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

When his wife was mentioned, Xie Dai's anger visibly faltered for a moment.

His gaze fell on Xie Jinchen's face, and when his eyes met those eyes that were so similar to his deceased wife's, Xie Dai's anger subsided somewhat. "You like her that much?"

He walked to the main seat and sat down, looking Xie Jinchen up and down. "I heard that she is the Grand Preceptor's junior disciple. Most cultivators are detached in nature, even cold-hearted."

"What will you do if Father doesn't approve of this marriage?"

After speaking, Xie Jinchen lifted his eyelids, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes under the candlelight, but his tone remained nonchalant, "You disagree?"

He smirked. "That's easy. You should quickly take a second wife and have another son. I don't want the title of heir anymore; you can give it to whomever you want."

"Xie Jinchen!" Xie Dai slammed his fist on the table and roared, causing dust to fall from the beams.

His chest heaved, clearly enraged by his earlier words. "Say that again?!"

Xie Jinchen lazily raised his hand to rub his earlobe, his expression nonchalant. "Keep your voice down, it hurts my ears."

He lowered his hand and looked directly at Xie Dai. "One word: will you let go of the person I want?"

Xie Dai, panting heavily, almost touched Xie Jinchen's nose with his finger. "Is that a person?! That's a ghost possessing a paper figure! What ordinary young lady would keep such an evil spirit?"

"Can Jiang Dusheng be an ordinary person? This shows that she is cunning and ruthless. Can you handle her?"

"So," Xie Jinchen slowly stood up, his previous nonchalance vanishing, replaced by an icy aura, "you're not planning to give it to me?"

He nodded, his voice low, but every word struck Xie Dai's heart: "Fine. Tomorrow I'll go to my mother's imperial tomb and cry, to tell her that a child without a mother is not loved by her father."

"Then, your son will personally kneel and beg His Majesty to grant you a suitable marriage, so that you may continue your lineage and ensure the stability of the ancestral temple. As for the position of heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion..."

He paused, then uttered the last few words, "I don't want it anymore."

After saying that, he turned and left without any hesitation.

"You unfilial son, stop right there!" Xie Dai roared, his figure like a tiger unleashed, a fierce and domineering fist wind aimed straight at Xie Jinchen's back.

This punch was devoid of any fancy moves; it was a killing technique honed through battle, carrying immense power.

Xie Jinchen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Almost the instant the fist touched him, he twisted his body and took a step, his left hand forming a palm and slashing diagonally at Xie Dai's wrist, while his right elbow struck Xie Dai's ribs at the same time.

The movements were swift and ruthless, a counterattack that left no room for error.

Xie Dai changed his fist into a claw and grabbed Xie Jinchen's elbow joint, while his other hand turned into a palm and slapped his shoulder blade.

Xie Jinchen slumped his shoulders to absorb the force, and then swept a whip kick towards Xie Dai's lower body.

In the not-so-spacious room, the father and son exchanged more than ten blows in an instant. The muffled thuds of fists and feet colliding were deafening, and the strong winds they generated made the candlelight flicker.

Xie Jinchen's moves were fierce, carrying the ruthlessness of military combat while incorporating the agility of martial arts from the Jianghu.

Xie Dai's strength was immense, each strike as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The two were extremely familiar with each other's styles, and for a time it was difficult to determine who was better.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the two men's fists collided, each taking three steps back, their breathing slightly disordered.

A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Xie Jinchen's mouth, and Xie Dai's left hand was also swollen and red.

Xie Dai shook his hand, looking at Xie Jinchen across from him as he wiped away the blood. His anger hadn't subsided, but there was a hint of complexity in his eyes. Finally, he snorted, "You brat, you've gotten a lot tougher."

He walked back to his seat and said in a deep voice, "You can take the person with you."

Before Xie Jinchen could speak, he added, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "However, next time... I will personally visit that Miss Jiang."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and made a gesture.

From the shadows in the courtyard, a bodyguard silently stepped out, carrying Wang Dazhuang, whose body was battered and bruised, and whose face bore several ink footprints.

As soon as Wang Dazhuang saw Xie Jinchen, he immediately cried out, "Young Master Xie! Master Xie! You've finally come! Quickly avenge me! This dark-faced guard hit me! Look at my stomach! My handsome face!"

Xie Jinchen: "..."

He glanced at the expressionless guard, then at the pitiful Wang Dazhuang, and his lips twitched.

Xie Jinchen turned away, no longer looking at Xie Dai, leaving only the words, "Father, your weakness is my mother. And my weakness..."

He paused, his voice lowering yet chillingly clear, "It's her, and all this... this mess around her."

"If you still consider me your son," he looked up, his gaze unfathomable, "don't touch her. And don't touch her person."

After saying that, he walked over to Wang Dazhuang in the yard and asked, "Where did he hit you?"

Wang Dazhuang immediately pointed to his swollen stomach and the ink marks on his face, "Here! And here! It hurts so much!"

Xie Jinchen nodded, gestured with his chin towards the motionless guard, and said in a calm tone, "Fight back."

Wang Dazhuang was taken aback at first, then chuckled twice, rubbed his hands together, and without hesitation swaggered in front of the still expressionless guard, extending his fist.

He lightly punched the other person's hard chest twice, tilting his head back smugly as he said, "Did you hear that! Serves you right for bullying me! I told you I have connections! I told you you can't mess with the people behind me!"

Bodyguard: "..."

Xie Jinchen, too lazy to watch this farce any longer, turned and walked out, leaving behind the words, "I'm leaving."

Wang Dazhuang hurriedly followed, and before leaving, he blew a chilling breath at the guard.

Xie Dai walked to the corridor and watched Xie Jinchen and the comical paper figure disappear into the dark night. His anger had long since vanished, leaving only his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well.

He turned and walked back into the room, sat down in the armchair, and unconsciously tapped his knuckles on the armrest.

"But what is that woman plotting by lurking beside Chen'er, as revealed by the ghost possessing this paper figure?" he asked in a deep voice, his eyes piercing.

The guard who had just received two punches from Wang Dazhuang followed into the room and stepped forward. "Reporting to the Duke, that paper ghost only cries and wails repeatedly, saying that it is a lonely soul that Miss Jiang took in by chance on her way back to Changling, and that it was left behind because it can run errands and do odd jobs."

"As for Miss Jiang's purpose and her connection with the young master, it insists it knows nothing about them."

The guard paused for a moment, then reported truthfully, "I have tried some methods. However, the fusion between the soul and the paper body is quite strange. With the slightest pressure, the paper body spontaneously emits a faint light, as if it is protected by a protective restriction. I have not been able to investigate further."

Upon hearing this, Xie Dai's eyes flashed even colder, and he sneered, "The more meticulous it is, the more suspicious it is."

He pondered for a moment, then a glint flashed in his eyes. "Tomorrow, send an invitation to Shi Qinglian."

"Yes." The leader of the guards responded and withdrew, disappearing into the shadows.