Chapter 358: Sudden Change

"This Moxi... his prestige in Yangjiao Town doesn't look ordinary."

Walking side by side on the road back to the inn, Margaret said to Xia Nan beside her with implication.

At this moment, it was evening.

The sunset glow fell leisurely, laying a layer of golden brilliance on the rough bluestone slabs on the ground.

After leaving the orange garden, the two went to many places in the plan, such as post stations and trade streets, to investigate.

Although there were no breakthrough discoveries, they had a more comprehensive understanding of Yangjiao Town itself and the old priest "Moxi" who believed in the 【Goddess of Grain】.

First, most importantly.

Xia Nan's hypothesis this morning was further confirmed.

The disgust shown by the inn owner, blacksmith, and farm women when mentioning information related to the pastel gem was not an isolated case.

While the two were investigating information in town, they also conducted tests of varying degrees.

The result... was within expectations.

From the sheriff in the center of the town to the vagrant begging on the street, all without exception, showed resistance to discussing information related to the gem to varying degrees.

Even if it was just slightly touching the edge, the original kind reaction would suddenly become agitated, and they would show a certain degree of aggressiveness toward Xia Nan and Margaret in words and actions.

Sure enough, all the residents of Yangjiao Town had been controlled by the pastel gem, affecting their cognition.

It's no wonder that the news had been around for so long, and only the one gem in Huolake's hand had circulated.

This kind of invisible gathering of people in the town together to cover up a certain specific thing, even for professionals like them, if they hadn't already noticed it in advance and were looking for problems with answers, they might not necessarily have discovered it.

Secondly, regarding Priest Moxi, the two also mastered more information about the other party.

They knew that this white-haired old man with great prestige in Yangjiao Town was not a local born and raised in the town, but was assigned here by the church headquarters about forty years ago, and was estimated to be seventy or eighty years old now.

And in these forty years, the other party almost perfectly demonstrated the proper quality of a priest under Lady "Chauntia."

Treating injuries for injured hunters, teaching farmers more labor-saving and efficient farming techniques, helping fruit farmers increase production...

Accumulated year after year, the prestige of Moxi in the town, especially as the younger generation who grew up with his help gradually grew up and became the backbone of various places in Yangjiao Town, had reached an exaggerated level.

Even the so-called mayor and sheriff were far less prestigious than that white-haired old man.

To put it extremely, if any outsider dared to express extremely disrespectful and insulting remarks about this priest in public, it would not be impossible for them to be tied up by angry townspeople and hung on an orange tree the next day.

"In this way, this matter has become even stranger."

Margaret's eyes were thoughtful, as if recalling the reactions of those townspeople before.

"Being able to become a priest under the 【Goddess of Agriculture】 sect and be sent out to sit in the church of such a small town means that his own conduct and personality quality are in line with church standards."

"At least forty years ago, when Moxi first came to Yangjiao Town, he should have been a qualified priest, and the deeds he has circulated among the townspeople over the years prove this."

"Huolake revealed before that the rumors of the pastel gem first came from half a year ago, which is only a few months away from now."

"And before that, for a full forty years, Moxi's image among the townspeople had always been a kind and selfless priest who was respected."

"There is no reason for such a big change in personality in just a few months, allowing or even secretly helping the gem to circulate in the town and control the spirits of the residents."

After listening to the female swordsman's complete analysis, Xia Nan pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:

"You mean... Priest Moxi has also been charmed by the gem and rewritten his cognition?"

Margaret nodded.

"Otherwise there is no reason at all."

"Even if he himself is a 'bad person' in the secular sense, I don't think anyone has the patience to pretend like this for forty years, pretending until half of his body is about to enter the soil before revealing his true nature."

"Besides, to be honest..." Margaret paused, turned her head slightly, and swept her gaze over the somewhat dilapidated and desolate buildings on both sides of the street, her expression carrying a hint of strangeness.

"Even if he was really pretending, he is still a decent priest who has received divine grace. For forty years, just for such a remote small town whose name even the residents of nearby villages might not be able to call out..."

"It's too unworthy."

Xia Nan didn't reply.

Margaret's consideration was very comprehensive, and the details were convincing.

Considering the situation in Yangjiao Town right now, it seemed that her speculation that "Priest Moxi was influenced by the gem and rewritten his cognition" was indeed the most likely one.

But for some reason, Xia Nan always felt that the truth of the matter was not that simple.

After all, the adventurer squad that brought the gem out of Yangjiao Town and sold it to Huolake in Niumu had already proven that the pastel gem's ability to influence professionals was limited.

Was Moxi really controlled mentally by the gem's charm like those townspeople?

At this moment, what appeared in his mind was the Goddess's holy emblem swaying on the other party's chest when he first met Moxi in the morning, the dazzling light emitted by the gem when Huolake first took it out to show everyone, and this morning...

The lush but scarred dense branch that was forcibly grafted onto the orange tree branch.

His footsteps moved, Xia Nan's head hung low, and a thoughtful luster flashed in his eyes.

With the close protection of Suoerding, a lv4 professional, caravan owner Huolake naturally wouldn't have any problems.

When Xia Nan and the others returned to the inn according to the time agreed upon before departure, Huolake had already arranged a table of sumptuous dishes and was waiting for the two at the dining table.

Not in a hurry to eat, Xia Nan took a honey tangerine out of his waist bag—the girl in the orchard was exceptionally enthusiastic in the morning and insisted on giving them a large basket, saying that it would be left over every year anyway, and instead of letting it rot on the ground, it was better to give it away as a gift.

Xia Nan couldn't refuse, so he casually stuffed a few into his waist bag.

While peeling the fruit skin, he asked Suoerding:

"How is it, are there any special situations?"

Hearing this, the dwarf shook his head: "What could happen? For a whole day, I didn't even see a few outsiders, just sat there, no accidents at all."

"However..."

Halfway through the words, he hesitated, as if considering whether this matter was worth reporting.

"If you are not sure, just say it directly." Margaret knew her teammate's personality very well, sat down at the table, and glanced at the other party.

"It's like this." Dwarf Suoerding really didn't hesitate anymore and opened his mouth immediately.

"This morning, after you went out, the inn owner took the initiative to come over once."

"Didn't talk much, but listening to Huolake, the other party's attitude was a bit strange."

On the side, the merchant nodded repeatedly, his expression serious.

"Yesterday when I first arrived in Yangjiao Town, that is, when I hadn't broken free from the mental control of that ghost thing with Mr. Xia Nan's help, I once asked the inn owner to help me inquire about information related to the pastel gem."

"But at that time, the other party was very disgusted, almost driving me away, and didn't say a word more."

"At that time, I was anxious to find the gem mine, so I didn't think much about it."

"But this morning, after you went out, he took the initiative to say that the things I asked him about might have news, and the attitude of letting me wait a few more words was also very different from before. I think it's a bit strange."

Hearing this, Xia Nan suddenly became alert.

"So you refused him?"

"Of course! The caravan's emergency processing of goods and replenishment of supplies can't be hidden. He must already know that we have the intention to leave. If he deliberately disguised and deceived, it might arouse suspicion, right?"

"The key to the problem... is not here." Margaret at the table also seemed to realize the reason for Xia Nan's alertness, her brow furrowed, her expression exceptionally serious.

"You must consider a possibility."

"If the so-called 'news about the information inquired' is just a cover, could his real purpose be to use the information of the pastel gem to test whether you have really broken free from the gem's mental control."

After all, if he was really still in the charm state of the gem, he would never refuse after hearing the relevant news.

And Huolake's sudden change of plan to stay in Yangjiao Town for a long time and intention to leave as soon as possible had already made the other party suspicious. ===== CHAPTER 359 =====