Chapter 2: Anping Bureau

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Anping Bureau

[As Clear as Daylight] (Green)

[Description]: Equipping this entry allows you to see all things with greater clarity.

Lu Jing’an equipped the entry without a change in expression.

In an instant!

He felt something deep within his eyes.

It was as if two faint flames had ignited.

His vision suddenly changed.

Under the flickering light of the flames,

every detail in his surroundings was magnified, brought closer, and rendered with incredible clarity.

He instinctively looked at the Lamp Cultivator’s corpse again.

Under his gaze, the body

gradually took on a bizarre, semi-transparent appearance.

The network of blood vessels beneath the skin, the texture of the muscle tissue,

and even the fractured surfaces of the bones were all revealed in minute detail.

His gaze focused on the severed wrist.

The curling of the tiny muscle fibers and the direction of the cracks on the broken bone all revealed unusual information.

Just as he tried to observe more deeply,

a sharp, stabbing pain shot from his eyes.

It pierced straight into his mind, accompanied by a strong wave of dizziness.

His body swayed slightly.

"Young Master!"

Chen Xuan, who had been keeping an eye on him, noticed at once.

He swiftly reached out to steady Lu Jing’an’s arm.

Lu Jing’an used the support to steady himself.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again,

the stinging pain and dizziness had subsided slightly, but the soreness in his eyes remained.

"Uncle Xuan, I’m fine."

He waved his hand gently, signaling for Chen Xuan to carry on.

Chen Xuan studied his face carefully.

After confirming he was not in any serious trouble,

he turned back to command his men to continue investigating the scene.

Lu Jing’an now understood. ℴℴ𝘮

’Using the entry’s power takes a toll on both one’s Spirit and Flesh Body.’

’Without a strong physique and sufficient Spiritual Power, having entries is useless.’

’It seems raising my own strength is the most urgent priority.’

Just then, the sound of rapid, rhythmic footsteps approached from a distance.

It shattered the silence of the scene.

Without waiting for Chen Xuan’s command,

the well-trained Guards had already turned their guns, aiming them warily at the source of the sound.

Lu Jing’an turned his head as well and saw a rickshaw puller sprinting toward them, pulling his vehicle.

The puller’s steps were extremely fast.

Yet he pulled the rickshaw as if it were weightless.

The distance of each stride was so Precise it seemed to have been measured with a ruler.

Seated in the rickshaw was a young woman wearing a lotus-root-pink qipao and silver-rimmed glasses.

She had a slender figure and a cool, aloof temperament.

The rickshaw came to a steady halt on the edge of the crowd.

The woman rose gracefully, the qipao hugging her exquisite curves.

As she moved, the slit of the dress revealed an alluring glimpse of snowy-white skin.

She adjusted the silver-rimmed glasses on her nose and looked at the puller with a hint of annoyance.

"Boss, I know you’re worried sick about your brother.

But no matter how anxious you are, you can’t just gamble with my life, can you?

This ride was so bumpy, I nearly tossed up my dinner."

A trace of surprise flickered in Lu Jing’an’s eyes.

He hadn’t expected the seemingly ordinary rickshaw puller to be the one in charge.

"Young Master."

Chen Xuan opportunely leaned in and explained in a low voice behind Lu Jing’an:

"These two are from the Anping Bureau.

The puller is Kui Shan, the director of the Yin Mountain County Anping Bureau. He follows the path of an Earth Cultivator.

The woman is named Wen Ling; she is a Literature Cultivator."

Lu Jing’an nodded slightly.

Over the past few days, Lu Jing’an had come to understand the transcendent status and function of the Anping Bureau.

Kui Shan strode forward like a meteor, his gaze electric.

His eyes swept quickly over Lu Jing’an.

Seeing his youth and scholarly, frail-looking demeanor, he dismissed him outright.

He then turned to Chen Xuan, his voice booming and laced with suppressed anger, "Instructor Chen, you sure got here fast!

Have you found out how my brother met his vicious end?"

His dismissive attitude was quite obvious.

But Lu Jing’an didn’t get angry, merely observing the situation.

Chen Xuan’s expression remained unchanged, and he didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked to Lu Jing’an, clearly waiting for his instructions.

Lu Jing’an said calmly, "Uncle Xuan, please tell Director Kui and his colleague what we’ve learned so far."

"Yes, Young Master."

Only then did Chen Xuan turn to Kui Shan and clearly recount the preliminary findings of their investigation.

After listening, Kui Shan crouched down.

His rough fingers gently brushed over the deceased’s cold, severed wrist.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice grew a few shades deeper, carrying a deliberately suppressed calm.

"Men die for wealth as birds die for food.

I warned him long ago not to get involved in the muddy waters between local powers.

To end up like this... you could say he brought it upon himself."

His words were vague, yet they subtly pointed the blame at the Lu Family.

Lu Jing’an’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He knew the other man was testing him, or perhaps, launching a sort of offensive.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan took a step forward and said to Lu Jing’an,

"Young Master, since the people from the Anping Bureau have arrived,

let’s leave this place for them to handle. We should return to the manor."

Lu Jing’an nodded. "Alright."

Chen Xuan turned sideways to clear a path for Lu Jing’an.

"Hold on!"

Kui Shan shot to his feet.

His tall body, like an iron tower, blocked their path.

He stared intently at Lu Jing’an, no longer hiding the interrogative glint in his eyes:

"Young Master Lu, a man from our Anping Bureau died because of you. Do you plan to just walk away like this?

I’m afraid things aren’t that simple in this world!"

The atmosphere instantly grew tense!

The aura around Chen Xuan sharpened abruptly.

His muscles bulged, as if he would strike at any moment.

But Lu Jing’an raised a hand and gently pressed it on Chen Xuan’s tense arm.

"Uncle Xuan, no need to get worked up."

He took a step forward, closing the distance to Kui Shan to just a few feet.

He calmly met the other man’s oppressive gaze, his voice clear and steady:

"Director Kui.

First, I did not kill Li Dengxiu. I’m sure you’re well aware of this."

"Second, when he came to my aid that day,

I was unconscious. I have no knowledge of the specific circumstances."

"Finally, Li Dengxiu came to my rescue.

My father has already paid him an exorbitant fee for his services.

The silver and goods have been paid; we owe each other nothing."

He paused, his tone still calm but now tinged with a playful quality:

"Of course, if the Anping Bureau requires the cooperation of my Public Security Bureau in this investigation,

we will certainly do our utmost, for both public and private reasons.

But if you intend to use the pretense of ’morality’ to coerce us, I’m afraid we cannot comply."

"However."

Lu Jing’an changed his tune, offering a practical solution.

"Out of humanitarian concern, I will personally provide a pension.

Part of it will be given to the deceased’s family, and part will be donated to the Anping Bureau as a token of my sentiment.

If he has no family, both portions will go to the Anping Bureau."

After speaking, he watched Kui Shan quietly and added one final sentence, his tone tinged with a deeper meaning:

"Director Kui, has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible actor?

Your emotions are written all over your face. Your performance... is a bit over the top."