Lin Xiao looked at Ling Xi very seriously at this moment—he noticed she was already nodding off, half-asleep. There was no way he would let her drift off now; they hadn’t gotten to the bottom of things yet. Without hesitation, Lin Xiao gave Ling Xi a sharp pat to wake her up.
Zhang Nu, watching Lin Xiao’s obvious “dig-your-own-grave” move, couldn’t help but find it amusing. He certainly wasn’t going to help Lin Xiao out of this one.
“Tell Zhang Nu the information we got. This is something you should explain,” Lin Xiao ordered calmly.
Hearing Lin Xiao’s words, Ling Xi’s drowsy look instantly turned into a grumpy pout.
“We went up the mountain behind the town, and they said there really is a powerful YaoGuai here,” she began. “But that YaoGuai isn’t in the mountains—it’s right in the town.”
Zhang Nu and the others were stunned. Just how strong must that YaoGuai be, to live right under everyone’s nose without leaving a single trace? And the strangest thing: it hadn’t been exposed at all. Did that mean this YaoGuai was actually harmless?
“If the YaoGuai’s been hiding here in town for so long, and no rumors have spread at all,” Zhang Nu asked. “Does that mean it’s a good YaoGuai? Maybe it’s never done anything to hurt people?”
The others looked at one another and then slowly shook their heads. None of them could say for sure if that was enough to trust it. If this YaoGuai really was malicious, surely there would have been signs by now. But just as Ling Xi said—the whole town seemed completely unaware.
So maybe this YaoGuai really hadn’t harmed anyone, just like her.
“We can’t be certain,” Zhang Nu said. “If we want to know the truth, we should keep an eye on things for now. If nothing suspicious turns up, we’ll know there’s nothing to worry about. But if the YaoGuai’s just very good at hiding, then we’d better stay alert.”
Ling Xi nodded firmly. If that was the plan, then there was no point worrying about it tonight.
They’d come up with a clear course of action, and the night was already deep. If they didn’t rest now, none of them would be able to get up tomorrow.
“Alright, everyone understands the situation now,” Zhang Nu said. “Let’s all get some rest. We’re staying under the patron’s roof, don’t let him see us sleeping in late tomorrow.”
Everyone agreed, heading back to their rooms at once. But though they lay in bed, they didn’t fall asleep right away—their minds were still turning over what Lin Xiao and Ling Xi had discovered.
Maybe this YaoGuai really was one of the rare harmless ones, just like Ling Xi herself. They had just never come across one until now. Thinking that over, they each slowly drifted off.
…
By dawn, everyone had risen, and they even shared breakfast with the patron’s family.
After breakfast, Zhang Nu still didn’t notice anything strange. But Lin Xiao’s sharp eyes soon fell on the patron’s son—the child from the patron’s first marriage.
The moment Lin Xiao saw the boy, his gaze locked on him. This child didn’t act like other children his age—he should’ve been lively and energetic, but instead, he just sat there, perfectly still, looking as if he were bored with everything around him.
Why did a child so young have eyes that looked so tired of life? Was he unusually mature for his age? Lin Xiao had no idea. He only knew the patron’s current wife seemed like a good mother.
Zhang Nu, noticing Lin Xiao’s intent stare, followed his gaze, but all he saw was the boy. He couldn’t figure out what Lin Xiao was thinking.
“Lin Xiao, what are you looking at? Did you find something wrong?” Zhang Nu asked.
Lin Xiao nodded slightly. He had found something that didn’t sit right.
“Look at the patron’s son,” Lin Xiao said quietly. “Don’t you think there’s something odd about him?”
Zhang Nu studied the boy but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Lin Xiao, don’t go imagining things,” Zhang Nu said carefully. “That’s the patron’s son, he’s just a child. There’s no way a YaoGuai would use a child as a disguise. If a YaoGuai wanted to hide, why choose a kid?”
But Lin Xiao’s thoughts were just the opposite. Zhang Nu believed children were unsuitable for hiding; Lin Xiao believed they were perfect for it.