Chapter 35

With the experience from the trip here, Mali was more familiar with the road conditions, and the vehicle speed was faster.

Halfway through, they ran into a group of guys who looked like bandits. Before they could decide whether to come up and rob them, Mali had already driven past them, leaving them only a trail of exhaust and dull faces.

Before the sun set, they returned to Baimu Cun.

Because Mali and Xia'er's trip to Yingzui City took less than two days round-trip, many villagers thought they had encountered something on the road and turned back halfway.

It wasn't until they saw Suoluo and the others getting off the car that many people were still looking blank.

Leini was the last to get off the car. Her face was deathly pale, and when she landed, her legs went soft. If it hadn't been for Huodun supporting her in time, she would have fallen straight to the ground.

Afterward, she shook off the kobold's arm and ran hurriedly toward the cherry tree. Before she even reached it, she vomited.

"What's wrong with her? Magic backlash?" Xia'er asked with concern.

"No, it looks like simple motion sickness. Some people get like that when riding in a car."

Mali poured some purified water and handed it to Leini to rinse her mouth.

Baimu Cun had hardly changed since they left. At this moment, the men were still working in the fields, while the women were busy cooking.

At the entrance of the village, there was only a group of children chasing and playing.

The half-elf girl went to see Village Chief Daimengde first, told him what had happened in Yingjiao City, and then brought back the three sheep that Baimu Cun had promised Mali.

She picked the three fattest ones, two females and one male, and tied them to the wooden stake behind the house. Afterward, she walked into the house, only to find the atmosphere inside a bit strange.

"Uh, did I miss something? Why are you all like this?"

"Someone lost something," Suoluo said.

"Who?"

"Master Mali."

"Ah," Xia'er was startled. "I really only ate one box of braised pork and one pack of biscuits, not more!"

"It's not the stuff in the car," Mali said. "It's the supplies that were left here before leaving that are gone."

"It's not me, good. Wait, what did you just say? The two large boxes of canned food and biscuits you left here before are all gone?!" The half-elf girl was shocked.

"Mm."

"It must have been stolen by a thief," Melissa, the younger sister of the adventurer siblings, said, looking around. "In a house like this, you don't need a professional lurker; an ordinary person could easily get in."

"But Baimu Cun is very remote; there are basically no outsiders coming here."

"Then it was stolen by someone in the village."

"Baimu Cun has no thieves!" Xia'er said loudly. "And everyone wouldn't do such a thing while Master Mali is helping the village!"

"That's hard to say. Can you guarantee that among so many people, not one has bad intentions? Taking a step back, even if those adults know the gravity of the situation, what about the children in the village? Didn't we see them fighting when we entered the village?"

"No! I said everyone wouldn't!!!"

The half-elf girl's face turned red. "What do you outsiders know? I've lived with them for so long! Everyone, everyone is not like what you said!"

The older brother, Weier, who was wearing half a set of plate armor, reached out and secretly tugged at his sister's clothes. The latter opened her mouth but swallowed the following words back into her stomach, only muttering a sentence in a low voice.

"Don't talk about villagers; these days, even blood relatives aren't necessarily reliable."

Suoluo walked to Mali's side. "How about it? Do you want to hire us to investigate this matter? Huodun's nose is very sharp. No matter who took those things, as long as they left a scent, he can track it. I'll charge you... ten Silver Shields."

"What did you just say?"

"Hm?"

Suoluo realized Mali wasn't talking to him, but looking at Melissa.

The latter was stunned for a moment and repeated, "I said even blood relatives aren't necessarily reliable?"

"No, the sentence before that."

"Even if those adults know the gravity of the situation, what about the children? Didn't we see them fighting when we entered the village?"

"I want to see those children," Mali said to Xia'er after pondering for a moment. "Can you bring them over?"

"But I don't think they are thieves."

"I don't think they are either," Mali said. "But I have something I want to ask them."

"Alright." The half-elf girl went out, and before long, she brought over the children who were covered in mud and had bruises on their bodies, making them stand in a row.

Mali found that most of them were familiar faces who had hidden behind the haystacks to peek at him before.

Seeing that some people's eyes were swollen, he took a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao spray from the car to reduce the swelling for them. Afterward, he asked, "Why were you fighting?"

Several children looked at each other.

Finally, a boy who looked the oldest and most robust, but also had the most injuries on his body, said, "They... they said I hogged those black candies."

"Black candies, what are those?" Xia'er asked.

Hearing this, the children felt a bit guilty, aiming at Mali with the corners of their eyes.

"It's the chocolate I gave them. Are you their leader?" Mali looked at the child who spoke before. "Did you hog the chocolate?"

"No." The boy shook his head. "After we got that black... chocolate that day, we each tasted a bite. It was so delicious, but to prevent everyone from eating it all at once and having none left for later, I suggested we put the rest away first."

"But who knew that when we came to the place where we hid the chocolate today, there was nothing there." The boy said dejectedly.

"Only you knew the location of the hidden chocolate; it must be you who hogged it!" another child shouted. "You ate all the chocolate, give me back my chocolate!"

"That's right, that's right, I only licked it once yesterday." Another child echoed.

But there were also people defending him. "Jiaxiya is not that kind of person. He usually takes good care of us and has never bullied the weak."

"But the chocolate is gone, and everyone has none to eat."

"I have more here." Mali took out two more bars of chocolate from the trunk and handed them to the leader boy, saying to him, "Divide these up. Everyone eat them now, eat them all, don't leave any."

Hearing this, the children cheered, gathered together, and divided the two bars of chocolate.

Afterward, Mali let them go home. However, while the other children left, the leader, Jiaxiya, didn't move.

"Is there anything else?"

"You, you are Master Alchemist, right?" The boy looked up, looking expectant. "Dad often says that alchemists are capable big shots who possess all kinds of magical means. So, can you help me find the lost chocolate?"

"You didn't eat enough?"

"No, I just want to prove my innocence."

Although the lost chocolate was doubled and compensated by Mali, Jiaxiya's suspicion hadn't been cleared. Children all valued reputation highly, and he was worried about being excluded and alienated by others in the future.

"I can't be entirely sure yet," Mali said. "But that's fine, Jiaxiya, right? If you are willing, you can cooperate with me to do a few experiments."

"Whatever you want me to do, just order it. No matter how difficult it is, I will do it!" Jiaxiya said excitedly. "I am very strong."

"Oh, don't be so nervous. What I want you to do is very simple. In a while, I will give you four more bars of chocolate; you just find a place to hide them separately."

A look of confusion appeared on Jiaxiya's face, but soon he thought of something and realized suddenly, "I know, you want to use this method to lure the thief out!"

"Something like that."