Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 55

Since his fruitless trip to Liugou Village, Lu Xuan had not stopped along the way. He rode day and night, pressing forward on the route to Baidao Prefecture.

Dengfeng County, Sifang Town.

Lu Xuan reined in his horse outside a small town, glancing at the stone tablet by the entrance. Realizing he had already left the boundaries of Qingyun County, he looked down at his exhausted steed and finally abandoned the idea of continuing his journey.

“It seems we’ve reached Dengfeng County. I’ll rest here for the night and resume tomorrow. It won’t be long before I reach the county seat.”

Dengfeng County bordered Qingyun County and lay directly on the route to Baidao Prefecture.

“Qingqing… and that boy… It’s been almost a year since I last saw them.”

“Good. Tomorrow, I’ll head to the county seat and visit Qingqing.”

Lu Xuan murmured to himself, a trace of warmth flickering in his eyes as he thought of his half-sister.

A year ago, Lu Qingqing had married into a prominent family in Dengfeng County—a medical dynasty, much like the Lu Family Pharmacy. During business dealings between their families, Qingqing had grown close to the eldest son of the household, and affection had blossomed between them.

Only after Lu Xuan had thoroughly vetted the young man did he finally feel at ease entrusting Qingqing to him.

Leading his horse through Sifang Town, Lu Xuan stopped in front of an inn.

Sifang Inn.

A young attendant standing by the entrance spotted Lu Xuan and immediately rushed over, greeting him with a polite smile.

“Sir, are you alone? Right this way.”

“Yes.”

After handing his horse to the attendant, Lu Xuan strode inside.

To his surprise, unlike the usual bustling inns he frequented, this one was eerily quiet, with only a handful of patrons scattered about. The innkeeper himself seemed half-asleep—until Lu Xuan entered, at which point he perked up and hurried over with a smile.

“Sir, please have a seat. What can I get for you?”

Though curious, Lu Xuan didn’t pry. He simply took the nearest seat.

“I’d like a good room and thirty pounds of dried beef, delivered to my quarters.”

After days of nonstop travel, his provisions had run out. Even thirty pounds of beef would barely sate his appetite.

“Thirty pounds?!”

The innkeeper’s eyes widened in shock. He wondered if he’d misheard and cautiously clarified, “Sir, did you say… thirty pounds of dried beef?”

That was enough to feed five or six martial artists!

Unfazed, Lu Xuan replied coolly, “Yes.”

Once the confirmation came, the innkeeper’s face fell into an apologetic grimace.

“My deepest apologies, sir, but we don’t have that much in stock.”

“Hmm?”

“None?”

Now it was Lu Xuan’s turn to be puzzled. He eyed the innkeeper suspiciously, wondering if he was being toyed with.

How could a reputable inn in a town not even have thirty pounds of dried beef? What kind of business was this?

Seeing Lu Xuan’s doubtful gaze, the innkeeper hastily explained, “Please don’t misunderstand, sir!”

“Our inn may look empty now, but before you arrived, many guests had already reserved most of our food supplies.”

“In fact, the dried beef is down to less than fifteen pounds. Soon, they’ll be here to collect it—they’re heading to the Lotus Birth Temple.”

“Lotus Birth Temple?”

The name was unfamiliar to Lu Xuan, but he didn’t dwell on it.

If thirty pounds wasn’t available, he’d have to settle for other provisions.

“Then I’ll take whatever beef you have left and supplement the rest with other meats and wine.”

“Of course, of course! Please make yourself comfortable, sir. I’ll have everything prepared right away!”

The innkeeper beamed, as if he hadn’t seen such a generous customer in ages.

“Xiao Li! Hurry up and prepare a fine room for this gentleman!”

Just then, a large group of people crowded into the inn.

At the center were a man and a woman dressed in luxurious silks, adorned with exquisite jewelry. The woman, heavily pregnant, was carefully supported by a maid.

“Careful now, madam.”

“Innkeeper! Where’s the food we reserved earlier? Hurry up—we still have to get to the Lotus Birth Temple!”

The innkeeper’s face lit up like a dried tangerine peel as he scurried over, bowing obsequiously to the man.

“Master Chen! Everything’s ready, just as you requested. I’ll have it brought out at once!”

From the innkeeper’s demeanor, it was clear this guest was someone of high status—worthy of groveling.

“Ah, husband, once the masters at the Lotus Birth Temple perform the consecration, our Chen family will surely be blessed with a son.”

The woman, graceful and dignified, gently pinched an object hanging from her neck.

“Hmm?!”

Lu Xuan’s expression shifted abruptly. Startled, he turned toward the entrance.

This aura… Why does it feel so familiar?

If not for his advanced cultivation as an Internal Qi realm martial artist, he might not have even detected that faint, eerie energy.

His eyes narrowed, locking onto the object in the woman’s hand.

It was a small, plain white oval seed, strung on a delicate lotus-root thread and worn as a necklace.

Lu Xuan couldn’t be mistaken—this was the exact same sinister aura he had sensed when he killed the White Lotus Blood Infant!

White Lotus Blood Infant… The White Lotus Sect of Purification!

Lotus Birth Temple?

His mind raced, connecting the dots between these names.

After a moment, the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile, and a fiery glint returned to his eyes.

The hunger for system points.

So, the Lotus Birth Temple, is it?

His original plans suddenly shifted.

Now, he wanted to see this so-called temple for himself—to uncover why it carried the same vile energy as the White Lotus Blood Infant.