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

Thus, a wedding without an elder and with only a few guests began hastily.

Wang Dazhuang cleared his throat, tried hard to recall the wedding ceremonies he had witnessed in his lifetime, and called out in a deliberately solemn voice:

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

"New recruits in position!"

"I bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Yi Che and Jiang Shuangjiang faced the vast night sky outside the courtyard and bowed deeply.

This bow is a bow to the unpredictable heaven and earth, a bow that allows their devoted love, separated by life and death, to endure.

"Second bow..." Wang Dazhuang paused, realizing his parents weren't there. In a moment of inspiration, he added, "I bow to my parents from afar, for their profound kindness!"

The two turned and bowed down into the void.

"Husband and wife bow to each other—"

Yi Che and Jiang Shuangjiang turned around and faced each other.

The flickering red candlelight reflected the tears Yi Che was trying to hold back in his eyes, and also reflected the slight trembling of Jiang Shuang's soul.

They slowly bent down and bowed to each other.

This bow is a vow made even though we are separated by life and death, it is a vow that will never be broken.

"The ceremony is complete!"

Jiang Dusheng walked slowly forward, looked at the newlyweds in red, and said in a slightly gentler voice than usual, "I came in a hurry and did not prepare a gift."

She extended her right hand, bringing her index and middle fingers together, and a sudden burst of light gathered at the tips of her fingers.

She lightly tapped her fingertips, and the light from her fingertips transformed into tiny specks of light, fluttering like fireflies, scattering onto the wrists of Yi Che and Jiang Shuangjiang, which were clasped together, faintly forming two rings of pale silver light that flashed and disappeared.

"This is a thought of unity formed from a bit of my spiritual power. Although it cannot reverse yin and yang, nor can it continue our bond, it can leave a trace of mutual connection deep within your souls."

Her gaze swept over the two of them, then turned to the endless night sky. "If there truly is a slim chance of reincarnation, perhaps with this single thought, one can gain a faint connection among countless living beings."

Seeing this, Ruan Guyan also stepped forward, looking at Jiang Shuangjiang with eyes full of blessings.

Despite her own weak soul power, she unhesitatingly forced out a bit of her original soul light, which gently drifted toward Jiang Shuangjiang's heart and merged into it.

"Sister Jiang," Ruan Guyan said softly, "I have heard about your plight. We are both unfortunate women who have been harmed by the coldness of this world and the wolves in sheep's clothing. I feel your pain as well."

She paused, then looked sincerely into Jiang Shuangjiang's tear-filled eyes. "My meager soul power is of no use for cultivation, nor for revenge. I offer this sincere blessing to you."

Ruan Guyan raised her voice slightly, as if she wanted to send this blessing to the heavens, to the ears of the gods who might be listening to the sorrowful wishes of the mortal world:

"My first wish is that... tonight, you will avenge your great grudge, let your overwhelming resentment dissipate, and your soul attain great freedom and liberation!"

"My second wish... is that you and this beloved one," she looked at Yi Che, who was holding Jiang Shuangjiang's hand tightly, "have a deep affection that will not be extinguished with the passing of souls, nor separated by yin and yang. This night, this heart, in an instant, is eternity, imprinted between heaven and earth, never to be erased."

Ruan Guyan's gaze drifted into the void, filled with longing and yearning—a yearning not only for Jiang Shuangjiang, but also for her own life that had come to an abrupt end.

"I further wish... that the gods and spirits of heaven and earth, by some chance, would show mercy, and that the laws of reincarnation would temporarily grant you a glimmer of compassion. May you be reborn..."

"May you never encounter wolves again, may your life be smooth, may you meet true friends, may you find joy in the ordinary, may you be surrounded by children, may you be free from illness and disaster, may you be free from fear and trembling, may you grow old from youth to old age, may you see all the joys and sorrows of life, and may you experience all the simple pleasures of life."

This blessing is her deepest longing for the life she herself could not have, which she now bestows upon Jiang Shuangjiang.

Seeing this, Wang Dazhuang also stepped forward. He scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly:

"I...I don't have anything special. It's just that tonight I had a top-notch feast with the master, the most satisfying meal I've had since I died...no, since I became a ghost!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a pair of exquisite little pastries tied with clean red string from his body. They were shaped like ruyi (a traditional Chinese ornament symbolizing good fortune) and emitted a faint sweet fragrance.

"Here, this is a Ruyi Cake, made with yin-elemental ingredients. Although it's not fit for the living, Miss Jiang should be able to enjoy it for good luck!"

"May you... even if you were only husband and wife for one night, may you always remember this sweet and blissful feeling!"

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Xie Jinchen.

He stepped forward silently and took out a jade-green bead from his pocket.

"This bead," Xie Jinchen's voice was low and calm, "is one of a string of jade prayer beads given to me by a wandering monk when I was young."

"That high monk said I was destined for misfortune and gave me these Buddhist beads to temporarily protect my mind and calm my spirit."

He gently stroked the jade beads with his fingertips. "Later, when I was in danger and my heart was filled with evil energy, these Buddhist beads helped me hold onto the last bit of clarity and break free from the demonic influence."

He stepped forward and handed over the jade beads strung on a red string, saying, "Tonight, your path is destined to be difficult."

"May the last vestiges of Buddhist light within this pearl help you calm your turbulent anger and protect the last vestiges of clarity in your mind during your most turbulent moments."

As Yi Che and Jiang Shuangjiang listened to these blessings and gifts, tears finally rolled down their cheeks.

They exchanged glances and bowed deeply to Jiang Dusheng and the others.

"Thank you... thank you all." Yi Che's voice choked with emotion.

Jiang Shuangjiang accepted the bead and bowed gracefully, saying, "I will remember this kindness and grace forever, even if my soul is scattered, I will never forget it."

After straightening up, Yi Che tightly grasped Jiang Shuangjiang's hand, gazing at her intently, as if trying to etch her image into the deepest part of his soul:

"Shuang'er," his voice was so gentle it could melt water, filled with endless longing and reluctance, "we met too late, and our time together was too short."

"What this world owes you, I could never repay even a fraction of in my entire life. Tonight, go do what you must do."

His tone suddenly became incredibly firm: "Don't look back, don't hesitate, and most importantly... don't have the slightest soft heart or hesitation because of me."

He raised his hand and lightly stroked Jiang Shuangjiang's cheek, his fingertips never actually touching her, for fear of disturbing her soul, yet it felt as if he had stroked her a thousand times:

"I only hope... if Heaven still has a shred of mercy, if your soul, after being released from its overwhelming hatred, can still retain a last glimmer of light, so that you can... so that you can glimpse the path to rebirth."

His voice began to tremble, his eyes reddened, but he stubbornly held back his tears, as if afraid of blurring his vision of her:

"Shuang'er, I beg you... I beg you to wait for me. You don't need to remember who I am, you don't need to remember the love, hate, and entanglements of this life, and you don't need to come looking for me."

"I only ask that when you embark on that unknown path, you walk slowly, just a little slower. Perhaps at some crossroads in the next life, the sun will shine brightly, the breeze will be gentle, and the flowers will be in full bloom... so that I can see you one more time."

"Even if it's just a fleeting moment when we pass each other, it's enough for me to recognize that you are safe and sound."

Yi Che lowered his head, his forehead almost touching Jiang Shuangjiang's, his voice as soft as a final sigh, yet containing unwavering determination, "So, Shuang'er, don't rush to completely vanish into nothingness."

"Leave me... and yourself, a sliver of hope, even if it's only a one in a billion chance, so that in endless cycles of reincarnation and searching, I may have direction to find... your traces. Okay?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuangjiang burst into tears and could only nod vigorously, over and over again.

Just then, as Wang Dazhuang looked at the tragic scene before him, all the tragic tales of talented men and beautiful women he had read in his lifetime flooded his mind.

Overwhelmed with grief, I could not contain myself.

He suddenly squatted down beside Jiang Dusheng, grabbed her wide sleeve, and pressed it against his face, letting out a sobbing sound:

"Waaaaah... This is so tragic, so touching! I'm reminded of a line from a storybook I read before I died: 'Love has always left only regret, and this regret is endless...'"

Before he could finish yelling, Xie Jinchen walked over expressionlessly, placed his finger on the center of Wang Dazhuang's forehead, gently pushed him away, and coldly uttered:

"Men and women should not touch each other."

As soon as he finished speaking, he naturally reached out his arm, lightly wrapped it around Jiang Dusheng's shoulder, and pulled her a step closer to him, completely widening the distance between her and Wang Dazhuang.

Wang Dazhuang was pushed so hard that his paper body swayed. After regaining his balance, he glanced at Xie Jinchen with resentful eyes and muttered something under his breath, but his voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear:

"Tch... Such high-sounding words. When some people share a room with a master, why don't they use that phrase to restrain themselves..."

Upon hearing this, the previously pervasive atmosphere of sadness abruptly stopped.

Jiang Dusheng was taken aback at first, then his ears burned slightly. He glared at Wang Dazhuang with annoyance, his eyes saying, "I'll deal with you later."

Yi Che and Jiang Shuangjiang, who were originally immersed in the grief of parting and death, were also stunned.

Looking at Xie Jinchen and Jiang Dusheng, then at Wang Dazhuang, she broke into a smile through her tears, lightening the somber mood.

Xie Jinchen merely glanced at Wang Dazhuang, a look that immediately made Wang Dazhuang shrink back and hide behind Ruan Guyan.

His interruption eased the heavy atmosphere in the courtyard somewhat.

As midnight approached, all was quiet.

Only the long, monotonous sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed from afar, striking the edge of the night again and again.

Jiang Shuangjiang gave Yi Che one last deep look, as if she wanted to imprint his image, along with every bit of warmth from this brief wedding, into the depths of her soul.

Then, she turned around abruptly.

The wedding dress was a stunning red, and in the flickering candlelight, it seemed to be on fire.

Without warning, her figure suddenly blurred, transforming into a chilling, biting wind that rushed straight towards the main house of the Chen residence.