Many Daoist priests were patrolling the city. They held soul-catching banners in their hands, ready to capture any rootless souls they encountered, regardless of what kind of ghost they were.
When Ji Zhaoxi passed through the bustling market, the stray dogs on the roadside tucked their tails in fear upon seeing her, whimpering softly.
Xie Qingyan took Ji Zhaoxi straight to the Jinyun Pavilion.
As soon as he pushed open the front doors, the scent of sandalwood wafted out to greet them.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up the moment he saw Xie Qingyan. "Daoist Master Xie..."
He paused when he noticed Ji Zhaoxi standing beside him.
Daoist Master Xie was holding the young woman's hand, his head lowered as he murmured something to her. The woman looked at the fabrics nearby and nodded.
"Is Daoist Master Xie looking to have clothes tailored for himself, or for this young lady?" the shopkeeper asked tentatively.
Xie Qingyan looked at him calmly. "Shopkeeper, please tailor some clothes for the young lady beside me. Make a few sets of close-fitting dresses, and the fabric must be light."
The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly. He discreetly appraised Ji Zhaoxi; dressed in a white gown with a beautiful face, she possessed an almost ethereal grace.
The seamstress immediately led Ji Zhaoxi into the inner room. Just as she was about to approach with her measuring tape, she noticed Xie Qingyan standing at the doorway.
Wasn't this Daoist Master Xie going to step outside?
But since he stood there unmoving, she couldn't exactly say anything.
The seamstress accidentally brushed against Ji Zhaoxi's hand and shrank back from the freezing cold. She chuckled, "Your hands are so icy, Miss. If they're like this in the summer, winter must be absolute torture."
Ji Zhaoxi looked hesitantly toward Xie Qingyan at the door. Meeting her gaze, Xie Qingyan walked straight in.
"I'll do it."
The seamstress was stunned. Since ancient times, when had a man ever taken a young woman's measurements?
But looking into Xie Qingyan's tranquil eyes, she didn't dare utter a word of protest and simply instructed him on how to measure.
Xie Qingyan took the silk measuring tape from the seamstress and turned to face Ji Zhaoxi.
The seamstress called out the instructions from the side while Xie Qingyan took the measurements. He carefully avoided touching anywhere inappropriate, his movements swift. In no time, all the necessary measurements were taken.
After finishing at the Jinyun Pavilion, Xie Qingyan took Ji Zhaoxi to a ready-to-wear boutique to buy a few outfits for her to wear in the meantime.
While the shopkeeper tallied up the bill, Ji Zhaoxi stood by the door, looking around curiously.
There was far more food in the capital than in Qingxi Village. Not far away, a sugar painter was surrounded by a crowd. Every time a customer spun the wheel and landed on a shape, the onlookers would let out a cheer.
Just then, her hand was suddenly gripped hard by someone.
"Do you know my senior brother?"
A man in a Daoist robe was looking at her with an anxious expression.
How could this woman carry his senior brother's aura?
Ji Zhaoxi's hand hurt from the tight grip, and she tried to pull away. "Who is your senior brother?"
The man wanted to say more, but in the next second, his face twisted in a brief flash of pain, and his hand dropped limply to his side.
Xie Qingyan stood behind Ji Zhaoxi, frowning at the man. "Junior Brother, I don't recall the Daoist temple teaching you that you could grab a young woman's hand so casually."
The man's face instantly flushed red. He frantically explained, "I'm sorry, Senior Brother, I was just too anxious. As soon as I sensed your aura on this young lady, I hurried over."
The junior brother hurriedly apologized to Ji Zhaoxi. "I'm so sorry, Miss."
Ji Zhaoxi smiled. "It's alright."
Xie Qingyan gently rubbed Ji Zhaoxi's reddened wrist, and the red mark instantly faded away.
The junior brother stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
He glanced between the two, hesitating to speak.
"Senior Brother, this young lady is..."
"A friend," Xie Qingyan explained simply.
The junior brother fell silent for a moment. A friend?
What kind of friend would be this intimate?
The three walked forward together. The Daoist priests on the streets wore stern expressions as they relentlessly searched for the whereabouts of a malicious spirit.
"Junior Brother, what is the situation now?"
The junior brother frowned deeply. "Senior Brother, the authorities are afraid of causing a panic and are preparing to lock down the city for the next few days. Several senior brothers and I set up a soul-locking grand array inside the city, but the malicious spirit still managed to escape."
This malicious spirit was truly insidious.
After entering the manor, the junior brother watched helplessly as Ji Zhaoxi followed his senior brother inside, and then watched in disbelief as they headed toward the same room.
Startled, he quickly stopped them. "Senior Brother, where is this young lady staying?"
Xie Qingyan replied calmly, "Miss Ji is staying with me."
The junior brother's eyes widened instantly in shock. "Senior Brother, we are Daoist priests! You... you, you, you, what are you doing?!"
It was already highly improper for a Daoist priest like his senior brother to be so intimate with a young woman. Now they were going to sleep in the same room? Was his senior brother possessed by a ghost?
Seeing his junior brother's horrified expression, Xie Qingyan suddenly realized that he and Ji Zhaoxi did seem a bit too intimate.
It was just that they had been this close for a while now, and he had long grown accustomed to it.
"It's fine. Nothing will happen if I stay with Daoist Master Xie," Ji Zhaoxi said with a serious face.
Xie Qingyan was a human, and she was a ghost.
The junior brother's eyes widened even further. Just what exactly had his senior brother said to this young lady?!
He was just about to accuse Xie Qingyan, but upon seeing his indifferent eyes, he couldn't help but lower his voice. "Miss, this is against all propriety. You should stay in the room next to my senior brother's. Staying in the same room is absolutely unacceptable."
If word got out, the world would think his senior brother was a disgraceful Daoist priest, and what would happen to this young lady's reputation?
The junior brother even feared that Xie Qingyan would be beaten to death by the girl's parents in the future.
The junior brother kept a close eye on the two of them until they finished dinner and returned to their respective rooms before he finally felt at ease enough to go to sleep.
A solitary moon hung above the upturned eaves, its cold light spilling onto the bluestone path in the courtyard. A few silk trees rustled in the wind.
The room was brightly lit with lamps, and the occasional sound of splashing water could be heard.
Ji Zhaoxi walked out wearing inner garments. Her spirit body had been nourished by the warm water infused with talisman paper, making her look less like a ghost and more like a jade statue. Her face was flushed from the warm water, and her soaking wet hair clung to her cheeks and the crook of her neck.
Xie Qingyan put down the Daoist scripture in his hands and walked over to Ji Zhaoxi. He calmly untied the ribbons on her clothes, crossed them, and pulled them tight.
"Daoist Master Xie."
Xie Qingyan gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. He skillfully pulled her into his arms, and true essence gradually flowed from his palms as he calmly dried her hair.
Ji Zhaoxi leaned against his chest, drowsy. She trembled slightly under the soothing heat and couldn't help but shrink back a little. Her hair tumbled down with her movement, revealing the porcelain-white, slender nape of her neck.
"Does Miss Ji like it here?"
Xie Qingyan asked softly, continuing to dry the deepest roots of her hair. His fingertips accidentally brushed against her neck. Ji Zhaoxi's shoulders gave a small shudder, and she murmured, "I like it."
His slightly calloused knuckles inadvertently brushed across the sensitive nape of her neck once more.
The light of the kerosene lamp cast upon Xie Qingyan's face, highlighting his aloof features and giving him an almost compassionate, divine aura.
Yet, deep within his eyes, the icy facade was rapidly melting away, replaced by an intense, thick, and almost obsessive focus.
