“You brought a YaoGuai into our home—how am I supposed to stay calm? What do you people want from us? What is it about our family that caught your eye? Just tell us, we’ll give it to you, all right?!”
Madam Fu broke down completely, her voice rising as she shouted at Zhang Nu. Clearly, the truth about the YaoGuai had dealt her a heavy blow.
Lord Fu, seeing his wife in such a state, feared she might faint from the emotional strain.
“My dear, please, calm down. Don’t get so agitated. Let me speak to Zhang Nu properly. I know you harbor a deep hatred for YaoGuais, but you can’t condemn everyone in one stroke. Just as there are good and bad people, there are good and bad YaoGuais too.”
Hearing her husband’s words, Madam Fu closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing and regain control.
She had never imagined that one day, a real YaoGuai would appear so close to her—and that before knowing the truth, she’d actually treated that YaoGuai quite well. With Lord Fu’s gentle coaxing, she finally began to calm down.
Now Lord Fu turned a much more serious gaze on Zhang Nu. He had respected Zhang Nu and his group. But if any of them dared to hurt his family, he wouldn’t show them any mercy.
“Zhang Nu, what exactly is going on here? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”
Zhang Nu, seeing how serious things had become, felt stunned and uneasy. Lord Fu’s anger was understandable. Zhang Nu knew he had to give a proper account.
“Lord Fu, things aren’t as Madam Fu described them. It’s true that Ling Xi is a YaoGuai, but she’s been living peacefully with us. She’s never harmed anyone. She’s always been a kind, cheerful, and innocent girl. If she were dangerous, you wouldn’t have felt so comfortable around her when you first met her.”
Lord Fu nodded slowly. He was willing to believe Zhang Nu’s words. A killer, no matter how well they hid it, always carried a bloody aura—and a chill that couldn’t be masked.
“Then why did my wife see Ling Xi revert to her true form? If Ling Xi didn’t try to attack her, how would she have found out?”
Zhang Nu shook his head and turned his gaze to Madam Fu.
“To be honest, I don’t know either. Ling Xi wouldn’t transform without a reason. I’d like to know why she changed back into her original form.”
Madam Fu heard the unspoken accusation in his tone. But she had no reason to hide it—she wasn’t in the wrong.
“It was me. She wanted to look at the protective talisman that my father had a high monk bless for me. That talisman contains spiritual protection. Normally, any YaoGuai who touches it will be knocked back instantly.”
Zhang Nu looked at her, his expression complicated.
He could picture the scene—Madam Fu likely hadn’t suspected Ling Xi of being a YaoGuai when she handed the talisman over. That’s why she’d done so without hesitation. And yet, it was precisely because of that talisman that Ling Xi had been exposed.
“I see… Madam Fu, you truly are blessed—divinely protected. With someone watching over you, you’ll surely live a long and safe life. That said, would you mind letting us inspect your talisman? And if you really believe some of us might still be YaoGuais, well—your talisman could expose the truth at once.”
Without hesitation, Madam Fu nodded. Her talisman had been with her for so long that it was thoroughly imbued with her own spiritual aura.
“Of course. And if any of you turn out to be YaoGuais—I won’t spare you. Also, I advise you to hand Ling Xi over immediately.”
Zhang Nu nodded at her words, but didn’t respond right away.
As he accepted the talisman, something about it immediately struck him as strange.
Yes, the talisman could protect Madam Fu’s life—but its power wasn’t unlimited. It seemed the monk who had blessed it had already done everything he could to protect her.
And now… the talisman’s energy was spent. Even if Madam Fu kept it on her person, it would no longer offer protection in a moment of crisis.
“This talisman did indeed protect your life, just as you said. But its charges have already been used up. Even if you keep it on you now, it won’t release its power again when you’re in danger.”