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

Jiang Dusheng withdrew his finger, and the golden light at his fingertip disappeared.

She turned around, her gaze falling on Jia Renyi. Her tone was calm, yet more chilling than any harsh rebuke:

"As for you, you are filled with resentment, your life force is about to be extinguished, you are like a lamp running out of oil, you don't have many days left to live."

"The backlash from defying fate and borrowing life, the summons of hellish punishment, will all come to pass. I will not dirty my hands to end this rotten shell of yours."

After saying that, Jiang Dusheng stopped looking at Wangjizi, whose cultivation had been completely destroyed, and ignored Jia Renyi, who was still crying and begging for mercy. He grabbed Xie Jinchen's arm, turned around and walked quickly out of the courtyard.

The spirits of Wang Dazhuang and Ruan Guyan followed closely behind.

The servants and guards of the Jia family had already been terrified by the fierce aura of Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen, and huddled far away in the corner of the corridor. How could they dare to step forward to stop them?

They could only watch helplessly as the two of them passed through the courtyard as if it were their own backyard.

Behind him, Jia Renyi's desperate screams still echoed in the wind, tinged with sobs:

"Master! Fairy! Young master! Spare me! I know I was wrong! I'm willing to give away all my wealth to atone for my sins! Please save me! Show me a way to live!"

The sound faded into the distance, eventually disappearing behind the layers of courtyards.

Jiang Dusheng seemed not to hear, his steps did not falter at all, and he did not even turn around.

Heaven's justice is clear, and retribution is inevitable. Those who steal lives and harm virtue will surely meet their end.

The two walked quickly out of the Jia mansion's gate, leaving the wailing and dark aura inside behind.

It's autumn now, and the afternoon sun feels warm and cozy on my skin.

The streets were bustling with people, and the city was still noisy, a world apart from the oppressive atmosphere inside the Jia mansion.

Xie Jinchen stopped at the door, tilted his head slightly, and looked into the distance, towards the direction leading to Qingzhou City.

The sunlight fell on his sharply defined profile, but it couldn't completely dispel the melancholy in his eyes.

He suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat ethereal, as if asking Jiang Dusheng, or perhaps asking himself:

"Tell me... does he love me, or hate me?"

The meaning of "he" is self-evident.

Jiang Dusheng paused, turned to the side, and her clear gaze fell on his slightly pursed thin lips.

She didn't answer immediately, but instead reached out and grasped his hand, which was hanging slightly clenched at his side.

Jiang Dusheng thought for a moment, his voice calm and clear, like a mountain spring flowing gently through the background noise of the bustling street:

"Perhaps...it has happened before."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Perhaps in the very beginning, he harbored murderous intent and hatred towards you. This is not hard to understand."

"But people's hearts are complicated, especially with so many things that are hard to understand." Jiang Dusheng squeezed his hand slightly, looking clearly into his eyes, "After the fire at the ancestral hall... many things changed."

"His hatred may have dissipated, leaving behind a complex mix of emotions that even he himself may not be able to fully comprehend. Perhaps there are memories of someone from the past, which he has transferred his affections to you, or perhaps... he simply cannot bring himself to do it again."

Xie Jinchen lowered his head, looking at their clasped hands, his voice deepening, tinged with a rare hint of confusion:

"But I don't understand... how much did he love my mother to choose to keep me even knowing that my existence was a stain on his life? And now he's diverting me away and going to Qingzhou alone, what is his purpose?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng tilted his head, as if thinking seriously for a moment, and suddenly spoke:

"How about this, think about it from another perspective: if I had a child with someone else in the future, would you...?"

"Jiang Dusheng!"

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Jinchen's face suddenly darkened. He abruptly raised his right hand, wrapped it around her shoulder, and angrily covered her mouth, half-hugging and half-coercing her as he strode toward the inn.

"Ugh...!"

Jiang Dusheng was encircled by his strong arms, his mouth was covered tightly, and he could only make muffled protests, but his eyes smiled into crescent moons.

As Xie Jinchen walked, he gritted his teeth and whispered in her ear, his voice muffled and clearly showing his displeasure:

"You're quite adept at making me angry."

Just hearing the beginning of this assumption made him feel choked up and filled with resentment.

Jiang Dusheng waited until he loosened his grip slightly, afraid of hurting her, before she pried his hand away and took a breath.

She looked up at his still dark profile, but didn't forget to continue teasing him, her voice laced with laughter, deliberately drawing out the last syllable:

"Look at you, reacting so strongly. You don't have the composure of Duke Xie."

Xie Jinchen snorted coldly, released her hand, and instead held it tightly, their fingers intertwined.

"Grace won't put food on the table. Let's go see my cheapskate father, and see how he plans to play this game."

Without further delay, the two quickly returned to the inn.

The guards had already prepared everything, and as soon as they were seated in the carriage, they immediately whipped their horses to urge them on.

Meanwhile, on another official road, Xie Dai, who had been traveling all night and had barely slept, was less than a hundred miles from Qingzhou City.

As dawn approached, a thick morning fog blanketed the official road and fields, obscuring figures and severely reducing visibility beyond ten steps.

Xie Dai rested under an old tree, took the water bag handed to him by the guard, tilted his head back and drank a few mouthfuls of cold water. The chill slid down his throat, dispelling the fatigue of the past few days and clearing his muddled mind.

He was indeed quite old, and the gray in his temples was even more noticeable at that moment.

The relentless driving day and night had left his eyes bloodshot and stubble on his chin, giving him a weathered and worn look.

Even so, his back remained straight as was his habit, and his eyes, like those of a hawk poised to pounce, swept across the misty surroundings with vigilance.

A travel-worn guard silently appeared behind him, knelt on one knee, and whispered his report:

"My lord, a secret report from the city."

Xie Dai didn't turn around, but took another sip of water, his Adam's apple bobbing as he said, "Speak."

The guard reported in a steady voice: "Zhou Wanning has increased the dosage of the Bewitching Powder as planned."

"That one... has become increasingly irritable and easily angered lately, and is deeply suspicious. He has reprimanded senior officials several times in court without cause, and even had two censors beaten to death for offering advice. Resentment is growing in the court, and many veteran officials are disheartened, privately discussing... that this may not be a blessing for the country."

The guard paused, then continued, "The young master and Miss Jiang are currently tied up with the Jia family's affairs, but with Miss Jiang's abilities, she can escape in an instant. Our men estimate that they will arrive at the Qingzhou border by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Xie Dai listened quietly, his face solemn.

He slowly lowered the water bag and turned his gaze toward the distant city of Qingzhou.

After a long pause, he spoke, his voice carrying the calm and decisiveness of someone who had been through many battles:

"If that's the case, then let this fire... burn even brighter. Burn until everyone knows about it, burn until the heavens and the people are enraged. Burn until... even he himself can't put it out."

Xie Dai took out a token from his robes and solemnly handed it to the leader of the secret guards:

"Deliver this half of the tiger tally to Chen'er, and he will understand what to do then."