After that, Chu Feng chatted with Village Chief Ma for a while longer, asking him a number of questions — mostly to pin down the approximate time when the Sealing Ice had been stolen.
After comparing the timeline, Chu Feng realized that the Sealing Ice had gone missing sometime between Sima Huolie's death and his own arrival at the Alliance Domain with Sima Ying.
Given Han Helai's methods, it was entirely plausible that after killing Sima Huolie, he had returned to the Spirit World Alliance.
So after putting it all together, Chu Feng grew increasingly convinced that the person who had stolen the Sealing Ice was very likely Han Helai.
"Senior Ma, that man is my enemy — and more than that, he is the enemy of a friend of mine. All of my friend's relatives were killed by that scoundrel."
"And that scoundrel is extremely powerful, incredibly cunning, and very difficult to deal with."
"If we can confirm that he is the one who stole the Sealing Ice, then that means we share a common enemy."
"Would it be possible for me, at that point, to tell my friend — or the person closest to my friend — about the affairs of your Sealing Ancient Village, so they can join forces with you against that man?" Chu Feng asked.
"Absolutely. As long as we can find the one who stole the Sealing Ice, nothing else matters. You could broadcast the theft to the entire world for all I care," Village Chief Ma declared earnestly. It was clear just how important recovering the Sealing Ice was to him.
"That makes things much easier." Hearing this, Chu Feng nodded with a smile. He had already worked out a plan in his head.
He intended to travel to the Spirit World Alliance and ask Sima Ying for help. Within the Alliance, he would search for objects that still carried traces of Han Helai's aura. He believed that after Han Helai had spent so much time in the Spirit World Alliance, there were bound to be quite a few items there that retained his residual presence.
Once he found such items, he would return here with Sima Ying, and the Village Chief Ma could use the formation to determine whether or not the Sealing Ice thief was truly Han Helai.
If it turned out that the thief was someone other than Han Helai, then so be it.
But if the thief really was Han Helai, then everything would fall into place.
Chu Feng could have Sima Ying contact the experts of the Spirit World Alliance and bring them to the Sealing Ancient Village. Then, using the village's special tracking formation, they could pinpoint Han Helai's location.
Once they found Han Helai, they could not only recover the Sealing Ice but also eliminate a mortal enemy for Sima Ying — avenging her blood feud once and for all.
"Young friend Chu Feng, if you truly help me uncover the person who stole the Sealing Ice, then I, Ma, will repay you handsomely once I have recovered it," Village Chief Ma said.
"Senior Ma, you can thank me after I've actually helped you." Chu Feng did not refuse the offer of gratitude, though he did not set his hopes too high either. After all, before the Sealing Ice was recovered, everything was just talk.
"Mm. Young friend Chu Feng, when do you plan to set out?" Village Chief Ma asked.
"Today," Chu Feng said.
"Young friend Chu Feng, I understand you want to confirm this as quickly as possible, but even if you're eager to help me, you'd best wait a few more days before leaving," Village Chief Ma said.
"Senior Ma, is something the matter?" Chu Feng asked.
"There's nothing wrong on my end. It's just that, from what I know of the Spirit World Alliance, they would never come to my Sealing Ancient Village to cause trouble without having some sort of backing — especially not four junior members."
"So my guess is that, following the Alliance's usual tactics, those four do have backup. If nothing unexpected happens, they'll soon find reinforcements and return to the Sealing Ancient Village to settle the score with you."
"If you stay in the village at that time, I can protect you. After all, you are a guest of our Sealing Ancient Village, and both by sentiment and by reason, I should ensure your safety."
"But if you leave the village, I won't be able to protect you so easily. If you happen to run into them on your way out, things could get very dangerous."
"So, young friend Chu Feng, for the sake of your own safety, please wait a while longer," Village Chief Ma said.
"That works too. I'll follow your advice, Senior Ma." Chu Feng was no fool. He knew that Village Chief Ma, more than anyone, wanted to find the Sealing Ice thief as soon as possible.
The fact that he was saying this now meant he wasn't lying — he was genuinely concerned for Chu Feng's safety.
What Chu Cheng found rather ironic, however, was that the people who could currently help him were from the Spirit World Alliance, yet the greatest threat to him also came from the Spirit World Alliance. He really did seem to have a peculiar fate with that organization.
Even so, Chu Feng had no intention of using Sima Ying as a shield. At the end of the day, Sima Ying was still a junior herself, and without any proof, the people of the Spirit World Alliance might not believe him even if he spoke up.