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

Jiang Dusheng lightly brushed his fingertips over the lingering spiritual energy on the stranger's face, his expression suddenly turning serious.

She didn't answer Xie Jinchen's question immediately. Instead, she turned her head and looked at him with unusual seriousness. Her clear eyes shone brightly and solemnly in the dim candlelight.

"Xie Jinchen," she said, enunciating each word clearly, "you must be extra careful from now on."

Xie Jinchen was taken aback by her sudden serious tone and subconsciously asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Dusheng took a deep breath and lowered his voice, "The night before Granny Zhou died, I used a special method to force out the complete details of the soul-transferring technique."

She spoke slowly, making sure Xie Jinchen could hear every word. "She told me that to perform such a heaven-defying evil technique on a dead person, one must have the deceased's bloodline as a medium."

"Only by using this medium to perform evil magic can one find the reincarnation of the deceased's soul."

"Then, one must find and kill the reincarnated body, using its flesh, soul, and complete bones from the previous life as a medium, and then mix it with one's own bloodline as a medium."

"Only at a specific time and with a specific Yin-gathering formation can a new body be reconstructed for the souls of the dead to inhabit."

"By introducing the remnant soul of the deceased into a new body and employing secret techniques, their memories can be gradually restored, as if they were reborn."

She paused, her gaze fixed on Xie Jinchen's instantly tense face. "Now, your mother's remains are in the hands of the Duke."

"And this Zhou Wanning, who looks so much like your mother, may be the vessel he prepared for your mother to reshape her physical body."

"As for that most crucial link, finding the medium through which your mother's soul reincarnates, and the sacrifices used in the sacrificial array..."

She leaned forward slightly, the candlelight casting flickering shadows in her eyes. "It's you, Xie Jinchen."

"If I obtain you, whether it be your flesh and blood or your soul, combined with that reconstructed body and your mother's remains, it may be possible to complete that evil spell."

Jiang Dusheng continued, "Although Granny Zhou is dead, there may not be only one record of such heaven-defying evil arts, and she may not be the only one who knows the method. Therefore, Xie Jinchen, you must be careful."

After hearing this, Xie Jinchen's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and then a suppressed chuckle escaped from deep within his chest.

The laughter, filled with self-deprecation and endless irony, sounded particularly jarring in the silent room.

"Heh..." He slowly raised his eyes, a dark, almost destructive light surging deep within them. "I never imagined that my life could be so valuable."

Looking at the woman on the bed who was being used as a substitute, and then thinking about the possible intentions of his two fathers, he felt a chill run down his spine and spread throughout his body.

Just then, a slightly cool hand grasped his tightly clenched fist.

Xie Jinchen suddenly turned his head and met Jiang Dusheng's upturned face.

The candlelight danced in her eyes, casting a scorching glow.

That was an emotion he had never seen in her eyes before.

"Xie Jinchen," Jiang Dusheng gripped his hand tightly, his voice low but resonating like a vow, striking Xie Jinchen's heart with crystal clarity, "I will not let you die."

These words, like a faint yet blazing flame, suddenly cleaved through the chill and self-deprecating gloom that permeated him.

At this moment, Xie Jinchen's expression suddenly hardened, and he abruptly turned his head to look towards the door, his voice extremely low, "Shi Qinglian is here."

Jiang Dusheng wasn't too surprised.

Just now, she forcibly broke the disguise spell on the woman's face. Although the fluctuation of spiritual energy was subtle, it was not surprising that the caster, if highly skilled and had a backup plan, could sense it.

But... how could Xie Jinchen sense Shi Qinglian's approach faster than she, a cultivator?

He was neither a Taoist nor a Buddhist...

Before he could think further, the half-closed door was pushed open.

Shi Qinglian walked in slowly, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads.

His gaze first fell on the two people's still tightly clasped hands inside the room, and finally settled on Jiang Dusheng's face. His voice was calm, "It seems that you ultimately did not heed my advice to stay away from trouble."

Jiang Dusheng stared intently at him.

The person before me exuded a spiritual aura that clearly originated from the same source as the orthodox Buddhist magic she had learned.

His appearance remained pure and otherworldly, like a compassionate deity descending from a mural.

However…upon closer inspection, beneath the seemingly peaceful Buddhist aura surrounding him, there was a faint, imperceptible chilling aura.

Like white jade covered in dust, or a golden body stained with dirt, its exterior remains bright and dazzling, but its interior has gone astray and lost its purity.

She withdrew her scrutinizing gaze, her suspicions deepening. Without further beating around the bush, she asked directly, "Whose side are you on? His Majesty's, or... the Duke of Xie?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qinglian's lips curled into a slight, ambiguous smile. "Don't even think about trying to get information out of me."

He slowly twirled the prayer beads between his fingers, his gaze shifting between Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen. "If you still consider me your uncle, then take my advice and stay away from this person beside you. He..."

Shi Qinglian paused, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over Xie Jinchen's cold face, her tone becoming enigmatic, "He's not a good person."

After saying that, Xie Jinchen chuckled softly.

The laughter was light and airy, devoid of any warmth, filled only with endless mockery. "Shi Qinglian, so many years have passed, and you still..."

He raised his eyes, looking directly into the other person's eyes that seemed to see right through him, and spoke each word clearly and slowly, like a dull knife scraping bone:

"As always, do you really want everything that I have so easily obtained, yet discard like trash?"

The calm expression on Shi Qinglian's face, which seemed to indicate that she had everything under control, froze almost imperceptibly for a moment when she heard these words that struck right to the heart.

Although it was fleeting and he returned to normal in an instant, the shadow that was revealed in that moment could not escape the eyes of Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen, who were watching him closely.

Shi Qinglian did not immediately refute, but slowly walked forward until she stood almost face to face with Xie Jinchen.

Xie Jinchen was slightly taller than Shi Qinglian, standing upright like a lone pine tree.

Standing together now, the two have completely opposite temperaments.

Like a sun frozen in ice yet still burning brightly, burning with an unknown past within.

One is like a meticulously carved jade lotus in front of the Buddha, covered in dust, with filth hidden beneath its sacredness.

The silent standoff made the air in the small room seem to freeze.

"Junior brother."

Shi Qinglian uttered these two words softly, her voice still calm, even carrying a hint of nostalgic gentleness.

However, these two words were like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, stirring up a monstrous wave in Jiang Dusheng's heart, making her ears ring.

Junior brother?!

Jiang Dusheng was completely stunned, his gaze shifting back and forth between Xie Jinchen and Shi Qinglian, in disbelief.

Xie Jinchen is also a Buddhist?!

Shi Qinglian seemed quite pleased to see the shock in Jiang Dusheng's eyes.

His gaze returned to Xie Jinchen, his tone both cautionary and subtly sharp, "Having possessed something in the past means nothing. Being able to protect it and hold onto it, that's real skill."

After he finished speaking, his meaningful gaze swept over Jiang Dusheng again.

That look seemed to say: What you value and want to get close to will eventually be like other things you once had and lost—you can't protect them, and you can't keep them.