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

He quickly clasped his hands together, facing the golden statues of the Three Buddhas in the main hall, and chanted with a devout expression:

"Amitabha, forgive me, forgive me... Buddha, please forgive me. I was just happy for my disciple, and I got carried away for a moment..."

Changling City, the Jiang family residence.

As soon as Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen stepped into the courtyard, Wang Dazhuang's wailing, tinged with sobs, pierced through the afternoon sunlight:

"Master! You're finally back!" Wang Dazhuang practically jogged up to greet him, his face a mixture of excitement and distress.

"You don't know, these days, so many people come to our door every day seeking divination! If you don't come back soon, I'll be forced to make up stories myself!"

Jiang Dusheng found his exaggerated expression somewhat amusing and waved his hand dismissively:

"Alright, stop yelling. Pick out the more urgent cases, organize them clearly, and I'll deal with them one by one tomorrow."

"Okay! Alright!" Wang Dazhuang responded immediately, then, remembering something, leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"However, Master, there is indeed an extremely urgent matter at the moment, and it involves someone of great importance! It is the current Empress's niece, the second young lady of the Duke of Wei's mansion, Wei Mingli."

"He has been in a coma for no apparent reason since a month ago. At first, he was just drowsy, but then the periods of deep sleep became longer and longer. Now he is in a coma all day long, and his breathing is getting weaker and weaker. He can't eat anything and is only kept alive by ginseng soup."

"We've consulted all the best imperial physicians in the palace, tried every rare and precious medicine and every method available, but the medicine just sinks to the bottom of the sea without making a sound. He's getting thinner and thinner every day, and he just won't wake up!"

"The Wei family originally wanted to ask the Imperial Advisor to see if it was the work of ghosts, but unfortunately the Imperial Advisor is in seclusion, and no one dares to disturb him. So, they've come all this way to us! The invitation is here, please take a look..."

He then handed over a gold-embossed invitation card, signed by the Duke of Wei's Mansion.

Jiang Dusheng took the invitation, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

The Empress's niece, the daughter of the Duke of Wei...

If this matter can be resolved, not only will the reward be substantial, but more importantly, the name Jiang Dusheng will once again enter the elite circles of Changling City with unquestionable authority.

This proved invaluable in completely vindicating Ruan Guyan's case later on.

She barely hesitated, lightly tapping the gold-embossed letter with her fingertip, "Go reply. I will go to the Duke of Wei's residence at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."

"Yes, sir! I'll go right away!" Wang Dazhuang grinned from ear to ear, grabbed the invitation, and dashed off.

Xie Jinchen, who had been standing quietly beside her, finally grasped her wrist and led her toward the inner courtyard room.

He spoke calmly and logically, explaining the situation to her:

"The current Empress comes from the Pei clan of Hedong, a truly distinguished family of scholars and officials. Her father, Pei Ju, once served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, holding the position of prime minister. His students and former associates are spread throughout the court and the country, and his influence should not be underestimated."

He paused briefly before continuing, "The Empress and the Duchess of Wei are sisters born of the same mother and have a deep bond. This second Miss Wei, Wei Mingli, has frequently visited the palace since childhood, and the Empress treats her like her own daughter, showering her with affection."

"If you can revive her, you will gain both the Empress and the Duke of Wei's mansion, which are two enormous favors."

He glanced at Jiang Dusheng, his gaze deep: "With this opportunity, you can make a name for yourself in Changling City. In the future, no matter what you want to do or investigate, this reputation and network will be extremely valuable assets."

He paused, then looked at her. "You also want to lay the groundwork for clearing Ruan Guyan's name, right?"

Jiang Dusheng met his gaze, and without any concealment, nodded frankly, "That's right. This is a rare opportunity."

The two had reached the door of the side room while they were talking.

Xie Jinchen suddenly stopped, but instead of loosening his grip on her wrist, he tightened his grip slightly.

Jiang Dusheng turned around in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Xie Jinchen faced her.

The dim light under the eaves made his eyes appear deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless, icy pool, yet burning with some kind of flame.

"Now that you've finished discussing other people's affairs," he said slowly, his voice lowering slightly, "can you now tell me about our affairs?"

"What... is this?" Jiang Dusheng didn't react for a moment.

Xie Jinchen leaned closer, and the distance between them suddenly shortened, so close that they could see the tiny glint in each other's eyes.

That night... I asked you if you would marry me.

He paused, his gaze fixed on her, not missing a single subtle change in her expression:

"And your answer?"

Jiang Dusheng suddenly realized, his ears burning slightly, but he insisted on remaining calm, turned around, pushed open the door, and casually said:

"I answered. Unfortunately... someone was too tired and fell asleep before I could finish speaking."

As soon as she finished speaking, her wrist was grabbed by an irresistible force, and she was pulled into a firm and warm embrace.

Xie Jinchen embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her hair, and let out a soft hum:

Whether you heard me or not is not important.

His arms tightened, his tone revealing undisguised obsession and possessiveness: "Even if you say you don't want to, I will force you."

Jiang Dusheng felt the force behind her that almost seemed to embed her into her very bones. Her heart pounded, but she turned around, deliberately putting on a stern face, trying to reason with him:

"Xie Jinchen, forcing things will only breed inner demons. Cultivators must avoid being obsessed with things. The evil energy within you is closely related to your emotions. Such obsessive pursuit will not benefit your cultivation or your body."

She thought Xie Jinchen would argue and explain.

But he only let out a soft, pleasant chuckle, then leaned slightly closer to her and, word by word, uttered the words that made her heart stop:

"Jiang Dusheng..."

He paused, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the depths of his soul:

"You are my inner demon."