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

Consciousness slowly rose from the boundless darkness.

When Jiang Dusheng woke up, the first thing he felt was the soft, dry bedding beneath him, and the scent of herbs and incense lingered around his nose.

Next came the warmth and tight grip from my palm.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The carved bed ceiling came into view, and the light from the lanterns outside shone through the window.

She turned her head slightly to the side.

Xie Jinchen was lying right next to her, very close.

His eyes were closed, his long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on his pale cheeks, his breathing was steady and long, and his chest rose and fell gently with each breath.

He had changed into clean nightgowns, and the bloodstains on his face had been wiped away, but his complexion was still pale from blood loss.

Jiang Dusheng's heart clenched, and his hands tightened instinctively, as if to confirm that the warmth of their clasped hands was not an illusion.

Then, she reached out with her other hand and touched his wrist, which was exposed outside the thin blanket.

The pulse is steady and strong.

Jiang Dusheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

However, in the instant she relaxed her guard, the wrist she was taking her pulse on suddenly twitched.

At the same time, a force came, and before she could react, she fell into an embrace filled with the fragrance of medicine and a unique, refreshing scent.

Xie Jinchen had woken up at some point and was looking down at her with a faint smile in his eyes.

His chest trembled slightly, and he let out a low, hoarse chuckle:

"What? You thought I was dead?" His voice was right next to her ear, his breath brushing against her hair.

Caught off guard, Jiang Dusheng found herself lying squarely on top of him, her cheek pressed against his thin nightgown, where she could feel the warmth of his skin and the vibrations of his heartbeat.

She didn't struggle; instead, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace from the real touch and heartbeat.

Jiang Dusheng let herself lie in his arms for a few breaths before speaking, "Before I fainted, I seemed to see a man with dark gold eyes, exactly the same as the little girl's eyes back then. That little girl really was the Netherworld Princess, wasn't she?"

Xie Jinchen's arms wrapped around her waist, tightening slightly, as if to confirm their presence.

He hummed in response.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, his tone calm yet earnest:

"Jiang Dusheng, let's get married."

Jiang Dusheng: "...?"

She froze, abruptly lifting her head from Xie Jinchen's embrace, meeting his deep eyes.

There were no jokes, no impulsiveness, only a frankness and a solemnity born of deep thought.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Xie Jinchen seemed to be able to see through her turbulent thoughts at that moment, and interrupted her before she could ask, "What kind of dirty thing possessed you?"

"She's not possessed by anything unclean." He paused, his gaze deepening into her eyes, as if trying to see through them into the depths of her soul. "It's just..."

Xie Jinchen's voice lowered, "When that Emperor Soul's death aura pressed down, besides regretting that I couldn't save the people of Qingwu City, my biggest regret was... not marrying you sooner."

He raised his free hand and gently brushed away a stray strand of hair from her cheek with his fingertips, his movements as precious as if he were handling a rare treasure.

"Therefore," Xie Jinchen looked at her, each word clear and firm, "to prevent such regrets before death from happening again, we will get married. It will be a legitimate marriage, a union in life and death, a shared destiny."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng stared blankly at his own pale face reflected in the man's eyes.

Deep within my heart, a certain place felt completely soothed by those words, a warmth that swelled within me.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly lowered her head again, buried her face in the crook of his neck, nuzzled against him, and said lazily, "Oh."

This reaction... seems to be different from what I expected.

Xie Jinchen's eyebrows twitched slightly. Before he could even savor the meaning behind her "oh," he heard her mumble something indistinctly against the side of his neck, as if she had thought of something extremely interesting:

"However... you do look a tiny bit like that dog emperor now."

Xie Jinchen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and then he let out a clear groan of displeasure through his nose.

His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace, his tone clearly showing displeasure and a desire to correct her: "How can I be compared to him?"

"We are deeply in love and committed to each other through thick and thin. He took what he wanted by force and disregarded everyone's wishes."

After emphasizing this, he didn't give her a chance to change the subject. He lowered his head, his lips almost touching her ear, his breath hot as he pressed, "Don't change the subject. Will you?"

A warm breath brushed against his ear, and Jiang Dusheng shifted in his arms, not pulling away but finding a more comfortable position, deliberately drawing out his words:

"Me..." She felt the arm around her waist tighten even more, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, "I'll think about it."

"Consider?" Xie Jinchen raised an eyebrow, the gentleness in his eyes instantly replaced by a dangerous darkness.

He suddenly lowered his head and bit her neck lightly on the side, where she was completely unprepared.

"Ouch!" Jiang Dusheng cried out in pain, his ears turning bright red instantly. He reached out to push him away, but Jiang Dusheng held him firmly in his arms.

Xie Jinchen looked up at her face, which had instantly flushed crimson, and her wide eyes, a triumphant smile spreading across his own.

"You disagree?" His lips touched the spot where he had just bitten her, his voice low and husky, carrying a strong threat, "Then I'll force you to marry me."

Just then, Xuanji Zhenren's powerful roar slammed into the room through the door, instantly shattering the tender and intimate atmosphere.

"You traitor, get out here now that you're awake! Stop hiding in your room and whining!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng stiffened, broke free from Xie Jinchen's embrace, and gritted his teeth as he looked towards the door:

"Master! You are disrespectful to your elders!"

Xie Jinchen chuckled softly and helped her sit up by supporting her waist.

He then nimbly rolled off the bed, took the clean outer robe that had been prepared beforehand, carefully draped it over her shoulders, and tied the sash.

After the two finished getting ready, they pushed open the door. It was already late at night, but the courtyard was brightly lit, with stone lanterns lit under the eaves and in the courtyard.

The scenery, both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar, made Xie Jinchen feel a little dazed; this was the Xie family's residence in Qingwu City.

Master Xuanji sat at the stone table in the courtyard, legs crossed, holding a steaming teacup in his hands, looking relaxed and carefree.

Hearing the door open, he lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the two people, and then pointed with his chin at the stone bench opposite him:

"What kind of behavior is this, dawdling like this? Come and sit down, your teacher has something to ask you."

Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen walked over together and sat down on the stone bench.

The stone bench was slightly cool. Xie Jinchen quietly placed a soft cushion he had just brought with him under Jiang Dusheng.