Zhang Nu and his companions didn’t hesitate as they descended the mountain. However, upon returning to the village, they immediately sensed something had changed—though they couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.
Without delay, the trio headed to the home of the villager who had previously offered them shelter.
When the villager saw the three of them return safely, his expression was one of surprise and thinly veiled disbelief. To him, the YaoGuais on the mountain were ruthless and powerful. Even if these outsiders possessed some skill, subduing those creatures should have been incredibly difficult. Yet, against all odds, Zhang Nu and his group had returned seemingly unharmed.
"You’re back so soon?" the villager asked, eyes wide with shock, "Did you defeat all the YaoGuais already?"
Liu Hai opened his mouth to question the villager directly but was swiftly stopped by Zhang Nu. If they confronted the villager too aggressively, he might refuse to reveal the truth—possibly putting them in danger.
"To be honest," Zhang Nu began with a measured tone, "we did handle a few YaoGuais on the mountain."
"But it didn’t seem like there were many left. So, we came back to ask if there might be any other locations where YaoGuais could be hiding. If there are more, we’ll take care of them all, so you no longer have to live in fear."
Hearing this, the villager’s eyes lit up with excitement. Before, he hadn’t taken the three seriously, he’d thought them to be nothing special. But now, it seemed they were far more capable than he had initially assumed.
"Incredible! I didn’t think you three were so powerful," the villager exclaimed enthusiastically, "You’ve done us a great service by dealing with those creatures—thank you, truly!"
"But to tell you the truth, there may be other YaoGuais lurking around…"
Zhang Nu noticed something unsettling—the villager seemed too happy to hear the YaoGuais were gone. Was this joy really because the village was finally safe, or was there another reason?
"Hold on. I need to ask you something else," Zhang Nu said, his tone growing more serious, "I need you to answer honestly. Every single word must be the truth."
The villager nodded quickly, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.
The YaoGuais were supposedly eliminated and there was no reason for him to keep hiding anything. Yet, if these three were truly as powerful as they seemed, offending them now could be dangerous.
"What is it you wish to know, Master Zhang?" the villager asked cautiously, "If it’s something I know, I’ll tell you everything."
Zhang Nu gave a slight nod of approval. This was the attitude he needed from the villager, though he still wasn’t sure if the man was telling the truth.
Lin Xiao, observing Zhang Nu’s expression closely, could already sense what Zhang Nu was thinking.
"Before we dealt with the YaoGuais, they told us something strange," Zhang Nu said slowly.
"They claimed they never intended to harm anyone. Is that true?"
The villager’s eyes flickered with sudden panic, an emotion quickly masked by a forced calm.
"Master Zhang, you can’t trust the words of the YaoGuais," the villager said, his voice tense, "They are monsters. How could anything they say be true?"
"Besides, you saw them with your own eyes. They are YaoGuais."
Zhang Nu’s disappointment deepened. He could tell the man was lying. But why? Could everything Ling Xi had said be true?
"Yes, I saw those YaoGuais," Zhang Nu replied slowly. "But did they actually harm anyone? Did they attack you or the other villagers?"
The villager averted his gaze, unsure how to respond.
"Master Zhang, some of those YaoGuai may not have harmed anyone," the villager stammered. "But YaoGuais shouldn’t exist in this world at all. Their very presence threatens our safety. If we don’t eliminate them, it’s only a matter of time before they turn on us."
Zhang Nu’s disappointment turned into frustration. It was clear now: the YaoGuais hadn’t harmed anyone, yet this villager insisted they should be exterminated simply for existing. Was it because they were different? Because they weren’t human?
"You’re saying they haven’t actually hurt you," Zhang Nu said coldly. "So why are you so determined to kill them?"
"I thought the YaoGuais were lying to us," Zhang Nu continued, voice low with anger, "But it turns out it was you who was lying all along."