Ordinarily, if Demonic Beasts and ghosts concealed their aura, even typical mages would be unable to detect them. But if they had killed too many people or acted too wantonly, all manner of abnormalities would naturally leak through.
For example, the residence and two shops Gu Zhao had discovered when he last came to Xiu Yue County.
"What would you like, honored guests?"
At the entrance of the butcher shop, a burly man with his chest thrust out and belly protruding held a sharp knife, yet he smiled warmly at them. "They were all live animals slaughtered fresh this morning—fresh as can be."
"What kinds of meat do you have here?" Gu Zhao asked.
"Mutton! Dog meat!" The big man pointed at the meat on the chopping block, then at the meat hanging from iron hooks around him. "Fresh, tender, fragrant, and smooth. Roast it or stew it into soup when you get home—it's the finest flavor there is."
Gu Zhao looked over the shop, then at the big man.
This butcher shop stood at the end of a side street. There were no windows inside, and it was pitch-black, impossible to make out clearly. All he could see were the chopping block, knives, and some scattered bones and scraps of meat.
A rack stood outside the shop, strung with more than a dozen iron hooks holding over a dozen pieces of fresh meat, shaved clean and deboned. There was also a chopping block spread with several large slabs of meat, evenly marbled with fat and lean, cut into uniform portions.
The big man wore coarse cloth short garments and a square cap. His chest was bare in front. Though he looked fat, broad, and rough, his face was piled high with smiles, giving him the impression of being good-natured.