Zhang Nu had fully intended to reveal everything to Patron Fu. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Xiao suddenly stepped in.
“This matter was detected by our artifacts—we would never lie,” Lin Xiao said. “There’s no need for you to be alarmed, Patron Fu. The reason we came today was to ask if anything unusual had happened in the town lately. Anything at all could be relevant. If you know something, please tell us as soon as possible.”
After hearing this, Patron Fu responded that he understood, but it seemed he couldn’t recall anything strange happening in the town.
“Nothing unusual, really,” he said. “The town has been very calm all this time. No strange occurrences that I can think of.”
Zhang Nu and Lin Xiao had already anticipated this reply. The real reason they questioned Patron Fu was to make the YaoGuais more alert. Once a YaoGuai realized someone had discovered its presence, it would be more likely to make a move.
“Patron Fu,” Zhang Nu said. “Our visit today was simply to gather information. But it's very possible that the YaoGuai has already overheard this conversation and may try to harm you.”
Upon hearing that, Patron Fu suddenly grew tense. If the YaoGuai really did try to harm him—what could he possibly do? He was just an ordinary man; how could he possibly fend off a YaoGuai?
“Then... then, Master, what should I do now?” he stammered. “Do I just wait like a sitting duck?”
Lin Xiao gave a small nod, and Zhang Nu took out the turtle-shell artifact from his sleeve.
“This is a protective artifact for you,” Zhang Nu said. “If someone tries to attack you, this will keep you safe. But listen closely—do not tell anyone about this, not even your wife or your son.”
Upon hearing this, Patron Fu began to understand. Could Zhang Nu be suspecting his wife and son? But they had never done anything suspicious…
“Master, my wife and son absolutely cannot be YaoGuais,” he insisted. “Please don’t hold any suspicions against them. They’ve always lived with me...”
Zhang Nu and Lin Xiao nodded. If they hadn’t lived together, Patron Fu probably would have noticed something by now. But that alone wasn’t enough to rule them out.
“Patron Fu, we understand your concerns,” Zhang Nu said. “And we sincerely hope this is just a false alarm. But you must remain vigilant. This isn’t a simple matter.”
“You need to understand—YaoGuais are ruthless. They won’t spare you just because you’re related to them.”
Hearing that, Patron Fu could only nod in resignation. It seemed this was a burden he would have to bear alone. No matter what, he couldn’t tell anyone else.
Meanwhile, outside the study, Ling Xi had been watching. She noticed that while the conversation was going on, Madam Fu had come by briefly. She had only listened at the door for a moment before leaving. That in itself made Ling Xi suspicious.
Why would Madam Fu show up at that moment?
Ling Xi had never heard any of the servants mention that Madam Fu intended to visit the study. Still, this single event wasn’t enough to accuse her outright—Ling Xi would continue observing her closely.
Besides, she didn’t want to suspect Madam Fu. When she first arrived, Madam Fu showed her kindness immediately.
Elsewhere, Zhao Yang and Liu Hai had been patrolling the courtyard, but they hadn’t noticed anything strange. Only the son had been sitting quietly on a stone slab, staring off into space. But that alone wasn’t enough to warrant suspicion either—it would be impolite to jump to conclusions.
…
That night, everyone gathered again to discuss their findings.
“Did anything happen on your end?” Zhang Nu asked Zhao Yang and the others.
Hearing this, Ling Xi immediately reported what she had seen.
“While you two were speaking with Patron Fu in the study, Madam Fu came by once,” she said. “But she left in less than a minute. I didn’t notice anything particularly suspicious.”
Zhang Nu and Lin Xiao nodded. They couldn’t be sure when exactly Madam Fu had approached, nor what part of the conversation she might have overheard.
But then Lin Xiao found something peculiar—why hadn’t either of them noticed an ordinary person’s approach?
That could only mean one thing: this ‘ordinary’ person wasn’t so ordinary after all.