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

Faced with this situation, Jiang Dusheng not only did not show any fear, but instead raised his eyebrows slightly.

His gaze swept over the so-called family members in the courtyard, and a smile, not quite a smile, curved his lips.

"Wow, it's so lively here."

Instead of answering, she asked a question in a relaxed tone, "If you didn't know better, you'd think I was putting on a big show in my yard in the middle of the night."

After saying that, she walked straight into the house without stopping.

As he passed by Jiang Mao and Song Suya, he casually remarked, "However, what important matter could you possibly have brought so many people to my courtyard so late at night?"

Song Suya was speechless at her indifferent attitude.

Then he remembered his important matter, hurriedly stepped forward, and said in an urgent tone:

"Dusheng, where have you been? The Xu family just sent someone with a generous gift to thank you."

"We've brought you everything, but you're not here. Where have you been so late, a young woman like you? And when did you get to know the Xu family?"

Jiang Dusheng stopped at the threshold without turning around. He simply raised his hand lazily and rubbed his ears, as if he found Song Suya's voice too noisy.

Then, she suddenly turned half her face to the side, facing the people in the courtyard, and a strange smile appeared on her lips.

Her voice was deliberately low and slow, drifting in the night breeze:

"I... thought the moonlight was nice, so I went out to catch ghosts."

She pronounced the word "ghost" lightly and slowly.

"what!"

Jiang Wanqing was already afraid of these supernatural things, and now, hearing this, her hair stood on end, and she screamed.

She suddenly grabbed Jiang Zhiheng's arm beside her, her voice trembling with tears:

"Second brother, do ghosts really exist? Is what she said true?"

Jiang Zhiheng was also a little uneasy about Jiang Dusheng's tone and expression, but she still tried to remain calm and patted the back of her hand:

"Don't listen to her nonsense! She's just playing tricks to scare people!"

Jiang Mao's face darkened.

He observed more carefully than Song Suya and her children.

He noticed that when Jiang Dusheng said this, his eyes were calm and there was no hint of joking in them.

Considering the Xu family's sudden gift of gratitude and the commotion that had occurred at the Xu residence today...

As the head of the family, he knew when to investigate further and when to postpone the investigation.

Jiang Mao coughed heavily, suppressing the doubts churning in his heart, and spoke in a deep voice:

"Alright! Zhiheng, your sister is timid, take her back to rest first."

Jiang Zhiheng couldn't wait to leave this strangely atmospheric place, so he quickly took Jiang Wanqing, who was still trembling slightly, and left Jingxin Garden.

The servants had already completely disappeared.

Only Jiang Mao, Song Suya, Jiang Zhiyuan, and Jiang Dusheng, who was about to enter the house with his back to them, remained in the courtyard.

Jiang Mao walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down.

He looked at his daughter's slender yet upright back, and slowly spoke, his tone carrying an unyielding authority:

"Dusheng, come here. Your father has something to ask you."

Jiang Dusheng finally turned around completely, and the strange smile on his face had vanished without a trace.

She even yawned without any regard for her image, saying, "I'm tired, I don't want to talk."

Her voice was crisp and decisive: "Put down the things the Xu family gave me. You, get out."

When has Jiang Mao ever been contradicted by his children like this?

A vein throbbed on his forehead, his face turned ashen, and his chest heaved, clearly indicating that he was genuinely enraged and about to explode.

Jiang Zhiyuan, who had been silent all along, stepped forward at the opportune moment and gently advised:

"Father, it is indeed getting late, and my sister must be tired from her journey. What is it? Why don't we wait until tomorrow when everyone is calmer?"

Song Suya also came to her senses. Seeing her husband's ashen face and her daughter's unyielding attitude, she was afraid of making the situation worse, so she quickly chimed in:

"Yes, my husband, Dusheng must be tired. Let her rest first. As for what we need to say... we can talk about it tomorrow."

Jiang Mao looked at his eldest son and wife, then at Jiang Dusheng who had already entered the house, and the anger in his chest was forcibly suppressed.

He understood that asking again tonight would probably yield no results and might even escalate the conflict.

He snorted loudly and stood up abruptly: "Let's go!"

With that, he turned and left.

Song Suya glanced worriedly at the faint candlelight that had already lit up the room, hesitated for a moment, then sighed and left with Jiang Mao.

Jiang Zhiyuan walked last and closed the courtyard gate behind him.

The footsteps and the glow of the lanterns gradually faded away, and the Tranquil Garden was once again enveloped in silence.

A faint night breeze seemed to carry Song Suya's question, tinged with surprise and uncertainty, from afar:

"Husband, do you think what Dusheng just said could be true? Can she really catch ghosts?"

The rest of the words were blown away by the wind.

Jiang Dusheng stood by the window, listening to the faint trailing sound, his face expressionless.

Just then, a slight rustling sound of paper rubbing against the wall came from the top of the wall.

Wang Dazhuang manipulated his simple paper doll body, clumsily yet nimbly vaulting over the courtyard wall.

After landing, he cautiously looked around to make sure no one was there before tiptoeing into the house.

As soon as he entered, he couldn't contain his excitement, lowering his voice but unable to hide his thrill: "Master! Master! I found it!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng turned around, leaned against the table, and looked at him leisurely, gesturing for him to continue.

Wang Dazhuang, as if seeking credit, took two steps closer and began to report in a rapid-fire manner:

"Master, you have excellent judgment! That young Master Xie you asked me to inquire about has an incredibly powerful background!"

"He is the heir of the Duke's mansion! His mother is the late Princess Yong'an, and the current emperor is his maternal uncle—a true member of the imperial family, the emperor's nephew!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, but seeing that Jiang Dusheng still showed no expression, he quickly added more crucial information:

"And, most importantly! This Young Master Xie is still unmarried!"

Then, lowering his voice slyly, he said, "It's not that no one wants to marry, it's that no one can. I heard that the Duke has arranged many marriages for him with noble ladies, but those girls either suddenly fell ill with some strange disease or got disfigured in an accident."

"The most bizarre one was that right after the engagement ceremony, the bride's ancestral home caught fire! They had no choice but to invite a high-ranking monk from Huguo Temple to take a look, and guess what happened?"

"The high monk said that this young master has a special destiny and carries an extremely heavy aura of evil, which ordinary women cannot suppress. Forcing a marriage could lead to bloodshed! So the marriage has been postponed."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng's brows furrowed slightly.

She sensed the murderous aura emanating from Xie Jinchen as soon as they met today.

That malevolent aura, tinged with purple, was like a tonic to her.

but…

"The Crown Prince?"

She repeated softly, a hint of doubt in her voice, "How could the heir of a duke's mansion possess such a strong purple aura?"

That was by no means ordinary nobility or official prestige, but rather something closer to the aura of the Purple Star, which was subtly connected to the fate of the nation.

This seems to contradict his status as the crown prince.

Jiang Dusheng tapped the table lightly with his fingertip, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes: "Interesting."

Just then, Xu Yishuo's soul floated out from somewhere, appearing exceptionally clear and beautiful in the dim candlelight.

"!"

Wang Dazhuang was startled, and suddenly pointed at Xu Yishuo, then looked at Jiang Dusheng.

Her face instantly changed to an expression of grievance, as if she had been abandoned by a heartless man, and she pointed at Jiang Dusheng, accusing him:

"Master! You...you actually keep other ghosts?! What am I then?!"

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

Xu Yishuo, however, was poised and graceful. She gave Wang Dazhuang a slight bow and said in a clear, melodious voice, "Greetings, my friend. My name is Xu Yishuo."

Wang Dazhuang was a little embarrassed by her dignified demeanor and scratched the paper doll's head: "Uh... my name is Wang Dazhuang."

He stole a glance at Xu Yishuo's beautiful and sorrowful ghost, then looked at his own deformed paper doll body, and felt even more heartbroken.

Jiang Dusheng, too lazy to pay attention to his petty emotions, said directly:

"You did a good job today; the information was very useful. I'm in a good mood now, so I'll keep my promise and give you a new haircut, guaranteed to be better than before."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhuang immediately forgot his earlier unhappiness and his face lit up with joy.

"Really? Thank you, Master! You have such a kind heart! I want a handsome one! Like that Young Master Xie from today... no, even someone slightly less handsome would be fine!"

Jiang Dusheng remained noncommittal, then took out the scissors and paper again. His fingertips flashed with a hint of inspiration, and his movements were faster and more skillful than before.

Half an incense stick later, a paper figure with significantly more detailed features took shape, and a talisman was inserted.

A flash of light, and Wang Dazhuang felt his soul rapidly merging with the new vessel.

He rushed to the bronze mirror, eager to see his handsome new face.

"..."

The mirror reflected a woman's face, with expressive eyes, red lips, and white teeth, exuding charm.

The figure was also cut to be slender and graceful, and although it was still made of paper, it had a kind of gentle charm.

Wang Dazhuang was struck dumb, standing there as if by lightning.

Three breaths later, a piercing scream shattered the silence:

"master!"

He turned abruptly, his finger trembling as he pointed at the mirror, then at Jiang Dusheng, his expression one of utter grief and indignation:

"I don't want to be a woman! I want to be a man! A real, upright man!"

"How could you... how could you cut out a woman's body for me?! How am I supposed to face ghosts... no, how am I supposed to face people now?!"

Jiang Dusheng had just picked up her teacup and taken a sip when she heard this. She frowned and looked at him with great confusion.

His tone was self-righteous, yet it carried a hint of reproach, as if to say, "You ungrateful wretch!"

"You little devil, you're being incredibly unreasonable."

She pointed to the bronze mirror: "Didn't you boast in your life that you were ugly and couldn't find a wife, a regret you carried for the rest of your life?"

"Now that I, the great master, have shown you great mercy and bestowed upon you such a fine appearance, instead of being grateful, you are now complaining about it?"

She paused, looked him up and down at his paper-like, graceful figure, and slowly added:

"Besides, with your new body, you'll definitely attract more attention than many real women when you go out. What's wrong with that?"

Wang Dazhuang was so angry at her twisted logic that the pages of his clothes rustled, but he didn't dare to actually get angry at her.

She could only squat in the corner, looking at Jiang Dusheng with a mournful gaze through her newly cut, beautiful eyes.

Xu Yishuo watched from the side, unable to help but cover her mouth with her sleeve, her soul trembling slightly, clearly struggling to suppress her laughter.