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

Jiang Dusheng let her pull him along, his expression indifferent, feigning ignorance of the deeper meaning, and simply answered truthfully:

"Madam, I grew up in a Buddhist temple and have never read the Four Books and Five Classics or the precepts and instructions for women."

"I mostly read Buddhist scriptures on a daily basis, and in my spare time... I also read some miscellaneous books on ghost-catching, talisman drawing, and feng shui."

As soon as she finished speaking, the smile on the lady's face froze, and she loosened her grip on Jiang Dusheng's hand, the eagerness in her eyes quickly cooling down.

Exorcising ghosts and drawing talismans...

She suddenly remembered that this Miss Jiang was sent to a Buddhist temple because of her unlucky fate.

The ladies around them exchanged glances, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

The lady chuckled dryly, barely managing to find her voice: "Heh, heh, Miss Jiang, you truly have a unique and fascinating personality."

Jiang Dusheng smiled slightly in response, but his gaze had already drifted to a rockery not far away.

The rockery is rugged and covered with vines. At the pavilion on the mountaintop stands a slender figure dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

The figure had her back to the noisy banquet and was quietly gazing at something outside the garden. Her posture was lonely and out of place with the joy around her. It seemed that ordinary people could not see her.

Jiang Dusheng withdrew his gaze and, while Song Suya and the other ladies were trying to smooth things over, slowly walked towards the artificial hill.

She walked past several clumps of crabapple trees in full bloom, then stepped onto the stone steps of the artificial hill and came up behind the woman.

The woman seemed oblivious, continuing to gaze into the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Dusheng asked, his voice low.

The woman visibly trembled, then suddenly turned around, revealing a delicate, pale face that couldn't hide her scholarly air.

At first, her eyes were blank, but when she saw Jiang Dusheng's calm gaze fixed on her, an incredulous astonishment surged within her. "You...you can see me?"

Jiang Dusheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pure soul light surrounding the woman, and asked, "Since you are already dead, why do you linger in the mortal realm instead of going to where you should be?"

The woman's astonishment gradually subsided when she saw that Jiang Dusheng could not only see her but also spoke so casually.

She first subconsciously straightened her clothes, which were not actually there, and then gave Jiang Dusheng a proper curtsy, her demeanor elegant and clearly showing that she had received good upbringing.

"My name is Meng Xueyan." She said softly, "My father is Meng Wenzheng, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy." A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes as she announced her father's official title.

The Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy was a fourth-rank official, a prestigious and respected civil servant.

No wonder this woman has such an elegant and scholarly air about her.

Jiang Dusheng wasn't surprised by her background and asked directly, "Miss Meng, how did you die?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Xueyan's pale face revealed a self-deprecating smile.

She turned her head and looked into the distance again, which seemed to be the direction of the mountains outside the city.

"To be honest, I'm afraid you'll laugh at me," she said in a wisp of a voice, "I jumped off Sunset Cliff outside the city by myself."

Jump off a cliff to commit suicide?

Jiang Dusheng's eyes flickered slightly.

Looking at Meng Xueyan's soul, it was clear and pure, without any fierceness or resentment. She didn't seem to be wronged or driven to a dead end. Instead, she seemed to have a kind of sorrow and bewilderment.

Meng Xueyan looked at Jiang Dusheng again, her eyes filled with hope, "Miss Jiang, after I died, I wandered around and occasionally heard the whispers of wandering spirits."

"They say that there are some truly capable masters in this world, with compassionate hearts, who will help lost souls let go of their attachments and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation..."

She paused, her voice pleading, "Can...can you help me? It's not that I'm attached to this world, but I have unresolved questions and unfulfilled wishes, and I can't leave in peace."

Jiang Dusheng looked at her quietly, and after a moment, nodded: "Alright. You can stay by my side for now. We'll discuss the details after this matter is settled."

Meng Xueyan's eyes lit up with joy, and she quickly bowed again, saying, "Thank you so much, Miss Jiang! I am deeply grateful!"

Just then, behind a weeping crabapple tree not far away, a girl in a pale yellow dress who was admiring the flowers inadvertently caught sight of Jiang Dusheng on the artificial hill.

She stood alone, whispering to the empty space, as if talking to someone.

The girl was startled at first, then as if she had thought of something terrible, she suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror, and staggered back two steps, almost knocking over the flowerpot behind her.

Jiang Dusheng naturally noticed the commotion over there, but didn't care at all.

She gestured for Meng Xueyan's spirit to follow, while she calmly walked down the artificial hill.

Jiang Dusheng had only taken a few steps down the artificial hill when a gentle, smiling male voice came from behind her, "Miss Jiang, what a coincidence."

Jiang Dusheng paused slightly and turned around to look.

Chu Yanzhao wore a sky-blue silk robe with bamboo patterns embroidered on it, covered with a light gauze robe of the same color, and tied a white jade belt around his waist, adorned with a jade pendant of excellent quality.

His black hair was tied up with a jade crown, his face was as white as jade, and he held an ivory fan in his hand. In the spring sunshine, he was a handsome young man, elegant and noble, which made several young ladies nearby unable to help but secretly glance at him.

However, only a hint of annoyance flashed across Jiang Dusheng's eyes.

It's him again.

A glint of amazement flashed in Chu Yanzhao's eyes the moment Jiang Dusheng turned around.

Today, the garden is a riot of color, and the noble ladies are all dressed up in their finest attire, vying with each other to outshine the flowers, lest they be outshone by the profusion of blossoms.

Only Jiang Dusheng, dressed in cool, moon-white attire and without much makeup, seemed to stand apart from the noisy world.

Unfortunately, this appreciation was quickly shattered by Jiang Dusheng's subsequent reaction.

She furrowed her brows slightly, her gaze lingering on his face for less than a moment before shifting away, her tone flat, "Who are you?"

Chu Yanzhao's gentle and proper smile froze instantly.

This is the second time.

If we say that we first met at the restaurant yesterday, and she asked "Who are you?" because she didn't remember what I looked like, it's understandable.

But today, he specially changed into a more eye-catching outfit and took the initiative to greet her, and she came again?

Chu Yanzhao was almost certain that Jiang Dusheng did it on purpose.

She clearly remembered him, yet she deliberately acted as if she were ignoring him.

His fingers tucked slightly into his sleeve, and the stiffness on his face lasted only a moment before he regained his gentle smile.

He even took two steps forward, closing the distance, his voice gentle.

"Miss Jiang, you truly have a bad memory. However, it is my honor to be the first person you can't remember my face."

He bowed slightly, adopting a solemn demeanor, "Then let me introduce myself once more. My name is Chu Yanzhao, and my father is Prince Chun. I had a brief encounter with you and Jinchen yesterday at the restaurant."

He also mentioned Xie Jinchen's name, keeping an eye on Jiang Dusheng's reaction.

After listening, Jiang Dusheng simply gave an indifferent "oh" and nodded, as if he had only heard something unimportant.

He then turned away again, clearly unwilling to say more.

"Miss Jiang, please wait." Chu Yanzhao called out to her again, this time in a lower voice, with a hint of inquiry, "You and Young Master Xie seem to be quite acquainted?"

This is one of the main reasons why he took the initiative to strike up a conversation today.

The relationship between Xie Jinchen and Jiang Dusheng both intrigued and made him vaguely uneasy.