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

After hearing Ren Fengjue's words, Zhong Dingyan let out another cold laugh.

He continued his sarcastic remarks: "As expected of someone who has solved so many old cases since taking over the Ministry of Justice, anyone who hears this reasoning will praise you."

"Unfortunately, you have no substantial evidence, and you never will."

Ren Fengjue turned and glanced at Yan Zhengchu.

Seeing his arrogance, Master Yan immediately cast a transformation talisman at him.

However, after reciting the incantation, the talisman had no effect whatsoever after a long while.

He was slightly startled, then threw out another one, with the same result.

In contrast, Zhong Dingyan looked completely smug and said to Ren Fengjue, "A dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice is actually associating with this charlatan."

"I think you're not looking for the killer; you're clearly just deliberately causing trouble!"

Yan Zhengchu was startled again and whispered to Ren Fengjue, "This... shouldn't be an ordinary soul possession."

Ren Fengjue frowned slightly: "Then what is that?"

Before Yan Zhengchu could speak, Xia Ximo suddenly interrupted.

"His soul has already merged with his body, so of course your talisman can't do anything to him."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhengchu suddenly realized, "The same situation as that of the Crown Prince?"

Xia Ximo didn't answer, but Wuyou inside the Soul-Crossing Lamp spoke up: "Only evil spirits can possess a human body. It's more like he used some mysterious power to let his soul reside in someone else's body, which is why he doesn't have any Yin energy and looks no different from a human."

Ren Fengjue couldn't help but glance at Xia Ximo, only to see her slowly walking towards Zhong Dingyan.

Everyone was taken aback, unaware of her intentions.

At that moment, a sudden gust of cold wind arose in the room, causing the doors and windows to shake and the candlelight on the table to go out.

The surroundings immediately fell into darkness.

Zhong Dingyan felt his limbs stiffen and he was inexplicably unable to move. The next second, he heard a cold female voice in his ear.

"Just because he can't do anything to you doesn't mean I can't."

His vision suddenly went black, his consciousness sank into chaos, as if a strange suction force was pulling him out of his current body…

-

On the eve of his departure for the imperial examination in the capital, Zhong Yi spent a long time agonizing over his decision at home.

After all the luggage was packed, it was still before 9 PM.

He thought for a moment, then went out of the house, but deliberately left a light on.

He had already made arrangements with Zhong Ming.

"We are all scholars, so there is no need for us to believe in ghosts and gods like those common women. Man proposes, God disposes; just do your best."

These are Zhong Ming's exact words to him.

Although Zhong Yi agreed in his heart, his mindset was completely different from Zhong Ming's.

His parents had high hopes for him when they were alive.

He had studied diligently for so many years, all so that he could make a name for himself in the capital.

He was determined to pass the imperial examination in the capital.

So even though he had already told Zhong Ming not to go, he still secretly left home and went to the "Ghost Temple" in the west of the city.

Chung Yi remembers being very scared at the time.

When I arrived, there was only one woman holding a child, standing guard by the temple, as if waiting for time to pass.

The mountains are covered with desolate graves, and the cold moon shines like frost.

This scene is exactly like the one described in those supernatural tales.

Zhong Yi stood there for a while, but felt a chill in the wind and even considered leaving.

But thinking of the trip to the capital for the imperial examination, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Around midnight, the woman carrying the child entered the temple, knelt before the hideous statue of the demon, and began to complain.

She claimed that her child had died two days prior.

Her husband has passed away, leaving behind only this one child. She hopes that the spirits can save her child.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yi felt a chill run down his spine.

The woman... was holding a stillborn baby?

He was horrified and turned to run, but he tripped over some pebbles on the ground halfway there.

Immediately afterwards, I heard a child crying.

Zhong Yi turned around and saw the woman smiling as she came out of the temple, carrying a child.

Even more bizarrely, the child... actually came back to life.

The shock of that scene left Zhong Yi, who had fallen to the ground, in a state of shock for a long time.

Although I was scared, I was also overjoyed at the same time.

If even the dead can be resurrected, then what he desires can be easily obtained.

Ignoring his physical pain, Zhong Yi limped into the temple.

Then, imitating the woman, he knelt on the prayer mat and began to explain his purpose.

"As long as... the Demon God can guarantee my passing the imperial examination, I... am willing to pay any price!"

He kowtowed several times on the ground.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the temple, and a dark shadow appeared and possessed the statue.

"I can grant your request, but from this moment on, your soul will be under my control for all eternity."

Zhong Yi was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe, but he agreed without hesitation.

"I'm willing to pay any price as long as I can pass the exam and make a name for myself in Beijing!"

After the sound, the wind stopped, and the dark figure disappeared.

He didn't know whether he had "successfully prayed to the gods," and immediately, not wanting to stay a moment longer, he rushed back home.

That night, Zhong Yi couldn't sleep a wink, his mind replaying the meaning of the phrase "ghosts and gods," as if he were having an unbelievable dream.

As dawn broke, he and Zhong Ming embarked on their journey to the capital to take the imperial examination.

However, his nightmare was also quietly approaching.

On the second night after arriving in Beijing, they were unable to find a post station due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain. They had no choice but to make do with what they had to do and start a fire in the wild for the night.

Around midnight, they noticed flames flickering all around them, and before they knew it, a group of bandits had arrived.

They rode on their horses, drinking and cracking their whips, and when they saw the two pale-faced scholars, they immediately surrounded them.

Zhong Yi was immediately terrified.

Zhong Ming, however, was more flexible. He took out all the money he had on him and said some nice compliments.

Seeing that he was sensible, the bandits agreed not to let them suffer physical pain, but instead tore off their outer clothes, tied them to trees on the cliff edge, and left.

It was late autumn, and the night was chilly. The two of them were only wearing their undergarments and were freezing cold on the tree.

After hanging there for an hour or two, Zhong Ming, whose body was slightly stronger, was the first to break free of the ropes binding his hands and feet and climb down from the tree.

However, Zhong Yi's situation is not optimistic.

He was already in poor health, and when Zhong Ming rescued him from the tree, he was completely stiff.

Unfortunately, the weather turned against them, and a heavy rainstorm struck at that moment.

Zhong Ming could only carry him to a nearby cave to take shelter from the rain.

Even so, after all that commotion, both of them developed high fevers and subsequently fainted inside the cave.