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

Seeing that Jiang Dusheng remained expressionless, Xie Jinchen wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but she had already turned her face away, her tone returning to the calmness she used when discussing serious matters:

"When do you plan to return to Changling? Although Hong An's body is supported by Da Zhuang's soul and can move around for the time being, the original owner's soul has been scattered. The body has lost the nourishment of the original owner's soul. Even if it has a foundation, at most three to five days, its life force will be completely cut off."

"It's starting to decline from the inside out; it can't be hidden for long."

When it came to business, Xie Jinchen also suppressed all his emotions and said solemnly, "We will set off at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow. His Highness the Crown Prince and Dazhuang will lead the Imperial Guards along the official road and return to Changling in a grand manner."

"We will lead our guards and sneak into Changling ahead of time to make arrangements."

Jiang Dusheng nodded. "Okay. My spiritual power has recovered to about 50-60%, so it won't affect my movements."

In the evening, Xie Jinchen brought a bowl of soup that was supposedly made less bitter with the addition of licorice, but when he came to Jiang Dusheng's door again, he was turned away.

He stood at the door for a moment, holding the bowl of herbal medicine, before finally turning away helplessly.

As soon as I stepped onto the veranda, I heard hushed laughter coming from the rooftop next to me.

Looking up, one could see Master Xuanji and Master Huiming sitting side by side on the eaves, with a plate of roast chicken, a pot of wine, and two wine cups placed between them.

Master Xuanji, carrying a wine jug, beckoned to him with a smile: "Kid, don't just stand there, come up, have a couple of drinks with your master, enjoy this... well, the night view with the moon obscured by dark clouds, and maybe even vent your frustrations."

Master Huiming slowly tore off a chicken leg, took a big bite, and mumbled in agreement:

"That's right, come on up. Sigh, still so young, so naive. I haven't even used my tricks yet, and he's already rushing in headfirst."

His tone was full of schadenfreude.

Xie Jinchen placed the medicine bowl on the bench in the corridor, then lightly leaped onto the roof and landed beside the two of them.

Master Xuanji moved him to a seat in the middle, and then produced a clean cup from somewhere and filled it with wine.

Huiming wiped her greasy hands and mouth with a handkerchief, looked at the non-existent moon in the sky, and suddenly sighed, her tone filled with a touch of melancholy:

"This girl may seem stubborn and strong-willed, but perhaps she has suffered too much in the past, so she especially doesn't want to taste the bitterness of this medicine again. She avoids it whenever possible."

He took a sip of his drink, the spicy taste making him squint, and continued:

"It was only when she was eight years old that I realized how difficult it was to get a teenager to take medicine."

Xie Jinchen held his wine glass and listened quietly.

A night breeze, carrying the coolness of autumn, blew through the hair at his temples.

Huiming's gaze became distant, as if he had traveled through time and returned to the Nanchansi Temple, which was deserted and had few worshippers many years ago.

That winter, the snow was particularly heavy. The youngest son of a hunter's family at the foot of the mountain provoked two vengeful ghosts who had been cultivating for ten years, and the whole family was tormented to the point of near death.

"When the news reached the temple, that girl had just been learning breathing techniques from me for over a year and was learning to draw talismans from that stinky Taoist priest, and her technique was still crooked and awkward." Huiming's voice was soft, tinged with the effects of alcohol.

"I intended to go myself, but in the blink of an eye, she disappeared. When I caught up with her to the hunter's house at the foot of the mountain, I saw her there..."

Huiming paused, then shook his head. "A tiny little girl, standing in front of that family, clutching a peach wood dagger that her second master had carved for her to play with. Her spiritual power was pitifully weak; she relied entirely on a ruthless, reckless spirit to fight those two things."

"She had just used her last bit of strength to activate a half-finished lightning talisman with her blood, barely managing to disperse those two evil creatures. As for herself, her face was as pale as snow, blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth, two of her ribs were broken, she could barely stand, but she still managed to stay upright and not faint."

Master Xuanji, standing beside him, also stopped laughing and, with the same heartache in his voice, added:

"When I carried her back, she was lying on my back, gasping for breath in pain, but she didn't cry out once. The old bald monk and I were in a frantic rush to set her bones and treat her injuries."

"The old bald monk rummaged through boxes and cabinets, brewing medicine for a full two hours. It was a dark, murky bowl, which he said would strengthen the body's foundation and nourish the vital energy."

Huiming gave a wry smile and continued, "But that girl, she reacted as if she saw some kind of monster when she saw the medicine bowl. Even though she was so weak that her eyelids were drooping, she still tried to shrink deeper into the bed, muttering that it was so bitter and that she could get better on her own."

Master Xuanji nodded in agreement, "Yes, that stubbornness is like a little donkey. I originally thought that it's normal for a child to be afraid of hardship, and that this problem would naturally disappear when he grows up and becomes more sensible."

He looked at Xie Jinchen, shook his head and chuckled, "Who knew that this girl, although her cultivation has increased and she has become more cunning, her fear of hardship is as stubborn as nailed to the spot, she hasn't changed at all."

Xie Jinchen listened quietly, his fingers tightening slightly as he gripped the wine glass, a strange pain rising in his heart.

She grew up alone in an unfamiliar temple, facing not only tedious scriptures but also the fear and loneliness of having no one to confide in during the quiet of the night.

She had tasted those bitter experiences early on, so she instinctively rejected another kind of bitterness, even though she knew it was the antidote.

Xie Jinchen tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, the fiery sensation burning all the way to his heart.

Master Xuanji refilled his cup, and looking at his silent yet distressed expression, he smacked his lips, and with a hint of curiosity, asked:

"Young Master Xie, my disciple is quite handsome, and his skills are passable. But his temper..."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "It's really not the best. Once they get stubborn, not even nine oxen could pull them back; once they've made up their mind, they might not turn back even after hitting a wall."

"He usually seems aloof and quiet, but sometimes he's very serious and will often sermon with a stern face, giving both humans and ghosts a headache. Of all his skills, 70% are used for catching ghosts and exorcising demons, and the remaining 30% I think are used for causing trouble and arguing with that old bald monk."

He listed the faults on his fingers, but there was no disdain in his eyes. Instead, there was a hint of pride in his own child, who was good no matter what. Finally, he asked:

"What exactly do you see in her? Is it her looks? Or is it the pleasant sound of her chanting scriptures?"

Huiming also stopped tearing the chicken. Although he didn't say anything, he glanced at her slightly, clearly showing some interest in the question.

Xie Jinchen did not answer immediately upon hearing this.

He looked down at the slightly swirling liquid in his glass, the clear liquid reflecting a fleeting tenderness deep in his eyes.

After a moment, Xie Jinchen chuckled softly, "Even if I told you..." He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed window, his voice low and clear, "My two masters probably wouldn't understand."

The first time I saw her, her body was filled with spiritual energy, her eyes were cold and clear, and the talisman in her hand turned into golden light, knocking Wang Dazhuang, who was possessing someone else's body, out.

At that moment, a ray of sunlight fell on her forehead, illuminating the bright red cinnabar birthmark.

But it also illuminated his entire life.

Feeling unacceptable, going deeper.

Some feelings of attraction are like fine snowflakes, silently covering the heart.

Some paths walked side by side, moments of life and death shared, have already tightly intertwined the fates of two people, in ways that are hard to explain or articulate.

Xie Jinchen tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup again. This time, there was no burning sensation; instead, he tasted a hint of sweetness.

"She's fine." In the end, he uttered only these three words, but they weighed a ton.