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

After Magistrate Zhou fell from power, she was secretly placed in this secluded residence.

When she first arrived here, Zhou Wanning had a fleeting, unrealistic fantasy in the face of the emperor's special favor and protection.

She thought she had survived a great calamity, that her misfortune had turned into a blessing, and that she had received an extraordinary opportunity that ordinary people could hardly attain.

She carefully played the role of a weak orphan girl in need of protection, trying to grasp at this only straw to find a glimmer of hope, or even glory, in this unfathomable palace.

Until that night, in a moment of passion and confusion, the man who held the power of life and death over her breathed passionately in her ear and uttered a completely unfamiliar name—

"Achu".

At that moment, as if doused with ice water, Zhou Wanning instantly sobered up and understood her situation.

It turns out that all the special treatment and tenderness were simply because her face resembled an indelible shadow in the emperor's heart.

She is not Zhou Wanning, nor even herself.

She was merely a substitute, a carefully crafted imposter kept in a dark room.

After the initial shock, fear, resentment, and bitterness, Zhou Wanning learned to observe the emperor more carefully and to be more perceptive of his morbid quirks as she faced the same obsessive man day after day.

He seemed to particularly enjoy seeing her show signs of rejection and indifference.

Whenever she gets angry and ignores him because she calls him by the wrong name, he not only doesn't get annoyed, but becomes even more patient, even showing a tenderness that is almost obsessive.

Therefore, Zhou Wanning learned to take advantage of this.

She began to consciously or unconsciously imitate the fragments of the woman's personality pieced together from Emperor Cangqi's words, especially that pride that would not be easily bent by power.

She buried her disgust and fear.

At this moment, Zhou Wanning was held in Emperor Cangqi's arms, her nose filled with the scent of ambergris and masculine aroma.

She leaned against his shoulder, feigning compliance, and even gently hugged him back with her soft arms, as if she were being comforted by his soft coaxing.

However, her face was hidden from Emperor Cangqi's view, and her beautiful eyes were filled with icy coldness.

Emperor Cangqi held the soft body in his arms, the scent of incense that Zhou Wanning had specially prepared still lingering around his nose.

He closed his eyes, indulging in this momentary, illusory comfort.

He knew the person in his arms wasn't Achu; Achu would never so docilely pretend to lean against him.

When Achu looked at him, there was wariness, distance, and disgust, but she had never shown such a submissive attitude before.

But... just like it is enough.

Especially when she rejected him, the stubbornness that unconsciously showed in her eyes was most similar to his.

"It's alright," Emperor Cangqi said, stroking Zhou Wanning's hair, but a darker flame burned in his eyes.

All we need to do is find Achu's reincarnation and place that soul into this carefully nurtured body... that will solve everything.

Then, his Achu will be able to truly return and come back to his side.

Qingwu City, Moon Residence Inn.

After two days of bumpy travel, covered in dust, Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen's group finally entered Qingwu City.

Compared to the bustling crowds of Changling City, Qingwu City is more like a weathered old man, with mottled city walls and narrow streets.

The buildings on both sides are mostly low brick and wood structures, with faded wind chimes hanging from the eaves, making a crisp sound in the wind.

Xie Jinchen booked a relatively secluded courtyard in the back of the inn, complete with a small kitchen and a private well, to facilitate concealing his whereabouts.

After settling in, Jiang Dusheng released the souls of Wang Dazhuang and Ruan Guyan from the bone flute and prepared new paper doll bodies for them.

After being infused with spiritual energy, the two paper figures swayed as they stood up and moved their limbs.

After getting used to his new body, Wang Dazhuang couldn't wait to run to the bronze mirror in the room and look at himself from left to right.

She's pretty, but not nearly as pretty as Prince Xie!

Then, he walked up to Jiang Dusheng, who was focused on drawing talismans, and stared at Jiang Dusheng with a mournful expression without saying a word.

Jiang Dusheng paused slightly under his gaze, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop writing: "What is it now?"

Wang Dazhuang then pouted and said in a wronged tone, "Master, you lied to me! You clearly promised me before that you would definitely give me a body even more handsome than Prince Xie's!"

He held out his paper hand, pointed to his own face, and then thought of Xie Jinchen's handsome yet otherworldly face. The contrast only intensified his sorrow.

"Look at this...this difference is just too big! Even though I'm just a paper doll, I still have my pride!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng didn't even pause the talisman he was drawing, nor did he lift his eyelids. His tone was somewhat nonchalant: "Did I promise?"

She thought for a moment, "Oh, I think that's what happened."

Jiang Dusheng finally finished the last stroke, picked up the talisman, examined it against the light, then glanced at Wang Dazhuang's face and said with great self-righteousness:

"But after thinking it over carefully, I've seen countless people and ghosts in all my years of wandering the world, and I've never seen anyone more pleasing to the eye than Xie Jinchen. Since that's the case, it's natural that I can't cut it out."

Wang Dazhuang: "..."

Jiang Dusheng ignored him, took out several silver notes of considerable value from his sleeve, and handed them over:

"Alright, stop joking. Qingwu City may not be big, but it has its own unique charm."

"Take this money and show Miss Ruan around the city. Buy her some things she likes. Remember, don't cause any trouble."

Upon seeing the silver note, Wang Dazhuang's previous resentment vanished instantly. He hurriedly accepted it with a paper-thin hand, bowing and scraping, his voice becoming increasingly obsequious.

"Alright! Thank you so much, Master! You have such a kind heart! Don't worry, I promise I'll make sure Miss Ruan eats well, drinks well, and has a good time. I'll observe more and say less, and I absolutely won't cause you the slightest trouble!"

After saying that, he happily called to Ruan Guyan, who had been quietly standing by his side, and went out.

After Wang Dazhuang left, the room became quiet.

Jiang Dusheng carefully put away all the talismans he had drawn, and Xie Jinchen then pushed open the door and walked in.

He was still carrying pastries, which he naturally placed next to Jiang Dusheng.

"I bought this at the street corner. They say it's a specialty of Qingwu City, made with local mountain honey and grains. Try it and see if you can stomach it." His voice was gentle, his gaze lingering for a moment on her slightly tired face. He poured her a glass of warm water and pushed it towards her. "Shall we head into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning?"

Jiang Dusheng picked up a piece of still slightly warm pastry and took a bite. It tasted sweet but not cloying.

She nodded and swallowed the pastry. "Yes. Too many people there will only increase the danger. Tomorrow, just the two of us will go lightly. The rest of the guards will stay at the inn."

Xie Jinchen had no objection to this.

As the two were talking, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a low voice announcing, "Your Highness, An Wu has returned and is waiting for you outside the courtyard."

Anwu was the guard who was haunted by Mo Qiuniang's ghost and ordered to go home to investigate clues about the purse.

Jiang Dusheng put down the pastries in her hand, and Xie Jinchen wiped her hands with a handkerchief, saying in a deep voice, "Let him in."

The door was pushed open, and An Wu, looking travel-worn, strode in, his face showing signs of exhaustion.

He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your subordinate, Anwu, greets the Crown Prince and His Majesty!"

"Stand up and speak." Xie Jinchen raised his hand. "Have you asked clearly?"

Anwu stood up, his facial muscles twitching slightly, clearly indicating that the news he had brought back had left him unsettled.

He took a deep breath before speaking, his voice tinged with self-reproach:

"Reporting back to Your Highness and Madam, I hastened home and carefully questioned my mother..."

He choked back a sore throat before continuing, each word seeming to weigh a ton, "It was...it was my mother's momentary lapse of judgment. I'm so sorry, Mo family girl!"