Chapter 32: A Frenzied Dance of Demons (Part 25)

“Outrageous! Just because my parents invited you doesn’t mean you can do as you please!”

Xu Xiangyun burst in, panting, her face flushing red the instant she saw Shen Xiao looking at her painting. Her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. She strode over, snatched the ink painting from the table, and crushed it into a ball, exclaiming in frustration, “You Daoists are so wild from wandering outside, you clearly don’t understand the rules of the human world! Barging into other people’s rooms and looking at whatever you want!”

Daoist Shen’s expression remained cool and indifferent. He made no comment about the painting, only remarked mildly, “Miss Xu has exquisite taste.”

“You—!” Xu Xiangyun bit her lower lip in vexation, glaring at him fiercely. “Can you leave now?!”

Shen Xiao ignored her, his gaze calmly sweeping the room until it lingered on the intricately carved wooden window on the east side.

Xu Xiangyun frowned, following his eyes, but saw nothing unusual. She was just about to mock him for his theatrics when Daoist Shen strode to the window, and from a crevice, slowly drew out a paper doll—its eyes inked in just like the one before.

Xu Xiangyun’s eyes widened in shock. “How—how can this be?! I slept perfectly well last night and found nothing unusual in my room!”

Shen Xiao turned to her, replying calmly, “You have not practiced cultivation, so naturally your senses are duller than ours.”

Xu Xiangyun was left speechless.

Shen Xiao burned the paper doll and stepped outside, addressing Master Xu and Madam Xu, who had just arrived, “These puppet dolls are lifeless objects, making them hard to detect. To be thorough, I’d like to inspect every room in the house.”

Master Xu bowed deeply. “Thank you, Daoist Shen.”

Madam Xu frowned in silence, her expression betraying how ill-omened she found the presence of these paper dolls.

Everyone remained where they were as the Xu family steward led Shen Xiao through each room. The magistrate was an honest man, and the Xu residence was compactly built. It did not take long for Shen Xiao to finish his inspection.

“It appears that, aside from our guest wing and Miss Xu’s chamber, the other rooms are free from trouble.” Shen Xiao returned, his face grave, his gaze still uneasy as it swept the surroundings.

“It’s also possible the sorcerer noticed something amiss and withdrew the puppets. There’s no need for undue worry. These paper dolls may sneak in anywhere, but their weakness is just as clear—they fear water and fire. If you spray the doors and windows with water, the dolls will become soggy and stick in place, unable to move.”

Master Xu nodded approvingly. “That’s a good idea. Someone, fetch water and do as the Daoist says—spray every crack and crevice in the doors and windows.”

Xu Xiangyun muttered under her breath, “Water will dry eventually.”

Shen Xiao glanced at her indifferently. “You’re right. It’s only a temporary measure, not a permanent solution. Night has fallen, everyone should rest. I’ll keep watch here. Come morning, we’ll devise a way to flush out the sorcerer hiding among us.”

Master Xu thanked him once more. “We are indebted to you, Daoist.”

As midnight deepened, the group slowly dispersed. Miss Xu cast a final, annoyed look at Shen Xiao before returning to her room.

Shen Xiao, Lin Yuan, and Shi Xianyu returned to the guest wing. Once out of the Xu family’s sight, Shen Xiao shed his earlier aloofness and addressed his companions in a serious tone. “If those puppets were made by the fox demon, it would be one thing. But if they’re the work of a sorcerer, this demon-hunting task may prove perilous.”

Shi Xianyu asked, “Are sorcerers so difficult to deal with?”

Shen Xiao nodded grimly. “Not necessarily in terms of cultivation, but their craft is insidious and full of underhanded tricks. It’s hard to guard against. We must quickly identify this person; otherwise, when the fox demon appears, the sorcerer may sit back and reap all the rewards.”

Shi Xianyu, sensing the gravity of the situation, grew nervous as well. After thinking for a while, she said, “Finding the culprit isn’t too hard. The guest wing has long stood empty. No one would monitor an empty room. The sorcerer must have learned which room we were in after our arrival and only then sent the puppets. So we just need to look for anyone who approached the Xu residence today.”

Shen Xiao paused. “You mean the merchant Wu who visited today?”

“Yes,” Shi Xianyu nodded. “No one else came calling today.”

Shen Xiao frowned. “But the paper doll in Xu Xiangyun’s room might not have appeared just today. If it was already there, it’s hard to know when it slipped in.”

“You’re wrong, Brother Shen,” Shi Xianyu said decisively. “The paper doll in Miss Xu’s room must have appeared today. Don’t you remember? You found it wedged in the window, and before we arrived, Miss Xu’s doors and windows were sealed. Servants brought her food and water through that half-open window. If the paper doll had been there before, it would have been noticed when the window was opened and closed.”

Shen Xiao’s eyes lit up with understanding. “I had them open the doors and windows after I arrived. The window was closed at dusk—the same time merchant Wu visited!”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yuan’s eyes. “Shall we go find him?”

“No…” Shen Xiao’s gaze darkened in thought. “Let’s wait. We shouldn’t alert him yet. Tomorrow, I’ll find a pretext to test him.”

Shi Xianyu agreed, “Right, if we rush over now, we’ll only tip him off. The fox demon hasn’t shown itself yet; caution is our best course.”

Shen Xiao nodded. “You should rest. Lin Yuan will keep watch here. I’ll keep an eye on Xu Xiangyun. It seems this sorcerer knows the fox demon targets young women, so he chose to watch you two, probably to seize the fox’s demon core if given the chance.”

After the evening’s shocks, Shi Xianyu wasn’t sleepy, but she was exhausted in body and mind.

“I’ll go rest, then. Brother Shen, be careful.” With that, she headed off.

Shen Xiao said no more and hurried toward Xu Xiangyun’s chamber.

Once he left, Shi Xianyu felt her earlier composure ebb away. The memory of all those eyes made her skin crawl, and the thought of a fox demon lurking nearby unsettled her even more. She looked at her own bedroom door, bit her lip, and finally turned to Lin Yuan. “Can I sleep in your room?”

Lin Yuan was momentarily taken aback.

Shi Xianyu, embarrassed, explained, “Even though Brother Shen burned the puppets, just knowing there were so many eyes in my room makes my skin crawl. I won’t be able to sleep. Since Brother Shen is on watch tonight, could you sleep in his room? We can swap rooms for the night, all right?”

Lin Yuan naturally agreed.

He walked over, opened his door, and considerately carried Shi Xianyu’s oversized travel backpack into his room for her.

Shi Xianyu let out a long breath, climbed onto the bed, and lay down slowly.

In truth, the guest rooms were all much alike, and the familiar bed drapes and beams did little to comfort her.

“Lin Yuan…” She tugged at his sleeve shyly. “Could you… stay until I fall asleep?”

Lin Yuan looked at her for a moment, then sat down quietly by the bed, keeping her company.

He thought to himself: How wonderful, she’s sleeping in my room, surrounded by my scent.