Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years

Whitepath Prefecture City!

A prefecture city dozens of times larger than Qingyun County, with bustling streets, endless carriages, and countless massive buildings.

Near the heart of the city stood a sprawling mansion covering approximately a hundred acres.

The mansion was surrounded by towering walls, and two jade-white stone lion statues guarded the vermilion gates.

This was the residence of Luo Jinghe, the Assistant Administrator of Whitepath Prefecture, an official of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Deep within the mansion, in a secluded and tranquil garden, lush green lawns lined the walkways, with ancient trees rising every few meters.

Following the blue jade stone path led to an exquisite pavilion.

Inside the pavilion were several people. A middle-aged man, clad in fine silk and satin, reclined on a stone table.

He lay comfortably in his chair, surrounded by several young and beautiful women whose delicate hands gently massaged him.

Suddenly, a man hurried towards the pavilion from the distance of the garden path.

Reaching the pavilion, the man bowed humbly and addressed the middle-aged man inside, "Master, Huang Xuanzheng of the Huang family is here to see you."

The middle-aged man was none other than Luo Jinghe, the Assistant Administrator of Whitepath Prefecture.

After a long pause, Luo Jinghe finally opened his eyes, still reclining in his chair, and said faintly, "You may all leave."

"Let him in."

"Yes, Master."

The maids, upon receiving Luo Jinghe's instruction, quickly left with the first man along the path.

Soon, the man returned, followed by a young man.

The young man wore simple, unostentatious white cloth, and he was Huang Xuanzheng, the eldest son of Huang Yangping, the Qingyun County Magistrate, and a Xuan Bird Guard of the Human Rank.

Upon seeing Luo Jinghe, Huang Xuanzheng's face filled with grief, his eyes bloodshot as he rushed forward.

"Uncle Luo, you must avenge my Huang family!"

Yesterday, Huang Xuanzheng received news of his father Huang Yangping's death.

This news struck him like a bolt from the blue, causing him immense shock and disbelief.

Of course, Huang Xuanzheng considered returning directly to Qingyun County, but reason prevailed.

If the enemy could easily kill his father, then he, a mere Marrow Refinement Realm martial artist, would only be throwing his life away.

Then, when Huang Xuanzheng sought help from the Xuan Bird Guard's Xuan Envoy, he was flatly refused, citing insufficient manpower.

In desperation, Huang Xuanzheng remembered the Assistant Administrator who had always supported the Huang family.

Luo Jinghe's eyes showed no emotion, his face indifferent, clearly indicating that he already knew about the matter.

"Nephew, rest assured. The Prefect has already sent people to Qingyun County to investigate the true culprit and bring justice to your father."

"This official will not let the murderer go unpunished!"

Luo Jinghe's assurance gave Huang Xuanzheng, in his extreme grief, a glimmer of hope.

Luo Jinghe then suddenly asked, "By the way, did anyone notice when you came here, Nephew?"

The Xuan Bird Guard's identity is very special within the Great Xia Dynasty, as they are directly under the Emperor's command.

Generally speaking, the Xuan Bird Guard rarely has close ties with local officials; being discovered would be a major crime of collusion!

"Uncle Luo, no. I left the Xuan Bird Guard secretly, disguised myself, and then came here."

Huang Xuanzheng's answer brought a smile to Luo Jinghe's face as he slowly stood up and walked towards Huang Xuanzheng.

"That's good. Rest assured, Nephew, I will definitely avenge your Huang family."

As soon as he finished speaking, before Huang Xuanzheng could react, Luo Jinghe was already in front of him.

"Uncle Luo, then I will…"

Suddenly, Luo Jinghe's hands, which had been behind his back, were released, and a large hand heavily pressed down on Huang Xuanzheng's crown.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking echoed as a terrifying surge of qi and blood invaded Huang Xuanzheng's body, mercilessly destroying his internal organs.

After a few breaths, Huang Xuanzheng's eyes filled with deep unwillingness and disbelief, and he collapsed like a pile of mud.

"No need to thank me. This official will send you to reunite with your father."

Luo Jinghe then put his hands behind his back, his lips slightly raised, and looked at Huang Xuanzheng on the ground with a smile.

"Master, do we still need to send someone to Qingyun County to investigate the murderer of Huang Yangping?"

The man watched the scene indifferently and then asked Luo Jinghe.

"Investigate. Huang Yangping was, after all, a dog raised by this official. Daring to kill him is the same as opposing this official."

"No matter who it is, this official will make them pay the price!"

Luo Jinghe's eyes were filled with ferocity, making the man beside him feel very afraid.

"Yes, Master!"

Everyone in Whitepath Prefecture knew that Huang Yangping was his man. How dare someone not be afraid of death and openly kill Huang Yangping.

If Luo Jinghe didn't come forward to avenge Huang Yangping, who would dare to follow him in the future?

Besides, that guy Huang Yangping gave him a lot of silver every year.

Now that he was dead, it meant that Luo Jinghe would have a large loss of income in the future.

Cutting off someone's wealth is like killing their parents!

Late at night, the night was as dark as ink!

Stars dotted the boundless sky, and a vast, boundless full moon illuminated the earth.

The pure white moonlight poured onto the official road of Qingyun County, and the faint moonlight was like a transparent white veil spread on the ground.

Da, da, da!

On the official road of Qingyun County, a black steed galloped through the silent road.

Before long, the black steed left the official road, slowed down, and headed towards a small path.

After a long time, the black steed stopped in front of a village entrance.

The tall man sitting on horseback was none other than Lu Xuan, who had left the county.

Lu Xuan sat on the horse with a blank expression, quietly looking at the large stone in front of the village entrance.

In the faint light, Lu Xuan could still vaguely see three large characters engraved on it.

Willow Creek Village

With the mentality of plucking a goose's feathers, Lu Xuan decided to visit Willow Creek Village on his way to Whitepath Prefecture.

Lu Xuan's purpose was to find the black shadow in Willow Creek Village.

If the black shadow still existed, Lu Xuan wouldn't mind killing it again to get system points.

However, Lu Xuan's wish was still in vain.

After tying up his horse, Lu Xuan quietly sneaked into Willow Creek Village and carefully sensed it, but still didn't find the cold, eerie aura from before.

When it was almost dawn and the villagers were about to wake up, Lu Xuan hurriedly left Willow Creek Village.