The duel between the two was decided in an instant.

  Ye Menghua stared blankly at the scene before her. In her distraction, she didn't even realize that she had interrupted her own effort to channel energy for healing. Turning her gaze back to Su Lun, her expression became resolute.

  “So, the mysterious expert... it was you!?”

  She struggled to associate Su Lun with the master whose powerful inner strength had been evident in that resounding howl. After all, a true expert of that caliber could easily use inner energy to dry their clothes, sparing themselves such tedious effort.

  Su Lun turned his head at her words and smiled faintly.

  When he shifted his gaze back to Zhang Dongxuan, who was groaning on the ground, a translucent panel flickered to life before him.

  [Mission Triggered: Apprehend Zhang Dongxuan, the Master of Tianwang Stronghold!]

  [Do you wish to accept the mission?]

  The notification had just appeared, precisely after Ye Menghua identified Zhang Dongxuan as the wanted criminal for whom the authorities were offering a bounty of a thousand taels of silver.

  "When Zhang Dongxuan first appeared disguised in black, the system didn’t respond at all," Su Lun noted inwardly. "It really aligns with this system’s rules. Only after his identity as a fugitive was confirmed did the mission appear."

  He couldn’t help but feel that his system was rather lackluster. Other transmigrators’ systems were omniscient and all-powerful, capable of granting skills, developing techniques, or even predicting the future.

  His system? It might just be a discarded prototype from other transmigrators.

  Still, his system offered rewards for completing missions, which, though modest, had been lifesaving. However, he couldn't rule out the possibility that this was a one-time bonus for the first mission.

  "Then again, if the rewards from future missions pile up, who knows? Maybe I’ll eventually become an invincible, immortal legend."

  The thought filled Su Lun with excitement. Silently, he accepted the mission.

  He had expected that his next opportunity to claim a bounty would only come after reaching a nearby county town. Who would have thought that fortune would favor him so soon? The quarry had delivered himself right to his doorstep.

  Rejecting such an opportunity would surely invoke the wrath of the heavens.

  [Mission Accepted!]

  [Target: Apprehend Zhang Dongxuan, the Master of Tianwang Stronghold!]

  [Progress: Ongoing…]

  Satisfied, Su Lun calmed himself. However, he quickly realized a complication. The dilapidated temple was quite far from the nearest county town, and traveling with a fugitive would be highly inconvenient.

  “System, does the bounty require the fugitive to be alive?”

  The system responded after a moment:

  “As long as the authorities can confirm the identity of the fugitive, a complete corpse or even just the head will suffice.”

  Hearing this, Su Lun glanced at Zhang Dongxuan. The man was lying in a bloody heap, his arm’s meridians shattered and his strength reduced to a fraction of what it once was.

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  Su Lun walked over and turned to Ye Menghua.

  “Miss Ye, do you have any further questions for this man?”

  Ye Menghua, snapped back to her senses, seemed to guess what Su Lun intended.

  “No, esteemed sir… please proceed.”

  “Just call me Su Lun.”

  Without further ado, Su Lun stomped on Zhang Dongxuan’s neck, ending his life. He then stripped the corpse of its black robes and twisted off the head, wrapping it carefully in the fabric.

  After completing the grisly task, Su Lun glanced at the system panel and saw the mission progress was still marked as "Ongoing." Only then did he relax.

  Ye Menghua resumed her healing meditation.

  Su Lun, not wanting to disturb her, carried the bloody bundle back to the fire, which had been extinguished during the earlier fight. The half-eaten roast chicken had vanished, likely flung away in the chaos.

  Fortunately, his belongings remained intact. Su Lun gathered fresh wood and reignited the fire, continuing to dry his clothes.

  The moon hung high in the sky.

  Once her treatment was complete, Ye Menghua rose and offered Su Lun a grateful bow.

  “I didn’t expect Su Gongzi to possess such formidable inner strength and exceptional martial prowess. Your intervention has saved my life, and I am deeply grateful.”

  She hesitated briefly before continuing, “It is I who should apologize. I failed to recognize a master in your presence and made a fool of myself.”

  “Think nothing of it.” Su Lun waved her off.

  “You and I have had an enjoyable conversation. Besides, I am no master. I am but a man of humble origins who stumbled upon a stroke of fortune and gained a bit of inner strength.”

  Ye Menghua didn’t press him for details, though her expression suggested she found his explanation entirely reasonable.

  “That explains why Su Gongzi has such powerful inner energy yet doesn’t know how to use it for simple tasks like drying clothes. It must be that your fortuitous encounter was incomplete.”

  Su Lun maintained a composed demeanor, though her words stung a little.

  "She’s not wrong," he admitted to himself.

  “Miss Ye,” he said, shifting the topic, “I have a question to ask you.”

  “Please, go ahead,” she replied.

  Su Lun scratched his head sheepishly.

  “If I bring this man’s head to the county town for the bounty, what should I do if the authorities doubt he’s Zhang Dongxuan?”

  Ye Menghua froze for a moment upon hearing this. Seeing that Su Lun was not joking, she finally spoke:

  "This person is a notorious bandit from years past, once infamous and deeply entangled in many affairs. His likeness can be found in several wanted posters across the region."

  "The county office must report this up the chain, waiting for officials from the prefectural office to confirm his identity."

  "Therefore, Sir, it would be best for you to go directly to the prefectural office to turn him in."

  "In doing so, you can save yourself a great deal of trouble."

  "Furthermore, if you have no acquaintances in the prefectural office, it would be wise to find someone who can verify Zhang Dongxuan's identity and vouch for you."

  "A witness?"

  Su Lun pondered briefly, his gaze falling on Ye Menghua's delicate yet pale face. After a moment's hesitation, he asked:

  "Miss Ye, if I may ask, where are you heading on this journey?"

  "I... I had planned to go to Cangzhou Prefecture."

  Ye Menghua's expression turned sorrowful as she let out a gentle sigh:

  "Just now, Sir Su heard Zhang Dongxuan’s words. Although I studied under the Liuyun Sword Sect, I was born into the Ye family and am the eldest daughter of the household."

  "Tonight, tragedy befell my family. Out of everyone, only my younger sister, who was away training in martial arts, and I survived."

  "I fought my way out, intending to seek aid from an old family friend in Cangzhou Prefecture."

  "Wait, are you saying you’re also heading to Cangzhou Prefecture?"

  Hearing this, Su Lun couldn’t hide his delight. The reason he inquired about Ye Menghua's destination was precisely that he hoped she might serve as the witness.

  After all, she was the one who had identified the black-clad man as Zhang Dongxuan.

  Moreover, with her status as a member of the Liuyun Sword Sect and the eldest daughter of the Ye family, there was a chance she might have some influence with the local authorities.

  "Is Sir Su also bound for Cangzhou Prefecture?"

  Ye Menghua's bright eyes studied Su Lun's increasingly handsome face as she asked, "Is it an urgent matter?"

  Su Lun tilted his head back and let out a bitter laugh.

  "To save someone."

  Hearing this, Ye Menghua straightened her posture, her gaze fixed on Su Lun's face, which seemed more striking the longer she looked.

  "And... who might it be that requires Sir Su’s rescue?"

  "My master…"

  Thinking of the plea for help the old drunkard had sent him, Su Lun couldn’t help but let out a sigh.