The elderly woman had no choice but to step outside, her face heavy with worry. Though she couldn't reveal the full truth about the village chief's condition, she knew they had to find the missing children on their own. She prayed that the heavens would protect them and that the children would be found safe and unharmed. Otherwise, the village might be nearing its downfall.
Quickly, she gathered the villagers together. However, she kept the chief’s deteriorating state to herself, knowing it wasn’t the right time to reveal such news. If she told the villagers now—on top of the recent child disappearances—panic and hysteria would surely set in. Worse, she suspected there were traitors within the village. Revealing their vulnerabilities might play right into those individuals’ hands.
"I just spoke with the chief, but he's currently in seclusion and unable to assist us," she explained. "We can’t rely on him for everything. This time, we must resolve this issue ourselves."
The villagers, however, were visibly displeased. Many felt it was the chief’s duty to protect them, especially in dire times like this.
“Granny, what do you mean?” one villager exclaimed angrily. “Isn’t it the chief’s job to watch over us? He’s always done so in the past!”
Another chimed in, “Seclusion or not, this is an emergency! Can’t we just call him out? We need his help!”
The elderly woman felt a deep sense of disappointment upon hearing the villagers' words. It was clear now that everything the village chief had warned her about was coming true. The villagers had grown increasingly dependent on him, to the point where they no longer wanted to think for themselves, even about small matters. She realized that when the chief's abilities inevitably faded, these villagers might not forgive him so easily.
"Can't you all stop relying on the chief for everything?" she snapped. "We're all capable of independent thought. We should be taking responsibility for these problems ourselves. What use is having your own minds if you're just going to burden the chief with everything?"
In her youth, the elderly woman had been someone who wouldn't stand for any nonsense, and even now, she wasn’t one to let others question her decisions. The villagers, who had always respected her, fell silent. They understood that she wanted them to support the chief instead of putting all the weight on his shoulders.
Several other elders stepped forward, agreeing with her. They reminded everyone that while they could still rely on the chief for now, the future was uncertain. The current chief was getting old, and they had no idea who his successor would be. What would happen if the village had no one to lead them when his powers eventually waned? This was something that needed to be addressed before it was too late.
"We need to start solving our problems on our own," one elder said.
"We can't depend on the chief forever. He's only human."
"Even his predictions might fail one day, so we should follow his advice but also be prepared to act independently."
The village elders voiced their concerns one after another, and the younger villagers quickly fell silent, filled with respect and a bit of fear. In their village, things were very different from the outside world. In most places, the elderly might not always be respected, but here, their opinions carried weight.
For the villagers, the older someone was, the more authoritative they became. The elderly were seen as wise and capable of understanding the world in ways the younger ones could not. Only the elderly were deemed worthy of making decisions and passing judgment.
"Alright then, let's head up the mountain and start searching for clues about the missing children," one elder suggested. "If we can find any evidence, it will help us figure out what to do next."
As Liu Hai listened, he grew more uneasy. Something ain’t right. The elder woman, who had always shown deep respect for the village chief and wouldn’t make a move without his counsel, was now suddenly encouraging everyone to act without him. It was as if she knew something was going to happen to the chief, or that he wouldn't be able to help them as he once did.
This strange shift in attitude from the elders left Liu Hai with a growing sense of dread, though he tried to convince himself it was just his imagination. But deep down, he feared his suspicions might be all too real.