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

Jiang Dusheng held the ghost in mid-air, as if guiding a kite.

The other end of the chain, as if it had a life of its own, was obediently wrapped between her slender index and middle fingers, swaying slightly with her steps.

Jiang Dusheng glanced at the unconscious stranger at his feet, frowning as he pondered whether he should find an excuse to hand him over to the authorities or simply leave him there to fend for himself.

Just then, a deep voice came from beside me: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Dusheng subconsciously looked up, and the figure that came into view made her gaze flicker.

With just one glance, a Buddhist bell seemed to resonate deep within his consciousness, vibrating outwards.

In a daze, she realized who the vague "good karma" and so-called "spiritual connection" mentioned by the monk in front of the temple were referring to.

Just a few steps away from him, Jiang Dusheng could clearly feel a vast purple aura, imbued with ineffable nobility, converging towards her like a gentle, warm current.

Although... this purple aura was entwined with malevolent energy, it still flowed like a fish into the sea, making the malevolent energy within her body, which needed to be suppressed by Buddhist teachings, become more docile than ever before, as if it had encountered water of the same origin.

It was so comfortable that she almost wanted to close her eyes and find a place to have a good, restful sleep.

What's more... this person in front of me is just too good-looking.

He possessed a bone structure and skin that were meticulously sculpted like cold jade.

His eyebrows slanted inwards towards his temples, and his eyes possessed an intimidating sharpness.

Yet, the upward curve at the corner of his eyes resembled a drop of light wine, while his pupils were as deep as a cold pool.

When he lowered his eyes, the shadows cast by his eyelashes carried a hint of nonchalant danger.

Her nose had a sharp, defined bridge, and her thin lips were tinged with a touch of pink. Her pale skin made her lips look like a cinnabar mole in the snow, making her stunningly beautiful.

His fingertips were casually holding a string of exquisite jade beads, his finger bones clearly defined.

Jiang Dusheng was so engrossed in watching that he seemed to forget the surrounding noise.

Seeing her cold gaze and remaining silent for a long while, the man opposite her stretched out a hand and gently waved it in front of her eyes:

"girl?"

Jiang Dusheng snapped back to reality, her long eyelashes fluttering as she concealed the turmoil deep within her eyes.

She composed herself and stated in as calm a tone as possible, "This person... was fine just now, but suddenly fainted."

Upon hearing this, the man nodded slightly, asked no further questions, and simply turned his head to instruct those behind him:

"Someone, help him to a shady spot and quickly fetch a doctor to take a look."

Then, his gaze swept intentionally or unintentionally over the air behind Jiang Dusheng.

His attendants immediately responded and skillfully moved the unconscious man to the wall.

Jiang Dusheng nodded: "Thank you for your trouble. In that case, I'll take my leave first."

After Jiang Dusheng finished speaking, he turned and left without lingering.

The ghost, bound by chains of spiritual energy, floated behind.

She walked about seven or eight steps, but her pace involuntarily slowed down.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, he turned around as if possessed.

A gentle breeze swept by, causing the silver threads embroidered on his dark sleeves to shimmer and also ruffling a stray hair on Jiang Dusheng's cheek.

She looked at the man still standing there. "What...is your name?"

The man seemed completely taken aback by her question.

He was visibly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he spoke:

"Xie Jinchen."

The three words, clearly uttered from his lips, fell steadily into her ears like a whispered mantra.

Jiang Dusheng received the answer, and without expression, nodded slightly to him.

This time, he didn't look back; his figure quickly merged into the crowd on the street and disappeared.

The guard who had been ordered to pick up the person returned respectfully and reported back:

"Your Highness, the doctor said that the man's vital energy was depleted, which is why he suddenly fainted. He will be fine after a few days of rest."

Xie Jinchen remained silent.

He simply stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the direction where Jiang Dusheng had disappeared, the string of jade beads on his fingertips having stopped moving at some point.

His thin lips were pressed tightly together as he stared at the deserted street corner, his eyes as deep and dark as the night.

"Go and find out," he finally said, his voice devoid of emotion, "which family that young lady came from."

"Yes." The guard acknowledged the order and silently withdrew.

On the other side, Jiang Dusheng, leading the "kite," wandered through a maze of turns and ended up in an abandoned dead-end alley.

At the end of the alley, weeds grew rampant, and the piles of tattered baskets were covered in dust.

With a flick of her finger, she pulled the ghost down from mid-air and tossed it into the corner like a rag.

"Speak."

She looked down at the trembling shadowy figure, her tone returning to its usual coldness, "What's your name? How did you die? Why did you try to possess a mortal body?"

The male ghost was curled up on the ground, his hands covering his head, pitifully begging for mercy:

"Master, spare my life! I'm just a born unlucky, short-lived ghost named Wang Dazhuang."

"Because of my ugly appearance and poor family background, I never even touched a woman's hand, let alone got married."

"Having finally died, I just wanted to find a nice-looking body, borrow half an hour to go to a restaurant for a good meal, enjoy the scenery, and then obediently reincarnate! I swear to God, I never intended to harm anyone!"

He secretly glanced at Jiang Dusheng's stunningly beautiful face, his voice lowered, filled with regret:

"It's just... it's just that I saw you were so incredibly handsome, Master, that I got a little carried away and couldn't control myself, so... that's why I spoke so rudely..."

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly as he finished rambling. "So, you're saying you didn't intend to do anything wrong?"

Wang Dazhuang nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, yes! I had only been possessing that person for half an incense stick's time when I encountered you, Master. I would never dare to hurt anyone."

Jiang Dusheng nodded and said meaningfully, "I can cast a spell to temporarily create a body that you can use, which will dissipate on its own when the time is up."

"During this period, you are not allowed to injure anyone, frighten women and children, or do anything despicable such as harassing women."

She paused, her tone suddenly turning icy, carrying a chilling coldness: "If you disobey, I will call you—"

A wisp of golden flame suddenly ignited at her fingertips. Although it lasted only a moment, its extremely yang and powerful aura frightened Wang Dazhuang, causing his soul to become even thinner.

"Taste what it's like to have your soul shattered."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhuang's face lit up with ecstatic joy, as if he couldn't believe he had such good fortune.

However, before his smile could reach its widest point, Jiang Dusheng continued slowly and deliberately:

"but……"

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, watching Wang Dazhuang's expression plummet from heaven back to earth.

"You need to investigate someone for me."

Wang Dazhuang blinked, a knowing smile instantly appearing on his face, his tone tentative and suggestive:

"Master, do you want me to inquire about that Young Master Xie?"

He rubbed his hands together and asked ingratiatingly, "Hehe, Master, could it be that you... have taken a fancy to her?"

Jiang Dusheng's eyes turned cold, but his smile grew even more amiable. "Do you want to... die again right now?"