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

Sadness almost overwhelmed Jiang Shuangjiang, and even her resentment seemed listless.

"Just when I was about to be worn down by despair and ready to resign myself to my fate and dissipate, I happened to hear a method from a wandering ghost that had been around for some years."

Jiang Shuangjiang's voice was low and filled with self-loathing, "Absorbing the yang energy of living people, especially the pure yang essence of young and strong men, can nourish the soul and strengthen yin power the fastest."

She raised her head and looked directly at Jiang Dusheng. There was no more hesitation in her eyes, only a resolute determination to burn her bridges. "What other choice do I have? Revenge is the only reason I exist."

Even if this method is insidious, goes against the natural order, and will worsen my sins, preventing me from ever being reborn... I don't care anymore.

"At first, I only targeted those who looked lecherous and frivolous, who were out late at night." Her tone was indifferent, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

"I imitated my most gentle and docile appearance in life, using this appearance to seduce them."

"It went smoothly. After absorbing a few breaths of their yang energy, I did feel that my soul was more solid, my yin energy was stronger, and my resistance to sunlight and daylight was also stronger."

"I'm planning to absorb some more, and when I have enough power, I'll go and take Chen Youcai and Wang Laizi's lives."

"But later..." Jiang Shuangjiang's gaze turned to Yi Che, who was still in shock and heartache, her eyes filled with complex emotions, "I met A-Che."

"That night he drank too much, and after he parted ways with his friends, he staggered alone through the alley."

"I plan to use the same trick again." Her voice lowered, tinged with a wistful recollection, "But he's different from those other people."

"When he saw me, his eyes were blurry with drunkenness. His first reaction wasn't to rush over eagerly, but to scratch his head, blush somewhat awkwardly, and stammer:"

"Young lady, it's so late, why are you here alone? It's not safe. Let me... let me take you home."

"He stammered, his face was redder than mine, and although he was drunk, his eyes were very clear." The ghostly aura around Jiang Shuangjiang seemed to calm down for a moment, and the surging grayness faded a bit.

"I made up a lie on the spot that I had been kicked out of my home and had nowhere to go."

"He believed me. Not only did he believe me, but he also insisted on giving me some loose change and telling me to find a place to stay. He kept rambling on about how difficult it is for girls to be young and how treacherous the world is. He was incredibly naive."

"Later, he would often make a point of wandering around that area, waiting for me."

Her tone was tinged with a warmth she herself hadn't even noticed. "Every time, it's genuine concern. They bring me food, afraid I'll get cold or hungry. When I tell them my fabricated tragic backstory, they get so angry they curse those non-existent evil relatives."

"The way he looked at me grew brighter and more focused each day. That unreserved sincerity and passion was a light I had never encountered before, in life or in death." Jiang Shuangjiang's voice trembled slightly.

"He disregarded his family's objections and settled me here, putting me first in everything and clumsily trying to please me. He said that once he persuaded his parents, he would marry me in a grand and dignified manner."

Jiang Shuangjiang gave a bitter smile, tears streaming down her face. "I wavered. The flames of revenge still burn, but every time I face his untainted smile, feel the genuine warmth of his palm, and hear him earnestly planning a future with me in it..."

She pressed her hand to her chest, even though it had long since stopped beating. "This place, which has been dead for a long time, actually feels pain, and I feel... a sense of reluctance."

"I kept telling myself to stay a few more days, to see him a few more times, to steal a little more of this warm, comforting light and heat, to remember it, and then to leave. To finish what I have to do, not to be a burden to him, and not... to harm him."

Jiang Shuangjiang looked at Jiang Dusheng, her tone becoming more frank, "When we were together, I didn't actively absorb his yang energy; I only relied on the small amount of yang energy that naturally emanated from him to sustain myself."

"I told myself I'd leave once he was asleep. But every time I looked at his peaceful sleeping face, I couldn't bear to leave... So I kept putting it off day after day. Until you came."

She looked at Jiang Dusheng, then at Xie Jinchen, "Miss Jiang, your aura is too clean and too sharp. I knew I couldn't hide it from you the moment I saw you."

After the story was told, the hall fell silent once again.

Yi Che was already in tears. He suddenly stood up, his eyes red and his voice hoarse:

"Shuang'er, those things weren't your fault! Chen Youcai! Wang Laizi! They're worse than animals! They deserve to die! I'll help you! I'll avenge you!"

Jiang Shuangjiang looked at him with sorrowful eyes, "Ache, don't talk nonsense. They are evil people, and perhaps the law will eventually punish them, but... can the law make them taste the humiliation and despair I have suffered?"

"What I want is for them to wish they were dead!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng sighed softly, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the prayer beads.

She sat up straight again and said, "I heard your grievances. The revenge is indeed warranted. However…"

She then changed the subject, "There are many ways to take revenge. Taking a life is the quickest way, but it might also deepen your sins and completely sever your chance for reincarnation."

"It might even trigger divine punishment, obliterating your soul and annihilating you. Are you sure you want to choose this path?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuangjiang did not hesitate for a moment. She knelt down deeply before Jiang Dusheng, her forehead almost touching the ground, her voice filled with a desperate resolve:

"I'm certain! Please, young lady... grant my request!"

Jiang Dusheng watched her prostrate figure, and finally let out a barely audible sigh.

She shook her head slightly, her tone regaining its detached indifference, yet carrying a hint of guidance:

"We cultivators have our own rules, and we do not easily interfere in the karma and retribution of others. I will pretend I have never heard what you have said or asked today."

Then, she changed the subject, lowering her voice, but it still reached Jiang Shuangjiang's ears clearly:

"However, considering your truly tragic experience and the difficulty of refining your soul, I can point you in a feasible path."

"Although you are no longer a vengeful ghost, your soul power, nurtured by resentment, far surpasses that of ordinary ghosts. What you lack is simply an opening that allows you to be free from suppression."

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, looking in a certain direction of Changling City: "The Chen family has a peach charm set up by a master to ward off evil spirits, and Wang Laizi's family has a statue of a god and hangs items to exorcise evil spirits."

"If someone could move these things away for you temporarily at the right time..."

She paused meaningfully, "Your grudge might not be something you can't settle yourself."

Before he could finish speaking, Yi Che had already taken a step forward, blocking Jiang Shuangjiang's path, his eyes bright and resolute:

"I'll do it! Shuang'er, tell me where the thing is and what it looks like, I'll take care of it!"

"A-Che!" Jiang Shuangjiang looked up hurriedly, her tears still wet on her face. "No, I already owe you far too much! I can't drag you into this anymore! It'll only hurt you!"