The village chief, sitting quietly in the courtyard, observed how effortlessly Liu Hai had evaded their probing questions. Despite this, the chief remained unconvinced that the situation was as straightforward as it appeared. However, how could he share his suspicions with the others? If the villagers saw Liu Hai’s seemingly honest behavior, they would undoubtedly believe him, which might make the chief appear overly harsh. It was better to keep an eye on Liu Hai's actions from the shadows, watching closely to see what he would do next.
“It seems that Liu Hai isn’t involved in anything suspicious, and judging by his reaction, that outsider didn’t go to his house last night either,” the chief remarked. “As for why these strange occurrences have started in the village, I’m not sure.”
Upon hearing the chief’s words, the elderly woman grew more anxious. If Zhang Nu wasn’t responsible, then who was? Could there be another outsider in the village?
“Chief, what do you mean by that?” she asked. “Are you suggesting that there’s another outsider in our village?”
The chief neither confirmed nor denied this possibility. His role was to predict the village’s fate and ensure its safety, but he couldn’t be certain of every detail.
“As for whether there’s anyone else in the village, that’s something you’ll need to observe carefully,” the chief responded. “Not every outsider necessarily brings destruction to our village.”
The elder woman was even more puzzled by the chief’s cryptic words. What exactly was he trying to say? Was he implying that Zhang Nu wasn’t a threat? If so, who or what would be the real danger to their village?
The elderly woman’s face paled after hearing the village chief’s words, deeply shaken by the notion that the chief’s powers were growing weaker. For generations, the village had relied on the chief’s abilities to safeguard them and predict the village’s fate. The thought of the chief losing his strength was nothing short of catastrophic for the village.
“Chief, what do you mean? How could your powers be weakening? Has something happened?” she asked, her voice laced with fear.
The village chief shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. He understood that this was a natural progression for every chief. There were always unforeseen challenges, and village leaders had to face them alone. They had already sacrificed much for the village, and it was time for the people to learn to stand on their own.
"Some things you need to discover for yourselves," he explained. "I cannot always reveal everything, and if you rely on me for every answer, it will do you more harm than good. The village won’t survive long if you can’t develop the ability to think critically and respond to these challenges. Blind faith in me will only make it easier for those with ill intentions to manipulate you."
The elderly woman’s worry deepened. If the chief’s power was indeed weakening, the village could be on the brink of disaster. Perhaps the chief wasn’t warning them about people like Zhang Nu, but rather urging them to be wary of those with malicious intentions. Still, what could they do about the missing children now?
The elderly woman, deeply worried, asked, "Village chief, what should we do about the missing children? If even you have no solution, where will we go to find them?"
The village chief shook his head. These were matters they needed to learn to handle on their own. Reflecting on his declining powers, he realized that once his abilities faded entirely, he too would just be an ordinary person. When that day came, there would be no one left to predict their fortunes or keep their village in its pure and peaceful state.
The chief could feel his lifespan shortening, knowing that death was nearing. But what troubled him most was that he still hadn’t found a suitable successor to take his place. Without a new leader, how could the village hope to survive and thrive? Despite the weight of this burden, he chose not to share his weakening condition with anyone. He knew that if word of his failing health spread, it would plunge the village into chaos, filling its people with fear and unrest.