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

Chu Yanzhao took a few steps, and the warm smile on his face vanished completely, leaving only a deep, cold expression.

He didn't turn around, but whispered to his trusted aide who had quietly followed him, "Go, tell that young lady from the Jiang family is indeed quite capable, with a sharp eye and audacious courage."

"Yes," the confidant replied in a low voice, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Chu Yanzhao stopped and turned to look back at the stall.

Through the crowd, I could vaguely see that figure sitting calmly, as if the assertion that had just been enough to stir up a storm was just a gentle breeze brushing past my ear.

He gently stroked the fan ribs in his hand, a smile, completely different from before, curving his lips into a soft murmur:

"Jiang Dusheng, if I had known you were this interesting... it seems that it wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't exchanged the marriage for Wanqing."

At the fortune-telling stall, Jiang Dusheng was completely unaware of the undercurrents that followed Chu Yanzhao's departure.

Her gaze fell on the new customers at the stall.

This is a woman with a slender figure, wearing a light pink dress of medium to high quality but with a stylish design.

She wore a veiled hat, and the draped veil covered her face, revealing only a section of her fair chin.

"What does the young lady want to know?"

The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.

The voice came through the thin veil, gentle and soft, yet subtly carrying a hint of tension and anticipation:

"I've heard that your divination is very accurate. I would like to ask you to help me... whether I can conceive a child for my husband? I have been married into my husband's family for more than three years and have not yet become pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng's gaze habitually fell on the other person's face, which was covered by a thin veil.

However, just as she was intently observing, her intuition stirred slightly.

wrong.

Ordinary people wear veils to cover their faces. Although the facial features are blurred behind the thin veil, the general direction and aura are still consistent.

But the woman before him... the face behind that light veil gave Jiang Dusheng an unnatural, awkward feeling.

Just like a masterpiece painting, no matter how exquisite the painting technique, the new ink and the old silk covering the original work will ultimately look different to a true expert.

Jiang Dusheng's mind raced, but his face remained calm.

She even nodded slightly, her tone as usual: "The matter of having children concerns the harmony of Yin and Yang, and one's destiny and blessings. Please extend your left hand, young lady."

The woman did as she was told, extending a hand with a light touch of nail polish from her sleeve and placing it on the fortune-telling stall table.

This hand is real; the skin is delicate, and the knuckles are well-proportioned.

Jiang Dusheng did not actually take the pulse, but merely hovered his finger about an inch above the pulse on the other's wrist, using his spiritual power to probe the other's aura and the true destiny patterns that might be revealed beneath the disguise.

The lanterns beside the restaurant were lit one by one by the waiters, and the dim yellow light cast shimmering shadows on the thin veil of the women's hats.

Jiang Dusheng lowered her eyelashes, as if sensing intently. After a moment, she withdrew her outstretched hand, raised her eyes, and spoke in a clear, firm voice:

"The lines on your palm indicating marriage are faint, almost nonexistent, and the aura of the Red Phoenix Star is stagnant. You are still a virgin, unmarried. What need is there for a husband, or for children?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in the veil trembled slightly, and through the thin veil, one could almost sense her momentary astonishment.

But soon, a soft sigh came from behind the veil, followed by a low laugh. The laugh had lost its previous feigned gentleness and gained a clearer tone.

"I was initially skeptical of your abilities, young lady, as I felt there were too many charlatans in Changling City seeking fame and fortune. Today, I'm taking this opportunity to test you, please forgive me."

As she spoke, she stood up, gave Jiang Dusheng a solemn curtsy, and spoke earnestly:

"I'm so sorry, I really had nowhere to turn and was afraid of being deceived again, so I resorted to this desperate measure to test you, young lady. You are truly a capable person, and I was very rude just now."

Jiang Dusheng waved his hand, not caring about these formalities: "It's alright. Whether it's a test or genuine affection, it makes no difference to me."

Seeing that Jiang Dusheng was so straightforward and honest, the woman stopped beating around the bush.

She sat down again, took out a neatly folded sheet of Xuan paper from her bosom, and carefully unfolded it on the divination stall.

A birth date and time were written on the paper in elegant, delicate calligraphy.

"This is the birth date and time of one of my closest friends." The woman's voice lowered, filled with barely concealed worry. "She has been missing for almost a month."

"I've reported it to the authorities and sent people to search for her privately, but it's like a stone sinking into the sea—there's been no trace of her. She's nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead. I just want to ask you, young lady, to help me divine whether... she's still alive?"

She spoke the last few words very softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Jiang Dusheng took the paper, glanced at the eight characters, and began to calculate and deduce with a slight movement of his fingertips.

After a moment, he looked up at the other person and said, "Based on this birth chart, this person's lifespan has ended, and he is no longer alive."

Although she had expected it, upon hearing the clear answer with her own ears, the woman still clenched her sleeves tightly, causing the veil of her hat to tremble violently.

She remained silent for a long while before finally uttering a very soft voice: "...Just as I expected."

She took a deep breath and, forcing herself to speak, asked, "Excuse me, miss, how much is the divination fee?"

Jiang Dusheng shook his head: "No rush. There's still something fishy about this."

Her gaze fell on the eight characters again, her brows furrowing slightly. "When I was calculating just now, I sensed that this person's soul seemed to be imprisoned by some kind of force."

"What?!" the woman exclaimed in shock, no longer bothering to hide her emotions. She leaned forward, her voice trembling with excitement, "How...how could this be?! I've been detained?"

This news is more chilling than a simple death.

It is normal for a person's soul to perish or be reborn after death. If the soul is imprisoned, it means that even the peace after death cannot be attained.

Jiang Dusheng looked at the birth dates and times on the table and sighed: "I'm afraid we need to summon their spirits."

She stood up, her gaze sweeping over the curious crowd around her, and raised her voice, "Today I will only perform two divinations. If anyone wishes to inquire about good or bad fortune, please come back another day or seek out Master Xu."

Then, she said to the still-shocked woman, "It's not convenient to talk here. Come with me."

She led the woman straight into the brightly lit Yuelai Restaurant next door.

Jiang Dusheng requested a quiet private room, away from the noise outside.

Jiang Dusheng turned to the woman, who was still wearing a veil: "Now, can we be completely honest with each other?"

The woman stood in the center of the private room, seemingly having made up her mind.

She raised her hand and slowly removed the veil that concealed her face.

Then, his fingers deftly explored behind his ears and temples, peeling off a human skin mask as thin as a cicada's wing.

The true face revealed beneath the mask was a bewitching and alluring one.

Her eyebrows are like distant mountains shrouded in mist, and her eyes are like autumn waters rippling across the surface.