Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"No!"

In a panic, Ji Linchuan dropped the jade pendant and once again pressed the dagger against his neck.

"I used to be a good person too. I was forced into this situation. You can't be so cruel to me."

He still doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

The Princess Consort walked towards him and said, "Linchuan, what is stolen is still stolen. Return it to the Prince."

Didn't you say you did all this to be with me? I'm here with you.

"But you're a traitor."

Ji Linchuan hastily retreated, saying, "Don't come any closer."

The princess stopped in her tracks, tears streaming down her face.

She knew that Ji Linchuan's evil was for his own selfish desires, but she still held onto hope.

She fantasized that he truly cared for her, even if only a little, but reality slapped her in the face.

She closed her eyes briefly. "Miss Guiyao, please."

Gui Yao condensed a wisp of spiritual power and struck Ji Linchuan. That wisp of spiritual power pierced through his physical body and struck Ji Linchuan's soul directly.

Feeling the tangible separation between his soul and body, he panicked completely and begged for mercy from the Princess Consort.

"I was wrong, please tell her to stop, I'll change my ways..."

Gui Yao didn't give him a chance to shout any further before his soul was ripped away, and his body collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, a wisp of soul energy instinctively entered the physical body.

Princess Consort could not see any of this. When Prince Shu's body collapsed to the ground, she also slumped to the ground, looking at the body with despair and pain.

She seemed to regain some consciousness only after the person on the ground opened their eyes and slowly sat up.

She tentatively asked, "Your Highness?"

The Prince of Shu looked at her and saw her sitting on the ground. He asked with concern, "Zhenniang? What happened to you?"

The princess suddenly covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm the one who's sorry."

She knew that the Prince of Shu had returned.

Because Ji Linchuan was worried about being discovered after the soul swap, he asked her to pretend to have swapped souls with Qi Yu as a smokescreen.

To avoid giving himself away, he hadn't called her by her given name for four whole years.

The Prince of Shu looked somewhat bewildered. He glanced around and saw Lü Qiao kneeling on the ground, with a cold-faced girl holding a long sword standing behind her.

Beside the Princess Consort was a woman dressed in blue with a tasseled hat. Though she did not speak, she exuded an imposing aura. Judging from the rows of magnolias, this must be his estate outside the city.

His consciousness gradually returned. "Wasn't I dead?"

He remembered going to find Ji Linchuan's remains, only to discover that Ji Linchuan was not dead at all. He knocked him unconscious, took his body, and locked him in the darkest of times.

There he met Qi Yu, who was also trapped, and it was through this that he learned he was a spirit, since Qi Yu had died before he left the capital.

Gui Yao saw that the Princess Consort was crying uncontrollably, so he told the Prince of Shu about it.

"Thank you for saving me, young lady."

Shu County Wang Chaogui bowed with his hands clasped, his expression complex. "I never expected him to hate me so much."

But if I had the choice again, I would still report it.

He paused, then asked, "What will he do?"

The Princess Consort also looked at Gui Yao.

Gui Yao patted the non-existent dust off his hands and laughed, "Those who defy the Heavenly Dao will inevitably suffer the backlash of the Heavenly Dao."

Once he enters the underworld, he will discover that death is the most merciful punishment for him.

He will fall into the deepest hell, suffer endless divine punishment, and never be able to be reborn.

This is the price of going against the will of Heaven.

After glancing at the grieving Princess Consort, Gui Yao didn't say the last two sentences.

The Prince of Shu then inquired about Qi Yu's whereabouts.

Gui Yao said, "There will be underworld messengers to take him to the underworld for reincarnation."

The Prince of Shu nodded silently.

Gui Yao waited a couple of breaths before speaking again, "There is one more thing, regarding your son's identity, which I need to confirm with you personally."

She then recounted Zhao Mingyue's search for her child.

"Prince of Shu, I am now asking you seriously: Is your eldest son, Feng Youcheng, the child that Qi Yu picked up?"

Those who deceive me will never have a good end; Ji Linchuan is a prime example.

She had also said this to Ji Linchuan.

The Prince of Shu nodded, "The child was indeed found by Qi Yu in the moat, and now that the child's mother has come looking for him..."

He hesitated for a moment and said, "I will go to the palace and tell His Majesty about the child's parentage."

Accept the punishment they deserve.

As for Zhenniang, he frowned. He married her back then to protect her and their child, and also to make amends to Ji Linchuan.

Now he and Ji Linchuan are even, but Ji Linchuan used his body to become Zhenniang's real husband and wife, and they even had a child.

However, he only felt friendship towards Zhenniang and had no romantic feelings for her. Besides, he already had someone he should marry.

But if they divorce as agreed, what will become of Zhenniang?

The Prince of Shu should think this over carefully.

Gui Yao glanced at him. Human emotions were too complicated. She knew she didn't have the aptitude for it and didn't intend to get involved.

With the child's identity confirmed, her deal with Zhao Mingyue was about to end.

Gui Yao looked at the two figures, one tall and one short, approaching and reminded the Princess Consort, "The young master has arrived."

The princess consort couldn't bear to let the child know that his adoptive father wanted to kill him, so after Xiao Huaijin saved the child, she asked Xiao Huaijin to take the child away temporarily.

Now that the child has come, I'm afraid it's because he's worried about the Princess Consort.

But how could Gui Yao explain to the child the Princess Consort's eyes, which were swollen like walnuts? Gui Yao didn't think about it further.

She glanced at the Princess Consort, who was already supporting herself as she stood up, her eyes empty and lost.

Gui Yao smiled and stepped forward to take Xiao Huaijin's hand.

"I'm hungry. Come with me to get a nice meal, and I'll tell you a secret, okay?"

The borrowed senses will soon have to be returned; I need to quickly appreciate the beautiful scenery before me and have a good meal.

It was only the second time she had held his hand, yet Xiao Huaijin felt a strange sense of familiarity. He smiled slightly and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Gui Yao patted her belly. "Let's go to Changxiangsi again."

Although the place wasn't very hospitable, the food was still quite delicious.

On the way, Xiao Huaijin asked Gui Yao, "You only knew that the Prince of Shu and Qi Yu were not homosexual, and that the Prince of Shu had reported the Ji family. How did you deduce so many things that happened afterward?"

Although he was not at the scene of the incident, he knew exactly what the people said through the secret message relayed by the swordsman.

Gui Yao laughed, "Nothing special, I've heard the stories so many times that they're just familiar."

Mao Dan told her a lot of gossip.

"You are very smart."

Xiao Huaijin sincerely praised him.

Gui Yao nodded in agreement, "Prince Jin has excellent judgment."

I've never seen such an unhumble woman before.

Xiao Huaijin chuckled. "What secret are you going to tell me?"

"I thought you weren't curious."

Gui Yao took out a set of men's clothing from her spatial storage, removed her hat, and prepared to change.

Xiao Huaijin quickly turned his back.

He felt a little annoyed; his composure and calmness always seemed to vanish unexpectedly in front of Gui Yao.

Gui Yao glanced at his slightly flustered back and smiled, "The Ghost Market has moved to Nanyao."

Outside the carriage, the lantern-bearer stared in astonishment.

Is this what you call a secret?

What a narcissistic and cunning woman.

But she did admire Gui Yao's abilities and couldn't help but prick up her ears.

Xiao Huaijin, as if he had anticipated this, accepted it readily and seized the opportunity to ask, "If the Ghost Market causes trouble in Nanyao, may I ask you, young lady, to go and assist us?"

"I'm fine."

Gui Yao threw the women's clothes she had changed out of into her spatial storage, glanced at the sky outside the window, and wondered if the heavens would allow it.

Two months ago, she was sleeping soundly when suddenly a bolt of lightning struck from the sky. No matter where she went, except towards the capital, the lightning kept striking her.

She wondered who this person in the capital was, and why fate had brought her here.

Xiao Huaijin, unaware of her thoughts, was about to say something when a fast horse galloped close by, "Your Highness, Young Master Pei has disappeared."

Gui Yao's brow twitched; it was her willpower!