After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Jiang Dusheng moved his head, tilted his head back to look at the jawline so close to his own, and suddenly said, "It's just about repaying, right? I'll do it now. Shall I tell you a bedtime story?"

Xie Jinchen looked down at her, wondering what she was up to now, and simply hummed in response.

Jiang Dusheng cleared his throat and began to speak in a low, melancholic tone:

"Once upon a time, there was a scholar who spent the night in a deserted temple. In the middle of the night, he heard rustling sounds coming from the corner of the wall. He got up and looked, and lo and behold, there was a bride dressed in a red wedding gown and covered with a red veil, with her back to him, facing the corner of the wall, combing her hair little by little."

She paused deliberately, lowered her voice, and even imitated the slow motion of combing hair. "The scholar was both frightened and curious, and asked in a trembling voice:

"Young lady, it's late at night, why are you doing your hair here?"

The bride didn't turn around, but answered softly and resentfully, "My husband... I'm waiting for him to come and lift this veil for me..."

At this point, Jiang Dusheng suddenly leaned close to Xie Jinchen's ear and whispered, "Then she asked, 'My lord, do you think my black hair looks good?'"

"As she spoke..." Her voice suddenly shifted, taking on an eerie rhythm, "She slowly, very slowly turned her head... a full circle! Her face was still turned towards the corner, but the back of her head was facing the scholar..."

Jiang Dusheng suddenly raised his eyes, staring straight at Xie Jinchen, and imitated the female ghost in a high-pitched voice, "On the back of that head, there was also a pale face, grinning with bright red lips, smiling at the scholar."

Xie Jinchen: "..."

Silence lingered for a few breaths in the warm bedding.

"...Jiang Dusheng," he finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, "do you always use these heart-wrenching stories to lull people to sleep?"

"Don't you like it?" Jiang Duli asked matter-of-factly, even a little eager to try. "Then shall I choose another one? There's that old devil who specializes in taking the hearts and souls of scholars to drink with..."

Xie Jinchen: "...No need."

He gently pressed Jiang Dusheng's restless head back down. "I appreciate your ingratitude. Go to sleep."

The next day, as dawn broke, sunlight streamed through the window, dispelling the lingering chill and ambiguity of the previous night.

Jiang Dusheng took out scissors and new talisman paper, preparing to reshape Wang Dazhuang's body.

Wang Dazhuang walked over awkwardly, rubbed his hands together, and whispered, "Master, how about we go back to using the Imperial Preceptor's face? It looks so ethereal!"

"When I go out on business with that face, I feel so much more confident and my words carry weight! It's so prestigious!"

Jiang Dusheng didn't even look up. With a snip of his scissors, he cut out a profile with distinct features and a heroic look.

Her voice was flat, yet left no room for negotiation: "No. Xie Jinchen doesn't like it."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhuang's face immediately fell, "Master! I am your loyal and hardworking servant! What do you care whether he likes it or not?!"

Jiang Dusheng finally stopped scissors and glanced at him.

His eyes were clear and bright, even with a hint of disdain that said, "I can't live without Xie Jinchen."

That's her inexhaustible source of spiritual energy.

Wang Dazhuang: "..."

His paper figure swayed, as if stunned by his words.

He would bet his newly made paper head that if Prince Xie were here and heard this, his deadpan face would probably burst into laughter.

Jiang Dusheng ignored Wang Dazhuang and quickly finished cutting out the details.

Before long, a brand new paper doll body was born.

"Alright, get used to it yourself." She pushed the freshly baked Wang Dazhuang aside.

Wang Dazhuang looked at himself in the bronze mirror from left to right. Although he had lost the ethereal aura of the Imperial Preceptor, his new face was still handsome and spirited, and he could barely...accept it.

After getting ready, Jiang Dusheng prepared to leave.

Before leaving, she instructed, "Dazhuang, go and order a plaque for the gate. Use the best wood and carve two characters on it—'Jiang Residence'."

The two simple and direct words announced the new owner of the mansion, and also meant that she had officially settled down in Changling City.

"Alright! Don't worry, Master, I'll get right on it! I guarantee I'll choose the best wood and carve the most impressive characters!" Wang Dazhuang accepted the order and ran off energetically, his new body seemingly giving him plenty of drive.

Jiang Dusheng arrived at the stall where the ironclad predictions were made. As soon as he sat down in the familiar spot, a crowd surged over like a tide, instantly surrounding the small stall.

"Master Jiang! It really is you! All my relatives who work in the palace have heard the news! You and the Imperial Advisor turned the tide in the palace that night, subdued all the ghosts, and saved His Majesty and many nobles! You are truly a deity descended to earth!"

"Yes, yes, yes! We were blind before, we thought you were... Ugh, you deserve a beating! You deserve a beating!"

Some people even pretended to slap themselves.

"Master Jiang! Please tell my son's fortune! Tell me how his luck will be in the imperial examination this year! Price is negotiable! Double! No, triple!"

"I was here first! Master Jiang, please take a look at me first! My house has been quite noisy lately!"

Everyone was talking at once, their enthusiasm burning brightly, and they quickly surrounded the small stall.

Jiang Dusheng frowned slightly at the scene, but quickly regained his composure.

She raised her hand and pressed it down lightly.

Strangely enough, although her movements were small and her voice was not deliberately raised, there was a calm and composed demeanor in the way she raised her hand.

The noisy crowd involuntarily quieted down, and all eyes focused on her.

Her voice was clear and melodious, reaching everyone's ears: "I am unworthy of your kind words. I have now settled down in the alley in the west of the city."

She pointed to the west: "Deep in the alley, the house with the newly hung Jiang family plaque is it."

"If you ever need divination, exorcism, or help resolve difficulties in the future, you can come there to find me. The rules remain the same: I will only perform three divinations per day. The fee is based on your own wishes, but you must be sincere."

Seeing that everyone nodded in understanding, she added, "As for the order of these three divinations each day..."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "You can ask Wang Dazhuang, the steward of my household, to make the arrangements."

"Wang Dazhuang?" The crowd looked at each other, then became excited again. "Who is Wang Dazhuang? We need to line up!"

Seeing that the crowd was starting to stir again, Jiang Dusheng immediately stood up and said quickly, "I have important matters to attend to today, so I won't be having my fortune told. Please make yourselves at home."

After saying that, ignoring the calls behind her, she nimbly passed through the crowd and headed straight for the Yongning Princess's residence.