Chapter 439: Chapter 228: Xiaojiu, Teach Brother Leopard a Lesson

Liujiagou Village.

When Yang Qi drove to the small square at the village entrance, he found a police car and a Forestry Station pickup truck already parked there.

He parked the Wrangler on the edge of the square, pushed the door open, and got out.

The moment his feet touched the ground, a man in a faded Mao suit, who looked to be a village official in his fifties, hurried over. His face was a mixture of anxiety and the hope of someone who had just seen their savior.

"Expert Yang, you’re here at last."

The village official extended his hand, his voice urgent. "I’m the village accountant, Lao Chen. Chief Chen from the police station and Station Chief Yu from the Forestry Station are already here. They’re waiting over at Dazhu’s house, where the incident happened."

"Alright. Please lead the way, Accountant Chen."

Yang Qi nodded, then turned and called out, "Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, Leopard, follow me."

With a thought, he signaled for the camouflaged Liu Fu to stay in the car and be on standby, just in case.

"Ah, right, this way."

Accountant Chen quickly turned and trotted ahead to lead the way, heading toward the westernmost end of the village.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the western edge of the village.

This area was far from the densely packed homes of the village center. Only a few isolated houses stood here, backed by a range of rolling mountains.

Outside the earthen wall of one of these small courtyards, a large crowd had gathered.

The crowd was in two layers. The outer ring was made up of worried but curious villagers, while the inner circle consisted of uniformed police officers, Forestry Station staff, a few village officials, and those directly involved.

"Expert Yang is here!"

Accountant Chen, who had led him there, shouted.

The crowd turned as one, their gazes instantly locking onto Yang Qi.

Many people recognized him.

The young expert who had solved the "Huang Daxian" incident.

"Expert Yang."

"It’s good that Expert Yang is here."

"Make way, let Expert Yang through!"

"..."

The villagers parted to form a path, calling out to him all at once.

Yang Qi nodded to the crowd and, with his Guardian Beasts in tow, quickly walked into the inner circle.

Chen Shuangquan immediately came forward to greet him, while the head of the Forestry Station, Yu Bo, stood his ground and simply nodded at Yang Qi.

The old village chief hurried over from the side, followed by a rugged, rough-skinned man who looked honest and simple, but whose face was currently etched with worry.

"Expert Yang, we’re sorry to trouble you."

The old village chief grabbed Yang Qi’s hand and shook it firmly, then pointed at the worried man. "This is Dazhu. He’s the one whose sheep was taken."

"Ex-Expert Yang..." Dazhu stammered, wringing his hands nervously, his face filled with unconcealed worry.

"Advisor Yang, thank you for your hard work, coming all this way."

Chen Shuangquan shook Yang Qi’s hand, his tone grave. "We might be dealing with a tough one this time. We need you to take a look."

"You’re too kind, Chief Chen. It’s all part of the job."

Yang Qi replied, then nodded toward Yu Bo. "Station Chief Yu."

"Advisor Yang, the situation isn’t looking good. Take a look at this first." Yu Bo beckoned, turning to the side and pointing at the ground.

Yang Qi walked over quickly, stopping beside Yu Bo and following his gesture.

There, in the damp soil outside the sheep pen on the side closest to the mountain, several deep animal tracks were clearly visible.

Thanks to the recent humidity, the tracks in the mud were remarkably well-preserved.

The paw prints were circular, roughly the size of an adult’s fist. The central pad impression was distinct, surrounded by four toe prints. At the front of the toe prints were slight indentations, possibly left by claw tips.

The soft mud had caused the prints to be slightly distorted, but their overall shape and features were clear.

Yang Qi crouched down for a closer look.

He didn’t touch them, only getting close to observe the shape, depth, and spacing of the impressions.

They were definitely the tracks of a feline, and not a small one.

The prints were relatively round, the toe impressions evenly spaced, and while there were claw marks at the tips, they weren’t especially deep or long.

Felines usually retract their claws when walking.

’Judging by the size and shape, as well as the faint but lingering scent—similar to the one on Ta Xue, but wilder and more intense...’

"They’re leopard tracks, alright."

Yang Qi said in a low voice as he stood up. "And judging by the size and depth of the tracks, it’s a large one, most likely an adult male. Its movements were calm, not like it left these in a panic."

"So it really is a leopard..."

Chen Shuangquan’s brow furrowed, and his expression grew even more grim.

Although he had been mentally prepared for this, having Yang Qi confirm it changed the nature of the situation entirely.

This was no longer a simple case of lost livestock, but a major incident involving a large predator and a threat to public safety.

"Good heavens, how can there be a leopard in our remote little corner of the mountains?"

the old village chief exclaimed, his face a mask of disbelief and panic.

Hearing this, the surrounding villagers erupted into an uproar.

"It’s really a leopard!"

"Leopards eat people!"

"We’re finished! If a leopard’s targeting us, who’s going to dare raise livestock anymore?"

"It’s not just the livestock, we can’t even let the kids play outside!"

"Why did a leopard come down from the mountain?"

"It must be because the weather’s getting colder. There’s no food deep in the forest, so it came down to find something to eat."

"..."

Dazhu’s face grew even paler, his lips trembling. "Expert Yang, Chief Chen, what... what are we going to do? It ate my sheep this time, it’s definitely coming back! My family depends on those few sheep to get by..."

A sense of panic spread through the villagers.

The logic was simple. If the leopard could silently sneak to the edge of the village and carry off Dazhu’s sheep today, it could creep into the village center tomorrow and snatch someone else’s chickens and ducks. It might even threaten the children who ran around the village without a care in the world.

For a village predominantly made up of the elderly and left-behind children, this was a deadly threat.

If the matter wasn’t resolved, everyone would live in fear.

"Everyone, quiet down!"

A voice, aged but powerful, rang out.

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