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

Jiang Dusheng paused upon hearing his words.

Without changing her expression, she quickly reached her free hand from her waist and pulled out a talisman folded into a triangle from her fingertips.

"Smack."

Without saying a word, she slapped the talisman directly onto Xie Jinchen's chest, the movement as fluid as if she had rehearsed it countless times.

"Here's the payment." She raised her chin, giving off a look that said, "We've settled the transaction."

"A top-grade amulet, warding off evil spirits and dispelling all misfortune. Consider this payment for tonight's extra service."

Xie Jinchen lowered his eyes, glanced at the talisman on his chest, and did not reach out to take it.

She merely raised the jade prayer beads on her left wrist slightly, remaining silent, but her meaning was crystal clear—

I have this, and ordinary evil spirits can hardly approach me, so I don't seem to need any additional amulets.

Jiang Dusheng pretended not to understand his silent rejection, "Oh, I gave you the payment, but you didn't want it."

After saying that, he quickly put the amulet back and tucked it into his waistband.

At the same time, he used force to pull Xie Jinchen open his door and led him inside.

"Bang."

Wang Dazhuang, who had been forgotten in the corridor, stared in disbelief at the scene, his hand unconsciously covering his mouth.

After a long while, he came to his senses, pulled out a crumpled little notebook, and then took out a half-burnt charcoal pencil, and began to write down the following with great seriousness:

"The key to pursuit lies in persistence and shamelessness. As the master taught, if you set your sights on someone, don't ask what they want; just force them!"

After finishing writing, he held the notebook, a look of sudden realization mixed with admiration on his face, and murmured in admiration:

"If I had even a tenth of the master's awareness and drive, I probably would have won over Cuihua at the village entrance and gotten married long ago, instead of dying a bachelor."

He shook his head, put away his notebook and charcoal pencil, and went back to his room.

Only after Jiang Dusheng entered the house did he belatedly realize...

After struggling for most of the night, I was covered in dust and had a faint, fishy smell from the river.

More importantly, before they had even bathed and changed, they were being asked to share a room with someone…

Although cultivators are not usually concerned with trivial matters, Xie Jinchen was, after all, a man.

Xie Jinchen seemed to have caught her subtle change in emotion, and before she could hesitate, he spoke in a casual tone:

"You should take a bath and change your clothes first. I'll come back later."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng instinctively asked, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

Xie Jinchen raised an eyebrow slightly, his deep eyes looking at her. "Because I just... wanted to go back to my room to shower and change before coming here. You were the one who dragged me in."

Jiang Dusheng: "...Then why didn't you say so sooner?"

Xie Jinchen's lips seemed to curve upwards for a fleeting moment, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of mockery.

"Because," he paused, his gaze sweeping over her hand still gripping his, "you didn't ask. And you were pulling quite hard."

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

She was taken aback for once, and glared at him, though there was no anger in her eyes.

She was too lazy to argue about such a trivial matter, so she simply let go of his hand and turned to walk behind the screen.

There, the waiter had already prepared steaming hot water and clean towels as instructed.

Xie Jinchen didn't need her to say anything; he turned around, opened the door, walked out, closed the door, and returned to his own room across the street.

Jiang Dusheng locked the door, washed away her fatigue, and changed into a clean, moon-white long dress.

Her wet hair was wrung out with a cloth until it was half-dry and then casually draped over her shoulders.

About half an hour later, there was a knocking sound at the door.

Jiang Dusheng opened the door, and Xie Jinchen stood outside. He had also changed into a dark-colored casual outfit, and his body carried the refreshing scent of soap, which was completely different from his usual cold and stern demeanor.

Jiang Dusheng stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind him.

Xie Jinchen was carrying a food box in his hand. He walked into the room, placed it on the round table in the center of the room, and opened the lid.

Inside were several steaming, delicate side dishes and two bowls of thick rice porridge, their aroma instantly dispelling the chill of the night.

The two sat down opposite each other at the table and began their meal quietly, using the flickering candlelight.

The atmosphere was peaceful, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

After tossing and turning for most of the night, we were all really hungry.

They had just finished their meal, and before the bowls and chopsticks had been cleared away, there was a knocking sound at the door.

Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen exchanged a glance.

"Enter."

The door was pushed open silently, and the guard who had been ordered to investigate slipped in and closed the door behind him.

He bowed to Xie Jinchen and Jiang Dusheng, lowering his voice, "Your Highness, Miss Jiang, we've found out."

"The eldest daughter of the Zhou family, originally named Zhou Wanning, entered the palace three months ago through a local selection process. Due to her outstanding beauty, she soon gained the Emperor's favor and was initially granted the title of Baolin."

He paused, then continued, "But according to my investigation, Zhou Wanning is in good health in the palace, and there is no indication that she is seriously ill."

Xie Jinchen's gaze turned slightly cold, but he wasn't surprised. "As expected. The so-called serious illness and clash was just an excuse to deceive the Chen family."

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, making a soft "thud" sound.

Then, his gaze fell on the guard's hesitant face, and he said in a deep voice, "What else is there? Report it all at once, without hesitation."

Upon hearing this, the guard lowered his head even further, seemingly taking a deep breath before quickly replying:

"While secretly investigating former servants of the Zhou family and those who had contact with Zhou Wanning, my subordinates unexpectedly learned about Zhou Wanning's appearance..."

He hesitated for a rare moment, as if weighing his words, but finally forced himself to speak:

"She bears a striking resemblance to the late Princess Eldest, a staggering seventy percent!"

"What did you say?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Xie Jinchen's hand, resting on the edge of the table, slowly clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white.

His face didn't show any intense expression, but the shock and anger surging in his eyes were chilling.

"...Is it a coincidence, or is it something that was deliberately created?" he asked, his voice so deep it was almost dripping with water.

The guard said, "After receiving the news, I took the portrait of the eldest princess to Pingqiao Town and met with Zhou Wanning's trusted people. At first glance, they all thought she was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family."

In other words, it is their natural appearance, not altered by disguise or evil magic.

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly, his gaze falling on Xie Jinchen's tense profile.

She could clearly sense the almost uncontrollable emotions emanating from him.

She didn't say anything, but simply raised her hand and waved gently at the guard, signaling him to step back.

The guards, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly bowed, left the room, and closed the door again.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Jiang Dusheng slowly spoke, "According to Ke Chunhua, Zhou Wanning's current body belongs to Ke Chunhua, but Zhou Mama is using evil magic to maintain Zhou Wanning's original appearance..."

"Or rather, it's about turning her back into Zhou Wanning." She looked at Xie Jinchen. "But why is it such a coincidence that her original appearance was so similar to your mother's?"

This coincidence seems too much like a meticulously planned scheme.

Xie Jinchen closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear and cold, but the chill was even deeper.

"Go ask that old woman."

He suddenly stood up, and the air around him was frighteningly low.