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

At the same time, the Buddhist beads on Jiang Dusheng's wrist flashed with light, transforming into a streak of light that flew backward at an even faster speed.

"clang!"

With a crisp sound, the stream of light shattered the talisman, its momentum undiminished, and rushed straight towards the shadow behind the pillar.

A muffled groan came from the shadows, and a figure dressed in a brand-new Taoist robe and wearing a lotus crown emerged somewhat disheveled, evading the pursuit of the Buddhist beads, and appeared on the open ground in front of the courtyard gate, his face filled with shock and anger.

The Taoist priest was about forty years old, with regular features and even a somewhat otherworldly air about him. However, his eyes were sinister and his lips were thin, which ruined his overall demeanor.

Jiang Dusheng slowly turned around, his cold gaze sweeping across the Taoist's gloomy face. His voice was clear and melodious, carrying undisguised sarcasm:

"Where did this shady Taoist come from, sneaking around in broad daylight, attacking people? Your attire is much more respectable than your underhanded methods."

The Taoist priest steadied himself, his face grim, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his usual arrogance and disdain.

Seeing that Jiang Dusheng was young and a woman, he already held a slight contempt for her.

He sneered, raised one hand to his chest, and casually placed his whisk on his arm, deliberately adopting the air of a reclusive master. His voice rose, carrying a reprimanding tone:

"Amitabha! This humble Daoist, Wangjizi, wanders the four corners of the world, specializing in catching ghosts and exorcising evil spirits to protect the peace of this region. I wondered which ignorant demon dared to cause trouble, but it turns out to be a fellow Daoist?"

Wangjizi's gaze, filled with scrutiny and undisguised contempt, swept over Jiang Dusheng's young face, his tone even more disdainful:

"However... even if one possesses some meager cultivation, one should still know the duties of a cultivator!"

"How can we allow ghosts to take human form in broad daylight, parading through the streets and disrupting the order of the human world? This is a grave taboo! Young lady, who is your teacher? Do you not even understand this basic rule?"

With a flick of his finger, Jiang Dusheng sent the prayer beads flying back to his wrist, their luster now subdued.

She mimicked Wangjizi's affectedly profound tone, speaking slowly and deliberately, but her voice carried a chilling sarcasm:

"Of course, of course. I am Jiang Dusheng, a lay disciple of Nanchan Temple."

Jiang Dusheng nodded slightly in return, but his gaze was sharp as a knife:

"I wondered who this expert was, arresting my men without asking any questions. Turns out... they're one of us too?"

Her gaze swept meaningfully over the sinister, dark aura surrounding the mansion, and her tone suddenly turned cold:

"However, even with some minor cultivation, one should know the inescapable cycle of karma and the law of cause and effect. One should not attempt to defy fate. Is this perhaps what you call the proper conduct of a cultivator?"

Upon hearing the words "defying fate," Wangjizi's expression changed drastically, his eyes instantly becoming wary, even showing a hint of panic at having his secret exposed.

He forced himself to remain calm, flicked his whisk, and shouted sternly, "Nonsense! You're spouting nonsense! I have no idea what you're talking about. If you know what's good for you, leave immediately and don't meddle in other people's business and invite trouble!"

"Mind your own business?" Jiang Dusheng's lips curled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "You caught my ghost, and now it's me being nosy?"

As soon as Jiang Dusheng finished speaking, a ruthless glint flashed in Wangjizi's eyes. Without further ado, he transformed his whisk into a peach wood sword.

The sword's blade glowed with a bloody light, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as it pierced straight into Jiang Dusheng's face.

This sword strike was swift and ruthless, completely lacking the dignified and righteous spirit of orthodox Taoism, instead exuding a sinister and malevolent aura.

Jiang Dusheng neither dodged nor avoided the attack, and did not even use his Buddhist prayer beads.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes and gracefully stepped back half a step, just in time for the sharp sword blade to graz her nose, the gust of wind ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

At the same time, a pure golden light suddenly shone from the tip of her right finger and touched the spot where the blood color of the peach wood sword was most intense.

"break!"

With a soft sound, the layer of blood-red light melted away as if it had encountered its nemesis.

Wangjizi felt a scorching, powerful force emanating from the sword, which made his arm go numb and almost caused him to lose his grip on the hilt.

The evil blood curse attached to the peach wood sword was mostly broken by Jiang Dusheng's finger, and the sword's light dimmed, emitting a humming wail that could not bear the burden.

"First move," Jiang Dusheng said calmly.

Wangjizi was greatly surprised, only then realizing that the young woman's cultivation level far exceeded his expectations.

He quickly changed his move and retreated, swiftly pulling out a handful of black talisman sand from his pocket with his left hand, chanting an incantation, and then hurling it at Jiang Dusheng.

The talisman sand transformed into a foul-smelling black mist in the air, with faint sounds of wailing spirits. It was clearly an filthy substance refined with evil magic, specifically used to taint the spiritual light of magical artifacts.

Jiang Dusheng's eyes turned cold, and a faint light rippled around his body as spiritual energy emanated from him, forming an invisible barrier in front of her.

The black mist crashed into the barrier, making a hissing sound, and quickly dissipated, failing to get even a fraction closer to Jiang Dusheng.

"The second move." Jiang Dusheng's tone remained calm.

Wangjizi was thwarted in two moves and was shocked, realizing that his opponent's cultivation was far superior to his own.

A glint of madness flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the peach wood sword.

The sword gleamed with a bloody light, faintly condensing into a twisted, bloody snake phantom, carrying a pungent, fishy stench, as it lunged at Jiang Dusheng once more.

Jiang Dusheng took a step forward, and with a flick of his left hand at his waist, a purple talisman was already between his fingers.

Without even glancing at the approaching phantom of the blood snake, she flicked her wrist, and a purple talisman flew out and affixed to the blade of the peach wood sword.

"Thunderous decree, vanquish evil!"

"boom!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the talisman, carrying the power to ward off evil, transforming into countless fine electric snakes that coiled around the peach wood sword and the phantom of the blood snake.

The phantom of the blood snake vanished without even uttering a scream, the blood-red light on the peach wood sword completely dimmed, and even fine cracks appeared on the blade.

Wangjizi was mentally connected to the peach wood sword. The evil magic was broken and the magic weapon was damaged. He was struck as if by lightning, let out a miserable howl, and spat out blood.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the bluestone slab. His Taoist robe was covered in dust, his lotus crown was askew, and he looked utterly disheveled.

He struggled to sit up, clutching his chest where his blood was churning, staring at Jiang Dusheng in disbelief, his face ashen.

"You...you clearly come from a Buddhist temple, your body radiates pure Buddhist light...how...how could you wield such refined Taoist thunder magic?! This is impossible!"

Jiang Dusheng stepped forward slowly, his steps light and his clothes spotless, a stark contrast to the disheveled Wangjizi on the ground.

She looked at Wangjizi, who was slumped on the ground, and spoke with a smile, her tone as relaxed as if she were discussing the nice weather:

"I am but a humble person, with only a slight understanding of Buddhism and some knowledge of Taoism. My mere practice of both Buddhism and Taoism is nothing but trifling skill; I hope you will forgive my ignorance, Daoist Master."

"Buddhism...Buddhism and Taoism combined?!" Wangjizi seemed to have heard something unbelievable, or perhaps he was angered by her nonchalant attitude. His face flushed red and then turned pale. "You...you..."

He struggled to get up, but this aggravated his internal injuries, causing him to cough up a mouthful of stagnant blood, and his breathing became increasingly disordered.

He could only awkwardly take half a step back, the arrogance in his eyes long gone, replaced by shock and fear.

The woman before him was young, yet her cultivation was unfathomable, and her methods were endless. Moreover, she possessed both Buddhist and Taoist skills. His unorthodox methods were nothing but child's play in front of her.

If I had known... I shouldn't have been greedy for that thousand taels of silver! I shouldn't have provoked such a person.