CH-014
The village chief borrowed the horse, sending the most agile man ahead to scout the path, while he personally led the others in a hurry toward the next village.
In fact, they had already searched several nearby villages throughout the night.
They were primarily afraid that Finnian had run far away out of playfulness, heading to other small surrounding hamlets. They had also worried that the nearby woods were too dense, but further out lay only the distant trade routes or steep mountain paths—it was impossible for a child to walk that far.
Thus, they had considered the worst-case scenario—the priest at the church was a monster wearing human skin! Therefore, they had to assemble a large mob to bring the priest to justice.
Now, the very likely situation was that “someone took Finnian away.” Consequently, this time they had a clearer objective: follow the tracks of the ruts and horse hooves, searching toward the fork in the road to the east.
Shu Li asked Herens to go along as well. However, Herens refused and pulled him to the corner of the wall.
“My intuition says Doctor Matthew is very wrong,” Herens lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping over the door of the house that had been closed once again.
Shu Li’s eyes flickered.
He had heard a saying: hunters possess senses far sharper than ordinary people.
“They stop their footsteps because they perceive the movements of prey several hundred meters away.”
Shu Li asked in return: “Is there no reason?”
Herens fell silent, sinking into thought.
Judging the truth of an event based on micro-expressions is the most difficult way to gain credibility.
In criminal investigations, micro-expression inference, like a polygraph, serves primarily as an auxiliary role—especially since this world lacked any popularization of such knowledge.
When Shu Li followed them to the backyard, he had observed the wheels of the carriage—the iron-rimmed wooden wheels were clean, and there wasn’t even a smudge of mud in the gaps of the spokes.
Even if it had arrived this morning without rain, last night’s rain had made the trade route muddy; if this carriage had moved at all, the axle should have retained at least a tiny bit of grime.
This indicated that the carriage had already arrived before the rain started last night.
Why hide the fact that he had spent the night in the forest warden’s house long ago?
Shu Li had not reached a completely correct conclusion on this point, and for the time being, he did not want to make it public.
Because the family of the host was very likely Doctor Matthew’s hostages.
Besides the weeds in the farmland, there were pry marks on the door lock.
Furthermore, looking into the opened house, only one set of tableware was placed on the dining table, with a half-eaten portion of breakfast for one person. Beyond that, Shu Li also noticed an unnatural bruise beneath the host’s collar, looking like a mark left by someone strangling his neck fiercely.
Additionally, when the host spoke, he would always subconsciously observe Doctor Matthew.
Doctor Matthew had perhaps grasped the most vital weaknesses of the two of them to make two adults cooperate so well.
Out of cautious considerations, Shu Li did not want to alert the enemy.
It would be great if there were police to handle this matter, or if Herens possessed clearer reasoning abilities and flexible problem-solving skills, Shu Li would plan to retreat to the second line and act in a consultant role.
At this time, Shu Li could only ask: “If Doctor Matthew is related to Finnian, why would he lend his horse to the village chief? This loan makes it impossible for him to leave here for the time being. Isn’t this cutting off his own retreat? Besides, where would Finnian be hidden? You should have seen the structure of the carriage; no one can be hidden inside. The house is also clear at a glance, with no places to hide.”
Herens fell silent once again, saying after a long while: “I just feel it’s a bit weird, maybe I’m overthinking it.”
After he finished saying this, he carefully observed Shu Li’s expression and asked tentatively: “How about I also go help the village chief and the others?”
This sentence stifled Shu Li.
He couldn’t help but ask in return: “We are all looking for the person. But what about the sheep? Where did the sheep go?”
“Are the sheep important?” Herens asked back, “When taking a person, they would surely take the sheep as well.”
“Finnian is so smart…” Shu Li still wanted to offer a few more subtle reminders.
However, Herens quickly said: “But he is a child after all. It can’t be helped! Speaking of which, Doctor Matthew indeed has nothing to do with Finnian; there are no sheep here.”
“…Fine, you go help the village chief,” Shu Li didn’t explain further, waving his hand as he said, “If there is no result after half a day, have someone come back to contact me.”
Herens asked in a low voice: “Is Lord Alis not going?”
Shu Li smiled slightly, “I still have serious business to attend to. One more of me makes no difference, one less of me makes no difference.”
Herens was startled, then asked carefully: “May I ask what kind of serious business it is?”
Shu Li raised his hand, lightly tapping the air, his tone brisk yet solemn: “Missionary work, of course. I am still very seriously fulfilling the duties of a priest.”
A look of undisguised respect instantly increased in Herens’ eyes.
And at this moment, Doctor Matthew stood not far away in the shadows of the house, his cold gaze quietly falling upon them.
“Hope someone doesn’t mind other people’s business.”
Not long after this thought emerged, that thin priest turned around once more, walking toward the direction of the house door.