However, the situation couldn’t be judged solely based on assumptions. The villagers needed to investigate thoroughly, and everyone agreed to head to the mountain in the morning.
"Junjun’s parents, Liu Hai might have a point," the village elder finally spoke. "What he’s saying could be true. This might not be Zhang Nu’s doing. We’ve all met Zhang Nu and he doesn’t seem like the kind of person to do something like this. Let’s search the village first tonight. If we don’t find the children, we’ll head to the mountain in the morning."
The distressed parents reluctantly nodded at the elder’s suggestion. Liu Hai could tell that apart from the village chief, this old woman held the most respect in the village. No one dared to contradict her. Soon, everyone began searching the village, looking for any trace of the missing children.
However, after thoroughly scouring the area, they found nothing unusual. The village was unusually lively for such a late hour, but no clues emerged. When the villagers returned to Jun Hao’s house in the early hours, they were exhausted and disheartened. It seemed clear that the children were not in the village.
Seeing their empty-handed return, the elder sighed. "If the children aren’t here, then it seems they’ve made their way up the mountain."
The village elder was now convinced that Zhang Nu had nothing to do with the disappearances. If he had wanted revenge, he wouldn't have taken the children to the mountain—it didn’t make sense. What Zhang Nu would gain from such an action remained unclear, but one thing was certain: they had to find the children as soon as possible.
“Since we couldn’t find them tonight, I’ll speak with the village chief first thing in the morning,” she declared. “We’ll ask for his guidance on this matter. After that, we’ll head up the mountain to search. No matter what, we must find those children.”
After hearing the old woman’s words, the villagers nodded in agreement. Throughout the conversation, Liu Hai had been closely observing her, trying to understand what set her apart and made the others follow her so unquestionably. It became clear to him that the elder commanded immense respect and held significant authority in the village.
At her word, everyone dispersed quickly, heading back to their own places. Seeing this, Liu Hai was struck by how much authority the old woman held—her words seemed to carry unquestionable weight. The villagers' unwavering trust in her was apparent.
Yet, one thing still puzzled Liu Hai. Despite the strange occurrences, why did they need to consult the village chief? Would the chief actually provide answers or help them find the missing children? Liu Hai couldn’t help but think it was a waste of time; they should be heading to the mountain to search immediately.
Even though these thoughts raced through his mind, Liu Hai decided not to voice them. He realized that questioning the elder or the village’s decisions might only stir up trouble. He knew that if he raised these concerns now, the villagers would likely react with hostility. So, he held his tongue and resolved to join the group when they headed to the mountain the next morning.
At dawn the next morning, Liu Hai rose from his room, feeling the effects of the previous night's events. He noticed that many villagers were still asleep, worn out from the commotion. Liu Hai, however, did not rush to wake them for the search on the mountain, understanding that they needed proper rest.
To pass the time, he began practicing Tai Chi in his home. Despite its slow and fluid movements, Tai Chi harnessed great defensive power, using softness to overcome hardness.
Unbeknownst to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu had grown anxious, curious about what had transpired in the village the night before. Zhang Nu soon arrived at Liu Hai's doorstep, only to be met with the sight of Liu Hai calmly practicing Tai Chi. This sight left Zhang Nu baffled and fuming, he had been concerned, while Liu Hai seemed unbothered.
“Liu Hai, why are you doing Tai Chi right now?” Zhang Nu asked, frustration evident in his voice. “What happened last night? Why did so many people come out?”
Upon seeing Zhang Nu at his door in broad daylight, Liu Hai instantly became cautious. He knew Zhang Nu wouldn’t risk coming to his house unless something unusual was going on.