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

In contrast, Ruan Guyan's soul was much quieter. She first gave Jiang Dusheng a graceful bow.

Then, her gaze involuntarily fell on Cui Yan, who had been staring intently at her ever since she appeared.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The flickering candlelight in the study, the faint sound of the wind outside the window, and even Wang Dazhuang's aggrieved ramblings seemed to become indistinct background noise.

Cui Yan opened his mouth, but his throat felt dry and tight. All the words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.

He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar ghost before him, which was thinner than when he last met it in his memory, yet still carried that gentleness and resilience.

She was the little girl who would sweetly call him "cousin" since childhood, but because of their negligence and distrust, she died with resentment, burdened by unfounded stigma, during the best years of her life…

All of Cui Yan's emotions ultimately condensed into a whisper, "Gu Yan, I'm sorry... it's my fault for not protecting you."

Ruan Guyan's soul trembled slightly. Her transparent fingers unconsciously tugged at the hem of the illusory dress, and her lips moved slightly.

He seemed to want to call out to his long-lost cousin, but ultimately no sound came out.

Only those clear eyes instantly became misty, filled with years of grievances and a hint of relief.

She shook her head slightly, wanting to step forward, but then hesitated and stopped.

Separated by life and death, it's impossible to touch each other again.

Seeing this, Jiang Dusheng turned and walked out of the study. When he returned, he had scissors and several pieces of yellow talisman paper in his hand.

She moved with lightning speed; her fingers flew across the paper figure that bore a striking resemblance to Ruan Guyan in his lifetime.

She placed the paper figure on the ground in front of Ruan Guyan's spirit, and a glimmer of light from her fingertip entered the paper figure.

"Just use this for now; it'll make it easier to talk and move around."

After saying that, she didn't linger. She pulled Xie Jinchen, who had been standing quietly to the side, and turned to leave the study, closing the door behind her.

Outside the door, lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind.

Xie Jinchen turned his head to look at Jiang Dusheng beside him; the cinnabar on her forehead seemed to be emitting a faint light.

"Jiang Dusheng, I used to think that the compassion of Buddhism was somewhat hypocritical, but after meeting you, the image of the Buddhist woman in my heart seems to have taken shape. She seems to be carefree about everything, but in fact, she is soft-hearted than anyone else."

Jiang Dusheng was taken aback by his words, and his face inexplicably felt hot.

Immediately, she clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha, benefactor, at this moment I have seen through the illusions of the world, and in the future, I can no longer be with you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Dazhuang's spirit floated out and, quite tactlessly, positioned himself between the two.

He followed beside Jiang Dusheng, muttering to himself, his voice filled with sorrow:

"Master! You can't favor one over the other! I need to take care of myself too! These past few days in that flute room, although I wasn't cold or hungry, I couldn't do anything, and it was so stifling!"

"Most importantly, I haven't smelled the aroma of delicious food in so long! It's making my mouth water!"

Jiang Dusheng's subtle atmosphere vanished instantly after being interrupted by him.

She stopped and glanced at Wang Dazhuang. "Dazhuang," she called out, casually posing a question, "Tell me, how many times have I cut your body?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhuang earnestly began counting on his transparent fingers:

"The first one was an uglier paper doll than myself, with a crooked nose and slanted eyes; the second was a maidservant, wearing a skirt and being harassed; the third was... um? What was it again?"

As he counted, he got confused and started acting like a rogue: "I don't care! Master, you cut Sister Ruan's hair, so you have to cut mine too! You can't bully a short-lived ghost! I didn't enjoy any happiness in my life, can't I at least have some fun in the afterlife?"

As he spoke, he even pretended to wipe away non-existent ghost tears, "My mother always told me that children from poor families mature early, but I haven't even gotten a wife yet..."

Jiang Dusheng rubbed his ears, annoyed by the noise, and sighed, "Alright, stop howling. What kind do you want?"

Wang Dazhuang immediately stopped his feigned crying, his spirit rising a few degrees in excitement. He first secretly glanced at Xie Jinchen, who stood tall and straight beside him; he had been coveting Xie Shizi's appearance for a long time…

However… just as this thought crossed Wang Dazhuang’s mind, he saw Xie Jinchen seemingly unconsciously playing with a wisp of dark red malevolent energy visible to the naked eye.

He immediately shivered and swallowed his words.

"Hmm..." Wang Dazhuang stroked his chin, thinking seriously. "This time, I want someone tall and strong! Preferably like those men from the northern grasslands, broad-shouldered and burly, looking very imposing!"

"Alright, I'll cut it for you." Jiang Dusheng found a stone bench under the eaves, sat down, and picked up the scissors and paper again.

Just as she was about to begin, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out and took the scissors and paper from her hand.

Xie Jinchen sat down beside her at some point, his voice low and deep: "You're tired, rest. I'll take care of you."

Jiang Dusheng looked up at him and saw that his expression was serious, not joking, so he didn't refuse. He moved aside to make room for him and then began to give him instructions:

"First, fold it in half and cut out the general outline. The body should be more robust, and the shoulders should be wider..."

Xie Jinchen learned very quickly. He was a meticulous person, and although it was his first time doing such delicate work, he quickly grasped the essentials, and the scissors moved smoothly across the rice paper.

Taking advantage of Xie Jinchen's concentration on paper cutting, Wang Dazhuang quietly drifted to Jiang Dusheng's side and whispered:

"Master... could you please not use me as a practice subject for Prince Xie? I... I want someone tall, strong, and handsome. What if Prince Xie's hand slips and he ends up with a deformed, grotesque mess?"

His soul swayed restlessly, "Look how miserable my life has been, I can't die without even a decent body..."

Before Jiang Dusheng could speak, Xie Jinchen, who was carefully trimming the paper figure's body, suddenly looked up and gave Wang Dazhuang's soul a kind smile, his tone also very gentle:

"Dazhuang, don't worry." He said slowly, a glint of cold light flashing in his fingers as he held the scissors. "I'll definitely... give you the best cut."

The words, spoken with a smile, instantly chilled Wang Dazhuang's soul to the bone.

He drifted away silently, crouched down in a corner, and muttered to himself, "Being good-looking is really an advantage. Even a master was captivated by his charm..."

Xie Jinchen's fingers flew, and the scissors moved nimbly across the paper, quickly cutting out the outline of a robust and imposing paper figure.

He lightly touched the paper figure's brow with his fingertip and softly recited:

"The soul returns, the paper body serves as proof."

"When Yin and Yang are in harmony, the decree takes shape!"

As soon as the incantation was finished, a faint spiritual light emanated from the paper figure.

Before Wang Dazhuang could even see his new appearance clearly, his soul was pulled into the paper figure by an invisible force.

"Ouch!"

The paper figure instantly swelled to life-size, casting a massive shadow in the moonlight.