One other person had reacted violently.
After hearing Jiang Nuo's explanation, the nanny grew even more hysterical. Xu Tian could no longer restrain her.
"Mom! What are you doing?"
With the nanny acting like this, no one would believe she had nothing to do with the whole affair.
As though he had only just noticed her, Jiang Nuo said with a smile, "As for this lady, her part is even more exciting."
"Don't say it! You're not allowed to say it!"
There was no trace left of the nanny's timid, innocent demeanor at the police station.
Her expression was almost contorted.
Because she knew the police had no way of uncovering what she had done.
But Jiang Nuo could.
This Jiang Nuo knew everything!
He could even recount what had happened in the past without investigating.
I can't hide it... I can't hide it!
"Mom... what's wrong with you? Did you really have something to do with this?"
Xu Tian hurried to stop her mother, but she was too weak to hold back someone who had already descended into hysteria.
The nanny was almost upon Jiang Nuo.
Si Yan's gaze chilled slightly, and he raised a foot and kicked the nanny back.
"What are you yelling for? You had the guts to kill someone, but not to admit it?"
His voice was quiet, his manner calm to the point of coldness, yet everyone could hear him.
Xu Tian froze.
"What are you saying... that's impossible. My mom is so timid. How could she possibly kill someone?"
Jiang Nuo dealt with the two unwilling malicious ghosts. Once the talisman burned, they were reduced to ashes.
After their piercing screams faded, he finally raised his eyes to the nanny sprawled on the ground.
"You must have been the one who encouraged Jiang Tong to offer incense at that solitary grave. The female ghost's soul had received offerings, and its aura was very similar to yours."
"You brought the soul back and helped Jiang Tong keep it secret. You even put witchcraft dolls in every corner of the villa... ah, I get it."
As Jiang Nuo spoke, inspiration suddenly struck.
"You wanted the soul to absorb the Jiang Family's financial fortune and make it your own. Because you were the first person to save the female ghost, you thought you could control her. But you never expected Jiang Tong to die after she absorbed all his life force."
Thinking of the earthbound spirit he had seen in the study room, Si Yan picked up at just the right moment, addressing the nanny coldly. "You were afraid Jiang Tong's body would be discovered, so you moved it to a study room far from the Jiang Family's villa, somewhere even the locals didn't know about."
"Even if it was discovered, the police wouldn't be able to trace it back to you with the female ghost protecting you."
Jiang Nuo nodded in satisfaction, put an arm around Si Yan, and patted his shoulder.
So clever. That's my Little Lucky Star.
Playing off each other, the two exposed everything the nanny and the female ghost had done.
With every sentence, the nanny's face grew a little more ashen.
Finally, as though the deepest fear in her heart had been exposed, she could no longer hold on and collapsed on the ground, sobbing bitterly.
She kept muttering, "It's gone. Everything's gone..."
Fury surged through Jiang Zhong when he heard her, and he kicked her hard.
"Even now, you're still thinking about the money?! Don't you feel the slightest bit guilty about Tongtong's death?!"
I'm stunned... what a vicious person, what a cruel scheme!
Someone like her deserves the death penalty!! She even dared to consort with ghosts! Disgusting!
Some people really have no humanity at all. It's terrifying. Hearing the truth scares me more than seeing a ghost!
Old Madam Jiang covered her face and wept, looking as though she had aged more than a decade.
She had failed to protect her most beloved son and daughter-in-law, and now even her little grandson had died at the hands of a villain...
If she had not hired this venomous woman as the Jiang Family's nanny, her poor Tongtong would never have died so terribly!
Unable to accept the truth, Old Madam Jiang suddenly clutched her chest and fainted.
"Grandma!"
Jiang Zhong cried out and hurried to catch Old Madam Jiang, his eyes reddening.
"Grandma! Don't scare me!"
Wang Ping quickly motioned for him to lay her flat, then took her wrist to check her pulse. "Fortunately, she only fainted from excessive shock. Hurry and take her to her room to rest."
With that, he handed over a talisman to be stuck onto Old Madam Jiang.
"All right... thank you."
Jiang Zhong took a deep breath to calm himself, then helped Old Madam Jiang back to the master bedroom in the front courtyard.
Jiang Nuo took another red cord out of his pocket. It was long enough to tie up the nanny.
He busied himself enthusiastically and even called Si Yan over to lend a hand.
Xu Tian was so stunned by the truth that she could only stare blankly as they tied up her mother, unable to utter a single word in her defense.
This was a crime. Her mother would go to prison and might even be sentenced to death...
She covered her mouth with both hands and wept in anguish.
Once everything was done, Jiang Nuo dusted off his hands and stood up, but he heard no notification from 0732 that the mission was complete.
Seemingly sensing what Jiang Nuo was thinking, Si Yan reminded him quietly.
"Nuonuo, there's still a Skin Ghost."
"Oh!"
Realization dawned on Jiang Nuo.
How did I forget about it!
"Oh no!" Daoist Priest Hu suddenly calculated on his fingers and slapped his thigh. "Someone's died!"
An hour earlier.
Uncle Jiang had wanted to leave on his own.
Still frightened, he switched on his flashlight and walked alone, complaining about why Jiang Zhong hadn't installed more lights in the courtyard. It was pitch-black once night fell.
It would have been frightening even without ghosts, let alone after seeing one with his own eyes tonight!
The silence was suffocating.
Uncle Jiang swallowed and forced himself to keep moving, but after walking for several minutes, he suddenly stopped.
He slowly raised his head to look toward the front courtyard's gate, goosebumps rising all over him.
"Why... is it so long...?"
Why had I never noticed how long this bridge was before...?
Why couldn't I reach the end?
In the darkness, hearing and touch became especially acute.
Uncle Jiang tried to reassure himself that it might be his imagination and stepped forward again.
But just then, his neck suddenly felt cold.
As though someone were standing beside him, blowing on it.
His heart pounded violently, as though it might leap out of his chest at any moment.
His body stiffened, and he slowly turned his head like an unwound wooden puppet.
When he met the Leather Puppet Ghost's vivid, deathly still smile, its head tilted to one side, Uncle Jiang's pupils dilated, his terror reaching its peak!
Run!
Run now!
Only that one thought remained in his mind.
Uncle Jiang ran with all the strength he had, not caring how much farther the bridge stretched. All he knew was that he couldn't let himself be caught. Absolutely not!
He had no idea how long he ran. His legs felt as heavy as lead with exhaustion, but when he suddenly looked up, he realized he had finally escaped!
He had reached the front courtyard!
Before joy could well up, he saw the Leather Puppet Ghost following close behind. The smile on its paper face grew more pronounced, its bloody lips curving all the way to its ears. Its entire skin seemed to have grown much lighter, swaying constantly in the wind.
Startled again, Uncle Jiang turned and ran toward the main entrance, shutting the door leading to the back courtyard tightly behind him.
Finally able to catch his breath, he collapsed to the ground, panting. Then he grabbed the railing and pulled himself up, intending to turn on the light.
Click-
He pressed the switch, but the overhead light did not come on as he had hoped.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone suddenly knocked on that door.
Uncle Jiang slowly turned to look.