CH-012

The group of villagers drew closer with the sound of their voices, each one looking like a professional villain out of a film set—eyebrows vertical with rage, eyes burning with fire—as if they would snatch up their tools and charge the moment they made eye contact for a second.

Shu Li was not afraid of them.

His expression was calm, with almost no ripples of emotion.

Sometimes, people would say he didn’t have much in the way of feelings.

Shu Li indeed felt that there wasn’t much that could cause his mood to fluctuate.

Most of the time, he was detached; he even felt that a conspicuous outward display of emotion was an embarrassing thing.

Shu Li observed their hostile expressions but felt that they were actually more afraid of him.

Perhaps it was because they were looking for a child that Finnian’s parents brought many people to bolster their momentum.

Logically speaking, the church had at most two adult males, two elderly people, two young women, and two children—nowhere near their combat strength. However, under normal circumstances, outsiders knew that usually, only Shu Li was there alone.

Of course, it was also possible that their bluster was too obvious.

The few people standing in the front row had clearly rehearsed; they simultaneously slammed their hoe handles onto the ground with a dull thud, and those in the back row immediately followed suit, appearing quite ragged.

One, two, three, four… twenty-one.

Someone was hiding behind the crowd, making it hard to see clearly.

Shu Li counted; at least twenty able-bodied young men had come.

Shu Li’s gaze shifted to Herens’s tall back, thinking it was fine to let him step forward.

Thinking about it, in a Western fantasy novel with a pseudo-medieval setting, such a formal occurrence of ganging up to demand justice actually appeared.

This truly belonged to the textbook level of “collective consciousness of a feudal society,” once again highlighting the characteristic of this socially backward society relying on the collective for survival.

It was actually quite interesting!

Shu Li couldn’t help but think.

Under Herens’s blockage, he used the gaps to look for a few more seconds at the trend of everyone’s expressions. Afterward, he judged whether they were looking for trouble intentionally or if they were truly burning with anxiety because of a missing child.

Herens did not notice the various thoughts inside Shu Li; his gaze was like a blade as he shouted sternly at the villagers: “The territory of the church is sacred and inviolable! Any visitor is prohibited from carrying sharp knives or other weapons. Entering like this, have you all gone mad!”

Just as these words fell, Shu Li turned his gaze to the back of Herens’s head, his pupils flickering.

He seemed to know what the other party wanted to confess.

The dozen or so villagers opposite them holding farming tools were intimidated by Herens’s momentum and froze in place, not moving for a moment.

So, Herens strode toward them, raising his arm to drive them outside the outer wall of the church. “If you have something to say, say-it-nicely-here!”

He emphasized the last few words.

Shu Li watched as Herens controlled the scene in one move and applauded him internally, but now was not the time to talk to Herens.

He quietly looked at the leading villager. “You should be the village head, Finnian’s father, right?”

“How did you know?” The village head’s eyes widened in surprise. “Have you seen me?”

Because the person at the front is often the one most anxious to demand justice, especially when it concerns a child—then the leader is the father.

Moreover, this father’s clothes were cleaner than the others’, with more decorations, and he could mobilize so many primary laborers during the busy farming season. If he wasn’t from a wealthy family of high standing, then he was the village head.

Furthermore, Finnian himself could herd sheep and didn’t mind walking long distances on foot. This indicated he had worked with his parents since childhood, but his family was also pampered in their own way. Yet he had zero interest in rock candy apples, which suggested he had eaten better things and lived in affluent conditions.

Therefore, his family was both well-off and not detached from farming; he likely came from a family like the village head’s.

Thus, Shu Li subconsciously identified the differences in their clothing.

The village head and the villagers belonged to two different classes.

In a class-distinct pseudo-medieval Western fantasy, the village head’s clothing should have symbols manifesting his class.

With just a glance, he noticed a small brass badge at the man’s lapel with the village’s emblem on it. Although at first glance it looked no different from the other villagers, a badge explained the distinction between the two.

Of course, Shu Li didn’t want to put on an act; sometimes he did indeed want to explain his observation and reasoning process. However, he also knew that once people heard the answer, they would often feel that such a deduction was natural and easy. Just like once an audience knows the principle of a magic trick, they will never marvel at it again.

Like yesterday, he did not wish to improve Finnian’s lying skills, so he chose to see through it without pointing it out.

Like today, he needed to immediately establish an authoritative image before them, so he also chose not to explain.

Shu Li skipped the decryption segment and said directly: “Finnian did indeed appear in our church yesterday afternoon, but he stayed for less than the time it takes for a cup of tea before leaving.”

The village head’s first reaction was disbelief; his expression instantly changed, and rage surged to his brow.

“I know my son’s personality best! He has wanted to take a look at the church here for a long time. How could he possibly be willing to leave after staying for only a little while? Don’t play tricks with me. Have you detained my son in private! I’m warning you, you’d better hand him over now, or don’t blame me for getting rough.”

When encountering someone so anxious they’ve started to lose their mind, the simplest method is to tell them, “Don’t worry, let’s talk slowly.”

Because they themselves know they are in the wrong and have a sense of self-restrained morality in their minds. After being reminded, their emotions are like a paused button; they can only endure and nod, barely calming down.

Just as Shu Li was about to speak, Herens’s voice popped out first. His words were powerful and carried a hint of sarcasm, as if he were the one being provoked right now, not Shu Li.

He said: “Because your son’s lie was exposed on the spot by Lord Alis. He felt extremely guilty and didn’t dare say another word before fleeing.”

He stared coldly into the village head’s eyes and asked: “Do you have any more questions?”

The village head had also heard of some of the Savoy parish priest’s abilities; he had tamed his own mischievous brat in just a few words. His reliability and credibility were far higher than his suspiciousness. Moreover, he had just experienced a taste of it himself.

The village head’s momentum weakened by half, but he still insisted: “But, my child was lost here.”

Herens explained again: “No, I saw him leave the church with my own eyes.”

Shu Li suddenly guessed the identity of the person who had been staring at him lately from this sentence.

This fellow…

How could the village head be convinced by just this sentence? “Herens, you are already a believer of the church, so naturally you are speaking for the priest! You traitor!!”

Herens was stunned by the roar; the color instantly drained from his face, and even his voice began to stutter. “I… I didn’t…”

The village head’s gaze was sharp as he pressed closer by a step, directly pointing out the evidence of Herens’s misconduct: “Stop pretending! I heard you call him Lord Alis.”

After the nearby villagers caught Herens’s handle, they immediately chimed in: “I heard it too! He called it very clearly!”

“Yes! I heard it too! Very loudly! He said it at least twice.”

Herens’s face turned beet red, and his ears felt like they were burning; his voice grew lower and lower. “I… I… I…” He couldn’t even utter a denial.

Seeing him in such distress, Shu Li stepped forward directly toward the village head and said: “A child has gone missing. Do you still have the mood and time to dwell on these trivial matters?”

His gaze swept lightly over the mud spots on the man’s pant legs, then looked at the dark circles under his eyes. “You braved the rain and traveled such a long distance, finally arriving here with hope; you certainly don’t want to waste time arguing. What you truly want to do is find the child as quickly as possible, don’t you?”

Hearing yesterday that Finnian was used to running away from home, he figured his father had also gone house to house, searching every possible location before finally locking onto the church as the destination.

The village head’s face turned grey. “Just as you said. When it was time for dinner yesterday, we found we couldn’t find him, so we wondered if he was being mischievous again and intentionally hiding in someone’s house. So, I searched every single house and couldn’t find a trace of him.”

At this point, the village head explained further: “He usually carries the family’s little lamb with him. If he hides in the mountains and forests, he would intentionally let the sheep show a little, giving people a chance to find him. So, I asked the neighbors to help look immediately. After failing to find him in the village or the nearby mountains, someone said they saw him heading toward the Savoy parish in the afternoon.”

The village head explained: “So we immediately came to this town to look.”

“In fact, in the Savoy parish, there is Finnian’s aunt, Yvonne. He likes her very much; every time he throws a big tantrum, he runs to the town here. So, we went to Yvonne’s house overnight, but Yvonne said she didn’t encounter Finnian at all. We searched around the road again and met a farming family on the way; I asked if they saw a child passing by the door. That family said they only saw an itinerant merchant’s carriage leaving…”

Shu Li interrupted him and asked: “Did you ask what time the itinerant merchant’s carriage passed by?”

The village head responded blankly: “…No. Is that important?”

The questioning technique was too emotionally driven; he hadn’t asked for critical clues at all.

“If the time the merchant’s carriage left was close to the time Finnian left, then it is very important.”

The village head froze in place. “You mean, it’s possible Finnian was kidnapped?”

“It’s possible.”

The golden rescue period for a missing child is the first three hours after disappearance.

It has already been twelve hours…

The village head’s face was full of self-reproach. “I should have asked earlier!”

Shu Li corrected him. “No, you have already done very well. When Finnian left me, it was after four in the afternoon. Did your dinner start at six? Or seven?”

“About six.”

“Within the three hours after a child goes missing, spreading the news of the disappearance as much as possible can effectively deter a criminal’s actions.”

“But, if he was taken by a caravan, can we still catch up now?” It was the first time the village head had encountered such a thing; he couldn’t help but speak with a tight voice, his expression becoming panicked, and his hands clenched into fists.

But at this moment, Shu Li looked up toward the sky and said softly: “Don’t worry. Perhaps the deity has already foreseen this. It is to prevent calamity from happening that He sent this timely rain in the middle of the night.”

His voice was low and steady, like a morning breeze, unconsciously soothing the restless and anxious hearts.

Although the words were hard to understand for a moment, they were mysteriously reassuring, as if he knew what would happen next.

The villagers subconsciously looked at his handsome and serene face, becoming somewhat dazed for a time, not knowing why they had initially felt that such a person could have kidnapped and held Finnian hostage.

“Now we will first go to the farmhouse you passed and ask for more clues. At that time, if necessary, we may have to split into two groups.”

The village head was surprised that Shu Li would say this. “You are going to help me look?”

“Although I cannot compare to you in terms of physical strength, when it comes to seeing if someone is lying, I can still help a little.”

Shu Li paused and asked softly: “Can I join?”

“Of course!” The village head immediately nodded and agreed wholeheartedly. “That would be a huge help.”

Seeing that Father Alis had soothed the crowd in just a few words and successfully pointed out the direction for them, Herens couldn’t help but stand dazed for a moment. Only then did he realize that even without him, Alis could easily solve problems and handle everything.

Herens couldn’t help but lower his head with a bitter smile; it turned out that the one truly offending the priest was not this group of angry villagers, but his own bit of self-righteousness.

Seeing everyone preparing to leave the church, Herens hurriedly caught up.

“Please let me join as well.”

He spoke solemnly to Alis.

Father Alis looked up and smiled at him, as if saying he had been waiting for him.

At that moment, Herens suddenly felt that his footsteps were, for the first time, so steady and full of power.

After this matter was over, he must immediately confess to the priest.

He was already prepared!

This time, he would face everything uprightly.

Little Theater:

7:00 PM after the conclusion.

Herens: Lord Alis, I want to confess!

Shu Li: …… (In the middle of the night) Think about it again; the deity is willing to give you more time and opportunity.

Herens: No, I want to say it right now, immediately!

Shu Li: It’s a bit too late… (I don’t want to work overtime!!!)

Herens: Lord Alis, please plead with the deity again; I am willing to wait here until He says it’s okay. Please talk to Him again, I trouble you!

Shu Li: …… (Save me)