Chapter 64 Words of admonition Ⅰ

　　The next morning, around nine o'clock, He Muxian led her horse and entered Goujia Town on foot.

　　Indeed, as Yu Huawen had described, the town housed around forty to fifty households.

　　The main street ran straight through the center, with two small crossroads in the distance. Along the streets, one could see residences on both sides. Some had makeshift stalls set up in front of their doors for selling, others pushed wooden carts calling out to passersby, and still others had opened shops to attract customers.

　　As a stranger entered the town, she naturally attracted the attention of some curious onlookers.

　　Not long after, a servant-like figure approached her and said, "Heroine, you look familiar. Where have you come from?"

　　He Muxian unfolded the wrinkled wanted poster and said, "I'm looking for someone."

　　The servant glanced at the portrait and then at her, comparing the two. As he did so, he felt a chill creeping over him and involuntarily shuddered. "It's nothing to do with me. See you later."

　　"Hold on."

　　"I haven't even moved, ma'am."

　　"Where does Gou Shouting live?"

　　"You're looking for Mr. Gou? He lives at the end of the first cross street and just before the second one. Is there anything else, ma'am? If not, I have guests to attend to."

　　He Muxian looked in the direction the servant had come from but saw no one.

　　She took out a few copper coins and said, "Lead the way."

　　The servant's eyes lit up as he saw the money. "Alright, alright, follow me, ma'am."

　　As they walked along, she noticed some telltale signs. After passing the first cross street, the architecture of the houses became noticeably better than those near the entrance of the town. By the time they neared the second cross street, the buildings in the area ahead were similar to those they had passed earlier.

　　"What kind of business does Mr. Gou do?"

　　"Craftsmanship. The best craftsmen in the area gather here. Mr. Gou is a kind-hearted man, so even outsiders like me can benefit from his good fortune. Madam He, we're here. I'll take my leave now..."

　　Gou Shouting's residence was not as impressive as she had imagined. It paled in comparison to even a typical town magistrate's mansion. There were four guards stationed at the gate, and there seemed to be little coming and going.

　　He Muxian led her horse forward and asked, "Is this where Gou Shouting lives?"

　　Two of the guards stepped forward to take a closer look at her. "Are you a friend of Master Gou? We've never seen you before...but...you look familiar."

　　She unfolded the wanted poster again and said, "Do you recognize me now?"

　　One of the guards' eyes widened as he scrutinized the poster and then looked at her closely. He exchanged a glance with his compatriot and stepped back in shock.

　　"You're...you're..."

　　"Yes, it's me."

　　"Oh my goodness, the real one has arrived!" The guard exclaimed as he scurried inside to report the news.

　　A few minutes later, a young martial artist emerged from inside. He was around twenty years old, handsome and upright, The figure is very similar to Ji Yansi's type. He wore a sword at his waist, a pouch hanging next to it, and held a wine gourd in his hand.

　　"So, the daughter of the He family has arrived. Gou Chao, the son of Dongning Prefecture Magistrate Gou Shoushan, pays his respects to Miss He."

　　"Dongning Prefecture? You're from Shaowen."

　　"Both Shaowen and Yue, Miss He. Please, come in."

　　Curious to understand the situation, He Muxian boldly followed him inside.

　　On the way, Gou Chao explained that Gou Shouting was his uncle. Gou Shouting, Gou Shoushan, They were brothers, with one managing the craftsmanship business in Yue and the other serving as the magistrate of Dongning Prefecture.

　　He Muxian guessed that perhaps Uncle Wen Liang had passed through Dongning Prefecture and issued an order, leading to this situation.

　　Zhou Ge's position as presiding inquisitor was sealed by He Muxian himself, so it was only natural for the Wen family to blame her for it.

　　Upon entering the reception hall, a servant offered them hot tea and inquired about the matter.

　　However, the truth was not what she had imagined. Gou Chao said, "Miss He, you have misunderstood. The wanted poster was my uncle's idea, unrelated to anyone else."

　　"What do you mean? Call your uncle out here!"

　　"Miss He, please don't get angry. My uncle is out and not at home. I can explain; someone, bring them in."

　　Shortly after, a maidservant arrived with a tray holding ten gold coins.

　　He Muxian was perplexed. "What does this mean?"

　　"Allow me to explain clearly. Issuing the wanted poster wasn't to apprehend anyone; it was a business transaction."

　　"A business transaction?"

　　Gou Chao smiled. "Exactly, a business transaction. My uncle surmised that the matter in Beici County was significant and that a wanted poster would eventually be issued. So he decided to issue it early, naturally with a bit of flattery. The most important thing is that after the fake poster was issued in Goujia Town, people would search household by household, and the money..."

　　Miss He understood. Without a doubt, the Han family had encountered the so-called search party, likely from Goujia Town. These people weren't searching; they were clearly extortionists, taking advantage of the situation to amass wealth.

　　"The son of a prefectural magistrate is doing business transactions with me?"

　　"Dongning Prefecture is poor and small, how can it compare to the riches of Beici County? To make more money, one must take detours. But... why are you here in Beici County? It's quite a distance."

　　"Am I here at an inconvenient time?"

　　"No, no... I didn't expect you to come personally, so I've prepared ten gold coins. Since we're using your name, it's only natural to share the proceeds. Please, Miss He, accept them."

　　He Muxian thought that if she hadn't encountered this, the nearby villagers would have undoubtedly suffered greatly.

　　"Do you think I'm here to collect a debt?"

　　"Ah? What else could it be?"

　　"Issuing a private wanted poster in Dongning Prefecture is a crime. Do you know that? Does Gou Shoushan know that?"

　　Gou Chao sensed the change in tone and stood up angrily. "This is not Shaowen, Miss He. Are you meddling too much?"

　　"A prefectural magistrate committing such a shameful act is embarrassing!"

　　"Calling you Miss He is giving you face. Miss He, don't be arrogant in your own home and forget where you are now. Besides, your father and my father are of the same rank. Why should I be afraid of you? Be sensible, take the money and leave. If not, look here!" He drew his sword.

　　As they were engaged in a heated conversation, two figures entered the room.

　　One of them exclaimed, "Gou, what's the commotion?"

　　The other asked, "I heard there's a distinguished guest in the mansion. Who is it?"

　　He Muxian turned her head to look and recognized one of them, while the other was unfamiliar. The one she knew was holding a xiao flute and was Jiang Shunlin, whom she had encountered in Xinyi Town. The unfamiliar one had a single whip strapped to his waist.

　　Jiang Shunlin was overjoyed to see her and exclaimed, "Miss He, our paths have truly crossed again."

　　"It's you? Do you know each other?"

　　Gou Chao smiled knowingly and remained silent.

　　"Of course, we're all friends with Gou Chao. This is Liu Deshan, Master Liu Deshan from Liujia Town. Uh... what's the matter between you and Gou?"

　　Upon seeing Jiang Shunlin, all doubts were dispelled. "So you're also aware of the wanted poster?"

　　Jiang Shunlin and Liu Deshan had also come here about the wanted poster. They showed their own copies and understood the situation better.

　　"Ah... so you're..."

　　"Yes, I'm He Muxian. What about it?"

　　Liu Deshan realized who she was and said to Gou Chao, "Gou, business shouldn't be done like this. Call it off."

　　"Call it off? Why? Because of her nonsense? She won't be leaving here without leaving something behind!"

　　Seeing that the situation was not easing, He Muxian drew her Qingzhuang sword and said, "You want to compare swords?"

　　"I'm not afraid of you!"

　　Liu Deshan wanted to say something, but Jiang Shunlin stopped him.

　　Gou Chao drew his sword and said, "Let's take it outside. This room is too cramped."

　　The two of them exited the mansion and engaged in a swordfight. Initially, He Muxian, believing in her lineage and prowess, didn't take Gou Chao seriously. But once they exchanged blows, she realized that his martial arts were exceptional and uncommon. After several rounds, she began to take him seriously.

　　Gou Chao had heard rumors about the prowess of Miss He, but he never expected her to be this formidable. In some aspects, she even surpassed Shen Huan.

　　He had been ordered to create trouble for He Muxian and keep her temporarily detained in Yue. Continuing the fight might result in him getting injured, which would be too much of a loss. Therefore, he retreated and said, "Miss He, your martial arts are truly formidable!"

　　"What about the wanted poster?"

　　"It's over!"

　　"I hope you're a man of your words!"

　　He Muxian sheathed her Qingzhuang sword and left the Gou mansion.

　　"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Gou Chao sneered as he watched her depart. "Gentlemen, we have a new task."

　　Liu Deshan seemed puzzled and asked, "What are the specific instructions from our leader?"

　　"We can't cause too much trouble..."

　　"That's going to be tough."

　　Jiang Shunlin looked off in the distance and said, "Has it begun? She's truly a person of loyalty and righteousness."

　　"Who says not?" Gou Chao agreed. "Let's go inside and discuss the details."

　　"Good discussion requires good wine," Jiang Shunlin added.

　　"Absolutely," Gou Chao concurred. "We'll make sure to have the best."