After seeing off Hua Gu, Xiao Shu and I returned to Wang Jue's residence.

Doubts about him had already taken root in my heart, making me reluctant to come back here. But out of gratitude for his past kindnesses, I felt obligated to uncover the truth. If there was something wrong with him personally, I could only say friendship has its limits; if external forces were at work, it became my duty to help him break free from whatever trap he'd fallen into.

We stood on the balcony overlooking the cityscape. A faint osmanthus fragrance lingered in the air, mingling with the crisp summer breeze that brushed against our faces. I rested my hand on Xiao Shu's shoulder, thanking him for looking after me these past days while admitting I once suspected he might have taken me and Master He hostage.

He gave that usual small smile of his, saying it was merely what any friend would do. "There are reasons Li Xiaohao's evil deeds also carry my share of responsibility," he added quietly.

This heartfelt exchange deepened our bond. Though reserved in words, Xiao Shu always showed through actions. When the conversation shifted to Wang Jue, he pulled out some printed pages and said, "I found these documents about sudden personality changes last night. Most involve those hoary old ghost possession tales, but maybe we should look into this angle."

Scanning through the papers, I saw stories about people possessed by vengeful spirits using their bodies to exact karmic retribution - just another recycled version of classic horror tropes like "Night of the Living Dead."

Raising my hands in defeat, I asked, "Where do we even begin?"

Xiao Shu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "When exactly did you start noticing something off about him?" he mused.

I stared into the distance as memories surfaced:

"The first time was when we saw that ghost baby on the Spirit Sea," I began. "We didn't know it was a spirit back then, but Wang Jue insisted on holding it and couldn't let go afterward. Then at Jingyin Village helping Aunt Gui Fang prepare meals became more obvious. The worst moment was after rescuing you - he threw young Guizhi's steamed buns into the plate right in front of us... You saw that yourself."

"What about before encountering the ghost baby? Anything strange happen earlier?"

"Strange is an understatement," I scoffed. "We've encountered zombies, seen spirits, swam through blood-filled lakes..."

Wait! The mermaid! I remembered suddenly. "Oh right - we were lured by a mermaid's enchantment on the Spirit Sea! I mistook her for Wen Shu while Wang Jue saw Hua Gu in her. If not for Hou Dayong beating up that mermaid and giving us slaps to snap us out, we might have been taken!"

Xiao Shu shook his head. "No, mermaid illusions are just temporary hallucinations - they fade once you wake up."

"Then what else could it be?" I sighed in frustration.

"Not giving up yet," he pressed on. "Where exactly did you go before the Spirit Sea?"

"Villa, funeral home, police station, Miao Village..." I listed each location from these past few days.

"Miao Village!" Xiao Shu declared decisively. "The first three places are common enough - nothing unusual would happen there."