Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

The waiter brought over some hangover soup, and Ren Dongxing drank it all in one gulp without a second thought.

The soup was actually quite hot, but he didn't realize it until the tip of his tongue suddenly felt numb and dull.

The feeling was like being bitten hard, breaking the skin and drawing blood, making food tasteless for the next two or three months.

Recalling that memory, Ren Dongxing couldn't help but shudder. He always felt that there was a pair of eyes in the shadows, coldly staring at him with resentment.

"cough."

Manager Liu's soft cough pulled him out of his scattered thoughts.

He could only force himself to remain calm and try to distance himself from the matter.

"What...what did you just say? I didn't quite understand."

Manager Liu quickly chimed in, "I think the young lady must have some misunderstanding. Our clothing store is open for business, how could we possibly be involved in any wrongful conviction?"

He smiled again and continued, "Besides, Young Master Ren is currently in charge of the Ministry of Justice, and he is extremely upright and incorruptible. How could he tolerate such a thing happening to one of his own people?"

His words were intended to offer some guidance to the other party.

In other words, although you are a guest of the young marquis, our Jinxiu Clothing Shop also has a close relationship with him. We should weigh our respective strengths and weaknesses.

To everyone's surprise, Xia Ximo remained unfazed, as if she didn't understand the meaning behind his words at all, and coldly said, "I only know that murderers pay with their lives, and what I want is for the dead to rest in peace."

Ren Dongxing's face darkened further. Feeling guilty, he lost his patience and rebuked, "Manager Liu, I think this woman's words are meaningless. She's just making fun of me. Even if she is a guest of the young marquis's mansion, she's still far too arrogant."

Manager Liu immediately chimed in, "Miss, I think this misunderstanding can't be explained in just a few words..."

"It's getting late, why don't we talk again tomorrow?"

"I'll prepare a carriage right away and take the young lady back to rest."

Despite the two's back-and-forth banter, Xia Ximo remained completely unmoved, not budging an inch.

Seeing this, Manager Liu slowly suppressed his smile, and his tone became a bit harsher.

"Young lady, everything should be done in moderation. To put it bluntly, we're only being courteous to you because of the young marquis; otherwise..."

Before he could finish his warning, he met a pair of deep, dark eyes, and instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

Those eyes were clear and cold, almost inhuman, and the intense pressure from them completely suppressed the words he was about to say.

Manager Liu was horrified, feeling as if some mysterious force was controlling his limbs and bones, causing his hands and feet to stiffen.

Xia Ximo withdrew her gaze but took a few steps toward Ren Dongxing.

As the distance between them closed, her beautiful face became even clearer.

However, faced with such a face, Ren Dongxing dared not have any further improper thoughts.

All he could feel was a bone-chilling cold, even colder than the snow in the garden.

This woman is so eerie, she doesn't seem like a living person at all!

"Kill Zhu Yan and use evil magic to scatter her soul."

"Of the three souls, one wisp of the soul is attached to the painting, and another wisp is in the pool."

"Where did you hide the remaining wisp of the main soul?"

The cold questioning was as piercing as an icicle.

Ren Dongxing looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes filled with disbelief. He took several steps back until his lower back hit the edge of the table, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

Does she really know about this?

His suspicions threw him into complete disarray, and in his fear, all he could do was ask a question in return.

"Who...who are you?"

Xia Ximo repeated, "I only want the dead to rest in peace."

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and the silence inside was even more eerie.

However, just then, a report came from outside the door, breaking the deadlock.

"Manager, young master, someone from the young marquis's residence has arrived."

Manager Liu immediately snapped out of his daze, as if he had found a lifeline, and hurriedly shouted, "Quick...quickly invite them in!"

The waiter glanced at Xia Ximo discreetly, but hesitated before saying, "Butler Ren said he was ordered to pick up Miss Xia, so he won't come in and disturb us."

These words surprised Xia Ximo. What did her coming to Jinxiu Clothing Store have to do with other people?

Nearby, the lantern spirit Wuyou, who was floating in mid-air watching the show, couldn't help but tease after hearing her thoughts: "You are a guest in his mansion. He must be afraid that you will cause trouble outside and ruin his reputation."

Xia Ximo glanced at it quickly, frowned slightly, and said to the waiter outside the door, "Tell him not to wait, I will go back by myself."

The man was stunned, almost doubting his own ears.

What does this mean? Doesn't this equate to a direct rejection of the young marquis?

This girl is way too arrogant!

Manager Liu was first taken aback, then became secretly anxious, thinking to himself, "I've really kicked a hornet's nest this time."

No wonder this woman was so fearless; this matter... is probably also related to the young marquis!

Thinking of this, his heart pounded even harder. After weighing the options, he had no choice but to force a smile and give Xia Ximo another one.

"Young lady, words are not enough to prove anything, but the law applies to the capital."

"If there is truly any injustice at Jinxiu Clothing Store, the government will surely decide, won't you say?"

He could only say this much, after all, the matter was strange, and if it was really related to the young marquis, it would be even more troublesome and definitely beyond his ability to handle.

But Xia Ximo wasn't buying it. She said coldly, "The person has been dead for over a year. If the government could intervene, why wait until now?"

Manager Liu was speechless for a moment, and was about to say something when Ren Dongxing suddenly became agitated and shouted, "A lowly, nameless painter is dead, so what? Even if the authorities come, what can they do? Do you think I'm afraid?"

These unfiltered words nearly made Manager Liu faint.

Ren Dongxing, however, was already overwhelmed by his suppressed emotions, and his mind became even more unrestrained. He continued to provoke Xia Ximo, saying, "I'd like to ask you, who are you? What right do you have to judge me?"

"Young Master!"

Manager Liu couldn't listen anymore and almost wanted to cover Ren Dongxing's mouth. He forcibly pulled him back and said helplessly, "My young master, what does this have to do with you? Please don't talk nonsense anymore."

Thinking about how things would escalate and how my former employer would hold me responsible, I knew I'd be in deep trouble.

Right now, we need to figure out a way to get rid of this big Buddha in front of us!

Manager Liu was feeling a headache and was trying to think of something to say to make amends when he saw Xia Ximo walk past him and walk up to Ren Dongxing again.

"Since the living cannot punish you, then let the dead do it."

Her words were brief, and her voice remained icy. Despite her frail and thin frame, she exuded an aura of unassailable power.

Ren Dongxing's arrogance vanished instantly when he was stared at so coldly. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Just then, a gust of cold wind swept by, and in those eyes as deep as an ancient well, he saw a shadow.