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

Ren Fengjue did not lead Xia Ximo into the Ministry of Justice.

Instead, he ordered the yamen runners to take Ruyan's body out directly.

Strangely, the body had already been placed in a fine coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood.

According to the bailiffs, the coffin was secretly delivered by a nobleman who did not reveal his identity and only instructed that the coffin be buried properly.

Upon hearing this, the soul-ferrying lamp inside the purse trembled slightly.

Xia Ximo scoffed coldly, "It's just a coffin I'm giving you, why go to such lengths?"

The two constables didn't know who she was talking to, and they looked at each other in confusion.

Ren Fengjue could easily guess who was delivering the coffin. He simply asked Xia Ximo, "The body will be buried in the suburbs. Would Miss Xia like to come along?"

"Need not."

All that's left is the final step.

Xia Ximo instructed the bailiffs to open a crack in the coffin, and then reached a hand inside.

Upon seeing this, the two constables were so frightened that they dared not even breathe.

Ren Fengjue's expression also hardened.

To guide the souls of those who died unjustly, their remains must be transmuted along with the body.

Only when one has no more attachments to the mortal world, the dust turned from one's bones will pave a path to the underworld, allowing the soul to journey directly to the netherworld.

"alright."

Xia Ximo ignored what others thought. When he saw the light disappear at the wick of the Soul-Crossing Lamp, a slight sense of relief appeared between his brows.

These subtle details, of course, did not escape Lord Ren's notice.

He is now almost certain.

Everything she did was indeed to help those who died unjustly.

Including the gold ingot given to Yan Zhengchu, it was probably used to buy some kind of talisman.

He had actually overheard some of the conversation in the car about the other party asking Yan Zhengchu for help.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly "cold-blooded and ruthless" person is actually so... kind.

A faint smile unconsciously appeared from the corner of his lips, and his eyes were also full of interest.

Ren Fengjue's smile was quickly noticed by Xia Ximo, and the two exchanged a glance.

She asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Lord Ren immediately composed himself and said, "I was just thinking about when Miss Xia will repay the ingot of gold she owes me."

"..."

Since entering the human world, Xia Ximo has indeed not thought about money.

But beneath this imperial city, the streets are bustling with traffic and material desires are rampant; indeed, one needs "money" for everything from food and clothing to shelter and transportation.

She suddenly asked him, "Then, how can I become rich?"

This question stumped Ren Fengjue.

He has lived a life of luxury since childhood, and now he is an official in the Ministry of Justice with a salary.

Ren Cong managed all the expenses at home, so he never had to worry about them.

"this…"

Ren Fengjue was just teasing her casually; he never really intended to ask her for it.

Given the relationship between the two families, even if the engagement is called off, he will find a place for her to settle down and ensure that she will be well-fed and clothed for the rest of her life.

Just as they were in a dilemma, a notification came from not far away.

"Lord Ren, Yu Shaoqing has returned."

Upon hearing this, Ren Fengjue immediately changed the subject: "Miss Xia, I need to go back to the Ministry of Justice. If you want to go back, you can just tell Xia."

Xia Ximo responded, and after watching his figure walk away, she stood there stunned for a long time.

Inside the lamplight, Wuyou was finally able to come out for some fresh air: "Shall we go back now? I remember you still have something to do."

"Remember."

He had promised Meng Zhiyuan that day to pass on a message to his wife, but this promise had not yet been fulfilled.

Seeing that she looked thoughtful, Wuyou asked her, "You're not really thinking about how to make gold, are you?"

Xia Ximo glanced at it, didn't reply, and turned to leave.

-

Yu Lang traveled back to the capital without stopping. He didn't go home or visit the Dali Temple; instead, he went directly to the Ministry of Justice to find Ren Fengjue.

Upon seeing Lord Ren, he truly had the illusion that "three autumns had passed".

"You've worked hard, Shaoqing."

"That must have been tough..."

Yu Lang deliberately rubbed his arms, exaggerating, "Not only is it tough, but Xiling County is even colder than the capital!"

"Also, I didn't even have time to eat on my way back..."

Ren Fengjue smiled slightly and said, "I have already instructed the yamen to prepare some food for you."

He asked, "How was your trip to Xiling County? Did you find anything?"

Yu Lang raised his eyebrows: "Since I've made this trip, I certainly won't disappoint you, sir."

"The Mu family definitely has problems..."

Three days ago, in the evening, Yu Lang arrived in Xiling County and met up with Yao Guang.

After learning about the Mu family's recent situation, he began to inquire around the Mu residence.

In Xiling County, almost everyone knows that the patriarch of the Mu family, Mu Zheng, has only one daughter named Mu Tingting.

However, this eldest daughter of the Mu family never showed her face in public. When she occasionally went out with her maid, she would sit in a sedan chair and give instructions.

As a result, for so many years, no one has known what she looks like.

As for the young lady who was staying at their residence, outsiders had only heard of her but never seen her.

It is normal for ladies from respectable families not to show their faces in public.

However, the people of Daqi are open-minded, and on festivals such as Flower Festival, Qiqiao Festival, and Lantern Festival, daughters have the opportunity to go out for spring outings and play.

The fact that no one knows what the Mu family daughter looks like is highly suspicious.

Yu Lang spent nearly a day and a half asking around, and finally, a tavern waiter told him, "Why don't you just ask the Mu family about this?"

"Their doorman comes here to buy wine every evening. You can take the opportunity to ask him then; you might be able to find out something."

Just as the waiter said, the doorman arrived on time that evening.

Yu Lang was a master of acting. He pretended to be drunk and accidentally knocked over the other person's wine jar.

Seeing that he was angry, he kept apologizing and asked the waiter to serve him the best food and drinks in the restaurant.

Upon hearing that it was fine wine, the gatekeeper couldn't resist sitting down and drinking with him.

When they were drunk and in high spirits, they began to try to get information out of the doorman. After a few exchanges, he indeed found out something was amiss.

"The doorman told me that the young lady from the household was actually dead..."

Yu Lang's expression turned solemn as he spoke.

Ren Fengjue raised one eyebrow slightly: "What do you mean by that?"

"His exact words were that Miss Xia froze to death in the side courtyard, and then, just three days after being buried, she crawled back from the ground to claim her life."

Yu Lang spoke with a chill: "Although he had drunk a bit too much and his speech was slurred, what he said was very sincere."

"Because he opened the door for her the night she returned after her death, and he saw it for sure."

He also boldly shared his guess on this.

"Then I thought, if what he said is true, Xia Ximo would probably be dead by now. There are two possibilities—"

"Firstly, both of these people in the capital could be imposters!"

Secondly, one of them is very likely not human!

Ren Fengjue smiled suddenly, but asked, "Besides that, has Shaoqing Yu found any other evidence?"

He had barely finished speaking when he heard a sound at the window, and Yao Guang, dressed in black, gracefully leaped in.

"What basis can there be in the words of a drunken old man?"