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

Jiang Zhiheng immediately flew into a rage, "What did you say?!"

Jiang Dusheng raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Zhiheng, who looked simple-minded, before landing on Jiang Zhiyuan, who was a few steps behind.

Jiang Dusheng simply raised his chin at Jiang Zhiyuan, his tone matter-of-fact, "It's up to you."

After saying that, she turned and walked into her own courtyard.

"Stop! Explain yourself!" Jiang Zhiheng persisted, raising his foot to follow him inside.

Just then, a slender figure slid down from the top of the wall in a strange way.

Wang Dazhuang had his hair styled in double buns, clearly indicating he had just returned from playing.

Jiang Dusheng didn't stop walking. Upon seeing him, he simply raised his hand, casually pointed towards the courtyard gate, and gave the order:

"Wang Dazhuang, stop those idiots outside. Anyone who dares to step into this courtyard, use your Yin energy to give them a good beating."

"Yes, sir! Master, just you wait and see!" Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhuang immediately perked up and replied in his rough voice, his tone revealing an eager excitement.

He suddenly darted to the courtyard gate, stretched out his arms, stared at Jiang Zhiheng, and roared gruffly:

"Did you hear me? This road is blocked! If you come any closer, don't blame me for my foul temper!"

To enhance the deterrent effect, Wang Dazhuang activated his soul power, opened his mouth, and a visible, chilling aura suddenly erupted from the paper figure, sweeping along the ground towards the three people at the door.

The chill wasn't from a natural wind; it carried the eerie coldness unique to the dead.

Jiang Zhiheng was hit head-on by this cold air and felt as if his bones were being frozen.

His teeth chattered uncontrollably, and he stumbled back several steps, his face turning deathly pale.

He's never seen anything like this in his life.

He suddenly remembered what the abbot of Nanchansi Temple had said earlier that day... and looking at Wang Dazhuang, he felt a chill run down his spine.

A woman with a beautiful face and a seductive figure could speak with the voice of a brute and release such terrifying cold air.

This was completely beyond his comprehension.

Jiang Zhiyuan stepped forward at this moment. He was more knowledgeable and more composed than Jiang Zhiheng.

He abruptly pulled Jiang Zhiheng and Jiang Wanqing behind him, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and shouted sternly, "Back off! These aren't living people!"

He looked into the courtyard with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. Jiang Dusheng's door was already closed, and only her silhouette, sitting quietly alone, could be seen through the window paper.

"B-Big brother... what... what kind of demons and monsters are these?!" Jiang Zhiheng stammered.

Jiang Zhiyuan did not answer. He just stared intently at the eerie woman at the door who exuded a chilling aura, his mind in turmoil.

"Let's get out of here first." Jiang Zhiyuan suppressed his shock and made a quick decision.

He protected his younger siblings, whose legs were almost giving way, and left Jiang Dusheng's small courtyard.

Seeing that the three annoying guys had indeed been scared away, Wang Dazhuang let out a smug "Heh," his rough voice sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet courtyard.

He skillfully withdrew his yin energy and twisted his waist back into the house.

He pushed open the door, but suddenly stopped, his neck seemingly stiffening for a moment.

He stared intently at Meng Xueyan, who was quietly floating beside Jiang Dusheng with a sorrowful expression.

"Master!" Wang Dazhuang exclaimed in his rough voice, pointing at Meng Xueyan, "You...you've brought back another ghost on this trip?! This...this house is practically a mortuary!"

Jiang Dusheng didn't even lift his eyelids; he was already used to Wang Dazhuang's overreaction.

She ignored Wang Dazhuang's shouting and instead took out a bone flute from her sleeve, gently stroking it with her fingertips.

The bone flute, which I have always kept close to my body, has been emitting subtle tremors since the start of today's flower viewing banquet, as if the soul inside is restless.

As wisps of smoke curled upwards, Xu Yishuo's spirit gradually solidified within the room.

At this moment, her gaze was fixed on Meng Xueyan, and she even forgot to greet Jiang Dusheng.

"Meng... Sister Meng...?!" Xu Yishuo's voice trembled, filled with disbelief.

Meng Xueyan was also startled by Xu Yishuo's sudden appearance. Looking at the familiar face, memories flooded her mind, and she covered her mouth and gasped softly:

"Sister Xu? You... how could you?!" She realized that Xu Yishuo, like herself, was just a soul. Before she could finish speaking, her eyes were filled with surprise and grief.

Xu Yishuo's soul drifted closer and clasped Meng Xueyan's hand. Their soul light merged, creating ripples.

"Sister Xu, the last time we met was before your marriage. You were so happy then..." Meng Xueyan's voice choked with emotion, her soul light flickering. "We even promised to keep in touch... How could you... How could this happen?"

Xu Yishuo's soul trembled violently, and she gave a bitter smile. "That person... he was keeping someone outside, and when I caught him, he... he actually pushed me so heartlessly..."

Meng Xueyan gasped, her soul trembling with rage. "That beast! How dare he do this?!"

Xu Yishuo struggled to calm the turmoil in her soul, looking at Meng Xueyan with eyes full of sorrow, "My affairs are one thing. But what about you? How could you also..."

She looked Meng Xueyan's equally ethereal soul up and down, her eyes filled with heartache and confusion. "What happened to you? Who harmed you?"

Meng Xueyan's soul suddenly dimmed. Her eyes lowered, and her lips moved slightly. "It's a long story..."

Jiang Dusheng got up at some point and lit a stick of incense for calming the soul in the incense burner on the small table.

The wisps of smoke, carrying a calming aura, slowly spread, causing Meng Xueyan and Xu Yishuo's somewhat agitated soul light to solidify slightly.

Jiang Dusheng sat back in his chair, his fingertips brushing against the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist. His voice was calm. "Then let's talk slowly. There are no outsiders here, and no rules for the living."

Amidst the soothing fragrance, Meng Xueyan seemed to regain a bit of courage.

She looked up, her gaze somewhat blank, as if she could see those suffocating days through the void before her.

"Sister Xu, you know..." she said softly, "My father, he usually values ​​etiquette and moral principles the most."

"In his mind, a woman does not need to be talented; the most important thing is to be chaste, quiet, and virtuous. Marriage should also be between people of equal social standing, chosen by the parents, in accordance with the way of the sages."

She paused, as if gathering her strength, "At the beginning of the year, he arranged for me to marry a distant nephew of the Vice Minister of War."

"Father said that although that family is not of the highest rank, they are diligent and have a promising future. Most importantly, their family traditions are strict, which complements the good reputation of our Meng family."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yishuo couldn't help but clench her illusory hand. "That person... have you inquired about him?"

Meng Xueyan slowly shook her head, her soul light dimming. "Father is keeping a close watch on things; how could I possibly find out?"

"I overheard the women who delivered silk to the manor talking casually, saying that the young master was rather arrogant and aloof."

"But... I'm not reconciled, Sister Xu." Meng Xueyan's tone suddenly became agitated, her spirit flickering. "Although I am a woman, I also yearn for the vast world outside and do not wish to be confined to this backyard."

"Are we, as women, destined to have no freedom, and to have it all erased by so-called conformity and rules?"

Her narration took everyone back to that suffocating afternoon: "So... that day, for the first time in my life, I stepped into my father's study where he handled official business."

"I beg him to reconsider, even if... even if it means I need to know what kind of person my future husband truly is..."