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

Xie Jinchen had already sheathed his sword and walked to Jiang Dusheng's side.

Their clothes brushed against each other, the edge of the dark sleeve almost touching her pale purple cuff.

Jiang Dusheng could even faintly smell the cool aura emanating from him, which strangely enveloped her amidst the lingering yin energy and Buddhist light in the hall.

He still had that lazy and indifferent look, but at this moment he slightly turned his head and looked down at Jiang Dusheng. His crystal-clear eyes reflected only her. His eyebrows were slightly raised, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Xie Jinchen's question seemed abrupt and his tone was unreadable, but Jiang Dusheng inexplicably felt that there was something else hidden in his words.

She withdrew her gaze from Shi Qinglian, composed herself, and took another objective look at the Imperial Preceptor, commenting in a low voice, "His name suits him perfectly."

The name "Qinglian" (清莲, meaning pure lotus) is quite fitting for such an ethereal quality.

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinchen, who was standing beside him, gave a barely audible hum, so soft that Jiang Dusheng thought it was his imagination.

Jiang Dusheng's gaze swept over Shi Qinglian's head again.

Her cascading black hair was tied up with a jade crown, with a few strands falling over her shoulders, like ink stains spreading on her snow-white clothes.

Curious, she lowered her voice and asked Xie Jinchen, "Isn't he a monk? Why does he have long hair?"

A hint of amusement flashed in Xie Jinchen's eyes. He lowered his voice as well, his thin lips barely moving: "Want to know?"

Jiang Dusheng nodded.

As a result, Xie Jinchen parted his thin lips slightly and, amidst the gradually calming clamor in the hall, clearly uttered four words:

I won't tell you.

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

Shi Qinglian slowly walked to the foot of the imperial steps. He did not kneel in full obeisance, but nodded slightly.

"Your Majesty has been frightened. I was in seclusion at the Jingxin Terrace when I suddenly sensed a surge of dragon energy in the palace. Knowing something was amiss, I immediately broke my seclusion and came here. Fortunately, I am not too late."

Emperor Cangqi had completely calmed down by now, his face showing no trace of blame, but rather an air of closeness and reliance:

"You've come at the perfect time! Quickly, subdue this evil spirit that's wreaking havoc in the palace, lest it cause further trouble!"

Emperor Cangqi's tone was urgent, clearly still shaken by the vengeful spirit that had nearly threatened his life, and eager to eliminate it as soon as possible.

However, Shi Qinglian shook her head.

He raised his light blue eyes, looked calmly at Emperor Cangqi, and said something unexpected:

"Your Majesty, this creature must not be killed, at least not now."

"Why?" Emperor Cangqi frowned, and the ministers also looked puzzled.

What use is there in keeping such a malevolent spirit?

Shi Qinglian's gaze swept over the vengeful spirit of the emperor, still radiating malevolence and trapped within the golden light of the Buddhist beads. Her voice was calm and even, yet it reached everyone's ears:

"This is no ordinary vengeful ghost. It is a remnant of a dragon soul from a hundred years ago, which was formed by the overwhelming resentment of the country's destruction and the earth's yin energy when the country was destroyed and the person died. After hundreds of years of settling, it has become a vengeful dragon bound to the earth."

"Its foundation is faintly connected to the earth's veins of the imperial city, and even to some of the remaining fortune of the previous dynasty."

He paused, then continued, "If we rashly destroy it, it might violently impact the city's geomantic veins, and the vengeful energy it releases upon dissipation could affect the stability of the nation's destiny."

"Although this thing is a scourge, its malevolence can be gradually neutralized by Buddhist teachings. Perhaps some long-forgotten secrets of the previous dynasty can be gleaned from its remaining memories. It may not be entirely without benefit to Your Majesty and to Xicang."

Shi Qinglian looked at Emperor Cangqi, her tone tinged with pity: "Your Majesty, it is easy to punish evil, but difficult to resolve resentment."

"However, resolving such dragon resentment is also an act of accumulating supreme merit and stabilizing the fortune of the empire. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow me to bring it back to the Pure Heart Terrace, set up the Pure Karma Lotus Array, and gradually convert it by exposing it to Buddhist scriptures day and night."

"Once its malevolent energy dissipates and a trace of its true spirit is reborn, the earth's veins can be stabilized and the remaining resentment can be resolved."

After hearing this, Emperor Cangqi looked thoughtful.

He desperately wanted to kill the thing that had almost taken his life.

However, Shi Qinglian's words were all reasonable and concerned the stability of the capital city and the nation's destiny, so he had to take them seriously.

After a long silence, Emperor Cangqi slowly exhaled and waved his hand: "Very well, then so be it. This thing is dangerous, you must handle it carefully and lest it cause further harm."

"Your Majesty, I will obey your decree and will certainly not fail in your trust."

Shi Qinglian bowed again, then reached out and made a grasping motion towards the light barrier that trapped the vengeful spirit.

The pale golden light shield, along with the illusory image of the emperor's vengeful spirit within it, rapidly shrank, eventually transforming into a stream of light that disappeared into one of the beads in his sandalwood rosary.

A faint dark red line appeared on the bead, which was then covered by a warm, Buddhist light.

After dealing with the vengeful spirit, Shi Qinglian put away the Buddhist beads and wore them on her wrist before walking to the seat that had been left empty for him by the steps and sitting down peacefully.

His snow-white clothes spread out, and his expression returned to its usual calm and indifferent state.

However, his gaze... seemed to fall on Jiang Dusheng almost imperceptibly.

Only now did the people of Prince Chun's mansion, who had almost caused a major disaster, seem to awaken from their daze.

Prince Chun's face was ashen, and his wife was in tears. Together with Chu Yanzhao, the two hurriedly left their seats, stumbling and falling to their knees before the imperial steps, their voices trembling and choked with sobs.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Empress! Your humble servant and I deserve to die!"

"I truly had no idea that the Blood Amber Phoenix Pendant was such an evil object! I thought it was a rare treasure, but I never imagined it was an evil artifact! I beg Your Majesty to see the truth and show mercy!"

Chu Yanzhao also kowtowed heavily, trying his best to remain calm, but cold sweat had already seeped from his forehead.

If today's events prove that he was guilty of presenting evil objects and plotting to harm the Empress, the entire Prince Chun's mansion will be destroyed in an instant.

Just then, Jiang Mao also recovered from his initial shock and lingering fear.

He glanced at the Prince Chun's family kneeling on the ground, then looked at his youngest daughter across from him, her face pale and her eyes pleading. He sighed inwardly.

In any case, Yanzhao is Wanqing's long-awaited future husband. If she doesn't step in to smooth things over at this time, not only might the marriage change, but the Jiang family will also inevitably appear cold-hearted.

He composed himself, quickly straightened his clothes, and steadily walked out of his seat to the foot of the imperial steps. He knelt down beside Prince Chun, his voice calm and earnest:

"Your Majesty, I dare to plead on behalf of the Prince."

Emperor Cangqi looked at Jiang Mao with a deep gaze, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Jiang Mao continued, "Your Majesty, the Prince's loyalty to Your Majesty and the court is as clear as heaven and earth, as bright as the sun and moon."

"I believe that the items presented this time have attracted evil spirits and caused a great disaster."

"But the entire Prince Chun's mansion was completely unaware of this and had absolutely no ill intentions. If it weren't for this fortuitous encounter, even the Prince himself probably wouldn't have known about the strangeness of this jade pendant."

After hearing Jiang Mao's words, Emperor Cangqi's face remained gloomy, but the anger in his eyes subsided slightly.

He knew all too well that Prince Chun was not particularly shrewd or capable, but he was generally well-behaved and lacked the courage to pull off such a plot that was almost tantamount to regicide.

Moreover, if they truly harbored ulterior motives, why would they present something so obviously problematic in public?