In the blink of an eye, the summer sun shines brightly on the earth again. The golden wheat fields shimmer in the sunlight, a scene of abundant harvest. Under the scorching sun, farmers toil diligently, their sweat pouring down their faces.

"Hey, do you know?" a farmer dressed in coarse cloth asked, busy with his work, not paying attention to what was going on.

"What do you know?" the man next to him asked.

"The government has arrested another gang of bandits. Oh my goodness, that bandit mountain was full of gold and silver treasures. The government officials had to go back and forth three times to finally take it all!"

"Those damned bandits! They stole so much money. If even a little bit had leaked out from under their fingernails, it would have been enough for us to live on for a lifetime," the man said with a regretful expression.

"Hey, you're overthinking it, Liu Dafu. You're always dreaming of good things. Hurry up and harvest your wheat from those few acres, or your wife won't sleep with you tonight."

"Haha, Zhao Gui is right." Everyone around him laughed at him.

Liu Dafu once wanted to become a bandit in the mountains, but unfortunately he didn't know kung fu and no one wanted him. He had no choice but to become a peasant in the village.

The magistrate of Min'an County was in high spirits recently due to a happy event: the banditry that had plagued the county for several years was resolved.

The magistrate felt a great sense of relief at the resolution of the banditry. In the past, he had always been on edge, constantly vigilant, fearing that the bandits would bring even greater disaster.

Now, he could finally enjoy a moment of peace. That evening, the magistrate sipped tea alone in his study, feeling exceptionally pleased.

He gazed at the bright moon outside the window, savoring the aroma of tea, and fell into deep thought. For years, he had been troubled by banditry, but now that it was finally resolved, he was sure he would be promoted in the next official assessment.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The magistrate was slightly taken aback, put down his teacup in confusion, slowly walked to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was a handsome young man of refined appearance.

“Young Master Li, it’s late at night. May I ask what brings you here?” Magistrate Chen gestured to the young man before him.

Young Master Li entered with a smile, bowed to the magistrate, and said, "It's been a while, Master Chen looks even more energetic. Please forgive me, sir, I didn't want to disturb your household, so I jumped over the wall to get in. You don't mind, do you?"

Magistrate Chen laughed heartily, "Thanks to you, the banditry has finally been resolved, and I can finally enjoy a moment of peace." The two went to the study and sat down again to enjoy tea.

When Magistrate Chen inquired about the purpose of Young Master Li's visit, Li Xi smiled and said, "Sir, you seem to have quite a memory! Just a few days ago, I was having tea and watching opera with you at the teahouse. How could you have forgotten what I told you in such a short time?"

"Young Master Li, please don't take offense. I'm getting old, and my memory is inevitably failing me." Magistrate Chen smiled slightly, his attitude much more amiable than before.

Li Xi waved his hand, still smiling, and said, "You flatter me, sir. How could I possibly blame you? I'm just here to collect the profit share you promised. My brothers and I can't work for nothing, can we? We all have families to support."

Magistrate Chen nodded somewhat awkwardly, gesturing for the clerk behind him to hand a bag of money to Li Xi. The bag was heavy, the coins seemingly clinking together, clearly a much larger reward than before. He had assumed that this young master Li had already pocketed a considerable sum while suppressing the bandits, and thought he wouldn't come to ask for money back.

"Young Master Li, we are very grateful for your help this time," Magistrate Chen said with emotion.

Li Xi took the money bag, secretly pleased with herself. It seemed that not only had the mission been successfully completed, but she had also gained unexpected rewards.

He concealed his inner joy and replied humbly, "You flatter me, sir. We only did our bit. Since you appreciate us so much, please feel free to ask if you need anything in the future."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A constable ran up quickly and reported anxiously, "Sir, something bad has happened! Another group of mountain bandits has been spotted outside the city. Judging from their attire, they must have come down from the Western Mountains."

Upon hearing this, the room fell into complete silence.

Magistrate Chen's expression changed slightly, knowing that this would be another severe test.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Then he solemnly said, "Young Master Li, it seems that some of the bandits we captured a few days ago have escaped. We still need your help."

Li Xi was startled. She hadn't even had time to count the money in her hand before trouble struck. There was no other way; she needed to provide good after-sales service to maintain a good reputation and ensure a steady flow of wealth.

"Lord Chen, rest assured, I will help you eliminate the threat completely."

Li Xi hurriedly returned to the stronghold, gathered a few people, prepared some secret weapons, and set off for the area where bandits roamed.

They worked until well past midnight before finally catching the dozen or so who had slipped through the net. It took a lot of effort to capture the second-in-command and his gang.

According to their confession, they originally planned to separate from the leader, but after hearing that the leader and his gang had been captured, they thought of returning to Xishan to take over, but they ended up running into the government officials.

After handing the man over to Magistrate Chen, Li Xi rubbed his aching hands and feet and returned to the stronghold.

Old Master Sun was sorting through various intelligence reports in the library when he looked up at Li Xi who had entered and smiled, "Oh, the busy man is back?"

"I now suspect you're grooming me to be a money lender. Here, this is the reward money Lord Chen gave me," Li Xi said helplessly.

After learning martial arts from Master Sun, she naturally became his disciple, and the people of the Hidden Sect treated her as their successor.

Using their intelligence, she discussed cooperation with the local magistrate, which eliminated many bandits in the mountains.

Most of the money was taken by Elder Sun, ostensibly for the sake of the Hidden Sect's expansion. However, she also hid some shady items during the bandit suppression campaign. "Every man for himself," as the saying goes, "Money makes the heart swell."

Li Xi lay on the bed, examining the jade pendant. She had found it in the bandit's den in the Western Hills, and it had captivated her at first sight, as if it were a long-lost friend. She stuffed a bag of gold into her backpack and casually picked up the jade pendant, placing it on her person.

The jade pendant's luster remained exceptionally bright even in the dimly lit room, as if it were a tiny lighthouse guiding the way in the darkness.

As I caressed it, a cool sensation traveled through my fingertips, as if it were the chill of the deep sea or the frozen mountains.

The jade pendant has a peculiar shape; it is not the common round or square shape, but an irregular shape, more like a stone sculpted by time.

There were tiny lines on it, like ancient landscape paintings or ancient totems. Suddenly, the surface of the jade pendant seemed to change slightly, and the lines seemed to come alive.

Upon closer inspection, the patterns seemed to form a picture: an ancient palace, nestled between heaven and earth, surrounded by swirling clouds and ancient trees, exuding solemnity and mystery. "This is..." she exclaimed in surprise, a strange sense of familiarity welling up within her.

I fell asleep without thinking much about it.