Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 46

County Office

After returning to the county office, Li Yanran hastily bandaged the wound on her left leg and changed into a fresh set of her Black Swan Guard uniform.

In the main hall of the county office’s rear courtyard, several people were already seated.

Among them, Qingyun County Magistrate Ye Qingshan occupied the central seat of honor. On either side sat Chen Shi and Ye Qingxuan.

At that moment, a graceful yet decisive figure appeared at the door and strode inside, taking the first seat on the left without hesitation.

It was Li Yanran.

Once seated, she clasped her fists toward Ye Qingshan and said, “Magistrate Ye!”

From his elevated position, Ye Qingshan returned the gesture respectfully. “Commander Li!”

As a member of the Black Swan Guard—and a Yellow-rank officer at that—Li Yanran held immense authority. Her status allowed her to stand on equal footing with a prefect. For a minor county magistrate like Ye Qingshan, her acknowledgment was already a considerable courtesy.

After the formalities, Li Yanran noticed the expectant gazes of those present. They seemed eager to ask something but hesitated.

Ye Qingshan, in particular, was burning with curiosity.

He had questioned Chen Shi repeatedly about the events, but even Chen Shi was clueless.

The fact that a Blood Refining Realm expert had been injured, and two Black Swan Guards had gone missing, was deeply unsettling.

Had Fang Sheng, the bandit leader of Blackwind Stronghold, been responsible? Or was there another force at play?

Until he had answers, Ye Qingshan wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

After all, Qingyun County was under his jurisdiction. The emergence of a threat capable of wounding a Blood Refining Realm martial artist spelled serious trouble.

Since everyone present was trustworthy, Li Yanran saw no reason to withhold the truth.

“Su Tianqi and Chen Lingfeng are dead.”

“What?!”

“Sister Yanran, how could Brother Lingfeng die?!”

Ye Qingxuan’s face paled with shock. While she couldn’t care less about the detestable Su Tianqi, Chen Lingfeng’s death was hard to accept.

In contrast, Chen Shi and Ye Qingshan showed little surprise.

The moment the two had gone missing, the outcome was already clear. They’d only been waiting for Li Yanran’s confirmation.

Ye Qingshan finally broke his silence. “Commander Li, was this the doing of Blackwind Stronghold’s leader, Fang Sheng?”

“And—has Fang Sheng been eliminated?”

Every member of the Black Swan Guard was exceptional. For two of them to perish in a mere bandit stronghold was unthinkable.

Aside from Fang Sheng, Ye Qingshan couldn’t imagine who else could have been responsible.

Li Yanran replied coolly, “Fang Sheng is dead.”

Hearing this, the tension in Chen Shi and Ye Qingshan’s brows eased slightly.

With Fang Sheng gone, the weight pressing on their hearts had finally lifted.

But before Ye Qingshan could fully relax, Li Yanran continued.

“Tianqi and Lingfeng were killed by a White Lotus Blood Infant.”

Bang! Clatter—

A fist slammed onto the wooden table, sending teacups rattling.

Ye Qingshan’s normally composed face twisted with alarm. His aura surged uncontrollably, filling the room with oppressive pressure.

“A White Lotus Blood Infant?!”

“Commander Li, are you certain?!”

He could no longer remain seated. Rising to his feet, his expression was grave.

Ye Qingxuan glanced at her father and Chen Shi in confusion. Both wore faces of deep unease.

She had never heard of this “White Lotus Blood Infant” before.

Li Yanran remained unflappable. “Yes. The White Lotus Blood Infant of the Purifying White Lotus Sect.”

However, Ye Qingshan’s momentary loss of control had piqued her interest.

That fleeting burst of energy—Blood Qi.

Though he quickly reined it in, Li Yanran’s sharp senses had caught it.

Her gaze lingered on him thoughtfully.

How intriguing. This backwater county truly hides dragons and tigers.

Who would’ve guessed the unassuming magistrate of Qingyun County was a Blood Refining Realm expert?

And then there was that man…

Her mind flashed to the striking figure who had saved her at the stronghold earlier that day.

Ye Qingshan pressed urgently, “Commander Li, where is the White Lotus Blood Infant now?”

The White Lotus Blood Infant was an abomination created by the Purifying White Lotus Sect.

Only multiple Blood Refining Realm experts—or a master of the Internal Qi Realm—could hope to destroy one.

Its appearance in Qingyun County was a catastrophe in the making.

“I’ll dispatch men to the prefecture at once to inform the Prefect.”

“Old Chen, you’ll lead the team personally. Travel day and night—this matter cannot wait!”

Without waiting for Li Yanran’s response, Ye Qingshan began issuing orders to Chen Shi.

When it came to the Purifying White Lotus Sect, caution was paramount.

“Magistrate Ye, wait.”

Li Yanran raised a hand. “Hold off on sending word to the prefecture. I’ve yet to confirm whether the Blood Infant still lives. By tomorrow, I’ll have your answer.”

Ye Qingshan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Constable Chen,” Li Yanran turned to Chen Shi, “that young man we encountered at the mountain’s base today—do you recall him?”

Chen Shi was baffled. Why bring up the Lu family boy now?

Still, he answered dutifully, “Of course, Commander.”

“Tell me everything about him. I want full details.”

“This…”

The others exchanged puzzled glances. What was her intention?

…..

The Lu Residence – Deep Night

Under the silent, starless sky, a shadow flitted across the rooftops before alighting in the training yard of Lu Xuan’s courtyard.

The instant the figure touched down, a gust of wind blasted open the doors of the main house.

“Who’s there?!”

Lu Xuan emerged, crossing the distance to the training yard in swift strides.

“You?”

“What business do you have at the Lu residence?”

Only after recognizing the visitor did he suppress his killing intent.

It was Li Yanran.

After extracting every scrap of information about Lu Xuan from Chen Shi, she had come under cover of night to investigate.

And now, her suspicions were confirmed.

This “young master” of the Lu family was far more than he appeared.

Masking her astonishment, Li Yanran offered a faint smile.

“My apologies, Senior. This one is Li Yanran. I’ve come unannounced at this late hour to seek clarity regarding yesterday’s events.”