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

Jiang Dusheng slowly put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Xie Jinchen's face as he scrutinized him closely, as if seeing this person clearly for the first time.

When she was at Dali Temple, she used a special manifestation technique to allow Xu Nanxun and Xie Jinchen to see Xu Yishuo's soul.

However, under normal circumstances, unless a vengeful ghost takes the initiative to appear or is filled with resentment, ordinary people have absolutely no chance of seeing a ghost.

Not to mention an ordinary wandering soul with little spiritual power who is attached to a paper figure.

"You can see...ghosts?"

Her voice carried a rare hint of inquiry and surprise, her gaze sweeping over Xie Jinchen's face as if examining some rare object.

"It's not through magic that I manifest, but rather..." She leaned forward slightly, "...a natural eye with extraordinary vision, capable of seeing into the mortal realm? Or is there some other basis for it?"

Xie Jinchen met her scrutinizing gaze without flinching. Instead, he smiled, his smile less distant and more sincere.

He stretched out his left hand and rolled up the wide, scarlet sleeve of his official robe, revealing his wrist.

A string of beads was wrapped around his slender wrist.

It is not made of sandalwood or bodhi wood commonly used in Buddhism, but rather consists of eighteen evenly sized, warm-colored jade prayer beads.

Each one is engraved with intricate runes, with a subtle, shimmering light within, making it clear at a glance that it is not of this world.

The jade was translucent, which made the skin on his wrist appear even whiter and colder.

"visible."

He answered affirmatively. He gently flicked the jade prayer beads with his fingertips, and the beads struck each other, producing a clear and melodious sound.

"From childhood, I could occasionally see shadows and shapes that ordinary people couldn't see. At first, I didn't understand why, and it bothered me quite a bit, even..."

He spoke calmly, as if recounting someone else's story, "I was almost mistaken for having hysteria and mental impairment."

"Later, by chance, I met a wandering monk. He gave me this string of prayer beads, saying that it could protect the soul and spirit, and calm the mind."

"After wearing it, although I can still see them, most of them will actively avoid me, which makes things much quieter."

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly, and when he finished speaking, he extended his hand, palm up, and asked, "May I take a look?"

Without hesitation, Xie Jinchen skillfully unfastened the prayer beads from his wrist and handed them to her.

It feels cool to the touch, and its spiritual energy is restrained and pure.

Jiang Dusheng lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently caressing each jade bead, his gaze sweeping over the runes.

Her expression was focused, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the string of beads in her palm.

A moment later, he looked up at Xie Jinchen, his eyes filled with approval:

"It is indeed a good thing. It surrounds you with gentle, pure yang spiritual energy, forming an invisible barrier. Ordinary yin spirits instinctively dislike this energy and will stay away."

"The person who crafted this item and inscribed these runes was not only highly skilled in Taoism, but also deeply understood the principle of balance. Their intentions were quite ingenious."

She handed the prayer beads back, her tone thoughtful, "No wonder when Xu Yishuo appeared, although you were surprised, you didn't show the fear and panic that an ordinary person should have. It turns out you were already used to it."

Xie Jinchen took the prayer beads, his fingertips brushing against the cool jade-like surface, and wrapped them back around his wrist.

Jiang Dusheng raised his eyelids, his gaze landing on Xie Jinchen's face, and went straight to the point:

"I can feel your sincerity."

He openly revealed his secret of wearing prayer beads to ward off evil spirits, which in itself was a silent declaration.

He was willing to drop his pretense and show his true self in front of her.

If he had previously harbored doubts about her abilities or was merely curious and testing her, now, after what happened in the Dali Temple prison, he clearly regarded her as someone capable of doing things for him.

"Now, can we get down to business?" she asked directly, her gaze calm.

Xie Jinchen raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

She was indeed astute, decisive, and efficient, without any hesitation or instinctive fear or evasion regarding royal secrets.

"Intelligent, insightful, and not bound by worldly formalities," he chuckled softly, his tone neither praising nor admiring.

He raised his hand and poured himself a cup of tea. His slender fingers, with their distinct knuckles, complemented the white porcelain cup. "No wonder he was raised in a Buddhist temple."

Xie Jinchen suppressed the slight relaxation on his face, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice to ensure that only the two of them could hear him:

"I'm sure you've already heard about my mother's identity, so I won't go into details."

He paused, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the jade prayer beads on his wrist, and continued:

"My mother was bedridden after childbirth and passed away a few years later."

"According to official records, the eldest princess was buried in the imperial mausoleum according to regulations. However," he changed his tone, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

"After extensive investigation, I learned that the body sent to the imperial mausoleum was not my mother's actual remains."

Jiang Dusheng couldn't help but ask, "Who stole your mother's body?"

"He is my father." Xie Jinchen uttered these four words with a complex and unpredictable tone.

"He secretly switched my mother's body and hid the real one. The one in the imperial mausoleum was just a carefully prepared substitute."

Even though Jiang Dusheng was somewhat prepared, he was still slightly surprised upon hearing this and subconsciously asked again for confirmation: "Duke Xie?"

"Um."

Xie Jinchen nodded.

He did not explain why Duke Xie would go to such great lengths and risk deceiving the emperor to carry out this exchange.

This likely involves more than just marital intimacy; it may also be related to royal secrets, court power, or even certain taboos.

Seeing that he had no intention of discussing the reasons in depth, Jiang Dusheng wisely stopped asking.

The more you know about royal secrets, the sooner you'll die.

She had long understood this principle, having heard many tales of the previous dynasty while living in the temple since childhood.

All she needs to know is the content of the commission and the objective.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked the most crucial question: "Do you have your mother's birth date and time? It would be best if it were accurate to the hour."

Since the remains were deliberately hidden, they are difficult to find using ordinary methods.

Therefore, by combining astrological calculations and bloodline intuition with geomancy, one might be able to glimpse a glimpse of heavenly secrets and indicate the general direction.

"have."

Xie Jinchen was clearly prepared, and took out a neatly folded piece of plain paper from his pocket and handed it over.

Jiang Dusheng took it and stared at it intently.

His fingertips gently traced the eight characters, his eyes slightly closed, and his mind sank into a state of deduction.

The private room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sounds of the lunch market and a gentle breeze outside the window.

Xie Jinchen held his breath, his gaze fixed intently on her serene profile.

The vermilion between her brows seemed to shimmer with a faint glow as she focused her mind.

Wang Dazhuang didn't dare to move the paper figure even slightly, for fear of disturbing her calculations.

Time passes little by little.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and bright, as if piercing through layers of mist.

She looked at Xie Jinchen, her gaze settling on his handsome face, slightly tense with anticipation, and spoke with certainty:

"The earth's chariot tilts to the south, and the fire of fire disappears."

"Your mother's remains are not in the North."

She lightly tapped her fingertip on the table, pointing south. "The divination and the spiritual connection both point to the south."

"Moreover," she paused, then added, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes, "its aura is extremely well hidden, concealed by powerful external forces or special terrain, preventing the detection of heavenly secrets."

"Your father must have consulted a master astrologer back then; it was definitely not a random burial. To find the exact location, calculations based solely on the birth chart are far from sufficient."