Qiao Zhao was slightly surprised and looked toward Physician Li.

Physician Li said quietly, “Women and children have relatively weak willpower. Try it on that child and see what the truth is.”

“That young child?”

Physician Li smiled mysteriously. “What, too embarrassed to target a child?”

Qiao Zhao smiled. “I’m not very good at dealing with children. Grandfather Li, how about I try that woman instead?”

“That woman has a mean look about her—she’s not the type to be submissive. Such women often have strong opinions. For your first attempt to choose such a target, Grandfather Li is afraid you’ll be discouraged.” Physician Li laughed.

Despite saying this, seeing Qiao Zhao volunteer herself, Physician Li felt several points of anticipation rise in his heart.

Although he’d taught his little granddaughter hypnosis techniques for only a short time, this kind of mystical art often depended on the master leading you through the door, while cultivation was up to the individual. He wanted to see the girl’s comprehension.

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. “Grandfather Li, I’m not afraid of being discouraged. As long as I don’t get beaten for failing, it’s fine.”

With Chen Guang present, she naturally didn’t need to worry about danger.

Physician Li nodded. “Then go try it. If we delay any longer, that family will go back inside.”

“Then I’m going.” Qiao Zhao nodded slightly, lifted her skirt, and walked out from behind the concealing door, gracefully approaching the family.

Physician Li’s eyes lit up.

This girl was truly exceptionally clever—she had already grasped the key to hypnosis techniques.

To make the hypnotized person fall into the trap unknowingly, the hypnotist must utilize everything available, making it as natural as possible to draw the subject into the created scenario.

From the moment Qiao Zhao stepped out, her walking rhythm was already different from usual.

Having explored hypnosis techniques for over ten years, Physician Li naturally spotted the subtlety at a glance.

Ah, his granddaughter Li Zhenhhe was truly extraordinary.

Qiao Zhao walked step by step toward the family. Though she appeared calm and elegant on the surface, her heart was tense.

This was her first attempt at hypnosis techniques. She didn’t even have thirty percent confidence of success.

But since she was already out there, failure would simply mean calling Chen Guang over quickly to stand in front—no big deal.

Qiao Zhao secretly encouraged herself as she gradually approached the family.

Actually, from the moment Qiao Zhao appeared, the couple’s attention had fallen on her.

The suddenly appearing young lady with black hair and plain dress had an outstanding temperament, completely unlike someone who would appear in this dirty, dark alley.

Her walking posture was so beautiful. The couple thought in unison.

Seeing that she had attracted the couple’s attention, Qiao Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Attracting the subject’s attention most naturally was the primary condition for smooth progress afterward. Fortunately, this alley was quite dark, and such lighting provided a great advantage for performing hypnosis techniques.

“Who are you?” Seeing Qiao Zhao approaching closer, the young woman instinctively blocked the man’s line of sight and asked aloud.

Qiao Zhao extended her hand, opening her palm to reveal a small pouch, her tone gentle and slow. “Sister-in-law, I just passed through the alley and picked up this pouch. I wonder if it’s yours?”

The pouch was small and exquisite, obviously containing something inside.

The young woman glanced at it quickly, greed flashing in her eyes as she couldn’t help reaching out. “Let me see—”

Qiao Zhao pulled her hand back.

The young woman looked at her eyes with surprise.

The young lady’s eyes were like a deep pool, dark and pure. As her thick eyelashes fanned rhythmically, they stirred mysterious ripples.

The young woman only felt the young lady’s eyes were extremely beautiful and forgot to look away for a moment.

Qiao Zhao lifted the pouch and waved it in front of the woman’s eyes, her tone unhurried. “I see this pouch’s fabric is the same color family as the sister-in-law’s dress. It seems this pouch is undoubtedly the sister-in-law’s.”

She gently placed the pouch in the young woman’s hand and smiled sweetly.

The young woman instinctively gripped the pouch in her hand, staring at the smile on the young lady’s lips and murmuring, “Yes, it’s mine.”

“Then, sister-in-law, should put it away.”

The young woman’s gaze never left Qiao Zhao’s eyes as she unconsciously tucked the pouch into her sleeve.

Qiao Zhao kept a slight smile on her lips and asked naturally, “Sister-in-law, did you just see two children fighting?”

“I saw it.” The young woman’s answer was without the slightest ripple.

Qiao Zhao curved her lips and blinked gently. “What did the sister-in-law see?”

“I saw Er Wa grab mud and stuff it in his mouth.”

“What about Gou Sheng?”

“Gou Sheng?” The young woman was startled, a struggle flashing in her eyes.

Qiao Zhao’s heart sank, but her expression remained unchanged as she raised her hand to gently brush the long hair hanging by her cheek.

“Gou Sheng was originally playing at the alley entrance. When he saw Er Wa eating dirt, he ran over to stop Er Wa from eating it, so Er Wa cried—”

As the young woman spoke to this point, the man’s angry rebuke rang out. “Hui Niang, didn’t you say Gou Sheng stuffed mud into Er Wa’s mouth? What’s going on?”

The young woman’s expression froze as if waking from a dream, murmuring, “I just now—”

The man grabbed the young woman’s arm. “You said it with your mouth—Er Wa wanted to eat dirt himself!”

The young woman completely regained her senses and quickly said, “No, it was Gou Sheng bullying Er Wa. Am I such a vicious person to falsely accuse a child?”

The young woman grabbed the man’s sleeve and began crying pitifully.

“Are your own words false?”

“I didn’t, I didn’t! I was possessed just now, talking nonsense. Right, it was all because of that woman just now—” The young woman pointed with her hand, but turning her head, she found the black-haired, plainly dressed young lady who had appeared earlier was gone.

Having already hidden behind the door, Qiao Zhao watched all this coldly. The success of this small trial put her in a good mood.

She hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly. When this couple started arguing, they didn’t even notice her quietly slipping away.

Noticing that the slightly older boy kept staring intensely at the tavern’s back door, Qiao Zhao smiled.

Probably the only one who saw her quietly leave was the child who had been falsely accused by his stepmother.

“Where is she?” The young woman said blankly, then suddenly screamed, “She must be a demon who bewitches people’s hearts!”

“Stop talking nonsense!” The man had lost his good expression toward the young woman and lowered his head to ask Gou Sheng, “That young lady just now—did you see where she went?”

The boy pressed his lips tightly together.

The man glared. “I’m asking you a question!”

The boy lowered his head and said loudly, “I don’t know!”

“See, see! No one saw how she disappeared. She must be a soul-stealing demon!” The young woman said fearfully while holding the boy in her arms.

The man glared. “Bitch, at this point you’re still trying to fool me! Even if she was a soul-stealing demon, she made you tell the truth! Come, let’s go inside and settle this account!”

The young child in the woman’s arms burst into tears with a wail.

The man’s scolding, the woman’s screaming, and the young child’s crying were soon cut off by a courtyard door closing.

Physician Li’s laughter rang out. “Zhao girl, well done.”