At the start of the game, you have one equipment slot; the effects of unequipping the equipment rema

Just as Mu Yang thought, Liu Qingke genuinely wanted to host a banquet, rather than resorting to any underhanded tactics.

As the head of the Liu family, he even brought several elders with gray hair to wait in front of the mansion.

Upon seeing Mu Yang and his group arrive, they quickly greeted them, praising them with smiles.

It is said that Mu Yang is not only exceptionally strong, but also remarkably handsome; he is truly a man of exceptional talent.

Words of praise were overflowing.

During the banquet, the elders of the Liu family either praised or toasted, and there were also dancers playing music. The whole banquet was very harmonious.

During the process, Mu Yang also mobilized his Qi and blood, activating his keen sense of smell.

But the air was filled only with a faint scent of rouge and the aroma of food.

The servants around him remained calm and composed, showing no sign of anything amiss.

It seems the Liu family really has nothing to do with demons.

Mu Yang thought to himself, "What a pity."

Sitting opposite him, Liu Qingke, who was constantly observing Mu Yang, caught a glimpse of regret in Mu Yang's eyes, and his eye twitched violently.

That look in his eyes...

Could he be regretting that our Liu family doesn't have any demons?

Liu Qingke was speechless.

Just how much does Mu Yang love killing demons?

While they're eating and drinking here, they're also thinking about finding and killing demons.

When the banquet was almost halfway over, Liu Qingke put down his wine glass and gave the butler beside him a look.

Soon, a beautiful wooden box wrapped in red brocade was handed to him.

"Head of the Shepherd, I am deeply honored to meet you today. I have prepared a small gift as a token of my respect."

As he spoke, Liu Qingke opened the wooden box in his hand.

Inside were not gold or silver jewelry, but four neatly stacked thread-bound books, one of which had a slightly yellowed cover and looked quite old.

He had clearly done his homework before giving the gift.

"These three books are all top-grade martial arts unique to my Liu family. This book, 'Tracking Technique,' is a special secret technique that my Liu family has treasured for many years. Once mastered, it only requires collecting a wisp of the target's aura to track them for thousands of miles without missing a single detail," Liu Qingke said.

Special secret method?

Tracking techniques?

Mu Yang looked at the yellowed book with some curiosity.

A watercolor panel suddenly appeared.

......

[Equipable Item: Tracking Technique (Special Martial Art)]

[Rank: No fixed rank]

【Equipment Effect: ①Aura Gathering (Blue): Can gather the residual aura of any creature, which can be preserved for up to thirty days.

② Tracking (Blue): Using the collected scent as a guide, the system can accurately locate the target, with a tracking range of up to a thousand miles.

[Permanent fixation conditions: Equip this item for seven days, or slay any rank of monster while equipping this item.]

......

"Thirty days, a thousand miles, that's quite a practical secret technique."

Although this tracking technique cannot directly increase combat power, it helps him find traces of monsters and track down enemies.

In the future, if he encounters a monster like Huang Feng that hides in the mountains, he will no longer need to explore bit by bit like before. He can directly gather a wisp of its aura and strike at its heart.

"You're too kind, Lord Liu."

Mu Yang didn't take the wooden box; he simply stuffed the four martial arts manuals into his robes.

Liu Qingke didn't care. As long as Mu Yang accepted it, it meant he had given the right gift.

The banquet continued, and the atmosphere remained harmonious.

Liu Qingke never mentioned the Wang and Hu families, but kept praising Mu Yang for his young talent and subtly inquired about Mu Yang's future plans.

Upon learning that Mu Yang was aiming for the Demon Slaying Division in the county town, his smile became even more genuine, and he repeatedly offered toasts, wishing Mu Yang great success.

Soon, the banquet was drawing to a close.

Liu Qingke, along with a group of clan elders, personally escorted Mu Yang and the other two out of the mansion.

..................

The deserted streets were practically empty of people.

The three of them talked about their journey to the county town as they walked.

Xue She was the one doing the talking, and Mu Yang was the one listening.

Here are some things to be aware of in the county town.

"Brother Mu, let's meet at the East Gate early the day after tomorrow."

After saying that, Xue She and Zhou Heng left.

Mu Yang walked alone towards his courtyard.

Back home, Mu Yang closed the courtyard gate behind him.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows in the courtyard.

He took out the four martial arts manuals he had brought back from the Liu family and looked at the equipment panel.

......

【已装备物品：1.狐妖尸首（三阶）、2.《三十六路锏法》+1、3.《铁身功》、4.无】

......

Since there are no monsters to kill today, there is only one empty slot in the equipment inventory.

After thinking for a moment, Mu Yang stuffed the other three martial arts books back into his pocket, leaving only the "Tracing Technique".

"Equipment, Tracking Technique."

Mu Yang silently recited this in his heart.

[Ding! Tracking Technique is now equipped!]

In an instant, countless techniques about scent identification, scent collection, and trajectory tracking flooded into my mind.

At the same time, Mu Yang felt a sudden clarity in his mind, and the world around him seemed to be different.

Within a radius of 100 meters, various auras that he would have previously ignored became clear in his perception.

The faint scent of ants crawling along the corner of the wall, the scent of the old locust tree swaying in the wind outside the courtyard, even the excited scent of other families mingling together in the alley...

He distinguished them all from his unique perspective.

When paired with keywords related to keen sense of smell, it's a perfect combination where 1+1 is greater than 2.

After briefly testing the effects of the "Tracing Technique," Mu Yang leaned against the well, gazing at the sky in a daze.

It wasn't that he was trying to sober up; it was just that there were some things that puzzled him.

For example, among the three major families in Qingxi County, the Wang family and the Hu family both have problems, but does the Liu family really have no problems at all?

Is it truly clean and tidy, or is it because it's been hidden too well?

"Should we go take another look?"

I don't know if it's because I just experienced the wonders of the "Tracing Technique" and want to try it out, or if I simply want to try my luck again.

Mu Yang quickly got up, went back inside, and changed into a set of all-black, close-fitting clothes.

With a light step, he disappeared from the courtyard.

..................

Outside the Liu family mansion.

Even though it was late at night, lights still shone outside the walls of the Liu family mansion.

Those were the servants who guarded the house at night.

In a corner unnoticed by the servants, a dark figure darted past on the wind, gracefully leaping over the wall and entering the house.

In no time, Mu Yang arrived at the backyard where Liu Qingke lived.

With his heightened hearing honed through repeated enhancements, Mu Yang discovered that there was only a relatively faint but steady heartbeat inside the room.

Mu Yang raised an eyebrow and quietly slipped inside. He found that there was indeed only one person in the house, but it was not Liu Qingke, but his wife.

At this moment, Madam Liu was fast asleep, all by herself.

Why are you up so late at night? Where have you been?

Is there really a problem?

With a thought, Mu Yang circulated his qi and blood to his fingertips and gently hooked towards the bed.

A wisp of almost invisible pale white aura drifted out from the room and landed on his fingertips.

This is the lingering scent of Liu Qingke on the pillow.

"If Liu Qingke knew that the secret technique he had just sent out that afternoon was being used against him that very evening, I wonder what he would think."

Mu Yang chuckled to himself before activating his tracking technique.

The pale white aura at her fingertips trembled slightly, then became thinner and thinner, like a compass, pointing in a certain direction.

Mu Yang's eyes narrowed.

The difference in thickness makes it seem like the distance is quite far.

It's highly likely they're not in the city.

Mu Yang's eyes lit up. Leaving the city in the middle of the night, could it be that he really made a gain!

Thinking it over, Mu Yang immediately set off, following the guidance of the aura at his fingertips, and quickly left the city.

About half an hour later, Mu Yang arrived at the foot of a large mountain outside the city.

The mountain wasn't large, and it didn't have a name. It was densely forested and overgrown with weeds, and it looked like it was rarely visited by humans.

Mu Yang continued walking in, and soon a narrow cave appeared before him.

The entrance to the cave was covered with thick, long vines, making it look no different from an ordinary cave.