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

"Oh…"

Meng Xueyan let out a cold laugh, "In the end, all he cares about is the rules, his reputation, and the dignity of the Meng family."

"My death, my resentment, my questions, in his eyes, ultimately turned into a misstep that needed to be covered up, and a stain that could affect the marriages of other cousins."

Xu Yishuo was already sobbing uncontrollably, tightly hugging Meng Xueyan, "How could he... how could he do this!"

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The answer Meng Xueyan sought was one her father might never be able to provide, or perhaps he simply wouldn't bother to consider it.

She paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Since you've been lingering around your parents since you died, you should know that your father... may never be able to give you the answer you want."

"He is trapped within the high walls he has built with Confucian classics and worldly rules. He may not be able to see your flesh and blood outside the walls, let alone understand what regret is."

Meng Xueyan's soul trembled slightly, then a bitter smile appeared on her face. That smile, on her beautiful face, was more heartbreaking than tears.

"I know. I understand it all in my heart. He might feel regret, be heartbroken at losing an obedient daughter, and be angry that things got out of control and damaged his reputation..."

She raised her head, her eyes burning with an almost obstinate light:

"But, Miss Jiang, I still want to ask. Even if it's just standing in front of him, letting him look at me one more time, letting him know the resentment and questions I felt when I jumped..."

"I want to ask him myself, even if the answer is already predetermined."

It was a deep-seated obsession, not for changing the past, not for finding answers, but only for a complete resolution.

Jiang Dusheng looked at the unquenchable flame in her eyes, nodded, and offered no further words of comfort, simply saying:

"Okay, I promise."

Her gaze shifted to Xu Yishuo, whose eyes were also brimming with tears, and her tone softened slightly:

"After settling things between the two of you, your obsessions may dissipate."

"At that time, I can send you off to the afterlife together. The road to the underworld is long, but traveling together is better than wandering alone."

"Perhaps in the next life, you can truly be sisters, born into an enlightened family, and go to see the world you want to see."

Upon hearing this, Meng Xueyan's sorrow subsided slightly, and she looked at Xu Yishuo, revealing a genuine smile tinged with tears:

"Sister Xu, if it can really be like this, it would be a good ending. At least, you won't be alone on the road."

Xu Yishuo held her hand tightly and nodded vigorously, all her unspoken words contained in the intertwined soul light.

We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before? Besides, they are old friends.

Seeing that Meng Xueyan was determined, Jiang Dusheng did not delay any longer and simply said, "Since that's the case, I will take you to the Meng residence tomorrow."

Meanwhile, in the front hall of the Jiang residence, the lights were on, but the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Jiang Mao and Song Suya were sitting opposite each other, drinking tea and discussing the aftermath of the daytime flower viewing banquet and the details of Jiang Wanqing's marriage to the Chu family, when their three children walked in looking flustered.

Jiang Wanqing, in particular, was deathly pale and had red eyes.

Jiang Zhiheng was also still in shock, while only Jiang Zhiyuan remained relatively calm, though the heaviness between his brows was undeniable.

"What's going on?" Song Suya's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly put down her teacup and stood up.

Jiang Mao also frowned.

"Mother!" As soon as Jiang Wanqing saw her mother, her suppressed fear and grievances burst forth instantly. She cried and threw herself into Song Suya's arms, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"My daughter is terrified! My sister has a terrifying maid in her courtyard! She's... she's extremely beautiful, with a captivating figure, but... but her voice is so rough and hoarse, like a brute! And she can exhale chilling breath!"

She was incoherent and clearly quite frightened.

Song Suya was terrified. She patted her daughter's back to comfort her while looking at her two sons for confirmation.

Jiang Zhiheng nodded hurriedly, adding, "It's true, Mother! That thing was definitely not a living person! Its movements were stiff, and that chilling aura was extraordinary! Big Brother saw it too!"

Jiang Mao's face darkened, and he looked at his eldest son, the most composed of them all: "Zhiyuan, tell me, what exactly happened?"

Jiang Zhiyuan waved his hand to dismiss the servants in the hall. After the door closed and only his family remained, he spoke in a deep voice:

"What Father, Mother, Second Brother, and Wanqing said is true. The woman guarding the gate is definitely not a living person. She seems to be a puppet or a possessed being driven by evil magic. She has extremely heavy yin energy, can speak human language, and can control the cold evil energy."

"If I hadn't stopped him in time, my second brother would probably have been injured if he had rushed in recklessly."

Song Suya gasped, her face turning pale. "This...how could this be! How could Dusheng...how could she have attracted these things? Won't these things harm her?!"

Jiang Mao sighed heavily, rubbed his temples wearily, and replied:

"This is exactly what I wanted to tell you. Today, Zhiyuan, Zhiheng, and I went to Nanchansi Temple. Although we were unable to meet the abbot directly, we learned some things about saving sentient beings while chatting with several monks and regular pilgrims."

He paused, looked at Song Suya's surprised and uncertain face, and slowly said:

"Among the surrounding villages and even some pilgrims who come specifically to offer incense and pray, quite a few people know the name Dusheng."

"Rumor has it that she learned exorcism and ghost-catching techniques, and even the art of communicating with the spirit world, at that temple! She may even have helped people deal with unclean things!"

"What?!" Song Suya was so shocked she almost knocked over her teacup, her voice trembling. "Catch...catch ghosts drawing talismans? She's just a young lady..."

Jiang Zhiyuan added solemnly, "At first, we didn't believe it either, thinking it was just hearsay. But after inquiring from various sources, the accounts were quite consistent."

"Moreover, some people swear that they have personally seen her holding strange magical artifacts and performing rituals in a desolate graveyard. Combined with what I saw tonight, I'm afraid... the rumors are true."

Song Suya slumped into her chair, muttering, "She just mentioned to me that she had crossed over a drowning female ghost... At the time, I just thought she was joking..."

As Song Suya spoke, tears streamed down her face without warning. She covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, her voice choked with emotion:

"We're the ones who wronged her..."

She looked at Jiang Mao, her eyes filled with remorse, "Back then, if we hadn't listened to those words and been filled with fear, leaving her alone in the temple for so many years without ever caring about her..."

"If...if we had visited her more often and cared for her more, wouldn't she have been different today?"

Her words touched a hidden thorn in the hearts of everyone present.

While there was certainly a reason for sending Jiang Dusheng to the Buddhist temple, after the birth of Jiang Wanqing, they forgot about Jiang Dusheng...

Isn't this also mixed with the selfishness and escapism of parents?

Seeing his mother in tears, Jiang Zhiheng felt a pang of pity and quickly tried to comfort her, but his tone betrayed a desperate attempt to excuse his past choices:

"Mother, don't blame yourself too much. This...this is something that can't be helped. Didn't that highly respected master from Huguo Temple explain it very clearly back then?"

"Du Sheng's fate was destined to be lonely and bring misfortune to her relatives. At that time, you were pregnant and were constantly seeing doctors..."

"Wanqing was weak after landing, and we only refrained from visiting her because of the master's advice, for the sake of our family's peace. If anyone is to blame, it's her fate..."

These words seem reasonable, but they shift all responsibility to the vague concept of fate, avoiding the choices they, as family members, made.