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

She placed the mask and veil aside, curtsied to Jiang Dusheng again, and her voice returned to its original tone, clear and melodious with a touch of natural gentleness:

"My name is Yue Rao, and I am a courtesan at the Soft Red Pavilion in the south of the city."

She frankly revealed her identity: a woman of the night, but she sold her art, not her body.

"My missing friend was named Wen Yusui. She worked at Ruanhongxuan with me and was also a courtesan. She was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and was exceptional in both beauty and talent, especially her pipa playing, which was considered the best in Changling."

A tear welled up in Yue Rao's eyes, a look of reminiscence in them: "About half a year ago, Yu Sui met a guest."

"That man had an extraordinary demeanor, but he was low-key in his actions. Every time he came, he would only order jade fragments to accompany him, listen to music and chat. He was generous with his money, but he always kept his manners in check."

"She was initially only grateful to Yu, but later, she probably developed real feelings."

"That person came frequently, but after about two or three months, he suddenly stopped coming. Yu Sui initially tried to remain calm, but later he became increasingly haggard."

"Until about a month ago, Yu Sui suddenly disappeared. The room was clean and tidy, and all her delicate jewelry was still there, except for the pipa she often played."

"We reported it to the authorities, and after investigating for a while, they said they had no leads and were afraid... afraid she eloped with someone, so they let it go."

Yue Rao's voice was filled with anger as she said this, "But I know Yu Sui wouldn't do that! Even if she has fallen in love, she is not the kind of person who would abandon everything and leave."

"If she really wants to leave, at least... at least she'll leave me a few words!"

"I privately used all sorts of connections to inquire about the guest's identity, but I couldn't find out a single thing. It's as if that person popped out of a rock."

"After Yu Sui, he was never seen alive or dead..." Yue Rao's tears slid down her cheeks, washing away the rouge on her face. "It wasn't until I heard that you, Miss, were a diviner that I... I came here disguised, clinging to the last glimmer of hope."

"I only wanted to know whether Yu Sui was alive or dead... but now, you say that her soul is trapped."

She stepped forward urgently, a glimmer of hope in her eyes: "Young lady, please help me! Can you save Yu Sui's soul and let her rest in peace?"

The private room fell silent, save for Yue Rao's suppressed sobs.

After listening to Yue Rao's account, Jiang Dusheng said, "The usual method of summoning a soul requires the deceased's name and birth date, or the call of a close relative or trusted person."

"Since you have her birth date and time and were also her friend in life, I can try to use a soul-summoning talisman to sense her spirit and see if I can summon her spirit directly here."

Upon hearing this, Yue Rao's eyes suddenly lit up with an eager light, and she nodded repeatedly: "It's entirely up to you, Miss!"

Jiang Dusheng said no more.

She did not set up an altar or offer sacrifices like a typical Taoist priest, nor did she burn incense or bathe. Instead, she stood quietly in the center of the private room, exuding a calm and composed demeanor.

Jiang Dusheng extended his right index and middle fingers together, and a faint light flowed from the fingertips as he drew a line in the air.

Using spiritual energy as ink and air as paper, a golden talisman quickly took shape at her fingertips.

As the last stroke was made, the suspended talisman shone brightly, and an invisible mark was imprinted in the void.

"Wandering souls, where do they linger?"

"The three souls descend early, the seven spirits arrive!"

Her clear, melodious voice rang out the incantation to summon the soul.

At the same time, she grabbed at the air with her left hand, and the piece of Xuan paper with the eight characters "Wen Yu Sui" written on it moved without wind and floated to the bottom of the talisman.

She pointed her right finger at the eight-character paper, and a wisp of spiritual power was injected into it. The eight characters seemed to come alive, and the ink faintly glowed, echoing the soul-summoning talisman above.

"O soul, return! No distance is too far."

"In your name answer my call."

"Soul, come!"

As the final decree was uttered, the soul-summoning talisman suddenly flashed with golden light, turning into tiny specks of light dust that enveloped the eight-character paper below.

The paper suddenly shone brightly, then with a soft "hiss," it spontaneously combusted without fire, instantly turning into a small clump of ashes that drifted down.

The candlelight burned quietly in the private room, while the night outside the window was already deep.

However, apart from the falling ashes, nothing else changed in the room. There was no eerie wind, no strange noises, and no trace of Wen Yusui's soul.

Jiang Dusheng quietly sensed for a moment, a cold, sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

She slowly withdrew her hand, a cold smile curving her lips, and said softly, "Interesting... It seems that what's trapping your friend's soul is no ordinary vengeful ghost."

"The barrier of this soul-binding technique is so strong that even my soul-summoning talisman can hardly penetrate it. It must be an old thing with some years of experience and considerable skill."

Although Yue Rao didn't understand mystical arts, seeing that the talisman burned out without any effect, and hearing Jiang Dusheng's words, her heart sank to the bottom, and her face turned pale.

"A hundred-year-old... vengeful ghost? Then, that jade shattered her..."

Jiang Dusheng raised his hand to signal her to calm down, then looked back at Yue Rao: "The fact that the summoning talisman was ineffective means that the restriction set up by the other party is not weak and that the distance is not close."

"I need a more direct medium to locate her. Miss Yue Rao, do you have any items that Wen Yu Sui used frequently or cherished during her lifetime? Preferably something that she wore for a long time and that has absorbed her strong aura."

Yes! Yes!

As if grasping at a straw, Yue Rao hurriedly and carefully took out a teardrop-shaped jade earring from the inner pocket of her bosom.

"I took this from her room. I thought it might come in handy, so I've kept it close to my body." She handed the earrings to Jiang Dusheng.

Jiang Dusheng took the earring, and it was slightly warm to the touch. Sure enough, it still retained the faint scent of its original owner, which was completely different from the rouge scent on Yue Rao's body.

She held the earring in her palm, placed her other hand on top of it, closed her eyes, concentrated, and recited:

"The spirit of the owner of the object, tracing its origins."

"No mountain can block our way, and no river can connect us."

"The barrier of darkness reveals the true face."

"Give me directions!"

As she chanted the incantation, her spiritual energy seeped into the jade earring, capturing the unique aura of the shattered jade.

And using this as a guide, following the subtle connection between the soul and the old objects, it suddenly extends outward.

After a moment, Jiang Dusheng opened her eyes. She looked at the extremely anxious Yue Rao and said in a deep voice:

"Found it. Miss Yue Rao, the soul of your friend is trapped in an extremely yin place about a hundred miles away in the northwest."

"That place is filled with malevolent energy, and there is a powerful ghost with considerable skill presiding over the restrictions. The situation is unclear."

She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I cannot depart immediately. I have other important matters to attend to in Changling City that I need to conclude in four days. Only after that matter is settled can I set off to investigate."

Seeing Yue Rao's face turn deathly pale and her eyes almost breaking down, Jiang Dusheng added:

"However, you don't need to be too worried. That vengeful ghost has been trapping Wen Yusui's soul for some time, but it hasn't devoured or refined it immediately, as if it has other plans."

"Her soul should not be in danger of dissipating or suffering serious damage in the short term."