Chapter 112

This remark drew agreement from a group of people.

Indeed, what thief would steal a jar of wine? This isn't even enough to file a report.

The group discussed for a long time but came to no conclusion; however, Ling Yue didn't pin her hopes on them, saying, "The scene hasn't been disturbed, has it? Let's go to the scene."

As the first discoverer of the case, Lao Wang nodded eagerly; the others went their separate ways, knowing they really couldn't help much.

The warehouse storing the wine jars was beside the workshop; upon entering, a faint fruity fragrance assailed the nostrils. Ling Yue examined carefully and found no signs of damage.

Besides the wine racks, there were several large, finished wine vats neatly arranged in a circle around the room.

The sole problematic jar of new wine sat on the rack, with discarded red seals on the ground; the closer one got, the richer the fruit aroma, and after fermentation it carried a layer of clear intoxication.

As expected of the secret technique of a winemaking family, but Ling Yue knew this wasn't the top state, because the water used for brewing wasn't great; a natural water source would be ideal.

She quickly came to her senses, observed the floor, and instantly spotted wine stains; obviously some liquid had been spilled here, but it had dried completely over time, which is also the fundamental reason for the strong wine smell here.

Still a rather dim-witted thief.

Besides that, she found no other traces.

Beside him, Lao Wang grew more uneasy as he watched, clutching his keys tightly and muttering, "This is too strange—could the thief possibly fly?"

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Ling Yue looked around; the warehouse indeed had several windows, but they were placed high, the narrow openings barely able to let a small child through—yet how could a child perform this series of actions?

She walked under one window, examined the smooth wall, then her motion stalled; Ling Yue saw a few scratch marks, which one wouldn't notice without close inspection—but—

Ling Yue bent down, lightly pinched with her fingertips, and a brownish-gold hair clung to the wall, which she plucked off.

It was obviously not any human hair.

Seeing Ling Yue's series of actions, Lao Wang held his breath tightly, then suddenly heard her order: "Go get a transparent, clean bag."

"Okay! Okay! I'm going right away!" he exclaimed, taking a long breath; his shock was indescribable—he had searched back and forth several times and found not a single hair, yet the boss had spotted a clue at a glance!

Watching him hurry off, Ling Yue looked up at the high window; the other few were half-open, half-closed with screens to keep out mosquitoes, but this window was sealed, its screen pushed entirely to one side.

She pursed her lips, tipped her toes, and her whole body leapt into the air, hovering at the edge of the sealed window.

Ling Yue's Daoist arts aren't limited to drawing talismans; she uses them frequently only because talismans are the most convenient—just throw them out and they're done.

Now, she is using her own cultivation.

As Ling Yue pushed open the window, a flapping sound came; the Eagle Falcon Mister, wings spread, landed before her, about to attack, then suddenly halted and cried sharply, "Is it you?"

Ling Yue embarrassedly retracted her fingers, somewhat surprised: "Aren't you accompanying Qing Ling? Why are you here?"

The Eagle Falcon Mister replied naturally: "Since you let me stay here, I have no other talents—I can catch mice and patrol; I know this is a warehouse, saw the window open, thought it might be another animal, and flew over to check."

No sooner had he spoken than the Goldfinch Green Spirit flew over: "What's up?"

Ling Yue: "I'm investigating the winery's new wine theft case; I've only found a brownish-gold hair, and I don't know whose it is."

At that moment, the Eagle Falcon Mister hovering before her suddenly lifted its head, puffed out its chest, and flapped its wings.

Ling Yue: "???"

Eagle Falcon Mister: "Want to ask me? Maybe I know a bit of information."

Ling Yue just wanted to pat her own head right now, wondering why she hadn't thought of earlier; she took a deep breath: "Eagle Falcon Mister, do you know any clues?"

"Of course." Its tone rose slightly, then realizing it was in front of its mate, it gave a light cough and said solemnly: "Such hairs are only found on small mountain animals; lately I've noticed many traces of small creatures."

"But only two kinds of animals have hair of this color."

"Squirrels and monkeys!"

Speaking of this, the Eagle Falcon Mister puffed its chest: "Not long ago, after our winery's wine was just brewed, small animals came running over—mostly squirrels, plus some monkeys—I don't know where they came from."

"Cough cough, these little spirits should have told you already."

Ling Yue nodded: "Besides the small animals, it also told me you've been working diligently—very impressive!"

The Eagle Falcon Mister proudly flapped its wings, lifted its head: "Still all right."

Ling Yue met the gaze of the Goldfinch Miss; seeing a hint of amusement in its eyes, she said: "I didn't say that!"

This is what "no silver three hundred taels here" means.

It's obvious the Eagle Falcon Mister knows his wife well; he spread his wings and gave a hug, but before they got all lovey-dovey, Ling Yue coughed a few times: "Thank you so much for your help—do you know where to find monkeys?"

The Eagle Falcon Mister shook its head: "I don't know; I clearly saw them a few days ago right beside the warehouse. As for those squirrels, I do know—they're in the small grove in front of the warehouse, but because they're too afraid of humans, they don't dare settle here; they usually hop about, and I've seen them many times."

Ling Yue nodded: "Thanks!"

She planned to first find the squirrels to learn the situation; as for asking who stole the wine, she could be certain it definitely wasn't the squirrels. Hilarious—she had just overheard these little cuties taking out loans to drink, and because of "uneven loot split" they started fighting.

That was a downpour of hairs, flying everywhere.

Ling Yue took the bag and put the hairs inside—this also counts as evidence—then grabbed a jar of wine and headed to the grove outside the workshop, telling the factory workers not to follow her.

So, she was alone.

With a pop, the jar's red seal broke, releasing a rich fruit fragrance; Ling Yue inhaled deeply: "How fragrant! If I can't drink such good wine, I'll never be happy in my lifetime!"

The quiet grove rang with a rustling sound.

At first listen, one might think it was just the leaves swaying.

But Ling Yue's eyesight is so sharp that in an instant she could see these adorable little creatures on the trees, wagging their fluffy big tails, hiding beneath the leaves, revealing pointed little ears, tiny claws, and a lovely, cute snow-white belly; sunlight speckled across them, making their brownish-yellow fur gleam.

Ling Yue also saw several squirrels squeezed onto a branch, frantically inhaling: "Sniff sniff sniff, so fragrant, so fragrant!"

"I really want to drink! I'm about to drool!"

The slightly older eldest and second brother kept muttering over and over, then suddenly noticed the youngest brother wasn't speaking, turned their heads to look—

"Slurp~~ slurp~~"

The youngest little brother stood up, leaning on the second brother, his mouth wide open, revealing big snow-white front teeth, with tiny beads of suspicious liquid trickling out.

He was already drooling from hunger!

The eldest and second brother: "Huh~~"

They shoved a pine nut into him; the youngest crunched it up, his black, shiny bean-like eyes fixed on the wine in Ling Yue's hand.

This cute, greedy little appearance almost made Ling Yue laugh out loud.

She poured several small bowls; the liquor was as clear as creek water, and a rich fruit aroma burst forth.

The fruit wine brewed by ancient methods had just been finished when Ling Yue sent someone to have it tested; its alcohol content was extremely low, its quality mild yet slightly intoxicating.

Because of the introduction by the Feng Shui Turtle master earlier, this fruit wine can beautify and nourish the blood, so Ling Yue likewise tested for trace elements; perhaps there are some that current technology cannot explain, but it is certain that these fruit wines are suitable not only for humans but also for animals.

That's why she didn't use pet food, but instead brought out the fruit wine these little critters had been longing for.

Ling Yue took a sip; it was sweet‑sour and refreshing, like a drink but with several more flavors, the fresh aromas of a hundred fruits mingled together, not superficial but very soft, mellow and sweet; as she swallowed, she heard several excited cries,

"Wuu wuu wuu she drank it she drank it!"

"Wow, she drank a bowl, now there's one less bowl—I really want to drink!"

"Tie Tou, you're risking your life—don't go grabbing the wine!"

"No wine, can't drink, I'm so thirsty and hungry, wuu wa wa wa!"

Ling Yue's eyes widened in surprise; she had actually made them cry from craving.

When the time was about right, she set down her cup, cleared her throat, and said: "Answer me one question, and the fruit wine here is free to drink!"

The restless little squirrels were stunned: "What free giveaway? Who is this human talking to?"

A jet‑black squirrel, looking as if its fur had exploded, froze: "Could it be talking to us?"

"How could that be possible."

The next moment, Ling Yue cupped her hands like a megaphone and shouted upward: "I'm talking to you, the squirrels in the trees—I'm Ling Yue, and I have a question for you."

In an instant, all the squirrels froze—this human was actually speaking to us?

The soot‑black, fluff‑puffed squirrel also froze, its pine nut rolling to the ground with a gurgling sound: "I remember now—my night‑hawk friend told me that not long ago there was a super‑nice human who could understand small animals' speech, and because I helped her, she fed me delicious food!"

It clawed at the branch, its pair of Dou Dou eyes sparkling as it looked at Ling Yue: "Is it her?"

No squirrel answered it.

Because after it finished speaking, all the squirrels rushed down: "Wuu wuu wuu it's definitely her—I want to drink the fruit wine! I want a jar!"

"Hahaha you'll kill me laughing—did you secretly inherit my tree‑hole's pine cones, right?"

"Look at your tiny waist—you surely can't finish a bowl, but I can, because I'm a big wine barrel!"

Ling Yue crouched, looking at the ground full of squirrels; they nearly surrounded her, these cute little Dou Dou eyes fixed on her: "Me me me, I'm a squirrel, I definitely know! Let me drink the wine quick!"

In twos and threes they added up to several dozen; they propped themselves up, their tiny pointed paws clasping together, and as Ling Yue lifted a bowl of fruit wine, their little eyes turned and stuck to the bowl.

Ling Yue gave a light cough: "Super‑super delicious fruit wine, oh."

"Ooo ooo ooo hurry up and speak, hurry up!"

"Slurp~ so fragrant, definitely delicious!"

Ling Yue told them about the theft at the winery, and finally said: "According to information from some people, the current suspects are either you or the monkeys, but I know you little cuties definitely didn't do it, right?"

The squirrels hugged their big tails and nodded: "Of course not!"

They're surely the most well‑behaved, the most well‑behaved~

Ling Yue: "Then do you know where the monkeys are? I want to find them and ask; whoever gives information gets free fruit wine!"

She said this while tapping the three‑jin‑heavy big wine jar, producing a bang‑bang‑bang sound, and the squirrels' eyes lit up.

"I know!" Soon a warrior stepped forward: "I still saw those monkeys yesterday; they came out of the deep mountains and have been staying here for quite a while, but yesterday they seemed to have gone back!"

"I saw them too, in the southern woods—they even stole the big fruit from my tree! Super annoying!"

Ling Yue pursed her lips: "Is there any little cutie who knows the monkeys' whereabouts?"

She said this while pushing two bowls of fruit wine toward them; after taking the first sip, the squirrels didn't even lift their heads, gulping down ton‑ton‑ton as if about to plunge headfirst into the bowl: "So sweet, so good!"

Their companions watched them, but they themselves had no idea—had they just missed it? For a moment, even their tiny pointed ears seemed to droop limp.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows, about to speak, when a dark, muddy‑looking squirrel stepped forward: "I know where the monkeys are, but—"

"But I only know about one monkey—is that okay?"

Ling Yue nodded: "Of course it is!"

At the same time, in the central region of Mianyun Mountain Range, a group of monkeys, big and small adding up to five or six, carried containers made of hollowed trees, walking cautiously to a cave entrance, their brown‑gold fur soaked with dew—one can imagine they had traveled a long way.

Arriving at their doorstep, the monkeys set down the tree tubes and all collapsed from exhaustion.

"So tired—finally we've hauled the wine back!"

"Huh, Cai Cai, what's wrong with you?"

"The fruit wine smells so good, I really want another sip QWQ," Cai Cai said, her eyes fixed ahead.

"No way, Monkey Grandpa said the liquor in the tree tubes must be full when brought back!" the head monkey said honestly.

"Well, I'm fine, but I don't know if A Meng can hold out—he's the greediest monkey—huh, where is A Meng?" Cai Cai looked around in surprise, still not seeing A Meng.

"I haven't seen it—have you?"

"I haven't either…"

At this moment, everyone finally realized a little monkey was missing; the monkeys instantly panicked, squeaking and chirping outside the cave.

"Cough cough." A bright‑furred, slightly whitened old monkey stepped out, still holding a tree tube; after sniffing the faint aroma, the old monkey really hadn't seen such good wine in a long time.

If there were a chance, sparring with a wine‑making master would be even better.

It gathered its thoughts and asked slowly: "What's going on? What happened? You're all so flustered, acting like newborn monkeys nursing!"

"Oh no, Grandpa Monkey, it's A Meng—A Meng is missing!"

They are a tribe that lives together every day; missing one monkey makes everyone uneasy.

"Could they have been captured by humans?"

"Nonsense, we only went to the winery… could… A Meng still be at the winery?"

Upon hearing this, Monkey Grandpa Grandpa turned pale, almost dropping his tree tube: "Oh no, that gluttonous mischievous A Meng definitely didn't come back!"

He looked at the tree tube in his hand with regret: "If I had known, I wouldn't have let you steal the wine; right now I'll quickly count the monkeys and we'll go find A Meng."

Liquor factory.

"Boss." The employee finished speaking, astonished, looking at her; to be precise, it's the little squirrel on Ling Yue's shoulder.

These little guys are especially cute; many workers tried to lure them with food, but who knew they were so wary—only able to feast their eyes on them; as for touching, they didn't even dare imagine it.

Now, the little squirrel on Ling Yue's shoulder—could it not be those fearsome little squirrels, its big tail rubbing again and again, this affectionate demeanor—could it be a fake doll?

The next moment, the little squirrel's pointed little ears twitched; it half-crouched before Ling Yue and said, "It's right here."

Ling Yue looked over, her expression slightly startled—wasn't this the warehouse she had checked before? Are there monkeys inside?

The little squirrel, worried she wouldn't believe it, hurriedly said, "It's right here! Last night I couldn't sleep, I crouched at the factory entrance and saw many monkeys sneaking in; I followed and crawled in, discovered they had entered the warehouse, I thought they had all run away, but just as I slipped through the window, I saw a drunken little monkey still stealing alcohol to drink!"

Ling Yue pushed the door open, looked around, and saw no suspicious figure: "Where is it now?"

The little squirrel brushed the ground and jumped down, standing on a large vat, tapping its feet: "It's right here!"

The workers who had followed, holding nets and implements, gathered around, looking very tense—this time it seemed only a jar of liquor was lost; what about next time? And the time after that?

If the boss doubts their ability, will they still be able to find such a good job in the future?

The workers summoned, filled with righteous indignation, stared at the large vat; as the jar seal was lifted, a rich wine aroma surged forth, the contents inside seemed startled, and in an instant, a thud sounded from inside the wine jar.

"Ow ow ow, it hurts!"

"Eh, why is the world spinning? The earth is spinning too, I feel so dizzy, so dizzy~":,,.