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

Jiang Dusheng looked in the direction of the sound.

Xie Jinchen stood beside a thick tree trunk, his dark brocade robe almost blending into the shadow of the tree.

He stood there for an unknown amount of time, seemingly certain that she would get lost.

Jiang Dusheng blinked, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Xie Jinchen walked over unhurriedly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before sweeping over the silver notes in her hand. His voice was calm: "Waiting for you."

He paused, then added, "The time for the palace gates to be locked is approaching. If we don't leave soon, we'll have to stay overnight in the palace."

Jiang Dusheng said "Oh," readily agreeing, "Perfect, I don't know the way."

She deftly put the banknotes back into her sleeve.

Xie Jinchen didn't say anything, turned around and walked ahead.

Jiang Dusheng followed slightly behind him, and the two walked in silence for a while.

"Have you found a place to stay?" Xie Jinchen suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, asking casually.

Jiang Dusheng shook his head: "Not yet. Let's go back to the Jiang residence first and get my things. We'll find an inn tonight and look for a suitable house tomorrow."

Xie Jinchen hummed in agreement.

After walking a short distance and passing through a moon gate, he seemed to suddenly remember something and asked in a more casual tone, "What did Shi Qinglian give you the silver notes for?"

He noticed the thickness of the stack of silver notes; it was no small sum.

"He broke my flute," Jiang Dusheng said succinctly and confidently, "and will compensate me."

After speaking, she turned her head to look at Xie Jinchen, her gaze filled with undisguised inquiry:

"Just now in the palace, why was the vengeful spirit of the emperor forced back by your sword energy?"

"Ordinary weapons, no matter how strong their malevolent energy, have limited effect on a hundred-year-old dragon's vengeful spirit."

She asked directly, her gaze intense.

Xie Jinchen did not stop walking, his gaze fixed on the passageway illuminated by palace lanterns, his profile appearing somewhat cold and hard in the light and shadow.

He seemed to have anticipated Jiang Dusheng's question and began by saying:

"That sword is called Benyue."

He raised his hand, and his wide sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing his pale wrist and the shimmering jade prayer beads on his wrist.

"Like these prayer beads, they were also a gift from that master. Perhaps... they have some effect in warding off evil."

Jiang Dusheng's gaze lingered on the Buddhist beads on his wrist for a moment.

She believed that the Crescent Moon Sword was indeed special, but it was by no means as simple as he described.

However, since he was unwilling to discuss it further, she wouldn't press him for details.

"I see." She nodded, no longer asking further, only saying, "It's a fine sword."

The palace gates were in sight. Upon seeing Xie Jinchen, the guards bowed respectfully and allowed him to pass.

Stepping out of the palace gates, the dim lights of Changling City and the free night breeze greeted me.

To Jiang Dusheng's surprise, the Jiang family was so persistent that they stood guard outside the palace gates.

Xie Jinchen paused slightly, then subtly shifted half a step to the side, completely blocking Jiang Dusheng behind him.

Without turning his head, he merely raised his chin towards the carriage bearing the Xie family insignia parked not far away, and asked, "Would you like to wait for me?"

Jiang Dusheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at the family not far away. She really had no intention of getting entangled with the Jiang family any further.

With Xie Jinchen in the lead, she was happy to avoid the scene.

She nodded decisively, "Thanks."

After saying that, she walked straight to the carriage, climbed up gracefully, and lowered the curtain to block the view from outside.

Xie Jinchen then walked slowly toward the Jiang family.

The lanterns hanging above the palace gate cast a dim, yellowish light, making his shadow appear long and slender, and conveying an invisible sense of oppression.

"Lord Jiang," his voice was devoid of warmth, "if only you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have acted in the first place. Now that His Majesty's decree has been made, this matter is settled."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the Jiang family members. There was no contempt in his eyes, only indifference, which was more unbearable than any harsh words.

"Miss Jiang is now a free woman and has no further connection with your esteemed household. What good will it do you all to wait here and cause further embarrassment?"

His words were direct, even harsh, showing no respect whatsoever to the Minister of Rites.

Jiang Mao's face turned pale, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he was frozen when he met Xie Jinchen's eyes.

Those eyes were as cold and desolate as a frozen pool at midnight in the deep of winter, reflecting the light of the palace lanterns, yet devoid of warmth.

What sent chills down Jiang Mao's spine even further was that the man before him was not only the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but also the only bloodline left by the deceased Princess, and someone His Majesty regarded as his own son.

Arguing with him or contradicting him could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Song Suya, standing to the side, seemed not to have heard Xie Jinchen's words. She murmured listlessly:

"Master, Dusheng...she must be going back to the manor to pack her things. Let's go back quickly! We can still see her and talk to her..."

With tears in her eyes, she grabbed Jiang Mao's sleeve as if she were grasping at the last straw.

Looking at his wife's sorrowful expression and recalling the events of the night, Jiang Mao was filled with mixed emotions. Finally, he gritted his teeth, as if making a decision, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go! Back to the manor!"

The Jiang family members hurriedly boarded their carriage and sped away.

Xie Jinchen watched the carriage disappear into the distance before turning back to his own carriage.

He whispered instructions to the coachman who stood respectfully to the side:

"Follow the carriage from the Jiang residence ahead, keeping a safe distance. Once they return to their residence, circle around to the alley near the side gate and stop."

"Yes, Your Highness." The coachman understood.

Xie Jinchen lifted the carriage curtain and bent down to enter the carriage.

The interior of the car was spacious and simply furnished, with warm yellow light emanating from the wall lamps.

Jiang Dusheng had already chosen a seat by the window and was gazing absently at the street scene outside.

The carriage started moving again, and the interior fell silent, save for the rumble of the wheels and the faint sounds of people returning home at night from the street.

Jiang Dusheng suddenly looked at Xie Jinchen and said, "I need to go out of the city in the next two days to catch a vengeful ghost that's been around for quite some time. After I return, I'll go with you to find your mother's remains."

Xie Jinchen showed no surprise upon hearing this, and simply nodded: "Alright. You go and take care of your business first."

The carriage remained quiet for a while longer.

After a moment, Xie Jinchen suddenly turned his head, his expression as calm and composed as ever:

"Miss Jiang, the stack of silver notes that the Imperial Advisor gave you just now seems a bit strange to me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng had no doubts.

She immediately pulled out the stack of silver notes that hadn't even had time to warm up from her bosom, and examined them carefully by the light from the carriage's interior lamp: "What's the problem?"

"Let me see." Xie Jinchen naturally reached out and took it, flipping through it a few times. His brows furrowed slightly, and his tone was somewhat serious.

"Tsk, the color of this ink... and the direction of the dark pattern, seem to be slightly different from the latest batch of official ink."

He spoke with an air of authority, his tone steady, yet every word firm and certain.

Jiang Dusheng looked up at him, a hint of suspicion slowly spreading in her heart.

How could Shi Qinglian have a counterfeit ticket?

Yet, the solemnity between Xie Jinchen's brows seemed genuine.

Before she could think it through, Xie Jinchen had already opened a hidden compartment in the carriage wall, taken out an even thicker stack of silver notes, and handed them directly to Jiang Dusheng:

"Take these for now. I'll take these and have someone check them carefully later. If they're counterfeit, we'll have to investigate their origin."