As they spoke, the fire inside had already burned through more than half the hall. Burning curtains and beams fell around everyone’s feet. Yusang was frightened by two small pieces of wood that fell right beside her feet and kept dodging. Seeing her like this, Yan Qige couldn’t help but feel some disdain. He reached out, grasped her sleeve, and pulled her behind him, saying, “Get behind me.”

As soon as Yusang stood behind Yan Qige, the scorching heat in the room immediately lessened. Flying sparks that fell toward her were deflected aside by an invisible force before they could reach her.

Yan Qige had used magic to create a protective barrier around himself. Thinking of how Yan Qige had said when they entered that in this barrier, even immortals, demons, devils, and ghosts couldn’t use protective magic, she was greatly shocked. What exactly was Yan Qige? Why didn’t this barrier affect him? But at this moment, Yan Qige was focused entirely on Madam Wang, so she could only secretly suppress her shock and confusion without speaking.

Yan Qige raised the lantern and placed it before Madam Wang’s forehead, asking loudly, “You who kneel below, I ask you here – are you willing to enter the Soul Collector lantern as its core, offering your soul as sacrifice?”

“I am willing.” Madam Wang lowered her eyes and replied. Immediately, the lantern seemed to understand and emitted pink light. A wisp of thin smoke appeared from below the lantern, gradually spreading through the air to surround her.

Before long, Madam Wang’s form became blurred in the thin smoke. The color of her clothing grew fainter and fainter until it became pure white. She looked at her sleeves, now entirely in plain dress, and smiled somewhat desolately. Finally, she fixed her gaze on Magistrate Wang, who knelt motionless on the ground.

“My son, take care.”

Then Madam Wang looked at Yan Qige with grateful eyes and slightly bowed her head to him in thanks, which made Yusang unconsciously frown. In the blink of an eye, Old Madam Wang disappeared. The thin smoke in the air dispersed, then gathered again, returning to the lantern. After a moment of blinding brightness, the lantern’s glow returned to normal. Unnoticed, a circle of silver hair strands gently fell from beneath the lantern to the ground.

With a thunderous crash, the beam that had been burning for so long collapsed almost simultaneously. The Soul Keeper Elder, suspended in mid-air, disappeared the instant the fire pressed down. Yusang pretended to scream and fell to the ground, while quickly reaching out to gather the silver strands that were about to fall into the fire into her palm, then pretended to be frightened and rolled to the side.

“Give me your hand.” In the chaos, Yan Qige called out. Yusang saw a hand reaching toward her through the smoke-filled view and, without thinking, quickly grasped it. Yan Qige pulled Yusang up from the ground, and without any preparation, she fell into Yan Qige’s embrace, breathing in the pleasant scent of ink and books mixed with sandalwood.

…

…

“Go!” With Yan Qige’s light shout, the sound of rushing wind filled her ears. Everything before her eyes spun and blurred rapidly, and her feet felt empty, frightening Yusang into closing her eyes and tightly hugging the waist of the person beside her.

It seemed like just a few blinks of an eye before the surroundings became quiet and her feet found solid ground again. Yusang carefully squinted to look around, and upon raising her head, she saw Yan Qige’s contemptuous gaze mixed with a sharp edge. Yusang shivered and quickly let go, stepping back and coughing dryly twice.

Fortunately, Yan Qige didn’t seem to mind much that she had taken advantage of him. He turned to look at the county office behind them, now a sea of flames. The spirit medium barrier that had covered the outside had disappeared, and sounds of people screaming, fleeing, and fighting fires came from within the office. Seeing that the main gate was blocked by fire, preventing those inside from escaping, Yan Qige waved his hand and sent out spiritual energy to push down the burning gate. Immediately, servants from within the office came running out past them.

In the chaotic crowd, Yan Qige stood in brilliant white robes, one hand holding the lantern and the other behind his back. His handsome features showed no expression under the firelight, but he seemed to be contemplating something as he watched the great fire before him. Yusang stood beside Yan Qige, also watching the fire, but inadvertently lowered her head and quietly reached out from her sleeve to look at the hair strands she had secretly hidden during the chaos. She curved her lips slightly, then silently put them away, pretending nothing had happened.

“Let’s go. It’s almost dawn.” Yan Qige looked up at the sky, lifted his lantern, turned, and walked away slowly.

“What about Magistrate Wang? Aren’t you going to save him? You promised Madam Wang.” Yusang asked while taking quick steps to keep up.

“I placed a barrier to keep him safe. When this fire burns out, someone will find him, and by then he will have forgotten all past events.”

“Forget everything?”

“This is the only way to protect him. Starting life anew might not be a bad thing for him.”

“I have a question…”

“Ask it.”

“So straightforward?”

“If I didn’t let you ask, you’d ask anyway.”

“Hehe, I’m just curious why the wounds from when Madam Wang drained people’s essence blood were different from those on Steward Wang.”

“…”

“Oh, I understand now. You already knew Steward Wang wasn’t killed by her – it was Magistrate Wang who killed him.”

“If even you can think of such things, how could I not? That would be too stupid.”

“Then you still…”

“Though Madam Wang was wrong to harm people, she was also desperately protecting her son. She knew that once she died, the snake demon would come seeking revenge, so she was willing to commit crimes to extend her life. In the end, she only wanted Magistrate Wang to live well – she wasn’t a heartless, evil person. How pitiful are parents’ hearts everywhere. Since Magistrate Wang will no longer remember past events, why must I pursue it? I only catch demons; I don’t investigate murders.”

“So that’s why Madam Wang nodded to thank you at the end.”

“You have sharp eyes.”

“But you dare say… Madam Wang’s willingness to enter your lantern as sacrifice wasn’t also for this reason? You tacitly agreed not to pursue further and let Magistrate Wang’s crime go, so she was so willing…”

Yan Qige didn’t speak, continuing forward with the same expression. Yusang understood she had gone too far and quickly stopped talking, while also confirming in her heart that her guess was correct – Yan Qige indeed had his own schemes involved.

From first arriving in Yunsui City to finding the soul artifact and taking Madam Wang’s soul into the Soul Collector as sacrifice, all people and events related to it had either died or lost their memories in one night. All of this seemed to be within Yan Qige’s plan at every step. Though he caught demons, he didn’t have the soft heart and many principles of justice that mortal Taoists had. Rather than saying he was catching demons and eliminating harm, it was more like he had other purposes and was scheming for himself. This man carrying the Soul Collector lantern – who exactly was he, and what secrets did he have?

However, all these questions remained only in Yusang’s heart. On the surface, she revealed nothing, still pretending ignorance and following Yan Qige with curiosity.

“What about the snake demon? Did she escape?”

“The fallen beam trapped her earlier. With such a big fire, she’s probably dead.”

“Ah? You saw it but didn’t save her?”

“Why should I save her? She was never good to begin with.”

“Hmm, you didn’t save her but came to save me. So that means I’m good? Are you praising me?” Yusang blocked Yan Qige’s path, walking backward while smiling and asking.

Yan Qige glanced at her and said, “You’re truly a demon who doesn’t know what shame is.”

Yan Qige pushed past Yusang, blocking his way, and continued forward. Yusang quickly chased after him and asked, “What about that Ranqing? The real Ranqing, the mortal one.”

“You ask too many questions. If you keep being so talkative, don’t follow me.”

“Who wants to follow you? Don’t be so conceited. I’m just a tiny bit, a tiny bit curious.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Why so fierce? Oh… I know, it’s because I took a tiny bit of advantage of you just now, so…”

“You’re annoying.”

“Don’t be so petty…”

…

The sky gradually changed from darkness to gray-white. On the quiet North Gate Street, a lantern’s firelight accompanied two figures walking away. A clear, cold voice and a somewhat chattering voice gradually disappeared, leaving only the great fire at the end of North Gate Street burning fiercely before dawn.

At some unknown time, amid the crackling sounds of the raging fire, a cloaked figure appeared quietly by the inconspicuous roadside, gently tapping a fan. Watching the two gradually disappearing figures, the lips under the cloak curved slightly upward, then silently retreated into the darkness.

The lantern’s firelight finally disappeared into the thick fog pervading the streets and alleys, and the voices also slowly faded in the sound of the raging fire. Faintly, someone’s rooster crowed, and in the eastern sky where the morning mist gradually dispersed, dawn light began to show. It seemed that Yunsui City, which had been rainy for months, would welcome a sunny day today.