223 - Catch everything in one swoop

The sudden bark of dogs pierced the quiet night, jarring and alarming. Once the dogs began barking, it seemed all the nearby dogs were also roused, following their lead in a raucous chorus.

Shen Yue felt alert, aware that dogs were often more vigilant than people and likely sensed something amiss.

The barks coming from the direction of the stilt house—its lights on—suddenly stopped, followed immediately by the lights going out.

Deprived of their focus, the distant barking dogs, too, fell silent.

And once again, the night grew quiet.

But Shen Yue was not calmed by this silence, for he clearly understood it was only the calm before the storm.

Ordinary people would associate the lights going out with the occupants going to sleep. But Su Pa was an assassin. Dogs barking, lights going out—it suggested he had detected a problem and didn't want to expose himself.