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

"Ugh!"

The black, resentful silhouette let out a long sigh.

As the sigh dissipated, the outline gradually faded, turning into specks of light.

A portion of the faint light was guided by the soft glow of the soul-guiding lamp, drifting into the depths of the night sky.

The other part, carrying a cool and pure aura, slowly drifted towards Wei Mingli in the warm sedan chair.

At the same time, Cui Wenjing felt weak in his limbs, and black energy was faintly seeping out from his seven orifices.

That was the resentment from the backlash of evil magic and the karmic force that began to corrupt his body and soul.

From this day forward, he will not only lose his freedom, but will also be tormented by endless pain and nightmares, truly experiencing a life worse than death and suffering day and night until the end of his life, his soul will not find peace.

The suffocating chill all around receded like a tide, the mountain wind returned to its normal whistling, and the air seemed a bit fresher.

Jiang Dusheng slowly withdrew his stance, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, but his eyes remained bright.

She looked towards the heated sedan chair and could clearly feel the faint breath inside gradually becoming more stable.

At this moment, without Jiang Dusheng saying a word or even giving a signal, Xie Jinchen, who had been quietly waiting not far behind her, immediately stepped forward and took her hand.

At that moment, the depleted spiritual energy within Jiang Dusheng's body began to slowly recover.

The servants of the Duke of Wei's mansion, upon receiving a signal, slowly pulled up the plain-colored cloth curtains at the four corners.

Jiang Dusheng then turned around, his voice tinged with weariness, and said to the extremely nervous Duke and Duchess of Wei:

"Miss Wei's soul has returned to its place, the evil spell has been broken, and her life is no longer in danger. She should wake up around noon tomorrow."

She paused, then continued to instruct:

"Afterwards, you only need to take gentle herbal medicine to recuperate for more than a month, supplemented with sunlight and human warmth, to gradually remove the remaining cold and dampness from your body. Do not rush to take strong tonics, as your body is too weak to tolerate them."

Upon hearing this, the Duke and Duchess of Wei finally felt relieved after a long period of anxiety.

The Duchess of Wei covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed, suppressing her fear but also her gratitude.

Duke Wei's eyes were also red-rimmed. He bowed deeply to Jiang Dusheng, his voice choked with emotion.

"Thank you, Miss Jiang."

Jiang Dusheng slightly turned aside to avoid the full curtsy and said softly, "Lord Duke and Madam, there's no need for such formalities. Please go and see your daughter."

The Duke and Duchess of Wei then hurriedly went to the sedan chair and asked the nanny in a low voice about the situation inside.

Jiang Dusheng took one last look at the grave, which now seemed much more peaceful, and said to Xie Jinchen, "Let's go first."

However, after taking only a few steps, Jiang Dusheng suddenly stopped.

Xie Jinchen also stopped. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Dusheng turned to look at him, her tone self-righteous, "Xie Jinchen, I can't walk anymore."

Actually, it's not that I'm completely unable to walk.

In the past, when her spiritual energy was depleted, she relied on her willpower to force herself to recover.

But now... there's a human sedan chair that looks sturdy and reliable standing next to me, so why not use it?

Xie Jinchen understood her implication.

He didn't say much, but simply handed the lantern to Jiang Dusheng. Then, with his broad back turned to her, he spoke in a steady voice:

"Come up."

A triumphant smile flashed in Jiang Dusheng's eyes. Without any hesitation, he took a step forward, jumped lightly, and landed on Jiang Dusheng's back.

Xie Jinchen steadily supported her knees, straightened up, his steps remained steady, and his breathing was not disturbed at all.

Jiang Dusheng wrapped his arms around his neck, rested his chin on his shoulder, sighed contentedly, and mumbled, "Hmm... people are still the most useful."

Xie Jinchen didn't stop walking, but raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "What, are you implying that a ghost has carried you on its back?"

"Hmm..." Jiang Dusheng relaxed now and became more talkative. "Once, in order to accumulate merit, I went down the mountain to catch a powerful ghost with considerable spiritual power. I exhausted my spiritual energy and couldn't even lift my legs when I got back."

"I used what I had on hand, summoned six relatively well-behaved little devils, cut out a simple sedan chair from paper, and had them carry me back to the temple."

Xie Jinchen could imagine the scene: under the moonlight, a pale-faced little girl sat on a sedan chair carried by a group of indistinct ghosts, swaying back to the mountain gate...

That kind of reckless disregard for consequences is indeed something she would do.

"And then?" he asked.

"And then?" Jiang Dusheng curled his lip. "Just as we entered the mountain gate, before my feet... no, before the sedan chair even touched the ground, my master caught us red-handed."

"My master called me into the meditation room, gave me a good scolding, and then punished me by making me copy the Diamond Sutra a hundred times."

Jiang Dusheng cleared his throat and began to imitate Huiming's tone of admonition from years ago, even bringing out that sense of disappointment and frustration:

The master asked: "My disciple, do you know where you went wrong?"

"All beings are equal, and beings in the ghost realm are also beings. They are drowning in the sea of ​​suffering and wandering in the netherworld, each with their own karma and cause and effect, and it is already difficult for them to struggle to survive."

"You use magic to force it to work for you, seemingly without harming its body or life, but in reality you are disrupting its natural cause and effect, increasing its attachment and lingering obsession, and further losing the compassion and equality that a Buddhist should possess. This is using magic to bully the weak!"

"Moreover, your own spiritual power is exhausted and your mind is weak. Commanding ghosts may seem like a trick, but in reality it is like a child walking on thin ice with a blade."

"If one is not careful, one may be invaded by ghostly energy, lose one's mind, and fall into evil ways in an instant."

"I am punishing you by making you copy scriptures so that you can calm your mind, reflect on yourself constantly, and remember: supernatural powers and magic should be used for the righteous purpose of helping people, subduing demons and ghosts, and should not be used for personal convenience."

After Jiang Dusheng finished speaking, he sighed, "From then on, when my spiritual energy was exhausted, I mostly just had to grit my teeth and bear it. Sometimes when I really couldn't walk anymore, I would sit down and meditate to regulate my breathing for a while, and then slowly move back after I had regained some strength."

Xie Jinchen suddenly remembered something that had puzzled him before, and now that the atmosphere was just right, he asked it:

"I've been meaning to ask you this: you grew up at Nanchansi Temple, studied under Master Huiming, and learned Buddhist supernatural powers..."

He tilted his head slightly. "How do you also possess such profound knowledge of Taoist arts and techniques?"

Jiang Dusheng lay on his back and lazily replied, "My Taoist master's name is Xuanji. He and Master Huiming have been close friends for many years."

"In my early years, I traveled around and stayed at Nanchansi Temple for a period of time."

She paused, then continued, "At that time, he saw that I was young and that I had a strong affinity for the arts of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, so he took me in as his disciple."

"My master was free-spirited and unconventional. He taught in a casual manner, often leaving behind a few volumes of difficult Taoist scriptures or some strange and unusual talisman diagrams for me to comprehend on my own. Sometimes he would leave behind a single incantation and disappear for half a month."

"He would return to the temple once a month to answer my questions when he had time. After answering my questions, he would often leave me with new problems, dust off his Taoist robe, and drift away."

Jiang Dusheng spoke simply, even with a touch of irony, as if those years spent studying obscure Taoist arts alone were just ordinary.

But Xie Jinchen could hear the loneliness and resilience in her words.

Despite her young age, she not only had to study Buddhism, but also had to explore the profound Taoist arts on her own.

All the magic she now possesses is the result of countless nights spent alone under a solitary lamp, and countless attempts after failures.

Xie Jinchen remained silent for a moment before speaking, each word sounding like a promise, or perhaps a vow:

"Jiang Dusheng, from now on... I will stay with you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng felt a warm, tender feeling well up in his heart.

She leaned on Xie Jinchen's shoulder and could clearly feel the vibration of his chest as he spoke, as well as the genuine seriousness in his voice.

"Then..." Jiang Dusheng suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night, "Can you sleep with me tonight?"

Although Xie Jinchen knew that Jiang Dusheng was trying to recover his spiritual power, the way she said it carried an inexplicable hint of ambiguity.