Chapter 35 - 34: Tiger Demon

Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Tiger Demon

When Lu Jing’an returned to his personal courtyard.

The courtyard was silent, save for the rustle of wind through the leaves of an old tree.

Returning to his room, he saw over a dozen ebony chests.

They were arranged neatly on the floor.

They gave off a somber luster in the fading twilight.

All the items related to Martial Arts confiscated from the Qian and Lin Families.

Had arrived.

These two families had been entrenched in Yin Mountain County for generations; their resources clearly ran deep.

Lu Jing’an walked to the nearest chest.

He reached out and lifted the lid.

A mixed aroma of old wood and faint herbs washed over him. Inside, exquisite brocade boxes were packed tightly together.

He casually picked up a box and opened it.

A wild ginseng, its roots intact and its form impressive, lay on a bed of scarlet velvet.

The body was plump and the root crown dense—it was at least a century old.

Lu Jing’an opened a few more boxes in succession.

They were all century-old ginseng of the same quality, fifteen stalks in total.

His fingertips brushed over the ginseng’s coarse texture as he pondered inwardly.

’For an ordinary family, finding even one of these life-saving treasures would be a stroke of immense luck.’

’A single slice could keep a mortally wounded person from the brink of death.’

’Yet the Qian and Lin Families managed to collect so many.’

’They really lived up to their reputation as local powers.’

’These alone are worth nearly fifty thousand silver coins.’

He closed the brocade box and turned to the second chest.

Lifting the lid, neatly stacked, thread-bound books and scrolls came into view.

The pages were yellowed and the ink dark. They were all Martial Arts manuals.

Lu Jing’an pulled one out. The cover read: *Wind-Breaking Saber Technique*.

He flipped through a couple of pages. The diagrams of the stances and the annotations on the Heart Method were quite detailed, but he didn’t linger on them and placed the book back.

He didn’t intend to study these classics one by one himself.

That would be far too time-consuming.

Lu Jing’an planned to send them all to his master, Chen Xuan, later.

He would ask his master to screen them first.

’With that kind of time, I’d be better off practicing my stances. Breaking through to the Qi Blood Third Transformation is what really matters.’

The third chest, however, contained neither books nor ginseng.

It held a neatly folded set of Soft Armor Protection.

Lu Jing’an picked up the top piece. It was cool and flexible to the touch.

On closer inspection, it was densely woven from a dark, exotic thread, with faint patterns within the weave.

But compared to the set Chen Xuan had given him, the quality was clearly a notch below.

He channeled some force into his fingertips and pressed down, thinking:

’It probably can’t stop a bullet at close range.’

’But it should be able to deflect seventy or eighty percent of the force from a normal sword or saber strike. That’s still quite rare.’

He opened the remaining chests one by one.

Most contained Weapons and miscellaneous items related to Martial Arts.

Although there were many well-crafted pieces, there was nothing truly extraordinary.

Lu Jing’an leaned against the edge of a chest, his eyes darkening slightly.

’The Qian and Lin Families operated here for years.’

’It’s impossible that they only accumulated such mundane Martial Arts items.’

’They must have had some real Treasures, prized possessions hidden away.’

’Father and the others don’t know I need those things too, which is why they weren’t sent.’

"I’ll have to go to the confiscated goods warehouse and see for myself," Lu Jing’an muttered to himself, a plan already forming in his mind.

In the end, Lu Jing’an only kept the fifteen old ginseng stalks.

He then took out a sheathed shortsword from the bottom of another chest.

The blade was three inches longer than a standard dagger, so it could be called a shortsword.

The sheath was made of black sharkskin, simple and unadorned.

Lu Jing’an gripped the hilt and slowly drew the blade.

A cold gleam poured out like water, the blade’s body revealing fine, frost-like patterns.

He casually broke off a copper ring from the chest’s hardware.

The blade’s edge swept past, and the copper ring silently split in two, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror.

"A fine blade."

Lu Jing’an sheathed the sword and secured it on his person.

Though he rarely used a Weapon, having this on him provided an extra layer of assurance.

He ordered the rest of the books to be sent directly to Chen Xuan.

The remaining items were temporarily placed in storage.

In the evening, his second uncle, Lu Huaichuan, sent someone with the intelligence gathered that day.

Two documents were placed on top.

Lu Jing’an picked up the first one.

The document contained details from the Li Family about a Demon Beast.

’The Li Family is being so cooperative.’ Lu Jing’an guessed Secretary Hu must have had a hand in it. ’Otherwise, after the recent confrontation between our families, there’s no way the Li Family would be this compliant. Not even if they were trying to set a trap for us.’

"A Demon Tiger..."

Lu Jing’an read through it quickly, his fingertip tapping lightly on the page.

The report was brief.

It only stated that the tiger had appeared in the old forest thirty li north of the county seat.

All other information was extremely sparse.

Lu Jing’an put down the document and gazed at the deepening night outside the window.

A Demon Beast lurking on one’s doorstep was a grave threat.

After a moment of thought, he muttered to himself:

"Perhaps I should pay a visit to the Anping Bureau."

"They patrol the region year-round; they should have more detailed records."

’Father and the others probably couldn’t get anything out of the Anping Bureau. But my status is different now. It might be worth a try.’

Before getting up, he glanced at the other document.

This one was about Secretary Hu.

He unfolded the document and read it.

A knowing smile touched Lu Jing’an’s lips.

Just as he thought.

Secretary Hu was so eager for the Lu Family to get involved because he was paving his own way.

The document stated it clearly:

The provincial Security Command had a vacant leadership position.

Secretary Hu had his eyes on it and was in desperate need of political achievements and trusted subordinates.

If the Lu Family established a firm foothold in Yin Mountain County,

they would become a useful blade in his hand.

It would give him more leverage for his promotion.

"Power above all else. How very pragmatic."

This was more or less what he had guessed.

What Secretary Hu pursued was nothing more than two things: power and money.

’He took the money but didn’t act, which means it’s power he’s after.’

Lu Jing’an thought no more of it and straightened his robes.

He called for Chen Xuan and headed for the Anping Bureau.

When the car stopped in front of the Anping Bureau’s slightly mottled, black-lacquered gates,

the lanterns under the eaves were already glowing with a dim yellow light.

Lu Jing’an had just stepped out of the car,

when a graceful figure emerged from within—it was Wen Ling.

She was wearing a pale pink satin qipao today.

Her hair was loosely coiled in a bun, a dangling hairpin swaying gently as she walked.

In the twilight, she exuded a kind of lazy, vibrant beauty.

Seeing Lu Jing’an, Wen Ling’s eyes danced, and she smiled before speaking:

"Well now, did Young Master Lu miss me? It’s only been a few days, and you’re already back at my door."

In his peripheral vision, Lu Jing’an saw Kui Shan in the courtyard. The burly figure stood with his arms crossed, looking over with an unfriendly expression.

Lu Jing’an smiled calmly, his voice clear and just loud enough for the man in the courtyard to hear:

"Sister Wen Ling, you jest."

"Yesterday, Nine-fingered Yama caused a scene in the city and injured many people."

"He disrupted the lives and businesses of many."

"The county felt bad about it and has specially allocated some pension silver to be distributed to those who were disturbed."

"I’ve been entrusted with delivering a portion to the brothers of the Anping Bureau first."

Money talks, a timeless truth.

Hearing this, Wen Ling’s smile deepened, the corners of her eyes curving like crescent moons:

"Young Master Lu is so considerate. Please, come inside."

Kui Shan coughed heavily in the courtyard, but in the end, said nothing unpleasant.

The Anping Bureau’s pay silver had often been delayed in recent years.

The men were having a hard time, and now someone had found a suitable excuse to give them money. Kui Shan couldn’t just turn him away.

He turned his head, pretending not to see.

Wen Ling led Lu Jing’an into the hall and had him sit, her voice soft and languid:

"You just wait here, little brother. I’ll go pluck some good tea leaves for you."

Hearing Wen Ling’s words, Lu Jing’an began to feel sorry for that Plant Cultivator.

Its Lifebound Spiritual Treasure was being plucked again and again by Wen Ling.

After Wen Ling left, Kui Shan...

...spoke in a booming voice, "Young Master Lu, what is your purpose this time?"

"You’re not planning to use money to just buy our entire Anping Bureau for your Lu Family, are you?"

"Senior Kui Shan, you jest. I’m really just here to deliver the pension money."

After a pause, Lu Jing’an added, "Incidentally, I also have an official matter to inquire about. I was hoping the Bureau could offer some guidance."𝒻𝑟ℯℯ