto the earth.

The overwhelming force—far beyond the level of Muscle-Tempering—made it clear to him now: he had been deceived.

“Junior Brother, capture him! He’s seen through our disguises!”

“We’ll take him hostage—”

But before he could finish, his words died in his throat.

His junior brother had been stomped into the ground, skull sunken deep into the hard earth, surrounded by a pool of crimson blood.

Trembling uncontrollably, the second-in-command stared at the figure before him in sheer terror, stammering:

“Y-you…”

“Are you human… or a ghost?”

His junior brother, a Bone-Forging expert at the peak of his cultivation, had been killed in an instant—crushed underfoot like an insect.

As the figure approached, the second-in-command scrambled to beg for mercy.

“Don’t kill me! If you do, my master will never let you go! He’s the Black Wind Stronghold’s leader—a Blood-Refining expert!”

“He’s in the Jagged Ridge Mountains right now—!”

Desperate, he even revealed his master’s exact location, hoping to intimidate Lu Xuan.

The next moment—

SPLAT!

His head exploded, painting the ground in gory splatters.

Lu Xuan silently memorized the location of their master, his cold gaze fixed on the distant horizon, lost in thought.

Beside him, Liang Cheng stood frozen, utterly stunned.

…..

County Office

Deep within the magistrate’s compound stood a secluded courtyard, heavily guarded yet serene—the private office of Qingyun County’s magistrate.

At that moment, a hurried figure approached the gates. The guards recognized him immediately and let him pass without question.

It was Chen Shi, the chief constable of the county.

Striding confidently into the courtyard, Chen Shi headed straight for a modest study, its air thick with the scent of books and adorned with elegant, classical furnishings.

Without hesitation, the seasoned constable bowed respectfully toward the large desk at the center of the room.

Behind it sat a composed middle-aged man exuding an air of scholarly refinement—none other than the most powerful figure in Qingyun County:

Magistrate Ye Qingshan.

“Sir,” Chen Shi clasped his fists in salute. “I’ve received word that the County Deputy emerged from seclusion yesterday.”

Ye Qingshan set down the book he had been reading, his expression unreadable. “Go on, Old Chen.”

“However, the County Deputy has remained at home since, showing no reaction to Huang Xuanjie’s death. It seems he doesn’t care.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the magistrate’s face before he dismissed the matter. “Leave him be.”

Changing the subject, Ye Qingshan continued: “Old Chen, I summoned you today regarding our previous discussion. The Prefecture has sent envoys—they should arrive in Qingyun County by today. I want you to meet them at the city gates.”

The matter in question was Chen Shi’s recent failed expedition into the Jagged Ridge Mountains to suppress bandits. Unexpectedly, they had encountered a martial arts expert among the outlaws—one powerful enough to repel Chen Shi and his men.

Shocked, Chen Shi had recognized the man instantly:

Fang Sheng, leader of the Black Wind Stronghold.

A notorious fugitive long wanted by the Prefecture, Fang Sheng was a Blood-Refining expert whose name had once struck fear into the hearts of many.

Though injured, he was still far beyond Chen Shi’s ability to handle.

“Sir, who has the Prefecture sent?” Chen Shi asked eagerly.

“You misunderstand,” Ye Qingshan corrected. “These envoys weren’t dispatched by the Prefect. Instead, he reported the matter to the Black Phoenix Guard —and they’re the ones coming.”

“The Black Phoenix Guard?!” Chen Shi gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

The Black Phoenix Guard was an organization directly under the Emperor’s command, wielding supreme authority—granted the power to execute first and report later!

Rumors said each member was a martial arts prodigy, meticulously trained to eliminate any threat to the empire’s foundation.

“Indeed,” Ye Qingshan confirmed. “Fang Sheng has been hunted by them for years. Somehow, he escaped their grasp and vanished—until now. It seems he’s been hiding in the wilderness all this time.”

Determined, Chen Shi bowed. “Then I’ll head to the gates at once to await them.”

Just as Ye Qingshan nodded in approval, a graceful figure swept into the room—a young woman in a flowing white dress embroidered with floral patterns, her long hair cascading like a waterfall.

“Father, Uncle Chen—I’m going too!”

“Sister Li Yanran is leading the Black Phoenix Guard’s team this time!”

The newcomer was none other than Ye Qingshan’s daughter: Ye Qingxuan.

Had Lu Xuan been present, he might have recognized her—she was the veiled woman he had once encountered at the Drunken Immortal Inn in Ten-Mile Town.

Chen Shi’s stern face softened into a smile. “Ah, Little Xuan! You’ve only just returned from your long journey—shouldn’t you rest? Let your Uncle Chen handle this.”

As it turned out, Ye Qingxuan was also a member of the Black Phoenix Guard. She had returned to Qingyun County to visit her father, only to learn of Fang Sheng’s presence nearby.

Upon receiving the news, the Prefecture’s Black Phoenix Guard had dispatched a team—led by her superior, Li Yanran, a Yellow-Rank officer—to capture or kill the fugitive.

The Black Phoenix Guard’s hierarchy was divided into five tiers:

• Human-Rank: Martial artists at or above Marrow-Cleansing.

• Yellow-Rank: Blood-Refining experts.

• Black-Rank: Inner Energy masters and beyond.

As for the higher tiers—Earth-Rank and Heaven-Rank—Ye Qingxuan knew little. In the entire Prefecture, only a single Black-Rank officer commanded all local operatives.

At just eighteen, Ye Qingxuan was already at the peak of Muscle-Tempering, a rare talent even among the Black Phoenix Guard’s elite.

Seeing his daughter’s determination, Ye Qingshan sighed. “Very well. Go with your Uncle Chen, then.”