Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 53

The answer to this question would become clear once they arrived at White Path Prefecture.

Qingyun County was simply too small. In such a remote place, the information Lu Xuan could gather was far too limited.

…..

County Morgue

On several sturdy wooden boards lay six corpses.

At the front of the boards, a few county coroners were carefully examining the bodies from head to toe.

Standing behind the coroners were three men: Ye Qingshan, Chen Shi, and Liang Shanhai.

Before long, the coroners began to look as if they had seen a ghost, their faces twisted in horror.

The manner of these deaths was too bizarre—completely beyond their comprehension.

One of the older coroners approached Ye Qingshan and spoke with grave seriousness:

“Sir, all of them died the same way. Their bones were crushed into powder, mixed with pulverized flesh and blood.”

Who knew how the killer had done it?

Their skin remained completely intact, yet everything inside had been turned into a mangled pulp.

“Hmm. You may all leave now.”

Ye Qingshan responded indifferently. The moment he had seen Huang Yangping’s corpse, he had already guessed the cause of death.

Only a martial artist at the Blood Refining realm or higher could kill a Bone Marrow Refining expert in a single strike—and in such a gruesome manner.

This tiny Qingyun County actually had another Blood Refining expert besides himself.

And judging by the scene of Huang Yangping’s death—with no signs of struggle or resistance—the killer was likely even stronger. At the very least, they had to be at the peak of Blood Refining, on par with that Blackfeather Guard, Li Yanran.

Wait—

Li Yanran?

A thought flashed through Ye Qingshan’s mind. His gaze shifted to the three corpses at the far edge—the ones who had mysteriously died in their jail cells.

The county office wasn’t far from the Huang residence. Why would the killer go out of their way to kill these men in prison?

Ye Qingshan suddenly turned to Chen Shi and said slowly,

“Old Chen, if I recall correctly, you once mentioned these men were arrested for attempting to assassinate the Lu Family Apothecary’s shopkeeper, correct?”

“Yes. Yesterday, these men attacked the Lu Family Apothecary, intending to kill the shopkeeper, Lu Jiahe. That’s why Liang Cheng’s boy arrested them.”

An attempted assassination of Lu Jiahe for no reason?

Was there a mastermind behind this, or was there another motive?

White Lotus Blood Infant. Li Yanran. The Lu Family’s Lu Xuan.

Ye Qingshan silently repeated these names in his mind. He was beginning to piece everything together.

No wonder Li Yanran hadn’t been in a hurry to report the White Lotus Blood Infant incident to the prefecture. Instead, she had been inquiring about someone he had never paid much attention to—the Lu Family’s eldest son, Lu Xuan.

The White Lotus Blood Infant required multiple peak Blood Refining experts to completely eradicate it.

Yet, the day after Li Yanran gathered information on Lu Xuan, she had informed him that the Blood Infant had already been destroyed.

Could it be that this Lu Xuan was a martial artist at the peak of Blood Refining—or even higher?

After a moment, Ye Qingshan cast a deep glance at Liang Shanhai, who had remained silent the entire time.

“Old Liang, what do you think?”

“These men attacked the Lu Family’s shopkeeper yesterday, only to die mysteriously in their cells last night. Quite the coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”

Despite the insinuation in Ye Qingshan’s words, Liang Shanhai’s expression remained as calm as still water, betraying nothing.

“Is that so?”

“Old Ye, perhaps it really is just a coincidence. Who can say?”

Of course, Liang Shanhai’s inner thoughts were far from as composed as his face suggested. He might very well be the first person to have guessed the killer’s identity.

Yesterday, Lu Xuan had displayed his strength openly in the storeroom—that alone had told him everything.

Just how far has Xiao Xuan progressed in his martial arts?

A Blood Refining expert?

“I certainly hope it’s just a coincidence, Old Liang.”

“Old Chen, I’m leaving this case to you.”

Ye Qingshan said no more and strode out of the room.

Huang Yangping’s death still needed to be reported to the Prefect.

The assassination of a county magistrate in his own home was neither a minor nor a trivial matter.

Huang Yangping had connections—some high-ranking official in the prefecture had backed him.

However, Ye Qingshan had no intention of sharing his suspicions.

Truthfully, he had long despised Huang Yangping’s actions. If not for political considerations, he would have removed the man from power long ago.

As far as Ye Qingshan was concerned, this case was already closed. A perfunctory investigation would suffice—no need to waste the county’s resources uncovering the truth.

But there was one thing he would keep in mind:

Lu Xuan, the Lu Family’s eldest son.

From now on, he would have to keep a closer eye on the Lu Family.

A twenty-year-old Blood Refining expert—even a fool could see what that meant.

…..

Over the next few days…

News of County Magistrate Huang Yangping’s death spread throughout the entire county, sending shockwaves through every faction.

A single stone had stirred a thousand waves!

“Huang Yangping, that bastard, is actually dead?”

“Who was the master who did it?”

“Jia Sheng, the Jia Family Apothecary’s shopkeeper, is dead too?”

“That beast sold fake medicine that killed my child! I’ll make his entire family pay!”

……

Huang Yangping, a native of Qingyun County, had abused his authority as magistrate to exploit the common people.

He had also shielded his relatives as they committed atrocities, accumulating countless blood feuds in the shadows.

With his death, the Huang Family’s vast wealth became a fat prize, coveted by every faction in the county. They couldn’t wait to carve it up and swallow it whole.

In just a few short days, the Huang and Jia families suffered wave after wave of assassinations.

Under this relentless onslaught, the male lines of both families were completely wiped out—only a few powerless women remained.

And just like that, the once-mighty Huang and Jia families vanished from Qingyun County.

Lu Family Residence

In the main hall, Lu Jiahe—now recovered from his injuries—sat in the master seat, eyes closed in contemplation. Two young men sat in chairs on either side.

Then, a tall, upright figure strode through the hall’s entrance.

Only then did Lu Jiahe slowly open his deep, piercing eyes, his gaze reflecting the figure at the door.

“Xuan’er, you’ve come.”

“Yes, Father.”

Dressed in black robes, Lu Xuan stood firm, his resolute eyes fixed on the slightly aged man before him.

“I knew this day would come.”

“Xuan’er, remember—the world outside is treacherous. Be careful in all things.”

Lu Jiahe looked at his son with pride swelling in his chest. Lu Xuan was his most valued, most accomplished son.

“Understood.”

“Father, I’ll be heading to White Path Prefecture now. I’ll return within half a year.”

“Yunqing, Yunfeng.”

“Take good care of Father in my stead. I’ll be back soon.”

The two young men at the sides of the hall immediately stood, their eyes filled with respect as they looked at Lu Xuan.

“Yes, Elder Brother!”