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

Jiang Dusheng stood in the snow, slowly lowering her hand, her aura gradually receding.

The art of summoning snow is not a panacea.

She merely used the grief and indignation gathered here, the power of Xie Jinchen's vow, and the trace of moisture inherent in the weather today to guide and amplify it.

If Heaven does not allow it, and if people's hearts are not sincere, no matter how high her cultivation level is, she will not be able to summon such a large amount of snow in this late autumn season.

Cui Yan stood at the front of the crowd, equally shocked by the sudden heavy snow. Looking at the crowd, who were now completely engulfed in flames, the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.

Whether the snow was a coincidence or man-made, it no longer matters at this moment.

The important thing is that the east wind has already risen.

This prairie fire will spread from Qingzhou to Changling City.

The crowd dispersed in anger and shock, and Shilipo returned to its somber silence.

Cui Yan waited until the last group of people disappeared at the end of the slope before slowly walking to Xie Jinchen, who was still standing in front of the memorial tablet.

Unmelted snowflakes settled on his shoulders as he whispered, "With today's performance of Qiu Xue pleading for justice, the people's hearts are with us, and righteousness has been demonstrated."

"With half of the tiger tally in your hand, you raise an army back to Changling under the pretext of purging the court of corrupt officials and investigating your father's wrongful conviction. This is the most dignified and justifiable banner. No one in the court or the public will dare to openly criticize you. On the contrary, more people will secretly support you."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, with urgency: "I just received a report that His Majesty has urgently dispatched people to Huguo Temple, likely to persuade the abbot who has been in seclusion for many years to come out of seclusion ahead of schedule."

"That wicked monk's methods are unpredictable and he is most skilled at bewitching people. Ah Chen, we don't have much time left."

Xie Jinchen listened quietly, and after a long while, he gave a barely audible "hmm".

He didn't look at Cui Yan, but slowly turned around and walked towards the more open slope behind the mourning hall.

"Achen." Cui Yan called out from behind him.

Xie Jinchen paused slightly, but did not turn around.

Cui Yan stared at his glaringly mournful figure from behind, his Adam's apple bobbing. A bitter smile appeared on his face, and his voice was somewhat dry:

"It is true that I am a man of the late emperor. Back then... I deliberately approached you on the orders of my grandfather and father, practiced martial arts and military training with you, and addressed you as a brother."

He took a deep breath, as if to expel years of pent-up emotions, "But... Ah Chen, in the past, the sharp exchanges in the study, the sweating side by side on the training ground, the ramblings under the moon... I truly regarded you as a confidant, a dear friend."

"It has nothing to do with the late emperor's secret edict, nothing to do with the family's stance, and nothing to do with... this game of chess today."

The wind and snow seemed to freeze for a moment.

Xie Jinchen did not turn around, but stood there silently, letting the cold wind whip the linen cloth and strands of hair hanging down his forehead. His figure looked particularly lonely in the vast snow.

After a long silence, he let out a soft chuckle, a laugh devoid of joy or anger, only a faint weariness:

"Cui Yan," he began, his voice returning to its usual casual tone, even carrying a familiar hint of disdain, "after serving as a bookish governor for several years, you haven't made any progress in anything else, but you've certainly become... increasingly long-winded."

He waved his hand casually, as if shooing away some non-existent mosquitoes or flies.

"Go do what you're supposed to do. Stop with the sentimentality, it's sickening."

After saying that, he didn't linger and started walking.

Cui Yan stood there, gazing in the direction Xie Jinchen had disappeared. His tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

He raised his hand to brush away the snowflakes that had accumulated on his shoulder, then turned and strode away in the opposite direction from Xie Jinchen.

Behind the mourning hall, Jiang Dusheng stood quietly, seemingly blending into the snowy landscape before him.

She watched as Xie Jinchen walked towards her step by step.

The sky and earth were vast and desolate, the snow had not yet melted, and the landscape was a bleak white.

He, too, was dressed in rough mourning clothes, which were also white.

He rarely wears pure white like this on ordinary days.

But at this moment, the mourning clothes draped over his body fit him strangely.

The loose, rough linen cloth concealed his lean waist, and the hemp scarf hanging down his forehead concealed his usual sharpness, leaving only his inherent aloofness.

The vast expanse of white between heaven and earth seemed only to serve as a backdrop for this solitary figure walking among them.

Xie Jinchen walked up to her and stopped.

He wrapped the cloak draped over his wrist tightly around Jiang Dusheng and carefully tied the strap around his neck.

The cloak was a bit too big for Jiang Dusheng, almost covering her entire body, leaving only her pretty face exposed.

After doing all this, Xie Jinchen lowered his eyes slightly, looking at her face, which was wrapped up and only half of it was visible. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and the lingering heaviness between his brows seemed to have been dispelled.

"Why are you standing here in a daze? Have you frozen to death?"

Jiang Dusheng seemed to come to his senses only then, blinking, his long eyelashes still adorned with tiny snow crystals that hadn't yet melted.

She ignored Xie Jinchen's teasing, instead tilting her head back with an unprecedentedly serious expression. Her clear eyes looked directly into his bloodshot eyes as she earnestly said:

"Xie Jinchen, you are so handsome."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinchen showed no surprise on his face, not even raising an eyebrow, as if he had already expected her to say something unexpected.

A smug smile even appeared on his lips as he raised his hand and gently brushed the snowflakes off her eyelashes with his fingertips. "I know."

Xie Jinchen paused, then added in a lower voice with a hint of mockery, "You're just after my good looks."

Jiang Dusheng's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "How did you know?"

Xie Jinchen snorted softly and withdrew his hand from brushing away the snowflakes from her. "Because you were stunned when you first saw me. Although you quickly covered it up, I have good eyesight and saw it clearly."

Jiang Dusheng blinked, actually thought about it seriously for a moment, and then nodded frankly:

"Was it that obvious to me back then? I thought I hid it very well."

Her unpretentious demeanor actually eased some of the gloom in Xie Jinchen's heart.

He chuckled softly, reached out his arm, and gently pulled her, along with her large cloak, into his embrace.

His embrace wasn't particularly warm; it even carried the chill of wind and snow, yet it was exceptionally strong.

As Xie Jinchen inhaled the cool, faint fragrance emanating from her hair, his restless heart seemed to have found a harbor where it could briefly find refuge.

He sighed, a heavy sigh that fell on Jiang Dusheng's ears:

"Jiang Dusheng, it's so hard to marry you..." His voice carried a hint of weariness and helplessness, "One thing after another, always blocking my way."

Jiang Dusheng nestled quietly in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat. Upon hearing this, she raised her head and pulled away slightly from his embrace.

"According to custom, when a father dies, the son must observe a three-year mourning period. During this time, marriage, banquets, and official appointments are prohibited. If he wishes to marry, he must wait at least twenty-seven months until the mourning period is over before marriage can be discussed."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinchen chuckled softly, a slight tremor emanating from his chest.

He tightened his arms, holding her even closer. "He's not dead."

"I don't need to follow this rule."