Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 64

The middle-aged man standing at the center was around 1.7 meters tall with a well-fed physique—this was the magistrate of Dengfeng County.

As he looked at the three seated before him, the magistrate showed no trace of dissatisfaction. Instead, he wore an ingratiating smile and bowed respectfully with clasped hands.

“Your humble servant, Zeng Fan, Magistrate of Dengfeng County, pays his respects to the honorable Black Raven Guards!”

If anything, he was overjoyed to see them.

The murders that had occurred in the county town a week ago had left him trembling with fear.

Unable to withstand the pressure, he had immediately reported the matter to the Prefect of Baidao Prefecture.

And now, early this very morning, these esteemed Black Raven Guards had arrived in Dengfeng County.

The three guards paid no attention to the magistrate’s flattery.

The middle-aged man seated in the center was the leader of the group—a martial artist who had reached the peak of the Blood Refining Realm. The other two were at the intermediate stage of the same realm.

“Enough pleasantries, Magistrate Zeng,” the leader said coolly. “The three of us were personally dispatched by the Black Raven Envoy. Let’s focus on the matter at hand.”

“Here are our tokens. Verify them first.”

With that, the middle-aged man retrieved a sapphire-blue token from his waist. The other two followed suit, producing their own tokens.

“Zhao Sheng, Qian Hao, Li Daren.”

Magistrate Zeng Fan gave the names engraved on the tokens a cursory glance. Seeing that they matched the information relayed by the prefect, his smile grew even more enthusiastic.

“Yes, yes, of course!”

“Lord Zhao is absolutely right. This humble official agrees—we must prioritize the mission and not waste the esteemed guards’ precious time.”

After the exchange of formalities, a trace of unease flickered deep in Zeng Fan’s heart.

Black Raven Guards were rarely seen, yet here were three of them at once—and all of them were Yellow Rank!

As a government official, Zeng Fan was well aware of the Black Raven Guards’ standing.

Every Yellow Rank guard was a terrifying existence at the Blood Refining Realm, wielding formidable blood-qi power and unfathomable strength.

Despite controlling an entire county’s resources and cultivating for most of his life, he had only barely reached the peak of the Marrow Refining Realm.

Yet now, three Yellow Rank Black Raven Guards had personally come to Dengfeng County.

This could only mean one thing—the supernatural entity behind these killings was no ordinary threat.

“If the esteemed guards would kindly follow me, this humble official will lead you to where the deceased have been securely stored.”

Magistrate Zeng Fan and the other county officials formed an entourage around the three Black Raven Guards as they made their way to the westernmost part of the county office.

There stood a temporary morgue built from blue-gray bricks, large enough to hold over a hundred bodies.

Pointing at the structure, Zeng Fan addressed Zhao Sheng, the leader of the guards.

“Lord Zhao, this is where the victims are being kept.”

Zhao Sheng followed the magistrate’s gesture, then without a word, quickened his pace toward the building. The other two guards followed closely behind.

Six county constables stood guard outside the morgue. Spotting Zhao Sheng and the officials from a distance, they promptly stepped aside, clearing a path.

“We greet the esteemed lords!”

The constable nearest the door swiftly pulled it open, allowing Zhao Sheng to enter.

As the door swung wide, a visible wave of pale white cold air rushed out, bitingly frigid, as if plunging them into an icy abyss.

The moment Zhao Sheng stepped inside, the interior of the morgue came into full view.

The room was sparsely furnished, simple and utilitarian. An iron cage dominated the space, its bars enclosing about two dozen sturdy wooden beds.

Each bed held a corpse, their faces covered with white cloth.

Along the walls outside the cage stood large wooden basins filled with chunks of ice.

Zhao Sheng’s brow furrowed at the sight.

He strode to the cage door, reached out, and with a single hand, snapped the iron lock clean off.

Ignoring the stunned gazes of the county officials, he pushed the door open and stepped inside without hesitation.

Approaching the nearest bed, he lifted the white cloth covering the corpse’s face.

What lay beneath was a visage of pure horror—a face stripped entirely of its skin.

The raw, crimson flesh of the cheeks was exposed to the air.

Two eyes, frozen in terror, stared lifelessly at the ceiling.

The lips were gone, leaving only a row of yellowed teeth bared in a grotesque, grinning rictus.

Standing behind Zhao Sheng was Qian Hao, a middle-aged man whose expression darkened as he studied the corpse’s face.

“Old Zhao,” he said gravely, “it seems the Black Raven Envoy was right. It was behind this.”

“The Faceless Horror.”

Zhao Sheng gave a slow nod.

“No doubt about it.”

“Qian Hao, Li Daren, we must proceed with caution this time.”

“You both know how dangerous the Faceless Horror is.”

At these words, the third guard, Li Daren, finally broke his silence. His face was etched with deep confusion as he stared at the corpse.

“Old Zhao, if I recall correctly, didn’t the Black Raven Envoy destroy this thing seven years ago?”

“How could it have revived so quickly?”

According to the Black Raven Guards’ records, when a supernatural entity was dispersed, it typically took at least a decade to re-emerge.

Yet the Faceless Horror had returned three years ahead of schedule.

If not for the prefect’s urgent report, they would have suspected someone was bold enough to deceive the Black Raven Guards.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze swept over the other corpses before he finally spoke, his voice measured.

“Unclear. I asked the Black Raven Envoy, but even he wasn’t sure.”

“However, in recent years, supernatural horrors and demonic beasts have been appearing more frequently.”

“And the revival cycles of these entities have become increasingly erratic.”

“The Envoy originally intended to investigate the Faceless Horror’s premature return himself.”

“But then word came that the White Lotus Cult—those fanatics—might have resurfaced in Lingshi County, possibly led by one of their elders.”

“So the Envoy took most of our elite forces to Lingshi County to eradicate the cult’s remnants.”

“That’s why he hastily dispatched the three of us to handle the Faceless Horror here.”