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

She sobbed uncontrollably, barely able to speak: "What's even more terrifying is that, secretly, erotic images featuring me... featuring my undergarment have begun to circulate!"

"Although my face is blurry, anyone familiar with me will recognize me at a glance..."

"The rumors grew increasingly rampant, spreading like a poisonous fog throughout Changling." Ruan Guyan's voice gradually lowered, leaving only endless sorrow. "Finally, they reached the ears of my maternal grandfather and aunt."

"At first, they naturally didn't believe it and were furious, wanting to thoroughly investigate the source and clear my name."

"But... Chu Yanzhao secretly approached my maternal grandfather! He said that although it wasn't his wish, he was willing to marry me to clear my name!"

"Furthermore, I did disappear for a while during the banquet, and no one can vouch for my whereabouts during that time..."

"My maternal grandfather was an upright man who valued the family's reputation above all else. How could he tolerate this?"

Ruan Guyan raised her head, her eyes filled with shattered light. "He flew into a rage, believing that my behavior was improper, that I had disgraced the family, that I lacked self-respect, and that I had tarnished the last vestige of the Ruan family's military lineage's purity and pride!"

No matter how much I cried and explained, he only thought I was making excuses and that I had failed my parents in raising me!

"My aunt... my aunt has completely lost heart towards me. She thinks that I not only debase myself, but also tarnish the reputation of the entire family, making them unable to hold their heads high in public..."

"I have no way to defend myself! No one believes me! My former close sisters avoid me like the plague. My maternal grandfather, who was very strict, was furious and, under the pretext of reflecting on his mistakes, forcibly sent me to the ancestral home in Anping Town, which is tantamount to house arrest."

Her soul shrank from pain. "I was filled with worry and fear, and because of my depressed mood, I caught a cold and fell seriously ill... The medicine was ineffective, and I passed away in just over a month."

"After I died, my soul was restless and confused, unable to stray too far from the place of my death, and unable to be reborn in the Pure Land."

"Until...until these past few days, as my soul gradually regained some consciousness, I finally understood everything!" Ruan Guyan suddenly straightened her illusory body, her eyes filled with intense hatred. "This was all Chu Yanzhao's scheme!"

"He couldn't have me, nor could he get the help my grandfather might provide, and he absolutely didn't want that help to fall into the hands of someone else, so he simply destroyed me!"

"He could use this to appear in front of outsiders as a helpless young nobleman who had been harassed and framed by me, thus gaining sympathy and even making my maternal grandfather feel guilty for not disciplining him properly!"

"And I... I died carrying this stain, a disgrace to my family, my soul restless, unable even to find the path to reincarnation!"

She took a few steps forward abruptly and bowed deeply to Jiang Dusheng, her face streaked with tears, filled with a desperate plea:

"Girl! My life, Ruan Guyan, is worthless and deserves no regret! But my parents were loyal and brave throughout their lives, dying on the battlefield for their country!"

My maternal grandfather spent half his life in the military, remaining honest and upright, earning a lifelong reputation for integrity!

"My Nguyen family is full of loyal and righteous men. I cannot... I absolutely cannot allow myself to disgrace our family name, bring shame upon our ancestors, or disturb my parents' peace in the afterlife!"

She raised her head, her eyes burning with unwavering determination: "I beg you! I beg you, if one day you can expose Chu Yanzhao's hypocritical and ugly face in public!"

"If you have the chance... to meet anyone from my maternal grandfather's family, or anyone who might believe me, please tell them the truth! Chu Yanzhao is a wolf in sheep's clothing, with insidious and despicable methods; his ambitions are certainly not small!"

"And I, Ruan Guyan... am innocent! I have never done anything to dishonor my family, or to let down my parents and ancestors!"

Her voice echoed in the empty room, filled with sorrow and resentment, each word dripping with grief.

Wang Dazhuang had long since dropped his joking expression, his face now filled with sympathy and indignation.

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly, the coldness in his eyes already frozen solid.

Looking at Ruan Guyan's weakened soul, she said, "I'll take on your matter."

She took out the bone flute and gently stroked its body with her fingertips. "Your soul is too weak and should not linger in the outside world for long. I will first take you into the magic artifact to nurture you."

"When the time is right, and Chu Yanzhao's true colors are exposed in public, I will create a temporary body for you, so you can witness the villain being brought to justice and your reputation being cleared. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Guyan's eyes instantly lit up with a bright light, a glimmer of hope for survival.

She knelt down deeply again, "Thank you so much for your great kindness, young lady! I, a lone goose, have no way to repay you!"

As if remembering something, she hurriedly added, "Although I am dead, there is still some private savings I have accumulated hidden in a secret compartment under the bed in the side room of my maternal grandparents' old house. If you don't mind, you can take it out as a small reward..."

Jiang Dusheng shook his head, interrupting her: "No need. Your parents sacrificed their lives for the country; they are descendants of loyal and valiant people."

"To clear your name and remove your stain is also a form of spiritual practice for me, and it is a meritorious act in accordance with the will of Heaven."

Although Ruan Guyan didn't quite understand what Heavenly Merit was, she could tell that Jiang Dusheng's attitude was firm and he didn't mean to belittle her. She was even more grateful and could only bow deeply in thanks once again.

Jiang Dusheng put Ruan Guyan into the bone flute.

The room fell silent, leaving only Wang Dazhuang, who was wiping away tears with his sleeve and sighing deeply.

Jiang Dusheng rubbed his temples and said with disdain, "If you want to cry, go outside and cry. You're giving me a headache."

Wang Dazhuang gave a pitiful "Oh," drooped his head, moved outside the door, found a corner, and continued to lament for Ruan Guyan.

Before long, Xie Jinchen came in carrying a food box and placed several side dishes and rice on the table.

Jiang Dusheng was indeed hungry, so he went over and sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly.

The food was warm, clearly prepared on time.

Xie Jinchen sat down beside her without touching his chopsticks, simply watching her eat until she had almost finished before saying, "We'll postpone our trip to Qingwu City for now."

Jiang Dusheng paused slightly in her chopsticks, looked up at him, and asked in her eyes.

Xie Jinchen's gaze was calm. "I would like to ask you to come back to Changling with me first. So that you may see Zhou Wanning in the palace with your own eyes."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "I still don't believe that such a coincidence can really happen in this world."

Jiang Dusheng slowly swallowed the food in his mouth, put down his chopsticks, and nodded. "Actually, I had the same thought. Although Granny Zhou's testimony is true, I really need to see Zhou Wanning herself with my own eyes to be at ease."

Seeing that she agreed, Xie Jinchen's expression softened slightly, and he continued, "There's one more thing. I'd like to know how His Majesty will react after learning that Zhou Wanning is actually a person who has been reborn in another's body."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng turned to look at him. "Are you worried that His Majesty might, like Duke Xie, harbor inappropriate fantasies, and even try to retrieve the soul of the Eldest Princess?"

Xie Jinchen did not deny it, his eyes as deep and cold as a pool, "He and Duke Xie are the same kind of people in some ways."

"Paranoid, with a strong desire for control, and an almost frightening obsession with the people or things they believe in."

"I'm not sure what kind of feelings he had for my mother, but that similar face, coupled with the mysterious thing of her returning to life, was enough to stir his heart."

"Therefore," his voice suddenly turned cold, "Granny Zhou must not be escorted to Changling alive, and she must not be given the opportunity to reveal the complete life-swapping technique before the Emperor."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Dusheng already understood completely.

We must nip this potential threat in the bud before Emperor Cangqi even entertains any improper thoughts.

Granny Zhou must die in Pingqiao Town in a reasonable manner.

Jiang Dusheng: "I understand."

Looking at her calm profile, Xie Jinchen felt a slight relaxation in his tense state.

Seeing that she had finished eating, he casually called out, "Jiang Dusheng."

"Hmm?" Jiang Dusheng looked up at him.

Xie Jinchen suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between them, his gaze fixed on her face. "Could you... give Wang Dazhuang a new face?"

Jiang Dusheng blinked and asked innocently, "Why? I think it's edited pretty well."

Of course she knew why, but she deliberately pretended not to know.

Xie Jinchen pursed his thin lips, stared at her for a couple of breaths, and then uttered two words crisply: "Disgusting."

Jiang Dusheng suppressed a laugh, stood up, patted his clean sleeves, and said in a relaxed tone, "I think it's quite pleasing to the eye, and Dazhuang likes it too."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Jinchen grabbed her wrist.

He stood up, his tall figure looming over her. He looked down at her and asked, "Is Shi Qinglian more beautiful... or am I?"