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

The sound of wind breaking rang out almost simultaneously.

From the shadows that had seemed empty on either side of the study, and from behind the moon gate that connected to the inner courtyard not far away, a dozen or so black figures emerged.

These people were dressed in black, moved swiftly and silently, and had numb and cold eyes.

They quickly dispersed, forming a suffocating encirclement that blocked Xie Jinchen, Jiang Dusheng, and their group, along with the direction of the courtyard gate.

Zhou Xian had now retreated to the center of the protective circle formed by these men in black.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, his chubby face devoid of any fear or obsequiousness, only a gloomy air of certain victory remaining:

"Thank you, Your Highness. Although my Zhou residence is small, since you have come, we should do our best to be hospitable and treat you well."

He drew out his words, his eyes suddenly sharpening, "But this way of treating guests might make you suffer a little!"

He uttered the last word and then suddenly waved his hand.

The dozen or so men in black, coming from different directions and carrying a chilling killing intent, rushed straight towards the crowd.

Jiang Dusheng and Wang Dazhuang quickly retreated a few steps, forming a pincer movement with Xie Jinchen's guards.

Jiang Dusheng's sharp gaze swept over the several men in black with their chilling auras, and he whispered to Wang Dazhuang:

"Dazhuang, don't just stand there. Go to the backyard of this mansion and invite Granny Zhou's biological son over."

Wang Dazhuang was dumbfounded. "Huh? Master, to catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Shouldn't you arrest Magistrate Zhou first? Why are you arresting his wife and son?"

Jiang Dusheng smirked coldly, "Use your paper brain."

"What kind of kindness is there in treating someone else's son as your own flesh and blood? That Granny Zhou's son is practically Magistrate Zhou's son. They're in the same boat, each other's Achilles' heel."

"What?!" Wang Dazhuang's eyes widened in disbelief. "No wonder! No wonder Ke Chunhua said her younger brother was treated like her own son by the Zhou family and was carefully nurtured..."

"Pah! They're basically grooming their own son!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Jiang Dusheng impatiently slapped the back of his paper, then pushed him towards the backyard. "Go!"

"But...but I don't know what he looks like, Master!" Wang Dazhuang wailed as he drifted away.

"With your cleverness, find him yourself. Find a boy who most resembles Zhou Xian, who has been raised with great care, and who is about fourteen or fifteen years old!"

Jiang Dusheng's gaze was firmly locked on the black-clad man rushing towards him, and his spiritual energy began to circulate around him.

She noticed that the men in black had empty, numb eyes and their joints were slightly stiff when they moved.

Puppet Corpse Curse.

This spell erases the sense of pain and fear, strengthens the body, and obeys only the caster's commands, making it the most perfect killing tool.

However, it requires the yang energy of a living person and specific talismans to maintain its connection, making it an evil art.

Jiang Dusheng suppressed the slight stagnation caused by his spiritual power not being fully recovered.

She swiftly formed hand seals in front of her chest, chanting mantras rapidly in a clear and resonant voice, imbued with righteous energy:

"The universe was vast and boundless, initially divided by a single breath!"

"Unseen and unheard!"

"Recite with your mouth and let your heart be in harmony, and your body will be filled with light!"

"Golden light dispels evil, all curses vanish!"

"Imperial Edict!"

As the last "敕" (edict) was uttered, the power of the Golden Light Mantra condensed at his fingertips, transforming into countless golden needles that pierced the black-clad men's brows, hearts, and other vital areas.

Zhou Xian, who had been observing from the side, could see that Jiang Dusheng's spells were effective against the man in black, even though he was not skilled in magic.

Upon seeing this, his expression changed drastically, and he could no longer care about anything else, so he roared urgently:

"At all costs, we must capture that woman first!"

As soon as he finished speaking, four more men in black with the same aura silently sprang out from behind the pillars of the study and rushed straight at Jiang Dusheng, who was chanting incantations and forming hand seals.

Xie Jinchen had been paying close attention to Jiang Dusheng's condition, knowing full well that external interference was most dangerous during the casting of a spell, especially at the crucial moment of breaking such an evil curse. If it backfired, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His eyes turned cold, and almost at the same time as Zhou Xian's roar, he stepped between the four men in black who rushed at him and Jiang Dusheng.

"Protect Miss Jiang!" he ordered coldly.

Upon receiving the order, the guards, who had originally spread out to meet the enemy, suddenly changed their offensive strategy.

They switched from offense to defense, tacitly contracting towards the center, instantly building an impenetrable human wall around Jiang Dusheng.

Just then, the study door creaked open again.

Granny Zhou walked out with a slightly unsteady gait, her face ashen, her eyes looking at the confrontation in the courtyard with a complicated expression, finally settling on Jiang Dusheng, who was constantly forming hand seals and casting spells.

When Zhou Xian saw her come out, he was first stunned, then became anxious and angry, and roared in a low voice:

"What are you doing out here?! Go back inside!"

Granny Zhou shook her head, her voice filled with weariness and despair, "Master, it's no use."

"That girl's cultivation is far superior to mine. The spells she uses are the nemesis of this kind of puppet curse... Our reliance is likely to be lost tonight."

She looked at Zhou Xian, tears welling in her eyes, and lowered her voice, pleading:

"Master, please stop. If we admit defeat, perhaps... perhaps they'll spare Feng'er's life because of our honesty!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xian's body trembled, and the muscles on his face twitched.

He looked at the man in black who was beginning to tremble and slow down, and a struggle finally flashed in his eyes.

With Jiang Dusheng's Golden Light Purification Curse, the numb ferocity in the black-clad man's eyes faded, replaced by the excruciating pain from the backlash of the curse, and the confusion and weakness when his consciousness briefly returned.

Their originally fearless attack became sluggish and chaotic.

Xie Jinchen's secret guards are all elite and experienced, how could they let go of such a good opportunity?

Their offensive was relentless and their teamwork was impeccable.

In a short while, these men in black, who had previously posed a great threat, were all subdued, bound tightly with specially made cowhide ropes, and left in a corner of the courtyard, rendered incapable of fighting.

Jiang Dusheng slowly withdrew his hands from the hand seal, and the spiritual light at his fingertips completely disappeared.

She exhaled, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, her face paler than before, and her lips a little lighter in color.

With almost no spiritual energy left in his body, a familiar chill slowly spread through him.

She looked down at her hands, a barely perceptible hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes.

Sooner or later, we will have to find a way to completely remove the evil energy.

The backlash after each depletion of spiritual energy was truly unbearable.

She sighed softly, but her expression remained unchanged. She simply focused on regulating her breathing, absorbing the sparse spiritual energy in the air, and slowly recovering.

Just when the situation seemed to be under control, a ruthless glint flashed in Zhou Xian's eyes. He suddenly pulled a whistle from his sleeve and blew it loudly.

"call out!"

A sharp, mournful whistle instantly pierced the night sky.

Almost simultaneously, the sounds of hurried footsteps and the rustling of armor came from inside the Zhou residence.

The firelight flickered, and shadowy figures moved about.

Dozens of soldiers, dressed in the uniforms of the Pingqiao Town Patrol Inspectorate and carrying standard-issue knives and spears, poured into the small courtyard, led by a squad leader.

Although they were just local garrison soldiers, their equipment and morale were far inferior to Xie Jinchen's secret guards, but they had the advantage of large numbers.