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

The house fell silent again.

Jiang Dusheng closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later.

She stood up and took out a palm-sized incense burner from her bag. The burner was engraved with cloud and thunder patterns, and the lid was hollowed out, resembling layered mountains.

She picked out a piece of incense for calming the soul, placed it in the burner, and lit it.

Wisps of smoke rose straight up, then swirled and slowly filled the room.

Then, she took out the bone flute, cast a spell with her fingertips, and a soft halo flowed out from the flute hole, gradually condensing into Xu Yishuo's soul.

Xu Yishuo's soul appeared more solid than it had been at the Xu family earlier.

The smoke from the soothing incense seemed to have a life of its own, seeping into her soul and calming the subtle turmoil and weakness she had experienced while in the Xu family.

She stood quietly beside the incense burner, greedily absorbing its nourishment.

Jiang Dusheng didn't look at her, but casually rested his chin on his hand, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal amidst the swirling smoke:

"Xu Yishuo, tell me... is there any way for me to completely break away from the Jiang family?"

She paused, then added, "Except for marriage."

Xu Yishuo's soul rippled slightly as she looked at Jiang Dusheng's profile, which appeared exceptionally frail amidst the green smoke.

"Why... do you have to leave?" Xu Yishuo asked softly, her voice filled with confusion.

In her view, Jiang Dusheng had just returned home, and even if there were unpleasant things, this was still her home.

Jiang Dusheng remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice soft yet carrying the weight of a hammer, shattering certain illusions:

"Part of the reason I am willing to leave the temple and go down the mountain is to see if there is still a place for me under this entangled family with its cause and effect."

Her eyes were calm. "Now it seems the answer is clear. There is no place for me here, nor any warmth for my heart."

"Amidst a multitude of thoughts, I must not let them disturb my mind."

Upon hearing these words, Xu Yishuo's soul rippled.

She gave a bitter smile, a smile that was transparently sorrowful:

"If I had been even half as clear-headed as you are now, and seen through the illusion and scheming behind that so-called good match, and made a clean break, perhaps... I wouldn't have ended up like this, dying in a foreign land."

She looked down at her translucent fingers, her voice filled with self-mockery:

"My parents named me Yishuo, which means 'suitable for a home and family,' hoping that I would find a good match through a matchmaker... What a beautiful expectation."

"Unfortunately, it was all just a mirage, a fleeting illusion. A perfect marriage became a deadly shackle, and a harmonious family life... became a distant dream I can never recapture."

Silence spread through the fragrant mist.

After a long while, Xu Yishuo raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Dusheng, her gaze now filled with a clarity born from having experienced life and death:

"Miss Jiang, if you truly wish to leave the Jiang family, but do not wish to bear the stigma of being unfilial and disobedient, and not be criticized by those social norms and customs..."

She spoke clearly, word by word:

"You have to stand tall enough... so tall that the identity of being a daughter of the Jiang family can no longer define you, bind you, or even require people to look up to you!"

"So high," she emphasized, "that the Ministry of Rites' residence can only be the background behind you, not the dome above your head."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool patterns on the edge of the incense burner.

Standing higher than the Minister's residence?

She nodded thoughtfully, as if the fog that had been lingering in her mind had been torn open.

As night falls, the Tranquil Garden becomes even more serene.

Wang Dazhuang has not returned yet.

Just then, light footsteps and the rustling of clothes came from outside the courtyard gate.

The maid's voice came through the curtain:

"Young Miss, Madam and Second Miss have arrived and are at the courtyard gate."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng raised an eyebrow. "Please invite them in."

Song Suya walked in slowly, with a woman dressed in a crimson brocade dress nestled beside her.

"Watatsuki."

With a perfectly timed smile on her face, Song Suya led the woman in, as if the awkwardness of the day had never happened.

"This is your younger sister, Wanqing. She's just recovered a bit. She heard you agreed to that matter and felt bad about it, so she insisted on coming to thank you in person."

As she spoke, she gently nudged the girl beside her, her eyes full of encouragement.

Jiang Wanqing seemed somewhat reluctant, pouting slightly before taking half a step forward.

She raised her eyes, glanced quickly at Jiang Dusheng, then quickly lowered her eyes again, her voice soft and sweet, "Sister, thank you for making my relationship with Brother Yanzhao possible."

Jiang Dusheng didn't respond, but just looked at her quietly.

This was the first time she had met this younger sister.

Her facial features do resemble hers in three ways, but that's about it.

If one were to describe one's appearance and temperament as snow-covered distant mountains, detached and serene, carrying an ethereal and aloof air untouched by worldly concerns.

Then Jiang Wanqing in front of me is like a crabapple tree carefully cultivated in a greenhouse.

She was radiant and beautiful, her eyes sparkling with a childlike innocence and carefree abandon born of pampering, like a flame that could easily capture everyone's attention.

However, to Jiang Dusheng's surprise, she couldn't see through Jiang Wanqing's appearance.

From the moment she gained sentience, she was able to sense the energy of heaven and earth and observe the destinies of mortals.

She could discern the subtle hesitation in Song Suya's eyes and the hidden obstacles in Jiang Mao's official career among the Jiang family members.

But the younger sister in front of him, who was connected to him by blood, had a face as if covered by a thin veil, her destiny palace was blurred, her fortune was chaotic, and all the causal lines were tangled and unclear, making it impossible for anyone to see the root of her.

Just like... just like the man named Xie Jinchen I met on the street today.

A hint of doubt crossed Jiang Dusheng's mind.

In one day, I encountered two people who couldn't read faces...

Could it be that my spiritual power is truly stagnant? Or is it that Changling City is a place where hidden talents reside, and some people's destinies are obscured by higher-level powers...?

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, staring at her intently, Jiang Wanqing's clear and bright eyes quickly filled with tears of grievance.

She subconsciously moved closer to Song Suya and gently tugged at her mother's sleeve as if seeking help.

"Dusheng." Song Suya spoke up at the right moment, her tone reminding him and interrupting Jiang Dusheng's thoughts.

Jiang Dusheng seemed to suddenly come to his senses.

She looked away, her face still expressionless, but she nodded slightly to Jiang Wanqing as a response to the word "sister".

"Ladies," her gaze swept between Song Suya and Jiang Wanqing, her voice flat, neither revealing whether she was welcoming nor distant, "is there anything else?"

She specifically emphasized the two of them, drawing a clear line between them.

Song Suya's smile froze slightly, but quickly returned.

She patted Jiang Wanqing's hand, signaling her to calm down, and then stepped forward, her tone even gentler:

"It's nothing important, it's just that Wanqing is grateful, but she's also worried that you might be feeling bored since you've just returned to Changling."

"In a few days, there will be a flower viewing banquet in Changling, hosted by the Princess's Mansion. Many young men and women of similar age have been invited. It will be very lively and elegant. I was thinking, why don't I take you there to relax and get to know more people?"

As she spoke, she carefully observed Jiang Dusheng's reaction: "Your sister is going too, which will keep you company, and the two sisters can get to know each other better."

After saying that, as if afraid that Jiang Dusheng would be unhappy, she added, "If you don't want to go, that's okay too."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanqing also looked up at the right moment and echoed, "Yes, sister, that banquet was so much fun, there was even an opera troupe from the south."

As Jiang Dusheng listened, his gaze fell once again on Jiang Wanqing's seemingly innocent face.

A flower viewing party? A relaxing getaway? A chance to meet people?

She suddenly understood.

This is probably their real purpose for coming here.

Under the guise of gratitude, they actually carried out their schemes.

Allowing her, who had just learned her lesson and relinquished her engagement, to appear in public might be an attempt to quell any potential rumors.

After all, it wasn't a secret that the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites was betrothed to Chu Yanzhao, the heir of Prince Chun's family, since they were still children.

A moment later, under the cautious gazes of the two, Jiang Dusheng's lips curled up slightly, the curve so subtle it was almost imperceptible.

"OK."

It wouldn't hurt to go and take a look.

Just then, she also wanted to figure out just how many faces in Changling City were beyond her comprehension.