Youre all that quick to clear Madam Fu of suspicion?

When Zhang Nu and the others heard Lin Xiaos words, they all turned to look at him, eyes filled with doubt. They didnt understand why Lin Xiao would say thatafter all, Madam Fu had only stayed for less than a minute before leaving. What could be suspicious about that?

Lin Xiao, did you even hear what Ling Xi said clearly? Zhang Nu frowned. Madam Fu barely stayed for a minute. She couldnt have heard anything.

Lin Xiao nodded. Outwardly, yesshe probably didnt hear anything of substance. But what if she is a YaoGuai? Then what she can perceive isnt limited to what a normal person could.

He paused, his tone more serious.

And dont forget, shes Madam Fu. If she wanted to plant anything around the Fu household, no one could stop her. If she were truly a YaoGuai, shed already have everything set up to monitor us. Do you really think shed be foolish enough to let anything slip out of her control?

Zhang Nu couldnt deny it. Lin Xiaos words made a strange amount of sense. Somehow, he always seemed to hit right at the heart of the matter. If that was the case then none of them could be fully cleared. Everyone was a suspecteveryone except for Patron Fu himself.

Patron Fu seemed to be genuinely unaware of the truth. He had shown real panic upon learning there might be a YaoGuai.

Alright, then well keep Madam Fu as a potential suspect, Zhang Nu said. She still might be the YaoGuai. What about the rest of you? Any new findings?

Zhao Yang and the others shook their heads. They had observed the courtyard thoroughly but hadnt noticed anyone acting unusually.

Except for one personPatron Fus son.

There was one individual who stood out, Patron Fus son, Zhao Yang said. He seems completely indifferent to everything. He either spends time with Madam Fu or sits alone in the pavilion, spacing out.

When Zhao Yang added his thoughts, everyone was taken aback. A six or seven-year-old child was supposed to be energetic and lively. But this one was oddly obedienteerily calm.

If what Zhao Yang said is true, Zhang Nu responded. Then, we should definitely keep a close eye on the child. A child of that age should be active, not quietly sitting off to the side. Thats not normal.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Zhang Nus reasoning was sound, but they still lacked evidence. Without proof, there was little they could do. All they could do now was keep watching and narrow their focus to just Madam Fu and her son.

Since weve narrowed it down to two key individuals, lets concentrate our attention on them, Zhao Yang said. If I were a YaoGuai, Id definitely choose one of them to possess. That way, Id never have to worry about wealth or status again.

Zhao Yangs comment drew nods of agreement all around.

If that was the case, they were in for some trouble. Both Madam Fu and her son were prominent figures in the household. If either of them truly was the YaoGuai, they would need to be extremely careful.

No matter what happens, everyone must protect themselves, Zhang Nu warned. We cant let the YaoGuai get the upper hand.

Everyone nodded and soon returned to their rooms to rest.

But what none of them realized was that the YaoGuai already knew everything. Every word theyd spoken that day had been overheard.

Hidden in the shadows, the YaoGuai listened, amusement curling at their lips. Zhang Nu and the others, they had to admit, werent entirely clueless. Theyd deduced quite a bit.

Unfortunately, while their reasoning was sound, they still lacked hard evidence. Whether they could actually uncover the truth remained to be seen. If not, theyd eventually be forced to leave empty-handed.

The YaoGuai had hidden wellif they were still found out, then that would truly be a failure.

YaoGuai catchers… lets see what youve got.

Back in the courtyard, Zhang Nu and the others were still unaware that their every move had already been exposed. They continued their quiet investigation, believing the YaoGuai knew nothing.

The next morning, Zhang Nu was up early, training in the courtyard to strengthen his body.

That was when Madam Fu arrived. She looked as though she had something urgent to say.

As she entered, she spotted Zhang Nu, dripping with sweat.