Chapter 32

Qin Shaoyou parted the dog's fur and found scars on several parts of its body, including the back of its neck and the upper part of its tail.

These scars were not only short but also very shallow, hidden deep within the fur, making them hard to see.

If it weren't for Qin Shaoyou's [Keen Eyes] talent, which allowed him to notice the finest details, he probably wouldn't have discovered them.

Liao Lishi, who was standing beside Qin Shaoyou, also saw the scars after he parted the dog's fur.

He couldn't help but feel curious: "Why does it have so many scars? Did it fight with other dogs?"

"These are not scars from fighting; they are knife wounds."

Qin Shaoyou placed his hand on the dog's body and gently stroked the scars.

The dog, either in pain or fear, trembled but didn't dare to do anything to Qin Shaoyou.

"Indeed, they are knife wounds."

Zhu Xiuzai leaned in, first examining the scars carefully, then touching them, and finally checking other parts of the dog's body.

"The cuts start from the dog's neck and extend all the way to the top of its tail..."

Zhu Xiuzai's fingers traced the scars.

The dog became even more terrified, as if recalling a terrifying experience.

Zhu Xiuzai continued to analyze as he touched the scars:

"The person who made the cuts was very quick and steady, and used some special drugs afterward, so the wounds healed quickly. Now, only a few shallow, short scars remain. In a day or two, even these few scars will disappear... But at the time, the cut ran from the dog's head to its tail!"

Qin Shaoyou nodded solemnly.

He saw it the same way.

He then turned to Yao Lishi, who was guarding the door, and said, "Old Yao, bring over the dog at your feet."

"Coming." Yao Lishi responded, untied the rope from the pillar, and brought over the yellow dog they had caught at the city gate.

Qin Shaoyou and Zhu Xiuzai began to examine the yellow dog.

They found similar scars on its body, but they were even shorter and shallower.

Clearly, the healing time was longer, and the recovery was better.

Based on these scars and the evidence they had found earlier, their suspicions were almost confirmed.

The wild dogs that suddenly appeared inside and outside Mianyuan County were indeed the missing children transformed by the sorcerers using the Beast Transformation Technique.

"These dogs had their skin peeled off, their internal organs and bones removed, and then the children were stuffed inside and the wounds sewn up, turning them into dogs alive..."

Qin Shaoyou stroked the scars on the two dogs, feeling a chill run down his spine.

The method was truly vicious!

The Lishis were also angry, cursing the cruelty of the sorcerers.

Even Ma Heshang couldn't control his emotions and angrily cursed, "These bandits, they all deserve to die!"

He seemed to think it was inappropriate to swear, so he quickly recited a Buddhist chant.

But his frustration was still evident, and the words became: "Amitabha... damn it."

After cursing a few times, Yao Lishi suggested, "Since the missing children are trapped inside the dog skins, if we peel off the skin, can we free them?"

"No!"

Ma Heshang, forgetting to curse, quickly stopped him.

"The missing children were not simply stuffed into the dog skins; otherwise, they wouldn't have lost their ability to speak and would only bark and act like dogs. If we simply and violently peel off the skin, they might die."

Qin Shaoyou nodded in agreement: "The monk is right. We don't know how to break the curse or the evil magic. We should wait for the Taoist priests from Yuhuang Temple. They are experts in these matters and are better than us. If everything goes well, they will arrive in the next day or two."

Seeing that the two dogs were looking a bit weak, Qin Shaoyou had the Lishis bring water and food, which they placed in bowls in front of the dogs.

The dogs, clearly hungry, pounced on the food and started eating.

Their eating behavior was no different from that of real dogs.

Seeing them eat on the ground and thinking about the possibility that there were two living humans inside the dog skins, Qin Shaoyou and the others felt even more uneasy.

The sorcerers who turned children into dogs all deserved to die!

After waiting in the dormitory for a while, the sky turned completely dark, and the other guests in the station gradually fell asleep.

Qin Shaoyou and the others peeked through the window and, confirming that no one was in the yard, quietly slipped out of the dormitory, not forgetting to bring the two dogs.

If they left the dogs in the room and bandits came at night, wouldn't they be putting the dogs' lives at risk?

However, to prevent the dogs from barking or running around, Qin Shaoyou and the others had to tie their mouths and legs with cloth.

When they left the room, the station guards' dogs noticed them.

These guard dogs, being alert, were about to bark, but Zhu Xiuzai, with his rich experience, quickly threw some meat he had prepared.

The guard dogs, attracted by the meat, ran to eat it, only barking softly, which did not attract the attention of the station's other residents.

Soon, Qin Shaoyou and the others left the station.

But they didn't go far, finding several suitable hiding and observation spots nearby and lying in wait.

The Lishis, though experienced, couldn't help but feel nervous in such a situation and environment.

Qin Shaoyou was no exception.

To relieve the pressure and also to improve his strength, Qin Shaoyou took out a sand pot containing the demon bone soup he had cooked in the station kitchen.

He drank the soup and also took out the Purple Snow Cool Threads he had made before.

The gulping and crunching sounds immediately caught the attention of Zhu Xiuzai and Ma Heshang.

One of the Lishis, hearing the sounds, couldn't help but whisper, "Why is someone feeding pigs at this hour?"

When he saw that it was Qin Shaoyou eating and drinking, he quickly shut his mouth.

But he couldn't help but think, "I've only heard of people eating melons and watching the show, but how did it come to drinking soup and eating vegetables while on surveillance with Lord Qin?"

Although Qin Shaoyou's actions made the Lishis grumble, they also helped to ease their nervousness.

Taking advantage of the early hour, with the station's residents not yet all asleep and the bandits likely to arrive later, the Lishis followed suit, taking out their wine and dried meat to eat and drink.

They were both filling their stomachs and replenishing their blood and energy.

Zhu Xiuzai also offered Qin Shaoyou some wine and meat.

"Lord, you can't just drink soup and eat vegetables. Have some meat and wine."

Qin Shaoyou waved his hand to decline: "No, this is enough for me."

He wanted to drink wine and eat meat, but it would fill his stomach and affect the amount of medicinal food he could eat, thus impacting his strength improvement.

To make his body strong and his spirit robust, Qin Shaoyou continued to drink soup and eat vegetables.

The Lishis, unaware of the details, thought he was just being cautious and admired his self-discipline, so they didn't drink wine either, only eating meat.

After eating the meat, their blood and energy were restored, and they felt less tense.

This feeling made the Lishis very comfortable, and they praised, "Lord Qin's thinking is thorough. Eating something before a big event is indeed very useful. We should keep this habit."

"Huh?" Qin Shaoyou, who was busy drinking soup, heard their words and looked up, feeling puzzled and surprised.

How did it seem like he had led these Lishis astray?

Imagining a scene where, before a battle, the Lishis would not be busy drawing their swords but would first eat some meat and drink some wine to calm their nerves, Qin Shaoyou couldn't help but shudder.

The scene was too bizarre...

Time quickly passed into the dead of night.

Everyone in the station was asleep, and snoring could be heard.

Qin Shaoyou and the others had finished eating and drinking and were now hiding in the darkness, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew.

The wind was not strong or cold, but it made everyone's hair stand on end, and goosebumps covered their bodies.

Zhu Xiuzai's ears twitched, and his expression became serious.

He didn't speak but made a gesture to the others.

The target has arrived!

The others followed the direction of his finger.

Under the cold moonlight, several figures suddenly appeared in the station yard.

They seemed to materialize out of nowhere or drift in with the cold wind.

By the moonlight, Qin Shaoyou and the others could see the figures clearly.

They had pale skin, eerie blushes, and very strange expressions, moving stiffly...

They didn't look like living people at all!

Suddenly, these figures turned their heads and looked in the direction where Qin Shaoyou and the others were hiding.

Their gazes were cold, filled with killing intent!