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

Seeing her "say it or not, I'll remain unmoved" attitude, Xie Jinchen's smile deepened.

He strode up behind Jiang Dusheng, a hint of roguishness in his voice, "You don't want to hear it, but I want to say it."

He quickened his pace: "Upon hearing about what happened at the flower-viewing banquet that day, the Cui family, connecting it with Ruan Guyan's life story, immediately realized that she had been framed and slandered by Chu Yanzhao, and died unjustly."

"The General of the Garrison was grief-stricken and furious. He joined forces with several civil officials who were on good terms with him and submitted memorials for several days. Their words were vehement, directly accusing the Prince Chun's family of failing to educate their son properly and slandering the descendants of loyal officials. They demanded severe punishment to rectify the atmosphere."

"That one," Xie Jinchen gestured with his chin towards Changling City, "due to the Cui family's reputation as a virtuous and upright official and the pressure from the court, an imperial edict has been issued stripping Chu Yanzhao of his title as heir apparent and confining him to his residence, forbidding him from leaving without an imperial decree. As for the Jiang family..."

Xie Jinchen's tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm, "After the Cui family made a scene, the Jiang family also felt they had lost face and quickly distanced themselves from Chu Yanzhao. The Second Prince was also implicated because of Chu Yanzhao's matter, and he won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng continued working, letting out a soft snort, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"He got off too easy. He took Ruan Guyan's life, and all he got was stripped of his title and confined to his quarters. He can still live a life of luxury."

She placed the last piece of clothing into her bag, pressed it down slightly with her fingertips, and spoke in a calm yet chilling tone:

"The principles of justice in this world are always too light for some people."

Xie Jinchen naturally took the bag from her hands and led her outside. "This is the best explanation the Emperor could give after weighing all the factors. However, it has also chilled the hearts of the Cui family. As for Chu Yanzhao..."

Xie Jinchen's eyes darkened. "For someone as proud and ambitious as him, stripping him of the status and position he values ​​most might be a longer form of torture. Besides..."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "After this incident, the Prince Chun's Mansion and the Cui family are now mortal enemies. There will be plenty of people who want to take advantage of his misfortune. His days are numbered."

The two had just stepped out of the room and hadn't even gone downstairs when a ghostly figure passed directly through the pillars and floated over.

Ruan Guyan's usually gentle and calm face was now filled with panic, and her voice was choked with sobs, "Miss Jiang! Quick, quick, go save Brother Wang!"

Jiang Dusheng frowned immediately, and as he quickly walked out, he said in a deep voice, "Tell me as we go, what happened?"

Seeing this, Xie Jinchen tossed the bundle in his hand to the waiting guard without hesitation, and said succinctly, "Stay put."

He then strode after Jiang Dusheng.

Ruan Guyan floated beside the two, struggling to stabilize her soul, and recounted the events in a very fast voice:

"Last night, the innkeeper told me that although Liuhe Town is not large, it is quite prosperous, with a lively morning market and many local delicacies."

"Before dawn this morning, Brother Wang and I decided to go to the morning market at the east end of town to find some fresh food... to experience the everyday life of the people."

Her voice was filled with regret and lingering fear. "Who knew that as soon as I sat down at a well-known tofu pudding stall, before the tofu pudding was even served, a man dressed as a wandering Taoist priest came up next to me."

The Taoist priest looked to be about forty years old. He glanced at us, his expression changed, and he pointed at us and shouted:

"You audacious ghost! Daring to take form and linger in the human world in broad daylight, you must have ulterior motives!" Without another word, it pulled out a cloth bag and a peach wood sword, ready to attack!

"When Brother Wang saw that I was scared, he immediately stood in front of me, trying to reason with him. But the Taoist priest wouldn't listen at all and just slapped a talisman that was glowing with golden light at me!"

"Brother Wang rushed forward to stop him in order to protect me, but the talisman hit him squarely in the chest. He... he froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place!"

"The Taoist priest took out a cloth bag to cover me, but seeing the situation was bad, I quickly emerged from the paper figure's body, passed through the wall, and escaped to report back!"

Ruan Guyan's voice changed tone with anxiety, and her soul fluctuated even more violently.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng did not slow his pace, but his expression relaxed slightly.

She left a talisman on Wang Dazhuang's soul, so that she would have a strong sense if Wang Dazhuang's soul was under a truly fatal threat.

Although the connection deep within his mind was somewhat sluggish at this moment, there was no sense of shock or severance.

Jiang Dusheng calmly reassured him, "Don't worry. If Dazhuang's soul is in danger of dissipating, I will sense it. It seems that the Taoist priest has only temporarily sealed him with a soul-fixing talisman, so his life is not in danger for now. Let's hurry over there."

As they spoke, the three of them left the inn and arrived at the somewhat bustling street.

As more pedestrians arrived, the cries of vendors and the steam and aromas from breakfast stalls mingled together.

Jiang Dusheng stopped, focused his mind, and swiftly traced lines in the air with his fingertips:

"A soul pact serves as the guide, a single thread of spiritual connection."

"A hundred-mile pursuit, nowhere to hide!"

As the incantation ended, a wisp of light drifted from her fingertip, hovering in the air for a moment, as if confirming its direction.

A moment later, the light seemed to lock onto its target and sped off toward the northwest of the town, but remained within Jiang Dusheng's line of sight.

"Keep up!"

Jiang Dusheng gave a low shout, exchanged a glance with Xie Jinchen, and the two followed the direction indicated by the ghostly light.

Ruan Guyan floated behind the two.

The faint light led them through the bustling streets and into quieter alleyways. The further they went, the taller and more orderly the surrounding houses seemed to become.

Finally, the light stopped in front of a magnificent mansion in the northwest corner of the town, circled twice, and then disappeared into the gate.

Jiang Dusheng looked up and saw a vast mansion before him, with high walls made of blue bricks, a vermilion gate, and a majestic gate tower.

Two imposing stone lions stand guard at the entrance, while a plaque above the gate displays two powerful, gilded characters on a black background, written in a flowing, elegant style.

—"The Jia Family Mansion".

The mansion occupies a vast area, with towering walls and an imposing gate tower, clearly indicating that it belongs to a local tycoon.

However, standing in front of the mansion gate, Jiang Dusheng keenly sensed an unusual aura permeating the area around the mansion.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and whispered, "Such heavy yin energy."

Just as the two were about to knock on the door, the two heavy vermilion doors of the Jia mansion creaked open a crack.

A gatekeeper dressed in a respectable silk robe poked his head out. Seeing Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen standing in front of the door looking them over, he immediately waved them away impatiently.

"Get out of here! What are you looking at! Do you know whose residence this is? It's the mansion of Jia the Great Philanthropist from Qinghe Town! How dare you look around like this? Get out of the way!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinchen's lips curled into a cold smile.

His figure suddenly approached the gatekeeper, and before the other man could react, one hand had already grabbed the gatekeeper's waving arm and twisted it gently.

"Ouch!"

The doorman cried out in pain as his arm was immediately twisted behind his back, rendering him unable to move.

Xie Jinchen's voice was extremely low, yet it carried a chilling coldness: "Enough nonsense. The Taoist priests in your manor captured our people. Now, immediately, hand them over. Otherwise..."

With a slight exertion of force, the gatekeeper felt as if his arm was about to break, cold sweat poured down his face, and all color drained from his face.

However, the gatekeeper of the Jia family was used to running rampant in the town because of his master's power. Now that he was on his own turf, he was in so much pain that he became a bit of a rogue.