Taboo Mage - Chapter 218 - The Old Lady's True Nature

nd even smiled a bit. For some reason, I suddenly thought of that eerie laughter from my phone, and goosebumps instantly popped up on my arms.

However, when Old Lady Xu spoke, her tone was very gentle. “You know me? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

I opened my mouth, instinctively glancing at the corner of the sofa where Xu Benzhang was discarded. Old Lady Xu had been curiously surveying the room.

But when she turned her head, she happened to spot Xu Benzhang in the corner. The old lady was momentarily stunned, seemingly unable to believe her eyes. She craned her neck to take a closer look, then immediately stood up, limping over to Xu Benzhang with a rush.

I widened my eyes in shock, fearing that she might fall and I’d end up being responsible for her medical bills.

Old Lady Xu, trembling, leaned on the armrest of the sofa to steady herself and glanced at Xu Benzhang. It was as if she finally recognized him; she suddenly collapsed onto Xu Benzhang, crying out, “My son! What has happened to you?”

I was so startled that I nearly dropped the cup in my hand. Old Lady Xu’s tears came without warning, but they were heartbreaking. I found myself moved as I looked at the mother and son.

The son, whose whip had just been snatched from him, was now being embraced by the mother, who had forgotten her own wounds in a fit of sorrow, weeping like a filial child.

What a dramatic annual family affair of deep maternal love.

“Was it you? Did you kill my son?”

Suddenly, Old Lady Xu turned her head and pointed a finger at me, her once gentle gaze replaced by resentment and hatred, as though I had devoured her son alive.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the guts for such things. If I weren’t afraid of going to prison, I might have really thought about getting rid of Xu Benzhang.

Old Lady Xu wept uncontrollably, her face a mess of snot and tears, cursing everyone present as if she were a wronged spirit. My ears ached from her shouting. Unable to bear it any longer, I quietly signaled Lin Huan with my eyes.

Lin Huan was sharp and immediately threw the whip in front of the old lady. “Look, your son just used this to whip you. Didn’t you feel any pain?”

It was as if the old lady finally realized what was happening. She looked down at her arm, and all at once, her body swayed, nearly causing her to faint.

I watched coldly as her reaction unfolded. So now she discovered that her son was no good? But unfortunately, it was too late!

Lin Huan was startled and quickly rushed over to help Old Lady Xu sit down on the sofa. He then firmly pinched her philtrum.

I watched nervously, fearing that something might happen to her in my shop; that would completely ruin my reputation.

Fortunately, Lin Huan was strong enough. Old Lady Xu’s face was turning purple under his grip, but she soon groggily regained consciousness. I finally felt a sense of relief.

As soon as Old Lady Xu opened her eyes, she started crying again, lamenting why we had to bully their mother and son duo…

I felt a surge of frustration. What did she mean by bullying them? Who was really bullying whom?

Suddenly, Zhou Qifang let out a cold laugh and spoke in a serious tone, “Old Lady, how did your dog actually die?”

As soon as Zhou Qifang finished speaking, Old Lady Xu was momentarily stunned. An inexplicable emotion flickered in her eyes before she quickly lowered her head.

I sensed that something was off. It seemed like the old lady knew what was going on, and clearly, this was something she found difficult to share with outsiders.

“What dog? I don’t know,” the old lady’s voice trembled as she spoke.

“Don’t know? Let me tell you, the spirit of your dead dog is currently attached to you. If you don’t confess honestly about how both you and your son died, you might not even realize it!” Lin Huan stood in the center of the living room, arms crossed, shouting angrily.

Old Lady Xu was taken aback by the shout. She gazed blankly at us, then glanced at Xu Benzhang lying on the floor. “What do you mean by that?”

“Aunt, have you noticed that you can’t remember anything from the last few days?” I asked in a low voice.

Old Lady Xu furrowed her brow in thought, then nodded, “I really can’t remember. It feels like I’ve been sleeping the whole time.”

“Exactly. Because of your health issues, Xu Benzhang took you to a sanatorium. Later, he contacted us, saying something was wrong with your condition. So our master, Jue Chi, went to check on you and discovered that your body is possessed by a dog’s soul.”

Old Lady Xu’s emotions shifted quickly; within a few seconds, her disbelief turned into shock.

She knew best about her own health. What applied to a patient also applied to someone who was possessed.

Trembling, Old Lady Xu reached up to touch her cheek with her right hand. Suddenly, two streams of cloudy tears flowed down her cheeks without any warning.

I was startled and instinctively reached behind the sofa cushions, where I had hidden a peachwood sword last time.

Seeing Old Lady Xu’s sudden reaction made me suspect that perhaps the dead dog’s soul was stubbornly breaking through Jue Chi’s suppression with the Buddha amulet.

Old Lady Xu was crying, murmuring to herself, “I knew it. We’re definitely going to suffer retribution… we will definitely suffer retribution…”

I frowned, sensing that there might be more hidden truths behind Xu Benzhang’s killing of the dog. But why hadn’t he mentioned those underlying issues when we first questioned him about the killing?

At that moment, it was more appropriate for Zhou Qifang to step in. I shifted my gaze toward him, subtly signaling him to see if he could extract anything more from Old Lady Xu.

Zhou Qifang let out a light laugh, standing up from the sofa. He smiled at Old Lady Xu and said, “Old Lady, you don’t believe me, do you? I have a way to help you see what really happened over the past few days. However, that means you will learn the true nature of your dutiful son. If that’s the case, would you still want to take a look?”

Upon hearing Zhou Qifang’s words, I shot him a surprised glance. Could he really use the Buddha amulet to force someone to recall lost memories? Such a frightening ability-could he really pull it off?

Zhou Qifang must have noticed the doubt in my eyes, as he shot me a quick look but said nothing, narrowing his eyes and smiling as he watched Old Lady Xu, who appeared stunned.

Old Lady Xu remained silent for a moment, her gaze fixed intently on Xu Benzhang lying on the floor. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a deep voice, “Alright.”