Chapter 442: Chapter 228: Xiaojiu, Teach Brother Leopard a Lesson

"You’re too kind, Captain Luo," Yang Qi said, raising his teacup in return. "It’s only right."

With the plan settled, the group said no more and quickly finished their dinner.

Afterward, they moved to the village committee office to discuss the details of the night watch, emergency contingency plans, and communication protocols.

By a little after ten in the evening, all preparations were complete.

Yang Qi, Luo Kaifeng, Yu Bo, along with an official from the Forestry Bureau and a Forest Police officer—five people in total—headed to Dazhu’s House.

Yang Qi had left Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan at the village committee office. Their size and scent would be too intimidating for the wild leopard, hindering any attempt at communication.

Only Xiaojiu followed lightly at Yang Qi’s heels.

The main lights in Dazhu’s House were already off, leaving only a single, dim yellow nightlight.

The five of them sat scattered in the shadows of the main room, trying their best to breathe quietly and remain silent.

A window was left ajar, allowing them to observe the sheep pen outside.

Time ticked by. The mountain village night was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional distant bark or gust of wind breaking the silence.

The midnight chill seeped in through the cracks in the door.

Luo Kaifeng and the others forced themselves to stay alert, their eyes fixed on the pitch-black sheep pen outside the window without blinking.

Shortly after midnight.

Yang Qi, who had been resting with his eyes closed but was actually using his Earth Listening Technique like a radar to periodically scan the several-hundred-meter radius around them, suddenly snapped his eyes open and rose silently to his feet.

Luo Kaifeng’s eyelids twitched. He immediately lowered his voice and asked.

"It’s here?"

Yang Qi nodded and made a "shush" gesture. He replied in a breathy whisper, "Don’t make a sound. It’s here, right outside. I’m going out. You all stay in the house. Don’t come out, and don’t make any light or noise, no matter what."

Luo Kaifeng and Yu Bo exchanged a look, seeing the tension and trust in each other’s eyes, and nodded heavily.

Yang Qi gently pushed open the ajar back door of the main room. With Xiaojiu, they slipped out as silently as two shadows melting into the night.

Outside, the night was deep.

There was no moonlight, only a few cold stars dotting the sky.

The distant mountains loomed like dormant beasts.

The sheep pen was just off to the side of the house, enclosed by a rough wooden fence. The faint, uneasy bleating of a few sheep could be heard from within.

Yang Qi concealed his aura and activated his Spirit Crane Body Technique. He approached the sheep pen with light steps, stopping behind the shadow of a woodpile.

Xiaojiu perched on his shoulder, its emerald eyes glinting faintly in the dark.

Just as Yang Qi came to a halt, a long, agile, and powerful silhouette emerged silently from the darkness at the edge of the sheep pen.

It was a robustly built leopard!

In the night, it looked like a flowing stream of dark gold. Its fluid muscle lines and spotted coat were faintly visible under the weak starlight.

It was hunkered low, approaching the fence with the graceful yet deadly gait unique to felines. Its amber eyes, like two cold lanterns in the dark, were locked onto the sheep huddled together in the pen.

’So it is this one!’

’A male, in the prime of its life. Judging from its physique and posture, it’s definitely a top contender in the struggle for survival in the wild.’

’From an animal’s aesthetic perspective, it’s quite beautiful, full of power and a wild sort of grace.’

Yang Qi didn’t move immediately.

Instead, he discreetly took a pinch of calming powder from his Hundred Pouches Belt. With a flick of his fingertips, the nearly invisible powder drifted silently on the night breeze toward the leopard, which was preparing to sneak into the pen.

At the same time, he channeled his Magical Power to his eyes, his vision becoming much sharper in the darkness.

Then, he quietly activated the Basic Spirit Communication Technique and spoke in a low voice.

"You’re so strong. Why sneak around to steal and eat the sheep raised by these Two-legged Beasts?"

The leopard, which had been fully focused on its hunt, was abruptly startled!

As if shocked by electricity, its massive body instantly sprang back more than two meters. It landed without a sound, but its muscles tensed, its spotted fur bristled slightly, and a threatening growl rumbled in its throat. Its amber eyes, sharp as knives in the darkness, scanned warily in the direction of the voice and the thought.

When it saw that there was only a single Two-legged Beast in the shadows—one who didn’t look particularly strong, carried no weapons, and had a tiny black cat on his shoulder—a flash of bewilderment and confusion crossed its eyes.

’This Two-legged Beast... seems different?’

’He’s just standing there, not screaming in terror or throwing things at me like other Two-legged Beasts. And he doesn’t have that repulsive, aggressive aura.’

’Instead, he has a strange aura that makes me feel... comfortable. At ease. It even makes me want to get a little closer?’

The leopard didn’t let down its guard completely, but it stopped backing away.

It stared fixedly at Yang Qi from a few meters away, its nose twitching as it seemed to be carefully analyzing his scent.

You are a strange Two-legged Beast.

The leopard let out a low growl; its intelligence was clearly high.

Yang Qi relaxed slightly. ’As long as we can communicate, it’s fine.’

He didn’t speak again. Instead, with his right hand hidden at his side, he deftly retrieved a bar of Vitality Nutrient Cream from his Hundred Pouches Belt.

Instantly, a rich, tempting, and strange aroma, brimming with life energy, spread through the night air.

The leopard’s eyes suddenly widened!

The growl in its throat turned into a rapid purr filled with desire, and drool dripped uncontrollably from the corner of its mouth.

Seeing this, Yang Qi flipped his hand and put the Vitality Nutrient Cream away.

The leopard’s breathing changed immediately.

Its gaze was fixed on Yang Qi’s hand as it let out an urgent, low growl.

What was that delicious thing?

Yang Qi smiled faintly and replied calmly, "First, you answer my question."

The leopard’s attention was completely captivated by the "delicious thing." It growled and took a threatening step forward, its fangs glinting coldly in the dark.

Where did the delicious thing go?

Two-legged Beast, give me the delicious thing now!

Or I’ll bite you!

The smile on Yang Qi’s face didn’t change, but his eyes were as calm as still water. "You want to hurt me?"

"ROAR—"

The leopard, seemingly angered by Yang Qi’s calm demeanor—or perhaps driven by appetite and instinct—let out a short, powerful, and intimidating roar.

The roar was especially startling in the quiet night, frightening the sheep in the pen into a panicked commotion of terrified "BAA"s.

It’s your fault for not giving me the delicious thing!

The leopard responded belligerently.

"Is that so."

Yang Qi raised a hand and patted Xiaojiu on his shoulder. "Xiaojiu," he said softly, "it seems this Brother Leopard doesn’t want to be reasonable. Teach it a lesson. Let it know who’s in charge here. Be careful, though. Don’t actually hurt it."

"Meow~"

A soft meow sounded.

Xiaojiu leaped gracefully from Yang Qi’s shoulder and landed on the ground.

It began to walk with an elegant feline gait, step by step, unhurried, toward the adult male leopard that was several times its size and radiating danger.

Its emerald eyes, calm and steady, watched the other animal in the darkness.

The leopard watched the little black cat—not even as long as one of its own legs—walk toward it, clearly taken aback for a moment.

Then, as if it had been insulted, a low rumbling sound, like a purr filled with obvious disdain and mockery, emanated from its throat.

This little thing?

It dares to teach me a lesson?

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