Chapter 518 - 245: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell?
Chapter 518: Chapter 245: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell?
Yang Qi entered the villa, gave the rescued children a distant glance, and then turned toward the side building on the right.
Xiaojiu leaped nimbly onto his shoulder and licked its paws.
The side building had already been secured. The inside was a complete mess, littered with bullet holes, bloodstains, and scattered bird feathers.
Deep within the side building, several large rooms were filled with dozens of birdcages, large and small.
All sorts of birds were locked inside the cages.
In total, there were probably over a hundred of them.
Many of them had beautiful, colorful feathers and were clearly not common local species; they were protected animals that had been illegally smuggled.
Frightened by the earlier commotion, the birds were still restlessly fluttering and chirping in their cages.
[Detected semi-domesticated "Five-Spirit Parrot." Host may bring it back to the sect to acquire construction points.]
[Detected semi-domesticated "Red Wind Golden Crow." Host may bring it back to the sect to acquire construction points.]
[Detected semi-domesticated "Cold Commanding Profound Bird." Host may bring it back to the sect to acquire construction points.]
[Detected semi-domesticated...]
A series of prompts appeared. The system had actually classified nearly half the birds as "Spirit Beasts."
"Well, I’ll be..."
"So this criminal group isn’t just dealing in organs, they’re also moonlighting in rare bird smuggling?"
Looking at the birds, Yang Qi couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth lift into a slight smile.
His gaze swept over the flock and landed on a rainbow lorikeet—the same "bait" bird that had appeared multiple times on the surveillance footage.
’This one is probably the most valuable of the bunch.’
’But now isn’t the time to think about that.’
The subsequent work of cleanup, evidence collection, escorting captives, and comforting and settling the children proceeded in an orderly manner.
Yao Zhenwei was personally directing the operation.
The three vehicles and four individuals in the forest clearing had also been dealt with and were now all in custody.
When Yang Qi learned this, he knew there wasn’t much else for him to do there. He informed Yao Zhenwei and left with the first group of rescued children heading down the mountain.
Yao Zhenwei thanked him profusely and arranged for a minivan. A police officer and a SWAT officer were assigned to escort Yang Qi and a few of the more stable children to leave first.
The van slowly made its way out along the rugged path.
The police officer driving and the SWAT officer in the passenger seat were full of admiration for Yang Qi, praising him nonstop the entire way.
"Expert Yang, we really owe this one to you, your cat, and that big eagle!"
The police officer’s voice was filled with excitement. "If it weren’t for you guys, we wouldn’t have even found which remote corner of the mountains the criminals were hiding in."
"Yeah, Expert Yang, how did you train that cat of yours? It’s incredible! And that eagle, it was like it was practically human!"
The SWAT officer was also full of amazement.
Yang Qi, holding Xiaojiu, smiled humbly. "It was a team effort."
While making small talk, he habitually used his Earth Listening Technique to perceive the situation inside the van.
The children were mostly quiet. Some were leaning against each other, asleep, while others were still sobbing softly.
When Yang Qi’s senses unintentionally focused on a boy sitting in front of him by the window—who looked to be about ten and kept his head down in silence—his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The boy’s breathing rate and depth didn’t seem to match his age and body size.
His heartbeat was also a bit too steady and strong, not like that of a child who had just been through the trauma of a kidnapping.
Out of caution, Yang Qi quietly activated his Spiritual Eye Technique, his gaze sweeping over the boy’s back and profile as if by chance.
What he saw through the Spiritual Eye Technique’s triple perspectives of x-ray, microscopic, and qi-viewing vision made Yang Qi’s heart leap!
The boy’s bone density, muscle fiber strength, the vitality of his internal organs...
All of it indicated a maturity and strength that far surpassed his apparent age!
That level of physiological function was more like that of a man in his forties or fifties who was in peak physical condition from regular exercise.
Moreover, although the flow of his qi and blood was slow, as if deliberately suppressed, its foundation was very deep.
’An illness?’
’Premature aging?’
’No!’
’If it were premature aging or some other disease, his physiological functions would be in overall decline, presenting as weak and chaotic.’
’But this boy’s body was just "old," yet it was very healthy—too healthy, even.’
’This situation...’
In a flash, an incredible yet perfectly logical theory struck Yang Qi’s mind like a bolt of lightning.
’Dwarfism!’
’This isn’t a child. This is an adult with dwarfism!’
’He disguised himself as a kidnapped child, blending in with the group of rescued kids to try to slip through the cracks and escape the police.’
’He might even be a core member of this criminal group, perhaps even one of its leaders!’
’Because of his special physique, he was the perfect person to play the role of "cargo," and it would be easiest for him to pull off a clean getaway in the chaos.’
Realizing this, Yang Qi remained outwardly calm. He continued his idle chat with the police officer and SWAT officer in the front, even letting out a yawn as if he were tired.
The van bumped along, leaving the mountainous area and turning onto the relatively smooth provincial road.
It then entered the Yuanzhou City District and finally stopped at the entrance of the hospital designated to receive the rescued children.
It was now late at night. The hospital was brightly lit, and medical staff and police officers were already waiting at the entrance.
The van door opened. The police officer and SWAT officer got out first, then turned to help the children out of the vehicle.
The "boy" sitting in front of Yang Qi also stood up slowly, head down, and followed the other children out of the van.
Yang Qi was the last to get out.
He slowly approached the "boy." Without warning, his left hand shot out like lightning and seized the back collar of the "boy’s" slightly oversized clothes. At the same time, his right foot hooked forward, precisely catching the other’s ankle. He then yanked sharply upward and backward.