Chapter 438: Chapter 227: Congratulations, Host, for Participating in the "Hundred Sects Grand Competition

Bullseye!

"Ah—shit!"

Yang Bo felt something cold and wet splatter on his face, followed by a foul stench. He leaped to his feet, frantically wiping his face and cursing up a storm.

"Stupid bird, are you blind?! Yang Qi, you son of a bitch..."

"Hahahaha."

Yang Qi’s hearty laughter echoed from the Jeep as it sped up, blasting Yang Bo with a face full of exhaust fumes. It drove off, leaving Yang Bo stomping and cursing in a rage, accompanied by the even louder jeers of several children.

The little incident left Yang Qi in a particularly good mood. Humming a tune, he drove the car to the gate of his family’s courtyard home.

After parking the car, Xiaojiu leaped nimbly from the vehicle and, knowing the way, hopped onto the courtyard wall.

Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard also jumped down excitedly and rushed into the familiar yard, sniffing here and exploring there.

"My boy is back~"

Hearing the commotion, his grandmother came out from the main hall to greet him, her kind face wreathed in smiles. When she saw Yang Qi was once again carrying bags big and small, she immediately chided him affectionately.

"Buying things again. We have everything at home. You silly boy, always spending money recklessly."

"Grandma, I’m not being reckless. It’s all stuff you like to eat, plus some things to keep you healthy," Yang Qi said with a smile as he went to support his grandmother, and they walked into the house together.

The two of them chatted for a while before Yang Qi rolled up his sleeves to help in the kitchen, only to be shooed out by his grandmother, who was brandishing a spatula.

"Go on, go stoke your fire. Don’t get in the way here."

Yang Qi had no choice but to obediently sit in front of the stove and take on the role of fire-tender.

Watching the dancing flames and his grandmother’s busy figure, listening to the soft crackle of the firewood, his heart filled with a sense of peace and warmth.

Lunch was simple, home-cooked fare, but it was filled with the taste of home.

Yang Qi ate with great relish.

After lunch, Yang Qi sat with his grandmother in the courtyard, basking in the sun, shelling peanuts, and chatting idly.

The Guardian Beasts were either dozing at their feet or wandering around the yard.

Just then, Yang Qi’s phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was the old village chief from Liujiagou Village.

Yang Qi answered casually, "Hello, Village Chief. Good afternoon. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, yes, Expert Yang, have you eaten?"

An elderly voice with a thick, local accent came from the other end of the line.

"I just finished eating too. I’m at home chatting with my grandma," Yang Qi said with a laugh. "Village Chief, you’re calling because...?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot the important matter."

The old village chief’s tone quickly became urgent.

"Village Chief, don’t worry. Speak slowly. What’s wrong?" Yang Qi put down his peanuts, his voice calm and steady.

"Expert Yang, it’s terrible! At Dazhu’s house on the west end of our village, two sheep have gone missing from his sheep pen this week!"

The old village chief’s voice was rushed. "At first, we thought someone stole them, but we checked and couldn’t find anything. But today, Old Sun, an old hunter from the neighboring village who used to hunt in the mountains, came to visit relatives. He found some big footprints in the mud outside the sheep pen. He said... he said they look like leopard tracks!"

’A leopard in the village?’ Yang Qi was startled and sat up straight instinctively.

A leopard!

This wasn’t a weasel; it was a large predator!

If a leopard had really entered the village and started preying on livestock, it would pose a huge threat to the villagers’ safety.

"Have you called the police? The town’s police station, or the forestry station?" Yang Qi asked immediately.

"We haven’t reported this new development yet. Old Sun just figured it out. When it comes to animal matters, we... we trust you! Expert Yang, what do you think..." The old village chief’s voice was filled with a mixture of trust and panic.

Yang Qi felt both touched and helpless.

The villagers’ trust in him was a good thing, but for a matter like this, notifying the professional departments was the most prudent course of action.

"Village Chief, listen to me. Call 110 and report it to the police right now. Explain the situation clearly, and make sure to emphasize that you’ve found tracks suspected to be from a large predator."

"At the same time, secure the sheep pen and the area with the tracks. Don’t let anyone get near and disturb the scene. Wait for the police and the people from the forestry department to arrive!"

Yang Qi spoke quickly but with clear authority. "I’m heading over from the county seat now. It should take me about an hour to get there. We’ll act separately!"

"Okay, okay. I’ll listen to you. I’ll call the police right now! Expert Yang, you have to come!" The old village chief sounded as if he had found his pillar of support, agreeing repeatedly.

"Don’t worry, I’m leaving right now."

After hanging up, Yang Qi’s expression was grim.

He quickly explained the situation to his grandmother. "Grandma, a leopard might have gotten into Dahe Town and eaten some sheep. I have to go over there right away."

Although his grandmother was worried, she knew her grandson was capable and didn’t try to stop him, only nagging him with reminders.

"You have to be extremely careful. Leopards are very fierce. I heard they used to snatch and eat children. You must be safe."

"I know, Grandma, don’t worry." A confident smile appeared on Yang Qi’s face as he patted his grandmother’s hand. "There isn’t an animal your grandson can’t handle. Besides, I have Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard with me."

"Right, right, you have Hu Zi and Leopard." His grandmother looked at the two German Shepherds.

Compared to Bai Wan, the German Shepherds looked more formidable and reassuring.

Yang Qi smiled and called out, "Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, Leopard, get in the car! We’re leaving!"

"WOOF~"

[Let’s go~]

Leopard wagged its tail and ran to the front.

Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Liu Fu followed Yang Qi and got into the car one after another.

The Jeep started up and drove down the concrete road.

Just as the car left the village road, Yang Qi accelerated while using his Bluetooth headset to call Luo Kaifeng, a captain in the Ningshan County Forestry Police Division.

The call connected quickly, and Luo Kaifeng’s hearty voice came through. "Well, Advisor Yang, what made you think of calling me today?"

"Captain Luo, it’s an emergency."

Yang Qi had no time for pleasantries and got straight to the point. "I just got a call from the old village chief of Liujiagou Village in Dahe Town. A household on the west end of the village has lost two sheep from their pen this week. An old hunter checked it out today and found what look like leopard tracks outside the pen."

"The villagers are in a bit of a panic. I’ve already told them to call the police immediately and secure the scene. I’m on my way to Liujiagou from the county seat right now and will be there in about an hour. I need you guys to dispatch officers right away."

"What?!"

On the other end of the line, Luo Kaifeng’s voice shot up, filled with shock and gravity. "A leopard in a village? Are you sure?! And it’s Liujiagou again?"

"That’s what the old village chief said. I doubt he’d lie to me," Yang Qi replied.

"Okay, I understand."

Hearing this, Luo Kaifeng regained his composure. "I’ll head out with my team immediately. Advisor Yang, be careful on the road. When you get there, don’t approach recklessly. Wait for us to regroup."

"Understood!"

Ending the call, Yang Qi slammed on the accelerator. The SUV’s engine let out a low roar as it sped toward Dahe Town.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the inside of the car.

First a weasel, now a leopard.

This Liujiagou really is a ’special’ place.

’I just wonder if this is an ordinary wild animal, or if something else has gone wrong again.’

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