When Madam Fu saw Zhang Nu in that state, she shyly averted her gaze, as if she’d caught sight of something inappropriate. Zhang Nu, however, remained unaware.
He continued practicing his martial arts in the courtyard, but his sharp instincts told him someone was quietly approaching. He immediately stopped, turned around—and saw Madam Fu, her cheeks flushed red.
Realizing his current attire might not be appropriate, Zhang Nu quickly said, “My apologies, Madam Fu. I didn’t know you would come by so early. Allow me to change clothes first.”
He made to leave, but Madam Fu called out to stop him.
“There’s no need for that, Master Zhang,” she said. “I only came to speak with you briefly. Once I’ve said my piece, I’ll be on my way.”
Zhang Nu frowned slightly, unsure what she wanted to talk about. Could she have found out? Had their plan to hunt the YaoGuai been exposed?
“I wonder what urgent matter prompted you to seek me out so early this morning, Madam Fu.”
She leaned in mysteriously. “Master Zhang… are you currently investigating a YaoGuai?”
His eyes widened in shock. Aside from Lord Fu, no one else had been informed—how did she know? Even if she had overheard their conversation yesterday, why confront him about it today?
“How exactly did you come by this information?” he asked, his tone guarded. “As far as I know, I never told anyone else.”
Madam Fu, hearing the suspicion in his voice, knew he wasn’t ready to trust her outright. But she had her reasons for coming forward.
“To tell you the truth, Master, I’ve lived through this myself. That’s why I dared to come find you,” she said. “I wanted to speak to you earlier, when you first arrived… but I wasn’t sure if you and your people were trustworthy.”
“It was only after overhearing your conversation with my husband yesterday that I felt certain.”
Zhang Nu’s expression grew serious.
“Madam Fu, are you certain the things you’re telling me are true?” he asked. “You’re an ordinary person—how would you know about a YaoGuai? What did you experience?”
She sighed, expecting this reaction. If Zhang Nu had believed her too easily, she would’ve doubted him in return.
“To be honest, my father was killed by a YaoGuai,” she said. “His body was unrecognizable. All of his internal organs were gone. That’s how I know for certain that something monstrous is haunting this town.”
As she spoke, sorrow clouded her eyes, and her voice trembled with fear. Zhang Nu wasn’t sure whether to believe her. She seemed sincere, but…
“I can’t say for sure if you’re telling the truth,” he said slowly. “But I’m willing to believe you.”
“I’m very sorry about your father. We came here only because we heard rumors of a YaoGuai’s presence. But, we don’t know whether it’s a benevolent one or a malicious one. That’s why we’ve hesitated to act.”
Madam Fu’s eyes reddened. She couldn’t understand why he was still hesitating.
“Master Zhang, what is there to hesitate about? There’s no such thing as a good YaoGuai! My father died because of one. I know better than anyone!”
Zhang Nu could see the grief had taken a heavy toll on her. Still, he couldn’t let her personal tragedy become the sole basis for judgment.
“I understand your pain, Madam Fu. I know what you’re afraid of,” he said gently. “But the YaoGuai that harmed your father may not be the same one haunting this place.”
“That said, I promise you—I will do everything I can to avenge him.”
She could only nod in response, her gaze drifting into the distance, as though something terrible lay waiting just beyond the horizon.
“Then don’t go back on your word,” she whispered. “My father never did anything evil. He lived in poverty, but he taught me how to survive with dignity, and how to stand tall with pride.”
“He didn’t deserve to die such a terrible death at the hands of a monster.”