Shen Huan and the Second Miss returned to the Prefecture Governor's Mansion to deliver a message, informing He Xin, the Prefecture Governor, about the matter of the Qing Hu entering Muyang Town.

　　Upon hearing the news, He Xin's brows furrowed deeply, his mind elsewhere.

　　After reporting, where privately, Shen Huan voiced his thoughts.

　　He Muyu felt his words were quite reasonable, but feared that revealing this to their father would only add to his worries. Besides, they were still operating based on assumptions without concrete evidence.

　　As night fell, the two parted ways.

　　Shen Huan was heavy with anxiety, unable to sit or lie peacefully.

　　Two things weighed on his mind.

　　First, if their target was indeed He Muxian, what should they do? He had heard that the eldest miss had gone out to purchase medicine, and no one knew the exact time or route of her return. It seemed like a baffling reason to target her.

　　Second, if their target wasn't He Muxian, then who could it be? He couldn't seem to figure it out.

　　One thing was certain: the other party dared to make such a move, which meant they must have planted many scouts within the town, possibly even infiltrating it long ago.

　　Exiting the house, Shen Huan wandered along the main road.

　　After about two hours, he found himself at a crossroads in the northern part of the town.

　　Along the streetside, various stalls were lit up, and vendors shouted out to sell their wares.

　　He took a seat at a random spot, scanning the area for any suspicious individuals.

　　"Fresh pork! Come and buy it..."

　　The voice of a butcher caught his attention. Following the sound, he saw a burly man standing eight feet tall, with a broad back, square face, and red beard. The man was cutting meat while wearing an unbuttoned coat, and beside him stood a young woman wiping the sweat from his brow.

　　Shen Huan's eyes widened. "Huh? Is that Hao Yun? What's he doing here?"

　　To get a better look, he stood up and took a few steps forward. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed him.

　　He thought to himself that Hao Yun was the slipperiest of all the criminals he had arrested in Xu last year. Not only had he managed to escape the prefecture and cross the border, but he had even infiltrated the capital of Xiyue and become a town crier. After the incident in the capital, he had somehow made his way back into the prefecture and become a butcher. There was no one more cunning than him.

　　He had searched high and low for Hao Yun in the past, but here he was, unexpectedly running into him at this time and place. There was no doubt that he was involved in the Fangding Mountain incident.

　　Just as he was wondering how to make a move, a voice sounded behind him.

　　"Is that you, Shen?"

　　Shen Huan turned around and recognized his former colleague, the policeman under Xu.

　　"Zhang Ping?"

　　"It's me. Shen, long time no see. When did you get back? Come on, let's go drink..."

　　"Zhang, look who's over there."

　　"What's this and that? Nothing's more important than drinking right now."

　　He really wasn't in the mood to drink, but Zhang Ping insisted and pushed him along.

　　"Come on, my treat. Let's go..."

　　Shen Huan couldn't resist the pushing and pulling and was shoved to the side of the road. When he looked back, the butcher's stall had gone dark.

　　There was nothing he could do but follow Zhang Ping into a tavern.

　　Old friends reuniting couldn't help but exchange pleasantries, and Zhang Ping was quite curious. They chatted for almost half an hour.

　　As the moon rose high, the streets slowly emptied, and Zhang Ping claimed he had to return to Xu Town to report. He stumbled out of the tavern.

　　Shen Huan calculated the time and realized it was already past midnight.

　　After bidding farewell to his friend, he decided to explore the area. Finding a secluded spot, he tore off a piece of his clothing and used it to cover his face.

　　There weren't many butcher shops near the crossroads, so he jumped onto the walls of each one, searching for Hao Yun's shop. Finally, he found it in a relatively quiet courtyard, surrounded by few houses that were quite far apart. Behind the house was a small river lined with a few willow trees, and there was also a willow tree inside the courtyard.

　　He lightly jumped into the courtyard and made his way to the tree, parting the willow branches to peer inside. The room was dimly lit, and figures moved about frequently, with voices occasionally heard. However, they were too far away for him to make out what they were saying.

　　After familiarizing himself with the surroundings and identifying potential hiding spots and objects, he carefully avoided making any noises that could give him away.

　　He lightly jumped down from the willow tree and crept towards the wall, using his tongue to puncture the window paper and create a small hole.

　　Peering through the hole, he saw two intertwined figures in the dim light.

　　A voice came from inside the room: "My dear, how was my technique of 'the Evil Dragon Diving into the Abyss'?"

　　"Wonderful Evil Dragon... Dive some more... Dive..."

　　Shen Huan took a deep breath and jumped back onto the willow tree.

　　He broke off a thick branch and swung it towards the window.

　　After a while, Hao Yun opened the window and looked out.

　　"There's no wind..."

　　"Husband, what are you looking for? Come back inside quickly..."

　　"My dear, there might be a thief. I'm going out to check."

　　"Hurry up."

　　Moments later, the outer door opened, and a burly man dressed in a rough shirt walked out. He searched the area thoroughly, checking every room, kitchen, outer hall, and even the corners of the walls.

　　As he turned towards the back door, Shen Huan quickly followed, keeping a close distance. With his sword pressed against the man's back, he whispered, "Don't move."

　　Hao knew the drill and raised his hands, clutching his head: "Take whatever you want. Just don't hurt me."

　　Shen Huan knocked him unconscious, then found a burlap bag to trap him, and left on his back.

　　Crossing the river, walking the path, He found an abandoned kiln, took people into the cave, put it on the ground, and gasped a few times: "It's really heavy..."

　　Shen Huan picked open the sack with his sword, and Hao Yun stared at the bag with wide eyes.

　　Shen Huan felt relieved when he realized the man was awake but not making a sound.

　　"Now talk."

　　Hao Yun's eyes darted around: "Who are you?"

　　"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."

　　Hao Yun turned his eyes a few times: "You... you want to know about the Fangding Mountain incident, right?"

　　"Quite smart. Tell me, who's involved?"

　　"The County magistrate's people? I didn't go... I didn't go ..."

　　"Who asked you if you went, I asked how much you know?"

　　"Uh... Seventy or eighty. ”

　　Shen Huan said in his heart, sure enough. "Say, Who are gathering?"

　　"Do you need to ask? They are all thieves in the neighborhood, and the head of the thief is called ... "En.. You speak first. ”

　　"Or do you say it first... There are no accurate words, and it is not interesting to say. ”

　　He was already angry, and he was even more angry when he heard this person bargain.

　　"Okay, okay, I'll spare you for the time being."

　　"It's obvious, isn't it? It's all the nearby thieves. The leader is called Tang Li. He's from Beici County. I've heard he's gained some influence in recent years and has gathered a few people.

　　They've never been very bold, until someone came along."

　　"Who?"

　　"It's obvious, isn't it? It's Qing Hu. There was a big case in Xu Town last year, and Qing Hu was involved. After that, the Prefecture Governor didn't dare to dispose of him. Word spread quickly. It turned out he was the grandson of the third disciple of the Holy Monarch of the West Peak."

　　"And then?"

　　"And then? Need I say more? Getting beaten by someone, who would be willing to accept that? So they gathered again to seek revenge. This time, they didn't even ask me. Who would dare to get involved in the affairs of the Holy Monarch of the West Peak's family? That's just asking for trouble."

　　"Who are they targeting?"

　　"I heard that He Muxian, the eldest miss of the He family, is going to return. They plan to take her down. I'm smart enough to stay away from this. Why would I get involved in the affairs of the Holy Monarch of the West Peak's family? Do I have more than one head?"

　　This was precisely the crucial information he needed. Shen Huan quickly asked, "How did they know He Muxian was coming back to Beici County?"

　　"It was all because of this Lihe guy that Qing Hu brought along. He accidentally intercepted a family letter from He Muxian, mentioning that she would be returning home on the eighth day of the eighth month."

　　Shen Huan calculated the date and realized there were still seven days left.

　　"Where are they planning to attack?"

　　"On the cross slope in the east of the jujube forest."