"He Muxian barked loudly, brandishing her sword and standing her ground. For a moment, no one dared to approach.

　　Counting quickly, there were still thirteen or fourteen people on the first floor, and she didn't know how many were on the second. The situation was extremely unfavorable for her. Even if they stood there and let her cut them down, it would take her a while. And not to mention that each of them would engage her in a few exchanges. Fortunately, the menace of the Qingzhuang sword had intimidated many of them.

　　The bandits stared at her, and for a moment, none dared to move forward.

　　'Come on... come on... she can't fight all of us,' whispered one bandit.

　　'You go first... you go first,' another retorted.

　　'Why don't you go first?'

　　Seeing that no one dared to approach, she waved the Qingzhuang sword and pointed it at the innkeeper. 'Who sent you?'

　　Ma the innkeeper reached under the counter and pulled out the bounty notice, trembling as he placed it on the counter.

　　He Muxian straightened it out. The notice clearly stated the bounty amounts for herself and Zhou Ge, along with their portraits. Looking at the signature, it was from the Zhuanyou Mountain Yuwu Gang of Yue Region.

　　The matter was now crystal clear. Xia Yue, known as the Yu Wu Dancer of the Zhuanyou Mountain and also the mistress of her third senior brother, was also the prime suspect in the murder of her fifth senior brother. Given her actions, it was highly likely that she had learned that Yu Huawen had witnessed her crime and informed He Muxian about it. Without further ado, the backing behind the Zhuanyou Mountain was most likely the Qing family.

　　'Where did you get this?' she asked.

　　'I don't know...' The innkeeper's voice trailed off as he felt a cool, sharp sensation on his face.

　　'I really don't know. I only received it a few days ago...'

　　Before the innkeeper could finish his excuses, the Qingzhuang sword pierced his throat, silencing him.

　　He Muxian casually moved a chair and sat down. 'Does anyone else know anything about this?'

　　The bandits looked at each other, and one of them separated from the crowd and walked forward. 'Will I be spared if I tell you?'

　　Holding a flying dart in her hand, she replied, 'It depends on whether what you say is the truth.'

　　'It came from the left National Master's Mansion in Tianshun.'

　　Calculating the dates, it had been quite some time since her uncle Wen Liang had left. It was reasonable for the news to have spread to Yue Region. Moreover, it was likely that there were two versions: one official warrant issued by the Left National Master's Mansion, and a secret bounty notice.

　　The inclusion of herself in the notice was unexpected. Had the Qing family, encouraged by Qing Hu, officially torn the veil of truce with the He family? If so, her father and younger sister were in danger.

　　However, upon further consideration, the official warrant most likely only mentioned Zhou Ge and not herself. The secret bounty notice was likely added by her third senior brother.

　　To truly understand the situation, further investigation was needed.

　　She continued her questioning. 'Where else has this notice been distributed?'

　　'Nearby towns within a twenty-mile radius have all received it. They're looking for you and a man named Zhou Ge. Is that enough for my life?'

　　'Get out of here quickly.'

　　The bandit who had spoken did not hesitate. He grabbed his belongings and hurried out the back door, then quickly disappeared into the distance."

　　Seeing this, the bandits eagerly stepped forward. "I know... I know... I know too!"

　　She beckoned one of them over and asked, "What do you know?"

　　"I heard, it's an inside scoop. At first, your name wasn't on the list, only Zhou Ge's. It was a guy named Yu Pingnian who added Miss He's name later."

　　Her suspicions were confirmed. She thought to herself that her third senior brother was really good at finding scapegoats, just like the recruitment tournament. He didn't dare to stir up trouble and pushed it all onto others.

　　"What else do you know?"

　　Another bandit stepped forward. "Grasshopper, you already said it. What are we supposed to say, Miss He? But I know something else."

　　"Speak quickly!"

　　"I heard that someone set you up in a scheme, warning you not to go to Tianshun to help. I don't know the specifics of the scheme."

　　This made her feel strange. The "help" probably referred to Shen Huan going to Tianshun, which was decided after her fifth uncle left. How did they know about it? Thinking carefully, she realized that they must have been exposed.

　　"Alright, you two can go."

　　The two men were overjoyed and quickly grabbed their belongings to flee.

　　While she was interrogating them, someone shouted, "The county police are here!" The bandits heard this and scattered in all directions.

　　There were no official police in the counties of Yue Region. By the time He Muxian realized what was happening, it was already too late.

　　At that moment, a person jumped from the second floor to the ground. They didn't step firmly and fell flat on their face.

　　They got up, dusted themselves off, and said, "Amitabha, I believe you are Miss He Muxian."

　　He Muxian saw a young monk in front of her, around twenty years old, with a kind face and auspicious features.

　　He wore martial arts attire with a gray monk's robe over it. In his hand was a bundle. The monk had drunk quite a bit of alcohol and was swaying as he stood, his speech filled with the scent of liquor.

　　She guessed, "Are you Shi Jian? Did you call out?"

　　"Miss... you know me?"

　　"I've heard of you. Where is Zhou Ge?"

　　"Eh... it's best not to see him."

　　Unexpectedly meeting the monk mentioned by Li, He Muxian was very happy.

　　After asking a few questions, Shi Jian said the whole thing.

　　The next morning, He Muxian prepared breakfast for herself. The wild inn had plenty of ready-made ingredients, so she easily made something that would satisfy her appetite.

　　As she was eating, a loud roar suddenly came from the second floor: "Murderous demon! I'm here to rid Yue Region of your evil!"

　　Looking up, she saw Shi Jian charging down the stairs with his palms raised.

　　He Muxian was deeply surprised and casually deflected a few of his blows, asking, "Have you been drinking too much?"

　　Shi Jian paused, glancing at the bodies on the ground, at her, and then at himself. After a moment of recollection, he realized what had happened and felt a flush of embarrassment.

　　He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Ah... Forgive me, heroine!"

　　"Have you forgotten my name? Forgotten everything?"

　　The monk smiled awkwardly, "No, not everything. Just a hint... Just a little hint."

　　She walked to the counter and threw the bounty poster at him.

　　Shi Jian studied it for a moment and exclaimed, "Amitabha, you're Miss He, the good friend of Zhou Ge. I've been out of line, truly out of line..."

　　As he spoke, he sniffed the air and noticed the hot meal. Without hesitation, he went into the kitchen to serve himself a portion.

　　While eating, he asked about what had happened the previous day. He Muxian recounted the events in detail and then asked, "Where is Zhou Ge now? Can you tell me now?"

　　"Amitabha..."

　　"Stop with the chanting. Drinking and acting impulsively won't do you any good. Reciting a hundred times won't help. Just tell me."

　　"Well, we parted ways in Huangjia Town, but it's been almost three days, so I'm not sure if he's still there or not."

　　"Finish your meal and lead the way."

　　After breakfast, the two left the inn.

　　He Muxian led her mount forward and said, "Let's go."

　　Shi Jian stretched his limbs and said, "I can run fast, Heroine. Just follow me." Then he used his unique martial arts to dash northward at a rapid speed.

　　She followed him on her horse, matching his pace perfectly.