Li Yanran's Midnight Visit! The Lu Family!

County Office!

After returning to the County Office, Li Yanran hurriedly bandaged the wound on her left leg, then changed into a fresh Blackbird Guard brocade uniform.

Several people were already seated in the main hall of the County Office's rear chamber.

Azure Cloud County's County Magistrate, Ye Qingshan, sat in the seat of honor at the head, while Chen Shi and Ye Qingxuan occupied chairs on either side.

At that moment, a graceful figure appeared at the door and strode in with swift, decisive steps before taking the first seat on the left.

The newcomer was none other than Li Yanran. After sitting down, she clasped her fists toward Ye Qingshan in front of her. "Lord Ye!"

Ye Qingshan, seated at the head, likewise clasped his fists in greeting. "Lord Li!"

She was a member of the Blackbird Guard, and a Yellow Rank Blackbird Guard at that—high in rank and authority. Such officials outranked local officials by a level and could stand on equal footing with the Prefect Lord.

For a mere County Magistrate like himself, being addressed as "Lord" by her was already a great show of respect.

Once the courtesies were over, Li Yanran saw that the others were staring at her eagerly, as though they wished to ask something but held back.

Ye Qingshan especially was desperate to know what had happened.

He had asked Chen Shi, who had gone along with them, several times before and after, but Chen Shi had been utterly bewildered as well, with no idea what had happened.

A Blood Refinement Realm martial artist had been injured, while the two Blackbird Guards who had accompanied her had vanished without a trace.

Had Black Wind Stronghold's chief, Fang Sheng, done it, or was there someone else?

Unless Ye Qingshan got to the bottom of this, he would not be able to eat or sleep in peace.

After all, Azure Cloud County was under his jurisdiction. If someone capable of injuring a Blood Refinement Realm martial artist had appeared here, the trouble would be immense.

Everyone present was trustworthy, so Li Yanran had no intention of concealing anything.

"Su Tianqi and Chen Lingfeng are dead!"

"What?!"

"Sister Yanran, how could Big Brother Ling Feng have died?!"

Ye Qingxuan found it hard to believe. It would have been one thing if Su Tianqi, whom she despised, had died.

Chen Shi and Ye Qingshan, however, were not as shocked as Ye Qingxuan.

From the moment the two had gone missing, it had already explained everything. They had merely been waiting for Li Yanran to confirm it.

No longer remaining silent, Ye Qingshan asked, "Lord Li, could Black Wind Stronghold's chief, Fang Sheng, have done this?"

"And Black Wind Stronghold's chief Fang Sheng—has Lord Li brought him to justice?"

No one who could enter the Blackbird Guard was ordinary, yet they had actually died in a mountain bandits' den.

Other than Black Wind Stronghold's chief, Ye Qingshan could think of no other possibility.

Li Yanran said flatly, "Black Wind Stronghold's chief, Fang Sheng, is dead!"

Upon hearing that Fang Sheng was dead, the tightly furrowed brows of Chen Shi and Ye Qingshan seemed to ease somewhat.

With Fang Sheng dead, the great stone weighing on their hearts had finally fallen.

But before Ye Qingshan could even catch his breath, Li Yanran spoke again.

"Tianqi and Lingfeng both died at the hands of the White Lotus Blood Infant."

Bang! Clatter!

The sound of a hand slamming against the wooden table rang out, jolting a teacup into the air.

The easygoing, refined expression on Ye Qingshan's face changed drastically. He could no longer suppress his aura, and a powerful presence swept forth.

"White Lotus Blood Infant!"

"Lord Li, is this true?!"

Ye Qingshan could no longer remain seated. He rose to his feet, his face filled with deep gravity.

Ye Qingxuan looked at her father, Ye Qingshan, and Chen Shi in astonishment. Both wore anxious, uneasy expressions.

As for the White Lotus Blood Infant Sister Yanran had mentioned, Ye Qingxuan had never even heard of it.

Li Yanran remained calm as ever as she answered Ye Qingshan unhurriedly. "Yes. The White Lotus Blood Infant of the Pure World White Lotus Sect!"

However, Ye Qingshan, Azure Cloud County's County Magistrate, had accidentally leaked a thread of his aura in his shock, which surprised Li Yanran somewhat.

The power of Qi and Blood!

Although Ye Qingshan swiftly reined in the aura within his body, Li Yanran's sharp senses had still detected it.

After speaking, Li Yanran gave Ye Qingshan a long, meaningful look.

How interesting. This tiny Azure Cloud County truly harbored crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

Who would have thought that Azure Cloud County's County Magistrate was a Blood Refinement Realm powerhouse?

And there was that man as well!

A handsome face surfaced in Li Yanran's mind—the man who had saved her at the stronghold today.

Ye Qingshan hurriedly asked, "Lord Li, where is the White Lotus Blood Infant now?"

The White Lotus Blood Infant was a bizarre monster created by the Pure World White Lotus Sect.

Only several Blood Refinement Realm martial artists, or an expert of the Inner Qi Realm, could kill it.

Now that a White Lotus Blood Infant had appeared in Azure Cloud County, Ye Qingshan felt as though a mountain were pressing down upon him.

"I will immediately send someone to the Prefecture to notify the Prefect Lord."

"Old Chen, personally lead men and travel day and night. You must reach the Prefecture as quickly as possible and report the matter of the White Lotus Blood Infant!"

Before Li Yanran could answer his question, Ye Qingshan immediately gave Chen Shi his orders.

Anything involving the Pure World White Lotus Sect was not something Ye Qingshan dared take lightly. He had decided to send Chen Shi personally.

"Lord Ye, wait!"

"There is no need to send anyone to the Prefecture yet. I have not confirmed whether the White Lotus Blood Infant is dead or alive. Tomorrow, I will give Lord Ye an answer."

Li Yanran interrupted Ye Qingshan and stated her intentions.

"Hm?"

Ye Qingshan looked at Li Yanran in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

"Constable Chen, do you still remember the young man we encountered at the foot of the mountain today?"

Chen Shi was somewhat baffled. Why had this suddenly turned to that boy from the Lu Family?

Still, Chen Shi suppressed his doubts and answered Li Yanran carefully. "In reply to Lord Li, this subordinate naturally remembers him."

"Tell me about him in detail. I want to know everything about that young man."

"This..."

Everyone present wore strange expressions, unable to understand Li Yanran's intentions.

Deep night! All was silent!

The Lu Family!

A figure swept through the air above Lu Xuan's courtyard, then came to a stop in the courtyard's training ground.

The instant that figure landed, a gust of force flung open the door to the room ahead.

"Who goes there?!"

Lu Xuan emerged from the room and crossed several strides in a flash, appearing in the courtyard's training ground.

"You?"

"Why have you come to the Lu Family?"

Only after seeing the person's face clearly did Lu Xuan withdraw the killing intent in his heart.

The visitor was Li Yanran!

After learning all of Lu Xuan's information from Chen Shi, Li Yanran had come to the Lu Family in the dead of night to investigate.

Unexpectedly, she truly had not misjudged him this time.

This Young Master of the Lu Family was truly hiding his depths!

Li Yanran suppressed the shock in her beautiful eyes, and a faint smile appeared on her exquisite face.

"My apologies, Senior. I am Li Yanran. I came uninvited in the dead of night to get to the bottom of what happened yesterday!"